What I Watched: Outer Range, and a weirder series has not graced the small screen since the original Twin Peaks. It has it all – Wyoming landscapes, cowboys, religious zealots, off-the-wall family relationships, Chronos, mysterious buffalos, a hippie chick, intimations of an oil/cult/subplot, the color yellow, murder, fights, and a giant mystical hole in the ground. I think there are two episodes left to go – and I can’t wait to see how they wrap up some plots and cliff hanger others. It stars Josh Brolin, Imogen Poots, and Lily Taylor. It scored 79 on the Rotten Tomatoes scale, but I like it a lot more than that.
Trailer One: https://youtu.be/3MzAFrTEWSQ
Trailer Two: https://youtu.be/SFj5K7WmwqI
What I Read: You’re My Home by Katie Moore. This book was outside of my normal wheelhouse; I read it because it was recommended by a fellow DeadSplinterite and written by a friend of DeadSplinter. It was a revelation.
I think it will appeal to anyone who was different in junior high and high school, whether the difference was based on economic status, intelligence, social acceptance, or sexual identity. For any young adult struggling with identity and sexuality this book will be a lifeline.
I was impressed with the pacing, the kindness and respect for differences, the happy ever after ending, the frequent movement from cruelty to comfort, and the world the author built. While the world was real and gritty, it ended up being safe and warm. There are trigger warnings for domestic violence, trauma, PTSD, and religious homophobia, but the writing and presentation is beautiful in spite of (or because of) the sensitive subjects.
[Admin note: Purchasing this book here or, if you prefer Amazon, here = supporting DS so BUY IT!]
What I Listened To: Easy Easy, Right; Honey Moan, Too Much; and Flock of Dimes, Price of Blue.
Thank you for playing Brain Drain! What’s going on in your world, dearest DeadSplinterites?
I was watching some youtube clips on the Moskova sinking and how it might have happened (read pisspoor Russian Damage Control) and led me to watching stuff that made me embarrassed and ashamed to be both Korean and an engineer.
The Channel Brick Immortar is basically a documentary channel on engineering and maritime disasters. It is reasonable well researched and well done.
This one on the ferry disaster of MV Sewol. This one stuck a little close to home because my sister and mom went to Jeju Island on one of these ferries a couple of years earlier when they went to Korea for a trip. What happened made me furious because of the lack of moral courage helped let these kids die. No entitiy (public or private) looks good in this nor should they.
Unlike other places though, Koreans are pretty harsh when it comes to justice and punishment (not that it helps.)
I also watched the one on the Ocean Ranger which itself is another tragic failure of command, hubris, design and training.
That sounds of interest to non-engineers as well. I can see why it speaks to you based on your expertise.
I also read You’re My Home based on the same recommendation and agree with your review. I’m always happy to see a voice given to those who are afraid to speak for themselves. Or can’t because it’s unsafe. Representation of kindness and friendship between boys without sports are rare. We need more of this.
I read two books this week. All Systems Red by Martha Wells. It’s book 1 of The Murderbot Diaries. I can’t remember who recommended it to me but if it’s a Deadsplinter I owe you a debt of gratitude! A snarky AI goes on a journey of self discovery, trying to avoid humans while watching lots of entertainment. Sounds a bit like me, no wonder I liked it, lol.
Book two, The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker wasn’t what I expected. It’s the story of a child who murders another child, not a spoiler, it’s in the description. I thought it was going to be a crime novel about a budding psychopath but instead it’s a tear jerker about the ramifications of childhood abuse and neglect. It’s not the sort of book I normally read but I would recommend it.
I’m watching the final season of Ozark and so help me if Wendy Byrd doesn’t get what she she has coming to her I’m going to be so pissed off!
