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

[Ag3ma]

The Rig (Amazon)

British SF thriller about workers on an oil rig where things go a bit weird. As one might perhaps gather from the setting of an oil rig, there's something of an eco-vibe to the story. It's got quite a few big names from British TV (Martin Compston, Iain Glen, Mark Bonnar, Mark Addy) and some random North American woman as part of the traditional British tactic of increasing appeal across the pond with a recognisable accent - my wife tells me she was in Schitt's Creek, so I guess she's got some pull. So, basically this fog rolls in and the rig loses all comms, it starts raining ash and people start going a bit weird, and it's hokily spooky. And so our plucky crew of oil workers must somehow pull together and work out what's going on.

It's very B-movie. Firstly, the stock situation of an isolated group under pressure and fracturing under the stress, the weirdness, the "scientist" who appears to be on the rig for no discernable reason except to explain stuff and like all classic B-movie scientists, turns out to be equally an expert in biology, chemistry, physics, geology, evolution blah blah blah.

Apart from the North American loan who seems to be out of place and unsure what to do with her role, the acting is pretty good. The writing however is just awful - was this intended, to keep a B-movie vibe? The special effects, in the best traditions of budget-conscious British TV (and B-movies), are low quality. In fact, it many ways this feels a little like a typical example of a lowish-budget attempt by the British to make SF drama such as numerous US channels regularly produce.

That said, it just about squeaks by as entertaining enough to justify its existence, so I guess that's okay. Far more mysterious than the plot of the show itself is that it has been renewed for a second season. Maybe it was cheap enough to survive its modest quality.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Breaking Bad: Great / Great

A high school chemistry teacher is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, and in an attempt to leave his family with a comfortable nest egg, decides to cook premium meth using his chemistry background, and things get out of hand almost immediately.

I'm re-watching it after several years with my girlfriend who's not seen it, so it feels less like a re-watch and more like a jarring reminder of how good this show actually is. My gf hasn't wanted to watch it because it hits a lot of nerves given her own recent battle with cancer and having a relative with a meth problem, but it got its hooks into her as she loves shows that challenge her to figure out what's going; now she's asking me to watch more episodes. Bryan Cranston puts on his typical master class. I don't have any evidence to suggest he's underrated, but I anecdotally feel he's not given enough flowers as he's yet to act a role that isn't entirely convincing and engaging.

Been telling my folks (and boss) about it for years, and they both finally watched/finished it this past month coincidentally, along with another couple of their friends. All basically say the same thing.

I want to eventually forget all about it someday and then watch again, because few things on TV have captured that kind of grounded yet surreal, slow burn escalation of intensity throughout its run.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Mando S3 Ep 1.

I love Mando. I was a little apprehensive back when Season 1 started because Episode 1 was pretty slow, but it won me over with the amazing special effects, excellent soundtrack, and yes even the cuteness of Grogu.

But most importantly, and this is something I have recently come to realize, it was better than the rest of garbage Disney Star Wars content. I think Mando in isolation is good, but when compared to everything else Star Wars at the time, it was huge breath of fresh air.

However, three or four years later, Season 3 of Mando has premiered. Before it came Kenobi and Boba Fett, which you would think means that Mando once again gets to shine when placed beside such turds. Unfortunately, Andor has also released. Which taught us that Star Wars TV can have both a movie-level (or more) production AND excellent writing.

With its first episode, Mando S3 does pretty much nothing to make me think that we're going to get anything that will come close to Andor. And I don't want every Star Wars show to just be grim dark, "this isn't your parents Star Wars" content. I just want them to be an experience, instead of a product. Episode 1 looked and sounded better than pretty much anything in Kenobi or Boba, but not by a lot. I don't know what S3 will have to do to recapture that feeling of being fresh and new, but Episode 1 definitely didn't pull it off.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Chris Rock: Selective Outrage: Decent / Great

Netflix's first ever live-streaming event, Chris Rock takes aim at pretty much everything that makes people uncomfortable nowadays to make us laugh.

