I have a use for you Tom Hardy.  Keep being James Keziah Delaney forever.

I meant to get into this review much earlier but time got away from me and now the first season of Taboo has ended.  The good news is that a second season has been confirmed.  The bad news is that the first season was too damn short for me.  It has been a long time since I have had difficulty pulling myself away from a show and allowing my DVR to record it for later.  A lonnnngggggg time... 

Part of the appeal of this show for me is cinematic style.  It is often dark (literally), the filming has a certain grit to it and the background of the landscape is perfectly gloomy, oppressive and often a reminder of just the kind of guts and slime we all came from.  It takes place in the early 1800s and it is a little bit period drama, a little bit espionage, a little bit creepy in more than one way, all of which are also big draws for me when checking out new shows.  It is unsettling, mysterious, and yes, full of forbidden troubles of one sort or another.  There is also a cast of characters that I grew very fond of for various reasons, most notably that they were believable to me in that none of them were what could be defined as "good people" but most of them were at least "real" and complete in the sense of multi-dimensional personalities. 

James Dulaney (Tom Hardy's character) returns to his native England upon his father's death to inherit what could possibly be a fortune of sorts.  A fortune that a lot of other people want.  And that begins this story that unfolds rather slowly, which I truly enjoyed, although others criticized it for not "moving faster" during the first couple of episodes.  I think we've all become so used to 140 characters or less and five minutes to the action that we can't just take a breath and allow a plot to evolve.  The plot evolution was part of the pull for me though.  I just love entertainment with hints and flashes of things that leave you thinking and figuring till the next week, wondering what this or that meant, contemplating the realness or the possibility of some sort of hidden agenda, the character origin, the whether or not said character(s) can be trusted or what their real deal is.  I am big in "real life" on figuring out people's motivations.  Friends actually come to me for this "service" lol, although the only payment I require is good conversation over something strong to drink.  So, I think it is only natural for me to enjoy the same sort of thinking in my entertainment choices...

But, for those wondering about the slow evolution of the story, rest assured that Taboo evolves for sure.  Sometimes in unexpected, uncomfortable ways, but there is a certain unapologetic nature about James Dulaney that makes him appealing to the people around him as well as the people enjoying this story.  There is also a mysterious air that makes the other characters afraid to NOT be around him.  Who IS James Dulaney?  What is his power?  What kind of magic does he possess or does he possess magic at all?  Is he possessed himself?  What of his past?  Was his mother a prisoner or a wicked, mentally ill individual?  Was his father a good man or an abusive lot?  What were his sins?  Why is he tortured inside?  Some questions get answered by the end of season one, sort of, while others will have to wait.

Tom Hardy talks in interviews about the evolution of this specific character and what he envisioned him to be when the idea first came about in comparison to what he is now.  There are a ton of different personas that have made up James in Hardy's head but I think the result is a sort of anti-hero that appeals to people like myself.  A leader of outcasts with nothing to lose.  People who are judged by societal norms and those "better" than them willing to gamble with love and death and fate because...why the hell not?  I like that.  I like the simplistic nature of it and the underlying complexity of those choices. 

Besides, this show has, of course, many of my other "great entertainment" requirements, including horses, swords, adventure.  And while Hardy lacks the long hair portion of my leading male necessities in Delaney, he does have tattoos.  And scars.  Oh....them scars... 

You can check out FXNow for the first full season of:

TABOO

 

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN STAR WARS!
 
I MEAN IT!
 
GO NO FURTHER!!!!!!!!
 
 
OK, you’ve been warned. 
 
So, I went to see Star Wars a couple of weeks ago.  This review has been filtering around in my brain and I guess it is time to put it to paper.  I mean, not commenting on the biggest movie of the season (and according to many, the year) would be silly.
 
My short review is:  Yawn…..why do we have to be so tedious and tell THE.SAME.FUCKING.STORY.OVER.AND.OVER.AND.OVER?
 
