TV Show Discussion

[danielpholt]

I think Fargo is dragged out a bit too long each season but I still enjoyed it enough to try a third season if it appears.

 

I like to think that it gives the show room to breath. You get to know the characters and the show gets a chance to really set itself up, both plot wise and with its locations.

[deanb]

I'm early days on Stranger Things. Just got to the half way mark (Episode 4). Loving it. Really strong 80s vibe too (oh god love the music n the theme n such). Given I started on it this morning and half way through I suspect this time tomorrow I'll be able to give some more in-depth thoughts.

[deanb]

So, Stranger Things. Pretty dang good. There is a wee plot hole near the end though

 

How'd they get Will out of the Upside Down given the monster was killed? Unless that meant the portal in the lab remained open permanently?

 

Otherwise yeah it's pretty solid, really liked the length of it. Folks have said it's like a long movie and yeah it kind of is. Getting a lot more of that kind of stuff these days. I like how Netflix shows are made to embrace the release style and have shows that flow from one in to the other compared to shows for TV where there's a clearer beginning middle n end of each episode. I think we're gonna see a few of the cast popping up in other stuff down the line (one of the kids is already in It but that was a pre-Stranger Things choice given the origin of Stranger Things). I don't think a sequel would work, at least a direct sequel (even with the "cliffhanger" ending), but I think something maybe like in a similar vein in a different setting might.

I really liked the science teacher character. He was a minor character but he was quite important in explaining some of the more sciency elements and putting a fair few plot elements in motion such as given a nice demo on parallel dimensions, and the comparison of the monster to the flea. DnD was also a great element of it, something that is still seen as quite nerdy but more folks have exposure to to somewhat understand some of the analogies used for it.

Oh yeah, it was nice in how the nostalgia it has is more in how the show is filmed and such rather than "hey this is the 80s, look at the women wearing power suits, families in windbreakers" n such you'd get in say...hot tub time machine.

 

 

Since the latest "No Small Parts" reminded me of it: Check out Taken if you enjoyed Stranger Things. It has a young Dakota Fanning and Anton Yelchin in it. It's similar sort of vibe of Stranger Things though with less of a homage-ness, n since it covers from end of WWII through to early 2000's it's not any specific kind of period homage in it (it is produced by Spielberg though).

 

edit: Oh yeah I'm a couple episodes into Mr Robot. I like the unreliable narrator aspect of it.

I'm pretty sure Elliot just went into the bar on his own with imaginary christian slater. Given the guy someone waltzed into a cybersecurity firm to a desk, and also had a drink before Elliot ordered his n the barman looked at him funny, especially when he left

. 

Also a few episodes into the second series of Star Wars Rebels. Rex is back. Knew he would be but always nice. Waiting for the big pay off as they find out who Darth Vader is.

[TheMightyEthan]

I hope they do a sequel series and that they do it like American Horror Story, where the different seasons are largely unrelated to each other other than minor nods that you wouldn't even notice if you hadn't seen the others.

[danielpholt]

https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachmucha/9-reasons-why-lost-is-the-best-tv-show-ever-19pie?utm_term=.tsZq9jPjx#.srKVRdGd3

 

 

I see no reason to disagree with this article. 

[TheMightyEthan]

I notice they don't mention the fact that the plot gets dumber and dumber as it goes on so by the time season 3 ends on a cliffhanger you realize you don't even care what happens next.

[Mr. GOH!]

The first season of Lost was great TV. Season 2 was okay. After that, it went way off the rails and continued to get more and more stupid until the terrible final half season.

[Eleven]

Lost's Season 4 was great, I don't know where you get the idea that you wouldn't care about what would happen next after Season 3's cliffhanger. It had new renewed excitement around it due to them wanting to come back to the island, after Jack's "We need to go back!" season 3 ending, and flashforwards.

 

It also has the best lost episode ever in The Constant. It's so hard to recommend people to watch that episode even though I know they're going to love it because it's in Season 4, and they have to sit through a boring ass Season 3. But you have to know Desmond and his story, and the not penny's boat thing to get the full effect.

Edited August 17, 2016 by Eleven

[TheMightyEthan]

 

 

I don't know where you get the idea that you wouldn't care about what would happen next after Season 3's cliffhanger.

Because when I watched the series I got to the end of season 3 and didn't care what happened next. You even say later in your post that season 3 is boring.

