Television

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30 entries. 25,656 words.

September, 2012

  • Dr. Who Season 7, Episode 2. 2012-09-08 11:57 PM.
    • Writing
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Liveblogging Dr. Who stream on BBC thanks to a proxy … 00:35 - Sometimes it’s impossible to figure out what’s going on without rewinding a bit. 01:40 - Oh, the dog barking outside was actually on the stream … 02:30 - Wow, he doesn’t even ask anymore. 02:50 - That was a super-fast setup. 06:00 - Wait, is that a two-headed dinosaur? Oh, it’s just a pair of them hanging out together. 181 words.
  • Dr. Who Season 7, Episode 1. 2012-09-09 1:30 AM.
    • Writing
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    I really don’t remember how the last season ended, and I haven’t yet seen the Christmas episode. (Thank’s for nothing, Netflix.) 00:00 - Who’s Hannah? Oh. 02:30 - WTF! They’re all grown up! And broken! 04:15 - Why doesn’t Matt Smith look human? His face is all … weird … 05:20 - And why is he slurring his words? I mean, more than usual for British television. 06:00 - The intro looks different somehow. The tunnel is more blue-green than blue. And, oh, that red fire is definitely new. 240 words.
  • Dr. Who Season 7, Episode 3. 2012-09-15 11:00 PM.
    • Writing
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    00:00 - Took forever to get the stream running tonight. 01:48 - Dr. Who in the Old West is just weird. 04:45 - His face still looks weird. 08:13 - I guess this is a nod to steampunk. Well, more like a jumping up and down pointing frantically to steampunk. 09:38 - I wonder if this actor is American or if he’s a British dude with a great accent. 10:33 - So far Rory and Amy are props in this episode. 195 words.
  • Dr. Who Season 7, Episode 4. 2012-09-23 10:31 PM.
    • Writing
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Starting Episode 4 stream as soon as I find a working proxy… Ah, it’s working now. Starting the stream in a second… wait, maybe it’s not working after all… Ah, I see. Had to add bbci.co.uk to the auto-proxy-switch list. And here we go. For the record, I am eating heated up leftover vegetables from a can while I watch. 1:09 - “The year of the slow invasion.” Woo, cool concept. 281 words.
  • Dr. Who Season 7, Episode 5. 2012-09-30 10:31 PM.
    • Writing
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Getting spaghetti made and getting setup to watch Episode 5, “The Angels Take Manhattan.” I’m not sure I really want to watch this one. It’s the “half-season finale” (whoever came up with such a ridiculous concept?) and … it’s the last episode with Amy and Rory. It says, “The Doctor’s heart-breaking farewell to Amy and Rory” on the site. This does not bode well. Okay, food ready, now playing! 2:25 - Neat imagery… 215 words.

October, 2012

  • Doctor Who Redux. 2012-10-01 6:38 PM.
    • Writing
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Back on the subject of Doctor Who for a moment. Tor.com posts “reviews” of each episode, which I find interesting to compare to my own reactions. In their review of The Angels Take Manhattan, the author had a lot to say about the “inaccuracies” in the episode regarding the Angels and how they affected their immersion. Sure, it makes no sense if you think about it. But I didn’t really notice. This is Doctor Who. Inconsistencies are not unusual. If you haven’t figured out that you have to suspend your disbelief by the seventh series, something is seriously wrong with you. Still, the author ultimately praised the episode. 373 words.

