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Deadwood is excellent on every level. Fantastic performances and sets throughout. The dialogue is next level... like native English speakers could have a hard time following at times. And yes, cancelled way too early. WTF HBO? Never knew they finally got off their asses w/ the movie. Good to hear, although I'm sure many have lost interest.

I would recommend the BBC-produced Gunpowder, Treason & Plot miniseries to you, then. Only 2 parts-long, so it doesn't outstay its welcome. Written by Jimmy McGovern, whom I'm not sure if I'd like meeting in person, but I do respect his rationale for abandoning Cracker (moreso than Granada TV's persistence of continuing the latter without him).
If not particularly "high production value", then at least an extremely solid TV job, as expected of BBC. You can keep Braveheart for all I care, I'd sooner re-watch this than that.

Unlike Romes main characters, two soldiers Gaius wrote a bit about, Deadwood is supposedly accurate as there's quite a bit written about many of the characters.
Even if you don't place much stock in historical accuracy, it's worth watching for Ian McShane; his performance, particularly dialogue and delivery, are phenomenal.

True Detective - Good so far but goddamn it's moving slow.

Ian McShane was for sure the best one. Most surprising performance for me was Stephen Tobolowsky. I never thought Needle Head Ned would have been so capable. Calamity Jane as well. Shit... really wish they'd have kept going.

*adds to list* thanks!



Well that was one of the little issues with Rome, one character (also a villain) catching all the light in many episodes, and the supposed two MCs almost demoted to secondary roles because of that.

But yes I'm 5 episodes in Deadwood and he's good, no question.

I'm enjoying the show so far, how not to? shiet's been cooked with love.
I've always wanted to see the old west on screen in that fashion, a drama sure but with a significant effort at a realistic setting, you know, not another fantasy with John Wayne or C.Eastwood.


Guess you mean season 3. Yes it's damn slow, but that's a characteristic of the franchise.
It is trying hard to copy s1, though what's coming is somewhat more predictable. Thankfully the MC is not quite another Rust Cohle or people would have called clone, but because the plot is so-so Mahershala is carrying the whole show on his shoulders.

On a side note, though not a period drama this is another show that grants the viewer another glimpse of US places tv/hollywood productions hardly ever show, and I think I understand why an American I know told me once where I live looks and feels a bit like the Ozarks (don't know how I should take this now lol )

Jane is exceptional and one of the most entertaining characters. The banter between her and the Doc is hysterical. Speaking of the Doc, and actors with previous roles that were significantly different: I set my mind in motion

Xyga, glad you're enjoying Deadwood, it only gets better. The worst part about the show is the abrupt ending already mentioned.

Yea, I was referring to Season 3 of TD. Mahershala is excellent. I've never thought much of Dorff (he's a spitting image of my father). heh, actually I watched The Gate between episodes a few days ago; that was a trip.
He's alright in Somewhere but that's that's likely due to his non-existent dialogue coupled with an excellent soundtrack.

I love the fact that she's piss drunk and swears like a sailor consistently.



I didn't realize until I read about the movie that it was Brad Dourif.



I think Dorff is holding his own. Maybe he's just a redneck with horrible fashion sense deep down?

It's a slow burn for sure... feels more like a character drama where the crime is more of a vehicle to explore racial tension in what is actually not that bizarre of a place to me (I was 5 years old, and about 300 miles from where the 1980 story takes place). A 30 minute drive from my home and you would probably not be able to tell the difference. You can confirm better than I, but now maybe drive an hour and it's the same scenario?

The sprawl isn't moving east at the same rate it is north and west. I was in Garland till '85 and when driving through on my way to NOLA a few years ago, very little appeared to have changed. East Texas, West LA and AK, it all looks the same.

Did we have this convo before? I grew up in Garland... left permanently in '93. Spending only 1 semester thereafter. My mother is just now getting rid of the house I grew up in. It's bitter sweet, but it will not appreciate any further. She's in South Garland, which as you may or may know, is pretty low-end these days.

Back on topic, the super bowl successfully bored the shit out of me to the point where I fell asleep like 3 times in last night's TD so I gotta watch it again.

Deadwood is fucking amazing.

I'm at season 2 now. Yes it rocks.

But...

There's one small part of one episode (season 2 I think?) that has really stuck with me. The US healthcare system is fucked up for sure, but good lordy back in the day...

Am I the only one that recognized the lady from Facts of Life that has cerebra palsy? God damn I'm old.

I am watching the TV play Sammy written by Ken Hughes, NOT its original, British screening from the year 1958 (I wonder if it's even preserved, considering the lost Doctor Who episodes misadventure), but the Polish one made A.D. 1962 (thus but a year before The Small World of Sammy Lee it eventually spawned), starring Zbigniew Cybulski. Who was one hell of an actor, but the cameraman did just as magnificent a job filming the stuff. In case you get the chance to watch it, well worth a go even without subtitles comprehensible to you (monodrama about a gambling addict in debt, making phone calls in an increasingly desperate attempt to save his own hide - it is all growing tension staged masterfully on a TV screen).
Quite a shame the DVD I've got is a quick cash grab rather than release the thing truly deserves (no subtitles of any kind, hardly any image or sound restoration), but infinitely better than no release at all.

