You ever watch an old episode of television that is really, really tragic, know that in a later season it does get better, but still cry your eyes out watching it?
Yeah. *sniff*
I finished watching Series 2 of Doctor Who tonight. I cried non-stop for the last five minutes. I don't think I've cried this hard since Niles and Daphne finally got together after seven seasons. It's really weird. It's only been 13 episodes, but I am so very much attached to this doctor and Rose. The pain would have been exponentially worse if I had not known that there is a quasi-happy ending two seasons down the line. It's amazing how humans have the capacity to feel such deep emotion for fictional characters.
It is now official: I adore David Tennant's Doctor Who.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
I sense a trend
Once again, I am posting after watching two episodes. I got to see the conclusion to the cliff hangar I talked about in my last post, which was cool. The one I just watched is what I have come to believe is an apparent requirement for all television shows: an episode about televisions, and the inherent dangers in them. I've always wondered about that. Do television writers abhor people who watch a lot of television? Wouldn't that be a bit hypocritical? After all, they want people to watch *their* show. Why would they want to rob other television writers of that pleasure and monetary income?
Anyway, still having fun. I was worried about this latest episode as I had never seen it, and my husband told me he had no interest in watching it with me; not exactly what one would call a ringing endorsement. I really liked it, though. There were a few cheesy parts, but I enjoy seeing David Tennant lose his cool and get pissed off as The Doctor. In the end, a good time was had by all. All being me.
Anyway, still having fun. I was worried about this latest episode as I had never seen it, and my husband told me he had no interest in watching it with me; not exactly what one would call a ringing endorsement. I really liked it, though. There were a few cheesy parts, but I enjoy seeing David Tennant lose his cool and get pissed off as The Doctor. In the end, a good time was had by all. All being me.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Dang it
I didn't post last night because two things happened Thursday that I needed to let percolate in my mind for a little while before I could go further. My husband laughed at me yesterday when I told him about all the things I have posted about in the past few days concerning different aspects of watching television. He was amused that I spend so much time thinking about something like which way I like watching a television show. I also attended a presentation Thursday night on the topic of negotiating with Iran, given by a man who was one of the Americans taken hostage at the embassy in Iran 30 years ago. A part of me knows how inconsequential my desire to watch all these DVDs is, and it does seem silly that I would make such a production out of this. I do realize this.
But the one thing I like about this blog is that it gives me an opportunity to work out through writing what I think about things in general, what my point of view is about stuff. Talking about television, writing reviews, has given me an opportunity to keep my writing and analytical skills sharp. It is a way to find out what I really think about something. Writing my thoughts down makes them more concise and concrete than the spiraling mess in my head.
So, I will keep doing this.
I did not post about the episode I watched Thursday night, so I will combine that with the episode I watched tonight. Both of these episodes caused some unpleasantness.
In the first one, The Doctor keeps meeting this French woman at brief moments throughout her life, starting when she is a little girl. On his side of things, when he leaves and goes back it has only been a couple of minutes, but in her reality it's been many years. Somehow, even though she hardly ever sees him, and he her, they fall in love. It was just awful; their supposed love was in no way believable. Even worse, The Doctor apparently has a brain fart at the end of the episode and forgets a very key point of how they keep meeting each other. The writer of this episode was so bad he just made the doctor forget that what seems like only a few minutes in his time when he has left her to get the TARDIS ready is many, many years in her world. He told her he'd be back in a few minutes to take her with him. Even worse, there was no need to leave her behind that time. He just wanted time to start the TARDID and let her pack. Why would she really need to pack? The TARDIS carries a gigantic wardrobe. *facepalm* The writer did this so he could end on a sob story with her being dead when he gets back to her. It was so incredibly insulting.
I had a problem with the one I just watched, but for an entirely different reason. The episode itself, while not great like the first four episodes I watched, has a decent story and was entertaining. The problem is, it's got a cliffhanger. I cannot begin to describe how desperately I want to just watch the next episode to find out what happens. So far, my desire to give each episode time to breathe, not watching more than one a night, is prevailing. I have a feeling that unlike the past week, I will be watching the next episode rather early in the day. Ya know, because it's a weekend.
