Whitechapel - On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012

Whitechapel - On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 Thu, 23 May 2013 11:02:32 -0700 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.1.4 & Feed Publisher On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320245#Comment_320245 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320245#Comment_320245 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:14:30 -0800 johnjones Fringe and Castle getting new episodes. So does Grimm. Chuck will wrap up in January which makes me a little sad, but given the quality of some of the recent episodes, not as sad as I'd like to be, if that makes any sense.

Oooh, almost forgot, new Justified this month, too. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320252#Comment_320252 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320252#Comment_320252 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:22:40 -0800 SteadyUP On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320256#Comment_320256 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320256#Comment_320256 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:30:08 -0800 Cat Vincent I assume you mean the US Shameless? I was surprised how well the adaptation worked, though Joan Cusack's a surprisingly weak replacement for Maggie O'Neal's Sheila.

Justified's return will make a whole bunch of us happy.

(Suddenly realise I don't know when Fringe returns... ah, it's on the 13th.)

And, as for recent viewing... Sherlock - A lot of fun, though I think Moffatt's deciding to change Irene Adler from someone who beat Holmes to someone he has to rescue is not one I liked. And I still despise their Moriarty. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320257#Comment_320257 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320257#Comment_320257 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:41:27 -0800 SteadyUP love their Moriarty - he saved the first series for me. Forgot it had started back up already; I'll have to get on that.

Haven't watched the British Shameless yet. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320266#Comment_320266 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320266#Comment_320266 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:41:12 -0800 chris g On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320268#Comment_320268 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320268#Comment_320268 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:08:42 -0800 Soviet Rocket No. 9
Speaking of AMC, "Madman" returns for a full season in March. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320270#Comment_320270 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320270#Comment_320270 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:24:46 -0800 DavidLejeune
Much like Rubicon. Fuckers. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320275#Comment_320275 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320275#Comment_320275 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:12:03 -0800 D.J. On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320277#Comment_320277 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320277#Comment_320277 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:28:45 -0800 flecky
Yeah,i enjoy Justified. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320375#Comment_320375 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320375#Comment_320375 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:16:28 -0800 city creed Sherlock was one of the most cringe-inducingly awful bits of TV writing I've seen in a long long time. Just a slap in the face.
I'll probably watch the others because I like almost everything else about the production but my confidence in Gatiss and Moffat has nosedived. So not cool. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320376#Comment_320376 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320376#Comment_320376 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:18:19 -0800 D.J.
Was it as cringe-inducingly awful as the big reveal of the 'question' in the finale of Doctor Who last season?

...Or the entirety of that Christmas special? ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320377#Comment_320377 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320377#Comment_320377 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:48:03 -0800 city creed On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320617#Comment_320617 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320617#Comment_320617 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:20:42 -0800 government spy
JJ Abrams, produced, starring Hurley, about mysteriously vanishing inmates from when The Rock was open, suddenly returning?

Grease up your prison wallets... ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320985#Comment_320985 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320985#Comment_320985 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:30:12 -0800 Finagle
The intro sequence to the latest episode just wins the whole season. Truly well constructed fight scene.

Colm Meaney has been truly showing himself to be a fine, well-developed actor. The low growl in his voice is developing into something resembling the Batman crossed with Baron Harkonnen. I could listen to him read his laundry list. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320987#Comment_320987 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=320987#Comment_320987 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:44:25 -0800 StefanJ
Downton Abbey is a lot of fun and really well done. I didn't realize until yesterday that there were only 7 episodes in the season, so I'm making it a weekly watch rather than a daily thing. (I'm recording the new season for when I run out.)

I'm also watching Avatar: The Last Airbender for the first time. I'd heard good things about it, and so far I'm very pleased. There are enough episodes of it that I can watch it every day.

Also watching the first season of Portlandia, which is a gas. I live near Portland, and have never really run into folks like the ones they are mocking, but it is still hilarious.

And I can finally watch the last season of Doctor Who. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321369#Comment_321369 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321369#Comment_321369 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:58:53 -0800 government spy On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321661#Comment_321661 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321661#Comment_321661 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:05:22 -0800 Solario
The last episode wasn't just a disappointment it was fucking offensive to me as a viewer.

