Wednesday updates

[kindkit]

The state of me in general:

Meh. Nothing in particular to report, just, you know, everything.


Reading:

Sarah Waters, Tipping the Velvet. I'm a bit more than halfway through with this, but stalled at the point where the main character is about to make another very bad, self-destructive choice. There are other novels by Waters I like more.

T. Kingfisher, A Sorceress Comes to Call. Kingfisher's novels are always worth a read. I found this one quite harrowing on an emotional level--something about the particular brand of abuse the main character goes through really gets to me. But Kingfisher never just drops her characters into hell and leaves them there, which is an assurance I need these days. Bonus points for how she plays with the "lonely girl bonds with a magical horse" trope.

And I'm re-reading the Murderbot books (after having finally finished the series) to see if I get more out of them this time.


Watching:

The Murderbot TV show, which (at the risk of heresy) I'll admit I like more than the books. I've never found it easy to connect emotionally with Martha Wells' writing, so I think the story benefits greatly from being performed. Alexander Skarsgard is very, very good as Murderbot, managing to convey huge amounts of layered characterization using mostly his eyes, his voice, and some body language. And David Dastmalchian, whom I'd never heard of before, almost steals the show as Murderbot's semi-nemesis Gurathin. The two of them play off each other very well, as two similar personalities who, naturally, can't stand each other and are incredibly awkward about it.

Leverage: Redemption, which I like fine but which can't quite hold up to the original show. The (mostly) lack of Hardison changes the emotional dynamic I loved in the original, although at least, mercifully, the show quickly stopped trying to make parenthood its new dynamic. I do like Breanna, and I like that there's now a canonically queer person in the main team, but it's just not the same.

I'm still watching, though. I'm only up to the first episode of S3, so no spoilers past that, please.

Taskmaster S19 is a delight. I love this series' cast and they are very, very funny together. I was nervous about Jason Mantzoukas, because I only knew him as Derek from The Good Place and that character irritated me, but he brings beautiful chaos to Taskmaster.

Comments

[sovay]

And David Dastmalchian, whom I'd never heard of before, almost steals the show as Murderbot's semi-nemesis Gurathin. The two of them play off each other very well, as two similar personalities who, naturally, can't stand each other and are incredibly awkward about it.

Yes!

I also bounced off the series and am loving the show.

[schneefink]

I have not watched Taskmaster in a while but I watched the first three episodes of the new series and enjoyed them a lot, will definitely continue.

I stopped watching Leverage: Redemption at some point in season 1 because it was good but not as good, but I have seen a few gif sets from season 3 on Tumblr that made me consider skipping ahead to season 3.

Have not seen Murderbot yet but looking forward to it.

[kindkit]

Depending on when in S1 you stopped watching L:R, you might like later episodes better. Those early S1 episodes are the weakest, inmy view, but it picked up for me around episode 7 or 8. Still not quite living up to the original, though.