Ottis

Oh, I am sadly aware that the show is largely about Grogu. My point is, it would be a better show without Grogu. More interesting, more original, etc. It's basically a kids show. Maybe that's the audience Disney wants, which is fine. It could be so much more though if it were about a bounty hunter traversing the galaxy. That was real conflict? Hmmm. Aside from knocking stormtrooper armor off with a staff, it was G-rated, I thought. Plot by numbers, yes. Plot by numbers, yes. I accept your expertise, I admittedly have no idea which is which. I just thought I heard that character say the opposite. Thanks for the correction.

And I was excited that "The Child" (which ages differently than humans, and has already had training from some Jedi masters, so I don't think it is really a child) was gone, and we could move on. But then Jango had to get all "we owe you" and mess it up. As with all episodes of The Mandalorian, there was a lack of logic to most actions. A few examples: - If BY is protected from Mando getting to him, let that forcefield work to your advantage. Quit wasting time trying to get the kid and set up a perimeter around him, and keep an eye on the blue light. - You might consider hopping into your ship(s) and blasting feckless stormtroopers from the air. - Where did Jango get that armor? Is that the armor Mando had? Didn't Mando have all his beska armor melted down to make his new armor? I've lost track of who has what armor, but it seems to me that if armor that belongs to a family can be proven to belong to that family, the family should get it back. - Speaking of Jango, why come on all hard and tough and then say well, we can negotiate. He's a Mando, just talk. - "Dark Troopers...." hahahaha. Just in time for Christmas! So the strategy is to sacrifice a bunch of regular stormtroopers, let them run away and THEN send down the latest toy from Hasbro? You might start with the new guys. There seem to be quite a few of them. - Why would Moff Gus Fring let Jango get a look at his ship and then leave, without firing? It sounded like from Jango's comment that the fact the empire is back isn't common knowledge, yet. Why let it become so? Still don't know why Gus Fring wants BY. Also, what does handcuffs do to him? He can't use the force if he can't wave his hands? That seems like a significant Achilles heel. Duct tape can defeat the force. I know Gus Fring won't torture BY much in this show, but really, I'd be OK with BY being gone and this becoming a revenge quest.

So maybe I missed it, but did Michael spend a year plus with Book and not know he was a warden in a sanctuary and also apparently an empath? If that never came up, seems like there should be some trust issues. I loved that Saru is in search of a captain's catchphrase, and that the crew is in on his attempts. That was a genius move to include what must have been a challenge for the show's writers as part of the actual show. So Detmer had ... some kind of crisis of confidence, for some reason, and now after flying Book's ship manually, Detmer feels better? I don't know what all happened there. That was the sole reason for Dermer's reactions this season ... she had self doubt? And BTW, I find Ossyra curiously flat. No menace, really. More like a mid-level manager who is full of herself. And Book's ship did pretty well against Ossyra's "armed to the teeth" vessel. I have to say that while it isn't perfect, I think this season has gone out of its way to connect plot threads and answer audience questions. better than most shows. And so, so much heart in this season.

You don't have to look far. Look at the first three episodes of this season. Michael was on an adventure, Discovery was on an adventure, they both were trying to connect. They did fairly quickly, and Michael was back *but* she wasn't where everyone turned for answers. In fact, it wasn't even clear who she was anymore, after a year on her own. All that was terrific. And then ... the show fell into old patterns. Michael solves everything. Michael is wise. Michael doesn't follow orders, but that's Ok, she knows best. A token demotion from a job she isn't even sure she wants, and it's all good. Then she is off to solve it all for the team. Her MOM shows up. Her BROTHER is the key to solving a near civil war and ONLY Michael can fix it. Michael falls in love. Michael has a crisis of purpose. Michael is everyone's big sister and mentor. It doesn't have to be this way. Spock can be important without Michael (the sister few know) holding the sole key to success. Someone else can be the mentor. Someone else can be the truth teller advocate. Someone else can fall in love. Being the central character doesn't mean everything that happens, happens with her or for her or because of her. I very much *liked* the Michael of the first three episodes. She was happier, more clear on her purpose, less angst over decisions. I thought the show had figured it out. Then bam! Right back to where we were before. BTW, comparing her to Kirk isn't fair. Kirk didn't have an answer for everything. McCoy sometimes did (and he called Kirk on the carpet), Spock often did, Scotty occasionally did. Kirk actually was a hothead who acted before he thought. That's Ok. Propelling the show forward is OK. Being the sole individual with the right answer is grating.

