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

[happyninja42]

I've tried to get into this show multiple times, but as soon as Mako and Bolin show up and that fucking love triangle starts going I just can't anymore. It's a shame too, cuz man this show looks so good - I really like Korra's design.

Yeah, the romance elements for pretty much every character, are terribly done. The various relationships for Korra go nowhere, I mean, there is no functional difference in her when she's single, and dating Mako. When they break up, and then get back together, and then break up again, it's just like "well, I guess we're not dating now." "...yeah, I guess so." it has no impact on anything really. The water bender psychopath that pressgangs Bolin into being her husband, and then tries to kill him when he points out that he never fucking agreed to it, was just uncomfortable on every level. Just, really messy writing overall.

It's not the only example of bad writing in the show sadly, but it was one that was consistently terrible in my opinion.

 

[BrawlMan]

I've tried to get into this show multiple times, but as soon as Mako and Bolin show up and that fucking love triangle starts going I just can't anymore. It's a shame too, cuz man this show looks so good - I really like Korra's design.

One of the best things about Season 3 & 4 is that they kill that annoying love triangle dead! Granted, S3&4 have another myriad of issues (.....Kai & Suyin Beifong, Toph's character derailment, etc.), but at least the crappy romance does not interfere with the plot this time!

 

[SilentPony]

Yeah I never watched much of King of the Hill, as I never found it funny. It was just redneck assholes being assholes. I grew up around way too many people that reminded me of those fuckers. Hell I was related to plenty of them. I didn't see "slice of life 'murica" , I just saw the kind of assholes in school that I wanted nothing to do with.

I think the thing that shocked me the most was how mean spirited it is. I was fully prepared some thing weren't going to age well, and plots would seem pretty absurd and comical by today's standards, like oh no Bobby called a girl but she wasn't home and now he has to wait for her to call back. Shit like that.
But its just Hank Hill abusing people, and the implication that they deserve to be abused for not conforming to Hank's white male conservative Texas view. Bobby wants to try yoga, and Hank calls is Asian nonsense, and that's the story. And the whole propane and propane accessories feels oddly...corporatists, especially when Hank's like "Its a clean burn" and we know that's not true, its a lie from propane companies up there with Clean Coal. Maybe you have to be from the deep South to think Hank's someone to look up to, but I just can't deal with how he gets away with such abuse.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Oh, and another reason why it sucks that I can't get into Legend of Korra ; it features not one, not two, but three hot, badass grannies. And yes, Lin Beifong in a white tank top, I live for that shit.

 

[happyninja42]

I think the thing that shocked me the most was how mean spirited it is. I was fully prepared some thing weren't going to age well, and plots would seem pretty absurd and comical by today's standards, like oh no Bobby called a girl but she wasn't home and now he has to wait for her to call back. Shit like that.
But its just Hank Hill abusing people, and the implication that they deserve to be abused for not conforming to Hank's white male conservative Texas view. Bobby wants to try yoga, and Hank calls is Asian nonsense, and that's the story. And the whole propane and propane accessories feels oddly...corporatists, especially when Hank's like "Its a clean burn" and we know that's not true, its a lie from propane companies up there with Clean Coal. Maybe you have to be from the deep South to think Hank's someone to look up to, but I just can't deal with how he gets away with such abuse.

Well I'm from Alabama and I've never found that behavior admirable. But I also have been told most of my life, by people NOT from the South, that I don't sound like I'm from the South, so I don't fit the standard model for the area. But holy shit a lot of idiots around here do.

Oh, and another reason why it sucks that I can't get into Legend of Korra ; it features not one, not two, but three hot, badass grannies. And yes, Lin Beifong in a white tank top, I live for that shit.

Yes, badass cougars are a definite plus in that show.

 

[BrawlMan]

Yeah, the romance elements for pretty much every character, are terribly done. The various relationships for Korra go nowhere, I mean, there is no functional difference in her when she's single, and dating Mako. When they break up, and then get back together, and then break up again, it's just like "well, I guess we're not dating now." "...yeah, I guess so." it has no impact on anything really. The water bender psychopath that pressgangs Bolin into being her husband, and then tries to kill him when he points out that he never fucking agreed to it, was just uncomfortable on every level. Just, really messy writing overall.

