Superheroes!

[EgonSpengler]

I don't love this trailer. I suppose it's aimed mainly at people who've already seen the other shows, and they seem to be pushing The Defenders, so maybe they're just not trying too hard to promote this series, but I'm not any more excited to see it than I was 5 minutes ago.

It looks like the series uses some elements from The Immortal Iron Fist. I don't see any mention of Orson Randall, which is probably a good thing. I remember after season 1 of Daredevil was released, someone asked one of the honchos at Marvel Studios if Madame Gao might be Crane Mother, and the question was artfully dodged. Sharp-eyed readers of the Iron Fist comics might remember that in season 1 of Daredevil...

(Possible Iron Fist spoiler below if you're not familiar with the comics.)

Spoiler :

...that the logo printed on Madame Gao's packets of heroin was the Steel Serpent, who's basically an evil Iron Fist. He's the son of Lei Kung the Thunderer, Danny Rand's sifu.

 

[Cutlass]

I've finished Daredevil season 2. I haven't started anything else yet. Stop the binging for a while and read something instead.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I've finished Daredevil season 2. I haven't started anything else yet. Stop the binging for a while and read something instead.

Lately I've been reading fantasy books with non-European settings and books about small WWII battles, if you want any recommendations in those genres.

I think The Defenders is due out in the summer, so you've got plenty of time to catch up on the other series.

 

[Cutlass]

I'm reading a variety of things. Some books from The Laundry Files, a sci fi book that's the new one in a series I started a year or so back. Few other things.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I've seen/heard Stross' name before, but I browsed his bibliography and I don't think I've ever read anything of his.

 

[Cutlass]

He's new to me. British writer. I only found him by being bored and browsing the stacks at the library. So have only read a few of his so far. It's one of these situations where British and Americans are divided by a common language: A British author writing for a British audience says things in ways which you'd think should be understandable, but yet just aren't quite.

That said, his Laundry Files series is pretty good. It's a cross between scifi and urban fantasy.

 

[EgonSpengler]

He's new to me. British writer. I only found him by being bored and browsing the stacks at the library.

There's a lot to be said for that. That's how I discovered James Corey, whose books I recommend if you're into hard sci-fi. And then you could watch the SyFy series (The Expanse), which is pretty good.

 

[Cutlass]

I've read The Expanse series. I often browse the new release shelves. Less often browse the old stacks, because it's harder to pick out the scifi and fantasy. As most libraries don't segregate them. So if you know an author, fine. If not, they're all mixed in with a much larger number of other stuff.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I've read The Expanse series. I often browse the new release shelves. Less often browse the old stacks, because it's harder to pick out the scifi and fantasy. As most libraries don't segregate them. So if you know an author, fine. If not, they're all mixed in with a much larger number of other stuff.

Huh? Is that a UK thing? Wait, you are in US of A...okay, now I'm really perplexed. I don't think I've ever been in a library that didn't have a SciFi section.

 

[Cutlass]

Huh? Is that a UK thing? Wait, you are in US of A...okay, now I'm really perplexed. I don't think I've ever been in a library that didn't have a SciFi section.

Only one of the libraries that I sometimes use in the area has a scifi section. And they don't include fantasy there, which is shelved with general fiction.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Has anybody watched Legion yet? It's not clear yet whether it's a superhero series, exactly, but it's one of my favorite shows right now. It's by Noah Hawley, who did the Fargo tv show. The art direction is evocative of '60s British mod; The Avengers, The Prisoner, A Clockwork Orange. The main character is a telepath whose ability was diagnosed as schizophrenia and who has been institutionalized since he was a teenager. The storytelling is non-sequential and deliberately confuses the viewer with events that may or may not be in the character's head and may or may not be real (and because he's a telepath, some of the things that are "just in his head" are real).

Anyway, the first two episodes were the most dazzling I've watched since Hannibal and there's a chance the first episode is one of the best pilots I've ever seen. I have to rewatch it, I'm still kind of dizzy.

