11 Comments

Interesting. I was under the impression that your view of Ahsoka was a lot more negative. I take it you found more to like?

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Sep 18, 2023·edited Sep 18, 2023Author

I'm generally always going to look at new Star Wars as a positive. Ahsoka is fine for what it is. My issue is it has no ambition than to be YA grade drama. I also recognize expecting / hoping for more is MY problem. I grew up, Star Wars didn't.

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We might be getting old, but I think wanting to revisit & relive the Lakers/Celtics rivalry is okay.

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Mike Butler wrote some good articles on Medium about "Winning Time"- breaking each episode down into its components. I certainly got a better sense of how the real events must have unfolded based on that.

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Winning Time is an absolute blast, so I'm very sad to see that HBO cancelled it.

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Cancelled?!?? What?! Why?????????

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TLDR is the writers and actors strikes. It sounded like it would have been good! I didn't watch it, but Kareem and Magic were not amused. The article that I read announcing the cancellation linked back to Kareem's diss of it last year on Substack, back before I joined. I'm torn between watching it in order to relive my youth and assess for myself if whoever plays Rambis lives up to the legend, or staying away to support my fave Kareem. I read his very well-reasoned response to the show here:

https://kareem.substack.com/p/winning-time-isnt-just-deliberately?s=r

Maybe I will watch just the first few episodes of the first season, just enough to where they start showing them playing basketball. I don't have Apple+ but Kareem mentions at the very end that there was a better show, a documentary called They Call Me Magic. Also, he mentions an Antoine Fuqua-directed 10-part docuseries on Hulu produced by the Lakers and has "the cooperation of all the players involved."

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Of course I'm going to nom-nom on some Deadwood! Al is maybe like Tony Soprano--too many inconvenient emotions, but they do surface. And also he's "boss" in a mostly lawless town (law-lite ?) and he can't afford sentimentality, but it's there. And then there's Trixie.... Yeah, come to Deadwood for the Olyphant, stay for Al F*&&^% Swearengen :) Gimme more, Pierce!!!! :)

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The Al / Tony Soprano likeness is undeniable in the broad strokes. And also in the "I love this guy and feel a bit conflicted about the whole thing" way.

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Right? Both ruthless; both "do what needs doing;" both are sort of family men (Al's is way more carny folk, but still...); and both are obsessed with power, survival, and reputation. If I had any video skills I'd do a Sopranos/Deadwood opening theme mashup :)

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