The TV and Streaming thread Series 3

[LadyCrimson]

^  I binge finished To the Lake.  Kept my mind off the election.

First 4-5 episodes were pretty great.  It became a bit more of a strange, occasionally violent drama towards the end, but with the apocalyptic aspect still in the background, building to something.  Solid acting all around and I liked (most of) the pacing, atmosphere, etc.

But ... it ends really abruptly/cliffhanger, with an obvious season 2 in mind.  So there's that. 

[uuuhhii]

8 hours ago, rjshae said:

What blew my mind is that they kept Killjoys instead. 

killjoy are so painful to watch sometimes

why would they ever choose to go with all the green goo nonsense

[Lexx]

9 hours ago, rjshae said:

What blew my mind is that they kept Killjoys instead. 

Wasn't Killjoys also canned?

[Zoraptor]

Killjoys got two (?) seasons to wrap up. That was the deal Dark Matter would have had if they'd cancelled Killjoys instead, one suspects the deciding factor was that Killjoys was incredibly cheap to make.

[Lexx]

Well, at the end of the day I felt like both shows were quite cheap and right now I wouldn't even be able to distinguish between them.

[majestic]

4 hours ago, Lexx said:

Well, at the end of the day I felt like both shows were quite cheap and right now I wouldn't even be able to distinguish between them.

That you cannot distinguish between them just shows your lack of taste, can you flaunt your pedestrian views some place else?

Just kidding. But yeah, cost was the major factor. Dark Matter creator Joseph Mallozzi talked about that after the cancellation a bit while he was desperately trying to find someone else to pick up the show before they had to scrap all the sets. He didn't, so that's that. What's worse is not only that they cancelled Dark Matter, but that it was the best rated (with DVR factored in) SyFy "original" at that point and by every performance metric it should have been Killjoys that got canned.

 

[Lexx]

I remember that I disliked Killjoys because it felt like your typical cheap SyFy show - stronk female main character who is badass in everything and dominates everyone and who has one geeky male (prettyboy) sidekick and one non-geeky (also usually male) sidekick.

Guess what, Dark Matter has a stronk female main character who is badass in everything and dominates everyone. Granted, the main cast is bigger this time, and the characters have a little more depth indeed, so yes, Dark Matter is better than Killjoys, but still feels like just your usual SyFy show to me.

It's a bit of a miracle that they made The Expanse for 3 seasons, tbh.

[Raithe]

Re-watching episodes of the old Dark Angel series, pondering on if this vision of dystopian Seattle is inching ever closer to reality...

[ShadySands]

The Mandalorian season 2. I really loved the first episode but the second episode was terrible.

[Maedhros]

2 hours ago, ShadySands said:

The Mandalorian season 2. I really loved the first episode but the second episode was terrible.

I like The Mandalorian, but for me it has way too many "filler" episodes. I found myself just skipping forward every now and then this episode and not missing much.

[Gfted1]

Yeah I flamed out on S1E7. Ive got to try to get back into it because I was really enjoying it until some switch flipped in my mind.

[InsaneCommander]

Discovery S3E4 in a nutshell: it doesn't matter who is more capable for the mission. Burnham will go.

[majestic]

2 hours ago, InsaneCommander said:

Discovery S3E4 in a nutshell: it doesn't matter who is more capable for the mission. Burnham will go.

We also learn that millennia is both the singular and plural of millennium, and the sphere data has finally merged with the Discovery computer to form the Andromeda AI.

[LadyCrimson]

Was watching k-drama "Live Up to Your Name" on Netflix.  Fairly decent time-travel hospital/romance/comedy that bounces between modern and past Korea timelines.  The male lead Kim Nam Gil is one of those "1000 expressions" types where he's equally at home doing absurd/cute comedy one second but serious melodrama the next. 

So I looked him up and ... now I'm watching "The Fiery Priest" via Viki. Which is even better. Same dramedy style but no romance.   Just a hot-tempered, ex super-agent turned Priest looking for vengeance against city corruption.  It's hilarious (in spots) and occasionally bits of action are so over the top I'm in stitches. Although most of the time it's not *this* overtly silly. 

 

[Malcador]

It's not Monsignor Martinez....but I'll take it

[Bartimaeus]

Finished season 1 of Sailor Moon. Loved it, though I thought it started dragging towards the very end as there were just a few too many "serious mode" episodes in a row and not enough ludicrous nonsense (and also seeing literally everybody except Sailor Moon herself get horribly maimed and killed one by one was a bit of a bummer, even though I knew things would likely eventually work out - if not by the end of the season, then probably by the beginning of season 2). Worried that the next season won't have the necessary amount of ludicrous nonsense that I require. After all, the ludicrous nonsense is the key to everything. Absolutely a keeper, and I'd wager that the show has a lot of rewatch value.

