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Post by artilect on Jun 13, 2019 1:22:48 GMT
Anyone watching this? In North America, the first season is available to stream via CBS All Access (I use a Roku to access the CBS app). Second season starts Thursday, June 12.
I haven't gotten around to reading the book Strange Angel that the show is based on, but did read the earlier Parsons biography Sex & Rockets.
As with anything like this, some elements of Parsons' life undergo heavy 'fictionalizing': timelines and events are altered and there are composite characters, name changes and so on. If you can get past all of that, it may be worth checking out. I let it wash over me, didn't get hung up on every little detail being true to life and really enjoyed the first season. Certainly would have never expected to see a show featuring Thelema and its general principles displayed so prominently - even favourably... at least so far! |
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JMH
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Post by JMH on Jun 16, 2019 0:22:56 GMT
I like it.
If anything, it tells that Telemites have been part of historic events.
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Post by stephen on Jun 17, 2019 14:50:16 GMT
I am not very high-tech and do not watch television (!), so the only way that I'm likely to see this is if it ever turns up on DVD. The first season attracted a lot of attention on lashtal.com with a lot of reproduced images and the general opinion seemed to be that it was not at all bad.
I have read Strange Angel and it is an excellent, well-balanced biography. George Pendle does not go too deeply into the Magickal side of things, probably because its an area that he regards as being beyond his expertise. I have not read 'John Carter's' book on Parsons, Sex and Rockets but I have read Paul Rydeen's earlier version Jack Parsons and the Fall of Babalon (Crash Collusion, Berkeley, 1995), which contains some worthwhile material along with some very bizarre lines of speculation and suggestion.
Apparently, Aleister Crowley has already made an appearance in the first series of the show; I wonder how they will tackle L. Ron Hubbard as the complete bastard that everyone regarded him as being, without evoking the wrath of the Church of Scientology. |
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Post by artilect on Jun 17, 2019 15:38:54 GMT
Also curious to see where they take the show and how they handle some of the real world personalities -- even showing Ray Bradbury or Forry Ackerman, who were both briefly around the scene at the time, would be kinda cool. We did get a 'glimpse' of Crowley in the first season, but it seems they are setting things up for him to make an ongoing appearance in season two.
I'm now reading Strange Angel and really enjoying it. As you said Stephen, it's heavy on rocketry but light on the other stuff, which is okay, I like reading the tech/science side of Parsons' story just the same.
With the show, despite what people think of the content or how it's handled, it would be pretty hard to argue against its great production values. Would like to see more authentic recreations of Crowley firsts though; haven't really seen any attempt at showing real books from the time period. I think Konx Om Pax was the work that Parsons came upon first, which would be a strikingly easy book cover to display in the show.
Let's see where things go from here!
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Post by Gregory Peters on Jun 17, 2019 19:26:52 GMT
Its a good show. Does it take liberties and get a little Hollywood about things? Or course! But the fact that Thelema is essentially hitting the mainstream is something I never thought I would see. Billboards in Los Angels with Do What Thou Wilt plastered all over them! The A Ka Dua mantra on CBS? I feel like I am living in a dream!
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JMH
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Post by JMH on Jun 21, 2019 0:28:59 GMT
I like to believe that the work of the contemporary high magus is paying off. Grant Morrisson and Alan Moore particularly lead me to where I am; and those two are just those with enough street-cred to go all out public. Maybe we are seeing the foretold rising of the Illuminated resistance lodge, of the invisible covenant; very akin to the description of the Typhonian order depicted by KG.
Maybe I am just going completely insane as Discordianism said I would become.
Who cares; What matters is that we have been prepared by our predecessor for this exact moment, and that is awesome.
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Post by John Hope on Jun 25, 2019 20:34:43 GMT
I really enjoyed the series, and took it for what it was without worrying too much about any inaccuracies, I even watched it all twice! Very much looking forward to season 2. I'm interested to see how Angus Macfadyen plays the role of Crowley.
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Post by The Double-wanded One on Jun 29, 2019 3:45:56 GMT
I'm finding the show boring. The characters (because it's an adaption, not a direct biographical show) don't even seem very interested in Thelema to begin with.
