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

[Bob_McMillan]

I think my issues are more of the climax for the story being so underwhelming

1. Who cares if Thrawn comes back? He was not in power long before the end of the war. Would the factions even support his leadership? He appears to barely have one Star Destroyer and a piecemeal batalion of troops? Whats the threat here?
2. If Thrawn has survived this long why did he never go after Ezra? This could be forgiven, if they didn't find Ezra in about 5 minutes.
3. Why does it only take about 5 minutes for her to find Ezra? 20 years or whatever and he's just been sitting on this planet about a 5 minute hike from a Sith sister temple? Nobody noticed? This just feels so cheap and lazy.
4. Why doesn't Thrawn just nuke them from orbit? I'm confident its been established they can just bombard the surface with bombs or lasers. He literally has his exact location, fuck is he gonna run to?
5. Why dont the troops immediately fire on them?
6. WTF does Ezra take his light saber? he can smoke this whole squad with ease. "Oh hes a pacifist?" Naw he finally grabbed a gun and shot at them later in the same episode.
7. WTF is going on with Balon? Is he suddenly a complete wank idiot?

1. I think they explicitly stated in Mando S3 that the Imperial Remnant is more or less organized and are just waiting for Thrawn to return. That said, they really should have shown and not told.
2. My impression was that he thought chasing Ezra would have been an act of pride rather than anything of tactical value. But even then, if I was stuck in another galaxy for what, 10 fucking years? I'd have chased down the guy who's magical powers brought me here, if only to coerce him to bring me back.
3. Not just that, but clearly the Nightsister witches could have found him any fucking time with their magic balls apparently.
4. Yeah, that was my first thought as well. I mean, the lack of air support has always been a problem in Star Wars, but this was particularly egregious. I was sure that Ezra was actually hiding underground or some shit, not in plain sight.
5. I laughed at that.
6. I laughed at that as well. They could have at least made his Force-Fu look cool, but nah.
7. I didn't understand what you mean, mainly because I have no idea what exactly Baylon wants or is doing. Which kinda sucks because the show is ending this week.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Hijack (Apple TV+) S1: Ep:1-4 of 7

Idris Elba is on a plane from Dubai heading to London to reconcile with his estranged wife when the plane is hijacked by 5 of it's passengers. What those 5 passengers don't realize is that Idris Elba is Idris Elba, a Swiss Army knife of negotiation, manipulation, and human ability in general, and he'll do whatever it takes to get the plane to London safely...

Pretty intense throughout the halfway mark we crossed this morning, each episode ends on the kind of cliffhanger that makes you go "ok, I've got to watch the next one"... 4 times in a row. Recommended.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Gen V (The Boys spin-off)


Stars a bunch of randoms plus Patrick Schwarzenegger as what you’d expect his dad to look like at that age if he wasn’t a gym rat. Anyways it’s fine, if you like The Boys’ brand of violence and sex humor. Although there’s a much more decidedly X-Men feel to it given the fact it revolves around a bunch of V-d up barely adolescents. Watched 2 of 3 available episodes so far and yeah, it’s entertaining if nothing else…yet?



Also watching the new season of American Horror Story, Delicate, starring most of the regulars and introducing Kim Kardashian in her most engaging role since the one that put her on the map. She actually does a surprisingly decent job here, and after two episodes is strangely the most interesting character on the show. Really, it’s keeping its cards close to the chest so far because not much has happened plot-wise. The intro alludes to…well, idk…spider babies or something coming into play at some point, and I’m just going out on a limb to say that KK will probably wind up being the queen (if spiders have queens, idk).

Time will tell.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Also watching the new season of American Horror Story, Delicate, starring most of the regulars and introducing Kim Kardashian in her most engaging role since the one that put her on the map.

I... did not know Kim K was an actor.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

I... did not know Kim K was an actor.

She wasn’t…until she was, but barely (no pun).

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Twisted Metal

Replacing Winning Time's second and final season Sunday nights at HBO is... Peacock's Twisted Metal show from earlier this year? Ok. At least it's only like 30 minutes long.

