A couple of shows as a possible distraction

[genero81]

If you still have Netflix here's a couple of shows that may help take your mind off the 2020 election shenanigans.

The Barrier:

Spain, 2045.

The increasing scarcity of natural resources has turned the Western democracies into dictatorial regimes that justify the lack of freedoms with the promise of ensuring the survival of citizens. In Spain, along the same lines, a dictatorial government occupies power. Throughout this time, a virus is ravaging Spain. While life in rural areas becomes impossible, the capital Madrid has been divided into two tightly closed regions: Sector 1 (that of the government and the privileged) and Sector 2 (the rest). The only way to go from one area to another is to cross the barrier fence that separates them, for which there is a requirement to have the regulatory pass.

It's post WW3 Madrid. The scarcity of resources has resulted in disease. This is the reason for the barrier. Sector 1 is essentially a medical police state. There's a minister who's a benign soul but his wife is a ruthless sociopath who's disappearing children and using them at a secret medical facility as guinea pigs for vaccination experiments. She gets chosen to head what looks to be a full blown pathocracy that's coming to power from the shadows and is much worse. There's resistance movements, informants and other interesting elements. They're dolling out one episode a week but most of the season is available now. I recommend it.

The Queen's Gambit:

The Queen's Gambit is a fictional story that follows the life of an orphan chess prodigy named Beth Harmon from the age of nine to twenty-two during her quest to become the world's greatest chess player while struggling with emotional issues and drug and alcohol dependency. The story begins in the mid-1950s and proceeds into the 1960s.

I really enjoyed this one. It's interesting that I happened to be reading 'Emotional Intelligence' for my next meetup. The central character is a perfect example of someone with a genius IQ but who's almost completely cut off from her emotional life, who has a very poor EQ. She shows virtually no emotion until one scene in the last episode. There's a reason for this, as her mother died in a car "accident" resulting in her becoming an orphan. Her ultimate challenge playing chess is provided by the Russians. They actually portray Russians in a decent light. Her body guard from the U.S. State department is unsuccessful in trying to use her to make the U.S. look good at their expense. I thought it was well done and really pulled me in right from the start.

 

[Laurs]

Thanks genero81, sounds interesting, we were looking for something worthwhile to watch, will give it a try.

And if you happen to have apple tv, I can recommend watching the 8 episode series 'Tehran'. An Israeli series by Moshe Zonder and i must say we are quite impressed with it. Mossad plays the role of antagonist, planning covert operations by operatives with ties to Iran while giving an image of Iranian youngsters who want western 'freedoms' like parties, drugs, sex and music. But there's more to it than that. Underneath all characters, whichever side they're supposedly on, there is a deep love for the country of Iran, it's quite well done.

Here an interview with Moshe Zonder, who says 'If Tehran would even start to build something like a little bridge between the people of Iran and the people of Israel, it would be the best thing that can happen with the show'.

Moshe Zonder Hopes “Tehran” Will Build a Bridge Between Iran and Israel - Golden Globes

Moshe Zonder, the head writer of the Israeli award-winning hit series Fauda, an espionage series centered on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, turns h...

www.goldenglobes.com

 

[Navigator]

I really enjoyed this one. It's interesting that I happened to be reading 'Emotional Intelligence' for my next meetup. The central character is a perfect example of someone with a genius IQ but who's almost completely cut off from her emotional life, who has a very poor EQ. She shows virtually no emotion until one scene in the last episode. There's a reason for this, as her mother died in a car "accident" resulting in her becoming an orphan. Her ultimate challenge playing chess is provided by the Russians. They actually portray Russians in a decent light. Her body guard from the U.S. State department is unsuccessful in trying to use her to make the U.S. look good at their expense. I thought it was well done and really pulled me in right from the start.

Saw this one upon your recommendation and it didn't disappoint. The story is solid and well conducted, almost no fillers or even subplots, the protagonist had serious flaws and touched rock bottom but was able to overcome them with the help of people who cared for her. A breath of fresh air from a stream service who notoriously had been producing unwatchable series and movies. Recommended.

 

[Laurs]

Re The Queen's Gambit:

I really enjoyed this one.

