Stuff on a Thursday, erm, morning.

[hafital]

Well, it's still morning *here* and that's what counts.


-- I got up at the asscrack of dawn this morning (i.e. 6 am) to have an extra riding lesson this week because I have my second dressage show on Sunday. It was good lesson, over all, but I've been in this weird place with horseback riding for the last few weeks in that I kind of really need to take it to the next level because as it is right now I'm riding once a week, if that, and not really advancing as much as I'd like, but 1) money is a problem, and 2) time is another big problem. I don't have much extra time and as it is right now I feel like I'm at the equestrian center constantly since I started student working (which I really do like, but it's exhausting). Bah. I don't have a solution for this. When am I scheduled to win the lottery again? Someone update my calendar.

-- I was doggedly continuing with Primeval series 3 but have stalled out three episodes before the end. The last one I watched had a medieval knight roaming around parts of London. haha. I still find it charming here and there, but it's hard to feel the same love without Nick. :( Also, I don't like the way the show has moved on to myths and legends rather than dinosaurs.

-- I am a disk and a half from finally finishing the audiobooks version of Outlander. Christ that's a long book.

-- Cousin of Mine came over last weekend and we watched some more Doctor Who. Series 3 up through "The Family of Blood". (I unapologetically *ADORE* "42", so I was happy just to watch that episode). I would have loved to have ended with "Blink", just to send him home jumping from shadows, but alas the night grew too long. After months of not paying attention to anything New!Who, I was like, "oh. you again. all right. I do like you, you daft tv show you."

-- Accidentally discovering the magic of Netflix's instant streaming, I started watching Leverage season 1 (I'm up to The Two-Horse Job. Don't spoil me!) I love it like pumpkin pie. I was skeptical, since it looked like a Hustle rip off, and I loved that show and miss Mickey Stone a great deal, but I quite frankly didn't stand a chance once the team got together. lol.

* Leverage is Hustle meets The A-Team. Or, if you prefer Hustle + A-Team = Leverage. haha.

* Leverage is more fantastical, often a wee bit unbelievable and, erm, ott. While Hustle, I believed every con, none of it was outside the realm of possibility, although every once in a while it did that fabulous breaking of the fourth wall and surreal dance numbers.

* I am deeply enjoying the team. I love them all. And I want some Hardigan/Elliot slash like no one's business, but I'm not totally in love with Nathon Ford. I suspect he will grow on me, though.

* I found both shows predictable, tbh, but Hustle grew less so as episodes continued on, so I'm rather expecting the same for Leverage. I dunno. Maybe you just get better at anticipating reveals the more you watch the sort of shows that employ them, which is basically all of them these days. And I've also written stories like that, so you learn to read the signs. lol. Also, with grifting/con/The Sting/ocean's 11/layer cake/etc etc, you start having an educated audience and a recurring show has to start getting inventive. The double/triple whammy ah-you-thought-you-figured-it-out-NOT thing is always fun, though.

* And, honestly, there is no way I can not love a show that includes both horses and poker in the same episode. And Elliot has my heart forever since he's one of the only ones who was like "it was a massacre," 'cause yes it was.

* In conclusion, I want a Leverage coffee mug.

-- (sekret to killa. I'm almost done! No really! Maybe I'll even finish tonight! Okay, okay, tomorrow is more likely, but a girl can dream.)

-- Ever lose complete track of time sense and weather sense when writing? In my current story, I have no idea what time of the year it is any more. d'oh. I gotta go back and track it. sigh.

-- So ti ti zzzzzzzz. Why did I schedule an early morning riding lesson on the same day I have to work from 6pm to 9:30pm?? I'm going to be a zombie.

Comments

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

*clings to you!*

Poor little zombie.

Re: Primeval, I was spoiled for Nick's death and stopped watching after that ep. Perfectly happy with that decision. :D

[hafital.livejournal.com]

*loves on you*

Yeah, it telgraphed. lol. So, I fine with it. And it's not like it hurts to watch it without him, it just doesn't make much sense. It's very much a show that's floundering and gasping as it sinks. He was by far the character I loved the most on that show. I'm curious to see how it ends, though, so I may just ffwrd through the last three. sigh.

[hafital.livejournal.com]

that should be "It was telegraphed." can't brain today.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I'm not especially fannish about Leverage like the rest of my flist, but I do enjoy it (though yes, it's hard not to compare it to Hustle, a lot). I seem to be one of the only people who likes Nathan though -- I love that he's in with all these people who represent so much of what he spent his life working against, and he's not always at ease with that, and I love that he's an alcoholic and he's bitter at his loss and how it happened and it taints his relationships with people. In other words, he's the most real of all the characters, so I suppose it's bound to be that fans hate him.

When he starts playing his shady character Papadakalous, you might get a kick out of him. In fact last night's ep really cemented my feelings for him. But Hardison and... well, anyone is the most popular, I think, and from what I understand, there's a definite Hardison/Elliot fandom out there.

[hafital.livejournal.com]

I love that he's in with all these people who represent so much of what he spent his life working against, and he's not always at ease with that, and I love that he's an alcoholic and he's bitter at his loss and how it happened and it taints his relationships with people. In other words, he's the most real of all the characters, so I suppose it's bound to be that fans hate him.


That's an excellent point and I think you've made me appreciate him a lot more with just this, so thank you. I admit I was viewing it more from the pov of fun fun fun, and not character development. But that might be why it's hard to grok him, since he doesn't fit as well because he's more isolated from the rest of the group and as a character.

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

I loved Papadakalous! That was the most fond I've ever felt toward Nate.

Timothy Hutton is (sadly) the main barrier for me to liking the show. I agree with everything you say, about why I feel pre-disposed to like Nate -- but Timothy Hutton seems so unbelievable to me when he's actually working a con. Like, I would never trust him or believe he was any of the characters he plays. I would either think he was a lunatic (most likely), or just a really, really bad con artist.

Funny that you used a Michael icon, 'cause come to think of it, I kind of feel the same way about Michael when he's working a con. *g* But for some reason, it seems less essential -- probably because Michael is a spy first, a P.I. who helps people second, and only occasionally a con artist.

[hafital.livejournal.com]

I have a wee bit of a Timothy Hutton issue as well, but I'm not taking the show that seriously, so it's only a minor thing, in the end.

[sherrold.livejournal.com]

> But Hardison and... well, anyone is the most popular

I agree, on my flist at least, but weirdly, Nate/Elliot is by far the biggest pairing being written. Even the head writer of the show is suprised at it [g].

Yes, Leverage!

[sherrold.livejournal.com]

I hoped you'd like it (and I recommend the blog of the headwriter, too: http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/). I wish it was a little less OTT; a little more believable -- but I don't let it stop me from loving watching them have fun.

Re: Yes, Leverage!

[hafital.livejournal.com]

I'm really enjoying it! And I dunno, I don't mind so much that it's ott. It's all uber fun.

[ariestess]

I think we did one episode after Nick was gone. And I just couldn't do it anymore. No Nick, no Jenny... no me.


And a Leverage coffee mug would be kewl. A water bottle would be better...for me.

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

I think the real otp of the show may be: Hardison/Elliot/Parker. In any combination of the three. They are just so awesome and damaged and adorable.

And the show doesn't take it self too seriously, which is nice.