Maelstrom
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Posts posted by Maelstrom
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Finally got around to watching season 5, and I found it a disappointing mess. Though there were a few slight improvements from last season, it still has the same general problems with a few new ones thrown into the mix.
There is a lot going on but next to nothing happens; a lot of new story threads and plot points are revealed, then promptly forgotten or left unexplored. There is waaaay too much pointless filler that serves no purpose in developing any aspect of plot or character or world. Like last season, most of the plot was stupidity-dictated which is a surefire way to piss me off. Really, you could sum up this season in two or three sentences.
Soren continues to be the best developed and my favorite character this season, even if he doesn’t get much screen time. Callum and Rayla felt more like their old selves and less flat than last year, and Viren (what little we got of him) continues to be a fascinating study in morally grey characters. However, I still can’t stand Claudia and Terry, and sadly Ezran has become pretty useless. Amaya and Janai and the rest of the Sunfire storyline are off in their own little world, and I hate to say it but I couldn’t care less about any of it. (Though I did smile at Translator Elf nerding out over the library.)
Where be Aaravos? For yet another season with his name in the title, why was he in it even less than last season? Give me my sparkly magnificent bastard!
Callum’s quest to learn the Ocean arcanum felt completely unearned, considering we got barely a mention in the first ep and then him randomly understanding in at the end. And the Ocean theme was also disappointing - a brief glimpse of the arch-dragon, no exploration of the creatures and societies of the Ocean. Up until this season the Tidebound Elves have been the least discussed, so I was really curious to see what they would be like. And instead we get one generic weird old lady and a bunch of caricature pirates who serve absolutely no purpose? Gimme a break!
One of the things I loved so much about the first three seasons was how strongly the elements affected everything in Xadia, how all of the different beings of the different elements had their own unique cultures and views on the world. I loved the elemental magic and how interwoven it was throughout every aspect of Xadia. That is completely missing from the show IMO, and it’s incredibly disappointing to me. I was really hoping season 5 could be a return to that, but alas.
Also, the overall tone of the season was wildly uneven - very juvenile but with random bits of some pretty dark and/or violent stuff thrown in. Nightmare fuel, indeed! The first corrupted banther reminded me of the Red Bull (from the Last Unicorn) and would have for sure given me nightmares if I’d seen this as a kid. The beatings and torture of our heroes in the pirate ep, Claudia’s Ursula/evil squid witch vibe, the Blood Moon Elf lady (wtf was that? Why couldn’t she have just been a Moon Mage that turned evil? Why wasn’t another Moonshadow Elf like, oh, I don’t know Rayla our freaking heroine involved in this storyline to give it some context or connection to the rest of the show or Moonshadow society), all had me wondering just how the hell this was supposed to be aimed at kids. Overall I just found all of the darker aspects of this season very incongruous with the tone of the series, not to mention largely unnecessary. Like, sure we’ll spend even more time on more bathroom humor, but then add in a lengthy scene of someone getting tortured to prove how adult our story is! 😖🙄
I said it last season and I’ll say it again, they really need to recast Ezran’s voice actor. The young lady has done a fine job but Ezran is looking grown up enough now that it’s very jarring to hear him speaking with a young woman’s voice. And I maintain that the female dragons were miscast, as their high, breathy voices feel super out of place on powerful dragon queens, but YMMV.
The Baitlings were cute but at this point our band of heroes has become a traveling menagerie. Though I did find Rayla's little monkey thing less creepy this year (could he make portals and hide stuff in them last year? I don’t remember that, though maybe I’ve blocked it out along with most of s4. Though I gotta say I’m a little jealous, that would come in super handy. Infinite storage space!)
Still wishing we could have gotten some of what we missed in the time jump between s3 and s4 explained, like if Rayla’s been back to her home, what’s been happening with the other human kingdoms, and how the Sunfire Elves came to set up their human-shared refugee city and why they’ve been unable to reclaim Lux Aurea, etc.
The “Argonath” at the entrance to the Sea of the Castdown cracked me the hell up. Clearly the Xadian mage/architect/sculptor responsible for it wanted to make sure everyone knew how awesome he was with the giant sculptures of himself lording over defeated Aaravos kneeling at his feet. 😆
Overall, better than season 4 but not great. I’ll tune in next season, though at this point the thrill is gone and I’m mostly watching for more Aaravos.
