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TV Shows - 3 Body Problem II
Okay, I'm seriously considering whether I should write one or two posts per episode because I haven't even really started the second episode yet, and I could already write books about the first episode.
During my last rewatch, I had just finished the first book. As I mentioned, I have now read all three. I'm currently fascinated when I see Jin Cheng (Jess Hong) because, thanks to the books, I know what will happen to her in the future. In my fascination, I assume she is Cheng Xin from the book. I know, the names are similar, but the characters in the book are changed in a lot of ways in the series, so I don't know what will happen in future episodes.
The bar scene at the beginning of the first episode is very relatable to me; that kind of place was never my thing, and when it changes for the worse, it's always super annoying.
The way they depicted the countdown here is also very interesting because, in the book, they are images taken with a camera. Here, Auggie gets them projected directly onto his retina.
Oh, by the way, the Netflix series is not the first adaptation of the books. There is also an original Chinese series with over 30 episodes and a CGI series that, unfortunately, was never released. I hope this changes because the trailer looks incredibly good.
Here is the link to the Chinese series (through the Viki Rakuten portal).
This series is incredibly close to the book, but I only watched the first two episodes back then because I didn't want to spoil myself. But I will change that in the future. Therefore, I don't know how far the series goes and if it really covers all three books. I have an uneasy feeling that Netflix might decide to include only part of the trilogy in the series.
Of course, a lot has to be cut either way, but whether it finds a good middle ground to really reach the end of the third book is questionable.
TV Shows - 3 Body Problem
So, once again, a new series. Since I've read the books by now, I think 3 Body Problem is a good choice. A quick warning: it’s hard to discuss without spoilers. If you want to enjoy the three books and the series without any spoilers, you might not want to read further.
This is a rewatch, so it's not exactly a first-time review, but that's common with my series reviews.
The first 10 minutes almost made me stop watching. I remember taking a break to check if the Cultural Revolution in China really happened. Sadly, it did!
I noticed that the cast is very diverse. It's somewhat like that in the book too, but not exactly the same as in the series.
A lot of elements from the three books are mixed together here. I didn’t know this the first time I watched it. But once you've read the books, it makes sense because a lot happens and it fits the timeline. However, the author uses a different storytelling structure (nonlinear narrative) in the book.
I liked the development a lot because, before the end of this episode, we see something incredibly fascinating. Sure, later they explain how it was done, and it’s not as fascinating anymore, BUT the explanation is mind-blowing.
It's the superlative that spans so much. Also, the game looks very different from the book’s description, but that's due to the time. The first book came out in 2012, and now, 10 years later, technology has advanced.
Otherwise, the first episode sets many points that will develop further in the first season. Mainly, the characters are introduced, presented, and shown in slight development or reaction to the events. I think it's a very good first episode; it’s very calm but has quite an impact.
There are many differences from the books, but also many similarities. This will be very exciting in the upcoming seasons because Netflix wants to cover all three books in three seasons. Why this will be very challenging and what will be left in or taken out, I'll discuss in later posts. It might happen, though I will try to avoid it, that I mix up the titles of the books or events a bit. This is because I am writing in English, but I watch everything in German and also read the books in German.
I mention this because the whole trilogy is called the Trisolaris Trilogy (Trisolaris-Trilogie) in German and Remembrance of Earth's Past in English, which is a much more fitting title considering the ending of the third book. Additionally, each of the books has its own name, which I hope will be reflected in the Netflix seasons. There is also a difference in the title of the third book, which is called Death's End in English and Beyond the Time (Jenseits der Zeit) in German.
Kim Ye-Ji 🇰🇷 vs Yusuf Dikeç 🇹🇷
Today is a good day because a new member of my analog camera collection arrived. A classic Polaroid 636 Close-up instant camera from 1993 in pretty good condition. I will buy a film tomorrow and hardly can't wait to try it out!
Final Season Trailer for Lower Decks (paying homage to Star Trek VI trailer)
Life feels strange today, so I decided to watch some good old The Naked Gun stuff. After that, life will still feel strange but I had a pretty good laugh for about an hour and a half. Leslie Nielsen will always be one of the greatest in comedy!
Marvel vs Capcom
Classic Hollywood movies have a special charm for me. The acting, the actors, and the craftsmanship are simply from another world. After recently watching Vertigo again, I started looking for more material. I found these in Darmstadt (Shop: Come Back).
