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Work was slow on Monday, so I wrote up a bunch of recent Netflix binge watching. Some minor spoilers ahead!
Freaks and Geeks
Now that I’m 40 I finally understand what nostalgia is and how it comes in waves :-D Freaks and Geeks is supposed to be a nostalgia show for older Gen-Xers, but 20 years on, it’s nostalgia for younger Gen-Xers too. I only watched a handful of episodes when it was on the air because I never knew when it was on. The show launched a dozen Hollywood careers, but I can totally see why it wasn’t renewed for another season. The acting is kind of bad, especially in the early episodes, and the pacing is glacial. On the other hand, I can see why it’s a cult classic - the show is embarrassingly too real and all the characters were easily people that I knew in junior and senior high. It has the same feel as retro Degrassi episodes with more humour and fewer lessons learned. I appreciated the way that the show didn’t make fun of its characters even though their caricatures hit a little close to home - my brother was easily Nick, my high school boyfriend easily a slimmer Gordon Crisp. Maybe it’s because it lacked the polished veneer and sentimentality of The Wonder Years or the sitcom friendliness of That 70s Show that audiences couldn’t relate to it or that the actors were closer to being teenagers as opposed to being in their 20s or 30s. Now I feel cheated not knowing how Lindsay's life is going to turn out :-)
Stranger Things 2
We whipped through Stranger Things 2 earlier this autumn and we really enjoyed it. The first season set the bar so high that I couldn’t imagine how they were going to surpass it. One of the dangers of TV or film is that they tell stories that no one wants to know. Would season 2 ruin the perfection of season 1? Fortunately, I don’t think it did as the show focused on Hopper's relationship with Eleven and Sean Astin was so perfect as Bob. I loved Bob as much as I did Barb, aw. There were a couple of large plot holes and a little too much handwaviness in the middle episodes - but it didn't bother me too much. If the series goes finishes with four seasons as planned, then the two middle seasons are going to be like that second movie in a trilogy that bridges the beginning and end. Can't wait!
Trollhunters
Huh, LJ Archive tells me that I didn't blog about this amazing animated series based on a book by Guillermo del Toro. We watched the first season last year and we were just glued to the screen. Although it's meant for older children, there's a lot to for adults as well, from the stellar voice talents of Anton Yelchin and Kelsey Grammer to the action and hilarity of Jim keeping his double life as a Trollhunter a secret. I loved the design of the trolls. The episodes just go by in a flash and left us craving more. It is a planned three season series and unfortunately Anton Yelchin passed away after laying down the dialogue for season 2 in that freak car accident. Season 2 only has 13 episodes, which was rather disappointing. Now we have to wait for season 3...or maybe I could just read the book!
The Punisher
We have been faithfully watching all the Netflix MCU shows and we were keen on The Punisher. Unfortunately, unlike past series, The Punisher is absolutely punishing to watch and we couldn't stomach a lot of the violence. We would watch cartoons afterwards, didn't binge on it and went days between episodes. Critics talk about the beauty of violence, but unlike, say, Kill Bill or Daredevil, there wasn't anything choreographed about the violence in The Punisher. Just a lot of bullets through the eye and heads getting smashed like watermelons. There was a good deal of intrigue and silent commentary on war veterans and PTSD, but the show was just so raw. There was a clumsy reference comparing consensual torture to just plain old torture that stuck out like a sore thumb. The middle episodes were my favourites because they focused a lot on character development. I think The Punisher would have been far better if it was a movie or was cut down by one or two episodes - at times it felt too loose and sprawling. Oddly enough, there was a huge Terminator vibe to the middle episodes, but if you watch it, you'll see what I mean.
Freaks and Geeks
Now that I’m 40 I finally understand what nostalgia is and how it comes in waves :-D Freaks and Geeks is supposed to be a nostalgia show for older Gen-Xers, but 20 years on, it’s nostalgia for younger Gen-Xers too. I only watched a handful of episodes when it was on the air because I never knew when it was on. The show launched a dozen Hollywood careers, but I can totally see why it wasn’t renewed for another season. The acting is kind of bad, especially in the early episodes, and the pacing is glacial. On the other hand, I can see why it’s a cult classic - the show is embarrassingly too real and all the characters were easily people that I knew in junior and senior high. It has the same feel as retro Degrassi episodes with more humour and fewer lessons learned. I appreciated the way that the show didn’t make fun of its characters even though their caricatures hit a little close to home - my brother was easily Nick, my high school boyfriend easily a slimmer Gordon Crisp. Maybe it’s because it lacked the polished veneer and sentimentality of The Wonder Years or the sitcom friendliness of That 70s Show that audiences couldn’t relate to it or that the actors were closer to being teenagers as opposed to being in their 20s or 30s. Now I feel cheated not knowing how Lindsay's life is going to turn out :-)
Stranger Things 2
We whipped through Stranger Things 2 earlier this autumn and we really enjoyed it. The first season set the bar so high that I couldn’t imagine how they were going to surpass it. One of the dangers of TV or film is that they tell stories that no one wants to know. Would season 2 ruin the perfection of season 1? Fortunately, I don’t think it did as the show focused on Hopper's relationship with Eleven and Sean Astin was so perfect as Bob. I loved Bob as much as I did Barb, aw. There were a couple of large plot holes and a little too much handwaviness in the middle episodes - but it didn't bother me too much. If the series goes finishes with four seasons as planned, then the two middle seasons are going to be like that second movie in a trilogy that bridges the beginning and end. Can't wait!
Trollhunters
Huh, LJ Archive tells me that I didn't blog about this amazing animated series based on a book by Guillermo del Toro. We watched the first season last year and we were just glued to the screen. Although it's meant for older children, there's a lot to for adults as well, from the stellar voice talents of Anton Yelchin and Kelsey Grammer to the action and hilarity of Jim keeping his double life as a Trollhunter a secret. I loved the design of the trolls. The episodes just go by in a flash and left us craving more. It is a planned three season series and unfortunately Anton Yelchin passed away after laying down the dialogue for season 2 in that freak car accident. Season 2 only has 13 episodes, which was rather disappointing. Now we have to wait for season 3...or maybe I could just read the book!
The Punisher
We have been faithfully watching all the Netflix MCU shows and we were keen on The Punisher. Unfortunately, unlike past series, The Punisher is absolutely punishing to watch and we couldn't stomach a lot of the violence. We would watch cartoons afterwards, didn't binge on it and went days between episodes. Critics talk about the beauty of violence, but unlike, say, Kill Bill or Daredevil, there wasn't anything choreographed about the violence in The Punisher. Just a lot of bullets through the eye and heads getting smashed like watermelons. There was a good deal of intrigue and silent commentary on war veterans and PTSD, but the show was just so raw. There was a clumsy reference comparing consensual torture to just plain old torture that stuck out like a sore thumb. The middle episodes were my favourites because they focused a lot on character development. I think The Punisher would have been far better if it was a movie or was cut down by one or two episodes - at times it felt too loose and sprawling. Oddly enough, there was a huge Terminator vibe to the middle episodes, but if you watch it, you'll see what I mean.
