Netflix/Prime/Hulu/BritBox Binge Watching: Coronavirus Edition

[Integrity]

I recently watched the series "The Devil's Hour" on Prime. Some familiar faces in the cast, I thought it was pretty good.

Another series (Peacock I think) that I did not finish was "Vigil". Such a great cast, but it did not keep my attention, I think I had one episode left.

 

[MacMadame]

I watched one episode of Finding Anna and I was planning to watch more but I just didn't. I guess it didn't really grab me.

 

[Jimena]

My daughter and I just watched Marcel the Shell with Shoes on. It was just lovely. It was sweet, funny and very touching.

I hope it wins the Oscar.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Another series (Peacock I think) that I did not finish was "Vigil". Such a great cast, but it did not keep my attention, I think I had one episode left.

Interesting. I thought Vigil was fabulous from start to finish.

I am part way through episode one of The Last Of Us. I expect I will finish it at some point, but whether I move onto ep.2 is an open question.

 

[MacMadame]

I am part way through episode one of The Last Of Us. I expect I will finish it at some point, but whether I move onto ep.2 is an open question.

Mr. Mac is watching it. So I've seen some of it. But not enough to follow what is going on. It seems pretty pedestrian to me having seen enough other similar movies about infections, zombies, etc.

 

[made_in_canada]

Just stayed up way too late watching Bad Sisters on Apple+. I think maybe @rfisher mentioned it somewhere?

Such a fantastic dark comedy. Super juicy villain, fantastic acting, I absolutely loved it.

 

[text_skate]

Watched ep. 2 of The Last of Us. In this ep. the zombie part isn't toned down much , plus the part in the museum is way to long, isn't giving much storytelling wise either.
Still enjoyed the rest and used fast forward on parts I didn't like. Guess will try to watch ep. 3 too
The start of the episode in Jakarta is great.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Mr. Mac is watching it. So I've seen some of it. But not enough to follow what is going on. It seems pretty pedestrian to me having seen enough other similar movies about infections, zombies, etc.

Yeah, I've not long finished watching Station Eleven, which is also post-pandemic, and I gave up on Walking Dead after 3 episodes when I realised each one was going to be the same, so I'm thinking I may not last the distance on this one unless the story really picks up.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I got sucked into Poker Face on the weekend. Not sure what service it is on in the US but it is on Stan in Australia. Natasha Lyonne is the main character Charlie who has the ability to pick people who lie. They had the first four episodes (the rest come out weekly) and I enjoyed the first lot I binged. Each episode is kind of a separate story but they are linked from the first one. Has lots of stars appearing as various characters in each episode.

The dog in the third episode is great value as a character in itself.

Spoiler: Hint

The dog loves listening to right wing fascist extremist radio

 

[Sparks]

It's on Peacock in the US

 

[Spikefan]

I saw Poker Face advertised on peacock. I have three weeks before I cancel (and then renew for Worlds). Might try to binge it.

 

[El Rey]

Watched ep. 2 of The Last of Us. In this ep. the zombie part isn't toned down much , plus the part in the museum is way to long, isn't giving much storytelling wise either.
Still enjoyed the rest and used fast forward on parts I didn't like. Guess will try to watch ep. 3 too
The start of the episode in Jakarta is great.

You should definitely watch episode 3. I also think there was only one short zombie scene.

 

[Yehudi]

I watched the physical 100, a Korean reality show where 100 contestants compete in a variety of physical challenges. They come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all in peak physical condition - we’re talking Olympic gold medalists, national team members, former MLB players, MMA champs, special forces veterans. It’s quite interesting viewing for sports fanatics as we see each challenge caters to one physique over the other. For example, the first challenge is hanging and not surprisingly the gymnast (Yang Hak Seon, an Olympic champion in vault) and a military guy who works in mountain rescue, did very well while a lot of the wrestlers dropped after a minute.

 

[VGThuy]

I have a BroadwayHD subscription on Amazon Prime, and I saw an iTV (British) live production of Sound of Music from 2015, two years after the NBC Carrie Underwood one that pretty much invented the short-lived "hate watch" live tweeting that prompted Underwood to respond to the haters by saying that "they needed Jesus!".

