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What is the last Television series you watched?


Jay

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It ends abruptly because HBO suddenly decided to cancel the show. Too ambiguous, too few viewers. Don't get the comparison with Twin Peaks though.

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I'd say it has this "end of act 1" feel to it. It's not so much of a cliffhanger. My point is the show feels complete enough to enjoy it for what it is (which is about 1/3 of it). They revealed some things about where the story would go from there.

Karol

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Don't get the comparison with Twin Peaks though.

Similar theme, mythology, "ending", strange setting and characters. Different tone and feel, obviously.

Karol

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Daniel Knauf planned out Carnvale to be a six-season show, with each 2 seasons making up 1 of 3 acts. So that's why the season 2 finale is mostly completely satisfying with only a few things left open to continue. Who knows how different Season 3 / Act 2 would have been. It'd be great if the DVD sales have been enough to get HBO to make a miniseries or something to continue the show, but since it hasn't happened by now I'm sure it never will

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So Carni ends satisfactorily, then? It didnt make you go, Noooooooooooo?

What I'm asking is did they get a chance to hastily wrap it up, as it were?

Twin Peaks ends on a brilliant question, which makes it work.

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It ends with the end of Act 1 out of 3 planned Acts.... it wraps up most things going on, but there's plenty of questions left unanswered that Acts 2 and 3 would have answered. But as a self-contained 2season story, it still works pretty well

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It ends in a similar way to Twin Peaks. Ends some storyline but leaves some stuff unresolved and promises new direction. But all of that still works as an ending.

I was satisfied with the ending of Carnivale, given the circumstances.

It's good, Quint. Watch it, if you can.

Karol

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Watched the pilot of "2 Broke Girls", last night bad. I'll probably watch next week.

"TBBT" is as funny as always. "Aah, penny" (sighs).

"The Good Wife" is just as sexy as always, but has Josh Charles really left?

Does anyone in the USA watch "Shameless"?

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Ends some storyline but leaves some stuff unresolved and promises new direction. But all of that still works as an ending.

I was satisfied with the ending of Carnivale, given the circumstances.

This is what I was getting at. Cheers.

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Started up Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Up to Chapter 11, pretty fantastic mythos so far, but it's so obviously interspersed with filler episodes. I really enjoy the humor too, works like SpongeBob in that it's a bit quirky and a bit mature. Also, watching this makes Shyamalan's film even worse than it already was.

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The GF and I started watching The Killing (US/AMC version). Pretty good so far, but the whole thing is kind of a big cock tease

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Started up Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Up to Chapter 11, pretty fantastic mythos so far, but it's so obviously interspersed with filler episodes. I really enjoy the humor too, works like SpongeBob in that it's a bit quirky and a bit mature. Also, watching this makes Shyamalan's film even worse than it already was.

My stepbrother is a huge Avatar nerd....he made me watch the series. At first I wasn't into it, but I have to say....by 2nd season I was a fan. And yeah, it does make the movie that much suckier lol

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Finished Book One earlier today. This would have made a ridiculously awesome film. I may even be interested enough to try out my own adaptation. Shyamalan got the ending right, and the actors voices match up fairly well with the show's, but the acting itself was just so atrocious. And everyone was white, and the Fire Nation was just India. It made no sense. I feel like he did a decent enough job of choosing what to include and what to exclude, but the execution and writing was just so poor.

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My current progress:

- season 1 of La Femme Nikita

- season 5 of ER

- season 4 of Keeping Up Appearances

- season 1 of MacGyver

- season 2 of The X-Files

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I just completed Stargate: Universe. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. Some of the episodes were lame, especially the few bottle episodes, but the crossovers and guest stars helped make it hard to stop watching. Most of the flawed characters in the cast were pretty interesting, and the thought of such a massive ancient spaceship appeals to the archaeologist in me. The eye candy helped, as did the cameos by people out of work since 24 ended. It's a shame that SGU was ended after only two seasons, but the series finale nicely puts the show on ice, so to speak, were it to continue in the future.

Now I'm moving on to Atlantis, since Netflix doesn't stream Babylon 5. I'm moving backwards through the Stargate pantheon, since I stopped watching SG-1 sometime in the middle of its run, when it moved from UPN/Fox/WB (pick one) to Sci-Fi and I didn't have cable at the time.

