What Are You Watching

[erwbol]

I hope to finish my second viewing of season 2 tonight.

Ta-ta.

[A Lark Ascending]

A series I've only ever seen 10 minutes here, ten minutes there in other people's houses. Always intrigued me so hired the first series.

Slow to get going but marvellous characters and a thrilling episode 5.

Another 3 series to take me through the winter.

Didn't realise this was Sally Wainwright too. Does she write everything good on TV?

Edited October 22, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[jazzbo]

Chilling out after watching Dr. Childen be killed by Miriam in Hannibal by watching Fast 'n Loud.

[kinuta]

A series I've only ever seen 10 minutes here, ten minutes there in other people's houses. Always intrigued me so hired the first series.

Slow to get going but marvellous characters and a thrilling episode 5.

Another 3 series to take me through the winter.

Didn't realise this was Sally Wainwright too. Does she write everything good on TV?

I've watched it since it started.

As you say, the characterization is very well done, especially the three women who compliment each other so well.

A minor point but I find the lack of glamour refreshing after so many tv cop shows with chisel jawed blokes and fashion model babe leads straight from Hollywood central casting.

[jlhoots]

Finished Line Of Duty - season 2.

Hope there's a 3.

Now on to Homeland - season 3.

[A Lark Ascending]

Re: Scott and Bailey

I've watched it since it started.

As you say, the characterization is very well done, especially the three women who compliment each other so well.

A minor point but I find the lack of glamour refreshing after so many tv cop shows with chisel jawed blokes and fashion model babe leads straight from Hollywood central casting.

Agree entirely - except that I find Bailey quite glamorous!

[erwbol]

A new documentary about Sonny Rollins just aired on Dutch television. I think this was discussed here a while ago? (A quick search didn't turn up anything.)

[kinuta]

Boardwalk Empire - final episode

[jlhoots]

Boardwalk Empire - final episode

On my DVR - no spoilers please.

[jazzbo]

Vikings, Season 1, Blu-ray

[kinuta]

Gomorra TV series

Watched episodes one and two. Absolutely amazing, equals and maybe improves on the film.

One of the year's big tv events.

[Van Basten II]

Watched JSngry's MLS local team squeak a win in MLS playoff thanks to a harsh pk call.

[jazzbo]

Arrow, Season 2 on Blu.

Soon will start Vikings Season 2 on Blu.

[kinuta]

Finished watching the first season of Gomarra.

Gob smackingly awesome. :tup

[A Lark Ascending]

Series 2 finally out over here. Watched episodes 1-3 over consecutive nights. Once again, brilliant.

Have to wait a few days for disc 2 to be sent by the hire company.

Edited November 6, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[Shawn]

Series 2 finally out over here. Watched episodes 1-3 over consecutive nights. Once again, brilliant.

Have to wait a few days for disc 2 to be sent by the hire company.

It's amazing how many people hate this show, at least in the US. Of course the political views have something to do with that, but there seems to be a good deal of ire thrown Sorkin's way whenever possible.

In reality, I think a lot of the people that don't like it aren't intelligent enough to follow it. I think it's an incredibly intelligent and well-made series that holds up to repeated viewings.

[A Lark Ascending]

You can't let your attention drop for a second or you lose a great chunk of the dialogue - it moves so fast.

It can get a bit drippy at times - any mention of 9/11, for example. I can see why it would not go down well with the right.

I'll happily just watch it for Emily Mortimer! Will McAvoy needs his head examined!

Edited November 6, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[Shawn]

Emily Mortimer is always worth watching. I also became a big fan of Olivia Munn due to this show, she is so much fun to watch.

[JSngry]

I like the show precisely because of it politics, but Sorkin...he's a really smart guy and yes, his dialog is quite tight, but if people start talking like that to me in real life, like everything they say is supposed to elict a hug, a tear, a BRAVO, or a knowing wry chuckle and/or wink, I get the hell away from them ASAP. It's just too cute for me, like, how can you disagree with anything said that well? Not necessarily style triumphing over substance, but style offered to disguise substance, or at least distract from it, not trusting the meat, so putting sauce all on it. And this coming from somebody who damn near always agrees with the substance. But I just as damn near often get the willies whenever "cute" comes into it. Good meat don't need no sauce.