Nowhere near the hilarity of his classic Bring The Pain, but still pretty damned funny. He ends the set with jarringly direct shots at Will Smith and the now infamous Oscars fiasco. I guess I figured Rock and Smith were well enough friends that the issue would be washed away, but Rock, finally speaking on it publicly, is clearly bitter and angry. No mentions of Smith's apologies, just acute, intentional anger passed off with humor. I fully expect there to be a "Will Smith's reaction story" behind this. I mean, the man was implied to be a a "b*tch" about a half dozen times, and his wife accused of being the reason behind everything; I don't get into Hollywood drama, but hood rules state you cannot be put on blast and not respond; not responding being an implicit admission of all accusations. Hood rules.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Chris Rock: Selective Outrage: Decent / Great

Netflix's first ever live-streaming event, Chris Rock takes aim at pretty much everything that makes people uncomfortable nowadays to make us laugh.

Nowhere near the hilarity of his classic Bring The Pain, but still pretty damned funny. He ends the set with jarringly direct shots at Will Smith and the now infamous Oscars fiasco. I guess I figured Rock and Smith were well enough friends that the issue would be washed away, but Rock, finally speaking on it publicly, is clearly bitter and angry. No mentions of Smith's apologies, just acute, intentional anger passed off with humor. I fully expect there to be a "Will Smith's reaction story" behind this. I mean, the man was implied to be a a "b*tch" about a half dozen times, and his wife accused of being the reason behind everything; I don't get into Hollywood drama, but hood rules state you cannot be put on blast and not respond; not responding being an implicit admission of all accusations. Hood rules.

Not sure if they could even have a response if the accusations are accurate, which seems to be the case. Their Hollywood drama is fair game to criticize, because like Chris said, they (Jada mostly) chose to air their dirty laundry out for all to see. On one hand I feel sorry for Will, but on the other he’s a rich big boy who should be able to stand up for himself.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Not sure if they could even have a response if the accusations are accurate, which seems to be the case. Their Hollywood drama is fair game to criticize, because like Chris said, they (Jada mostly) chose to air their dirty laundry out for all to see. On one hand I feel sorry for Will, but on the other he’s a rich big boy who should be able to stand up for himself.

Agreed, but Rock really put their shit on blast. I expected a playful "it's no big deal; I forgive him" take, but he really went in, and called the Smiths out. This show was basically an awkward argument at a family gathering, and while Rock had the last word [so far,] I don't see this just going away as a playful bit in a comedy special. Will and Jada have notes to answer to out of pride alone. I know Will has apologized; haven't heard anything from Jada, but Rock is still clearly very upset and volatile. Not saying he's wrong; were I slapped on one of the biggest stages in the world over a joke in poor taste, I'd probably "slap back" too, but that bit was a closed-fist on a man still trying to get back up from a self-inflicted knockout punch. Just saying, everyone was already on Rock's side of the whole ordeal; I don't think it was necessary to go all "Donald Trump" and incite more morbid interest.

It was a good show, just a bit too concerted for my taste, the way he ended the show with that bit and a mic drop. It would have been far classier imho had he just played it off as something we all should have gotten over by now. As it stands, I imagine it's going to be in the headlines again for weeks.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Agreed, but Rock really put their shit on blast. I expected a playful "it's no big deal; I forgive him" take, but he really went in, and called the Smiths out. This show was basically an awkward argument at a family gathering, and while Rock had the last word [so far,] I don't see this just going away as a playful bit in a comedy special. Will and Jada have notes to answer to out of pride alone. I know Will has apologized; haven't heard anything from Jada, but Rock is still clearly very upset and volatile. Not saying he's wrong; were I slapped on one of the biggest stages in the world over a joke in poor taste, I'd probably "slap back" too, but that bit was a closed-fist on a man still trying to get back up from a self-inflicted knockout punch. Just saying, everyone was already on Rock's side of the whole ordeal; I don't think it was necessary to go all "Donald Trump" and incite more morbid interest.

