Entertaining in a Disturbing Way

1. Work is gearing up for back to office stuff - splitting us into three groups, we work one week on, two weeks off. This keeps us distanced from each other. I don't really care either way, so I'm going to just leave it up to what my manager thinks is best (it's voluntary, which was stressed multiple times). I'm orange.

2. Watched a bunch of random crap this week including Motive, and rediscovered how hot I find Kristin Lehman. Also, I just... the show gave me Angie and Betty, who are bffs, and I miss them. I do not miss season three's stupid conspiracy bullshit. It's a pity the series was never released on dvd, at least three episodes (the ones with Niall Matter and Erica Cerra, BAH) got corrupted. I also just... I don't even know how to put it, but I really love how Angie and Oscar Vega felt like real people, and also, Angie's face. There have been screenshots taken.

3. I caught up on Midsomer Murders. I like the new ME, Fleur, a woman after my own heart (someone gives her a dollhouse in one episode, and she recreates murders scenes in the room! <3). I also miss Kam, though. But I do still like Winter, even if his s21 haircut was awful (dude, whoever told you that was a good look LIED).

4. Watched a bunch of Jonathan Creek, and I love Maddie as always. I like Carla Borego, too, even if it feels like the writers treated her horribly (I feel they were working out their anger at women on the poor woman :/). Joey, as always, I love. And I missed this the first couple times watching, but in Joey's last episode, she and Polly basically take the mickey out of Jonathan in their last scene and it is amazing and I love them both.

1. I know this is probably going to surprise a few people, but my interest in the new version of Murder on the Orient Express was never particularly high (Johnny Depp, y'know. So dull and also an asshole). However, the trailers make it look incredibly awful. Like, painfully badly done. Just to check, I have also watched the Suchet trailer. It has some of the same beats, but it's just better. So my interest is at the point of "if someone pays me, I'll watch it." I'm old, I'm allowed to be judgemental.

2. I cannot believe it is mid-November already. Like. Wasn't it just my birthday?

3. Teslacon this year was... mostly all right. I still find the back-patting "Steampunk isn't like all the other girls" bullshit the fandom tends to say and act like utter, well, bullshit. Because, no. Fandom is fandom, no one is special.

4. HOW AMAZING IS THOR RAGNAROK. I... I need to write a post.

5. Also, I need to talk about Sherlock series four at some point, because I have watched it and I have thoughts and such (and Thor sort of coagulated a couple of them for me, disturbingly).

6. That aside, can I also state that my attraction to Loki (and possibly Hiddleston, ok, don't judge) confuses me. But he wears a black on black tailored suit at one point, and I was just like "...nng." I would have to go back and watch, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't all that in the first two movies.

7. I was re-watching some of the older Midsomer Murders, and I find them a bit... annoying. Like, some of the later ones go all over the place and can be pretty out there. But some of those early ones just---the killer's logic and motivation makes no fucking sense. There are also a lot of killer suicides in that first four seasons. Or cop-assisted ones. (I also re-watched part of the one with Vivian Fay as a novelist, and she still remains amazing. And it is also still one of my favorites)

7a. I also really can't stand Troy very much. :/

8. I also re-watched some of season 9 of Doctor Who. Because Clara is my girl, and I just. That season has bits that will make me flail forever (and the ending, just.). Oddly, I'm pretty sure I still owe a post talking about season 9? I should get on that, because I did have thoughts about it once upon a time. And I should stop putting it off as it should mean I'm watching season 10 soon.

9. Work is work. Got my review this week, which was a good one. I appreciate that.

10. It is dark enough as I walk to the bus stop on my way home from work that I'm seriously considering investing in some glow sticks so I'm actually noticeable in my black winter coat and dark trousers and black shoes.

Still not reading the flist, flist (I wouldn't be reading Tumblr if I had one, either)

Here, have the fic round-up meme thing.
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I finished off 2013 with yet more regencies (I really should start counting books)
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I rang in the new year with a re-read of Reforming Lord Ragsdale (Emma Costello, she owns my heart) (the author is the redoubtable Carla Kelly).

I also watched some tv.
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I've been bingeing on Leverage. And Leverage commentaries. But then I got tired of them and moved on. (IT HURTS THAT THERE IS NO NEW SEASON)

So then I watched other TVs.

