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It's been a while again, but here's a quick precis of some of the stuff we've been watching.

Masters of Sex An old one, from about a decade ago. Nominally based on the lives of Masters and Johnson the sex researchers, but the story's almost entirely invented. Michael Sheen was excellent, obviously, because he always is, and there was a solid supporting cast too. Solid is honestly the word I'd use to describe the whole series. I was never bored by it, even though it got a bit too soap opera-y for my tastes at times. There was one truly excellent, spell-binding episode, 2x03, which showed exactly why bottle stories can be so awesome. Most if it was just fine.

Severance season 2 Good stuff. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first season, because I really enjoyed the claustrophobic set up of that, and the second season spent a lot more time in the wider world with the outies. But it told its story and followed up on its themes well, digging into all the messy ethical conundrums and the reasons why people would choose to do that to themselves. And the ending was definitely A Choice and a statement. A great example of writers telling their story and wrapping it up when and how they want to - something that doesn't happen often enough in TV.

Andor season 2 Awesome sauce! Genuinely good with the politics and the social commentary and the choices that people have to make when they commit to revolution. I like Diego Luna more the more I see of him, and Stellan Skarsgard as Luthen was epic. Great to see Elizabeth Dulau get the chance to show her stuff as Kleya too. I do wish they'd had more episodes for the story, so they could have dug in a little more with fewer time skips, but the writers did an amazing job with the scope they were given. (I love Mon Mothma's clothes too - I would wear some of her outfits!)

The Pitt I heard it was good, so it was vaguely on The List, and then I started to see the Old Man Yaoi cross my tumblr dash, so it got bumped up the list - and it didn't disappoint in either :-) Great story-telling, with some very topical and pointy storylines, and I am absolutely on board with the Robby/Abbot. Really glad this one's getting a second series.

Black Mirror season 7 The usual Black Mirror mixed bag. The first episode said all the right things about technology and creeping enshittification, but it was too predictable and obvious. Eulogy was a fantastic ep - another great bottle story with a main cast of just two, dealing with missed opportunities and miscommunication, and the way grief twists memory and understanding. Hotel Reverie was also great - beautifully filmed and sad, because there's no good ending to falling in love with someone who isn't real.

Moriarty the Patriot I don't watch much anime any more, because I only have one person now who still recs me any. But that one friend knows what I like and this one was right up my alley :-) What if Moriarty was committing all his crimes not to be evil or to get rich, but for A Cause? I was very much into this Moriarty and his little team of enablers. Then Sherlock turned up and I was bored initially, because I wanted more Moriarty! But Sherlock knows instantly that something's up with Moriarty, and he starts to dig into the crimes and the man, and I loved the way that played out. Just the one season of this anime - it tells its story and it wraps it up in a way that I found immensely satisfying for the characters. The ending wasn't convincing me as the fix it was presented as for the greater narrative, but I was there for the characters anyway.

I went hiking yesterday! Something I've done almost none of this year, with all the stuff going on taking up my time, with planning permission and Kuro being chronically ill and just ugh. When I got back from the birdwatching weekend in Yakima, I said, 'And now I'll start going hiking!' and then promptly twisted my knee weeding the garden, so didn't hike for three weeks while it stopped aching.

Anyway, hiking happened!

I've done Mirror Lake before, but last time I did the longer route via the Pacific Crest Trail. You need a high clearance vehicle to get there unfortunately (I went with a friend that time). So with my very much not-high-clearance car, I took the shorter route, and figured that would be better for testing out my knee anyway.

( Mirror Lake - the short version )

One of the many reasons a clover lawn is superior to a grass lawn. The bees like the flowers, and it feeds the rabbits and deer.



All the construction going on hasn't stopped the visitors!