#amazon prime extras spoilers

[solovelyanddry]

[imagining-in-the-margins]

It looks like your hopeful deductions are correct! just saw mgg recently gave an interview where he said he would be honored to come back to cm:e and hoped that it would work out very soon :D

I did see that… hehehhe… I was worried the strikes might have affected his plans but glad that it doesn’t seem to be the case.

Dropping a potential CME spoiler below, so hit that keep reading:

In the CME S1 finale, there is an unseen person walking through the door to surprise the unsub. The unsub looks up and the scene ends.

In the Amazon Prime version of the show, there were extra subtitles that were accidentally left at the end which read, “Dr. Reid. Well, wasn’t expecting you.”

So, I’ve had an idea for a while that he was probably coming back. The showrunners wouldn’t confirm anything. Part of me wondered if it was a struggle to come to an agreement or if they were just trying to keep it a secret. I think it’s a horrible idea to do the latter, honestly. It would bring so many viewers back. I’m not sure why they would wait.

But, alas, I am just a worm. What do I know?

[greatrunner]

Emily (2022), and when a dramatization is just bad

So, I watched this movie about Emily Bronte on Amazon Prime, called Emily (to its blandness). I was really looking forward to just watching a period piece ‘biopic’ about the Bronte sisters, because, despite their fame in the lit world, it’s weird that there’s so little about them in visual media.

From what I actually knew about the Bronte sisters prior to watching this (”a sister trio of writers, cool!”), what’s publicly available about them via documentaries and historians, I figure you’d have to try real, real hard to fuck up a dramatization about them.

And it’s to that end, I should’ve never underestimated director Frances O’Connor’s abilities, because, whew, lord, Emily was hot garbage on a sweltering day.

I really started thinking about how much the film (and novel) romance genre is informed by women’s particular brand of misogyny and sexism. You’ll see [white] women go on and on about sexism from men, especially in media. And not to discredit that, but, I’m honestly beginning to think it’s overcompensation.

No one throws women under the bus quite like other women.

Emily depicts the second best known Bronte sister as “so misunderstood” by her family, but especially by her sister Charlotte Bronte - who is depicted like the stuffy, uncool competitor of another man’s affections, with little to no interest in writing and imagination.

Anne Bronte is basically a background extra with little to no dialog who crumbles under the peer pressure of Charlotte who despises Emily’s need to turn every situation into an opportunity for storytelling.

Like, this film’s beef with Charlotte Bronte, and disinterest in Anne Bronte, is baffling. I come here for sister vibes, and instead I get Mean Girls. The fuck.

Emily Bronte is the embodiment of “not like the other girls”. She hangs with the boys, she smokes, drinks, she has a thinly veiled incestuous relationship with her brother, Branwell Bronte, and fucks generically hot priests (Oliver Jackson Cohen in maybe one the less inspired roles of his career).

Emily Bronte could not be any more of the 21st century white woman’s idea of the “cool girl who reads dark academia” if O’Connor taped the description on actress Emma Mackey’s head.

I can’t stress how much priority this film puts on male characters vs female characters as Emily Bronte’s choice of satellites. And as a justification for why she wrote Wuthering Heights, it’s boringly embarrassing.

Comparatively, Emily makes 2007′s Becoming Jane (starring Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen with a struggle accent) look like an Oscar winning drama (spoilers: I like that movie). Jane, at the very least, isn’t interested in the vilification or minimization of other female characters (that aren’t Professor McGonagall), even as it charts an equally fictionalized (or speculative) romance between Austen and James MacAvoy’s  Thomas Lefroy (one that argues he was key in making her writing hit different).

While it’s clearly influenced by Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice (2005), Jane Austen’s relationships with her family, particularly her sister, matter in her story arc in the same way Elizabeth Bennett’s do in the aforementioned film. There’s sense of balance, however dramatized Austen’s story became for that film for the sake of a romance plot.

Comparatively, Emily depicts the Bronte family, sans her brother, as obstacles (if they aren’t nonevents) to her indulgences because they’re “oh, so ashamed of her proclivities”. Additionally, I just don’t care about Oliver Jackson-Cohen’s William Weightwright. Nigga is boring. I’d sooner believe Bly Manor’s Peter Quint (Jackson-Cohen, again) was a Healthcliff and homeboy was inspired by whole another ‘gothic lit’ author (Henry James).

For lack of a better word, I really hated this movie. There’s the argument that if you know next to nothing about the Bronte sisters that you might enjoy it. But even on that level, there’s a lot about the storytelling that is bland, and outright hateful imho.

Anyway, I hated everything (except maybe the score, which, as other have said, is overbearing for no rasin). It can die in a fire and be lost to the void of history.

[regarding-stories]

Fallout TV Series Follow-Along: Episode 1

I decided to change format a bit for this one. Several people recommended the series to me but I quit Prime when they wanted to charge me and show me ads (or pay even more). Personally, Prime Video in itself has never been worth it. Most of the content I'm looking for is outside of it and you need to pay extra (and at times, 3 bucks per episode!), and the content that Amazon makes often strikes me as second-rate at best. The first season of "Good Omens" is an exception, but even there, in my book, and as fan of the book, Amazon, and even the co-author Neil Gaiman, dropped the ball quite a bit. But this is for another time.

So, they offered me a week of Prime for a buck.

So that's the time I have to work with, and I decided to invest that in the Fallout TV Series. I'm jotting down impressions as I watch. By necessity, this will be littered with spoilers. But chances are, you already watched.

The first impression

Our first look at the world of Fallout is a sequence set before the nuclear holocaust strikes humanity. One thing to notice here is that the longer the Fallout franchise exists, the more 1950s it becomes. Almost everything here is 1950s. It's alluded the first protagonist shown is an actor rehashing his role on birthday parties to pay alimony. What kind of actor is he? A full-blown 50s Western star. You can imagine him in a black-and-white show advertising cereal to kids. But it's everything - the clothes, the furniture, the lifestyle.

That Fallout isn't set in the 1950s is only partially alluded to, but effectively. While TVs are black-and-white and, well, tubes, we also see a Mr Handy robot and we eventually see the steel-and-glass skyscrapers in the background.

Contrary to our image of the 1950s, black and white America seem to mingle freely. In general, the world of Fallout doesn't seem to be big on the theme of "color" racism (not sure how to say it) at all, given that eventually humans have to deal with mutants and what not. So maybe it was already no big deal before the War - in spite of its 1950s aesthetics Fallout isn't set in the 1950s, but in a regressive society of an alternate 2077. Also, Amazon and Netflix productions these days have a tendency to show us a past "we" (the imaginary audience) would have liked to have happened. It's always worth to look at which issues they include and exclude - and I will talk about it later, as this will be evident by episode 2. After all, not all is well in the world of Fallout (or rather: nothing is). But I digress - in the Fallout Universe, this might just as well be canon.