From the first scene it was trite, a rehash of everything we've seen before, and utterly, utterly obvious. Every shot lingers on every single clue shouting "I AM IMPORTANT LOOK AT ME" and even the fake-outs are telegraphed as fake outs. The mysteries are obvious and I ended up just sitting there waiting for the inevitable. This would have been fine, if it hadn't been treated as the BIG SHOCKING MOMENT that it desperately wanted to be.

The plot is nonsensical:

why would they have a trial for Moriaty, if he didn't exist as a real person? Why would Richard Brooks want to portray a sociopath, if the murders ACTUALLY HAPPENED? How naivé do you have to be? "Richard Brooks"? Really? That's worse than "I Am Sherlocked". And did they really expect us to believe Sherlock had died, after having that talk with Molly, and the garbage truck driving away from the scene, just as they discovered his body? And why wouldn't anyone check his face or DNA?

The characters act as if they've suffered moderate to severe brain damage. A bit of cognitive bias is to be expected, but really? And Sherlock takes too long to figure out the riddles and clues. This isn't the Sherlock of A Scandal in Belgravia. I understand it's hard to write a genius, but Moffatt and Gatiss makes a pretty decent go out of it.

The actors do great with what they have, but the lack of surprises and cleverness drains it of any drama it had.

I was just really disappointed with the last episode of one of my favorite TV series on right now. Apologies for the tone and the fannish attitude. I just expected far better. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321666#Comment_321666 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321666#Comment_321666 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:30:29 -0800 Jehrot On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321671#Comment_321671 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321671#Comment_321671 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:46:59 -0800 city creed Mostly agree with that, except for

"Richard Brooks"? Really? That's worse than "I Am Sherlocked"

because nothing has ever been worse than that. EVER. The name just didn't add any force at all to the story, it was irrelevant. Moreso as it references a case that is only given a few scant seconds of screen time in the midst of a confusing montage of press conferences and headlines. And we're supposed to accept that this is now his most famous exploit? Wait, why was that again?

I did think there were some very nice dialogue moments, strong performances and some genuinely creepy bits, I just wish they'd not spent so much time on expository mythologising of a character who is already pretty much the go-to model for emotionally unavailable intellectualism. We get that he's an unempathic, brilliant asshole - we don't need it constantly rammed in our faces at the expense of actual development. They could have taken a few cues from House, which handles this exact same dynamic with much more nuance and depth.
The swooning fans and inevitable, pointless speculation-fests I would happily endure if I thought the actual meat justified it, but this series finale made about as much sense to me as the Captain America movie.

eta: Three ranty posts about Sherlock on a single page is probably maggot-bait. I don't mean to crap all over the show, I mostly enjoyed it, but it came so close to being properly fantastic and then let itself down so damn hard. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321791#Comment_321791 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321791#Comment_321791 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:01:47 -0800 D.J. On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321801#Comment_321801 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321801#Comment_321801 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:26:32 -0800 SteadyUP
Though I'll miss

Moriarty, if he's dead, I'm generally okay with the finale - lots of things about Sherlock's "death" were blatantly suspicious, yeah, but no matter how convincing they made it it still would've been obvious he wasn't dead, because the show isn't called Holmes. I'll grant that the trial has a lot of refrigerator logic going on, but the nice thing about Sherlock episodes spanning months at a time is that there's lots of room for things to happen that don't get mentioned. Maybe it's not the series' finest moment, but I can live with it - and the episode's story isn't over yet, so there's always the chance that the next premiere will introduce new information on the matter.

]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321827#Comment_321827 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321827#Comment_321827 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:57:05 -0800 D.J. I am building up a load in my left nut which I am reserving specifically for the Justified premiere.

And I am now thoroughly spent. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321830#Comment_321830 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321830#Comment_321830 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:23:01 -0800 DavidLejeune
And Archer on Thursday! ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321832#Comment_321832 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321832#Comment_321832 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:19:23 -0800 Santos On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321876#Comment_321876 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321876#Comment_321876 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:37:09 -0800 StefanJ
But the two stories I've seen thus far entirely miss what made the original film so charming. Heck, they betray the original charm and sense of the movie.

Napoleon Dynamite, the movie, was about humble, strange, not terribly competent misfits struggling for dignity in an environment of grinding backwater mundanity. They manage to achieve a small, mundane victory.

