Earhartsplane - Hello

I was right

I am not trying to ruffle any feathers, but I have to say this before Season 2 comes out, so I can act smug when I’m right. Here is my number one prediction for Good Omens Season 2:

There won’t be a voice-over.

Now hang on. I know it’s a controversial opinion. Let me explain.

I have noticed that virtually every adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s books has some sort of voice over, either diagetic (like Going Postal, where it’s part of the framing device) or non-diagetic (Hogfather). And I get it ! If you’ve read any of the Discworld book and have this weird brain quirk where a part of you is always thinking about how this would translate on screen, you’ve probably noticed two things:

1. There’s visual humour in text form. How ? This man was a genius and a will be missed forever.

2. There’s so much that just can’t be translated on a purely visual level. The footnotes! Should we just leave the footnotes out ? They’re so great! They add so much to the world in general. There are running jokes that only appear in the footnotes ! Should we just accept that it won’t make it to screen ?

Yes. I’m sorry, but yes. Some things will be lost. Maybe you can integrate one of these jokes as recurring background events ? A lot of people are not going to notice though. There’s an expectation that the reader will read all of the words, while the viewer may not see all that’s happening on screen (although, to be fair, you will be noticing new puns on every re-read for years in the case of the Discworld).

(In comparison, adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s work are less prone to voice over. If I remember correctly, Coraline didn’t have one. Sandman starts with a bit of voice-over from the main character, but nothing more after that. I don’t remember any in American Gods. MirrorMask has left me nothing but the memory of a fever dream, so I can’t be sure. )

This is not to say that the voice-over in season one was pointless. It establishes the tone, to start with. If you remember, the opening narration is about the age of the Earth, in which we learn that it was created on the 21st of October, 4004 B.C., and therefore learn its star sign. It’s a good way to show that yes, there are angels in this, and demons, and the garden of Eden, and if you want to think too hard about this, they’ve got you covered. But if you think that these depictions are either blasphemous or religious propaganda, it might be a good time to learn to take a step back (and a joke, in my personal opinion).

But there are definitely instances of narration that would never have happened if season 1 wasn’t a book adaptation. I am thoroughly convinced that Dog’s experimentation with chasing and being chased by cats would have been screen only. Maybe a scene. Maybe something happening in he background. Who knows.

And here’s the thing. Season 2 isn’t the adaptation of a novel. I remember a tweet by Neil Gaiman about how he and Pratchett had a sequel plotted out, but even that isn’t season 2. According to the same, tweet, Season 2 is how we get there.

My number 2 prediction is that there will be a an intense heist scene during which Sadie and Dottie both try to steal some incriminating letters unbeknownst to each other.

[spoilers] my beloved

Enjoy your Magnussing, Early Access Folk!

A cartoon for New Scientist.

I understand that 'Yefreitor' is a modifier added to a rank when you refuse a promotion. And that 'Detective' works basically the same way (except that the way you acquire it is kess clear). But I'm still unsure about satellite-officer. Is it a modifier ? Because no one is calling Jean anything else. We know that you become Satellite-officer if your partner is promoted and 'you rise with him'. But does it replace your actual rank? Are all Satellite-officer equals? MacLaine is also a Satellite-officer, but his partner is a sergeant, so does Jean outrank him even though their titles are EXACTLY THE SAME? How do people know?

And if it is a modifier if another rank, why not say the rank like they do with Yefreitor? Like Lieutenant-Satellite.

It's just such a weird rank to have. Have they been promoted but they have to keep the Satellite designation to remember where they come from? You can be a Lieutenant[normal], a Lieutenant [Yefreitor][complimentory] or a Lieutenant [Satellite][derogatory] ? How do you get rid of the modifier that says 'you're not that good but this other guy is, so... ' ?If you change partner, are you demoted? To a rank below? To the last rank that you held on your own?

Incredibly confusing hierarchical system.

desperate times and measures and so forth, to be fair, but if the entity living in my eyeballs after getting catapulted there from a magic book who’s familiar with various otherworldly shit that I just found out existed earlier that day said they had a bad feeling about going into a dilapidated house in an isolated clearing, I would not go into that house

But those are the funniest options!

shout out to all the christians on radio stations who are going to play a very jewish song about kinky breakup sex as a misguided homage to the now-dead pope today. leonard cohen's ghost is shaking his head at you and so am i

A recent cartoon for New Scientist

Worked my way through the whole backlog of the critshow. Now the big question: should I make a Patreon account and go through Perilous Tides and Hero Salad?

It seems like the SAG-AFTRA has a deal too !

So the trailer for Our Flag Means Death Season 2 just went live on youtube, and this is the top comment. I agree with it wholeheartedly.