Blogmas Day 14 Bingeworthy Netflix Shows The Queen's Gambit and The Crown

 Welcome to Blogmas Day 14!  I wrote about holiday movies worth rewatching here on Blogmas Day Eight.  But there have been some new offerings on Netflix that had me settling in with my favourite snacks.  The whole world has been buzzing over The Queen's Gambit.

via imDb.com

I am completely clueless when it comes to chess but it just goes to show how gripping this series was and is in that it can captivate the imaginations of viewers who know nothing about chess.  Maybe it was the fact that I was bullied while in school and sought solace in books but I was able to identify with the main character, Beth Harmon, and her deep loneliness.  The series is only 7 episodes and I readily admit that I blew through it in an evening but I just had to keep watching if only to watch Beth Harmon kick ass on the chessboard whilst rocking 60's glam.

Season 4 of The Crown is available on Netflix now. This season introduces Princess Diana to the storyline.  Somehow the writers have managed to flesh out a story that everyone already knows and make it believable and engrossing.

via wikipedia.org

As much as the relationship and doomed marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana takes center stage in Season 4, the underrated turn of Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher was what really blew me away.  Yes, Gillian Anderson, somehow, with bouffant hair and stiff British accent, brought the Iron Lady to life.  I wonder what Maggie Thatcher would think of what's going on in the world now?

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LBH May Monthly Favourites: Bordertown, Shetland and The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors Moisturizer

It is time for another Monthly Favourites!  Yet again, I have been binge watching shows on Netflix.  The thing about Netflix is that it is so vast that it is a crap shoot what you might come across.  In my thirst for Scandi Noir, I stumbled upon "Bordertown" (also known as "Sorjonen"), a Finnish crime drama.

The central character, Kari Sorjonen, reminds me of "The Bridge's" Saga Noren or even Sherlock Holmes, in that he has more than a few quirky personality traits that tend to rub the people around him the wrong way.  The difference here is that, rather than the usual trope of the antisocial, eccentric but brilliant detective, he has a wife and daughter so is actually able to have functioning personal relationships.  I must admit that a big draw of this show is the Finnish landscape which should be given its own credit as a supporting cast member.

Another crime drama I have been binge watching is the BBC's Shetland.

Who knew that there could be so much crime on an island?  I found Season 1 to be a bit of a slog.  I am glad I stuck with it as I feel that the writers and actors hit their stride by Season 3 and were feeling a lot more comfortable with the characters and the storyline(s).  And again, the island scenery is breathtaking.

Lastly, I repurchased The Ordinary's Natural Moisturizing Factors plus HA moisturizer which is always a good sign.  I am not sure if it is because I know that it is so affordable so I am quite generous with its application or if the 30 ml in the tube just doesn't go very far but I used up my first tube in 2 weeks. 

And that's it!  Join me on June 1st as I kick off 30 Days of Wellness, a challenge to try to achieve a better state of wellbeing through achievable, actionable steps.  I am feeling really nervous about it and am wondering if I have set myself an unrealistic goal.  I think I am going to need a lot of virtual handholding!

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LBH February Favourites: Nordic Noir

When one spends most of one's time housebound as a semi-invalid, you would think that anything to do with unicorns, rainbows, birds tweeting in the sunshine and a lovely maiden (that would be me) flitting through a meadow wearing vintage linen and lace would be in heavy rotation at Chez L'Heure Bleue At Home.  Noooo, you would be wrong.  Currently, I am obsessed with hunting down Nordic Noir on Netflix Canada.  I need storylines with plenty of plot twists that grab my pain addled mind and won't let go.  I don't even mind the subtitles as they force me to pay attention.  And the scenery!  Who can deny the sullen beauty of the perpetually overcast skies and windswept landscapes? Here then are my top three Nordic Noir favourites.

Image Source via Wikipedia

"The Bridge" is a Swedish-Danish co-production and centers around the Øresund Bridge which links Malmö

and Copenhagen.  There is something imminently refreshing about watching actors who don't look like they just stepped out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue.  There is something even more refreshing about the main character, Saga Noren, who lacks any sort of social filter whatsoever yet, if I were trapped somewhere surrounded by raging psychopaths, I would want her watching my back.

Image Source via IMDb

"Nobel" is a Norwegian television series that depicts the political and economic machinations driving Norway's involvement in Afghanistan.  I found the portrayal of the military involvement of a Scandinavian country, a nation incredibly removed from Afghanistan and its plight, incredibly engrossing due in part to the fact that the story and characters are presented without the usual rabid chest thumping and xenophobia.

Image Source via IMDb

"Trapped" is an Icelandic production.  Yes, you read that right, Iceland!  And you know what, Iceland has got Nordic Noir down to a fine art.  And why not, all that snow and ice can't help but seep into the national psyche.  The storyline takes place over an approximate 10 day period yet I felt like the story unfolded over  six months as every twist and turn, every red herring is thoroughly investigated.

And there you have it, my top Nordic Noir picks.  If you have unearthed any others, please let me know!

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