I don't know anything about Twisted Metal other than its killer clown logo, which I learn is a character called Sweet Tooth. The clown is in the show so as far as I'm concerned it's a 10/10 in adaptation. It's also "from the producers of Zombieland and Deadpool", meaning nobody shuts the fuck up, ever.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Hijack (Apple TV+) S1: Ep:1-4 of 7

Idris Elba is on a plane from Dubai heading to London to reconcile with his estranged wife when the plane is hijacked by 5 of it's passengers. What those 5 passengers don't realize is that Idris Elba is Idris Elba, a Swiss Army knife of negotiation, manipulation, and human ability in general, and he'll do whatever it takes to get the plane to London safely...

Pretty intense throughout the halfway mark we crossed this morning, each episode ends on the kind of cliffhanger that makes you go "ok, I've got to watch the next one"... 4 times in a row. Recommended.

Ok, we finished the series.

HIGHLY recommended.

It does intensity and suspense almost TOO well. The edge of my seat was worn down to a nub. Typically when a show is really good, you're upset when it ends. I'm glad this one is over; my blood pressure can finally return to normal levels.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Ok, we finished the series.

HIGHLY recommended.

It does intensity and suspense almost TOO well. The edge of my seat was worn down to a nub. Typically when a show is really good, you're upset when it ends. I'm glad this one is over; my blood pressure can finally return to normal levels.

Sounds fun. Will look for it whenever the Apple exclusivity runs out, or I get a new iPhone lol.


Gen V, episode 3. Now the show is not only showing some teeth, but they’re starting to sink in. We are seeing some more depth to characters and the stakes are slowly rising.

 

[thebobmaster]

Finished Ahsoka last night. Overall, very good show IMO, probably the second best Star Wars Live Action show, but it did not stick the landing at all. Ending was pretty weak, and mostly just setting up stuff rather than actually resolving...basically anything.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Sounds fun. Will look for it whenever the Apple exclusivity runs out, or I get a new iPhone lol.

Imho, it might actually be worth starting a "free trial" of Apple TV+ which you could end before they start charging. You'll binge the show in a few days if not a single sitting if you've the free time; I don't think a month free would be a deadline you'd be pushing to finish it. It's really good.

We've had ATV+ for several months now, and have found enough reasonably decent shows that we've kept it. But I also understand that a lot of folks are spread thin with stream service fees, and don't want to introduce another for fear of being dragged down yet another rabbit of expense.

Either way, I hope you get to see it one day, however that may happen (do you not have a friend who could lone you the credentials???)

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

The Continental: From the World of John Wick

The Continental: From the World of John Wick doesn't have John Wick in it. It has Winston Scott instead, John Wick's friend/mentor, now played by a younger actor who looks and sounds nothing like Ian McShane (who even does?). I guess if you're going to phone in a prequel it's easier to cast young Winston than it is to reinvent John Wick without Keanu.

The Continental: From the World of John Wick is a lot like Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler (I'm assuming; I haven't seen Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler). Want to cash in on some hibernating IP real quick? Hack out a boilerplate origin story and slap trademark names on them. There's nothing intrinsically "John Wick" about The Continental: From the World of John Wick beyond a few names and props and one location, any more than there's anything authentically Batman about Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler.

The Continental: From the World of John Wick has an incredibly thin premise - a criminal rips off a gangster and his estranged brother is brought in to track him down - yet somehow can barely find the time in all of the first episode's 88 minutes to squeeze in a paltry two action scenes, one of them a lackluster version of the stairway fight we've already seen in five different movies (counting Atomic Blonde), the other a car chase that keeps strobing and cutting to black every 3 seconds because they didn't have the skill, the time, the money or the care to edit a thrilling, coherent sequence. I'm assuming most of the money went to Mel Gibson (probably knocked all his scenes in an afternoon) and enough needle drops to furnish 7 seasons of Mad Men.

The good? I guess the guy playing Winston is alright. They wisely didn't write him as another John Wick and kept his character in check, so he's all about talking his way in and out of trouble. Gibson's enjoyable but again, barely in it. Rest of the acting is kinda subpar. Nice to see Zed['s dead] though.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Imho, it might actually be worth starting a "free trial" of Apple TV+ which you could end before they start charging. You'll binge the show in a few days if not a single sitting if you've the free time; I don't think a month free would be a deadline you'd be pushing to finish it. It's really good.