1. Two new ITV Marples. a. A Caribbean Mystery. I appreciated the lack of, um, Crazy Scary Other People And Their Voodoo. There was still voodoo in the story, but it wasn't... um, gross. Then again, my ability to detect this stuff isn't always great. Also, hello Hermione Norris's boobs. much appreciated, itv (I was also pleased to remember some of the story from the earlier version!) b. Greenshaw's Folly. According to wiki, they blended in bits of another short story for this. I quite liked it, even with all of the added "wasn't there originally" bits. Also, the pairing I wanted to win out did. (as always, for both, it was Brit actor bingo)

2. The last four episodes of season one of Elementary. I should confess that I'd managed to spoil myself about Moriarty--not on purpose, mind, but this IS the internet, and I can't avoid all of the spoilers. That said, I think I might still have cottoned on to it, if only because the idea that Irene would fake her death was something I have loved from the moment they told us she was dead.

I deeply appreciated the skewering of Helpless Refrigerated Women, though.

ALSO. CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW AMAZINGLY CLEVER WATSON IS? Because she is fantastic, and I seriously cannot believe that CBS is churning out a procedural with a lead female character like her. Especially not with her partner detective being fucking Sherlock Holmes.

I really really REALLY like what they've done so far, and I look forward to more of their wacky adventures (I want Alfredo and Ms. Hudson back, too!)

ALSO. Watson calling them all on their protective bullshit (except for Sherlock, who hasn't had any outside of "WATSON, I shall now endeavour to annoy you until you're trained in self-defence.")


3. At some point, I re-watched the second St. Trinian's movie. MY HEART, IT GOES ON. I need another movie. and possibly a group to cosplay with um. Except for the part where I'd need to be some sort of Trinian's reunion, as I am so not that young.

3b. And Empire Records. (there is that one scene where Gina almost kisses Corey, and I want femslash for that moment. all Gina's sleeping around is because she can't have Corey, obvsly)

4. And then I wanted some murder in my life, but Scott and Bailey is too.. dry? idk. It wasn't what I was in the mood for (despite being, like, four episodes behind). So I watched some of series 14 of Midsomer Murders. The new Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) does not grow on one. I tolerate him because Ben Jones don't judge me, he's adorable (and possibly the new pathologist [byebye Georgie Bullard. *sniffle*], who is Dr. Betty from Motive's twin sister, minus the heels and occasional sexual harrassment of her male co-workers)

The first episode (Life in the Slow Lane) of the series has Clare Paget in it, and a St. Trinian's joke (I think I watched this prior to St. T's 2). Susan Engel was also in it, being evil and amazing (ok, not evil, this time. Sadly. LAST TIME SHE WAS A SPY, ALL RIGHT. My bar is set high). um. also, Samantha Bond (hotter every time).

The second episode (Dark Secrets) was entertaining and full of surprise!incest (this is Midsomer Murders, I would be disappointed if there weren't incest).

Echoes of the Dead was a newskool Who reunion (Jennifer, the adorably lost Flesh person. And Sophie from The Lodger/Closing Time). With gratuitous women whacked up and put in baskets (I was eating dinner at the time and almost regretting it).

I may have skipped almost the entirety of The Oblong Murders.

The Sleeper Under the Hill was a bit disappointing, but Jones was still there.

And then there was The Night of the Stag. Reading the summary, I knew that I was already going to be making jokes. It was like that X-Files episode about Chaco Chicken, to be honest. Stranger tax guy gets looooost. And, um, is found in a barrel of cider (that people were drinking, so, gross).

BUT THEN ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH, there's a line from someone about the children being absent from school for a specific week every year, and I was already a bit expecting something from the way it was set up, and my natural reaction was to go, "I hope this isn't going to turn into Countryside."

And, uh. It sort of did? At least in the village leader dudes are gross assholes way. (seriously, there's a tradition where they run over to the village over the hill and rape all the women while the men of that village are doing the same. Christ. I almost wish it had been cannibalism)

so gross

Er, and there I stopped--but not for that reason, I've just run out of episodes.


All of which is to say I MISS LEVERAGE, and I WANT ANOTHER HEISTY SHOW. And while we're at it, some shows with SPACE SHIPS. And women, if possible.

*stares at tv* You know, sometimes, I look at the careful, slow movements of Midsomer Murders, and I think it's just a fluffy country thingie.

And then things like a man who takes walks in the morning so his wife can screw people, and he comes back to listen, and she knows he listens, and, and... *flails*

ALSO. If there's a desk FALLING towards you, MOVE.

It's much less painful.

*covers eyes* Oh, poor Troy. He's going to get his heart broken.