7 votes

TV Tuesdays Free Talk

Have you watched any TV shows recently you want to discuss? Any shows you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.

Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.

17 comments

  1. cloud_loud
    Link
    I just wanted to add one little thing. I was actually an extra on a TV show. It’s from Benny Safdie and Nathan Fielder currently titled The Curse. It stars Emma Stone. I wasn’t actually expecting...

    I just wanted to add one little thing. I was actually an extra on a TV show. It’s from Benny Safdie and Nathan Fielder currently titled The Curse. It stars Emma Stone.

    I wasn’t actually expecting to see any of them, but to my surprise I got to see all of them. I was waiting outside the make-up trailer and then Stone just popped out. It wasn’t my first time seeing a celebrity in person but man was it shocking. When we were taken to set I saw Safdie and Fielder doing stuff, I got to see Stone and some local actors perform a scene. Seeing Fielder and Safdie directing live was really fascinating.

    I know people say their first time on a film set was like a magical experience, but honestly it just felt like being around someone’s workplace. I was also in holding for six hours. Was there from 5am to 7pm. It was mostly pretty boring. I kind of wanted to go home half way through. Still though, I got to see Emma Stone.

    7 votes
  2. [2]
    AnthonyB
    Link
    About 14 years ago, I was sitting in my freshman dorm room scrolling around on iTunes and came across an interesting looking show about a chemistry teacher who cooks meth, played by none other...

    About 14 years ago, I was sitting in my freshman dorm room scrolling around on iTunes and came across an interesting looking show about a chemistry teacher who cooks meth, played by none other than Tim Whatley/the dad from Malcom in the Middle. Halfway through the first episode, I realized I had stumbled across something incredible. For years, I begged people to watch this phenomenal show called Breaking Bad, and if it weren't for Netflix, most people would have missed it.

    Last night, Breaking Bad's prequel/sequel, Better Call Saul, finished its final season with a brilliant episode that was just as good as any Breaking Bad episode. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone else who watched it. I feel like I did back in 2009/2010 when no one knew about Breaking Bad, except this time people know what it is and all the episodes are already available on Netflix. Enough with this chicanery. If you are reading this and haven't seen Better Call Saul, do yourself a favor and start watching as soon as possible. It's more of a slow burn, similar to Mad Men or The Wire, but it really picks up in later seasons and adds so much more depth to the Breaking Bad story. Not to mention, it has some of the best story telling and acting performances I have ever seen.

    As silly as it sounds, I feel sad that I am not going to spend any more time in the seedy underworld of Albuquerque. I'm in my mid-30s and these shows have been around for my entire adult life. Still, I'm glad I got to watch it all unfold week to week and I'm looking forward to when more people get around to watching it.

    5 votes
    1. HotPants
      Link Parent
      I remember the Breaking Bad pilot. It was a big deal that Bryan Cranston was in whitey tighties (white underwear.) He appeared in Malcom in the Middle frequently in whitey tighties. I had never...

      I remember the Breaking Bad pilot. It was a big deal that Bryan Cranston was in whitey tighties (white underwear.)

      He appeared in Malcom in the Middle frequently in whitey tighties.

      I had never seen Malcom in the Middle.

      3 votes
  3. [2]
    cardigan
    Link
    I've been watching Hannibal about ten years after the fact. It's hard to imagine it aired on NBC. Given how violent it is, it's not the sort of thing I'd usually be interested in, but I find the...

    I've been watching Hannibal about ten years after the fact. It's hard to imagine it aired on NBC. Given how violent it is, it's not the sort of thing I'd usually be interested in, but I find the imagery and especially the dialogue absolutely mesmerizing. Every few episodes has a line that ends up having a strange and self-consciously obscure poetic beauty to it that I just adore.

    Since they can really occur at any time, the context isn't too important. One that I wrote down and which comes to mind is the lead character Will Graham saying: "It feels as if I'm talking to his shadow suspended on dust." Another: "I stared at [him] and the space opposite me assumed the shape of a man filled with dark and swarming flies." It's worth noting that, on a visual level, neither of these things happened. The character isn't recounting anything. Hannibal's imagery shows a lot of "out there" stuff, but from what I remember we never saw that particular character as a mass of flies. So when Will suddenly rattles one off like that in the same sedate way he says everything, it's spellbinding for me.