Ahhhh, that won’t due.  But, as you probably gather, I was not heavily impressed with this movie overall.  I should say that I am not a Star Wars junkie.  I’m not sure why I missed that ship.  I talked about this with my BF last week because his theory was that everyone who absolutely loves the movie was young when the first Star Wars was released.  So, it was nostalgic he said.  I countered with – dude, I was nine and wasn’t converted.  We talked at length on this and his final conclusion, knowing me so well, was that I was for the Dark Side. 

There could be some truth there.  Let me also say that I AM a science fiction fan.  Big time.  My movie mantra is With Science Fiction All Things Are Possible.  I absolutely adore the genre.  I just have never adored Star Wars.

Still, don’t count that as the sole reason for this lackluster review.  I actually liked Revenge of the Sith!  Ahhhh, again, there is a clue to my inner workings.

OK, let me break it down.
 
Overall I have never enjoyed this series simply because it is a bit childish.  Even at nine I guess it was somewhat too PG for me.  Everything is so black and white.  Light and Dark.  Right and Wrong.  There is so much about that very one dimensional story telling that bugs me.  I liked Revenge of the Sith because Anakin struggled with his humanity.  He was not born Darth Vader.  That portion of his personality was molded by his experiences, by what he saw and endured, possibly by his weakness towards the ease at which he adopted it wholly.  But, to me that struggle was not so much about the Force as it was about Anakin as a person.  Flawed, passionate, afraid, brave and ultimately, doomed.  I didn’t even want to see Revenge of the Sith and BF talked me into it by assuring me it was more real.  When those credits rolled I turned and said – hey, I think I could like Star Wars now!

So to me, The Force Awakens, in terms of complexity of characters, is just not real.
 
Then there is the fact that it is a complete and total do-over.  I have an issue with there being absolutely nothing we could possibly think of in terms of story-line that could be new and fresh.  I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that Princess Leia and Han Solo were not even necessary and that we could have had a next generation Star Wars that was completely different.  We could have flipped the story on its lid, could have been super brave and made a whole new chapter complete with new ideas and concepts.  We could have actually pretended that some sort of scientific and universal advancement took place (I mean other than a Death Star that was Bigger, Stronger, More Powerful).  But, we chose not to.  Thanks Disney. 

I did enjoy the character of Rey and in terms of a feminist perspective I found her in stand-alone terms to be a strong person and feel like her complexity will grow as the series progresses.  I liked her grit and ability to care about things smaller than herself.  I tend to think of the characters like little BB-8 as the animal equivalents of the space world so her unwillingness to trade him for enough slop rations to get her through the next decade made me smile.

One thing I am thinking about in terms of Finn’s own awakening is this:  please, please, please let him be just an ordinary guy who for whatever reason, despite being taken as a child and brainwashed, retained a spark of humanity.  Wouldn’t that be interesting if he wasn’t “special” or “chosen” but managed to not only escape the confines of kidnapping and military slavery, but also grow into a human being that cares?

Lastly, and back to the things that really bug me, WTF is it with Luke Skywalker that he is always running away from his goddamn responsibilities?  WHAT.A.WHINER.  He had to go “find himself” (and Yoda – OK I sort of see the point in that one) in The Empire Strikes Back and now he has run off to some effing mountaintop because his star pupil turned bad?  You are the Master of the free and “good” world man!  Keeper of the light, teacher of all that is pure and right with the universe!  Pull your Jedi britches up and keep on fighting dude!  Uggghhhh, he has always irritated me.  LOL.

Beyond these things there are of course philosophical arguments about our own humanity with regard to this story.  But those are deep and honestly, this movie did not bring about deep thinking for me at all.  The closest it brought me were those thoughts on Rey and Finn.  Everything else was just mediocre entertainment.     

Admittedly, I have never been that into James Bond.  As a kid I mean, I guess it just didn't have a lot to offer a fledgling feminist, vegan, not really into flash, material goods and clean-cut men.  But, I've seen every Bond film because I had a brother and because, well, I had boyfriends and I also tend to lie around watching rerun movies on occasion.  And when channel surfing, shit blowing up, gunning and car chases are always better than romantic comedies. 

