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

[Ag3ma]

The Night Agent (Netflix)

Conspiracy thriller about an FBI operative who mans a barely-used telephone line in the White House basement and gets sucked into a conspiracy when he, well, answers the phone. (Why is this phone in the White House?) Of course, he's got a more complex backhistory than that, because of course he does. Apparently his father was accused of treason but died before the trial so he's tarred with dad's reputation. And he saved a load of people from a bomb on the metro, so he's a hero and all. Anyway, he saves some tech start-up woman whose company had crashed when some assassins come for her relatives. And then whatever goes on to uncover whatever shifty stuff is going on at the highest levels of government.

It's okay. It's got moments where you need to not think too hard about what's just happened, but otherwise it's a perfectly serviceable conspiracy thriller. Don't feel in a rush to go out of your way for it, mind.

 

[BrawlMan]

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EDIT: Unlike Bennett, and many others within misaimed fandom, I never once had any admiration for Light Yagami, and knew from the start he's a villain protagonist and get worse. I was still interested in where the story was going, but I never ignored his more negative qualities, flaws, and him being a complete chode. I will give Bennett credit for admitting his mistakes on this. Death Note aired in the states when I was 18. So I was more than aware of gray areas at that point. I didn't know everything, but I knew never to naturally root for someone, because they're "charismatic" and a "genius".

 

[Xprimentyl]

The Mandalorian, S1:Ep1-3

I have no idea why I picked this. I don't particularly like or dislike Star Wars stuff except for Darth Vader and lightsabers (which I like,) so I never had any intention of watching this series, but I opened Disney+ (again, no idea why; I subscribed so my girlfriend could watch Hamilton a while ago and have been paying for it ever since,) and it was at the top, so I said fuck it.

So far, I like it. It's in contention to be the best Star Wars "thing" I've ever watched behind the hallway scene in Rogue One; that shit was incredible seeing The Force used for pure violence. Fuck all the space wizardry stuff; the Mandalorians are fucking awesome. I like their culture, their style, the fact they never remove their helmets, and have strict codes by which they live their lives, etc. I like to think a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I might have been a Mandalorian. If course, I'd probably have been killed on my first mission, but still, to be counted amongst a culture of solitary badass bounty hunters and warriors with cool armor and weapons that don't require closing your eyes and waggling your fingers would have been worth it.

So I'm about halfway through season two, and it's starting to lose its appeal. I still like the character (the Mandalorian,) but the situations he finds himself in are so contrived, it's getting tiresome. Every episode, he lands on a planet in need of something simple, and winds up with the ONE person who asks the impossible in return. It's playing out like an American RPG where every mundane task turns into long-winded exposition from an NPC that sends you off on a quest. I'm also not sure why he trusts anyone; nearly every single person who asks something of him ends up stabbing him in the back. At this point, I'd just grab Baby Yoda, find a nice, tropical planet far from everyone's drama, take my helmet off, and sip margaritas on a beach.

I am seeing the appeal of Baby Yoda now, though. That little fucker is cute as shit.

 

[Dwarvenhobble]

Almost finished season 2. I'd agree. Lot less flimsy excuses for drama and actual real (possible) situations that these people could get into

Getting a bit sick of the bigot stuff from the humans. If you've read some of the confederates speak about slaves, there is a huge variety of opinions that are counted as bigot. Yes, there was some that hated slaves. But Lashing can be seen as 'helpful' and Robert E Lee talked about just keeping slavery until they were civilised. The show is very one note with its verbal attacks and I would like different opinions that are still bigoted (yes I know it's finished)

You mean other than a certain character who actually really is on good terms with the Fae who saying who it is could be a big spoiler (and I don't mean Orlando Bloom's character)

 

[Trunkage]

You mean other than a certain character who actually really is on good terms with the Fae who saying who it is could be a big spoiler (and I don't mean Orlando Bloom's character)

Spoiler

Are you talking about the officers? Because Bernwick I would call an ally. The Dumby situation was very interesting and pulled me quickly through Season 2 so far.

