Discuss and Rate the Last Thing You Watched (non-movies)

[gorfias]

On Hulu: The Oriville New Horizons Season 3 Episode 3
Sad. This show started off as "Galaxy Quest: The series!" and now is pretty much straight forward Star Trek Clone.
I did not like the 1st 2 episodes of Season 3 but this latest one is pretty good. B+. Lot of fun and great visuals as members of the crew experience some pretty horrible stuff.

 

[Hawki]

On Hulu: The Oriville New Horizons Season 3 Episode 3
Sad. This show started off as "Galaxy Quest: The series!" and now is pretty much straight forward Star Trek Clone.

Difference being that Galaxy Quest was funny, Orville wasn't.

Subjective, granted, but I did prefer season 2 to season 1 (even if I liked both), in part because there was more of an emphasis on story and character. A lot of the humour up to that point was dependent on the characters being idiots, whereas season 2, I found more heartfelt.

 

[Dalisclock]

The Legend of Vox Machina

This is basically someone's D&D campaign, but with really good production values. They got well known VA(Laura Bailey, Liam O'Brien, for example) and the animation looks really good. It also cuts out all of the Dead time that I dislike in my previous attempts at trying to watch D&D games, which is one of the reason things like Adventure is Nigh fall flat for me.

Is there anything terribly original here? Not really. However, the group interplay is fun to watch, the action is nicely done and while it feels like it could go a little faster in the back half, it's consistently entertaining. And apparently this is all based on these same VA playing D&D on twitch as Critical Role, which I've never watched but still, good adaptation nonetheless.

 

[Gordon_4]

The Legend of Vox Machina

This is basically someone's D&D campaign, but with really good production values. They got well known VA(Laura Bailey, Liam O'Brien, for example) and the animation looks really good. It also cuts out all of the Dead time that I dislike in my previous attempts at trying to watch D&D games, which is one of the reason things like Adventure is Nigh fall flat for me.

Is there anything terribly original here? Not really. However, the group interplay is fun to watch, the action is nicely done and while it feels like it could go a little faster in the back half, it's consistently entertaining. And apparently this is all based on these same VA playing D&D on twitch as Critical Role, which I've never watched but still, good adaptation nonetheless.

As ideas go for quote 'original content', adapting things like people's tabletop campaigns is in my view a good idea. I mean obviously you'd need to sand down some tangents and stuff but you'd end up with something interesting.

Spoiler

Like I play the TTRPG of Cyberpunk 2020 with my neighbour and a friend of theirs and, well, imagine two guys who think they're Bodie and Doyle from the Professionals, but in reality have the sort of luck that outwardly renders them more like Nicholas Angel and Daniel Butterman from Hot Fuzz but still we (barely) succeed in some pretty outrageous shit.

 

[Piscian]

The Legend of Vox Machina

This is basically someone's D&D campaign, but with really good production values. They got well known VA(Laura Bailey, Liam O'Brien, for example) and the animation looks really good. It also cuts out all of the Dead time that I dislike in my previous attempts at trying to watch D&D games, which is one of the reason things like Adventure is Nigh fall flat for me.

Is there anything terribly original here? Not really. However, the group interplay is fun to watch, the action is nicely done and while it feels like it could go a little faster in the back half, it's consistently entertaining. And apparently this is all based on these same VA playing D&D on twitch as Critical Role, which I've never watched but still, good adaptation nonetheless.

If I had a complaint, a lot of the comedy early on really falls flat. I was getting what they were trying to do, but it was like delivery timing was off. It just isnt a very quick witted show. However I was generally sold on the whole concept of the losers being literally the only people left and genuinely bumbling their way through it. I dont think it was until halfway through the series that I grew to like any of them. At the end of it I definitely wanted more.

Its a shame Ive already run into a lot of people who were turned off after the first episode or two. It opened against a major show I think so its probably getting cancelled unless its just that cheap to make.

Regarding the origin - I forget which episode, but it suddenly occurred to me that it felt like somebody's D&D and I had to look it up to confirm. idk I think there was a subtle reference or something.

I will say I absolutely, positively, fucking hate watching D&D campaigns. I find it cringy and cloying as fuck. I wont even watch Joe Manganiello and hes really funny. I even play D&D and I think if I was ever forced to watch myself play Id beat myself up Fight Club style.

With that context I really didn't get any of that from the show. I thought it came off as genuine and solid, especially in the latter half.

