For example:
Travellers S1 - 8/10
I'm a sucker for time-travel shit, and this is really well composed and paced, great cinematography and all that. I'm just wondering if they're going to deal as effectively with the expanded scope of the story in S2, which is an even bigger challenge considering the audience now has to attempt to keep up [sp]with both the future events, how the timeline has changed in addition to the present[/sp].
Concept/Summary: (Only in spoilers cause I went in blind, you might want to do so too): People from a crapsack future get their consciousnesses uploaded to into the bodies of people in the past who were about to die, and carry out missions sent by the elusive Director.[/sp]
After binging so much star trek in the last few months, I was thinking when I first watched it, this could be a good platform for a show where they just deal with incident of the week, while the major plot changes are framing it/informing it, but I'm still happy with the direction it's going. The characters are well written, developed and acted (V. Minor: [sp]With the exception of David who's a well-acted, well written caricature of a a complete pushover, but he was still in the realm of believability[/sp]), the show in general is fairly savvy when it comes to its internal logic, surprised me a couple times.
The action scenes are pretty good overall ,but are undermined by inconsistent sounds and poor special effects - No-recoil guns that sound like generic TV gun shots. I heard something like the CS 1.6's UMP in one scene. That's made up for by their timing, choreography and direction. (Minor-ish: [sp]At one point they're in their HQ, after talking they're about to split up and tackle their next objectives, all of a sudden they see some dudes stacked up outside the door on the CCTV, one character pulls a gun and starts blasting the window while the building starts getting shredded around them. You could anticipate that it was going to happen, sure, but not which scene and certainly not at that moment. It comes as a surprise to the characters AND the audience.[/sp]) (Major: [sp]Also, the old folks "reinforcements", an old lady in her cardigan lugging an SLR-8 is a hilarious sight for sure, but they played it completely straight and it's all the more compelling for it, maybe even funnier for it, but without being a real distraction when they start fighting.[/sp]
Overall, it's competent and engaging, has compelling characters and conflicts, good action scenes with some not-so-great sounds, and a plot that's complex enough to be deep and maintains a lot of its mystery, without being too complex to follow. Go watch if you like time-travel stuff, thriller-dramas in general.
Travelers S2 was great too. Especially the "Skydiving" episode.
I finally got around to watching s2 of Dirk Gently. Really bummed it got cancelled. Such a bizarre, hilarious, fun show.
Watching that one now - I just don't understand why the second (third?) time round when she throws the knife at the deaf guy, they didn't have her kill him, take his gun, continue driving and get to that ledge so she could just shoot the guys in the lake
Luke Cage S2. Netflix continues the trend of making shows too long. That said tho, I still like the characters, even though the villain was kinda weak, there was still good scenes. It was a lot darker than S1 or any Marvel season. 6.5-7/10.
Mr. Robot - It's a great feeling going into a series not knowing what exactly you're getting into. I knew barebones information about it, and expected one thing but came out with something completely different. I loved the twists and turns the show threw at me every episode and it was a wild ride all the way through. There were some subplots which felt incredibly pointless Tyrell's wife being the biggest one but overall the show does what it needs to do in the ten episodes per season really well. Can't wait for Season 4! 9/10.
Luke Cage S2: Enjoyed this better than the first. While it started off a bit slow, the second half of the season drew me in. The dynamic between Mariah and Luke is truly amazing, with Alfre Woodard putting in truly an Emmy worthy performance. She really takes command of the screen and plays a Joker-like character incredibly well. Bushmaster was written better in the second half as well, and there's a severe conflict in how the show wants me to feel (you want me to sympathize with Bushmaster, but completely forgot about all the beheadings? Just or not, they kind of just make you forget about it).
I highly recommend Castle Rock on HBO, based on Stephen King stories.
It's only on episode 3 but already has me hooked.
Watched the first couple of episodes of Angie Tribeca but found it too jokey.
Watched the first couple of episodes of Unreal and it seemed decent enough.
money heist s1&s2 was great, looking forward to more
Got in a few more episodes of Unreal and will probably stick with it.
Possibly will give Disenchantment a go.
Watched the first episode of Disenchantment. It's alright, not really great, but not bad either. Worth watching, still, in my opinion. I expect it'll get better, though, Simpsons and Futurama weren't as great as they later got in their first episodes either.
So far Disenchantment is alright. There's been a few good laughs out of the first four episodes that I watched. I dont know if it was an artistic choice or budget but I wish it could of been more modern looking.
Disenchanted is great, it's not great in the format of "omg so good every episode amazing blah blah", it's great because the bar is way way hihgher relative to where it can and probably will go. Futurama's fist season contrary to popular belief wasn't all that great, and it took about two and half seasons to get the writers and actors on the page where the mix and formula worked.
Disenchantment found it in six episodes, a very very good sign for the future.
