TV: brief and spoiler-free.

[mizarchivist]

I watched the last episode of Dr. Who for this season.
I am having FEELINGS.

Then I decided watching the latest Mad Men was a good idea. QE watched that one with me, too. I spent most of the time looking at him with frustration and befuddlement. Seriously, WTF?

If anyone wishes to comment on either show, by all means do so in comments. I will assume anyone who has concerns about spoilers won't look under that rock. In fact, I think I'll start. 

Comments

[mizarchivist]

First, I had no idea it was the last episode for Dr. Who this season. I did passingly wonder how much longer we had, but didn't realize this was it. Also, WTF! I was just getting used to Matt Smith and liking him a whole lot. I'm not ready for a new doctor. :(

As for Mad Men: What the billy blue fuck were those guys on?! PCP?? I'm trying to think of a single male character on that show I don't despise. Now we have newish character Jim Cutler (AKA Aaron Echolls) sleazing up the joint. After that, I feel like my brain needs a shower from all the nasty.

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

Matt Smith, jenna Coleman, and Steve Moffat are all signed up for season 8, and that's not even counting the 50th special coming in between

[mizarchivist]

OH THANK GOD.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

Funny; J and I were sat down and told 'WATCH THIS SHOW AT LEAST THE FIRST 6 OR 7 EPISODES'. And so 'Mad Men' is what we watched on Christmas. From the DVD's that our host had bought with her very own money.

And neither J nor I could understand what was so addictive about it. The sets and design and historic verisimilitude were amazing. And the people very pretty. But the plot? the characters? So. Much. Abuse. And. Misery. It was hard to care about any of them. We're having much more fun with Game of Thrones.

We're missing something, yes?

[mizarchivist]

Nope, not missing anything, I don't think. It just gets darker. I think you're winning by going w/ GoT as your drama/soap opera. :)

[coraline]

yeah -- i utterly fail to get either MM or GoT. misery, suffering, and abuse. even with pretty costumes, it's not what i choose to spend my time on.

[mizarchivist]

That theme kept me from getting into GoT before, but then when I realized how many other shows already fit that profile that I watch more than once, I plan on giving it a shot.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

See comment below; I happen to really like GoT but of course YMMV. If you do start watching GoT, let me know. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad you said something; I was feeling like maybe no one else shared that opinion and I didn't want to be all raining on the MM parade. So many people seem to really adore it.

You're right; GoT does have misery too and a lot of it. But the difference as I see it is that not everyone treats each other miserably. There are decent people in among the scoundrels and the characterization is really well done, for the most part. Plus, there are extras like 'how we made this set' and close-ups of the costumes and armor and interviews with the actors where I get to play 'spot the accent' and yeah, I'm all over that. And the presence of magic and supernatural beings and I'm a sucker for dragon whelps.

I doubt that we'd actually buy the DVD's, but it makes for fun free entertainment, especially here where there's really not much else to do once my hands are aching from sewing.

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

It was a very FEELINGS-inspiring episode, to be sure.

TV drama

[kebbykate.livejournal.com]

I really like MM, but I definitely have a love-hate relationship with the characters and there were plenty of times this season when I just loathed Don. One point is that the writers have gone out of their way to present Don's incredibly dysfunctional backstory which I think is meant to give him an excuse of some kind for his philandering and alcoholism, but then I think that there have been plenty of people in real life who have behaved equally badly with much much less excuse.

I've seen snippets of GoT as my spouse watches it on demand. Every time I watch a snippet something horrible happens and I just can't take it at all.

I have no interest in Breaking Bad for many of the same reasons.

However, on regular old broadcast TV I adore both Scandal and The Good Wife. The former is soapy and absolutely crazy good. The Good Wife is usually a mystery solved over the course of the episode within a compelling continuing narrative with some excellent actors and some very nuanced, realistic characters.

Re: TV drama

[mizarchivist]

I was thrilled to discover how much I love Orange is the New Black. I have 2 more eps to go and then I'm caught up. I hear rumor they are getting a second season, but no idea when that'll happen. I assume next year.

I ended up caving and watching the last season of Dexter (well, I need to finish it but Orange jumped the queue) thanks to some well timed podcasts with Michael C. Hall.

I agree that Don's just a jerk. I don't watch so much for him but for the secondary characters, but this seems true for just about any ensemble cast I watch: I rarely feel strongly in a good way about the titular/main characters. Joan and Peggy? Yes! Even Meghan. Poor Meghan.