November, 2012

  • Walking Dead, Season 2, Episode 1. 2012-11-04 11:08 PM.
    • Writing
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Okay so I’m a little bit ahead in writing today, so I thought I would finally sit down and watch the first episode of Walking Dead Season 2 on Netflix. I thought the first season was “okay” but I didn’t see where it deserved all the nerd praise it got. I guess it’s a generational thing. Zombies are “cool” with the kids and whatnot. But since Walking Dead is now in it’s third season and everyone is still raving about it, I thought I should give it another chance. 651 words.
  • The Walking Dead, Season 3, Episode 4. 2012-11-23 12:20 AM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    A while back I was making fun of the first episode of Walking Dead, Season 2. I still think that episode kind of sucked. But I diligently carried on and the show got much better. I thought the pacing was really slow, though, and then everything happened all at once in the season finale. So of course I had to watch Season 3. But that’s the current season, so it isn’t on Netflix. And I don’t have cable or even a television (I’m watching on an iPad), so I did something I’ve never done before: I bought Season 3 on Amazon Prime. 125 words.

May, 2013

  • Game of Thrones Season 3. 2013-05-23 6:42 PM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Okay I’m going to say it. Or write it. Whatever. Game of Thrones is getting a bit dull. In the books, it’s fine to have twenty different storylines, because it’s an epic fantasy after all and you get to stay with the characters for at least a chapter before moving on, and they are usually long chapters. In the television series, you get to spend roughly thirty seconds on each story in each episode, so it’s nearly impossible to form any kind of attachment with what’s going on. We see so little of Daenerys that I really don’t care what she’s doing over there in the desert anymore. Every time we see her, all she’s doing is whining about slaves. I almost wish they would devote each episode to one specific character’s story instead of trying to weave them all together. 199 words.

