What are you watching in (late 2025 and) 2026?

[pukunui]

Speaking of not aging well...

I was just rewatching Airwolf. I loved that show as a kid. It's what helped make me love military aviation so much (and was a reason I went into military aviation when I graduated).

But man. TV shows and movies back in the 80s, when the lead character was cool, and smooth, and tough, and all the ladies wanted him? Watching them now, and they are all just red flag after red flag. Extreme narcissistic behavior where they emotionally abuse those around them. It's like a trope where they hurt the people close them, then blame those people for getting hurt because "they just don't understand what I go through!!" All these dudes don't need to "get the girl", they need therapy.

Ooof. I guess I'll leave Airwolf in the nostalgia drawer.

I remember Sting having to admonish the audience that "Every Breath You Take" is NOT a love song, but is a creepy stalker song.

It's his fault for making it sound like a love song!


As for what I'm watching, after my daughter stopped paying for Netflix, I had to stop watching The Last Kingdom. I went back to Disney+ and finally watched Ironheart. That was decent with a nice soundtrack. Curious to see what happens to Riri next.

Last night, I watched Gunpowder Milkshake. Silly but fun girl power shoot 'em up with Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, and the girl who was also in the D&D movie as Chris Pine's daughter.

 

[Umbran]

It's his fault for making it sound like a love song!

An English teacher uses thematic irony, and nobody gets it. Go figure.

 

[Bomberooski]

My wife and I are watching the TV Reality show "Traitors". It's filled with trashy tv show personalities and the game is clunky but this is the first season we've watched and we love it. Here's to our love for trash TV!

 

[Rabulias]

• Lazarus Project (a real shame this was cancelled but the cliffhanger actually felt like an ending)

I enjoyed The Lazarus Project, but I am always a sucker for time travel stuff. I agree the ending was satisfying, and I am not sure they could have pulled off a third season.

What I have been watching and enjoying lately:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Shrinking season 3
Slow Horses season 5
Universal Basic Guys
Ok, that last one may take some explaining. I saw the commercials for UBG and I thought "That looks dumb." but I gave it a try. It started out a little wobbly, but after the first few episodes, it really found its place. It takes advantage of itself being an animated show, and it leans on some of the most absurd things (like the actual Jersey Devil is a recurring minor character, and some folks just accept him being there, or an episode with an AI powered car that becomes self-aware). In fact, I consider it to be at its best when it includes the absurd, and season 2 has been very good. YMMV, but it hits my funny bone.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Slow Horses season 5

Slow Horses doesn't miss. S5 was particularly good I thought, though I find Taverner's continuing complete disdain for them a little implausible at this point, given that they have saved her arse from her own/Thames House's mistakes a huge number of times, dealt with her idiot nemesis, etc. She seems to hate Lamb less, but inexplicably not the rest of them (particularly not River, no matter how many Bond-esque things he pulls off) nor Slough House in general.

I haven't followed the books to this point (only read the first 1or 2) but with Marcus dead and Louisa seemingly for-real quit (boo!), it seems like they need some new agents too. Also someone buy Shirley a taser or knuckle dusters or a knife or something, she's utterly tenacious and vicious but she's 5' 0" (I guessed this and checked, I was right) and going up against a lot of guys who have a foot or more in height and 50-100lbs on her, and it seems unfair!

I did appreciate them admitting Roddy would be kind of hot if it wasn't for his incredibly obnoxious personality!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

particularly not River

Resentment based on who he is related to.

 

[Ryujin]

Prime recently added the '70s "Zatoichi" series and while the English dub voices are pretty bad, at least I get to watch it now without being constantly distracted by the subtitles.

 

[jian]

Watched the most recent Three Musketeers films (D’Artagnan and Milady, from 2023) on the plane and I’m glad I did, they’re not easy to get to watch otherwise.

I’m very glad that there are French adaptations of the book, and they’re both very well done (very much a two-parter like the 1973-4 films with Michael York etc). The cast are generally excellent, and the atmosphere and scenery are lovely (and I think it’s the only version where the siege of La Rochelle looks as if it was actually filmed around La Rochelle). The writing departs significantly from the book - at times it distinctly feels like a RPG campaign where the GM said, “look, it’s very much based on the characters and themes but I’m going to do my own thing with it, the plot won’t be predictable”. The inclusion of a version of the Chalais conspiracy is inspired. Buckingham is a total a-hole, but not the villain, as he should be.

There’s been quite some work with the characters of both Constance and Milady, to make them more fleshed out and sympathetic, and it’s really worthwhile. The last scene they have together, where Milady realises something her friend does not but doesn’t mention it - because she’s already damned, why not do yet another terrible thing - is horrible but brilliant.

I think this might be my favourite version - it beats out even the 1973-4 films, which are generally excellent and more true to the book.

 

[Parmandur]

Watched the most recent Three Musketeers films (D’Artagnan and Milady, from 2023) on the plane and I’m glad I did, they’re not easy to get to watch otherwise.

I’m very glad that there are French adaptations of the book, and they’re both very well done (very much a two-parter like the 1973-4 films with Michael York etc). The cast are generally excellent, and the atmosphere and scenery are lovely (and I think it’s the only version where the siege of La Rochelle looks as if it was actually filmed around La Rochelle). The writing departs significantly from the book - at times it distinctly feels like a RPG campaign where the GM said, “look, it’s very much based on the characters and themes but I’m going to do my own thing with it, the plot won’t be predictable”. The inclusion of a version of the Chalais conspiracy is inspired. Buckingham is a total a-hole, but not the villain. as he should be.

There’s been quite some work with the characters of both Constance and Milady, to make them more fleshed out and sympathetic, and it’s really worthwhile. The last scene they have together, where Milady realises something her friend does not but doesn’t mention it - because she’s already damned, why not do yet another terrible thing - is horrible but brilliant.

I think this might be my favourite version - it beats out even the 1973-4 films, which are generally excellent and more true to the book.

Ooooh, interesting.

 

[jian]

Ooooh, interesting.

Give it a go if you like the look of the trailer. I think it’s worth the effort.

There is some obvious anachronistic stuff - the tech level feels more 18th or early 19th than 17th century (glasses, a watch; the firearms are distinctly Napoleonic) but since it’s not at all a big part of the story it doesn’t matter. Everyone wears leather coats and there isn’t a wig in sight (and to be fair people then mostly only wore wigs for special occasions or portraits).

(OTOH I’m sad they didn’t manage to slip in a reference to Ultima Ratio Regum with Richelieu in front of a cannon, but eh, you can’t have everything. Also, Richelieu probably didn’t have that inscribed on the cannon until 1628, a year after the events in the film.)

The historical character of Gaston de France (the Duke of Orleans, Louis XIII’s younger brother) is probably unfairly maligned while playing on some important traits (wanted war with the Protestants, didn’t want to marry the lady his brother chose for him).

There’s some good and relevant political commentary. The recent wars and persecution of the Protestants were still very fresh - Louis is a sensible king who doesn’t want to provoke another St Bartholomew’s Day massacre and of course his own father was originally Protestant. There’s every reason, on the other hand, for the Protestants of La Rochelle to want to secede from a bigoted nation who mostly hates and fears them. But letting them do so will weaken France and the throne. There are no good choices.