It was a good show, just a bit too concerted for my taste, the way he ended the show with that bit and a mic drop. It would have been far classier imho had he just played it off as something we all should have gotten over by now. As it stands, I imagine it's going to be in the headlines again for weeks.

It has begun -

Of Course Chris Rock Saved Some Selective Outrage for Will Smith

Here’s what he had to say about the Oscars slap and the “entanglement” during his live Netflix special.

www.vulture.com

 

[Absent]

Of Course Chris Rock Saved Some Selective Outrage for Will Smith

Here’s what he had to say about the Oscars slap and the “entanglement” during his live Netflix special.

www.vulture.com

Okay. Seems milder there than in Xprimentyl's description.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Okay. Seems milder there than in Xprimentyl's description.

I never said it was intense or over the top, just more pointed than the "water over the bridge" response most expected. Rock had little to say on the matter from almost a year ago until Saturday, and to see his temperature this high so long after the fact most had gotten over it was unexpected. I don't know where you're at/from, but in my neighborhood, you don't call a man a "b*tch" unless you expect a response.

 

[Absent]

I don't know where you're at/from, but in my neighborhood, you don't call a man a "b*tch" unless you expect a response.

Well to be fair, in my neighbourhood ***** isn't a word.

(Seriously these things are hard to assess from outside.)

 

[Kyrian007]

I watched the first couple episodes of Willow.

Hmmm. First things first, it isn't good. It really isn't bad, and the cast is interesting. But it doesn't do enough things right to qualify as any kind of good. It has that kind of continuity blindness where the relative distances between things changes to suit the needs of the story. At its worst you almost have to assume that either A: you fell asleep and missed a connecting scene or B: you just have to assume every character knows how to teleport. Now that's a failing I can easily forgive if the story is well written (Christopher Nolan is about the most continuity blind filmmaker in the business) but this story (and I have only seen 2 episodes) is fairly predictable and trite. I got the "big early twist" pretty much the second time that character showed up on screen.

However. I'm enjoying it and plan to finish it. I suppose that could change if it gets worse, but it has one huge advantage with me.

I've read The Chronicles of the Shadow War. The actual sequel to Willow.

And so, even just 2 episodes in, I KNOW it isn't as bad as the actual sequel to Willow. As a show, Disney +'s Willow (btw, why couldn't they CHOSE A LESS CONFUSING TITLE) isn't good. But, as an attempt to replace Chronicles of the Shadow War as a sequel to a movie I'm fond of... I'm INCREDIBLY HAPPY that someone out there is paving over that godawful garbage that was the official Willow sequel. And I'm even more happy they didn't use Shadow War as a template for this series. If they had, Warwick Davis would have only had 1 scene, and then the character Willow would have to be recast to (hmmm, irl Thorn Drumheller) probably Jason Momoa. Yup, in the first book, Willow goes to sleep his normal Nelwyn self and wakes up as a huge Daikini called "Thorn." They wouldn't have been able to bring back Joanne Whaley, Sorsha was killed offscreen. And Elora would have been 20x more annoying. Disney's version isn't good... but it is better than THAT.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

I never said it was intense or over the top, just more pointed than the "water over the bridge" response most expected. Rock had little to say on the matter from almost a year ago until Saturday, and to see his temperature this high so long after the fact most had gotten over it was unexpected. I don't know where you're at/from, but in my neighborhood, you don't call a man a "b*tch" unless you expect a response.

Technically he said he himself offered condolences (which were ignored anyways, about Jada airing their dirty laundry in public) while everyone else called him a b*tch.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Well to be fair, in my neighbourhood ***** isn't a word.

(Seriously these things are hard to assess from outside.)

Lol, well State-side, calling a man a "b*tch" is an easy way to get punched. You're basically implying he's the opposite of a man, and male pride is the soft underbelly of maleness. It's stupid and makes zero sense, but traditionally, it's where men attack other men when they want to escalate nonsense to violence.

Technically he said he himself offered condolences (which were ignored anyways, about Jada airing their dirty laundry in public) while everyone else called him a b*tch.

