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DEM

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Everything posted by DEM

  1. Heh. I was happy when S1 premiered and they had dropped the gendered uniforms, but now they doing to regress? For... fanservice? The current-day USN and USAF don't even have gendered uniforms.
  2. In addition to your good points, I think the show is doing a good job portraying Eve and her cohorts as analysts or investigators, not cops or even spies. If they were supposed to be actual field agents, they would look incompetent. They don't display the necessary skills or instincts.
  3. Smith is a ridiculous character, and it makes me mad. She's more like a trickster god than an actual human being. It's dumb.
  4. Ray wore coveralls similar to the kind that Björn Ulvaeus wore when performing with ABBA.
  5. Yes, the story was definitely a mash-up. The spelling confusion/Mandela effect and the children's book about a bear were references to Berenstain, but "Dr.", the writing style of the bear story, and the political cartoon were Seuss/Geisel. Theodor Geisel penned a lot of anti-isolationist/anti-nationalist and anti-fascist political cartoons in the early 1940s. Link to several anti "America First" posters. Fun Fact: Geisel was the Berenstain's editor at Random House! He gave them their big break into children's books.
  6. I'm still trying to figure out how they prompted the guinea pig to remember. Did they just stand there and watch random images until something relevant appeared? Meh.
  7. Yes. My laughter after the proposal was hearty and mocking. I simply haven't cared for the various iterations of tortured, dark, or action-hero! Fitz; and I prefer Jemma's stories as an individual and her dynamics with every other character. The Kree Vicar was played by Isaac Singleton.
  8. The casting of oldest Sara was a big failing of this ep. I thought she was supposed to be 18. Even though I understood Mother's panic when she called all over creation and couldn't find Sara, knowing the kid was 15 would have made the situation feel even more dire. And then porno-sex and narcotics? That's not la-di-da 15-year-olds will be fifteen stuff. The main issue for me, as others have stated, was the lack of communication. It wasn't the tech, per se. Marie's controlling nature was secondary to and arguably symptomatic of failure to engage in open and honest communication. When she visited the doctor and realised how damaging the software was to her daughter's development, she immediately stowed the thing away. It wasn't until several years later under extreme stress that she pulled it out again. Don't real-world parents use GPS apps for their minor children's phones? Where Marie failed was not following up with Sara, and then she made matters worse by going behind Sara's back.
  9. My list: USS Callister Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ, HANG THE DJ Metalhead Arkangel Crocodile Black Museum USS Callister was head and shoulders above the rest. For all the stories, it seems what was most important was how well I connected with the characters. For example, I typically don't care for romance stories, but somehow Frank & Amy were compelling to me. By contrast, I actually shouted "You suck, Mia!" the moment she helped the boyfriend dump the cyclist's body, so she was operating from a deficit very early. Black Museum doesn't hold up under scrutiny.
