TV: Endgame, episode 3 "The Caffeine Hit". Endgame is a delightful spin on the Rex Stout Nero Wolfe stories. Arkady Balagan is world champion chess player who has developed agoraphobia following the murder of his wife. He pays his way by solving mysteries, using a doctoral student and the staff at the hotel where he stays as his Archie Goodwins. In this episode, Arkady helps a man with amnesia find out who he is and where his wife is.
Started watching Torchwood. I haven't decided how I feel about it yet. My first and only prior exposure to the show left me cold. Without having seen another episode, I could second guess everything that happened. Torchwood came across as very by the numbers. This time, as I'm starting at the beginning, it seems as if it's lacking something. Gwen points out as the series starts that the team is so used to dealing with alien and supernatural matters, they've forgotten how to be human. Halfway through the first season, Gwen has joined them. I'll assume this was Davies' intention.
I'm two episodes in to Crossbones. Blackbeard, played by John Malkovich, is up against agent of the crown Tom Lowe, played by Richard Coyle. The showrunner is Neil Cross, creator of Luther. It looks to be an examination of democracy, politics, and temporary autonomous zones.
With two episodes to go, I'm caught up on 24. This may be the best season of the show, with top acting.
Movies: Only Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and it's a rewatch. This one is definitely in my favorite caper/crime movies.
Short Fiction: "I Know How to Pick Them" by Lawrence Block in Dangerous Women and "The Metal Men of Mars" by Joe Lansdale in John Joseph Adams' ERB Mars tribute anthology, Under the Moons of Mars.
Novels: Finished Abaddon's Gate by James S. A. Corey. Near(-ish) future system space opera, third in their Expanse series. Corey manages to flesh out their universe more, up the stakes, and keep the status far from quo.
Started Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire, third in her InCryptid series. Very enthralling, very entertaining, and very good. At this book in the series, we've traded narrators and locations: in the suburbs and a zoo in Ohio instead of New York City, and following Alex Price, cryptoherpetologist, instead of his sister Verity, dancer.
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