So did we! Interestingly, it has become Netflix's biggest limited script series (based on a novel from 1983, which is now on the NYT bestseller list) ever, with 62 million households watching it in its first 28 days. Moreover, chess sets are flying out the stores and the number of new players has increased five fold on chess.com.
Hmmm, stay home - play chess?

 

[Ennio]

MindMatters has reviewed a show that we feel is wonderful on many levels:

MindMatters: Why Pop Culture Gets the Hero Archetype Wrong, and Ertugrul Succeeds​

We've all seen them: Hollywood superhero blockbusters where the protagonist is a two-dimensional cardboard cutout, a shallow reflection of what makes a real hero a model of inspiration to begin with. All too reliant on presenting a spectacle to dazzle the eyes and the ears, these productions bombard us with imagery, ideas, and mediocre writing - in lieu of a fully drawn character who embodies the virtues, behavior and soul of the archetypal hero. Quite often we don't know what we've been missing in these portrayals until we see one that satisfies on multiple levels. So when we come across such a champion as we have in the Turkish television show Dirilis: Ertugrul (Resurrection: Ertugrul), you know we're going to celebrate it.

In this week's MindMatters we discuss why the epic Resurrection: Ertugrul is not only one of the most successful foreign television shows ever made - but how its protagonist, 13th-century Turkish tribal leader Ertugrul, may be taken as a hero for people of all faiths. Wildly popular in the Muslim world, you don't need to be a Muslim to appreciate or enjoy this mythologized re-telling of the legends surrounding his life. Ertugrul embodies all the traits of a real hero: honor, integrity, justice, intelligence, devotion, compassion, mercy, humility, and overall epic badassery. The show itself portrays traditional values, spiritual realities, universal problems, individual and group strengths and weaknesses - and the ever-present cosmic battle of good and evil. At a time when truly good heroic stories are in short supply we look at why this 'non-Western' story fits the job description that we are looking for in works of fiction.

 

[Candice]

I would like to recommend the show “Barbarians”. I had zero expectations going in, knowing nothing of the history the show is based on but I fell in love with the passion of the heroes and heroine. I felt a kindred connection to their plight, facing the Roman Empire and what we are prepared to do for freedom. If you have not watched it, I won’t say more as I don’t want to give more away.

Edit: Make sure to watch the original undubbed version as the dubbed version loses the soul of the show.

Watch Barbarians | Netflix Official Site

Torn between the mighty empire that raised him and his own tribal people, a Roman officer's conflicted allegiances lead to an epic historical clash.

www.netflix.com

 

[Trobar]

If you still have Netflix here's a couple of shows that may help take your mind off the 2020 election shenanigans.

The Barrier:



It's post WW3 Madrid. The scarcity of resources has resulted in disease. This is the reason for the barrier. Sector 1 is essentially a medical police state. There's a minister who's a benign soul but his wife is a ruthless sociopath who's disappearing children and using them at a secret medical facility as guinea pigs for vaccination experiments. She gets chosen to head what looks to be a full blown pathocracy that's coming to power from the shadows and is much worse. There's resistance movements, informants and other interesting elements. They're dolling out one episode a week but most of the season is available now. I recommend it.

The Queen's Gambit:



I really enjoyed this one. It's interesting that I happened to be reading 'Emotional Intelligence' for my next meetup. The central character is a perfect example of someone with a genius IQ but who's almost completely cut off from her emotional life, who has a very poor EQ. She shows virtually no emotion until one scene in the last episode. There's a reason for this, as her mother died in a car "accident" resulting in her becoming an orphan. Her ultimate challenge playing chess is provided by the Russians. They actually portray Russians in a decent light. Her body guard from the U.S. State department is unsuccessful in trying to use her to make the U.S. look good at their expense. I thought it was well done and really pulled me in right from the start.

Hello genero8,
I did watch "The Queens Gambit" a few weeks ago and enjoyed it. The Barrier . . . I will not watch. There is such an enormous abundance of chaos in the 'real world' that I feel it does not serve me well to contribute to it.