The sets and opening were wonderful and I really enjoyed the styling of the characters (there's no Maria wearing designer shoes in this one as there was in the Carrie Underwood version).

Kara Tointon played Maria and Julian Ovenden played Captain Von Trapp (most Americans may be familiar with him as the guy in-between "Tony" and Matthew Goode as Mary post-Matthew suitors in Downton Abbey). British stage star Maria Friedman played Mother Abbess. Alexander Armstrong was a serviceable Max while Katharine Kelly actually did what she good to add some complexity to Frau Schrader, and she looked like a young Helen Mirren glammed up. Overall, I can tell the actors were skilled or had some training. I liked Tointon as Maria at first in her opening scenes and when she meets the children. However, the pacing seemed too swift to where a lot of emotional beats were missing, and the actors probably needed more rehearsal time or something because you can tell they weren't quite internalizing or emotionally connected to the roles as they could have been with more time.

An example of the above was the missed opportunity was with Ovenden's "Edelweiss" segment at the end. It should have been a more emotionally resonate moment but it ended up coming off hollow and then the audience joining didn't seem earned as a result. Another one was every more serious scene between Maria and Captain Von Trapp or Maria listening to Mother Abbess' "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"... I just remember Julie Andrews' playing that scene perfectly.

About the music, the singing was alright. Nothing will blow you away, and, honestly, some of those kids couldn't sing. You would have heard much better versions of the songs growing up, and yes, I'm counting the original Maria, Mary Martin*.

Overall, it was an okay watch and my sons enjoyed the songs, actually really enjoyed it to where I ended up singing "Do-Re-Mi" with them a few times last night. If you like the musical, it's a good production to watch just to say you've seen it.

---

This part below is for the theatre nerds who really like comparing versions of the musical.

I was already familiar with the differences between the stage version and the film version, but this version hit home how Robert Wise and co. made the best decision making "My Favorite Things" into a song where Maria and the children bond as opposed to "Lonely Goatherd", having Richard Rogers write "I Have Confidence" to give Maria more depth, and making "Edelweiss" the song the Captain sings when he first "rediscovers" music. I also liked the first duet between Max and Frau Schrader, but it seemed weird to have a song with Captain Von Trapp BEFORE he rediscovers his love of music and welcomes music back into the house. That should have been set after and used as a way for Schnader to get the Captain. Also, the second "just lay back and enjoy as Anschluss is happening" song from Schrader was rightfully cut.

"Something Good", written for the movie, is a such lyrically-clunky song in the movie (Rodgers really needed Hammerstein to write lyrics) but it sort of made sense and was filmed well. But when you see it put into a production that is more faithful to the stage libretto, it sort of comes out of nowhere because they didn't really set up the romance between Maria and the Captain well. At least the film version had close-up shots of Andrews and Plummer sneaking looks and having that sort of unspoken chemistry between them. Also, this song hints at the real Maria's traumatic or bad upbringing, which also explains her desperation to be a nun because you get a feeling that she really has no where else to go, but the stage libretto does not give any sort of hint actually makes it seem like the opposite.

I also realized just how underwritten Maria becomes in the second half when the story shifts to Anschluss and becomes more Captain Von Trapp's story (with Maria just going "I'll do whatever you want to do, darling"). The only thing she had to offer in the second half was that "Sixteen Going Seventeen" (Reprise) and saying she knows the mountains backwards and forwards and lead the kids to Switzerland. That's nice, and was set up in the beginning when she says she could never get lost in the mountains, but I wish she had more to do.

*Mary Martin - I know she isn't known for being a Julie Andrews' type singer, and younger Broadway fans think she's so quiet, but I think she still had a distinct singing voice full of personality. Plus, I saw this old black-and-white bootleg video of her singing "Honey Bun" on stage from South Pacific and her voice was actually booming and filled the whole theater. I wonder if her more demure singing was just for recordings.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I started watching God Troubles Me on Netflix. It's animated and you have to read subtitles unless you understand Mandarin. Her father is from the God realm and her mother is an elf from the Monster realm. They both kick her out of the house so they can go traveling. She ends up having to find a place of her own but has been chosen to help those traveling from the God and Monster realms learn how to live mortal lives. They come disguised as other objects or living beings.

