I’ve been watching the new episodes of the current L&O UK series, but I recently started watching from the beginning as well (this is one of the things I like about procedurals… you can just jump in without feeling lost). At any rate, Law & Order is Law & Order, which means it’s always good, but it being in the UK gives it a special flavor.
In general I love the characters (James Steel in particular rocks, I think he’s my favorite), but the point of this post is that the dynamic between Ronnie Brooks and Matt Devlin is just wonderful. Their snarky back and forth is so much fun to watch, and I really love how Ronnie tends to be the one the one that comes out on top in their banter (as we say in Spanish, “más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo”). Loved how he let Matt try to awkwardly speak French before revealing he can speak it in the very first episode; and then in the one after that, the scene where Alesha comes to enlist Ronnie’s help with food, and he only jumps at the chance once Matt shows up and gets miffed that she didn’t bring him food.
And then, of course, there was Anonymous, and the tension between them there, and how even if they’re pitted against each other, they’re still bros at the end of the day.
…And now it’s really been awhile since I last updated this blog.
My laptop got fixed, after three weeks, but then I sold it and got a new one. So, back now!
In the meantime, my obsession with all things Sherlock has progressed from Benedict Cumberbatch to Rupert Graves, who is in a lot of stuff! It’s a lot easier to get an actor fix when said actor guest stars on a lot of procedural dramas. And for this reason, I’ve watched his episodes of New Tricks and Law & Order: UK, and also sort of skimmed through a bit of Single Father. The later I’m not that into, but I’ll probably watch a bit more (yes, just for Rupert Graves, I’m shallow like that), New Tricks was amusing… and L&O:UK I loved and have started watching. I already liked original flavor L&O and SVU, so it’s not surprising that I’d like the UK version (L&O + accents = win). Also, Jamie Bamber ♥! (No, I have not watched Battlestar Galactica… thinking perhaps I’ll have to correct that at some point).
The other thing is that, after quite a while of meaning to get around to it, I started watching Spooks. I enjoy the spy genre a lot and am just loving Spooks. I’m about to finish the first series/season, and will probably be posting about it after I do.
And yes, I’ve fallen way behind on the toku side. Oops?
Kitaoka Shuichi/Kamen Rider Zolda – My favorite Rider character overall. It’s kind of amusing, since in many ways he’s kind of the anti-Kamen Rider. He’s opportunistic, selfish, conceited, not exactly the bravest man ever, and he sucks at close combat (this is why he has those sexy BFGs). So why do I like him? Initially, because that type of douche is a character type I love, and because his antics are mean but really really amusing; later… well, he just gets more and more interesting as the layers are peeled back. And while it doesn’t make him a better human being in the slightest, when you find out why he’s fighting, it does add a certain depth. In the end, I just love morally gray characters, and he’s pretty much the epitome of that; he’s certainly not a hero and neither is he particularly villainous, he’s just an extremely flawed man.
Yaguruma Sou/Kamen Rider KickHopper (formerly Kamen Rider TheBee) – Yaguruma was my first crazy Kamen Rider love, so to speak. That is to say, I was enjoying Kabuto, but it was when Yaguruma dragged his spur across the ground before strutting over to kick Worm ass before an incredulous Kageyama, while declaring himself a loser and renouncing Perfect Harmony, that I really found something to flail over in Kamen Rider. In a way, it’s probably his fault that tokusatsu ate my brain in the first place. All because I do love a good anti-hero, and Yaguruma is an awesome one.
Aikawa Hajime/Kamen Rider Chalice – In many ways, Hajime’s is my favorite character arc in Kamen Rider. It’s just so amazingly complex and touching, the non-human that starts to be human despite himself, who at the same time doesn’t know how to be human. What gets me most is the conflict between the Joker’s nature and his brand new, fledgeling desire to feel, to embrace that new humanity in himself; and ultimately, once he’s made his choice, the struggle to be what he chose; to overcome nature and fate, to prove that he doesn’t have to be what they dictate, that he can choose his own path. It’s so heartbreaking and noble at the same time.
Kagami Arata/Kamen Rider Gatack (also formerly TheBee) – I’m sure I’m not alone in that I actually didn’t particularly like Kagami when the series started. But as Kabuto went on and more was revealed about him, I couldn’t help but respect him and feel for him, because of that need, that drive in him, to be a hero no matter what. Yes, he was destined to be “the God of Battle”, but unlike Tendou, he built himself up from nothing, and in the end, he was twice the man and hero that anyone else in that series was.
