don't tease me about my hobbies, i don't tease you about being an asshole

[evergleam]

So, I felt really crappy this weekend. So crappy, and tired and headachey and feverish, that I called out of work last night. And what with Netflix feeding my habit and all, I watched a lot of television.


I knew I was going to love this show and I so totally do. Because, you know what? I did go to high school with these people. My friends and I, we were these people. Which, I know, is the point of the show. :p

I like to see that James Franco can actually act when he's not trying too hard, or at least, when he's playing a specific type. I love Nick and Ken and I'm completely amazed by the comic genius of Bill. I mean, who is that guy?

And you know what? Sam is so adorable. I just want to smush him. And I would totally have been friends with Lindsay in high school. I can't wait to keep going, and I have a feeling I'm going to have buy this one when I'm done.



Ever since I was a little kid, my nightmares have always, always been about the apocalypse. I'm not sure why or what it means psychologically or any of that, but the idea of human civilization just being clean wiped away terrifies me. Even more than that, the idea of surviving something like that is just scary. So right away this show pushes some of my buttons.

The thing is, though, for me to really fall for something, I've got to fall for the characters. I've got to connect with them, and that's what'll keep me watching. And that didn't really happen for me with this. Right off the bat, the only characters I'm even interested in are the President, Edward James Olmos (who kicks all kinds of ass), and Dr. Gaius. Apollo, while incredibly attractive (albeit in that way that makes you feel like a Republican), is so whiny and obnoxious I just want to punch him in his whiny little face. Like, repeatedly. And the less said about Starbuck the better. Maybe they just got off to a bad start in the miniseries, and things are gonna change a bit in the show, and I'm all for that, but for now, I kinda hate both of them. I really liked Helo, but he disappeared halfway through, which, sad. I've seen people talk about him though, so I'm assuming he comes back. Boomer kind of annoyed me throughout most of the beginning with her sweet earnest sincere thing, so that big reveal at the end didn't really surprise me. Because, duh, as soon as Six was all "some of them don't even KNOW they're Cylons OMG!" I knew it was gonna be Boomer.

Oh, wait. Wait, okay, I did really like Six. She's a very interesting villain, and a very interesting point of reference as far as the Cylons as a whole go. The other thing is, the thing that's going to keep me watching, for awhile anyway, is while I didn't really connect with the characters, I can't stop thinking about the story. It's not a new concept by any means, and not just because this is a remake, but it's always an interesting path to travel down. The cold and calculating way the Cylons are hunting humans, their creators, and the tough decisions that have to be made to try and ensure survival, it's all very complex. Plus, Dr. Gaius fascinates me. I don't know anything about where he's headed, but right now, he's not irredeemable. Right now, I don't see the destruction of the human race as his fault, because it would have happened regardless of who Six chose to manipulate into getting what she wanted. The key is going to be what Dr. Gaius does next, and I don't think it's going to be good, because he's very much a selfish human being. Also, crazy. So, you know, my favorite kind of character. :p

Anyway, I'm going to keep watching and hope that Apollo gets less whiny and Starbuck stops making me want to kill her and continue to think about it all a little more. I'm surprised that television that makes you think has lasted so long. :p



Okay, so who forgot to tell me that Peter Krause is hot? Because, seriously. With the scruff and the hotness and yeah. How did I miss that?

This show is very much the kind of thing I can see myself getting very involved in. I love all of the characters. They're all crazy and fucked up and in nine kinds of pain and still hilarious. I love the Fishers to pieces, every single one of them. It's amazing to me that I can like a character even while they're being a complete jerk, which, all four of them were at some point or another in the first three episodes. That doesn't usually happen. I think that's what I'm going to like about this show, they aren't caricatures of people, they have a lot of flaws but also a great capacity to do good, to care for one another and others. And that's fun to watch.

I'm spoiled for some things to come, and I thought that was going to bother me, but at this point I'm so interested in getting to know all these people and how those things happen that I don't think it will.


Also, after some distance and conversations with others and a re-watch of Noel, I have a bunch more thoughts on last night's TWW. But, I think I'll wait and save them for next week, because I'd like to see how they handle that. I'm hoping they remember that Josh makes jokes when he doesn't know how to handle things. That'd be nice.

