What did you watch?
On 7/26/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
I have now watched too much stuff over the past week to cover it in one WDYW? post, so I am saving what I watched Saturday for Sunday's WDYW?
Over the past week I have watched:
The Buccaneers (Apple TV) - I got through all 8 of this show's season #2 episodes last week.
ÿÿ In general, I thought season #2 was actually an improvement on
season #1, as S1 was basically set-up and in S2 it felt like everything
was established and the stakes were raised. (S2 also establishes a more exact time-period - the late 1870s - which I'm not sure S1 did.)
ÿÿ I still have a lot of problems with this show - this is basically
Apple TV's answer to "Bridgerton", and it shares all of the latter's problems - e.g. applying modern sensibilities where they would have been
not just alien but downright antagonistic, "race-blind casting" in a
setting where it makes zero sense, etc.
ÿÿ But the storylines were better in season #2. While the main focus in
S2 was still Nan (Kristine Froseth), in the middle of season #2, we sort
of swing back to her sister Jinny's (Imogen Waterhouse - from "The Outpost"!!) story, and in watching this part of season, I really started
to wonder if it was Jinny's story that was the real point of Edith
Wharton's source novel for this series. (I still have no idea how
closely this series follows the novel, either Wharton's unfinished
version or the version "finished" by writer Marion Mainwaring....)
ÿÿ Aubri Ibrag continues to stand out in season #2 (why doesn't this actress get more work?!), though I also started to like what Froseth was doing with her role as she becomes more and more reserved and cagey (honestly, if they would just dump Nan's romance with Guy, this role
would become much meatier and I think Froseth could really attack it).
ÿÿ Anyway, now looking forward to season #3 of this (apparently they started filming S3 back in February, so we should be looking at a late
2026 or spring 2027 release of the third season...), though I do hope
they use season #3 to wrap this show up - I don't think there's enough
from an unfinished novel to take this show beyond three seasons!
Sinners (HBO Max) - This was, uh... interesting.
ÿÿ What I got out of this was - All music inevitably conjures the
Devil! I got this right, didn't I?!...ÿ ;p
ÿÿ In general, I like period pictures. And setting this in Clarksdale, Mississippi, which is regarded as the home of the Blues (musical
genre!), peaked my interest.
ÿÿ But I feel like this film was doing too much (when your genre gets
an explanatory footnote in Wikipedia, it's usually not a good sign...)
and so I am not sure I cared for all aspects of it.
ÿÿ I'm also not sure why Michael B. Jordan won an Oscar for this
(honestly, I had trouble telling the two twins he was playing apart...).
OTOH, while Miles Canton is at best a so-so actor he seems to be one
hell of a musician!
ÿÿ So as a period picture, and a look at a specific time and setting, I appreciated this. But I was frankly lost by whatever "lore" this was
setting up, or what it was trying to accomplish with the (vampire)
musical numbers.
What did you watch?
On 7/26/2026 10:35 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
On 7/26/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
I have now watched too much stuff over the past week to cover it in
one WDYW? post, so I am saving what I watched Saturday for Sunday's WDYW?
Over the past week I have watched:
The Buccaneers (Apple TV) - I got through all 8 of this show's season
#2 episodes last week.
ÿÿÿ In general, I thought season #2 was actually an improvement on
season #1, as S1 was basically set-up and in S2 it felt like
everything was established and the stakes were raised. (S2 also
establishes a more exact time-period - the late 1870s - which I'm not
sure S1 did.)
ÿÿÿ I still have a lot of problems with this show - this is basically
Apple TV's answer to "Bridgerton", and it shares all of the latter's
problems - e.g. applying modern sensibilities where they would have
been not just alien but downright antagonistic, "race-blind casting"
in a setting where it makes zero sense, etc.
I'm not familiar with this show.ÿ And I didn't make it past an episode
or 2 of Bridgerton.ÿ But here's some food for thought.ÿ People have been apparently complaining about a black doctor appearing on the new Little House on the Prairie (I don't watch the show and never watched the original), but what the complainers don't seem to be aware of is in the original source material there was a Black doctor.