Spoiler

I keep watching this because she doesn't want to help those from the God and Monster realms but ends up keeping the phone and cat. They chose those forms because people are slaves to them. She hates them in their human form but can't get rid of them in their object forms. They hate being in their object form but have to use it to keep her from getting rid of them. She sold all the other object forms because it was too crowded in the apartment.

It's cute and I'm only two episodes in. It's going to take some time to get through it because I will need time to just sit and read the subtitles. There are currently three seasons up with twelve episodes in each season.

 

[tony]

I watched the physical 100, a Korean reality show where 100 contestants compete in a variety of physical challenges. They come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all in peak physical condition - we’re talking Olympic gold medalists, national team members, former MLB players, MMA champs, special forces veterans. It’s quite interesting viewing for sports fanatics as we see each challenge caters to one physique over the other. For example, the first challenge is hanging and not surprisingly the gymnast (Yang Hak Seon, an Olympic champion in vault) and a military guy who works in mountain rescue, did very well while a lot of the wrestlers dropped after a minute.

I'm watching it and really enjoy it. I'm sure there will be many different international versions following soon. But my advice is to just keep the Korean language on with English subtitles, because the dubbing is laughable. They are in really intense competitions and the voices are just so casual.

 

[Buzz]

Wakanda Forever is now available on Disney+

 

[Miezekatze]

Physical 100 is really fun. I never watch dubbed shows, so it's the original language anyway. I don't even want to imagine how a German dubbing of excited Korean speech would sound like I also watched "The Glory" in Korean with subtitles recently.

Too bad the show doesn't have a figure skater, after all they also had a cheerleader, dancer, petite fitness influencer and some male winter sports types, so it wouldn't have been that unlikely.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I watched The Glory too. I had to fast forward through some of the bullying scenes but am really looking forward to part 2.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Cunk on Earth is now on Netflix in Australia. I watched this on Youtube but I am going to have to rewatch it. My friend messaged me while she was watching it eating breakfast and almost spat her food out.

 

[Spikefan]

Cunk on Earth is now on Netflix in Australia. I watched this on Youtube but I am going to have to rewatch it. My friend messaged me while she was watching it eating breakfast and almost spat her food out.

We watched the first episode on Netflix US last night, hillarious.

 

[Aussie Willy]

We watched the first episode on Netflix US last night, hillarious.

I just listened to it again while at work. There is so much detail in everything she says.

The cows

 

[Bunny Hop]

Watched ep. 2 of The Last of Us. In this ep. the zombie part isn't toned down much , plus the part in the museum is way to long, isn't giving much storytelling wise either.
Still enjoyed the rest and used fast forward on parts I didn't like. Guess will try to watch ep. 3 too

I realised part way through episode 3 that I wasn't really paying attention anymore so that might be my cue to stop.

*Mary Martin - I know she isn't known for being a Julie Andrews' type singer, and younger Broadway fans think she's so quiet, but I think she still had a distinct singing voice full of personality. Plus, I saw this old black-and-white bootleg video of her singing "Honey Bun" on stage from South Pacific and her voice was actually booming and filled the whole theater. I wonder if her more demure singing was just for recordings.

My mother has been told that under no circumstance is she to get rid of her original Broadway cast recording of The Sound of Music with Mary Martin. It's on LP, but that's why I bought a turntable with a USB connection a few years back.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I started watching The Peripherals on Prime and was quickly reminded why I hate time travel storylines. I then lost interest and couldn't keep focused on the story and then couldn't follow it at all from my lack of interest. I don't feel like I want to go back and figure out where I got lost so I'm finding something else to watch. If you like needlessly complicated time travel crap you would probably like this.

