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

[Johnny Novgorod]

Finished Bojack's fourth season. It shakes the format and dynamics up a fair bit, which is great to make the show not feel predictable or repetitive. Bojack hardly interacts with either Todd or Mr PB in the season where in the previous ones they did it on a regular basis. Princess Carolyn has perhaps the most brutal arc of the season with her getting the shit kicked out of her mentally. Hollyhock is a great character, and so important for forcing Bojack to actually grow as a person. It's one of the most interesting odd pairing of characters I've seen in any media, and their dynamic is really well executed. Despite the show revolving around characters in or approaching middle age, it's remarkable just how well and compellingly the teenage characters are written as well. The season's also got some of the series' most ambitious storytelling with basically a silent episode, a Todd-centered episode and the non-linear and harrowing "Time's Arrow".

Todd feels perhaps the most sidelined this season. With him having neither Bojack nor really Mr PB to play off of, his clown dentist venture, delightfully nonsensical and silly as it is, feels mostly like a side plot. He does have a vital role in Princess Carolyn's arc, being her sole pillar of support, but otherwise he's mostly in the periphery. His asexuality doesn't really come to the forefront until next season, so this season feels very "business as usual" for Todd, sans the amazing "Hooray, Todd episode!"

The amount of details I'm picking up on only now is just staggering. For some reason I never picked up on that Beatrice decided to have Bojack instead of an abortion because of losing her doll as a child, it wasn't just some arbitrary decision or how those times were. Or that the show within the show that a lot of season 5 centers around comes about because it shares a name with Princess Carolyn's miscarried baby. Or all the signs that Diane and Mr PB's marriage was doomed to fail. This show is just bafflingly good.

The show never figured out what to make of Todd after he moved beyond being Bojack's zany roommate. They tried to turn him into a kind of Jiminy Cricket morality figure which never worked for me. Like they kept and amplified his ridiculous escapades but he also had to be Bojack's nagging conscience for some reason, where Diane and PC were much more adept in that capacity (while also being flawed, believable characters). Oh and they gave him some flimsy family drama in like season 6 like we're supposed to start caring at that point.

Kramer in Seinfeld has a holier than thou attitude towards Jerry (and everyone else) but that works because that's the joke. Nobody wants him to he the actual voice of reason.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Finished Reacher. There goes my Dad TV. And White Lotus wraps up in two Sundays. There goes my Wine Aunt Show.

Reacher S3: better than S2, still nowhere near as good as S1. Actually I'm a firm believer in the supremacy of the prison fight from early, early S1 and that after three seasons the show has yet to top it. Well it comes close but not quite in the S3 finale, during Reacher's version of Peter Griffin fighting the giant chicken, which takes up something like half the episode. It's always nice when the camera looks like it's dodging blows as much as the hero and it lets him do a full combo on the bad guy without cutting for coverage.

It's still such a dumb show/story though. And Reacher is to Sherlock Holmes what a cat chasing a laser pointer is to the person holding the laser pointer.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Finished Reacher. There goes my Dad TV. And White Lotus wraps up in two Sundays. There goes my Wine Aunt Show.

Reacher S3: better than S2, still nowhere near as good as S1. Actually I'm a firm believer in the supremacy of the prison fight from early, early S1 and that after three seasons the show has yet to top it. Well it comes close but not quite in the S3 finale, during Reacher's version of Peter Griffin fighting the giant chicken, which takes up something like half the episode. It's always nice when the camera looks like it's dodging blows as much as the hero and it lets him do a full combo on the bad guy without cutting for coverage.

It's still such a dumb show/story though. And Reacher is to Sherlock Holmes what a cat chasing a laser pointer is to the person holding the laser pointer.

I know it's great.
Usually I roll my eyes at internet memed "good-bad" entertainment but I'm all in on this one. Love it, especially the terrible dialogue.
"I am bigger and stronger" "But I am smarter!" Dear lord, there should have been a cartoon character promoting a sugar cereal after that Saturday morning cartoon exchange.

Apparently Neagely is getting a spin off series which we're all ambivalent about- she's a fun character but we come to Reacher for the big man not the writing so I dunnno. Either way, the actress won Miss Denmark Universe in 2008 and clearly still keeps in shape so there's that

 

[Xprimentyl]

Only Murders In The Building: S1: Good / Great

Oliver, Charles, and Mabel (Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez respectively) are three tennants in an apartment building who, by chance, learn they share an obsession with the same true crime podcast. Following a "suicide" in their apartment building, naturally, they decide to start their own podcast, documenting and investigating the loose threads of their newly deceased neighbor's passing. It garners... attention.