But the one thing I like about this blog is that it gives me an opportunity to work out through writing what I think about things in general, what my point of view is about stuff. Talking about television, writing reviews, has given me an opportunity to keep my writing and analytical skills sharp. It is a way to find out what I really think about something. Writing my thoughts down makes them more concise and concrete than the spiraling mess in my head.
So, I will keep doing this.
I did not post about the episode I watched Thursday night, so I will combine that with the episode I watched tonight. Both of these episodes caused some unpleasantness.
In the first one, The Doctor keeps meeting this French woman at brief moments throughout her life, starting when she is a little girl. On his side of things, when he leaves and goes back it has only been a couple of minutes, but in her reality it's been many years. Somehow, even though she hardly ever sees him, and he her, they fall in love. It was just awful; their supposed love was in no way believable. Even worse, The Doctor apparently has a brain fart at the end of the episode and forgets a very key point of how they keep meeting each other. The writer of this episode was so bad he just made the doctor forget that what seems like only a few minutes in his time when he has left her to get the TARDIS ready is many, many years in her world. He told her he'd be back in a few minutes to take her with him. Even worse, there was no need to leave her behind that time. He just wanted time to start the TARDID and let her pack. Why would she really need to pack? The TARDIS carries a gigantic wardrobe. *facepalm* The writer did this so he could end on a sob story with her being dead when he gets back to her. It was so incredibly insulting.
I had a problem with the one I just watched, but for an entirely different reason. The episode itself, while not great like the first four episodes I watched, has a decent story and was entertaining. The problem is, it's got a cliffhanger. I cannot begin to describe how desperately I want to just watch the next episode to find out what happens. So far, my desire to give each episode time to breathe, not watching more than one a night, is prevailing. I have a feeling that unlike the past week, I will be watching the next episode rather early in the day. Ya know, because it's a weekend.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Journey Continues
I got distracted last night and forgot to post this.
Several years ago, I bought the first season of CSI on DVD. I had never seen an episode before, and had never really thought about doing so, but the movie store I worked for made a typo on the reservation prices, and it was only going to be about $30. Considering the fact, that everyone else was going to have to pay about $80, I thought if nothing else I could just sell it if I didn't like it.
It ended up sitting in some dusty corner for a few months, though, because, as I wrote, I wasn't especially interested in it. One day, my husband and I were looking for something new to watch, and we just decided to watch an episode of CSI. Several hours later, we had gone through 8 episodes straight. Thus began my desire to watch television shows on DVD rather than waiting for a new episode once a week, excluding half the year when it's just not on. Watching television only on DVD is a lot of fun and has several advantages. First, there are no commercials. I never watch commercials, so I have been spending years doing a lot of fast forwarding. Second, the picture quality is higher if you don't have High Def satellite, which we don't. Third, since you can watch as many as you want in a row, if you run up against the bad apple of the bunch, you can just shrug and go to the next one in hopes of a better episode.
Out of all the reasons, the third one is primarily why I like watching TV on DVD. Anyone who has ever followed a weekly show knows how utterly frustrating it is to watch a really bad episode, and then be forced to wait a week to see if the next one is any good. Even worse, if it's the last new episode for a while, you are left with a bad taste in your mouth that can become quite nasty. Having to spend days on end with how bad an episode is in the front of your mind leaves a distorted image of the show as a whole. Watching shows on DVD takes that away. It's wonderful.
This is how I have watched most television shows for a long time now, and I have been deliriously happy. My husband and I got in to Supernatural last summer and ended up watching all four seasons in just a couple of months via Netflix, going through long marathon episodes where we'd watch four or five in one night, sometimes more. *That* was a rush. The thing is, now that we are caught up and are forced back into waiting for a new episode every week, or in the most recent case, waiting more than a month, I am just not as interested in it.
