[subego]

Started watching Sharpe. Entertaining. Enjoyed the class stuff.

[Thorzdad]

I’m about half-way through the animated series Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix, and I’m enjoying it quite a lot. It shamelessly, heavily borrows from all the classic samurai films, as well as from films like Kill Bill, but it’s done more as an homage, I think. In any case, it’s well worth a look.

[subego]

Watched the documentary Get Gotti on Netflix. Excellent. Great interviews. Never dragged once.

[subego]

Enjoying Reacher S2 even though it’s slower and different.

[Ω]

Originally Posted by subego 

Enjoying Reacher S2 even though it’s slower and different.

Storyline and dialogue?

[andi*pandi]

humor?

[subego]

I’m slow. Is the idea it’s missing those things?

[Doc HM]

Apple TV
Mythic Quest. Classic workplace comedy with excellent cast of characters and snappy dialogue from the people you brought you Always Sunny.

[Doc HM]

Originally Posted by subego 

Enjoying Reacher S2 even though it’s slower and different.

Yes enjoying it. I wondered if they had dropped the ball by jumping to a book fairly well into the series but it probably makes sense as it allows people to discover the character in a more accessible way than ploughing through several books.

Gosh, he IS quite a big man.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

First couple were OK, but frankly it has not been very good. Bad dialogue, bad plot, bad logic, trying too hard. This is not worth your time

[OreoCookie]

I have only watched season 1 so far, but Reacher is weird. He's so overpowering and is so big, it is almost ridiculous. He has no competition in terms of physical presence. And he is this weird mixture of dull and intelligent, I have the impression he likes crushing ants (= other, normal-sized human beings) yet seems benevolent most of the time.

[subego]

He has autism.

[OreoCookie]

That’d fit, if it weren’t for his penchant of physical violence.

[subego]

Is a distaste for physical violence present across the spectrum?

[OreoCookie]

In my experience, violence is more reactive when others cross their rather strict and unusual boundaries. Plus, other people tend to stress them out. I don’t think using violence as a bonding exercise by provoking others fits that bill. (I’m thinking of the time when he went drinking with his newly formed team in the officers’ club, knowing who be there and how they’d react to an enlisted person being present.)

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Just go to watch Fargo season 5 (which I’m in on again so far, after losing interest in seasons 2-4) and Slow Horses, for a truly slovenly Gary Oldman.

You know what else is alright so far? Monarch. A bit meandering and tries a little too hard to convolute the plot in spots, but if you’ve followed the recent Hollywood reboot then it’s worth a shot.

[andi*pandi]

my new years binge:

Picard: initial impressions
first ep: oh wow, so beautiful.

 

eps 2-4 seems less a spaceship show than a mystery. Loving it. Subtle fanservice, sure. Not sure if Mars/robot rebellion thing was referenced in a movie I missed or forgot.
Borg callbacks. Sneaky Romulans.
New Black Friend: weak and don't care about her family issues.
New rogue captain: he's cool
Picard wearing an eye patch and being outrageous: ok then
7of9: badass

I'm sick so I fell asleep after this and didn't even make it to the new year. I might subscribe to paramount just to remove these stupid commercials.

[Brien]

Picard got worse the further in I got. Discovery was… fine.

Hearing great things about Strange New Worlds.

[andi*pandi]

I sampled Strange New Worlds on a recent flight and liked it but the sample only had the new season and referenced the other shows so I thought I should start with the current "generation".

[andi*pandi]

Tried a few new things but nothing good to report. I had hopes for One Piece (pirates, live action) but it was a little too PG/silly. Maybe later.

Gave Sex Education a shot. I had been leery thinking it was a teen romcom, but a friend recommended it. Well, it focuses on teens, and there is romance and comedy, but it's not like Riverdale dreck afaik. Characters have depth and growth. There are adult characters and while discussions of sex are frank, and there are some def R rated nudity, it manages to be no more graphic than say, Game of Thrones. Well maybe except the school play musical porn Romeo and Juliet is OTT.

It is not something to be watched by different generations together though. I asked my kid if they had seen it, they had, and they heartily recommended it, but agreed it was not a co-watch. It is very lgbtqia-friendly.

[Doc HM]

Originally Posted by Brien 

Picard got worse the further in I got. Discovery was… fine.

Each series got further away from what Stewart wanted from Picard. This is especially true of the ending. (Source - he told me so over a nice lunch his wife made us).

