Bingeworthy TV: Red vs. Blue

Red vs.Blue (or RvB) is a series created using voice-over enhanced game play videos from the video game Halo*. So it’s kind of like watching a first-person-shooter video game with dialogue added. This doesn't mean you need to have ever played Halo to enjoy the show!

The show was only supposed to run for one season of six to eight webisodes. RvB had an unexpected popularity and went on for sixteen seasons and five mini-series, becoming the longest running episodic web series of all time.

The show centers on two teams of soldiers (you guessed it): red team and blue team. These teams are fighting what is originally assumed to be a civil war. Each team has a base on the least desirable piece of real estate in the known universe: a box canyon in the middle of nowhere. It seems each team's only reason for having a base in this location is that the other team has a base in this location.

Mostly this show consists of the characters (identically armored people in varying shades of red and blue) arguing with each other. Each team has standing orders to defeat the other and capture the other's flag (because isn’t that what war is all about?), but neither team is much motivated to do anything and only does so grudgingly.

I would give this show an R rating for language. It is definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The first time I watched it I had no idea what to think other than, "This show is crazy stupid but also crazy funny." I’m not sure I can think of a show in recent memory that has made me laugh as much or shake my head as often as the first five seasons of Red vs. Blue.

~Becca, Technical Services

*Librarian's note: You can also borrow official Halo novels or watch official Halo live-action TV series or the official Halo anime from Carnegie-Stout Public Library.

Staff Review: Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein

Janesville, Wisconsin is two hours east of Dubuque. It's a town of about 60,000 people that has traditionally had a strong economic base in the manufacturing sector, which for Janesville meant thousands of good-paying jobs, a strong union presence, and a fine community spirit with plenty of charitable giving. That rosy scenario began to change with globalization, outsourcing, the decline of union power, and other seismic economic shifts of the past few decades. What's amazing is that Janesville made it until 2008 before taking its hardest hit.

In her terrific book Janesville: An American Story, Amy Goldstein tells the story of the 2008 closure of the Janesville GM plant, which employed thousands of workers, many of them second and third generation GMers, people making $28 per hour and living solid middle-class lives. She also narrates the town's heroic attempts to shore itself back up (with mixed results).

Goldstein tells the Janesville story through the lenses of many of the individuals involved, from laid-off factory workers and their families to social workers and teachers, from affluent community business leaders to local and national politicians. Her focus on the fates of specific individuals -- and she follows them for many years -- brings the issue of middle-class decline into sharp relief. People are terrified and confused, kids go hungry, families are torn apart, the bankruptcy rate soars, one person commits suicide (the local suicide rate doubles after the closure). But there are heartening stories as well.

Goldstein effectively portrays the domino effect of just one plant closure: job losses and facility closures in other industries serving the plant, the overall plunge in local consumer spending, a sharp decline in charitable giving, mushrooming enrollment at re-training centers, an increased need for social services, and on and on and on. One unfortunate effect is a growing division in a once unified town between those who remain comfortable and those who fall. There's so much food for thought in this meticulous examination of one community and it's not all depressing despite the economic takeaway: those good wages are gone and it's anyone's guess if and when they'll ever come back.

Ann, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Rizzoli & Isles

When Bones ended after 12 seasons, I didn’t know where to turn. I thought my days of enjoying a funny, suspenseful murder mystery show with well-developed characters and an engaging overarching plot were over. Little did I know, something even better was waiting for me! I fell in love with Rizzoli & Isles with the first episode.

Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) is a homicide detective who works with medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) to solve crimes for the Boston Police Department. Before the show begins, the two are already best friends, and their deep care for each other is evident. That certainly helped me as a viewer become invested in both Jane and Maura very quickly, sharing these characters’ love for each other in spite of their quirks.

Jane is feisty, sarcastic, very good at her job as a detective, and can become grumpy when things don’t go her way. Maura is brilliant, fun-loving but socially awkward, and often has her head in the clouds, or in her science. Alone, each of these characters sounds like a boring trope, but together (as happens to most of us when our best friend is around), they are much more vibrant and complex. Maura helps Jane lighten up in spite of herself, and Jane helps Maura face reality even when it’s difficult. They continually poke fun at each other while still appreciating one another’s work, intelligence, and heart.

So much about this show makes its characters feel more realistic than others. It was refreshing to watch a formulaic mystery show featuring two female protagonists with a complicated, genuine friendship. I was also grateful to see that the characters on Rizzoli & Isles experience and process the trauma their jobs cause on-screen. From what I’ve seen, this is rarely done well (if at all) in violence-driven plots, and it makes the show much more relatable and believable.

