My Brain is Complete Tapioca. Let’s Talk Entertainment

Alas, my darlings, the time to return to normal programming is not yet. My body is going through an exhausting (and annoyingly early) variation of the monthly wretchedness. My brain is wanting a break. And I got a Netflix account. So yes, I’m catching up on some television while the various bits put themselves back in good order.

If anyone wants to discuss such things, I might start an occasional column exploring the nooks and crannies and themes of some of the shows I’ve been watching. It turns out that in this age of streaming services producing their own content, it’s not just the BBC making stuff that makes my brain do entire gymnastics routines of joy. And in an age of increasing diversity, I can now enjoy fusions of culture that don’t have to star a bunch of white people. My darlings, I am beyond delighted.

I can also think fluently in a variety of accents. I love this.

So, how many of you have access to Netflix, or at least have access to an affordable way to get quality entertainment? Does anyone want to talk teevee? Perhaps we should pick a show and watch it together? Sort of like a book club, only without a book. I don’t know. What I do know is that I’d like to connect with all of you more often, and this might be a fun way to do that. And then I could tell my Inner Editor that this is actually srs bidness and to leave me the hell alone whilst I watch the telly.

(As you can tell, it’s currently British television. Sherlock, to be precise.)

B and I have got a few shows we’re working through that are completely amazeballs: Jane the Virgin, Sense8, Jessica Jones. What’s caught your fancy recently?

Image shows a white kitten sitting like a person in its owner's lap, staring at something off-camera. Caption says, "I'll do it later. I'm watching my stories."

And I’m actually sorting photos and stuff while I’m watching, so I’ll have some nice things for you over the weekend. Do let me know if you have any particular wants in the mystery thingies department!

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My Brain is Complete Tapioca. Let’s Talk Entertainment
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30 thoughts on “My Brain is Complete Tapioca. Let’s Talk Entertainment

  1. 2

    I only ever watch Netflix with my kids for some reason, so am caught up on Sherlock, SHIELD, Supernatural, Doctor Who, and recently my 14 year old has decided to latch on to Grey’s Anatomy, so we’re about 3/4 of the way through the first season of that. It’s the most annoyingly addictive show, and kind of a roller coaster to binge on. Have been eyeballing reviews of Jessica Jones but am not sure the content is 11-14 year old appropriate?

  2. 3

    Never tried Netflix suspect my computer which is very old and infuriatingly bad won’t be able to cope.

    But talking TV, yeah, I certainly watch and have my faves.

    Recently? Not TV but a movie and book ‘The Martian’ saw the movie a few days ago and reading the book currently (well, recently – halfway through) and would definitely recommend as a good hard SF survival story.

    TV Sf well, where do I start? All time fave series is ‘Babylon 5’ with the Shadows and Vorlons, Minbari, Centauri , Narn and humans and so much more** and then Dr Who – started watching back when Tom Baker was the Doctor with Sarah Jane, K9 then Leela as awesome companions and the sets wobbled on contact.

    Actually grew up on ‘Battle of the Planets’, ‘Flash Gordon’ (cartoon), ‘StarBLazers’ and ‘The Mysterious Cities of Gold’* among others. Recently Aussie SBS and NITV have been replaying that last series which stands up surprisingly well after the decades – major nostalgia binge, great characters and story. Oh and music that makes your bones vibrate and blood pulse colours.

    Also recently reread the novel it was based on by Scott O’Dell -set on a whole different continent but also and very differently powerful and effective and well drawn character and setting~wise. Then I did some research and found the original history or what we know of it with Stephen the Moor – a black Orig. Muslim slave & adventurer with several Spanish invaders of their so-called “New World” ( See : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estevanico ) which is a third incarnation / understanding of that one character.

    Love TV that communicates wonder and shows us new places and makes us think and cheer and feel. (Who doesn’t I guess?)

    So, yeah. That’s for starters I guess..

    * See : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmMxBOqhyco

    ** See : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrM5SE8zksI “we are one” – but we are many, sorta interstellar e pluribus uem one of my fave clips of many from the series.

  3. 6

    Yup. The Netflix Marvel stuff is meant for a more mature audience than the movies and network shows. Daredevil was also very good, but the violence was a lot more visceral than the over-the-top bloodless CGI we’re used to from the movies.

  4. 7

    I recently (like, this past Monday) bought a Roku primarily for the purpose of making my Netflix viewing easier, and I’m loving it so far. A remote with a pause button makes life so much easier.

    And damn Netflix for having so much quality programming. Orange is the New Black, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Sense8, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Master of None, Grace and Frankie, and that’s not even getting into the shows that I hear great things about but haven’t watched yet like House of Cards and BoJack Horseman. That being said, I have no interest in their new Rob Schneider show or their deal with Adam Sandler, but hey, there’s nothing wrong with providing for a diversity of tastes (or lack of taste).

