Sex Education s2, The Witcher, and Killing Eve

[impala_chick]

I probably shouldn't sign up for another fic exchange, but the ships and tags at idproquo look like so much fun!

I was disappointed by Sex Education season 2. I loved season one for its unashamed exploration of teenagers navigating sex/relationships together; and I really thought they were going to give us a wonderful male & female friendship. They shot both of those things to hell in S2. Miscommunication is probably one of my least favorite tropes (unless there is a really good reason to hide the ball), so I'm just annoyed by Maeve and Otis at this point.

I really love Adam's character, and I really liked how they seemed serious about NOT making it easy for him and Eric. But then they basically dropped the slow progression for a cliched public declaration! That said, I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't melt a lot. I'll still be watching next season and hoping my OTP gets to grow more, both together and apart.

I really liked Aimee's journey. The show did a great job of highlighting her struggle as she first tried to downplay it, and why even "little" assaults are really damaging. This is something that is so hard to explain to people involved in my field, and another reason why I appreciate the power of television.

I did appreciate the Jackson story line, and his relationship with his moms. He seemed to grow a ton this season. And that interpretation of Romeo and Juliet was stunning and hilarious. I'd pay money to see that play!

We finished The Witcher! It was fun to watch, although the timeline was all over the place. I know nothing about the game, which might have aided my understanding. I wanted more Geralt action scenes! The fight scenes really blew me away, especially the one with Renfri. I was so disappointed when her character was killed off. I was just starting to get to know her! I didn't really understand why they had to fight to the death, either. :/

Yennefer was not my favorite. Her transformation made me super uncomfortable. So she can only be a powerful witch if she's super hot? There is power in choosing what you look like, but the whole ritual nature of the transformation made it clear that she had to give up her ability to bear children (which seemed like a metaphor for - if you want to be powerful and beautiful, give up your womanhood). And then almost immediately after she made that choice, she was angry and wanted to have a child? She also seemed completely focused on herself and her own desires, until the last battle when her character seemingly did a 180 to try and protect all of the people she didn't give a shit about earlier in the show.

Jaskier was precious and hilarious, that's for sure. I'm not sure if I should be mad about the queer-baiting or just enjoy the excellent puns and songs.

And we just started Killing Eve. It's witty and weird, but it still seems to treat death seriously (which I like). I'm impressed with how they are portraying the serial killer as an actual psychopath. I'm immediately seeing the contrast with Lucifer, because Lucifer (the character and the show) treats death/mortality as a big joke in a lot of respects (and that makes the whole show feel silly sometimes).

Comments

[sylvanwitch]

RE: The Witcher and Yennefer's change of heart about having a baby. The timeframe is actually two lifetimes or more after the ritual transformation. (With the way the plot moves around, it's understandable to be confused; it does seem sudden, but it's actually decades later.) I believe it's motivated by two things: (1) the baby that is killed in her care; and (2) a desire to leave a legacy. Yennefer has reached a sort of passive death wish stage, when she's sort of done it all, seen it all, been it all, and being all-powerful and super-witchy isn't all it's cracked up to be. She realizes she'll have nothing left of her in the world after she's gone. (Hell, for as annoying as Jaskier can be [and adorable--I actually like Jaskier a lot], he does write songs about Geralt, which means even the Witcher gets a legacy. I think this annoys Yennefer.) I think that's ALSO what motivates her to fight in the last episode: She realizes that saving these people is a kind of legacy. Also, for as "I don't give a shit" as she behaves, Yennefer actually has an unhealthy co-dependence on Tissaia, and fear of losing her is, I believe, part of what motivates Yennefer at the end there, as well.

Of course, most of this is just my two cents from two watchings of the show. I haven't played the games nor read the books, so take that for what it's worth. :-)

[impala_chick]

Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate the insight. Decades later??? Oh man, I wish Netflix would have used date-stamps or been a tiny bit more obvious about the flashbacks. The aesthetics were really pretty, so maybe it's worth a re-watch to become more in-tune with the timeline. I did feel like her relationship with Tissaia was important and certainly charged, but I was left with the feeling that I wasn't sure how often they had interacted (if at all) after Yennefer left the school.