It's cool I guess, as a Thelemite, to see Thelema on TV (if you can call it that) but it's really just a melodrama that doesn't have much to do with the real life people, which is a bit disappointing in all honesty. However, it could be a whole lot worse, so at least it hasn't completely failed.
Season one had some good parts when I watched it in it's premiere but also quite a bit of filler as well. Season two so far doesn't seem to know where it's going, some of the subplots are distracting too.
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Post by The Double-wanded One on Jun 29, 2019 3:48:34 GMT
With the show, despite what people think of the content or how it's handled, it would be pretty hard to argue against its great production values. Would like to see more authentic recreations of Crowley firsts though; haven't really seen any attempt at showing real books from the time period. I think Konx Om Pax was the work that Parsons came upon first, which would be a strikingly easy book cover to display in the show. Yes this is correct. Konx OM Pax first interested him, the Gnostic Mass later on pulled him in and Liber AL Vel Legis made him who he became. The real life Parsons had a stronger passion, interest and knowledge than what they show is conveying IMHO. |
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Post by artilect on Jul 8, 2019 20:45:02 GMT
Season two so far doesn't seem to know where it's going, some of the subplots are distracting too.
I agree with this. We're now a few eps into season 2 and the filler has taken over any and all biographical accuracy. They seem intent on drawing things out by making up all sorts of melodramatic side plots instead of focusing on Parsons himself.
I don't see much discussion of this show around the net, so find it unlikely to be renewed after this season. Doubt we will even glimpse the Hubbard era of the Agape Lodge, but you never know... worse shows have carried on for longer.
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Post by Michael Staley on Jul 18, 2019 12:50:41 GMT
Season two so far doesn't seem to know where it's going, some of the subplots are distracting too. I agree with this. We're now a few eps into season 2 and the filler has taken over any and all biographical accuracy. They seem intent on drawing things out by making up all sorts of melodramatic side plots instead of focusing on Parsons himself.
I don't see much discussion of this show around the net, so find it unlikely to be renewed after this season. Doubt we will even glimpse the Hubbard era of the Agape Lodge, but you never know... worse shows have carried on for longer.
The Church of Scientology came down on the 'Sunday Times' like a ton of bricks in 1969 when they published an article on Parsons, Hubbard, and the Babalon Working. Across the intervening decades, the Church of Scientology has if anything grown even stronger. Thus I very much doubt that 'Strange Angel' will so much as mention "the Hubbard era of the Agagpe Lodge", unless the network showing this has very deep pockets indeed or has reached some sort of understanding with the Church of Scientology. |
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Post by Gregory Peters on Jul 18, 2019 19:44:50 GMT
I agree with this. We're now a few eps into season 2 and the filler has taken over any and all biographical accuracy. They seem intent on drawing things out by making up all sorts of melodramatic side plots instead of focusing on Parsons himself.
I don't see much discussion of this show around the net, so find it unlikely to be renewed after this season. Doubt we will even glimpse the Hubbard era of the Agape Lodge, but you never know... worse shows have carried on for longer.
The Church of Scientology came down on the 'Sunday Times' like a ton of bricks in 1969 when they published an article on Parsons, Hubbard, and the Babalon Working. Across the intervening decades, the Church of Scientology has if anything grown even stronger. Thus I very much doubt that 'Strange Angel' will so much as mention "the Hubbard era of the Agagpe Lodge", unless the network showing this has very deep pockets indeed or has reached some sort of understanding with the Church of Scientology. Not only that, but the Caliphate has a history of being litigious with any mention of AC. I wonder how much the show had to pay for using the Thoth Deck! |
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JMH
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Post by JMH on Aug 26, 2019 2:19:30 GMT
Crowley makes an appearance in the latest episode of *Pennyworth!! (S01E06)
Seem like time are a-coming.
*it is a spinoff of Gotham about Alfred,Bruce Wayne's Butler.
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Post by Banyan on Apr 14, 2022 12:48:49 GMT
S1 was all right but I didn't make it to the end of S2. It kind of turned into Parsons fanfiction after a while
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