TV/Movies Megathread

[The Brain]

In the WoT universe, is there a Village populated by just men, generation after generation?

They all died out after a tragic tackling apocalypse.

[Malthus]

The audience is going to sit around confused about race?

No.

But for some (evidently, not all), the willing suspension of disbelief is somewhat eroded when an isolated village apparently has an oddly cosmopolitan set of inhabitants.

It's just another detail in the mix that may add to or detract from the overall experience. Some people don't care, some will; like the whole "village apparently cornered the market on candles" issue.

[grumbler]

The audience is going to sit around confused about race?

Remember how the confusion about how there were unexplained different kinds of Orcs wrecked the popular reception of the otherwise-would-have-been-great Lord of the Rings movies?

[grumbler]

Some people don't care, some will; like the whole "village apparently cornered the market on candles" issue.

To be fair to those who complained about that, it got a whole lot worse in the show than the trailer!  I was laughing my ass off in the outdoor scenes where there were maybe ten times as many candles as people, lighting u the scene like street lamps.  I was just imagining the fury of those who got mocked here for that (by me, among others).

Candles are to WoT what flute music was to LotR.

[The Minsky Moment]

Well I saw the first ep.  I don't know anything about the book series but as presented in the show, the village is not isolated.  The people are aware of and refer to events in outside world and there are references to travel.

[crazy canuck]

Well I saw the first ep.  I don't know anything about the book series but as presented in the show, the village is not isolated.  The people are aware of and refer to events in outside world and there are references to travel.

There are also references to how isolated the community is - consistent with the book.

From the wiki page.  https://wot.fandom.com/wiki/Two_Rivers

"I doubt there is another place men live that is more isolated from the rest of the world"
   —Pedron Niall regarding the Two Rivers[1]

The region's long separation from the broader world has promoted closely knit communities and tightly controlled bloodlines. As a result, a historic genetic link to the people of Manetheren has been largely preserved in the area.

That part is definitely in the show - there are a number of references to the bloodlines being ancient - it is the reason all of those characters could potentially be the one the wizard is looking for.  You will hear more about Manetheren in the rest of the remaining three episodes that are already released.  And so, in your defence, you have not watched what the rest of us have already seen of the show.

[FunkMonk]

Succession S3 Episode 6 was a little more terrifying than I'm used to seeing in this dark comedy family drama.

[Admiral Yi]

Tried watching Order of Battle, low budget Saving Private Ryan rip off set in the Bulge.  I gave up when our brave lads in the lost patrol wandered into a German atom bomb testing site oddly located a few miles behind the front line.  Laughably bad T34 (I think) mock ups of Panthers.

Now I'm watching A Private War.  Rosamund Pike is a chain-smoking, bed hopping American war correspondent for the Sunday Times.  Too much time spent on her FREAKING OUT from bad war memories.

[garbon]

The audience is going to sit around confused about race?

No.

But for some (evidently, not all), the willing suspension of disbelief is somewhat eroded when an isolated village apparently has an oddly cosmopolitan set of inhabitants.

It's just another detail in the mix that may add to or detract from the overall experience. Some people don't care, some will; like the whole "village apparently cornered the market on candles" issue.

Except that this particular concern has real world consequences. To prevent those individuals from struggling with a "cosmopolitan" townas you then either only have white leads from the village or you have something unlikely for a show aiming for wide appeal, all minorities in the village.

Seems like the easier and better choice is to say these are all actors so don't get hung up on race.

[The Brain]

From the wiki page.  https://wot.fandom.com/wiki/Two_Rivers

The region's long separation from the broader world has promoted closely knit communities and tightly controlled bloodlines. As a result, a historic genetic link to the people of Manetheren has been largely preserved in the area.

Tightly controlled bloodlines. So hang-ups is part of the WoT world. People there worry a lot about keeping the blood pure. Purity of Blood. Blood of Purity. Charming.

[jimmy olsen]

Didn't they explain the horses by the fact she was using the one power to give them energy? The Asian guy then told her she also needs her rest or strength when she said why she was white misting them.

First, that scene came after a day of galloping.  The horses wouldn't have survived to be misted.  Second, she only misted two before stopping.

Maybe you can argue that this was enough to plant the idea (with suspension of disbelief), but I thought that it was pretty hilariously Hollywood in any case.

You're right. You should be suspicious about that. I don't know how it's done in the show, but in the book Moraine is suspicious about that and it's just more evidence to her that [spoiler]one of the male characters can channel and has already strengthened the horses somehow.[/spoiler]

[celedhring]

Finished Squid Game.

Honestly I thought the first third or so was a bit of a slog, and it took me a bit to get through the episodes. However, it gets much better in the later episodes (from the marbles onwards, I'd say), once the cast gets whittled down and the drama is more focused.

[The Brain]

American Horror Stories. I like American Horror Story, so some bite-sized stories is a nice thing. But damn one of the guys looked just like a son of the gum-Nazi in Oz.

[Sheilbh]

Not exclusively TV/Movies but sad news - RIP Stephen Sondheim:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/theater/stephen-sondheim-dead.html

It's one of those deaths where you feel we're not likely to see their like again. I mean he wrote the lyrics for West Side Story in his 20s

[FunkMonk]

Ted Lasso Season 1. Really enjoyed it 

The set piece in the last episode where the Richmond players used an American football play was a little too on the nose though