There have been Black millionaires in the U.S. since the 19th century
when there was still slavery.ÿ Since before the United States existed
there have been Black people living in Britain / London.ÿ I'm not
speaking specifically about this show, because I've never seen it
before.ÿ And I'm not saying a Black King of England wouldn't be jarring.
ÿI'm just saying the idea that Black people didn't exist until
springing into existence during American slavery, and then only as
slaves, would be incorrect.
snip
What did you watch?
Another catch up post.ÿ Over the last couple of days I watched:
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (4K disc) 2021 sequel to Venom which finds
Eddie Brock/Venom (Tom Hardy) battling Venom's offspring Carnage, which
has merged with a Natural Born Killer (Woody Harrelson).ÿ The movie was
so dark I could hardly see anything.ÿ At least it was mercifully short.
In a post credit scene Venom is transported to the MCU just in time to
team up with other multiversal villains against Tom Holland's Spider-
Man.
Venom: The Last Dance (4K disc) 2024 sequel
Morbius (4K disc) First of all, *why* is this movie even in my
collection?ÿ What was I thinking when I bought this?
Madame Web (4k disc) Wait, I bought this one too?!?ÿ I guess I did. This 2024 Sony Spider-Manless movie shows the origin story of Madame Web who
will help Spider-Man once he's eventually born.ÿ More background noise.
I *would* have watched Kraven the Hunter, but I don't own the disc.ÿ I
guess I'll check to see if it's available to stream somewhere.
Just as an aside, I went to see the Broadway tour of Beauty and the
Beast.ÿ I've seen it before, but I have season tickets, so I see
everything that comes to the city whether I've seen it before or not.
But I like Beauty and the Beast.ÿ I know it's a good show, so whatever. [snip]
On 7/26/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
Sinners (HBO Max) - This was, uh... interesting.
What I got out of this was - All music inevitably conjures the
Devil! I got this right, didn't I?!... ;p
In general, I like period pictures. And setting this in Clarksdale,
Mississippi, which is regarded as the home of the Blues (musical
genre!), peaked my interest.
But I feel like this film was doing too much (when your genre gets
an explanatory footnote in Wikipedia, it's usually not a good sign...)
and so I am not sure I cared for all aspects of it.
I'm also not sure why Michael B. Jordan won an Oscar for this
(honestly, I had trouble telling the two twins he was playing apart...).
OTOH, while Miles Canton is at best a so-so actor he seems to be one
hell of a musician!
So as a period picture, and a look at a specific time and setting, I
appreciated this. But I was frankly lost by whatever "lore" this was
setting up, or what it was trying to accomplish with the (vampire)
musical numbers.
On 7/26/26 1:24 PM, Arthur Lipscomb wrote:
Another catch up post.ÿ Over the last couple of days I watched:
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (4K disc) 2021 sequel to Venom which finds
Eddie Brock/Venom (Tom Hardy) battling Venom's offspring Carnage,
which has merged with a Natural Born Killer (Woody Harrelson).ÿ The
movie was so dark I could hardly see anything.ÿ At least it was
mercifully short. In a post credit scene Venom is transported to the
MCU just in time to team up with other multiversal villains against
Tom Holland's Spider- Man.
Which is actually not followed up on, right?...
I think I read was that the plan was to have Venom cross over into "No
Way Home"(?), but for some reason that fell through.
Venom: The Last Dance (4K disc) 2024 sequel
This is the one I haven't seen yet, because it's still locked up on Starz.
Morbius (4K disc) First of all, *why* is this movie even in my
collection?ÿ What was I thinking when I bought this?
See, this is exactly why I am in no hurry to watch this!!
Madame Web (4k disc) Wait, I bought this one too?!?ÿ I guess I did.
This 2024 Sony Spider-Manless movie shows the origin story of Madame
Web who will help Spider-Man once he's eventually born.ÿ More
background noise.
As I said in my review - it's OK, and parts of it are actually decent.