The minor characters, too, contribute to the richness of Rizzoli & Isles. As someone who’s watched many movies and TV shows, I have a high standard for realistic fictional relationships, especially between family members, and this show blows all others out of the water. I loved watching Jane’s family bicker, watching friendships break and be mended, and watching police department office drama play out. And, of course, any good murder mystery show requires a little history of the setting (Boston), a couple of creepy serial killers, and mysterious back stories for a few characters. Rizzoli & Isles has it all!

Prepare to fall in love with Jane and Maura and their friendship. Then call me so we can cry together about the show ending so perfectly after seven seasons, and about how no other show could ever hope to be this good.

~Rachel, Technical Services

Bingeworthy TV: Eureka

The Syfy channel has long been my go-to stop for quirky television shows. Some are dark, some are just plain crazy, but every once in a while there are shows that combine funny with weird (in my world I call that quirky). Eureka happens to be one of those shows.

Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), a U.S. Marshall, is driving through the Pacific Northwest with his delinquent teenage daughter, Zoe (Jordan Hinson), when he has a car accident. Jack and Zoe end up walking into the small, seemingly backwards town of Eureka to seek help. As it turns out, Eureka is anything but backwards, it is a town full of geniuses. President Harry S. Truman, with the help of Albert Einstein, created the town of Eureka to protect and nurture America's most valuable intellectual resources. Through a series of events, Jack becomes the sheriff of this small town and over the course of five seasons we learn that it doesn't take a genius to solve problems.

Every season of Eureka has an over-arching problem or mystery to be solved usually involving some sort of invention or top-secret technology. Each episode also has an event that takes precedence and often ties into the larger story. Watching Jack discover new things about Eureka and try to figure out life in a town full of high IQs (while being of "average" intelligence) is entertaining. Zoe, as a new girl attending a high-school full of geniuses, is a little bit harder to watch.

 
Jack spends the majority of his time with his deputy, Joe Lupo, and with Dr. Allison Blake. Allison is the liaison between the Department of Defense and Eureka. She is often at Jack's side when he has to troubleshoot problems that arise. Dr. Henry Deacon is a brilliant scientist who moonlights as a jack-of-all-trades. He quickly becomes Jack's closest friend. My personal favorite character is Dr. Douglas Fargo. When (not if) something goes wrong, Fargo is usually in the middle of it. Some of my favorite actors play regular or semi-regular characters in later seasons, including Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day. It is truly amazing how a town full of geniuses can do so many stupid things.

Early in season one, a character is digging for something in a dumpster and when he finds it he says "eureka". As cliched as that was, I laughed out loud.  Eureka ran from 2006-2012. Initially the show was picked up for a sixth season, then seemingly at the last minute it was announced that the fifth season would be the last.  One additional episode was ordered to allow the series to have a proper finale. Upon a recent re-watch, some of the technology doesn't seem so groundbreaking, but I still enjoyed the show almost as much as when it was first released. 

~ Amy, Adult Services

Staff Review: The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan

First let me say that The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan is not a feel-good read, but it is a very fine and important book -- fascinating, well-written, and entirely accessible to the layperson. It is receiving a lot of attention -- it's the 2018-2019 selection for the University of Wisconsin's Go Big Read program for one thing -- so hopefully it is sounding a loud alarm that our incomparable Great Lakes are once again in dire need of help.

I read the book because I love the Great Lakes. I was also under the mistaken impression that the passage of the Clean Water Act decades ago had solved most of their problems. The Clean Water Act did help -- immeasurably. But new challenges, including farm run-off (exempted from the Act), unbelievably destructive invasive species, water shortages in distant places, and the myriad threats of climate change, once again endanger the lakes.

Egan spends several chapters describing some of the most harmful invasive species -- quagga mussels, zebra mussels, round goby, Asian carp, and alewives, to name just a few of the 180 invaders. These creatures were introduced by way of ballast water in shipping freighters (ballast water was also exempted from the Clean Water Act) and through the channels and canals dug to connect the lakes with the Mississippi River basin and eastern seaboard. The author then meticulously examines the lakes' other threats, from pesticide run-off (which causes eutrophication) to climate change.