And finally, a very happy birthday to whisperwords! I hope you're having a fantastic day!

Comments

[girlintheattic.livejournal.com]

Apollo, while incredibly attractive (albeit in that way that makes you feel like a Republican)

Yes! The nail on the head! I can never manage to really be attracted to people so ... manly and perfectly formed. What is that?

[evergleam83.livejournal.com]

Heh, I totally stole that phrase from someone else, but I think it's a perfect catch-all for those all-American, manly type of guys that are supposed to be traditionally handsome. I'm not usually attracted to them, either, at least not on anything more than an "oooh, pretty" level. :p

[bluegreensmoke.livejournal.com]

The first ep of BSG I saw was 1x04 and I was totally hooked (thanks monkeyfromhell :P. I went back to 1x01 and didn't watch the miniseries until much later.

I thought the differences between the mini and 1x01 were significant and that both Apollo & Starbuck were incredibly annoying back then. I think the time between the mini and the first season gave the writers the opportunity to fix some things and make the two of them more interesting & sympathetic.

I get where you're coming from with them. I think it gets better but the two of them are not everyone's cup of tea. 1x01 & 1x04 are two of my favorite eps, so I look forward to eventually hearing your thoughts on them.

[evergleam83.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad to hear some of the things I wasn't wild about get addressed. I think the mini was a good setup, but not necessarily as engaging as it could have been, but I guess that's hard when you're trying to get through so much exposition. I am interested to see where it's heading, though, and from other people's reactions, I'm hoping I'll enjoy it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_jems_/]

I started out being kinda meh about most of the characters on BSG, but I loved the story. By the end of the first season Starbuck had become tolerable (I find her Mary Sue-ish), Apollo was intriguing me and my greatest love of all on the show was the cylons.

Season 2 has been a pretty rocky road for me, where I grew to like Starbuck more, came to despise the characterization of Apollo (and have therefore basically written off the character) and I've fallen even further for the cylons. And Baltar.

So yeah, the show has its ups and downs, but I think speeded up viewing will help season 2 go down a lot easier (if you make it that far) and I'm really looking forward to season 3.

[evergleam83.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's pretty much where I am. I'm very interested in the story, but I don't care much about most of the characters.

I am glad to see that you still like Baltar, because I think he's the most interesting so far, and I really kind of love his character. So, yeah. I've got the next few discs on the way, so I'm hoping to get into it soon.

[angrydwarf.livejournal.com]

i keep hearing good things about BSG, but cannot bring myself to actually sit down and watch it. My sister-in-law has this thing where she needs to be really sick in order to actually WATCH those tv-on-dvd sets(its how i finally got her to watch(and deeply love) Freaks and Geeks and the fourth season of the Sopranos.) Maybe all i need is a good flu
As to your other selections:FREAKS AND GEEKS CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER! Mr. Russo,man. Thats all i can say. I went shopping in another country because it didnt come out in canada the day it did in the states and i refused to wait for it.
Six Feet is....did you get to the one with the foot yet? Also, one of my jerky freinds told me how the series(!!) ends,which is a major bummer, but i'm still digging on season 5. I need to rewatch the first one,though...

[evergleam83.livejournal.com]

Getting sick is the best way to get through and entire season of television. ;)

Hee, I'm loving F&G so far. It's so funny, and poignant without being sappy. Plus, how can you not love a show that gets Come Sail Away stuck in your head for days on end? :p

I did watch the episode with the foot. Heh. Good times. I think that's when I officially fell for the show. I know how the series ends, too, partly because seeing the last sequence randomly over the summer is what made me want to watch in the first place. But I can't wait to keep going. :)

[whisperwords.livejournal.com]

Eeee, thank you! *basks in birthday yay*

Gaius is most definitely my favorite character on BSG. Gaius and Six's relationship is just so screwy that I'm kind of addicted to it. I want to see where it's going, I want to see how it ends up working, I want to see everything. I used to be all about Starbuck and Apollo but the more the show went on, the less I cared. But the nice thing is, the more the show goes on, the more of the background characters they decide to pull into focus while pushing away the more boring of the "main characters," and so you get insight into Gaeta and Tyrol and Cally, and it's just yay. So, uhm, stick with it? At least for a little bit? I mean, if it's not your thing then it's not, but maybe hang on for a bit and see if it picks up for you, because from the mini to the series, there is definitely development.

