The Crystal Bucket.
I haven’t posted much here because, although there is a lot going on in the world, I haven’t had a lot to say that I haven’t said before. Some current TV diversions:
For All Mankind hits season 3 and the race is on for Mars. Apple TV have an impressively high strike rate with their SF productions, not being afraid to take their time with character development and detailed plotting. This alt-history begins series 1 with the Soviet Union winning the moon race and follows events logically from then on. I don’t think there are any weak episodes, and, 2 episodes into season 3, the quality remains high. If you have Apple TV or >cough< access to other internet-based viewing opportunities, I highly recommend it.
Ms Marvel is the latest addition to the Marvel/Disney TV productions and is emerging as my favourite since Jessica Jones, notwithstanding the claims of, for example, Moon Knight. The strength does not lie the usual Marvel super-hero tropes, but in the classic narrative verities of character, plot, setting and story: the show is based in the Muslim community of New Jersey and features strong performances by of all the leads and a subversively intelligent script (based on the comics written by G Willow Wilson who is also a fine novelist). All of the Marvel TV shows have functioned as origin stories in one way or another, and this is no exception, but it’s a good one.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, also Disney, is not all that I hoped for, but a foolish emotion hope is when it comes to Star Wars. It is not in the same league as The Mandalorean, or even, in some respects, the three animated series masterminded by Dave Filoni (Clone Wars, Rebels and The Bad Batch); nevertheless Kenobi is watchable and diverting without being in any way groundbreaking. Did I ever mention that I’ve been nursing an idea for a Star Wars short story? One of these days I might even try to write it.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a funny one. It is well made and well cast, but I’m still waiting for the kind of really strong episode that sets it apart from other Star Trek fare. Like Star Wars, that may well be a forlorn hope, but both franchises have produced strong work – though usually when a programme breaks free of it’s assumed narrative restrictions. The most consistently strong Star Trek series was Deep Space 9, and Star Wars always goes wrong when it plays safe – that’s why The Last Jedi was such a great film and The Rise of Skywalker wasn’t.
My pal Gordon recommended Night Sky with Sissy Spacek and JK Simmons. I’ve only seen one episode, but it was a strong one.
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