    The non-Netflix show you mentioned, Jane the Virgin, is fantastic. On The AV Club someone wrote how they were concerned about religion in the show, Catholicism in particular. Yes, it’s there, but I told them what I think about the Catholic Church but I still love this show.

    Oh, and back to Netflix I love that they provide non-English television. Where else am I going to watch a great Danish show like Rita or its spin-off Hjordis? I’ve also watched South Korean television, and they have Mexican too.

  5. 10

    So many good things on Netflix. Some of the ones I’ve loved recently:

    Walking Dead– As a non-fan of old zombie movies (more gross than scary), or True Blood modern teeny-bopper Horror, I assumed WD would not impress me. SO SO WRONG, was I. Though gory as hell, the writing/acting is all superb. I can see why people raved about it for so long.

    Atelier– Japanese Devil/Prada knockoff (subtitled) that I can’t tell if it’s purposely mimicking Anime style or if that is just Japanese Drama style. Just started but surprised at how interesting it is, and how similar to Anime it is.

    Bates Motel– Surprisingly decent for tv suspense/horror, though it gets a bit cheesy here and there. If you can put aside expectations of reality (how police work, why does nobody seem to use internet etc.) it’s fun.

    Narcos– Missed a chance to tell the story of how the history of Columbia set the stage for the rise of the Narcos, but a pretty good action/thriller story of Columbian druglord’s hey-days. Unbelievable how much $ they were making. CW: Brutal violence, homophobia, misogyny etc.

    Black Mirror– ultimate mindf*ck using our relationship with technology to tell Twillight Zone-ish stories. Will make you VERY uncomfortable in many ways. But really good. The first episode will give you a real taste of the show.

    Bletchley Circle– bad-ass, strong, intelligent women using their WW2 code-breaking skills to solve murder mystery. Excellent girl-power show with female characters who actually get to be complex and not just sex objects. Really bummed that it’s not going to be continued.

    <iBlackpower Mix Tape– great documentary on the Black Panthers

    Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt– very funny, a bit annoying with some stereotypes but overall very good.

    Miranda– Brittish comedy featuring one of the stars of Call the Midwife. Very funny.

    Call the Midwife– very good but can get a bit after-school special-y at times, and can be a bit of a downer with lots of tragedy.

    Wayward Pines– very M Knight Shamalayan, which-way-is-up kind of suspense. Wasn’t crazy about the ending but still enjoyed it overall.

    Great Brittish Baking Show only the last season is on NF but some are also on YT. Charming show and pretty amazing what these people can bake in such brief windows. I had no idea how tough baking is. Lots of English charm and pretty educational.

    Not on Netflix but if you can get hands on:

    Mr. Robot– really fantastic series about a hacker looking to take down an evil corporation. One of the best series I’ve seen in a while.

    Better Call Saul– if you liked Breaking Bad, this is worth watching. Takes an episode or two to get going, but once it does, very good.

    Wolf Hall– PBS series about Henry VII/Cromwell. Superb in pretty much every respect.

    Indian Summers– PBS masterpiece that just finished. Beautiful India and alot of class struggle/colonialism political messages in the midst of a very good mystery.

    Stuff you’ve probably seen, but these are on NF so if you haven’t:

    Mad Men – I loved it though I can understand why some people wouldn’t enjoy the rampant sexism of the period.

    Breaking Bad -well worth the hype. Solid from beginning to end. I can see why it is the new gold standard for cable tv (along with Sopranos, Deadwood etc.)

  6. 11

    Oh! Two series I recommend, both aired on Sundance channel but I think available on Netflix

    The Returned– A reviewer described this as Walking Dead if directed by David Lynch, and they were not wrong. In French! Atmospheric, not gory, and just plain strange.

    Rectify. Just gorgeous, if emotional depth and loads of nuance can be described as gorgeous? Basic premise is, man imprisoned on death row, for awful crime he swears he didn’t do, is released, thanks in part to efforts from his sister. We see the effect that both the crime and his imprisonment had on the family, the small town, and himself. It’s a study in interpersonal relationships as well as a murder mystery. I’d maybe describe this series as a bit slow going if only the acting wasn’t so damn good.

  7. rq
    13

    Agent Carter only has the one season out (I think??) but it was excellent. (Maybe it was two seasons, to be honest I can’t remember and I’m too lazy to check.) The Fall, starring Gillian Anderson, and the creepy psycho from 50 Shades (who also happens to be a creepy psycho in this one), was pretty excellent (two seasons, 11 episodes). Friend of mine recommended a Swedish (?) cop show (but a slow-moving one, so it’s a case-per-season rather than case-per-episode type deal, which I like), but for the life of me I can’t remember the name. Killers? Anyway she said it was suitably Scandinavianly dark and depressed with lots of black humour.
    I’ve also heard good things about Lillehammer but this is a random selection as thrown out my brain, no doubt influenced by the fact that I was recently listening to Back to Love by Ingrid Olava, which is the closing song for the only episode I’ve ever seen of the show (only saw the second half, too – I think it’s Norwegian).
    I’m assuming you are already familiar with Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra (the cartoon shows, though – not the airbender movie).

