Chatterbox - still talking nonsense

Murderbot . - this series continued to be both gripping and fun, and by the end with a suitably satisfying ending that leaves room for more.  I love the way Alexander Skarsgård plays Murderbot as seriously uptight but with swirling roboty emotions he doesn't know what to do with - that can be bleakly funny a lot of the time and sometimes it's just sweet.  I love the homages to schlocky sci-fi which is both explicit and also tucked away for us to trip over on occasions.  I have really enjoyed the character development of the hippie scientist group from Preservation Alliance who manage to be both insufferably righteous, and also lovably messed up and human, particularly the gruff and suspicious Gurathin (David Dastmalchian).  I have seen Noma Dumezweni who plays the leader Dr Ayda Mensah in smaller roles, so it's good to see her stretching her wings in a lead - she also has such a calming voice I would definitely follow her into whatever risky but ethical stance she wa...

Rosamund Pike is the absolute heart of this new play by Suzie Miller, the writer behind Prima Facie .  This play is mining related ground and can definitely be seen as a partner piece.  Although I guessed the way things were going to go, this was beautifully executed by all the cast. Jess (Pike) is a successful and compassionate judge, and she is also a good wife to Michael (Jamie Glover) who she has beaten in the race to KC and then the bench.   As in Prima Facie , Jess is confronted with a situation that she sees every day at work but this time it is personal.  A feminist force at work, Jess is not so forceful at home, also being the sexy and accomodating wife to the lazy but self absorbed Michael, and she is also trying to be a good mother to Harry who is now 18, played well by Jasper Talbot as that uniquely teenage mix of confidence and independence mixed with clutziness and neediness.  The accomodations she makes for her different roles are clearly lai...

Jack Lowden and Martin Freeman are excellent in this intense but very funny two hander.  Luka (Lowden) is looking for a sponsor to help him through his AA programme and James (Freeman) is the older man who steps into that role.  Luka is a bundle of nervous energy, bouncing legs and fidgeting, whereas James is suave and under control.   The play looks at what it means to put your trust in someone or something else, whether that’s a person. a programme or a religion and what happens when that turns out to be imperfect.  And it explores those themes very well.  But also, it’s very funny, with quick and smart lines thrown out with perfect timing for us to catch.  The laughs are so fast and frequent it’s possible to forget that there is also a drama there too. I liked the musical choices too, opening with 'I ’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)' by Johnny Cash and an addict himself of course, which set the scene for what was co...

Day 1 - A journey  An easy flight on Finnair, into an almost deserted Helsinki airport.  Probably because they had the time, everyone was questioned about their itinerary, and all of the conversation around the bag pick up was about what people had been asked about.  I have to say this is the first time my Expedia app has ever been useful.  We got the train from the airport, and arrived at this spectacular art deco station. The hotel is in a huge square just around from the station, and after settling into our rooms (another hotel without any mirrors near a desk) we went out for a basic dinner and a walk to get our bearings.  Of course I was expecting it but it's lovely to see it still light at midnight; I think sunset is officially 11pm, but basically it stays dusk all night.    We found a lovely garden esplanade which runs along to the market/harbour area in the centre of town.  It has some exhibits from the Helsinki Biennal on display, but perh...

Murderbot - this is a sci-fi comedy drama with a Deadpool sensibility.  Murderbot is a security robot that has developed free will and if the company find out he will be scrapped.  He finds humans incredibly irritating but if he lets them die he will be scrapped.  Therefore he keep his clients (a well meaning but slightly incompetent bunch of scientists) alive. He’s addicted to watching schlocky sci fi series and spends most of his time watching those and using them to understand human behaviour. Silly and funny but also endearing,  this makes me laugh and the episodes are all less than 30 minutes long which is another bonus as far as I am concerned. ( series streaming on Appletv+)   Heretic - I am loving High Grant’s post romcom career.  He plays a brilliant creepy monster in this horror thriller.  Witty and smart with plenty of stuff to unpick.   It had an annoyingly open metaphysical sort of ending which I think was supposed to be meanin...