TV update

[supercheesegirl]

Jesus Christ, Downton Abbey. F is threatening not to watch you anymore after this. It's not as much the major character deaths - we had spoilers for both Sybil and Matthew, annoyingly - it was the way that Matthew's death came in the last 30 seconds of the episode, with Lord Grantham giving a voiceover about all the hardship they've been through and how things are so happy now. And then, just in case you didn't get it, here's a shot with blood dripping down his face and another shot of happy Mary cradling her baby, just for even more emotional impact. We had thought he was going to be killed in a hunting accident in Scotland; we basically spent the entire episode cringing every time we saw someone outdoors, expecting that to be the big moment. And that would have made more sense, since he's not exactly a hunter, and it would have been... less intentionally exploitative. Still emotionally wrought, since he'd never get to see his baby, but not like the way they did it. Also, I'm glad they fired Edna.

Comments

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

F is threatening not to watch you anymore after this.

We've pretty much decided the same thing.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm still in, so he'll still be watching. And by the time the next season comes out a year from now, he may be feeling calmer about it. But yeah.

[mizarchivist]

Yeah, hunting accident would have been MUCH more organic and less trite. :/

Maybe they didn't settle the contracts until after they wrote and shot the Scotland part.

I was not thrilled, but I've also had a LOT of shows fall by the wayside this year, either by choice or cancellation. (Eureka, Burn Notice, Glee, Smash, and I'm not enamored with Bones anymore, but it's still there). I certainly wouldn't blame you for calling it a day. I think it's lived past its natural end point. I think they could have ended the whole show right there, shy of Matthew's gratuitous end. You know?!

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I think PBS is too delighted with the surprise popularity to have ended it at a natural point. I mean, they could have ended it at the end of last season too, when Matthew and Mary finally got their act together (although that would have left the Bateses out to dry). But yeah, the show began right before the war - starting it with the sinking of the Titanic set up the natural arc of the show for WWI and the aftermath.

I just hope they don't try to take it too far. They've covered a span of almost ten years of fictional life, in only, what, 3-4 years of real time for the actors. At some point, you hit a plausibility wall. It's not like they're vampires.

[minkrose]

I wish I could quit Bones. Honestly, at this point, I'm only watching for Angela & Hodgins. There was one good episode a couple weeks ago but this season has been almost unwatachably bad. We quit Burn Notice at the end of S4, actually. May return to it someday.


I have to say, I've been THRILLED with Castle lately -- I just got the first four seasons on DVD (for Xmas) and rewatched all of them. Even though the show has gone through a lot of changes, I feel like every episode this season has been my new favorite episode.

[mizarchivist]

I'm still on speaking terms with Castle. I think it has been a pretty good season, too.

[lizabethanqueen]

I'll watch Bones every now and then, but I'm just not as attached as I used to be. Angela and Hodgins are definitely the best part of the show. I really liked Burn Notice, but it just kept going. I feel that happens with a lot of USA shows. I loved Monk and now Psych so I stick with them, but even those wore/wear thin in the later seasons.

Castle, though, is addictive. I've been watching the minimarathons on TNT and loving it! I'm also in love with Nathan Fillion's charm.

[bulleteyes.livejournal.com]

My decision to stay or not was made after the excruciating (possibly unnecessary) death of Lady Sybil. Within a very short time they were all over it. At that point I realized the show actually was a not that good soap opera and I had to accept it as that or stop watching.

So I hang in for Maggie Smith and Jim Carson.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Maggie Smith and Jim Carter do get all the best lines. The best moment in the last episode, for me, was seeing Carson with little Sybil.

[bulleteyes.livejournal.com]

I agree! Jim Carter has done some humerous pieces for the PBS site to promote the show. Very engaging man!

[minkrose]

I'm having a sense of TV deja vu... I held off on watching Torchwood for a looong time and then when so many people were upset about decisions made later on, I was able to emotionally prepare myself before watching it at all (and I decided to skip Children of Earth altogether, actually).

We may eventually watch Downton Abbey, but it's nice to have a sense of where it's going before getting deeply attached.

[lizabethanqueen]

Downton Abbey is on my last nerve. Mike gave up after the first episode (too soap opera ish for him) but I've been watching and now I'm just annoyed.