When Daniel Craig took over as Mr. Bond I changed my tune though.  It was completely due to Mr. Craig, whom I adore as an actor and have enjoyed following for what seems like forever. 

Craig was a different sort of Bond.  Less polished, more angry, more flawed.  He made Bond human while retaining the edge only Bond could have.  I was both looking forward to and dreading this installment because, well, my brief time as a Bond fanatic is now over.  Yes, yes, I am a fair weathered franchise follower.  Call me shallow if you want.

In terms of Craig's Bond I rank the four installments in the following order:  Number 1 - definitely Casino Royale.  This one set the bar and really set the whole Bond mystique on its ear, reinvented it and made it fresh enough for even me to jump aboard.  Number 2 - Skyfall.  Sam particularly loved this one because it got back to gadgets, made old things new and of course, we met Moneypenny ;).  Numbers 3 and 4 for me and ranking were heavily discussed last night at the conclusion of Spectre.  It has been said of this series that Quantum of Solace was the weak link.  I tend to disagree and would put it at Number 3.  It was dark and heavy, but it put Bond on a mission for personal answers.  It was almost more of a Man on Fire type story and I tend to enjoy characters more when they have nothing to lose. 

Spectre had some cool things but I thought the action was a tiny bit weak (except for the opening, which was awesome).  I had a hard time with the love story.  It just didn't seem to fall together right for me, given the eventual outcome.  Maybe I just miss Judi Dench.  Maybe the whole idea of Bond having rejected his anger and moved on just doesn't appeal to me.  I just don't dig it.  This isn't my Bond.  And I guess I won't have to sort it out next time since this is the last of Craig's installments.

Still, I'm sad.  Daniel Craig made me enjoy the franchise, something that I would have scoffed at 10 years ago.  As an entertainment junkie and lover of guy movies, he gave me another thing to look forward to.  And most importantly, he taught me to make an absolutely wicked martini.   

I just binge watched Aquarius on Hulu and while it is fresh in my brain I have a few thoughts running through said brain. 

First, it was a given that I was gonna watch this.  I love me some David Duchovny and he is back in a suit looking all dapper and serious.  Oh, sigh....  Second, I have been fascinated with the whole Manson cult thing since I was a little kid and my brother used to scare the shit out of me with stories about Helter Skelter, Revelations, etc.  Like, I wasn't sure half the time if the Devil would come for me, or if Charlie himself would.  But...

SOMETHING.WAS.OUT.THERE.  Ya know?  So, basically, this show follows the lives of some law enforcement people during the tumultuous late 1960's.  Detectives, a young under-cover guy, a female uniformed officer...  It also follows the possible (seriously hyped up for entertainment purposes) beginnings of one young Charles Manson and his band of incredibly messed up followers.  The story of Charlie is always in the background, but there are other stories and cases that stand alone for most episodes.

Duchovny plays detective Sam Hodiak, who has his share of issues that generally make navigating his professional life a little more complicated than not.  Sam has problems with women.  And booze.  And, well, mostly women and booze.  He has an ex-wife that hates him, an ex-girlfriend that still loves him (sometimes, when she isn't screaming at him and telling him what a loser he is, which she generally does to her husband as well only her husband truly IS a loser but not for the reasons she is constantly telling him he is).  Needless to say, Grace is the real loser, but I'm jumping ahead.  Sam also finds himself helping various females in trouble along the way and sometimes he even acts like a stand-up guy.  Except for when he doesn't. 

As a crime drama I found this show to be OK.  I mean, I watch a lot of crime dramas so....there is a standard sort of way they play out.  What makes it interesting is the time period when it takes place.  I actually found the Manson storyline to be less interesting than the storylines that were supposed to be the backdrop.  I find it fascinating how far we have come in just less than 50 years.  There is a good deal of dialogue regarding racial inequality, sex inequality - one of the supporting characters (Charmain Tully) gets berated daily by her "superior" officers, told to file, go get coffee, etc.  Hodiak's partner Brian Shafe is married to an African American and they have a child.  There is a storyline regarding their harassment at home that includes destruction of property, threats, etc.  The 60's were not all peace and love is the point.  We tend to forget that I think.