We've had ATV+ for several months now, and have found enough reasonably decent shows that we've kept it. But I also understand that a lot of folks are spread thin with stream service fees, and don't want to introduce another for fear of being dragged down yet another rabbit of expense.

Either way, I hope you get to see it one day, however that may happen (do you not have a friend who could lone you the credentials???)

Yeah I suppose I could do some asking, if it’s really that good in a “WTF are you waiting for!?” kinda way. Will show a trailer to the wife as it sounds like something that’ll keep us both awake for at least an hour. Really, the last week or so it seems one of us will just fall asleep not longer after the kid is out. Putting a TV in the bedroom makes it too easy I guess.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Yeah I suppose I could do some asking, if it’s really that good in a “WTF are you waiting for!?” kinda way. Will show a trailer to the wife as it sounds like something that’ll keep us both awake for at least an hour. Really, the last week or so it seems one of us will just fall asleep not longer after the kid is out. Putting a TV in the bedroom makes it too easy I guess.

I'd say it's at least worth borrowing someone's password for a quick binge. I mean, don't ruin a friendship over it or anything, but it's worth asking.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Castlevania: Nocturne

Ok my turn to weigh-in on this and if you want to skip my ramblings I'll just agree with the consensus that it's very good and I enjoyed it.

I'm coming to it as someone who forgot whatever tiny bit of lore I might have known from decades ago. I don't think I ever played a Castlevania game for more than a couple hours. I did watch the main show, which aired it's 4th and final season about 5 years ago or so? But I watched it last year so I remember that pretty well.

Well this one takes place a few hundred years later during the French Revolution but also includes characters that participated in the Haitian Revolution. So all the themes and references that comes with those things but vampires. And once you just sort of go with the absolute epic cheese of vampires literally being the slave owners and aristocratic oppressors then you are in resonance with Castelvania show's whole vibe where nothing is ever too bloody, too miserable, or too awesome.

Here is what I like about this show:
- It is 8 episodes. We're in, we're out, we're done. Beautiful.
- Stand-alone but connected. I think someone with no knowledge of anything can enjoy it because it's all new characters. But they are using the same tropes and broad-stroke characters that the main show used so you can slip right in. I mean you got your moody smart-ass whip-cracking action dude, your idealistic sorceress chick, your villain that convinced himself he's doing something good by clearly committing absolute horrors.
- Annette. Just a great character, I really dug her.
- Tera. Another great character, the kind a show like this needs for grounding. Even crazy-ass vampire magic shows need some sort of human grounding.

- Period appropriate music. This is a really specific detail but one of the characters is a singer. I liked that the material he was singing was correct for the time- we are at 1780 which historians would later call the "classical" period. Basically, think Mozart. So he's singing Mozart! Excellent. Also the singing style is actually correct- this is before the time of bel canto with Italian arias flying all over the place so he's not doing that. Late Baroque/classical opera was more direct and focused on the composition (if you're seen the movie Amadeus you may remember Salieri being disgusted by one of Mozart's arias being show-offy).

Well that's just one of my personal pet peeves in movies/TV, using music that wasn't invented yet. I'm not talking about when it's completely stylized like using rock music in a movie about knights or whatever, we know that's just the gimmick. I mean like a movie set in the 1960s using a song from 1971. It's close enough that if you don't know, you think "oh it's of the time" but it's not and that pisses me off. Even easier to get it wrong with music from hundreds of years ago which most people don't know about so I just really appreciate this show getting it right. There's this whole subplot about the power of the dude's singing which is really corny but it works because it's as period appropriate as the political climate the show is referencing.

What I didn't like:
- This is super nitpicky but sometimes the mouths don't match the dialogue and do that flapping jaw thing that makes it look like some cartoon from the 1990's. The main show had that too but it's 2023 c'mon why am I still seeing this. It's not the whole time just sometimes which makes it maybe worse because when i see it I notice it.
- There's no ending! Ugh. This almost cancels the beauty of the 8 episodes. Perhaps I was foolish to assume this would be a kind of one-off side thing but maybe it's intended to be a whole-ass series? 'Cause it doesn't really end. Wamp-wamp.

