Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress

reviewing Black Doves; Dark Matter; Dept. Q; Detective Hole; Dexter: Resurrection; For All Mankind; Foundation; Hijack; Memory of a Killer; MobLand; Outlander; Paradise; Presumed Innocent; Severance; Silo; Slow Horses; Smoke; Star City; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; Tehran;The: Day of the Jackal, Diplomat, Last of Us, Night Agent; Your Friends & Neighbors +books, films, music, podcasts, politics

George Santayana had irrational faith in reason - I have irrational faith in TV.

Showing posts with label King Arthur. Show all posts

Monday, July 31, 2017

Game of Thrones 7.3: Alliances

A conversation for the ages between Jon and Daenerys on Game of Thrones 7.3 tonight, with each not giving an inch, dignified and persuasive, and in the end, Daenerys agreeing more or less to help in the fight against the dead in the North.

Daenerys is not doing well in her other fight, against the Lanisters in red. Jaime faked out the Unsullied, had them attack a place where the bulk of the Lanister army was not, and in the process sent Olenna Tyrell to her just desert, too - just insofar as she horribly murdered Jaime's son Joffrey, who more than deserved to die, though not from Jaime's point of view - at least, not completely.

In this episode, every word in every conversation, every second, counts - much more so than in previous seasons. So it was also powerful to see Bran come home after all of these years, and it was good to see Mormont saved - especially good because the agent of the save was Sam.

A few more words about that. There was something truly mythical about that saving, in the sense that Lord of the Rings and King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable are the stuff of myth. Not only that, but as I mentioned in a previous review, something Asimovian too, with Sam toiling in the Game of Thrones of equivalent of the Library of Trantor.

So what will Mormont now do with his second life? No doubt something crucial on behalf of his beloved Daenerys. And to return to the beginning of this reflection, she'll certainly need it. Though her dragons and their fire are no doubt the best weapon against the frozen hordes of the North, they're not invincible, not even against Lannister cunning and preparation.

Let the battles ensue and escalate.

"I was here, in Carthage, three months from now ..."

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Game of Thrones 6.8: Strategic Advantage

A strategically satisfying Game of Thrones 6.8 tonight, in which the game is played to better effect on multiple fronts than it often is.

My favorite was Jaime's retaking of the castle from the Blackfish, with one of the best interactions of Jaime and Brienne that we've seen so far in the series thrown into the bargain. With all their knightly courtesy and regretful promises to fight each other if need be, this seemed for all the world like a passage from King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. And that parting scene with Jaime waving to Brienne as she moved down the river was an especially memorable little icing on this cake.

Arya had one of the best nights in years, too. Her seeking refuge with the Game of Thrones play-within-a-play Shakespearean troupe and its deadly outcome for the actress in this troupe playing Cersei was a perfect parable about the dangers of mixing reality and fantasy, truth and fiction, which could provide a good lesson for our lives in general.

And Cersei herself has an excellent night, finally getting something of the upper hand over that sanctimonious Sparrow, courtesy of that huge, super knight she has at her disposal. The fly in her ointment in that too-good son of hers, but as irritating as he is, he's still preferable to his late older brother.

The joke session with Tyrion, the unsullied head, and Daenerys's chief assistant was also a gem, with some pretty good jokes and meta-jokes thrown onto the floor. And what more could you ask for than Daenerys herself delivered to the top of the pyramid by her dragon at just the right moment.

Not much going in the bitter north tonight, but lots is clicking into place in all parts south, and the coming attractions promise of big battle for Winterfell next week.

See also Game of Thrones 6.1: Where Are the Dragons ... Game of Thrones 6.2: The Waking ... Game of Thrones 6.5: Origin of a Name ... Game of Thrones 6.6: The Exhortation ... Game of Thrones 6.7: Giveth and Taketh

And see also Game of Thrones 5.1: Unsetting the Table ... Game of Thrones 5.8: The Power of Frigid Death ... Game of Thrones 5.9: Dragon in Action; Sickening Scene with Stannis ... Game of Thrones Season 5 Finale: Punishment

And see also Games of Thrones Season 4 Premiere: Salient Points ... Game of Thrones 4.2: Whodunnit? ... Game of Thrones 4.3: Who Will Save Tyrion ...Game of Thrones 4.4: Glimpse of the Ultimate Battle ... Game of Thrones 4.6: Tyrion on Trial ... Game of Thrones 4.8: Beetles and Battle ...Game of Thrones 4.9: The Fight for Castle Black ... Games of Thrones Season 4 Finale: Woven Threads

"challenging fun"
- Entertainment Weekly

e-mail received from a reader:
Dear Paul, I just dreamed of airships flying between raindrops. I just returned from 2042 CE, where I sold my hardcover copy of The Plot to Save Socrates for seventy million Neo-Euros, because it had your response to this e-mail from way back in 2007 scotch-taped onto the inside of the cover. A Paul Levinson collector paid top Neo-Euro, because of the authentic archaic e-mail printout from you. It turns out that not many of your e-mails from before your tenure as CEO of HBO/Cinemax and terms as United Nations Secretary General will survive that far into the future. So, please respond to this e-mail, to help found my great-grandchildren's fortune. My Will will stipulate that they must share with your great grandchildren. Thanks! Tom

I of course happily replied...

42 reviews of The Plot to Save Socrates!