Well, it didn't happen so much the first three episodes of this season, which made this season my favorite. It reared its head on the Trill world, and since then, you are right, we are back to Michael being a Special Snowflake. And it is so disappointing to me. Because aside from the Michael Worship, this season of Discovery is filled with a lot of love and purpose. It's like someone finally "got" that Star Trek is about ideals and the people who uphold them, and the connection and interaction of those people. The Federation has never been perfect, but overall its goals are noble and it has stood as a beacon for planets and species who want to grow. I love that. It's why some of those references this season bring a tear to my eye. As did the "say yes" scene. People who support each other, trying to do the right thing for the group. Even if the Vulcan/Romulans no longer believe "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" (and how many thousands of viewers, at that moment, in their heads said, "... or the one"?). If any of the Discovery crew people want to lock Michael in the brig for a while, until everyone agrees that her every utterance and desire isn't magical and necessary, I would be OK with that. Book and Grudge can join her, I'm not heartless.

Agree. Discovery, you started out so well the first three episodes of this season, and like an addict, you have fallen off the wagon. A few comments: - Starfleet holding Saru hostage and threatening it would "come down on him" if the crew went rogue was like something out of pirate movie. - In fact, the Starfleet of the future are kind of dicks. You can't spend a little more time understanding Discovery and what she knows before splitting up the crew? The ep tried to address that mindset, given the suspicion and "Dark Ages" comparison, but still, it seemed abrupt. - As did future security officer's transition from "you people are nuts" to "you people work well together." Also, I would think 900 years of knowledge of overall progress would make her a wee bit more able to follow the engineers. Unless (see end of this post)... - It seems like there is a better solution for Nhan than to kick her out of Starfleet because she wants to console and support someone from her planet. Picard would have given her leave, or a temporary assignment. Or some samosas. - And worst of all, Michael as special snowflake is back. Nhan can't talk turkey with the grieving father because "they share the same ethos." But Michael can! Plus Michael fixed Trill world last week and now she is the source of all knowledge this week. That's a shame. I ask again - what the hell is going on with Detmer? And ... why is the Federation in hiding? Something attacked *everyone* through dilithium, I get it, but is there evidence the target was the Federation alone? FWIW, I had to stop this ep, and go rewatch the end of the prior ep because the immediate arrival at Federation space made me think I skipped an episode. Credit where due: The show does try hard to explain why a 900-yo ship isn't laughed off the screen. Thank goodness for the spore drive and heart power. And I like the mystery of the song, which makes me think they are not in the future and instead are in some sort of experiment or test. Q perhaps?

This was kind of a bullshit episode, IMO. Burnham had no business telling Adira what she should do in the Trill pools, or in any other Trill situation. She was guessing. I give the episode credit for bringing Trill the Planet to life and nudging along the return of the Federation. At first I thought this was going to be an analogy to the aloneness of the pandemic IRL. But what a bunch of headcases. “I’m fine... no I’m not.” OK then. If we are like that IRL, we’re screwed.

First episode of third season. Given Mandalorian didn’t exist in first season of Discovery, thought context would make that clear.

I am really digging this season. Starfleet, and Discovery, stands for something. I am sure it is corny to some, but it feels like the ingredient that has been missing from all the recent Star Trek. Now we just need Pike to show up. Also, there is much less Michael worship by the rest of the crew, and the plot. That’s a good thing. I don’t know why the teen was added. Don’t see an end game there unless the teen is nonbinary or they are trying to appeal to a younger demographic. That usually doesn’t end well. What’s up with Detmer? Does her implant tell her something the rest of us don’t know?

Watched first episode of Discovery. There were more interesting special effects and new setting ls and story that there was in two seasons of The Mandalorian. I have nitpicks but that was way more involving and fun to watch.

I checked out in season four. The problem was, and still sounds like based on these comments, they recycle the same plot. Group meets new group, new group turns out to be bad, some of the good group pay for it, the good group barely escapes, the good group meets another group and it starts again. As soon as they dropped the “go to DC for a cure” arc, it all became pointless. I can’t believe I used to love this show.

The baby is actually an asshole, IMO. He was mildly interesting last season, when he would look askance at Mando when he saw violence, almost like even as a baby, his sense of morality was superior to that of others. And then they had the ride with the hunter android, when the baby laughed as the android shot the bad guys. So, guess there was no other message to the baby. Then in this ep, he eats, and keeps eating, eggs from another species. Despite being repeatedly told no. How can he give Mando a look of admonishment when the frog lady talks about tales of a Mando's honor being stories for children ... and then keep eating the eggs? This show has, somewhere at its core, something interesting to say. But it's like the network suits came through after the show was written and said, "Hey, have the baby burp in this scene!" It's annoying. What is there to explain? Mando is trying to get the baby "home," wherever that is. And every ep is a misadventure to slow down the progress. There's not much to explain. And even so there *is* plenty of exposition, whether it is "The Marshal" explaining how he ended up in the town or the story of the Frog Lady. This entire series is pretty much mining minor alien races and locations from the movies, especially the original three movies. I'm not sure I have seen anything I *don't* recognize. Ice worlds, sand worlds, jungle worlds and every alien from the cantina. The show has very little new to show or say.

