A reader named Chris writes:
"Dear Mr. Muir:
First of all thank you for keeping on posting your reviews on sci fi films and tv (I read your flashback articles as well when I can).
There are currently a lot of new sci fi tv shows which have been released recently (say over the last year) ranging from retreads like The X-Files to huge amounts of superhero sci fi shows (does every superhero have to wear skin tight costumes?) and some decent space opera (namely The Expanse and Killjoys).
So are any of the new shows really grabbing your attention?
I would have to say my current favourites are The Expanse for its space opera epic-ness and Killjoys for its buddy movie-like qualities and grittiness. I am sort of enjoying From Dusk till Dawn as well though it is slow and uneven in places.
I look forward to many posts to come..."
Chris, call me John, and thank you for writing that great question, and for supporting the blog.
I am indeed trying to keep up with as much new genre television as I can. I am hip-deep in returning favorites such as The Walking Dead, Doctor Who, and Game of Thrones, and I agree with you about From Dusk Till Dawn: I enjoy the series, but 'uneven' is a really good descriptor. Some weeks are great and others...not so much. I recently sampled Hemlock Grove too...and found it wasn't really for me.
I recently watched the entire first season of Sense8 and found it occasionally tedious, but also amazingly inventive. It's a series that rewards patience.
Someone just recently asked me about the series iZombie (the subject of a future Ask JKM...), and after watching the first five or so episodes, I am really enjoying it. It is pure, unadulterated Rob Thomas goodness, in the spirit of Veronica Mars. I'll be posting that Ask JKM and my review of the series soon.
I loved The X-Files revival and the first season of The Man in the High Castle, but admit that I am having some difficulty keeping up with all the new superhero TV programming.
I have watched the first two seasons of Arrow (and I love it!), but have not (as yet), sampled Supergirl, or The Flash. I am a little burned out on superhero productions at this time, so I am giving myself some time before returning to them.
Then, when I'm ready, I'll binge watch the first several seasons of each.
I am very much looking forward to The Expanse. I have read great episode reviews by one of my all-time favorite bloggers, at Musings of a Sci-Fi Fanatic, and I really want to see this show.
The blu ray drops on April 5, so I am looking forward to a binge watch of the first season at that time. I'll be sure to post about the series here, as I delve into it.
I will confess: I know nothing about Killjoys! I just looked it up and feel that it is something I will have to sample too. I have never even heard of this program.
There's so much out there to catch-up on, and I've let somSe shows go, as they never quite grew to what I hoped they could be. In this camp, I include Grimm, Sleepy Hollow, Once Upon a Time, and The Originals.
I know I need to catch-up on some of these new series, because 2017 is bringing a whole new crop, from Twin Peaks to a new Star Trek and the next generation of Mystery Science Theater 3000!
Don't forget to ask me your questions at Muirbusiness@yahoo.com
John,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to suggest Colony on USA Network. It's quite intriguing and worth your time.
I also enjoy Supergirl because the creators of that show seem to "get" what the Superman ethos is all about. It's not perfect but it has a positivity about it that I admire.
Steve
Steve -- you said the magic word, vis a vis Supergirl: positivity. I like positivity in my superheroes, and especially in the Super-Man/Girl worlds. My mother is a huge sci fi fan, and she is really enjoying Colony, so I will check it out!
DeleteThank you kind sir.
ReplyDeleteMoaSFF
I always enjoy your posts and I love the ASK series.
Like you I have Killjoys on my radar. Some of the feedback has been generally good. I want to give that a look.
I look forward to your look at The Expanse. I know I plan on visiting that series more closely myself. It's a wonderful one and I think, as you note above regarding Sense8, one that reward patience and intellect.
To offer a minor comparison, I've been watching Dark Matter. There are things I do like about that series but I don't think it is as nearly complex or refined or offers the same kind of depth of world and character as The Expanse.
I'm only up to Episode 7, but Dark Matter is a good series with room to improve. The Expanse has that room available as well, but I do find The Expanse a more thoughtful and interesting series as a science fiction. I hope to delve into it a bit more later myself.
But, I can't say thank you enough for such kind words here. After a very tough Monday, it really picked me up. Thank you.
Hi SFF,
DeleteThank you for always providing such great, focuses reviews on sci-fi TV and film. I need to try out Dark Matter, but your commentary has sold me on The Expanse. I can't wait to watch it.
And I am very sorry you had a tough Monday. Reading your blog always gives me mental "juice," new thoughts to think about!
So many new sci-fi shows popping up these days. Not complaining, though. I still have things to watch from the past like V, Twin Peaks, everything Stargate, currently watching the old X-Files and non-sci-fi stuff like The Sopranos, The Wire and Breaking Bad.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder which shows from the 00's and 10's are in the same "worth your time" category.
I recently watched Game of Thrones up to Season 4, which comes close to the kind of cult status of the old shows that I plan to see. I think Walking Dead is also at this category, though I have never seen an episode.
Maybe only time will tell which series will be remembered and lauded. This doesn't bother me because I have never been too concerned about what's on the TV right now.
Oh, and I love Ask JKM.
-T.S.
T.S., I am so glad you like these reader question blogs. I love them too. They are so diverse in topic, and I love finding out what is on the reader's mind. I love The Walking Dead, and can't let go of Game of Thrones. But all this new good stuff is coming out, and I want to see it all. My goal, all my life, is to make a living watching television. The joke I make with my wife: I succeeded, but it's a marginal living...
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