But this was a bad choice (for a "superhero") to base a movie around,
and a bad place to end your movie/story at (with your "hero" blind and crippled!!).
I *would* have watched Kraven the Hunter, but I don't own the disc.ÿ I
guess I'll check to see if it's available to stream somewhere.
That one I *really* am in no hurry to watch!!
Just as an aside, I went to see the Broadway tour of Beauty and the
Beast.ÿ I've seen it before, but I have season tickets, so I see
everything that comes to the city whether I've seen it before or not.
But I like Beauty and the Beast.ÿ I know it's a good show, so whatever.
[snip]
I can't get into musical theater!!ÿ :D
On 7/26/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
I have now watched too much stuff over the past week to cover it in one WDYW? post, so I am saving what I watched Saturday for Sunday's WDYW?
Over the past week I have watched:
The Buccaneers
episodes last week.
In general, I thought season #2 was actually an improvement on
season #1, as S1 was basically set-up and in S2 it felt like everything
was established and the stakes were raised. (S2 also establishes a more exact time-period - the late 1870s - which I'm not sure S1 did.)
I still have a lot of problems with this show - this is basically
Apple TV's answer to "Bridgerton", and it shares all of the latter's problems - e.g. applying modern sensibilities where they would have been
not just alien but downright antagonistic, "race-blind casting" in a
setting where it makes zero sense, etc.
But the storylines were better in season #2. While the main focus in
S2 was still Nan (Kristine Froseth), in the middle of season #2, we sort
of swing back to her sister Jinny's (Imogen Waterhouse - from "The Outpost"!!) story, and in watching this part of season, I really started
to wonder if it was Jinny's story that was the real point of Edith
Wharton's source novel for this series. (I still have no idea how
closely this series follows the novel, either Wharton's unfinished
version or the version "finished" by writer Marion Mainwaring....)
Aubri Ibrag continues to stand out in season #2 (why doesn't this
actress get more work?!), though I also started to like what Froseth was doing with her role as she becomes more and more reserved and cagey (honestly, if they would just dump Nan's romance with Guy, this role
would become much meatier and I think Froseth could really attack it).
Anyway, now looking forward to season #3 of this (apparently they
started filming S3 back in February, so we should be looking at a late
2026 or spring 2027 release of the third season...), though I do hope
they use season #3 to wrap this show up - I don't think there's enough
from an unfinished novel to take this show beyond three seasons!
Sinners (HBO Max) - This was, uh... interesting.
What I got out of this was - All music inevitably conjures the
Devil! I got this right, didn't I?!... ;p
In general, I like period pictures. And setting this in Clarksdale, Mississippi, which is regarded as the home of the Blues (musical
genre!), peaked my interest.
But I feel like this film was doing too much (when your genre gets
an explanatory footnote in Wikipedia, it's usually not a good sign...)
and so I am not sure I cared for all aspects of it.
I'm also not sure why Michael B. Jordan won an Oscar for this
(honestly, I had trouble telling the two twins he was playing apart...). OTOH, while Miles Canton is at best a so-so actor he seems to be one
hell of a musician!
So as a period picture, and a look at a specific time and setting, I appreciated this. But I was frankly lost by whatever "lore" this was
setting up, or what it was trying to accomplish with the (vampire)
musical numbers.
Chum(!) (AMC+/Shudder) - I watched this, so Anim wouldn't have to!! ;)
This has a 2.9/10 rating on IMDB. Is this a "sub-3 IMDb rating"
flick? Honestly, no - no it's not. It's too well made, and not sort of offensively bad enough for that. Is it a "sub-4 IMDb rating"? Yeah, sure
- that I will give you. But this is not a ""sub-3 IMDb rating" flick.
Gist: Alice Eve
lawyer, has just gotten married to some do-gooder environmental crusader (Eric Michael Cole), which has cause their new marriage to already hit
the skids!! But the newlyweds get dragged onto a boating trip by their friends and the bride's younger sister (the lovely Elle Haymond).
