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Post by ThirdMan on Mar 30, 2017 20:41:18 GMT -8
I will admit to growing weary of folks who refer to shows with an abundance of visual inventiveness as "All Style, No Substance". You know what has no substance? Lazy, unimaginative, cliched comments like that. I found this season of Legion to be very emotionally-rich and resonant. Little details like having Cary absorb and heal "sister" Kerry's wounds speak volumes. The soup metaphor was hugely on point to someone like myself who has experienced mental illness in two members of my immediate family. Obviously there is a degree of obfuscation built into a premise like this, but I think it has a big, open heart, typified by the Syd character's commitment to David, and the sly rapport they often have amidst personal horror and suffering. This show gives me the feels in a big way, and it ain't just down to flashy cinematography (though it does feature some of the best in TV history) and a cool soundtrack. And it's got plenty of dark yet playful wit as well.
Moving on, they air Review on Wednesday nights in Canada on MuchMusic, and I just watched episode two of the new (final?) season, which aired here last night. Not sure why there's such a delay with this particular show, but whatever. Anyways, I find it more psychologically interesting, the lead character's blind self-destructiveness, than particularly funny. A lot of the humour is extremely broad in nature, trying to be smart-about-being-dumb, but still landing on dumb at times. It is really bizarre, the short episode order. I guess the network wouldn't commit to more than that, and just didn't want to leave it with the S2 cliffhanger.
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Post by Jeremy on Mar 31, 2017 5:19:15 GMT -8
When I think of shows that are "All Style, No Substance," I usually think of stuff like the junk-food dramas on USA Network. Lots of slick camerawork and eye-catching visuals trying desperately to cover thin characters and stores.
I definitely don't think Legion fits that description, especially since that show's style adds to the substance.
I found the Review finale satisfying, but I'm miffed by how short the season is (especially given that the network kept the show on hold for months, and never disclosed the episode count beforehand. Well done, Comedy Central). I posed this question on Twitter, but has there ever been an American season of television with this short an episode order? I honestly don't think there has.
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Post by otherscott on Mar 31, 2017 5:51:07 GMT -8
Finished off Season 1 of Legion as well, and I enjoyed the finale pretty well, I didn't find it the let down at all that others have found it to be. Reflecting on it though, it's the most super-hero-y of all the episodes of Legion by far, and that might have impacted my enjoyment of it as well, in the sense that I have a lower bar for what I expect superhero shows and movies to achieve. Because when I look back at Legion, apologies to JC, there's just not as much depth to bite into as there are some of my favourite shows. I wouldn't say it's all style and no substance at all, I reserve those complaints for House of Cards, but I don't know, it doesn't tend to affect me as deeply as some of the shows that are presented in a more straight-forward way. That's a personal preference though and not the fault of the show I think.
Regardless, I enjoyed the season a whole lot and I can say Season 2 of this show is going to be one of my most eagerly awaited dramas for whenever it comes back.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Mar 31, 2017 6:43:00 GMT -8
I'd give Season One an 8/10 overall. But that's still a pretty solid grade. I expect that only Bosquiara will get this reference, but the only other comic book-based TV series I can really compare to Legion is The Maxx. But Legion may be the more impressive feat, simply because it was visually dazzling in a live-action format. Plus, it's already got a much longer running time than The Maxx. That certainly sounds appealing. Maybe I should... For a moment there, I thought I was going to watch a superhero show! Jeremy, you sly dog.
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Post by Jeremy on Mar 31, 2017 6:56:44 GMT -8
Dude, Legion is not a superhero show. It just features characters with superpowers. Buffy is more of a superhero show than I expect Legion will ever be.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Mar 31, 2017 7:01:01 GMT -8
Did you have any specific glaring flaws with it, or was it just not that gripping for you overall?
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Mar 31, 2017 14:08:46 GMT -8
Dude, Legion is not a superhero show. It just features characters with superpowers. Buffy is more of a superhero show than I expect Legion will ever be. But Buffy wasn't an X-Man! Not officially, anyway. I would gleefully devour Review, though, provided it wasn't so frickin' hard to find any information on the show. What a bad (albeit appropriate) title.
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Post by ThirdMan on Mar 31, 2017 14:35:15 GMT -8
Finished off Season 1 of Legion as well, and I enjoyed the finale pretty well, I didn't find it the let down at all that others have found it to be. Reflecting on it though, it's the most super-hero-y of all the episodes of Legion by far, and that might have impacted my enjoyment of it as well, in the sense that I have a lower bar for what I expect superhero shows and movies to achieve. Because when I look back at Legion, apologies to JC, there's just not as much depth to bite into as there are some of my favourite shows. I wouldn't say it's all style and no substance at all, I reserve those complaints for House of Cards, but I don't know, it doesn't tend to affect me as deeply as some of the shows that are presented in a more straight-forward way. That's a personal preference though and not the fault of the show I think. Regardless, I enjoyed the season a whole lot and I can say Season 2 of this show is going to be one of my most eagerly awaited dramas for whenever it comes back. You don't need to apologize. A lot of what viewers see as "depth" often relates fairly specifically to what they can personally relate to. I can see an argument against Legion regarding how fleshed out the supporting characters were in terms of backstories or interior lives outside of David's story. That said, my primary concern as a viewer is how interested I am in whatever a show or movie is choosing to emphasize, and in this particular case, I felt the characters supported the kind of story (and I don't mean a "superhero" story...I'll get to that later) the showrunner was trying to tell extremely well. Now that the primary conflict has moved from internal to more external, I fully expect we'll get more emphasis on what makes the other characters tick.
