What We've Been Watching--TV Series Edition

Haven't posted about TV in a while, and we've watched several shows.I'll start with two series: Vikings--Season Five and Outlander--Season Four

I enjoyed but was disappointed in both.

Jeff and I watched Vikings from the beginning. The  first four seasons focused on the charismatic Ragnar Lothbrok until his death in a snake pit about three-quarters through Season Four.

We continued to watch; I wanted to see what would happen to Ragner's wife Lagertha and his sons. But then came 20 episodes of Season Five. I think the show runners deliberately padded the story to drag out the season. Did they think the Floki in Iceland arc was interesting? It was excruciating, so boring. I couldn't even be bothered to find out who the characters were. The only scene I liked was when Floki found the cross deep in a cave in Iceland. It was the ultimate fuck you.

Season Six with another 20 episodes is on its way. I'll check it out, but not sure I'll stay for the long haul. 

Outlander started off strong. The first two episodes were violent, but the violence wasn't gratuitous. It was rooted in the time and place and the characters. In the first episode the excessive violence of Stephen Bonnet demonstrated the extent of his villainy--a fitting successor to Black Jack Randall of the first two seasons. The second episode highlighted the violence of the institution of slavery. The focus in episode three shifted from Jamie and Claire to Roger and Brianna. I didn't mind it for one episode, but the rest of the season was too Roger--Brianna centric for me.

My biggest problem with the season is that I hate Jamie as a father. Although he had no reason to doubt Lizzie's word, he shouldn't have beaten Roger without talking to Brianna. He interrupted and criticized Brianna when she was trying to explain what happened with Roger and Bonnet. When Roger finds out everything that happened to Brianna, Jamie expects him to immediately make a decision about his future. The guy traveled two hundred years into the past and spent months in captivity. Give him a chance to think.

The worst thing Jamie did was to counsel Brianna to forgive Bonnet while asking Murtagh to catch Bonnet for him. What a hypocrite. Just how was that going to work? Jamie, Claire, and Ian were headed to New York to find Roger and were expected to be gone for months. I imagined Bonnet escaping and victimizing Brianna again. Worst of all, Murtagh was arrested while trying to capture Bonnet, and Fergus had to  break him out of jail. Jamie could have lost two family members for his stupid revenge plot.

Other random thoughts. Aunt Jocasta is a great addition to the family. I hope to see more of her. I liked seeing Lord John Grey again. I could have done without Claire healing him from measles (?) I also didn't care about his (Jamie's biological) son. I hated the scene when Brianna visited Bonnet in jail for closure. I hope that doesn't come back to haunt her. I'll miss Ian but loved his acceptance by the Indians.