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Battlestar Galactica: I don't know how I missed this when it first came out but better late than never. I just finished the first season and starting to watch the second. Riveting stuff for the most part, very few episodes that feel like filler. Great cast with Ed Olmos in the forefront with Mary McDonnell forms the core of this series, very much about the people and plot and not so much about the sci-fi aspect although there are some very interesting sci-fi themes going on in the series. There is surprising little techno-babble and the future of humanity looks worn down and very relatable, and well human, instead of the hyper clinical as in some shows but that is just to say the decision for grittier down-to-earth look works well for this show, enhancing the both the difference from Cylons but also to bring home the rag-tag remnants of humanity feel. The plot has been slowly going through some sci-fi cliches in the 1st season and the main plot has been on slow burn, simmering towards the season finale but now that I am at the start of the 2nd season I think this is going to be a heck of show.

Bear McCreary's score has been a bit hit-and-miss with me, adding tension, kinetic thrust and subtle support for the emotion but I just can't seem latch onto the material for the most part. There are themes and ideas floating in there but I have found the ethnic instrumentation and e.g. the bagpipe moments at odds with the visuals, almost distracting. I hope I get this stuff before the show is finished as happened with Giacchino's music on Lost.

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Personally Bear's score didnt do much for me in season 1 & 2 but in seasons 3 & 4 it is awesome!

I think it was kinda done that way on purpose, the closer to Earth they get the more "real" and less synthy the music gets

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If you didn't like it by that point I can't imagine trying again will change your mind, but you never know. I think if you're not hooked by the first episode after the miniseries ("33"), then you probably never will be. Then again, I think a lot of the best episodes are in the later-season 1 through beginning of season 3 range.

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Oh I was hooked. I enjoyed the "space submarine" a lot a lot when they got at that. But I few episodes later I hated a lot of the characters. I can't tell if it was the show being really effective or just that a I don't gel with it.

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Oh I was hooked. I enjoyed the "space submarine" a lot a lot when they got at that. But I few episodes later I hated a lot of the characters. I can't tell if it was the show being really effective or just that a I don't gel with it.

I was rather surprised how strongly I related to almost all of the cast. I think that the series is getting into interesting and intriguing territory on the 2nd season.
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BSG gets really weird towards the 4th season but I stuck with it. Some of the characters do incredibly ridiculous things by then for the sake of moving the plot along. I should rewatch the series from the beginning, now that I know stuff, but it's a good show. Thank goodness for Netflix.

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Well you can see some slight deus ex machina effects in the BSG, the plot kind of going through the motions it is required for a happy ending or solving the problem but hey what series doesn't. At times these things feel either cliched or too convenient but on the whole the series has kept me at the edge of my seat which means that I relate to the people in it and their predicaments.

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Has anyone been keeping up with Mad Men? I watched the premiere and then never returned. I really can't do weekly television anymore, the premiere was the first new broadcast of a show that I had watched since the finale of LOST.

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Roll on, Breaking Bad: Season 1! I'm about to start watching my latest TV series. I've seen absolutely nothing of it (not even a TV promotional spot) and know nothing about the plot. Just heard it's good (from way too many people), so decided it might be a strong choice.

Karol

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Last weeks episode on Big Bang Theory was very enjoyable. I had to dvr it while on my mini vacation to the Big D.

should have recorded the mentalist but didn't think about it.

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Roll on, Breaking Bad: Season 1! I'm about to start watching my latest TV series. I've seen absolutely nothing of it (not even a TV promotional spot) and know nothing about the plot. Just heard it's good (from way too many people), so decided it might be a strong choice.

Karol

I'm in the same boat, but waiting for the series to end.

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Just finished Avatar.

What an amazing show, finale was perfect. The more the series went on the more I realized this cannot be adapted to film. I'm curious now to see how Shyamalan would have handled it if he was able to finish his trilogy. The third film would have to have been like 8 hours long, and cost a fortune to really capture the scope and awesomeness of the final battles. The music was superb too.