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Here's the US airing schedule for this year - NBC's coverage looks like about the same level of shittyness as last year. 😣 But better than nothing, I suppose.
https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/sports/2023/8/11/television-schedule.aspx
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Thank you annzeepark! I had to track it down on Youtube because the video wouldn't play for me (I suspect due to my various adblockers) but it always makes my heart happy to hear from Jason. ❤️
(For anyone who'd like the direct YT link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-OtL1_LJrc )
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20 hours ago, ciarra said:
So, um, pendulum lights? Cowbells? (middle of screen, not the wall sconce.)
You know what this show needs... is more cowbell!
4 hours ago, ciarra said:I think in most jobs, it's more problematic to fire someone who is in treatment. Not sure if that applies to acting contracts.
ABCDisney has always been quick to drop actors like a hot rock if they threaten Disney's squeaky clean image (except Steve Burton after he made those racist comments at a fan event, however 🤨)
3 hours ago, TVbitch said:Pretty sure by next month I will be playing Molly.
Best of luck to you! We'll be rooting for you as NunununununuMolly 😄
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Interesting interview with Andrew Walker about A Safari Romance (which was pretty cute with gorgeous scenery - and lions!) and also he talks a bit about the execs behind the scenes and praises how they’ve improved Hallmark. Sounds to me as though the VP in charge of programming has been as instrumental as Wonya Lewis in upping the quality of their movies, so I’m hopeful that the network won’t backslide into blandness with Lewis stepping down.
https://heavy.com/entertainment/hallmark/andrew-walker-first-ever-top-billing-on-movie/
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I've always heard very good things about Misaeng, though I haven't watched it yet.
I finished the excellent Hospital Playlist last month (coincidentally starring one of the guys in Misaeng) and trying to decide on my next drama 🤔
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So season 5 is apparently available on Netflix as of today 🤷🏻♀️
(Also, look at me with the last three posts on this thread - I swear I’m not trying to take it over, lol)-
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Somehow I've only just now noticed that Utkarsh Ambudkar (Jay from Ghosts) is playing Bumi! Perfect casting, he'll be a lot of fun. And Meegwun Fairbrother was excellent in Burden of Truth, he'll make a good Avatar Kuruk - hopefully they'll flesh out the character more than the original. Though with no offense to Mr. Takei, it's too bad they didn't get Erik Todd Dellums back as Koh. Damn does that man have a voice!
Still side-eying this remake, but gotta admit, I'm getting more and more excited.
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Season 5 - Ocean premieres July 27: https://thedragonprince.com/season-5-official-trailer/
Here's hoping it's better than 4.
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I'm also Tara, though honestly none of it fits me. But it does make me want to do a full series rewatch!
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I really enjoyed Make Me a Match! I've been a big Bollywood fan for years yet find many Western attempts at Indian movies just miss the mark in so many ways. I saw that the screenwriter was Indian (as well as the music director) and this felt a lot more genuine all around. I really appreciated how central family was to both leads, separately and as a couple, and liked that for the most part both Vivi and Boom acted like mature adults instead of the petty middle-schoolers that seem to populate a lot of Hallmark movies. The only exception was Vivi's reaction to her parents announcing their divorce, it seemed a little over the top to me considering their marriage obviously was not in great shape. But at least she got over it relatively quickly. Like twoods said, there was no Big Misunderstanding which was refreshing, and I too loved how Vivi embraced Indian culture without acting like an idiot or trying to change him to fit into her world. Lots of fun, her wedding sari was gorgeous, and I would happily watch Rushi Kota in more Hallmark movies in the future. Well done, Hallmark.
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Just finished Martha Wells' The Witch King, and while I liked it once I figured out what the heck was going on, I felt it wasn't as good as it could - or should - have been. And it pains me to say this since I've been a huge fan of her books since the mid 90s. Without getting into spoilery details, I feel that the split timeline structure worked against this and ultimately there is simultaneously too much story and not enough story. Like reading volumes 1 and 3 of a 4/5 part epic fantasy series. It most reminds me of her earlier Wheel of the Infinite but IMO Wheel is a better book.
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On 6/18/2023 at 3:41 AM, Spartan Girl said:
I still think this is unnecessary, but damn, it already looks better than that awful movie.
Agreed, and that's a pretty low bar ;)
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1 hour ago, greekmom said:
Worse Hallmark movie than the one about the big city girl moving to a small town? Or the one about the big city guy moving to a small town?
For me it was even worse than the one with Jen Lilley and her Cedar Syrup farm, and that one in Australia where the lady inherited a restaurant or something and everyone in it was a blithering idiot except for the dog.
It's possible I watch too many of these things, lol.
