ribboninthesky1

Lundgren would have been an interesting Aquaman in his younger years. Certainly has the look.

Scandal has hit 100 episodes? Time flies. I gave it up around season 3, but I remember the entertaining TWoP thread during the 1st 2 seasons! Was Scandal the show that kicked off the trend of cast members' Twitter engagement, particularly live-tweeting? Girl! Lots of memories of white managers and execs hiring someone's offspring/friend with ZERO experience. I had to train them. And then denied promotions for "not having enough experience." Good times. You have a doctorate in Computer Science, right? I've heard some STEM stories! I distinctly remember this scene because I'd had a similar experience around the time the episode aired:

I understand. But in this context, the book's explanation makes more sense. I'm unconvinced that at least some, if not all, of the book explanation couldn't have been adapted for the TV show, but mileage varies. Also, one of my main points is that I feel the showrunners are assuming viewers have read the books, and thus have the benefit of the book narrative when watching the show. I've noticed more than a little of book discussion in this forum related to the show to further explain something, which is certainly understandable, but I'm not willing to cut the show much slack. That's the challenge with adapting a book to TV - the book allows for more fleshing out of story and characters. Nevertheless, the show still needs to maintain a cohesive narrative, which I think the season is losing somewhat. I understand in the abstract what's at stake, but it also feels like character actions are being driven by the story rather than vice versa. But this is clearly a minority opinion, c'est la vie.

The theme song was great. @catrice2, looks like Luke is in a new series on Crackle - very different kind of show, and I've not watched it yet. It's free to watch, so perhaps this will give you that Luke fix!

See, that's more coherent than what's been aired on the show to date. Thanks for sharing. It seems like the vast majority of the discussion I've seen here and elsewhere around this show are from those who have read the books, thus they can mentally fill in such gaps. I wonder if the showrunners are taking that for granted. Yeah, he is!

The bolded is my biggest pet peeve with TV. I'm not a writer, so I don't know what the answer is for this. But I feel like simple storytelling can be more compelling than minutiae and overly complex plots in which writers forget the details, especially since I assume writing teams aren't stable throughout the life span of a show. I pay attention, and I HATE when something important is introduced, and then either dropped or retconned because the writers decided to go in a different direction.

Yep, he deleted it. I remember this, as it came up during the Red Tails debacle. So, apparently, every five years or so, Ridley gets the compulsion to show just how much of an asshole he is. Mental note to check in on the "ascended black" around 2022.

What's even more interesting is that, apparently, the South Asian character was actually a man in real life, not a woman. I'm normally quite skeptical of social media, but in this context, the breakdown of the British BP history on Twitter has been very enlightening. And really makes Ridley and Elba look even more ridiculous. Also, this concept of "political blackness" is brand new to me, and I'm just flabbergasted. But am I surprised by the erasure of black women's leadership in this context? Unfortunately no. See: American civil rights movement. Am I surprised that some media outlets framed the discussion as Ridley and especially Frieda Pinto as "attacked?" Nope, not at all. Let's not forget about the photographer, Neil Kenlock, who basically said, "I was in the Black Panther movement back then, and there was an Asian woman who was extremely active. So I see nothing wrong with it." He knew an Asian woman back then, y'all, so what's the problem? @phoenics, sending you a virtual hug, sis. Once upon a time, I would have felt the same as you, but I've come to expect this level of fuckery in entertainment. At least now, there are platforms for black women to set the record straight. One of the few times I'm grateful for Twitter.

Agreed, I just finished S2E2, and there's some of that shown. But then he regresses right back to petulance by the end, as if he's learned nothing. I can't deny it would have been a different show without him, but I'd be okay with that. That said, watching the series again makes me appreciate the visuals even more - it's gorgeously shot. I believe it was filmed in the Czech Republic, and bravo to the locations team. Costume design as well. Also, I always adored Howard Charles in this, but watching it again, I really appreciate how funny he could be. I need to check out more of Maimie McCoy's work, she's fantastic.

I've caught up on the last several episodes, and as someone who hasn't read the books, I wonder if the writers are in a bit of bind, presumably because they're being faithful to the books (in spirit, if not in practice). But since TV is a different medium, as a viewer, I'm missing something in the adaptation. I've found myself questioning actions this season in a way I did not last season. For example, I totally understand why the botanist wants to find his daughter, but I didn't understand what the Roci crew (Holden specifically) thought they're going to achieve by tracking down the man she's with. Is he supposed to just tell them what they want to know? Hand over any protomolecule samples he had access to? Same thing with the woman who was killed by the...proto-hybrid or whatever in this episode. It's gotten to the point where I've lost interest in the Roci crew because they seem aimless. I'm glad that Naomi and Amos have split off for now - I liked their friendship, and maybe their path will be interesting. Whatever Naomi's motivation, she's right on one thing - they alone can't stop what's been set in motion with the protomolecule. The plot developments on Earth were also interesting, though I find myself wondering what's going on with Fred Johnson and Drummer. Holden is the moral center of this show, and I'm just not that invested in him. I'm hoping that Naomi's secret might be a boon to them later vs "you betrayed me, cue the bland lost puppy dog look by Strait," but we'll see. And yeah, I don't understand what Avasarala expects to achieve by meeting with Mao, either, @shrewd.buddha. Unless she has some kind of ace up her sleeve, I can't see Mao deciding to turn himself in. In truth, I'm surprised he wouldn't have had his family with him anyway, especially after the Eros threat to Earth, but okay. The overall story is losing cohesion (particularly around the protomolecule conspiracy). I understand this show gets all the raves for a return to traditional sci-fi, but I also understand why it's not connecting to a broader audience. It's probably not meant to.

