Author Topic: The TV shows you've seen recently thread. (Read 2070755 times)

ZephyrFate · « **Reply #9600 on:** August 06, 2014, 03:12:49 PM »

I never got the feeling that any part of True Detective was really that original.

ZephyrFate · « **Reply #9601 on:** August 06, 2014, 04:20:02 PM »

There are still shows that do things in fun, inventive, and interesting new ways (see: Enlightened's and Rectify's plot structure), but True Detective is a really well-made and well-acted noir genre show. It includes rather superfluous supernatural elements and ends in a very predictable manner.

I'm excited for Season 2, but I'm not pretending True Detective was anything more than it is. So whether or not it plagiarized from anyone is a pointless debate.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #9602 on:** August 06, 2014, 04:35:21 PM »

Quote from: Exodust SoulBurn on August 06, 2014, 04:05:26 PM

I tend to hate the whole "no originality" and "where's the originality?" complaints because chances are whatever you think is original has been done before.

Those charges also tend to be hurled the most at shows, films, etc that receive critical acclaim and thus are being "overrated" to some folks. A lot of people were hyperventilating about True Detective, it was being compared to The Wire or Breaking Bad after four episodes, etc. Many of the criticisms I've seen are rather weak or boil down to "hey guys, it's not as good as you say it is." Meh.

I really liked it and thought it was very well written. The first few episodes were great, and while the last episode wasn't completely satisfying I thought it was a good finale.

Kara · « **Reply #9603 on:** August 06, 2014, 06:59:21 PM »

Started watching A Perfect Spy last night. Shit is so heavy brehs.

It's like the end of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold heavy but heavy from the first 5 minutes of the program instead of just during the denouement.

Quote from: toku on August 06, 2014, 01:51:38 AM

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Fucking hated how he went out. Hated Hated Hated. I was prayings and begging that they would let him just get out and integrate however mishapenly back into civillian life but nope. I think that would have been a braver ending for the character. His death and Knucky's assistant "Eddie's" are the first deaths on the show since Darmody's wife that mad me go "wow i guess life is just all bullshit until the very end huh."

I know it probably wasn't for everyone and I tend to hate those side tangentially involved stories but I absolute adored what they did with Jimmy's mother this season.
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I liked that storyline too, though I have to admit the bitter reveal wasn't quite what I expected. In the end you never really get away with it in Boardwalk Empire; hell, they even concluded that hot iron to the face scene.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Eddie

A trubro to the end.

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I agree that it would have been a braver end for the character in the sense that they would have had to have been more creative in their future writing (see: how botched Margaret is in season 4) but I view a lot of the characters in this show as being Brechtian--i.e. not persons per se but vehicles for abstract concepts. (Margaret being an obvious example of this in seasons 1-3.)

1924 (which is the year I believe season 4 takes place in) is a bit of an end point for World War I--the Ottoman Empire was finally dissolved, the Dawes Plan was adopted, the UK formally recognized the USSR--and the beginning of World War II--the election of the fascists in Italy, Hitler's failed Beer Hall Putsch and his realization that power had to be seized through the legal political process instead of armed insurrection. What better way to reflect this in the show than to sever its last real link with World War I?

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Seriously doe, fuck y'all for killing Richard.

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Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #9604 on:** August 07, 2014, 12:50:37 AM »

Wondering how they'll handle the time jump to 1931 in Season 5. They'll be skipping over a ton of historically significant events, and at least one major character will have been long passed on.

bork · « **Reply #9605 on:** August 07, 2014, 04:10:05 PM »

USA shows:

Forgot who it was that recommended S4 of Covert Affairs, but you were right...it got awesome. Way better than the previous seasons. Will start on S5 soon.

Enjoying Suits quite a bit, although

spoiler (click to show/hide)

having Mike already back with Pearson Specter seemed to happen way too quickly

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, and not how I pictured it happening. I suspect that the ramifications of that will be the focus of the rest of the season.

Getting bored of Royal Pains, though. After the whole Boris family storyline thing was resolved, it feels like they have no real direction. They've even gotten away from the whole starting their own lab suplot thing.

ZephyrFate · « **Reply #9606 on:** August 08, 2014, 03:39:22 AM »

Black Jesus is funnier than most of The Boondocks.

