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Post by Jeremy on Jun 13, 2019 15:58:21 GMT -8
I tried watching Fringe some years back, but tuned out pretty quickly. This was around the time I'd finished Lost, and had somewhat soured on mystery/mythology shows with JJ Abrams' name attached. That's probably also why I initially couldn't invest in Person of Interest, which debuted around the same time.
Aw heck, I forgot Person of Interest! Oh well, just squeeze it between American Crime and Gilmore Girls.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Jun 14, 2019 6:52:49 GMT -8
I tried watching Fringe some years back, but tuned out pretty quickly. This was around the time I'd finished Lost, and had somewhat soured on mystery/mythology shows with JJ Abrams' name attached. That's probably also why I initially couldn't invest in Person of Interest, which debuted around the same time. Aw heck, I forgot Person of Interest! Oh well, just squeeze it between American Crime and Gilmore Girls. As does everyone  . At least you put it above Gilmore Girls. I'd put it above Hannibal and Lost, for sure. Still haven't seen Veronica Mars though-apparently Elias is in it? That plus Kristen Bell is a big draw. Yeah, Fringe doesn't really become consistently good until around Season 2, episode 15. There are still some really good ones before that, but it's understandably a tough sell to get someone to slog through 30+ 45 minute episodes to get to the good stuff, only for it to not maintain its peak for that long. However, Fringe doesn't weave in its mythology and standalone storytelling the way Person of Interest does, so it'd be easier to skip the episodes not connected to the main story (It is similar to POI in that the best episodes are usually also some of the most important). |
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Post by Jeremy on Jun 14, 2019 14:41:09 GMT -8
See, I'd say that Person of Interest also doesn't hit its stride till about episode 2x15 - before that, it's a largely plot-driven procedural with only occasional mythology episodes. The fact that the show takes some 35 episodes to build steam is a significant strike against it. (Even if there's a lot of great material from the end of S2 onward.)
Hannibal is still a remarkable series, despite the mess of a third season. Not a series I plan to rewatch in the near future, but it's got some spectacular writing and cinematography, more so than most shows in the broadcast world.
Also, yes, watch Veronica Mars. Always fun when people on this forum discover it for the first time. Plus, we've got a new season coming next month, which I am mildly ecstatic about.
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Post by Zarnium on Jun 14, 2019 20:06:02 GMT -8
Still haven't seen Veronica Mars though-apparently Elias is in it? Oh yes, as Veronica's dad. Best parent-child relationship on television. Be careful on our Veronica Mars thread, though. Lots of spoilers. You don't want the season 1 killer reveal spoiled before you've seen it, and it's difficult to talk about later seasons without mentioning it. |
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Jun 15, 2019 16:52:52 GMT -8
See, I'd say that Person of Interest also doesn't hit its stride till about episode 2x15 - before that, it's a largely plot-driven procedural with only occasional mythology episodes. The fact that the show takes some 35 episodes to build steam is a significant strike against it. (Even if there's a lot of great material from the end of S2 onward.) Hannibal is still a remarkable series, despite the mess of a third season. Not a series I plan to rewatch in the near future, but it's got some spectacular writing and cinematography, more so than most shows in the broadcast world. Also, yes, watch Veronica Mars. Always fun when people on this forum discover it for the first time. Plus, we've got a new season coming next month, which I am mildly ecstatic about. Well, I'd say 2x12-"Prisoner's Dilemma", which is still episode 35. About the same as Fringe. But the end of Season 1 of Fringe is very good as well, but it unfortunately doesn't maintain its quality. It went a little off the rails. The difference between tedious one-offs like "Ghosts" and "Judgement" from POI Season 1 and Season 3 of Hannibal is that the one-offs are over in 45 minutes, they're skippable, and they don't actively irritate me. Whereas Season 3 of Hannibal I find nearly unwatchable. The first half is more bloated than Marvel-Netflix shows, with a massive dose of pretension, and the second half lands with a dull thud, despite a stronger pace and a compelling performance by Richard Armitage. I just couldn't sit through that season again, or Season 2 of Friday Night