jfung79

Now up to both episodes that aired in the UK on April 1st. Sunita's showing signs of waking up. Jason walked out on Stella at the bistro because she was asking for "space." Earlier Stella had kissed Karl (WTF!), unbeknownst to Jason. Tyrone has been found not guilty and has forgiven Julie and Eileen for believing Kirsty at a welcome-home party that Tommy and Tina organized for him. Eileen tried to get Dr. Carter to help see if Paul was doing okay after Toni's death but Paul was angry at her for doing so. My main reactions right now about the show beyond what I've posted before are * I like Eileen's fire and directness in addition to her compassion. She marched right over to Tyrone's party to apologize, and did so with humility, but didn't grovel like Julie. The way I've seen her command at the taxi place with Steve and Lloyd is also awesome. * I love some of the elements of humor, such as the weed brownies being sold to Rita accidentally.by Anna, and Sylvia having to get them back. Sylvia's proud attitude is also amusing. * I am more annoyed than amused by gossiping Mary and Norris, but I do still find them funny as well. Glad Dev told them not to come to his shop again when Norris was trying to get Sophie to spill about the evidence against Sunita for the arson. I also liked Rita putting Mary and Norris in their place when they were whining about what Dev did to them. * Chesney is getting on my nerves with his self-pitying and his constantly badgering his friends to go out and have a drink with him. Beth was very nice to allow Kirk to do so yet again the other day. * Fiz seems really self-righteous and harsh, both with Katy and with Eileen/Julie. * Jason is that rare macho straight guy on a soap who I can still like ... He has a temper and is prone to stunts like knocking the mirror off Karl's car, but I saw how he apologized to Nick for threatening Norris with violence the other day at the bistro when Norris was implying Jason might have started the Rovers fire by accident. He doesn't seem proud of thuggery like the Mitchell brothers on EastEnders or self-righteous American soap he-men. He's also got some brains to him despite his image -- I hope Jason will continue to be suspicious of Karl's role in the fire, despite the evidence against Sunita. * I like how Jason and Sean seem to be friends, especially considering Jason was apparently homophobic way back when his brother Todd came out. I don't know how Sean came to be living with Eileen but the straight guy/gay guy dynamic under one roof is great. I don't like how the show had Sean acting scared to wait for the police at Kirsty's and being lazy about making a bacon sarnie though - rather caricatured, offensive portrayal implying gays are unreliable and quick to panic. That Sean is so super-flaming is what makes it all the better though that Jason is friends with him. * I've only seen a little of the Kamaras and Lloyd, but they seem okay. I like what little I've seen of Sophie and Jenna's lesbian relationship too, including use of Sophie's continued Christian faith. * I feel like Gary has feelings for Tina beyond her being a surrogate for him and Izzy. He better not cheat on Izzy after how mad he was at Ryan and Katy! Also, I can't help but still find Ryan charismatic despite his being a homewrecker. As an overall statement, I seem to like anything Grimshaw-related (including Eileen, son Jason, sister Julie Carp and Julie's academic husband Brian Packham, and also distantly related Dennis Tanner and his wife Rita) the best ... Something about the decency and the layers of the characters in that family, even though they don't even interact together all that much. And the whole show is still entertaining, amusing, and impressing me!

Just saw this past Saturday's episode, "Cold War." A good one! "Doctor Who" at its best! Strong moral elements. Great new twist on the Ice Warriors. "My people are dusssst" ... Next week's episode: "Hide," by "Rings of Akhaten" writer Neil Cross but looks like it will be better than that story was.

No I didn't ... I don't think I'll be able to, as I already have so much that I'm watching and needing to watch. I don't know how you're able to watch everything you do, Carl, are you a Time Lord? LOL. But thanks for the suggestion. Was she good in Emmerdale? I do like her acting so far in Doctor Who. It's not her fault her character has such a complicated, unrelatable, Moffat-grand-plan history so far. The good thing about "Rings of Akhaten" is at least we know how Jenna feels about her mother, that's something to latch on to (more than Amy ever got - Amy may have made a "progressive" decision, but I still feel she was not a real character like Rose and Donna).