Kara · « **Reply #9607 on:** August 08, 2014, 11:19:03 AM »

Quote from: Eel O'Brian on August 07, 2014, 12:50:37 AM

Wondering how they'll handle the time jump to 1931 in Season 5. They'll be skipping over a ton of historically significant events, and at least one major character will have been long passed on.

Really? That's a huge time jump. And it'll suck to lose that character off-screen.

Maybe Al Capone's tax evasion trial will be the focus of the season.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #9608 on:** August 08, 2014, 01:57:13 PM »

The new Cosmos series is on Netflix:

http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/80004448

ZephyrFate · « **Reply #9609 on:** August 08, 2014, 03:49:44 PM »

Quote from: Exodust SoulBurn on August 08, 2014, 07:15:15 AM

I really like the show, but you can't say that off of one episode man.

I was never much of a fan of the show outside of a few episodes here and there.

Also, Rectify was goddamn brilliant.

Reb · « **Reply #9610 on:** August 08, 2014, 04:34:45 PM »

I'm rewatching The Office, god I love this show.
Highlight thusfar is Michael's goodbye stranger parody at Toby's goodbye party.

Kara · « **Reply #9611 on:** August 09, 2014, 08:53:19 PM »

Quote from: Karakand on August 06, 2014, 06:59:21 PM

Started watching A Perfect Spy last night. Shit is so heavy brehs.

You are perfect spy, all you need is a cause. I have it.

I know the revolution is young and sometimes the wrong people are running it. In the pursuit of peace we are making too much war; looking for freedom we are building too many prisons; but in the long run, I don't mind.

Because I know this, all the junk that made you what you are: the privileges, the snobbery, the hypocrisy--of church, schools, fathers, class systems--the historical lies, the little lords of the countryside, the little lords of big business--and all the greedy war that result from them--we are sweeping all that away forever! For your sake.

So, I've said it. You are good man, and I love you.

---------------------------

Well this mini hit a little too close to home. Glad to be done with it now.

etiolate · « **Reply #9612 on:** August 10, 2014, 12:53:25 PM »

so watched some shows

Rectify - Perhaps the best show on TV now, especially with Mad Men departing soon. Another good episode.
Outlander - Wonderful sets and costume. Directed by the BSG guy. About 75% of the pilot bored me and the fantasy romance novel chick lit stuff was groan worthy. It started to get interesting once the gal was on horseback with the scots.
The Knick - Very good. Interesting and a bit different. Love the anachronistic music and the whole mood of the show.
Black Jesus - More interested in the character's story rather than the humor at this point. That's not a bad thing.

Kara · « **Reply #9613 on:** August 10, 2014, 04:07:06 PM »

Rectify sounds baller. Gonna start watching it.

ZephyrFate · « **Reply #9614 on:** August 10, 2014, 05:19:21 PM »

Quote from: Karakand on August 10, 2014, 04:07:06 PM

Rectify sounds baller. Gonna start watching it.

It's a deliberately slow-paced drama with incredible performances, breathtaking cinematography, and a Bryan Cranston-level performance by Aden Young in the main role. It's kind of like a modern-day Southern Gothic tale in the vein of Faulkner or O'Connor.

Beezy · « **Reply #9615 on:** August 10, 2014, 07:43:58 PM »

Brb, purging Adventure Time spoilers from my brain.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #9616 on:** August 10, 2014, 07:58:43 PM »

Finished S4 of Boardwalk Empire:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Pro Tip: Don't Google actor's names if you don't want to be spoiled on what happens to their characters. So I knew what happened to Richard before I ever watched, but still. Gutted

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Trent Strong · « **Reply #9617 on:** August 10, 2014, 08:25:13 PM »

I watched a few episodes of Extant. In theory it's exactly the kind of show I should like, since its AI meets Solaris, meets...a bunch of other sci-fi movies. But it just doesn't work. It's a poor man's version of all those movies haphazardly smashed together into a unwieldy mishmash. Plus most of the acting is bad.

Beezy · « **Reply #9618 on:** August 10, 2014, 10:48:35 PM »

Quote from: Exodust SoulBurn on August 10, 2014, 07:46:02 PM

Shit sorry. I thought you would have watched it by now since you keep up better than I do. Fuck! Sorry.