Lights. Again, may just be a personal preference thing, but I quite like Season 1 of POI. Sure, there are those bore-fests that will put you to sleep, but at least there are some good ones in there, like Elias' appearances, "Cura Te Ipsum", the finale, "No Good Deed" (Snowden before Snowden!), "Many Happy Returns" (the better version of the pilot that had to be cut from the pilot for time) and the Rear Window homage, "Super". There is also a lot of subtle character development and world-building that greatly benefits the series going forward. You can see how Fusco and Carter slowly but surely start to trust Reese and Finch. Another benefit of the procedural structure is that the writers can move the plot along when they have plot to move along, and not be forced to drag things out. Jessica Jones would probably be better if it adopted Person of Interest's structure. Sure, some of the episodes wouldn't work, as it happens with 20-episode seasons-but there would be something going on each week, instead of dragging heavily at the beginning of the season-I'm watching Season Three right now, and it is proving very difficult to stay focused on it. Krysten Ritter is still great, as usual, at the very least. Zarnium-thanks for the tip. I've stupidly spoiled many, many shows for myself (I accidentally read that Joyce died in Season 5 when I was watching Season 2)-hopefully I can avoid that. Speaking of Rob Thomas, iZombie is in its final season. Not sure how it's going quality-wise, but Jeremy will probably post his thoughts here when he finishes it. |
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Post by Jeremy on Jun 15, 2019 20:02:10 GMT -8
I think the POI standalones in S2 are generally pretty good (since most of them have some bearing on the storyline and characters), but most of the S1 cases-of-the-week are rather forgettable. And there's just not as much of a hook as there'd be in later years. Had the first season been stronger and tighter in its storytelling, I can guarantee that the show would have a larger fanbase and critical following. Sure, it's impressive from the back half of Season Two onward, but in the Peak era, most quality TV fans aren't going to stick around that long.
Still, I do agree that some case-of-the-week stories can be necessary for pacing and variety. Jessica Jones would absolutely benefit from having more episodic plots. (Haven't started S3 yet; on a Netflix hiatus right now.)
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Jun 16, 2019 8:04:56 GMT -8
I think the POI standalones in S2 are generally pretty good (since most of them have some bearing on the storyline and characters), but most of the S1 cases-of-the-week are rather forgettable. And there's just not as much of a hook as there'd be in later years. Had the first season been stronger and tighter in its storytelling, I can guarantee that the show would have a larger fanbase and critical following. Sure, it's impressive from the back half of Season Two onward, but in the Peak era, most quality TV fans aren't going to stick around that long. Still, I do agree that some case-of-the-week stories can be necessary for pacing and variety. Jessica Jones would absolutely benefit from having more episodic plots. (Haven't started S3 yet; on a Netflix hiatus right now.) Especially the first 8 or so-which are probably the weakest in the whole run. Most people just give up after that. Even then, it's filling a pretty narrow niche-a live action Batman series without costumes mixed with a speculative fiction sci-fi action narrative. Plus a sprinkle of Burn Notice and other spy thrillers-it's not for everyone. Ah well. I can't blame you for not sitting through another Marvel-Netflix slog. Or Netflix shows in general. Though I assume you'll be back in the fall when Bojack Season 6 debuts? |
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Post by Jeremy on Jun 16, 2019 8:58:22 GMT -8
Oh, I'm going to get to Jessica Jones S3 eventually. And there's other stuff on Netflix, both original and acquired, worth watching. (Or rewatching - Spider-Verse arrives next week!) But between Hulu, Amazon, and now DC Universe, I've got too many streaming services on my plate right now, so the one with the steepest net drop in quality has to go for a while.
I still haven't gotten to subscribing to CBS All-Access. But CBS has announced that it will be airing the first season of The Good Fight (presumably edited for time and content) starting tonight. I may just check it out that way.
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. At least you put it above Gilmore Girls. I'd put it above Hannibal and Lost, for sure. Still haven't seen Veronica Mars though-apparently Elias is in it? That plus Kristen Bell is a big draw.