thedoctor2016
Mushi-shi
Only two months till the X files is back. And 2 weeks till the BD, cant wait to rewatch the mythology.
General TV Discussion
- Thread starter Jaymii
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thedoctor2016
Mushi-shi
ilmaestro said:
Same actually as I rewatched it all after the announcement for the miniseries, but cant wait to see some of it in HD.
Decided I'm going to try and get as much mileage out of Amazon Prime as I can while I have access to it, so I've watched the first season of Mr. Robot over this last week.
It gets a little too smugly self-aware for its own good at times and a third-act revelation left me a little bemused, if not outright disappointed at the sheer extent to which they seem to be riffing on Fight Club, but it was a very enjoyable run while it lasted. Don't think I'll go straight into the second season though; if nothing else I'll probably try to get Kabaneri in first.
It gets a little too smugly self-aware for its own good at times and a third-act revelation left me a little bemused, if not outright disappointed at the sheer extent to which they seem to be riffing on Fight Club, but it was a very enjoyable run while it lasted. Don't think I'll go straight into the second season though; if nothing else I'll probably try to get Kabaneri in first.
It's taken me four episodes to really warm to it, but that new Westworld series is pretty good. Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris are absolutely stealing the show between them though.
Wasn't something I was particularly hyped for, but decided to take a crack at Amazon's "what if the nazis won the war?" show, The Man in the High Castle. It's been quite good so far, painstakingly imagined and very cleverly thought out but given that it's apparently Amazon's most acclaimed series, I've yet to be suitably blown away by it.
IncendiaryLemon
Captain Karen
Thought I'd dust the cobwebs off of this thread to discuss a Netflix series I just finished called 13 Reasons Why. This seems to be garnering a lot of attention since it came out and has been rather controversial, and it's not exactly hard to see why. For those who haven't heard about it, 13 Reasons Why is a teen drama set in a high school about a girl named Hannah Baker who commits suicide. After her death, a friend of hers named Clay gets a set of tapes, which detail the thirteen reasons that led Hannah to kill herself, as well as naming and shaming those who hurt her most. Obviously, even by that breif description, you could see why it may garner some controversy, suicide isn't exactly a topic to be taken lightly, and the message that the show seems to give doesn't exactly seem to be a good one.
The biggest flaw with 13 reasons is the fact that it doesn't condemn the actions of Hannah, which gives off an incredibly dangerous message. Hannah pretty much weaponised her suicide as a means to expose people and ruin their life, and the series portrays this as pretty damn effective, given how things proceed. Although the series would be unsatisfying if the people who wronged her in increasingly horrific ways weren't punished for their actions, I just can't help but think that this borderline promotion and glamorization of suicide feels wrong, and is definitely not the kind of message you want to be sending teens who might feel they're in a similar position to Hannah. With that in mind though, I just can't deny that 13 reasons is a brilliant series, even if the message it's sending, unintentionally or not, is wrong.
To me, this series is just the perfect case study of how and why people can be awful, and it is definitely where the show excels. For all intents and purposes, Hannah is just a really normal and average high school girl, so seeing her get driven into a corner by these awful people is just gut wrenching. I think she could potentially be somewhat of a Mary Sue, not really being a flawed character, and having seemingly everyone be in love with her at some point, this just heightens the emotional impact when you finally see her do the deed. Your heart really goes out to her, and that scene is horrifically effective. I'm a real gore hound, I love brutal horror films and the like, yet nothing got to me like the simple yet visceral suicide sequence in the last episode, which was genuinely uncomfortable and unnerving. Despite the fact that awful, awful things are done to Hannah throughout the series, what I really liked was how these characters aren't just 2D, evil bullies. I mean, sure, Bryce is, one of the local jocks, but then you have characters like Justin, who comes from an abusive broken home, Courtney, who's trying to hide her homosexuality and Ryan, who just plain didn't know he was doing something wrong. Honestly, the characters feel quite realistic to a point, all being very well fleshed out. You know it's good writing when they can make you feel sympathy for characters who helped push a girl to kill herself. I was also quite a big fan of Clay, the main character, as I really liked how his emotional state seemed to parallel the audience's, as he listens to these tapes simultaneously with the viewers, so you can pretty much always relate to his emotional state.
