Amph What was the last tv episode you watched?

Yeah that "everybody was ready to kill everybody else" stuff is mostly just a myth.

 

George does quit the band at the end of episode 1 so it’s not all equanimity and cupcakes.

 

Well sure, I'd imagine there was at least a lot of weed involved.

 

Whatever else they’re doing is standing on a secure foundation of caffeine and nicotine.

 

I was going to watch the first episode of the Beatles thing last night but then I saw it was the length of a bloated superhero movie so I put it off.

 

The Beatles Get Back

Watched the first two episodes over the last two days. Part 2 this morning.
Saw most of Part 1 twice even while watching it yesterday with someone else.

It's quite good. A lot to take in.
And lots of mixed feelings from a Beatles fan like me. I suspect I'll be rewatching this with various friends and analyzing it for years.

Looking forward to what will no doubt be the happiest segment in Part 3.

 

The episodes are the length of a football game, so there are some hard choices for the extended holiday weekend.

 

It's a lot of material to digest.
Part 2 was like two hours and fifty minutes. Part 1 was shorter, maybe two twenty five or so, can't recall.

It will be interesting to see how the general public responds to this doc or like how many people even commit to watching it after they realize it is over 7 or 8 hours of rehearsals and discussions.

For diehards like me, no problem, but I suspect many more casual Beatles fans will opt out of completing this once they see how it is going. I hope I'm wrong; but this seems like a really niche piece of work; due to both content and even moreso due to length or quantity of such content.

And the fact that it is a relatively unhappy, unorganized, unmotivated, and even bizarre period in the bands' history, which would see them permanently disbanded by the end of the year, makes it less positive than the way it has been promoted in many interviews.

 

People are willing to binge-watch long documentary series but they’re usually in smaller chunks, so it’s tough to say what folks who aren’t hardcore Beatles fans will make of the runtimes. I’m probably going to wait for the holiday break to watch it, myself, I mean, what the hell else am I supposed to do on St. Stephen’s Day?

 

I think that ~60-minute episodes would be more digestible and it's how a lot of these documentary series are edited, but Peter Jackson gotta Peter Jackson.

 

Captain Planet and the Planeteers Season 4, Episode 20: Orangu-Tangle

Crushing those titles.

The episode introduces a new pair of villains, the Slaughters, a mother/son team of poachers. The son's name is Stalker, which probably limited his options.

 

Watched the YouTube show Hot Ones. Rob Lowe was on this week’s episode.

 

I think the decision to include as much footage as possible from the recording sessions is not just Peter Jacksonian bloat. In this case, the audience is people who are either fans of the Beatles, or really interested in creative process. Particularly the musical kind. In that context, more is more. If the actual process of creating these now classic songs is the subject, then the interesting things are all the little details. That’s why we get excellent gems like Lennon asking “Tucson is in Arizona, right?” when finalizing lyrics for “Get Back.” And the slow progression of two-against-one alienation that Harrison felt that led him to quit for a while. Etc. This isn’t for general audiences who don’t really care for the Beatles or aren’t interested in the creative process. It’s a niche product for those who want to see all the details of how these songs were made. In that goal, it’s wildly successful.

And the editing is quite well done too. Did I get a little tired four hours in? Yes. Could this have been cut into smaller chunks? Yes. But IMO, Jackson did a great job with it. And I think this is his calling. The bloated melodrama that was his interpretation of LOTR was an anomaly in his career I think.

You’re right that it’s a niece product for fans and people super-interested in how lasting music is made by groups of humans. Breathes human life into legends, and all that. The de-heroization is part of the effect, sure. But in “keeping it real,” the documentary also underlines just how genius these guys were. And how clear it was that everyone in the band was critical for its success. Without Paul there’s no structure, without John the songwriting suffers, without George there’s far less depth, and without Ringo…well, without Ringo there are no drums!

 

Captain Planet and the Planeteers Season 4, Episode 22: Teers in the Hood

Another total cringe episode about gangs, with images of MLK, Gandhi, JFK (lolwut?), and other civil rights leaders constantly invoked to guilt trip people. Lots of jazz horns, rap music, bullets flying, and gangbangers who use early 90s urban slang.