  8. rq
    14

    Can someone please explain the appeal of Breaking Bad? I have heard wonderful things about it, about how it’s amazing and great acting and all that jazz. But for the life of me I can’t get into watching it. Can’t convince myself to do it. Not even one episode, which would usually be enough for me to decide on my own whether to go on or not. And I don’t understand why I have this aversion (part of it is, I admit, my dislike for enjoying things that are hyped, but that can’t be all of it… can it?).
    I suppose I’m appealing to someone to explain why they think the show is so solid when I can’t seem to get past the premise.
    (I had similar issues with The Sopranos, I suppose…)

  9. 16

    Season two of Agent Carter is coming up on broadcast television in January. It was pushed back a couple of weeks because of the American State of the Union Address. Thanks Obama.

    I enjoyed Lilyhammer (yeah, they deliberately misspell it) and it was the first Netflix original series I watched. It’s not as good as their best stuff, but I still liked it. American mobster moves to a small town in Norway? Sure, why not?

  10. 17

    @RQ- if you can’t get past the premise then you may be stuck. And I say that as someone who can relate, though I can’t think of a particular example off the top of my head. But I’ve been there before. I also hate hyped shows and I wanted very much to not like it. But after about 2 episodes I had to admit I was hooked. Charges of it being overwhelmingly White/male etc. are all true. Though I think 3 characters (White’s disabled son, his wife and a Mexican-American cohort/enemy) do help it a bit in that regard. Most of what BB does you have certainly seen before: what is good/bad, right/wrong? Characters appearing to be jerks who turn out to be noble and vice versa. But the plot twists, style, cinematography, acting, dialogue etc. really are all first rate. And I would say that because the premise is such an odd one, it felt very fresh and ground-breaking. The concept of a middle-aged man turning meth dealer in New Mexico didn’t sound very interesting to me either, but it ended up being one of my favorite series’ ever. So you might be surprised.

    Speaking of Scandinavian mystery shows, we just started River and it is pretty interesting.

  11. rq
    18

    Well, when you put it that way… I must be a feminist, then, hating on all those put-upon male anti-heros who are also white and straight. Can’t even watch amazing TV about them, that is how deep my hatred runs.

  12. rq
    19

    Obama has also come to take your TV shows away? A scourge upon the nation, indeed.
    Also, Lilyhammer is a Netflix original…? I saw a version about three or four years ago, and it was playing on local TV… which certainly does not get Netflix original stuff. Perhaps Netflix redid it? Or is Netflix really that old? Or are these two different shows? Mysteries all-’round.

  13. rq
    20

    Thanks for that overview. I don’t know if it will help in the long run because I have issues with the premise, but it’s certainly a bit more than just ‘you have to see it, you’ll see!’. So thank you! Though I must say if the story is less original, I might be less inclined to watch, as činematography, style and specific plot twists aren’t usually primary reasons for watching a show (for me). They may very well influence how long I might stick with a show. Anyway, thanks again!

  14. 21

    I was kinda joking, but kinda not. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the show, but I just can bring myself to care to watch it. If I’m going to give my time over to a tv show, I want it to be diverse. I want stories about people who aren’t straight, white, cis, able-bodied men. I’ve seen enough of those already.

  15. 23

    @rq

    I have that problem with Dexter. There is no question that it is a well-done series, and I have no trouble with the basic idea. However, when I actually watched it I found that the fact that the victims were evil guys did not make what he did to them okay. Probably BECAUSE is was so well-done, I couldn’t switch to what I call “comic book” mode where you just slaughter bad guys. I love shoot-em-ups, but for some reason, Dexter doesn’t work for me.

    I suspect I might feel the same way about Breaking Bad. And yet, I love the Black List. Is it because the plot is just over the top enough to make it less realistic, thus both disbelief and my normal sense of proper behavior towards evil are suspended?

  16. rq
    25

    I’m sorry, I was trying to run with the joke. In agreement with you. :P Sorry for the misunderstanding, I can see how my reply could have come off as too hostile.

  17. 30

    I’ve been thoroughly enjoying “Miss Fisher Mysteries”. This is an Australian series (years 1 & 2 are on Netflix, and year 3 should be there soon). Based on the books by Kerry Greenwood, set in Melbourne in the 1920s. Phryne (fry-knee) Fisher is a rich, independent young woman who gets involved in all sorts of capers.. Great fun. The books are even better, of course, and she’s up to #20.

    There’s also a British series called “Vicious” about a queer couple and sundry friends, starring Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi. Lots of slagging off each other (and everybody else, too). Really funny. On PBS in the US.

    I was never willing to watch “Dexter” because I didn’t like the idea of admiring a serial killer, never mind what his motives were.

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