I'm rewatching this series, and I forgot just how petulant, silly, and clueless Louis was. Bless Ryan Gage - his performance was great. But I found myself wishing Louis' mother had been successful in overthrowing him. I know, it'd be a different show, but I would have been perfectly entertained with Peter Capaldi and Tara Fitzgerald trying to outwit each other, at least for the remainder of season one. I can't say I would have missed Louis or Anne.

Because I recently watched this film again, quoting for emphasis. Tall, lean, and oiled up - thank you, Top Gun. Right there with you. It's a great scene. I always remember the way Margaret Colin's character does a little jump for joy as she's running to leap into his arms. Same, Constance!

Agreed on both friendships, Spartan Girl. Law does contemptible asshole quite well, so I expected it. It was indeed refreshing that his character genuinely cared about and valued her. Plus, she got to hook up with Jason Statham's crazy ass, all's well that ends well!

True @Joimiaroxeu, we don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes. I'm also making an assumption that Spectre production ended in 2014. We're now in 2017, and they're still trying to cajole Craig? It makes me feel like they haven't pursued any other real prospects, which contributes to your theory about letting certain actors age out of contention. Personally, I'm not sure Elba ever had a real shot since he's only a few years younger than Craig. And that's beyond the race-bending element that I don't believe the execs are interested in (or ever will be unless there is a changing of the guard). Plus, I don't know what kind of send-off they would want to give Craig's Bond after Spectre. His arc came full-circle in my view.

They are still negotiating? By the time they actually start production, Craig might be in his 50s. He's obviously fit, but on the other hand, if he's not persuaded, then perhaps they should let him be. Let the man move on if he wants to. Maybe they should have spent more time vetting other actors after the Spectre production ended, as it was more than apparent that Craig was over the franchise. I'm beginning to wonder, if Craig doesn't sign on, will there be some mad rush to cast an actor who is ill-suited? We know who it won't be, heh.

This is why I try to avoid media, especially social, when a celebrity death is announced. It's getting to the point where there's a freakout if someone's name is trending, regardless of the context.

Why is this so hilarious? I remember way back during Andi's season and the "Andrew said something racist" controversy, there were more than a few people who took Josh's Twitter comments (something about microphones not picking it up) as evidence that it didn't happen. Interesting how the pendulum swings. I wasn't planning to watch BiP this season, but maybe I'll read the forums. This Luke Pell mess has me curious if it will be addressed. That said, I don't feel sorry in the least for these women he supposedly hoodwinked. I assume they're young, as neither is coming across as that bright. I'd be too embarrassed to tell anyone outside of my friends, but clearly that's not an issue for them. Jubilee's tweet about Luke having his own Bachelor season off screen had me rolling!

The bolded sums up the Marvel and Stars Wars film universes in a nutshell for me. In general, I've learned to avoid reviews - in my experience, a film is rarely as fantastic or awful as the strongly-voiced media critic/social media machine implies. Plus, discussion of a highly anticipated film can go on for years before it's released, especially these blockbuster franchises. So lot of hype or acrimony can be generated online before the public even sees a trailer. That said, I have and still do make a decision about my interest in a film based on trailers I see. There have have been few films I perceived to be completely contrary to the marketing.

What's interesting about that clip is Susan is a few years older than Kathie Lee Gifford, and looks about ten years younger. Though the blonde hair and styling is doing Gifford absolutely no favors.

Ha! Warner Brothers needs any (potential) hit they can get, so I can see why they'd invoke LOTR imagery.

Oh really? If true, can't say I blame him for wanting out. Salt and pepper Bana? Devious, menacing Law? Shirtless, scruffy Hunnam? Together in an absurd medieval fantasy? Here for all of this.

Wait, when did Superman try to kill someone? I've not seen the film in a while. Oddly enough, I rather enjoyed stankface Cavill (his expression conveyed what I felt often), as I found the film's version of Bruce Wayne/Batman to be pretty annoying. And with Ben Affleck's ever-present personal problems, I have my doubts of his future in the franchise. The studio might be casting another actor in a couple of years. But hey, maybe Cavill will get more than a couple of lines in Justice League! *fingers crossed*

Ah yes. To your and kingshearte's point, the show attracts a different kind of young woman now, and it's more beneficial to have the hot takes and witty comebacks in your talking heads to get additional screen time. Those who seem reasonably mature don't seem to get much screentime or are quickly dismissed as boring/fake by viewers. I remember being surprised to read they would announce Rachel as the Bachelorette. She didn't have much screentime before the announcement was made, and it colored my perception of her footage post-announcement.

Jeff Goldblum is still fine! I'm normally skeptical of May-December couples, but I totally get it with Jeff. Tell us how you really feel! Thanks for the chuckle.

It's not. Still, I'm guessing that the well-established actors showing up in blockbuster/franchise/popular genre films aren't particularly interested in the story. I'm okay with that. But then, I avoid most press junket-y interviews because the questions are some variation of "So what interested you about your character?" I couldn't care less what, for example, Cate Blanchett might find interesting about Hela in Thor: Ragnorok. I feel like actors are expected to be above enjoying the money - that everything is about the craft. Truth is, I generally don't care how the actor feels about the character as long as they're convincing. If you did it to buy a Hermes bag, Maserati, home in the south of France, or because it's a passion project...doesn't make much difference to me. I assume Superman is resurrected at some point, but yeah, no promos to date with him in it. Cavill doesn't seem to have the support of the studio, I suppose because they hang all their hopes on Batman. Which is baffling. I know Man of Steel has its detractors and critiques, but it's not like the film tanked at the box office.