[sylvanwitch]

The only reason I had a clue the first time I watched it (and on a second watch it was a lot clearer because I knew what to look for) is because I saw a comment on Twitter about there being three parallel timelines in each episode. So the stuff happening to Geralt is at a different time than that happening to Yenn and again to Ciri, although the parts eventually coalesce in the last two eps. (I mean, obviously, Yenn and Geralt's timelines intersect sooner than that, but there is still this long passage of time later on.). It's not at all your fault you didn't catch the little time references; they were very subtle, and as I said, if I hadn't been alerted, I'd have been really confused a lot of the time.

[impala_chick]

I could tell that Ciri was in a different timeline, and Mousesack and the Queen were very identifiable characters so I could kind of tell when the show was jumping to different points with them. But Yennefer and Geralt meeting up was confusing to me - after her transformation, I could not tell when time had passed. This means that Geralt and Jaskier have been travel buddies for decades? Precious.

[nyctanthes]

I am so on the fence re: Sex Education. I watched all of S1, and it alternately annoyed and pleased me. I like many of the characters (esp. Eric and Jackson and Aimee) and the friendships and family relationships (Eric and his dad!).

BUT, the romances are all...argh (for me!) Especially Otis and Maeve, who are just...blergh. And their girl power moments are about as subtle as a punch to the face.

I am so articulate today. 😋

I was hoping S2 might focus less on the romance, but it sounds like it doesn't? I'm into the idea of Ola and Lily, but I think that's it.

[impala_chick]

Eric's dad wasn't in s2 at all! :( But I think Jackson and Aimee had wonderful story lines. Their storylines were the only ones not focused on romance, coincidentally.

Maeve and Otis drama took up too much of s2 imo, but Ola and Lily did have some really sweet moments towards the end of the season. I can't even think of any out pan characters in any other show, so it was great to see that.

[sapphire2309]

Oooh, same hat re: Killing Eve. i Really love when my serial killer characters are both undeniably Evil and also fun to watch.

I actually like Lucifer's take too, it's really nice to watch when I need a show to be utterly ridiculous about serious things. Like, yes, existence is a joke! It is such a cruel joke! Please be a magnificent bastard and make me laugh, Luce. But yeah, I see how that can be silly in a not-fun way.

[impala_chick]

Definitely! I should have clarified that I am enjoying them both. Because they are at opposite ends of the spectrum, I have found that it is hard for me to binge either of them, though. I get sucked into either feeling too nihilistic or too paranoid.

[sapphire2309]

Fair enough, yeah. I can binge them both, but only in very different moods.

Also, the Killing Eve soundtrack by Unloved is *amazing*. There's a couple of tracks by them that play in key moments - they were commissioned to make music for the show, as a matter of fact - and they are utterly Exquisite. 'Sigh' and 'Fail We May Sail We Must' are coming to mind right now. Also, of course, the ending theme, Xpectations.

[impala_chick]

The music has been incredible so far. I'll have to look up the soundtrack! I love when music is commissioned for TV shows - the right song can add so much to a scene.

[soundandvision]

If my bf hadn't explained the timelines I would have been so lost. Yennefer makes more sense when you know it's been a shitton of time between her becoming a sorceress and the end.

Though I still am annoyed they immediately tied her character development into wanting a baby. It was so weird in the midst of the shit show that was going on around her. Also, she literally could have gone to any town and gotten an orphan because everyone was dying because of the Nilfgaardians. However, the books were written by a man so.

At any rate, now you can write some Jasker/Geralt :P

[impala_chick]

Yeah, apparently the show spanned decades?? Man, I wish Netflix would have thrown up some date stamps or something.

Totally!! Why didn't adoption ever occur to her? I felt no motherly instinct from her, considering she didn't try to help any of the children/orphans or even the children at the magic school. Because of that whole encounter, it made it seem like her child obsession was more about power than anything else.

Lol, that is a good idea. I've definitely been reading a few :D