What I have been watching

[scripsi]

The Strain. A rather odd finale which didn’t feel much of a finale at all. I hope there will be a third season, because it really needs it. It’s not a perfect show, but the good overbids the bad. What I like: professor Setrakian and Vasily Fet. Excellent actors and I love their interaction which has grown into a rather lovely father/son relationship. That the ridiculous-looking Master morphed body and now actually look rather scary. Eichhorst, the nazist turning vampire has grwon into a seriously nasty and scary person. And Dutch has grown from eye-candy to a quite interesting character. I think I like Mr. Quinlan, but I don’t think we have seen enough of him yet. The vampire mother’s longing for her still living child. She’s evil, but it’s rather heart-breaking nevertheless. What I don’t like: The show’s obviously main character, Dr. Goodweather. He annoys me no end. That this show has very few female characters and that the season finale killed off two of them, while none of the male died. Extremely annoying.

American Horror Story: Hotel. I find this whole series a bit problematic. It can go between brilliant, tacky, just plain bizarre and gross within a single episode. I like the concept and how they pick up a number of modern horror myths. I found Murder House quite good, didn’t like Asylum, especially not the alien plot. I liked Coven and couldn’t stand Freak Show and didn’t finish watching it.

And now we have Hotel. Love the set design with the Art Deco hotel. Got the giggles when the clueless Swedish girls actually were played by Swedes. (Often Hollywood have English speaking actors speaking Swedish phonetically which sounds so strange to me.) Also a very obvious wink to Kubrick’s The Shining. And the played Hotel California. Kathy Bates is always great and Lady Gaga seems quite promising as some kind of vampire. But the there was a horrific rape of a young junkie by a monster with a metal dildo. I really didn’t need that. So we’ll see, but I will watch the next episode at least.

Doctor Who. Under the Lake wasn’t as great as the first two episodes, but I enjoyed it a lot anyway. Liked the deaf character. Like how Clara is going native as a time traveller and that the Doctor is concerned over that. They’re really planting her leaving, aren’t they? Question; if the TARDIS translates, why doesn’t she translate sign language? Or, for that matter hose of baby? But please, can we ditch the sonic sunglasses? I can live without a screwdriver, and indeed the Doctor did for several regenerations, but making them into sunglasses is just silly, but not in a good way.

Supernatural. I didn’t dislike the episode, but left me a bit confused. I can’t for the life of me remember why Castiel has bloody eyes and seems to regard hímself as dangerous. My bad, I’m sure. I like that Crowley is back in business, but didn’t get why he had to temporarily used that woman. If his body got killed, how could he get back into his body again. I love Mark Sheppard so I was a bit worried he would be gone when Crowley body jumped, but I still don’t get it. Not surprised that the Darkness turned herself into a cute baby. But why must they pick up a token female to take care of her? If she’s only going to be a surrogate mother, then I will be miffed.

Once Upon A Time. I think this is the only series where the good guys are basically interchangeable while the women, good and bad, gets all the character. And Rumplestiltskin. I constantly think it’s David when it’s Robin Hood and vice versa and King Arthur is in the same mold, though with an even dorkier hairstyle. I love Regina and her struggle with being good. The Charmings bore me. I would love to have Mulan and Red back.

So, who is this seasons big bad then? Please, not Madame Mim? Pretty please with sugar on? I suppose they could use Morgana Le Fay, even if she isn’t in the Disney movie. I would love to have the Horned King. True, The Black Cauldron was an awful movie, but Lloyd Alexander’s Book of Three which it is an adaption of, is a great book. And the Horned King a really scary bad guy. But my bet is that we are going down the Greek mythology route this time. We have already had a furie and someone who might have been Charon, so that would make Hades the big bad I suppose? I haven’t actually seen Disney’s Hercules, so I don’t know if there are other baddies to pick from it. Also, I wouldn’t mind if they picked up Jafar from Once Upon A Time In Wonderland- he was a wonderfully snarky villain and I would enjoy him and Regina doing some verbal sparring.

Are there any other Disney villain's left? Frollo is the only one I can think of, but there are no hunchbak vibes at all here yet.

Also enjoying Downton Abbey and Blacklist, though I don’t have much to say about them right now.