[Thorzdad]

Okay...That requires a whole lot more elaboration, Doc.

[Doc HM]

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

Okay...That requires a whole lot more elaboration, Doc.

I would have thought that as producer Stewart would have had more control over the show especially as it was pretty successful however it wasn't like that. He had a very clear vision of and ending that was a solid and unarguable full stop to Picards story but it that was ruled out in favour of the fan service finale to TNG that was made.

oh wait.... you mean....

That's much simpler. I've known PS for about 15 years.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by Doc HM 

Each series got further away from what Stewart wanted from Picard. This is especially true of the ending. (Source - he told me so over a nice lunch his wife made us).

That's kinda sad, but explains a bit. The newer Star Treks never caught on with me: Discovery had interesting characters, but the story, oh boy. Then time shifts, universe shifts, etc. Picard felt like fan service, but again with no proper story to tie everything together.

I still have to say, my favorite Star Trek series is still DS9.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

I have only watched season 1 so far, but Reacher is weird. He's so overpowering and is so big, it is almost ridiculous. He has no competition in terms of physical presence.

https://www.tiktok.com/@jasonkpargin...436266?lang=en

[Thorzdad]

We’ve been watching School Spirits on Netflix, and are enjoying it so far.

Also on Netflix, The Brothers Sun has been crazy fun.

[subego]

I put down the first half of The Brothers Sun tonight. I’m enjoying it, but I feel we’re getting a muted version of what was promised by the pilot. Also, the characters feel a bit empty.

Reacher has picked up IMO.

[andi*pandi]

I fell asleep watching reacher. Maybe I'll try again.

Finished Sex Education. Season 4 is.. not great as far as where they pushed the main characters, introducing new characters/setting, but there was some good resolutions. Hoping they don't aim for season 5 because it seems done.

Trying out Suits. Light legal dramedy. Ok but not compelling. Kind of tv you could do other tasks during.

For those with kids, Hilda is sweet, fun, and really aimed at the preteen age group even tho rated Y7. Norse mythology monsters, clever wit.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Fargo. Season 5. Do it.

[Doc HM]

Originally Posted by subego 

Reacher has picked up IMO.

It definitely has.

[subego]

Next two episodes of The Brothers Sun is filling in some of the characterization I felt was missing, and were also closer in tone to the pilot.

[andi*pandi]

Brothers Sun; watched the pilot, liked it, trying to rope family into also watching it.

[MacNNFamous]

Finished Foundation Season 2. Loving that series, scratching that itch/void in my life left after Expanse. Read all the books, so good.

Started Reacher S2 last night. Honestly what I find best about that show is that he's kind of a dry/hilarious sarcastic asshole. We need more of those, and less assholes or white knights in general. On reddit there was some discussion of him playing Batman, and I'm on board for that. He's perfect, look:

[subego]

“Gee, Bruce… have you ever noticed Batman is 8 feet tall and jacked, and you’re 8 feet tall and jacked? That would be funny if someone thought you were the same person.”

[ShortcutToMoncton]

True Detective season 4 started again on Sunday night, and the first episode was pretty great! Jodie Foster is queen. Season 1 was great, S2-3 were not good. New showrunner now and I hope they can pull this off.

[MacNNFamous]

Originally Posted by subego 

“Gee, Bruce… have you ever noticed Batman is 8 feet tall and jacked, and you’re 8 feet tall and jacked? That would be funny if someone thought you were the same person.”

Yeah, and? He's huge in the animated series. He doesn't use guns. He's GOTTA be huge and just fuck bad guys up, which is why Batfleck was the best modern batman, and why I'm bummed he never got his own movie. Batman Vs Superman was still awesome, I don't know why people were so critical.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by MacNNFamous 

Yeah, and? He's huge in the animated series. He doesn't use guns. He's GOTTA be huge and just fuck bad guys up, which is why Batfleck was the best modern batman, and why I'm bummed he never got his own movie. Batman Vs Superman was still awesome, I don't know why people were so critical.

I think Affleck's problem is his chin. He'd be really good as a live action version of Stan Smith from American Dad.

[subego]

Finished Reacher and The Brothers Sun. The former was kind of underwhelming. The latter I liked.

[reader50]

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

We’ve been watching School Spirits on Netflix, and are enjoying it so far.