Good points about Amy, Martha, Donna, and Rose. I wouldn't say the Third Doctor was fond of UNIT. He was fond of the Brigadier, Sergeant Benton, and Mike Yates, the people he worked with, who he got to know because he was exiled on Earth. If the Tenth Doctor had been talking to the Brigadier, he wouldn't have been as harsh. I think it's not so much that it was forgotten that the Tenth Doctor had fashioned people into weapons, as Davros said, as that the Doctor knew Davros was right and there was nothing he could do about that hypocritical outcome anymore. The Doctor also murdered the Daleks and the Time Lords in the Time War. He knows he has blood on his hands. The fact the show brought it up though is a testament to their wanting to emphasize that this is morally problematic.

I'd be interested to know more about what you mean regarding Amy and Martha being progressive, as to me they've been the least defined new companions. Martha was little more than a generic doctor, and Amy I don't even know where to start with how all over the map she was. The Third Doctor would lecture UNIT too about their military mind, especially in "The Silurians." It's part of the nonviolent, anti-authoritarian ethos of Doctor Who to do that. UNIT is made up of well meaning people but the Doctor has never been lock step behind them, and there is a strong streak in the old show, not just the new, of making sure war, violence, guns, and military solutions are not glorified.

Oh, you meant keeping watch over her as an adult. I didn't find that weird, as she had just been threatened by a spoonhead. He was just guarding her. But the Doctor is supposed to be weird, LOL. I also want to say, I can see why you felt "The Bells of Saint John" was like an RTD-era episode. To me that's a good thing. The present day setting, the reference to pop culture and the Internet, the old enemy, UNIT, the grounding of the companion in some of the people she interacts with in her normal life. I think with RTD there would have been more of an emotional connection by the audience with the new character though. None of these Moffat-era female companions have been people who you could be like, "I relate to this woman." I'm thinking of Amy, River, and now Clara. Too much complicated backstory and not enough real life. I think Moffat finds women too mysterious to write as relatable rootable figures that the audience identifies with, although I think he tries. There's a thread in his writing, not just for Doctor Who, where he has characters making comments like women are a foreign species. It's offputting. The only time I think he's ever pulled off a contemporary audience identification female figure who seems real and intelligent in "Doctor Who" is Sally in his RTD-era story "Blink."

Watched Friday's episode. Can't believe Clare told Eli to have a good summer and rejected his attempt to reconcile on Degrassi! Good grief, they are both allergic to happiness. Happy for Connor and Jenna working it out, and even Alli has forgiven him now. Connor tried to do his part to get Eli and Clare to make up ... I like what he said that he doesn't want to have a break from Jenna like Eli and Clare had, and that's why he cares so much about Eclare. Good Maya stuff, glad she's finally revealed how she really feels.. How noble of Zig at the end. Zig and Maya sure are "complicated," like a certain other Degrassi pairing. Hope that Harry guy comes back again, he wasn't bad. Glad Drew asked Clare to be "veep." I just realized the season is basically over and we still never saw a followp to Becky's situation at home. WTF! Hope there will be something about it in the "graduation" episode, although I'm skeptical.

That's interesting, thanks for letting me know! Did you hear they're going to make a TV movie about the behind the scenes of early Doctor Who too? Must be the "in" thing over there for anniversaries of long running programs, LOL. GL also did it on our shores with the 70th anniversary. The Doctor observing these future companions who then end up having romantic feelings about him as adults does seem a bit skeevy. The Moffat era has been full of that. I don't mind it as much anymore since it's been so common and Clara's not as smitten (yet).

Looks like I spoke too soon on the Doctor meeting Clara as a girl not being on the show, LOL. "Rings of Akhaten" was okay but a bit too weird for me. Did the god have its hunger satisfied forever? I liked all the singing and seeing Clara's parents. Next week - "Cold War"

On the one hand I'm like no! On the other, I'm like, this could bond Tristan tighter with Maya and Zig. I like their interactions. Tristan is less layered when he's just Tori's bestie.

I finally caught up to when you posted this, so I have some reactions. It was indeed weird how Tommy and Tina walked around the corner and Tommy looked shocked. I rationalized it that maybe he hadn't seen how bad the fire really was until that point. I liked Gail agreeing to move back in and her semi-reconciliation with Kylie while insisting she will keep an eye on Kylie. Kylie is hoping that it's David's baby -- which means it probably won't be but she really wants to try. I don't think I've seen David yet by the way. Lots of Nick though. I liked Leanne telling Nick she had been making fun of Jason being a toyboy but she could see how much he cares for Stella. I think the Kirsty actress is good enough. I'm buying her meltdown over the baby.

