'Good omens' ~ rest in piece

It's clever. It's so clever. Now anyone who says anything against the 2nd season can be instantly blamed as homophobic and ostracized.

However, reducing the discussion to this level is not only an offence to me, because it would mean I can see no further than this, but also a pretty unflattering signal that those who do it cannot see past this fence too. I'm sure the show was supposed to be more beautiful than this. It was supposed to be art.

I could write more, but looks like other people have said enough already, even making the same comparisons and using the same terms I would. So I'll say nothing more.

There are times when words are not necessary.

'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' TV series ~ I remain quite firm on the signage

'Wait, so there's basically no relation to the original left?', asked sponsors.

'But I remain quite firm on the signage', answered the director.

Nobody asked me, but I'd give this show and this character an absolutely different name. The main character could be just a disciple of the holistic crime-solving method with no damage to the story.

Actually, it would have been even better, with all these shiny characters of the TV series.

Time loops, explanations given only in the last episode, an englishman in New York, and even ridiculousness blended into violent reality - we've seen it. What makes this show watchable are the characters. Well, watchable until the crew gets carried away with their own holistic approach to filming in season 2.

Probably good that they stopped this holism before it went the wrong way, and I even doubt Adams would approve. However, if we forget about the book, it's a nice take on

IMHO. 'The Pursuit of Love' ~ seems like love is more elusive than you'd think

One of the two main characters is a whimsical woman who spends her life sincerely searching for love and meaning, and just as sincerely displaying remorse after realising she did not succeed. Time and time again.

The other is a prudent woman who spends her life envying the other, while at the same time disapproving of her, but forgiving her as soon as she shows up. Time and time again.

Their friendship that's described to be so lofty and survive all that happens to them is nothing else but mutual realisation they don't have anyone else. And even though they repeat so many times they love to chat, I can't imagine a single topic they could discuss.

And now that I've managed to write whole 3 paragraphs describing them I'm actually surprised that I squeezed so much out of myself because there's so little I could say. Every other character could be easily described with just one or two words. Only lonely Andrew Scott managed to breathe some life into his character despite how little time he has on screen.

So it puzzles me just where exactly you saw any friendship, any women's point of view, or, to start with, any love in this 'Pursuit of love'.

IMHO. 'Miss Sherlock' ~ miss sher locked?

A high-functioning sociopath meets a compassionate and devoted commoner and learns about the world of feelings while the latter becomes sharper and more discerning.
When will the list of mystery dramas based on this concept end? Probably never because it's supposed to be fun. And the gist of this fun is supposed to be the strange charisma of the detective which Yuko Takeuchi brazenly lacks, and their interaction with the partner - which Shihori cannot sustain because there is so little to be involved in. Even though Shihori on her own was okay. Even though Yuko was looking extremely attractive every single moment of the series.
The new take on Mrs. Hudson, Mycroft, Lestrade and his subordinate, and just everyone around them is very enjoyable, but what's with this indifference from the main two characters multiplied by absolute apathy of the writers who created criminals who remain unfound despite touching their weapon with bare hands, flat characters of victims who start shouting suddenly as if it's the only way to show their grief, the writers who send a woman to rest at home after she had been tortured with electricity, the writers who could only come up with these contrived explanations for the crimes?

Oh please if you had money on that wonderful wardrobe of Sherlock's, you could as well spend them on a nice script and acting.

IMHO. 'Numb3rs' ~ 'Applied physicists are from Venus, theoretical physicists wonder why it rotates in the opposite direction'

