Watching stuff and such

I mostly enjoyed The Last of Us' first season though there were lots of changes that irked me, such as the portrayal of the self-sustaining commune and the isolated couple.

I know it's late but maybe a quick rundown of recently consumed media is called for?

  • House of the Dragon (Season 1): Pretty good. Much more palatable than Game of Thrones, feels a lot less sensational.
  • The Banshees of Inisherin (2022): I enjoyed it, sure. Seems I'm still squeamish, even now.
  • Better Call Saul: Excellent, top tier stuff. The Lalo stuff was a bit overwrought but seeing Jimmy and Kim struggle to make it really hit hard.
  • Invincible (Season 1): I really liked it but I wish they'd used different actors -- having recognizable voices is distracting.
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 1): Awful, just terrible. Feels like a kids show written by an AI -- most of the parts are there but overall doesn't make sense, like drowning in a feverish dream. The dialog is super awkward. Couldn't finish it.
  • Andor (Season 1): My first watch had me stop after a couple episodes as I found it too simple, too unbelievable. This year I was convinced to give it another chance and indeed, it gets a lot better. Probably the best Star Wars media I've ever consumed, which maybe is saying a lot. It does provide a lot more context and gravity to Rogue One, another excellent Star Wars film.
  • Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023): Eh.
  • Barbie (2023): I want to say I loved it but the hype was a lot more than the experience proved to be.
  • Castlevania: Nocturne (2023): Maybe not as good as the original but still top tier stuff.
  • Cobra Kai (Season 1): I really tried to like this and maybe I'll give it another go but the acting and plot are a bit cringey, a bit janky.
  • Sex Education (Season 4): Another Netflix treasure in a sea of dreck. Consistently worth watching.
Honestly, I spend a lot more time watching YouTube than movies these days. So much media, so little time...

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