Now, let me preface by saying this is set in MALTA, so when they
start introducing great white sharks, they have crossed the "WE SO
DUMB!!1!" line with this! But let's just go with it...
Anyway, soon the boating trip is hit with disaster, and a great
white shark! and our newlyweds, sister and friends have to be rescued by
a sketchy boat captain (Jim Klock - whom I know from several Lifetime flicks!). Then the "shark fun" really begins.
This isn't deep. And it's not even really "good". But it looks
pretty, and I liked looking at Haymond, so it passed the time just fine.
P.S. The "message ending" is super dumb, though.
I also watch soaps, and some sports, but these three were the
"important" things I watched this week (which was substantially taken up
by actually work duties :( ).
What did you watch?
On 7/26/26 1:24 PM, Arthur Lipscomb wrote:
On 7/26/2026 10:35 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
On 7/26/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
I have now watched too much stuff over the past week to cover it in
one WDYW? post, so I am saving what I watched Saturday for Sunday's WDYW? >>>
Over the past week I have watched:
The Buccaneers (Apple TV) - I got through all 8 of this show's season
#2 episodes last week.
??? In general, I thought season #2 was actually an improvement on
season #1, as S1 was basically set-up and in S2 it felt like
everything was established and the stakes were raised. (S2 also
establishes a more exact time-period - the late 1870s - which I'm not
sure S1 did.)
??? I still have a lot of problems with this show - this is basically
Apple TV's answer to "Bridgerton", and it shares all of the latter's
problems - e.g. applying modern sensibilities where they would have
been not just alien but downright antagonistic, "race-blind casting"
in a setting where it makes zero sense, etc.
I'm not familiar with this show.? And I didn't make it past an episode
or 2 of Bridgerton.? But here's some food for thought.? People have been
apparently complaining about a black doctor appearing on the new Little
House on the Prairie (I don't watch the show and never watched the
original), but what the complainers don't seem to be aware of is in the
original source material there was a Black doctor.
Yeah, but that's not "race-blind casting" - it's "race-accurate casting".
There have been Black millionaires in the U.S. since the 19th century
when there was still slavery.? Since before the United States existed
there have been Black people living in Britain / London.? I'm not
speaking specifically about this show, because I've never seen it
before.? And I'm not saying a Black King of England wouldn't be jarring.
?I'm just saying the idea that Black people didn't exist until
springing into existence during American slavery, and then only as
slaves, would be incorrect.
Trust me on this - both this show and "Bridgerton" are not following any accuracy at all on this front. It is literally the point that these
shows are "race-blind casting", but that doesn't work for me (or most people) when they are doing it ahistorically to score some kind of modern-day "points".
snip
What did you watch?
Another catch up post.? Over the last couple of days I watched:
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (4K disc) 2021 sequel to Venom which finds
Eddie Brock/Venom (Tom Hardy) battling Venom's offspring Carnage, which
has merged with a Natural Born Killer (Woody Harrelson).? The movie was
so dark I could hardly see anything.? At least it was mercifully short.
In a post credit scene Venom is transported to the MCU just in time to
team up with other multiversal villains against Tom Holland's Spider-
Man.
Which is actually not followed up on, right?...
I think I read was that the plan was to have Venom cross over into "No
Way Home"(?), but for some reason that fell through.
Venom: The Last Dance (4K disc) 2024 sequel
This is the one I haven't seen yet, because it's still locked up on Starz.
Morbius (4K disc) First of all, *why* is this movie even in my
collection?? What was I thinking when I bought this?
See, this is exactly why I am in no hurry to watch this!!
Madame Web (4k disc) Wait, I bought this one too?!?? I guess I did. This
2024 Sony Spider-Manless movie shows the origin story of Madame Web who
will help Spider-Man once he's eventually born.? More background noise.
As I said in my review - it's OK, and parts of it are actually decent.
But this was a bad choice (for a "superhero") to base a movie around,
and a bad place to end your movie/story at (with your "hero" blind and crippled!!).
