Thought Corner: What I've Been Watching (2021)....

It’s been a long time since I last talked about the TV shows and movies I’ve been watching. To be more specific, I haven’t done anything since my 2020 Favorites: Media post back in December 2020. So it’s been a while. There’s been some good stuff lately, and I want to talk about a few of them.

 

• A Discovery of Witches season 2 (2021)

I really enjoyed the first season of A Discovery of Witches, and I was interested in the second one. At the time of writing this, I haven’t read all of the first three books—only the second one with a copy of the third on my shelf. So I was interested in seeing how the show would transition from a wholly modern setting to the historical era during the time traveling portions of the story. And from what I remember of Shadow of Night (and it’s been a while since I read it), season 2 was a really good adaptation of the source material. Much of the cast stayed firmly in the present day timeline, while the second and probably one of the most vital parts of the narrative concerned Diana and Mathew. Specifically, it followed Diana’s study into her abilities, the search for the book, adventures in the past, and her deepening relationship with Mathew. Generally speaking, I like the somewhat literary take on the fantasy elements, as well as how much the events of the story are influenced by the book, Ashmole 782. The second season has already finished airing.

• SurrealEstate (2021)

I am a sucker for house stories, and SYFYs recent paranormal drama series (which began airing in July), SurrealEstate, satisfied that craving. It’s a show that leans into its cheesy and fun side—the jokes and witty one-liners are good—while also delivering on the spookier side of the shows concept. All around, it’s a fun series so far with episodes that revolve around surprisingly heartfelt stories. The show is pretty episodic, as each week it tackles a story about a different house (or houses) the Roman Real Estate agency plans to help get sold, despite its, um, supernatural issues. Overall, the team dynamic and spooky atmosphere is excellent, and I want to see more from this series.

• Legend (1985)

I have, at long last, watched Legend. This was one of the movies I was really excited to give a try, since I’ve been working my way through some of the classic eighties fantasies—think Labyrinth and the original Dark Crystal. Legend was the third one from that list. Overall, I liked the film. It was fun and campy. There were a few plot holes here and there, where some of the earlier villains just disappeared from the narrative and it was never explained. However, I liked the fantastical elements as well as how hard the film dug its heels into the dreamy fantasy aesthetic, particularly with its setting.

That’s what I’ve been watching recently. What series or movies have you been enjoying lately?