 

[genero81]

There is such an enormous abundance of chaos in the 'real world' that I feel it does not serve me well to contribute to it.

Fair point!

 

[Jtucker]

Ertugrul embodies all the traits of a real hero: honor, integrity, justice, intelligence, devotion, compassion, mercy, humility, and overall epic badassery.

I couldn't agree more. What an amazing series. Setting a character like Ertegrul pinned between the super powers of the Crusades is fascinating enough. But the addition of the Sufi mysticism and the Crusaders twisted, satanic bent really ups the stakes. Ertegrul is the archetypical underdog caught between warring forces he can only hope to come to understand well enough before they destroy him.

Another really excellent Turkish show on Netflix is, "The Gift" (in some countries it's titled, "Atiye"). A young woman who obsessively paints a strange symbol discovers that the exact same symbol is located at the 13,000 year old site of Gobekli Tepe. She leaves her comfortable life (program) in search of the meaning behind the connection of her symbol to the mysterious ruins.

As the series progresses, it takes on a hyper-dimensional elements and even ends with what I could only describe as a few scenes depicting 4D STS directly communicating with their 3D agents through esoteric tech.

The Gift (Atiye)

 

[dredger]

MindMatters has reviewed a show that we feel is wonderful on many levels:

@Ennio Thanks for this, really thanks.
I'm currently watching the first episode, with french sub-titles. It's indeed refreshing, beautiful values (and of course, their contrary), and a true hero. I won't resiste to follow the serie now.

For french speaking people, I rapidly found a site which allows to watch all the seasons, with french sub-titles, they are visibly also on FBook so I can give link i think, it's legal if it's on FBook and not banned, no ?
Link to FB page
they are also on twitter, pinterest and instagram, mazette ! ^^

 

[genero81]

Another really excellent Turkish show on Netflix is, "The Gift"

Yes, saw both seasons. Enjoyed it.

 

[Arwenn]

I really enjoyed this one. It's interesting that I happened to be reading 'Emotional Intelligence' for my next meetup. The central character is a perfect example of someone with a genius IQ but who's almost completely cut off from her emotional life, who has a very poor EQ.

I watched The Queens Gambit & thoroughly enjoyed it. The lead actress (Anna Taylor-Joy) does an amazing job of her role as a child prodigy who is so cut off from her emotions. Despite being emotionally cut off, you see the play of emotions on her face. I cried in parts and it has certainly increased my appreciation of the the game of chess. Apparently every chess move is an actual chess play that the actors had to memorise (including the speed chess games). A refreshing change from the usual rubbish that’s out there. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Igneous40]

The Queen's Gambit

@genero81,
Thank you, thank you for this recommendation. We thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially found her lack of emotion refreshing through the storyline. I suppose it is because it contrasted most shows out there that seem tweaked to emotionally draw you in to mask a weak script. Loved it. What a great recommendation!

 

[Sodajaxon]

We have been watching movies that share the Hermetic principles in their storylines.

The Truman Show-- (our fake world, vs freewill)
The Matrix-- (fake world)
Groundhog Day -- good favorite (learning how to be) freewill
HotFuzz -- (being righteous)
Wizard of Oz-- (fake world, and what we are up against) /smile

and old Star Trek episodes! rumor has it Gene Roddenberry was in insider and was telling the story of our great world thru episodes of the 1969 Original series!

 

[Rabelais]

Another really excellent Turkish show on Netflix is, "The Gift" (in some countries it's titled, "Atiye"). A young woman who obsessively paints a strange symbol discovers that the exact same symbol is located at the 13,000 year old site of Gobekli Tepe. She leaves her comfortable life (program) in search of the meaning behind the connection of her symbol to the mysterious ruins.

As the series progresses, it takes on a hyper-dimensional elements and even ends with what I could only describe as a few scenes depicting 4D STS directly communicating with their 3D agents through esoteric tech.

The Gift (Atiye)

Thanks for the tip Jtucker. On your recommendation I serial watched the first four episodes. Very interesting. Can't wait to see where its headed, and with this cold rainy weather its good to have something of more esoteric interest than just mainstream entertainment. The Gift is a winner.