House of the Dragon: Season 2: Episode 4 and 5: A short word to say that a week ago I was thrilled with Episode 4 entitled The Red Dragon and the Gold. For one and a half seasons I have been waiting for an episode like this to justify the use of the Game of Thrones theme song to begin each episode. To me, this isn’t Game of Thrones since it hasn’t kept the quick pacing and the unexpected twists and turns with the prominent characters. FINALLY, we have an episode worthy of its name. The second half of this episode with the ensuing battle after much build up, can live up to the hype of the show. I had been awaiting an episode where the advertisements talk about “riveting” and “best in class” would come about. So all I will say is, this episode of all of the ones before is fun to watch and satisfying to those Game of Thrones fans. Inasmuch as I was excited about this episode 4, last night we came back down to earth (literally and figuratively) with the chatter and endless discussion about “oh, what to do?”. It seems the family Targaryen is ripping itself apart limb from limb, while revealing why their sigil is a three-headed dragon.
All this to say that there are more episodes to be dropped in the coming sundays and I hope that there is more of episode 4, and less of episode 5. I do expect that there will be a bigger battle to come, and clearly the women are going to remain the key factors in any success or failure for their side, and they will need to foresake offspring, husbands, council members, military leaders to get there.
I have watched two quality documentaries on Netflix this past week and can recommend them both.
Open Heart: I am an NHL hockey fan, and always have been from my youngest days. I have carried on a passion for the game in the former job as an agent, but now still I am active with organizing and participating in hockey pools. I was told by a work colleague who knew that I was a hockey fan that I should check out this documentary. It is about goaltender Henrik Lundqvist formerly of the NY Rangers, who is an excellent Swedish goalie who was among the best at the position for many years. He has done everything he could for his beloved NY Rangers, except bring home a Stanley Cup championship. He came close, a Final series in 2014, ultimately a loss to the LA Kings. It was not his fault.
The story is not really a hockey story howver. It is a very human story about an aging superstar, who has been replaced (and not renewed for a new contract) with his former team, but he still feels in his late 30s that he has more to give the game, and of himself. I follow the game, but it didn’t click with me that Lundqvist had not signed with anyone after the Rangers. In fact, he did. He had a contract offer from the Washington Capitols, a team that needed someone of his skill. He had to take a physical before the contract and the ensuing training camp would take place. Then a routine check showed this excellent athlete, had a serious heart condition. The rest tells the story and what happens to him and his family. There are interviews with loved ones, and former teammates, and much with Henrik himself and even his therapist. He even has a twin brother who watches this handsomely dressed man go through this ordeal. The audience sees his struggles and the emotional ups and down. How does one react when the body you have relied upon all your life, turns on you, and begins to deliver a message that you aren’t interested in hearing. It unfolds, and I came away with a much deeper appreciation for the man, and a greater respect for the one that they called King Henrik. Well done King, we can all cheer you on and wish you best wishes as you turn over the hockey chapter in your life and move into something else.
Remembering Gene Wilder: This was another documentary that I watched over the past week. I liked Gene Wilder as an actor. I remembered a few of his films like Blazing Saddles, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as Willy Wonka, some films with comedy great Richard Pryor and of course Young Frankenstein. I regarded him as engaging and funny, but never a top flight movie star! This movie talked about his life, from those who remember him best, including some great actors and even Mel Brooks, who has outlived them all it seems, now at age 98.
I had remembered that he had been married to Saturday Night Live standout from the 1970s Gilda Radner. Most sadly Gilda shortly after marrying Gene, and trying to have a baby was found to have ovarian cancer at the age of 42!! Wilder as a boy always wanted to cheer up his mother, as she went through bouts of depressing among other things. By pure happenstance he got into acting, and landed a role that would introduce him to pivotal Anne Bancroft, married to Mel Brooks. The rest became history as Brooks and Wilder became best of friends and worked on many movies together. Wilder wrote and starred in Young Frankenstein which as a parody is pure comic genius at work. He had a great emsemble cast, with Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, Madeline Khan and Peter Boyle playing the monster, with an excellent cameo from Gene Hackman! Another move of fate was later after Gilda had passed away that he was working on a movie that focused on a man that was blind (Richard Pryon played a deaf man) and Wilder went to seek assistance with understanding how a blind person interacts with the world. He meets and has dinner with a woman who eventually would become his second wife.
All this to say that I learned something about Gene Wilder that I didn’t know before. I have a greater appreciation for his art and his acting. I think that he leaves behind some very funny and memorable movies, but more than that he seeme to impact those around him in a very positive way. Not all artists can be said to be that way. Well worth your time to watch.
Mondays With Robbie 