Hulu is up to Sunday March 24th now, so my comments are as of that episode: Jason is being stubborn that he checked the electrics, which is the truth, but given what the other characters know, he's coming off whiny and self-centered. Gloria is being less mean to him then I thought she would be, assuring him no one blames him. Paul can barely talk to him. Then Dev attacks him at the end about Sunita struggling to hang on to life because of the fire he supposedly caused ("I will kill you"), and Jason looks super guilty and sad. Love it! Also like Chesney and Katy being mature about sharing time with Joseph. Finally saw Roy, Hayley, Marcus, Maria, and Ken Barlow. I sympathized with what Sylvia was feeling about not wanting to be shunted off before her time. Eileen seems really sympathetic and warm, she is the center of the show for me right now. Paul is wracked with guilt over Toni's death. It's a pretty convincing meltdown so far for Kirsty as a newly single mother at her wit's end, turning on her friends, maintaining she can cope, even without any of this other context of her having attacked Tyrone repeatedly and falsely accused him. Dev was great with the kids. Also great scene between Dev and the hospital worker. ('If you're suggesting ..., I will drag this hospital to every court." "I'm not suggesting anything.") I can't with Karl ... What a scumbag. The thing is I know he may have some genuine feelings of concern -- I believed those tears -- but he left Sunita to die in that fire. And having read some of what is to come, it's just awful. Ugh, I feel icky just thinking about this character.

Wouldn't be Moffat if he didn't have the new female companion meet the Doctor as a kid ... Glad this wasn't on the televised show at least, and glad Clara wasn't obsessed with the Doctor after this.

Glad you liked it ... I didn't feel that bad for Harriet, since she did just blow up a ship that was leaving. "Don't you think she looks tired?" "Song for Ten" was a great song at the end of this episode. I'm jealous, you have so many more great episodes ahead of you!

Thoughts on "The Bells of Saint John"? I thought it was great but Moffat's misogynistic humor was back. (Monk asks if someone is evil, Doctor says she's a woman, monk crosses himself.) I still like Clara and I liked the concept of the souls being sucked into the Internet. I liked the return of the villain (don't want to give it away for anyone who hasn't watched yet.) I look forward to finding out more about Clara and why she recurs through time. I guess Oswin is from "Oswald for the win." I'm glad Clara laughed at the Doctor's invitation at the end and told him to come back the next day, instead of just jumping on board. I liked the multiethnic guest cast. I felt represented by Alexei and by the guy at the beginning. The "revert to factory settings" at the end for the main human villain was a clever, sad twist. Lots of other great twists along the way too, both by the villains and by the Doctor to guarantee cooperation from his adversaries. Great commentary on what people put on Facebook as well (though Moffat is too harsh on Twitter)! You can buy them off Amazon or iTunes if you're still looking. We're on to the second half of the season now!

Last Friday's episode was great! Great blend of humor and serious material. That annoying girl who gave Eli drugs is back, and now has a friend Harry ("All day, and everywhere"). Maya is probably not as together about Cam as she thinks she is, and that's why she's acting out. Or she's just going through the Manny phase ... The "slutty" clothes and now the video thing? It doesn't feel like a retread though, there's enough different about the situations. I liked Zig's friendship with her at the beginning and then his trying to help her. Zig is probably my favorite of the niners. No more Tristan-Fab, huh? "He called fashion week shallow ... Um, that's the point, granola-cruncher!" I hope Clare wins the election. She really is too serious though, and I don't like that she pushed Drew. I don't approve of violence. It was still funny to see Drew get his comeuppance nonetheless. Glad Bianca got into university. So funny when Drew was making that announcement and then accidentally had Bianca bang her head into the window as she was going to class. But yikes, Drew you could have sent her to the hospital there! I liked Jenna and Alli gossping about how Eli was allergic to happiness and making fun of his "we need space" to Clare. I liked seeing how Connor would react to Alli intruding on him and Jenna. But I also like that Jenna didn't let him get away with it just because he has Asperger's. I didn't think Connor was entirely wrong though to want to put Alli and Dave back together. There is something there still, although yes, they have made up and broken up and made up too much, like Eli and Clare, as Dave alluded to. Great to see Dave. Dave and Tristan are still friends too after the play, yay. Connor's story is really not at all stereotypical for a black character, and he is getting a lot more story lately, so I think I would add him to the list of Degrassi writing better for black male characters than black female.

