Watched all the Venture brothers yesterday. It wasn't as good as people said, but it was still pretty good. Started (re)watching PPGs this morning. That show is just as good as I remember.
From what I've heard Venture Brothers gets way better in later seasons.
Season 1 gets amazing halfway through. (Especially when you hit Ghosts of the Sargassum) Season 2 and 3 are pure bliss and amazing. I prefer Season 2 for it's humor, but Season 3 has amazing continuity. Season 4 isn't very good for the first half, but the second half totally redeems it. Has an incredible ending.
I marathoned through the rest of Archer Season 4 and that was just incredible. I laughed so hard...oh, I hope they keep up everything with Pam. And some of the best Archer moments. (Him and the dog was amazing)
I also just started in on Fringe. The pilot looked promising but not spectacular. Can anyone let me know if it's worth watching any more of it?
Fringe is definitely worth sticking with, it becomes one of the bravest and most interesting shows in the past decade. The first season isn't quite representative of that, but it's still good and the last few episodes of it give a taste of what the real show is about. I know that doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement but this show is kinda hard to sell without spoilers. Let's just say it strays far away from its X Files roots.
It had me laughing quite a bit. The 'superheroes perform mundane tasks' schtick seems to be the main thing for this show, and is something I like. I'm guessing each episode has two parts. The first part of episode 1 involves the team making an ancient and powerful sandwich, and the second is a birthday party.
Also, "Robin has no superpowers, and is therefore worthless" seems to be a running gag, and it gets me every goddamn time.
Saw the first episodes of DaVinci's Demons and Orphan Black. DaVinci is kind of like Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes meets the Borgias. Orphan Black was very cool with a good setup hook and mystery. I'll keep watching both shows.
Adventure Time gets better, eh? Based on what I've read up to now, it seems like a lot of fans feel that it's only gone downhill over time. The first season mostly left me cold but I liked the last bunch of episodes a lot more than the rest of the season, so perhaps I will stick with it if it improves.
Since I was home sick I tried a bunch of stuff this weekend. I checked out the pilot for Louie and thought the first story was kind of flaccid and the second half too cringe-y, but I liked most of his standup and I could see it having some great episodes. Does anyone have a recommendation list?
Teen Titans Go had some good jokes, good VA performances, and fun action bits, but also long flat stretches, a few grating bits, and absolutely no substance. Not bad if you want to turn your brain off, but not really recommended either. I predict this will be a hit with the kids.
Regular Show struck me as just watching two stoners have wacky stuff happen to them over and over again. It's awfully random and largely pointless, but now that it's on Netflix I think I might come back once in a while when I need something unchallenging to watch.
Amazon's animated pilot, Supanatural, didn't do anything for me in the five minutes before I gave up on it. Two trashy, obnoxious women who are really good at treasure hunting and yell insults at each other a lot while doing it. Well, that's different anyway....
Also checked out New Girl and Parks and Rec (I know, extreme slowpoke). They were both pretty good as live action-sitcoms go and had a bit of heartwarming pleasantness, but I didn't see a lot that would motivate me to keep up with them weekly. Happy Endings on the other hand was kind of a mess. It was smartly written, but so rapid-fire with the jokes that I have no idea what they were going for as far as tone (maybe something like Arrested Development?) and the whole thing felt extremely artificial.
So if I want to make a go of it with Parks and Rec, should I just skip the first season (which I've heard is terrible from many, many people), or does it do too much plot-important stuff?
Season 4 of Archer was good, however not as good as season 3. Pam, Cheryl, and Krieger were the best of season 4.
Yeah, it wasn't a huge step down but I feel like it's getting a little stale to be honest. It doesn't really do either cultural satire or emotional moments to add some weight, and the wacky character jokes are wearing a bit thin.
So if I want to make a go of it with Parks and Rec, should I just skip the first season (which I've heard is terrible from many, many people), or does it do too much plot-important stuff?
I skipped it at first and then went back to it. It's really not bad, just very derivative of The Office.
Adventure Time gets better, eh? Based on what I've read up to now, it seems like a lot of fans feel that it's only gone downhill over time.
It's by far the most popular opinion on /co/. And while yes, 4chan is terrible in all kinds of ways, I usually more or less agree with their average opinions on shows.
I wouldn't say that I "read and trust" /co/, but I do scan it a few times a week to find out about new shows coming out. Historically I've found that the volume of conversation around a show, combined with the number of defenders a show or opinion has, tends to be fairly predictive of what I'll think of it (which I would say isn't true at all of /a/ or /tv/). I mean, /co/ likes Archer but didn't like the latest season quite as much, and thinks Bob's Burgers is the best of Fox's current shows, and agrees on the time course of Simpsons declining around seasons 8-11, and agrees that Futurama has been ok but not nearly as good since it came back.
It's a useful tool in certain situations, and given that the first season of AT left me fairly cold, I was reasonably willing to buy that I probably shouldn't bother continuing. I'll just have to watch some more AT and get back to you all.
I just watched all of the Adventure Time. The quality seems pretty consistent throughout the entire thing.