I hadn't heard of this. Good recommendation - I enjoyed it. It's been renewed for a 2nd season (in June 2023), so S2 may get released before too long.

 

Lots of extras, but they saved money on GFX. We mostly didn't see viewpoints where reality/metaphysical diverged then reset. And never saw people walk through the ghosts. Maybe they spent the extra money on writing - plot & pacing were good IMO.

Possible plot hole: how did the maintenance dude end up with the blackmail video? My best guess is he does IT maintenance too, and picked it up from school computer or network backups. But I don't recall seeing any other clues that he handled IT.

Nit: it wouldn't have killed the other 3 ghosts in the support group to say something. Near as I can tell, we didn't even get names for them.

[andi*pandi]

This deserves to be animated. I can hear Gary Oldman saying it. Apple TV Slow Horses is the reference.

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/...oga-instructor

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by reader50 

Nit: it wouldn't have killed the other 3 ghosts in the support group to say something. Near as I can tell, we didn't even get names for them.[/spoiler]

Actors get paid more for speaking parts, no matter how minor.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by subego 

Finished Reacher and The Brothers Sun. The former was kind of underwhelming. The latter I liked.

Yeah, we thought S2 of Reacher was kinda meh compared to S1. It was definitely more murdery-bordering-on-psychopathic, especially Reacher himself.

[Thorzdad]

Re: School Spirits...

 

This is my stupid-old-man-being-uncomfortably-sexist moment...I had never heard-of or seen Peyton List before this show. I would gladly watch an hour of her buttering toast. Holy cow, is she beautiful.

Sorry.

[subego]

Never heard of her until now. In photos, she reminds me of Kate Winslet.

[Thorzdad]

Jacqueline Novak Get On Your Knees. An adaptation of her off-broadway show, it’s an hour-and-a half, non-stop, comedy monologue, in which she waxes very poetically about a particular life-long...um...obsession of hers. Currently on Netflix.

We laughed our butts off, but it might not be everyone’s cup o’ tea. The topic is definitely adult, but the delivery isn’t at all. You will be exhausted by the end. As I said, it’s non-stop, and I mean it.

[Doc HM]

Took a while to fully hook me but I am now enjoying What We Do In The Shadows to maximum effect.
It has morphed from grunge semi art comedy movie in the hands of Jemain Clement and Taika Waititi through one joke mockumentary series 1) into a character based ensemble comedy. A rare case of a show being given time to expand and mature.
Season Six is going to be the last apparently.

Sad that the proposed movie sequel "We're Wolves" appears to be just an in-joke between Waititi and Clement.

[subego]

Matt Berry is awesome.

[Dex13]

i just burned through the new mr and mrs smith series ...
interesting seeing people complain online on how NOT to compare it to the film, but tbh, it's pretty much the film, but in extrapolated form.
the best part is the single episode cameos imo, actors like ron perlman sarah paulson really nail it and help w/ the momentum of the show.
my only big complaint is the writing is kinda weak for the female lead, Maya Erskine, in the sense that she's a one dimensional "controlling" woman who has to mansit her partner who is immature, spontaneous, and just "wants to have fun" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


its kinda bad in a cliché way, but i think it's comparable to network tv, and it's worth a watch if you can make it past the first episode .
an interesting part is that Phoebe_Waller-Bridge, creator of fleabag, left the show over "creative differences" w/Donald Glover, so maybe it could have been a bit better but i don't think they were going to let them make anything like fleabag or atlanta.

*they refer to their operator as hihi, which i thought was kinda funny b/c the swedes often greet w/ hej hej, and as an american i would always react w/, why did you just say hi twice lol*

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

Yeah, we thought S2 of Reacher was kinda meh compared to S1. It was definitely more murdery-bordering-on-psychopathic, especially Reacher himself.

Yeah, Reacher is definitely more like The Punisher than The A-Team. In the first season he definitely showed more restraint and relied more on brains. There were quite a few places where using brains first would have made it easy to avoid (threats of) violence and torture. E. g. torturing the one exec's friend who clearly was just trying to help a friend in need. If Reacher is so smart, he surely must have seen that. Plus, it made the whole thing more boring as it became increasingly predictable: whenever Reacher and his team were in a pinch, he'd use his hulk-like strength to push/force his way out of it. No cunning.

Watching it felt icky and left me cold just like Reacher behaved towards other (expendable) human beings.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I told you. Waste of time.