 

[Mouthwash]

I will check it out, comparing it to Hannibal is high praise.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I will check it out, comparing it to Hannibal is high praise.

I'm still holding out hope that Fuller could yet do his adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs. As of December 2016, he said he was still interested in doing a "mini-series." Previously he had mentioned Ellen Page as Clarice Starling, although he liked the idea of casting a black actress, and Lee Pace as Jame Gumb, and he was still working out in his head how to make Will a part of that story.

The art direction is evocative of '60s British mod; The Avengers, The Prisoner, A Clockwork Orange.

I forgot to mention that one of the characters is named Syd Barrett.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Spoiler talk for Agents of SHIELD ep 415, "Self Control":

Spoiler :

So in the Framework, Dr. Radcliffe wrote programs for each agent that would correct their greatest regret. Coulson was a civilian, teaching high school. Mack had a family. Daisy was still a SHIELD agent but was in a happy relationship with Grant Ward. Fitz was in the private sector, a mega-wealthy tech superstar. This was all good, made sense.

Melinda's was perhaps a bit jolting. We see her in a glass elevator, riding up the side of the intact Triskelion and as the camera pulls back we see... a giant Hydra logo on the side of the building. Bwuh? Her biggest regret is that Hydra's takeover of SHIELD didn't go smooth as silk?

I'm going totally off the reservation here, but one thing I remember about the whole Hydra storyline in both the films and the show was that we never saw Viper, aka Madame Hydra. Like I say, maybe I'm just crazy, but is it possible that May..? Psshh... Naw...

Also, Fitz wishes Simmons were dead? Or Simmons herself wishes she was dead? That part was a little unclear. Kind of disturbing, either way.

 

[Cutlass]

I forgot to watch that last night. I'll have to see it tonight and get back to your spoiler.

 

[Cutlass]

Weird ending.... I don't know where that's all going.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Weird ending.... I don't know where that's all going.

Spoiler :

I read that the next storyline - possibly the remainder of the season, it was unclear - will take place entirely inside The Framework. My guess is that Daisy is a Hydra agent, partnered with and in a relationship with Grant, and working for Director May. I read somewhere that it's an homage to Marvel's old What If..? comics, but I don't remember if it was one of the show's writers who said that or just a fan riffing.

 

[Cutlass]

Spoiler :

I had to watch that again. I'm not really following it. Simmons dead, others Hydra agents or leaders. I'm kinda wtf about the whole thing.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Spoiler :

I had to watch that again. I'm not really following it. Simmons dead, others Hydra agents or leaders. I'm kinda wtf about the whole thing.

Yeah, I think it was meant to be kind of a cliffhanger. The show is taking a 5-6 week break, until April.

 

[EgonSpengler]

So the CW's Berlantiverse is going to get Black Lightning and Warner Bros. is working on a Nightwing movie.

Hrm.

I feel like the CW shows have really hit their ceiling. Legends of Tomorrow never really worked for me, and I finally threw in the towel on Arrow (the Mr. Terrific, Wild Dog, Ragman team just didn't work for me at all). I'm still watching Supergirl and The Flash, but it wouldn't take much for me to miss a couple of episodes and kind of forget they exist. The list of television shows that are just okay is miles long at this point.

I like the premise of Black Lightning - a retired, middle-aged superhero is now a high-school principal. They've hired Cress Williams for the role, who I've seen around tv for years (E.R., Friday Night Lights), but never in a show-carrying role. And while this will be part of the CW's lineup of DC superhero shows, it isn't actually being done by Berlanti. So that's all good news, I guess.

Chris McKay, director for Nightwing, did Lego Batman, which I haven't seen, but has gotten terrific reviews. Still, I think whoever is running Warner Bros. right now may need to be shot out of a cannon.

I'm open to anything, but I guess I can't get up for these until I see them. I'll wait for the early reviews.