It's not the only example of bad writing in the show sadly, but it was one that was consistently terrible in my opinion.

Season 2 is really in love with the double standard, female on male abuse is okay. The other example being Lin and Tenzin implied and stated past relationship. Not to mention, Lin and nearly everyone held the idiot ball that whole season. Eska was just a worst version of Mai (except a waterbender), a character that already became contentious when the comics had a couple of stories focus on the latter.

​

One or two clips gave me a quick laugh, but everything else made me uuuugggghhhh. There are worse versions of this biatch (Asuka Langley, Anna Kiayama, & Naru), but it not fun to watch.

 

[stroopwafel]

The Plot Against America. It was excellent. It's based on that Tim Roth novel that asks the question what if Roosevelt hadn't won the 1940 election but instead some America-firster that didn't feel like a war with Hitler. It's a message that resonated with an electorate who didn't want to be dragged into yet another European conflict.. Consequently Europe was left to it's own devices and overrun(I wonder what the outcome of the Ribbentrop/Molotov pact would have been in this context considering Hitler Germany wouldn't need a western front now) and the U.S. started to not outright dismiss the nazis but instead went for diplomatic relations with them(and beyond) and their insidious beliefs started to take root in American society as well. The series centers around a jewish family who slowly experience the erosion of their rights as anti-semtism start to got worse and worse. It's very subtle and unnerving and one scene in particular involving Ribbentrop at a dinner party is one of the most harrowing scenes I have ever seen despite it being totally innocent.

Very well made and you can tell it's based on the story of a talented writer.

 

[Samtemdo8]

15 Episodes into Berserk 1997. Now I'm invested and looking forward to reading the Manga after finishing the Anime...knowing full well its still unfinished

 

[Gordon_4]

Oh, and another reason why it sucks that I can't get into Legend of Korra ; it features not one, not two, but three hot, badass grannies. And yes, Lin Beifong in a white tank top, I live for that shit.

Ah, Lin Beifong, grandma what massive hotness you have.

I think the thing that shocked me the most was how mean spirited it is. I was fully prepared some thing weren't going to age well, and plots would seem pretty absurd and comical by today's standards, like oh no Bobby called a girl but she wasn't home and now he has to wait for her to call back. Shit like that.
But its just Hank Hill abusing people, and the implication that they deserve to be abused for not conforming to Hank's white male conservative Texas view. Bobby wants to try yoga, and Hank calls is Asian nonsense, and that's the story. And the whole propane and propane accessories feels oddly...corporatists, especially when Hank's like "Its a clean burn" and we know that's not true, its a lie from propane companies up there with Clean Coal. Maybe you have to be from the deep South to think Hank's someone to look up to, but I just can't deal with how he gets away with such abuse.

Then you meet Cotton Hill - Hank’s dad - and all his prejudices just make perfect sense.

 

[Kyrian007]

Yeah I never watched much of King of the Hill, as I never found it funny. It was just redneck assholes being assholes. I grew up around way too many people that reminded me of those fuckers. Hell I was related to plenty of them. I didn't see "slice of life 'murica" , I just saw the kind of assholes in school that I wanted nothing to do with.

Yup. Yup. Yup. Mmmm humh. That was exactly my take on King of the Hill. Although I also thought Beavis and Butthead and Office Space were overrated garbage as well, so maybe I just don't find Mike Judge stuff funny. The best moment in King of the Hill, Peggy's chute doesn't open and she plummets to the earth. The most disappointing moment in King of the Hill, the very second they let us know that she didn't die.

But there has to be more to its awfulness than just terrible people as characters. Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia is funny almost precisely because its main characters are terrible people. So when their behavior causes awful things to happen to them every week, they deserve it... so its really funny. Friends is low-key that same type of show. The "friends" are likeable, but also objectively terrible people when you really look at them. So the hijinks and misadventures that happen to them week after week are not only entertaining, but richly deserved as well. And it makes it ok for us to root for bad (but funny) things to happen to them.

King of the Hill on the other hand reinforces its characters awful traits, rarely allowing them to grow or develop (much like Friends and Sunny.) Even though there are misadventures and hijinks, they usually get resolved by the solution being that the character was "right" all along and doesn't need to change. So ok, maybe that's "on the nose parody," but the problem is that doesn't look any different than just barefaced saying "those racist hillbillies have a point you know." And I just don't find that funny.

