square-eyed fly-by

[susie_flo]

Ok, while I wait in agonising anticipation for my sage-stuffed bream and roast potatoes to be ready (the smell is killing me) I am popping in to make a quick square-eyed updatette.

1. Who else is watching Homeland on Channel 4?  I'm really enjoying it so far.  I used to think of Claire Danes as Gwyneth Lite but she's quite good in this. (Her character is even more flawed than Sara Lund).  Also it has Damian Lewis being ginger.

2. Episode 1 of Alcatraz showed promise - and had a good ending.  Hooray for Sam Neil.  There should be more Sam Neil.  So say I.
 
3. A few eps into Grimm, I am not overly convinced.  I fear it might already be slipping into formulaville.  But I'll give it a chance.
 
4. I am so gagging for the next big thing.  You know...  something really really good.  I've decided to order season 1 of Breaking Bad on dvd.  I do hope this hits the spot and isn't just man-hype.
 
5. On the vague off-chance... does anyone have a copy of season 4 of Fringe that they're willing to lend?  We bought our TIVO too late to catch the first half of the series.  Tsk. 

6. For want of anything new and exciting we have been re-watching Buffy.... again.  Oh it's such a guilty pleasure.  Like  spending a day in your PJs after a long week in a business suit.  Bless!

Well that's all from me.  Time to take my square eyes kitchenwards...

Comments

[ms-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Are you watching Gossip Girl (ITV2 Monday 8pm) and if not why not? It is brilliantly, brilliantly bad.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

I haven't tried Gossip Girl. Maybe I should. I am v. anal though and will only watch things from the beginning, so I will look out to see if it starts again.

[ms-siobhan.livejournal.com]

It is so shallow and vapid that you wouldn't need to. It's so signposted you'd be up to speed before the first advert break.

[lebeautemps.livejournal.com]

Yes am watching Homeland too - just skipped ahead and watched the lot online recently. You are spot on about Danes being Paltrow lite.

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

Homeland - I'm a few eps behind because D doesn't watch it but it's very promising so far.

Alcatraz - D reckons we need to watch a few eps back-to-back, so not seen it yet, but J J Abrams, time-travel & Sam Neill all sound good to me. There should indeed be more Sam Neill.

Grimm - again a few eps behind, this time because D does watch it (seriously, we are never up-to-date with anything!). So far it's been better than I was expecting, but I don't know that it has the potential to be more than its very formulaic basic idea. I don't think that its going to become the next Buffy despite having some of the same behind-the-scenes people. And the CG transformation effects are very cheap.

The next big thing? I dunno. I'm hoping its Alcatraz, I think.

I'm in a frenzy of anticipation about the finale of The Walking Dead (season 2) on Friday. I'm still enjoying True Blood. I'm looking forward to the start of the next season of Dexter on FX at the end of the month. Loving Fringe season 4(can't lend, I'm afraid, don't actually possess it), tho' having received seasons 1 - 3 on DVD for Xmas/birthday has been both brilliant (seeing all the foreshadowing with new understanding) and confusing (when you forget which season you're watching). Castle has just started season 4 on Alibi & season 2 on Channel 5 - it's great fun if you like lighthearted police procedurals and/or Nathan Fillion. Um... Liking Inspector Montalbano on BBC4 more than I expected, sticking with Those Who Kill on ITV3 (scandi-crime), and am about the only person I know apart from my Mother (and D) who watches Criminal Minds...

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

I'm recording the Montalbanos and really must get round to watching them. Haven't started Those Who Kill yet, either.

I might give the Walking Dead Season 2 a chance. Season 1 made me very slightly depressed, even though I found it somewhat gripping. (I have difficulty with imaginary futures where there is very little hope left. Reading The Road gave me my worst fit of existential angst in years)

You're right that Grimm is no Buffy substitute...

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

Saw the first ep of Alcatraz last night. Very promising!

[nalsa.livejournal.com]

Enjoying Homeland quite a bit, but am unsure as to where it's going just yet. Seems to have settled down a little into a "are we going to get another season?" writing.

Don't have magic telly so don't get Alcatraz, although the trailers looked interesting.

Grimm starts on C5 in a couple of weeks. Looking forwards to that.

We finished S3 of Buffy yesterday, and got through two discs of S4. Hadn't realised that they switched to widescreen between those two series!

As for next big thing, I have no idea. I was hoping Pan Am might go a bit more spy-y, but no. (And I think it's dropped off the renew radar, too.) I am enjoying Castle, although I'm watching it on C5 so only up to the second or third ep of S2, and I wasn't really expecting to enjoy it this much (although Alexis is basically Dawn and is equally annoying).

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Oh no... I hope it's just a blip (Homeland). it makes me want to weep when a series starts out with a fantastic plot that looks like it's going somewhere and then tails off into endlessly spinning yarns to try and coax a new season. I hate the way that system works - it totally kills all artistic integrity. There are so few series these days that feel as though the writers already know the ending when it starts airing.

I can't believe how uncanny your Buffy comment is. We just finished S3 and started S4 last night and had to fiddle for ages to get our telly to recognise the widescreen and stop showing them all as long, thin, stretchy people.

[nalsa.livejournal.com]

Heh, timing.

Oh! Borgen! That's worth watching, too. Like Danish West Wing.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

Seconded on Borgen. Very good.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

1. Me too. Enjoying Claire Danes very much, but unconvinced by Damian Lewis. Haven't seen this week's yet though. Or possibly last week's.

2. Looking forward to this, it should be on my TiVo.

3. Me neither. And I have also been rewatching Buffy, and it's not standing up well to the comparison.