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Post by Jeremy on Mar 29, 2022 17:49:07 GMT -8
I think The Great would gain more traction if Hulu doled it out in weekly episodes, as they do with many of their other hourlong shows. (My guess is that they released it ahead of Thanksgiving in order to capitalize on and fill the 2021 void of The Crown, which routinely releases in late November.) It's becoming more and more obvious that episodic releases keep shows in the cultural conversation longer, a lesson that most streaming services not named Netflix have been learning.
In any case, The Great is still quite good, even if the excessively filthy dialogue does wear thin after a while (and if the lengths that Season Two had to go to keep certain characters alive after the S1 finale fare pretty wild, a la Spike on Buffy or DeBeers on iZombie).
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Apr 1, 2022 17:05:08 GMT -8
Had I watched it before I made my list, Season 2 of The Great would have worked my way into the top 10. I do think the central love story feels pretty unearned most of the time, but Elizabeth is such a terrific character and there's an underlying message of forgiveness (which is purposely taken to ridiculous extremes) that I appreciated. I do kind of get Vic Mackey flashbacks with how the show treats Peter, which isn't necessarily a good thing. That being said, I've always maintained the problem with the "softening" of Vic Mackey in Seasons 2-4 of The Shield is not those seasons particularly, but rather the pilot went too extreme too quickly to get a shocking moment, and as a result Vic just felt like a different character after a while. Peter has a bit of an issue with feeling like a different character than the first season as well, but the show at least tries to present it as him changing which I can buy slightly more. Good show, pretty underrated I would say. You could interpret that as Vic deciding that he crossed the line and trying to color inside the lines. He thought he could do that one unforgivable thing (even though it was just the culmination of his despicable behavior) and get away with it. He deludes himself for pretty much the entire series. That's what makes the endings of Chasing Ghosts and Possible Kill Screen so powerful--Shane and Vic respectively realizing exactly how much of a monster Vic really is.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Apr 1, 2022 17:12:04 GMT -8
I can no longer remember if I had the apostrophe in the original. Probably not as using the word "whatcha" throws any hopes of proper grammar out of what anyways. I think what I'm most anticipating this year is the return of Westworld. I'm not the biggest fan of the show, but I'm always more taken to things that are flawed but fascinating rather than things that everyone agrees are just good. That's why I was obsessed with The Walking Dead for about 5 seasons, before it lost the part where it was also fascinating. The third season was a complete miss, but I think the show still has potential if it goes back to the foundations of the first and second season and builds a puzzle box again. Yes, the storytelling method is not for everyone, but Season 3 was for no one, and there's no other show on TV that operates in the same way. My question for myself is will I continue to ignore the Marvel/ Star Wars TV shows or will I start to dig into them this year? I'm putting my money on ignore, but sometimes I can't help myself. Depends if Nolan rememebers that yes, big sci-fi ideas are all well and good.....but characterization and solid storytelling is more important than fooling redditors.
I'm just excited that we get Barry and Better Call Saul back-to-back. And hey, Atlanta should be pretty good too. Or in the words of Donald Glover, the best tv show since The Sopranos. Nature is healing.
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Post by ThirdMan on Apr 2, 2022 8:38:13 GMT -8
Better Things and Atlanta are very similar in one regard: both have a very loose structure, where you'd not entirely sure where either series is going in each episode. Digging both very much so far this season.
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Post by Jeremy on Apr 3, 2022 16:17:12 GMT -8
I like how Better Things and Atlanta premiered the same week, yet one is now two seasons ahead of the other.
As I think I've mentioned before, I tend to view those two shows (both among the best on TV) as key to understanding how television has shifted in the past ten years. From the early 2000s to 2015, the standard for "best of television" was typically measured among dark and heavily serialized hourlong dramas centered on white male antiheroes. But in recent years, the perspective has shifted, and now a lot of the most acclaimed shows on TV are half-hour dramedies told from a variety of perspectives, typically without fear of adhering to form, either for a seasonal arc or within individual episodes.
We assumed some years ago that the key to brilliant television was to make episodes longer, and story arcs more heavily serialized. Yet a lot of modern hourlong dramas (particularly those designed to tell an ongoing story over more than one season) get criticized for feeling bloated or drawn out. Meanwhile, TV has unlocked a lot of untapped potential in shows that run around 30 minutes and tell individual stories within each episode.
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Post by ThirdMan on Apr 3, 2022 23:41:09 GMT -8
Yeah, that's true. It does seem like the episodes of Better Things and Atlanta are a bit longer as of late, though, cutting close to the length of network (with commercials) dramas.
