Eh, I didn’t feel that way about the first season, so it probably is why my reaction to this one is just about the same as to the first. Like, it’s fine, but I don’t get why it is such a Thing. I didn’t feel like it was a waste of time, but it isn’t near the top of my “favorite things Netflix has done” pile. Season 1 had the advantage of being something new, whereas 2 just seems content to spin the tires for the most part.
You last line is funny because I am literally wearing a Labyrinth t-shirt as I type this.
I know I’m kind of notorious for deciding that things are either excellent or terrible but I thought that this season was way sloppier with its tertiary characters and subplots and pacing and mysteries and inflection points in ways it really couldn’t justify or excuse
Eh, kinda I could see it, though the first season did have the “and then we forgot Barb” problem, which of course Season 2 makes into a Thing. This show does have a problem with introducing characters outside of it’s core crew though, in that they are either clearly just plot devices (Barb in season 1, Mews, Bob, and Billy in season 2) or they have no idea what to do with them (Max and 008). I guess for me in the end it just sorta (analogously, not in terms of content specifically) felt like a middling Marvel sequel to me, and the first felt like a middling Marvel first movie. I’m notorious for minor problems being Big Things for me, so I am sure if I ever talk to people about this show outside of SB, they will think I hate it, when it doesn’t really even reach that level of investment from me.
Soundtrack is still pretty alright, though I admit I am predisposed to that kind of synthy shit.
me and my partner have been watching season 2 mostly just to hate on it and we’re about halfway through and boy howdy i’m surprised how shoddy it is, and that’s from someone who thinks the first season is basically garbage
I really think Stranger Things peaked in the very first scene of season 1. but the rest of it was good too. I am also enjoying season 2 (two episodes in). it’s far from garbage
the first few scenes are kind of watchable but then every interaction between him and his girlfriend is like … what?
I was OK with stranger things season 2 for the first few episodes too, but by midseason it really goes off the rails, compared to how carefully crafted the first one was (and it’s inevitably a cynical rather than a fun mess given the subject matter)
the new 24 is going to be an anthology thing now with nothing to do with terrorists and ctu and to start off is going to be some courtroom thing about some prosecutor trying to get somebody off from being executed, like a prosecutor would even give a shit but it’s 24 so it’s going to glorify the state’s violence dispensers.
Stranger Things 2 is pretty faithful to its apparent goal of being a shoddy 80s rehash sequel to a beloved 80’s Movie. like what if Silent Hill gave you the same feeling you got watching Ghostbusters 2? should’ve went more for the Gremlins 2 approach, imo
in all honesty i thought it was ok. and the original score still rules
also i like Eleven’s cool outfit when she hangs out with what looks like old character sheets from a long lost Streets of Rage
just make S3 an Army of Darkness pastiche starting Steve and be done with it already
((anyway gonna repost a thing from the other thread then))
finished the young pope. it’s really good, actually!
i thought they would do the religion parody thing but it’s surprising how seriously they took the issue of spirituality and commitment to the faith / church institution and stuff at times. of course, it’s still mostly goofy and insane things happen all the time, but it’s nice to see they didn’t go after the easy shots, y’know? good soundtrack and costumes, too.
I liked MindHunter, until it ended on what I would consider a mid-season episode. Lots of setup, no real payoff to it except maybe to Holden until the next season. The last 5 minutes was a good contrast between Ed Kemper and Holden, though
I’m annoyed at how much I’m enjoying the Orville. like five different people told me to get over my dislike of Seth MacFarlane and try it out and it’s basically extremely affectionate yet fundamentally bad TNG play acting which is all I want most days
in other news I’m afraid this season of Bob’s Burgers may have jumped the shark. It’s all jokes about instagram and brunch; reminds me of that one season of king of the hill that was suddenly a bunch of weird topical humour about Bobby’s classmates being into boy bands.