I realized as I was watching the next episode of Doctor Who tonight that what I am doing now is much more satisfying. When the episode was done, my husband asked if I was going to watch another one. There was a very strong urge to do so because it was such a great episode, as all of them have been so far, and I was having so much fun. But after thinking about it, I decided to stick to my plan of just watching one a night. Watching one a night instead of a bunch in a row really makes me appreciate each one all the more. I am sure I will hit upon a bad episode soon, but knowing that my dissatisfaction will only have to fester a day instead of a week is a relief.
I have not really been discussing the episodes much in detail because, really, I don't see much of a point. I will say that the one I did watch tonight was a special treat because on of the Doctor's companions from the older show made an appearance and it was wonderful. There was also a deep examination of what it means to be a man that never dies, forced to watch those he loves die; which has resulted in the Doctor abandoning all of them before he gets too attached. Very powerful stuff.
To sum up, tonight was entertaining and stress-free. I had a great time.
Several years ago, I bought the first season of CSI on DVD. I had never seen an episode before, and had never really thought about doing so, but the movie store I worked for made a typo on the reservation prices, and it was only going to be about $30. Considering the fact, that everyone else was going to have to pay about $80, I thought if nothing else I could just sell it if I didn't like it.
It ended up sitting in some dusty corner for a few months, though, because, as I wrote, I wasn't especially interested in it. One day, my husband and I were looking for something new to watch, and we just decided to watch an episode of CSI. Several hours later, we had gone through 8 episodes straight. Thus began my desire to watch television shows on DVD rather than waiting for a new episode once a week, excluding half the year when it's just not on. Watching television only on DVD is a lot of fun and has several advantages. First, there are no commercials. I never watch commercials, so I have been spending years doing a lot of fast forwarding. Second, the picture quality is higher if you don't have High Def satellite, which we don't. Third, since you can watch as many as you want in a row, if you run up against the bad apple of the bunch, you can just shrug and go to the next one in hopes of a better episode.
Out of all the reasons, the third one is primarily why I like watching TV on DVD. Anyone who has ever followed a weekly show knows how utterly frustrating it is to watch a really bad episode, and then be forced to wait a week to see if the next one is any good. Even worse, if it's the last new episode for a while, you are left with a bad taste in your mouth that can become quite nasty. Having to spend days on end with how bad an episode is in the front of your mind leaves a distorted image of the show as a whole. Watching shows on DVD takes that away. It's wonderful.
This is how I have watched most television shows for a long time now, and I have been deliriously happy. My husband and I got in to Supernatural last summer and ended up watching all four seasons in just a couple of months via Netflix, going through long marathon episodes where we'd watch four or five in one night, sometimes more. *That* was a rush. The thing is, now that we are caught up and are forced back into waiting for a new episode every week, or in the most recent case, waiting more than a month, I am just not as interested in it.
I realized as I was watching the next episode of Doctor Who tonight that what I am doing now is much more satisfying. When the episode was done, my husband asked if I was going to watch another one. There was a very strong urge to do so because it was such a great episode, as all of them have been so far, and I was having so much fun. But after thinking about it, I decided to stick to my plan of just watching one a night. Watching one a night instead of a bunch in a row really makes me appreciate each one all the more. I am sure I will hit upon a bad episode soon, but knowing that my dissatisfaction will only have to fester a day instead of a week is a relief.
I have not really been discussing the episodes much in detail because, really, I don't see much of a point. I will say that the one I did watch tonight was a special treat because on of the Doctor's companions from the older show made an appearance and it was wonderful. There was also a deep examination of what it means to be a man that never dies, forced to watch those he loves die; which has resulted in the Doctor abandoning all of them before he gets too attached. Very powerful stuff.
To sum up, tonight was entertaining and stress-free. I had a great time.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I am not amused!