September, 2013

  • Revolution. 2013-09-01 12:09 AM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Being super drained after moving, I wanted something that I could sit and stare at for hours on end without thinking, so I started binge-watching this TV show that Netflix put into their Top 10 Shows We Know You Will Like. It’s called Revolution. After five minutes, I thought, “Oh God, seriously? Another post-apocalyptic, civilization-has-collapsed show? Like Jericho? Falling Skies? Under the Dome (kind of)? Um… all those other shows I can’t think of at this moment? And J.J. Abrams is involved? Hasn’t he done enough damage with Lost and Fringe?” I was thoroughly prepared to turn it off after five minutes and move on to something else, because I knew without a doubt it was going to suck, and it would be filled with stupid science and clichés put in by clueless TV executives. 368 words.
  • Science Problems with Revolution. 2013-09-02 2:27 PM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Don’t get me wrong, I like the show. I’m a sucker for post-apocalyptic fiction I guess. And it has a lot of “heart.” But sometimes television writers are just really lazy about basic science. It’s why this country is like last place in math and science, I guess. 1. Pilot When electricity goes off, screens don’t blink and distort. They instantly go black. I’ve been through power outages. I know these things. Cars wouldn’t stop dead if the electrical system died … at worst I think they’d drift to a stop. But I feel like the engines wouldn’t just shut off, right? I mean they would keep running until they ran out of gas, then you wouldn’t be able to start them again. Anyway they certainly wouldn’t stop in perfect columns on a highway. Planes definitely wouldn’t fall from the sky. They can glide. You know, aerodynamics? Come on. It’s not Y2K for God’s sake. So all of civilization collapsed and rebuilt itself in the 15 years since The Blackout. Seems like a short time. The voiceover said, “Not even car engines or jet turbines. Hell even batteries.” Okay that kind of implies that internal combustion doesn’t work any more? Is that what they’re trying to say? Does that mean all chemical reactions don’t work? Would a match not strike? Lighters not light? How are they building fires? Or are they saying the current just doesn’t flow out of the battery any more? “Physics went insane.” This is the exact moment when the show jumped the shark. I thought to myself, “This show totally sucks and should not be watched.” But I was way too tired to stop it. While the kid eats the last melting ice cream: “I want you to really remember what it tastes like.” People made ice cream before electricity, ya know. Gus, from Breaking Bad! The show started looking up. What is up with these crazy-looking swords/machettes with hilts that look like brass knuckles? They look terribly uncomfortable and impractical. Ugh, crossbow bolts don’t throw people backwards like that. I’ve never seen anyone shot by a crossbow bolt, but I’m very sure of that. Even if physics did go insane. Here’s the inciting incident of the Hero’s Journey, where our hero is thrown from her normal world and forced to go on a quest. Gus has amazing facial expressions. He has another name in this show but I can’t remember it at the moment. Ow, getting hit in the face with a pipe probably hurts. What the hell kind of poison makes people spit up blood within seconds? Shards of glass? You’d think they would notice that. I can’t help wondering how people survived asthma attacks before there was medicine for it. Uncle Miles reminds me of a badass version of MacGyver. This woman with the shotgun looks like Diana Ross to me. Muskets?? Well at least some kind of chemical reactions still work. It sort of implies that they can still make musket balls easily but manufacturing jacketed bullets is beyond them. I assumed that car engines didn’t work because spark plugs didn’t work. (But then, spark plugs are only used to start an engine.) Oh my. A shocking revalation. Very unusual for a J.J. Abrams production. Oh my. Another shocking revalation! 2. Chained Heat “Oh there’s a sale on heroin.” Ha. Why does everyone have freshly-washed hair except the ex-Google millionaire?? And why is he wearing those gigantic black-rimmed glasses?? Total geek discrimination!! I thought that accent was Australian. It never occurred to me that it was supposed to be British. Why would they sleep next to a swamp? They probably would have gotten malaria. And why did they wake up at what looked like noon? Why would they use human prisoners to pull a helicopter when they could use horses or mules or a hundred other draft animals which would be far more effective? I think this exact same sniper guy with dark aviator shades has manned every prison tower in every movie ever. When she typed “Randall is here” I immediately thought of Stephen King’s The Stand. Another shocking revelation! 