 

[BrawlMan]

Exactly why I watch what anime only interest me, and not what "everybody else is watching!".

​

 

[Dalisclock]

I will say I absolutely, positively, fucking hate watching D&D campaigns. I find it cringy and cloying as fuck. I wont even watch Joe Manganiello and hes really funny. I even play D&D and I think if I was ever forced to watch myself play Id beat myself up Fight Club style.

With that context I really didn't get any of that from the show. I thought it came off as genuine and solid, especially in the latter half.

I've tried watching a couple D&D campaigns and honestly I just get really fucking bored really fast. To me they just don't hold up as entertaining spector activities because a lot of it is watching someone else roll dice and just trying to get into the headspace of someone playing. I imagine it's a hell of a lot more interesting to be the one actually playing it because you're invovled.

On a different note, my dad got me to watch Peacemaker and I admit I'm quite taken with it. For one that, intro song is stuck in my head, but the show works really, really well. I appreciate that this is kind of a direct result of some of the support personnel smacking Amanda Waller over the head at the end of The Suicide Squad and how it actually follows on from TSS(which I did not expect, because I thought Peacemaker died in the movie).

Aside from the generally fun character interactions, the fact Peacemaker is this massive Dork of a "SuperHero" and occasionally douchey with seeming to realize it is what makes it kind of fascinating. Like wearing his costumes to a work meeting at an applebees like it's totally normal, having a pet eagle named eagly and his apparent self reflection of what he is, that is a wannabe superhero who doesn't really seem to understand what a superhero is and he's partially aware of that. There's also the bit in the first episode when he's told he regarded as a racist who kills a lot of minorities and his answer is that he'll try to kill more white people in the future, which feels like he's missing the point a bit but also seems to give you a glimpse into how his brain works. Of course, meeting his dad kinda puts a lot of this in context.

Oh and an alien invasion of "butterflies". Which are being tracked by "Project Butterfly", because the government has the worst naming scheme ever. Peacemaker wasn't that far off when he asked if he's be fighting Mothra, really.

 

[Gordon_4]

I rewatched one of my favourite Star Trek TNG episodes, “Measure of a Man”. Otherwise known as one of many episodes where Starfleet’s left hand never spoke to its right in regards to Lt. Cdr Data.

The subject is unsubtle, the legal proceedings probably the subject of many a drinking game with lawyers, philosophers or naval administrators. But goddamn if it pulls it off. One of the best episodes in the still shaky second season. Rivalled only by “The Offspring”, and that episode tears my heart out every time.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I rewatched one of my favourite Star Trek TNG episodes, “Measure of a Man”. Otherwise known as one of many episodes where Starfleet’s left hand never spoke to its right in regards to Lt. Cdr Data.

I particularly like how Picard doesn't see the problem until Data calls him out on it, and then he sits there awkwardly for a bit.

 

[Gordon_4]

I particularly like how Picard doesn't see the problem until Data calls him out on it, and then he sits there awkwardly for a bit.

We are none of us perfect. Picard least of all, but when the chips are down and the stark reality of the whole thing is before him…he comes out swinging.

 

[Thaluikhain]

We are none of us perfect. Picard least of all, but when the chips are down and the stark reality of the whole thing is before him…he comes out swinging.

Which most fiction wouldn't deal with, you expect the heroes to be heroically heroing at people (like Picard normally does), having someone be called out and change their views in a mature and realistic way is unusual.

 

[Piscian]

Star Trek: SNW E0107- ALL ABOARD THE TRANS INCLUSIVITY TRAIN!..also pirates. 9/10

So this was it I think. I'm not sure how diverse Discovery got because the first season was awful and I shut it off, but I think this is the first official "PRAISE OUR TRANS INCLUSITY" act at Paramount Star Trek. At least I already saw some news outlets making a big deal about it.

This episode sees "Jesse James something other trans actress" playing a non-binary role as a colony counselor, Dr. Aspen, who has requested Star Fleets assistance after her colony outside Federation space was assaulted by Space Pirates.