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1 hour ago, luvthepros said:
Is the actress who is a white woman playing the character as an Indian woman? That I do not agree with but.....if the character is supposed to be a white woman, than what is wrong with I white actress playing her?
1 hour ago, twoods said:The lead falls in love with an Indian Matchmaker’s son, so I don’t think both leads need to be Indian for the storyline to work. The guy is freaking hot (I couldn’t stop staring at him in Never Have I Ever) so I’m excited for that one.
You know, I just assumed the character was supposed to be Indian but that is a very valid point. D'oh! What's that old saying about when you assume... Anyway, I rescind my outrage, at least until we get a full preview and know for sure whether the character is supposed to be white or Indian.
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Love's Greek to Me was probably about the worst Hallmark movie I can remember watching (and sadly that's saying something). Yes, the scenery was gorgeous but the main couple was unhealthy and disturbingly problematic in numerous ways, and the movie itself was completely oblivious to that which made it all so much worse for me. They had too many differences, and while neither of them were in the wrong per se it was painfully obvious that they simply wanted vastly different things out of life and realistically wouldn't be able to make it work without huge sacrifices. Marina Sirtis' character wasn't even the most troubling part for me since she did (eventually) learn from her mistakes and become more considerate of others' wishes. (Also, how can anyone hate Counselor Troi?)
What really bothered me the most (and MMV on this) was the increasing pattern of questionable behavior from the male lead (whose name I've forgotten and don't care enough to look up). While I can get they were going for a guy torn between two cultures, what I saw was a man who showed more and more red flags of an abuser the longer they were in Greece. When she did something he didn't like or approve of, he became cold and distant, or emotionally manipulative by shaming or guilt-tripping her. He found fault with her every decision and action, he'd drop bombshells like "I'm tired of waiting for you to get over your crippling emotional abandonment issues, we should break up" and then walk away before she could say anything or continue the conversation in a rational adult manner. All this while she was isolated away from her own support system - her family, friends, job, her entire life - and had no one to turn to other than his family. In the end she basically gave up on most of her own decisions to defer to him. That they did get married was frankly troubling.
Am I reading way too much into this? Undoubtedly. But hey, Hallmark puts this shit out there and sometimes my brain just can't un-see it. *shrug*
I was excited to see ads for the upcoming movie with Indian characters (I'm a big Bollywood fan) until I noticed that the female lead is very obviously a white woman. 🙄 What, they couldn't find one actress of Indian descent in all of Vancouver? Sheesh.
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Another long-time Southwesterner here, and yeah, Love in Zion was pretty hard to take. Or, to quote from another recent Hallmark gem, what an intoxicating whiff.
I do give Hallmark credit for trying something a little different, and Zion is so gorgeous that it makes this movie worth a watch (on mute) just for the scenic eye candy. But beyond that...
As Lugal mentioned, Anasazi isn't a distinct tribe but more of a historical catch-all term. But I'm going to give Hallmark the benefit of the doubt on this one and assume they went with "Anasazi" rather than an existing tribe to avoid any stepping on any specific cultural toes, so to speak.
Beyond the complete and total absurdity of the villain looting artifacts from a national park in front of a ranger who is also a member of the tribe the artifacts belong to, our
insipidintrepid heroes then bemoaning how they have no recourse to get said artifacts back is too ridiculous to even get into. But what really broke my brain on this one is seeing an "experienced" hiker and a fricking park ranger set out through a weeklong hike through high desert with no sunhats, and only Power Bars and baby canteens that can't hold more than about 20 oz of water?! No. Just no.
Like Lugal said, our condolences to your loved ones. Zion's own official site recommends one gallon of water per person per day. And never mind the possibilities of heatstroke and heat exhaustion, flash floods, rockfalls, large wildlife... etc etc. I know the world of Hallmarkia has its own rules and logics but this is just too much.
And I think it goes without saying that Cindy Busby is not exactly a paragon of chemistry, and the (obviously white) male lead was blandly forgettable, so the romance was a fail.
But... at least the scenery was pretty!
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8 hours ago, Cheyanne11 said:
Carly's next gig.
5 hours ago, statsgirl said:And then Carly takes over the mayor's job while Laura's out of town because she can't stand being in second place.
Don't give these abysmal writers any ideas!
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So I finally watched Kate Mansi's debut as Kristina and to my complete shock I don't hate her. 🤯 Is it possible she's learned to act since her last stint on Days?
Also, is Bitchsplaining a thing? Because that's totally what Sam was doing to Kristina re: the new outreach center. Can Sam just STFU and die now? Follow up question, seriously, can she?
