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

Bob_McMillan

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I hate this pacing style and its not even the content it's just that each episode of Andor is filmed like a disconnected analogy of stories with no connective tissue and then the episode just ends and youre left feeling like "oh...I guess we're done now, some of that was good!". Someone needs to take over the editing room on this show ffs.
Does it look like they're building up to another 3rd episode climax? If they are, why...
 

hanselthecaretaker

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Doom of Valyria - A Wiki of Ice and Fire (westeros.org)

The details are vague, but it wasn't a dragon vs. dragon thing. The real-world inspiration seems to be Atlantis, the thematic inspiration is "the Valyrians were gits, so karma bit them in the backside."



That's underselling it. Daenerys had three dragons. She lost one to the Night King (who is no ordinary man, and only downed Viserion through supernatural ability) and lost another to a ballista, which was specifically designed to counter the dragons, and despite all the ballistae that were produced, Rhaegal was the only one who was downed, and only then through a combination of circumstances.

If anything, it reinforces just how powerful dragons are, given how limited the ballistae were against them. Yes, Rhaegal was killed, but Drogon alone was enough to take King's Landing.
Basically, one has to see them in action to understand. Otherwise their dominance doesn’t really register to the point of going, “Ok yeah, that’s why.”
 
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Old_Hunter_77

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This shows does an astoundingly bad job of having a coherent meaningful narrative across each episode. I would challenge anyone to, without looking at the wiki, tell me what the individual focus of each episode was up until the climax.
Isn't that so much of current tv though? I don't know what each episode of anything is about any more, except Atlanta.
 

hanselthecaretaker

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Yeah, I mean it's the equivalent of having a B-17 bomber in medieval times. One dragon can swoop down and wipe out a 100 troops with one attack without ever stopping. They aren't the end all be all, but unless the army is specifically equipped to handle them it's pretty much game over. The couple times in the show they are actually stopped its by an entire platoon of archers or 10-20 ships equipped with harpoons and they only managed to take one down after losing a thousand troops. Additionally in HOTD the largest dragon in the world is introduced, which is about the size of a city block. It's impossible to say what kind of havoc it could wreak.

Ah for whatever the show decided to have a scene where a lord lady unwillingly shows the series Snidely Whiplash her feet and he masturbates. It's really dumb and out of place. Its an infantile call back the original shows first couple seasons where theres a lot of sex and nudity. Its supposed to be shocking but the character in question already and cartoon villain and it just feels infantile because it doesn't fit with the established power dynamic between the two characters up to this point. TBH the show was pretty mature up this point and I'm little disappointed they felt the need to "shock" us in the episode before the finale.
It’s intended to show how low Alicent is willing to stoop for a power play, and how it makes her a hypocrite for how publicly adamant she declares to be against indecency.


I mean, Larys is an irredeemable pervert, but he’s basically fodder for exposing Alicent’s lack of resolve and how vulnerable she is to the lure of power.

The irony is she realizes deep down how she like many women of the time probably never wanted this kind of life, but with the king’s death it is her new unavoidable reality. It is also in a way necessary for her to provide this “service” as it ultimately helps secure her family’s reign and keeps her children safe.
 
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hanselthecaretaker

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The Watcher

It’s a new show from Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story) that’s actually based on a true story. The leads are Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale; the former being no stranger to horror/suspense but I’ve never seen the latter in this type of role, and he does well with it. I like that his character actually has some bite and doesn’t go the typical route of an idiotic, clueless or dismissive husband that many of these kinds of shows or movies do.

It also takes a more practical approach, with the antagonist forces being more grounded in reality than ghosts or whatever. So far the show pulls off the overdone element of “couple moves to suburbia and deals with creepy neighbors” and adds a new twist to it.

Some background on true story part of the premise -

 
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Johnny Novgorod

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I do not understand why that was necessary or even relevant. There was nothing to indicate that relationship or dynamic existed and even it was it literally added nothing to the story. It feels like the show runner owed Harvey Weinstein a favor or something. It just felt like someone demanded it be put in for the sake of grossing out the audience. It would have worked earlier in the series when that relationship was building, but its literally the finale next week. It doesn't matter anymore.
It's the first time we realize the relationship isn't one-way and Larys requires something from her for his "help". That it's humiliating and debasing is a reminder of precisely how much real power Alicent has as regent queen - at the end of the day she has to lower herself to have any. So what seemed like a good deal before is by now revealed as a horribly emasculating one and that she keeps at it shows how far gone into this whole thing she is as well.
 