Don't worry, it's not that big of a deal. Grown up life has made it difficult to keep up with any show. Gonna start downloading/streaming episodes more often.

benjipwns · « **Reply #9619 on:** August 14, 2014, 04:54:27 AM »

Wilfred, not the ending I wanted but the ending that was needed probably.

Quote from: bork laser on August 07, 2014, 04:10:05 PM

Forgot who it was that recommended S4 of Covert Affairs, but you were right...it got awesome. Way better than the previous seasons. Will start on S5 soon.

Might have been me, I've been touting the transformation that show made for a while and season four was just like a crescendo, great opening to the season, great pacing in the season and plotting and decent amounts of suspense even though you know Annie can't ever really lose, and the endgame was great. Final confrontation was perfect.

Season five is alright, hasn't hit those heights though. The Pink Ranger is on the show now.

Royal Pains has never seemed like it truly wants to commit to anything, the show has started and dropped more plotlines than I can remember. I completely forgot about all the hospital and symphony drama until it randomly showed back up. And now there's this immigrant girl and Divya's annoying and...I think Boris is just dicking around Hank for fun.

Suits can do all the dumb stuff it wants when Eric Roberts and Neal McDonough are playing villains.

ZephyrFate · « **Reply #9620 on:** August 14, 2014, 05:13:22 AM »

Wilfred ended. It was never "great", but it was probably the most depressing and realistic depiction of mental illness I've seen on TV (at least, sustained within a show over multiple seasons).'

The conclusion stuck its landing because it showed that absolutely everyone on the show is mentally damaged -- most surprisingly of all Jenna, the "hottie" girl next door who Ryan fell in love with only to realize over time that she's never, ever interested in what's best for her and settles constantly for mediocrity and is willing to settle for regret so she can keep her mundane life sacred.

Also, the showed pulled the sneakiest little basement/closet resolution in episode 3 of this season. Ryan comes out of the "basement" and there's a very brief shot of them closing the door to a closet. He literally spent hours (or really days or weeks considering the timeline of the show) in a closet smoking weed with a dog.

benjipwns · « **Reply #9621 on:** August 14, 2014, 05:26:00 AM »

I wonder what it says about me that I never found it depressing as much as compelling.

StealthFan · « **Reply #9622 on:** August 14, 2014, 06:01:50 AM »

Holy shit at Boardwalk Empire. Just finished episode 5 of season 3 and Van Alden

spoiler (click to show/hide)

stays murdering federal agents

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StealthFan · « **Reply #9623 on:** August 14, 2014, 07:10:53 AM »

Episode 6 and

spoiler (click to show/hide)

that scene between Jimmy's mother and his doppelganger is so fucking gross. The second I saw that dude I knew what was going to go down and why

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Joe Molotov · « **Reply #9624 on:** August 14, 2014, 08:13:08 PM »

Started watching Arrow. It seems pretty good so far, glad they didn't make him a pussy like Batman who can't kill anyone.

etiolate · « **Reply #9625 on:** August 14, 2014, 08:17:40 PM »

Wilfred finale: I felt the second to last episode could have been a good ending. The shot of Wilfred as a real dog with Ryan was pretty good. But then they decided to try to answer what Wilfred was fully and it ended up leaning heavily towards mental illness. However, that doesn't make sense overall. A lot of stuff doesn't add up. Like,

spoiler (click to show/hide)

how does Ryan find his real Dad on his own? He was at his eldest 2ish while he was there, and he thought his Dad was dead. How does he wander into that place all on his own?

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Madrun Badrun · « **Reply #9626 on:** August 14, 2014, 08:42:39 PM »

Quote from: Joe Molotov on August 14, 2014, 08:13:08 PM

Started watching Arrow. It seems pretty good so far, glad they didn't make him a pussy like Batman who can't kill anyone.

He gets pussied up in the second season, which is better than the first.

Joe Molotov · « **Reply #9627 on:** August 14, 2014, 08:45:31 PM »

Quote from: TheInfelicitousDandy on August 14, 2014, 08:42:39 PM

Quote from: Joe Molotov on August 14, 2014, 08:13:08 PM
Started watching Arrow. It seems pretty good so far, glad they didn't make him a pussy like Batman who can't kill anyone.