[Mr. GOH!]

It's true, season 4 had the last really watchable episodes in the series. But nothing lived up to the promise of Season 1.

 

I am flashing back to internet forum debates of the 00's. Anyone want to cape the last season of Battlestar Galactica while we're defending the indefensible?

[TheMightyEthan]

I'm not gonna lie, I totally loved Battlestar.  But I would definitely not try to defend it as being something that one "should" like.

[Eleven]

 

I don't know where you get the idea that you wouldn't care about what would happen next after Season 3's cliffhanger.

Because when I watched the series I got to the end of season 3 and didn't care what happened next. You even say later in your post that season 3 is boring.

 

 

I was just expressing disbelief because the Season 3 cliffhanger, I believe, is reason enough to watch Season 4. You have Jack as a mess in a flashback, mourning the loss of someone presumably his father (who in later episodes turn out to be John Locke IIRC). In the end he calls someone, and it turns out to be Kate, so apparently, it's not a flashback, it was the future. And he wants to go back. What the hell was that about? That was completely unexpected and I really think if Season 3 has a redeeming quality, it's that (and the episode in general). At the very least I think the lasting impression it gives most fans after that season is curiosity instead of indifference.

 

It's what makes Lost great IMO because it keeps you hooked. It's also Lost's weakness because they never really follow up on all the things they showed you to keep you hooked.

[Mister Jack]

Finally finished Stranger Things. It loses a little bit of steam in the second half but it's still perfectly watchable, especially considering how easy it is to completely screw up shows like this where the mystery is the appeal.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[TheMightyEthan]

It's also Lost's weakness because they never really follow up on all the things they showed you to keep you hooked.

I think this was my main problem. Thinking on it more, I don't think I actually got all the way to the end of season 3, I think I quit in the middle, and the cliffhanger I was thinking of was just one of the end of episode ones.  It was just one of those things where after I finished the episode I realized that I didn't care about what was happening, so there was no incentive to keep watching.  In order for a cliffhanger to be effective you have to care about what's going on and care about the outcome, but by that point the series was so boring that I just didn't care anymore.  And I was watching downloaded copies of the series, so it's not even like I had to wait a week to watch the next one, it was right there on my hard drive and I just didn't even care to hit play.

[Mr. GOH!]

I loved Battlestar as well. The ending was utter garbage, however.

[deanb]

UK may knock out some world class TV and comedy, but you wouldn't know it if you asked the general public

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/aug/23/mrs-browns-boys-voted-best-sitcom-of-century

 

https://youtu.be/iqBgwOKwoyo

 

Black Books is great (pretty much all Graham Lineham stuff is). Sort of on-again off-again relationship with Netflix.

[Hot Heart]

Anyone watch the pilot of The Tick on Amazon Prime? Peter Serafinowicz is no Patrick Warburton, but he's pretty good. It's also framed more as Arthur's story anyway. It's only a half hour thing so not too much happens overall, but I think it has potential.

 

Related: I had no idea the creator, Ben Edlund, was they very same who worked on Firefly and wrote one of the best episodes, "Jaynestown." I knew I recognised his name.

[TheFlyingGerbil]

Hadn't noticed that, but I'll give it a watch as I like Peter Serafinowicz .

[Mister Jack]

I've been under a lot of stress recently and most of the shows I watch are between seasons right now, so I've been looking for a nice, feelgood animated show I can watch while I relax and get comfy. After looking at the current trends I stumbled upon a show called The Loud House.  It's a sitcom about a boy who lives with ten girls, which isn't that original a concept but it seemed fairly popular so I gave it a shot and I actually really enjoy it.  What I like is that unlike most shows of this type, the main character, Lincoln, isn't just whining about how annoying his sisters are all the time.  His sisters aren't constantly bullying him because he's the only boy either.  The show never implies for even a second that the siblings don't all love and support each other, even when they fight, which is actually rather refreshing for a concept like this.  Most of the conflicts and plotlines come from the difficulties of living in such a large family, regardless of gender.  And while the sisters are mostly defined by their individual quirks (this one is an athlete, this one wants to be a comedian, this one is smart, this one is dumb, this one's a goth), they're all so likable that it doesn't even bother me.  I wouldn't say it's brilliant or anything, but it's a nice show that makes me smile while I watch it.  