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Post by otherscott on Apr 4, 2022 10:07:34 GMT -8
I only took one English elective in university (short stories), and this was in about 2012, but I remember one particular thing that instructor said. In literature, the most renowned stories were shifting from the center (that is the experiences that were most relatable to the majority audiences) to the margins. And we're seeing this really start to take hold in movies and TV as well. The very specific experiences of those in the community who are marginalized in some way are being particularly elevated when it comes to prestige.
This isn't true universally quite yet (Succession is going to win almost every Emmy under the sun and it's much more in the antihero mold than most of the shows we're talking about), but look at the Best Picture winners lately. CODA is specific about deaf experiences, Nomadland about an aging widow, Parasite about Korean lower class, Green Book about race relations, Moonlight a couple years before that about a gay black man.
We see that pattern with both Better Things and Atlanta (and Master of None, probably the other really big example of this), shows that are about specificity of experiences. Now, I wouldn't call anything in Better Things about a marginalized community, but there are enough similar markers to shows that do have that. I think, at least at the acclaimed level, things will continue to shift in that direction, assuming the streamers have patience to keep shows in the same mold as Feel Good going.
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Post by otherscott on Apr 23, 2022 13:19:59 GMT -8
Most of the way through Severance now and it really is quite good. It drags a bit in the middle (particularly episodes 5 and 6) more than I was expecting based on the universal praise, but undoubtedly it's a great and fun show that knows how to play mysteries and center them on their characters.
I've also watched the pilot of Maid, and it has to be the most misery porn first episode I've watched since the first episode of Unbelievable. I hope it undergoes a very similar change in tone very soon or I will not be watching a whole lot further. Also I think I might be ditching my Netflix account for a while. Between the cost increase and the fact the service seems to have absolutely nothing going on at the moment in terms of new originals, Netflix seems to have completely lost the plot right now in the streaming race. They'll need to bring it back soon or they risk being the next Blackberry.
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Post by ThirdMan on Apr 23, 2022 15:42:45 GMT -8
Well, speaking of Netflix Originals, I'm sick (perhaps a cold, the flu, or maybe even Covid) for the first time in two-and-a-half years, so I decided to dive into the second season of Russian Doll. Natasha Lyonne remains appealingly loopy and caustic in the lead role, and Season 2 deals with time-travel, rather than a time-loop. I'd say it's of similar quality to the first season, messier but a bit more structurally ambitious. Certainly worth a watch, at only 3.5 hours in total.
I'm mostly hanging on to Netflix for the odd film production, like the new movie from Richard Linklater, which I might watch today as well. I'll also check out the final stretch of Ozark, which certainly improved significantly after its first season.
HBO Max seems like it's mostly limited to HBO and Warner stuff that I've seen already or have little interest in (wouldn't mind checking out Peacemaker and Season 3 of Barry, though). Disney +, I'll probably check in on from time-to-time.
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Post by Jeremy on Apr 23, 2022 18:05:44 GMT -8
I think events of the past few days have proven that Netflix has, indeed, lost the plot in the streaming race. They can put out all the algorithmically-flavored ContentTM they can afford, but keeping themselves above water following the recent stock plummet will require genuine change - though Reed Hastings has indicated that some changes (including a potential ad-supported subscription tier) are on the way.
I was actually going to cut my Netflix subscription last month, but decided to renew it once more for the second season of Russian Doll (I've watched most of it so far, and it's quite good) and maybe Green Eggs and Ham (which still boasts some of the best and most detailed animation anywhere on TV). They do occasionally debut good movies - the new Richard Linklater film, Apollo 10 1/2, was a sentimental and breezy way to spend 90-odd minutes - but much of their original content ranges from middling to fairly dire, and their backlog has been gradually drying up over the last few years.
HBO Max is currently the best streaming service, featuring a great variety of TV shows and an extensive backlog of classic films (many of which I've been crossing off the ol' bucket list this year). I may cut down to the ad-supported version at some point (the standard version is rather pricey), but it's one service I don't mind having regular access to.
Scott, Maid is a tough watch in spots, but there are a lot of hopeful and triumphant moments in it as well. (Certainly more than the very bleak Unbelievable.) It's a bit bloated at ten episodes, but quite effective, with great - and potentially Emmy-ish - work from Margaret Qualley. Might not resonate withy everyone, but it's probably my favorite Netflix original series since Bojack ended.
Also, hope you feel better, J.C.
