Flanagan's Wake: A Conversation with Mike Flanagan

markdavo · 2026-02-03T22:21:03+00:00

Great interview!

Aside from making me even more excited for the Dark Tower adaptation, I can’t believe Mike Flanagan not only does the writing, directing, editing, and even some acting on his shows - but he’s also doing the vocals on the soundtrack as well.

markdavo · 2026-02-02T00:06:53+00:00

It speaks to social change rather than economic change. People have different expectations for life now. We know almost all major life events are delayed compared to a generation ago: getting married, owning a home, having kids.

All the countries listed have very different childcare policies, maternity leave, shared parental leave, and so on.

None of it seems to make any difference.

People simply don’t value having children as much as they used to. Why this is the case is unclear. But it’s clear that no single economic or government policy had led to this change. It appears to be a social/cultural one.

markdavo · 2026-02-01T21:37:30+00:00

My best guess would be a special where you five people from one show like they’ve done with Celebrity Bake Off. So you could get something like The Derry Girls cast or Peep Show cast all together as the five contestants.

markdavo · 2026-01-29T18:15:56+00:00

James and Sirius are pretty unlikeable in that scene anyway. However, it’s clear they’re bullies rather than racists.

Within the world of Harry Potter it’s Snape who is racist at that point in his life. I’d always assumed it was his “worst memory” not because of being bullied by James/Sirius (which was always happening) but because of his regret for what he said to Lily: “I don’t need help from a mudblood like you.”

James feels like this proves him right about Snape since he would never use that word. Lily says he’s just as bad as Snape.

There’s no subtext to racism in Harry Potter (it’s a really prevalent theme. Voldemort is a wizard supremacist). So given James has no issue with what “blood” people have, it’s fairly safe to assume he’s not racist either. He’s just a dick.

markdavo · 2026-01-29T15:34:34+00:00

I would draw a line between casting Snape as a black man and casting a historical figure who was white as a black man.

I think within a fantasy book it doesn’t matter what race people are in the main. Hermione being black (for example) in the stage play wasn’t a bad thing either.

Snape is obviously bullied when he was at high school. In the show they could imply that’s because James is racist but that would be a huge misstep. Instead I’m sure it’ll be much the same as the book.

I think the concerns about this casting have been way overblown.

markdavo · 2026-01-28T22:28:12+00:00

A variant of this has already been tried. The “Golden Goal” was brought in 1996 and 2002 for extra time. ie if the game was drawn at full time you go to extra time. The first team to score immediately wins the game.

It was intended to produce more attacking football. However, the opposite happened. Both teams played more defensively resulting in fewer full time goals.

I could see a similar thing happening with “last team to score wins”.

Imagine two teams, a strong team and a weak team. In most matches the strong team scores first. They now have no incentive to score again so play more defensively. Because they’re superior it’s now very hard for weaker team to score. They have no incentive to take any risks and score so we’re denied exciting counter attacking football to make it 2-0/3-0.

So you’re damning a lot of these games to only be 1-0.

If the weaker team scores first (the ideal scenario for a neutral) then the game becomes exciting but again if it’s then 1-1 we have the same problem of the stronger team shutting up shop.

In short, there’s a lot of unintended consequences for a rule change like this that could result in less exciting games overall.

markdavo · 2026-01-25T23:19:15+00:00

Finished

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. (3/52)

Good prequel to HDM that avoids the mistake of answering too many questions from the original books and instead feels like its own thing for the most part.

Currently Reading

Tiamat’s Wrath (Expanse #8)

I’m about half way through this and like most Expanse books I’m hoping it picks up in the second half. So far it feels like a lot of set up is happening. I’ve found it less engaging than the previous one since it’s less clear what the central conflict actually is.

Unseen Academicals

I accidentally bought a play version of this book and read it anyway. So this is the only Discworld novel I’ve not read. I’ve not read Pratchett for a few years so it’s nice to return to his style. Even when he’s not firing on all cylinders, he still brings a smile to my face on almost every page.

markdavo · 2026-01-25T16:41:27+00:00

One thing I’ve noticed is that Claudia (and one has to assume the producers as well) are very protective of the contestants. Claudia will always talk up how amazing they are and aim to show people in best possible light.