Sad to have the wool taken away from my eyes ... What she describes sounds believable. There are good points on both sides in the comments too. I think the show has had a better track record with black male characters (Jimmy and Dave have had a lot of story), but all the black female characters besides Liberty have been reduced to the cheerleader/sidekick role. Marisol has had some more story than Hazel and Chantay though. I agree with London about Leia and Kendra too. But London, disagree about the writing in general. I think the show's writing now is quite strong; the stories in early Degrassi:TNG (first five seasons or so) and the last three years have been the best. The middle period is when Degrassi sagged. The issues like suicide and transphobia are still handled, and still handled sensitively, and characters are still memorable. The "Romeo and Jules" play last summer will forever remain a highlight of my TV watching experience.

Nice, new interview catering to Hulu viewers with Executive Producer Kieran Roberts by Slate.com, dated March 27th: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/03/27/coronation_street_s_kiernan_roberts_interviewed_by_june_thomas_about_flash.html?fb_ref=sm_fb_share_blogpost

Now watched both episodes that aired in the UK on Friday March 15th, the Friday before the big Rovers fire ... So that's five episodes total I've watched so far on Hulu, since I started last week with the two episodes that originally aired Monday March 11th. From Friday the 15th, loved the community coming together in candlelight in the darkened pub that had lost power, and the people happy for Jason getting a job as a barman (possibly as a prelude to he and Stella committing together, and him becoming landlord) while Karl stood off fuming ... Rita, Emily, Dennis, Sylvia, Deirdre, Tommy (charming young guy joining along amidst all these older characters singing), and others singing "The White Cliffs of Dover" and "We''ll Meet Again" ... Emily invoking the spirit of the Blitz while Sylvia said she hated nostalgia ... Ah .... American soaps wouldn't be able to get away with this multigenerational, community singing thing, I think. Warm and fuzzy, interspersed with cutaways to more harsh goings-on like Chesney/Katy talking and Chesney telling Katy to "pack your bags and go", Karl's jealousy consuming him as he had lost his girlfriend and his pub, and Gloria being snarky ... while there was humor from Eileen trying to recruit for the fireman's stripping thing for charity. So brilliant, and captivating. Corrie is the soap I rush to watch every night now on Hulu. But Hulu is up to Monday the 18th now, and I haven't watched it. I'm scared of the fire i know is coming. I already care so much about these characters and don't want to see them unhappy. Thanks for the kind words, Ben, and for explaining some of your own and Carl's issues with the show further. I haven't seen the Kirsty and Tyrone story on screen yet, but in theory, I don't see anything wrong with it. It doesn't discourage men who are abused from coming forward to show that there can be people who wouldn't believe them while there are others who would believe them. The abuser could well turn it around and claim to be abused themselves, and bring the law down. That initial disbelief from the law is a reflection of reality and increases the ability of the story to be something that someone can relate to. Ultimately as long the story ends well, with Tyrone vindicated and Kirsty stopped, it doesn't send the wrong message. In a somewhat similar vein, gays coming out on a soap can face parental rejection at first, and women accusing their rapists can face people who don't believe them -- and these are believable, relatable elements; it's what happens in the end that matters most for the "message."

Thanks Carl, and I hope over time, the show can get back to what you want from it too. Also who knows, maybe after I watch a few more episodes, my feelings will fade. I saw the cast was like 50-some-strong (for a 30-minute soap, which by the way suggests PP does have room for bigger casts in terms of story for AMC/OLTL, though maybe they wouldn't be able to afford it). So I'm not surprised that some characters are in the background a lot before their story is picked up. Something is happening in their lives even when they aren't shown though. I agree they should have addressed more how Ryan got over his addiction if it wasn't addressed. Katy did mention the cocaine though to his new girlfriend, along with his ex Tracy Barlow having murdered someone, and that scared the new girlfriend off. I thought the scene where the new girlfriend probed Ryan about his cocaine use and stealing with some kind of family business or something seemed realistic enough, along with being humorous. He was trying to plead that it was in his past and "I'm alright once you get to know me," but she wasn't having it, LOL.