Actually, it is the coaching philosophy of former Washington Redskins' coach George Allen in the early 1970s, in which he would trade for experienced veterans to win now. I think he wrote a book with that title. I was sure that was being built, just to be destroyed. I weep for our country. Anything that was color and starts out black and white for no clear reason is instant Oz homage. This season is beautiful but not very interesting.

So the bad guys keep falling up, and the good guys keep going down? Who was the group that attacked Josto's place by boat ... the NY gang?

The Gunslinger wasn't worth a comment. Let's talk about The Prisoner. Bill Burr was really good as an actor. Like his comedy. Now he is a double threat. His character as written , not so much. From "let's just do the job and you never have to see our faces again" to threatening to take Mando's "pet" in 60 seconds. Xi'an was pretty unattractive for someone who Mando used to have a thing with. It's interesting that in SW it is OK to say "no one has to get killed" after the team "killed" four androids. Not very enlightened. And an homage to Alien. Nice. So this show is just a serious of random adventures hung together by Mando needing cash? Is this going anywhere?

YMMV. This is a kids show with so many plot holes I cannot get into any semblance of the story. Such as ... clearly the many bounty hunters are tracking yoda. Why does Mando think they can stop anywhere and be safe? One already found them. It isn't like he doesn't know they have trackers. HE had one. And yet, hiding out of the way will somehow shield them? You all have finally hit on a gripe of mine from the 2nd ep - what does baby yoda eat, and what does Mando do about it? When he was bringing him in, it didn't matter as much. It sure does now. But hey, let yoda wander around. He'll eat ... something. And there is this huge myth around Mando never taking off his helmet with anyone else present. So then he ... takes it off at an open window, with an open door. I can hear a Monty Python voice now ... "OK, OK, OK ... you can-not take off your hel-met in the presence of others, UN-less ... you have Cheerios!" And I see we have already our standard Star wars planets of hot/sand, ice and green jungle. Are there no other types of planets in the Star Wars universe? The "plan" to take down the raiders was just silly. Aside from not bothering to actually look for the empire weapon (there isn't someone in in 24/7, it has to be kept somewhere nearby), they dig a huge hole ... in a pond? I don't know about you, but for decades I have been warned never to drive into standing water because you can't tell how deep it is. Even a Klanadoo would have some common sense. The baby exists for marketing purposes. And it really drags down the show. Imagine how great this show might be if it were simply about the unknown Mandalorian sect, and one Mandalorian bounty hunter finding his way across the SW universe. When Mando said he was going to leave baby yoda, I was actually excited about what was next. Sigh. Cliched humor, IMO. As soon as they started fighting I knew they would be interrupted, and guessed it would be baby yoda watching them. And also knew that pause would be followed by a quip. That was put there for you to notice and make that conclusion. On a space faring vehicle, it makes no sense that the pilot would allow a baby to be close to the controls. Find a trash can or something to drop him in. But nope. To show they are bonding, there cannot be any other solution but to hold him in your lap. Next episode, Mando will have baby yoda in one of those baby chest carrying contraptions. I heard many good things about this show when I wasn't watching it. I had high hopes, because I love space shows. But this is like watching a Sat morning kid show. And made little sense. They barely know each other. As soon as he did that, I thought, "Are you nuts? That is your main weapon?" Turned out OK, because script writers, but it took away what could have been another interesting aspect of a Mandalorian ... "This rifle is mine, it belongs to me .."

Oh boy. So: - Mando parades what he has to know is a highly valued bounty through the streets of town on the way in. - Why did yoda floating crib follow Mando, but the storm troopers had to carry it by hand? - So only one Mandalorian is allowed outside at once? And yet no one seems to know where they all are? That seems ... improbable. - I wish they would quit with the flashbacks and just tell his back story. It clearly has vague allusions to baby yoda's situation, right down to the "crib" with a folding lid. - I'm not sure what Mando did that allowed him to beat all the other bounty hunters to baby yoda and bring it back. he doesn't seem especially good at anything besides walking into traps. - I still don't know why storm troopers wear armor. It doesn't seem to protect anything. - Mando shares Batman's ability to quietly disappear. - "Because I'm your only hope." Haha. Cough. - Wait - NOW people know where all the Mandalorians are. - Oh, Carl Weathers. This episode really emphasized how similar this show is to Killjoys in its set up. Except Killjoys avoided the whole baby thing. This show is still cartooney, except for the many disintegrations.