The Planeteers go under cover at a school caught up in a gang war, so naturally Wheeler wears his hat backward to fit in. Linka wears a crop top so small it basically just covers her breasts. Pretty risque for this show. The threats in the episode are so neutered the Planeteers call in Cap for a small chemical spill in a classroom and a house fire.

The episode naturally ends with the I Have a Dream speech. The opposing gang leaders call a truce and hit an epic handshake. That kind of handshake probably led to lasting peace, you don't turn on each other after that.

Shaggy and Velma also make background cameos for some reason.

Wheeler, during the Planeteer Alert: "It's nuts, but in the US, 1 out of 4 teenage deaths is caused by guns". Glad we solved that problem!

 

Purchased the recent The Stand miniseries for 20 dollars. I've heard bad things, but I am a big fan of the book and, to a lesser extent, the 90's miniseries.

 

Yellowjackets: Season One, Episode 3 - The Dollhouse

Yep. I love this show.

 

It clears away so many of the mistakes and shortcomings of the 90s miniseries and replaces them with its own shiny modern mistakes.

 

I'm about halfway through. I like it so far. It has some issues, but overall a bit better than the old miniseries. I think the casting overall is better, except for Amber Heard.

 

Captain Planet and the Planeteers Season 5, Episode 1: Twilight Ozone

The mystery of blind, skin damaged animals. What could be the cause?! Increased radiation due to the ozone hole.

Captain Planet is taken down by...the sun?! Too much sun? Due to the ozone hole? So the sun both powers and weakens Captain Planet. So later he flies through the mud to simulate sun block, and makes a hat out of grass and sunglasses out of sand, protecting him from the sun which both strengthens and weakens him.

Perhaps an outdated scare.

 

I'm all caught up with The Wheel of Time. Not as compelling as I wish it could have been but hoping the last four episodes will make it worthwhile.

 

Captain Planet and the Planeteers Season 5, Episode 2: Hollywaste

The Planeteers are stunt doubles in a movie about them. Linka is being played by star actress Bambi Blight, sister of eco-villain Dr Blight. Bambi refers to Dr Blight as "Babs".

So. Dr Blight has a sister who got all the attention and praise. Guess that's her motivation for wanting to ruin everything.

The Planeteers watch bad portrayals of themselves, so it's like an unfunny version of ATLA's The Ember Island Players. Captain Planet plays himself, the kids summon him every time he's needed for a scene.

Dr Blight shows up, kidnaps Bambi, and takes her place. Her plan to kill Cap and have Bambi take the blame fails, of course.


The episode takes every opportunity to show how wasteful Hollywood movies can be, hence the title.

 

Hawkeye episode 3, “Echoes”

 

Rewatched S1 of Seinfeld. Definitely has some funny moments and it's interesting to see the show find its legs.

 

Captain Planet and the Planeteers Season 5, Episode 3: The Ghost of Porkaloin Past

Greedly is given the Scrooge treatment.

Another episode where the impotent Planeteers won't act because what the eco-villain is doing is legal, along with more Scooby Doo shenanigans: eyes behind the painting, trick staircases, a fake ghost, etc.

Captain Planet disguises himself in drag at a costume party for some reason. Both Greedly and his henchman Rigger ask Cap to dance.

Can't help but notice his lips are fuller than usual.

Greedly with another killer rhyme: the chowder is yours, as he throws a large bowl of chowder at Cap. I was expecting the clam chowder to weaken him because the clam was full of mercury or some ridiculous ****, but he shrugged it off and saved the day.


The whole Scrooge test was staged by Greedly's grandfather, the reformed, environmentally conscious Don Porkaloin. Greedly fails the test, and is disinherited. Greedly's henchman Rigger sees the light, and leaves Greedly to work for Porkaloin. We'll see how long that lasts.

I suppose it was interesting to see someone get the Scrooge treatment, not actually change in any way, and be punished for it.

 

I watched that South Park post Covid special. It’s been years since I watched South Park. I don’t really know why I decided to watch it. It’s still as over the top as ever.