Or are you talking about the commies. Because I like equality thing but not much else. Which means I'm not pro any of the states in this show

 

[gorfias]

Succession Season 4 Ep. 1: HBO: B+
Final season.
Man, rich don't go broke like anyone else. I thought the kids were dead last season. They're still very animated for dead people.
Logan tells a nobody he is his best friend. What does one think was really going on there?



Ted Lasso Season 3 Ep. 1: Apple TV: B


I've heard this is the weakest of the 3 seasons but I'm really liking it so far (just into episode 1). Weakest element is just how far an underdog the team is considered while they have at least 3 world class players and a world class former player as one of the coaches. How much an underdog should the team be?

Nice juxtaposing of how two very different people approach the limelight when talking about others.

 

[Ag3ma]

Succession Season 4 Ep. 1: HBO: B+
Final season.
Man, rich don't go broke like anyone else. I thought the kids were dead last season. They're still very animated for dead people.
Logan tells a nobody he is his best friend. What does one think was really going on there?

Haven't watched any of it, but you can guarantee that whoever's in prime position at the start of the season won't be at the end.

 

[BrawlMan]

Kung Fu & Karate
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[Hawki]

Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet (3/5)

Don't have much to say about this. I know this episode is reasonably well regarded in the fandom, what with it being the final episode of the First Doctor and the first appearance of the cybermen, but neither of those aspects are selling points in of themselves, at least for someone watching this episode in 2023. While it starts out okay, the cybermen are obviously just people in suits, and the science of the episode is insane. Mondas is returning to steal Earth's energy (what?), but Earth has the Z-bomb that can destroy it (what?), but Mondas absorbs too much of Earth's energy (how) and falls apart (doesn't that affect Earth), and the cybermen are drawing power from Mondas (why?) and all collapse around the world, or something. I know I shouldn't watch Doctor Who expecting scientific accuracy, but the plot is so bonkers and the cybermen so...well, 'nothing,' that this episode just leaves me feeling like them - cold, and emotionless.

 

[Trunkage]

Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet (3/5)

Don't have much to say about this. I know this episode is reasonably well regarded in the fandom, what with it being the final episode of the First Doctor and the first appearance of the cybermen, but neither of those aspects are selling points in of themselves, at least for someone watching this episode in 2023. While it starts out okay, the cybermen are obviously just people in suits, and the science of the episode is insane. Mondas is returning to steal Earth's energy (what?), but Earth has the Z-bomb that can destroy it (what?), but Mondas absorbs too much of Earth's energy (how) and falls apart (doesn't that affect Earth), and the cybermen are drawing power from Mondas (why?) and all collapse around the world, or something. I know I shouldn't watch Doctor Who expecting scientific accuracy, but the plot is so bonkers and the cybermen so...well, 'nothing,' that this episode just leaves me feeling like them - cold, and emotionless.

What's not scientifically realistic about the devil being stuck in a black hole prison? Or the TARDIS, which blinks in and out of existence, driving along the highway?

 

[Thaluikhain]

While it starts out okay, the cybermen are obviously just people in suits,

The BBC had a policy against hiring real aliens.

Eh, I though it was alright, not the best story, but had some good bits. Mostly remembered for the regeneration, of course.

And for introducing the Cybermen, though it's pointed out that the Cybermen in this are nothing like later ones. Later ones are evil monsters because Terry Nation took his daleks to the US and they wanted a Dalek type monster. In this, they are strange monster people, but their motive is that their world or ours is going to end, they don't want it to be their world, but are ok with taking people from Earth over there so they don't die.

 

[Hawki]

The Walking Dead: Season 10 (2/5)

The worst season thus far. There's no competition at this point.

I really can't be bothered to summarize the season (in part because it's such a grey blob in my mind), but here's some pointers:

-The Whisperer thing goes on, and on, and on. Oh sure, stuff happens, but none of it means anything. Like the walkers, the show's just shambling on.

