The Caped Crusader: Just finished watching S2. Last time I said, "I feel confident in saying that this is the best animated Batman ever." Now I'm prepared to say that this is the best adaptation of Batman ever, big screen or small, live action or animated.
Invincible: We're up to S2 E3.
Richard Willis > Jeff of Earth-JSeptember 25, 2026 at 10:44pm
The wife and I just watched the first episode of the new season (series) of THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF (BAKING SHOW). Prue Leith appeared at the beginning to tell everyone that she is leaving the show, that it's time to move on. Noel Fielding wished her good luck with the "regeneration." Alison Hammond gave him a look, but a tall blue box appeared, labeled "Proving Box." Prue stepped into the TARDIS, I mean, Proving Box. Smoke came out of the box, and Nigella Lawson stepped out to become the new judge for the show.
We're watching a lot of stuff, some of which is really good (Slow Horses) and some of which is just dumb entertainment with great actors (Mobland). But I wanted to make sure to mention Batman: Caped Crusader, a Bruce Timm animated show on Prime that's Batman: The Animated Series without the inhibition of Standards and Practices. One of the most awesome aspects is that Timm is (roughly) adapting the first year of Batman's adventures, before the advent of Robin. The second season dropped a few weeks ago, and that's what we're watching right now. It's got Hugo Strange, Monster Men and a character inspired by the movie serial King of the Rocketmen. In the season 2's first episode, the Batplane with machine guns appeared.
I'd also note that some major characters are in evidence long before their comic book debuts, like Renee Montoya, Lucius Fox, Eddie Nygma and Rupert Thorne. Eddie, though, is just a common gangster and I don't think he's called Riddler (yet). It's just an Easter egg so far. And the show has played with other characters that way, like an accountant with an eidetic memory for dates who is nicknamed "Calendar Man" by the newspapers. (Remember newspapers?) No, he's not a supervillain, just a witness in a trial that Batman and Gordon have to protect.
The show doesn't say when it's set, but it's very 1930s noir, and mostly matches the 1939-1940 of Detective Comics #27-37. Definitely pre-war. There are some concessions to the modern era (like Black people in positions of power, which you wouldn't see in 1940), but you're not going to see cell phones, computers, et al. And Batman's equipment is extremely low-tech by our standards (the Batplane has a propellor), although cutting edge for 1940. The Joker comes along in 1940, so he's on the way, and there are hints he's already active in the background. The previews depict him as very dangerous and scary.
I don't remember much about the first season (which was several years ago), but I think it had Two-Face -- and killed him. The show isn't afraid to kill off major characters. And I'm glad of it. The show isn't going to last long enough that they'll need to re-use anybody, so why not go for the best story possible? And it's very noir for people to have dramatic deaths due to their own actions. Plus, it raises the stakes. I'd say it increases suspension of disbelief, but I have to admit the ample gunplay (not allowed on B:TAS) demonstrates visually how ridiculous it is that Batman never gets shot. Sometimes it looks like there's no way he could avoid a bullet, and yet he does.
All in all it's a terrific show, and particularly thrilling if you've read those early Bat-stories, which we all have. I'm reduced to pointing at the screen and saying "ooh, ooh, look!" a lot.
I saw the first and part of the second eps of the new adaptation of Carrie as a series. I don't know that we need a third take on the novel, but okay. Although it begins with scenes from the end of the novel and flashes back, there's apparently going to be a back-door opening to further seasons at the end of the series. Yay.
Anyhoo.... It features solid acting, overall. They've made some plausible (and effective) changes to bring the story into the contemporary world. Production values are good. The first episode is reasonably well-paced, and somewhat spooky, when they're not overplaying the f/x.
The depiction of the students contains some nuance, but the depiction of high school itself is ridiculous, even for American TV. I especially like the lockdown drill on the first day of the semester with a costumed actor assigned to run around the school with a mock weapon, and a procedure that involves shutting out the lights but not closing the curtains. This adaptation also features a lot of new backstory. We don't arrive at the novel's opening scene until the end of the first episode, followed by the introduction of.... Teh Secret Hogwarts School for Psychic Witchy X-Women! If Morgan Freeman turns up and explain that their powers derive from using more than10% of their brains, I'm checking out.
On another note, they handle "that" scene well, bringing in the aspect of online and social media bullying. And King's oft-criticized description of Carrie's belated first period (Gushing? Gushing? Is that just her pov?) gets addressed. In a discussion while watching a video of Carrie freaking out n ep 2, a guy uses the word "gushing" and a girl looks askance at him and says something like, "that's not how periods work."
On another other note, I realize I haven't posted my review of the final season of Skins, to which I skipped, the adult season.
And I watched a few more Black Mirror eps. I make my way slowly through that show, a few at a time, and then leave it for, maybe, a year.
Replies
RUTLES 2: CAN'T BUY ME LUNCH: A 2002 sequel to the original 1978 mockumentary with repurposed footage and all-new interviews.
BATMAN & INVINCIBLE (Pt. 2):
The Caped Crusader: Just finished watching S2. Last time I said, "I feel confident in saying that this is the best animated Batman ever." Now I'm prepared to say that this is the best adaptation of Batman ever, big screen or small, live action or animated.