I also watched all of Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion. Uh. Well, there were a number of things I liked...and a number of things I didn't. Kind of a frustrating show, and also, I was confused as hell by the story and had to look up piles of stuff on the wiki to figure out what the heck was going on after I finished it and even the wiki sometimes didn't know. My impression was still...mostly positive, I think? Asuka and Rei were the stars of the show (and although both of their voice actors were kind of goofy, I thought they fit them very well and grew to like them a lot), while I wavered between being ambivalent towards and disliking Shinji, the protagonist, for most of the series, up until The End of Evangelion, where I started to openly despise him. More evidence that I don't do well with particular kinds of male protagonists (i.e. most). I'm not really a big themes guy, but this show had some interesting ones that have have resonated and stuck in my brain since watching this, so good job to it on that front. Weirdly, I think I preferred the more abrupt, less-explained ending of the original show rather than The End of Evangelion's ending...which was less abrupt, but just as bizarre (if not more so) and not clear in meaning. Still not totally sure how I feel about this show, honestly...and there's a good possibility I might not ever.

[Malcador]

1 hour ago, Bartimaeus said:

I also watched all of Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion. Uh. Well, there were a number of things I liked...and a number of things I didn't. Kind of a frustrating show, and also, I was confused as hell by the story and had to look up piles of stuff on the wiki to figure out what the heck was going on after I finished it and even the wiki sometimes didn't know. My impression was still...mostly positive, I think? Asuka and Rei were the stars of the show (and although both of their voice actors were kind of goofy, I thought they fit them very well and grew to like them a lot), while I wavered between being ambivalent towards and disliking Shinji, the protagonist, for most of the series, up until The End of Evangelion, where I started to openly despise him. More evidence that I don't do well with particular kinds of male protagonists (i.e. most). I'm not really a big themes guy, but this show had some interesting ones that have have resonated and stuck in my brain since watching this, so good job to it on that front. Weirdly, I think I preferred the more abrupt, less-explained ending of the original show rather than The End of Evangelion's ending...which was less abrupt, but just as bizarre (if not more so) and not clear in meaning. Still not totally sure how I feel about this show, honestly...and there's a good possibility I might not ever.

Congratulations!

[Lexx]

1 hour ago, Bartimaeus said:

 Loved it,

 

Looks like we have a new weeb.

 

I feel like many animes start out strong but then they just ... keep going ... even though they should probably stop.

Reminds me of when I watched Death Note. Started really good, but then it somehow just went on and on and on and ugh... was happy when it finally ended. Probably could have skipped like 20 episodes in the middle and wouldn't have missed out on anything.

Edited November 13, 2020 by Lexx

[HoonDing]

La femme Nikita.

[majestic]

  

25 minutes ago, Lexx said:

Looks like we have a new weeb.

 

I feel like many animes start out strong but then they just ... keep going ... even though they should probably stop.

Reminds me of when I watched Death Note. Started really good, but then it somehow just went on and on and on and ugh... was happy when it finally ended. Probably could have skipped like 20 episodes in the middle and wouldn't have missed out on anything.

Sailor Moon ist just awesome for its entire run.

But I've said it before, I fear Bartimaeus will not like the tone shift in the later seasons.

Anyway, this thread convinced me to rewatch the anime. However, watching Sailor Moon is something that lies comfortably in my past, very much long enough ago to only have fond memories of a better time. Thinking back gives me the same good feeling that watching Stranger Things does. Which is part of the reason why I love that show so much even if every season seems to be the same and becomes more and more ludicrous.

Rewatching it might break that memory or reaffirm it. Rewatching Disney's The Black Hole for instance broke it. That film is... not good. That didn't bother me as a child, but it did as an adult. Playing the games on my SNES Classic Mini on the other hand simply made me realize that console gaming was awesome in the early 90ies.

Guess I'll take the plunge. If my experience is positive then I might just try watching Knight Rider. It's been on Prime for a while now and I don't really have the heart to watch.

Edited November 13, 2020 by majestic

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

2 minutes ago, majestic said:

  

Sailor Moon ist just awesome for its entire run.

But I've said it before, I fear Bartimaeus will not like the tone shift in the later seasons.

Anyway, this thread convinced me to rewatch the anime. However, watching Sailor Moon is something that lies comfortably in my past, very much long enough ago to only have fond memories of a better time. Thinking back gives me the same good feeling that watching Stranger Things does. Which is part of the reason why I love that show so much even if every season seems to be the same and becomes more and more ludicrous.

Rewatching it might break that memory or reaffirm it. Rewatching Disney's The Black Hole for instance broke it. That film is... not good. That didn't bother me as a child, but it did as an adult. Playing the games on my SNES Classic Mini on the other hand simply made me realize that console gaming was awesome in the early 90ies.

Guess I'll take the plunge. If my experience is positive then I might just try watching Knight Rider. It's been on Prime for a while now and I don't really have the heart to watch.

I recently rewatched Yu Yu Hakusho (coincidentally, the creator is married to the creator of Sailor Moon) after over a decade, as I remember watching it as a kid when Adult Swim first came around. The first arc holds up but after that it kinda collapses into a tournament show (which I believe is the anime equivalent of US TV turning everything into a cop show) with a brief break to deal with apocalyptic psychics before doing another tournament. Just goes to show some things don't hold up to memory I guess.