He gets pussied up in the second season, which is better than the first.

Oh well.

Kara · « **Reply #9628 on:** August 14, 2014, 08:49:35 PM »

Season 2 has better megatons (especially on the island

), but it's not a better season than season 1.

Madrun Badrun · « **Reply #9629 on:** August 14, 2014, 08:54:11 PM »

ya it is. The first half of season 1 is bleh.

Kara · « **Reply #9630 on:** August 14, 2014, 09:17:18 PM »

I realize that season 1 ends with an earthquake machine destroying the poorest part of the city (that's a spoiler FYI) when I say this, but season 2 was just too ridiculous for me at times. As someone who read the nu-52 joint for a bit, it takes work to make a Suicide Squad (another spoiler) story seem absurd.

The island stuff is so good doe.

I found the arc of remorseless person on a revenge spree to someone realizing they're really not put together right to be more fulfilling than someone realizing they're really not put together right fumbling through trying to be put together right.

Yeti · « **Reply #9631 on:** August 14, 2014, 09:45:47 PM »

The first half of season 2 was bleh. It finished strong though.

StealthFan · « **Reply #9632 on:** August 14, 2014, 10:10:04 PM »

s1 was better. The first half of both season was flabby tho.

Kara · « **Reply #9633 on:** August 14, 2014, 11:11:40 PM »

Quote from: Esch on August 14, 2014, 10:03:07 PM

S1 and S2 were both pretty good, but S1 edges it for having that anti capitalist narrative

Then someone at WB TV in the vein of David Goyer rolls up and is like "awww hell no" and pens season 2.

etiolate · « **Reply #9634 on:** August 14, 2014, 11:46:28 PM »

s2 is much better just for cutting down the CW shit

StealthFan · « **Reply #9635 on:** August 15, 2014, 12:25:53 AM »

That mayor candidacy plot and having a teenage girl running a bar by herself was pretty CW, breh.

StealthFan · « **Reply #9636 on:** August 15, 2014, 12:57:54 AM »

I hate the teenagers. I don't give a fuck about Arsenal/Red Arrow or whatever the fuck homeboy is. Get that weak shit off my track.

etiolate · « **Reply #9637 on:** August 15, 2014, 01:17:38 AM »

Quote from: They Called Me Stealthfan on August 15, 2014, 12:25:53 AM

That mayor candidacy plot and having a teenage girl running a bar by herself was pretty CW, breh.

His sister running the bar was a step for the character. CW shit would have been his sister drinking at the bar whining over which sidekick beau to fuck.

StealthFan · « **Reply #9638 on:** August 15, 2014, 01:23:13 AM »

Teens running businesses is a dumb CW cliche. Lana did the same thing in Smallville with The Talon. Shit is distinguished mentally-challenged bro. Isn't the sister underage? What business acumen does she have?

It's teen fantasy.

etiolate · « **Reply #9639 on:** August 15, 2014, 01:28:33 AM »

I felt it fit into her character and didn't take up much time. It gave her something to do that didn't seem totally out of the loop with the main plot. It gave her a minor reason to exist and not get in the way. A departure from cliche teen drama that she was in s1. It's not like business doesn't run in her family.

Kara · « **Reply #9640 on:** August 15, 2014, 02:54:54 AM »

Doing a rewatch of The Sandbaggers. Forgot how much the comic Queen & Country aped from this show.

Quality espionage entertainment.

StealthFan · « **Reply #9641 on:** August 15, 2014, 03:31:03 AM »

Rectify

ZephyrFate · « **Reply #9642 on:** August 15, 2014, 04:53:53 AM »

Rectify's season finale next week is gonna break TV I swear. Shit's gonna explode.

Squiddy · « **Reply #9643 on:** August 15, 2014, 07:38:14 AM »

While I'm sure Extant won't be renewed, I'll still watch the shit out of it.
Halle Berry is looking fine these days.

etiolate · « **Reply #9644 on:** August 15, 2014, 03:33:50 PM »

Felt the music at the start of Rectify was way over the top. The last parts of that episode were so good though. Feel like Clayne Crawford deserves an Emmy nod.