I think that Murderbot has been recommended by many a Deadsplinterite! Awesome series, no lame books in the bunch. Glad that you also read the Katie Moore book. Some book are enjoyable but don’t “stick “. This one stayed with me…
…having missed last week’s post I’m trying to think what I’ve seen lately…moon knight & picard wrapped up in mostly satisfying ways, I think…& I saw a thing called pieces of her which is hard to describe without sounding derivative but was somewhat better than that makes it sound
…netflix has a thing that’s not usagi yojimbo but by the same guy & about a rabbit in a world where one of those can be a samurai
…which is arguably less odd than the korean show about a taxi driver who has a sideline in elaborate revenge
…could have sworn I watched something a bit more upbeat at some point but it’s currently escaping me?
You would like Outer Range, if only for the weird factor. I finished up the final two episodes last evening, and it was full of “whoa, I didn’t see that coming” action. It did not wrap up most if any of the issues, and I will be most disappointed if it not picked up by someone for a second season.
We watched Annika through PBS passport – it’s a British crime drama with veteran tv actor Nicola Walker. She’s a detective with a marine unit in Glasgow. Each episode is a different crime but follows her through her own issues with her daughter and what not. The crimes aren’t the draw – Annika is. She talks to the camera which works really well here because she’s so smart and funny and easy to like. We were sad that there were only six episodes. Highly highly recommend.
Ooh, I like Nicola Walker. I’ll have to check it out.
Ohhh, we watched Annika as well. Very good TV. I like the breaking the fourth wall and the literature and history and saga delving explanations.
I want to go to Glasgow. The Anthony Bourdain episode set there is one of my favorites.
Scotland sounds perfect to me. I like the stories of haunted Edinburgh.
im watching f1…..and just spotted michelle obama
wonder if barack is around too
and listening to…the white buffalo
and im pretty sure theres a few deadsplinterites to blame for my newfound apreciation of country stuff
I am pretty sure Ms. McGee is a big country fan!
i thought she was a big current pop fan…but im happy to include her in the list of deadsplinterites to blame
i figured it was probably mostly butcher and emmer
welp..whatever…ive been exposed to good stuff here and its broadened my tastes
Haha I like BOTH!
I’m reading THE HEALING HAND: MAN & WOUND IN THE ANCIENT WORLD by Guido Majno, MD and getting and putting together a list of things to watch for when my wife leaves for Serbia next Saturday. She’ll be gone for 5 weeks, so I will need a lot of content. I’m saving Outer Range for then. I’m also planning to subscribe to Disney+ for a month so I can binge watch all the Marvel nonsense.
That title was intriguing. Good stuff: “Dr. Majno uncovered surprising answers by testing ancient prescriptions in a modern laboratory”.
Two things of note that I watched –
Episode 1 of the new season of Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy. It was Venice and I quite enjoyed it!!! I got very confused at one point because they were talking about what sounded phonetically like cavolo nero and I keptm thinking “that’s kale. that’s lacinato kale. is there something else that looks like my favorite kale??? where can I find this because they’re cooking it just like I would cook kale??” and then I googled it and turns out it’s the Italian name for it. So anyways, now I feel fancy and know a new name.
I finished Moon Knight and like… eh, whatevs. I didn’t appreciate tomb desecration and them running up the side of the Great Pyramid of Giza. I’ve seen that pyramid. In person. The stones aren’t the right size for that. Just reminds me of another example of they just seemed to have been like fuck it, good enough for production details in that show. Also really really hated the whole “abusive and alcoholic mother is horrible and to blame for why he developed DID.” Like the other trauma wouldn’t be sufficient, let’s just wander into Freudian territory and blame the mother.
Sadly, kale is a forbidden food here…an excellent kale Caesar with sloppy dressing could be had a downtown restaurant which closed because of the pandemic. Not sure where I will get my kale fix now…and yeah, I could make just for me, but I am uninterested in making additional foods per meal.
There’s an xfinity preview week going on so I’m catching up on premium shows. I watched the latest season of Outlander, We’re Here, The L Word: Generation Q, and now I’m watching And Just Like That. And yes, so far all the critiques are true.
I’m also in the middle of watching Downton Abbey, which I’ve never seen, but is leaving Netflix this month. I think it’s also on Prime, but i do better with a deadline.