I'm a slayer, ask me how.

I found the running gag got less and less funny as the episode went on and just became downright upsetting.

I miss Timothy Olyphant's character.

It continues to be a show I watch but it doesn't really illicit any strong emotions from me.

After the disappointment (for me) that was TROS, I didn’t line up to sign up for Disney+ when it launched. I will say that the streaming service was very smart to release each episode on a weekly basis, keeping the hashtag alive on Twitter and reminding me that it existed long after most other shows that drop in one day on Netflix. Unfortunately, Twitter has no chill when it comes to spoilers, so my feed was filled with “Baby Yoda” gifs and I was even more turned off, thinking that the series was yet another prequel.



Eventually, a friend set me straight that people were just referring to the mysterious “Child” as “Baby Yoda” because it was easier. And also I needed a Christmas present for my parents and I pulled a Homer bowling ball, buying them a year long subscription to Disney+. And, of course, they wanted my help setting up their account and I happened to get their password so…yeah I could watch it now. After catching up on The Expanse and The Witcher, last week we finally dived into this series.

I thought the episodes that focused on the main arc of The Mandalorian and The Child were the strongest (1,2,3,7,8) but the episodes in between were just missing something for me. While all of the episodes were heavy on homages/tropes to all things samurai/cowboy, I found that the stand-alone episodes were so cliche heavy, they became tedious to me. Maybe I’ve watched too much TV at this point so I’m familiar with too many stories? I just know episodes 4,5,6 almost lost me as fatigue set in with seeing things play out exactly as expected.

It’s funny, usually with streaming services, the problem is that there is no time limit and shows go crazy by going long and meandering too much. Mando had the opposite problem to me – sometimes I wished they had loosened up from their 30 minutes limit and gone a full hour with episodes to allow us more time with characters, to do a bit more world building or lore exploring.

I will say that the last two episodes were very strong and had a lot of good character and story reveals. This bodes well – most of the shows that I am a big fan of had uneven first seasons. This is actually for the best! When shows have flawless first seasons, they tend to not know what to do after that, floundering for direction and ways to make their characters interesting again. The Mandalorian might not be perfect, but there is a lot of room for it to stretch and grow. There is a lot of story to play around with. And knowing that The Child won’t “grow up” any time soon, the show can keep milking those big brown eyes and green ears.

Speaking of The Child – yes, this Chibi Yoda is designed to be adorable, I also wonder if the reason people love it so much is that it has a face, to make up for the Mandalorian’s lack of one. The Child is your viewer point of view in this series. (I was really hoping the finale would be the end of the helmet but alas. Maybe next season. Pascal is doing a wonderful job using his body to act, but it seems like a waste to keep him hidden away forever. Plus, as someone who has taken a few child development classes, it is important for the baby to see faces to understand emotions. Otherwise he will end up force choking someone at another awkward moment…

So I will tune in for Season 2 to see where this is all going. Now with the main character in search of The Child’s species and The Child growing stronger in its force powers, there is plenty that can happen. Now that they have played with all the tropes, they can start doing their own thing.

I was looking for something to watch with my breakfast and decided to finally give 'Glow' a try. If you're not familiar, this is a Netflix original series loosely based on the story of a women's wrestling group in the 80s.

The show stars Alison Brie of 'Community' fame, which is how it first ended up on my radar but the promo shots just looked so ridiculous, I hadn't give it a second glance. Then some YouTubers I follow casually mentioned it and I thought "Hm, maybe it's not quite as silly as the pictures" and it was in the queue, waiting for a day when I needed something to watch while eating my breakfast.

I'm about 8 episodes into the first season and I get it now. The first couple episodes were rocky, but after about the third show you realize this isn't going to just be a 80s nostalgia show, but it is actually a lot deeper, looking at women and their relationships with men, with other women, with the media, politics...there is just a lot more happening than I ever expected!