All things considered, Egan closes the book on a cautiously hopeful note. The Great Lakes ecosystem has proven somewhat adaptable, which is heartening. Even more heartening is that a lot of hardworking, educated people have a very good idea of what should be done to stop the degradation: the concrete steps we need to take to shut the gates to invasives, reduce farm run-off, and otherwise rehabilitate the lakes. Most heartening of all is that, following the book's publication, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, as the rehab plan is called, survived the 2018 budget process with its full funding intact. Perhaps Great Lakes area lawmakers read Egan's book and recognized its clarion call.

~Ann, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: NCIS

Do you love CSI, Criminal Minds, or Law & Order and want to find a similar show? NCIS is one of the longest-running primetime TV series* and is perfect for your next TV binge. It follows a team of investigators with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that investigate murders involving the US Navy and Marine Corps. It is the perfect mix of forensic science investigation and tough police-type interrogations.

The main character is Leroy Jethro Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon). He is a no-nonsense leader that has a great team of investigators that change over the seasons but have included Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). Other recurring characters include the medical examiner Ducky (David McCallum) and my personal favorite: goth-loving forensic scientist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).



The show is full of action and suspense and is geared toward an adult audience. It contains many mature themes and every episode has graphic images so it might not be for those who get squeamish at the sight of dead bodies! However, there are plenty of humorous moments to cut through the tension.



Overall, I recommend this series to anyone who likes drama, forensic science, or investigative shows. There are many complex plot lines that keep you on the edge of your seat and each character is extremely well developed. It is perfect for binging because some of the storylines go across the entire season, so you want to keep watching until the end!

~Thea, Technical Services

*NCIS is a spin-off of the earlier military crime series JAG and you can see Gibbs's first episode (Ice Queen) in season 8 of JAG.

Bingeworthy TV: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey has become the gold standard of period dramas. For many people, nothing will ever compare and though it ran for 6 series (we call them seasons on this side of the pond) and ended in 2015, Downton Abbey is still incredibly popular. Created by Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey was co-produced by Carnival Films and Masterpiece. Episodes aired on ITV in the United Kingdom first and then after a series ended it aired on PBS in America.  

Why is Downton Abbey still so popular you may ask? There are many reasons: compelling characters and storylines, amazing scenery, amazing costumes, incredible writing...the list goes on. Downton Abbey follows the Crawley family, the hereditary Earls of Grantham, and their servants from the period between 1912 and 1925.

As part of the backstory, the main character, Robert, Earl of Grantham, had married an American heiress, Cora Levinson, to resolve past financial difficulties. Her considerable dowry was contractually incorporated into the comital entail in perpetuity. Basically that means that only a male heir can inherit the title and Cora's dowry can only be passed on to said male heir. The bad news is that Robert and Cora have 3 daughters and no sons. The oldest daughter, Mary, was to marry her second-cousin Patrick, second-in-line to the title. More bad news, the series starts with the Crawley family finding out that Patrick and his father James (first-in-line to the title) perished during an ill fated ocean voyage. Maybe you've heard of it? The ship was called the RMS Titanic.

(I wonder if Rose and Patrick were acquainted?)

For six seasons the lives of all those living at Downton Abbey are affected by historical events that took place during 1912 to 1925. Starting with the sinking of the Titanic, the Crawley's also experience the First World War, the Spanish influenza pandemic, and the Irish War of Independence, to name a few. Throughout all of this, we see the rise of the working class and the decline of the British Aristocracy. The Crawleys, and their servants, struggle to cope with the changing dynamics of the world around them.

The cast is truly amazing and, in my opinion, Maggie Smith shines the brightest as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. Her acerbic wit and one-line zingers often bring some much needed levity to some of the more dour storylines. Nobody does disapproving facial expressions like the Dowager Countess of Grantham. 

If you haven't watched Downton Abbey, sit down with a cup of tea and give it a try. It is truly a masterpiece (see what I did there?). If you have a yen to travel to England, the real Downton Abbey is called Highclere Castle located in North Hampshire, and was used for exterior shots and most of the interior filming. If you are already a fan and wish to read more about Downton Abbey, here is a handy list of books you can check-out from Carnegie-Stout.  

~Amy, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Doctor Who

Doctor Who is the definition of a fandom that is bigger on the inside.  If you’re looking for a series to watch where you don’t have to be sad about it ending too soon, this is the one for you! Doctor Who began in 1963 (yes, you read that right) and is still going strong 840 episodes later!

If you’re not looking to start from the beginning, the most recent Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is a great place to start watching. Each season acts as a stand-alone for those wanting to “test the waters” and features action, humor, and science fiction wrapped into one fantastic package!