The cartoon reminds me of other cartoons I saw in my '70s kid-hood,, in which celebrities and/or famous characters (Mr. T, The Addams Family, Gary Coleman, the Brady Bunch, the Harlem Globetrotters) are thrown into generic supernatural or mystery or SF adventures. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321891#Comment_321891 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321891#Comment_321891 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:59:29 -0800 space scoundrel Raylan tugging the tablecloth was doubly clever in that it was both a good trick in the fight and a move that the audience wasn't expecting at all. Or at least I wasn't. Also, Boyd just keeps getting more and more interesting.

I saw the premiere of Alcatraz and wasn't really all that impressed. The premise could be made into something really interesting but I'm a long way from convinced that they're going to. And the dialogue wasn't too good either. Could certainly improve. Guess we'll see.

I'm also a big Hell on Wheels fan. I love the larger than life characters and the grimy, muddy stories. The acting is excellent.

And holy shit, a guy got decapitated with his own sword. Holy shit.

]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321907#Comment_321907 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321907#Comment_321907 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:24:48 -0800 StefanJ

The decapitation leads to an interesting change in attitude, and some desperate attempts at head-hiding, by our friendly neighborhood preacher.

The mellow medical drama / comedy Royal Pains begins another half-season tonight. Kind of like a really laid-back House. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321913#Comment_321913 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=321913#Comment_321913 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:44:54 -0800 Littlepurplegoth On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=322738#Comment_322738 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=322738#Comment_322738 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:11:09 -0800 johnjones Chuck has finally ended as a series and managed, at the end, to reclaim some of the sweetness and fun that made it "must see" for the first couple of seasons or so at least. Overall, I think I'd have preferred to have ended with last season's finale, but this, this was still pretty good at the end. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323049#Comment_323049 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323049#Comment_323049 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:02:50 -0800 Beamish Encounter at Farpoint on glorious fucking blu-ray. This is what blu-ray is for me. Taking something old and spit-shining the hell out of it to make it a new again, it is a pretty damned remarkable difference. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323057#Comment_323057 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323057#Comment_323057 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:38:42 -0800 StefanJ Metropolis.

The ultra-extended footage was crappy 16mm, spliced into the film here and there. But the restored original prints from the Kino vaults . . . . oh, man. There's a scene where Frederson and Rotwang grab flashlights and descend into the labyrinth beneath Metropolis. And those flashlights. . . . you can see the reflections off of the lenses of the flashlights. OTOH, the hi-res images make the special effect composite scenes less convincing. You can see where the models and real life were stitched together.

I've got 2001 and a few other notable films on BluRay. Waiting for when I'm in the mood. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323058#Comment_323058 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323058#Comment_323058 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:45:23 -0800 Beamish On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323304#Comment_323304 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323304#Comment_323304 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:48:46 -0800 flecky
2001 and Metropolis on BluRay.Sounds like viewing heaven to me. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323305#Comment_323305 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323305#Comment_323305 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:35:21 -0800 shining_lion On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323310#Comment_323310 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323310#Comment_323310 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:35:47 -0800 J.Brennan On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323311#Comment_323311 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323311#Comment_323311 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:44:33 -0800 flecky On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323321#Comment_323321 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323321#Comment_323321 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:33:54 -0800 johnjones On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323401#Comment_323401 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323401#Comment_323401 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:22:16 -0800 khaoohs
I enjoyed Homeland immensely, thought it was one of the best written shows I've seen in a while.
Highly recommended. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323402#Comment_323402 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323402#Comment_323402 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:24:32 -0800 khaoohs On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323403#Comment_323403 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323403#Comment_323403 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:46:16 -0800 RobSpalding I actually thought that maybe S:V would be toned down right up until then. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323415#Comment_323415 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323415#Comment_323415 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:21:29 -0800 khaoohs On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323675#Comment_323675 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323675#Comment_323675 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:29:54 -0800 a ethic whelp Reason: Quick draw car v gun. ]]> On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323696#Comment_323696 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=323696#Comment_323696 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:55:35 -0800 Cat Vincent On the Tee-Vee: January-February 2012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=325894#Comment_325894 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10425&Focus=325894#Comment_325894 Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:55:48 -0800 johnjones