From Pawnee to Paris (weekend TV)
Jul. 4th, 2016 07:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessParks and Rec
6.15 The Wall
Well, hello John Swanson, unheralded child. Larry and his wife’s babygrow was the worst gift ever. Ear protectors, on the other hand...
Leslie’s attempts to unite Pawnee-Eagleton continued to go very wrong, in ways I did not perhaps expect, but I did expect them to go wrong. April’s supportiveness and competence were rather lovely. (Especially because there’s an Ann-shaped gap onscreen.)
Craig is extremely one note.
Tom was lucky that Jam had returned to be even more horrid than him, although unlike sweet Ben (no, tables about selling dry cleaning chemicals are in no way exciting) I did want to hear about the restaurant idea.
It’s really weird that the show is up to 2014!
6.16 New Slogan
Leslie letting something go (except a folder she’s prepared for you)...does not compute. The serious point of her wobbling over a step up to big-picture stuff when she’s a detailed person, an, er, manager, not a doer, let alone thinking about leaving her hometown, was good stuff, dealt with Pawnee style – you’re never sure what Ira and the Douche are going to do precisely, and a town forum chaired by Larry was always going to be amusing.
Tom took a step forward and April took a step backward until she realised she was being selfish and that dance was done.
I knew Ron should have waited to let Andy blurt out what he’d made of seeing ‘Duke Silver’ because I wasn’t convinced he’d have worked out it was really Ron. As indeed he hadn't. But he was sweet and Duke Silver will surely turn up at the concert.
The Musketeers 3.4 (caught up on this)
At times, this was a really mental episode. I initially didn't remember Bonnaire from season 1, but he was extremely entertaining, and a barely-do-well, boasting, chatty, ingratiating thief tagging along with the unimpressed Musketeers and Constance was a fun dynamic.
Stuff happened really pacily, from the opening onwards. It was obvious from the casting of Sarah Small as Queen Henrietta-Marie’s lady in waiting that she was in on it, but the whole Pauline-Aramis subplot, involving a McGann and Aramis backstory, felt rushed. For one thing, I didn’t know what to make of Pauline and her fiancé, more so her than him, and the whole blackmailing thing felt like it deserved more screentime. At least they made Aramis seem to see her as more of a sister-figure, as I was thinking 'Wasn't that nun his first love?' Maybe he should have taken Pauline with him - as if that were on the cards - if she was so desperate for security and fancy gloves and jewellery that she’d kill (a blackmailer, but still). (A closeted blackmailer? A self-loathing bastard himself - his motivations were one of the things more time would have allowed to be developed.) This B-plot was crammed in because it tied into the jewellery theft, of course, but I have no idea why Athos didn’t reveal that it was a royal blue diamond, other than testosterone.
The obstacle for Athos and Sylvie at least makes sense – she puts her belief in equality first, while he puts his duty to his king and law and order, even if Porthos, D'Artagnan, sense and conscience point out the indecency of horses wearing diamonds that queens plan to sell while people are so starved they steal food, risking whipping...And Grimaud is willing to stir the dissent between them. Farron did some plotting and I didn’t like that poor Anne’s name got thrown in.
But, hello, when faced with the soap opera of Bonnaire’s thieving and Henrietta-Marie’s reaction, Louis was quite sensible, if more mercenary than merciful!?!?
D’Artagnan letting the rest make fools of themselves over the feisty horse was definitely amusing, as is the fact that all the boys at the garrison are under Constance’s thumb because the is the boss of them all.
3.5 (watched live. Appartently the show is back to Saturday night next week.)
What a stupid plan! The idea of breaking into the King’s vaults on the Dauphin’s birthday so that Farron had an alibi wasn’t bad, nor the prison riot as cover, but depending on a locksmith who was sure to stall for time because he was the main plank of the plan? Farron and Grimaud didn’t deserve the competent Red Guarding to cover their tracks or Treville’s incompetence – oh, I’ll just leave the incriminating evidence against my enemy on the king’s table, shall I? DUDE.
Lots of contrived gubbins this episode.
I don’t get why Aramis was lobbed together with Constance – I suppose I just note it because it happened last episode too, where it had a point. Why not another Musketeer? Why not her husband? Convenient that she made a note of blind Annette, although I should just chalk it down to general Constance awesomeness.
D’Artagnan had the whole violent TV version of a mentally ill man to deal with. I do question his judgement, unlike Aramis and Athos. The man had shown himself willing to use violence against D’Artagnan. Unless if those nuns had sedatives of some sort, leaving him with them was irresponsible, not kind. So, he can and should kick himself for that; the kill shot, given the situation, not so much, although apart from endangering Anne and the birthday party as well as helping Farron, the point of D’Artagnan feeling sorry for him and then guilty about him was to drive Athos to admit that Sylvie is a little right about sides.
Although I am so less invested in Athos/Sylvie than the big swelling music urged me to be – I keep thinking that although she’s feisty, she’s idealistic and Milady could take her easily.
And why doesn’t Porthos get a love interest? He just gets to opine.
Or, for that matter, Treville?
Meanwhile, lonely Spanish Anne tries to talk sense about what the people out there will put up with, but Louis pushes her away. I didn’t like her in danger, but then neither did Aramis, not even after the whole exchange of looks at the palace that Porthos offered him an escape from. Yeah, okay, a part of me dug the whole claiming her and diving to save her life.
Some of the most effective scenes were wordless. I gasped at the big crowd scene at the palace - so gorgeous. In the midst of the daft contrivance, they continued the contrast between louche Farron and disciplined Grimaud, who doesn’t realise that the show isn’t called The Hooded Man.