I would say it gets better with every season. Adventure Time I believe is one of those rare shows that can be episodic and each episode can be enjoyed to it's own level, but also have a continuing plot-line and growth that is needed. Every season picks up in some way, I think because P. Ward and everyone else working on the show is so solid working with creative characters and new worlds.
Also, I'm a total Parks and Recreation Fan. Skip the 1st Season because it feels so much like a clone of The Office and they focus on a character who generally leaves in the end. The 2nd Season is good, but the 3rd Season just soars when they add Adam Scott and Rob Lowe to the cast. I think I root for this comedy more than Community, because I actually root for everyone in this show and really get that feeling of friendship.
Also, I can't wait for The Office to end. Jesus Christ, if the ending fails considering how the "farewell" season has been? Shit, I may never watch it again.
Now that my graduate work is finished for the semester, I'm taking time to catch up on what I've missed for the last month or so.
Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger - Quite surprised that I'm having this much fun with a Sentai again. The show is fast-paced with a set of very interesting characters and good action scenes.
Kamen Rider Wizard - Kind of bland at times, but a good Kamen Rider season nonetheless.
Doctor Who - Not enjoying this second part of Series 7 at all. I'm very disappointed.
Touch - Very engaging, and I feel very invested in the overall plot. Highly recommended.
Once Upon A Time - Interesting plot twists, but I'm definitely ready for the finale.
And I convinced the lady to start watching X-Men Evolution with me. We're almost finished with season 2 and she is really enjoying it, despite finding superhero shows annoying. I consider that a success.
Comments
Season 2 and 3 are pure bliss and amazing. I prefer Season 2 for it's humor, but Season 3 has amazing continuity.
Season 4 isn't very good for the first half, but the second half totally redeems it. Has an incredible ending.
I marathoned through the rest of Archer Season 4 and that was just incredible. I laughed so hard...oh, I hope they keep up everything with Pam. And some of the best Archer moments. (Him and the dog was amazing)
It had me laughing quite a bit. The 'superheroes perform mundane tasks' schtick seems to be the main thing for this show, and is something I like. I'm guessing each episode has two parts. The first part of episode 1 involves the team making an ancient and powerful sandwich, and the second is a birthday party.
Also, "Robin has no superpowers, and is therefore worthless" seems to be a running gag, and it gets me every goddamn time.
Since I was home sick I tried a bunch of stuff this weekend. I checked out the pilot for Louie and thought the first story was kind of flaccid and the second half too cringe-y, but I liked most of his standup and I could see it having some great episodes. Does anyone have a recommendation list?
Teen Titans Go had some good jokes, good VA performances, and fun action bits, but also long flat stretches, a few grating bits, and absolutely no substance. Not bad if you want to turn your brain off, but not really recommended either. I predict this will be a hit with the kids.
Regular Show struck me as just watching two stoners have wacky stuff happen to them over and over again. It's awfully random and largely pointless, but now that it's on Netflix I think I might come back once in a while when I need something unchallenging to watch.
Amazon's animated pilot, Supanatural, didn't do anything for me in the five minutes before I gave up on it. Two trashy, obnoxious women who are really good at treasure hunting and yell insults at each other a lot while doing it. Well, that's different anyway....
Also checked out New Girl and Parks and Rec (I know, extreme slowpoke). They were both pretty good as live action-sitcoms go and had a bit of heartwarming pleasantness, but I didn't see a lot that would motivate me to keep up with them weekly. Happy Endings on the other hand was kind of a mess. It was smartly written, but so rapid-fire with the jokes that I have no idea what they were going for as far as tone (maybe something like Arrested Development?) and the whole thing felt extremely artificial.
On an unrelated note, we watched season 4 of Archer yesterday.
We keep meaning to watch House of Cards, but it never seems to be the right time.
He's on season 2. Tobias Funke. Seriously the best.
It's a useful tool in certain situations, and given that the first season of AT left me fairly cold, I was reasonably willing to buy that I probably shouldn't bother continuing. I'll just have to watch some more AT and get back to you all.
Also, I'm a total Parks and Recreation Fan. Skip the 1st Season because it feels so much like a clone of The Office and they focus on a character who generally leaves in the end. The 2nd Season is good, but the 3rd Season just soars when they add Adam Scott and Rob Lowe to the cast. I think I root for this comedy more than Community, because I actually root for everyone in this show and really get that feeling of friendship.
Also, I can't wait for The Office to end. Jesus Christ, if the ending fails considering how the "farewell" season has been? Shit, I may never watch it again.
Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger - Quite surprised that I'm having this much fun with a Sentai again. The show is fast-paced with a set of very interesting characters and good action scenes.
Kamen Rider Wizard - Kind of bland at times, but a good Kamen Rider season nonetheless.
Doctor Who - Not enjoying this second part of Series 7 at all. I'm very disappointed.
Touch - Very engaging, and I feel very invested in the overall plot. Highly recommended.
Once Upon A Time - Interesting plot twists, but I'm definitely ready for the finale.
And I convinced the lady to start watching X-Men Evolution with me. We're almost finished with season 2 and she is really enjoying it, despite finding superhero shows annoying. I consider that a success.
Ok, fine... Adventure Time!!!