Game of Thrones has definitely become a bit more interesting as they at least start drifting off into some better territories and kinda address the more dynamic parts of Ramsay's destruction instead of just having him front and center as Lord Badguy. But he's still a pretty one note character. I dunno, the writing in GoT is a bit questionable at times but never comes across as hokey which I find in a lot of other shows. But damn, they do spectacle so well.
I finally caught up yesterday - being home sick does wonders for that - and generally agree that this season is better than the last. Probably because they actually started steering the fucking SS Plot barge somewhere, instead of meandering through who knows what.
I question some of the writing choices - some plots were tied up fairly haphazardly, and they seem to basically be "resetting" some things to an extent - but overall I welcome the drive towards Bastardbowl, and whatever comes after it.
I recently finished the 4th season of Orange is the New Black. I found it incredibly compelling, I thought it was running out out of steam. However this season felt far more mature, each character more complex and the topics far dark/heavier than the last few seasons.
This season was able to elicit a greater emotional response than before. I can't really go into specifics due to the spoilers.
This season was able to elicit a greater emotional response than before. I can't really go into specifics due to the spoilers.
it was the strongest season yet, IMO. Exploring the failings of a privatized prison system as well as the development of Sophia Burset's story line were incredibly compelling and extremely important. I won't say more due to spoilers, but in our current political climate, it is easy to overlook the political, ethical, and funding issues that plague our criminal justice and prison systems.
We've started it, but haven't finished the season yet. I'm digging into it so far, and I am indeed surprised at the longevity this show seems to have. I thought for sure I'd be tired of it, but it's a great setting for socio-political exploration.
So, I tried MTV's The Shannara Chronicles, because it looked like it had the potential to sate my cravings for a Xena-esque female lead, fantastical, cheesy action show. Despite some CW-like teen love triangle silliness, I enjoy it thus far. In several respects, it is actually better than Xena - better dialogue, an overarching plot that makes sense, some of the acting, higher production value overall, more consistent aesthetic, self-consistent world, etc., though I wouldn't call it "good." If it were any better, it would move out the realm of cheese and into the undifferentiated realm of the lackluster, at which point I would lose interest. It's counter-intuitive, I know.
Anyway, it is the TV equivalent to a beach book, so I am enjoying it on that score.
Having never read the books and no intent to do so, I have no basis for comparison on that score. Has anyone read the books and seen the show to offer an opinion in this regard?
I've only seen up to episode 3 or 4 of the Shannara Chronicles but it seems to follow the book fairly well. The book it's based on, The Elfstones of Shannara, isn't my favorite of the series so I've only read it once or twice a really (nearly 20 years) long time ago. I'm more excited for the possibility of them doing The Wishsong of Shannara.
The books date back to the 70s and 80s and even then they were pretty generic fantasy stories. The world that's been built in the last (oh god) 40 years is the more interesting than any of the individual stories.
The Netflix comments pretty much turned off any interest I had in that show. It seemed promising, but oh well.
If you want a good show, this is not your show. If you want some D&D style fantasy cheese with strong female characters (who are archetypal, but not devoid of personality or painfully stereotypical) and don't mind a couple of love triangles as a device to create tension between characters who would otherwise get along, then this fits the bill.
Yeah, I'm in no rush to find something new. I have many shows I can still watch, I just need desire to watch them.
Shows I'm watching now:
Voltron - it's ok. It's nothing great like Korra. Tank - remade version of Bolin. I'm on episode 6. I'm finding Lance's character to be way too one dimensional, classic trope of boy being stupid about girls. I'm not seeing what the hype was about so far.
Shows I need to still watch: Daredevil season 2 House Of Cards season 4 OITNB - Seasons 3 & 4, but I am honestly ok with not watching this show anymore, unless other people are really saying it's worth watching. I went thru Season 1 & 2 when I was sick and watched it almost back to back non-stop. Jessica Jones
What you just described is actually pretty well served by the Wheel of Time.
Not that I necessarily recommend diving into 14 giant books of fantasy nonsense. But it's there.
I read the first two Wheel of Time books years ago. They are not for me. The Shannara show scratches an itch, but the Wheel of Time slowly removes skin layer-by-layer until the itch seems like euphoria.
Yeah, I'm in no rush to find something new. I have many shows I can still watch, I just need desire to watch them.
Shows I'm watching now:
Voltron - it's ok. It's nothing great like Korra. Tank - remade version of Bolin. I'm on episode 6. I'm finding Lance's character to be way too one dimensional, classic trope of boy being stupid about girls. I'm not seeing what the hype was about so far.
Shows I need to still watch: Daredevil season 2 House Of Cards season 4 OITNB - Seasons 3 & 4, but I am honestly ok with not watching this show anymore, unless other people are really saying it's worth watching. I went thru Season 1 & 2 when I was sick and watched it almost back to back non-stop. Jessica Jones
I finished OITNB Season 4 last week. It's easily the best season of the whole show and was given a lot more emotional/serious weight. It's kind of better to watch them back to back, because Season 3 has kind of a WTF? ending that is picked up IMMEDIATELY with the Season 4 Premiere. Season 4 is also when the series becomes more like Jojo Part 6: Stone Ocean. There's only one bad subplot in the 4th season that barely gets any screen time but it isn't as intrusive as the baby subplot in the other three seasons.