6.15 The Wall
Well, hello John Swanson, unheralded child. Larry and his wife’s babygrow was the worst gift ever. Ear protectors, on the other hand...
Leslie’s attempts to unite Pawnee-Eagleton continued to go very wrong, in ways I did not perhaps expect, but I did expect them to go wrong. April’s supportiveness and competence were rather lovely. (Especially because there’s an Ann-shaped gap onscreen.)
Craig is extremely one note.
Tom was lucky that Jam had returned to be even more horrid than him, although unlike sweet Ben (no, tables about selling dry cleaning chemicals are in no way exciting) I did want to hear about the restaurant idea.
It’s really weird that the show is up to 2014!
6.16 New Slogan
Leslie letting something go (except a folder she’s prepared for you)...does not compute. The serious point of her wobbling over a step up to big-picture stuff when she’s a detailed person, an, er, manager, not a doer, let alone thinking about leaving her hometown, was good stuff, dealt with Pawnee style – you’re never sure what Ira and the Douche are going to do precisely, and a town forum chaired by Larry was always going to be amusing.
Tom took a step forward and April took a step backward until she realised she was being selfish and that dance was done.
I knew Ron should have waited to let Andy blurt out what he’d made of seeing ‘Duke Silver’ because I wasn’t convinced he’d have worked out it was really Ron. As indeed he hadn't. But he was sweet and Duke Silver will surely turn up at the concert.
The Musketeers 3.4 (caught up on this)
At times, this was a really mental episode. I initially didn't remember Bonnaire from season 1, but he was extremely entertaining, and a barely-do-well, boasting, chatty, ingratiating thief tagging along with the unimpressed Musketeers and Constance was a fun dynamic.
Stuff happened really pacily, from the opening onwards. It was obvious from the casting of Sarah Small as Queen Henrietta-Marie’s lady in waiting that she was in on it, but the whole Pauline-Aramis subplot, involving a McGann and Aramis backstory, felt rushed. For one thing, I didn’t know what to make of Pauline and her fiancé, more so her than him, and the whole blackmailing thing felt like it deserved more screentime. At least they made Aramis seem to see her as more of a sister-figure, as I was thinking 'Wasn't that nun his first love?' Maybe he should have taken Pauline with him - as if that were on the cards - if she was so desperate for security and fancy gloves and jewellery that she’d kill (a blackmailer, but still). (A closeted blackmailer? A self-loathing bastard himself - his motivations were one of the things more time would have allowed to be developed.) This B-plot was crammed in because it tied into the jewellery theft, of course, but I have no idea why Athos didn’t reveal that it was a royal blue diamond, other than testosterone.
The obstacle for Athos and Sylvie at least makes sense – she puts her belief in equality first, while he puts his duty to his king and law and order, even if Porthos, D'Artagnan, sense and conscience point out the indecency of horses wearing diamonds that queens plan to sell while people are so starved they steal food, risking whipping...And Grimaud is willing to stir the dissent between them. Farron did some plotting and I didn’t like that poor Anne’s name got thrown in.
But, hello, when faced with the soap opera of Bonnaire’s thieving and Henrietta-Marie’s reaction, Louis was quite sensible, if more mercenary than merciful!?!?
D’Artagnan letting the rest make fools of themselves over the feisty horse was definitely amusing, as is the fact that all the boys at the garrison are under Constance’s thumb because the is the boss of them all.
3.5 (watched live. Appartently the show is back to Saturday night next week.)
What a stupid plan! The idea of breaking into the King’s vaults on the Dauphin’s birthday so that Farron had an alibi wasn’t bad, nor the prison riot as cover, but depending on a locksmith who was sure to stall for time because he was the main plank of the plan? Farron and Grimaud didn’t deserve the competent Red Guarding to cover their tracks or Treville’s incompetence – oh, I’ll just leave the incriminating evidence against my enemy on the king’s table, shall I? DUDE.
Lots of contrived gubbins this episode.
I don’t get why Aramis was lobbed together with Constance – I suppose I just note it because it happened last episode too, where it had a point. Why not another Musketeer? Why not her husband? Convenient that she made a note of blind Annette, although I should just chalk it down to general Constance awesomeness.
D’Artagnan had the whole violent TV version of a mentally ill man to deal with. I do question his judgement, unlike Aramis and Athos. The man had shown himself willing to use violence against D’Artagnan. Unless if those nuns had sedatives of some sort, leaving him with them was irresponsible, not kind. So, he can and should kick himself for that; the kill shot, given the situation, not so much, although apart from endangering Anne and the birthday party as well as helping Farron, the point of D’Artagnan feeling sorry for him and then guilty about him was to drive Athos to admit that Sylvie is a little right about sides.
Although I am so less invested in Athos/Sylvie than the big swelling music urged me to be – I keep thinking that although she’s feisty, she’s idealistic and Milady could take her easily.
And why doesn’t Porthos get a love interest? He just gets to opine.
Or, for that matter, Treville?
Meanwhile, lonely Spanish Anne tries to talk sense about what the people out there will put up with, but Louis pushes her away. I didn’t like her in danger, but then neither did Aramis, not even after the whole exchange of looks at the palace that Porthos offered him an escape from. Yeah, okay, a part of me dug the whole claiming her and diving to save her life.
Some of the most effective scenes were wordless. I gasped at the big crowd scene at the palace - so gorgeous. In the midst of the daft contrivance, they continued the contrast between louche Farron and disciplined Grimaud, who doesn’t realise that the show isn’t called The Hooded Man.