The same goes for 'Living with Yourself' which just appeared a couple weeks ago. Again, this was only on my radar because Paul Rudd. We needed a show to watch with dinner and it was 30 minutes to why not. What could have just been a goofy show has SO MANY LAYERS. Every time I started watching an episode, I thought I knew where it was going, and it has surprised me a few times now. Another show that is dealing with relationships and society and yeah, layers. Levels. Who knew?

I think we just watched episode 6 of that one, so no finale spoilers!

Speaking of levels and layers, I really enjoyed this week's episode of 'The Good Place'. I always think this show is the strongest when it's tackling the ethical dilemmas of modern society and this one went for it. Michael's statement at the end, about humans always trying to improve and that was more important than being perfect all the time...I'm curious to see how the whole show wraps up but if that ends up being the mission statement that saves everyone, I'm fine with that.

thenewbuzzwuzz posted this meme and I had to play too, mostly because I already talk about X-Files and Buffy this way.

The one who seduced you, screwed you over, broke your heart in a million pieces, and laughed about it:
The X-Files, for sure. I devoted so much to that show in the early years. So many Friday nights at home in high school because I couldn't miss an episode. Wrote my first fan-fic, got into the fandom community. But the mythology was a mess and promises were broken over and over. And I may still be bitter.

Honorable mention goes to Game of Thrones. And everyone knows why.

The old flame you don't see very often any more but whom you still really enjoy getting together with for a few drinks and maybe a pleasant nostalgic romp:
Whedonverse, but specifically Buffy. When I broke up with X-Files, Buffy was there to show me what a series where the writers actually tracked the mythology and stories looked like. I see them every day, in the sense that I have all the DVDs, figures, and books on display but I watched it SO MUCH at the start that I don't even need to rewatch them anymore, I can just close my eyes and see the scenes LOL. But every now and then, I need to watch Buffy, Angel, or Firefly and remember when these were shows on regular TV.

The mysterious dark one whom you used to sit up with talking until 3 AM at weird coffee houses and with whom you were quite smitten until you realized they really were fucking creepy:
Riverdale. That first season was so much fun. It was self-aware and turned the squeaky clean comic world of Archie upside down. The mystery was twisty enough to keep me guessing. And the characters were just quirky enough to pull me in. But the second and third season got into a zone of ridiculous I could no longer take. It was never realistic, but you can only push it so far before it becomes unwatchable for me.

The one you spent a whole weekend in bed with and who drank up all your liquor and whom you'd still really like to get with again, although you're relieved they don't actually live in town:
"Dark", the German Netflix sci-fi show. I binged that second season hard and I want to know what happens next but I'm okay waiting because it has time travel and I'm so confused about who was where when what how now?

The steady:
I debated between my two big fandoms here, but in the end, it's gotta be Star Wars. I've been a fan since birth and it is the happy place I go back to when I need to escape all reality.

The alluring stranger whom you've flirted with at parties but have never gotten really serious with:
American Gods. We've watched the show but I'm not compelled to go beyond it in any way.

The one you hang out with and have vague fantasies about maybe having a thing with, but ultimately you're just good buddies:
Attack on Titan. I watch the show but I'm not hardcore enough to read the manga. But when it is on, I'm ready to talk about it and rewatch the whole series, until we are caught up and another show takes its place.

The one your friends keep introducing you to and who seems like a hell of a cool person except it's never really gone anywhere:
Star Trek Discovery. I keep meaning to watch it, I see little conversations about it all over the place on blogs but I've never made the time for it, mostly because the only way for me to watch is DVD from the library. CBS All Access is a stupid business model.

The one who's slept with all your friends, and you keep looking at them and thinking, "How the hell did they land all these cool people?"
Marvel stuff. I mean, I get it, I was there at the start and saw the movies but at this point, I'm amazed how many people are still there for it all.

thenewbuzzwuzz mentioned Supernatural in hers and I agree with that too.