Piscian

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It's the first time we realize the relationship isn't one-way and Larys requires something from her for his "help". That it's humiliating and debasing is a reminder of precisely how much real power Alicent has as regent queen - at the end of the day she has to lower herself to have any. So what seemed like a good deal before is by now revealed as a horribly emasculating one and that she keeps at it shows how far gone into this whole thing she is as well.
I would argue better writing would be to see this power dynamic gradually twist, throwing this at us now seems pointless to me as she's likely going to die next episode and I don't feel like it really changes anything about her as a character. She's been bent over since episode 1.
 

Johnny Novgorod

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I would argue better writing would be to see this power dynamic gradually twist, throwing this at us now seems pointless to me as she's likely going to die next episode and I don't feel like it really changes anything about her as a character. She's been bent over since episode 1.
But it did gradually twist. This is the third or fourth time he offers his service and where we saw earlier it cost other people, now it costs her personally. So there is an escalation. And it's a good reminder too, that even at her most powerful and unencumbered she's still victimised.

I don't know about her dying next episode. Haven't read the books and I didn't get that impression from last episode.
 

Piscian

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LOTR: Bling Power Episode 6 review

....I don't think that Elf understands how smithing works.
 

Thaluikhain

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On a whim I checked out the first two episodes of Derry Girls. It's really, really funny.
Oh yeah, I recommend watching the whole thing. Apparently it's also very accurate as well, though not living in Ireland during the Troubles, I can't say.
 

Baffle

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I believe season 4 is out now
It is. S4 was better than S3, but I'm not convinced I'd watch an S5. The guy's whole thing is that he's constantly troubled by his own guilt over whatever, but that never comes through in his actions, he's just Serious Columbo Who Talks to the Dead.
 

Baffle

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Oh yeah, I recommend watching the whole thing. Apparently it's also very accurate as well, though not living in Ireland during the Troubles, I can't say.
I'm about the same age as the characters in the show would be today, and it's strange seeing how different their lives are at the same point as mine at the time (based on the music which is representative of the era; my sense of actual time in numeric terms is awful).
 
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09philj

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Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor

The last episode with Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor and Chris Chibnall as the showrunner. A highpoint of the era, in that there was no point at which I questioned why I was even watching or wanted to head out into the garden to blow my own brains out. It was big and silly and overstuffed but wasn't too self indulgent or annoying. It did the job. 3/5
 

Johnny Novgorod

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La Casa del Dragón

Well it's over. Finale felt like it was leading towards one more episode but guess that's it. "Now it's personal" and all that. Would've liked to see that play out at least a little bit here, since season two comes out in 2 years, and I'm not sure I'm gonna care anymore by then. Also is the story even finished, or is grrm half-assing this one as well? I know he said it's gonna take 4 seasons but did he actually finish the prequel books?
 

Old_Hunter_77

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Andor episode 1

I started to watch this when it first came out but fell asleep halfway through because I was bored. But I was also sleepy and tired so I figured I didn't give it a fair chance. Last night tried again being well-rested.
So, I dunno... feeling I'll continue to watch a couple more and see where it goes. I get that everyone is loving it but I'm not sure if people just think it's better than the other Star Wars shows, which means nothing to me, or it's actually good.
(For reference, though Mandalorian was cute but shallow, thought Boba Fett show was aggressively lame, and have zero interest in the Obi Wan show as it seems just pure nostalgia/lore nerd crap I don't care about).

The first episode felt just like a character introduction. Nothing particularly interesting happened but it seems like something interesting could potentially interesting happening. All the right character archetypes are there in their simplistic pure form, including Nazi-like Cop and Unbelievably Hot Angry Mechanic Chick.
 

Bob_McMillan

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I get that everyone is loving it but I'm not sure if people just think it's better than the other Star Wars shows, which means nothing to me, or it's actually good.
I think the consensus is generally that this is finally a Star Wars show where it feels like somebody with a vision wanted to make something they actually cared about, and was able to get the freedom and budget to execute it.