Throughout the series I saw a lot of similarities to LOST in the writing structure. Some may scoff at the comparison, but the way characters evolve, themes develop, and multiple story lines are told to converge into one all ring bells. Both shows ran concurrently though, although Avatar started a little bit later and finished a little bit earlier. Maybe it will settle down after it sinks in more, but right now this is easily one of my favorite shows. Loved every minute of it, even when it was filler, which the writers were self-aware of later on in the series.

I'm hesitant to watch The Legend Of Korra now. I kinda of don't want to experience any other characters or stories in this universe.

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Roll on, Breaking Bad: Season 1! I'm about to start watching my latest TV series. I've seen absolutely nothing of it (not even a TV promotional spot) and know nothing about the plot. Just heard it's good (from way too many people), so decided it might be a strong choice.

Karol

As a matter of fact, it's one of the strongest choices you can make, and of course, BB is part of the new wave of TV shows that aim higher than conventional, mainstream TV shows like NCSI or The Mentalist. The first season is a little bit hampered by the writers strike though. I'm waiting for S3.

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Big Bang Theory was excellent!

Howard is (naturally) scared to fly into space. As Raj pointed out Russian technology is crap which didn't help.

Sheldon is going down an road that will lead to an epiphany for him.

Persons of Interest was very good last night too. I like how the show is turning in on itself.

And next weeks season finale of Two Broke Girls looks terrific.

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The Legend of Korra is fantastic. Also started with the second season of Young Justice.

Plus I'm also to House (which is about to end) and Community.

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The Legend of Korra is fantastic. Also started with the second season of Young Justice.

Plus I'm also to House (which is about to end) and Community.

I saw the first two episodes of Legend of Kora, I also think it's off to a pretty awesome start....I'm behind though.

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The Legend of Korra is fantastic. Also started with the second season of Young Justice.

Plus I'm also to House (which is about to end) and Community.

I saw the first two episodes of Legend of Kora, I also think it's off to a pretty awesome start....I'm behind though.

Well it's only four episodes that came out so far, so you're not that far behind...

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The Legend of Korra is fantastic. Also started with the second season of Young Justice.

Plus I'm also to House (which is about to end) and Community.

I saw the first two episodes of Legend of Kora, I also think it's off to a pretty awesome start....I'm behind though.

Well it's only four episodes that came out so far, so you're not that far behind...

I was happily surprised how well they navigated the continuity with the previous series but created a whole new cast of relatable characters and most of an intriguing central plot line which is quite mature and serious. Only thing I am baffled about is the amazing leaps in techology and culture in only 70 years they have achieved in this world. But I guess that's what you get when all the people work together instead of warring with each other all the time. Plus it is not like the 20 century was any less innovative for the world.
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The Legend of Korra is fantastic. Also started with the second season of Young Justice.

Plus I'm also to House (which is about to end) and Community.

I saw the first two episodes of Legend of Kora, I also think it's off to a pretty awesome start....I'm behind though.

Well it's only four episodes that came out so far, so you're not that far behind...

I was happily suprised how well they navigated the continuity with the previous series but created a whole new cast of relatable characters and most of an intriguing central plot line which is quite mature and serious. Only thing I am baffled about is the amazing leaps in techology and culture in only 70 years they have achieved in this world. But I guess that's what you get when all the people work together instead of warring with each other all the time. Plus it is not like the 20 century was any less innovative for the world.

A friend of mine sums it up quite nicely: Just imagine how different technology was in 1920 from 1850 and it's not that hard to see the advancement of civilization.

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Just finished Avatar.

What an amazing show, finale was perfect. The more the series went on the more I realized this cannot be adapted to film. I'm curious now to see how Shyamalan would have handled it if he was able to finish his trilogy. The third film would have to have been like 8 hours long, and cost a fortune to really capture the scope and awesomeness of the final battles. The music was superb too.

Throughout the series I saw a lot of similarities to LOST in the writing structure. Some may scoff at the comparison, but the way characters evolve, themes develop, and multiple story lines are told to converge into one all ring bells. Both shows ran concurrently though, although Avatar started a little bit later and finished a little bit earlier. Maybe it will settle down after it sinks in more, but right now this is easily one of my favorite shows. Loved every minute of it, even when it was filler, which the writers were self-aware of later on in the series.

Agreed. It's a great show with an interesting level of depth you might not see in most children's shows. I love the show.