I think it is the juxtaposition of various elements that is puzzling. Saving a cute baby vs. disintegrating Jawas. It's almost like someone who isn't very good at it is trying to create depth.

I get the theme posed by that. What I don't like is how amateurish it is, which is why I asked if this show was for kids. In a more nuanced show, that note would take a few eps to get to, and would establish a motivation by the bounty hunter or something represented by the baby. This is a bounty hunter who *disintegrated* random Jawas simply for being part of a Jawa group that took his ship apart (did the Jawas he shot actually take anything? We don't know). Then wasn't happy with just letting a random attacker in a bar run away, and instead pulled him back and *shot the door so it cut him in half.* And of course he didn't hesitate to "freeze" his bounties. But one look at a yoda baby, and it's an ET moment. Clunky and broad. I had heard random comments that this was true Star Wars (in contrast with movies), but it seems pretty much like the movies.

The bounty hunter costume is a problem. You can tell the actor can't see well when he walks. It's almost like watching a man with a cane, but without a cane. I though he was going to trip at one point. Also, how does a talented bounty hunter not have some kind of ship protection against Jawas? Baby Yoda may be cute, but it really gets in the way of the story to have a floating baby follow you around at a distance. I still don't know why Mando cares about this target. Aside from Disney marketing. I do like the hints at Mandalorian culture.

Is this show aimed at kids? Just watched the first two eps. There is no reason for the Mandalorian to feel connected to the yoda bounty target. Such a weird ending after we saw a bounty hunter who seemed to have little remorse. More in next thread.

Thanks for that. I knew those sort of voting shenanigans were going on. At the same time, the skit didn't work for me, because the fact this is happening isn't a secret. Unless there was literally no way to look up which voter sites were open before heading there, there is no reason to assume they are still there. I mean, it's been four years, and a coronavirus. If I decided to just head out to restaurants I have been to four years ago and assumed they were all still there, I would be wrong a number of times. Now, if the skit had been solely about how long lines are, because there are so few locations, it might have worked for me.

Is Mulaney a conservative? I didn't assume so, but his comments about "when coronavirus is over" while states are setting records for cases, and the "elderly man contest" which will result in nothing changing, made me wonder. Also, enough with the NY stuff. Cold open, meh. It was fine. Just nothing new or interesting, The questions raised in "The Birds" were great. I always wondered the same kinds of things. I enjoyed the tune, but didn't get "Strollin to the Vote." Was it a statement of some kind? It seems like you should be able to look up which polling stations are open, and then take a mask. I can't explain why some states have lines that take hours. My state allows mail in voting, I haven't stood in a line for 20 years. I have a cousin who had to wait in line for 3 hours in Indiana. Seems dumb. Headless horseman .. loved the concept. Surprised they had no women. Oh yay, more NY stuff. Glad you like it. Been there 4-5 times, for work, no interest in going back, especially during coronavirus. Jared Kushner looks like the younger version of the tall man from Phantasm. And boy, I miss Pres Obama. Aaaaaaaand a NY city skit, with the souvenirs. I had to FF when the show tune singing started. Another boss with bad memes skit. He did that before, didn't he? I know someone did. I guess if you like NYC, you liked this episode. Very one-note for me (except for the headless horseman and the first part of "The Birds"). Interestingly, my DVR cut out before the end, which seemed appropriate.

Yeah, first time, though I found her accent appealing. I will say, that girl has quite a sneer when she uses it! Adele was great as a host. She threw herself into everything, and didn't look like she was reading lines. She didn't try any accents live, but then again she is a singer, not an actress. And based on the Africa skit, she may be a bit naughty! Che's joke about nothing good happening at a playground near the Vatican was way funnier. HER definitely channels Prince for me.

This is the first time in its 3 seasons that The Connors had the characters actually acknowledging the consequences of their many poor decisions over the years. It was refreshing. Darlene's lamentations about not making it as a writer represented some reality, though no shit Darlene, there is a reason why the starving artist/writer is a cliche. That's why you try in school, try to get in college and/or choose a field where you can make a living. Being funny and cool but working paycheck to paycheck jobs gets old fast, and is harder as you age. That said, all the liberal bitching at the start almost made me switch off the show. Banks taking away houses during COVID, "selling out" to work for a corporation, the mean ICE deporting illegal aliens ... everything is everyone else's fault. I thought the more haggard looks on everyone were well done and COVID-related. I especially liked that they didn't talk about it. I suspected it with Dan at the start, and Jackie's gray clinched it. Everyone else was in various stages of disarray. Dan having like 6 people return to live in his house and refusing any rent is just moronic. When I came home after college and saved money by living at home for 2 years while working in my field, I insisted on paying my mom rent and I did. It was reduced from "market price," but it helped her.