What I definitely want to take a closer look at are the old detective movies, where, in a slightly clichéd way, a private detective is hired by a beautiful woman and his life changes abruptly as he gets pulled into a whirlwind of wild events. It's a somewhat distorted idea, but I know that several such films exist, especially in the noir-crime genre. As a child, I watched these kinds of films often, but of course, I didn't note down the actors' names or even the titles because I was simply too fascinated.
Sometimes I wish films would still fascinate me like that today, but they just don't. Movie theaters have become places for mass processing of viewers, lacking charm and spirit. Going to the cinema has lost its sense of adventure for me and has become a triviality, which of course is also due to the films that just don't evoke the same excitement anymore.
Found some nice records at a pretty good store in Darmstadt! But I think I'm cursed, because this is my third record of Invisible Touch with some minor scratches that my player can't "ignore". On the other hand, it wasn't that expensive, and Land of Confusion is very good!
On the other hand, listening to In the Ghetto made me realize that I might need a new record player. The pressing is quite good, but I noticed that my turntable, which cost 45€ on Amazon and is nothing special, can't cover the full range of sound. Some parts sound a bit scratchy because of this. However, I don't want to spend too much money on it. I like it when things sound a bit "rough and dirty," as it gives the nostalgic feeling a nice boost, especially with older records.
DAISY EDGAR-JONES for POP Magazine Spring/Summer 2024
TV Shows - Bull VI
So, the fourth season of Bull comes to an end, and it's less spectacular than I thought. I'm not sure why, but somehow I was expecting a bigger bang. The second season ends with a severely battered Jason Bull lying in front of the courthouse because, due to his lifestyle, he suffered a heart attack. The end of the third season is a bit exciting but not quite as spectacular, so I thought there would be another big finale, but that wasn't the case.
I don't want to say that the episode was harmless because it absolutely wasn't. Taylor had to endure a lot, and that was already the second, if you count it, maybe even the third episode where a case puts her in the spotlight. No one else on the team has received so many cases and episodes. As always, not a complaint, just an observation.
However, I'm also torn here because one part of me would like to see more of Dr. Jason Bull and his team, while the other part is quite satisfied with these four seasons. Both sides are actually quite balanced, which rarely happens to me.
I'll leave out my usual points here; thanks to the other posts, they should be well known. A new addition is that sometimes I wish they would integrate Izzy and Little Bull (I can't remember the baby's name right now) more. A mix of Papa Bull and the Bull from season one, I'm starting again, would be something exciting.
But otherwise, I really enjoyed the series and liked watching it. A big point is that it's not so long. I don't know, CSI: Las Vegas was somehow intense with its 15 seasons, and since then, I've been a bit scared of such long series. At some point, it feels like a strange burden, and you "have to" keep watching. Of course, I'm only talking about myself, but I still find it strange. On the other hand, you don't have the long search in the streaming services when you want to watch something else or new. That's sometimes even more exhausting and stressful than the mentioned burden.
I'm curious when the last two seasons will become available. I calculated over the weekend that I pay 30€ for streaming services, and that's definitely too much for me. I'd like to cut something there, but I'm not sure what. This is making me wish for a service that has everything, but with all the chaos of licenses here in Europe and Germany, that dream will probably always remain just that, a dream.
At the moment, due to May 4th, Star Wars is still predominant. I've watched the movies and am considering which series I might still watch. I think I'm missing a season of The Mandalorian, and otherwise, I haven't seen anything from Ahsoka, Andor, The Bad Batch, Rebels, and Clone Wars, and I think there are still quite a few series missing, but those are the ones that come to mind right now.
For this reason, I'm not exactly sure what will come next here. I have to admit, Dr. House has been the most fun and has also generated the most resonance. Voyager was also good, but at the moment, I'm lacking a bit of the nerve for it. However, Deep Space Nine would also be due again because especially with all the Star Trek stuff that has come and is coming, I like to refer to DS9 again and again, but I haven't watched it in a long time.
TV Shows - Bull V
You blink for just a moment, and suddenly you're in the fourth season. Bull and Izzy are expecting a child, Danny has knocked Jason down with a really nasty right hook, and Crunch has a daughter with her own worries.
Sometimes the cases are very extraordinary, sometimes quite impressive, and some have an extraordinary impact, even though I'm not always completely satisfied with the outcome (S4E9 as an example).