In general, the whole intro makes a really good prelude to the dropping of the bombs. Not for its callouts to scenes and aesthetics from the games, but for some of its original images. The people switching away the news, ignoring them because they are scary. He teaching his daughter how to identify when you are "too close to bother." And the anxiety-inducing scene when a nuke lights in the distance, we see the flash of the explosion, and the girl holds up her thumb and asks if it's her thumb (size-wise) or his. Which makes us know - yes, this is too close.

When I say, anxiety-inducing, this scene really got me. It worked entirely as intended, well executed, an emotional hard-hitter.

After the emotional impact it flattens quite a bit. Lots of bombs exploding, all ground bursts. People fighting for access to a 50s style nuclear shelter. There are several things wrong here, but you might not know it. This scene is focused on emotional impact, not on getting it right. It's focused on iconic imagery. So you need the big blasts and a picture of panic. It's also a big shout-out to the opening scene of Fallout 4 (the game) - but with differences.

Even in FO4, you get an advance warning. For dramatic effect it's first coming through a TV newscast before the sirens engage (not how a warning system works) and select people can evacuate before the bombs strike - it's already all for drama. (Where did the soldiers come from that wave you through? Don't ask.) This is not how you get hundreds of people into a vault. But it's dramatic.

Since it doesn't fit the dramatic intention of the TV series, there isn't even a warning system. So the people of 2077, in imminent danger of a nuclear war, have no warning system. How will they get to the vaults in time?

But let's not dwell on this. It's an emotional, impactful scene that sets things off quite well. And we have a lot of ground to cover still.

It all starts in a Vault

Next we find ourselves in a Vault. Like in FO1, FO3, and FO4 at the beginning. It's not surprising that the series plays it safe, but for the Fallout Universe this is like "they met in a tavern" for fantasy.

We soon learn it's about 219 years in the future - so firmly after the latest games. Which makes the people still in the Vault a bit questionable. But frankly - seeing a Vault like this? Again damn cool.

It also follows another rule of the Fallout Universe: If it's a Vault, it will almost certainly go wrong.

I frankly don't see the a big connection to the lore here (for the most part), as there are a lot of contradictions to unpack about the whole Vault sequence, and not a lot to go on about the why of Vault 33 (and by extension of 32). But one connection to the lore exists: The vaults were social experiments (just "us viewers" don't know this). Instead of uniting the population of the two vaults into one, they are separated but dependent on each other for breeding purposes (probably due to population size). But they each handle their struggles individually, and there's a hint that the other Vault suffered crop failures (not sure if real or part of the ruse). But the Vaults keep this strange isolation up unquestioningly, at least in case of Vault 33.

There are shout-outs aplenty in the upcoming scene - Stimpak for treating a wound, a raider taking a chem (= drug) to get in a sort of battle rage, the Syringer gun that basically shoots tranquilizer darts. The Pipboy modules for the arm, the vault suits, the whole architecture.

The whole ambush and raid, however, is not really working, and the whole sequence seems like a big plot hole. Given that the twin Vaults intermarry constantly and exchange population (breeding males), how can they fail to recognize that there are strangers at least mixed in? How do the supposed raiders from the surface be mostly unblemished, damned clean, and have impeccable dental work? They look healthier than the Vault people. (Which, genetically, might even make sense, but not in terms of environment.)

Where did they keep the weapons? The whole scene is a complete mess, logic-wise. It's purely for effect, don't think about it. I was mostly disappointed. When Kyle MacLachlan drowned a raider in a barrel of cucumbers, it seemed just like it was there for a needlessly sadistic death.

One thing, however, was extremely well-done. The 3D imagery for the background comes out of a sort of olden-style projector, and its special "celluloid" burns in the carnage. And so we see the background burn in a callback to the nuclear fire consuming the world. That was amazing by itself, very good scene-setting while also a metaphor.

This whole sequence, which at this point we cannot make sense of, ends with a choice by the Overseer who choses his daughter. This is a call-out to the kind of choices made in the games, I'm very sure of it. (It's not a great scene, either, nor a particularly good choice. It's just some minor character establishing moment. In the end, it is shown to have zero impact as none of the people involved die...)

So the whole Vault sequence left me with mixed feelings. The atmospheric setup? Impeccable. Artful. The looks, the aesthetics, the feel of a Vault? You did it. The unfolding plot, the action? More holes than a Swiss cheese.

The unbrotherly Brotherhood

Next we're thrown into what quickly became apparent to be a Brotherhood of Steel bootcamp. This piece does many things very well: It shows, not tells. We see the inside of an organization that mixes medieval concepts (knights, squire) and the ritual of a knightly order with its legacy as being descendant from the US Army.

One thing it does even better is showing us what the Brotherhood has become. In Fallout 4, the East Coast Brotherhood is essentially a nation, a warring state of its own. And so it makes sense that, as opposed to the early games (including everything before Fallout 4), it does not need to hide out in bunkers anymore. It has numbers. It actively recruits. It's no longer secret. The whole setup here made so much sense. I welcomed this expansion of setting lore with this training base in the middle of nowhere.

After showing us our protagonist it then shows us most anyone else is an asshole. Which we even suspect of the Elder who hands out the verdict over him - until we see that the Elder, no matter what his thoughts are about the Aspirant's guilt, is quite capable of spotting devotion to the cause.

We also see a lot of Fallout shout-outs - including an airship like the Prydwen, Vertibird "helicopter-planes," T-60 Power Armor, even a power-armor repair stand... It was at this point that I finally confirmed for myself that this show is fully and absolutely rooted in Fallout 4. It takes its setting details solely from that game, so basically everything that Fallout is, we see through the lens of Fallout 4. For good and bad.

Still, this whole sequence was good. Its world-building well-done, its setting details - well, definitely true to Fallout 4. No big logic gaps. We just feel sorry for our hero. He's a very relatable character, capable of great honesty, human. His relation to the Brotherhood is also very understandable, having been taken in as an orphan.

Were these parts written by different people on the same team?

Setting out into the Wasteland

Sorry for breaking sequence. In between our heroine sets out into the Wasteland. And regardless of how likable and spunky she is, almost every time she's on screen, something illogical happens. (Not her fault.)

