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What is the last Television series you watched?


Jay

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The first season has a rocky start, but makes strides once it gets its footing. Each season boasts more confidence and direction than the last, but the first season is unique in its general tone and approach.

 

1 hour ago, Koray Savas said:

Another issue is the suspension of disbelief required in some aspects of the show. Such as, how the hell Garvey hasn't been fired or suspended due to his belligerent and clearly corrupt actions as chief of police. Or how the Guilty Remnant are funded and appear to have access to unlimited cash to serve their purpose (perhaps answered later on). And lastly, the wildly exaggerated daily activities of high schoolers. This last one also got better as the show progressed, but I still couldn't get over how over-the-top that first party was. Snorting cocaine and stabbing each other with heated utensils was never a part of my high school days. 

 

I think these are all passable issues, questions that don't really serve the greater dramatic context of the show. As for the GR, that's never really explicitly answered, they mostly recruit members of the upper middle-class, and force them to give up all of their assets when they join.

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13 minutes ago, KK said:

The first season has a rocky start, but makes strides once it gets its footing. Each season boasts more confidence and direction than the last, but the first season is unique in its general tone and approach.

 

 

I think these are all passable issues, questions that don't really serve the greater dramatic context of the show. As for the GR, that's never really explicitly answered, they mostly recruit members of the upper middle-class, and force them to give up all of their assets when they join.

So I've just watched "Axis Mundi," and what I thought was just an awesome mythological premier, turned out to be an entirely new setting for the core cast. Do we ever go back to Mapleton and that town's conflicts or does the show utilize an anthology-esque format each season, with new opening credits and now an inserted "previously on..." segment?

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Keep watching. It's not an anthology series. The core characters and storylines are retained. Second season just sort of revamps the show's style and tone, while introducing new characters.

 

What'd you think of the cavewoman prologue?

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1 hour ago, KK said:

Keep watching. It's not an anthology series. The core characters and storylines are retained. Second season just sort of revamps the show's style and tone, while introducing new characters.

 

What'd you think of the cavewoman prologue?

Brilliantly teasing and interesting, as was the mythology in LOST, which you still haven't seen, right? Since you liked this one you should definitely check it out. The universe building mythos is exactly the same, just fitted into a much different framework of network TV and traditional archetypical good vs evil. 

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12 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

The Leftovers

 

I think it's funny that @Quintus's major concern, the protagonist being too good looking, is referenced several times.

 

 

 

It is distracting sometimes and I'm not gay.

 

(that was also a problem in Lost)

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Meh. The writers were generally pretty cheeky about it, especially in the later seasons.

 

That, and Justin Theroux gave some really great performances. So I really don't mind.

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Feud: Bette and Joan

 

Knowing this is meant to be an anthology series, this first season of eight episodes that are a self-contained dramatisation of the later years of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford is more like a mini-series. It might have made a great two and a half hour movie on its own, but it works magnificently in serialised format.

 

I'm not familiar with any of the showrunners' previous work. Did they also do American Horror Story? That was a show I didn't like, but Feud is terrific. The writing and the dialogue is pin-sharp and the performamces, especially from Jessica Lange and Susam Sarandon are nothing short of awesome. I'd laugh if Susan gets an Emmy nod but Jessica gets snubbed!

 

Now to watch Whatever Happened to Baby Jane!

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Started up Mad Men again, picking up from season 2. My wife caught up with the first season and I said that's where I'd join in from again, even though I've already seen the first two seasons four years ago. She's totally enamored with it.

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7 hours ago, KK said:

Meh. The writers were generally pretty cheeky about it, especially in the later seasons.

 

That, and Justin Theroux gave some really great performances. So I really don't mind.

 

I don't mind it at all but that doesn't mean that I'm sometimes distracted by it. If it never crossed your mind during an episode then it's probably because you never noticed it.  Who knows, perhaps you're even less gay than I am. ;)

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19 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

I think it's funny that @Quintus's major concern, the protagonist being too good looking, is referenced several times.

 

I think it was the police uniform, it was the most implausibly camp look, and it made it awfully difficult for me to suspend disbelief that that actor would possibly be a chief of police in small town America. Strutting around wearing his shades like a model on his way to a fancy dress party. It's why I can't watch plenty of US shows where the cast all look like mail order catalogue models, my brain won't accept the fake aesthetics of it.