For those new to Who, it is about an alien named the Doctor who has a spaceship that can travel throughout time and space (the TARDIS). He goes on adventures with various companions and saves the universe from aliens who want to destroy it. He has a special ability to regenerate into a new body when he is injured, which has led to many different actors portraying the Doctor.

The series has always been ahead of its time culturally and addresses many current social issues in fun and creative ways. This has led to Jodie Whittaker becoming the first female actress to portray the Doctor beginning this October. I seriously can’t wait!

-Thea, Technical Services

Bingeworthy TV: Boardwalk Empire

Period dramas can be an entertaining mix of historical facts and popular folklore. Writers of these historical dramas have a way of sparking a viewer’s interest in history that a dry textbook doesn’t. Boardwalk Empire is definitely one of those shows if you are a history enthusiast like myself. It is fascinating how the show’s creator and writers recreate a period piece to tell this type of story.

The show is set in the Prohibition Era and takes you inside the criminal underworld in Atlantic City. Boardwalk Empire is centered around the life of Nucky Thompson. His character is based on real life 1920s New Jersey political figure Enoch Lewis “Nucky” Johnson and his colleagues and rivals.

The inner conflicts of each character help the viewer get a glimpse of what life was like on both sides of the law. There are the criminals and there is the law, and even some law enforcement could not resist the temptation of booze. The conflict between the characters gives momentum to the story line in each episode and builds all the way to the final season.

This show has elements meant for a mature audience: sex, crime, scandals, and violence. Yet the story cannot be fully understood nor effective without them. In my opinion, if there were a “watered down” version of this show, it would not have lasted five seasons.

From the cinematic scenes to the finely recreated sets, the cast and crew bring the historic Atlantic City to life. This series is so compelling that you cannot get away from your TV. So, get your snacks and put on your comfortable clothes because this show is a must-see!

-Alanda, Circulation

Staff Review: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson contains a lot of information jam-packed in a little book. Could someone learn a subject like astrophysics in a hurry? Do I know all about astrophysics now? No, but I do have a general idea about the problems astrophysicists are working with and a genuine interest in these mysteries. That is perhaps the best place to be on a new subject. Tyson has the book extremely well organized and his enthusiasm is infectious.

We start out with the Big Bang Theory, how that theory came about, and the substances that made up that very early universe after the Big Bang. I never took chemistry in high-school, and I remember just bits and pieces from physics (sorry Mrs. Walton), so a lot of the terms went over my head. One gets the general picture of the universe in its infancy with particles swirling around, interacting with each other creating a kind of cosmic soup. He made me want to go back and figure out how protons, electrons, and neutrons work. What are those things called quarks? – and what a great name! 

Along the way we discover things like Dark Matter and Dark Energy – how they were discovered and what they are. Einstein gets his props of course and it’s emphasized just how much of a mark this guy left on the field of physics and consequently, the world. Most of modern astrophysics comes back to his theories – attempting to tweak, prove, or disprove some aspect. The chapter on light captured my interest, having a wife who is a visual artist kept me thinking about the relationship between light, colors, and our ability to see. 

This is a great introduction to the subject of astrophysics and it’s laid out in a language one doesn't need an advanced degree to understand. Don’t approach this book thinking you’ll be an expert when you finish. Expect to think about the universe as an astrophysicist might and get a taste for their language and the problems they’re working on today. This book begs for multiple readings. It may cause you, like me, to want to dust off those mental shelves of information you packed away after high-school and re-approach these subjects with a new found optimism and curiosity. It’s never too late to flex those science muscles and practice your career as an armchair Astrophysicist.

~Ben, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: The Librarians

What’s cooler than being a librarian? Being a librarian that collects and protects the world’s magical artifacts while battling those who want to misuse magic! The Librarians is based off of TNT’s hit movie series starring Noah Wyle as Flynn Carson (Carnegie-Stout has The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines and The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice).

Wyle reprises his role of Flynn in the TV series. It stars Rebecca Romijn as Colonel Eve Baird, Flynn’s guardian. She’s joined by three new librarians who each have special abilities. Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth) has an amazing ability to visualize difficult mathematical equations, Ezekiel Jones (John Harlan Kim) is a master thief, and Jacob Stone (Christian Kane) specializes in art history and architecture. John Larroquette also stars as Jenkins, the caretaker of the library.

The team goes on exciting adventures looking for magical artifacts while going up against super villains such as Prospero (from Shakespeare’s Tempest), James Moriarty (from Sherlock Holmes), and Apep, the Egyptian god of chaos. It has the perfect mix of action, comedy, and drama. What’s even better: this series is very family-friendly!