[evergleam83.livejournal.com]

Seeeeee, that makes me so happy to see that people are still interested in Dr. Gaius two seasons later. (Heh, I like to call him Dr. Gaius, because even though it isn't pronounced the same, it makes me think of The Planet of the Apes Musical from The Simpsons, and I start singning Dr. Gaius Dr. Gaius, and really, it's a good thing I amuse myself.)

Anyway, everybody's comments have piqued my interest to keep going, especially if we're going to get more involved with the other characters. And then I'll just have to go back through everyone's journald and read their reactions. :p

[dramacomic.livejournal.com]

I've already shared many opinions on these shows in your previous entry, but I will say this about BSG. I didn't really get into the miniseries when I first saw it. After a few episodes, I was (and remain) hooked. After the second season ended, I went back and watched the miniseries and liked it better. I can see how it is important to start with it, but at the same time, it's almost more enjoyable as a retrospect.

So if John didn't make me watch it, I would have stopped after the miniseries, but let's just say I'm really glad he made me watch it. And you will be glad for sticking with it.

[evergleam83.livejournal.com]

I'm going to keep going, because I can see how the miniseries might not be a good representative of the series as a whole, if only because there's so much exposition that needs to be gotten through. Now that we've got the setup, there's room for character development, and that's what I want to see. So, I'm gonna keep watching. :)

[dramacomic.livejournal.com]

I look forward to reading your upcoming reactions!

[madmoisellestar.livejournal.com]

No one forgot to tell you Peter Krause was hot. You knew halfway through Sports Night, i.e. as soon as they gave him a better haircut. I specifically remember you knowing.

[evergleam83.livejournal.com]

You're right, but imagine the better haircut, plus some seriously hot scruff, and minus all the goofy and weird grins. He was adorable on Sports Night, he's hot on SFU. And he has sex a lot more, too.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_freyja_/]

Yeeessss! I knew you'd like Six Feet Under once you finally got around to seeing it! ;-) I love all the characters, with the sometimes exception of Claire-- I'd like to like her, especially since she's probably the character I can relate to the most, but half the time she's in artsy, whiny, self-centered bitch mode. I think my heart belongs to David and Keith. I love them. Awww.... Or maybe breaking-the-rules-later-seasons Ruth. Haha. I can finally talk about something fannish with you Heather :-)

Next on your list should be Carnivale (although they cancelled that one, so it ends on a weird note).

[evergleam83.livejournal.com]

I liked David and Keith right away. I also love Nate. I also love how Ruth just flies right off the handle. So far I'm loving Claire, just because putting that foot in the guy's locker was hilarious. So, ummm, yeah. Good times. :)

I think I had Carnivale on my Netflix queue because either you or James or both of you recommended it to me, but I took it off recently so I could get SFU and BSG and F&G in faster. I'll probably look into it again when I'm done with these three. :)

[sirduke.livejournal.com]

I'm a random passerby from a West Wing community. I hope you don't mind me commenting.

Re-BSG: Connecting with the characters is incredibly difficult with BSG. I run two BSG communities and I kind of hate the show. I didn't realize this character connection thing until the middle of season two. Throughout season one, Apollo and Starbuck get less annoying, but once season two hits - they're whiny and obnoxious as hell (evenmoreso than the mini). Gaius pwnz me. *wishes she still had her 50,000 Gaius icons uploaded* He's by far the best character in the series, despite some fans' dislike for him. Season one and the first four episodes of season two are most definitely worth watching. After that, my love for the show withers quickly. I'm in the minority, but it's obvious why.

Random: I ordered SFU from my local library. I can't wait, mainly for Krause, but I have a feeling I'll really like it from what others have said.