They make a whole big deal about a dude wearing a headband which suggests to me it's a reference to a game or something I didn't know. And I'm sure that's delightful for fans but I was like "so what you look like a ponce."

But yeah if there's more I'm in for sure.

 

[BrawlMan]

There's no ending! Ugh. This almost cancels the beauty of the 8 episodes. Perhaps I was foolish to assume this would be a kind of one-off side thing but maybe it's intended to be a whole-ass series? 'Cause it doesn't really end. Wamp-wamp.

The same thing can be applied to Castlevania Season 1. It really didn't have an ending. It was "to be continued, look forward to Season 2!". This is not much different here. I get where you're coming from, but this is a Netflix issue has a general most of their shows. They're looking for constant revenue no matter the cost. It's been a major issue after they lost the Marvel license, and when Stranger Things became a runaway success.

They make a whole big deal about a dude wearing a headband which suggests to me it's a reference to a game or something I didn't know. And I'm sure that's delightful for fans but I was like "so what you look like a ponce."

That's Richter's iconic headband. Rondo of Blood. His first game appearance.

 

[Chimpzy]

Ahsoka

Sometimes I wish the people running Star Wars at Disney would be more concerned with making a good show first, and good Star Wars second.

 

[BrawlMan]

Ahsoka

Sometimes I wish the people running Star Wars at Disney would be more concerned with making a good show first, and good Star Wars second.

I take it you didn't like it? I'm All Star Wars out, so I have no stake in this really. I am happy for a long time Clone Wars fans, but I got burned too hard by the sequel movies. More so Rise of Skywalker.

 

[Piscian]

Asoka series 2023

Rosario: "So here I'm being patient, I should cross my arms and give like a smirk"

Director: "yeah just a slight smirk, but don't give away any emotion"

Natasha Liu Bordizzo: "here, I've broken down and given away everything in the hope to see ezra again"

Director: *sigh* "dark blank look.. then smirk"

Eman Esfandi: "I'm seeing my friend for the first time in 20 years and I might get home? I should be overjoyed right? this.."

Director: "The script says fold your arms and smirk."

Rosario: "Are you sure about this? we've lost everything and were stranded. This should seem really bad?"

Director: "slight...fuckin...SMIRK!!!!"

5/10

It had some moments, but overall it felt like a big waste of time.

I think the best worded complaint was that Asoka, like many other Disney shows, doesn't seem to understand how to write compelling TV.

If you recall watching Breaking bad or Better Call Saul, you'd have this kind of "hook" at the beginning of each season, then each episode starts with a hook. Each episode would have a payoff, but still keep you on the hook. Out of the 8 episodes of Asoka I felt liek only one really had that concept, the Anakin episode. It started with an interesting premise, told its story, and then setup the next episode. The rest of the episodes just felt like visual/audial exposition, meandering from one episode into the next.

No actor in the entire show seemed to emote beyond constant smiles and smirking at the camera as if to say "isn't star wars fun? we're all here doing a star wars together?".

It harkened back painfully to the prequels where actors struggled to fine emotion or tension, acting alone in front of big green screens, in one takes due to production costs. I don't think Green screen itself is the problem so much as "scheduled content". Nothing about Asoka ever screamed "This is important to us, we care about what the audience remembers from this production". Even the ending battle felt like the direction was to "get it done".

At some point they gotta stop blaming covid for these bland productions.

 

[Piscian]

Castlevania: Nocturne

They make a whole big deal about a dude wearing a headband which suggests to me it's a reference to a game or something I didn't know. And I'm sure that's delightful for fans but I was like "so what you look like a ponce."

I appreciated that his cousin literally looks at him and goes "A ..headband?" as if to say he looks like an idiot. Ralph Machio Belmont over'ere.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Ahsoka

Sometimes I wish the people running Star Wars at Disney would be more concerned with making a good show first, and good Star Wars second.

I like Rosario Dawson and when it comes to Star Wars and Marvel these days I just take them as they come- I need others to prove to me at this point that it's worth it. So when I was reading about what this thing was it said "it's a sequel to Rebels." And I looked that up and it was like "Rebels is a sequel to Clone Wars." And I looked that up and it was like "Clone Wars is a cartoon for children with like 100 episodes" and I was like lol no.