Still, the show has dealt with some pretty real stuff in a very intelligent manner, so if they use often insufferably cute writing (and acting) to do that, well, hey, it's TV. I don't have to watch it, but I do, so that's on me.

[JSngry]

Same thing happening on so many commercials these days, happyearnestsmug people saying all this intelligent/witty banter with diatonic sunshine perking about relentlessly but quietly in the background, gee, how could you not but into that lifestyle, eh? Oh, I'll tell you how...

Show me some sober-ish wino with only partially healed scabs stumble-talking about how, I'm barely makin' it, but thanks to XYZ, I almost think I am, probably, at least for now, hopefully. Convince me about that product, ok, because I don't vomit on that like I do on cute, you might have a chance of gettin' me onboard here, with that.

[Shawn]

Sorkin's dialogue isn't that far removed from screwball comedy writing, His Girl Friday style mile-a-minute banter. He does it exceptionally well. And I absolutely LOVE that style. The characters may be smarter than most actual people you'll meet, but life would be a lot more entertaining if the average joe did speak that way.

P.S. - Fuck reality. I watch TV and movies to escape it, not be reminded of it.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Shawn

[JSngry]

I dig smart, it's cute I can't stand, especially when it's used as a debating tactic, which anytime you're advocating for a certain "rightness of purpose" is what you're doing.

As far reality goes, I use TV to engage it. Otherwise, all I'm left with is this weird shit I see in my mind, out my window, and on my streets. Ain't no way THAT'S real!

Honey Boo Boo's mom putting her in the hands of a known sex offender, now THAT'S reality - and it's all over TV (Q.E.D.!!!)...but they're all cute by the minute, but not smart, so I remain indifferent, extremely, although the cute thing has me leaning towards fuquitousness about the whole thing.

Nevertheless, although Sorkin makes me cringe far more often than I'm slippers-and-pipe-and-Astroglide comfortable with, I'm eagerly awaiting the new season of The Newsroom. Go figure.

[Shawn]

Anyone that actually watched Honey Boo Boo isn't smart enough to know better.

[JSngry]

Case in point - love The Blacklist. Hooked on that shit waaay against my better judgement, becuase it seems like if there is any such thing as "reality", then this is most likely it. So, ok, good. I'm set.

But now they come along with this new show that's "from the producers of the Blacklist", and UH-oh, it looks to be a LOT like The Blacklist, and then I have to consider, is The Blacklist REALLY reality, or is it just a cleverly done combinations of plausible constructs manufactured in such a way to get me to watch both this and that? Because I'm not watching this new thing, why bother, I'm already watching The Blacklist, and that's reality, correct? So why bother duplicating reality, that's not even mathematically possible, is it?

But The Blacklist, Reddington (or as his character is called, James Spader), him with the nearly always-tilted head, that's about as close to cute as that shit gets. Well, that and Megan Boone running around in her drawers, but that's done to make a point. Sorkin could take a lesson about how one nearly always-tilted head renders cuteness unnecessary when demonstrating rightness of purpose.

Anyone that actually watched Honey Boo Boo isn't smart enough to know better.

Dude, that's the beauty of it - I don't have to watch that shit at all! I just get a 5-10 second portion of a Newsy clip on Roku news and BAM, that's all I need to know. In, out, instant expert, dick still dry. Reality, uncomplicated, Mostly Other People Do The Caring.

And it's free. What is reality if not free? You gotta pay to keep reality from hitting you!

[Shawn]

I think The Blacklist is mildly entertaining garbage. I like Spader (sometimes) and it kept me interested enough for 1 season, but I tuned in for the first episode this year and asked myself "why I'm I watching this crap?" and turned it off.

I would rather watch a show completely based in fantasy, something like Sleepy Hollow (which deals with demons, witches, curses, pacts with Satan, etc), than to watch a "pretending to be reality show" like The Blacklist or Criminal Minds or any of the terrible shows based around letters; CSI, NCIS, etc.

Sleepy Hollow is a silly show, but it's an intentionally silly show, a knowing nudge-nudge-wink-wink kind of affair. That I'm fine with. Buffy The Vampire Slayer was probably the perfect version of that, a show about vampires/witches/demons that wasn't really about those things at all, just metaphors for the hell that was high school. In the series the writer literally put the entrance to hell underneath the high school.

When I'm in the mood for an intelligent, realistic series I'll watch something British. If I want fast-food entertainment I'll watch American TV.