Birdwings

Alright, rewatching Brimstone over here, so I had to scrounge the internet for a plausible (grainy, low res) multipurpose icon to bust out for the occasion. For anyone who might want to read these posts while watching the show, I will avoid discussing future episodes except in generalities.

So, it was 1998, and Brimstone was perfectly timed to fill the slot between the concluded Highlander and the debut of Angel a year later, with strong similarities to both shows in themes of hunting down villains who can only be killed by very specific methods (destroying the eyes rather than severing the head), a version of immortality, a quest for redemption and (most importantly) a man in a long coat wandering around alleys filled with dry ice.

The pilot is not terrible, but it's a bit heavy on the exposition and set up, with limited space to work with for something this high concept. A two-part pilot might have been a better choice for laying the groundwork. On the other hand, since this first villain is absolutely the least interesting one the writers (in this case, creators Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris) ever came up with, I'm fairly content that they breezed through this plot quickly, so we could move on to better things. ( Read more... )

I'm sad all over again that this was cancelled and obliterated. The sound design is just perfect, as is the score. Especially that delightful little violin that always heralds the Devil. Ezekiel Stone is a wonderfully deadpan protagonist, very soft-spoken, and there's so much creativity on display in how the damned souls interact with the living, and how they view the rules of heaven and hell. It was a very smart and thoughtful show, tackling dark subjects and complex themes, with just the right type of humor to leaven proceedings.

The way damned souls are defeated is somewhat abrupt, it is true, but the buildup to that moment is always so good that I don't care. And this particular episode I had never gotten to see the ending of before, so that was an extra treat.

I am definitely doing a full rewatch. It's only thirteen episodes.

I now own both Miracles and Hard Core Logo, both having been on my personal Christmas list - but being realistic, I almost never buy things just for me, I have to have some excuse, so last week I decided to just skip the holiday wait and go for it. I want them, I don't want to navigate YouTube ads, I have a job so I can spend money on things I want, end of story.

Pretty packaging! I had to scour eBay for a copy of HCL that didn't have "QUENTIN TARANTINO'S" emblazoned up the side in bigger lettering than the name of the film (let alone the actual director). Distribution notwithstanding, the cheek of it. My copy has the distributor "presents" in normal tiny lettering, which I have zero problems with - plus a fictitious booklet and so forth. Fun stuff.

I do wonder what the deal is with packaging, why Miracles got a beautiful case for its thirteen episodes (seven never seen on US TV), American Gothic got a pretty case with its brain (episode order) scrambled, Jeremiah got half a beautiful case followed by multiple variations on "fuck you," and Brimstone got dumped in a shallow grave never to be unearthed.

Now I have to commit to actually rewatching them both, which will enable their plotbunnies to grow fangs and start hunting me. Before I wrote fic I would rewatch stuff all the time but I've gone avoidant lately. Concerning trend, must combat.

We've just finished watching Better Call Saul, which I was never invested in to the extent of needing to write about the experience. It was, of course, of inarguable quality once we got past the first season or so, but I don't think I've struggled so much with a show in a long time, partly for personal reasons (the entire Chuck storyline was hellish). I was hoping the ending would turn it around for me the way it happened with Breaking Bad, but it didn't. The finale, though low-key and thematically fitting, really didn't do anything to lessen the pain and discomfort of six seasons of toxic relationships, bad life choices, petty cruelty and cringe-inducing cons.

Anyway, since this one didn't pull a rabbit out of a hat and Breaking Bad oddly enough did - transforming my experience of the entire show which came before - I got to thinking which other shows actually pulled such eleventh hour victories and went ahead and made a spoilery list of the endings which have most impressed me for one reason or another.

( Read more... )