it has been far too long since i’ve sent an updates newsletter, mostly because…there has not been much to report, but i would like to be better at keeping track of the media i’m consuming so that i don’t end up forgetting half of what i want to say about it.
on the book side of things, i will say that sometime in the next few months i will have fun news regarding the alamaxa duology, something i’m pretty excited about! so watch this space (and instagram).
writing-wise, i’m chugging along, editing one project that i hope to take out on submission again after it died on sub the first time, working on another project that’s taking me into the horror genre. trying to get through the malaise of summer, my least favorite season, and very hopeful for fall.
what i’ve been watching (tv):
the legend of korra: unlike atla, which i’ve seen multiple times, i’d never rewatched korra, and i’d wondered how it would hold up against my memories of it, which mostly revolved around the final season, and the joy of seeing asami and korra get together. but it held up pretty well, overall! there were of course various inconsistencies and plot weaknesses as a result of korra having been renewed on a season by season basis, and certainly seasons three and four are better than one and two, but i think generally the narrative comes together cohesively, all things considered.
shetland season 8: i don’t know if i can tell you anything about this season. it’s the first season since jimmy perez, played by douglas henshall, departed, and his loss is certainly felt. i remember enjoying the season back in april when i watched it, but i’ve completely forgotten it now.
the newsreader season 2: for all you interview with the vampire folks, please watch this show for excellent sam reid content! season 2 is even more tense and awkward than its predecessor and does a good job expanding the storylines of the side characters, particularly nolene, who is a favorite of mine. if anyone’s seen this, come talk to me about the bizarre subplot with rob’s racism, which was brought up and then never again addressed.
tires season 1: i only watched this at the behest of my cousin and brother, and was surprised by how much i enjoyed it. it’s a very particular kind of white male humor, unsurprising for a show created by and starring comedian shane gillis. it has a lot of moments that had me making the grimacing face emoji, but it’s short and was a fun way to spend an afternoon.
after the flood: i don’t expect much from my british crime dramas, but i at least would like the main characters to have a modicum of intelligence and self-preservation. this main character has neither, and makes such mind-numbingly stupid decisions as to almost render the show unwatchable. the central mystery is also bizarre and needlessly convoluted, making this one of my least favorite crime dramas ever, despite the lovely sophie rundle’s performance.
evil season 1: i initially watched this show years back when it first came out, and was surprised to discover it’s on its fourth season! i remembered very little about it, though, so i decided to rewatch the first season before continuing. it’s not as amazing as i remembered it being, and i didn’t immediately continue watching the second season as i’d planned. to be honest, it remains to be seen whether i’m going to pick this up again.
interview with the vampire season 2: where do i even start. i’ve spend the last few months teetering on the brink of obsession when it comes to this show. i’ve got entire scenes memorized word for word. i’m obsessed with this review of interview with the vampire that makes a very good case for, as the reviewer says, letting the show seduce you. i will say, however, that i do think season 1 was the better of the pair — not to say that season 2 was bad, but for me, i think it suffered from the lack of lestat shenanigans, and the loss of bailey bass. i know most people loved delainey hayes’ take on claudia, but as hard as i tried i just could not get on board with her performance; i found her acting teetered on exaggerated and emotionless. because this season focuses so much on claudia, and her legacy, it was hard to feel as emotionally invested when delainey made claudia so unlikable for me. but, i also struggle very much with recasting, so it might not be delainey’s fault. anyway, i’d like to write a longer post about the two seasons and the adaptational choices made, but for now i’ll just let you know that i think about the episode 5 argument between louis and armand at least twice a day.
the boys season 4: well, this is definitely a marked decrease in quality from previous seasons. it felt like the whole season was treading water, building up to something that never happened. most of the character arcs felt like a regression. the shocking violence seemed gratuitous and cheap rather than satisfying. i hope this was just a blip and the next season will improve.
house of the dragon season 2: i have a full review of this season if you’re interested, but the gist of it is, aside from a few quibbles, i’m very happy with what they’ve done, and i would die for alicent hightower. speaking of alicent hightower, who reminds me a lot of sansa stark in personality, narrative role, and fandom perception, i read a really interesting article about sansa stark as gothic heroine.
the bay seasons 1-4: binged four seasons of this british crime drama set in a northern seaside town. again featuring heroines whose decisions are questionable at best, but the mysteries were grounded and interesting, so i recommend this if you’re a crime drama girlie.
what tv shows have been getting you through the months? anything i ought to add to my list?
Ok, I can't remember why I stopped watching Interview with a vampire last year, but this is the umpteenth positive review I've seen that has convinced me I need to watch it through!