3. No Quarter The opening sequence of this show is pretty lame. “We’re hoping someone will come and light the way.” Really? Stu Redman! Frannie! Another reference to Stephen King’s The Stand. It’s easier to “scavenge antiques” (muskets) than to find “smokeless powder, copper jacket” bullets. We have more muskets than moden firearms laying around? Sniper rifles are more rare than muskets? Okay, sure. That makes perfect sense. Okay. Let’s talk. Nobody working for Google is going to know what an 8-bit register looks like. An 8-bit register would be a total antique to anyone working at Google today. Only somebody that’s like 50 years old or more (today, not counting the 15 years after the blackout) would have even a chance to be able to pick up an 8-bit register chip and recognize it. And we all know that Google doesn’t hire people more than like 22 years old. And also, an 8-bit register is going to look like a huge microchip, not a little circuit board. AND! Why build a whole cabinet-sized computer from spare 8-bit registers when you could just pick up a freakin’ Rasberry Pi which is a whole freakin’ computer in a package the size of a pack of gum? I am not a trained sniper, but I have a feeling that shooting people in the sternum is not the best way to kill someone in a single shot. Danny’s disgruntled guard is the best actor in this episode. Why don’t people in television know how to tie people up? I mean, loose-hanging rope around the chest and upper arms is probably not going to work very well. 4. The Plague Dogs These people seem to be able to walk a long way in a short time. So these dogs are running away from fresh food to chase after people? If electricity doesn’t work, why is there still lightning?? This kid is apparently the only tornado-sniffing expert in the post-apocalptic world. These people sure do recover from injuries fast. The sailor with the big funny ears said: There are “no more steam boats.” But wait … in the very next episode we’re going to see a steam train. He also said all the ships were “destroyed in the wars.” What wars?? What a minute. These two groups are only a day apart on foot. But one of them is in the middle of a tornado, and the other one is in bright sunshine? Come on Danny. Did you even watch Breaking Bad? Gus cannot be trusted! Couldn’t she have just, like, tilted her head to the side? Instead of trying to rock the chair back and forth? I’m not a contortionist, but I can move my head at least a foot sideways. Aw dammit. Stupid emotional scenes. I’m trying to make fun of this show! There can’t be touching moments in it. 5. Soul Train Gus holds his fists funny when he fights. Awwww, sad puppy dog eyes. Okay, so apparently steam engines still work. Because there’s a steam engine train. So why haven’t we seen a lot of steam engine technology before now? Why didn’t the major governments immediately revert to steam engine technology? What the hell kind of name is “Bass”? Not like the guitar, but like the fish? Where did Monroe get that “M” pin that he wears on his collar? So they can make “M” pins but not bullets? “Fuses are unreliable.” Again, implying that chemical reactions are messed up? And yet, somehow throwing logs into a fire is a sure-fire way to set off a bomb. Not even a fifth-grade science teacher for a consultant on this show, is there? And how/why did they put “M” signs all over the buildings? Finally, sad puppy dog eyes girl grows a spine. Oh snap! Another shocking revelation! Ah ha! Twelve of them! Just like the Apostles. And the lost colonies of Battlestar Galactica. 6. Sex and Drugs Horse and carriage with rubber tires! Not a flaw in the show, I just thought it was funny-looking. Actually one of the first things that actually makes logical sense. Of course they’d put rubber tires on a carriage. What, are they going to build wooden wheels? Oh, I see they are doing the Lost strategy of giving each character a backstory in each successive episode. Okay, I see, so only regular cars stopped dead at the time of the blackout. But giant tractor trailers that need to serve a plot purpose keep rolling along like a ton of bricks. Oh, he pulled a Lando! “Is she Latin?” Um, shouldn’t that have been “Latina?” Hrm, well, sad puppy dog eyes girl is going a little too far into sociopathic territory. I think I can see where this is going… Come on dude. Someone smart enough to work at Google can learn to hunt. Aw dude. You’re better than this! Nooooooo! Not sure what to make of that. Was it a brilliant plan or just dumb luck? I’m thinking the latter, which is unfortunate. 