Daredevil Season 2 is also pretty great. Doesn't end as strongly as Season 1, but jesus christ, there is no better representation of The Punisher than Jon Bernthal who is given so much depth. Jessica Jones is also at Daredevil level of quality, but more of a slow-burn thriller than full on action show. Still, David Tennant may be the single best villain in the MCU. (Yes, beating Hiddleston and D'Onofrio)
Currently marathoning through 30 Rock to pass the time. At Season 5. I'm also thinking about what current show to watch between Preacher or Baskets.
Currently marathoning through 30 Rock to pass the time. At Season 5. I'm also thinking about what current show to watch between Preacher or Baskets.
Preacher sucks absolute balls. The production company changed a road trip story about a deeply flawed individual who ended up as a sad brooding man who is stuck in this one town, on a the slowest of burns and cheapening the highest of emotional points (that come way later in the comic book) to very early.
I have watched a bit of Baskets I haven't finished it but I would easily recommend Baskets (if you can handle or like dark humour.
I couldn't get through the second season. It started out fairly strong, but 1/3 of the way in the characters become caricatures with terrible dialogue and go out of their way to make not only stupid decisions, but the dumbest possible decisions at each turn. The plot becomes progressively infantile and the characters become whiny. The fight choreography is excellent - better than anything you will see in movie theaters this summer - but I had to stop mid-season. I just couldn't take the decreasing quality and forced dialogue.
I enjoyed Season 4 far more than Season 3. The rise of Claire's power and her attempts to shed her humanity are beautifully depicted. I couldn't help but compare Claire Underwood and Cersei Lannister's similar story arcs. It makes me wish that GoT narrowed its focus in each episode to allow the audience greater insight into the major players, their struggles, the complex reasoning behind their choices and machinations, and so on rather than just giving us the highlights to get to the "big moments" faster. An added benefit to such an approach would have been that the would not not have outpaced the books so quickly and the series as a whole would have been longer.
As I stated earlier in the thread, season 4 is the best yet. Season 3 is not terrible, but I will say that Piper becomes so grating in both seasons that I wish they would write her out of the show. Ultimately, though, all the other story lines and characters are worth putting up with Piper's scenes.
As I am sure you have been forewarned, it is deeply and effectively disturbing. If you have certain triggers regarding controlling abusers and/or rape or are particularly distressed by realistic portrayals of brutal violence, then I do not recommend this show. If you do not have any such issues, then I highly recommend it. I like it far more than either season of Daredevil. The characters make reasonable decisions given the circumstances most of the time, the villains make more sense, the plot is more consistent, the dialogue is believably written and performed, and, mostly, the character development is engrossing.
If anyone likes the Airplane movies or broad humor with visual gags and deadpan goofiness, then Angie Tribeca is a must-watch. It isn't my cup of tea, but it does what it does extremely well.
So, Turn: Washington's Spies, had a good season this year. The finale was quite predictable because the history is known well, but still impactful and from what I can tell most of the details are fairly accurate in the Benedict Arnold arc, including some details I thought were spliced in for dramatic affect, but were indeed mentioned in the contemprary accounts. Sorry to say, the main character's arc is by far the least compelling by this point but I guess that's not a bad thing when his scenes are still watchable.
Marco Polo is back, and 3 epsodes in, I'm really not sure if it's better or not. Some of it seems more cohesive, whIle other parts seem to highlight the challenges of dialogue and how much, again, the main character's arc is dwarfed by the intensity of the rest of the events.
Marco Polo is back, and 3 epsodes in, I'm really not sure if it's better or not. Some of it seems more cohesive, whIle other parts seem to highlight the challenges of dialogue and how much, again, the main character's arc is dwarfed by the intensity of the rest of the events.
Nothing more, nothing less pretty much the same, there are a few interesting things done with imagery through the season, some pretty cool kung fu choreography but I'm sure you could spend your time doing something else unless you're just half watching this or watching it through a meal.
Thanks, Kate. If anything, HoC is definitely on the top of my list. I love Claire's character since season 1.
As for OITNB, I don't think I can deal with Piper anymore. So perhaps when I'm really sick again and need to do a bender, I'll go with that.
Daredevil, it's a me and J watching together thing, so whenever we are free.
Jessica Jones, yeah that's one of the reasons why I didn't watch it when it first came out. Since I deal with sexual trauma as my profession, I tend to not want to deal with it outside of work or on an entertainment level. However, I'm in a good mind frame now to be able to watch it.
Nothing more, nothing less pretty much the same, there are a few interesting things done with imagery through the season, some pretty cool kung fu choreography but I'm sure you could spend your time doing something else unless you're just half watching this or watching it through a meal.
