2:10 p.m., Monday the 16th
I can't tell if BH is getting burned out on Fleabag, he hasn't been in the mood for it the last couple of nights, more in the mood for movies. Last night he was talking about watching "It," but SB talked him out of that, saying it was a three-hour movie. So at that point I said, "Hey, why don't we watch the new Dark Crystal series?" and he was like, "We can't, it's on Netflix," and I was like, "Not a problem, SB bootlegged it for us!"
So, we (all three) watched Episode One. From what I could tell BH enjoyed it, he's always been a muppet/Jim Henson fan, we'll see if he wants to do Episode Two tonight. SB liked it okay, but thought it was a little long. I liked it, they were definitely true to the spirit of the original movie, and the series has a lot of potential. I did find it slightly overwhelming, there was so much to learn in one episode, so much new information. Which could actually be a good thing, we'll see as the episodes progress. I might have been too busy evaluating (judging) it to just sit back and enjoy it. The original movie certainly sets a very high standard, and one is thus skeptical about whether the series can maintain that standard.
The movie did not use CGI, as it was not available back then (1982, the same year that Tron came out). I wondered if the series would "preserve the purity" of using only models and muppets. Well, the series is using CGI and lots of it, which made me a little bit skeptical but I have to say, the way the CGI is drawn and blended makes it seem acceptable, even an integral part of the expanded way they are illustrating that world (Thra). My hope is that this extensive CGI usage won't then make the original movie seem dull in comparison ... and so far the series seems to be doing the movie due deference. Even while adding a lot to the original story.
I don't want to pass my final judgment yet, I want to watch the entire series and then decide. But for now what I think is, so far so good.