 

[gorfias]

Just finished WandaVision. Overall, I think it's creators had too much fun with the sitcom stuff but the final episode was all superhero stuff and was pretty good. 8/10.

 

[happyninja42]

Yup. Yup. Yup. Mmmm humh. That was exactly my take on King of the Hill. Although I also thought Beavis and Butthead and Office Space were overrated garbage as well, so maybe I just don't find Mike Judge stuff funny.

This is probably part of it for me too, as I didn't enjoy B&B either. It was too much about enjoying stupidity. I did enjoy Office Space though, I think because it wasn't entirely about embracing stupidity, and did a decent job of highlighting the various annoyances in the workplace.

But there has to be more to its awfulness than just terrible people as characters. Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia is funny almost precisely because its main characters are terrible people. So when their behavior causes awful things to happen to them every week, they deserve it... so its really funny. Friends is low-key that same type of show. The "friends" are likeable, but also objectively terrible people when you really look at them. So the hijinks and misadventures that happen to them week after week are not only entertaining, but richly deserved as well. And it makes it ok for us to root for bad (but funny) things to happen to them.

King of the Hill on the other hand reinforces its characters awful traits, rarely allowing them to grow or develop (much like Friends and Sunny.) Even though there are misadventures and hijinks, they usually get resolved by the solution being that the character was "right" all along and doesn't need to change. So ok, maybe that's "on the nose parody," but the problem is that doesn't look any different than just barefaced saying "those racist hillbillies have a point you know." And I just don't find that funny.

I just never have enjoyed the "let's watch how awful/stupid these people are, and laugh at it" kind of humor. It's why I don't like any of Seth McFarlane's work, like AT ALL. Or Seinfeld, or Friends, and similar shows. I just don't find the humor in "hey! see this person being stupid? they're really stupid aren't they?!" ....yes show, I can see that. And? Your point? Oh, nothing beyond, look at them being stupid? Ok well, let's watch something else.

 

[Hawki]

The Simpsons Backstage Pass (4/5)

This is a collection of Simpsons episodes, each of which deals with music in at least some form. I'm not goign to fully review each episode, but just give quick thoughts on each:

Homer's Barbershop Quartet

You probably all recall this one, this being the episode of the B-Sharps. I admit, it doesn't make as much of an impact on me now, but I think that's more a case of familiarity breeding contempt, rathe than there being anything wrong with the episode itself. It's kind of surreal, seeing absolute dates given, which places the time of the quartet in the 1980s. Also weird to see vinyl still being used. Ah, the 90s, how I miss ye.

Anyway, it's a solid episode, with a good balance of heart and comedy.

A Tale of Two Springfields

This falls into the era of modern Simpsons (if we define that as everything post-season 9), and watching it now, it kind of shows, given the presence of the WHO, and the outlandish plot. A plot that is similar to a comics story where Springfield is separated by a wall, only there it was between Upper and Lower Springfield, whereas here, it's due to area codes. That said, the episode is still enjoyable - got quite a few laughs.

The Otto Show

I don't know if this is the best episode of the bunch (that's probably HBQ), but it's certainly the funniest. There isn't exactly classic one-liners like some other episodes, but I found myself chuckling through it.

Homerpalooza

The episode's enjoyable, but I think it's the weakest of the bunch. It's certainly got the classic "I used to be it, then they changed what it was" monologue, but the structure begins with Homer being disenchanted by the rock scene, then the story shifts to him taking cannon balls to the stomach. But still enjoyable.

 

[McElroy]

Alice in Borderland

The first four episodes of this Netflix original series based on a manga and its anime adaptation. I can take a bit of Japanese mannerisms and such, but for some reason they manage to make it look and feel like these people are not real and are just acting a bad play. The script is from a manga so it's bad, but the direction is screwy too. The plot is alright, and all in all I liked the first two episodes because the drama came from beating the cruel Game they've been forced to play. But in three and four it becomes mostly about personal drama and that's written so damn awkwardly it's not even funny but just dull. There are also some practical problems with the... physics of things. And I know they don't have any medical skills but not even bothering to get painkillers for your hurt buddy is stupid as hell.