I *would* have watched Kraven the Hunter, but I don't own the disc.? I
guess I'll check to see if it's available to stream somewhere.
That one I *really* am in no hurry to watch!!
Just as an aside, I went to see the Broadway tour of Beauty and the
Beast.? I've seen it before, but I have season tickets, so I see
everything that comes to the city whether I've seen it before or not.
But I like Beauty and the Beast.? I know it's a good show, so whatever.
[snip]
I can't get into musical theater!! :D
Ian J. Ball <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:
On 7/26/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
I have now watched too much stuff over the past week to cover it in one
WDYW? post, so I am saving what I watched Saturday for Sunday's WDYW?
Over the past week I have watched:
The Buccaneers
How much do they cost? About two dollars or less each?
(Apple TV) - I got through all 8 of this show's season #2
episodes last week.
In general, I thought season #2 was actually an improvement on
season #1, as S1 was basically set-up and in S2 it felt like everything
was established and the stakes were raised. (S2 also establishes a more
exact time-period - the late 1870s - which I'm not sure S1 did.)
I still have a lot of problems with this show - this is basically
Apple TV's answer to "Bridgerton", and it shares all of the latter's
problems - e.g. applying modern sensibilities where they would have been
not just alien but downright antagonistic, "race-blind casting" in a
setting where it makes zero sense, etc.
[snip]
Chum(!) (AMC+/Shudder) - I watched this, so Anim wouldn't have to!! ;)
They kept trying to force this on me, but I kept thinking about the Hardy boys
This has a 2.9/10 rating on IMDB. Is this a "sub-3 IMDb rating"
flick? Honestly, no - no it's not. It's too well made, and not sort of
offensively bad enough for that. Is it a "sub-4 IMDb rating"? Yeah, sure
- that I will give you. But this is not a ""sub-3 IMDb rating" flick.
Gist: Alice Eve
Now see if they told me that it would?ve made a difference
(who is also a producer on this!), some kind of
lawyer, has just gotten married to some do-gooder environmental crusader
(Eric Michael Cole), which has cause their new marriage to already hit
the skids!! But the newlyweds get dragged onto a boating trip by their
friends and the bride's younger sister (the lovely Elle Haymond).
Now, let me preface by saying this is set in MALTA, so when they
start introducing great white sharks, they have crossed the "WE SO
DUMB!!1!" line with this! But let's just go with it...
Anyway, soon the boating trip is hit with disaster, and a great
white shark! and our newlyweds, sister and friends have to be rescued by
a sketchy boat captain (Jim Klock - whom I know from several Lifetime
flicks!). Then the "shark fun" really begins.
This isn't deep. And it's not even really "good". But it looks
pretty, and I liked looking at Haymond, so it passed the time just fine.
P.S. The "message ending" is super dumb, though.
I also watch soaps, and some sports, but these three were the
"important" things I watched this week (which was substantially taken up
by actually work duties :( ).
What did you watch?
On 7/26/26 6:45 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
Ian J. Ball <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:
On 7/26/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
I have now watched too much stuff over the past week to cover it in one
WDYW? post, so I am saving what I watched Saturday for Sunday's WDYW?
Over the past week I have watched:
The Buccaneers
How much do they cost? About two dollars or less each?
Well, it was a different time - Basically their fathers or family are
PAYING to marry the girls off (to British Lords, etc.)!!
(Apple TV) - I got through all 8 of this show's season #2
episodes last week.
In general, I thought season #2 was actually an improvement on
season #1, as S1 was basically set-up and in S2 it felt like everything
was established and the stakes were raised. (S2 also establishes a more
exact time-period - the late 1870s - which I'm not sure S1 did.)
I still have a lot of problems with this show - this is basically
Apple TV's answer to "Bridgerton", and it shares all of the latter's
problems - e.g. applying modern sensibilities where they would have been >>> not just alien but downright antagonistic, "race-blind casting" in a
setting where it makes zero sense, etc.
