What is the last Television series you watched?

[KK 3,307]

Anyone seen OUTLANDER?

It had the raunchiest scene I've ever witnessed on TV the other night.

Outlander has the best sex scenes on television. Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have a lot to do with that, bringing the same level of full-bodied commitment to Claire and Jamies lovemaking as they do to any other scene. But Outlanders sex scenes stand out because of how theyre shot and directed. Theres a considerable amount of restraint shown in the making of the scenesnot in the sense that they arent very sexually explicit, but rather in the focus and rhythm of the scenes. Outlander takes its time when it comes to sex. The scenes arent just focused entirely on the climax; in fact, Outlanders sex scenes have a much more abstract and fluid trajectory than the much more limitingnot to mention heteronormativeforeplay, penetration, orgasm, fin pattern many sex scenes on television adhere to. By The Pricking Of My Thumbs opens on Claire, all limbs and sheets and sighs. The scene unfolds intimately, slowly, focusing on Claires pleasure throughout. Its fully immersive, believable, beautiful, hot sex thats imbued with real passion and emotion in a way that sex on TV usually doesnt accomplish.

http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/outlander-pricking-my-thumbs-217889

Another show to avoid then.

It's one of the few new shows on my radar.

The two guys that made DS9 brilliant doing another show???

This might be my new Twin Peaks

From what I've seen and heard, it looks a chick show.

This new "Daredevil" series is quite good. Very toned down and un-Marvel.

It's ok. I like the fact they went for something edgier and bloodier.

It's sort of like Batman Begins but with no fancy gadgets and blood.

Karol

The trailer looked like a Batman Begins knockoff but with a blind guy.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Isn't the designation "chick show" a bit sexist, and it's use by non-matcho geeky soundtrack and film fans a bit silly?

[Brónach 1,302]

Lots of stuff are made with that kind of market fragmentation in mind, actually. Sometimes there could be a point to it, and lots of the time it's silly. A lot of stuff thought "for men" gets simply labeled "for everybody" because things that are very arbitrarily assigned to masculinity are seen as better or superior. Even if there're no women in it. And when they try once on a blue moon to do that in reverse everybody complains. Let's just say, there's a certain demographic who's never been used to having to identify with people different from them.

[Wojo 2,453]

Suina edited his post

You just didn't appreciate the delicious typo made by the Tin Tin Typo Detector (TTTD). Marital =/= martial.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

He's not a "super" hero, just a blind guy who knows marital arts

Batman isn't a superhero either.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yes he is. One of the first. Before it became a convention that a superhero must have special powers and abilities that cannot be obtained by training.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Let's see what Almighty Wiki has to say about this!

In modern popular fiction, a superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a type of heroic character possessing extraordinary talents, supernatural phenomena, or superhuman powers and is dedicated to a moral goal or protecting the public. A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine (also rendered super-heroine or super heroine). Fiction centered on such characters, especially in American comic books since the 1930s, is known as superhero fiction.

By most definitions, characters do not require actual supernatural or superhuman powers or phenomena to be deemed superheroes,^[1] although terms such as costumed crime fighters, costumed adventurers or masked vigilantes are sometimes used to refer to those such as Batman and Green Arrow without superpowers who share other superhero traits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhero

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I actually quoted that exact bit of text a few months ago for the Leblanc.

He is a hard learner

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Kneel before Almighty Wiki, LeBlanc!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Batman isn't a superhero. He's extraordinarily rich and fucked in the head is all.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

You and Jason are wrong! As you and Jason always will be.

[Wojo 2,453]

I guess the hangup is that the medium of choice for superheroes is the comic book. Are all superheroes found in comic books? Most. Are all comic book protagonists thus superheroes? If not, then why not? Where's the distinction?

Kick-Ass has no special powers or high tech toys, he's just a kid wearing a mask. Is he a superhero?