Invincible: We're up to S2 E3.
I have to catch up on both of those.
The wife and I just watched the first episode of the new season (series) of THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF (BAKING SHOW). Prue Leith appeared at the beginning to tell everyone that she is leaving the show, that it's time to move on. Noel Fielding wished her good luck with the "regeneration." Alison Hammond gave him a look, but a tall blue box appeared, labeled "Proving Box." Prue stepped into the TARDIS, I mean, Proving Box. Smoke came out of the box, and Nigella Lawson stepped out to become the new judge for the show.
We're watching a lot of stuff, some of which is really good (Slow Horses) and some of which is just dumb entertainment with great actors (Mobland). But I wanted to make sure to mention Batman: Caped Crusader, a Bruce Timm animated show on Prime that's Batman: The Animated Series without the inhibition of Standards and Practices. One of the most awesome aspects is that Timm is (roughly) adapting the first year of Batman's adventures, before the advent of Robin. The second season dropped a few weeks ago, and that's what we're watching right now. It's got Hugo Strange, Monster Men and a character inspired by the movie serial King of the Rocketmen. In the season 2's first episode, the Batplane with machine guns appeared.
I'd also note that some major characters are in evidence long before their comic book debuts, like Renee Montoya, Lucius Fox, Eddie Nygma and Rupert Thorne. Eddie, though, is just a common gangster and I don't think he's called Riddler (yet). It's just an Easter egg so far. And the show has played with other characters that way, like an accountant with an eidetic memory for dates who is nicknamed "Calendar Man" by the newspapers. (Remember newspapers?) No, he's not a supervillain, just a witness in a trial that Batman and Gordon have to protect.
The show doesn't say when it's set, but it's very 1930s noir, and mostly matches the 1939-1940 of Detective Comics #27-37. Definitely pre-war. There are some concessions to the modern era (like Black people in positions of power, which you wouldn't see in 1940), but you're not going to see cell phones, computers, et al. And Batman's equipment is extremely low-tech by our standards (the Batplane has a propellor), although cutting edge for 1940. The Joker comes along in 1940, so he's on the way, and there are hints he's already active in the background. The previews depict him as very dangerous and scary.
I don't remember much about the first season (which was several years ago), but I think it had Two-Face -- and killed him. The show isn't afraid to kill off major characters. And I'm glad of it. The show isn't going to last long enough that they'll need to re-use anybody, so why not go for the best story possible? And it's very noir for people to have dramatic deaths due to their own actions. Plus, it raises the stakes. I'd say it increases suspension of disbelief, but I have to admit the ample gunplay (not allowed on B:TAS) demonstrates visually how ridiculous it is that Batman never gets shot. Sometimes it looks like there's no way he could avoid a bullet, and yet he does.
All in all it's a terrific show, and particularly thrilling if you've read those early Bat-stories, which we all have. I'm reduced to pointing at the screen and saying "ooh, ooh, look!" a lot.
I don't remember much about the first season...
Which is why we re-watched it before watching S2.
I'd also note that some major characters are in evidence long before their comic book debuts...
You didn't mention Harlequin, but her presentation here inspired me to re-read "What's the Matter with Batman?"
All in all it's a terrific show...
I referred to it as "the best adaptation of Batman ever, big screen or small, live action or animated," above.
Lanterns Episode 8 Finale Review: A New Brightest Day | Den of Geek
Anyone who doesn’t want spoilers should wait if they haven’t watched the series or haven’t watched episode 8.
The Review with Many Spoilers
I saw the first and part of the second eps of the new adaptation of Carrie as a series. I don't know that we need a third take on the novel, but okay. Although it begins with scenes from the end of the novel and flashes back, there's apparently going to be a back-door opening to further seasons at the end of the series. Yay.
Anyhoo.... It features solid acting, overall. They've made some plausible (and effective) changes to bring the story into the contemporary world. Production values are good. The first episode is reasonably well-paced, and somewhat spooky, when they're not overplaying the f/x.
The depiction of the students contains some nuance, but the depiction of high school itself is ridiculous, even for American TV. I especially like the lockdown drill on the first day of the semester with a costumed actor assigned to run around the school with a mock weapon, and a procedure that involves shutting out the lights but not closing the curtains. This adaptation also features a lot of new backstory. We don't arrive at the novel's opening scene until the end of the first episode, followed by the introduction of.... Teh Secret Hogwarts School for Psychic Witchy X-Women! If Morgan Freeman turns up and explain that their powers derive from using more than10% of their brains, I'm checking out.
On another note, they handle "that" scene well, bringing in the aspect of online and social media bullying. And King's oft-criticized description of Carrie's belated first period (Gushing? Gushing? Is that just her pov?) gets addressed. In a discussion while watching a video of Carrie freaking out n ep 2, a guy uses the word "gushing" and a girl looks askance at him and says something like, "that's not how periods work."
On another other note, I realize I haven't posted my review of the final season of Skins, to which I skipped, the adult season.
And I watched a few more Black Mirror eps. I make my way slowly through that show, a few at a time, and then leave it for, maybe, a year.
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