Mr Show w/ Bob and David (HBO, but they're all free on Amazon Prime)
I had watched all of this a few years ago and loved it and for some reason felt like watching it all again the other day. So I did. The biggest takeaway I had was that it felt a lot more dated this time around. So many jokes throughout the seasons where the punchline is "haha he's gay", but especially in season 1. It's just kinda shocking now because you know that'd never fly in Hollywood these days. However, the majority of the sketches hold up and are still really funny. Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are amazing actors, and continue to be so today, but it's fun to see them ~20 years ago creating and writing and acting in something before they became well known as Saul Goodman or Tobias Funke. I also really like seeing all the other cast members who'd go on to become greats in their own rights. Paul F. Tompkins and Scott Auckerman are personal favorites (see avatar), but you've also got Jack Black and Tom Kenny (the voice of Spongebob and Ice King) and Sarah Silverman and tons of others. It's a really high quality show, more winning sketches than most other sketch shows can pull off. I definitely recommend it if you like that kind of thing.
With Bob and David (Netflix)
I had also seen this before when it was first released but figured I had to watch it again after my rewatch of Mr Show. My only problem with it is that there's not enough content to satisfy the itch for more Mr Show. It's only four 30 min episodes and then an hour long behind the scenes episode with interviews and such. But I suppose it's good that they've trimmed the fat and what's in those 4 episodes is real good. It's great to see most of the original cast and original writers back together again and it's just as funny as ever. Without ever devolving into punchlines about sexuality, thankfully. Wish there was more but I'm happy they at least got to do some kind of reunion show that's also it's own thing. I highly recommend it as well, especially if you do a watch through of Mr Show first.
Binged The Terror recently.
Having read the book beforehand I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised to discover a somewhat decent adaptation of the original story.
I'd say it's a solid 8/10.
This show is absolutely incredible but to any prospective watchers: dios mio, do your self a favour and make sure you're watching the original audio with subtitles. It was filmed as a single series in two parts, and in Spain it aired with each episode lasting about 70 mins, but Netflix cut it into more episodes of shorter lengths. I think they didn't stick with the original name La Casa de Papel (The House of Paper) because that's too close to House of Cards. I could sing a million praises about this show but long story short it's one of the best things you'll ever watch so I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Also I watched Smoking this week. It's a Japanese show about homeless assassins and it can be uncomfortably gross, especially the first episode. 12 episodes of ~24 minutes each so it's always straight to the point, and it gets even better towards the end. A great watch that doesn't eat up much time.
The Sinner Season 2, first 3 episodes
The first season was a surprisingly good series, although sadly not many people have even heard about it. A short and sweet story with a conclusion. In this second season they only carry over the same detective, but they've kept the core elements of the series intact. It manages to hook you instantly, and take you into a deeply mysterious and fucked up story. I'd have the finish the season to judge if it's any better than the first one, but for now I can safely say it's a decent sequel.
The Terror (2018)
8.5/10
It's amazing and the accuracy to the real events and context is admirable.
Jack Ryan (Amazon)
Eh. It's hard to compete with all the movies involving Jack Ryan that are such classics. Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger. Sum Of All Fears is a personal favorite. This isn't a bad show by any means but it's a little disappointing in a few areas: some strange editing and acting at times, that kind of stuff. I guess I was just hoping for something better that a tv series about Jack Ryan could do that a movie can't. I especially had a problem with Jack's love interest and the way she was used. The ASTRONOMICALLY huge coincidence that she'd be the one working on that exact Ebola strain that would tie into the terrorist plot was baffling that it made it into the final script. I'm all for love interests actually having more interesting reasons for being on the show than just "I'm here to look pretty, and that's it", but this is a perfect example of the wrong way to do that. So I'd say it's worth a watch if you're into action oriented shows but lower your expectations. Or just watch one of the movies. Or Homeland.
New season of Bojack Horseman is fucking A+
I'm only six episodes in and honestly I thought the first five episodes were just mediocre. The comedy didn't really land for me, and maybe it's because it's been a while since I've been with these characters but the drama didn't really land for me either. Couldn't give a fuck about the Diane and Princess Caroline episodes tbh
However. HOWEVER. Episode six is some of the best fucking TV I've ever seen. I stopped watching the season and looked for this thread on facepunch just so I could tell someone that episode six is fucking steak sauce.
I gotta disagree. I think this has been the most character driven, consistently good and uniquely presented season of all five.
I wasn't the biggest fan of season 4 and I thought season 3, while good, didn't live up to the crazy standards set near the end of the season before it.
I thought everyone got their time to shine this year by giving each main character their own episode. They always remain the focus of the episode, but they never lose focus on Bojack or any of the other characters because they're always so closely tied anyway.
Really interested to hear what people are thinking overall. Hoping in vain that eulogy episode gets Emmy buzz.
