What I Have Been (or Am) Watching is from The Domein of Toast, he (i) admittedly spending too much (almost all?) time in front of the TV. Kent's not stepping on toests but yeah, he (me) has a piles of TV shows in progress and maybe doesn't have has too much to say about it.
So say we all.
Inspired by Kent's last (TV) post, I am returning to Writing About TV. The last time I did was back in 2022 with one which was already a collection of the ancient past. I imagine I will miss a few, but I will do my best to actually curtail the rambling (and even the mumbling of this louder, second italics voice; third voice replies, "why curtail? why not embrace?").
Or better known as Star Trek: The Next Generation S08. Despite originally giving a strong attempt to do something new and fresh, albeit with a heavy dose of nostalgic referential material, the Picard series gives up any pretense and goes all-in on simping for the fanboys (ooooo look at Toast using the "fellow kids" language). This season brings back the entire bridge crew, minus Wesley who got his ten seconds last season. Even Ro Laren gets her ten seconds.
TBH I hated how much TOS ended up relying on its aging cast, and despite hitting that age myself, I am just not interested in seeing doddering old fuddy duddies saving the galaxy. But as we already said, the series has dispensed pretending its not just another season of an older, beloved series. There is no way this is Picard at 96, because NOBODY in the cast looks that old, even if the Federation has made growing older more graceful. And this season pretty much ignores that he is a synth, but for one comment. That said, the cast does pull it off for the most part, and this show does not smack of Fat Kirk as the movies did.
This season finally answers the question of whether Picard and Beverly ever Got It On. They did, they had a son, she abandoned Star Fleet and didn't even tell JL about the kid. Its now twenty-odd years later and the kid & his mom are being chased by the spiritual successor to Romulan Nero from the Chris Pine movies (big, spiky spaceship, loves monologuing, mat as a hatter). She drags Picard into it, and he drags Riker and a few others into it. AND Rafi is already mixed up in something for Starfleet Security, which we know will end up tying to Picard's story.
If the Mission Impossible movies are always about the IMF being disavowed, and then reinstated, this series is about Picard needing Starfleet to help him with something, being told to go fuck himself, and he absconding with the resources anyway. I know they lampshade it (oooo Toast learned a new literary term and just had to find a way to use it) but you would think his status in saving the galaxy a hand full of times would give him no end of people lining up to offer him help.
Anywayz, Bad Guys are Changelings and Borg, but annoyingly and strangely enough, NOT Agnes Jurati and her new Kinder Nicer Borg Queen Amalgam. The season forgets about that endeavour completely and just brings back the original Borg Queen, voiced by Alice Krige -- RIP Annie Wersching. She pulls off her own Borg: The Next Generation and uses all the young folk of Star Fleet to attack Earth. Now THIS would have been the perfect opportunity to fan-boy even more, having a whole BUNCH of aging, but fondly remembered, secondary cast members appear on screen briefly stating, "We've successfully fought off our grandchildren and taken back our ships!!" Alas.
And Picard as Loving Dad saves the day (rolls eyes).
Nice to see Worf still pining for Deanna.
Season Three in a three season arc show, that has been very loud about its intent to come, to impress, and to go. So, what will they give us this season? Of course, we need a Redemption Arc for Nate, but ... what else? Maybe they can finally.... win? Well, so many episodes in and Not Yet.
At this point in the series, I am no longer seeing it as A Whole, but as individual episodes and points in each episode. Its not so much about Ted anymore, which is always expected from later seasons in shows named for a character. Some stories I care about (Rebecca's, Keeley's), some I don't (Ted's, Nate's) and some, I am just enjoying the progression of the character (Jamie's, Ted's). There are touching moments, and heart breaking moments, and funny moments, but nothing is truly all tied together like Season One.
But I will still keep watching.
Feel the same here?
Grogu didn't become a Jedi, so he is back with Mando (why DOESN'T anyone call him Manda? *snicker*) and Mando has set his sites on his own redemption, in the eyes of the cadre. So, that means a trip to Mandalore. Admittedly, I am constantly reminding myself, having not seen all the interstitial shows that this one draws upon for lore, that the death of the planet of Mandalore was not thousands of years ago. Not sure why that idea is cemented in my head... So yeah, Mando is off the planet bombed into green glass to find forgiveness for taking his helmet off.
And along the way, he brings along Bo Katan, who has lost face in the eyes (weird turn of phrase?) of her own cadre, having lost the Black Sabre to Mando. But, you know, it all works out. This season will be all about things working themselves out, tying up some loose ends, and ... kicking your feet up?!?!
Again, when a first season was soooo fucking distinctive, and the follow up, lesser so (but with it's incredible moments) I am not sure I can expect much more than Just Enjoying It for a third season. Hopefully they will kick it into higher gear for coming seasons? No. More. Resting. On. Laurels. Please?
Will Trent, S01, ABC
Will Trent, of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (state agency as opposed to Federal) and is, as expected, a bit of an odd ball. He grew up in the foster care system and was extremely abused. But he pulled himself up by his tweed suits and earth tone ties to become the best investigator in the state. With a hidden dyslexia, which he supplements by talking through cases into a cassette audio recorder, he annoys other investigators, as well as the entirety of local Atlanta police forces, primarily because he also brought down a beloved Police Chief for corruption.
Its another cop show based on another book series, this time by Karin Slaughter. Its doing exactly what I wanted it to do, but not any more than that. I am still looking for my next Longmire.
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