cactuswatcher (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cactuswatcher) wrote2014-03-14 08:03 am
cactuswatcher) wrote2014-03-14 08:03 am
Reign
As usual I caught the last few minutes of Dawson's Creek With Vampires The Vampire Diaries, and as usual I tuned out 90% of the dialog. At one point in the over-serious drone, it seemed that it must be horrendously boring to be a vampire and have nothing but high-school-like rivalries and crushes to talk about for hundreds of years. At one point for the zillionth time a vampire asks his girl (I don't know if she was human or not and don't care) what she thought when she first learned he was a vampire, it felt the situation just screamed for some jarring vampire humor. She should have answered in that same over-earnest tone, "I thought that... (drum roll)... YOU SUCK! (cymbal crash)... Get it? You suck!" Okay, not that funny, but it had to be better than whatever she said.
It turns out that there was intentional humor in Reign last night, good old-fashioned, low-brow, irreverent, black humor. And I really enjoyed it.
Okay, there was some unintentional humor in there, too.
The ruler of Bohemia, the Archduke, arrives to threaten war against France for attacking one of his country's ships. For some unknown reason (other than the episode's running joke) he brings his sister with him. TV King Henry does not ask the pointed questions real-life Henry would have asked, "Ship??? What lake was this Bohemian ship on??? How did our ship get anywhere near yours? Your country has always been landlocked on the other side of Europe... Now that I think of it, Archduke??? Hasn't Bohemia been a kingdom for hundreds of years? And the current King of Bohemia is the Holy Roman Emperor, isn't he? Who the hell are you?" No, TV Henry desires peace, at least for the sake of the joke.
The weather in the France of Reign is truly bizarre. As we established last time, the wedding of Mary and Francis at Notre Dame occurred in late April. This episode must be at least a few weeks after that, since they make a point of saying the couple has been away from home for two months. At the palace/castle where the main action takes place it's quite warm. The king leaves his windows uncovered and open (important for the running joke). Neither the king nor the queen puts on a wrap to do their little chore outside. It's mid-May or later. No problem. However, a few short hours horse-ride from the palace, there is a lot of snow on the ground. One of the new characters even points out to Bash there is snow on the ground almost everywhere. But back at the palace it's nice and warm.
Perhaps the silliest thing in the episode is Mary's reaction to the Lola plot. Boo hoo, Mary is hurt because, her lady-in-waiting had a fling with Francis. Let's see. In the past few months Mary's tried fairly successfully to ruin both her husband, and his step-brother. At the the time of the fling, Francis was
a) totally disinherited because of Mary
b) in exile because of Mary
c) afraid his mother was going to be executed because of Mary
and d) personally rejected by Mary
How dare Francis sleep with another woman?!?!
To be fair to Mary, I have to admit the royal men on the show do all seem to be addicted to consolation-prize sex. Henry gets shot down by his wife so he has dangerous, how-I'd-like-to-send-another-one-out-the-window sex with Kenna. Sebastian is scant hours from declaring his undying love for Mary, when he's off seducing the hunter girl in the woods.
It's too bad I can't see that kind of comedy in The Vampire Diaries, though it's probably there.
It turns out that there was intentional humor in Reign last night, good old-fashioned, low-brow, irreverent, black humor. And I really enjoyed it.
Okay, there was some unintentional humor in there, too.
The ruler of Bohemia, the Archduke, arrives to threaten war against France for attacking one of his country's ships. For some unknown reason (other than the episode's running joke) he brings his sister with him. TV King Henry does not ask the pointed questions real-life Henry would have asked, "Ship??? What lake was this Bohemian ship on??? How did our ship get anywhere near yours? Your country has always been landlocked on the other side of Europe... Now that I think of it, Archduke??? Hasn't Bohemia been a kingdom for hundreds of years? And the current King of Bohemia is the Holy Roman Emperor, isn't he? Who the hell are you?" No, TV Henry desires peace, at least for the sake of the joke.
The weather in the France of Reign is truly bizarre. As we established last time, the wedding of Mary and Francis at Notre Dame occurred in late April. This episode must be at least a few weeks after that, since they make a point of saying the couple has been away from home for two months. At the palace/castle where the main action takes place it's quite warm. The king leaves his windows uncovered and open (important for the running joke). Neither the king nor the queen puts on a wrap to do their little chore outside. It's mid-May or later. No problem. However, a few short hours horse-ride from the palace, there is a lot of snow on the ground. One of the new characters even points out to Bash there is snow on the ground almost everywhere. But back at the palace it's nice and warm.
Perhaps the silliest thing in the episode is Mary's reaction to the Lola plot. Boo hoo, Mary is hurt because, her lady-in-waiting had a fling with Francis. Let's see. In the past few months Mary's tried fairly successfully to ruin both her husband, and his step-brother. At the the time of the fling, Francis was
a) totally disinherited because of Mary
b) in exile because of Mary
c) afraid his mother was going to be executed because of Mary
and d) personally rejected by Mary
How dare Francis sleep with another woman?!?!
To be fair to Mary, I have to admit the royal men on the show do all seem to be addicted to consolation-prize sex. Henry gets shot down by his wife so he has dangerous, how-I'd-like-to-send-another-one-out-the-window sex with Kenna. Sebastian is scant hours from declaring his undying love for Mary, when he's off seducing the hunter girl in the woods.
It's too bad I can't see that kind of comedy in The Vampire Diaries, though it's probably there.
no subject
Though, I suppose, the ghost of Francis Valois must be very excited to know that after 450 years of being famously incapable, he know has affairs, mistresses, and a love child.