-Things actually reach a head when the Whisperers launch a massive attack on the protagonists' settlement (Alexandria? Fuck, I can't even remember anymore). The battle, and the episodes following it, are actually pretty decent, but the season soon devolves back to mush.

-There's a sideplot that's noticeable where three characters (Ezekiel, Eugene, Yumiko) go on a road trip to find another group of survivors and meet Princess - a crazy twenty-something with an M60 machine gun that scares away their horses, leads them into a minefield for shits and giggles, and is just all around bonkers. Princess is easily the best character introduced this season, and this whole sub-plot is easily the best element of the season, in part because characters have a clear objective, are travelling to that objective, reach the objective, and the objective screws them over.

-There's some other stand-out individual episodes, such as Here's Neagan - the last episode of the season that delves into Negan's life before and just after the outbreak, but these individual episodes are few and far between, and can't save the season from being the grey, dull, boring, shambling piece of mush that it is.

Anyway, ranking as usual:

Spoiler

10) Season 10

9) Season 6

8) Season 9

7) Season 8

6) Season 5

5) Season 7

4) Season 2

3) Season 1

2) Season 4

1) Season 3

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I haven't watched it yet, but I saw the pictures of the cameos in the latest Mandalorian ep.

Fuck that shit. If they wanna do celebrity cameos, fine. But cover them up in alien makeup or make them a droid or stick a helmet on them. That this season looks worse in general is distracting enough, I don't need some random famous fuck adding to that.

Ah well. Maybe it won't be so bad, but I don't have high hopes.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I haven't watched it yet, but I saw the pictures of the cameos in the latest Mandalorian ep.

Fuck that shit. If they wanna do celebrity cameos, fine. But cover them up in alien makeup or make them a droid or stick a helmet on them. That this season looks worse in general is distracting enough, I don't need some random famous fuck adding to that.

Ah well. Maybe it won't be so bad, but I don't have high hopes.

The second best celebrity cameos are the ones you don't know are celebrity cameos. Peter Jacksons kids are in each of the LotR movies, and he is in tow, but in points where it's not out of place. 4 people from Games Workshop who worked on the LotR game are in RotK as extras, or so we are led to believe.

The very best celebrity cameos are the random celebrities that turned up in the Adam West Batman tv series.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

eh.. my instinct is against celebrity cameos because I, like most of you probably, am grossed out by celebrity worship culture but I had a couple pop up in stuff I'm watching and I didn't complain so, whatever.

1883
I am now eyeball-deep in the Taylor Sheridan extended universe, I guess. I watched the first 4 seasons of Yellowstone where Kevin Costner grunts and grumbles his way through an absurd primetime soap opera maze of his ridiculous family and gorgeous north-midwestern scenery.
1883 is a prequel series that mythologizes the roots of this fictional ranching family. The show is hardcore proper frontier western, where Sam Elliott and Tim McGraw (yep, the country singer) lead a wagon train across the Oregon trail. Unfortunately, no easter egg references to someone dying of dysentery.
But... boy howdy do people die. Of everything. Sheridan is really into "authenticity" so this is super-grim brutal portrayal of diseases, accidents, violence, and despair. Always set against the backdrop of hope of course. Where Yellowstone balances human character drama with flashy escapism, 1883 is 100% Western drama.

The narrative hook here is the character of Elsa, the young woman part of the family who is also narrating. Her arc is of a girl becoming a woman and embracing the pioneer lifestyle. The actress is great and if you allow yourself the escapism, it is exhilarating to watch her fall in love, do cowboy stuff, fight, argue with her parents, etc. While the men are all grizzled grimdark traumatized war veterans, she is the likable adventurous hero. It's a different enough take on the Western cliches and I liked it.

McGraw's real life wife Faith Hill is the mother and she's fine, I guess, nothing memorable. As with Yellowstone, the weakness of Sheridan's storytelling is that there is never room for TWO interesting women characters.

