Monday Media Musings - 8/19/19
Aug. 19th, 2019 06:08 pmNo post last week because I was traveling, but that doesn't mean I was completely away from media! Yay, iPads and hotel room wifi.
Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Crystal Palace: A Critical Role one-shot GM'd by Taliesin Jaffe. I was always fascinated by the Crystal Palace -- if I could go back in time and visit only one building I've studied that no longer exists, that would be high on the list. And although I'm not particularly a fan of Lovecraft-style horror, I did play one Call of Cthulhu campaign back in the day (I chose the author archetype, then bemused the Keeper by making my character a writer of books on organic gardening rather than something more typically horrific), and I'll trust Taliesin to tell me pretty much any story. This tale was suitably entertaining, entrancing, and horrifying without being over the top. I also appreciated how Taliesin called out Lovecraft's problematic ("to say the least") history while encouraging people to look for the value in cosmic horror as a genre. Finally, the costumes and props are stunning. The video can be watched here.
Jane the Virgin, Season 5: I've actually been watching this more or less as it airs. It's now finished, and I'm really quite happy with how it ended. One of the things I've always loved about this show is how well it functions as both a telenovela and a commentary on telenovelas, and the finale might be the perfect example of this. ( Spoilers through the finale -- although if you're more familiar with telenovela conventions than I was, they might not really be spoilers. )
Arrow, Seasons 3 & 4: I liked the resolution to S3, but S4 got a little bit tiring with the overpowered villains. All of the Arrowverse shows suffer a little bit from "the heroes are hopelessly outgunned by the villain until the very last minute" syndrome, but Darke is a distinct step up from most other past antagonists in that regard.
The Flash, Seasons 1 & 2: I've also watched the first few episodes of Season 3, and I have to say, the effects of time travel are so frustratingly inconsistent, the show gets difficult to follow. ( Spoilers for S1 and S2 finales as well as the opening of S3 )
Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Crystal Palace: A Critical Role one-shot GM'd by Taliesin Jaffe. I was always fascinated by the Crystal Palace -- if I could go back in time and visit only one building I've studied that no longer exists, that would be high on the list. And although I'm not particularly a fan of Lovecraft-style horror, I did play one Call of Cthulhu campaign back in the day (I chose the author archetype, then bemused the Keeper by making my character a writer of books on organic gardening rather than something more typically horrific), and I'll trust Taliesin to tell me pretty much any story. This tale was suitably entertaining, entrancing, and horrifying without being over the top. I also appreciated how Taliesin called out Lovecraft's problematic ("to say the least") history while encouraging people to look for the value in cosmic horror as a genre. Finally, the costumes and props are stunning. The video can be watched here.
Jane the Virgin, Season 5: I've actually been watching this more or less as it airs. It's now finished, and I'm really quite happy with how it ended. One of the things I've always loved about this show is how well it functions as both a telenovela and a commentary on telenovelas, and the finale might be the perfect example of this. ( Spoilers through the finale -- although if you're more familiar with telenovela conventions than I was, they might not really be spoilers. )
Arrow, Seasons 3 & 4: I liked the resolution to S3, but S4 got a little bit tiring with the overpowered villains. All of the Arrowverse shows suffer a little bit from "the heroes are hopelessly outgunned by the villain until the very last minute" syndrome, but Darke is a distinct step up from most other past antagonists in that regard.
The Flash, Seasons 1 & 2: I've also watched the first few episodes of Season 3, and I have to say, the effects of time travel are so frustratingly inconsistent, the show gets difficult to follow. ( Spoilers for S1 and S2 finales as well as the opening of S3 )
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