Television angst

[lizbee]

Since finishing The West Wing, I have found myself in a state of vague dissatisfaction where my evening entertainment is concerned.  There was 30 Rock, but somehow I'm less interested in that now that Jack's doing Salma Hayek. (And that troubles me, because usually I'm highly in favour of anything that puts Salma Hayek on my screen.) 

I went back to Doctor Who, but somehow, watching the Key to Time series just seems to highlight all of Romana's flaws for me.  Namely, that Mary Tamm really isn't very good (bless), and Romana is not Delenn (that's more my problem than hers, and also sort of heretical.  Lalla Ward has been in Melbourne for, like, a week, and not only have I failed to stalk her, but the possibility only occurred to me yesterday). 

Anyway, Doctor Who was perhaps a bit tiresome.  That's fair enough, you need to be in the right mood for Tom Baker.  I'm still in the mood for Star Trek, but then I think of the immense commitment that involves, and I wonder if I have the stamina.  I mean, watching the whole series sounds like a good idea, but then you remember "Spock's Brain", and the entire first two seasons of TNG, and the existence of Enterprise.

So now I'm weighing up my options.  I have the first episode of Merlin, because the woman who plays Morgana is SO BEAUTIFUL, and apparently she becomes powerful and a bit mad later on (and you know how much I love that sort of thing).  But I have this feeling that I've tried to watch it before, and thought it was rubbish.

I did consider Being Human, but that's a Toby Whithouse project, he being the genius responsible for "School Reunion" and the Rose-Sarah Jane catfight that (a) made both characters look like they just stepped out of an unsocialised man's idea of how women interact and (b) was totally out of character for Sarah Jane.  Also, I loathe and detest Russell Tovey.

Then there's Leverage, which piecesofalice and suburbannoir enjoyed, and that has Jeri Ryan in its second season. suburbannoir also recommends Caprica, on the grounds that it's hilariously cracksome and has a talking robot.  I did mean to watch Mad Men at some stage, and catch up with Dexter, but I keep finding that I'm not in the mood for srs bzns television.  The Good Wife keeps poking me and demanding attention, but then I wonder if it's actually as good as people claim.

Really, what I want is for an extra season of Babylon 5 to magically pop into existence.  And for it to not suck, obviously.  Why has the universe failed to respond to my perfectly reasonable and realistic demand?  It's quite strange.

Comments

[tree_and_leaf]

But Spock's Brain is ... well, almost bearable if you're really really drunk!

[copracat]

You must not, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, watch Merlin. Not even for how utterly, utterly gorgeous Katie McGrath is.

You will hate it so much.

Know why it's so popular? It's Harry/Draco with a Harry whose tragic flaw is his inability to make a good decision and a Draco who is a lot prettier and more buff than Tom Felton. And becomes fanon Draco quite quickly.

Why yes, I do watch it and I love Gwen and Morgana with a passion that is burning but Merlin himself makes me rage. Seriously, if Colin Morgan wasn't cuter than a room full of puppies and with more charisma than James Stewart he'd be one of the most hated characters in fandom.

Let me spoil you and you'll know. You'll know why I'm saying this.

[lizbee]

You must not, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, watch Merlin. Not even for how utterly, utterly gorgeous Katie McGrath is.

I wish I'd received this comment before I watched the first episode. I mean, Gwen and Morgana were as cute as two buttons, and any year now they might even pass the Bechdel test! And Eve Myles is always a bonus. BUT OMG THERE WERE TOO MANY DICKS ON THAT DANCE FLOOR.

Also, Colin Morgan's cheekbones scare me a little.

SPOIL ME PLS.

Spoilers

[copracat]

Merlin kills almost every single female magic user.

In season 1: all of them. Eve Myles' character, seeking revenge on Uther for beheading her son, set the tone.

In season 2: all but Morgana and Morgause, but he gives it a red hot go with Morgana in the final episode. Colin Morgan cried and grimaced with his usual adorableness. I think he has a trademark on the single, perfect tear, though I understand Matthew Bomer gave him a run for his money in the season finale of White Collar.

Throughout the whole two seasons, Morgana's sleep is constantly disturbed by terrifying prophetic dreams. Gaius and Merlin know she's a seer and a witch and attempt to control the dreams by drugging her. Gaius prepares medicine she takes willingly because she trusts them while they're lying to her like two great big fucking liars who lie. Even though Merlin knows and acknowledges that Gaius' understanding and support is vital to his own happiness, even though they can see how terrified and distressed she is.

There's more but I reckon that's enough.

Re: Spoilers

[lizbee]

Merlin kills almost every single female magic user.

Eurggggggggghhh.

Gaius prepares medicine she takes willingly because she trusts them while they're lying to her like two great big fucking liars who lie.

That is totally reprehensible and awful, but also kind of one of my narrative weaknesses: character being manipulated by person or people they trust.

Re: Spoilers

[copracat]

That is totally reprehensible and awful, but also kind of one of my narrative weaknesses: character being manipulated by person or people they trust.

There's a lot of that. Merlin's lying to everyone but Gaius and his mum.

[skywaterblue]

Dude, I already commented on this post at LJ, but I thought I'd check out what other people rec'ed here. THIS IS SO ACCURATE.

Merlin sucks.

[copracat]

Watch Leverage. In Leverage you just have to fast forward past Nate's angst and you get awesome cute caper characters and women who talk to each other.

[jesuswasbatman]

I've been put off Being Human by the fact that Whithouse wrote Torchwood: DIE YOU SICK LESBO WHORE!, and by some things I've heard about the plot in S2 which suggest something that has been intolerable for me since the political debates that raged in Buffy fandom (vampires and werewolves are incorrigibly murderous and dangerous towards other people but they are nevertheless entirely appropriate metaphors for black or gay people).

[usuallyhats]

Leverage is loads of fun, I adore it and would recommend it heartily! copracat has covered Merlin; I do like it but it has been making me increasingly rageful recently. I don't think you'd like Being Human - lots of dead women, Russell Tovey's character is unutterably awful, plus the second season seems to have drained most of the fun and warmth out of it.

[ellen_fremedon]

Leverage is a lot of fun, and Mad Men is just about the only show on TV where all of the horrible rage-inducing bits are actually meant to be horrible and rage-inducing, so you can focus all your rage at the characters and the patriarchy instead of at the writers. Which doesn't make it fun, exactly, but it can be cathartic. Also the clothes are fantastic.

[skywaterblue]

This is also exactly how I feel about Mad Men.

[lizbee]

I thought, from reading interviews with the creator/head writer, that that feeling was intentional. Like the show is trying to engender nostalgia for the good old days, then hitting you with the reminder that the things you (the stereotypical male audience member) are longing for (cigarettes, liquid work lunches, chauvinism) are actually bad for you.

[ellen_fremedon]

Yeah, the show can pretty much be summarized as "This is how the patriarchy hurts you. And you. Yes, and even you, sir!"

[fannishnonsense]

Also, I loathe and detest Russell Tovey

OMG, you mean it's not just me!?

[onomatopoetry]

Leverage is fun (sort of in the same way I used to think Bones was fun before s3, except without the let's-let-the-golden-boy-constantly-disrespect-scientists-and-oh-non-neurotypes-are-hilariously-funny), although I only started watching it because Jeri Ryan was in it and am having a hard time being entertained by the earlier episodes. But that may just be me.