This is nitpicking at a very high level, and yes, I still think it's very good that so far all the cases have had a good ending for Bull and his team, but sometimes I wish for a different outcome. Not in the form of a loss for the team; no, they should keep winning nicely. It's more about some cases that allegorically represent certain situations in society, like the episode mentioned above. But there are also other cases where a little wake-up call would have been good instead of signaling that you can just keep going as before, someone will come and fix it, you don't have to take responsibility.
But I don't want to rule out that maybe this is also due to the American legal system, where everything and everyone can be sued into the ground, but I don't know enough about that.
And of course, almost tradition by now, my usual complaint that I miss the Jason Bull from the first season, and yes, that includes the blue suits. But also this much more analytical approach and involving the team, which feels like it's diminishing more and more.
Nevertheless, Bull is still a good series, even though after these four seasons, I'm done for now because seasons five and six are not included in any of my streaming subscriptions. But since today is May 4th, the rest of the evening will naturally be spent with Star Wars!
I mean look at this, this is awesome and looks like a lot fun to play!
Super Isometroid, Red Brinstar
To play Super Metroid this way would be awesome!
Super Isometroid. Landing at Crateria
TV Shows - Bull IV
We're approaching the end of the second season, or even the beginning of the last episode, and we're immediately confronted with a shock that turns out to be just a dream.
But it doesn't get better because even though the destruction of Bull's ex-wife's wedding turns out to be just a dream, the case he vigorously defended in the last episode has failed for him. His client was found guilty! Of course, this is no reason for Bull to give up now; his fighting spirit is ignited, and he's really ramping up. Will it work out?
You can tell that the Bull from the first season is becoming less and less present, and by now, we also recognize why. It's not just about Izzy's wedding; it's the cases that continue to wear Bull down. Especially the recent cases show this very clearly, and this goes hand in hand with the development of the various characters. The series chooses interesting paths because there's absolutely no balance.
That's not a bad thing; it's just very unusual. Normally, there are two possibilities: Either the characters' development is handled episode by episode, or there's a change over a whole season in small doses. Here, however, the developments are always thrown in between the individual cases, except for Bull's own development, which is clear if we look at the title of the series. But apart from Cable, there are also no episodes that focus solely on one character, especially in relation to Chunk or Marissa. Chunk's fatherhood is always mentioned in passing, even though there's the case with the reporter, but even there, the daughter and he play a subordinate role. With Marissa, it's the fraud, and even there, we only get glimpses of it, even though her therapy is now coming to the forefront towards the end.
As I said, just an observation. I find it interesting that despite the lack of balance, they still manage to always find the right point to tell what about whom, without it feeling out of place. It always fits very well, and you can process the information well because it's so abstract compared to the respective case that it stays in your memory.
I think this storytelling style is also the reason why the series has six seasons, although I don't know what will happen next.
However, what I miss are still the sessions with Chunk, the selection of jurors, or dealing with the processes, and how Bull analyzes them. I really like those analyses and those little comments he makes; it always reminds me of my sociology seminars. You could do something similar and have at least as much fun as Bull.
I'm very curious about what will change in the third season, how the team will come together, and, of course, how it will continue with Dr. Jason Bull because as it stands now, it looks pretty bleak. I really miss his blue suits and slightly longer hair, but his team also says they miss it.
TV Shows - Bull III
We've reached the second season, and Bull still manages to impress. However, it must be noted that with the second season and Michael Weatherly's new haircut, a little bit of DiNozzo is shining through. They're only subtle nuances, but they're still visible. However, this isn't meant as criticism; I also like it, although sometimes I find myself wishing for the other Bull from the early episodes of the first season.
Right now, I'm in the third episode of the second season, and once again, Dr. Jason Bull has been asked for a favor by a judge, or in this case, a female judge. I find it interesting because it shows that even though he's very unpopular with some judges, his actions have influence and reach. However, the judge's son seems to have a different opinion, but that's a pleasant contrast.
This contrast is also seen repeatedly in individual episodes, as one could argue that the series always portrays the Bull side as winning. BUT, on one hand, this makes the series very comforting to watch, and on the other hand, this criticism wouldn't be entirely fair because we don't accuse NCIS or CSI: Las Vegas of always solving every case. (I mention this because I read it in a review of the series. I should stop reading reviews; they just raise my blood pressure. And NO, I'm not writing a review here, just sharing my experiences and interpretations. For me, there's a big difference.)
