KD^3C^3 - 20241222 She shot the beam of a laser Into my heart
I almost forgot to write anything for the newsletter this week.
By which I mean I forgot to write anything and I am also having trouble thinking of what to write.
Yesterday was the solstice, so we are literally, if not metaphorically, past the longest night.
Survivor season 48 ended last week. This season was often frustrating for the same reasons I find any season frustrating. I think the producers have come to over rely on advantages and twists in the gameplay instead of letting the players drive the game. The season before this one had (I believe) a record number of players go home with an idol in their pocket and while that is compelling in the moment, I think it shows that people are too worried about the gameplay implications of the advantages to use them effectively. Also this season exposed the ridiculous nature of the Shot in the Dark, a one time use advantage where you can give up your vote at tribal council for a 1 in 6 chance of immunity. The goal from the producers’ standpoint was to create tension in the votes, someone could always play it and there was a chance it would ruin everyone’s plan. But it has only ever been used successfully once and this season the players gave up their shots in the dark unanimously in exchange for rice. So clearly the players didn’t think it was as powerful as the producers did. But on the other hand I’m pretty happy it wasn’t a consideration for the rest of the season agate that point. And the rest of the game was good from a gameplay standpoint and I am happy with the eventual winner.
I watched three hallmark style Christmas movies this week. And also the Captain Underpants movie. I can recommend that over the others. Which isn’t necessarily a slight against hallmark style Christmas romance movies, but Captain Underpants managed to surprise me, which isn’t what the other movies were trying to do. Surprise is not high on the list of goals for hallmark adjacent Christmas movies.
Also I watched the latest Jason Statham movie, The Beekeper. It’s mostly a Jason Statham movie, but also it has a lot of lore about bees. Jason Statham plays a guy who keeps bees, but also is a secret government agent called The Beekeeper, and uses bee metaphors for everything. It isn’t subtle, but you don’t watch a Jason Statham movie for subtle.
Ok, I think that’s all I got in me this week. We will try again next time.
By which I mean I forgot to write anything and I am also having trouble thinking of what to write.
Yesterday was the solstice, so we are literally, if not metaphorically, past the longest night.
Survivor season 48 ended last week. This season was often frustrating for the same reasons I find any season frustrating. I think the producers have come to over rely on advantages and twists in the gameplay instead of letting the players drive the game. The season before this one had (I believe) a record number of players go home with an idol in their pocket and while that is compelling in the moment, I think it shows that people are too worried about the gameplay implications of the advantages to use them effectively. Also this season exposed the ridiculous nature of the Shot in the Dark, a one time use advantage where you can give up your vote at tribal council for a 1 in 6 chance of immunity. The goal from the producers’ standpoint was to create tension in the votes, someone could always play it and there was a chance it would ruin everyone’s plan. But it has only ever been used successfully once and this season the players gave up their shots in the dark unanimously in exchange for rice. So clearly the players didn’t think it was as powerful as the producers did. But on the other hand I’m pretty happy it wasn’t a consideration for the rest of the season agate that point. And the rest of the game was good from a gameplay standpoint and I am happy with the eventual winner.
I watched three hallmark style Christmas movies this week. And also the Captain Underpants movie. I can recommend that over the others. Which isn’t necessarily a slight against hallmark style Christmas romance movies, but Captain Underpants managed to surprise me, which isn’t what the other movies were trying to do. Surprise is not high on the list of goals for hallmark adjacent Christmas movies.
Also I watched the latest Jason Statham movie, The Beekeper. It’s mostly a Jason Statham movie, but also it has a lot of lore about bees. Jason Statham plays a guy who keeps bees, but also is a secret government agent called The Beekeeper, and uses bee metaphors for everything. It isn’t subtle, but you don’t watch a Jason Statham movie for subtle.
Ok, I think that’s all I got in me this week. We will try again next time.