I think sometimes drama series can reveal too much about their characters too early, so you get to know them so well that there are never really any surprises or intrigue going forward, and the shows peter out quickly.
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Post by ThirdMan on Mar 31, 2017 14:49:48 GMT -8
Dude, Legion is not a superhero show. It just features characters with superpowers. Buffy is more of a superhero show than I expect Legion will ever be. But Buffy wasn't an X-Man! Not officially, anyway. There are so many choices out there with regards to quality television, that it's really not worth badgering someone to watch something if they have a resistance to it for this or that reason. I get not wanting to get wrapped up in something that could be given to superhero motifs/battles and whatnot. I'm pretty bored with them, myself, as well.
That said, I just view this show as an artful, ambitious, offbeat, darkly comic, psychological thriller. It's a little David Lynch, a little John Carpenter, some Fritz Lang, some Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in particular), a little Milos Forman, some British invasion musical influences, and a whole host of other things. The main character may actually be Syd (Rachel Keller), who could've just been the "lead character's" girlfriend, but often provides the primary perspective from which we view him, because his past and psychological makeup is muddled in nature. She's sort of the window to his soul, and she's smart, sly, and totally endearing (IMO). And man, does this show have some good character actors in it, with actors like Aubrey Plaza (the best she's ever been, once she's let loose) and Jemaine Clement just killing it.
Unlike some shows, I figure you could probably watch the pilot of this show (which is about an hour without commercials), and determine if it'd be your cup of tea. But you know, do as you will; there's no shortage of quality TV out there, and we only have so much time. The words "X-Men" are not uttered a single time over the course of the first season, to the best of my recollection, BTW.
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Post by ThirdMan on Apr 5, 2017 12:59:16 GMT -8
A friend of mine at the gym (who apparently doesn't watch TV) said that his ~50-year-old boss (he's in construction) is in a band with Mackenzie Gray, the longtime Vancouver character actor (who apparently has dual U.K./Canadian citizenship) who plays The Eye on Legion.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Apr 7, 2017 22:26:51 GMT -8
I finished Person of Interest. I felt that "return 0" was a perfect series finale, to an outstanding final season. This show is definitely one of my all time favorites now. It actually is Whedon-level quality in my books. Thank you guys for putting this show on my radar. My 3 favorite finales are still "Family Meeting", "Not Fade Away", and "Sleeping in Light", but "return 0" is a solid number 4 for me now. It was very well made television: great performances, great music choices, great writing/directing as usual. But it was also gave the characters the ending they deserve. Reese goes out in a blaze of glory. Root lives on, through the machine, helping Shaw, who keeps Bear, gets to tease Fusco, talk to a Root copy, and keep helping people (presumably). For Fusco, it's business as usual. Finch gets that happy ending he deserves. Even the remorseless thug who killed Root gets his just dessert. Ordering the seasons, I'd go: 5>3>4>2>1. Seasons 3,4, and 5 are all great seasons, but 5 comes out on top because it doesn't have a single boring episode (I liked "A More Perfect Union". So what? ). 3 was the show's breakout season, and it has a seamless structure, but it wasn't quite as tight as 5 (for obvious reasons). 4 had a bit of a mid season lull from after Shaw's disappearance, after a strong start. Thankfully, it pulled it together at the end. 2 is much stronger than 1, but it has far too many standalones that are boring rather than engaging. The ones that built the mythology and the world of POI were the season's strongest. Season 1 is pretty dull, an average procedural with seemingly no direction. There are some flashes of quality, but no real great episodes. Top ten episodes: 1. "If-Then-Else" (4x11) 2. "return 0" (5x13) 3. "The Devil's Share" (3x23) 4. "The Day the World Went Away" (5x10) 5. "Deus Ex Machina" (3x23) 6. "Terra Incognita" (4x20) 7. "RAM" (3x16) 8. "YHWH" (4x22) 9. "Prisoner's Dilemma" (2x12) 10. "Relevance" (2x16)
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Post by Jeremy on Apr 8, 2017 19:51:46 GMT -8
Is "A More Perfect Union" considered a boring episode? I actually thought it was a lot of fun. Finch's rendition of "We're Not Gonna Take It" (delivered in that Irish accent!) is among the highlights of Season Five.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Apr 9, 2017 11:46:16 GMT -8
I don't think it's considered boring, but the weakest of the season. Like I said though, I enjoyed it a lot. The Root/Finch dance was a nice moment, especially considering the bloodbath that is the last 4 episodes. It actually took me a day to stop thinking about Reese and Root's deaths. Even though it made sense for their characters, it was hard to watch, in the best way possible.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Apr 11, 2017 8:42:59 GMT -8
Brooklyn Nine-Nine comes back tonight!! Oh, how I have missed you.
By the way, I see that misterie rejoined. I swear, I'll be back to posting about SFU by the end of the month. I'm stuck in the middle of a turgid soap opera is all.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Apr 11, 2017 9:24:15 GMT -8
Brooklyn Nine-Nine comes back tonight!! Oh, how I have missed you. By the way, I see that misterie rejoined. I swear, I'll be back to posting about SFU by the end of the month. I'm stuck in the middle of a turgid soap opera is all. Oh, YES! I need some more Captain Holt. And that's turgid, supernatural soap opera .
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