Based on the Wiki definition of superhero, isn't Luke Skywalker a superhero? Maybe if he was the only Jedi in a world without Jedi. But as Jedi are common in the Star Wars universe, which also has cyborgs, men in power suits, droids, and aliens with their own powers, Jedi aren't seen as being that unique. At least not until they're exterminated by evil Jedi, which are supervillains without being called that.

Wait, so if you're a Jedi or something else, isn't that like X-Men and humans? You're either a mutant or a powerless human. So are all the X-Men superheroes, and all the Brotherhood supervillains? Hmmm.....

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I consider Jason Voorhees as a masked vigilante.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I guess the hangup is that the medium of choice for superheroes is the comic book. Are all superheroes found in comic books? Most. Are all comic book protagonists thus superheroes? If not, then why not? Where's the distinction?

Maybe in the USA. But certainly not here.

I grew up with the great European comic books. Lucky Luke was not a superher, nor were The Smurfs, Suske & Wiske or Tintin. Not even Asterix and Obelix were ever catagorized like that, even though they did have superhuman strength when they drank the magic potion, and ofcourse Obelix always had that strength because he fell into the cauldron when he was a child....

[Brónach 1,302]

Neither in the USA are all comic book characters superheroes. Superheroes are defined by superhero tropes, not by superpowers. That's why a character can have superpowers and not be a superhero, and the other way around.

The assumption of "all comic books are superheroes" gets on my nerves, lol

[Wojo 2,453]

There's also the distinction between comic books and graphic novels. Would the protagonist of From Hell be a superhero? Is "the last man on Earth?" IS RICK GRIMES? No no no.

[Brónach 1,302]

Same medium.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I agree, it's just a more fancy name for the same thing. Like "motion picture"or "movie"

[Wojo 2,453]

The three graphic novels I named don't tell stories that promote the superhero tropes outlined in the Wiki article pasted above. That's your distinction.

[Brónach 1,302]

I always liked the term BD they have in Galician/Portuguese and French (banda desenhada, bande dessinée). I recall that manga supposedly means something similar originally.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

So you postulate that comics by definition deal with superheroes and that this doesn't apply to graphic novels?

[Wojo 2,453]

I think in the US, comic books have become synonymous with superheroes, and all non superhero stories are considered graphic novels.

As if graphics "novels" makes it sound classier.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

"Graphic novel" is just a fancy term comic book fans invented in order not to be mocked by people who consider that this medium is for teenagers.

"I'm not reading a comic book. Comic books are for kids! I'm reading a graphic novel! You know, for grown-ups!"

[Wojo 2,453]

Exactly.

Frank Miller wrote graphic novels about Batman that transcend the campy comic book stories of yesterday. Still a superhero.

[crocodile 8,000]

Superheroes with lawyers!

He is a lawyer, funnily enough. Daredevil, that is.

And Catholic, too!

Actually, "graphic novel" is just a markwting term. Other than that, it makes no sense.

Karol

[Wojo 2,453]

It's to distinguish classy from trashy. Escort vs hooker.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Anyone been catching the Bold lately?

Days and General Hospital only.

[Brónach 1,302]

Superheroes with lawyers!

He is a lawyer, funnily enough. Daredevil, that is.

And Catholic, too!

Actually, "graphic novel" is just a markwting term. Other than that, it makes no sense.

If you think about it, technically, it's a purely descriptive term (more so than "comic book"), like other terms for the medium, and I believe Will Eisner intented it as such. But yes, right now it's just that.

Or maybe it's a distinction of medium (sequential art, "comic book", BD...) against piece/format (a novel, a series, a short story).

Here, my most used word for this is tebeo which comes from TBO, the name of an old children's magazine. It seems to have worked its way to be both a name for the medium and any of its different kinds of pieces, independently of length and tone and content. Then there's people who reject the word and say "comic".

[JoeinAR 1,949]

"Graphic novel" is just a fancy term comic book fans invented in order not to be mocked by people who consider that this medium is for teenagers.