Sometimes the show is so good or so bad or so mediocre, you just don't have anything to add, and so there's no review. Sometimes the show is so good or so bad you want to cry out, and there is a review.
Here's a show that's neither particularly good nor especially bad, but makes me want to put down a couple of words.
It's so slow that it takes quite a few time to start liking the characters. There's no usual `mad scientist and his earthly friend` collision, which makes it dull from the very beginning. There is also almost no attempt to show that the victims suffer or that the criminals are also humans. The only ones who impressed me were probably the sleepy train engineer who had to support his family and regretted his mistake, and the father who wanted to see his daughter.
I guess it ultimately depends on the actor.
And if there's a couple of things I enjoyed, they would be the supporting actors. The most brilliant in these show were: Lou Diamond Phillips, just because his level of coolness was superseding everyone else so much, John Cariani, because he was the only one who succeeded in creating a cute scientist, and Josh Gad, because he managed to be so natural and so funny. I didn't even recognise him, even though I knew some other roles of his, but every time he appeared, he made my day.
Now episodic cameos of these would not be enough to say the show is successful, but I kept watching till the end. What made me do that, I couldn't tell, as the mathematical aspect of the show is so clearly wasted. Instead of introducing the beauty of mathematics, they create a simple analogy every now and then, which is just what it is: an analogy. No real mechanisms were explained, and no attempt was done to do that, except that they actually named the mathematical or physical law or theory.
Oh, now I remembered why in the first place I wanted to watch this. I thought maybe it could inspire me to go back to math. Nah...
Just a couple of other things I did not like at all.
First, the take on psychic abilities. First time the man claiming to have them shows, the episode ends in no particular conclusion. Okay, there's hope he could come back and things would be cleared out. Second time he shows, they decide to leave the answer even more vague by simply erasing the character - without any chance of coming back this time. I hated these two episodes. For a show that claims to popularise mathematics, nothing would ruin it more than allowing credibility to psychics.
And the second one, the episode about false accusations that were left uncontradicted. I mean, I've never seen a modern-day death penalty in such detail. One thing popped up to my mind. Isn't it still used because some people believe, maybe somewhere deep inside their souls, without even realising it, that the executed suffer? Like, watches his body from above and sheds crocodile tears they're no longer alive? Finally realise they have been wrong only after they lose their precious life?
Well then, they don't. Even if they suffer when the drugs don't work properly, just like Robin wished, it's so meaningless. They won't be able to remember that pain. They won't think 'oh this is so unpleasant, I won't commit such crimes again because it inflicts such painful punishment'.
I guess my watching this show reflects my life during this month and a half - nothing special. With occasional puns.
And to think that I missed the release of `Good omens` because of that!

associations. some rap

I mean what else can come to mind when I hear this rhythm? ^_^

hey!

IMHO. 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell' ~ lost hope

Having just recently read an article by Henry Lion Oldie about the art of understatement and leaving things unsaid, and having agreed with the fact that a reader must not demand full clearness from the author where he does not really intend to be fully clear but instead intends that the reader has some thought himself, I really shouldn't be complaining about the world of 'Strange and Norrell' not being described in full, the actions of the characters not being explained in full, the events taking place being bereft of meaning and the ending being so entirely open.

Still, I don't really think I am too demanding when I expect some narrative logic in a book or a movie or a TV series.

'Strange and Norrell' presents brilliant actors portraying interesting characters in a wonderful historic setting with an intriguing start of the story. There was something Pickwickian in Mr Norrell constantly worrying about consequences and his loyal but just and down-to-earth servant Childermass, rash and passionate Strange and odious Drawlight. There was something Rowling-ish in the legends of the Raven King and spells with mirrors and water. I daresay there even was something Shakespearean in the world of the sly fairy. But in the end, it was Susanna Clarke's tired and boring. I saw it everywhere. She had been writing the book for ten years they say, apparently there was no strength left in her, and no will and/or time in her editors to make the story coherent. The scattered episodes were glued together as they were, with hardly any intermediary, leaving me constantly wondering why this or that event took place. Something bad happens, and they do nothing about it. Then something worse happens and they still do nothing. And what's the worst, it ended in nothing particular, and not because it was the author's intention, but because she could no longer keep writing. Or so I hear. I would, I really would gladly put up with the open ending, but all these small irrelevant things make no sense to me.

But then, they make sense for each respective character. I can totally understand why Norrell kept silent. I can totally understand why Strange struggled on his own. I can totally understand that Childermass wanted to know the truth in order to follow his conscience, and I can understand the fears of the government, the greed of Lascelles and the despair of Stephen.

The problem is, they keep on minding their own business and it's not until the last minutes of the last episode that they finally start interacting with each other.

Surely I'm not too demanding when I expect that interaction sooner, the coherence higher, when I expect the English humour and English irony after so many people commented on having seen those things, and when I expect a story about magic being magical. However, it turned out to be even more realistic than any realistic historical movie - with the promised sharp wit never appearing, it's about how different people behave according to their beliefs and interests, but in the end, what a pity, even though I can totally understand each of them, I find no one to admire.