 

[Cachoo]

Well the Nick Offerman/Murray Bartlett episode of "The Last of Us" was beautiful and of course it is getting review bombed with most people giving it 5 stars and then a portion going for 1 star ratings. Homophobia anyone? A blurb from Forbes:

The latest “this is why we can’t have nice things” story in media is that sadly, expectedly, we still live in an era where one of the best episodes of television in recent memory can end up being review bombed because of simple homophobia.

Omit paragraph that gives a bit away....and then

The unequivocal quality of the episode has not stopped trolls from going after it on IMDB, where 30,468 people have given it 1 star reviews, creating a familiar “review bomb split” where a hugely disproportionate number of 1 stars, 28.4% of reviews in this case. By contrast, the first two episodes had 1.4% and 1.6% 1 star reviews instead. Those episodes have an average of 9.2/10, while Long, Long Time is a 7.9/10, far lower. Overall, The Last of Us is still a 9.3/10, one of the highest rated TV series on IMDB overall.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove]

Well the Nick Offerman/Murray Bartlett episode of "The Last of Us" was beautiful and of course it is getting review bombed with most people giving it 5 stars and then a portion going for 1 star ratings. Homophobia anyone? A blurb from Forbes:

The latest “this is why we can’t have nice things” story in media is that sadly, expectedly, we still live in an era where one of the best episodes of television in recent memory can end up being review bombed because of simple homophobia.

Omit paragraph that gives a bit away....and then

The unequivocal quality of the episode has not stopped trolls from going after it on IMDB, where 30,468 people have given it 1 star reviews, creating a familiar “review bomb split” where a hugely disproportionate number of 1 stars, 28.4% of reviews in this case. By contrast, the first two episodes had 1.4% and 1.6% 1 star reviews instead. Those episodes have an average of 9.2/10, while Long, Long Time is a 7.9/10, far lower. Overall, The Last of Us is still a 9.3/10, one of the highest rated TV series on IMDB overall.

BEST WRITING AND ACTING. NICK AND MURRAY ❤️

OHHHHH

MYYYYYYYYY

GODDDDDDDDDDDD

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Well the Nick Offerman/Murray Bartlett episode of "The Last of Us" was beautiful and of course it is getting review bombed with most people giving it 5 stars and then a portion going for 1 star ratings. Homophobia anyone? A blurb from Forbes:

The latest “this is why we can’t have nice things” story in media is that sadly, expectedly, we still live in an era where one of the best episodes of television in recent memory can end up being review bombed because of simple homophobia.

Omit paragraph that gives a bit away....and then

The unequivocal quality of the episode has not stopped trolls from going after it on IMDB, where 30,468 people have given it 1 star reviews, creating a familiar “review bomb split” where a hugely disproportionate number of 1 stars, 28.4% of reviews in this case. By contrast, the first two episodes had 1.4% and 1.6% 1 star reviews instead. Those episodes have an average of 9.2/10, while Long, Long Time is a 7.9/10, far lower. Overall, The Last of Us is still a 9.3/10, one of the highest rated TV series on IMDB overall.

I’d prefer if the whole show centered on Bill and Frank because I can’t do the zombie stuff. I can’t enjoy a show where I have to hide my eyes and put it on mute at a moment’s notice. The third episode was such a good respite.

 

[VGThuy]

There’s so many angry and resentful people who hide behind the mask of intellectual superiority or misanthropic philosopher kings who know the “real” world and try to tell the rest of us how it is; even though the rest of us are living our lives just fine and don’t seem as miserable as they are.

The fact they’re so angry about a gay storyline that makes them go out of their way to review bomb the episode says so much about what’s wrong with them. It’s really all too sad. Being miserable, angry, hurtful, and damaged isn’t always the path to understanding and fulfillment as far too many people have shown us they just love to simmer in their misery stew and will just stay damaged.

 

[genevieve]

I finally got a 7-day trial to HBO Max so I can watch Yellowjackets. I'm reading a creepy book and now watching a creepy show. Good times!

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

My friends have been putting True Blood on in the background when people come over to visit. I am now convinced it is the adult version of the Twilight series. That is not a compliment.