Hikawa Makoto/Kamen Rider G3 – If the above is true of Kagami, then it goes double for Hikawa. In a story about a select group of people who are developing special abilities, surrounded by a battle between the Unknown and two Riders who are more than human because a mystical being/deity gave them something of himself, Hikawa is only human (the moment when he screams “Tada no ningen da!” is my single favorite moment in all of Agito). There is nothing inherently special about him, even as a regular human man. But what he is is brave, and even though he knows perfectly well that he’s in over his head, that at any time the suit Ozawa made might malfunction and that he could easily die, he pushes on and keeps fighting, because he may be only human, but he made a choice to protect people, and it is what he will do, the best way he knows how.
No computer, can’t watch stuff as often as I’d like, much less blog, yada yada yada. But I did catch up on last week’s Os!
The episode starts off where ep 2 left off, with Ankh encountering Hina, who is the younger sister of the cop whose body he’s taken over. The little encounter serves to drive home, again, just how inhuman Ankh is. He basically coldly considers the situation, accessing the cop’s memories of his sister to figure out why she’s run to hug him, and once he understands their relationship, determines that because she cares for his brother, she will be in the way and the easiest thing will be to kill her and be rid of her. Eiji tries to stop him, and the point is made that without the belt, Eiji doesn’t stand a chance, and would be unable to stop Ankh from doing anything he pleases. So he uses his only leverage, which is to threaten to throw the belt in the river, which effectively stops Ankh from killing Hina.
So once again, the pull and push between Eiji and Ankh is brought to the spotlight, and this conflict is clearly going to be the central focus of the series… at least until Ankh starts developing more of a conscience. Which I am assuming will happen at some point. And again, I really like this dynamic.
Been computerless since Friday. Logic board is fried, yay, and it will be a week and a half before it’s fixed. Anyway, makes blogging hard.
However, I just watched the Chuck season premiere and just had to make a little post about it, because it seriously was just the definition of awesome. XD
I have to admit that I have a complicated relationship with Chuck in that whenever I’m actually watching I invariably love it, but sometimes, I don’t know, I forget that, get behind and end up losing track of the story. I actually didn’t watch about half of last season, although I did watch the finale. I thought the twist with Mama Bartowski was intriguing; being a huge Alias fan, I invariably compared it to the SpyMommy, Irina Derevko, and was interested to see what Chuck did to differentiate Mama B from Irina (or alternatively to play homage to her, because that is a big part of Chuck).
Anyway, I’ve been keeping up with casting spoilers, so I know about Linda Hamilton as Mama Bartowski, which I have to admit was great casting. After watching the first episode, may I just say that so far the execution does fulfill the promise of the casting, and Mama B is one badass broad. Well done, Chuck. I am definitely on for the ride this season.
Although the search for her drove the episode, as it reportedly will drive the season, the woman herself was only onscreen a short time… the rest of the episode, however, was equally awesome.
First of all, I am really liking Miura Ryosuke as Ankh. Awesome job. :D
For some reason I didn’t expect Ankh to openly show his true colors to Eiji this quickly, and yet it makes perfect sense. Eiji is perfectly aware, having heard it from his mouth, that Ankh doesn’t care at all for human life, it’s all a game to him, all about collecting medals, and Eiji himself is just a tool to that end. A tool that Ankh can choose to use how he pleases, when he pleases, or so Ankh believes.
Watched Os 1 with subs. Still don’t like the OP. :D
In general terms, there’s not that much I actually missed when I watched the raw. One thing was that Eiji slept through the chaos at the start because was drugged, not because he’s a flaky slacker. Also, that there will be consequences to using the belt.
As for things that are clearer on a subbed watch: Biggest thing is that through his own words, Ankh made it exceedingly clear that his intention is to use and manipulate Eiji for his own ends… I mean, I assumed, but I didn’t know 100%. I like how he totally lies to Eiji’s face about how he’s impressed with him and that that’s why he’s going to help him.
Things that I forgot to mention on the previous post: The beginning of the episode itself, although much goofier, definitely reminded me of Kuuga and Agito. In fact, now that I’ve rewatched and thought about it, I’ve gotta wonder if, the obvious trappings linking it to Kabuto aside, it might not actually owe a lot more to Agito and especially to Kuuga, at least as far as the hero goes. The more I think about it, the more that Eiji reminds me of Godai. Food for thought, I guess.
One last thing. In light of the fact that our protagonist has no attachments and thus no desires, I find the Greeed’s line about how the Yumy is the embodiment of a human’s desires (and thus their true self) very intriguing.
And finally, if when analyzing a certain type of hero, we talk about “Christ figures”, would it be appropriate to speak about Buddha figures when talking about a certain other type of hero? Ultimately I have to admit Eiji himself, from this angle, was one of the things I found most intriguing from the press release before the series started. :D