Technically, the series is also pretty great as well. There's a lot of match cuts, where two shots are joined together by the actions that happen on screen, and they were very effective in switching between the past and the present, as the series has scenes set before and after Hannah's death. My favourite example of this is when someone in the past goes out of a door, only for it to cut to the exact same angle of someone coming in via the same door in the present, with the switch in time indicated by the lighting. I'm a huge sucker for match cuts like that, so I really loved seeing so many. Musically, I wasn't a fan of the soundtrack, but it was very fitting. It's mostly made up of licenced indie songs, which really isn't my genre, but given the high school setting, it felt like a natural fit.
Honestly, despite the flawed message, I'd still highly recommend this show. Obviously, huge red flags if you're sensitive about suicide, or sexual assault and rape, another topic that is depicted graphically, but if you think you can handle those things, definitely check it out if you can.
The biggest flaw with 13 reasons is the fact that it doesn't condemn the actions of Hannah, which gives off an incredibly dangerous message. Hannah pretty much weaponised her suicide as a means to expose people and ruin their life, and the series portrays this as pretty damn effective, given how things proceed. Although the series would be unsatisfying if the people who wronged her in increasingly horrific ways weren't punished for their actions, I just can't help but think that this borderline promotion and glamorization of suicide feels wrong, and is definitely not the kind of message you want to be sending teens who might feel they're in a similar position to Hannah. With that in mind though, I just can't deny that 13 reasons is a brilliant series, even if the message it's sending, unintentionally or not, is wrong.
To me, this series is just the perfect case study of how and why people can be awful, and it is definitely where the show excels. For all intents and purposes, Hannah is just a really normal and average high school girl, so seeing her get driven into a corner by these awful people is just gut wrenching. I think she could potentially be somewhat of a Mary Sue, not really being a flawed character, and having seemingly everyone be in love with her at some point, this just heightens the emotional impact when you finally see her do the deed. Your heart really goes out to her, and that scene is horrifically effective. I'm a real gore hound, I love brutal horror films and the like, yet nothing got to me like the simple yet visceral suicide sequence in the last episode, which was genuinely uncomfortable and unnerving. Despite the fact that awful, awful things are done to Hannah throughout the series, what I really liked was how these characters aren't just 2D, evil bullies. I mean, sure, Bryce is, one of the local jocks, but then you have characters like Justin, who comes from an abusive broken home, Courtney, who's trying to hide her homosexuality and Ryan, who just plain didn't know he was doing something wrong. Honestly, the characters feel quite realistic to a point, all being very well fleshed out. You know it's good writing when they can make you feel sympathy for characters who helped push a girl to kill herself. I was also quite a big fan of Clay, the main character, as I really liked how his emotional state seemed to parallel the audience's, as he listens to these tapes simultaneously with the viewers, so you can pretty much always relate to his emotional state.
Technically, the series is also pretty great as well. There's a lot of match cuts, where two shots are joined together by the actions that happen on screen, and they were very effective in switching between the past and the present, as the series has scenes set before and after Hannah's death. My favourite example of this is when someone in the past goes out of a door, only for it to cut to the exact same angle of someone coming in via the same door in the present, with the switch in time indicated by the lighting. I'm a huge sucker for match cuts like that, so I really loved seeing so many. Musically, I wasn't a fan of the soundtrack, but it was very fitting. It's mostly made up of licenced indie songs, which really isn't my genre, but given the high school setting, it felt like a natural fit.
Honestly, despite the flawed message, I'd still highly recommend this show. Obviously, huge red flags if you're sensitive about suicide, or sexual assault and rape, another topic that is depicted graphically, but if you think you can handle those things, definitely check it out if you can.
ayase
State Alchemist
I can't believe that I forgot it was happening again. Twin Peaks Season 3, Episodes 1-4 (3?)
And it's amazing. It can get a little more bloody and raunchy than the Twin Peaks we're used to, but none of this feels like it's just been done for the sake of it - I mean this is David Lynch we're talking about and clearly being freed from the restrictions of network television has also let more of his movie style shine through. And it's Lynch at his best, with mind****ery, Americana, horror and humour all in decent supply and not too often veering off into self-indulgence, though there have been a couple of moments where even my reasonable patience has been stretched. Nice as it was to see him again we don't really need to see Dr. Jacoby spray-painting spades for like, five minutes Dave. We get it. He's painting spades. And the first segment of episode 3 (2?) felt like it went of forever but at least the pay-off was admittedly excellent. Thankfully these moments are few, and the majority of scenes (especially the ones following Cooper as he returns to the real world) are wonderful and the scene with the song at the end of the first (second?) episode I did even well up a little.