IMHO. 'Eleventh hour' ~ when I can't do without subs

Give me back the British pronunciation, I was thinking all the while. What a wonderful sine wave would a graph of my self-esteem make when I watch an American movie after a British. It was not that bad, no, not at all, but considering how many scientific and investigation terms were used, I'd never appreciate the series without subs, which, for some reason, were only present for some of the episodes, not all, at least the time-matching ones...

Apart from some new words learned, what kept me watching was perhaps only the presence of Sewell. He is just as irresistible as ever. Oh, and perhaps mister Omar Benson Miller. I really wish there were more of him, such a lovable character with such a nice attitude and cute smile. Was it the producers' mistake to have found him too late?

Well, they helped me go through the whole 18 episodes of a not-so-interesting... what? mystery? Here is the moment when the Russian word is more precise. We call such stories 'detective stories', while English sources would say it's 'mystery'. And while certainly it's detective, not much of a mystery was there.

I thought mystery is when you don't know the essence of the crime and the criminal's motive for the most part of the episode. It's common, even though it can get boring, when the criminals are caught in the end and only then confess why and what they did exactly. It's also a nice way of story-building when the criminal is smart and keeps outwitting the detectives. How am I supposed to get hooked when the reason behind the sudden bad symptoms is uncovered almost instantly by Dr. Hood? The rest is simply about whether it was caused by this or that reaction or substance. Chemistry, biology and all kinds of scientific explanations are great, but you see, none made me more interested in science than I already am. Was it caused by repellent or pesticide? I don't really care. I would care, though, if there weren't so many white spots in each plot. Some details were finally left non-discussed and unexplained. Even though they might have found the substance and the perpetrator, there were episodes in which some reactions were left unexplained, such as why one girl in the family didn't get sick while she claimed to have eaten the same things, or why none of the crew reacted to the bad pheromone in the fragrance, since the difference between those affected and non-affected was not stated.
Not many of the criminals were impressive either, with no really interesting stories about their past. Not many victims, though, excited my sympathy on the other hand. The only one who managed to do that was the wife of the tv reporter who lost his sight in the helicopter and crashed, played by Susan May Pratt.

Speaking of victims, I must also notice that Sewell's portrayal of a man who experienced loss is, just as you would expect, impressive. It must sound rude, I know, but it's as if he was born to express grief...

As for the main duet, it was okay I guess? Might have been better? Maybe. I think I was rather satisfied than not. You see, Marley Shelton was not very enchanting, but then - was an FBI agent supposed to be?

Well then, as for the scientific part, it was generally all right, but I didn't quite like that science looked rather dangerous frequently throughout the series. Even though I want to thank the creators for showing that the guilty are only those who abuse scientific research, I can totally imagine people saying 'here, that's why I'm not eating GMO' and so on.

The one good moment: Hood saying a memorable phrase 'if immortality is outlawed, then only the outlaws will be immortal'. Yes, that was impressive.

The one bad moment: the episode about heavy water. It was obvious the scenario was based around that 'miracle' concept. I knew that while Hood was trying to prove there aren't any miracles, the story would still assert there are. And yes, it did. So, 'if that storm didn't hit, the boy would have his tumor, and the region would be blasted with a dirty bomb'. And Rachel would call it a miracle. Well you see, it's not a miracle. It's a coincidence, with a chance of happening that can be predicted with more or less accuracy. Yes, it's a miraculous coincidence, but nothing more. Ending the episode with such conclusions makes people hope for more miracles, and those won't happen more than their probability is. I just had to say this. I almost hated the episode.

Otherwise, the story was not bad, but it's surely not a series I will miss.

