selenak

I did watch A League of Their Own thirty years ago, but virtually the only thing I remember about it is that I liked it, despite not getting baseball (then or now). Not enough to rewatch it, but enough to maintain a good feeling in my memory. So the reason why I watched the new Amazon series was that it had a very good word-of-mouth (virtually speaking) already, which now that I've watched it I have to say I completely agree with. Again, I still don't get baseball. But this is a very good ensemble story, full of characters and relationships it made me care about, both of the romantic and platonic kind. The sheer number of queer character meant they can all be individual and flawed (as opposed to being the only one or two and thus cursed with the burden of exemplary representation), and I was really impressed that the series managed to give us two leads who have storylines and worlds that are mostly separate (they do interweave in meaningful ways, but not often), and that they are mostly separate is part of the point - Max(ine), a black woman, in the 1940s simply lives a very different life from Carson (a white woman), parallels of loving baseball and coming to terms with their sexuality not withstanding.

How the series manages to serve up the tropes associated with the sports story genre - underdog team! - bonding of very different people! - training montage! - eleventh hour crisis that endangers everything! - friendship and joy and finding meaning for yourself hooray! - etc. in a way that feels entirely natural and not by the numbers at all is wonderful, and I thought the series managed to strike (ahem) a good balance between not being grimdark but not pretending 1940s homophobia and danger by the law does not exist, either. In short, I really really liked it, and am glad Amazon Prime delivered it to me.

Better Call Saul:

Entertainment Weekly article about the final shooting days of the show

Rhea Seehorn interview about Kim and her choices

And a fanfiction about Jimmy and Kim post finale:

Rekindled