I did find most of the main characters to be more than one-dimensional.  I like that in a show because we are all, of course, layer upon layer of personality.  No one is always "good" or "likable" and the writing was reflective of that.  Sam presents as a deeply complicated man who seems pretty straight-forward on the surface.  He is an old-ish cop, not quite there in terms of retirement but definitely very seasoned.  He tends to lean toward the physical but has the true capability of being deeper than your average brute.  He has a drinking problem and he knows he does.  He knows it makes him mean (his ex-wife refers to a spousal abuse incident at one point) and there is a point when he turns back to it that there is an obvious self loathing.  But, a comfort and familiarity.  We all gravitate toward comfort and familiar ground.  Drinking and physical force are Sam's. 

Brian seems like a perfect sort of young man at the beginning but this character too is multi-layered.  The best digging into Brian's being comes when, as someone who experiences prejudice on a daily basis, he reveals a severe prejudice himself while working undercover.  Brian's prejudice is against homosexuals.  Sam, having grown up in the world of racial inequity, leans uncomfortably toward those tendencies, yet to Brian says something along the lines of - who cares who people love or how they love? in response to his partner's rant on the matter.   I like the complexity of the main characters in this show.  I like how they seem real and completely imperfect. 

The women, unfortunately, are not given the same amount of depth.  Although in this first season, I'll give the show a pass on this.  They are establishing characters.  Charmain is the most likely to emerge as a multi-dimensional role.  Emma. with her twisted loyalties, may evolve either way.  Grace is cold and stereotypical and that bothers me, but, it is a stereotype that DOES really exist.  When she asks Sam at one point what happened to us? it is difficult to not talk to the TV in response because bitch I know EXACTLY what happened to you, you privileged brat...LOL.  The Manson girls....well, we all know what happens with them.

Gethin Anthony does a great young Manson and it was cool to see him transform closer to THE Charlie as the season progressed.  There is a ton of made-up stuff in the storyline and we know it is just there for entertainment purposes but, hey, that's the biz. 

Oh, and those episode titles - all songs, song lyrics or actual Manson song writings from the 60s.

All in all, good stuff.   

So, this is the discussion I have been having with myself regarding the fact that I need to buy a TV.  I mean, I HAVE a TV but it is on the way to the great TV Boneyard in the sky.  It shouldn't be.  It isn't even ten years old but it has had a hard life, poor little (actually it is HUGE in comparison to the room it lives in) rear projection, once the end-all-be-all of wow man, that sure is a nice TV, televisions...  But, alas, it spent countless (and by that I mean THOUSANDS) of hours entertaining the man-folk with fantasies of mortal combat and call of duty and other such very taxing entertainment and the screen is now peppered with hundreds of little white spots.  They keep increasing in number and it is like I can see the entire milky way galaxy in the background of whatever I watch, which is fascinating.  And slightly annoying. 

So, I end up watching my iPad more than anything because I can prop it up on my living room coffee table, or in bed I can lean it against the dog's stuffed cow right in front of my face...  Yes.  Pathetic.

So, I need a TV but I'm sometimes too cheap to get one and other times overwhelmed at the process of getting one, both of which result in me watching the universe swirl behind whatever I'm viewing or complaining at Rowdy to be still and quit knocking over my "TV' in bed. 

Overwhelmed by the process?  Yes, because, see, it requires me to GO somewhere and SPEAK to a salesperson and LISTEN to their bullshit.  ...Oh, you don't want this model you want THAT model, surely you want a Smart TV, look at the picture quality on this 4-D super sonic surround sound holograph version...  Plus everything is SO incredibly loud and busy in places like Best Buy.  It gives me a headache.  I'm an on-line kinda girl.  Or a 7AM grocery shopper.  TV buying is everything I dread.  Hell, I didn't buy a couch for six months due to the same issues. 