Ooooh, let's not ignore the implication. Rock said it several times, and it didn't for one second sound like an anecdotal recounting of what "other people" said. It was word craft permitting him to call Smith a "b*tch" without outright calling him a "b*tch." The condolences were about the admissions of infidelity between Jada and Will and had nothing to do with the altercation at the Oscars.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Lol, well State-side, calling a man a "b*tch" is an easy way to get punched. You're basically implying he's the opposite of a man, and male pride is the soft underbelly of maleness. It's stupid and makes zero sense, but traditionally, it's where men attack other men when they want to escalate nonsense to violence.

Always thought it noticeable that the word means an aggressive or domineering woman, or a weak and submissive man.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Lol, well State-side, calling a man a "b*tch" is an easy way to get punched. You're basically implying he's the opposite of a man, and male pride is the soft underbelly of maleness. It's stupid and makes zero sense, but traditionally, it's where men attack other men when they want to escalate nonsense to violence.


Ooooh, let's not ignore the implication. Rock said it several times, and it didn't for one second sound like an anecdotal recounting of what "other people" said. It was word craft permitting him to call Smith a "b*tch" without outright calling him a "b*tch." The condolences were about the admissions of infidelity between Jada and Will and had nothing to do with the altercation at the Oscars.

Yup the b*tch rant had nothing to do with the slap, but but at the same time he kinda needed to be called out, regardless of it being so much later. Jada clearly has his balls in a vice, and such blatant emasculation has clearly taken a toll on his personal headspace and ability to rationalize. Maybe this blunt force dose of truth being shot out of a live canon for the world to hear vs sugar coating it like every other press junket, might also be what they both needed to hear for each their own reasons to help get their heads right.

 

[Absent]

Lol, well State-side, calling a man a "b*tch" is an easy way to get punched. You're basically implying he's the opposite of a man, and male pride is the soft underbelly of maleness. It's stupid and makes zero sense, but traditionally, it's where men attack other men when they want to escalate nonsense to violence.

Okay, but doesn't it vary ? I'm thinking of a french word, "con", which means "****" (if the forum allows it), and can be extremely violent in some regions, and used like a punctuation in others (in the South of France, for instance). Or the greek "malaka" ("wanker") which is also extremely vulgar, but apparently depends on the context - you can get rightfully headbutted for it, or ejected from a building, but if you stroll through Athens listen around you, it seems used as a joyous greeting between a lot of people (mostly young).

What I mean is : Jesse Pinkman seems to have survived a lot of verbal interactions.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Always thought it noticeable that the word means an aggressive or domineering woman, or a weak and submissive man.

Exactly. Calling another man a "b*tch" basically implies he's not the balls to behave like a man, and has resorted to behaving aggressively non-male. I'm not defending the the stereotypes or derogatory uses of such a word, just pointing out that it's pretty clear Rock's intent wasn't reconciliation or forgiveness, rather a pretty aggressive "hitting back."

Yup the b*tch rant had nothing to do with the slap, but but at the same time he kinda needed to be called out, regardless of it being so much later. Jada clearly has his balls in a vice, and such blatant emasculation has clearly taken a toll on his personal headspace and ability to rationalize. Maybe this blunt force dose of truth being shot out of a live canon for the world to hear vs sugar coating it like every other press junket, might also be what they both needed to hear for each their own reasons to help get their heads right.

Yes, and it's sad. I've been in my fair share of unhealthy relationships, and have had to step away. But those that are imperfect and worth salvaging are emotionally taxing, and having someone make light of such a tenuous situation for the amusement of millions I imagine could set a man off... as we saw. My point is that Rock intentionally stayed on the low road all but ensuring this isn't anything either party is going to get over any time soon.

Okay, but doesn't it vary ? I'm thinking of a french word, "con", which means "****" (if the forum allows it), and can be extremely violent in some regions, and used like a punctuation in others (in the South of France, for instance). Or the greek "malaka" ("wanker") which is also extremely vulgar, but apparently depends on the context - you can get rightfully headbutted for it, or ejected from a building, but if you stroll through Athens listen around you, it seems used as a joyous greeting between a lot of people (mostly young).