  10. Oh, right, right! Wakefield revealed his offscreen overwrite during 17 Minutes.
  11. I enjoyed this season very much and more than the first season. The season seemed to hit its stride by 2x04. The key factor in my enjoyment were the character adjustments: Carly/Grant went completely away; David was less goofy and more selfless rather than dependent; Carly's tendency toward unprovoked belligerence and confrontation was toned down; Phillip's addiction was used smartly rather than melodramatically; and the late-season reveal/retcon of Marcy's host's history made up for a lot of earlier drag. In general, I'd say they were all less cliched and more sympathetic while still being complex. 2x01 was a great start both for its "old home week" casting (each successive guest star entrance provoked a bigger shout than the last) and for its satiation of my craving for a genre story that showed and respected the perspectives of "outsider" professionals; in this case, the psychologist and the FBI. 2x09 (Update) was both very moving and very frustrating for its incompleteness. Grant, Marcy, and Trevor all effected change to the past, but the consequences of those actions were explored only for Grant. In fact, the effects caused by Marcy (David --> his clients) and Trevor (both Kyle and Coach) were treated as either unconditionally positive or superfluous -- which strikes at the very notion of the importance of strict adherence to the protocols. The ep would have been improved simply by having Marcy and Trevor acknowledge their roles. 2x07 (17 Minutes) was my favourite. I saw it less as "Groundhog Day" and more as a cross between a video game and a mystery. There were only a few moments that I thought were too repetitive, but they didn't detract much from my overall enjoyment. I loved how all the clues to the solution were shown in the first reset. The story also revealed much about the larger world of the traveler program and how difficult it is to get wins. Carrie was fantastic! 2x12 dovetailed nicely with 2x01. However, I wish it had spent more time showing discussion among the family & friends, and David's reaction to the truth rang false. I said earlier that I liked that David was less goofy, but in 2x12 he seemed to return to his S1 level of cluelessness. Of all them, he should have been the most willing to accept that something far out of the range of normal was going on. It's one thing for he himself to be guileless, but it beggars belief that he could be that successful a caseworker while holding tight to such a simplistic and naive worldview. Overall, I just love how this show is realistically grim but not grimdark simply for the heck of it. And I love how smart it is about exploring the complications -- big and small -- of being a time traveler. Couple of questions: 1) When did Wakefield go from being Faction to an ally? 2) At what point did Vincent overwrite Dr Perrow?
  12. I think Alex's power is some kind of computer-hackery-mind-melding. I watched Tina type in her password, and it wasn't anything close to "password." In fact, it ended with a number. The question for me is does he realise what he's doing? I also think Nico's DNA matching might be related to her power. Molly annoys me. Stan Lee!!
  13. Is it my imagination, or is Andy growing like a weed? Nice twist with his rejection of the wonder twin takedown in the Trask building. Jace. Here's the thing. In theory, a protagonist is only as good as the antagonist. In another show, Jace would be the top-notch agent who always gets his perp. Here he just bugs me. Dinah Madani he is not. I don't know what it is about him, but I want him to go away. Forever. What is John's power, exactly? Everything?? Reed Strucker went on busts? What is this, France? Prosecutors don't go on busts. A few episodes ago, I defended Caitlin/Kate's POV and actions, but she lost me in that final sequence. She's been through this before and she's a nurse. I know this is a good example of why medical professionals are not supposed to be too involved with their own family's care, but her gobsmacked, panicked reactions felt regressive and lacking in creativity on the writers' part. The one failing of the premise of this show is that is has dozens of mutants but only the actors with regular speaking roles can ever go on missions. Truly, if they coordinated well, Sentinel Services wouldn't stand a chance, but lalala everyone else is afraid, handwave, handwave. I am looking forward to seeing the mutants prevail over Trask.
  14. About 2 seconds after she looked for her gun, she saw the discarded gun of one of the downed Anvil agents and picked it up. This ep had a few strange character beats. First, had no one talked to Curtis? If they had, it would have been clear why Castle was at the hotel -- i.e., to chase Lewis. Second, why did Madani go straight to Russo about the Anvil agents instead of looking into them first? It beggars belief that someone who's gotten that high up the chain as an elite investigator might not consider that Russo, himself, is dirty. Why tip him off when you know he has the resources to disappear? Third, why did Russo, who had been cool as a cucumber for 9+ episodes, suddenly show his hand in that stairwell? And then how/why did he stick around to talk to the NYPD later? Really odd stuff.
  15. Agreed. I'm sure a missed some key points because I couldn't follow which girl was which. I realised to late I should key on "pigtails vs. ponytails," but I couldn't be arsed to rewind.
  16. Jaguars! In British English! Which made the joke even funnier to me. Recently I had been feeling that I needed more Eleanor, and this episode satisfied my cravings. But everyone got a chance to shine. Loved it! ... and of course Tahani has a fainting couch. Of course she does. Ha!
  17. That was so cool. They have to be careful with the Hollands, but that is so upstanding of them to be concerned for their well-being. Billy (Max's whatever) is the absolute worst. If the show later tries to explain his behaviour through the reveal of some sad, dark secret, I won't care. He's too far gone.
