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OFMD Review Take Two (Public)
Oct. 6th, 2023 07:07 amFor some reason, the cut wouldn't work on the first version, then when I tried editing, it put everything in one paragraph.
Anyway. Spoilers.
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Anyway. Spoilers.
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I was nervous about this finale for two reasons. First, I thought it might be sad. Second, in general, finales are hard to pull off. It's a show's (or book series', or movie series') last change to lay all the cards on the table and say "here's where the final point is, after everything." Everyone has different expectations (which may or may not align with where the creators ultimately decided to take it), everyone is a little sad, and I think everyone wants to be fulfilled just enough, yet also have it be open ended enough to leave some things to the imagination. Just not too much.
I think The Good Place, in true form, pulled it off. That's just my objective opinion, of course, and I actually avoided looking at any critical or fan responses before posting this so you'd just get my opinion. I don't know what the fandom consensus is. But I think the finale was right.
Behind the cut are spoilers.
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I think The Good Place, in true form, pulled it off. That's just my objective opinion, of course, and I actually avoided looking at any critical or fan responses before posting this so you'd just get my opinion. I don't know what the fandom consensus is. But I think the finale was right.
Behind the cut are spoilers.
( Read more... )
In your own space, promote at least one canon that you adore (old, new, forever fandom). Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
Well, I definitely feel that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend tends to be overlooked - and that there's actually a lot of text to be explored even within the fan community, which has a lot of interesting discourse but can also focus more on the cast (I love Rachel Bloom, but I don't want to wear her skin as a dress, you know?) or on... things I feel are interesting to talk about, but also feel there are deeper themes. But I also think people would love the show if they looked past the title. It covers feminism, mental illness, tanks the Betty and Veronica trope (thank God), friends as family... and it's a musical. Although that's probably a dealbreaker for a lot of people.
(I will note that since it does talk about mental illness very frankly, there are some triggery spots. Especially in early season three.)
Speaking of dark comedies, One Day at a Time is another show I think tends to be overlooked a bit. It's an adaptation of the 70's-80's show, with a Cuban-American family. It's incredibly progressive, including one of the very few non-binary characters on television. It can get a little Very Special Episodey, although I think by the third season they do a good job of keeping their messages as part of the overall arc, rather than having An Episode About A Topic. And even as annoying as the VSE can get, it does mean we see a lot of important stuff, so I'll take the slight preachyness. (So we're clear, I 1000% approve of the messages, I just feel certain episodes handle it in a VSE way, rather than in a way that comes across naturally. Does that make sense?
I realize this wasn't exactly a straight answer, but those are mine, so there you have it. If you've seen these shows, let me know what you think below! If you're doing the challenge, I look forward to seeing what you came up with. Presumably a shorter list than me, I'm so Chidi - no straight one answer here. :)
Okay, now that I'm done rage!posting, let's talk about the most recent episode of The Good Place. This reaction post is brief, but pretty spoilerific, and I imagine the comments will contain even more spoilers.
Crossposted from the TGP community on DW.
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Crossposted from the TGP community on DW.
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Sunshine Challenge: Canon Recs
Jul. 9th, 2019 08:49 am In short, the prompt is to talk about things that need more love. I think love is so subjective, but there ARE a lot of things I think people would like, so I'm going to create ingredients instead. You'll see what I mean below.
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I could go on all day, so I'll stop there. :P
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I could go on all day, so I'll stop there. :P
Now that we know it's only four seasons.
This is super short, I'm only cutting for spoilers!
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This is super short, I'm only cutting for spoilers!
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I actually only answered three questions; I'm putting two under a cut because spoilers for all three seasons.
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And that's where the spoilers end, although now we're getting into slight Parks and Rec spoilers.
Which TV show do you like better, "The Good Place" or "Parks and Recreation"?
I like both, but for very different reasons. I like that for all it's a comedy, The Good Place asks serious questions and has serious stakes. On the other hand, I kind of like the more vanilla, warm fuzziness of Parks and Rec. It's fun to rewatch. Especially if I've had a bad day.