"I'm not reading a comic book. Comic books are for kids! I'm reading a graphic novel! You know, for grown-ups!"

new "graphic" novels are generally horrible both in story telling and the cartoon work. Graphic novels are comic books with a heftier price tag.

Batman is a Nut job

He can be a superhero without powers but it's fun manipulating some here.

[Wojo 2,453]

Of you say so.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I do but I really don't care.

[nightscape94 965]

Have so far watched the first 8 episodes of Daredevil. Can't believe how good it is. Lovin' it.

If Drew Goddard, the guy responsible for adapting the show, is the guy they tapped for Spider-man, then I'd say that character is also in good hands.

Oh, and Daredevil is absolutely a superhero for the very reason that he has superpowers. There's more to superpowers than strength or invincibility. He has extremely heightened senses of balance, hearing, awareness, etc, all filtering through his mind's eye, so far beyond the capability of a human being that this is very clearly categorized as super.

[Jay 37,346]

Silicon valley 2x01 Sand Hill Shuffle

Very very funny episode! I laughed out loud several times, probably more times than any comedy we've watched recently. It's very sad they had to write in the death of Peter Gregory since the actor playing him died, but it looks like its leading to some interesting storylines. And the way he death was told by Monica to Richard and Bachman was just hilarious! The new character that's now leading Gregory's company is interesting. She was fairly one-note in this episode but hopefully won't always be. Loved Gilfoyle and Dinesh's battle over the CTO title, and Bachman's taking over the negging to get higher proposals at the meetings. The funeral at the end was also pretty funny, and of course the expect last second cliffhanger was interesting too.

So glad the show is back! And already renewed for season 3!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Twin Peaks pilot

An interestring mixture between TV noir and oddball.

I'll probably need a few episaodes to settle into it's groove, which isnt quite like anything else I've seen. Though already I can see how it inspired other, possible better TV shows and films.

The acting ranges from sublime (Kyle MacLachlan) to objectionable (some of the "teenagers)

Its visually interesting, especially for a early 90's TV show and the theme is ofcourse immortal.

I bet it's the lady with the eye patch that killed Laura Palmer! She seems crazy, mark my words.

[crocodile 8,000]

Have you ever seen the akternate ending to this pilot? It basically turns it into a self-contained film.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Nope.

[crocodile 8,000]

It's somewhere on Youtube. Look it up.

Karol

[Jay 37,346]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do NOT watch that alternate ending until after you've seen the rest of the show!!!!

[crocodile 8,000]

Oh I thought he's watched Twin Peaks.

Do not watch it then.

Karol

[Jay 37,346]

He clearly just stated that he watched the pilot for the first time in his post....

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I recall watching a bit of it in my teens, but thats it.

season 1 is 7 episodes and season 2 is 22???

[crocodile 8,000]

Yeah.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That doesn't sound promising to be honest

[KK 3,307]

Though only half of season 2 is actually worth watching.

Glad to see you join the club Steef!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I suddenly have an urge for cherry pie

[Jay 37,346]

Marcy and I started watching Twin Peaks recently too, though I haven't really mentioned it here. We've got one episode left to go, will probably watch it tonight.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Do they have Douglas firs in New England?

[Jay 37,346]

No, those are only in the northwest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_fir

[Wojo 2,453]

Unlikely. They're native to western North America, say Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia, and nearby provinces and states. Any specimens on the east coast would have been transferred there by people.

The very tall trees of the Pacific coast don't grow out east. It's depressing when you spend time among the giant trees in the Sierra Nevada, then you go home, where even the tallest trees seem so small by comparison.

But then again, the tall Pacific conifers need forest fires to spread their seeds and stay healthy. Seasonal fires are a western thing, and are very tightly controlled in the East, which historically was more urbanized.

[Jay 37,346]

Marcy and I spent a week in Oregon and Washington last fall and LOVED it.