So wanted to chime in because I loved this season of Bojack; I don't think it had the strongest start in terms of humor but re-watching them now after seeing the whole season there still is quality stuff in the first few episodes and taking the time to introducing us to a few new characters like Pickles and Bojack's female co-star (It's really bad I can't remember her name) on Philbert. The season does get more funny and more tense in the season's tail end as you start to get the sense that things are going bad. And things do end horribly in that satisfying Bojack way where it feels like you're spiraling out of control with him. Free Churro was awesome and wouldn't be surprised to hear Emmy buzz (Not sure if it was better than Time's Arrow, but the fact that didn't earn a nomination is crazy): Was about 13 minutes in when me and my brother checked the run time and confirmed that the suspicion that it was going to take place entirely in the funeral home. Episode 11 lives up to it's dismal reputation, and I also liked the Halloween Episode and the structure of the episode. This season ended in a way that I cannot wait to see what is going to happen to everyone.
Theory about Season 6 heard from the internet grapvine:
Diane is gonna end up in an auto accident in that tunnel (Not smart enough to claim that theory was my own, but it makes sense to me)
Free Churro is the only episode I've actually made a mental note I wanted to watch again. Definitely the high point of a fantastic season
Season 5 of Bojack Horseman has definitely been a little bit of a disappointment for me and my gf. Not because it was inherently bad, but because it has little to no character development at all for Bojack. I get what the major message of this season was. Don't idolise Bojack. We all get it. It was pretty much shoved in our faces. But as part of the majority of fans of this show who probably just want to see Bojack making improvements, having him tread in his own footsteps over and over again it just felt tedious. Especially this season where we see Bojack actually being a somewhat decent person for the first one or two episodes only to let him turn into an asshole again. The Free Churro episode was great but the joke at the end didn't work out and imo it would have been a better episode without it. Also Diane got a bit on my nerves this season. Why Mr. PB hasn't fallen into a deep depression is beyond. Overall still my favorite TV show tho.
We just need one more season of it to wrap things up. Maybe two, but I really think it'd be wise to end it at season 6.
This season established a bit more of Bojack's character, but I think a lot of it focusing on the side characters and how his actions have affected their lives before he goes to rehab at the end was great. Even if everything works out for him, he'll still have to reflect on everything he has done once it's all said and done.
I was thinking maybe a Netflix original movie to round it off. I just can't see how much longer it can realistically go on for. season 5 was still great but I agree there wasn't much development that we haven't seen before
The Dragon Prince {2018)
Surprisingly good shit. A solid cast and good production values, a predictable yet deftly told coming of age story parsed out in pretty well paced chunks. It's clear the creators have a very very long game schedule, and in the current feast/famine environment it's hard to say whether they'll make it to the end, but they are off to a damn good start.
Instead of going for a clean bad/good guy cyclic/ending times motif, there's a big chunk of real world politics thrown in here, but 100% of it is in either world building or done with Show cleanly over Tell, and goddamn is it nice to see someone not only get it, but put it to good use.
The only ding is the deliberate use of undercranked CGI, which just frankly will always suck, and will never not suck, and this instance is an entirely deliberate stylistic choice, not a budget issue, and made more jarring when they stop doing it for specific dramatic scenes.
The voice cast is also surprisingly varied and out of bounds for this kind of project, not a lot of familiar faces unless you're heavy into the scene, but definitely talent on parade.
7.5/10
Just finished the first episode of Prohibition, a documentary series on the prohibition in the US.
I won't give a score because I know very little of the subject in hand and so far I've only seen the first episode out of three but it's given me a fair amount of insight and I look forward to see the two episodes afterwards.
One thing I will say though is that this "X": A Film By Ken Burns series that has been going on since apparently the 90's is well worth investigating if you're interested in american history. So far I've seen The War which looks at the american side of WW2, both from a civilian aswell as a political and sort of military standpoint. If you're into the technical aspects of WW2 there's probably very little interesting information, but the cultural story it tells is very well told. I'd give it a 7/10 because there are a handful of amazing series that cover the second world war already, this one is more for the americanists.
I've also seen The Vietnam War which came out about a year ago and for many years I've been looking for a comprehensive yet in depth documentary series on that very conflict and it was by chance that I stumbled upon this one and man am I glad I did. Not only is it in my humble opinion the essential documentary series for anyone interested in the vietnam war, it is probably the best documentary series I've ever seen. 9,5/10, the information is extensive and while it's primarily covering the US side of the war, it does so in a way that takes into account many of the contrasting perspectives and ideas regarding the war and the american political climate of the late 50s, 60s and early 70s and weaves it together with hours of footage into an artistic tapestry portraying the era. It also has plenty of kickass contemporary tunes and a fitting soundtrack, though if I had to critizise the series it would be that it gets a bit repetitive which is an unfortunate consequence of having a 20~ hour series. The final episode of the documentary puts a very satisfying end to the whole thing. Seriously, if you have an interest in the vietnam war, go watch it, you won't regret it.
Brooklyn Nine Nine
I've watched bits and pieces over the last few years but finally have started from the start. I've forgotten just how funny it is.
American Vandal s2
Wow. I was not expecting season one to be topped but this blew it out of the water. Some really gross stuff paired fantastically with really nice moments. Especially the ending. It's good stuff.
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