What I mean is : Jesse Pinkman seems to have survived a lot of verbal interactions.

Context. "B*tch" isn't a word ever used in positive context, but it's just as easily easily weaponized as it is thrown around in a casual, non-serious manner. If you hear Rock's delivery of the anecdotal recallings of "others" using the words in reference to Smith, it's clear he's hurling the word in a very aggressive manner. As for your example of Jesse Pinkman, let's just say Pinkman uses it more as a punctuation for lack of a broader vocabulary, and often from a cornered and defenseless place. He is characterized using the word where larger, more dominant men might, and it's clear he has little to back it up; he uses it to draw a line in the sand he's all but incapable of defending; he's a coward, using "big boy" words to avoid being exposed as a coward.

 

[Gordon_4]

Okay, but doesn't it vary ? I'm thinking of a french word, "con", which means "****" (if the forum allows it), and can be extremely violent in some regions, and used like a punctuation in others (in the South of France, for instance). Or the greek "malaka" ("wanker") which is also extremely vulgar, but apparently depends on the context - you can get rightfully headbutted for it, or ejected from a building, but if you stroll through Athens listen around you, it seems used as a joyous greeting between a lot of people (mostly young).

What I mean is : Jesse Pinkman seems to have survived a lot of verbal interactions.

Jesse is a fuckin’ idiot - sympathetic but idiot none the less - and it is by will of the Gods alone he wasn’t dead by the show’s halfway point.

 

[Dalisclock]

History of the World Part 2-Episode 1.

It's better then I thought it was gonna be and I got some laughs out of it. Not amazing but I'm entertained enough to keep going. Arguably it helps that few of the sketches run so long as to overstay their welcome and some of them are broken up(The Russian Revolution gets a couple segments). It is interesting picking out some of the people in it. I do feel like I'm missing some of the jokes in the Russian Revolution section by not knowing much Jewish Culture though.

It looks like we might actually get "Jews In Space" after all, considering they did "Hitler on Ice" for reals.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

I watched the first couple episodes of Willow.

Hmmm. First things first, it isn't good. It really isn't bad, and the cast is interesting. But it doesn't do enough things right to qualify as any kind of good. It has that kind of continuity blindness where the relative distances between things changes to suit the needs of the story. At its worst you almost have to assume that either A: you fell asleep and missed a connecting scene or B: you just have to assume every character knows how to teleport. Now that's a failing I can easily forgive if the story is well written (Christopher Nolan is about the most continuity blind filmmaker in the business) but this story (and I have only seen 2 episodes) is fairly predictable and trite. I got the "big early twist" pretty much the second time that character showed up on screen.

However. I'm enjoying it and plan to finish it. I suppose that could change if it gets worse, but it has one huge advantage with me.

I've read The Chronicles of the Shadow War. The actual sequel to Willow.

And so, even just 2 episodes in, I KNOW it isn't as bad as the actual sequel to Willow. As a show, Disney +'s Willow (btw, why couldn't they CHOSE A LESS CONFUSING TITLE) isn't good. But, as an attempt to replace Chronicles of the Shadow War as a sequel to a movie I'm fond of... I'm INCREDIBLY HAPPY that someone out there is paving over that godawful garbage that was the official Willow sequel. And I'm even more happy they didn't use Shadow War as a template for this series. If they had, Warwick Davis would have only had 1 scene, and then the character Willow would have to be recast to (hmmm, irl Thorn Drumheller) probably Jason Momoa. Yup, in the first book, Willow goes to sleep his normal Nelwyn self and wakes up as a huge Daikini called "Thorn." They wouldn't have been able to bring back Joanne Whaley, Sorsha was killed offscreen. And Elora would have been 20x more annoying. Disney's version isn't good... but it is better than THAT.

I didn't even know there was some other sequel. I only watched the Disney show 'cause Escapist dudes were talking about it and I was in the mood for something silly. And it's exactly what it looks like. But the lack of Val Kilmer really hurt it for me.