Leverage and some random things...

[hells_half_acre]

Although Tumblr has been doing its best to get me to watch Teen Wolf, I promised that Leverage would be the next series that I try out. 

Leverage!

I've watched the first episode. I could do without Christian Kane's batman voice - but I like the show! I developed a small crush on Aldis Hodge when I saw him at VanCon2010...and I knew a little about his character (or at least his character's speciality). I was picturing his character a little differently - less stereotypically black, I guess. I'm not sure if that makes the show racist, or it makes me racist....maybe both? ETA: Okay, he seems to have toned it down to a more realistic (to me) level in the second episode. Kane still has a batman voice though.

Anyway, like I said, I do like the show so far and I'm looking forward to seeing more....which I'm going to do, right after I finish typing this entry. 

Random thought about Black Widow (from the Avengers)

So, on the plane back to Vancouver, I watched The Avengers again. The first time I watched it, I ended up with two questions concerning Black Widow: 1)What is her special weapon?...everyone has a special weapon, except seemingly her. Those two small pistols can't possibly count! 2)Why do I find her so awesome?

Turns out, there is one answer for both questions. What I like about Black Widow is the fact that her special weapon is whatever her enemy's special weapon is. She takes whatever the enemy has and turns it back on them. She interrogates her interrogators. Watch her in a fight, and within fifteen seconds, she'll have her enemies weapon in her hand and will be using it to beat the shit out of them. When she needs a ride to Stark tower, she not only uses an alien ship, she uses the alien riding it as her own personal puppet. She shuts off the portal with Loki's staff (granted, he dropped it when fighting Hulk, but still, it's Natasha who uses it to cut off his reinforcements. Anyway, I think that's pretty cool. Her resources are her enemies resources, so she's always on an even playing field...except, of course, when it comes to someone like the Hulk, who terrifies her.

Sherlock - The Great Game rewatch progress report:

This one is going to be longer than my A Study in Pink rewatch, folks. Start bracing yourselves now. I'm halfway through and I'm honestly afraid to do a word count.

Comments

[et-tu-lj.livejournal.com]

Love your thoughts on Natasha. I've definitely noticed her exceptional reaction to Hulk and been puzzling over why. It's turning up a lot in a WIP I have going, and I haven't settled on what my take will be yet. The idea that it's because his strength is something she can't take from him is an interesting explanation, and does run parallel to some of the things I've been musing on.

Also, re: your comments about the polarization of American politics. Agreed, and as an American, it disgusts me. I can only speak for myself, but I despise all the election crap going on - I always do, but even more so this time around, when they're barely even touching the issues and just trying not to look like the other guy. Though personally I'm well over to the liberal side, all I want is for people on both sides to figure out how to talk to each other with respect and actually make progress. They do want some of the same things, but they're so busy fighting to the death they'll never admit it and figure out how to find a middle ground between their opposite approaches. Surviving an election year always just makes me want to move somewhere else and be done with the whole thing. *sigh* But talking about politics always makes me depressed/exasperated, so enough of that.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I've definitely noticed her exceptional reaction to Hulk and been puzzling over why. It's turning up a lot in a WIP I have going, and I haven't settled on what my take will be yet. The idea that it's because his strength is something she can't take from him is an interesting explanation, and does run parallel to some of the things I've been musing on.

Yes, to me Natasha's exceptional fear of the Hulk was quite puzzling as well - I mean, no one else reacts that way. They're wary of him, but they aren't terrified. Her inability to use his strength/madness against him is the only explanation I've come up with so far - anything else might be driven by something that happened in her past, but you'd think if that were the case they'd have made special note of it. (As they did with her response to Hawkeye's comment about being unmade).

Yeah, talking about politics depressed and exasperates me as well. The current Canadian gov't is quiet horrible, and unfortunately our electoral system is flawed so they've ended up with a fair bit of power, despite the fact that very few people actually voted for them.

But yes, the main problem with this polarization of politics is that no progress is made. If you aren't allowed to agree with your opponent on ANY issue, if there seems to be a mandate of striking down ANY bill proposed by the other side...then what is ever going to get done? Good or bad, if nothing gets done, then everyone suffers. I once had a history teacher who pointed out that for all America talks about being democratic, their democracy actually stagnated in the 1800s and hasn't moved further since then. If you want to see a good example of democracy these days, you have to look to Europe.

America is sort of like a bad relationship. The two parties keep arguing about who is leaving wet towels on the floor of the bathroom, rather than the fact that they can't pay their mortgage and their kids keep ending up in jail...and no one is feeding the dog and he's starting to eye the baby oddly.

Anyway, I hope you survive this election year. Speaking as a Canadian, it always annoys me too, because we get inundated with it as well and we can't even vote.

[et-tu-lj.livejournal.com]

America is sort of like a bad relationship. The two parties keep arguing about who is leaving wet towels on the floor of the bathroom, rather than the fact that they can't pay their mortgage and their kids keep ending up in jail...and no one is feeding the dog and he's starting to eye the baby oddly.

OMG, you are awesome. That's the perfect analogy, and has the benefit of making me laugh in the process. Too bad it's true.

I always feel like apologizing to other countries, lol. As if can control it. *grimaces*

So while I'm projecting:
Thank you, Canada, for giving me all my favorite television shows. You rock. (You too, UK.)

;D

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Haha, I'm glad you like my ridiculous analogy. ;)

And yeah, no need to apologize. I, too, often feel like I need to apologize to the world on behalf of what my country does (*cough*tarsands*cough*)...but when I really think about it, I didn't vote for any of it! So, therefore, I think my country should be apologizing to ME...and the rest of the world.