Then there is the "what do I do with the old TV" factor.  It isn't as straightforward here as "recycle it" because there isn't really anywhere to do that.  Especially since it is a rear projection model.  Most places won't take them, even to refurbish.  You can ask Best Buy but they'll tell you that you can't drop it off.  They may allow for a scheduled pick up (I've gotten two different answers to this question actually) but you'll have to pay for it.  Or, if you spend $400 or more they may take it for free.  Again, different answers. 

It all gets very complicated.  That's when I start to get the headache before I even get to the place that gives me a headache.  So, then, I turn on my milky way TV or prop up my iPad and think "pfffttttttt I'll just do this for another week or something" and TV buying gets put off again.   

I have been so completely lazy for three quarters of this weekend that I'm starting to believe what my parents told me about TV...

See, we say that computers, smartphones, digital tablets are rotting the brains of our youth but back in the day we were told of the evil of the original mind sucking enemy, destroyer of intellect, thief of gumption....the dreaded TELEVISION....  Baaawwwwwaaaaaaaa!!!!!!

How many times as a kid did I hear "turn that damn TV off and go outside" I cannot count.  Today I finally did just that.  I cleaned off my truck in anticipation of tomorrow morning, re-shoveled the path to it, cleared the dog's "potty runway" and even just walked around a little and breathed some fresh air.  Dang.

So much time in front of the TV has, however, made many important thoughts and questions swirl around in my head.  World changing stuff like...

Are those prepackaged Atkins Diet meals supposed to look appetizing?

Ugggghhh Uther is such a hateful man he should have died sooner.

Wow, I never knew vampires could have so many problems... 

Why do I still jump out of my skin when zombies pop up out of nowhere during movies I have seen 27 thousand times? 

Does juicing really make stuff taste good or does it mostly taste like it looks? 

Is Colin Farrell seriously going to be in a drama (supernatural or not) that comes out on Valentine's Day?

What exactly is in those Ageless Male pills?

Is there any beer in this house cause this show would be much better with beer...

Why is TWD marathon still on season III every fraking time I flip to AMC?????

Why is the dog staring at the door is there a zombie out there too?

How many people are making all these hand-made wrap bracelets that are "one of a kind" and on sale now?

Are all the match dot com women really this attractive?

Are all FBI agents really this attractive?


Hollywood Hillbillies meets People of Walmart at a family reunion...how many teeth do you suppose they have between them?

Why am I not watching that creepy Bates Motel show?

I wonder if it will ever actually quit snowing?

I should nap.  Naps are good.

Why does the dog's breath smell like butt?  God, don't answer that.

Are these old people really married and how can anyone be this excited over a Swiffer?   

Atlanta has real housewives?

I wonder if this TV will self destruct from not being on ESPN for a week?

Farmers Only Dot Com? 

Will this squirrel ever stop tormenting me and just stay the hell out of my bird feeders?

Do my toenails need trimmed?

Yup, still on season III...

What I'm sayin' is that it is probably a good thing tomorrow is Monday.  I wasn't really meant to be this much of a couch potato after all :)

Ahhhhhhh, Wednesday night was time for the very awesome tradition of the Doctor Who Christmas Special!  Fun for the whole lot of geeks in the house.  And after the very humdrum OMG can we just fast forward please Christmas season that it has been I was waaayyyyy looking forward to it.   

To the point where I have been watching Dr. Who non-stop since, like, Thanksgiving (with so many 50th Anniversary marathons this has been easily possible), reliving the entire history of life with the Ponds and catching up on life post Ponds (more thoughts on that in a moment). 


First, with regard to last year's Christmas Ep I am going to say it is my least favorite in quite awhile.  I would say The End of Time was possibly my favorite, although I was a total sucker for the Doctor's rendition of A Christmas Carol in 2010.  I found the 2012 Ep and (re)introduction to Clara to be a bit light hearted.  I mean, I think that there is possibly no way to make snowmen scary.  Even with teeth.  So, fast forwarding to this year and knowing that I was going to go through the inevitable process of realizing that the Doctor as I know him is about to be no more and the Doctor as I will know him is about to emerge I braced myself for not only a Christmas special but an ending.