    All the performances are great, but Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) and Hugh Dancy (Will) are on another level. It always seems to me like they're exploring unknown territory in terms of television acting, as their characters have an intimacy with each other that's hard to describe. It's at times erotic, but to say that's all that it is would be an injustice to their performances. It's better described as a level of closeness between two people that just doesn't normally happen. When paired with all the intrigue and murder investigations, it's something totally arresting to watch play out.

    Some spoiling notes on where I'm at (end of season 2):

    I'm two episodes away from the second season finale. I'm not completely sure, but it seems that Will is still trying to entrap Hannibal, as in the last episode that I watched, he had that strange exchange with the Verger heir and it was revealed Freddie was still alive.

    I'm actually surprised by how much I wanted Will to be a friend to Hannibal: for their "courtship" and crime spree to continue. An episode we recently watched ended with a shot of their two faces superimposed upon each other, and I was so stunned by that image and the intimacy of what proceeded it that it got me shouting an "oh my god!" at the screen while watching it with my brother, which almost never happens.

    That being said, I'm totally over "flash forward" setups. It was disappointing when the season began with one, with Jack visiting Hannibal and getting stabbed. I've been glad to see that they only had the one flash forward scene that I can remember, and aside from that trope the writing has been engaging and unpredictable.

    5 votes
    1. autumn
      Link Parent
      I watched the entirety of that show while I was bedridden recovering from a bad injury. I absolutely loved the acting and writing. It may be time for a rewatch since it’s been 5-6 years since then.

      I watched the entirety of that show while I was bedridden recovering from a bad injury. I absolutely loved the acting and writing. It may be time for a rewatch since it’s been 5-6 years since then.

      4 votes
  4. [6]
    cloud_loud
    Link
    So I watched all of Seinfeld. I saw some of it back in late 2019 but my Hulu was a mess and I could never remember what episode I left on. But now that it’s on Netflix I watched it all. It was...

    So I watched all of Seinfeld. I saw some of it back in late 2019 but my Hulu was a mess and I could never remember what episode I left on. But now that it’s on Netflix I watched it all. It was really good. It’s like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia where the characters are terrible, selfish, people who ruin the lives of the people around them. That’s not what I was expecting.

    Also saw a show called Kim’s Convinience. Only reason I saw it is because it was Simu Liu’s (Shang-Chi) first major acting role. I thought the first three season were light and funny fluff. Nothing great, but solid. And the last seasons ended up being pretty poorly written, with tonal and character inconsistencies. I think the broader legacy of this show will be “this was Simu Liu’s first break.”

    3 votes
    1. [5]
      tomf
      Link Parent
      for Seinfeld, were you doing the gnarly widescreen ones or the righteous and holy 4:3s?

      for Seinfeld, were you doing the gnarly widescreen ones or the righteous and holy 4:3s?

      2 votes
      1. [4]
        cloud_loud
        Link Parent
        16:9. It didn’t seem like the different aspect ratio was cutting out jokes (like in the Simpsons) or other information (like how airplane movies cut out the left and right bits of a 21:9 movie). I...

        16:9. It didn’t seem like the different aspect ratio was cutting out jokes (like in the Simpsons) or other information (like how airplane movies cut out the left and right bits of a 21:9 movie). I watched Friends in 16:9 too. I actually kind of like the look of it. Because when I would watch Friends as a kid it’d just fill up the whole TV, so that just feels… normal.

        2 votes
        1. [2]
          tomf
          Link Parent
          I watched a few and hated it. I don't know how they can butcher it like that. You've probably seen examples like this. Not as bad as TBS speeding up episodes by a few percent. Shameless. :) There...

          I watched a few and hated it. I don't know how they can butcher it like that. You've probably seen examples like this. Not as bad as TBS speeding up episodes by a few percent. Shameless. :)

          There are still episodes that haven't been released in 4:3 after the new transfer. Well, at least since I checked last.

