2021 Annual Premier!
The schedule looks different this week, but Discovery has the actual season finale this week, and Expanse keeps us out in space a bit more. If that makes you feel a bit agoraphobic and want to enjoy the cramped, locked up feeling, there’s good news as David Tennant and Michael Sheen return for season 2 of Staged. If you just have a song in your heart, Zoey also returns. I’m still in hell with Sabrina, and then I intend to get a kick out of Cobra Kai.
Edited to add: The Watch starts, and per visionary_coward‘s recommendation, it is added below.
[All synopses (and titles) from Trakt.tv below the cut, except when there really aren’t any. (If a show’s synopsis is a spoiler to you, do not click Continue reading →)]
The Watch – S01E01 – A Near Vimes Experience – Capt. Sam Vimes’ life in the City Watch is changed forever when a figure from his past returns to Ankh-Morpork.
The Watch – S01E02 – Ook – The Watch connects Carcer’s evil plan to strange goings-on at a magical institution.
Staged – S02E01 – Saddle Up Sheen – Whilst appearing on a chat show discussing a year in lockdown Michael and David are pained to discover someone they respect is not a fan of their work. David’s plans to go to work and Michael’s plans to visit a friend abroad are both scuppered by last minute travel rule changes. Some news regarding a work opportunity for the pair turns sour.
Staged – S02E02 – Long Time, No See – After discovering the plan, David and Michael are dismayed to learn who will be carrying on without them. They are also upset to find out how well Simon is doing without them.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist – S02E01 – Zoey’s Extraordinary Return – Zoey returns to the world after an extended time away and discovers that a lot has changed at work and in her personal life in her absence.
The Expanse – S05E06 – Tribes – [No Description Given]
Star Trek: Discovery – S03E13 – That Hope Is You (2) – Season Finale – [No Description Given]
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina – S02E09 through E15 – Part four, the final half of season two, and series finale.
Cobra Kai – S03 – [No Description Given]
There is also the first episode of The Watch “A Near Vimes Experience”
Given all the controversy over this (changing eras, significant changes to characters, both Rhianna Pratchett & Neil Gaiman slamming it, etc.) and as a big fan of Pratchett’s work I’m going to wait to see how more of the early reviews go, but initial commentry isn’t good. I loved the “Good Omens” adaptation, but this feels much more like something I’ll probably be better off giving a miss, so very keen to hear any feedback others here might have before I make a call on whether to binge watch it or not.
I have no familiarity with the source material, never heard of it, but there’s guy made of stone, so I’ll give it a try. Either way, it’s added!
That will probably give you quite a different take on it then, and possibly much more positive unless it’s just plain bad. Adaptations generally need compromises, but for those familiar with the Discworld source material, such arbitrary changes as a shift from an essentially late-medieval setting to something much more contempory, gender-swapping some fan favourites, and having some characters that supposedly are nothing like their literary versions are likely going to be too much. I’m hoping it’ll stand in it’s own right as a kind of “very loosely based on” work, but given parallels with the Earthsea adaptation were drawn by the Pratchett Estate – they re-posted Le Guin’s scathing critique – that’s a pretty thin hope.
I didn’t read any of the reviews before I watched it and didn’t realize how far away this adaptation was from the books. I like who they have for Sybil, hate what they have done for Cheery, and I am wondering where Fred & Nobby are at. I am not seeing the same amount of humor as the novels but there are small bits here and there. Even with all it’s faults, for some odd reason i still want to watch it (but that can be a low bar for me.)
I wouldn’t go out and watch this but more put it on a list if there is nothing else on to watch and you are curious on how far they strayed.
They left *Fred and Nobby* out? I’m genuinely stunned – IMO, the idea of the Watch without Fred & Nobby is on the same level as one of the main-series Star Wars movies deciding not to have any scenes for R2 & 3PO. They might be background / comic relief characters, but they *always* help save the day.
I would heartily recommend reading the novels. If you are looking for a decent video adaptations, check out “Hogfather” and “Going Postal”.
Due to the hectic nature of the season, even during a pandemic, and the story-arc nature of the current episodes of Discovery, I’m just going to do a “last three episodes” review next week.
If someone else wants to break it down further, please go ahead!
Of note, this episode of Discovery marks the 800th production of Star Trek (adding together episodes and movies). That’s insane.
I finished Sabrina, and that was a lot of fun. It was a good ending, though I am not sure it had the emotional reaction that previous parts did. Still, very good show!
Cobra Kai had more guest stars than I thought the show could get, which is good because there’s only so much of teens beating on each other you can take. (The brutality to actually teenage actors gets to me.)
When we finished that, we got to the Expanse, but I like the expanse when the crew is together, it feels a bit disjointed.