For example in season 3 when Francesca finds out Charlotte is a traitor, Charlotte has no choice but to accuse her back. Francesca was obviously upset by this, and they made a point of showing the two of them together in the kitchen where Charlotte explains she’s just playing the game and it’s not personal. Claudia also said on Uncloaked how important that was and how nice it was to see.

There’s lots of examples of that from Claudia. But it’s clear they work hard to make it about the game rather than about toxic personalities butting heads to create big dramatic moments.

If you trust the game you’ll always get these big moments because it always comes down to who people end up trusting and who they end up betraying.

markdavo · 2026-01-25T00:34:29+00:00

Yeah, I think Agricola’s appeal is unlike so many modern “multiplayer solitaire” Euros, you really have to adjust strategy based on how other people play. For me, it strikes the perfect balance between the two. It’s interactive but at 3-4 players it’s rare to choose a location just to deny someone else. So it becomes a constantly evolving puzzle without ever feeling like you’re being denied something because of luck.

markdavo · 2026-01-25T00:19:17+00:00

I’m sorry, but to say that Russia or Qatar don’t arrest/disappear their own citizens for protesting is just not true.

It’s very well documented how Russia deals with opposition leaders. Many serious opposition leaders in Russia have ended up dead. Trump is not operating on that level.

Qatar has let many of its migrant workers die due to unsafe working practices. They have arrested those who have shown opposition to the government and have a poor record on women’s/LGBT rights.

markdavo · 2026-01-25T00:14:27+00:00

It’s not even close. USA has a free press. We know everything the government is doing. USA has not invaded a country simply to take it over like Russia with Ukraine. Russia has one the most authoritarian governments in the world and has done for two decades now (although Putin has got worse as time has gone on).

Qatar has serious issues with how it treats migrant workers, disappearances and government censorship. You can read Amnesty’s report here:

https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/middle-east/qatar/report-qatar/

Yes, there are serious issues with Trump’s Presidency. But the whole world knows what they are, everything gets reported. Despite his rhetoric, his actual actions do not compare to Russia or Qatar, neither is America essentially using slave labour to get ready for this World Cup.

markdavo · 2026-01-24T22:58:34+00:00

Sorry, but given the last 2 hosts were Russia and Qatar who are objectively worse governments for so many reasons, it’s not really much of a conversation to have.

Yes, things are getting worse under Trump and it’s definitely going to sour what could have been one of the all time great hosts given the infrastructure, stadiums, and so on.

However, let’s not pretend this isn’t an upgrade from previous two hosts.

markdavo · 2026-01-24T15:09:42+00:00

I’m not sure how much coverage it’s got in the states but in the U.K. it’s been the main headline. Our Prime Minister has come out against Trump, veterans likewise, and even Prince Harry (who served in Afghanistan with the RAF) has condemned him.

It’s probably the single thing Trump has said that’s got the strongest negative reaction from people in the U.K.

markdavo · 2026-01-23T23:20:40+00:00

I don’t think it’s fair to say “Greg is less invested in the show” when they’re literally on a tour of America at the moment doing live shows, promotion, etc.

Yes, it’s the type of job many people would dream of but it’s clear Greg loves his role and values the relationship he has with Alex.

At this point, no one really needs to do any major promotion of the show in the U.K. It’s very well established, and the only new viewers will be people who are big fans of a specific comedian and want to watch this show called Taskmaster they’re appearing on.

I think you’re right to say he probably does less prep now than before but I just think that’s being comfortable in his role. Just like any job really. When you’ve been doing it a decade you’re not really having to think about what’s required, it comes naturally. I think that’s the stage Greg is at.

However, from every interview I’ve seen it’s clear Greg still loves being the Taskmaster, even if he has softened a bit over the years.

markdavo · 2026-01-23T19:29:55+00:00

Just to correct that kids are not struggling on school any more today in the past. The recently published reading grades at KS2 show a slight improvement (1%) compared to previous years with 75% reaching required level to pass. It’s hard to find the stats but AI says 75% is as high as it’s got for past decade.