Sadly, the pacing is just really off. Like you said, the first episode is all setup, which for some bizarre reason just continues in the second episode, and the third is where we get something significant and exciting. This repeats for episodes 4, 5, and 6.

This isn't a slow burn thing either, literally nothing happens in the first two episodes. Some good character moments sure, but the plot is generally at a complete stand still. Not sure why they did this and why this was allowed to be released this way.
 

Piscian

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Dragons house season finale

Its difficult to make any comment on this without spoilers. The story continues to be engrossing, acting wonderful, tropes kept within reason. I was not disappointed in the big twists, but the regarding the big one I kind of wanted to yell at the screen like "DUH" of course that shit was gonna happen, if they'd have foreshadowed that shit any harder they probably woulda slipped a disk.

Not specific spoilers, but more where the show goes directionally which may hint at what happens.

This finale unfortunately serves as more of a cliffhanger than and actual conclusion to anything and that kinda sucks. I now can't recommend this show to anyone without the caveat that you are not getting any kind of closure season one. In fact Season One is essentially an origin story, albeit a good one. They do mean to drag this shit out for a couple seasons I imagine. I'll still show up for it, but I'm getting to an age and TV is such a clusterfuck that I'll forget its even airing until a week before. All in All, a good show, but still in the same category of these prestige shows that mean to drag on forever rather than giving you good, individual season stories. I don't mind a good tease, but I was left pretty unfulfilled on House Of Dragons.

Actual spoiler warning

You're a bad dragon mom, like seriously. At least send an adult with these kids. Dumbest shit ever. It's interesting that they choose for Lucerys death to be a an accident more or less. I'm curious as to where it puts Aemond. Does he just become a worse piece of shit, or does this horror make him rethink his identity as this villain? Either way I assume Daemons gonna kill him. Goddamn that dragons big, like that thing could give Godzilla a shitty afternoon. I would who this wild dragon is Daemon is wooing. It doesn't look quite as big as vagar, but certainly nasty. DRAGON FIGHTSSS YESSS.
 

hanselthecaretaker

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Dragons house season finale

Its difficult to make any comment on this without spoilers. The story continues to be engrossing, acting wonderful, tropes kept within reason. I was not disappointed in the big twists, but the regarding the big one I kind of wanted to yell at the screen like "DUH" of course that shit was gonna happen, if they'd have foreshadowed that shit any harder they probably woulda slipped a disk.

Not specific spoilers, but more where the show goes directionally which may hint at what happens.

This finale unfortunately serves as more of a cliffhanger than and actual conclusion to anything and that kinda sucks. I now can't recommend this show to anyone without the caveat that you are not getting any kind of closure season one. In fact Season One is essentially an origin story, albeit a good one. They do mean to drag this shit out for a couple seasons I imagine. I'll still show up for it, but I'm getting to an age and TV is such a clusterfuck that I'll forget its even airing until a week before. All in All, a good show, but still in the same category of these prestige shows that mean to drag on forever rather than giving you good, individual season stories. I don't mind a good tease, but I was left pretty unfulfilled on House Of Dragons.

Actual spoiler warning

You're a bad dragon mom, like seriously. At least send an adult with these kids. Dumbest shit ever. It's interesting that they choose for Lucerys death to be a an accident more or less. I'm curious as to where it puts Aemond. Does he just become a worse piece of shit, or does this horror make him rethink his identity as this villain? Either way I assume Daemons gonna kill him. Goddamn that dragons big, like that thing could give Godzilla a shitty afternoon. I would who this wild dragon is Daemon is wooing. It doesn't look quite as big as vagar, but certainly nasty. DRAGON FIGHTSSS YESSS.
…in 2024! This is the issue with shows like this ending on cliff hangers. People forget they’re even hanging after a certain point, and risk the possibility of falling off the longer the wait.

Agreed he should’ve had an adult escort but not sure what other dragon riders were available? Aemond is a giant A-hole too even if he didn’t intend for that to happen. With the time jumps, it also looks like he’s way too old compared to the kid if that’s really supposed to be who cut him. Like this kid looks like he would’ve been an actual baby next to how much they aged Aemond.

Anyways, it goes to show these dragons can and will have a mind of their own, likely putting self preservation above the needs of the pests on their backs. Vhagar is still a dick though, but then again this wouldn’t have happened if A-hole didn’t take her from Rhaena.
 
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