At the start of the episode I was immediately taken aback by this Dr. Aspen because she was pretty but weirdly..sexed up, for a Star Trek show. She's literally in every scene, hanging off of spock like a mink shaw. Throughout the episode she's doing this overly sultry thing with Spock, at one point prancing into his cabin in some kinda goth industrial catsuit and then proceeds to lecture him about not choosing to be human or Vulcan at which point its revealed this Spock hasn't yet undergone Kolinahr, to become the emotional void fans know and love. My spider-sense immediately went off and I was like "Oh ok this is a trans non-binary is cool preaching thing and this is an ex-dude or never dude, whatever" and google confirmed it.

I was a little concerned that this would too heavy-handed and this would be all the episode was about, but instead I was overjoyed to find this to be both a complete call back to TOS and the best episode yet IMO. Unfortunately I can't talk much about the episode without massive spoilers, but this is a big silly romp with Pike channeling kirk and fighting over the top, goofy, space pirates.

Spoilers -

Dr. Aspen is actually the leader of the Pirates and has set a trap for the enterprise. Pike and crew beamed down to investigate whats left of the colony only to be captured by the pirates. Dr. Aspen turns out to not be interested in the Ship at all but Spock himself which explains the sultry sexkitten stuff. She drops the act and twirls her proverbial mustache revealing she knows Spocks Fiancée is in charge of the prison colony, holding non-other than Spocks MUTHERFUCKIN HALF-BROTHER SYBOK! She wants to force a trade, Spocks life for the release of Sybok who happens to be her husband. Well, their husband, it's a little confusing. JJ is a trans-woman, but also non-binary so its not until Pike refers to Dr. Aspen as them at the end of the show that's its clarified that the character is non-binary. Pike manages to cause a mutiny and take over the pirate ship and disable the enterprise, thereby freeing the crew. The whole mutiny bit is pretty hilarious. The pirates are apprehended, but Dr. Aspen escapes. Actually I think her/their pirate name is revealed as Angel? She/they turned out to be a pretty slick villain reminding me of another Star Trek villain, but I'm drawing a blank. I assume with the Sybok reveal this wont be the last we see of the pair. I'm looking forward to it.

It wouldn't surprise me if this ruffles some feathers in one community or another. It doesn't bother me, but it's interesting watching this generation both try to bother figure it's shit out and try to differentiate itself from us wrinkly old bland millennials with our oily thin mustaches, fedoras, and tribal tattoos defining our individuality.

 

[thebobmaster]

Moon Knight

Holy shit that was a hell of a thing. And my love of Oscar Isaac grows ever more.

Say what you will about Moon Knight overall, Oscar Isaac carried that show on his shoulders like a champ.

 

[Agema]

Oats Studios Volume 1 (Netflix)

Series of shorts from the mind of Neill Blomkamp. Blomkamp, as we may remember, shot high into awareness with the popular, critically acclaimed, dystopian film "District 9" and then crashed as quickly back to Earth with the dismally received dystopian film "Chappie".

So Oats Studios provides us some answer to which of those two movies Blomkamp is better represented by - and it's Chappie. The first is some alien invasion thing called "Rakka" that rumbles along with some hint of going somewhere - it is in fact quite like a third-half of a film, then stops. And it is okay. It's got bits well done, but... Likewise is "Firebase", a retelling of the Vietnam War with added quasi superhumans/deities, and "Zygote", a monster in a remote base story you've seen before that never gets above base functionality. None of these "experimental" shorts give any hint of a genius gestating new and interesting ideas. Blomkamp can produce visual spectacle, but I don't get the feeling he offers much more.

Worse are a load of the shorter sketches. "Cooking With Bill" is a satire on a shopping channel presenter, "Bad President" about a vice-ridden president, or "God", about an arbitrary, uncaring deity. Haha! The president is a scumbag! God is idle, uncaring and capricious! Imagine if everything went wrong on QVC! Gosh, no-one has thought of those before! These are just brain-stranglingly unoriginal and offer no wit, humour, or intelligence to rise them above the base cliche. Of all of these I will admit to liking only the performance of the actor playing God's butler, displaying at pitch perfection hints of disapproval and disbelief in his facial expression under his professional demeanour.

So, Blomkamp's got some more stuff in the works. From the evidence of this he'd better have a good scriptwriter, and stick to the script he's got. And as long as it's a fairly undemanding action, he might just be able to let his best skills go to work. Otherwise, I fear mediocrity awaits.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

So I'm watching "The Boys" Episode S0305 and this right here is my problem is with this show.

