You Could Be So Much Better.

[rionaleonhart]

Watched the Derren Brown: Behind the Mischief documentary last night, and I had forgotten how freaking charming Derren Brown is. HE COOKS BREAKFAST WITH HIS PET PARROT PERCHED ON HIS SHOULDER, HOW ADORABLE IS THAT. HE PRETENDS TO EAT THE CAMERA LIKE A DORK. And The Heist is still just stunning. The replication of the Milgram experiment is so distressing to watch.

(When I watch Danny's 'you bastard' to Derren at the end, all I can think of is David Mitchell and Richard Ayoade in The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz:

Derren: (after the clip of Danny's post-robbery reaction in The Heist is played) Your question is this: what did I make him do that made him call me a bastard?
(...)
Carr: What have you gone for, Richard and David?
Mitchell: We think that he made him come in his pants. The way he was, you know, bending over - 'you bastard, you bastard' - there was definitely a sort of breathless ecstasy to that.
Ayoade: He seemed quite pleased about it.
Mitchell: There was certainly a sort of wily grin there.
Ayoade: And then do a bank heist afterwards.
Mitchell: Yeah. We also thought there could be the bank thing slightly involved, too.

And, erm, it actually does look very sexual, now that they mention it.)


Also, I have now finished the first series of Misfits! I was a little worried that Curtis' superpower would be used purely to go 'EXCITING CAN'T-BELIEVE-THEY-WENT-THERE PLOT DEVELOPMENT OH WAIT NO CURTIS TURNS BACK TIME TO MAKE IT NOT HAPPEN', but then the fourth episode was one of the most brilliant pieces of television I've ever watched, so I can forgive it. Wow. Curtis is so lovely! (Making sure Kelly is all right, awww.) And Nathan is hilarious. And Simon simultaneously breaks my heart and makes me go AUGH SIMON YOU ARE SO CREEPY STOP BEING CREEPY.

The scene where Curtis appeals to Nathan for help in the car park made me crow with laughter and rewind to watch it again. NATHAN, YOU PRAT. You should know better by now, Curtis.

And then the fifth episode managed to include quite a few of my favourite things. Manipulative age-gap shouldn't-be-doing-this relationships in which one party is painfully selfconscious, yeah. Also, most endearing tale of attempted arson I've ever heard. (I have the very strong sense that Simon is bisexual and that Blond Git is his ex-boyfriend. Is this just years of fandom warping my perspective?)

AND THEN THE LAST EPISODE OF SERIES ONE HAS POSSIBLY THE CRUELEST FINAL SHOT OF A SERIES EVER. Bloody hell.

So, yes, the first series of Misfits is really, really good. I'm deeply intrigued.

Comments

[honeyfitz.livejournal.com]

Derren night was fantastic. It knew Enigma wouldn't be the same on TV as they had to cut so much out...but that ending still blew my mind. Yes, I chose the confetti XD

I LOVE The Heist, I'm glad it was chosen as the favourite, although I think Something Wicked... or Evening of Wonders are my faves. Broken glass? Nnnnnghhh YES.

[rionaleonhart]

I can't remember what I chose when I went. I imagine that was Derren's plan all along. And the McFly bit at the end was a joy. I wanted to link to a video in this entry, but alas Channel 4 is blocking all the good-quality ones in the UK.

Ahahaha, I love Something Wicked for all the wrong reasons. That was the first I saw of Derren Brown, actually, and possibly the fastest I've ever found myself attracted to someone. HE PUT A PLASTIC BAG OVER HIS HEAD AND THEN LAY DOWN ON BROKEN GLASS AND IT WAS REALLY SEXY.

[honeyfitz.livejournal.com]

I don't quite get the deal with Channel 4/4OD blocking all their vids in the UK o_O

It really is the most erotic sight, isn't it? Plus even hammer + nose + nail + Bach (I seem to remember it being Bach but I might have been wrong) = HOT FUCKER.

HE PUT A PLASTIC BAG OVER HIS HEAD AND THEN LAY DOWN ON BROKEN GLASS AND IT WAS REALLY SEXY.
OH I HEAR YOU \o/ \o/ \o/

[elfwhistletree.livejournal.com]

*high fives you*

I got the DVD of Misfits for Xmas (delivered late) and we're now at exactly the same place as you, after watching for three nights in a row - it's a long time since the MIB and I have had something to watch where we look at each other at 12:45pm and say "just one more episode" - "oh, go on, then" ;-)

I'm trying fairly hard to avoid spoilers, because the plotting has some elegant surprises, but it is fun to speculate :-)

It's a lovely mix of hilarious, and soppy, and exciting, and nicely observed, and at no point in the first series have I been forced to shout at the screen because the characters have made an obvious out-of-character mistake, or failed to use some knowledge or skill that was clearly available to them. That fact that there powers are unreliable helps a lot with this.

Series 2 had goo reviews from my flist too - I'm hoping to make it last another week or so!

Basically this post has no point but synchronised squee!

[elfwhistletree.livejournal.com]

Also, the Derren Brown reference (in episode 6?) made me think of you, of course :-)

[rionaleonhart]

I am always up for some synchronised squeeing! It's so well done. (I'd forgotten about the Derren Brown reference, and now I sort of want fanfiction in which they find out that the storm gave Derren actual psychic powers.)

the MIB and I

...you were watching it with the Men in Black?

