Discuss and Rate the Last Thing You Watched (non-movies)
- Thread starter Hawki
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Nine Perfect Strangers: S1: E4
I don't know how this show is going to pan out, but much like Lost, you can't look away until something gets resolved. I don't know what Kidman's character is up to, but damn it, I'm going to see this through. She's either brilliant, crazy, or a bit of both. On the other side, her nine clients seems to have been written a bit to conducive to her actions, like, most reasonable people would have walked away long before now, but as we don't know yet, their demons may be withholding much deeper rooted issues that compel them to stay; I dunno. Intriguing show...
I don't know how this show is going to pan out, but much like Lost, you can't look away until something gets resolved. I don't know what Kidman's character is up to, but damn it, I'm going to see this through. She's either brilliant, crazy, or a bit of both. On the other side, her nine clients seems to have been written a bit to conducive to her actions, like, most reasonable people would have walked away long before now, but as we don't know yet, their demons may be withholding much deeper rooted issues that compel them to stay; I dunno. Intriguing show...
I watched the 1st episode tonight on Hulu. It left me eager for the next episode. Terrific cast too.
Also on Hulu are the 1st 2 episodes (and a 3rd as they air on Thursdays on FX?) of Season 10 of American Horror Story.
Slow burn getting through the 1st episode but it was great by the end and episode 2 much, much better. So far, one of the better story and character driven seasons and that's saying a lot as I've enjoyed this show so much to date.
Advise: don't watch the trailer. Don't spoil anything for yourself.
I admit, I watched the first 3 seasons and gave up somewhere through the circus one and apparently the they did the apocalypse a season or so back. I have no idea what the new season even is at this point.
I guess I should ask, would there be any point trying to get back into the show if season 3 tested my patience(it felt like a waste of the premise because damn I wanted to like a witch story set in new orleans) and season 4 I just bailed out?
Dang, I liked Season 3! Season 4 tried my patience. They were like, these people are humans with feelings you bastards!... btw... oooo look how icky they are!!! It did have some redeeming qualities. Even Season 5, Hotel, had some fun too it but I'd advise skipping it. My least favorite season. Season 6 was clever, a spin on the live cam haunted house TV shows. I liked 7, about "Fight Club" sort of cults. I imagine some of it is a stab at Trumpers. 8 is Apocalypse, in which previous Seasons are relevant. 9 was in my wheelhouse as I'm old. It is 1980s nostalgia taking place in a camp with a Jason like killer stomping around. Being AHS, there's a lot more to it than just that though. Not sure how I would characterize this newest season without spoiling it.
So, yeah. I loved 3 so, take my advice with a grain of salt as you did less so, but I hear you on season 4 while 5 was even worse. I've had a blast with 6-9 and 10 so far. I think you can enjoy while missing those seasons.
Keep watching. As of two days ago, there are four episodes total. The cast is great, agreed; I just really want to know what's going on!!
Love "Black Box" shows like "Wayward Pines" but, when you do find out what is in the box, it best be satisfying. "Lost" appeared to be as if they had no plan all along. Just a lot of questions thrown against a wall to see what sticks. To this day, much as I loved the early seasons, I can't recommend it as I was so unsatisfied. This will likely be a limited series (or anthology) so, they likely do have an endgame. Looking forward to it.
"Lost" clearly was a victim of success. It was like they started the show and didn't expect the rampant following it garnered, and panicked to come up with something to meet expectations. Like a chef who cooks up rat meat who gets caught with his pants down when people show up in droves for his rat meat; he's got nowhere to go from there. My hope is that the industry has learned, but I've not followed any serial shows like it since, which is why I'm hesitant to say "Nine Perfect Strangers" is "good." It's not bad, but I'm not going to recommend it just yet...
Will have to check out "Wayward Pines."
Just Season 1 of "Wayward Pines". Very satisfying. There was no reason to do a Season 2.
The Chair (Netflix)
6-episode comedy-drama series about a Korean American woman elevated as head of department of a struggling Eng Lit dept. in an old, respectable (sub Ivy League) US university starring Sandra Oh. It's written by Amanda Peet, one of those actors I know the name of but can't fit a face to the name, which gave me some trepidation, however it turns out pretty good. Broadly, I just think it's a well written and acted portrayal of people and their lives, and quite enjoyable. I have to say, as a higher education worker (albeit in a very different institution) I liked that element, seeing aspects of academic life portrayed rather than just a superficial backdrop to the students. Some of it is perhaps a little cliched (e.g. fusty old profs long past their best) or exaggerated, but it's a pretty small thing in the bigger picture.
6-episode comedy-drama series about a Korean American woman elevated as head of department of a struggling Eng Lit dept. in an old, respectable (sub Ivy League) US university starring Sandra Oh. It's written by Amanda Peet, one of those actors I know the name of but can't fit a face to the name, which gave me some trepidation, however it turns out pretty good. Broadly, I just think it's a well written and acted portrayal of people and their lives, and quite enjoyable. I have to say, as a higher education worker (albeit in a very different institution) I liked that element, seeing aspects of academic life portrayed rather than just a superficial backdrop to the students. Some of it is perhaps a little cliched (e.g. fusty old profs long past their best) or exaggerated, but it's a pretty small thing in the bigger picture.
Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (3/5)
This series apparently got a lot of hate, and having watched it, I don't really get why. Like, okay, sure, it's designed for kids, and there's no blood, but the gore in MK has never been a defining factor for me. The idea that "gore = good" doesn't hold up.
On the other hand, that doesn't mean the series is good in of itself. Like I said, designed for kids, with basic plots and basic characters. I actually like the premise of it, that the tournament is no longer a thing, that various realms are trying to invade Earth, and the titular defenders have to stop everyone from Shao Khan to Quan-Chi. However, what's weird is that despite visiting various realms, they all look the same. Earthrealm is bleak, Outworld is bleak, every other realm is bleak, and looks pretty much the same. Fun fact, we don't see a single human in the series bar the actual MK characters.
Speaking of the characters, they're a mixed bag, with some getting far more development than others. Bizzarely, Sonya probably gets the most development, despite having the cringiest one liners ("Kombat time!" and "Kiss off!" are repeated far too often for my liking). On, and Raiden's kind of a dick and a troll. It's...kind of refreshing, actually.
Anyway, it's meh. Good concept, average execution. I don't think it deserves the hate it gets, but I can see why it's been forgotten.
This series apparently got a lot of hate, and having watched it, I don't really get why. Like, okay, sure, it's designed for kids, and there's no blood, but the gore in MK has never been a defining factor for me. The idea that "gore = good" doesn't hold up.
On the other hand, that doesn't mean the series is good in of itself. Like I said, designed for kids, with basic plots and basic characters. I actually like the premise of it, that the tournament is no longer a thing, that various realms are trying to invade Earth, and the titular defenders have to stop everyone from Shao Khan to Quan-Chi. However, what's weird is that despite visiting various realms, they all look the same. Earthrealm is bleak, Outworld is bleak, every other realm is bleak, and looks pretty much the same. Fun fact, we don't see a single human in the series bar the actual MK characters.
Speaking of the characters, they're a mixed bag, with some getting far more development than others. Bizzarely, Sonya probably gets the most development, despite having the cringiest one liners ("Kombat time!" and "Kiss off!" are repeated far too often for my liking). On, and Raiden's kind of a dick and a troll. It's...kind of refreshing, actually.
Anyway, it's meh. Good concept, average execution. I don't think it deserves the hate it gets, but I can see why it's been forgotten.
Sonic Colours: Rise of the Wisps (3/5)
I'm giving this an average score, as this is a case of a bad first episode, followed by a good second episode, hence it balances out.
Anyway, it's okay - mixed bag. I like the idea of Cubot yelling out the announcer's lines from the game, but it got old quickly. Sonic ad-libbing for Eggman doesn't work, and I'm left to wonder why they couldn't get Mike Pollock in (or if they could, why they didn't). Similarly, the writing lacks a lot of the cringe of Sonic Colours, but it's still tailored for kids.
On the other hand, what does work is pretty much everything involving Metal Sonic, from his mannerisms, to his race/battle with Sonic (with them using the wisps in different ways to fight each other), to Cubot and Orbot's admiration of him, and subsequent 'transformation.' Like I said, a lot of a the bad stuff is in the first episode, while a lot of the good stuff is in the second. Overall, I'd say this was the weakest of all the animated shorts that Sega's done since Sonic Mania, but still had some good stuff in it.
I'm giving this an average score, as this is a case of a bad first episode, followed by a good second episode, hence it balances out.
Anyway, it's okay - mixed bag. I like the idea of Cubot yelling out the announcer's lines from the game, but it got old quickly. Sonic ad-libbing for Eggman doesn't work, and I'm left to wonder why they couldn't get Mike Pollock in (or if they could, why they didn't). Similarly, the writing lacks a lot of the cringe of Sonic Colours, but it's still tailored for kids.
On the other hand, what does work is pretty much everything involving Metal Sonic, from his mannerisms, to his race/battle with Sonic (with them using the wisps in different ways to fight each other), to Cubot and Orbot's admiration of him, and subsequent 'transformation.' Like I said, a lot of a the bad stuff is in the first episode, while a lot of the good stuff is in the second. Overall, I'd say this was the weakest of all the animated shorts that Sega's done since Sonic Mania, but still had some good stuff in it.
Picked up Disney + for the first time on a special trial that's only costing me a few bucks a month for a couple of months. So I'll finally get caught up on the Marvel shows. Already finished WandaVision. Enjoyed it, it wasn't sublime... but it was enjoyable. Started Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Its Ok. Only past 1 episode but there are definitely better episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D out there.
As far as Disney + in general... once my cheap months are out, so am I. The only tempting thing to keep me around would be a rewatch of all 5 seasons of The Muppet Show, and that wouldn't take me more than a month or so to get through. Maybe I'll watch The Mandalorian, or not. If I don't get to it I won't be bothered that much. Maybe Loki or What If could change my mind... but WandaVision just ended. No season 2 teased. So no reason to wait for a followup. Maybe they will with Falcon or Loki. Maybe What If could be a periodic ongoing anthology... but in general I just haven't seen a lot of reasons to keep the subscription yet.