It's a dumb-fun show. Legal protocols are eschewed almost immediately so our protagonists can put on their best Sherlock Holmes hats and make all of the unlikely connections necessary for the content of their podcast, and furtherance of the show's premise. It is the perfect remedy to my Baby Reindeer depression (seriously, guys, that show brought me way down.) Short and Martin are national treasures; rarely "laugh out loud" funny, but they consistently make you smile and feel good. Their mere presence, particularly together, is like a bear hug from your favorite person. Most surprisingly to someone who knows absolutely nothing about Selena Gomez other then she makes garbage music, she's a decent actress. Her speaking voice (assuming it's not put on for the show) has a unique character; it's like an actress from a noire film, or a female version of an early 20th century gangster. Whatever it is, I find myself hung on her every word.

Anyway, I'm in it to win it; gonna start season 2 tonight, and am actually excited about it. Anything but Baby Reindeer.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I know it's great.
Usually I roll my eyes at internet memed "good-bad" entertainment but I'm all in on this one. Love it, especially the terrible dialogue.
"I am bigger and stronger" "But I am smarter!" Dear lord, there should have been a cartoon character promoting a sugar cereal after that Saturday morning cartoon exchange.

It's like the reverse of Keanu's big moment in Speed. "I'm smarter, Jack!" "Well I'm taller". But where Keanu leaves it at that, Reacher always has to explain to nobody in particular how and why it is that he's better.

(And after making a big deal of not using guns because it would draw the attention of the people in the mansion, Reacher repeatedly fires a chaingun without blowing his cover, for some reason)

Apparently Neagely is getting a spin off series which we're all ambivalent about- she's a fun character but we come to Reacher for the big man not the writing so I dunnno. Either way, the actress won Miss Denmark Universe in 2008 and clearly still keeps in shape so there's that

I don't know if the spin-off will have legs but damn Neagley's got them for days.



She got them Bayonetta gams.
In that office shootout scene she looked like Ada or Jill after the horny mods.
I'm not interested in spinoffs in general (haven't watched Gen V and it clearly made no difference to The Boys) but if her spin-off is Neagley bringing her step on me mommy game and making terrible jokes I'm all for it. And Ritchson will probably cameo in it too.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

> I don't know if the spin-off will have legs but damn Neagley's got them for days.

I'm mad I can only like this post once

 

[Xprimentyl]

Deli Boys: S1:Ep 1-4: Fun / Great

Two spoiled and entitled Pakistani brothers inherit the family business (a chain of prominent deli shops) after their father's sudden death only to learn that not only will they have to work... the family business is actually trafficking cocaine. Oh, and the feds have been on to their family for quite some time.

A lot of fun. One brother has modeled his life after his father, thinking hard work and business savvy are the qualities he needs, the other is more than content doing nothing, engrossing himself in a hedonistic lifestyle devoid of responsibility, then BOOM, their literal lives are on the line when they realize their wealth and comfort are based on a dangerous lie. It's absurd watching two guys trying to be drug kingpins while at the same time not wanting to be drug kingpins, and the organization around them is backing them with their institutional knowledge and razor-thin tolerance of their obvious ineptitude. Their individual strengths prove to be boons at points, but clearly, they're not cut out for what they've inherited. Will watch more!

 

[gorfias]

Finished Reacher. There goes my Dad TV. And White Lotus wraps up in two Sundays. There goes my Wine Aunt Show.

Reacher S3: better than S2, still nowhere near as good as S1. Actually I'm a firm believer in the supremacy of the prison fight from early, early S1 and that after three seasons the show has yet to top it. Well it comes close but not quite in the S3 finale, during Reacher's version of Peter Griffin fighting the giant chicken, which takes up something like half the episode. It's always nice when the camera looks like it's dodging blows as much as the hero and it lets him do a full combo on the bad guy without cutting for coverage.

It's still such a dumb show/story though. And Reacher is to Sherlock Holmes what a cat chasing a laser pointer is to the person holding the laser pointer.

S1 takes place in such a one horse town that one can buy that a guy like Reacher could get away with some stuff but in S2 and 3 he's just like, "laws? There's such a thing as laws?" I did enjoy the Peter Griffin fight. Some the acting and directing is just awful but, in a good way.

 

[Gordon_4]

S1 takes place in such a one horse town that one can buy that a guy like Reacher could get away with some stuff but in S2 and 3 he's just like, "laws? There's such a thing as laws?" I did enjoy the Peter Griffin fight. Some the acting and directing is just awful but, in a good way.

You should try the books. The amount of fucking whacky shit Reacher gets into, regardless of location, is just absurd. And if that doesn't tickle your pickle, try the Shane Schofield series by Matthew Reiley. The fact that Michael Bay hasn't optioned any of them for a movie is mind-blowing to me.