Maybe I'll finish the other half of the season, maybe not.

Friends is low-key that same type of show. The "friends" are likeable, but also objectively terrible people when you really look at them. So the hijinks and misadventures that happen to them week after week are not only entertaining, but richly deserved as well. And it makes it ok for us to root for bad (but funny) things to happen to them.

There is being a goody-two-shoes, and then there is calling Friends bad people. Sure there is a laugh track over events that would be serious if they happened to real people, but come on.

 

[happyninja42]

Alice in Borderland

The first four episode of this Netflix original series based on a manga and its anime adaptation. I can take a bit of Japanese mannerisms and such, but for some reason they manage to make it look and feel like these people are not real and are just acting a bad play. The script is from a manga so it's bad, but the direction is screwy too. The plot is alright, and all in all I liked the first two episodes because the drama came from beating the cruel Game they've been forced to play. But in three and four it becomes mostly about personal drama and that's written so damn awkwardly it's not even funny but just dull. There are also some practical problems with the... physics of things. And I know they don't have any medical skills but not even bothering to get painkillers for your hurt buddy is stupid as hell.

Maybe I'll finish the other half of the season, maybe not.

Yeah the wifey and I had watched the first 2 episodes about...I dunno a month ago now? Maybe just a few weeks. I commented how ep 1 was very meh for me, and bordered on Rainman levels of attention to detail for the protag to accomplish what he did, which I called BS on. Ep 2 was WAY more enjoyable, as the solutions they came up with to the problem were far more believable. And I don't have a problem with them having the main protag's power to be "I solve puzzles." Ok fine, it's no more surprising than to tune into an episode of House and be shocked that HE is the one that came up with the solution. I just prefer it when it makes sense, and isn't reliant on ludicrous, inhuman levels of data processing. He's not a fucking Mentat.

But, despite finding ep 2 way more enjoyable, we just stopped watching. We picked up a few games and played those, instead of booting up netflix. So, yeah the show definitely didn't hold our attention.

 

[McElroy]

But, despite finding ep 2 way more enjoyable, we just stopped watching. We picked up a few games and played those, instead of booting up netflix. So, yeah the show definitely didn't hold our attention.

3 and 4 are pretty bad, but the 5th picks things up a bit. Still, some of these things are simply way too Japanese for me to understand. One moment people open up about weird things and next they are acting like an actual person again.

 

[Phoenixmgs]

Alice in Borderland

The first four episodes of this Netflix original series based on a manga and its anime adaptation. I can take a bit of Japanese mannerisms and such, but for some reason they manage to make it look and feel like these people are not real and are just acting a bad play. The script is from a manga so it's bad, but the direction is screwy too. The plot is alright, and all in all I liked the first two episodes because the drama came from beating the cruel Game they've been forced to play. But in three and four it becomes mostly about personal drama and that's written so damn awkwardly it's not even funny but just dull. There are also some practical problems with the... physics of things. And I know they don't have any medical skills but not even bothering to get painkillers for your hurt buddy is stupid as hell.

Maybe I'll finish the other half of the season, maybe not.

Yeah, I really couldn't stand the show, I stopped after episode 3 IIRC where they're crying like the whole episode. I didn't care for the 1st couple episodes either, you could just tell the setup has no logical explanation other than like something weird like VR or dream or something.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I'm surprised no has talked about Superman and Lois, which seems to be DC's "response" to Marvel's Disney+ shows. By all accounts, it's not bad at all. It would be kinda funny if the best on screen live action Superman we've ever gotten was from a TV show.

I might get into it one day, but then Falcon and the Winter Soldier is coming out in a few weeks, so hmmmm

 

[Hawki]

I'm surprised no has talked about Superman and Lois, which seems to be DC's "response" to Marvel's Disney+ shows.

The Arrowverse doesn't have the best of reputations these days, whereas the MCU is still the golden goose of shared universes.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

The Arrowverse doesn't have the best of reputations these days, whereas the MCU is still the golden goose of shared universes.

Well, I don't know much about the show or what happened to the Arrowverse, but at the very least Superman and Lois doesn't look like the usual CW garbage. The special effects are much better and it's shot differently to the "monster of the week" style.