  18. I believe part of the reason the company picked up the name was BECAUSE of the popularity of the slang. (Yes, they wanted to downplay the 'fried', but having that popular name already out there made the switch easier.)
  19. I was dreading the confirmation of the Janet-Loves-Jason theory, yet despite it coming true, I really enjoyed this episode! I watched it twice, back-to-back. Janet is delightful.
  20. He actually believed Sentinel Services was going to let him and his family go completely free, forever untroubled? Hahaha. He's a funny guy.
  21. I spent most of the episode disbelieving that Reed was going along with the betrayal plan. I thought he was going to trick Sentinel Services. In one of the first interrogation scenes, it was established that Reed was law-enforcement savvy. I thought he recognised that he holds all the cards, so this story of him being desperate enough to betray everyone until he saw a cute kid didn't work for me. Kate's actions, by contrast, made more sense to me. Although they've been through a lot, it has only been a short time, and even though she's married to Reed, her understanding of the political and legal climates is still secondhand. After all, it is true that sometimes bringing that One Case to the attention of people in power can make a big difference. And Kate has been so embedded in her society that she's been blind to how casually and deeply xenophobic it is. Over these first 3 eps she's been trying to come to grips with the true nature of the world, and now she's earned her "and scene" Power Pose. I like that the show is trying to examine all these moral dilemmas: Sometimes it works and sometimes not, but I appreciate the honest effort. For example, Dreamer's story this episode reminded me a lot of the premise of Dark Matter, where one of the characters wiped everyone's memories because she thought they were dangerous. Unlike Gifted, Dark Matter pretty much glossed over the moral (and, honestly, psychological) implications of such an action. Here the writers did a good job showing why Dreamer ultimately did what she did, how she's kind of morally sketchy but not all-out selfish and devoid of empathy, and how others hold her accountable. Andy Strucker's got to go, though. Every episode: Enough. Strike one Reed scene for one scene of Kate (or anyone!) talking to Andy and trying to help him emotionally and morally.
  22. Not a dumb question! I was confused, too, so I paid close attention to what Saru said. He never blamed her for the war; his anger all had to do with the mutiny. Everyone else seemed to be victims of the rumour mill and/or sloppy thinking. The Battle at the Binary Stars is one big blob of Bad Things Happened, and they're content not to be too particular about the details. Burnham makes an easy target. Meanwhile, she is grieving and self-flagellating, and thus willing to take blame for things that weren't her fault. Yes, thanks for the validation! Further research tells me I was thinking of Equinox I and II.
  23. I'm not a canon-thumper, but Michael Burnham's Sarek/Amanda connection makes my eye twitch. I liked Cadet Tilly a lot and was glad she didn't die. I was disappointed Tilly brought up the 'gender' of Burnham's given name. The action is 250 years in the future, and Starfleet is not the USA. Either of those would be sufficient to ~explain~ her name, so it would have been cool to let it go unremarked. Didn't Voyager have an episode about harnessing lifeforms for faster-than-warp travel? I don't see this black-badge project going well. Plus that Captain Lorca dude is Shay-Dee! It's pretty cool seeing the action from a non-bridge POV.
  24. Physically Attack Michael Stab with Small Knife Find Michael's Boss, Blackmail, Drug Him Seduce Michael Throw Tahani Under the Bus Stab with Large Knife Make Michael Think He's the One in TBP Indecent Proposal Him Shawshank Our Way Out Try to Stuff Michael Back in His Magic Lamp Find Ray Donovan But an Angel Catch That Magic Panda, Use Her Powers Eleanor Turn Self In Find Doug Forcett
  25. I want a 'making of' vid for these eps! There is so much great continuity fun in the background. For example, when Eleanor first meets Jason, you can see the edge of Luang's nightgown by the kites. Also, when Eleanor & Chidi first meet by the bar, you can hear Glenn in the background say "Twinsies!" to Tahani. OK, back to the re-watch. I had to pause just to post this.
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