The only problem I have with it is that certain aspects of the show are more awkward now. Tom's character in particular did not age well. Pre-#YesAllWomen, pre-#MeToo, the innocent pervert trope was a lot more bearable. I think it's cringier now because we've begun to examine how real Toms are actually problematic. So there's that. The other thing is that the time jump to 2017 in season seven is... bittersweet. I didn't even love it at the time, and I think part of me didn't love it because I KNEW it was going to end up being terribly ironic in some way. I couldn't have known how ironic, but I had reservations. I've re-watched the season, and... it's fine, I basically just have it in my head that it's a lovely parallel universe where Trump lost, but it's definitely the Greg Pikitis in the room.
It helps that Parks and Rec doesn't seem to take place in our reality anyway. Pawnee manages to change in size as the plot demands, so clearly there's some sort of parallel universe magic going on. ;)
Conversely, The Good Place actually helped me through a bad time related to current events. No spoilers, but there's a point in season three, "Jeremy Bearimy," where the characters are at an impasse. I was going through a bit of an existential crisis, and that episode was everything I needed. If I ever meet Michael Schur, I owe him all the thanks in the world.
Still, I love both shows, and they're comforting in their own way. The Good Place makes me think about how we can better our moral compasses by examining our perceptions of people and ourselves. Parks and Rec has Leslie Fucking Knope. Win-win!
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And that's where the spoilers end, although now we're getting into slight Parks and Rec spoilers.
Which TV show do you like better, "The Good Place" or "Parks and Recreation"?
I like both, but for very different reasons. I like that for all it's a comedy, The Good Place asks serious questions and has serious stakes. On the other hand, I kind of like the more vanilla, warm fuzziness of Parks and Rec. It's fun to rewatch. Especially if I've had a bad day.
The only problem I have with it is that certain aspects of the show are more awkward now. Tom's character in particular did not age well. Pre-#YesAllWomen, pre-#MeToo, the innocent pervert trope was a lot more bearable. I think it's cringier now because we've begun to examine how real Toms are actually problematic. So there's that. The other thing is that the time jump to 2017 in season seven is... bittersweet. I didn't even love it at the time, and I think part of me didn't love it because I KNEW it was going to end up being terribly ironic in some way. I couldn't have known how ironic, but I had reservations. I've re-watched the season, and... it's fine, I basically just have it in my head that it's a lovely parallel universe where Trump lost, but it's definitely the Greg Pikitis in the room.
It helps that Parks and Rec doesn't seem to take place in our reality anyway. Pawnee manages to change in size as the plot demands, so clearly there's some sort of parallel universe magic going on. ;)
Conversely, The Good Place actually helped me through a bad time related to current events. No spoilers, but there's a point in season three, "Jeremy Bearimy," where the characters are at an impasse. I was going through a bit of an existential crisis, and that episode was everything I needed. If I ever meet Michael Schur, I owe him all the thanks in the world.
Still, I love both shows, and they're comforting in their own way. The Good Place makes me think about how we can better our moral compasses by examining our perceptions of people and ourselves. Parks and Rec has Leslie Fucking Knope. Win-win!
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Finale (Public Post)
Apr. 7th, 2019 06:39 pmWell, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ended. I actually don't have a lot of thoughts, which is weird because normally I have ALL the thoughts. I'll share some, though. Under a cut for spoilers.
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Content Warning: This post deals with suicide attempts, mental illness and sexual assault. In the context of TV shows, but still.
Quick summary of post: I discuss the problem with Very Special Episodes, and how Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (among other shows) got it right.
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Quick summary of post: I discuss the problem with Very Special Episodes, and how Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (among other shows) got it right.
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I almost forgot: The Good Place
Jan. 25th, 2019 12:58 pmI'm not completely sure how to summarize my thoughts on the season finale. But here are the ones I have, crossposted from the DW comm. SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT. Really, my reaction posts always have spoilers. I don't do spoiler free reviews or reaction posts, especially on shows like TGP. At least with a show like Parks and Rec you can be like "Leslie does a thing Ron doesn't like, and the show does a really good job, once again, of showing how they're both right AND wrong. Tom needs to chill out on Ann. Chris was overeager." TGP is more "thing that would make absolutely no sense out of context, and if it does make sense, congratulations, you've just been spoiled."