          List of missing 4:3 eps * S03E03 - The Pen * S03E15 - The Suicide * S03E17-E18 - The Boyfriend * S04E02 - The Trip 2 * S04E06 - The Watch * S04E22 - The Handicap Spot * S05E02 - The Puffy Shirt * S05E05 - The Bris * S05E06 - The Lip Reader * S05E07 - The Non-Fat Yogurt * S05E09 - The Masseuse * S05E11 - The Conversion * S05E15 - The Pie * S05E18-E19 - The Raincoats * S07E11 - The Rye * S07E14-E15 - The Cadillac * S07E21-E22 - The Bottle Deposit * S09E03 - The Serenity Now * S09E16 - The Burning * S09E21-E22 - The Clip Show * S09E23-E24 - The Finale

          I love Seinfeld. Some of the commentary tracks are great, too.

          2 votes
          1. cloud_loud
            Link Parent
            That example you linked to didn’t bother me. We see the keys go down in an insert shot. It felt a little awkward when George was pointing down and we couldn’t see what he was pointing down. But in...

            That example you linked to didn’t bother me. We see the keys go down in an insert shot. It felt a little awkward when George was pointing down and we couldn’t see what he was pointing down. But in terms of bothering me, I couldn’t really care.

            Sitcoms don’t necessitate the best environments or presentations to be enjoyed. A lot of the time I would just be listening to the show in the background while at work. Or I’d be watching it on my iPhone

            3 votes
        2. lou
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          I first watched Seinfeld in 4:3 when it was released, and rewatched it in full several times both in 4:3 reruns and on streaming services, in 16:9. While I can certainly empathize with @tomf's...

          I first watched Seinfeld in 4:3 when it was released, and rewatched it in full several times both in 4:3 reruns and on streaming services, in 16:9.

          While I can certainly empathize with @tomf's sentiments here, Seinfeld was staged in such a way that you can count on one hand the times when something essential happens on the portions of the frame that were cut to conform to 16:9. I only notice something is missing when someone links a screenshot on the internet.

          So yeah, 4:3 is preferable if you can find it, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. This is very unlike what happened to The Simpsons.

          1 vote
  5. autumn
    Link
    I finished watching The Wire last night. Boy howdy, what a show. Spoilers ahead! Still processing it, but I really enjoyed how cyclical everything was portrayed in the end. There’s a new addict,...

    I finished watching The Wire last night. Boy howdy, what a show.

    Spoilers ahead!

    Still processing it, but I really enjoyed how cyclical everything was portrayed in the end. There’s a new addict, trying to do police work going outside of command, a new stick up boy, a new kingpin, etc. It was pretty obvious who had replaced who in the game.

    Also: so happy for Bubbles. I was really worried the whole show they were going to kill him off, but his final scene was perfect. :)

    3 votes
  6. tomf
    Link
    Light & Magic is worth a watch for anybody with an interest in Industrial Light and Magic, special effects, or anything Lucas has been involved with. If you're all, 'oh tomf, I've seen all the bts...

    Light & Magic is worth a watch for anybody with an interest in Industrial Light and Magic, special effects, or anything Lucas has been involved with. If you're all, 'oh tomf, I've seen all the bts footage' --- you are wrong! There's a lot of new stuff... or at least I think so. Its just great.

    Hard Knocks is back with the Detroit Lions. This series is always great. On with sports, Formula 2 has a series called Chasing the Dream that is worth a watch, if you like F2 or F1. Its a lot like Drive to Survive but without the manufactured drama.

    Its been a great week for TV between Westworld and BCS.

    3 votes
  7. lou
    (edited )
    Link
    I feel that I shouldn't like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but I really, really do. The episode was less than half an hour of pure, unadulterated fun. Yes, the CGI is not stellar but, apart from one...