32 minutes ago, Lexx said:

I feel like many animes start out strong but then they just ... keep going ... even though they should probably stop

That's true of most series in general.

[Lexx]

Well, I'm going to marathon though The Expanse s4 again this weekend, so I dive right into s5 on monday. \o/

Weekly episode releases still suck, but I just know I won't be able to wait till next year, so whatever ...

[Sarex]

2 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

I also watched all of Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion. Uh. Well, there were a number of things I liked...and a number of things I didn't. Kind of a frustrating show, and also, I was confused as hell by the story and had to look up piles of stuff on the wiki to figure out what the heck was going on after I finished it and even the wiki sometimes didn't know. My impression was still...mostly positive, I think? Asuka and Rei were the stars of the show (and although both of their voice actors were kind of goofy, I thought they fit them very well and grew to like them a lot), while I wavered between being ambivalent towards and disliking Shinji, the protagonist, for most of the series, up until The End of Evangelion, where I started to openly despise him. More evidence that I don't do well with particular kinds of male protagonists (i.e. most). I'm not really a big themes guy, but this show had some interesting ones that have have resonated and stuck in my brain since watching this, so good job to it on that front. Weirdly, I think I preferred the more abrupt, less-explained ending of the original show rather than The End of Evangelion's ending...which was less abrupt, but just as bizarre (if not more so) and not clear in meaning. Still not totally sure how I feel about this show, honestly...and there's a good possibility I might not ever.

Yup, that's Evangelion, but on following watchthroughs I personally liked it more. Shinji is the original emo kid that is going through puberty. The only thing I never understood was why at the end Asuka says "how disgusting", the most popular theory her becoming aware of what Shinji did while she was in the hospital.

Now you have to watch the Rebuild of Evangelion for further mind****ery.

[rjshae]

On 11/6/2020 at 11:35 AM, Raithe said:

Re-watching episodes of the old Dark Angel series, pondering on if this vision of dystopian Seattle is inching ever closer to reality...

Yes, that was a good series. I'll bet it was incredibly cheap to make as well. Plus Jessica Alba is hot, as always.

[Bartimaeus]

9 hours ago, Sarex said:

Yup, that's Evangelion, but on following watchthroughs I personally liked it more. Shinji is the original emo kid that is going through puberty. The only thing I never understood was why at the end Asuka says "how disgusting", the most popular theory her becoming aware of what Shinji did while she was in the hospital.

Now you have to watch the Rebuild of Evangelion for further mind****ery.

That entire sequence was, uh, weird. I wasn't sure if I was going to watch Rebuild of Evangelion (something about remaking a series like this always seems unnecessary and weird to me), but I'll definitely wait until it's all out before deciding.

10 hours ago, majestic said:

  

Sailor Moon ist just awesome for its entire run.

But I've said it before, I fear Bartimaeus will not like the tone shift in the later seasons.

Anyway, this thread convinced me to rewatch the anime. However, watching Sailor Moon is something that lies comfortably in my past, very much long enough ago to only have fond memories of a better time. Thinking back gives me the same good feeling that watching Stranger Things does. Which is part of the reason why I love that show so much even if every season seems to be the same and becomes more and more ludicrous.

Rewatching it might break that memory or reaffirm it. Rewatching Disney's The Black Hole for instance broke it. That film is... not good. That didn't bother me as a child, but it did as an adult. Playing the games on my SNES Classic Mini on the other hand simply made me realize that console gaming was awesome in the early 90ies.

Guess I'll take the plunge. If my experience is positive then I might just try watching Knight Rider. It's been on Prime for a while now and I don't really have the heart to watch.

Hope you enjoy it. I wasn't sold for the first few episodes, but started loving it after the first handful. Childhood memories are a fragile thing, and a lot of stuff just doesn't hold up...but some things prove to be an exception.

10 hours ago, Lexx said:

Looks like we have a new weeb.

 

I feel like many animes start out strong but then they just ... keep going ... even though they should probably stop.

Reminds me of when I watched Death Note. Started really good, but then it somehow just went on and on and on and ugh... was happy when it finally ended. Probably could have skipped like 20 episodes in the middle and wouldn't have missed out on anything.

Probably not - I'm picky enough about art styles and characters and...most everything else that I'm probably unlikely to adventure too far from picking and choosing particular stuff from the "consensus" great stuff. The only other three anime shows (not movies) I really have any kind of interest at this point, and I've looked into lists of a couple hundred at this point, are Cowboy Bebop (which I don't expect to particularly like especially after hearing a comparison of it to Firefly), Paranoia Agent (Satoshi Kon), and...maybe One Punch Man (which I also think there's a high probability I won't like due to it being male action-y/superhero-y, but which I've been recommended repeatedly over the years). We'll see what happens.

Edited November 14, 2020 by Bartimaeus