7. The Children’s Crusade The Lord of the Flies episode, apparently. They’re like the A-Team. I think that’s the kid from Under The Dome. Well, at least The Militia supports gender equality! I’m not sure why they went to the trouble to make themselves uniforms. They must have a pretty good tailoring industry going on at least. I know this is totally stupid but I really wish it was fashionable to wear a sword. :) I guess it would be impractical to get into a car, though. Oh wow that’s inconvenient. But it’s a very convenient distraction. Wow, go Google dude! See, I told you smart people can become violent sociopathic killers! A weapon that inhibits electricity would be more dangerous than any kind of bomb. Just sayin'. That’s Randall! And he was in Stephen King’s Storm of the Century! It all comes back to Stephen King with this show. 8. Ties That Bind Hey wait, a few episodes ago they said fuses were unreliable… Ohhhh, she’s coming back. Don’t be so sad. Oh snap! A shocking revelation! Damn people walk fast in this show. Ugh dude take that rifle with you! On second thought, probably a good idea to leave the rifle if you’re going to jump into a raging river. I swear I’ve seen Charlie in another show but according to IMDB I haven’t. Aw man. Uber bad guys! 9. Kashmir The one with that cool Led Zepplin song, right? Hrm, they’re playing the wrong Led Zepplin song. “This pendant powers up anything within its range.” “It’s like a wireless battery.” No, it’s nothing like a wireless battery! It’s like a wireless MAGICAL AMULET THAT DEFIES THE LAWS OF NATURE AND COMMON SENSE. “It has very limited range; only 9 or 10 feet.” Okay so she moves away from the CD player and it stops. Then she moves it back in range, and the CD player starts again … at the same place in the song. I realize CD players are rare now and maybe kids aren’t as familiar with them, but surely everyone knows that when you cut the power to a CD player, it doesn’t just resume where you left off! Even if it had been an iPhone playing an MP3, it wouldn’t have resumed at the same place. If it had been a record player it might have worked, with the appropriate spin-up warbling. Or a cassette tape player. Or an 8-track tape player. I’m not even going to comment on the whole “pendant” concept. I mean. It’s just. I can’t even. Her explanation of the pendant “powering up anything within its range” is obviously wrong anyway. Obviously, something is actively inhibiting electricity over the whole world, because electricity is a natural phenomenon. I can only assume that the uber bad guys from the previous episode are inhibiting the world’s electricity with orbiting satellites of some kind. So these little pendants must be inhibiting the inhibitors somehow. Which means … oh man, I don’t even want to go down that rabbit hole of what that means. Okay I will. I guess they’re trying to say that radio waves or microwaves or something is inhibiting electricity, and the pendants put out waves which cancel the other waves. That makes perfect sense, right? TO A SCIENTIFICLY ILLITERATE PERSON. And/or the average American school graduate. Oh snap, I just burned the American school system. Not enough oxygen in the tunnels. Um. I’m not sure about that. I am not very well-versed on oxygen depravation, but I feel like if they were so low on oxygen that the torches weren’t burning and they were hallucinating, that they would not be physically able to walk around. Also, I mean, they might want to consider putting out some of the torches if they’re burning up the oxygen. Also, the tunnel like just collapsed, and it’s a pretty big space, so I feel like the oxygen wouldn’t run out that fast. Explosions in that enclosed space would probably make them all deaf. :) Oh wow, they finally played the cool Led Zepplin song! 10. Nobody’s Fault But Mine Another Led Zepplin reference in the episode title. I just realized that Episode 3 “No Quarter” was also a Led Zepplin song. Again using the fuses that are supposed to be unreliable… So the Google guy can’t get matches to work, but somehow flint works? That seems pretty random. Dual-wielding swords looks badass and all, but it’s not very practical. Also, everyone knows that real sword fights only last like 2 seconds, right? Erol Flynn-like duels never actually happened. Even fencing duels are rather fast. Have you seen the pros? 11. The Stand Stephen King reference in the episode title. I can’t help but wonder why everyone’s pendant works all the time except the one that Aaron carried around which only turned itself on sporadically at the most inopportune times. “Audio cannon.” I’ve heard of audio weapons before but I seriously doubt you could put one in a handheld weapon the size of a pistol that would do anything more than annoy people. Aw dammit. Another touching moment. Feels like this episode is the end of a story arc. Like they only expected to make 11 episodes. Randall Flynn … obviously meant to be a variation of Randall Flagg! (A Stephen King reference.) Dubya tee eff is that?!? 2,420 words.
  • Breaking Bad Is Over. 2013-09-30 5:17 PM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Breaking Bad is over now. One of the best shows of all time ended after five years. And I think it was time. It’s extremely rare to see a really good show stay good after five seasons. After that, you just play along because you have fond memories of the first few years, on the off chance that a good episode comes along and brings back the magic. Honestly, most shows peak in two or three years. 447 words.