    I feel that I shouldn't like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but I really, really do. The episode was less than half an hour of pure, unadulterated fun. Yes, the CGI is not stellar but, apart from one specific shot, it is good enough, and this is not a serious show, so I'm okay with the goofiness. Because it's 2022, there will be the Disney talks about social issues moment, but honestly, the way they did it was quite legitimate and relevant to the plot. When a flimsy 30-something attorney becomes a 2-meter green Hulk, it is only natural for issues regarding gender expectations to arise.

    I'm not sure if the show would work without Tatiana Maslany, though. She's so good and crazy charismatic, and her acting alone overcomes many weaknesses of the screenplay -- mainly the lacking, expedited exposition.

    There was some breaking the fourth wall comedy, but a lot less than in the 80s comics. Hopefully, things will get progressively wackier in the upcoming episodes.

    If you love goofy strong women, She-Hulk is a slum dunk.

    Also, I love that they're releasing one episode at a time. That way I can talk about it with my friends right away, instead of waiting for everyone to finish binging the entire season.

    3 votes
  8. [3]
    lou
    (edited )
    Link
    So I'm watching Star Trek - Strange New Worlds and it's a fine show, but I gotta ask, where is everyone? Apart from the people at the bridge, it's as if the ship was deserted. There's also no...

    So I'm watching Star Trek - Strange New Worlds and it's a fine show, but I gotta ask, where is everyone? Apart from the people at the bridge, it's as if the ship was deserted. There's also no constant calls to engineering. Star Trek ships are always so rich, full, and alive, brimming with crew from different species. I miss the colorful background! Without it, Star Trek feel sad. That was probably a consequence of COVID restrictions, though.

    Overall, I can't say I appreciate the overwhelming seriousness of this show. Everyone is so contained and introspective. I miss Kirk's impulsiveness, McCoy's irritability and sense of humor, Worf's anger, Picard's intensity and austerity. IDK, maybe I'll get used to it.

    I finished The Orville, which has no trouble being colorful. The episodes which concludes previous arcs were honestly pretty boring. They felt predictable and lacking in novelty. The non-arc episodes were great, but I think they were not the majority. That was a transitional season, hopefully the seeds planted now will make for a great 4th season.

    2 votes
    1. [2]
      NoblePath
      Link Parent
      I really liked strange new worlds. They did a pretty good job bridging old and new. I didn’t quite detect the paucity of people, but Insee where that comes from. Pike is not Kirk, and we live in...

      I really liked strange new worlds. They did a pretty good job bridging old and new. I didn’t quite detect the paucity of people, but Insee where that comes from.

      Pike is not Kirk, and we live in different times. I think it’s the right call on that. The new engineer fulfills McCoy’s crotchety role. It’s interesting to me, I don’t know any character’s name except Pike, spock, and nurse chapel, and of course kirk.

      I love family guy, american dad, and even the cleveland show. But for some reason I can’t stand McFarlane as captain and for that reason don’t watch the orville. It also bugs me that the Orville is a private company ship.

      3 votes
      1. lou
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I've grown fond of McFarlane as the captain. He's endearing. The organizational structure in The Orville may be different but, for all intents and purposes, work just the same as Star Trek. The...

        I've grown fond of McFarlane as the captain. He's endearing. The organizational structure in The Orville may be different but, for all intents and purposes, work just the same as Star Trek. The ship is part of The Union which functions very much like Starfleet, with the same goals and similar rules. What I don't like about the show is how frequently they bend the rules of the fictional universe to resolve the plot. It's like "according to X you cannot do Y", only for them to do Y, unjustifiably avoid X, and ultimately face no consequences whatsoever.

        I do like the engineer in SNW, but it feels so weird that he's all alone in engineering. I'm not sure what you mean by different times, I don't think flat delivery and subdued emotions are particular traits of the 2020s. I get that they're trying to be faithful to the original Pike, and further differentiate him from Kirk and the others, but I think they went a little too far.

        It's also problematic to have a captain that is not as much in contrast to Spock, there's not enough difference between them in terms of how they express their emotions. Maybe there should be an empath in Spock's place... or maybe some species that are even more logical and inhuman, like an artificial intelligence. I'm tired of Vulcans, to be honest.

        2 votes