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This week, we talk giant monsters, old time gamblers and bootleggers, and more things that Tony likes but wishes were better. The usual. But it’s a pretty fun time, and we actually get to a very spicy question, for once. Enjoy!
QUESTIONS:
Sup? How Ones on YouTube, spiciest thing you’ve eaten, general hot sauce thoughts. –Azuretalon
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1928. That’s the year Chicago Mike died. Why did I keep saying 1924? Abby and I were reading stuff about this all morning. We talked about the year, 1928, over and over. I didn’t even have a reason to have the number “1924” in my head. But I said it more than once.
*sigh*
You’ve let the entire tri-county region down…
Right? I hate me.
I watched one episode of The Irregulars and I probably won’t continue unless I’m really in need of something to watch.
I liked the acting and the characters; what I didn’t like was how unrealistic the real threats/difficulties were represented. I like stories with supernatural elements, but I don’t like it if the realistic parts of the story, especially related to difficulties, are down-played. I think for me, I need the weight of realism there to help make the supernatural threats/difficulties matter.
To give a couple examples: the physical issue that Leo has–let me just say that the way he was treated when he asked questions in the pub would have had physical consequences. There were later scenes too where I was very aware of how someone with his problem would have suffered in a way that didn’t happen on the show.
Then, the place the kids are living and how they are living–not anywhere close to the reality of life for kids of that class in that time period (especially for the girls). The basement space they’re in would have been an unbelievable luxury. Families in which everyone was working (not begging or managing with whatever they can do) lived in 8×10 rooms. I don’t expect quite that level of realism, but this just seemed glossy and unreal to me. I kept thinking about the dirt on their faces being “make-up”–which I think showed why the whole thing wasn’t convincing.
And the sad thing is, I was talking to a student who loves the show and one of the things she loves is how it’s showing her what life was like for poor people in the Victorian Age.
Heh, yeah… Abby and I often talked about how nice the kids’ living situation was compared to what we know about the 19th century reality!
We’ve mostly taken the departures from reality in the show like everything else, with the departures from fashion, decorum, and beliefs about race as they would have actually been in late 1800s London. But it is rather annoying to keep overlooking such things. Hearing that some younger people are somehow taking what they’re seeing as historically authentic… yeah, that’s not good.
Yeah, the race-blind casting, the hip-hop music–for some reason that doesn’t get to me. I can’t quite explain the difference, but it’s like if the reality of the illness that Leo has is downplayed (to the point that it doesn’t seem to matter), then the supernatural threats also seem meaningless and kinda goofy.
Aw, come on! It’s continuing the great tradition of TV shows! Even in the gutters of Victorian London, you have surprisingly large and affordable apartments! 🙂
Yeah, it’s horrific to think someone thinks the show is at all an accurate portrayal of life in the time. I can mostly only get by thinking of the show as fantasy, rather than “historical” fantasy. I suppose the irony being that a completely fantastical show, like Carnival Row, arguably painted a more accurate picture.
Leo’s illness (which is actually real to the historic figure in question) is 100% only a plot device, and largely a character/romance plot device at that. It just won’t exist except when it’ll help him feel sorry for himself, or be convenient to something they want to do in the plot.
I absolutely get not watching the show. And honestly, it’s not a show you’re missing out on. I’ve reached a point where I’m enjoying it (while still actively mocking it while watching), but it’s not a game-changer for TV or anything. And it’s still a hot mess.
Oh, right! It’s the “Friends” trope. 🙂
The fact that Leo’s illness is used in that way I find pretty yucky. I just keep imagining what it would be like to actually have that disease and then have it be used as a plot device in that way.
Ah, well, I can just hold out for “The Nevers.” 🙂
BTW, is anyone watching The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? I really, really liked the first 2 episodes, and then the third was a hot mess. I’m really wonder why they are restricting themselves to 6 episodes ’cause I think that might be part of the problem.
One of my students loves the character of Bucky, but can’t afford Disney+. She’s gotten into the habit of coming on Zoom early for class so I can tell her the story of each week’s episode. It’s kind of sweet.
We watched the first episode, and bailed. I’ll try and remember to speak more of it this week.
LBH – is anyone surprised that William eats Shredded Wheat and Grape Nuts?
We occasionally got to have Cinnamon Life, or Honey Nut Cheerios. On vacation, we would have those individual serving mini-boxes of cereal, that was the only time we’d have just about any of the sugary cereals, and as I recall, we pretty much wanted to eat the ones we were used to – the plain cheerios were gone first. Whatever was in the red box (Lucky Charms??) was usually left till last. I’m not really sure why we didn’t have a box of cereal we all liked – probably because that would have taken more space in the car?
I also prefer the egg shaped plain milk chocolate to the same brand’s regular shape (square, pip, kiss, etc). I think it’s because it melts in my mouth differently than the other shapes.