Unfortunately, I also checked the Wikipedia article for Bull again and sadly found out that one of my favorite characters, Cable, will only be in until the end of this season. I hope she gets an adequate replacement, although nobody can truly replace her, only succeed her. I also briefly feared for Chunk, due to his studies, not being around as often, and so far, that's been true. Because somehow, he's missed, and those dressing sessions are missed too. I found them quite interesting because you always learned some little extras there.
I find all the tech gimmicks used in the series a bit over the top, but they definitely serve the story and, of course, often create problems too, because if they fail or there's a blind jury, then they have to switch back to manual methods. This often adds a bit of tension, even though you know everything will turn out fine, but it's similar to an episode of Columbo. You know exactly who did what, but that part in between, practically connecting the dots from point A to point B, both of which you already know, is the interesting part. While Bull may lack Columbo's eye, trench coat and vintage car, parallels can still be drawn here.
There have been some changes in the second season, and I'm neutral about them because they're noticeable but not disruptive so far. And the series has six seasons, so it's unlikely to have a negative impact. Although, The Flash has nine seasons, and they could have ended it after six, or even, I believe, after five, right when they started ruining Killer Frost. I digress, apologies.
So far, I don't regret starting Bull; it's truly a good series that's enjoyable, and I'm a big fan of Michael Weatherly anyway. So, I'm happy for it to continue like this!
TV Shows - Bull II
What I really like is the visual aspect of the whole thing. Yes, it's set in New York, and let's be honest, there are too many movies and series set in New York. Sometimes it feels like there's only New York and the rest of the USA, very exhausting. With Bull, you do see the usual shots of the city, and you often know where they are, but they've actually managed to make it not feel intrusive, and I really like that.
But also, the inserts of social media feeds, their processing, and application are interesting, as well as the processing of data about individual jurors. I believe that this is not too far from the truth, and personally, it already makes me attentive. I mean, the data are all openly accessible, and even based on my posts here, one can certainly determine what extremely unhealthy habits I have regarding watching series. Exciting and frightening at the same time.
I was right about the team, and the dynamics shown here are nicely conveyed in German through the dubbing; they've chosen great voices. The characters themselves are pleasantly diverse, and there's a nice mix between the tech stuff being used and Bull's individual analyses. Conflicts arise at times, but they're always resolved, as it should be.
I also find the trick with the small case at the beginning and then the big case in each episode very pleasant because even though the system quickly becomes familiar, it's still refreshing and different each time.
Yes, I think I'll spend some time with a season or two here. Currently, there are three seasons available on Prime, and for me, that sounds like a very comfortable amount. The gigantic 15 seasons of CSI: Las Vegas were just too much. Hugh Laurie once said, when Dr. House ended with its eighth season, that there wouldn't be a ninth because series are only meant to be so long, and that's okay. I fully agree with him; although series with more seasons certainly have a lot to offer (I'm thinking of Stargate, for example), sometimes it's advisable to finally end a series. Eight seasons seem like a good measure for that, and if there's a good ending, then that's perfectly fine.
TV Shows - Bull
So, of course, after a few days of watching films, I looked for something new. Something actually new because I don't know anything about it yet. Bull!
The series with Michael Weatherly, whom I already know and love from NCIS. I've watched the first episode of Bull now and I'm already a bit hooked, even though there's still a bit missing for the long run. But I find the character Dr. Jason Bull interesting because I was always afraid that Weatherly would play too much like Anthony DiNozzo here and it would basically be the same character. But no, there are significant differences, and Bull gives a much more mature and settled impression than DiNozzo, very pleasant.
Otherwise, I know relatively little about the series, except that it's about preparing for court cases and involves a lot of technology and profiling. It's noticeable that Jason Bull has assembled a whole team of characters around him who contribute a lot of depth, although this is just a wild guess for now since I've only watched one episode and the second one has just started. Anyway, I'm looking forward to what's to come, even though I didn't really plan on starting a new series, but I'll just go with it. Michael Weatherly is already a delight, I must say, and I'm very curious about what the character still has in store.
TV Shows - CSI: Las Vegas X
I can now report that I have survived and completed the CSI: Las Vegas rewatch. I haven't watched the two new seasons yet because towards the end, it felt more like an obligation than actual enjoyment. I'll catch up on those when the third season is released.
What can I say? There were highs, there were lows, and in the end, there was even a tear when Nick puts his "solved" sign on his name. I think it's a nice ending because you know what the character will do in the future and feel he's in good hands. Now, one could say that it calls for a spin-off, but I don't think so. Sometimes you just have to let characters, especially such prominent ones like Nick, go.