LOL. It was interesting to see how Canada has different gun control than we do in the US. I agree we didn't see the journey of how Fiona got to the point emotionally of carrying on and not being afraid anymore. That did come out of nowhere. But I liked Fiona being all confident at the end, because she shouldn't live in fear. I think we can be too paranoid about crime. Michael Moore touched on that in "Bowling for Columbine." I do hope she is getting some security features for her apartment though, like an alarm, and won't be tweeting her location. I'd disagree a little, Eric83, about Zig's connection to the other niners ... To me, Zig, Maya, Tori, and Tristan have so much history already and should always be connected. Hopefully the show will do better at that than they did with the previous big influx of niners, Alli, Connor, Clare, and KC. I do like seeing Zig's friend Damon too though.

"Zou bisou bisou ..." ... Zig's story was the highlight of this past Friday's episode. Glad Maya and Tori have forgiven him. (Tristan wouldn't though, LOL.) Dallas and Fiona's stories were alright.

I was responding to All My Shadows saying someone sharing their opinion on Hulu of liking the show more than American soaps after 7 episodes was "hipster," otherwise I wouldn't have used the term. It was meant a lot more fiippantly than you're taking it, LOL. Obviously I don't have the history with this show to comment on the veracity of your criticisms, but it's clear to me already that Katy's affair with Ryan is certainly very grounded in a real sense of entrapment from being a poor working teenage mother, and extremely relatable rather than for "shock value." Thanks All My Shadows for suggesting that I can find older episodes on YouTube. All I can say is this show has definitely passed the test of whether it is watchable on its own terms for me already, without knowing the fifty years of backstory. The characters are relatable and vibrant, the dialogue naturalistic, the emotions genuine, with a mix of generations and body types. The acting is strong. You can't see this from new eyes like mine, and I can't see this from experienced eyes like yours.

You really underestimate the impact of this show ... One episode on hulu and I'm already hooked. I think Ryan. Katy, and Chesney's story is compelling, and it's not even a frontburner story as far as I can tell. The overworked, underappreciated teen mom trying to do the right thing but tempted by a more carefree life. Also I like this domestic abuse storyline that I've read about but haven't seen yet. I also took an immediate interest to Jason Grimshaw, and I know MIchelle Collins (Stella) from EastEnders. I also like Sunita a lot already and I'm sad that I am watching just as she is leaving soon. Something as natural and normal as a disapproving mom of girlfriend needling a builder about not having an interest in Lego, or Jason whacking the side mirror off a car, is more than American soaps can manage in terms of naturalism. The standing outdoor sets help, just as it did with EastEnders. But I don't look down on American soaps either. They just have a different style. The sets actually look worse than American soaps, with the videotape and natural light giving the whole thing a "Peapack" look, but that's fine, I'm used to it from EastEnders. It is also "hipster" to say that things used to be better and you watched something when it was cool before it sold out. All I ever knew about Coronation Street was picked up from references in other things British that I read or watch (mostly amounting to "Rovers," which I now can see is the neighborhood pub much like the Queen Vic, a family called Barlow, and various actors over the years like Adam Rickitt, and Bruno Langley who I knew played a gay character Todd who I see now is the brother of aforementioned Jason). I'm excited to finally be watching it. Also DAYS is doing well right now too!

I might watch on YouTube, thanks! I think from the synposes the show still intersperses moments of humor and lightness. For example, the most recent episode had only Jean wanting to do karaoke, and I imagine that was a bit of a light thing as Alife tried to get the karaoke started. Maybe it is more how the stories are being translated to screen - the scripts and the shooting of them - and not necessarily what is supposed to happen in an episode that is creating this impression of constant misery. It's been a criticism of EastEnders as far back as I can remember that the characters are too miserable on it though. Great points in your post. It helps me gain a fuller picture of what is happening with the show. I didn't realize Bianca was getting all the social issue storylines. I especially love your idea of Jay talking to Liam.