 

However, I do intend to have another go at The Leftovers. KK's banging on about it makes me think it's worth another crack, plus he said the main character stops dressing like he's in the YMCA a little further on into it anyway.

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45 minutes ago, Quintus said:

 

I think it was the police uniform, it was the most implausibly camp look, and it made it awfully difficult for me to suspend disbelief that that actor would possibly be a chief of police in small town America. Strutting around wearing his shades like a model on his way to a fancy dress party. It's why I can't watch plenty of US shows where the cast all look like mail order catalogue models, my brain won't accept the fake aesthetics of it.

 

However, I do intend to have another go at The Leftovers. KK's banging on about it makes me think it's worth another crack, plus he said the main character stops dressing like he's in the YMCA a little further on into it anyway.

It's sort of justified by the plot, anyway. I just remember you talking about it awhile back, so when some of the characters quip about his looks, I found it pretty funny. But yes, the uniform is gone eventually. 

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If anything, Lindelof does seem to have a certain fascination with Theroux's looks... I've read one too many interviews with him blabbing on about it.

 

What'd you think of the second season Koray?

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Finished Season 2.

 

A solid injection of philosophical mythos that was more tangible this time around helped propel the narrative quite well. Tone felt more or less the same for me, but the complex character development and their relationships ground everything really well. The show carries a swaggering weight of uneasiness and inevitable climax throughout that really engages. 

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That movie has been on the verge of starting production for almost a decade.  I'll believe it when I see it.  David Milch and HBO love to grease the rumor mill once a year or so.

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Apparently the movie has to be able to stand on its own (for the people who haven't seen the TV series):

 

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/deadwood-movie-david-milch-hbo-1202507726/

 

Quote

“I wanted a script that would stand on its own … I’m happy to say that David totally delivered on that. It’s a terrific script,” Bloys said during the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills

 

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I remain sceptical. One of the beauties of TV show is that it is a TV show. Spreading the tapestry of character and plot over 12 hours. Not sure whether it can possibly work in "abridged" movie form. Nah...

 

Karol

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Still have never watched that show in any real order.  Watched a handful of episodes out of order, but always loved what I saw.  I've been planning to binge watch it for a while but haven't gotten around to it.

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13 hours ago, Hawmy said:

Just watched seinfeld through for the first time. Good show, but a stupid ending.

 

It was too self-aware by that point, with the humor seeming forced by the 9th season.  The ending is ridiculously stupid, though.

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The Leftovers

 

"Series Finale. Nothing is answered. Everything is answered. And then it ends."

Should be the tagline for every Lindelof show!

 

This was a fantastic series. It was lean, boiled down to the essentials, and the narrative execution couldn't have been any better, in my opinion. The last string of episodes were all top rate. Each character is resolved in a satisfying way that felt undivided and meaningful. While there were times I wish we saw more of Kevin, in the end it wasn't necessary. I found the pathos and turmoil that this show chronicles very moving, and while not on the same visceral level as LOST, there were more than a handful of moments that they really just nailed on an emotional front. That's largely due to the wonderful cast, each of whom added depth and personality to their characters. I would love to see these actors in more roles*, but unfortunately I don't see that happening. Despite a perfectly somber main theme and an otherwise solid score from a musical viewpoint, I felt that the original score as a whole wasn't appropriate for this series. I love Richter, but I felt that the narrative here needed a bit more in that department, particularly in Season 3, where a whopping 13 minutes of music was written. It was too repetitive, with little variation. Even when the show utilized songs and Richter-vied adaptations of those songs, they relied heavily on mono thematic ideas and melodies. Perhaps it made a bit of sense in that these characters couldn't move on from a single encompassing event, but I ultimately wanted something more there.

 

* Justin Theroux is perfect for Joel in the upcoming The Last Of Us film. Would probably never happen, but I felt his performance here had a lot of overlap with that character. 

 

@KK Was there anything you felt went unanswered or unaccounted for? One of the detriments of binge-watching is that the wealth of story information can get lost easily as you watch. For instance, I completely forgot the man on the bridge whispered something into Kevin's ear until it was "answered" in Season 3. There was a small mystery thread in Season 2 that I was confident would be tied-in to something bigger later on, but never was. The man on the Miracle tower had Michael send a letter to Australia, and while I may be misremembering, the name on that latter was later mentioned on a news broadcast in the background about a man who had apparently "went to the other side." I figured it would have been Garvey Sr. and something to do with the TV conversation in the hotel room, but it was never mentioned again.