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On 5/16/2023 at 4:21 PM, ljr said:
And I still don't know what the deceptor is.
On 5/16/2023 at 5:22 PM, Mirabelle said:The Deceptor sounds like fake boobs - something to stuff into your bra to give your cleavage some oomph.
My guess would be a classic era Doctor Who villain ("I am the Deceptor, prepare to meet your doom! Mwahahaha!") He would use illusions to try and defeat the Doctor - I can already picture the cheesy special effects in my head.
Though actually, if they made the Deceptor an actual human character on this show it might improve it at this point. 🤔
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On 4/28/2023 at 11:54 AM, absnow54 said:
I will say, as someone who could barely make it 10 chapters into the book (after loving the original trilogy) the trailer did hold my interest.
I never even bothered reading this in the first place but the trailer held my interest as well. Definitely a fantastic cast!
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On 4/26/2023 at 11:06 AM, YaddaYadda said:
I blame Elizabeth Korte, Carly's #1 stan, for turning her into this Mary Sue
So that's who we have to blame for AJ's Worst Mistake eating the show alive like a carrion eater? And here I thought she was one of the few decent writers on the show. 😣 (Also, thank you Tracy, that's absolutely what I'm going to call that character from now on)
22 hours ago, Sake614 said:Luke would have loved Willow? Yeah no. Luke would have HATED Willow. Or at least not had any use for her. She has no agency. She’s pathetic. And Luke held people like that in contempt. He probably would have called her weeping Willow or some other derogatory name.
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In that case, maybe Nina is better off without Willow in her life.
Ha, I can actually hear TG sneering the name "weeping Willow."
And I've been telling Nina for months now she needs to just cut her losses with Willow and adopt Sasha. They'd be good for one another and Willow can go fuck the hell off.
20 hours ago, mostlylurking said:Come on you two, you’re smarter than that (I think).
I wish Show would have revealed that Victor's Big Evil Plan is how he's been secretly contaminating the town water supply with uranium or something for decades in a bid to damage everyone's mental faculties and slowly reduce the population by killing everyone with cancer and other degenerative illnesses. And now thanks to the reunited Ice Princess [gems don't work that way Show, but fuckingwhatever] he's going to implement his plan in major cities all around the world. Would've been a hell of a lot more interesting than what we got, and would explain why everyone in PC gets sick all the time and are SO FUCKING STUPID.
8 hours ago, jacourt said:Michael looks more ill then Willow.
It's his terminal constipation. That and how AJ's Worst Mistake sucked any trace of a personality out of him long ago like the dementor she is.
2 hours ago, YaddaYadda said:This wedding was very low rent.
Fitting, since their "romance" has been very low rent as well.
58 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:whom he supposedly hates with the heat of a thousand nuns
I'm assuming this is a typo but it's honestly one of the most entertaining things to come from this show in a long while, so thank you for that! 🤣
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Soooooo... the Team Trophy isn’t broadcasting on US tv anywhere? As far as I can tell it’s only on Peacock.
Fuck you, NBC.
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16 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:
So nbc didn't wait the Free Dance competition at ALL and I won't get to see how everyone performed. I am so furious. I swear, they planning on letting their tv deal with the USFS expire so we won't be able to see any of the competitions at all. :(
Amen. NBC is so clearly focused on getting a stranglehold on skating and making it exclusive to their own streaming service but all they're really doing killing interest in the sport. No casual fan is going to go through this much trouble to watch, and it's becoming a real struggle for committed fans (such as anyone reading or posting on this thread 🙂) to keep watching.
3 hours ago, Tippi said:I just have to say once again what a terrible decision it was to do away with the Olympic Channel. NBC is all about the hype for whoever they pick to be the face of the Olympics for the US (Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, Nathan, etc) but now they are giving the viewers such a limited opportunity to get to know these athletes, how do they expect the casual viewer to get invested enough to watch the Olympic coverage?
Well said. NBC wants it both ways, they want the attention and the hype that their anointed Chosen Athletes can bring, yet don't want to consistently air the sport(s) for viewers to maintain interest. I used to be a once a year or once every four years skating fan but since I've started following it year in and year out I enjoy it so much more - seeing skaters rise through the ranks, and grow and mature makes their talent that much more exciting to watch.
It's just so frustrating that the field is truly fair for the first time in years yet I've been able to watch less skating this year.
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Figure Skating
in Sports
Also, the coverage on E!, USA, etc generally only shows the final two flights of any given discipline, so too bad for anyone who would like to watch the lesser-ranked skaters.