vilakins | What I've been watching

Entry tags:

What I've been watching

Things I have enjoyed watching lately are Sherlock (I liked the on-screen devices they used and the updating to current day, plus the actors), Toy Story 3 (as fun and moving and gorgeous to look at as the others), The Big Bang Theory (I've almost seen it all so far; woe!) and a new local SF series called This Is Not My Life.

This will probably only interest two or three people, but it's a new series on One here, and the pilot was intriguing. A guy wakes up in a perfect town called Waimoana (why isn't it by the sea with a name like that?) with a beautiful wife called Callie and two kids, none of whom he remembers. It's an interesting setting too: a clinically clean and efficient future with advanced computers and comms and little electric cars which greet you and ask for your destination--as long as it's not out of Waimoana. I look forward to more. NZers who missed it can view again online.

And now back to a series many of you will have seen, and a question. In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon hates Babylon 5 for its bad dialogue and science, yet adores Firefly despite Joss Whedon's complete lack of astronomy knowledge. Why? Why is Firefly more appealing to a physicist than B5 when it's basically cowboys in space? Is it just the love Americans have for westerns, or am I missing something? I enjoyed both series myself, but I'd pick B5 as being more SF.

[Edit] I also meant to ask: why do all the guys dress in layers when it must be warm in Pasadena most of the time? Is it an accepted nerd thing over there? Here it'd just be themed t-shirt and jeans or even shorts in summer.

I'm going to be sorry when I've seen all of TBBT; only two more eps to go. I'm going to have to buy the DVDs as they're just as funny on a rewatch.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've seen the first three of your four series/films, and agree with you on all three of them. You clearly have excellent taste. :)

I'm afraid that I can't help much with your TBBT question. Maybe the writers, having thought of a good gag about Sheldon's hatred of Fox's president, couldn't resist using it.

The last episode of series 3 aired here last Thursday, so I've now caught up with American viewers. I can't believe that there were really 23 episodes; it only seemed like half as many. Series 4 debuts in America in September; I imagine it will be a month or two after that over here. I'm sure that there must be at least one LJ community for the show in LJ, but I haven't dared to join it for fear of spoilers.

We raced through them. They were showing it here but in a random order so we watched some on the TiVo. We have two eps to go: one we missed and the last one. I did see a community in the spotlight but it seemed to be people posting pics of the characters and cast. I may look for comms again when we're caught up, but if there's too much traffic I mightn't bother. Some of those comms have a huge membership.

I also wonder why all the guys dress in layers when it must be pretty warm in Pasadena most of the time. I should add that. Maybe it's a nerd thing to do that; not here, it'd just be themed t-shirt and jeans or even shorts in summer.

Yes, I'd guess that it was a nerd thing. Also they probably spend a lot of their time in air-conditioned buildings (though admittedly Sheldon and Leonard's apartment doesn't look like it would run to air-conditioning).

I think they do have it because they have a huge argument about Leonard breaking the room-mate agreement by turning the thermostat up two degrees.

Ah yes, good point.

Sheldon seems to mostly wear a tee-shirt, so should be fairly cool. The most heavily dressed is probably Raj, and as an Indian he might find Pasadena reasonably cool. But I can't come up with an explanation for Leonard or Howard.

Maybe Leonard feels the cold. But why Howard wears those turtle-necks and dickies is beyond me.

Sheldon *is* from Texas, which might explain his reaction to cowboys in space. I've also heard there's a character who is kind of weird but powerful, and he might identify with her outsider-among-friends status.

But I can't figure out his issue with B5.

Next season should start soon, right?

You know, I can't tell much difference between his and the others' accents. Does he have a recognisable Texan accent? I rather like him being from there because it's makes him even more of an outsider than if he;d grown up in say NY. I feel more sorry for Leonard though with his cold and analytical Sheldon-like mother.

Yeah, he might like River, but she's more a fighter. However that could fit with his liking for superheroes. I'd have thought he'd enjoy the aliens in B5.

BTW, I forgot to ask, but you should be able to tell me. Why do all the guys wear so many clothes? Surely Pasadena is pretty warm all year round, or at least in summer?

Texas actually has several different accents, including Midwestern, which is about how he sounds.

Maybe he doesn't like B5 because of the recurring religious themes? But when gods and angels are advanced species, I think that would sit well with his atheism.