And as with most Whovian endings, at least mine, Sam braced himself for the temper tantrum.  Oh, yes, I have them.  I huff and puff and snarl and cross my arms over my chest and pout and say things like uggghhhh I HATE the new Doctor!  I HATE him and I'm never watching this stupid show again!  And Sam rolls his eyes and says you say that every time and I stomp out of the room, up the stairs and go to bed. 

And so it was. 

Now, to review my own life with THE Doctor, I never watched the show as a younger person - meaning (gasp to all hard-core Old Whovians) I didn't start watching the Doc until 2006 when it turned up on our side of the pond and Sam forced me to sit down and watch this show that he used to love when he was a kid to which I thought - Oh, God just stab me in the eye with its goofy damn special effects and funny music and grainy picture quality.  

But, in between all that, I actually ended up liking the adventure and by the second episode the goofy, British-ness was part of what made it so endearing.  I was hooked.  A Whovian convert!

And then....they changed The Doctor?  They CHANGE the main character?????  They do WHAT?  Sam absolutely thought I was mad for not knowing this.  Oh, I hated David Tennant.  HATED him.  He's too young.  Too clean.  Not grumpy or worldly enough. 

Fast forward.  Not again!???  But, I LOVE David Tennant!  Matt Smith?  WTF is this?????? A bow tie????  I love David Tennant how can they DO this?  This guy is a kid!  He can't be the Doctor?  I hate him!  Do you hear me?  Hate him! 

So, sure, it was inevitable. 

Fast forward.  Oh jeez, this guy  is as old as I am.  WTF is he gonna do running around with Clara?  Look at him.  He isn't even wearing anything interesting like a scarf or a fez.  Blah.  I'm bored already.  Hmmphhhhh.  Boo.  


I'm still in recovery.  It will take a bit.

The Christmas special itself I thought was a good one.  I wasn't too keen on the Clara on earth trying to cook a turkey parts but I realize that was an integral part of the story for her to go back home for minutes to pass while centuries passed elsewhere.  It just always bums me to see the boring, drab lives the companions lead.  LOL.  Too close to the rest of us I guess.  Anyway, I always like the concepts of the vast span of time and the eternity of the Doctor and his struggles and I thought this Christmas ep did a great job in bringing all of that together.  

Plus I totally dug Moffat's answer to the regeneration limit.  Rules?  LOL.  Reset button.  Bwwwaaaaa!!!!!  It is almost like the sword fighter scene in Indiana Jones, right?  Bang.  Move on. 

So, what will be up for Clara and the old dude, I mean, Doctor?  I must say, I am lukewarm at best on this one even after calming down from my very predictable, usual, bratty response.  It is partially because I am still unsure about Clara too.  I just don't know that I like her all that well.  Yes, yes she is super bright and cute as a button and maybe that is part of it.  She isn't flawed enough for my tastes.  OK, bear with me.  I adored Rose because she was, well, basically if she were to grow up in these parts she would have been trailer trash.  LOL.  I say that with love, as we are ALL trailer trash in these hollers.  My point is she was a survivor and could scrape it together when the shit hit the fan.  Donna was the ultimate buddy companion.  Martha was in love but got over it and became a goddam warrior.  Amelia was a dreamy little girl who never stopped believing.  All were flawed in some way and that made them special to me. 

The reaction to Clara always seems to be - I like her!  I really like her!  This reaction is normally being communicated by straight men and they all sound like Scotty ogling the Enterprise upon arrival.  Sam says she is "spunky" which led me to look up the definition of that particular adjective.  Spunky:  feisty, plucky; displaying animation, vigor, or liveliness.  Fair enough description I guess.  But, that isn't enough for me.  I'll have to wait this one out and see how it plays. 

As for the Doctor, I'll see how that plays too.  It isn't like I don't have several centuries for this one to grow on me.  ;)