Quaran-TV, part 6

[dolorosa_12]

I haven't finished much TV this month — just four shows, although Matthias and I have quite a few more on the go. The shows I've completed are as follows:

High Fidelity: an adaptation of Nick Hornby's book that transfers the story to contemporary New York, and gender-swaps the main character so that they are a young, Gen Y woman played by Zoe Kravitz. Matthias feels that the show is basically a Millennial version of Sex and the City, although I feel it's grounded in a more realistic version of New York than you saw in the latter. I also felt that it was one of the few shows I've seen to convey properly how people of my generation use social media, which was refreshing. I'm hoping it comes back for a second season.

The Vow: one of two documentaries about the NXIVM pyramid scheme/abusive cult. As always with these kinds of documentaries that rely heavily on interviews with former cult members, I felt that we were getting a very filtered version of the truth, as those who were originally high up members of the cult wanted to paint themselves in the best possible light. I'm curious to compare it with the other documentary.

Roadkill: a British political drama which felt like a thinly-veiled allegory of politics in this country from the last ten years — particularly the ongoing Tory leadership psychodrama. It was an interesting piece of television, with a fantastic cast (Helen McRory! Hugh Laurie! Sidse Babett Knudsen!), but none of the characters seemed to react to situations in a way that felt recognisably human.

The Undoing: a murder mystery within the upper echelons of the New York establishment, starring Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman. It reminded me very much of Big Little Lies in tone and appearance — all shiny surfaces cracking to reveal the dark poison underneath. It's glossy, well-made, and a bit superficial.

What have the rest of you been watching this month?

Comments

[likeadeuce]

I finished season 1 of Veronica Mars (i've watched all of the later seasons that i wished to but my initial viewing of season 1 was haphazard so i decided to finally watch the whole thing) + i've seen a few eps of the first two seasons of Lost due to a rewatch podcast I've been enjoying.

I'm about to be very well caught up on the buzziest TV of 2005 :D

I also started the HBO His Dark Materials which i've been enjoying though I barely remember the books enough to judge it as an adaptation.

[dolorosa_12]

Oooh, Veronica Mars! I love the first season of that show so, so much. What did you think?

My husband is watching the His Dark Materials adaptation, but because the book series is one of my most formative, beloved works of fiction (it's the thing that first got me involved in online fandom), I've been ignoring it — I have a policy of avoiding adaptations of books that were/are really important to me. I get the impression from my husband, and from my friends who I met through the fandom, that the series is a good adaptation, and a good series in its own right.

[likeadeuce]

I'm very fond of Kristen Bell and I appreciate the kind of show VMars is -- weekly cases with an overarching plot -- much more than I did when it aired, I think, as it's a format that you see much less of these days and definitely much less well done. I knew the overall shape of it and the resolution of the case and I did really enjoy spending time with Veronica -- i don't think I'd appreciated how thoroughly KBell carried the show at such a young age -- even when all the cases of the week aren't the most exciting or well done. It's not going to be an all-time favorite show for me but i appreciate it and am glad i saw it.

And I totally understand feeling that way about HDM. I didn't realize that was such a formative book series for you but I see how it could be that! I don't know how I'll deal if they ever do end up figuring out how to make the Raven Cycle tv adaptation work. . .

[dolorosa_12]

Kristen Bell really is incredible, and I think Veronica Mars remains her absolute best role. I also think the show really benefitted from some excellent secondary characters (for the most part very well cast), all of whom had great chemistry with Veronica as a character and with KBell as an actor.

A Raven Cycle TV adaptation seems fraught with difficulty to me — it's just such a weird series of books!

[likeadeuce]

Keith Mars is a gem, and Veronica also somehow has better romantic chemistry with EVERY girl she interacts with than ANY of the boys (maybe Weevil? but that was never really a thing). But also here for Meg and Mac and a whole bunch of one-shot characters too . . .

I think adapting TRC would require really reimagining the structure of the story and pick some themes to focus on (assuming it's a prestige length cable series, which i think is what SyFy was planning before they dropped it; if you went in a CW/ Vampire Diaries/ Riverdale direction all bets would be off). So yeah i'd be curious but I'd have to trust that the showrunners were interested in the same thematic stuff i was. And I'd probably angst a lot about getting the place right (though my friends who were affiliated with a Virginia private school similar to Aglionby still think the school details are hilariously contrived which is undeniable . . .)

[pauraque]

For current shows, I'm watching Star Trek: Discovery and DuckTales week to week. Both are in their third seasons and I'm enjoying them, though they're obviously very different!

Wasn't NXIVM the cult that actress from Smallville got busted for being involved with? I was a fan of that show years and years ago, but hadn't thought about it in ages until I ran across an article about her arrest.

[dolorosa_12]

I'm watching Discovery as well — and I actually think I'm enjoying this season the most of all.