Old characters being reintroduced drip by drip is quite a nice tactic and most of the actors have slipped right back into their characters as though they never left. Some characters seem a little more sombre, particularly Hawk, but then this is probably intentional as this is a darker world we're returning to than the one we left for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who watched the original show. I cannot wait for more.
And it's amazing. It can get a little more bloody and raunchy than the Twin Peaks we're used to, but none of this feels like it's just been done for the sake of it - I mean this is David Lynch we're talking about and clearly being freed from the restrictions of network television has also let more of his movie style shine through. And it's Lynch at his best, with mind****ery, Americana, horror and humour all in decent supply and not too often veering off into self-indulgence, though there have been a couple of moments where even my reasonable patience has been stretched. Nice as it was to see him again we don't really need to see Dr. Jacoby spray-painting spades for like, five minutes Dave. We get it. He's painting spades. And the first segment of episode 3 (2?) felt like it went of forever but at least the pay-off was admittedly excellent. Thankfully these moments are few, and the majority of scenes (especially the ones following Cooper as he returns to the real world) are wonderful and the scene with the song at the end of the first (second?) episode I did even well up a little.
Old characters being reintroduced drip by drip is quite a nice tactic and most of the actors have slipped right back into their characters as though they never left. Some characters seem a little more sombre, particularly Hawk, but then this is probably intentional as this is a darker world we're returning to than the one we left for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who watched the original show. I cannot wait for more.
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Only had time to watch the first half hour of new Twin Peaks so far, but I can't say I was immediately grabbed by it. Perhaps inevitably it lacks anything as immediate as the Larua Palmer murder to pull you in from the start.
ayase
State Alchemist
Hoo boy. After you're done, let me know if you stopped before or after the all grown up Eraserhead baby bit those people's faces off. Because that certainly shocked me awake if the intro was a little slow.
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Yeah, I most certainly did not get to that bit. I felt it picked up the pace a lot after the part where I did stop though, and I think I'm properly onboard with the new season now.
The only thing that has bothered me slightly going forward is that I feel some of the greenscreen work looks a little too obviously phony for my liking, but it would not surprise me if this was a stylistic choice to give it a purposely anachronistic, vintage Twilight Zone feel.
The only thing that has bothered me slightly going forward is that I feel some of the greenscreen work looks a little too obviously phony for my liking, but it would not surprise me if this was a stylistic choice to give it a purposely anachronistic, vintage Twilight Zone feel.
Now caught up with new Twin Peaks. That scene in ep6 with the small hitman was certainly... something. It was horrible, and yet I couldn't stop laughing.
ayase
State Alchemist
Yeah, I too had similar thoughts, like "I know this is TV effects budget here but come on, I could knock you up some better 3D renders in an afternoon" (the corpse on the bed and the FBI photo of the aforementioned couple especially looked like something from a PS1 cut-scene). But then when I noticed things like Lucy's deliberately unsettling family photo which looks like something from Grim Fandango's land of the living, I sat back and made peace with the fact that this is Lynch and this is probably what he wants.
I'm yet to watch episode 7 at the time of writing, but as of the end of episode 6 it feels like the pace is finally picking up. Still a little concerned given how little screen time some new characters have had that we might end up in a repeat scenario with the end of season 2 at the end of season 3 (especially given the ratings, which stuck in the past TV execs still seem to care about) but they have what, 11 hours left? Surely that's enough?
I'm going to have to go back and check, but was the woman the littlest hitman took out the one who also called the Black Box in Buenos Aires that evil Coop/Bob called (presumably indicating Jeffries is behind the attempts to kill both/all Coopers, alluded to in the call at the Motel)? But is that really Jeffries? "I will be with Bob again" makes me wonder if it isn't a certain someone who is dead, but there are ways around that...
I also assumed this was the case, but mostly because I think the music cue was the same. The cast is big enough now that I'm having trouble keeping track of who's who.
ayase
State Alchemist
Well, episode 7 of Twin Peaks season 3 down. That was the most straightforward so far, interesting they started with the very Lynchian stuff and have gradually eased into a more traditional TV show format. I wonder if that was intentional as well, a way to weed out the weak ADD modern audience members? I also rewatched the Fire Walk With Me film yesterday, which proved to be quite prescient with the relevance of the missing diary pages dictated to Laura by Annie in this episode and perhaps gives the film a little more reason to exist in my mind.