They added a subplot with with A-train trying to alignment with the BLM movement, by having a punisher super hero standin apologize at a community center for disproportionally targeting black neighborhood. *eyeroll* of course it goes south and he starts yelling about how murder is committed disproportionately by black people and *eyeroll* of course he starts beating people up.

My problem isn't the concept or content of the show, this was a great idea, but its so "on the nose", there's no subtlety, they just copy and paste shit from the headlines, like the last episode having a disney like theme park for inclusivity stuff like Lesbian castle or whatever. This show feels like its written by a bot scrolling through r/politics.

I'm sure the defense is that they're doing zany hype realized social commentary. But what are they commenting on? What are they saying? Nothing. It's just noise. Not only is there no depth or thought put into this, it won't go anywhere. Id bet $20 right now this ends with A-train looking bad in press and idk, getting fired and deciding he can only make a difference by joining the The Boys. Please god don't let it be that fucking transparent.

They've basically turned Homelander into Trump by now.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Re: The Boys and politics

I haven't started season 3 yet (I watch the show with my wife and she'll be out of the country for all of July and I don't want to start a season and not finish it), but season 2 already introduced the lack of subtlety with politics by having the villain be a literal Nazi. Once you go full Nazi, you can't get back "subtle."

It's really hard to political commentary or satire, real-life is so cartoonish that any attempt to be subtle or intellectual or cool about it just seems weak and pointless, at least to me.


Anyway, to what I been watching:
Love, Death and Robots

Netflix' anime shorts showcase. It's fun... that's the great thing about short-form story-telling, even if you don't like one you move on to the next.
I finished "volume" 1 and the thing that I can't help thinking is how much the division between animated story telling and video games cut scenes has disintegrated.

One of the shorts for example is about a soldier in a war piloting a fighter ship that is "lucky," and just her relationship with this ship. It just felt like I was watching a trailer for some Call of Duty thing. It looked cool, sure, but since I almost never watch animated shows but I do obviously play video games, it was a bit odd. They even did that thing where they make that character look like the actress- in this case, it's that woman who was in Orange Is the New Black and The Handmaid's Tail.

Also because it's adult, gore 'n' boobs, you know. Very silly, very fun.

It's cool.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Das Boot (2018)... pretty good, if also quite heavy. And damn, that cliffhanger. Like its spiritual/actual predecessor, it demonstrates the on-board claustrophobia of a sub very well, though the lack of beard growth (most of the old sea-dogs start with their beards while the younger fresh-faced officers stay that way) was a bit eh...

Other than that, I found it perplexing literally every German officer (and a couple ratings) spoke English and it was all very fluent, Wrangel's moment of madness ends somewhat abruptly, and Carla/Simone's romance comes out of nowhere, almost. On to season two.

 

[gorfias]

Umbrella Academy on Netflix Season 3: episodes 1-3


I'm enjoying it as usual but much of the plot so far requires the characters be pretty stupid and hot headed. Even so, still some of the best TV these days.

 

[Piscian]

Obi-wan Episode 6

Idk, I can't think of anything interesting to say about it. This episode, surprisingly, has some of the worst dialog of the series. The dialog is not only corny and cliche, but actually terrible in some scenes. Additionally the special effects were terrible. They do a whole bit where the ship is evading a star destroyer and it looks like something you'd see in an old kaiju movie with little foam toys on strings. Its ironic that Star Wars had more thought out special effects in 1977.

It saddens me so much because it comes down to just giving a shit. RLM just posted a re:view of "who framed roger rabbit" and they're showcasing the making of and how much effort was put into using props to animate over, fine tuning angles and lighting. So making Obi-wan look great was not out of reach, they just didn't care.

The ending is somewhat recovered by a pretty emotional moment with Anakin & Obiwan but it exists in a vacuum. It feels like somebody wanted to do that one scene and had interns and staff writers/directors filled out the rest of the series. This belongs on a shelf next to the Ewok movies.

If Netflix is the Titanic, Disney is right behind it ignoring all the emergency flares.

 

[Piscian]

Umbrella Academy on Netflix Season 3: episodes 1-3


I'm enjoying it as usual but much of the plot so far requires the characters be pretty stupid and hot headed. Even so, still some of the best TV these days.

Personally I just can't handle that stuff. Dumb decisions are fine to an extent, when its intune with a character, but I can't handle when miscommunication is completely realistic. "Why you doing this!?" "I have my reasons!". shit like that is inexcusable and kills immersion in the story for me.