As far as Disney + in general... once my cheap months are out, so am I. The only tempting thing to keep me around would be a rewatch of all 5 seasons of The Muppet Show, and that wouldn't take me more than a month or so to get through. Maybe I'll watch The Mandalorian, or not. If I don't get to it I won't be bothered that much. Maybe Loki or What If could change my mind... but WandaVision just ended. No season 2 teased. So no reason to wait for a followup. Maybe they will with Falcon or Loki. Maybe What If could be a periodic ongoing anthology... but in general I just haven't seen a lot of reasons to keep the subscription yet.
If you have younger kids, the service is supremely good value. But that is its biggest market; families. I can understand loads of single/childless/older families (adult age kids) looking at its offerings and going "Eh, not for me".
I subscribed months ago because my gf wanted to see a movie exclusive to it, and we haven't used it since... which has been the story of my life on more occasions than are probably healthy:
Disney+
HBO Max
Amazon Prime
Netflix
Hulu
Apple TV+
Thankfully, everyone's kind enough to automatically withdraw from my bank account so I'm not hassled to acknowledge just how much money I'm pissing away.
You know what, just finished DS9 myself.
So much more enjoyable than rewatching TNG last year. That really killed any interest in watching Star Trek for a while.
There are real characters in this show! So refreshing. They don't change their personality to suit the story. DS9 did a lot of similar stories to TNG but they have way more impact when you're using races that have been shown to be villainous, rather than just told like TNG. Worf wasn't the punching bag he is in TNG. That show required to show how strong someone was in a few seconds so Worf was generally a plot device to highlight an enemies strength. DS9 Worf has character growth. Just about everyone gets a promotion well before the end of the show. The characters have FLAWS that dont turn up for an episode then disappear. That was so weird in TNG. They also didn't turn Jordi into a sex pest, because that was weird too.
Garak's torture scene was way more difficult to watch then Picard's. Far more believable and painful. Garak lies all the time and it's so good. They don't have to rely on alien possession to create drama. The factions generated the drama themselves. You feel sorry for the Cardassians for a while. Then you hate them again. Then you feel sorry for them again. Similar with the Klingons
I was going to write a season by season review of DS9 too but I was too busy watching it. Also, I see why Discovery and Picard are hated by certain people now. TNG and DS9 are so different from each other its hard to think of them in the same series. And the new shows certainly follow DS9 style of story telling.
I also have been watching this guys retrospective. I remember the hate against Sisko and Janeway. I was told about people hating Picard. I didn't realise there was a bunch of hate about the Wrath of Khan for not being 'Star Trek'. Jesus Christ, those haters haven't changed their tune
Stargate SG-1 is on Netflix so I'm rewatching the first two episodes.
The pilot is...well, it's got contractually obligated nudity and it really sticks out. Effects are cheap looking, but that's 1997 Showtime for you. (They added in muzzle flashes post production, looks hilariously bad on an Hd screen) If you can find The Children of Gods: Final Cut, watch that instead. The effects are better, the cuts are better, the awkwardness is removed, and the only thing you miss out on is a call back joke from, like, 7 seasons later.
It's great, but it was definitely make 24 years ago
Second episode is good, wraps up some stuff, gets the team together. First shown gate kill
Third episode, Emancipation, is and always has been terrible. Does nothing, shows nothing, connects to nothing later, gives no characterization that isn't given later and more effectively. Probably the worst episode in the entire series and the point I stopped watching when I was a kid and it was new. This outro joke is it's only redeeming feature
Also, looking through the episode list: wow, some of these episodes happen way sooner than I remember. Like, "brains swapped into robot bodies by mad scientist" wacky. Don't normally see those until a couple seasons in
Great series, but very fast paced
EDIT: I lied, there's two other good bits. It's got Shang Tsung (playing a straw misogynist, but still), and a bit where they trade a pistol for Carter's freedom and conveniently fail to mention that ammunition is a thing
The pilot is...well, it's got contractually obligated nudity and it really sticks out. Effects are cheap looking, but that's 1997 Showtime for you. (They added in muzzle flashes post production, looks hilariously bad on an Hd screen) If you can find The Children of Gods: Final Cut, watch that instead. The effects are better, the cuts are better, the awkwardness is removed, and the only thing you miss out on is a call back joke from, like, 7 seasons later.
It's great, but it was definitely make 24 years ago
Second episode is good, wraps up some stuff, gets the team together. First shown gate kill
Third episode, Emancipation, is and always has been terrible. Does nothing, shows nothing, connects to nothing later, gives no characterization that isn't given later and more effectively. Probably the worst episode in the entire series and the point I stopped watching when I was a kid and it was new. This outro joke is it's only redeeming feature
Also, looking through the episode list: wow, some of these episodes happen way sooner than I remember. Like, "brains swapped into robot bodies by mad scientist" wacky. Don't normally see those until a couple seasons in
Great series, but very fast paced
EDIT: I lied, there's two other good bits. It's got Shang Tsung (playing a straw misogynist, but still), and a bit where they trade a pistol for Carter's freedom and conveniently fail to mention that ammunition is a thing
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