I watched two plays this month:
The Play That Goes Wrong - what it says on the tin. A hilarious disaster. I am keen on watching their other one, Magic Goes Wrong, which includes Penn & Teller.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane - my sister wanted to see this one as she loves the novel of the same title by Neil Gaiman. Never read it myself, but I really love it.
I definitely want to see that as Iâve enjoyed all the Goes Wrong ⌠shows and I really enjoy Fool Us and magic in general.
Annoyingly, it was on at a theatre here, but that was when things had barely started to open up, so I wasnât of a mind to go anywhere with crowds yet.
Finally got around to watching Free Guy, which was really enjoyable. I think it represented a GTA Online environment very well, and it was funny to see actors running around, jumping randomly, or repeatedly jumping into a wall. I liked the story outside of the game as well, which was not really touched upon in the advertisements, but helped bring the movie together.
And Ryan Reynolds just makes me laugh. The man can make reading the phone book entertaining.
Watched Tick Tick Boom again last night for about the fourth (fifth?) time. This time in a tiny room away from everyone else so I could sing along to all the songs. Singing/Sobbing all the way through Why.
Admittedly this was fuelled by some whiskey and lemonade but⌠I really enjoyed that.
I think I see a lot of parallels with my own experience of turning 30. That feeling of epic failure when I could have been somebody, all the mistakes coming crashing into me as I went past where I could have been great. I didnât even celebrate my 30th - refused all presents. That was 22 years ago and I have been quietly embarrassed by it because no-one else felt the way I did. Turns out Jonathan Larson did. Wish I had seen this musical back then.
NOTE: I cannot sing. Not well at all. I have been in three (four?) staff choirs and two musicals and loved, loved it. I should really explore this part of myself.
I definitely found 30 harder to cope with than 40. By 40 I already resigned myself to being old, at 30 I wasnât ready not to be young any more.
Finished watching The Witcher on the Thursday night. Enjoyed it, but I have a funny conundrum with this series, the first season is way worse technically, but I enjoyed it more. I think Cavill does a great job as Geralt, and I am very impressed with Freya Allan playing Ciri, this second season she really shines, but I cannot put up with the Yennefer from the series.
In the books and videogames Yennefer seems always in control, and I donât see that in this portrayal. Only had glimpses of it on the episode of the first season when they first met. After that, I have been unimpressed. And I donât think it is a problem with the actress, but with how the character has been written and directed.
Yesterday was rainy, and we watched This is where I leave you, which I found hilarious and moving at the same time. Got me hard on a scene between Fonda and Bateman, I did not see it coming, but the floodgates opened. In the scene, Bateman sort of regrets not having been there at the end, but his life and marriage were in turmoil, and he did not want to disappoint his father. And then Fonda (his mum) tells him how proud he was of him, that he was âhis boyâ. And Bateman surprised face had me in tears.
I think it did touch on unresolved issues I had with my father due to distance and his dementia. Those things that we leave unsaid and then life happens and you regret not having taken that chance. To either praise or be praised.
Then last night I watched 2 episodes of the Netflix series Bad Sport. Really great stories of what can happen behind the scenes in sports (gambling, drug trafficking, you name it)
I started and finished The Book of Boba Fett, and as predicted it was fine.
Typical complaints (âWhy not pick something that makes sense?â), but otherwise a fun little show with a lot of secondary characters I cared a lot more about than Boba (although, admittedly, the Tuskan Raider part was pretty neat).
It was nice to see a few familiar faces, and some new ones. I donât like the starship they put âthat guyâ in because it doesnât make occupational sense (Iâm being vague because Iâm tired of writing everything in spoiler tags), but it is very pretty. So Iâll forgive it.
Anyway. I put it⌠worse than The Mandalorian, better than Han Solo. Perfectly mid-tier.
Just finished This Is Going to Hurt, based on the excellent book by Adam Kay, about life on the Obstetrics and Gynaecological Ward in an NHS hospital (or âBrats and Twatsâ as the staff call it).
I found it quite a hard watch, mostly because it brought back feelings of stress and anxiety that I used to get working out of hours in veterinary medicine, and it touches on areas which felt uncomfortably close to things that have happened in my own life. Not good for a laugh, unlike the book, but excellent and worth watching nevertheless.
I managed to watch a pending documentary I had been wanting to see for a long time, 14 Peaks. Wow, what a treat.
And, intrigued by the spoiler thread that has been open elsewhere in the space, started with The Good Place. So far, sooooo good.
In a completely spoiler-free way, itâs a fascinating experiment in âwhat if the show-runner were not a horrible person, and tried to employ cast and crew who also werenât horrible peopleâ. Obviously wonât be repeated any time soon.
One of us.
One of us.
One of us.
Rewatched Dune last night with friends. Still liked it a lot. Beards. All those gorgeous beardsâexcept for the beard that goes missing halfway through. Why Aquaman, why?
Weâre also watching the final two seasons of Expanse at last. I didnât want to continue because I read the books and most of Season 5 is that one book I found really really stressful to read where the crew each goes to their own little subplotâand obviously that season was just as I expected⌠good but stressful. Itâs been years since I read the books (I am short the last 2 books though) so I am missing some details and I got completely blindsided by Alex Kamalâs deathbecause thatâs definitely not the books. It was obviously easy to find out what it happened. Meh. One of my fave characters in the books. Besides Drummer and Amos obviously. . Weâre now 1 episode into the final season. I think this is where stuff starts coming in that I havenât read⌠at least some of it.
Next I discovered that watching movies/shows makes the indoor rowing machine more palatable. Started with Encantoâwhich took me three sessions. I liked it. Bit much singing. Iâd forgotten thatâs what Disney does. Disney princesses have come a way since I was young.
Then I decided because there is going to be a new season in March, I might just as well watch Bridgerton again. So Iâve been rowing and watching Bridgerton. No binging this time, I can only row so much 
I think after Bridgerton I will rewatch The Good Place from the rowing machine. With all the talk about it, I am in the mood.
Watched Reacher on Amazon. Expected some mindless fluff, but it was actually brilliant. Itâs a VERY well put-together show. Thisâll be a big hit.
We are in the middle of season 3 of Superstore and what a funny show that one is! Love it, gives me Parks & Rec vibes though it is very different except the big roster of crazy people 
The world has changed a lot in 50 years.
Finished Season 1 of The Good Place. That was interestingâŚ
That was quite the pregnant pause.
Iâm assuming the ending was cut when actually screened?
The wife of the picked up boy commented on the video to say it was an awesome day filming.
I imagine so. It made for quite the tonal shift, though. An early David Lynch piece, perhaps : )
Iâd love it if someone managed to loop that so that it went on seamlessly for about five minutes.