 

 

I also really like how the backgrounds are drawn to look like a Sunday comic strip.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Mister Jack

[deanb]

Finished S1 of Mr Robot. I'm sort of unsure on it. I love the titles, I love that it's probably one of the first proper depictions of computers, and hacking including the social engineering aspect of it all too. My only beef is the massive "Unreliable narrator" and how heavily it gets used as it goes on. I'd picked up on it a few episodes in

 

The first major inkling is when Mr Robot manages to turn up to his place of work, a cyber security firm, and sit himself at a computer and no one raises any issue with that. Then when they go to the bar Mr Robot already has an appletini but Elliot is obviously yet to order. On leaving everyone in the background looks at him a bit weirdly. It kind of throws in a few weird bits though with Mr Robot being completely fictional and not just an occasional figment of imagination, but maybe need to re-watch and check it out.

 

 

I liked the CEO (hadn't picked up he was the CEO at first when he was chatting with Wellick), in being quite nice and sagely at first then suddenly turns sour and "money above all else" kind of attitude. The blonde lasses turn seemed a bit sudden imo, but given there's clearly a "and a couple weeks pass" bit in it I guess it makes sense timeline wise but if you don't show the character arc it feels jaunty. Also could have done with a bit more delving into the other members of fsociety than just Darlene. There's only like 5 of them so shouldn't have been too hard, instead we get a lot of focus on Wellick for little pay-off. Gideon was cool (and also not clueless too, but maybe a bit too trusting of Elliot considering he puts his suspicions out in the open).

 

Gonna wait for all of S2 to be out before jumping on to that, but reactions I've seen on Twitter imply it's a doozy. 

[Hot Heart]

After some later thought I decided I'm not bothering with S2 of Mr. Robot.

 

Very little pay-off for lame story arcs, with a hackneyed, obvious twist. It feels like it shouldn't take itself so seriously for how it actually plays out.

 

 

I've heard theories that Elliot is Tyrell as well (or vice versa) and... I wouldn't put it past them.

 

 

I'd only be tempted to watch more if it later turns out to redeem itself, but I wasn't exactly enjoying "the ride".

[Mal]

Gave Narco a spin and it turned into a season one binge. Knowing that Escobar eventually gets killed, season two should be it. Now everybody else's fate... I don't know and that what keeps me in the show. But hell, half of the real stuff that goes down sounds like a fiction and that keeps me in too. Luxury prison for exchange for peace... It just doesn't sound real.

[TheFlyingGerbil]

The Great British Bake Off is leaving the BBC. This is the worst news. It will almost certainly lose it's charm on another channel, and even if it doesn't it may not end up on a channel I get

[Mal]

 

This year just turned good.

[deanb]

In searching for a TV show to keep me occupied in the face of all recent shows taking on a 10 episode per series run I settled on Stargate. With SG-1 and 10 series, SG:A at 6 series and SG:U at 2 series, and a few movies, and all a healthy 20+ episodes a pop (maybe not SG:U, I haven't checked on that one) it'll keep me for a while (was a decent few months back when I binged it in Uni). My memory was that SG-1 took a bit to get going, but it gets into some elements pretty damn quickly and many things I thought were in later series are all within the first dozen or so (e.g they're almost off the bat with the Alpha gate which I thought wasn't around for a while.

It's interesting seeming them slowly build up the mythology of the show, and the various "rules" of the stargate and playing around with that. To me it's in the pantheon of Star Trek and Star Wars it just never really got its due. It covers usual sci-fi tropes from human experimentation, human rights, war crimes, prime directive (there isn't much of one here ), and identity etc. And that's the first series.

I like it cos it knows where to be serious, and where to be silly and let itself sort of poke fun at itself (the entire "Wormhole Extreme" stuff for example). Jokes about "Macgyvering" systems together, or "we can't just send a computer virus to their mothership". It's also late 90s early 2000s too with its netscape navigator n 90s haircuts. 

 

I might jump on to Farscape after (which is even sillier, but also very imaginative), which has a bit of crossover in the cast between the two shows too. Claudia Black, who'll many of you know as Morrigan from Dragon Age, one of the Asari (iirc the half-krogan asari), Chloe in Uncharted, Tess Everis in Destiny, etc plays a big role in Farscape and a later recurring role in SG-1.