The TV and Streaming Thread: That's Entertainment!

[ShadySands]

I keep hovering over the play button for Rings of Power and then noping out. I thought about giving WoT a try because I never read the books but it just looks so bad.

[Hurlshort]

24 minutes ago, ShadySands said:

I keep hovering over the play button for Rings of Power and then noping out. I thought about giving WoT a try because I never read the books but it just looks so bad.

Rings of Power is great, so you should give it a try.

[rjshae]

2 hours ago, Hurlshort said:

Rings of Power is great, so you should give it a try.

It's decent; more story than combat, IIRC. Some likeable characters. I enjoyed the concept of the hobbits as migrating eco-tribes.

[ShadySands]

Thanks for that, I needed that push to give it a try.

[Zoraptor]

Only seen S1 of RoP, and it was OK, unless you care deeply about the established lore as that it absolutely butchers. It did have some of the modern writing issues (shoehorning mysteries, including set piece spectaculars even if they made no sense, nobody talks like the dialogue in reality/ no one ever seems to directly answer a question) 

Personally, I'd compare it to Star Trek Discovery in many ways- and I did end up watching all but one season (S4, and never watched the last ep of S3) of that, despite my reservations. It's mostly... frustrating in that it ought to be better than it is. If it were a choice between that and experiencing WoT, RoP wins out by a country mile though.

Then again, getting injected with 2mL of 5 in 1 sheep vaccine under the kneecap was a better experience than watching WoT. I haven't died of pulpy kidney or an other clostridial disease (er, yet, so as not to tempt fate) after all.

[LadyCrimson]

Genie, Make A Wish (kdrama, Netflix)

First two episodes:  well that was not quite what I was expecting (dark fantasy). Very OTP - beyond the usual kdrama silly bits that are typically in such series, I mean. Where I felt like almost every chr. was an extra exaggerated persona. Which isn't always a bad thing imo (the original Strong Girl Bong Soon was rather like that), but here I'm not yet sold on it.

That said, I love the two leads, there were cute/amusing moments and a few more "serious" moments that were intriguing.  I've heard it gets better by episode three so I'll give it another two episodes.  If nothing else, I get to stare at Woo-bin, I guess. And Kim Mi-kyung (grandma) is always a fine supporting actress.

Edited October 7 by LadyCrimson

[LadyCrimson]

Watched 2.5 more episodes of the Genie kdrama.

It did get better and I was enjoying it more/finding it more amusing (or I was just better prepared for the silliness), but it started drifting into the too many chrs/beats to follow with a lot of fast cutting scenes between them - among other things. Pacing/editing. So it goes on the maybe watch a couple episodes a week list - not a "just one more episode/binge" show.

[Lexx]

22 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

Genie, Make A Wish (kdrama, Netflix)

First two episodes:  well that was not quite what I was expecting (dark fantasy). Very OTP - beyond the usual kdrama silly bits that are typically in such series, I mean. Where I felt like almost every chr. was an extra exaggerated persona. Which isn't always a bad thing imo (the original Strong Girl Bong Soon was rather like that), but here I'm not yet sold on it.

That said, I love the two leads, there were cute/amusing moments and a few more "serious" moments that were intriguing.  I've heard it gets better by episode three so I'll give it another two episodes.  If nothing else, I get to stare at Woo-bin, I guess. And Kim Mi-kyung (grandma) is always a fine supporting actress.

Watched the first episode and this is not at all what I was expecting.  Psychopathic Bae Suzy who likes to murder? Curious where this is going.

Edited Wednesday at 09:04 PM by Lexx

[rjshae]

The latest news is that Hulu is going away in 2026; they're going to merge the superior layout of Hulu into the inferior layout of Disney+. Good plan, Disney, good plan. 

[LadyCrimson]

I think I'm something like halfway through the 7th episode of that Genie, Make a Wish k-drama. I'm not sure I'll finish, even if there's only 4.5 episodes left I think. It's still fitfully charming/amusing but I'm not connecting emotionally with anything, so the "I don't really care what's happening/why" syndrome applies. I end up turning it off mid-episode to do something else.  Even for comedy kdrama (mixed with a little pathos), not my thing. A shame - really wanted another great vehicle for this actor pair.  Just me tho.

[Gorgon]

On 10/7/2025 at 1:36 AM, Hurlshort said:

Rings of Power is great, so you should give it a try.

it can't possibly be "great". I'm going to watch an episode to prove you wrong. 

[majestic]

Rings of Power is really great. The internal logic and consistency is top notch, the acting is a tour de force, the dialogue is simply *chef's kiss*, the costumes are perfect and to top it all off they really made sure to pay the necessary respect to the source material. Then there's the casting, just incredible. Galadriel and Elrond really come to life, better than in the books, and certainly much better than Hugo Weaving or Cate Blanchett ever were in the films.

I just realized I did not yet praise the editing, camerawork, the sets, the scene building, shot composition, the fantastic sound design and the music. 

[Bartimaeus]

I've heard from a few people whose opinions I mildly trust that it's good to great, but I've also heard from a few other people whose opinions I trust at least a little more that it's pretty bad. I can only assume it's one of those things where if it clicks, it clicks, and if it doesn't, into the trash it goes.

[Lexx]

All I heard about it was that it's bad, so I never even bothered with it. No clue if I ever will.

[Hurlshort]

Yeah, majestic grudge watches every episode for some reason. 

[Zoraptor]

Dunno, has majestic actually watched S2 of RoP or S5 of Discovery*? There may well be a limit to the ability to hate watch.

*in the end a perfectly adequate of its kind season, though I think half of that was Eve Harlow (also true for Not the far superior Night Manager, But Something Named Similarly on Netflix). It did have easily the most self indulgent last 3/4 of a final episode of all time! though, and there's some stuff competition there. Something I never thought I'd ever say: I kind of wish we got S6 of Discovery, since all its problems seem to have migrated to the previously far superior SNW along, presumably, with the attention and 'talents' of the management/ producer team.

[rjshae]

7 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

I've heard from a few people whose opinions I mildly trust that it's good to great, but I've also heard from a few other people whose opinions I trust at least a little more that it's pretty bad. I can only assume it's one of those things where if it clicks, it clicks, and if it doesn't, into the trash it goes.

It is the most expensive TV show ever made, costing $1 billion thus far. Pretty remarkable how much the studios are willing to spend these days.