I'm hesitant to watch The Legend Of Korra now. I kinda of don't want to experience any other characters or stories in this universe.

I haven't started that either, but I have a feeling I won't like it much. It seems like a radically different world now.

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Just finished Avatar.

What an amazing show, finale was perfect. The more the series went on the more I realized this cannot be adapted to film. I'm curious now to see how Shyamalan would have handled it if he was able to finish his trilogy. The third film would have to have been like 8 hours long, and cost a fortune to really capture the scope and awesomeness of the final battles. The music was superb too.

Throughout the series I saw a lot of similarities to LOST in the writing structure. Some may scoff at the comparison, but the way characters evolve, themes develop, and multiple story lines are told to converge into one all ring bells. Both shows ran concurrently though, although Avatar started a little bit later and finished a little bit earlier. Maybe it will settle down after it sinks in more, but right now this is easily one of my favorite shows. Loved every minute of it, even when it was filler, which the writers were self-aware of later on in the series.

Agreed. It's a great show with an interesting level of depth you might not see in most children's shows. I love the show.

I'm hesitant to watch The Legend Of Korra now. I kinda of don't want to experience any other characters or stories in this universe.

I haven't started that either, but I have a feeling I won't like it much. It seems like a radically different world now.

Psh. You guys don't know what you're missing. It's just four episodes but it's on a great start.

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I'll start tonight and then I'll get back to you.

It's not really that hard to accept that some of the original characters will no longer be around (the ones I do really miss are Sokka and Toph) but once you see this show with a fresh and open perspective, it's not that bad at all.

Oh yeah, first season of Young Justice is awesome. I was surprised at the twist ending (did not see that one coming). First episode of the second season (now called Young Justice: Invasion) just blew me away with the time skip and the totally radical changes to the Justice League and to the group.

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Koray, how long did it take for you to get past the crudely drawn animation of Avatar? I watched the first episode and whilst it did seem mildly interesting, I was really put off by the style.

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Just finished Avatar.

What an amazing show, finale was perfect. The more the series went on the more I realized this cannot be adapted to film. I'm curious now to see how Shyamalan would have handled it if he was able to finish his trilogy. The third film would have to have been like 8 hours long, and cost a fortune to really capture the scope and awesomeness of the final battles. The music was superb too.

Throughout the series I saw a lot of similarities to LOST in the writing structure. Some may scoff at the comparison, but the way characters evolve, themes develop, and multiple story lines are told to converge into one all ring bells. Both shows ran concurrently though, although Avatar started a little bit later and finished a little bit earlier. Maybe it will settle down after it sinks in more, but right now this is easily one of my favorite shows. Loved every minute of it, even when it was filler, which the writers were self-aware of later on in the series.

Agreed. It's a great show with an interesting level of depth you might not see in most children's shows. I love the show.

I'm hesitant to watch The Legend Of Korra now. I kinda of don't want to experience any other characters or stories in this universe.

I haven't started that either, but I have a feeling I won't like it much. It seems like a radically different world now.

Its funny...I noticed some LOST similarities too. And when Aang wakes up on that strange island that ends up being a living creature, Aang was like "WHERE ARE WE" just like Charlie on LOST. haha. Oh I know, probably not an intentional nod to lost, but I found it funny.

Also, those of you that have started watching Legend of Kora, did you notice in the 1st episode the hilarious way the writers are making fun of the fans when the little girl asks "what happened to Zuko's mom?" It's because after Avatar ended, the fans bugged the creators a ton for the answers to that, since the series never really explained what happened. For them to stick that in the 1st episode of Kora, and then to still not have an answer, hahah cruel but funny.

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Haven't been to this thread in a while, ever since I was close to the BSG finale and became afraid of spoilers. Here's a few comments on posts I found while catching up:

Battlestar Galactica: I don't know how I missed this when it first came out but better late than never. I just finished the first season and starting to watch the second. Riveting stuff for the most part, very few episodes that feel like filler. Great cast with Ed Olmos in the forefront with Mary McDonnell forms the core of this series, very much about the people and plot and not so much about the sci-fi aspect although there are some very interesting sci-fi themes going on in the series.

