Looking forward to finally seeing this, thanks! I like a decent western as well, and Cowboys Vs. Aliens was fun.

Lost in space season 2 is a very satisfying modern take on the classic series.

What follows may sound like faint praise, but it is actually a genuine positive point: LiS recaptures the old show's sense of innocence, complete with its nonsensical science and absurd plot twists. The writers manage the not inconsiderable feat of making us care for what happens to the Robinson family (all of whom are endearing in their own way) as they go through adventures that would get us to raise eyebrows if the show tried to take itself more seriously.

Good, fun space stories that look way better than in the '60s, but keep the same naive and positive outlook.

I really look forward to season 3.

I’ve started watching The Expanse on the recommendation of a friend. I’m only up to episode 4 right now, but... WOW!!!

Great world building (make that outstanding, actually), a hard sci-fi take in which gravity and inertia are actually a thing, a very intriguing political/military context, and a mystery to boot. What’s not to like?

There’s always a clear difference when a TV series is adapted from novels. The rythm isn’t the same, and situations are more complex and developed.

Looks like I’ll have to buy more DVDs in the future... (Hopefully I can find as good a deal as for season 1).

I had thought Altered Carbon was something of a fluke, and I’m happy to have been wrong!

Watched the first four episodes of Locke & Key on Netflix. It’s a bowdlerized shadow of the comic; I don’t recommend it.

Nice set design, though.

6/10

I hadn't read the books since they came out.  So I watched the series with my wife and thought it was okay (she quite liked it).  I decided to give it another read and...yeah.  The comic is so much better.  

Watched the first season of Cleverman yesterday and today (it's only 6 episodes)...



It's an Australian series made in partnership with the Sundance Channel here in the States, and is near-future sci-fi infused with Dreamtime mythology. I first learned of the series when I saw a bit on the Sundance Channel a couple of years back, but it was an episode from season 2, and was intrigued as I have always been intrigued by Aboriginal folklore of the Dreamtime, but the first season wasn't available anywhere I had access to at that point. It hit Amazon but was only available for purchase by episode, and I wasn't willing to go that route. But I noticed it was available on Netflix earlier this week, so took the opportunity to check it out.

It's a bit uneven in places, and some of the transitions and cuts between scenes are a bit rough or abrupt, but overall I quite liked it. Most of the cast is comprised of indigenous Australians playing indigenous characters, and most are known in Australia but were unfamiliar to me. Among those I did know was Iain Glen, whom I was familiar with fro, Game of Thrones and for playing Bruce Wayne on the DC original Titans series.

The story revolves around two half-brothers. Their uncle was the Cleverman, a figure from folklore who sits at the crossroads between the Dreaming and our world, and who has certain powers and abilities. He is killed and the mantle goes to one of the brothers, the one who is seen as a bit of a wastrel and not the one who was groomed for the role most of his life. It is set in the near-future in Australia, less than a year after the discovery of a race called the Hairies, a conglomeration of some of the fantastic people from Dreamtime lore, who are hair-covered human-like people with superior strength, speed and reflexes. Their emergence into Australian society has caused problems and resulted in prejudice, pogroms and internment settlements. One of the brothers, is an advocate for them and the conflicts consume the brothers, their relationship and the people around them (trying to be as spoiler-free as possible).

I've seen some people describe this as a super-hero show, but I think that is just people trying to cram the show into the current zeitgeist. The Cleverman has super(natural) abilities to be sure, and the Hairies have enhanced physical abilities, but the show is more about human drama and sci-fi allegories about racism, refugee camps, genetic engineering and other things than it is about super-powered people and conflicts.

I plan on checking out the second season here over the next few days (also 6 episodes, and the final season). Season 1 is worth a watch, as it is definitely outside the box but entertaining with just enough substance to be thought-provoking as well.

-M

Anyone a fan of Black Mirror? 

It reminds me a little of the pulp magazine Unknown. Not due to its choice of subjects, but because at the end of each short story I think “well, that was pretty cool!”

(Didn’t much care for Bandersnatch, but kudos for trying something new).