So. Here is a review so spoiled, you can smell it from Arizona.
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So. Here is a review so spoiled, you can smell it from Arizona.
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Hogwarts Houses and The Good Place
Aug. 5th, 2018 08:40 pm I remembered that for a while, I was sorting characters into Hogwarts Houses. I didn't really get very far, so I'll start over with that, and do it one show at a time. Today's Sorting is The Good Place! Serious spoilers for both seasons.
From my blog prompts. Feel free to steal some of these, guys! I'd love to see other people's answers. :) I have short responses again, so I will combine them.
Write about something you liked when you were younger, but just don't get anymore.
I remember loving the movie musical Across the Universe in college. Then I watched it again a few years ago, and thought it was terrible. Not really sure what the difference was. I wonder if in college, I just liked the DOWN WITH THE MAN vibe?
Write about something you liked when you were younger, but just don't get anymore.
I remember loving the movie musical Across the Universe in college. Then I watched it again a few years ago, and thought it was terrible. Not really sure what the difference was. I wonder if in college, I just liked the DOWN WITH THE MAN vibe?
What is your stance on spoilers?
I think it's a paradox where people either aren't cautious enough, or are so overly cautious it inhibits discussion. I was listening to recaps for a show I like, and they tried so hard to discuss the show without spoiling anything. To give them credit, they did handle it really well, but so many things could have been brought up and explored if they weren't so resistant to any mention of future episodes. I've also seen it be an issue on fan communities, when people get upset about spoilers for books or for series finales that have been out for ages. I just feel that at some point, new fans have to realize that looking up their favorite show/movie/book on websites intended for discussion or listening to podcasts may mean spoilers. I say this as someone who frequently does that very thing. I came so close to being spoiled for the first season finale of The Good Place because of something I read on TV Tropes, but fortunately out of context it didn't make that much sense, so I just shrugged it off. It was my responsibility, though, not the site's responsibility.
That being said, there's also not being cautious enough. If you're not in a discussion place, at least warn for spoilers. If you're posting a review of a book or series finale, use SPOILERS in the heading as well as before the cut, especially in case the cut doesn't work. (That has happened to me.)
So, you know, that's my stance. Be respectful, but at the same time, let discussion places be discussion places.
I think it's a paradox where people either aren't cautious enough, or are so overly cautious it inhibits discussion. I was listening to recaps for a show I like, and they tried so hard to discuss the show without spoiling anything. To give them credit, they did handle it really well, but so many things could have been brought up and explored if they weren't so resistant to any mention of future episodes. I've also seen it be an issue on fan communities, when people get upset about spoilers for books or for series finales that have been out for ages. I just feel that at some point, new fans have to realize that looking up their favorite show/movie/book on websites intended for discussion or listening to podcasts may mean spoilers. I say this as someone who frequently does that very thing. I came so close to being spoiled for the first season finale of The Good Place because of something I read on TV Tropes, but fortunately out of context it didn't make that much sense, so I just shrugged it off. It was my responsibility, though, not the site's responsibility.
That being said, there's also not being cautious enough. If you're not in a discussion place, at least warn for spoilers. If you're posting a review of a book or series finale, use SPOILERS in the heading as well as before the cut, especially in case the cut doesn't work. (That has happened to me.)
So, you know, that's my stance. Be respectful, but at the same time, let discussion places be discussion places.
I just realized I never shared this bit of Firefly meta with anyone. What did the Tams know?
When we meet Gabriel Tam in a flashback (with Zac Efron playing young Simon), he seems like a strict, but not unloving father. We don't see Regan Tam with her kids when they're young, although we do see her in a flashback that's closer to when the events of Firefly take place.
If you recall, Simon tries to tell them that something is wrong with River. He uses her letters as an example, saying how she talked about parties they went to that, in reality, never happened. Her parents deny it, and when Simon gets into trouble for snooping, he gets a stern warning.