IMHO. 'Dancing on the edge' ~ realistic realism

This is what happens when you open an article called '18 TV serials you won't be able to drop'.

story and characters

I don't know, maybe it's the case when for some reason I feel I can associate myself with a character - that's what happened with Sarah. She was my favourite from the beginning to the end. But suddenly some of those whom I didn't like at all turn out into helpful, loyal friends, and some of those who seemed nothing special change everything, some turn out to be wiser than you'd think, or less wise than you thought, but one thing that never changes with those British series - everybody has his own reasons that are so solid you can't hate them even when they behave the opposite of being any knights without fear and reproach.

the visual side

Suddenly I realised, when my Mom asked me if thirties is my favourite period in history, that they are really not. It doesn't prevent me, however, from falling in love with how this serial is done from the point of view of its visual design - beautifully, artistically, vividly. It's not exactly the time I love most, but certainly it's the time that deserves being depicted with such love and in such detail.

music

is something I don't have anything to say about, really. This show was not only for the story, nor was it only for the looks, but for music, too. And even though after episode 3 we did not hear much of the orchestra's performances, there was enough played and sung to make me respect jazz musicians even more, though jazz will never ever become my favourite genre either.

acting

It would take too much space to praise everyone who acted in the serial, but I couldn't find a single actor who was out of place or unnatural in those interiors, in those costumes and inside of that music.

I'll just say this: Wunmi Mosaku was extremely cute when she was acting shyness of her heroine, and Tom Hughes was so impressive that though I usually don't understand such characters, I started to feel like I do, just a little. And Janet Montgomery and Joanna Vanderham both made me grow to like their respective heroines.

conclusion

After I've praised the show so much one would think I'd give it 10 stars, but I have to say thing in the conclusion: 'Dancing on the edge' is very interesting, yes, extremely educational, too, and extremely well done, but it just doesn't leave a particular trace in your heart, because it is, first, too short, and second, not too smooth in terms of story-telling. Some places were too sharp and abrupt, and even though there couldn't be anything more said or described, leave the sense like they lacked depth.

p. s.

and I do have to admit that the story is so very realistic (and sad...) that after watching I felt like I read a book by one of the writers who were active in 30s.

'The hour' ~ an opus on democracy

I would say that BBC is always and without any doubt a marker of high quality when it comes to TV series. When I hear that they've made a 'War and Peace' with scenes that weren't in the original and seemed to the director to be implied by the author. Now I'm not going to say that BBC always creates only good things. But I'll say it like this: at least they're good at making series about themselves - British, Londoners, BBC members.

story and characters

I know, I know. Elder members uttering sheer philosophy like Dalai Lama are funny.

Boasting the progress of your democracy like a child is funny.

It all might be utterly funny if not for the fact it was not. With such believable characters, with this kind of story that does not leave you much time for breathing... Because they really got themselves into a great trouble, not being afraid of the consequences. It would be fuuny that by the end they all proved to be such brave men taking full responsibility for what they've done, which was not entirely a good thing, but for the fact that I could actually laugh when it was so serious and the characters were so dear to me already.

And I could possibly laugh when 90% of people in my country don't understand that

acting

I'll just mention that the series get mostly positive, or neutral feedback at worst, at least among those sources I've checked. Not that I checked them for reviews, rather for making sure whether the ending was really as ambiguous as I saw it, and therefore could be treated freely as I want... And I'll tell you that half the reason of the positive part was the acting. This is probably what I have to thank BBC for. Maybe except for Romola Garai. Maybe she was just a bit too unnatural for me.

But all of them were looking so real, so "50s".
And there was the cute Lisa Greenwood. And Oona Chaplin. God she's so beautiful... and real.

costumes, interiors, atmospere

Are the second half of what got this series so many positive review. Period drama? Gimme moar.

conclusion

I know this won't be a masterpiece considered to be one of a kind, but you know how I found it? In a list of some 10 British TV series worthy of watching. And I would recommend it like I did the other day to my friend: listen, there is a young brave journalist willing to change the world with his program, and there is a young brave woman fighting prejudice, and many other loveable people, young and not, a bit of a detective story and lots of serious questions.

And British accent. Yeah.

searching for clever lines ~ Sherlock

season 1 episode 1

Sherlock and John

- You're a doctor. In fact, you're an army doctor.
- Yes.
- Any good?
- Very good.
- Seen lot of injuries, then. Violent deaths.
- Well, yes.
- Bit of trouble, too, I bet.
- Of course. Enough for a lifetime, far too much.
- Want to see some more?
- Oh, god, yes.