After having been attacked by Raiders the population of the Vault is still scared of opening the door. (By the way, shouting "Raiders!!" was a call-out to a typical Fallout term, but was this term already in common use when people were locked away in Vaults? Could be from a Vault-Tec training tape...) So, by measuring radiation (urgh) she originally established that there were people from the surface in that raiding party. Yet nobody acts like this was the case. (The surface in general wouldn't be irradiated two hundred years in the future, but I guess lore-wise this is okay-ish and a short-hand for the mutations caused in the past by exposure.)

We are left unclear about the goals and impact of the raid except for injuries and dead. What went missing beside her dad? (Which is, by the way, a big shout-out to Fallout 3. She's going out of the Vault to go look for her Daddy...)

We then are treated to a leaving the Vault sequence, very cool and true to what we see in Fallout 4, even down to the security railings.

However this particular character cannot escape the rails of poor writing! After growing up in a steel box she's not only under an open sky, she sees the damn ocean for the first time. You could get a nervous breakdown from that. But she just says "Okey-dokey." You can overdo the "can-do" attitude...

Then we are treated to walking among skeletons and petrified corpses. I don't think petrification is a side effect of nuclear bombs (bodies evaporate if too close), but I might be wrong. I also checked, and it's unlikely skeletons would be intact after lying in the open for two centuries. (They can last enormously long underground, but we also have to assume their integrity had already been damaged by radiation.) These are Fallout staples and purely for effect. I wouldn't have minded so much if it wasn't for her flippant reactions to most of this.

Why anybody would build a Vault on a beach, though? There's no natural shielding through a thick layer of rock. And why would the bomb go off so close to the beach to raze off the top of the structure?

As I said, when she (sorry, I couldn't remember names of any protagonist yet) is on the screen, logic goes out of the window all too often.

Western Feel, that's all

Now we're back to our initial protagonist. We find him in a grave. But before we get to this shout-out to Fallout: New Vegas, we are treated to the most silly shout-out in the whole episode:

Somebody gets killed by a Rock-it Launcher/Junk Jet, by basically firing a doll at him at ballistic speed. Yeah, this happens in FO3 and FO4, but these are the kind of things too stupid to consider canon. That's just blind, idiotic shooter-game fun that really undermines the exposition of this series. I guess they wanted a Mad Max vibe here where anything crazy goes because post-apocalypse punk. But frankly, just ignore it.

The rest of the scene isn't much better. There are three bounty hunter scoundrels making their way into a guarded graveyard. They want to enlist a ghoul forcefully buried there. We are told that he's buried there and tortured a bit every year - which actually makes sense in the Fallout Universe since ghouls are effectively immortal.

What doesn't make sense is pumping what looks like RadAway, a rare (enough) substance into a grave, given that ghouls are basically impervious to radiation. I don't think the series ever established the reason for it. So unless these IVs are empty and just for macabre show, the whole bit was just nonsensical. (Also, it renders the whole discussion about which grave it is entirely moot.)

We are not told a lot about ghouls, except that they can go feral. The whole chicken bit is funny because it is the only survivor except the Ghoul himself. I guess it establishes him as a calculating killer, somebody quite capable of making his own decisions, as unpleasant as it may be. He's not out of control.

It's just his decisions are stupid. He basically kills off the bounty hunters that went to the trouble of freeing him from his predicament because he's, well, a moody ass. It's hard to imagine how he could have actually worked with the bounty hunter boss' father, unless he really took a bad turn after. And he also kills off his chance to learn anything more. He's just so badass he can get away with this even at a disadvantage.

We are not told yet how the person we originally saw as patient, able to take an insult, and a caring father turn into a jerkass (or a ghoul, for that matter). So we need to take this as his character intro for now and see what happens.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Given the Western vibes at least of one part of the story, you might think I refer to the Ghoul as the ugly. But what's ugly here is not the Ghoul, but some of the writing of the show where logic at times is really shallow or absent. This is the point that mars watching it the most. (How does half the Wasteland know how to hunt one man and a dog? I need to stop asking these questions...)

As for the bad... it isn't exactly bad. The show works well enough to go on, and while it's callous (wait for episode 2!), it's not out of tune with the Fallout Universe. This is one show where the over-the-top violence actually can make sense. What is bad is taking one particular cue from Fallout 4 (and especially, by extension, from Fallout 3). It likes the "Rule of Cool" - when in doubt, and it's cool, put it in. (Junk Jet... good grief.)

As for the good... its aesthetics and special effects are often top-notch, it's what you would want as fan of Fallout 4. It has the look and feel, and it feels like a Fallout story. It doesn't have to be the best Fallout story ever if it gets that right. And in spite of its logical holes, it does often carry the Fallout vibe. It might drop the ball on logic at times, but I guess it does carry the vibe. I guess it does on par with many contemporary shows on that count.

[anotheruserwithnoname]

Jenna Coleman on DVD/Blu-ray: a quick reference

I last did this list a couple years ago, which sadly is an indication of the move away from permanent physical media releases, making collecting a Jenna Coleman library a bit of a challenge (though there's more out there than you may think!)

So time to update for September 2023. Courtesy spoiler break first...

As I am in Canada this list is primarily for North American releases but I acknowledge the UK where known to differ. As of September these are Jenna's shows known to be on DVD, either currently or out of print. Corrections welcome. List does not include bootleg/unofficial releases.

Waterloo Road Series 5: UK only DVD; Jenna's episodes were officially put on Youtube internationally. Season 1 came out on DVD in North America back in 2012, but no sign of the others.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Titanic (TV miniseries)

Dancing on the Edge

Doctor Who: Obviously, though with Disney+ now distributing nuWho it remains to be seen if this continues. Some of the shorts featuring Clara/Jenna, such as Five(ish) Doctors Reboot and Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide, are only in special sets like The Matt Smith Years as far as I know. I can't recall if the 2013 Proms (including the golden ticket sketch) has appeared on North American DVD or Blu-ray.

Death Comes to Pemberley: North American DVD is reportedly the PBS edit, which may differ from UK version. I haven't seen any comparison done with the UK version.

Me Before You: sadly, I see this one a lot in Wal-Mart remainder bins

Victoria: Series 3 is difficult to find and might only be on DVD in North America, but Series 1 and 2 are widely available on DVD and Blu-ray and I've seen DVD box sets of all 3. The North American DVD/Blu-rays have the episodes as they aired on ITV and so do not include the extra scenes added for the PBS broadcast and also lack many of the bonus features of the UK releases; on the other hand, the DVD of Series 3 has the unedited Christmas special, which was edited down quite a bit by PBS (eliminating the entire "Victoria's sexy painting" subplot). I believe in the UK the special was released on its own DVD. I've heard the PBS edits are, or were, available for streaming in the US on the PBS website, but I haven't been able to confirm (which is a shame as there are some cute Jenna moments in the "bonus scenes").

Thunderbirds Are Go: Jenna did a guest voice in Season 2. It's had a DVD issue in the UK, but in North America it's only available on streaming.

The Cry: Only got a DVD release here (UK got a blu-ray too)

Inside No. 9: Jenna's guest appearance in series 5 is available on DVD (and maybe blu-ray) in the UK; it's only on streaming over here.

The Serpent: as it was a BBC broadcast in the UK, they got a DVD release back in 2021. Over here it was a Netflix exclusive, so at least so far, no physical release.

The Sandman: despite being a Netflix series, Season 1, which has Jenna in three episodes as Johanna Constantine, is getting a North American blu-ray in November 2023. According to Amazon UK, the release will be region-free and therefore should be playable in the UK.

---

At the present time, there is no indication of any releases for Emmerdale (given she was in hundreds of episodes, not a surprise. With the sole exception of Dark Shadows "soap operas" never get home video releases); Room at the Top (it's on streaming but given the licensing issues that nearly prevented it from being shown at all, it's unlikely to get a DVD issue anywhere); All My Sons (National Theatre Live has allowed home and school streaming but they don't do DVDs); and Corporate Monster (a short film likely only to be found on Youtube). Too early to say if Klokkenluider and Jackdaw, or the Amazon Prime-streamed Wilderness, will see DVD or Blu-ray release. The Jetty, being a BBC series, will likely get a DVD in the UK, but whether North America gets it will depend if it goes to streaming or gets picked up by the likes of PBS.

[whitewaterpaper]

GO2: ”I Know Where I'm Going” [S02E03].

Serie: Good Omens.

Skapare: Neil Gaiman.

Författare: Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (boken).

Författare: John Finnemore (avsnittet).

Regissör: Douglas Mackinnon (avsnittet).

Publicerad: 2023.

Medium: Amazon Prime Video.

¡Oi! Spoilers, stavfel och alternativa fakta kan förekomma rakt föröver!

Ses tillsammans med @kulturdasset.

Ännu ett bra avsnitt med en trevlig inblick i det förflutna, och vi får åter se Crowley förnöjt passera gränsen mellan gott och ont med smidigheters hos en slalomåkare i vinter-os medan Aziraphale sladdar runt den som en rattlös radiobil.

Extra kul var det givetvis att se Crowley leka bokhandlare och Aziraphale frammana sin bästa grävande journalist. Himmelens utsände övervakare Muriel verkar kunna bli en intressant karaktär, gillade hur hon verkade både närvarande och offline på en och samma gång.

Beelzebub[1] är en karaktär som också kan vara intressant. I över huvud taget tycker jag att det är intressant för storyn att vi får se både himlens och helvetets agenter cirkulera kring den lilla bokhandeln som svultna gamar. Och ingen av oss vet egentligen vad som pågår, bara att Gabriel är en del av det och att Aziraphale långsamt och metodiskt lägger pusslet åt oss.

Och att bägge sidor börjar inse exakt hur mycket Crowley och Aziraphale har vänstrat med den andra sidan genom eonerna…

Länkar.

Serien @ playpilot.se.

Serien @ epguides.com.

Fotnoter.

[1] Som spelas av ”Shelley Conn” vilken vi givetvis känner igen från tv-serien Terra Nova…

(Hmm. Tror @kulturdasset och alla bottar som följer mig får leva med att jag skriver kort denna säsong... Det är som om jag öppnar Word och sedan får skrivkramp.)

[comicconradio]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has revealed digital and disc versions of The Last of Us: The Complete First Season, HBO's hit adaptation of the Naughty Dog video game for PlayStation. The nine-episode first season of the post-apocalyptic drama starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie is getting an exclusive digital window before hitting 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD later this summer, which will come with nearly three hours of extras and all-new featurettes going behind the scenes with the cast and creators. Below, find out when you can own HBO's The Last of Us season 1 (streaming now on HBO Max), and see the cover art and complete list of extras. The Last of Us: The Complete First Season will be available to purchase digitally on April 11th from Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, and more digital retailers in the U.S. The season digital purchase is currently available now in Canada. ⚡️🍿🍿🍿📀💿 #comiccon #spoilermagazine #news #losangeles #podcast #magazine #art #instagram #galaxy #film #tv #hollywood #feature #movies #fandom #graphicdesign #nyc #spoiler #comicconradio #comicbooks #actors #artist #life #thelastofus #hbomax #pedropascal #bellaramsey #apocalypse #gaming #gamer (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqAA-bLO_yD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thirteen-is-life]

Finally got to watch Revolution of the Daleks today and i have to say it was really fucking nice to see companions leave.... Alive. Willingly walking away.

Not zombies or magic "theyre not dead cos they're trapped between one heartbeat and the next!!1!" bullshit undoing of a death to claim they're still alive.

That hasn't happened since RTD was showrunner. Like... That breaks my brain a little. No companion has survived contact with the doctor since Ten's run. Rose choosing Tentoo was the last time someone walked away of their own volition, and Donna's memory wipe was the last time a companion got to flat out leave *alive*.

How fucked is that.

Anyway Ryan and Graham's ending was super satisfying imho. I was genuinely afraid that Graham was going to end up dying somehow after the announcement that they were leaving, but having Ryan be the one to say "you know what, I'm ready to go back to normalish life on earth" and having that prompt Graham into staying behind with him was... Sweet. Sad of course because saying goodbye to companions always is, but it felt right. The foreshadowing of Ryan's desire to leave the TARDIS was well done.

[herparadisekiss]

wheel of time s1 finale thoughts (incoherent)

ok whew this episode felt like ????? (neutral question marks)

show spoilers below ofc -

Roughly here's first viewing vibes, essay incoming

40% setup for s2 (basically namedropping or showing us where or what characters will be doing - Min see ya soon wherever you are escaping to, uhhh Padar Fain stole the box thing (?), that last 'cliffhanger' entrance uhhh what the heck are these group of people (ok I know they are named Seanchan that's about it) they look just as creepy as the Whitecloaks, Nyneave and Egwene are defo going to find Siuan and begin a training story arc at Tar Valon oohhh, who is going to heal Loial!!!!!!!!!!)

30% rand being a sweet boy vs hot evil dude dressed in a sleek black blazer oh man he is clearly a baby compared to this 3000 year old (at least right?) - he's so unprepared!!! finally seeing more Rand and Rand x Moiraine scenes was good tho, since the rest of the Two Rivers gang had plenty of scenes in the earlier episodes

10% action for tarwin's gap but ok it is not the highlight at all to me, the ep 1 trolloc attack was done better (not really my focus for this ep since I wanted more Dragon hints or answers. showing some consequences of the overchanneling was interesting, wasn't expecting the lady Amalisa to go out this fast)

10% for the OG Lews Therin, definitely a quieter cold open than the E P I C one in ep 7 but I do like the contrast between the futuristic past (what a paradox!) and the current fantasy world (how do you describe it? More middle-age vibes..?) Tumblr folks pls gif the parallel looking at babies in this episode :')

10% Moiraine's 'imma cradle Rand but also put a knife at his throat' protective energy and everything else that happened at the Eye of the World. Rosamund Pike was great

ok a few more things I noticed that were kinda neat

wow that dark one's channeling was pure white whereas Rand's (and Logain's) had the black 'madness' swirls! quite cool to show how in control, or 'sane' he is compared to the current 2 men seen channeling

the idea of choices and consequences given to each character and where they end up by the end of this season/episode (maybe it can be made even more prominent in s2?) such as:

the choice of light vs shadow that has been brought up by Moiraine (and will be made by Rand and Mat)

the choice of the way of the leaf vs fighting to protect loved ones (by Perrin)

the choice of protecting your own (the two rivers gang) vs protecting for the greater good (Nyneave gurl you almost wanted to walk away??? but ok you joined the battle)

the choice of going forward or staying behind (Moiraine ignored Rand's ask to Stay ;_; and accompanied him and look where it got her ;_; and Lan going to The Blight instead of waiting at Fal Dara)

[My Guess] so... the whole thing of 'striking at the Dark One when he was weak' was a trick yes? did I get that hint right because it looks to me that Rand shattered some seal instead, the floor cracked apart with crystals coming out and Moiraine was fiddling with it

so inadvertently the whole plan backfired

as a show viewer my overall comment is also that -

someone needs to tell Amazon Prime to give wheel of time season 2 more episodes or more runtime per episode next round!!! The flow was pretty clear and great from 1 - 6 but then it became extra rushed in the last 2 episodes which is unfortunate but maybe there were deleted scenes they could release?

[reallivegeekgirl]

StanQuest

Something clicked on in my brain a couple months ago and suddenly Sebastian Stan became the hottest man alive. So I decided to watch everything he’s ever been in. A friend and I called it StanQuest.

Here are my spoiler-free reviews for anyone considering something similar (in inverse chronological order starting with latest works and going back in time. The stars are an overall rating of the work, not of Sebastian’s performance.

This only lists things I could find streaming for free or a price I was willing to pay. It does not count after credits scenes, music videos, or works in which he was uncredited.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) - TV show - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This started it all. I very much enjoyed it. Good balance of humor and action, heart and heroics. I’ve watched it four times already, and will watch it again. Bucky Barnes is my favorite character of his and this is my favorite story of Bucky's so far. I can’t wait to see what he does next. (And I have a lot to say about how they treat his trauma in this show. I’ve definitely written about it before and may again.)

Monday (2020) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐ - This is the one where he gets naked. If that’s all you’re looking for, enjoy. It was a very realistic portrayal of a relationship between two deeply flawed people. It can get depressing. But hey, penis.

The Devil All the Time (2020) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - If you think Monday is depressing, this movie says “hold my beer”. But something about it is just captivating. It’s really disturbing, and if you’ve ever been screwed over by American Evangelical Christianity it might be more disturbing. Still, I’ve watched it twice. And as much of a bastard as Lee Bodecker is, he also looks really cuddly. He’s just barely in it.

The Last Full Measure (2019) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - You will cry. A lot. It’s based on a true story. Sebastian plays a man who cares more about his career than this weird quest dumped on his desk by his boss, but changes his mind and his heart as he investigates why a war hero was denied a medal of honor 34 years before. Definitely recommend.

Endings, Beginnings (2019) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - One of two love interests in the complicated life of Shailene Woodley’s Daphne, Sebastian is an adorable mess. The editing is interesting and fresh feeling. Watch it and you’ll see what I mean. Fair amount of sex in this movie, and you see his butt. It’s a very nice butt. I’ve watched this one a few times so far.

Avengers: Endgame (2019) - Movie - ⭐⭐ - There is no reason to watch this movie if you’re not familiar with at least most of the rest of the MCU. It plays merry hob with the rules of time travel, and only makes sense if you don’t really think about it. In my opinion, the ending is really freaking stupid comsidering his character’s history, but at least it sets up TFatWS, which was amazing.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018) - Movie - ⭐ - If you’re into movies that are creepy but also almost nothing happens for most of the movie, this is the one for you. Sebastian is handsome as hell, but also a complete asshole. As fine as he is, I’m not gonna watch this again. I fucking hated it.

Destroyer (2018) - Movie - ⭐⭐- I had a hard time paying attention to the plot because it seemed like they made this movie just to get Nicole Kidman an Oscar nomination for wearing ugly makeup and playing a complete mess of a person. It’s a fine movie, and all of the performances are good. Sebastian looks surprisingly good with the short hair and goatee. Ultimately, the plot is depressing and the whole movie seems kind of pointless.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - Movie - ⭐⭐- Again, no reason to watch this if you aren’t already familiar with all the movies leading up to it. It’s long and the villain looks like Grimace and a California Raisin had an evil baby. The ending made me scream with frustration that I had to wait until the next one came out. Now I just watch them back-to-back if I watch them at all. It’s not a good movie, but it is part of a long-form story that I enjoy in general.

I’m Not Here (2017) - Movie - ⭐⭐- Another depressing one. Told over the course of one man’s terrible life, it’s a sad account of how much your parents can fuck you up. Sebastian portrays the middle part of the man’s life. J.K. Simmons plays the current day part and unreliable narrator.. Do not watch unless you are fully prepared to be sad for a really long time after.

I, Tonya (2017) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐- This movie is hilarious. I mean, the true story is insane and really stupid. The spousal abuse is hard to watch, and Sebastian’s mustache in this is a war crime. But the acting is great and it’s a very engaging movie. The parts that aren’t horrifying are pretty funny.

Logan Lucky (2017) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Watch. This. Movie. Sebastian Stan is only in it a little, but it’s a really fun, clever caper/heist movie and everyone in it is fantastic. I don’t want to say anything else about it if you’re going in fresh. I’ll be rewatching this one a lot

Captain America: Civil War (2016) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - If you ignore how kind of silly the conflict over the Sokovia Accords is, this is a good Marvel movie. Sebastian gets a lot of screen time because Bucky is the more pressing concern/urgent point of contention than the Accords. Bucky is my favorite character of his partly because of this movie.

The Martian (2015) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I’m watching it(again) as I’m typing this. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it. Sebastian Stan isn’t in it very much, but he’s very cute and so is his little story arc. Mostly I watch it because Ridley Scott made a fantastic movie. If you can get your hands on the Blu-Ray, it comes with a ton of extras. They made a very complete story that isn’t all seen in the movie. A lot of it is stuff about Mars, but there are also extra “crew” interviews, so there’s another chance to see more of Sebastian’s character.

Ricki and the Flash (2015) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - He’s not in this very much, but he’s very cute when he does appear. It’s all about the relationship between Ricki and her daughter. Definitely rewatchable. Meryl Streep is fantastic, because she’s Meryl Streep.

The Bronze (2015) - Movie - ⭐ - This is not a good movie. It’s about Olympic gymnastics, so it might be slightly more interesting right now while the Olympics are happening. Sebastian isn’t in it a lot, but his performance is certainly… memorable. Weirdest sex scene I’ve ever seen. Worth watching just for that.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This is the one I can watch over and over. I bought a Winter Soldier face mask for when I need to feel like a badass. Bucky’s story is really sad, but he’s also extremely sexy with the metal arm and determined walk.

Once Upon a Time (2012-2013) - TV Show - ⭐⭐⭐ - This show is so stupid, but it’s also fun. If you haven’t seen it, the premise is that fairy tale characters are real and live in another land. Snow White’s Evil Queen casts a spell to transport a bunch of them to a town she creates in Maine called Storybrooke, and gives them all fake memories so she can be mayor and watch them all not remember who they are. Sebastian plays Jefferson, a.k.a. The Mad Hatter. He’s in a few episodes in season 1 and 2, and doesn’t get a ton of screen time, but he’s really cute and tragic as Jefferson. It probably helps to watch the whole first season just to understand his episodes, but that’s up to your tolerance for weird shit. Note: IMDB says he’s in an episode uncredited, but I’ve watched it and didn’t see him anywhere in that one.

Labyrinth (2012) - TV Mini-Series - ⭐⭐⭐ - Two episodes that tell a complete story. Sebastian isn’t in this one a whole lot, but he is adorable. It’s a strange story about religious stuff and a sort of Holy Grail that’s three books. It’s hard to describe. It’s on Amazon Prime right now, but they’re taking it down August 8, 2021, so watch it while you can.

The Apparition (2012) - Movie - ⭐ - If you like horror movies, you might like this. I did not. From what I understand, it’s not a very good horror movie. Watch with caution and expect it to suck.

Political Animals (2012) - TV Mini-Series - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I had to buy this through Apple and watch it on a Mac, but it was worth it. Sebastian plays TJ Hammond, the out gay son of a former American president who is clearly based on Bill Clinton. Sigorney Weaver plays the former first lady and current secretary of state. TJ struggles with addiction and relationship problems. His performance is heart-wrenching. The whole show is pretty great. I wish there was more of it.

Gone (2012) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐ - More of a psychological thriller than a horror movie. Sebastian has a small amount of screen time as the worried boyfriend. Amanda Seyfried is good. She carries the film well on her own.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - If you haven’t seen this yet, I’d like to know what it’s like under your rock. This is a movie I can rewatch a lot, and have. I 100% cried in the theater. Sebastian looks fantastic in uniform as Bucky Barnes. This is his introduction and the start of his ultimately tragic story (before he’s saved by his best friend, again).

Black Swan (2010) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Sebastian is barely in this. He’s basically just in one scene in a dance club. But I watched it to try to complete StanQuest, and I had seen it before. It’s a good movie, but might induce some nightmares, depending on what scares you. If Natalie Portman didn’t at least get a nomination for an award she was robbed.

Gossip Girl (2007-2010) - TV Show - ⭐⭐ - Carter Baizen is a little shit. The episodes with Sebastian in them might have made more sense if I watched the show from the beginning, but I didn’t want to. His character is an asshole, but a very cute one.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐- The people who made this movie are bad at math, and their rules of time travel are sketchy at best, but it is funny and entertaining. Sebastian plays a ski patrol bro who’s paranoid about the Russians, which is hilarious irony to me. Worth watching if you want to laugh at something dumb.

Kings (2009) - TV Show - ⭐⭐⭐- Sebastian plays Jack Benjamin, the closeted gay son of the king of a fictional place. It’s loosely based on the David and Goliath story from the Bible. Sebastian is so sad and so gay. His family makes his life a living hell. Ian McShane is a force of nature in this. It’s only one season. I’ve watched it twice. I will watch it again.

Spread (2009) - Movie - no stars - This movie was practically unwatchable. It stars Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche as a romantic couple, I guess? I ended up just skipping to Sebastian’s scenes and only watching those. Still painful.

The Covenant (2006) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐ - This movie is so fuckig stupid, and I will watch it a ridiculous number of times. It’s about magic and teenagers, like The Craft for boys. Nothing about it makes sense. It’s terrible, almost irredeemable, but an evil Sebastian with magic powers is a siren song that will make me steer my boat right into the rocks.

And there you have it. There are a bunch of earlier things on IMDB that I just can’t find or don’t want to pay to rent. Maybe some day I’ll watch them and add them to this list.

[deviiancetv]

Cinema Starview Presents: Where The Wild Girls Are

So, I just got done watching The Wilds, that new Amazon Prime show... and it’s so good. I think my only take is I wish it were longer and if they could better explain what exactly the project that Dr. Gretchen is trying to do. Other than that, I liked it.

The girls all have their own fair share of trauma that aloud them to be handpicked to be on this island... like every surviving on an island show, it has an extra ounce of drama and tension, that’s so succulent. I’ve only ever watched Survivor a few times and Naked and Afraid is my SHITT, but seeing that be turned into a teen drama and adventure series was a good spin. Fatin, Nora, and Dot have to be my top three favs just based on how each of them kinda remind me of myself.

SPOILERS: The plot twist of them being taken into an underground location like on Hanna (another Amazon Prime show) where Leah finds a secret security room on the night of her escape where on the opposite side of the island... there’s a bunch of teenage boys 😳... and as someone that WANTS more gay/bi mlm love stories, I hope there’s a male version of Shelby x Toni (there so cute by the way, I knew they’d have romantic tension the moment they were together)

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??

I wanna see the boys and what they’ve been up to.

How did they get taken into the underground bunker building place?

What is the true intention of Dr. Gretchen and will she ever get caught for child endangerment?

What ever happened to Nora, did she make it out alive after her sister Rachel got her hand eaten by a shark

Where are the other girls?

Will Shelby be okay?? And is she in a relationship with Toni?

SCORE: 9/10 ⭐️

[gikairan]

Okay I watched all 3 episodes now

Thoughts under the cut, including spoilers for all the books

So a lot of the changes i dont necessarily disagree with, but theres a few things i object to

- Giving Perrin a wife just to fridge her. Bad trope, stop doing it. I'm guessing its to give Perrin more obvious external conflict? His internal conflict about the Wolves is less obvious for a TV show, so maybe the showrunners wanted to give him another kind of conflict? Speaking of which- where is Elyas?

- They went through Shadar Logoth too quickly. That could have been an episode all of its own, tbh. Shadar Logoth is a pretty cool section of the book, and it kinda sucks to see it mostly glossed over And uh... hello? BELA?? You just left her?? Shes supposed to make it to the last battle ): ):

- They didnt have Tam sickly make the admission that Rand is a found child. I guess they dont want to hint that Rand is not actually from the Two Rivers, and therefore born on Dragonmount as per the prophecies. They really want to make it a mystery who is the Dragon Reborn. Thing is, this does kinda kill some of Rands future identity crisis.

- some of the pacing and dialogue feels... rough. Like, the Shadar Logoth conversation with Lan is a prime example of the rough dialogue. Mat asks why theyre there, and Lans answer is "dont touch anything". Lan is very much the silent kind who only speaks when he has something Important to say, but those two sentences didnt go next to each other. The pacing at the beginning of episode 2 definitely was the strangest. By the end of episode 3, i feel like its starting to get better? Some of the pacing definitely feels like victims of "we need to cover a bunch of farm kids travelling and not doing much in an interesting way". IDK man, i'm not the best with film/ tv criticism. But something just feels a bit rough.

- Again, the CGI isnt great. Its too obvious and a bit jarring.

- Theyre saying Our Swears and i dont like it ):. In the books, there actually isnt a lot of swearing.

And my biggest issue- i'm not actually sure HOW easy this is to follow along WiTHOUT reading the books first. I know whats happening because I've recently gone through The Eye of the World. I'm not sure how someone without that background knowledge is going to find this. Amazon do actually have background information tied to individual scenes, but you need to pause to even read it.

BUT despite all this

I dont think its necessarily a bad adaptation so far. Its hitting the right story notes, introducing some of the worldbuilding thats important (Like an early introduction to the Whitecloaks) in a visual way.

I dont necessarily think all the changes are bad. I do believe a lot of the differences make sense. its mostly the stuff above that im questioning

I actually really liked Dana. I find the books dont really give any reasoning why people become Darkfriends. There was one darkfriend who explains his reasoning in book 2, but mostly the series kinda makes it seem like theyre just ~evil~. Having explanations and understanding why people become Darkfriends, making it seem more like a GREY moral choice? Excellent addition.

The CGI might also be rough, but i like what theyre doing with the Trollocs. The designs look good. I like how different they all look- youve got some that are running digitrade, some that are running plantigrade and upright, some that are straight up running on all 4 legs. It works! ... The CGI just doesnt feel like it belongs

Its so diverse, guys. Its just... so nice to see all kinds of people in the main cast or in the background. It even says in the series that skin tone isnt an accurate indicator of where someone is from, more like how they dress and speak. And the extras match that! Its not just like they got a handful of token POC to scatter around. No, every scene has all kinds of people in it! Its Fantastic!

[posthungergamessyndrome]

It's a month before "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes"so here's a little PSA on where you should buy your book in the era of corona:

Book release midnight parties? Book tour? Book signings? Forget it, they're cancelled before they were even announced.

If you follow its official Twitter, it's been asking you to pre-order the book, and depending on your country, it will show you a list of places to pre-order.

I'm in the US so that's what I'm covering in this post, but those in other countries feel free to reblog and add where it's best to buy the book.

So if you go to songbirdsandsnakes.com, click pre-order, click United States, it will give you several options to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, IndieBound, Target & Walmart for hardcovers (then apple store and audible for ebooks and audiobook versions).

So the most expensive place to buy is IndieBound, which is a network of independent bookstores and you can enter your ZIP code, find the closest one to you, and order directly from their website. If you got that coin or extra stimulus money, consider buying from them since they're the ones who need our business the most.

If you want to cut through any middle man, buy directly from scholastic. BUT note that it doesn't offer free shipping under $25 AND it will likely arrive AFTER may 19, BUT THIS WILL BE TRUE FROM ANY PLACE YOU PRE-ORDER:

Here's target saying it will ship BY MAY 19, you will most definitely not get it by may 19, and with free standard shipping, expect up to a week before it arrives.

Books A Million is the same, it will ship ON May 19, so will likely take longer.

You can Amazon Prime to get it faster and it has the lowest price too (along with Walmart) but it still likely won't come by may 19 and Amazon is shitty to authors and publishers and hasn't Jeff Bezos taken enough of our money already during this time of corona?

Here's Walmart and it says it will arrive by MAY 21.

For me IMO the Goldilocks choice to pre-order the book is at BARNES & NOBLE

It's 29 percent off, you can do curbside pick up if available in your area, ships free with $35 order (idk buy another one for a friend or pay the $5 shipping) AND it's the exclusive edition. Doesn't say what's exclusive about it: different cover art? Additional art work inside? Merch? Bonus content? Not sure but I want it. Edit: bonus content is a readers guide and q&a with Suzanne Collins.

It will likely still arrive after may 19 tho, but any OG hunger games fan on Tumblr know we like to buy the ebook version too coz it's quicker to look up quotes and how we made the hunger games the most highlighted book on Amazon.

Ebooks will likely drop at 12:01 am EST (so west coast take note) along with audiobooks.

I suggest getting the ebooks with the audiobook coz it will be narrated by this guy:

(could I have gotten a better screenshot? Yes)

“Santino Fontana is an accomplished and talented stage and screen actor, as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator. Santino’s range and ability made him a perfect choice to handle a multiplicity of characters, and he brings depth and richness to Suzanne Collins’ extraordinary writing.” said Lori Benton, President, Scholastic Audio.

POTENTIAL SPOILER: we likely mostly will follow Snow all throughout the story, multipov unlikely.

No money? Try audible for free: https://amzn.to/34STmCe

Also start stalking your public library website and request the ebook if they haven't gotten it yet and request it as soon as it becomes available.

[houseofglass]

Some thoughts on The Stand, 2021 version on Amazon Prime. There’s spoilers, but dammit the book was released ages ago so buckle up.

I haven’t finished the series yet, I have two episodes left. But this was burning my fingertips so I had to type it out.

I read The Stand by Stephen King back in the late ‘80′s. It was released in 1978 and re-released somewhere around 1990 as an ‘uncut’ edition. The editor had decided to trim the book so it could sell better. My mom looked at the uncut version and said, “If the editor cut 150,000 words, there’s probably a reason.” I agreed with her - Stephen King’s best work was his novellas, not his long novels.

A television series was released in 1994. I thought it was earlier because the character Randall Flagg has a mullet, but nope, IMDB tells me that the above date is correct.

I remember most of the details of the book and series, although the series helped me to see the final battle properly. King didn’t describe it in a way I could understand at all and was confused until the show came out. I felt similar when reading The Handmaid’s Tale. I had no idea what the costume looked like and those hats were nothing like what I imaged from Atwood’s work. I try to keep these examples in mind while writing my own novel.

So when this new iteration of The Stand appeared on my radar, I made a point of watching it. But, alas, there are some problems.

1. Nadine must remain a virgin until she can meet up with Randall. Really? It’s 2021. A person’s virtue is not determined by the use of equipment between their legs. How does remaining a virgin make someone virtuous? Why is she allowed to participate in any other sexual act but not penetration? And why does this only apply to women? Is a man’s virtue intact if he doesn’t insert his penis into someone? No! Why? This also tangles the issue of nonbinary people. What if a woman has a penis but hasn’t used it? Is she virtuous? If a man with a vagina hasn’t used the equipment, is he virtuous? Does this stem from the ancient, outdated idea that people with penises masturbate because they ‘can’t help it’ and people with vaginas don’t because they ‘can help it’?

This might have been okay in 1978, but that was 43 years ago. I need to pause here and clutch my aging heart because I can remember 1978. Whew! Okay. 

This virtue bit is core to the show because Nadine must carry Randall’s child. But I feel like this could’ve been tweaked to better represent the times. Especially since the book takes place in the future, not present.

2. Las Vegas features rampant sex. This, in and of itself, doesn’t bother me. I’ve watched Netflix and HBO. I’ve seen sex, both integral to the plot and gratuitous. What bothered me was twofold:

A) The sex featured was public (in a nightclub, but still public) and people wore what could be described as BDSM gear. Lots of belts, black leather, fishnet stockings, lingerie, that kind of thing. This bothered me because they’re portraying ‘nightclub sex’ as something that ‘sinners’ do.

These people are in Las Vegas, on Randall’s side, therefore are the antagonists to the plot. Randall represents the Devil, where Mother Abigail in Boulder represents God. So people who enjoy public sex in a safe environment are sinners? In 2021? Similar question, so people who enjoy BDSM are sinners? In 2021?

B) The implication that if this kind of sex is allowed in Las Vegas, it wouldn’t be in Boulder. There, people have ‘vanilla’ sex, right? Not much is featured, but what is (or what I noticed) was hetero sex. I don’t recall seeing any poly couples in Boulder, or same-sex couples there. Why not? If they are there, why aren’t they more obvious? I tend to notice and am thrilled whenever I see nonbinary people in relationships or two men holding hands, but I didn’t notice it in Boulder.

3. There's a whole lotta white people. Other skin tones were sprinkled in, but not in the quantity I’ve become accustomed to. Since the diversity rider appeared for Canadian shows, I’ve noticed a much wider range of actors and it’s been delightful. I love seeing a First Nations person played by a First Nations actor. I love that I’m shown wonderful hairstyles for kinky hair. I love the intermingling of skin tones in relationships. This has become so normal to me that when there’s too many white people I notice, and not in a good way.

Here’s a sticky point to consider too: if I can’t see the difference in tones because the overall filming filter makes everyone look similar, this is a bad thing.

The main cast of characters is fairly diverse, but the background extras are not. Are they trying to convey the idea that mostly white people survived this plague? That would be insane. If I strain my brain I can recall some extras being on the lighter side of dark tones, but why should I have to strain to remember that? And if my mind is remembering the sea of whiteness, why? Because I’ve set my brain to glance at the background to ensure there’s a nicely diverse crowd, that’s why.

4. The religious aspect is troublesome. Yes, I’m aware that the book was written with religion in mind. The whole story is good vs evil shown by God vs Devil using humanity. I get that. But the Christianity irked me. I’m not religious, but I do know there are more religions out there besides Christianity. None are represented, that I could see. Instead, these characters dream of Randall or Abigail and go to where they feel the greatest pull. Good people go to Abigail, bad people to Randall. And yes, this was fairly well represented by having selfish people go to Randall and those who want a community go to Abigail.

But this is also a problem. No matter how good or bad you are (or think you are), you can change. You can decide to be different. This show pigeonholes people in a way that rankled me, with the one exception of a main character, Harold. He didn’t dream of either person, and was neither good nor bad. He just hadn’t found ‘his people’. I could identify with this facet of his personality because I know my behaviour is weird for some and not normal enough for others. It’s been difficult, trying to fit in to workplaces and friend groups, and is a measure of my neurodiversity and mental illness.

So here’s Harold, trying to be good, but has had a lifetime of not fitting in and not being included. He’s tried and failed. His behaviour is shown as someone who ‘just doesn’t get it’, and people around him tolerate him more than enjoy his company. He tries to be bad, mostly because he’s angry at the world, but he’s also good at heart. When the plague hits, he travels with Nadine to Boulder and joins the body removal crew. He even makes a friend. This tentative, tenuous friendship is torpedoed when Nadine kills the guy.

Harold is neutral, but he discovered the world can be decent. Rather than resolve this and show that there’s a place for everyone, Harold is killed. This bothered me a lot because there are people out there who just need a friend, they need someone who understands them and wants to be around them. Everyone wants that, and some people are gifted with the natural ability to make friends, but some really aren’t. For them, they spend most of their time knowing they’re disliked but not knowing how to fix the problem, or if it can be fixed. Killing this character off felt like a cop-out.

Back to religion. Imagine that you’ve been dreaming of a kind woman named Abigail, so you go to her only to discover that your religion isn’t represented in the imagery, symbolism, or icons. Instead, it’s another religion, equally good, but not yours.

Oh my, also, Las Vegas has no religious imagery that I can recall off the top of my head. There’s no indication of religion other than people nailed to crosses as you enter the city. Does this mean that if you’re religious you’re good and if you’re not you’re bad? In 2021?

This entire debate could have been avoided by not using religion as a base. Yes, it’s faithful to the book to include this aspect, but like I’ve mentioned, it’s 2021 now. Rather than good vs bad = God vs Devil, why not have: people who want to try to live peacefully vs people who want to take over and rule the world? This would be effective when done well.

To conclude, overall the show is not bad. It resembles the book and previous television mini-series quite well. The storyline is a bit current, what with a plague and all, but a lot of it feels so dated that I cringed away from my screen while watching.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading my rant.