This begs the question: What did the Tams know?
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When we meet Gabriel Tam in a flashback (with Zac Efron playing young Simon), he seems like a strict, but not unloving father. We don't see Regan Tam with her kids when they're young, although we do see her in a flashback that's closer to when the events of Firefly take place.
If you recall, Simon tries to tell them that something is wrong with River. He uses her letters as an example, saying how she talked about parties they went to that, in reality, never happened. Her parents deny it, and when Simon gets into trouble for snooping, he gets a stern warning.
This begs the question: What did the Tams know?
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(Public entry, as a heads up.)
I keep meaning to post about this. There are major spoilers for the last episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, although that's not the primary focus of this entry. Mostly it's about internet culture and how it deals with crises, personal problems, and grief.
Show Review: GLOW
Sep. 26th, 2017 07:22 pmSpoiler factor: Very mild, but if you're especially sensitive to them, you might want to give it a pass.( Read more... )
If you don't know, GLOW takes place in the 1980's, and is based on an actual TV show named GLOW. I'm not sure if this is intentional, but there is definitely also a 1980's/90's "you can do it" movie vibe. You know, someone who doesn't initially get what he or she is getting into, a leader who is a bit of a hot mess, and there's always at least one character whose family/boyfriend/whoever doesn't want him or her to do The Thing. Yup, yup, and yup. But these aren't clichés - if it's intentional, it adds to the flavor, and if it was unintentional, it still worked for the plot.
The characters are still growing into place, just as their in-show characters are. Debbie and Cherry are the most readily sympathetic; especially Debbie. I don't think Ruth is as unsympathetic as it seems some fans feel she is, although the fact that she's played by Allison Brie might help, since it's hard to be too upset with Trudy and Annie. ;) Seriously though, while she did some pretty horrible things in the first episode, I felt the show did a good job of making her face the consequences, as well as try to be the "real" Ruth. Sam, meanwhile, is definitely the hot mess leader who can be pretty horrible, but he will also surprise you.
The more minor characters still need work, and to some extent, the major ones could use a bit of touching up too. However, I think this can be rectified with a second season.
As someone who was born in the 80's, I felt the show did a good job of balancing between "WE ARE WRITING ABOUT A TIME" and just letting things seem normal. I remember when the first season of Mad Men had in-jokes about smoking and "difficult technology", something that fortunately subsided in later seasons. The show makes references to current events and pop culture (Back to the Future is a minor plot point!), but it doesn't hit you over the head with the fact that this is the 1980's. It just is.
Overall, I like GLOW. I think it needs some fine tuning, but I'm optimistic about future seasons.
(One warning, though - if miscarriage is a trigger, there's a rather gruesome fake miscarriage scene in the second episode.)
Interviews and Stupid/Awkward Questions
Aug. 16th, 2017 09:27 amI got this from a fandomsecrets post, because yes, I sometimes go there despite the trolls. (I even met some of you there.) Although I go far less than I used to and don't comment much.
Anyway, one of the secrets was about stupid/awkward questions at interviews and panels. I was going to write an entry on this anyway, so many as well roll with it.
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Anyway, one of the secrets was about stupid/awkward questions at interviews and panels. I was going to write an entry on this anyway, so many as well roll with it.
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It's the season finale, everyone! And ratings have been hit or miss. No worries, we know how to make sure you'll keep watching next year.
Let's roll it out!
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Let's roll it out!
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Master of None
May. 17th, 2017 08:25 amSo I watched the second season of Master of None, and have thoughts both on that and Aziz Ansari's saying that he doesn't want a third season until he's in a different place in his life.
(This post is 100% spoilery.)
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Nah, it won't. It's based on a reddit thread. :P And it's a bit limited since it's about specific shows (it helps to have seen all of them, probably should've seen at least two): Parks and Recreation, the US version of The Office, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I'm sticking to them because they were all more or less created and/or written by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur.
Public, so anyone can feel free to jump in. :)
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Public, so anyone can feel free to jump in. :)
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