[snip]
Chum(!) (AMC+/Shudder) - I watched this, so Anim wouldn't have to!! ;)
They kept trying to force this on me, but I kept thinking about the Hardy
boys
This has a 2.9/10 rating on IMDB. Is this a "sub-3 IMDb rating"
flick? Honestly, no - no it's not. It's too well made, and not sort of
offensively bad enough for that. Is it a "sub-4 IMDb rating"? Yeah, sure >>> - that I will give you. But this is not a ""sub-3 IMDb rating" flick.
Gist: Alice Eve
Now see if they told me that it would?ve made a difference
Well, if you want a movie where she shows off her rack *a lot*
(non-nudity version), then this flick is for you.
But, at this point, I thought the little sister was cuter.
(who is also a producer on this!), some kind of
lawyer, has just gotten married to some do-gooder environmental crusader >>> (Eric Michael Cole), which has cause their new marriage to already hit
the skids!! But the newlyweds get dragged onto a boating trip by their
friends and the bride's younger sister (the lovely Elle Haymond).
Now, let me preface by saying this is set in MALTA, so when they
start introducing great white sharks, they have crossed the "WE SO
DUMB!!1!" line with this! But let's just go with it...
Anyway, soon the boating trip is hit with disaster, and a great
white shark! and our newlyweds, sister and friends have to be rescued by >>> a sketchy boat captain (Jim Klock - whom I know from several Lifetime
flicks!). Then the "shark fun" really begins.
This isn't deep. And it's not even really "good". But it looks
pretty, and I liked looking at Haymond, so it passed the time just fine. >>> P.S. The "message ending" is super dumb, though.
I also watch soaps, and some sports, but these three were the
"important" things I watched this week (which was substantially taken up >>> by actually work duties :( ).
What did you watch?
On 7/26/26 6:45 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
Ian J. Ball <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:
On 7/26/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
I have now watched too much stuff over the past week to cover it in one
WDYW? post, so I am saving what I watched Saturday for Sunday's WDYW?
Over the past week I have watched:
The Buccaneers
How much do they cost? About two dollars or less each?
Well, it was a different time - Basically their fathers or family are
PAYING to marry the girls off (to British Lords, etc.)!!
(Apple TV) - I got through all 8 of this show's season #2
episodes last week.
In general, I thought season #2 was actually an improvement on
season #1, as S1 was basically set-up and in S2 it felt like everything
was established and the stakes were raised. (S2 also establishes a more
exact time-period - the late 1870s - which I'm not sure S1 did.)
I still have a lot of problems with this show - this is basically
Apple TV's answer to "Bridgerton", and it shares all of the latter's
problems - e.g. applying modern sensibilities where they would have been >>> not just alien but downright antagonistic, "race-blind casting" in a
setting where it makes zero sense, etc.
[snip]
Chum(!) (AMC+/Shudder) - I watched this, so Anim wouldn't have to!! ;)
They kept trying to force this on me, but I kept thinking about the Hardy
boys
This has a 2.9/10 rating on IMDB. Is this a "sub-3 IMDb rating"
flick? Honestly, no - no it's not. It's too well made, and not sort of
offensively bad enough for that. Is it a "sub-4 IMDb rating"? Yeah, sure >>> - that I will give you. But this is not a ""sub-3 IMDb rating" flick.
Gist: Alice Eve
Now see if they told me that it would?ve made a difference
Well, if you want a movie where she shows off her rack *a lot*
(non-nudity version), then this flick is for you.
But, at this point, I thought the little sister was cuter.
(who is also a producer on this!), some kind of
lawyer, has just gotten married to some do-gooder environmental crusader >>> (Eric Michael Cole), which has cause their new marriage to already hit
the skids!! But the newlyweds get dragged onto a boating trip by their
friends and the bride's younger sister (the lovely Elle Haymond).
Now, let me preface by saying this is set in MALTA, so when they
start introducing great white sharks, they have crossed the "WE SO
DUMB!!1!" line with this! But let's just go with it...
Anyway, soon the boating trip is hit with disaster, and a great
white shark! and our newlyweds, sister and friends have to be rescued by >>> a sketchy boat captain (Jim Klock - whom I know from several Lifetime
flicks!). Then the "shark fun" really begins.