The one who gave you the best damned summer of your life and against whom you measure all other potential partners:
Hannibal. I can't even remember how I ended up watching this show, a series that should not have appealed to me - its crime, its gore. But it was also REALLY clever and smart and kept me guessing. I hadn't been so enraptured with a show in such a long time when I stumbled into this one.

The one you recently met at a party and would like to get to know better:
Mindhunter. I watched the first season when it came out and loved it, just finished the second and LOVED IT. But they were both binges and I need to go back and really give each episode the attention it deserves.

The old flame that you wouldn't totally object to hooking up with again for a one night romp if only they'd clean up a bit:
If it hadn't been for the lousy 4th season, I would say Veronica Mars.

Maybe I will say Stranger Things here. I didn't hate the latest season, I was just unimpressed with most of it. I'd be there for another season IF things get tightened up a bit and the characters are less obnoxious.

Your hot new flame:
The EXPANSE!!!!!!!! Three seasons and I still feel like we're in the honeymoon phase.

and Schitt's Creek, which I also randomly show up and tell people to watch without them asking. Right now that show is perfect to me.

The one who stole your significant other:
Tim really isn't in to TV shows, but I know when he likes one because he will ask for it after it airs. Right now, it is 'Killjoys'. But beyond tv and movies, he's hardcore into Star Citizen, a game that is still in testing. Pretty sure he was up until 2am flying his ship around last night.

Wow, I don't think I have ever watched an entire series so quickly. I didn't mean to, I had every intention of making this my new Monday Morning show (I work nights on Mondays now so I have a little extra time to myself in the AM) but I just could not stop watching. I watched a bit on Friday, a bit Saturday after work, and then just binged 4 episodes today.

I have lots of thoughts but let me just say this series really makes it hard to watch anything else. The bar is set so high. The writing, the acting, the direction...it is just SO DAMN GOOD.

I made the mistake of trying to watch the new 'Veronica Mars' with dinner afterwards and very nearly shut it off mid-episode because it is not good. And it probably wouldn't bother me so much, but now that I've tasted some delicious high quality sushi, this grocery store brand isn't cutting it.

ANYWAY, this season of Mindhunter was just so well crafted. I didn't think they could make the show MORE compelling than last season, but they did. I think shifting the focus from Holden to Tench and Wendy was wise, but it also let them explore some other themes and issues of the time.

Anyone else finished the show yet? I might need to type something of substance up about it later but right now I'm just like OMG THAT WAS SO GOOD OH YEAH.

Yes, in case you missed it, both iZombie and Legion wrapped up their television runs, respectively. iZombie, after 5 years on the CW, and Legion after just 3 years. Both of these series were well aware of that this would be their last season and technically had plenty of time to end things on their terms.

SPOILERS AHEAD OBVIOUSLY!

( all we want to do is eat your brains )

Whoa, this got looooooooooong. I guess I had feelings. I'm going to save my Legion write up for another day.

This made me emotional, listening to them talk about how they stayed true to the original vision of Dark Crystal:



I'm really excited about this series. It looks beautiful.

AND THEN THIS:



YAAAASS! Not going to lie, I have been skeptical about this just because it felt like Netflix just wanted a Game of Thrones BUT this looks very pretty. And hopefully it has all the wit and snarkyness of the books and the games. The stories in both play with fairy tale tropes. Plus, lots of kick ass women. The showrunner pointed out that they were going to spend some of the first season on Yennefer's backstory and how she because the awesome witch she is in the books. I'm all about backstory.

Still waiting for the season 4 Expanse trailer. I think the panel is tomorrow so hopefully??? Probably while I'm at work LOL.

In other news, IT IS REALLY FREAKIN HOT HERE! Like, the "real feel" is 100 for the next two days. We are both working tomorrow so at least we can turn the a/c down at home and save some $$$ but still. Today was rough, we just hid int he basement to avoid running the air and Sunday will also probably be a hide in the basement day.

submitted by ragnorak_08



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According to my inbox, I'm 72 entries behind on LJ/DW...oops.