I am so very tired right now. I got about four hours of sleep last night and it looks like I am only going to get about five now thanks to a major test tomorrow, for which I do not feel ready. Today was absolutely exhausting. Driving in North Carolina with snow on the roads is not fun, and I had to drive more than 100 miles today.
The one saving grace was the 45 minutes I just spent watching Doctor Who. Tonight's episode was fantastic, featuring both a sort of alien werewolf and Queen Victoria (note the subject line). Two episodes into the series and I am already seeing references to the first series, as well as foreshadowing for the spinoff that started later.
It has been a long time since I looked to a television show as a way to relax and forget about the stress of the day for a while. Of course, I used to only have it once a week since I've never really absolutely adored more than one show at a time. It is just fantastic to know that I will have this every night. For unlike a lot of my movies, the only TV DVDs that remain unopened are ones I really like. It really is a great way to unwind, and it is nice to know that no matter how crappy my day is, there is at least one thing that is going to be good about it.
The one saving grace was the 45 minutes I just spent watching Doctor Who. Tonight's episode was fantastic, featuring both a sort of alien werewolf and Queen Victoria (note the subject line). Two episodes into the series and I am already seeing references to the first series, as well as foreshadowing for the spinoff that started later.
It has been a long time since I looked to a television show as a way to relax and forget about the stress of the day for a while. Of course, I used to only have it once a week since I've never really absolutely adored more than one show at a time. It is just fantastic to know that I will have this every night. For unlike a lot of my movies, the only TV DVDs that remain unopened are ones I really like. It really is a great way to unwind, and it is nice to know that no matter how crappy my day is, there is at least one thing that is going to be good about it.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Reminiscing...
Not really much on my mind concerning this topic to write about today. It's very strange to think about the fact that when I was younger, I used to watch about 8-10 hours of television a day. Back then, I couldn't imagine any other way. Over the past few years, I've slowly been losing interest. I still watch television, but I have grown tired of bad and even mediocre writing. Even the few shows I still watch are viewed on an irregular basis; I often have a backlog on the DVR. The only thing that will get me to take a look at a show these days is excellent acting, which leads me into the next bit.
I watched another Dr. Who episode today, Episode 1 of Series 2. I enjoyed this one even more than the first. The story was very good, and even better, David Tennant was in it for most of the episode. I find I am enjoying watching just an episode at a time rather than the three or four I normally watch. Less really is more.
I watched another Dr. Who episode today, Episode 1 of Series 2. I enjoyed this one even more than the first. The story was very good, and even better, David Tennant was in it for most of the episode. I find I am enjoying watching just an episode at a time rather than the three or four I normally watch. Less really is more.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
It's been a long time...a new review (in a different way)
It's crazy how time flies. My schedule has been ridiculously busy since Christmas. I had a break from school, of course, but it sure as heck didn't feel like a break. I have been scratching my head trying to figure out I can keep doing this while holding up the rest of the work I have to do in my life. I think I have hit upon a way that works.
But first, an update on my DVD status:
Currently, I have exactly 250 DVD movies left to watch. I had made it down to about 285 on my own, but I ended up selling about 82 DVDs, including a little over 30 I had yet to open. The reason being that over the past couple of months I have been half-watching the new Dr. Who show while surfing on the 'net and sitting next to my husband who has become a big fan. Well, by the time he got to the last new episode, I was hooked, despite the aspects that annoy me (really, must every woman be an idiot on the show?). So, I wanted to buy the series DVDs. I was already selling several of the DVDs I had already watched and didn't like, but I didn't want to just buy some new DVDs, making my collection even larger; I also didn't want to spend money on them. Thus, I decided to make a sacrifice of selling enough DVDs back to the movie store I shop in that would give me enough money to buy 3 of the 4 seasons (I just want the David Tennant ones). It was not too terribly difficult as there were several I was not looking forward to watching. I also got rid of a couple of tv shows as well, which helped a great deal in reaching the amount of money I needed.
As a result, I am not only down to 250 DVD movies, but I also only have 27 tv shows and miniseries DVDs.