As for the clothing, my guess is, "in game", they are all kind of anemic. Out of context, I would guess that the actors, being actors, are all well fit and they don't want good musculature evident on the 'nerds'.

JMS is an atheist, and generally people referred to the universe rather than a god, but yes, there were a surprising number of religious themes. He specifically said he thought the dialogue and science was rubbish (and superheroes are better?). Ah well. B5 is up there with Farscape and B7 for me.

Excellent points about the clothing. I couldn't bear to where that much in summer though. It's almost too much for my winter.

My brother and I would only dress like that on a cold winter's day, too.

B5 had Harlan Ellison as a science advisor, and was the first show to actually really use the flexibility of 3D space battles. The dialogue was often stilited... but then, Sheldon's dialogue is usually stilted.

It's stood up well over the years too. And despite some wooden characters liek Sinclair and Sheridan, we got the wonderful Londo, G'kar, Vir, and Ivanova.

Add Linnear and Garibaldi to that list and you pretty much have my favorites. :)

They were also great characters!

I enjoyed Toy Story 3. :)

I missed the first episode of the new series on One, but apparently it's going to be repeated tonight, which is good. :)

I have seen the town it was filmed in, and it creeped me out. Brr. :(

Omaha Beach, isn't it? [checks with Google] Yep. One of those places that don't allow pets, probably. :-( It's interesting: everything is a pale blue/green/white palette, maybe designed to keep people calm. Watch it, then we can speculate together about what's going on. :-)

I taped the ep, and have finally watched it. Am intrigued. :)

Wow, talk about a limited palette. 0_o I wonder if wearing a red jumper would get you a free 'visit' to the Wellness Centre.

Creepiest moment - after the teenager was 'treated', our hero noticed his photos had been altered to reflect the new haircut. Needless to say, there are a lot of mindgames going on.

Yeah, there's some sort of central updating of photos and memories going on. I think the comments that it's safer for Hannah that Alec (or whatever his name is) be there, and what Kyle's parents said might imply a safer protected place in a dangerous place. A domed and safe artificial environment on a ruined Earth perhaps, or virtual reality in a generation space ship? It would be easier to update if it's not real at all. I hope it's not the first as I've had it up to here with preachy eco stuff. I do my best but I hate any sort of sermonising.

Did you notice bullet holes in one wall of Alec's perfect house? That was odd because he didn't seem to.

It could be a virtual reality environment, yes, which would explain how the photos were updated fairly quickly (IMHO).

I didn't notice the bullet holes, whoops.

I like to recycle, etc, but I think I would get sick of their Wai TV if it was only about eco stuff. Having said that, I laughed at 'W is for worm farm'.

I recycle too and avoid cleaning chemicals (microfibre cloths and water are amazingly good, marble paste for harder stuff) but I really hate the doomy preachy stuff, being told we're crap and the planet's going down the gurgler. I hate the pessimism everywhere, and nagging just pisses me off.

It's odd that there's no water near a place called Waimoana. Maybe it would be too easy for someone to sail away, or too hard to control in VR. I'll hope for VR in a spaceship just because. :-) Kyle seemed to get away so I'm wondering if we'll see more of him. I do like all the questions raised, including that the seemingly sinister Dr Collins got locked out of her own computer at one stage so she's being used too. It's on tonight, right?

I saw a brief view of Waimoana itself, and it looked like there was some water at one end. Don't quote me on that though. :-p

Dr Collins isn't in control as she would like to be, I think.

I taped the second ep but haven't watched it yet, but will get back to you. :)

I still really really miss Babylon-5. Same for Firefly. Both were wonderful (and in the case of Firefly, quirky) shows with great characters. I've never watched Big Bang Theory so I can't tell you why someone would hate one show and love the other, but I'd agree with you that of the two, B5 is definitely more SF.

The dressing in layers - I was going to say it's because of the temperature fluctuations but then realized Pasadena is Southern Cali, not northern. So... no idea about the layers. :o)

They both had their merits, but B5 has a special place in my heart. I even have B5 figurines--and two Jayne hats. Man, I'd love to see Sheldon in one of those.

I think the theory that they want to hide how fit the actors are is the best so far. :-)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What I've been watching

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject