What day is it? What time is it? What along decade it's been, huh?
I recently realized, only half-jokingly, that I measure time now by when it's time to watch Killing Eve again, and then I realized it's been fully 10 million years since we've had a Femslash Friday in Fannie's Room.
So, why not bring it back pandemic-time's sake?
I can't explain why I like Killing Eve so much, as it's a show I would be extremely not into if either of the two main characters were men.
I just started Season 3. So, I will need to digest the series more before I have anything more intelligent to say than the obvious fact that I, uh, appreciate the Sapphic subtext. And, maybe I will find time to write longform again when we're not in the middle of a fucking pandemic.
On that note, smell you later, and enjoy today's Villanelle/Eve fan vid.
In other news, I love how the Navy has basically confirmed the existence of UFOs and things are so awful right now that nobody even really cares.
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Thoughts on Social Isolation and 2020
Whew!
The past month or so has been a lot, yeah? It appears that Joe Biden is on track to the Democratic nominee for president. And, fine. Whatever. He wasn't my top choice at all, but the COVID-19 pandemic, and Trump's massive failures around managing it, is one of many issues that highlights the urgency of defeating Trump in 2020.
It's a low bar, but Biden would be exponentially better than Trump. And, if Bernie Sanders were to pull off a surprise win, he would be as well. Whoever the nominee is just needs to be smart enough to name a progressive woman as vice president.
Anyway, it appears many of us will be stuck indoors, at home, isolating ourselves from others during this pandemic. Also, shoutout to those providing essential services right now who cannot do so, including health workers, firefighters, caregivers, law enforcement, delivery people, and more.
During this time, I've been thinking of doing a Xena rewatch (and possibly recaps, but not sure what I will have time for, given my other responsibilities).
Anyway, I mostly just wanted to check in. Please stay safe and healthy (and at home, if you are able!). How are others occupying themselves during this time?
The past month or so has been a lot, yeah? It appears that Joe Biden is on track to the Democratic nominee for president. And, fine. Whatever. He wasn't my top choice at all, but the COVID-19 pandemic, and Trump's massive failures around managing it, is one of many issues that highlights the urgency of defeating Trump in 2020.
It's a low bar, but Biden would be exponentially better than Trump. And, if Bernie Sanders were to pull off a surprise win, he would be as well. Whoever the nominee is just needs to be smart enough to name a progressive woman as vice president.
Anyway, it appears many of us will be stuck indoors, at home, isolating ourselves from others during this pandemic. Also, shoutout to those providing essential services right now who cannot do so, including health workers, firefighters, caregivers, law enforcement, delivery people, and more.
During this time, I've been thinking of doing a Xena rewatch (and possibly recaps, but not sure what I will have time for, given my other responsibilities).
Anyway, I mostly just wanted to check in. Please stay safe and healthy (and at home, if you are able!). How are others occupying themselves during this time?
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
The Queerest Night on Television
Is now Sunday.
With Batwoman and Supergirl airing on the CW, and now The L Word: Generation Q and Work in Progress airing on Showtime, queer women have quite the selection of TV shows featuring Strong Female Characters all on one day (although, yes, with the reality of how many people watch TV, on demand any day, any time we want via Hulu or wherever you enjoy your pop culture streams).
First, the CW series. I've enjoyed Batwoman so far, primarily because it's meaningful to view a show centered around a lesbian superhero. At the same time, while I don't find fault with Ruby Rose, I don't think Batwoman, as a character, has been written particularly strongly as she, at least in contrast to villain Alice, seems relatively passive.
She's already been captured numerous times and often seems completely dependent on her sidekick, Luke, and her (or, er, her cousin's) gadgets to get her out of jams. What I want to know is, what unique personality traits and skillsets does she - Kate Kane - bring to the table that makes her strong and worthy of being a superhero?
On another note, Chicago is used very well as a stand-in for Gotham City. The use of the Chicago Board of Trade Building, with its Ceres-could-be-Batwoman-looming-over-the-city figure at the top of the skyscraper, is clever.
On the Supergirl front, I continue to enjoy the show and its embrace of the gay Alex Danvers and trans Dreamer. I don't have a great, pressing need for Supergirl and Lena Luthor to end up together, as some SuperCorps shippers desperately want. And, especially with Lena's latest betrayal, their relationship has been dishonest in ways that I think would be hard to overcome. Even the way Supergirl talks about Lena to her friends mirrors the way people in abusive relationships continually make excuses for their abusive partners. That being said, the show drops a lot of Supercorps subtext for viewers to read into.
Regarding Showtime, I'll start with The L Word, whose Generation Q reboot piloted this past Sunday. First, whew, quite an opener there. Hello queer sex scenes, how I've missed thee. (What? CW is very PG-13 in that regard.)
Secondly, it was great to see previous characters Alice, Bette, and Shane again. I've re-watched The L Word series, erm, multiple times, so it's frankly just nice to see them engaging in new plotlines and dialogue. In addition, the new characters include at least one trans main character, the Asian-American Micah, and multiple women of color.
Then, in the grand tradition of The L Word tackling current political events, the pilot that aired this past Sunday included a #MeToo plotline with Bette and references to the opioid crisis. The #MeToo plot revolved around the past behavior of Bette, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles, and specifically how she is being publicly called out for having sex with a previous subordinate employee.
Her friends, Alice and Shane, sort of convinced her that the charges of impropriety were not legitimate and were based on the fact that she's a lesbian, but sorry gals, I disagree. Because I remember Bette Porter and the Bette Porter I remember should probably never run for political office. (See above, regarding my multiple re-watches of the series).
In six seasons of the original series, we saw a pattern of unethical sexual behavior on Bette's part, including an affair with both a student and a professor while she was dean of an art school, an affair with a contractor she hired, and multiple instances of her cheating on a partner. Yes, it's true that men often get away with far worse and still get to keep their jobs and political ambitions, but that reality doesn't mean that women should also be able to get away with it as well. Feminists and progressives lose credibility on the matter of sexual harassment when we don't hold each other to the same standards we try to hold conservatives to, and I wouldn't be okay with a male politician with multiple instances of sexual impropriety that included sex with a student and subordinate in his past.
And finally, Work in Progress is a delight so far, and reminds me of Tig Notaro's brilliant One Mississippi in its authenticity and use of comedy to explore dark themes, in this case mental illness, bullying, and suicide ideation. Also, the characters in this show look and act like the queer people I know in real life, and that's a very rare thing.
Relatedly, the way that the main character Abby, has thus far interacted with her love interest, Chris - who is a trans man - seems true to how some middle-aged lesbians would act, messy flaws and all. Her intentions seem good, but she engages in some impropriety in their initial interactions, including not apologizing upon misgendering Chris (even as she complains to Chris about being misgendered her entire life) and outing Chris as trans to her group of lesbian friends. It's not far enough along in the series to know whether and how these issues will be addressed (as learning moments for Abby and some audience members?). But, hopefully Chris will serve as more than a vehicle for Abby's personal growth and salvation (and Abby will show some interest in Chris' story rather than just vice versa).
In any event, I find the series compelling, relatable, and want to see what happens.
With Batwoman and Supergirl airing on the CW, and now The L Word: Generation Q and Work in Progress airing on Showtime, queer women have quite the selection of TV shows featuring Strong Female Characters all on one day (although, yes, with the reality of how many people watch TV, on demand any day, any time we want via Hulu or wherever you enjoy your pop culture streams).
First, the CW series. I've enjoyed Batwoman so far, primarily because it's meaningful to view a show centered around a lesbian superhero. At the same time, while I don't find fault with Ruby Rose, I don't think Batwoman, as a character, has been written particularly strongly as she, at least in contrast to villain Alice, seems relatively passive.
She's already been captured numerous times and often seems completely dependent on her sidekick, Luke, and her (or, er, her cousin's) gadgets to get her out of jams. What I want to know is, what unique personality traits and skillsets does she - Kate Kane - bring to the table that makes her strong and worthy of being a superhero?
On another note, Chicago is used very well as a stand-in for Gotham City. The use of the Chicago Board of Trade Building, with its Ceres-could-be-Batwoman-looming-over-the-city figure at the top of the skyscraper, is clever.
On the Supergirl front, I continue to enjoy the show and its embrace of the gay Alex Danvers and trans Dreamer. I don't have a great, pressing need for Supergirl and Lena Luthor to end up together, as some SuperCorps shippers desperately want. And, especially with Lena's latest betrayal, their relationship has been dishonest in ways that I think would be hard to overcome. Even the way Supergirl talks about Lena to her friends mirrors the way people in abusive relationships continually make excuses for their abusive partners. That being said, the show drops a lot of Supercorps subtext for viewers to read into.
Regarding Showtime, I'll start with The L Word, whose Generation Q reboot piloted this past Sunday. First, whew, quite an opener there. Hello queer sex scenes, how I've missed thee. (What? CW is very PG-13 in that regard.)
Secondly, it was great to see previous characters Alice, Bette, and Shane again. I've re-watched The L Word series, erm, multiple times, so it's frankly just nice to see them engaging in new plotlines and dialogue. In addition, the new characters include at least one trans main character, the Asian-American Micah, and multiple women of color.
Then, in the grand tradition of The L Word tackling current political events, the pilot that aired this past Sunday included a #MeToo plotline with Bette and references to the opioid crisis. The #MeToo plot revolved around the past behavior of Bette, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles, and specifically how she is being publicly called out for having sex with a previous subordinate employee.
Her friends, Alice and Shane, sort of convinced her that the charges of impropriety were not legitimate and were based on the fact that she's a lesbian, but sorry gals, I disagree. Because I remember Bette Porter and the Bette Porter I remember should probably never run for political office. (See above, regarding my multiple re-watches of the series).
In six seasons of the original series, we saw a pattern of unethical sexual behavior on Bette's part, including an affair with both a student and a professor while she was dean of an art school, an affair with a contractor she hired, and multiple instances of her cheating on a partner. Yes, it's true that men often get away with far worse and still get to keep their jobs and political ambitions, but that reality doesn't mean that women should also be able to get away with it as well. Feminists and progressives lose credibility on the matter of sexual harassment when we don't hold each other to the same standards we try to hold conservatives to, and I wouldn't be okay with a male politician with multiple instances of sexual impropriety that included sex with a student and subordinate in his past.
And finally, Work in Progress is a delight so far, and reminds me of Tig Notaro's brilliant One Mississippi in its authenticity and use of comedy to explore dark themes, in this case mental illness, bullying, and suicide ideation. Also, the characters in this show look and act like the queer people I know in real life, and that's a very rare thing.
Relatedly, the way that the main character Abby, has thus far interacted with her love interest, Chris - who is a trans man - seems true to how some middle-aged lesbians would act, messy flaws and all. Her intentions seem good, but she engages in some impropriety in their initial interactions, including not apologizing upon misgendering Chris (even as she complains to Chris about being misgendered her entire life) and outing Chris as trans to her group of lesbian friends. It's not far enough along in the series to know whether and how these issues will be addressed (as learning moments for Abby and some audience members?). But, hopefully Chris will serve as more than a vehicle for Abby's personal growth and salvation (and Abby will show some interest in Chris' story rather than just vice versa).
In any event, I find the series compelling, relatable, and want to see what happens.
Monday, December 2, 2019
Melissa Benoist Shares Experiences With Intimate Partner Violence
In an Instagram video she posted last week, Supergirl star Melissa Benoist shared that she experienced intimate partner violence in a previous relationship.
The full video is currently up on YouTube here, and in it she details how a previous romantic partner emotionally and physically abused her. Benoist did not name the previous partner, although some in the media have attempted to fill in the blanks based on the timing of some of the incidents she refers to. Out of respect for the fact that Benoist didn't name him, I won't speculate here.
Instead, I'll offer my story.
When I was 18, in one of my earliest relationships, my partner was emotionally abusive, including regularly belittling me, isolating me from my friends and family, cheating on me, and making us keep our relationship a secret (always complicated and "easy" for abusers to justify in queer relationships). Even after I broke up with this person, they continued to stalk me and break into my email account to keep track of what I was doing, who I was communicating with, and who I was hanging out with.
I didn't have many tools at the time to recognize much of this behavior as abusive, let alone to effectively counter it. After years of work, including therapy, martial arts and self-defense training, and feminist education and analysis, I am in a very different place now.
My past experiences with abuse also inform why I have little to no tolerance for abusive Internet behavior, especially those who, for instance, stalk and harass me through my Twitter account even after I've blocked them.
The fact is, especially after more than 10 years engaging with folks on the Internet, I almost immediately know how to recognize abusers and their abusive patterns, and the best course of action for me is to simply refuse to engage with them because what they desire more than anything is to keep their target trapped in an abusive cycle on their terms, not yours.
This is not to say that Internet abuse is the same as physical violence. In fact, I don't think it's useful to compare or rank which types of abuse are "worse" than others. To put it simply, and to paraphrase Tig Notaro in One Mississippi, "they're all bad."
I'll just offer that I'm sorry Benoist experienced intimate partner violence. I have long admired her acting on Supergirl, but even aside from that, no person should have to endure abuse in an intimate, or any other, relationship. And, I hope she is getting any help and support she needs to deal with the trauma from her experiences.
The full video is currently up on YouTube here, and in it she details how a previous romantic partner emotionally and physically abused her. Benoist did not name the previous partner, although some in the media have attempted to fill in the blanks based on the timing of some of the incidents she refers to. Out of respect for the fact that Benoist didn't name him, I won't speculate here.
Instead, I'll offer my story.
When I was 18, in one of my earliest relationships, my partner was emotionally abusive, including regularly belittling me, isolating me from my friends and family, cheating on me, and making us keep our relationship a secret (always complicated and "easy" for abusers to justify in queer relationships). Even after I broke up with this person, they continued to stalk me and break into my email account to keep track of what I was doing, who I was communicating with, and who I was hanging out with.
I didn't have many tools at the time to recognize much of this behavior as abusive, let alone to effectively counter it. After years of work, including therapy, martial arts and self-defense training, and feminist education and analysis, I am in a very different place now.
My past experiences with abuse also inform why I have little to no tolerance for abusive Internet behavior, especially those who, for instance, stalk and harass me through my Twitter account even after I've blocked them.
The fact is, especially after more than 10 years engaging with folks on the Internet, I almost immediately know how to recognize abusers and their abusive patterns, and the best course of action for me is to simply refuse to engage with them because what they desire more than anything is to keep their target trapped in an abusive cycle on their terms, not yours.
This is not to say that Internet abuse is the same as physical violence. In fact, I don't think it's useful to compare or rank which types of abuse are "worse" than others. To put it simply, and to paraphrase Tig Notaro in One Mississippi, "they're all bad."
I'll just offer that I'm sorry Benoist experienced intimate partner violence. I have long admired her acting on Supergirl, but even aside from that, no person should have to endure abuse in an intimate, or any other, relationship. And, I hope she is getting any help and support she needs to deal with the trauma from her experiences.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Supercorps Friday and Kara's Big Coming Out Moment
Just two heterosexual gals having a completely heterosexual conversation about their 100% heterosexual friendship:
I know I'm really gay, but in all seriousness, I find it nearly impossible to view Kara coming out to Lena as Supergirl as anything other than Kara professing her longstanding love for Lena. It's actually so obvious it feels silly saying out loud.
If Kara had just said, "I'm Supergirl" and left it at that, and Lena then expressed surprise, and they both moved on, one could maybe buy that this convo was solely a superhero-identity revelation.
But, Kara continues by saying, "I've always been Supergirl." The "always" comment is weird, right? Was there ever a possibility, for instance, that multiple people were pretending to be Supergirl and that Kara was only Supergirl for part of the time Supergirl has been around? No. Of course not. "I'm Supergirl" is clearly a stand-in for "I'm [in love with you.] I've always been [in love with you.]" because that's a somewhat standard line when TV/film characters are finally revealing undying love to a crush.
Also, I haven't fully bought Kara's angst about revealing her identity to Lena. Over the course of the previous four seasons, she has revealed her identity to many people, including those she has known for less time and initially has less reason to trust than Lena. The angst and fear in two canonically-hetero characters appears, on-screen, to stem more from feelings akin to, "Oh shit. I'm 'straight.' You're 'straight.' We're in love and I'm not sure how to handle it."
Lena's reaction, for instance, is hardly measured. She's left speechless, initially, and then goes up in front of a crowd and improvises a super touching speech about her "best friend."
Like the early seasons of Xena, it's clearly a same-sex romance that the powers-that-be are presenting in such a way that can plausibly (I guess?) be read as platonic by some viewers and subtextually queer by others, thus sort-of not fully pleasing or offending either camp.
In conclusion, I'll continue to monitor the situation. Um, for science.
I know I'm really gay, but in all seriousness, I find it nearly impossible to view Kara coming out to Lena as Supergirl as anything other than Kara professing her longstanding love for Lena. It's actually so obvious it feels silly saying out loud.
If Kara had just said, "I'm Supergirl" and left it at that, and Lena then expressed surprise, and they both moved on, one could maybe buy that this convo was solely a superhero-identity revelation.
But, Kara continues by saying, "I've always been Supergirl." The "always" comment is weird, right? Was there ever a possibility, for instance, that multiple people were pretending to be Supergirl and that Kara was only Supergirl for part of the time Supergirl has been around? No. Of course not. "I'm Supergirl" is clearly a stand-in for "I'm [in love with you.] I've always been [in love with you.]" because that's a somewhat standard line when TV/film characters are finally revealing undying love to a crush.
Also, I haven't fully bought Kara's angst about revealing her identity to Lena. Over the course of the previous four seasons, she has revealed her identity to many people, including those she has known for less time and initially has less reason to trust than Lena. The angst and fear in two canonically-hetero characters appears, on-screen, to stem more from feelings akin to, "Oh shit. I'm 'straight.' You're 'straight.' We're in love and I'm not sure how to handle it."
Lena's reaction, for instance, is hardly measured. She's left speechless, initially, and then goes up in front of a crowd and improvises a super touching speech about her "best friend."
Like the early seasons of Xena, it's clearly a same-sex romance that the powers-that-be are presenting in such a way that can plausibly (I guess?) be read as platonic by some viewers and subtextually queer by others, thus sort-of not fully pleasing or offending either camp.
In conclusion, I'll continue to monitor the situation. Um, for science.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Batwoman and the Case of the Toxic Male Nerddom
Whew, that Batwoman trailer.
Of course, the misogynists are melting down about it, especially that "when it fits a woman" line.
To such people, they're so enraged and entitled that a thing exists that doesn't center them and their likes that they believe it has to not exist at all. They can't just go watch Joker or whatever and be content in their rage-angst, they try to game social media likes, comments, and reviews to tank a show before it even airs. Giving it a fair shot, to them, is out of the question. It was the same with the Ghostbusters reboot.
Anyway, the first episode airs 10/6. I've read the Batwoman comics for many years, and I'm excited about this one.
The city is hers now. #Batwoman is coming Sundays this fall to The CW! pic.twitter.com/r9qa9TCPRA— Batwoman (@CWBatwoman) May 16, 2019
Of course, the misogynists are melting down about it, especially that "when it fits a woman" line.
To such people, they're so enraged and entitled that a thing exists that doesn't center them and their likes that they believe it has to not exist at all. They can't just go watch Joker or whatever and be content in their rage-angst, they try to game social media likes, comments, and reviews to tank a show before it even airs. Giving it a fair shot, to them, is out of the question. It was the same with the Ghostbusters reboot.
Anyway, the first episode airs 10/6. I've read the Batwoman comics for many years, and I'm excited about this one.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Bi Visibility Day
Was yesterday, technically, and now I have to share with you an end product of missing Lost Girl (and bi main character Bo Dennis) and subsequently going down another YouTube fan vid rabbit-hole.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Alex Danvers Appreciation Friday
So, look. I know I fell behind on the Supergirl recaps.
Mostly, I've had life stuff going on. But also, I lost a little bit of interest in Season 3, for whatever reason. I've picked up watching the show again and am almost finished with Season 4, but by now it seems like a lot of work to start the recaps again from where I last left off.
Woe is me.
Here are my thoughts, in lieu of recaps:
Mostly, I've had life stuff going on. But also, I lost a little bit of interest in Season 3, for whatever reason. I've picked up watching the show again and am almost finished with Season 4, but by now it seems like a lot of work to start the recaps again from where I last left off.
Woe is me.
Here are my thoughts, in lieu of recaps:
- I like both actors, but the romance between Lena Luthor and James seems forced. The two just don't have great chemistry, certainly not as good of chemistry as Kara and Lena have when they actually have scenes together. (Disclaimer: every character would be in some way queer if I wrote for this show, even - no, especially - the villains).
- Sometimes, the villains in CW DC-verse are hokey, heavy-handed, and uninteresting. And look, I get it, maybe the shows are geared toward younger viewers. But, Agent Liberty as a villain isn't working for me. It's supposed to be a metaphor for today's political climate of white nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiment, but in the show, Agent Liberty is sort of presented as having somewhat valid reasons for being scared of "the aliens." That is, the aliens are typically are more powerful than humans and so Agent Liberty's fear is not portrayed as entirely irrational. This is a marked contrast to today's political climate of irrational xenophobia toward immigrants, refugees, and migrants.As a viewer, I don't want to be invited to "view the other side as rational and having a point," via metaphor, when in reality Donald Trump and his white supremacist supporters are deeply dangerous.
- Nia Nal has been a great addition, as has Brainy's upgrade to main cast.
- The show has never been great at portrayals of Black women, in my opinion. Colonel Haley has potential, but so far the show's creators have written her as a villainous Angry Black Woman.
- I miss Cat Grant.
- I will watch all the crossovers. Especially plotlines involving Sara Lance and Alex Danvers (and/or Kate Kane).
- Mon-El was fine as a character, and I'd love to see Alex Danvers have a girlfriend again, but I still maintain that the show is at its best when it remembers that the heart of the show is the relationship between Alex and Kara. So, putting that relationship in peril is always a good plot device, in my book.
- I know it seems like I'm mostly complaining about the show, and maybe I am. So here's something: Alex Danvers keeps getting gayer and gayer with every episode and I could not be happier about that. Now, let her have connections to the LGBT community and make Kara Danvers bisexual, you cowards!
 |
| Yes, please! |
Friday, August 23, 2019
It's Happening!
Showtime has released a teaser for The L Word: Generation Q:
Some quick observations:
- The L Word last aired 10 years ago and all the original actors look the same as they did then.
- Bette is running for mayor of LA and this is 100% not surprising.
- Shane still seems up to the usual Shane-anigans.
- I can't help it, I'm so excited for this!
- Oh my god:
she's not dead— Mia Kirshner (@msmiakirshner) August 12, 2019
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Anneward Scissorhands
If you've ever wondered the things I think about when I'm not thinking about politics:
I think this crossover might even be better than the I idea had to reboot Scrooged with Anna Kendrick as the lead.
Insert jokes about scissors, as appropriate, here. And, FWIW, they're all appropriate.
[Text: "I just had a random, weird, brief vision of an Edward Scissorhands reboot with Anne Lister as the lead and I can't stop thinking about it."]I just had a random, weird, brief vision of an Edward Scissorhands reboot with Anne Lister as the lead and I can't stop thinking about it. pic.twitter.com/NCUAGxb9Ta— Fannie Wolfe 🌈 (@fanniesroom) August 12, 2019
I think this crossover might even be better than the I idea had to reboot Scrooged with Anna Kendrick as the lead.
Insert jokes about scissors, as appropriate, here. And, FWIW, they're all appropriate.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Gentleman Jack Recap: Season One Finale ("Are You Still Talking?")
Over at Shakesville, my recap of the Gentleman Jack Season One Finale is up!
Here's a quick preview:
Here's a quick preview:
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Gentleman Jack Recap: Season 1, Episode 7 ("Why've You Brought That?)
Season 1 of Gentleman Jack is almost over! Over at Shakesville, I have recapped the penultimate episode!
Check it out.
Check it out.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Gentleman Jack Recap: Season, Episode 6 ("Do Ladies Do That?")
Check out my latest Gentleman Jack recap, Season 1, Episode 6, over at Shakesville.
The first season is coming to a close, sadly. How will it end for the Anns?
The first season is coming to a close, sadly. How will it end for the Anns?
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Gentleman Jack Recap: Season 1, Episode 5 ("Let's Have Another Look At Your Past Perfect")
Over at Shakesville, I continue my recapping of the TV show Gentleman Jack. For those not familiar:
Check it out!
Gentleman Jack is an eight-episode drama series from BAFTA-winning writer Sally Wainwright (To Walk Invisible, Happy Valley).The series is on HBO and runs Monday nights at 10 PM. (Note: Recaps will include spoilers for that episode.)
Set in 1832 West Yorkshire, England, Gentleman Jack is inspired by the true-story and coded journals of Anne Lister (played by Suranne Jones), and follows her attempt to revitalize her inherited home, Shibden Hall. Most notably for the time period, a part of Lister's plan is to help the fate of her own family by taking a wife.
Check it out!
Monday, June 17, 2019
On Cersei's End
Lena Heady has spoken out about Cersei's death in Game of Thrones:
Of course, the producers already had Cersei suffer the ultimate degradation of being perp-walked naked through King's Landing while being jeered at by the townsfolk, and that seems to be the Worst Thing they ever envisioned happening to her. Along with Dany, I think the show simply ran out of ideas for the two female characters who had consolidated the most political power in Westeros and couldn't fathom an end for them other than "becomes evil, then dies." Running concurrently, of course, was Jon Snow's storyline which, I guess, demonstrated that anyone supposedly fit to rule, and who was an inherently good person, wouldn't want the job, would be too weak to even try, or would never actually garner enough support to rise to the throne.
As the finale has marinated a bit, this "lesson" about human nature and power has been, I think, one of the more disappointing from the series not just because it is pessimistic, but also uncreative. It seems far more difficult to show us a world, and model of leadership, that is more nuanced or even transformative.
Dany, for instance, had been the Breaker of Chains. I would have been satisfied with an ending that leveraged this past so that she ultimately helped liberate King's Landing from Cersei's rule and, along the way, come to some realization that monarchy is regressive. Instead, they had her go full totalitarian, based on the fact that she had always felt entitled to throne, worked with a single-minded purpose for 8 season to achieve that aim, and apparently learned no real lessons about power and leadership along the way.
Alternatively, and this might seem counter to what I've just said above, but I would have been satisfied with an ending in which Cersei kept the throne after having simply waited for her enemies to deplete their ranks fighting the White Walkers and each other. It's pessimistic, sure, but it would have been a different lesson about how and when to allocate resources for in-fighting v. existential threats, which seems highly relevant today and always.
Anyway, in the interview cited above, Heady mentioned that the cast is in a WhatsApp group where they talk about the show, and oh to be a fly on that virtual wall.
“I will say I wanted a better death.”
In the penultimate episode Cersei was crushed by falling masonry along with her brother-lover Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). It was an underwhelming end, to put it politely.
“Obviously you dream of your death,” she says. “You could go in any way on that show. So I was kind of gutted. But I just think they couldn’t have pleased everyone. No matter what they did, I think there was going to be some big comedown from the climb.”I agree that the way she and Jaime died was pretty anti-climactic.
Of course, the producers already had Cersei suffer the ultimate degradation of being perp-walked naked through King's Landing while being jeered at by the townsfolk, and that seems to be the Worst Thing they ever envisioned happening to her. Along with Dany, I think the show simply ran out of ideas for the two female characters who had consolidated the most political power in Westeros and couldn't fathom an end for them other than "becomes evil, then dies." Running concurrently, of course, was Jon Snow's storyline which, I guess, demonstrated that anyone supposedly fit to rule, and who was an inherently good person, wouldn't want the job, would be too weak to even try, or would never actually garner enough support to rise to the throne.
As the finale has marinated a bit, this "lesson" about human nature and power has been, I think, one of the more disappointing from the series not just because it is pessimistic, but also uncreative. It seems far more difficult to show us a world, and model of leadership, that is more nuanced or even transformative.
Dany, for instance, had been the Breaker of Chains. I would have been satisfied with an ending that leveraged this past so that she ultimately helped liberate King's Landing from Cersei's rule and, along the way, come to some realization that monarchy is regressive. Instead, they had her go full totalitarian, based on the fact that she had always felt entitled to throne, worked with a single-minded purpose for 8 season to achieve that aim, and apparently learned no real lessons about power and leadership along the way.
Alternatively, and this might seem counter to what I've just said above, but I would have been satisfied with an ending in which Cersei kept the throne after having simply waited for her enemies to deplete their ranks fighting the White Walkers and each other. It's pessimistic, sure, but it would have been a different lesson about how and when to allocate resources for in-fighting v. existential threats, which seems highly relevant today and always.
Anyway, in the interview cited above, Heady mentioned that the cast is in a WhatsApp group where they talk about the show, and oh to be a fly on that virtual wall.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Gentleman Jack Recap: Season 1, Episode 4 ("Most Women Are Dull and Stupid")
Over at Shakesville, I continue my recapping of the TV show Gentleman Jack. For those not familiar:
Go read it!
Gentleman Jack is an eight-episode drama series from BAFTA-winning writer Sally Wainwright (To Walk Invisible, Happy Valley).The series is on HBO and runs Monday nights at 10 PM. (Note: Recaps will include spoilers for that episode.)
Set in 1832 West Yorkshire, England, Gentleman Jack is inspired by the true-story and coded journals of Anne Lister (played by Suranne Jones), and follows her attempt to revitalize her inherited home, Shibden Hall. Most notably for the time period, a part of Lister's plan is to help the fate of her own family by taking a wife.
Go read it!
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Gentleman Jack Recap: Season 1, Episode 3 ("Oh Is That What You Call It"?)
Over at Shakesville, I continue my recapping of the TV show Gentleman Jack. For those not familiar:
Go check it out!
Gentleman Jack is an eight-episode drama series from BAFTA-winning writer Sally Wainwright (To Walk Invisible, Happy Valley).The series is on HBO and runs Monday nights at 10 PM. (Note: Recaps will include spoilers for that episode.)
Set in 1832 West Yorkshire, England, Gentleman Jack is inspired by the true-story and coded journals of Anne Lister (played by Suranne Jones), and follows her attempt to revitalize her inherited home, Shibden Hall. Most notably for the time period, a part of Lister's plan is to help the fate of her own family by taking a wife.
Go check it out!
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Well, I Thought It Was Funny Anyway
Game of Thrones has ended, and here's my alt-ending for Brienne:
I would have liked to have seen more of Yara and Brienne in the last few episodes, but the finale sort of solidified that the central characters of the series were the Starks. I'm not going to rush to any sort of immediate hot take. The series was 8 seasons long and the books aren't finished yet. It's an enormous piece of pop culture and, as such, I may want to write about it again after a re-watch.
On a more serious note, personally, I'm pretty meh about who ended up on the Iron Throne. I definitely didn't want Jon to kill Dany and then take the throne himself. It also seems like Tyrion is actually going to be in charge, even though he's officially the Hand.Brienne, adding her name: pic.twitter.com/Tg1ZU4rMY0— Fannie Wolfe 🌈 (@fanniesroom) May 20, 2019
I would have liked to have seen more of Yara and Brienne in the last few episodes, but the finale sort of solidified that the central characters of the series were the Starks. I'm not going to rush to any sort of immediate hot take. The series was 8 seasons long and the books aren't finished yet. It's an enormous piece of pop culture and, as such, I may want to write about it again after a re-watch.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Gentleman Jack Recaps
Hi everyone - are you watching Gentleman Jack on HBO?
For those not familiar:
For those not familiar:
Gentleman Jack is an eight-episode drama series from BAFTA-winning writer Sally Wainwright (To Walk Invisible, Happy Valley).The series is on HBO and runs Monday nights at 10 PM. I will be posting weekly recaps at Shakesville starting today! My first recap, of the pilot, is posted - so check it out! (Note: Recaps will include spoilers for that episode.)
Set in 1832 West Yorkshire, England, Gentleman Jack is inspired by the true-story and coded journals of Anne Lister (played by Suranne Jones), and follows her attempt to revitalize her inherited home, Shibden Hall. Most notably for the time period, a part of Lister's plan is to help the fate of her own family by taking a wife.
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