Finished True Detective Season 3. I liked it. Thoughts?

I fucked up and made the mistake of re-watching the first season in between episodes. Climax in season 3 was a little underwhelming, but yea... it was good; certainly better than season 2.

I think that was kind of the point. Goes out w/ a whimper, but the point of the show isn't really crime per se. Journey vs. the destination I suppose.

Well, compared to last season, the crime did a much better job at being relevant and kept me interested. Season 2 was carried by character drama almost interely. Nice return to the roots of the series without being just a copy of the first season, as everyone out there already said. Season 2 had less time for preparation, being just a year after the first one (similar to what happened to another mistery tv series.)
What I haven't seen anyone talking about, is that the soundtrack wasn't that great this time.

Just finished season 3 of True Detective. We enjoyed some of it but I think it was poorly paced. You get an information overload in the last 40 minutes of the last episode which would have been much better placed throughout the story. It would have also made the fact that


Didn't like the wife, thought the last 20 minutes were pretty terrible. Wasn't season 2 better? I seem to remember liking it but compared to season one it fell short.

Also, the fact that the story was told from 3 different time periods robbed it of any suspense. You knew fairly early on that To actually tell a story in a linear way is much more difficult. Imagine what this would have been like if the first three episodes were 80, then three from 90 and the final two in 2015.

It was ok, but a bit of a letdown. The best thing about it was the performances.

Season 3 of The Wire. A bit slower moving compared to the previous seasons, but the subtle tension and conflicting mentalities between Avon and Stringer are superb. The subplot with Littlefinger's I'll scratch your back relationship with Burell hasn't really gone anywhere interesting yet, but so far all of the numerous subplots have delivered satisfying payoffs.

Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles

Don't let the bad subtitle & 'hot teen girl robot' premise fool you, this show is excellent. I can't believe I missed it. Easily the best Terminator sequel since T2 & a surprisingly intricate show for television. The CG suffers a bit but who cares when the writing is this good? "No one is ever safe" as they say.

I watched it ages ago and remember little, but remember it being pretty good. Definitely better than anything after T2 as you stated.

The second season really stepped things up. So sad it was cancelled.

Hmm, I never really gave that show a shot.

Lena Headey alone sells the show but most of the rest of the cast are also quite likeable. I'm pretty impressed with Shirley Manson's performance. She can be surprisingly intimidating.

I'm back on the original Mission: Impossible series now and am halfway through season 2. What a forgotten gem! I like the recent movies but it's too bad they overshadow the old TV show. I snagged what looks to be a mint condition copy of the Mission: Impossible Dossier off eBay last night for $50. There were cheaper copies but for this I only want the best.

Silicon Valley: Started off slow( in fact I was pretty close to dropping it) , now am on Season 3 binge watching the first chance I get

I've been watching 1970s Dr. Who with Jon Pertwee. I like the newer episodes of Dr. Who, but I find the show so much more charming when the budget is the cost of a McDonald's Happy Meal. I noticed one scene where the exterior of the TARDIS was literally falling right off of its hinges. This show is amazing.

I know what you mean, but to me the modern shows look just as cheap with awful cgi. I'd rather look at a man in a papier-mâché suit than crap British cgi. Can't watch them.

Keep going with Pertwee, the best Doctor is next!

Oh, no question. I would sometimes watch the occasional Tom Baker episode on CBC when I was little. I never understood anything that was going on, but I always enjoyed what I saw. Baker was brilliant in the role. I like David Tennant and Matt Smith quite a bit as well, but yeah, the CGI is crap.

You're going to love Blake's 7.

Deadwood: loved it, no mistake, but S3 was weak. Also in general the show is a bit claustrophobic; 99% happens within the camp's limits, and the focus on charcaters is too strong (well, like, every modern show that is)

True Detective S3: didn't finish it, and did not realize I hadn't before a week or two after the show ended. Too slow, too centered on the MC, lacking enough mystery/suspense/originality. *yawn*

Terminator the S.C Chronicles: couldn't finish it, cheap, far-fetched even for the franchise, and too much cheesy character's relationship interference (every fucking show no matter the topic and setting is 90210)

Star Trek Discovery: getting more and more cheesy, predictable, cliché even by the standards of space opera, hipster, and 90210. Both Voyager and Enterprise were overall better Trek shows, change my mind. *holds mug*

The Orville: goes from cringy shit - can't deny it - ...to awesomeness even Discovery with its much greater budget can't afford. Still I can't help but find Orville fresher and more entertaining than Discovery, the show assumes its personality without shame and some episodes are genuinely good space pulp, sort of like Galaxy Quest ended being kinda cool after all.