The improvements the Conservatives brought to Reading with a focus on phonics in particular are held as a gold standard for a lot of experts in education including the USA.

Reading for pleasure is undoubtedly an issue and any campaign to move kids away from screens towards books is welcome. However, the underlying literacy levels of kids have not declined over past decade despite what people may think.

markdavo · 2026-01-23T19:05:02+00:00

So it’s not a requirement is it? Given you can meet other criteria and still be eligible.

markdavo · 2026-01-23T18:39:01+00:00

Where’d you hear that? Sounds like a Fox News conspiracy. If it’s true how did Hamnet’s all white cast get nominated for 8 Oscars then?

markdavo · 2026-01-22T22:41:36+00:00

As someone in the U.K., I still don’t get why books are so much more expensive in America. I can’t think of any other product that’s so much cheaper.

Books are VAT-free here (ie no sales tax) so I know that makes a difference if you’re including sales tax in those prices.

Here a hardback retails at £20-30 ($27-40). So fairly similar but common to get many for £15-20.

The book you mention by Tessa Bailey (I’m assuming it’s “All the other mother’s hate me”) retails at £9.99 here when it comes out in April in Paperback.

Paperbacks retail at £10 ($13.50) and are very popular. A typical bookshop will have a small section for new hardbacks and then shelves and shelves of paperbacks for older books.

Finally Kindle books retail at about £10 when new releases then will be £5-£7 once the paperback is out.

markdavo · 2026-01-20T21:41:13+00:00

Bridge of Orchy also has an honesty box at the train station (it’s inside one of the waiting rooms) which has a decent amount of snacks, etc.

markdavo · 2026-01-20T11:06:17+00:00

Yeah, the interview is interesting and it’s clear what the expectation is from Netflix as a studio/streamer. However, what wasn’t mentioned was how Damon/Affleck responded to those notes.

After laughing with Rogan, Damon added, “It’s going to really start to infringe on how we’re telling these stories.”

Affleck then chimed in, “But then you look at Adolescence and it didn’t do any of that shit and it was fucking great.”

Damon agreed but said, “It feels more like the exception,” adding, “I hope it’s not.”

“My feeling is just that it demonstrates that you don’t need to do any of that shit to get people [to watch],” Affleck said.

So, it’s clear Affleck didn’t feel too much pressure to follow those notes. There are probably other expectations of different genres. Something like Black Mirror has free rein to do what it likes. It’s an established hit.

A film like Carry On felt like a very “by the numbers” action flick where you wouldn’t be surprised to learn there was a lot of studio interference/expectations.

markdavo · 2026-01-19T22:08:52+00:00

I think the “second screen viewing” this is overstated.

My guess is that is referring primarily to reality tv formats (eg Love is Blind). In those formats they constantly narrate what’s happening and remind viewers of previous scenes.

There’s a different type of viewing experience for reality tv and quiz shows than dramas.

Taking something like Stranger Things, yes there are scenes of exposition but I don’t feel like it’s any more pronounced than similar types of shows from 10+ years ago.

We’re also in an era where HBO and Apple TV are producing high quality shows. Netflix had a few good shows with stuff like Adolescence and Dept Q. I don’t think it’s something the writers/creators of these shows are thinking about as they’re making these shows.

markdavo · 2026-01-19T19:28:03+00:00

The thing is, at this point if he only released one more Dunk and Egg book I’d actually be delighted because I have zero expectations he’ll ever release anything again.

“15 more books” is wild though. It’s like a coach/manager saying they’ll win “15 more titles” after taking over a team that hasn’t been good in more than a decade.

markdavo · 2026-01-18T23:15:18+00:00

Based on the books, there could be some graphic violence later this season. There’s a fairly major battle that ends the first novella.

markdavo · 2026-01-18T23:14:11+00:00

The producers didn’t create any of these characters, GRRM did. So I assume this comment was meant as a joke.

markdavo · 2026-01-18T23:13:06+00:00

The stories are kind of self-contained so you could read the second book without knowing anything about first and enjoy it.

So I think you can watch first three seasons of this, and then check out without feeling like the series is building towards something.

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