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14 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

I would love to see these actors in more roles*

 

Watch FARGO as your next show.  Carrie Coon is in season 3, and she's fantastic

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19 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

The Leftovers

 

"Series Finale. Nothing is answered. Everything is answered. And then it ends."

Should be the tagline for every Lindelof show!


This was a fantastic series. It was lean, boiled down to the essentials, and the narrative execution couldn't have been any better, in my opinion. The last string of episodes were all top rate. Each character is resolved in a satisfying way that felt undivided and meaningful. While there were times I wish we saw more of Kevin, in the end it wasn't necessary. I found the pathos and turmoil that this show chronicles very moving, and while not on the same visceral level as LOST, there were more than a handful of moments that they really just nailed on an emotional front. That's largely due to the wonderful cast, each of whom added depth and personality to their characters. I would love to see these actors in more roles*, but unfortunately I don't see that happening.

 

Glad you enjoyed it Koray! In the end, the show really is carried by its character writing. The questions and answers raised never really mattered. The way the show seems to channel the same doubt, frustrations, search for meaning that we all go through is what makes it so powerful. I haven't seen LOST, but there were some truly moving moments that even got me emotional. 

 

Of all the cast, The Leftovers has been good for the phenomenal Ann Dowd and huge for Carrie Coon, the latter having been cast in Fargo's third season (which she was great in), Spielberg's next film, Steve McQueen's next picture. The whole cast is perfect though.

 

19 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

I love Richter, but I felt that the narrative here needed a bit more in that department, particularly in Season 3, where a whopping 13 minutes of music was written. It was too repetitive, with little variation. Even when the show utilized songs and Richter-vied adaptations of those songs, they relied heavily on mono thematic ideas and melodies. Perhaps it made a bit of sense in that these characters couldn't move on from a single encompassing event, but I ultimately wanted something more there.

 

Richter's score was best in season 1, and that's when he was fully committed I believe. After that, Lindelof and the showrunners seemed to want to move away from the heavy melodramatic tone of the first season and relied less and less on Richter's score. There appeared to be less need for original music with each new season aside from some generic drones, and the major emotional beats just reused variations of the first season's Donis Pacem and his iconic "November" from Memoryhouse. The beats still hit you, but I too wish Richter could have been encouraged to writer more original material. Season 3 only really had one new cue (the one that came at the end of the season premiere).

 

19 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

 

@KK Was there anything you felt went unanswered or unaccounted for? One of the detriments of binge-watching is that the wealth of story information can get lost easily as you watch. For instance, I completely forgot the man on the bridge whispered something into Kevin's ear until it was "answered" in Season 3. There was a small mystery thread in Season 2 that I was confident would be tied-in to something bigger later on, but never was. The man on the Miracle tower had Michael send a letter to Australia, and while I may be misremembering, the name on that latter was later mentioned on a news broadcast in the background about a man who had apparently "went to the other side." I figured it would have been Garvey Sr. and something to do with the TV conversation in the hotel room, but it was never mentioned again.

 

I don't know. There were some threads from the first two season that the writers didn't feel the need to really explore, but I was fine with all that because of how emotionally invested I was.

 

The only 2 things I wasn't really happy with narrative-wise was 

 

how they easily got rid of the Guilty Remnant for the third season, and Lily (Holy Wayne's baby). But they still covered their tracks pretty well with those points.

 

I don't quite remember what was in the letter, but doesn't it just sort of tie in to the whole scientist/Nora plotline in the third season?

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31 minutes ago, KK said:

Of all the cast, The Leftovers has been huge for Carrie Coon and good for the phenomenal Ann Dowd, who got casted in Fargo's third season (which she was great in), Spielberg's next film, Steve McQueen's next picture. The whole cast is perfect though.

 

 

Your sentence structure is a bit weird here, so I'm not sure entirely what you were trying to say, but to be clear, it's Carrie Coon who is is Fargo Season 3, The Papers, and Widows, while its Ann Dowd who is on The Handmaiden's Tale.

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5 hours ago, Jay said:

 

Watch FARGO as your next show.  Carrie Coon is in season 3, and she's fantastic

I was actually thinking of making this my next show as well. Didn't know she was in it. Thanks for the tip!