Showtime is on a roll with getting me to watch TV programmes it seems (shame I can't actually give them viewing figures) as I also watched episode 1 of The Putin Interviews. While I can already hear the criticism (probably delivered in a shrill tone by a Fox News pundit) of Stone's laid back and not particularly tough interview style and accusations of anti-Americanism on his part for some of his comments and questions, the intention seems to be to just let Putin talk and explain himself rather than subjecting him to any Jeremy Paxman shenanigans. In that it's succeeding quite admirably, giving us a look into the mind of Putin the man rather than the caricature or Emmanuel Goldstein he usually appears as in the western media.
Showtime is on a roll with getting me to watch TV programmes it seems (shame I can't actually give them viewing figures) as I also watched episode 1 of The Putin Interviews. While I can already hear the criticism (probably delivered in a shrill tone by a Fox News pundit) of Stone's laid back and not particularly tough interview style and accusations of anti-Americanism on his part for some of his comments and questions, the intention seems to be to just let Putin talk and explain himself rather than subjecting him to any Jeremy Paxman shenanigans. In that it's succeeding quite admirably, giving us a look into the mind of Putin the man rather than the caricature or Emmanuel Goldstein he usually appears as in the western media.
Watanabe Ken
Magical Girl
Everybody knows Putin's a bird person, secretly plotting the subjugation of mankind
ayase
State Alchemist
I decided to finally start my long overdue catch-up with US House of Cards from the start of season 3, which funnily enough introduces a Putin allegory to become Frank's new nemesis now that he's finally connived, blackmailed and murdered his way into the Oval Office. Sadly the show seems to be going very stale very fast. And that's disappointing to see, because I loved the first two seasons - They were tense, they were thrilling despite my already being familiar with the original UK version. Spacey's Underwood was the ultimate magnificent bastard and seeing him plot and scheme with Claire and with Stamper and wonder how he'd get around x obstacle was most of the fun. Now that he's actually President it seems to have degenerated into a dull politics procedural.
UK HoC got around this by having Urquhart becoming a borderline fascist who ratcheted up Thatcherism to its logical social Darwinist conclusion once he got into power, then dealing with the civil unrest and challenges to his leadership that came with that. US HoC has Underwood being... a sly President but one who actually wants to do positive things like job creation and peace in the Middle East? Even if it is self-serving, it's frigging boring. So the story is now following the twists and turns of trying to get the senate to agree to his jobs proposal and the UN to pass a resolution - Yawn. Bring back the Frank who threw people under trains. In the aftermath of Trump's victory it all seems quite mundane. Having Frank transition into a populist demagogue so he no longer needs the approval or support of politicians and the bureaucrats he had to navigate around to get to the White House would not only have been a natural evolution of his character but also more topical. But then I guess they couldn't have predicted the way things would go back in 2015.
The product placement in HoC continues not to bother me because it's so obvious and hilarious it reminds me of this:
UK HoC got around this by having Urquhart becoming a borderline fascist who ratcheted up Thatcherism to its logical social Darwinist conclusion once he got into power, then dealing with the civil unrest and challenges to his leadership that came with that. US HoC has Underwood being... a sly President but one who actually wants to do positive things like job creation and peace in the Middle East? Even if it is self-serving, it's frigging boring. So the story is now following the twists and turns of trying to get the senate to agree to his jobs proposal and the UN to pass a resolution - Yawn. Bring back the Frank who threw people under trains. In the aftermath of Trump's victory it all seems quite mundane. Having Frank transition into a populist demagogue so he no longer needs the approval or support of politicians and the bureaucrats he had to navigate around to get to the White House would not only have been a natural evolution of his character but also more topical. But then I guess they couldn't have predicted the way things would go back in 2015.
The product placement in HoC continues not to bother me because it's so obvious and hilarious it reminds me of this:
Episode 10 of Twin Peaks: The Return continuing the fine tradition of Kyle MacLachlan finding himself in the most ridiculous sex scenes imagineable.
I had to stop watching, I was laughing so much.
I had to stop watching, I was laughing so much.