I'd say it's, very often, a series about people. Not about characters, but people/society in general. It reduces humankind to a few thousand survivors and explores what humanity would do in a modern world when suddenly everything you take for granted is gone, there's no clear political system, no resources, no creature comforts etc. And it manages to make you care about the characters, even though in the end, Lee Adama might be the only one who didn't have at least a few episodes as the worst kind of war criminal. The great cast certainly helps.

I hope Ronald D. Wood tackles another ambitious project soon.

Bear McCreary's score has been a bit hit-and-miss with me, adding tension, kinetic thrust and subtle support for the emotion but I just can't seem latch onto the material for the most part. There are themes and ideas floating in there but I have found the ethnic instrumentation and e.g. the bagpipe moments at odds with the visuals, almost distracting. I hope I get this stuff before the show is finished as happened with Giacchino's music on Lost.

I found it VERY hit and miss. Mostly it's just drumming or empty ethnic underscore. Emphasises the overall documentary feel of the show, along with the overdone shakey cam, but in both cases I think they took it a bit too far. When McCreary does go "traditional", there's some amazing minimalistic string/piano stuff in there. The first two seasons all have true highlights that come totally out of the blue.

Alcatraz is alright. The scoring is terrific and there are some good moments in every episode.

It's very competently done, the music is better than in Fringe, the cast is solid, the lead actress is cute, and Sam Neil is cool as always (though throghout the entire series, it seems he's holding back a lot).

The problem is, there's just not *anything* to make it stand out. Due to the nature of the show, the main plot of each episode is disconnected from the rest (even for the episodes that do tie more strongly into the main plot), and most of the characters are new and mostly undefined. And the recurring characters are too faceless, too - there are hardly any scenes showing them off job. It's nearly impossible to get emotionally involved as a result, and yet they play around with the plot just enough to make me want to see what happens next.

Certainly watchable, but I think it has a lot more potential than it realises. (And even then it wouldn't be great).

Can anyone here recommend Fringe? It looks like it could walk a fine line between intrigue and bullshit. I don't want to waste my time if it frequently veers too closely to the latter.

Fringe is brilliant. It starts out as a kind of X-Files show, mostly going by the numbers with a long series of monster of the week episodes, but in true JJ Abrams fashion, it completely changes direction every once in a while, and by the second season it's become more of a Alias/Lost fusion show, with a strong main plot and a brilliant cast. Especially Anna Torv, who at first seems rather faceless and uninvolved, until later episodes show that that's actually her being in character and she's in fact a fantastic actress. Of course, the scenes shared by Noble and Nimoy are also highlights.

Apparently, the show has just been renewed for a shortened final season. Looks like we won't have to see it end in the middle of the plot.

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Koray, how long did it take for you to get past the crudely drawn animation of Avatar? I watched the first episode and whilst it did seem mildly interesting, I was really put off by the style.

I never had a problem with the animation style. Avatar was a show I was always aware of, but never watched. A couple weeks ago I was at a friends house and the first episode was on and we watched it. I was instantly hooked. The first season can be seen as a bit crude. The music is tracked and looped, and it obviously sounds like samples and such in the first few episodes. Some of the animation is a bit squiggly like something you'd see from a Jonathan Katz show. However, all of that quickly dissolves away. At least, it was only something I noticed at first glance but quickly ignored because of the superb writing and voice acting.

I think in order to be able to stick with the show, you have to enjoy its humor. I find it genuinely hilarious.

I'll start tonight and then I'll get back to you.

It's not really that hard to accept that some of the original characters will no longer be around (the ones I do really miss are Sokka and Toph) but once you see this show with a fresh and open perspective, it's not that bad at all.

I watched the third episode of Korra earlier today at the same friend's house. Only one I've seen, but my initial impressions are rather poor. I read up a lot about it, and it seems like a well made spin-off, but the metropolis is hard to adjust to. I always saw the world of Avatar as just an alternate universe where lifestyles are more primitive, but now it's 1920s "Manhattan." Doesn't feel right; and like you said, characters like Sokka and Toph are sorely missed. They brought comic relief to the heavy-handedness of the ongoing plot. I'll definitely watch it all at some point, and I like how they've already mapped out everything. 26 episodes total with 12 in Season One and 14 in Season Two. The best part about Avatar is that they had the plot details down to a point. Made for a really tight storytelling experience.

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