October, 2013

  • The Walking Dead Season 4 Has Begun. 2013-10-17 3:26 PM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Since Breaking Bad is gone, I guess The Walking Dead moves up to become the best drama on television, now starting its fourth season. This is traditionally the point in a show’s lifecycle when it starts to die out. Maybe not in TWD’s case, though, because the show didn’t really get going (imo) until its third season. The first episode of Season 4 didn’t do much but set the stage for what’s to come in the rest of the season. Apparently, we are going to see a lot of: Muddy ground, bleak skies, bleak conditions, bleak people, and zombies. 508 words.

December, 2013

  • The Time of the Doctor. 2013-12-27 5:23 PM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    I didn’t understand much of anything that happened in the Christmas Special The Time of the Doctor, Matt Smith’s final episode as Dr. Who. I didn’t understand the story, I didn’t understand why he was carrying around a Cyberman head, I didn’t understand why the crack was back, I didn’t understand why there was a town called Christmas or why The Doctor was stuck there, I didn’t understand where the Church of the Holy Whatever with the soldiers came from, nothing, zip, zilch. It seemed like a completely random jumble of people, places, and concepts. Was any of that in the last half-season anywhere? I sure don’t remember it. I guess I wasn’t paying nearly enough attention. 341 words.

July, 2014

  • RE: The Leftovers. 2014-07-23 12:17 AM.
    • Writing
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    I feel like there should be some sort of law against television shows (or the books they are based on, I guess) that only raise questions without giving any answers in the first four episodes of the series. I can handle two episodes of story without context. I could even go to three episodes without any context. But four? Nope. That’s too much. I should have a basic understanding of where The Leftovers is going by now. (I have talked before about my need to understand the goals of the characters early in a story.) But now I have lost faith in the writers. Didn’t we learn anything from Lost? They are clearly just making it up as they go. 120 words.

August, 2014

  • RE: The Leftovers, Episodes 8 and 9. 2014-08-28 1:52 AM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    I just finished watching episodes 8 and 9 of HBO’s The Leftovers, and something finally clicked. Yes, I know, I said I wasn’t going to watch more than 4 episodes, but I was intrigued by a television show (and a story) that does nothing but raise questions without ever answering them. Oh, that crack I made about Lost? Turns out, Leftovers producer Damon Lindelof did write for Lost. No wonder! Spoilers below if you haven’t seen the show yet. (I don’t recommend it, by the way. Unless the 10th and final episode of the season blows my mind, I just don’t get the point of this show.) 660 words.

September, 2014

  • The Killing, Season One. 2014-09-01 4:17 PM.
    • Writing
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Why didn’t anyone warn me about this show? Don’t start watching The Killing unless you’re willing to put in the time to finish the entire thing in one sitting. Because it’s really addicting. And in case you’re thinking you can get away with just watching one season at a time: The murder is not resolved at the end of the first season. The story just keeps right on going into the second season. I’m writing this paragraph to avoid spoilers, but my full thoughts are way down below: I had an idea of who the murderer might be after four or five episodes, based on my award-winning strategy of “picking the least plausible person it could possibly be.” Through the whole first season I was more and more convinced I was going to be right, because they never showed anything that directly refuted my theory. Once, it was close, but I can think of a way to explain it. At least until they arrested that dude in the last episode of season one. But then some evidence surfaced that made me think my theory could still be plausible, so I’m sticking with it as I start watching season two. In many ways, The Killing is a stereotypical cop show. It’s got the cop obsessed with finding the murderer at the expense of her family. It’s got the victim’s family coping with the loss of their daughter and the morbid depictions of how a victim’s body gets back to the family after the crime. It’s got the cop who went too far undercover and got hooked on drugs. It’s got the crusty police lieutenants. It’s got the city hall with their political agendas that are more important than the truth. But somehow it’s still a compelling show. 436 words.
  • The Killing, Season Two. 2014-09-02 11:14 PM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    The Killing really should be regulated as a controlled substance. It’s impossible to stop watching it. I finished the second season, and you may or may not be happy to know that they do finally reveal the murderer, and it looks like you can walk away from the show after two seasons. Spoilers way down at the end of the post. (Not really, though. I don’t tell you whodunnit, but I do sort of rule out one person.) They really punch you in the face with feels in the second season finale. Get your hankies ready. 248 words.
  • RE: The Leftovers, Season Finale. 2014-09-09 4:00 PM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    I should have known. There were no explanations. No resolutions. No whys or wherefores. No way to tell if my theory was correct or not. The story just reached a convenient stopping place (sort of) and the season ended, all questions left up in the air. The only thing that we found out was what the Guilty Remnant had been up to. It occurred to me that by leaving out an explanation for why the people disappeared, we the audience are left in the same position as the characters in the show. After all, they don’t know why the people disappeared either. Although I would swear that at some point (or points) during the season I was convinced that there was an explanation that someone knew. Maybe not someone in town, but somebody somewhere. 425 words.