Yeah I just have most shows on while doing work. If theyre good I'll stop working for most of it, but if just ok I'll mostly be working while glancing over sometimes.
Looking forward to more shows in 4k now that I've got a 4k monitor.
I really enjoy Collin Hanks and Martin Freeman as performers, but Billy Bob Thorton gives me the creeps in every role he has ever played. Does the shoe have a high BBT quotient?
I guess it doesn't start until next week officially but The Night Of on HBO seems promising. It's apparently based off of another miniseries that ran on BBC One I believe.
I really enjoy Collin Hanks and Martin Freeman as performers, but Billy Bob Thorton gives me the creeps in every role he has ever played. Does the shoe have a high BBT quotient?
This season was able to elicit a greater emotional response than before. I can't really go into specifics due to the spoilers.
it was the strongest season yet, IMO. Exploring the failings of a privatized prison system as well as the development of Sophia Burset's story line were incredibly compelling and extremely important. I won't say more due to spoilers, but in our current political climate, it is easy to overlook the political, ethical, and funding issues that plague our criminal justice and prison systems.
So we just finished the season. Last four episodes.
Holy fucking shit. I didn't know this show had that in it.
Stranger Things Is pretty great if you like 80s Spielberg and Ridley Scott style story telling homages. The kid actors are pretty great, I'm only 3 episodes in though.
Comments
I question some of the writing choices - some plots were tied up fairly haphazardly, and they seem to basically be "resetting" some things to an extent - but overall I welcome the drive towards Bastardbowl, and whatever comes after it.
I found it incredibly compelling, I thought it was running out out of steam. However this season felt far more mature, each character more complex and the topics far dark/heavier than the last few seasons.
This season was able to elicit a greater emotional response than before. I can't really go into specifics due to the spoilers.
Despite some CW-like teen love triangle silliness, I enjoy it thus far. In several respects, it is actually better than Xena - better dialogue, an overarching plot that makes sense, some of the acting, higher production value overall, more consistent aesthetic, self-consistent world, etc., though I wouldn't call it "good." If it were any better, it would move out the realm of cheese and into the undifferentiated realm of the lackluster, at which point I would lose interest. It's counter-intuitive, I know.
Anyway, it is the TV equivalent to a beach book, so I am enjoying it on that score.
Having never read the books and no intent to do so, I have no basis for comparison on that score. Has anyone read the books and seen the show to offer an opinion in this regard?
The books date back to the 70s and 80s and even then they were pretty generic fantasy stories. The world that's been built in the last (oh god) 40 years is the more interesting than any of the individual stories.
Not that I necessarily recommend diving into 14 giant books of fantasy nonsense. But it's there.
Shows I'm watching now:
Voltron - it's ok. It's nothing great like Korra. Tank - remade version of Bolin. I'm on episode 6. I'm finding Lance's character to be way too one dimensional, classic trope of boy being stupid about girls. I'm not seeing what the hype was about so far.
Shows I need to still watch:
Daredevil season 2
House Of Cards season 4
OITNB - Seasons 3 & 4, but I am honestly ok with not watching this show anymore, unless other people are really saying it's worth watching. I went thru Season 1 & 2 when I was sick and watched it almost back to back non-stop.
Jessica Jones
Daredevil Season 2 is also pretty great. Doesn't end as strongly as Season 1, but jesus christ, there is no better representation of The Punisher than Jon Bernthal who is given so much depth. Jessica Jones is also at Daredevil level of quality, but more of a slow-burn thriller than full on action show. Still, David Tennant may be the single best villain in the MCU. (Yes, beating Hiddleston and D'Onofrio)
Currently marathoning through 30 Rock to pass the time. At Season 5. I'm also thinking about what current show to watch between Preacher or Baskets.
I have watched a bit of Baskets I haven't finished it but I would easily recommend Baskets (if you can handle or like dark humour.
If anyone likes the Airplane movies or broad humor with visual gags and deadpan goofiness, then Angie Tribeca is a must-watch. It isn't my cup of tea, but it does what it does extremely well.
Marco Polo is back, and 3 epsodes in, I'm really not sure if it's better or not. Some of it seems more cohesive, whIle other parts seem to highlight the challenges of dialogue and how much, again, the main character's arc is dwarfed by the intensity of the rest of the events.
As for OITNB, I don't think I can deal with Piper anymore. So perhaps when I'm really sick again and need to do a bender, I'll go with that.
Daredevil, it's a me and J watching together thing, so whenever we are free.
Jessica Jones, yeah that's one of the reasons why I didn't watch it when it first came out. Since I deal with sexual trauma as my profession, I tend to not want to deal with it outside of work or on an entertainment level. However, I'm in a good mind frame now to be able to watch it.
Looking forward to more shows in 4k now that I've got a 4k monitor.
The seasons can be watched in either order without too much issue.
He's not in season two.
Holy fucking shit. I didn't know this show had that in it.
Is pretty great if you like 80s Spielberg and Ridley Scott style story telling homages.
The kid actors are pretty great, I'm only 3 episodes in though.