But...I am still in the situation where I am terribly busy and am having a problem fitting time in my schedule for anything more than a couple of hours of leisure time a day. I do not want to give this attempt up, but I do not want to place this mission at a higher priority than my school work. I hit upon a solution that, while not what I would wish for, is the only viable option.
Instead of watching DVD movies, I am going to watch my television DVDs. I plan on watching just an episode a day, whether the episode is a 22-minute sitcom episode, a 42-minute drama episode, or an hour-long Dr. Who episode. It's just easier that way. On the other hand, this means it will take me many, many months to get through just the TV DVDs. I have decided that, though it does upset me, I do not have a choice.
To sum up, this mission just got a whole heck of a lot longer. I am going to be watching a whole bunch of television, and doing a small write up on each one just as a way to mark my progress.
Starting now:
As I wrote above, it took me quite a while to like this show. While David Tennant is charming and a good actor, the writers of the show have a problem writing female characters who are anything other than evil and/or stupid. I think after half-watching a bunch of episodes, I just got used to it. While I did watch the last few episodes of Season 4 riveted on the couch, I only briefly paid attention to a bunch of them, and there have been several I have yet to see. I did notice that the few episodes I have watched seem to reference earlier episodes, and my husband tells me that it is a common occurrence and something that adds to the richness of the show. This is why I wanted to watch the episodes from the beginning, sort of. I did actually watch the first season I liked that doctor, but there wasn't much to those episodes. I like David Tennant even more, and from what I saw, the three seasons he did had much better episodes overall. So today I started with the Christmas Special, which aired right before the first episode of Season 2.
Dr. Who Season 2: Christmas Invasion
This episode does feature a couple of things that I can't stand. Rose, who was the companion of the Doctor in the first season, is clearly in love with him, yet she keeps leading her old boyfriend, Mickey, on. It's so completely idiotic. I keep wanting Mickey to just dump her. Unfortunately, from what I saw in an episode a couple of seasons later, it takes him a few years to walk away from her. Harriet Jones, Prime Minister (Yes, I know who you are), does something else I can't stand: initiate a completely evil act. The only other female character in this episode is Rose's mother, who is a complete moron. Ugh.
The humor between the humans really keeps this episode when the Doctor isn't around. The guy who wrote this episode has a great sense of humor, and all of the actors have great comic timing. There were several scenes in which the characters annoyed me and I still laughed; the episode is just that funny.
The real saving grace of this episode is the Doctor; though he spends half the episode unconscious, his new body still trying to complete its transformation (this is the first complete episode with the new Doctor). But the 25 or so minutes he is in it are fantastic. The last 20 minutes features the Doctor pondering what type of man he is, since he hasn't had the chance to find that out. It is an interesting way to both introduce a character quickly, and to find an amusing way for him to defend Earth by challenging an alien race that is trying to conquer the human race. David Tennant is just flat out funny. The writing helps, of course, but Tennant takes it and hits a grand slam.
The most amazing part of this episode is not that Tennant manages to effortlessly slip into the shoes of the Doctor within two seconds of playing the character, but that he manages to keep the chemistry from the first season between his character and Rose going. In fact, I would say he has even stronger chemistry with her. I don't think a television show has ever been able to achieve this.
Overall, even with Rose still leading her old boyfriend on, this is a fun episode to watch. The humor makes it palatable, and David Tennant's scenes are a joy to watch.
But first, an update on my DVD status:
Currently, I have exactly 250 DVD movies left to watch. I had made it down to about 285 on my own, but I ended up selling about 82 DVDs, including a little over 30 I had yet to open. The reason being that over the past couple of months I have been half-watching the new Dr. Who show while surfing on the 'net and sitting next to my husband who has become a big fan. Well, by the time he got to the last new episode, I was hooked, despite the aspects that annoy me (really, must every woman be an idiot on the show?). So, I wanted to buy the series DVDs. I was already selling several of the DVDs I had already watched and didn't like, but I didn't want to just buy some new DVDs, making my collection even larger; I also didn't want to spend money on them. Thus, I decided to make a sacrifice of selling enough DVDs back to the movie store I shop in that would give me enough money to buy 3 of the 4 seasons (I just want the David Tennant ones). It was not too terribly difficult as there were several I was not looking forward to watching. I also got rid of a couple of tv shows as well, which helped a great deal in reaching the amount of money I needed.