Lestrade and Sherlock

- Who's this?
- He's with me.
- But who is he?
- I_said_he's_with_me.

John and Sherlock

- That's fantastic.
- Do you know you do that out loud?
- Sorry, I'll shut up.
- No, it's... fine.

- She said, you get off on this, you enjoy it.
- And I said "dangerous", and here you are.

Sherlock

- Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.

episode 2

John and Sherlock

- Did you like it?
- Um... no.
- Why not? I thought you'd be flattered.
- Flattered? 'Sherlock sees through everything and everyone in seconds. What's incredible, though, is how spectacularly ignorant he is about some things.'
- Hang on a minute, I didn't mean that...
- Oh, you meant 'spectacularly ignorant' in a nice way!

Sally and John

- You're still hanging around him.
- Yeah, well...
- Opposites attract,  I suppose.
- We're not...
- You should get yourself a hobby. Stamps, maybe. Model trains. Safer.
...
- Fishing! Try fishing!

John, Sherlock and Lestrade

- Fantastic.
- Meretricious.
- And a happy new year.

John and Sherlock

- Homeless network?
- My eyes and ears, all over the city.
- Oh, that's... clever. So, you scratch their backs, and...?
- Yes, then disinfect myself.

Moriarty and Sherlock

- You've come the closest. Now you're in my way.
- Thank you.
- Didn't mean it as a compliment.
- Yes, you did.
- Yeah, ok, I did.

episode 3

children, Sherlock and John

- They wouldn't let us see Granddad when he was dead. Is that 'cos he'd gone to heaven?
- People don't really go to heaven when they die, they're taken to a special room and burned.
- Sherlock!

John and Sherlock

- Punch you?

- Yes, punch me in the face. Didn't you hear me?

-  I always hear 'punch me' when you speak, but it's usually subtext.

- Don't do that.
- Do what?
- The look.
- Look?
- You're doing the look again.
- Well, I can't see it, can I? It's my face.
- Yes and you're doing a "We both know what's really going on here" face.
- We do.
- No, I don't, which is why I find the face so annoying.

Molly and Sherlock

- You're a bit like my dad. He's dead. No, sorry.
- Molly, please don't feel the need to make conversation, it's really not your area.
- When he was dying, he was always cheerful, he was lovely, except when he thought no-one could see. I saw him once, he looked sad.
- Molly.
- You look sad, when you think he can't see you.

Sherlock and John

- Alone is what I have. Alone protects me.
- No, friends protect people.

John and Mrs Hudson

- I have met someone.
- Oh! Ah, lovely.
- Yeah. We're getting married. Well, I'm going to ask, anyway.
- So soon after Sherlock?
-Hmm, well, yes.
- What's his name?
- It's a woman.
- A woman?!
- Yes, of course it's a woman.
- You really have moved on, haven't you?
- Mrs Hudson, how many times? Sherlock was not my boyfriend!
- Live and let live, that's my motto.
- Listen to me - I am not gay!

John

The thing about Mary, she has completely turned my life around. Changed everything. But, for the record, over the last few years there are two people who have done that, and the other one is... a complete dickhead.

mho. 'Elementary' ~ the translation and voicing in Russian were so good I did not even want to watch the original

when I started watching I was absolutely aware I was not going to see any renewal of a classical story. from the very beginning it was clear that only names and some resemblance of the original relationships were preserved. therefore, I had nothing to be disappointed with

story and characters

had almost nothing to do with the true 'Sherlock Holmes', and I tried to enjoy the series as a completely different story. 'twas not too complicated or intriguing, but good enough to spend one hour before the screen. I missed a few episodes but never regretting about that. I was not hooked at all

only when it came to the last episode I could understand one thing. 'Elementary' managed to present me something very important. though the detective side of the stories was not memorable, though a lot of frivolous changes were made with the original, and though there was your usual happy end, 'Elementary' presents a very interesting net of relationships, especially the one between Holmes and Watson. I wonder if this is what they call the 'life partners trope'. they were so believable and realistic, but at the same time, they were full of moments that - at least for me - are lacking. full of trust and reliability, I guess...

music

was almost unnoticeable, unfortunately

acting

was probably average, but not bad at all

conclusion

next season is promised to start in September again. huh, ok. will be waiting