NXIVM was the cult that Allison Mack was involved with (she was extremely high up in the hierarchy). I had known about her involvement before seeing the documentary, but what I didn't know was that apparently half the cast of Smallville and of Battlestar Galactica seemed to be involved in the cult at some point. I assume because it used MLM techniques these various cast members were recruiting their colleagues in order to move up through the ranks. It's weird how Hollywood seems so susceptible to these kinds of seedy cults.

[aphrodite_mine]

What I've read about the other NXIVM doc reveals my gut about the Uncover podcast and The Vow - that these particular cult members are VERY invested in only putting a version of the story out that paints them in a good light, when the truth seems far from that.

I had just added The Undoing to my watch list, but this makes me think I shouldn't prioritize it. Excellent to know.

[dolorosa_12]

these particular cult members are VERY invested in only putting a version of the story out that paints them in a good light, when the truth seems far from that.

Yes, very much so. I didn't know much about the background and involvement of the former cult members, but my husband said that at least one of them had been heavily involved in another cult before joining NXIVM, which puts his whole story in a very different light.

I don't doubt that they were traumatised by what they experienced, nor that they recognise NXIVM as the exploitative cult that it was. I just think they're selective in how much they reveal of their own involvement and behaviour.

[rekishi]

I watched Virgin River this weekend on Netflix, because it requires no brain space.

[dolorosa_12]

Brainless TV is sometimes exactly what we need!

[darkmarcy]

I've heard of The Vow, but apparently the other ("Seduced" I think it was called?) doc is bit better? I dunno, I haven't seen either but a friend made comparisons and I trust her taste in case I feel like watching a cult documentary.

I haven't watched any new (to me) tv lately, but rewatched some Green Wing s1 the other day. I know it almost by heart but still howl at certain bits!

[dolorosa_12]

I'm going to be watching Seduced at some point as well, just to compare the different ways each documentary approaches telling the story. And don't get me wrong, I felt that The Vow was a good documentary — I just think it's very hard to tell an accurate story about a cult if your account relies heavily on interviews with former cult members, because most of them will try to paint themselves in a good light and withhold information that implicates them as being more heavily involved.

[corvidology]

We're still watching season 2 of The Umbrella Academy, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Mandalorian. Yes, season 2 appears to be where we are across the board. :D

We've also started the Frankenstein Chronicles and Warrior Nun. Yes, this is how scattered we are right now.

We're watching Midsommer Murders and Father Brown on public television just so I can stare at home for a while as I can't get there this year.

[dolorosa_12]

Oh wow, that is an eclectic bunch of TV shows — but probably the perfect mix of moods and content that you need right now.

so I can stare at home for a while as I can't get there this year.

Oh, I know the feeling!

[thawrecka]

I've mostly been watching cartoons. I have a couple of Chinese cartoons I've been following, but other than that I'm watching random bits and pieces of anime on crunchyroll.

[dolorosa_12]

That all sounds like a lot of fun!

[merit]

Shows about very rich people do tend to have that veneer of unreality.

[dolorosa_12]

Oh, absolutely. And having just watched the last episode of the show, the whole thing seems even more ridiculous.

[hesychasm]

Re: NXIVM (I always get the spelling wrong and have to double-check!) -- I watched Seduced first because I heard it was better, and then tried The Vow and ditched it around episode 7 when the momentum seemed to slow way down.

I thought the former was very much India Oxenberg's story, and she may or may not bear moral and legal culpability for recruiting other people into the more terrible parts of the cult -- depending on how one feels about whether indoctrination and brainwashing can absolve someone. However, I found India's ordeal and the way she spoke about it made me feel very sympathetic toward her, whereas in the latter documentary I really felt nothing for Sarah Edmondson and Mark Vicente.

Seduced also had a better structure, with a number of cult experts being interviewed to explain how cults work, as well as the lead prosecutor for Raniere's case. I don't think The Vow interviewed anyone except ex-NXIVM members, and by the time it got to all the high-ranking women who'd left together, profiling each of them at great length, I was just kind of done.

Also, from what I understand, The Vow left a LOT unsaid about Raniere's sex crimes, and it was possible to come away from that doc without realizing the full gravity of his actions.

[dolorosa_12]

I had heard that Seduced was better as well, although unfortunately not before I had started watching The Vow. The latter suffers, also, due to its intention to leavea a lot unrevealed so that it can be explored in a second season — so I felt it dragged things out unnecessarily.

You're right, The Vow only interviews ex-NXIVM members — hence why I feel it's shape is so determined by what the interview subjects are prepared to make public, and how they're wanting to be perceived.

I am going to see Seduced at some point, I just felt I needed a bit of a gap between the two documentaries, but I suspect I will come away from it sharing your opinions.

[charlottenewtons]

I agree about the Undoing. I'll watch anything with Nicole Kidman and I generally enjoyed it, but it all felt a bit shallow in the end.

I'm really enjoying the Queen's Gambit at the minute.

[dolorosa_12]

Queen's Gambit is definitely on my list! I'm hoping to watch it when I'm on holiday over Christmas.