BUT ANYWAY!

While I LOVED the first season, I wasn't actually thrilled with the second and third season of Veronica Mars. The second season has too much "retconning" of what "really" happened in season 1 and Season 3 was better but just didn't have the same level of intrigue.

I funded the Kickstarter for the movie but only watched it once when I hosted a release party at my house. I can't remember much about it, so maybe I should watch it again.

One of my main problems is that I never shipped Veronica/Logan so I was perturbed that show creator Rob Thomas was all about them as a couple.

Yet, I'm oddly excited about the new season on Hulu.



Maybe it is just because I adore Kristen Bell and I'm happy to see her on my TV AGAIN. I always liked Veronica as a character, and the whole cast was always wonderful so I'm really hoping they capture that season 1 magic again with a mystery that has plenty of twists and turn but also some good character moments.

So, yeah, I'm totally going to watch Season 4 on Hulu in July because even the bad episodes of Veronica Mars were so damn watchable.

I am watching WAY TOO MANY shows at once right now, here is the list, according to my TV TIME app:

Just started
Love, Death and Robots (Netflix) - animated anthology series for sci-fi short stories adapted to film. Only on my radar because John Scalzi was blogging about it and had 3 stories adapted for the series. I've watched two of them so far - Three Robots and The Day the Yogurt Took Over

The Terror (AMC/Library DVD) - not gonna lie, mostly picked this up because Andy and Jane from Outside Xbox were babbling about it the other day. I had been curious about it but forgot it existed because AMC sucks for cord cutters. But the library had the DVD so now I am binge watching it before the due date. REALLY dark, but Jared Harris (Anderson Dawes from The Expanse) is in it and I really like him, even if his character is a hot mess (or should I say cold mess since they are stranded in the ice).

Promised Neverland (CrunchyRoll) - we only watch this one when our friend Mathew is over for anime nights so once a month. I could binge watch the whole thing, I just want to know what is happenings!

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix) - watched the first and second episodes. I forgot Noelle Stevenson was involved so now I want to watch the rest. I can totally hear her voice. This show is perfect for our late Wednesday night dinners.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC/Hulu) - Yes, late to the party on this one. Sylvia actually started watching it so I used that as an excuse. Plus, we needed show to watch when she was over on the weekends.

Queer Eye (season 3) (Netflix) - YAAAAAAAAAASSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I missed these guys and the positivity of this show. I'm trying to not binge this, I want to treasure every moment and every tissue.

In the Middle of
Space Battleship Tiramisu (CrunchyRoll) - this show is ridiculous. It's supposed to be about a pilot for a giant Gundam like robot fighter but he is such an idiot and he gets into the most hilarious situations, usually involving food. It has a complex story but that is usually sidelined for the silliness.

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) - Another one I am trying to take my time with rather than binge. I didn't care for the comic but I am loving the show.

Making a Murderer (Netflix) - one of Tim's friends said he should watch this so we started. It was compelling at first but I think the episodes are too long and it is dragging it all out a bit too much. We lost steam and I'm tempted to just Google to see how it all ends...but at the same time I feel like I should finish watching the show, we can't have that much left!

Riverdale (Season 3)(CW) - This season, dear god. I had to take a break and then just decided I would wait for it to be on Netflix.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix) - debating if I will bother to go back to this one or not. I watched the first couple episodes and was intrigued, though it was a lot heavier than I expected.

Skull-face bookseller Honda-san (CrunchyRoll) - it's like Black Books but less British people chugging wine and being rude to customers and more Japanese people asking for inappropriate manga. Only watched a few of these but they are short and hilarious and bookstore problems are very close to library problems.

Steven Universe (DAMMIT CARTOON NETWORK/HULU!) - I hate the CN app and Hulu only gets the show when Cartoon Network allows it...so I'm WAITING. NO SPOILERS! I think we are technically TWO seasons behind now. WHY IS THIS SHOW NOT ON BLU-RAY!!!!?!?!

