Rediscovering the Excitement

I set out to write a nice light post about the first episode of the new season of Wynonna Earp, the movie The Colour of Space, the first season of HBO’s Perry Mason and the first season of Warrior Nun. 

But I ended up in a bit of a diatribe about how the entertainment alternatives that seemed so numerous and satisfying before the pandemic, now seem inadequate to fight off the ennui and despair that continues to undermine us during and in the wake of the first wave of the pandemic. Maybe it’s a stress thing; we find it harder to cut loose and enjoy anything in the lower functioning state most of us have adopted.

Sports teams are playing weird, shortened seasons for remote audiences. TV, the music industry and publishing have all stalled out. There’s very little new entertainment coming out and most of us have finished watching, reading, and listening to work we would be naturally inclined to enjoy. We’re panning for gold in places we wouldn’t ordinarily be inclined to look for it. And our critical minds are on overdrive, so we’re harder to satisfy. Relevant material rubs our faces in the dilemmas we’re facing, while escapist entertainments have never seemed more trite.

There are few distractions from the disturbing realities. We’re depressed by the huge range of new stressors including; lack of vacations; loss of employment; loss of business; loss of residences; adjusting to virtual workplaces, and reduction of relationship possibilities. We’re filled with fear not only of the virus and the havoc is threatens to wreak, but also because of climate change and the natural disasters that come with it; and especially because of the political situations in the Americas and Britain. (if you live in Russia or China, please share your opinion about the state of the republic in those places?) It would be interesting to know if the stark divisiveness that has come into being here is making a playing out similarly in Asia.

In Canada we have a government that sometimes seems like the walking dead. Paralyzed in a tightrope walk between the corporate dictates a of capitalist economy - and an apprehension (bordering on paranoia) of Canada’s increasingly vocal and intolerant ‘woke culture.” Divisiveness has never been more obvious or profound. “You’re either with us or against us” is a tough row to hoe for a government that desperately wants to please everybody.

In the U.S., the pendulum has clearly swung so far in one direction it has become lodged there and everyone is waiting with bated breath to if it pulls free and swings back towards centre, or stays where it is and causes anarchy not just in America, but the entire world.

A moral compass is a hindrance in a world governed by chaos. But without one, life gets confusing and terrifying. Both states are incredibly stress inducing.

As far as those reviews go – the only one of the four shows I mentioned that can be taken at all seriously is Perry Mason – which is very dark and angsty and slow. I’m surprised as hell it got picked up for a second season and suspect it’s only the lack of viewing options that gave it the numbers required to make that happen. On the other hand, it is really exquisite looking has a great cast. But really, so far it’s only earned about a 3/5 in my mind.

Wynonna Earp seems to get sillier each season. It’s incredibly trivial, but definitely fun – that can be depended on a couple laugh out loud moments every episode. And it addresses LGBT issues - or at least brushes up fearlessly against them, so I’ll give it 7/10, just to make it clear I don’t really have any kind of rating system.

I can't really remember the Lovecraft novel that provided the source material for 2019 movie, The Colour Out of Space, but the setting has clearly been updated. And since it was probably 40 years ago that I read it, I can't remember if the novel was as pointless as this film. But it doesn't feel as though it addresses anything - even allegorically. Although entertaining enough to avoid being a complete waste of time - you'd be wise to slot it for a timeframe when you wouldn't have accomplished much anyway.

Warrior Nun is not much more than it sounds like. An occasionally fun distraction from real issues with a vague suggestion that it's saying something about the church or organized religion that it doesn't really follow through on. 3/10 is generous, but somehow I keep on watching.

But The Umbrella Academy  is here, And if the rest of the season lives up to the promise of the first 10 minutes of season 2, it should be a heck of a ride!

Get the scoop on my new novel, The Human Template at https://dalelsproule.com.