Unfortunately, TNT recently decided to cancel the series after four seasons. However, producer Dean Devlin is looking for a new venue to host the show… fingers crossed!

-Thea, Technical Services

Bingeworthy TV: Firefly

“You can’t stop the signal”

It’s never too late to become a Browncoat! I watched and fell in love with Firefly back when it aired on Fox in 2002 and wept when it was cancelled unceremoniously after one short season. In 2005, after a fan support campaign, the story continued with the movie Serenity and has continued since with the release of graphic novels, video games, board games, and, hopefully, an upcoming series of books. Even after all these years Firefly still remains my favorite show of all time.

Set in the year 2517 all the resources of earth have been used up and people have set out into space finding new solar systems and terraforming planets for inhabitation. The story centers around nine individuals living together as part of the renegade crew of Serenity, a Firefly-class spaceship. They live on the fringes of the galaxy taking jobs mostly within the pioneer culture of the struggling newly inhabited planets.

Each member of the crew is there for their own reasons, some transparent and others not. The captain and his first mate fought on the losing side of the galaxy’s civil war and haven’t completely given up the fight. A brother and sister are on the run from some sinister government conspiracy. The mercenary is along for the money. The preacher has a mysterious past. The pilot is there for love. The ever optimistic mechanic has an intuitive gift for machines. Finally, there’s the high society companion, slumming it on the fringes of society. Together this ragtag bunch try to keep flying, sometimes working together and other times trying to kill each other.

~Rebecca, Technical Services

Bingeworthy TV: Lost Girl

If you've read much ancient folklore, you might remember what a succubus is and why Lost Girl is not a show you'd want to watch with children. For those who are less familiar, a succubus is a feminine creature that gains power through absorbing sexual energy (the masculine equivalent is an incubus). While Lost Girl does include frank discussions of sex and sexuality, the actual sex scenes are fairly PG-13. This Canadian series aired on SyFy in the U.S., not HBO or Cinemax, so if you're comfortable with Outlander or Game of Thrones, you should be safe with Lost Girl.

Lost Girl falls squarely in the realm of Urban Fantasy where each week (or over the course of the season) our main characters face off against supernatural or paranormal dangers and mysteries. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural. This show is a great mix of adventure, romance, and humor that keeps even high stakes stories from losing the fun.

Bo is our main character. She was raised by adoptive human parents and raised to believe she too is a regular human being until she discovers accidentally that she has the ability to kill through kissing or other sexual behavior by draining her partner of their vital energy. She spends years on the run, until she saves a young woman from a serial rapist and the local police (who also happen to belong to the local Light Fae Court) find her.

Bo decides to stop running and learn more about who she is and where she comes from. She takes up work as a private investigator of sorts. The young (human) woman she saved, Kenzi, has a troubled past of her own, but decides that she's going to stick with Bo. The friendship between Kenzi and Bo is probably my favorite part of the entire show. The inevitable love triangles that develop around a succubus are also entertaining, but nothing beats a best friend.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: The Sopranos

The Sopranos and The Wire often butt heads for first place for best-ever TV drama. I just finished watching The Sopranos -- over several months. You could binge-watch it but you might lose the will to live.

Not that The Sopranos isn't good; it's excellent, but, wow, can it be intense. The seven-season show offers a bird's-eye view of one Mafia family, headed by Tony Soprano, played by the late actor James Gandolfini, who manages to imbue the role with equal measures of sensitivity and boorishness, quick intelligence and thick-headedness.

Tony is a thug, a racketeer, an extortionist, and a cold-blooded killer, but he loves his wife and kids (he also loves animals). His love of family doesn't stop him from sleeping with an endless stream of  women or brutally offing relatives who've strayed from true north. He's in therapy about all this, a secret he prefers his mob associates not know.

The real beauty of the show lies in its huge cast of characters and their unfolding lives over time -- Tony's henchmen, their families, Tony's own extended family, competing crime families, and a revolving door of comers and goers (the latter often exit in pieces). Performances are great across the board.


I liked the domestic subplots the best, involving mob children growing up and independent (or not) and sympathetic mob wives and girlfriends who love their thugs and their church and the pope. The women lunch, they shop, they refuse to face the fact that their lives are entirely subsidized by blood money; all the while their men wreak holy havoc like outlaws in the Wild West except it's today and this is New Jersey.

~Ann, Adult Services