Kagewani (CrunchyRoll) - So, I honestly thought we had finished this but apparently not? Oops. Another one we save for anime nights but it got bumped down the list because there were too many other shows we were invested in.

Caught up and waiting for more!
Speechless (ABC/Hulu) - This show is just amazing, consistently funny and touching and I hope it gets another season, even if I'm worried about balancing things once J.J. and Kenneth are at college. I really hope they don't tank things with J.J. and his girlfriend just so he has to stay home for school. I like the idea of him going to NYC and navigating life without Maya.

Bob's Burgers (FOX/Hulu) - Another show that never lets me down. I love this family, their dynamics. Somedays I feel like Bob, other days I'm totally Linda, when fangirling over shows I turn into Tina or Louise and other days I'm just goofy like Gene. It's hard not to love them all.

The Orville (FOX/Hulu) - Came late to this game but making up for it by going hard core fan about the whole thing. Watched all the YouTube featurettes, listening to Seth's albums, and pretty much telling everyone I know to watch it (right after they watch The Expanse, of course).

The Goldbergs (ABC/Hulu) - I'm not sure I would have stayed with this as long as I have if it wasn't for Tim and Sylvia enjoying it. It has its moments but it does fall back on the same routine most of the time. It's actually interesting how often this show parallels Speechless, with the Mom trying to understand her purpose after children...but at least in Speechless, she is a mom with a special needs child and now he is almost an adult so the change feels less more natural where as Beverly is just a "smother".

iZombie (final season) (CW) - Can't wait to see how they wrap up this whole story!! This show went from being fluffy to pretty deep by the end. So many layers.

Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon? (CruncyRoll) - Anime, the style has issues and fantasy anime as a genre also has some...issues. I didn't think I would enjoy this show because it is very BOOBS! but I really like the main character's story and the world set up. I just wish there was less SHINY BOOBS IN YOUR FACE and just story. And also the fact that every female character has a crush on the main guy. Tim and Mathew were watching this and I kind of joined in, but now we are all caught up.

Game of Thrones (HBO) - Let's get this over with already. I'm ready for this show to be over. Too much gloom. Too many bad people. So dark. I can't take the darkness.

Food Wars (CrunchyRoll) - okay, this one is RIDICULOUS and it makes me so hungry. I do love this show and all of the characters though. Basically it is a bunch of kids at an elite cooking school and every class is like an Iron Chef episode.

Konosuba (CrunchyRoll) - Another problematic fantasy anime, with lots of weird sex stuff BUT the characters are just so endearing. They are living in an MMO-style fantasy world, and the are pretty much a bunch of rejects that have to party up to survive.

Haunting of... (Netflix) - Now that Netflix has announced that 'Haunting of Hill House' was just the start of an anthology series of shows based on classic horror stories, I am all about another "season". Next up is 'Turn of the Screw'. I need to read both of these stories because the book nerd in me needs to compare and contrast.

Mindhunter (Netflix) - This show filled the hole in my life left by 'Hannibal' since it is based on the story of the actual detective that literally wrote the book on serial killers. Second season was confirmed but no actual word on WHEN!

Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt (Netflix) - Actually, this one is all done. The final season was uneven, but it still had some great bits. The whole story about Cats on Broadway made it all worth it.

Stranger Things (Netflix) - I was going to write this show off after season 2 because I wasn't super thrilled with it BUT the trailer for Season 3 just came out and it feels right. It feels like maybe they have found that great blend of 80s homage again, this time with the summer teen movie.

Rewatching
The Expanse Season 3
Conan Without Borders
Fraggle Rock

To watch
The Passage
Russian Doll
American Gods (Season 2)
Star Trek Discovery (OKAY YOU GUYS CONVINCED ME!)

Opted out/Abandoned
Kidding
Schitt's Creek
Doctor Who
11.22.63
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction
Westworld