This isn't deep. And it's not even really "good". But it looks
pretty, and I liked looking at Haymond, so it passed the time just fine. >>> P.S. The "message ending" is super dumb, though.
I also watch soaps, and some sports, but these three were the
"important" things I watched this week (which was substantially taken up >>> by actually work duties :( ).
What did you watch?
On 7/26/2026 10:35 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
On 7/26/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:
What did you watch?
I have now watched too much stuff over the past week to cover it in one
WDYW? post, so I am saving what I watched Saturday for Sunday's WDYW?
Over the past week I have watched:
The Buccaneers (Apple TV) - I got through all 8 of this show's season #2 >> episodes last week.
ÿÿ In general, I thought season #2 was actually an improvement on
season #1, as S1 was basically set-up and in S2 it felt like everything
was established and the stakes were raised. (S2 also establishes a more
exact time-period - the late 1870s - which I'm not sure S1 did.)
ÿÿ I still have a lot of problems with this show - this is basically
Apple TV's answer to "Bridgerton", and it shares all of the latter's
problems - e.g. applying modern sensibilities where they would have been >> not just alien but downright antagonistic, "race-blind casting" in a
setting where it makes zero sense, etc.
I get that it can be jarring seeing people of color in historical
settings where they are traditionally not shown. But prominent and well
off people of color have existed throughout history all over the world. Perhaps in one episode the characters can take a trip to France and meet
the Frenchman who wrote the Three Musketeers...
But as far as things being jarring, it helps a bit if you are use to
going to the theater in a big urban city where color blind casting has
been the norm for a long time now. It becomes less jarring the more you
are exposed to it.
Half of what makes "Hamilton" work is the colorblind casting.
I've mentioned this before, and unfortunately it really seems to hold
true. That when there is a long running show that keeps getting
revived, the later revivals tend to be worse. They come off cheaper and
you just get less of whatever they had originally.
I remember seeing the original run of "Phantom of the Opera" and one of
the highlights was the giant chandelier rising above the audience then crashing onto the stage. I saw Phantom just the other month and no chandelier crash.
On 7/26/2026 1:52 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
Maybe you haven't found the right one.
I can't get into musical theater!!ÿ :D
I was about 12 years old, in band class one morning, before the start of school, when the band teacher put on an album. Suddenly I heard this
music unlike anything I had every head in my life blaring out. It's
hard to explain by I was suddenly stopped by strange sounds and I asked
what is that. He said, "Phantom of the Opera." A few years later I got
to see in live in person. Then many years later when I was in my
probably early 30s, I moved from the big city out to the middle of
nowhere, and to keep myself occupied I started to go to the local
theater. Then when I moved back to civilization I just kept going. Not every show is good, but some are great.
On Jul 26, 2026 at 3:37:33 PM PDT, "Arthur Lipscomb" ><arthur@alum.calberkeley.org> wrote:
On 7/26/2026 1:52 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
Maybe you haven't found the right one.
I can't get into musical theater!!ÿ :D
I was about 12 years old, in band class one morning, before the start of
school, when the band teacher put on an album. Suddenly I heard this
music unlike anything I had every head in my life blaring out. It's
hard to explain by I was suddenly stopped by strange sounds and I asked
what is that. He said, "Phantom of the Opera." A few years later I got
to see in live in person. Then many years later when I was in my
probably early 30s, I moved from the big city out to the middle of
nowhere, and to keep myself occupied I started to go to the local
theater. Then when I moved back to civilization I just kept going. Not
every show is good, but some are great.
For me it was WEST SIDE STORY. For a musical to have someone of the stature of >Leonard Bernstein composing the score was cool enough, but his wonky arhythmic >fusion of jazz and classical sold me. Not even the silliness of dancing street >gangs could put me off. Years later, when I found myself seated in the pit >orchestra playing lead trumpet in a Chicago production of WSS, I was on cloud >nine.
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