[elfwhistletree.livejournal.com]

Yes, the Misfits plot would make an excellent back story for Derren :-)

Just one MIB - I reckon I get to make up a nickname for anyone I know in real life who doesn't have their own LJ or other online pseudonym - this amuses me. So I have "Jeff" (who is Welsh), "Captain Enthusiastic" (who will soon be 11 years old) and my other half, whose wardrobe does contain other colours, but they never come off the hangers ;-)

Sometimes these people then go and get LJs, but I can just about cope with that if I try.

[dracothelizard.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Big Fat Quizzes, I found the 2010 one on YouTube! No one mentioned Jonathan Ross has blatantly quit the BBC to focus on his attempt to become a supervillain! No one grows a goatee/moustache combo like THAT without at least trying to get himself a volcanic lair. Also, the Mitchell-Brook primary schoolplays were ADORABLE.

I may have slightly massively watched ALL Misfits episodes in the last few days. Uhm. YES EPISODE FOUR. I am ENTIRELY in favour of timey-wimeyness and the consequences of one's actions. Also, I don't think Blond Git is an ex-boyfriend, as they stopped speaking when they went to secondary school, which I think is a bit young for boyfriends, but maybe Simon had a bit of a crush on him anyway.

EPISODE SIX GAVE ME THE CREEPS. WELL-MEANING VILLAINS ARE THE WORST. Argh.

[emmarrrrr.livejournal.com]

CONGRATUWELLDONE, I CAN NOW NEVER UNSEE JONATHON ROSS AS A SUPERVILLAIN.

[wossy60.livejournal.com]

im not a supervilan im nice :(((

[rionaleonhart]

His facial hair was impressive, wasn't it?

'If things had been slightly different, what would have happened?' is one of my favourite storyline concepts, so I was basically guaranteed to like that episode from the beginning, and then it was also brilliantly written and generally a joy all over. Yes.

Er, yes, good point about their ages. Simon having a crush on him would make more sense, especially as he clearly doesn't have much experience in relationships. Perhaps that could have caused their falling-out. WHO KNOWS? (Quite possibly everyone who has watched the second series knows. I need to catch up.)

And, yes, episode six was horrifying.

[emmarrrrr.livejournal.com]

YOU HAVE SOMEHOW CAPTURED ALL OF MY FEELINGS FOR MISFITS.

Alas, I was spoiled for the end of the series, so I wasn't quite as shocked as I might have been but I STILL DID NOT EXPECT THEM TO LEAVE IT WHERE THEY DID, OH.

Also Simon is so creepy. STOP IT SIMON, I WANT TO LOVE YOU BUT YOU'RE TOO CREEPY SOMETIMES. Although the CD he gave Kelly made me d'awwww.

[rionaleonhart]

I already knew Nathan's superpower, so I wasn't as horrified by his impalement as I might otherwise have been, but I wasn't expecting them to actually bury him. My goodness.

The CD he gave Kelly was lovely. And he so wants to be accepted as their friend, bless him. BE LESS CREEPY, SIMON, AND YOU MAY FIND THAT YOUR DREAM BECOMES ACHIEVABLE.

[amy-wolf.livejournal.com]

Derren would so use his mind powers to get men to come in their pants. Under circumstances just annoying enough to get them to call him a bastard (although probably not in the middle of a bank heist).

[rionaleonhart]

I can definitely believe that of him. He's such a great character! I should go back to writing fanfiction about him at some point.

[darkest-alchemy.livejournal.com]

Derren has made me want a little parrot now.

Enigma was awesome but I wish there was a plastic bag and broken glass involved in there somewhere.

[rionaleonhart]

The parrot was adorable. I can't remember what he was saying when it was onscreen at all, because I was so busy going 'awww, it's climbing onto his other shoulder!'

And, yes, there's always room for more broken glass when Derren Brown is performing.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_solaeris/]

I spent a few days mainlining the existing episodes of Misfits, and it is really damn good. So unconventional! So nervy! First this, and then Downton Abbey, which I just finished... British television should win all the awards, I swear to god.

[rionaleonhart]

I actually think that the US tends to do drama better than we do, but Misfits (along with Life on Mars) is an example of really good British drama. I'm loving it to bits.

[cobecat.livejournal.com]

...you need to stop getting so adorably excited about these shows and making me want to watch them. All of them. During my thesis year. Dammit, Riona.


oh dear gods this show is full of British accents, must watch it NOW

[rionaleonhart]

I'm sorry! I can't help it!

Nathan's accent is a joy to the ear. Waaaaatch iiiiit. BUT ALSO WRITE YOUR THESIS.

Post Comment

[(Anonymous)]

Great stuff. Thank you and please write more, but kartnok not enough!

[ontophantoms.livejournal.com]

This post made me stay up late last night watching Big Fat Quizzes and clips of Derren Brown and spend today watching the rest of S1 Misfits.


Thank you for that.


(Also, my prediction for mysterious guy in the helmet: the BMX Bandit.)

[rionaleonhart]

This comment made me punch the air. VICTORY.

Erm, sorry.

Victory.

[fuzzywezzy.livejournal.com]

You made me want to check Derren Brown's stuff (so I'll not be left out) but you will not make me watch Misfits you temptress !

(and I had the (mis)fortune to read the comments before going to bed and that result into a dream about villain!Wossy and he had a white cat that could transform into a giant mecha and Richard Hammond had to stop him (and he was a sailor senshi with a leather fuku but that's just a detail)even tho I've just made a fool out of myself and probably freak you out,I still blame all of you)