(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . What TV Shows Are You Watching? [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-18 TV has been an important, though intermittent, part of my life. I’ve had more time in the past few years to enjoy the current offerings, as well as catch up on the stuff I missed. For example, I’ve never seen an episode of the Wire or Breaking Bad (which I will get to!) Anyways, these days, my wife and I are watching the following, in no particular order: Dark Matter , American Sci-Fi, 2024 “A man is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could've lived, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from a most terrifying foe: himself.” IMBD My take . Its premise is good, and the execution of the premise good enough, but it falls apart pretty quickly if you start to think about it... But that’s ok, because it's mostly about the characters, how our protagonist deals. Y’know, “soft sci-fi,” which is about all the sci-fi my wife can and will tolerate. Speaking of tolerate… Bridgertone, Series 1, “American” Historical Romance “The eight close-knit siblings of the Bridgerton family look for love and happiness in London high society.” IMBD Set during an alternative history Regency era, in which George III established racial equality and granted many people of African descent aristocratic titles due to the African heritage of his wife, Queen Charlotte. My take . (Needless full disclosure: I am not the target audience.) Unlike the bestest-period-adaptation-ever Pride and Prejudice (1995) and Downton Abbey (the best soap opera ever made), both from which it heavily borrows, neither the acting nor the dialogue is in the same league. The great production value, particularly the sets, are done no favors by the decidedly modern cinematography. I’d prefer a shooting style that allowed the setting and characters to speak for themselves. And perhaps let the British do so as well. Although I liked Alex Garland’s Civil War, some of his choices made little sense for the plot, even if they served his themes. The same goes here. Which is a shame. The show’s exploration of gender and race would have been better served, IMO, to let the imaginary people of that time and place play out their lives within a context suitable to their, and not our, sensibilities. House of the Dragon , Season 2, American fantasy drama “An internal succession war within House Targaryen at the height of its power,” 200 or so years before the events in Game of Thrones. IMBD My take . 132 AC. King Viserys the Peaceful is dead, leaving a succession crisis in his wake. In King's Landing, the Greens have consolidated power through the coronation of the king's firstborn ne'er do well male Aegon II. In retaliation, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen…” You get the point. Like GoT, lots of names, violence, intrigue, “heroes on both sides”, but unlike GoT, no Ice Zombies and lots of dragons. So far, we’ve had one episode, with a good amount of stage-setting, and the requisite violence horror — though off screen, no less “shocking.” The fan boys and girls will love it as much as they love their Blood and Cheese. Neither I nor my wife did. Because we don’t really care who wins, now that Paddy Considine’s Viserys is no longer with us. And Otto Hightower is no Tywin Lannister. Sigh. In short, it’s as good as Season 5 of GoT. Worth watching if you like that sort of thing. What about you? What TV are you watching? [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/18/2247376/-What-TV-Shows-Are-You-Watching?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/