crystalball

I’m halfway thru season 2 and loving it. While the intensity is still there (and heightened in many ways), I haven’t felt as stressed out as my initial reaction to every episode of season 1. I’m especially enjoying the soundtrack. Wonder if it’s a higher music budget or maybe it’s just that season 1 had so much screaming that I didn’t notice the tunes as much?

I’m not yet invested in the show premise and cast after seeing a couple of eps, but I think I’ll keep watching just to hear James McAvoy say “brrrrrridge” over and over with that delightful Scottish burr.

Can’t say I “enjoyed” this because it was a rough watch, but it was very well done. I binged it last night and had low grade nausea at the very start to a full on stomachache by the end. Haven’t felt like that watching a tv show since Chernobyl. The whole cast was wonderful. I was starting to wonder why they’d brought in Keeley Hawes for just a couple brief scenes and then wham! That hospital scene was brutal. Edited to add that I also really appreciated the touches of joy and hope (and great tunes!) in this to offset all the pain and loss, both fictional and very, very real.

I was hoping they’d skip this part of the books given all the (deserved, IMO) excess of rape as plot criticism, but since they didn’t, I’ll just say I really appreciated the distance the dissociation scene provided for the viewer, too. Though I watched the episode around 9am yesterday morning and that song is STILL firmly lodged in my brain. Thankfully, the visuals have not done the same.

I think Claire asked her to brew something else (comfrey?). It was a brownish powder in a jar. Marsali chose the hemlock root (or whatever it was) herself.

I am guessing she has some hearing loss that impacts her speech as she was wearing hearing aids. I can’t imagine how irritated those “lumps and bumps” get where they rub up against each other and her clothes. That batch around her bra strap looked extra miserable. So glad she’s able to stand the removal so well.

This series is as sappy as sappy can get, but I can’t stop watching.

It’s a Bank of America commercial. After seeing the first episode, I did a search for “Country Music Bank of America commercial” and there are a few articles about it. Brief individual profiles are on the BoA site.

I am a foul-weather fan when it comes to country music (have to be in the right, usually blue, mood to enjoy it - bring on the pain songs!) and I am still loving this series. Very interesting and entertaining, too. I’m on vacation tomorrow and intend to spend a whole lotta time binging the last four eps via Passport. The companion concert was really well done, both in planning and in the performances. Amid all that impressive talent, Vince Gill was the MVP for me. His performance of I Will Always Love You made me cry.

Was the shame bat wearing its tiny codpiece? Not my favorite episode, but I still truly laughed which is more than any other current comedy makes me do.

Don’t know how widespread the rules are in the US, but in IL, I was told I couldn’t cremate a deceased family member (her wishes) because she had undergone a couple rounds of radiation treatment for breast cancer about a decade prior to her passing. If it’s that dangerous on a scale of one, it’s hard to comprehend what it would be like with mass radiation casualties.

I must admit that I rolled my eyes when I saw the initial nudity warning. Thought “well, it is HBO, so they’ve gotta get the T&A in no matter how inappropriate it may be in this story.” After watching the ep, I owe the production (and HBO) an apology for thinking badly about something that has obviously been a total labor of love for the incredible creator, crew, and cast. It’s as fascinating as it is horrifying.

That was amazing! I was impressed with the Tilda reveal and then they just kept coming. I’m going to guess Pattinson for the Rob reference. I feel a little too twisted that my biggest laugh was the vampire baby showing its fangs.

I adore this ridiculous show so very much! I love it when it’s clear that everyone involved is having fun with their job, especially the prop and costume depts.

Between the Jones sisters episode and watching the Ricky Gervais show, After Life, my weekend of Netflix binging is sending me to work with red, swollen eyeballs tomorrow. So much emotion! While the Fab 5 seemed way too camera-conscious this time around, I enjoyed the season as a whole. I appreciate the positivity and compassion, even when they’re excessively mugging