As a result, I am not only down to 250 DVD movies, but I also only have 27 tv shows and miniseries DVDs.
But...I am still in the situation where I am terribly busy and am having a problem fitting time in my schedule for anything more than a couple of hours of leisure time a day. I do not want to give this attempt up, but I do not want to place this mission at a higher priority than my school work. I hit upon a solution that, while not what I would wish for, is the only viable option.
Instead of watching DVD movies, I am going to watch my television DVDs. I plan on watching just an episode a day, whether the episode is a 22-minute sitcom episode, a 42-minute drama episode, or an hour-long Dr. Who episode. It's just easier that way. On the other hand, this means it will take me many, many months to get through just the TV DVDs. I have decided that, though it does upset me, I do not have a choice.
To sum up, this mission just got a whole heck of a lot longer. I am going to be watching a whole bunch of television, and doing a small write up on each one just as a way to mark my progress.
Starting now:
As I wrote above, it took me quite a while to like this show. While David Tennant is charming and a good actor, the writers of the show have a problem writing female characters who are anything other than evil and/or stupid. I think after half-watching a bunch of episodes, I just got used to it. While I did watch the last few episodes of Season 4 riveted on the couch, I only briefly paid attention to a bunch of them, and there have been several I have yet to see. I did notice that the few episodes I have watched seem to reference earlier episodes, and my husband tells me that it is a common occurrence and something that adds to the richness of the show. This is why I wanted to watch the episodes from the beginning, sort of. I did actually watch the first season I liked that doctor, but there wasn't much to those episodes. I like David Tennant even more, and from what I saw, the three seasons he did had much better episodes overall. So today I started with the Christmas Special, which aired right before the first episode of Season 2.
Dr. Who Season 2: Christmas Invasion
This episode does feature a couple of things that I can't stand. Rose, who was the companion of the Doctor in the first season, is clearly in love with him, yet she keeps leading her old boyfriend, Mickey, on. It's so completely idiotic. I keep wanting Mickey to just dump her. Unfortunately, from what I saw in an episode a couple of seasons later, it takes him a few years to walk away from her. Harriet Jones, Prime Minister (Yes, I know who you are), does something else I can't stand: initiate a completely evil act. The only other female character in this episode is Rose's mother, who is a complete moron. Ugh.
The humor between the humans really keeps this episode when the Doctor isn't around. The guy who wrote this episode has a great sense of humor, and all of the actors have great comic timing. There were several scenes in which the characters annoyed me and I still laughed; the episode is just that funny.
The real saving grace of this episode is the Doctor; though he spends half the episode unconscious, his new body still trying to complete its transformation (this is the first complete episode with the new Doctor). But the 25 or so minutes he is in it are fantastic. The last 20 minutes features the Doctor pondering what type of man he is, since he hasn't had the chance to find that out. It is an interesting way to both introduce a character quickly, and to find an amusing way for him to defend Earth by challenging an alien race that is trying to conquer the human race. David Tennant is just flat out funny. The writing helps, of course, but Tennant takes it and hits a grand slam.
The most amazing part of this episode is not that Tennant manages to effortlessly slip into the shoes of the Doctor within two seconds of playing the character, but that he manages to keep the chemistry from the first season between his character and Rose going. In fact, I would say he has even stronger chemistry with her. I don't think a television show has ever been able to achieve this.
Overall, even with Rose still leading her old boyfriend on, this is a fun episode to watch. The humor makes it palatable, and David Tennant's scenes are a joy to watch.
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