StealthFan · « **Reply #9645 on:** August 15, 2014, 08:01:24 PM »

Yeah that music was pretty

StealthFan · « **Reply #9646 on:** August 17, 2014, 06:01:05 AM »

Boardwalk Empire

Dat box

At first I laughed but then that final scene played and I was like

Eric P · « **Reply #9647 on:** August 17, 2014, 10:41:21 AM »

Quote from: Karakand on August 15, 2014, 02:54:54 AM

Doing a rewatch of The Sandbaggers. Forgot how much the comic Queen & Country aped from this show.

yeah, shit so good. shit so blatant.

Kara · « **Reply #9648 on:** August 17, 2014, 11:01:08 AM »

Quote from: Eric P on August 17, 2014, 10:41:21 AM

yeah, shit so good. shit so blatant.

OMG I'D FORGOTTEN THE SERIES 1 FINALE

StealthFan · « **Reply #9649 on:** August 17, 2014, 09:33:34 PM »

Finished season 3 of Boardwalk

Best season so far. 3>1>2. 2 had a bunch of wheelspinning and bullshit because they had to course correct in order to

spoiler (click to show/hide)

get rid of Michael Pitt's asshole ass

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toku · « **Reply #9650 on:** August 17, 2014, 09:54:59 PM »

Told y'all s3 was the peak.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #9651 on:** August 17, 2014, 10:07:47 PM »

S2 was just all right up until the last two episodes. Those were quality.

StealthFan · « **Reply #9652 on:** August 17, 2014, 11:10:34 PM »

Yeah those final two episodes were the best of that season.

ZephyrFate · « **Reply #9653 on:** August 19, 2014, 02:26:57 AM »

Rectify got renewed for a third season. If you're not watching it you're a dum-dum. Will be a shorter episode order, to appease people's bitching about the plot this season.

StealthFan · « **Reply #9654 on:** August 19, 2014, 04:18:28 AM »

I saw someone say on another site that while this season is good, it feels like another tv show. It doesn't have that magic of the first season, and I agree. Things also meandered this season, which I never felt was a flaw of the first season. Still the show is really good and I will continue watching.

ZephyrFate · « **Reply #9655 on:** August 19, 2014, 05:08:20 AM »

Quote from: They Called Me Stealthfan on August 19, 2014, 04:18:28 AM

I saw someone say on another site that while this season is good, it feels like another tv show. It doesn't have that magic of the first season, and I agree. Things also meandered this season, which I never felt was a flaw of the first season. Still the show is really good and I will continue watching.

I don't, really. There's a number of scenes as magical as season 1:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Kerwin in Episode 1, Kerwin's family in Episode 4, all of the prison scenes, every Daniel/Tawney scene, the Daniel/Trey episode

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and I don't think it feels like another TV show at all. The show is way too slow paced and methodical + the cinematography is too on-point to really be just another TV show.

StealthFan · « **Reply #9656 on:** August 19, 2014, 05:14:17 AM »

Yeah network tv is ehhh. Arrow is bullshit popcorn. You can't take it seriously. The acting and dialogue is usually atrocious.

G The Resurrected · « **Reply #9657 on:** August 19, 2014, 05:27:22 AM »

So I got the bug to watch Twin Peaks for the first time last night after seeing it on Netflix. We're up to episode 3 and this show is just crazy in a way I don't know how to feel about. So conflicted by it that I was compulsed to order the Blu Ray with same day delivery.

Kara · « **Reply #9658 on:** August 19, 2014, 06:33:52 AM »

Quote from: They Called Me Stealthfan on August 19, 2014, 05:14:17 AM

Yeah network tv is ehhh. Arrow is bullshit popcorn. You can't take it seriously. The acting and dialogue is usually atrocious.

YOU HAVE FAILED THIS CITY!!!

StealthFan · « **Reply #9659 on:** August 19, 2014, 06:36:38 AM »

Arrow is still 100x better than Smallville tho. Arrow at least tries with the cinematography and lighting. It actually looks like a real show at times. Smallville spent it's entire budget on effects and you could tell. So flabby.

News:

Author Topic: The TV shows you've seen recently thread. (Read 2070755 times)