 

4 hours ago, KK said:

 

Glad you enjoyed it Koray! In the end, the show really is carried by its character writing. The questions and answers raised never really mattered. The way the show seems to channel the same doubt, frustrations, search for meaning that we all go through is what makes it so powerful. I haven't seen LOST, but there were some truly moving moments that even got me emotional. 

 

Of all the cast, The Leftovers has been huge for Carrie Coon and good for the phenomenal Ann Dowd, who got casted in Fargo's third season (which she was great in), Spielberg's next film, Steve McQueen's next picture. The whole cast is perfect though.

 

 

Richter's score was best in season 1, and that's when he was fully committed I believe. After that, Lindelof and the showrunners seemed to want to move away from the heavy melodramatic tone of the first season and relied less and less on Richter's score. There appeared to be less need for original music with each new season aside from some generic drones, and the major emotional beats just reused variations of the first season's Donis Pacem and his iconic "November" from Memoryhouse. The beats still hit you, but I too wish Richter could have been encouraged to writer more original material. Season 3 only really had one new cue (the one that came at the end of the season premiere).

 

 

I don't know. There were some threads from the first two season that the writers didn't feel the need to really explore, but I was fine with all that because of how emotionally invested I was.

 

The only 2 things I wasn't really happy with narrative-wise was 

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how they easily got rid of the Guilty Remnant for the third season, and Lily (Holy Wayne's baby). But they still covered their tracks pretty well with those points.

 

I don't quite remember what was in the letter, but doesn't it just sort of tie in to the whole scientist/Nora plotline in the third season?

I felt satisfied with the GR conclusion. I wasn't a huge fan of Liv Tyler's performance anyway. I'm glad they found a way to bring back Ann Dowd though, she's great once she's able to really let loose. 

 

Holy Wayne was another character thread that I thought was really interesting, but I guess he was just a fraud in the end. 

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1 minute ago, Koray Savas said:

I was actually thinking of making this my next show as well. Didn't know she was in it. Thanks for the tip!

 

It's great and its an anthology show, meaning each new season is a completely different story with completely different characters.  They are all set in the same "universe" as each other and the movie, so there are some references to each other and some characters appear in multiple seasons, but nothing majorly so.  Great score by Jeff Russo, too

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4 hours ago, Jay said:

 

 

Your sentence structure is a bit weird here, so I'm not sure entirely what you were trying to say, but to be clear, it's Carrie Coon who is is Fargo Season 3, The Papers, and Widows, while its Ann Dowd who is on The Handmaiden's Tale.

 

Right. Sorry, bad last minute edit.

 

You should check out The Leftovers Jay.

4 minutes ago, Koray Savas said:

I was actually thinking of making this my next show as well. Didn't know she was in it. Thanks for the tip!

 

I felt satisfied with the GR conclusion. I wasn't a huge fan of Liv Tyler's performance anyway. I'm glad they found a way to bring back Ann Dowd though, she's great once she's able to really let loose. 

 

Holy Wayne was another character thread that I thought was really interesting, but I guess he was just a fraud in the end. 

 

That's the beauty of his character. He really pushed the show's themes of expectations, faith and reality. Loved him and his cameo in season 2.

 

And I wasn't a huge fan of Liv Tyler in the second season, but thought she had a marvellous sensitivity in the first season.

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10 minutes ago, KK said:

You should check out The Leftovers Jay.

 

Been meaning to since we subscribed to HBO Now for GOT Season 7, but with that ending Sunday I dunno if its in the cards.  The problem is that its summertime, and we are spending most of our freetime enjoying the summer and not really watching a lot of TV

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Twin Peaks will be over soon so we already started up Mad Men as the "shared" watch in our house. Working out rather well, but we do also need to get back to Fargo (S2) at some point.

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Season 2 of Fargo isn't nearly as good as Season 1, but then Season 3 rights the ship again

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Plus there's still Bloodline to catch up on, I believe the third season is already available but we still have S2 to watch. Bloody hell it feels daunting to even attempt to keep up with them all sometimes.

 

#GoldenAgeProblems

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4 minutes ago, Jay said:

Season 2 of Fargo isn't nearly as good as Season 1, but then Season 3 rights the ship again

 

Many (including myself) disagree.  I much prefer the characters and humor of season 2, even if I think the overall plot is weaker.

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27 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Many (including myself) disagree.  I much prefer the characters and humor of season 2, even if I think the overall plot is weaker.

 

I found 1 and 3 to be the funnier seasons, and 2 to be the one that took itself too seriously

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