What I’m Watching, Watched, W/E

While I consume media, I don’t watch much actual television. I get the shows I want to see in other ways. Sometimes, it’s lagging behind on Netflix or catching some cool things on Amazon Prime (a place I never expected to see things). Or sometimes, it’s breaking open the piggybank to see some things I can’t wait to see (such as Better Call Saul).

I’m gonna talk about some stuff I’m digging in a spoiler-free fashion. Spoiler: I don’t dig spoilers.

It’s not like there’s a dearth of distractions or things to see. And I began reading a lot more (for the sheer joy of it) in the fall of last year. A good bit of my reading and media consumption is not necessarily things a lot of people might find fun. Some of it definitely falls on the dry side and soundly in the arena of research.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to duck spoilers as they are all over the place and I avoid them as much as I can (which can take little to much effort) depending upon where I am on things at any given day. A lot of my friends, peers, and colleagues are into the same things as me, so it’s inevitable I’m likely to catch something I shouldn’t somewhere. I just try to squint my eyes and forget.

I got turned on to Expanse (on SyFy) by a tweet from John Rogers. Really excellent stuff.  So far, I dig it better than the BSG reboot. The guy has good tastes and I read the Wool series by Hugh Howey based upon his recommendation.

We began watching Person of Interest a few weeks ago. Top shelf stuff and something I should’ve started watching awhile back. The good news about stumbling across something like this is there are a lot of episodes to work through and that’s what we’re watching when we’re not gaming (or doing other life activities one should do to maintain some semblance of balance).

Checked out F is for Family, a Bill Burr creation, and I was a bit hesitant about it at first, but it’s got a lot of heart and it kinda reminds me of my childhood in some ways. (Go ahead and read into that what you will.) It’s a bit rough around the edges, but I hope it comes back.

Jessica Jones is good, but should have run shorter. The plot needed some tightening up. I felt altogether too anxious for too long while watching this. It’s disturbing on a personal level because I have been stalked before and it’s really not a lot of fun. That said, I’m more excited about the set up for season 2 than I am for the conclusion of Daredevil (which I loved, but was really an excellent and complete story arc).

I really enjoyed Gotham tremendously. Love the actors, love the dialog, loved how everything was falling into place. I remember scanning people’s reactions on FB as they came through and they were all over the place, but largely and overwhelmingly negative.  I had no real expectations when I turned it on, but used the rule my daughter and I agreed upon years ago when trying a new show.

The rule: Give a show five minutes. If you don’t find it interesting at all, move on to something else.  This has served us in good stead.  If you’re using the rule with other people, if any of the people don’t want to watch it, move on. Ultimately, this is a great way to expose yourself to new stuff without any real pressure.

Season 1 of The Flash was pretty much perfect and likely the best realized comic book adaptation ever realized. I expected to like it (as I dig Arrow), but did not expect to immediately enjoy it more than our emerald archer friend. It’s close, but Barry and his buddies tap into a broader range of emotions.

Go check some stuff out. Got any recommendations for shows on Netflix or Amazon Prime I should see? Let me know in the comments below.