October, 2014

  • The 100 First Impression. 2014-10-29 1:26 AM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    I’ve just watched the first episode of The 100 on Netflix. Well, actually, I started writing this at about the 35:00 mark. Is it wrong for me to want every single one of these whiny teenagers to die horribly? I mean, it’s not just that I don’t like any of them. It’s more of a deep-seeded loathing, a visceral hatred of everything about them and everything they stand for. I don’t just want them to die. I want them to die suffering, only lingering long enough for them to finally realize in their last moments-too late-just how awful they are as human beings and potential role models. They must, in the end, die knowing that it was the only just fate for them. Because if these whiny teenagers are the last hope for humanity, then I think we can all agree that it’s okay for humanity to die out. We should, in fact, celebrate the end of this breed of whiny teenager. 533 words.

December, 2014

  • Holiday Binge-Watching. 2014-12-29 2:51 AM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    The holidays means sitting blankly in front of a television screen. My recent Netflix binge-watches include: Broadchurch. BBC murder-mystery series starring David Tennant (of Dr. Who fame) and also the guy who played Rory in Dr. Who. This is a gripping series of 8 episodes. Great, great acting. Gracepoint. Of course, I then had to get a week-long trial of Hulu Plus* to watch the American version of the Broadchurch murder-mystery, which also stars David Tennant, using a different accent. (I actually thought this is what I was watching when I started Broadchurch, because I remember seeing ads for Gracepoint, but it quickly became apparent that everyone in Broadchurch had an accent.) Gracepoint is a decent series of 10 episodes with some slight but interesting changes from the original, but it’s nowhere near as good as the British version. If you have to pick one, definitely watch Broadchurch. (It was interesting to see that the American script had clearly been edited so that scenes and lines were much shorter.) 224 words.

June, 2015

  • Hardhome. 2015-06-07 1:12 AM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    “Hardhome” (Game of Thrones, season 5, episode 8) did a fantastic job of reminding us why we (and The Seven Kingdoms) should care that “Winter is Coming.” 27 words.

June, 2018

  • The Expanse Re-Watch – S1E01, Dulcinea. 2018-06-05 2:30 PM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    I started to write a blog post about The Expanse Season 3, Episode 7 (Delta-V). That episode seemed to be the beginning of a brand new story arc, perhaps the start of a new book in the source material. I didn’t particularly care for the episode, and I ended up ranting about all the things I didn’t like about The Expanse, especially in Season 3. I’m fully aware that others love this show and praise it endlessly, and most consider Season 3 to be the best one yet, while I’m over here struggling to find a single thing to hold onto and enjoy. I wondered what I was missing. Surely I must be missing something? 2,943 words.
  • The Expanse Re-Watch – S1E02, The Big Empty. 2018-06-07 2:30 PM.
    • Television
    • everettrenshaw.com

    Join me as I re-watch The Expanse, Season 1, to try to find out where the show went wrong for me. Summary I’ve decided that I’m just going to quote Wikipedia’s brief episode summaries here, instead of spending all of my time writing my own summaries. The point of these posts is to explore what I think of the episodes, not retell the episodes. The Big Empty was written by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, and directed by Terry McDonough. I am noting the writers and directors, by the way, to see if I notice any patterns in which writers or directors create the episodes I like or dislike. 1,630 words.

November, 2021

  • Wheel of Time - Season 1, Episodes 1 to 3. 2021-11-22 5:11 PM.
    • Television

    A Wheel of Time-length blog post to start a new series dissecting each episode of Wheel of Time. Until I lose interest, of course. It’s a lot of work to write these and it hurts my back. 3,679 words.
  • Wheel of Time - S1E4: The Dragon Reborn. 2021-11-28 11:33 AM.
    • Television

    Episode 4, The Dragon Reborn is the first great episode of the series. 2,504 words.

December, 2021