As for the afore-mentioned cameos, Billy Bob Thorton appears as a Judge Dredd style marshal and he is awesome as always. Tom Hanks appears in a key flashback scene as a sympathetic old Union officer.

And, of course, Sam Elliott grumbles and deep-voices and mustaches through everything and it's great!

Really this is only for Western fans. Elsa's narrations are incredibly hackeneyed but if you allow yourself the escapism of it, it works. The production on 1883 is next level, it really is impressive.

 

[Gordon_4]

Picard season 3, episodes 1-2: 9/10

What a shocker, the mutant who genuinely enjoyed the first two seasons likes the third one so far.

Spoiler

Worf’s entrance was fucking awesome and given the high percentage of kids so far involved in the plot, part of me kind of hopes Alexander, Molly and Kirayoshi show up. Like if we’re doing this, let’s do it!

 

[Ag3ma]

Shadow & Bone season 2 (Netflix)

Superior YA guff about a teen who has great magical powers and has to save the kingdom of Ravka from an evil magician by dealing with a huge wall of shadow that has split the kingdom in two. Regular readers of this forum may know that I generally hold YA in low esteem. This has the same usual limitations, but they don't stick in the craw quite as badly as many other productions and it's slightly more mature. And honestly, it's probably better than Carnival Row, which isn't YA at all. Although maybe that could be viewed as damning with faint praise, as Carnival Row isn't exactly the hottest property around.

So, anyway, at the end of season 1, the evil dude revealed himself as the evil dude, and our heroes have scattered to marshal the resistance as he tries to take over. The evil dude is handled in ways fairly interestingly - he's not some flat out bad guy and in ways is arguably semi-well intentioned, even if the means don't justify the ends. Our teen heroine has her pick of hunky men - her solid and faithful childhood friend (eyeroll), the dashing prince (eyeroll), the handsome, dark, excitingly dangerous evil dude (eyeroll), and a cast of other late teens with their late teensy excitments and issues.

So, money decently spent by Netflix, and thank god they actually finished it for once. (I guess it could have a season 3 if they want as there are some plot threads they could go on with, but if it doesn't the core storyline is concluded.)

 

[gorfias]

After making the boy watch Creed 3 with me, he forced me to watch a UFC fight between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya on Youtube. They both started as kick boxers, fought twice, Pereira won twice. Went to UFC, Pereira won once, (here) and last Saturday Adesanya won so I'm sure the rubber match will happen soon. ITMT, my wife walked in on this one and was very disturbed by how much more... IDK, unregulated? it appears to be next to boxing. She was kinda shocked, asking how you can even tell if one of them is breaking any rules as it appears there are none. I may insist on ponying up some $ to watch that rubber match with the boy when it happens.
B.

 

[Xprimentyl]

So I'm about halfway through season two, and it's starting to lose its appeal. I still like the character (the Mandalorian,) but the situations he finds himself in are so contrived, it's getting tiresome. Every episode, he lands on a planet in need of something simple, and winds up with the ONE person who asks the impossible in return. It's playing out like an American RPG where every mundane task turns into long-winded exposition from an NPC that sends you off on a quest. I'm also not sure why he trusts anyone; nearly every single person who asks something of him ends up stabbing him in the back. At this point, I'd just grab Baby Yoda, find a nice, tropical planet far from everyone's drama, take my helmet off, and sip margaritas on a beach.

I am seeing the appeal of Baby Yoda now, though. That little fucker is cute as shit.

Ok, I'm all caught up. Can someone please explain how the Mandalorian got Grogu back? Season two ended with Luke taking Grogu, then season three starts and he's just suddenly back with the Mandalorian. Is this one of those situations where it's explained by actions taking place in another SW show like the MCU loves to do?

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Watching Succession S4. I know I've complained before about the show spinning its wheels an awful lot, especially the previous season, but man if the wedding episode didn't shake things up like never before in this show.