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Post by ThirdMan on Apr 23, 2022 19:00:56 GMT -8
Thanks, Jeremy. I don't think it's Covid (no loss of taste or serious respiratory issues), but one can never be sure about these things. At any rate, 2.5 years is probably the longest I've ever gone without getting a cold or the flu, which was helped, in no small part, by all the mask-wearing, and not nearly as many people with viruses riding public-transit in the past two years.
i think I'll wait until the third season of Barry is over before ordering Crave (Canadian HBO Max equivalent) for a month or two, so I can watch that, Peacemaker, and perhaps Hacks. Succession is too far into its run to compel me to watch, and it doesn't look that interesting to me regardless. I know many folks like Euphoria, but I watched most of the pilot a while back, and it wasn't clicking with me.
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Post by Jeremy on Apr 24, 2022 14:59:41 GMT -8
I finished Season Two of Russian Doll. Not as fresh or compact (despite the shorter runtime - seven episodes instead of eight) as the first, but certainly still worthwhile. The tone relies a little too much on Natasha Lyonne's smart-aleck sense of humor, which can get pretty stale on binge-watch, but she sells the story's emotional highs quite well. The initial implications that S2 would just be a staid riff on Quantum Leap were quickly dispelled, thanks to a series of clever twists and a sense of purpose that became better defined as the season progressed. Gets a little too weird near the end, but still packs the desired punch.
I also recently watched and quite liked The Dropout, a Hulu miniseries about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. We don't lack for shocking TV biopics at the moment, but The Dropout stands out as one of the more notable successes, thanks to a strong lead performance from Amanda Seyfried (likely a frontrunner for awards season) and a deft, refreshingly non-exploitative handling of story and tone. This is essentially a deconstruction of the traditional female empowerment story, putting a lot of emphasis on the sexism that Holmes faced in making her way through the world of Big Pharma and tech bros, while also highlighting the criminal side of her enterprise. A bit less compelling in the second half, as the story skips across time and shifts focus to some of the supporting characters, but ultimately a winner.
Beyond these two, I'm trying to keep up with as many of the current Emmy-season shows that I can. This is usually the busiest time of the year for good television, but I expect I'll make room for Barry each week and maybe The Flight Attendant (though that one will probably end up on the backburner), plus Undone and Hacks when they return. I bailed on Winning Time after two episodes, having no familiarity with the source material and little interest in the show's in-your-face presentation, though it did at least help me appreciate the range of John C. Reilly's comic chops.
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Post by ThirdMan on Apr 28, 2022 12:21:14 GMT -8
What I have is indeed Covid (just did a rapid antigen test). Had a sore nose and throat, some serious chills for a little over 36 hours, and my head was aching around my ears and the back of my head. My sense of taste wasn't lost to any great degree, and now, a week later, I've mostly just got a mild cough. Was about to go to the gym, thinking it was just a cold that had mostly passed, but did the test first, and now I'm just gonna stay home. Those antigen tests suck (having to stick the things up your nostrils for ten seconds each, which is very unpleasant), but it's worth it to protect others.
On the plus side, because I haven't been eating as much (as I'm not going to the gym), I'm down nearly ten pounds.
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Post by Jeremy on Apr 28, 2022 18:30:41 GMT -8
Rest up, J.C. Covid knocked me out for a few days, way back in April 2020, but I recovered pretty well. (Though I was trapped in a room for several days with Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. We won't speak of that.)
And if you haven't, catch up on the new season of Better Call Saul, as the show continues to be as good as ever. Still not sure if it's as entertaining or suspenseful as Breaking Bad, but it may just be the more technically well-crafted show overall.
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Post by ThirdMan on Apr 29, 2022 0:22:17 GMT -8
Yeah, I've been watching Better Call Saul these past few weeks. I just think the show's a refinement of what its creators learned on Breaking Bad. It's not as melodramatic as that show could be at times, and doesn't lean on cliffhangers as often. But it's probably a bit more mature and artful, and they've likely learned more efficient ways to get the clever shots they need. THAT SAID, I had a hard time getting into the first two episodes, because I was trying to remember all these recurring characters from previous seasons. That woman (with the short brown bangs) running the scam business with her husband, I actually remember more from Preacher than Better Call Saul. I'm having a tough time recollecting what they're trying to do with Harold and Sandpiper, so some of the Jimmy story is a bit nebulous to me. I do find it more compelling than the Breaking Bad-centric half in general (which feels more like playing catch-up, though Mike is great), though the story with Nacho in Episode 3 was so streamlined and suspenseful that it was at least easier to follow.
I'm also probably gonna binge the final half-season of Ozark in a couple of days. That's another show (like Breaking Bad) that got better reviews as it went along. By the time Season 3 rolled around, it was really clicking on all cylinders, with Laura Linney and Julia Garner in particular doing really good work. And I just like Jason Bateman as an actor, so it's a pretty easy watch, despite its level of emotional intensity, and somewhat derivative nature.
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