(no subject)

[srin]

So uh, I definitely have a big fat crush on Cesare, which is a little bit awkward what with the fact that he's a fictionalized version of a dead medieval mobster (well, technically renaissance, but medieval mobster has a better ring to it) and all. But uh, yeah.

I was bracing for the Cesare/Ursula business to be annoying and put me off Cesare, but to my own surprise I am actually quite charmed by them. It probably helps that her husband was pretty clearly a cock for a lot of reasons, not just inconveniently in the way, so I really have no problem with her wanting to lose him or Cesare wanting to end him. I don't usually have a lot of patience for 'we saw each other for five minutes and are now Totally In Love', but they're both so earnest that I'm willing to buy it here. The flirting was cute, and their concern for one another's safety - him flipping out over the bruise, her telling him not to put himself in danger - helped me believe that they do actually care about each other and it's not just raging lust at first sight. Quite liked Cesare's conversation with his mother about love, too.

Regarding the sort-of duel with the husband, and the lead-up to it ... ahahaha, holy homoerotic subterranean swords practice, Batman! Not gonna lie, I was half expecting that scene to end with them dropping the swords and dry-humping against the wall. I can't say I particularly love Micheletto, but his ridiculous devotion to Cesare certainly counts for something, and they definitely have enough tension and groping and interesting chemistry going on. Obviously murder is still, you know, murder, but Cesare gets points in my book for fighting the husband himself rather than having someone else quietly off him; that, and his insistence that Juan personally finish what he started with Cem the other week, is an interesting contrast to his much more hands-off approach to the political manoeuvring for Pope Vetinari. I like it. Also, the sword-fighting in the rain was a little bit ridiculously dramatic, but also hot, so not complaining there.

G. Sforza, still a cock; Juan, still a douche; Pope Vetinari, still ridiculous, though a bit less so in this one. Was saddened by the lack of Cesare & Lucrezia interaction in this one, though hopefully that will be remedied next week when he shows up to rip G. Sforza's balls off.

Paolo's cute; he and Francesca can definitely come when Lucrezia runs away with Cesare & Giulia & Mamma Borgia in my crack AU. I'm glad Lucrezia has a few people looking out for her in this new house. I just hope something terrible doesn't happen to Paolo as a result of it.

The stuff with Lucrezia & G. Sforza is really uncomfortable to watch, and rightfully so, but I do think they're doing a good job of making it clear what's going on without making it unnecessarily graphic or squicky-titillating. As far as Lucrezia is concerned, we see more skin when she's safe in the bath with Francesca tending to her than we do in the bedroom scenes, and I am more than fine with that.

Finally, I didn't realize until yesterday that this series is only 9 episodes (I'd been assuming 12 or 13 at least) and I'm sad that it's more than halfway done now. Definitely need more Actually Good telly.


I ... don't think I like this show very much? The costumes and scenery are cool, but plot-wise it just seems to be a lot of assholes getting away with being assholes and terrible things happening to the few characters I like, which isn't especially enjoyable viewing. Like, I don't expect sunshine and puppies all the time, but I feel like I spend way too much of this cringing in uncomfortable anticipation.

The blond kid's horrible, his mother's horrible, Sean Bean's older daughter isn't particularly pleasant either. I really like the younger daughter, but rather suspect that terrible things are going to keep happening to her because I like her she won't be a proper timid little lady. Still don't really care about Sean Bean or the king.

Liked the slave girl who was trying to teach the blond girl, but am much too grossed out by the whole situation where she needs someone to teach her about sex so she can please this asshole she's basically been sold to. Her brother's still a dick. That other guy who talked to her while they were riding and gave her the horse jerky seems all right, wouldn't mind seeing more of him.

Would still like more exposition re: culture/politics/geography etc. and less blood & squicky sex; suspect that this will continue to be the case throughout the series. Which isn't really surprising given that it's on one of the few American networks where they can get away with that stuff, but I dunno, it's just not working for me here. I have no problem with all the blood and sex in True Blood but for some reason just find it really off-putting here.


So... it may not really be fair, but I can't help comparing the situation with Blond Girl & Stoic Warrior Dude to the situation with Lucrezia & G. Sforza. Neither one is exactly fun to watch, but I'm a lot more okay with how the latter is handling it. The Borgias version's attitude, based on both other characters' reactions and the way the sex scenes are shot, seems to be that this is a terrible thing, period, whereas the GoT version's attitude seems to be that it's kind of awkward but BOOBS BOOBS LOOK AT HER BOOBS.

I like boobs, okay. The blond girl's very pretty. Under other circumstances I really wouldn't object to having my attention drawn to her boobs. But there's nothing sexy about a girl submitting to sex she doesn't want or enjoy because she was sold into a marriage she also didn't want and thus doesn't really have a choice. That's pretty horrible, and I don't appreciate it being presented as something titillating.

And on a plot level, I'm a lot more comfortable with the girl in that terrible situation reacting by trying to make the sex end as quickly as possible and maybe even permanently, rather than by trying to take lessons on how to make it more fun for the guy. I suspect I'm going to continue having a lot of issues with how this plot in GoT is presented. :\