The Orville: Season 2 The Orville #2

2023-05-22

And another season! Got away from it for a while, but it’s finally done. I’m glad they’ve managed to stay away from pure comedy and stick to a scifi show that’s also funny. It’s much better that way in my opinion–even if we do get some pretty ridiculous bits. The Great Release. I rest my case.

Other than that, we get a lot more to shake up the status quo. The Moclans and their all male* society take a front seat, but we also have quite the story line for Isaac and his people, more Krill, digging into how real simulations can feel, and so much more. It’s a lot.

I’m looking forward to the third (and final?) season!

Downton Abbey: Season 3 Downton Abbey #3

2023-05-09

Oh, now that’s a season. It starts with a marriage, imprisonment, and money problems and only gets crazier from there. Death is a theme as well, not once but twice. I get that sometimes actors move on , but they really did Matthew dirty with that one… Overall another solid season and I’m looking forward to what happens now! Per episode reviews. Potential spoilers for the season as a whole.

Downton Abbey: Season 2 Downton Abbey #2

2023-04-07

The season with World War I. That’s a lot of changes, from war wounds to deaths to Downton becoming a temporary hospital. It’s fascinating getting to know all these stories. Oh I wish the best for them all. Such is life. Onward! Per episode reviews. Potential spoilers for the season as a whole. Episode 2.1 And so… war. Brutal away and at home for those that go, those that don’t, and those that can’t.

Downton Abbey: Season 1 Downton Abbey #1

2023-02-24

Somehow I’m always surprised when a highly rated show is actually good. 😄

From a modern, American, middle-class point of view, the idea of the early 1900s British Aristocracy is just so strange. They do next nothing (useful) and have an entire staff to support it. The entire estate could go to a cousin they’d never met and there’s nothing they can do about it … is so strange.

And yet… it’s oddly charming?

The Grantham’s are fascinating. Sybil seems good people, Edith is certainly going to figure out how to come into her own, Mary is spoiled and needlessly cruel–but may be learning. Lord and Lady Grantham are fun, if somewhat alien–and I do love watching Lord Grantham try and completely fail to wrangle three young adult daughters. 😄

The shining jewel of the family Dame Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess of Grantham. Oh she’s just wonderful.

Among the staff, you have a whole ’nother level of politics. They’re all great and terrible (as they should be) and there are every bit as many problems and politics as there are among the ‘family’. Turns out people are people no matter how much money they have or do not.

Man that’s a crazy amount to fit into seven episodes.

Onward… to war!

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

2023-02-04

Well that’s quite the thing.

They couldn’t/didn’t get the rights to the third age, so instead we get much older stories. Stories after the fall of Morgoth but still during the end of the era of Elves and Númenor. Before the rise of the kingdoms of Men.

There’s a lot crammed into eight episodes. One might argue too much. Leaves some stories a bit thin. But really, having seen them, I don’t know what I’d cut.

Worth a watch. Looking forward to season two!

The Little Drummer Boy

2023-01-08

That’s cute. A fun art style that really fits these videos, it’s something I watched each year when I was younger. Great to see once again. And it’s not any more out of date than it was before then. It’s interesting to realize that the song only came about in the 40s and this was only made into a movie in the 60s. Especially since that means that for such a well know ‘Christmas’ story, it’s really got very little backend religiously.