TV you've just watched

[GaijinPunch]

Transparent (Seasons 1-3).

Really good.

[atheistgod1999]

Is it a bad thing that I've been binging The Office and liking it? Is that acceptable? On season 2 episode 15 atm.

[Ed Oscuro]

Watched the 40th and final episode of the 1984-1994 Granada "Sherlock Holmes" series, starring Jeremy Brett and David Burke/Edward Hardwicke. The last one is a bit of a downer but Holmes gives a famous short speech at the end. The penultimate show was more fun, starring Charles Gray as Mycroft stepping in for Sherlock. Quite a good series all around; the first episode looked rather '70s dated but things started moving smoothly past that. Some of the double-length "film" episodes wasted time or got quite experimental with the filming, and there were a few of these near the end of the series. There are also some disappointing omissions, but at the end they were fighting against time as Brett was quite ill. Great series and probably the best adaptation of the character, at least in the English language.

[emphatic]

Is it a bad thing that I've been binging The Office and liking it? Is that acceptable? On season 2 episode 15 atm.

No, The Office An American Workplace is fantastic all the way through.

[atheistgod1999]

Finished Season 3 Episode 2 of The Office a few minutes ago.

The only characters I care for are

Spoiler

Jim, Josh, Ryan, and Pam

. The rest can die in a fire for all I care (except Dwight, because he's pretty funny in a CWC way).

[system11]

Watched the first episode of Grand Tour last night, pretty good.

[Shoryukev]

I watched the first two episodes of the latest season of South Park last night.....holy hell LOL. Glad I found it on Hulu, if the rest of the season is half this good I will binge watch through it in a few nights.

[Aleksei]

I just finished watching Fraiser, quite a funny show and it was great to come home from work and relax with it this past month.

[atheistgod1999]

I watched the first two episodes of the latest season of South Park last night.....holy hell LOL. Glad I found it on Hulu, if the rest of the season is half this good I will binge watch through it in a few nights.

[DON'T SHOW SPOILER UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN EPISODE 3 (OR 4; I FORGET)]

Spoiler

That scene where Sheila pisses on Gerald was fucking hilarious and cringy at the same time

Kinda sucks that there won't be any more episodes like Super Phun Time (one of my favorites) due to the new format

[BIL]

Binged Westworld the last couple evenings. It's rare that I'll watch a show in its premiere season, but I couldn't resist the prospect of my weathered yet potent old B-movie favourite getting primetime HBO treatment.

Pretty engrossing stuff. Its probings into the classic existential crises and horrors of a manmade mankind aren't especially novel, but they're movingly delivered and unflinchingly dark. The immaculate production and sterling performances are almost expected, but even so, this is a real treat on both fronts. The bigger action setpieces can feel a bit contrived but I suspect that's often their point, and they're decidedly not the show's focus. Some Wild Guns/Sunset Riders business going on there, fun in short doses. Liking the anticipated Crichtonesque bleed-in of genuine mortal terror as things progress.

Only real sticking point for me was

Spoiler

Thandie Newton's arc with the two tech guys. The concept of the one sensitive dude going native is sound, but I couldn't quite buy his cynical pal's participation in what would presumably look like the birthing of goddamn Skynet, whatever his personal stake. That development felt a little too convenient. Maybe he's just that shitty of a human, oh well.

I do hope they don't run it into the ground. The plot is great multi-layered fun so far, but it feels like something that should be wrapped up in two seasons, three max.

[fallingpancake]

Spent all day watching S3 of GOT. ^__0

[emphatic]

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2016)

I remember reading the novel by Douglas Adams of Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy fame back in school, but while quirky, I don't remember it being this violent and straight up crazy. This Americanized version stars Elijah Wood, there was one from the UK a few years ago too, but that wasn't weird enough to at all compare to the book.

Edit: I'm just one episode in while writing this.

[Shoryukev]

All caught up on Ash vs Evil Dead season 2 as of last night, the second half of this season has been absolutely fantastic.

Do not click the spoiler if you haven't seen the show or it will ruin some things for you!!

Spoiler

The delta getting possessed was done pretty well. The red headlights were creepy.....not sure I liked the lowrider "hopping".....but I'll let it slide. The concept of the evil car reminded me of the movie Christine.

The Ash puppet had my laughing till my sides hurt....what the fraggle rock is that thing!!!! Then the bit with it all working to his original shitty plan with the pet tracker.....hilarious! I didn't expect them to go back to the cabin again, but it was fun seeing it happen. I'm not sure whether or not it was intentional, but when Ash hid in the ceiling of the cabin it made me laugh....as the ED2 cabin set didn't actually have a roof. There are a couple spots in ED2 where you can see just on the edge of the screen the gymnasium they were shooting from.

I was a little sad to see Ted's character die, it was really funny seeing the two of them pal around. Ted is really good at purposely bad acting, so I was excited to see more from him....hopefully he comes back. I was also really surprised to see Ash's dad die off so quickly, the way they paraded him around at Q&A panels as joining the cast I thought he would be more permanent.

If Ted's character stays dead I hope he stays on the cast and does random cameos. Seeing him as Henrieta again was pretty hilarious, and I'm pretty sure he was doing the voice of the Ash puppet.

Overall this show has exceeded my expectations, and I hope there is a season 3

[BIL]

Westworld s01e10: Satisfying 90 minute finale to a very productive first season. Looks to be in an intriguingly volatile spot for 2018's return, provided it can keep its nascent species and their human creators rooted in earthy grime and strife. It's been soberly anchored thus far, as personified by the invaluable Anthony Hopkins' older, more fatherly yet tacitly no less flawed Frankenstein.

Loses style points for another blustery action setpiece that's just as hollow as previous eps', sans the narrative safety net. Also, the fight choreography is of the Terminator Salvation school, ie shit. Ingrid Bolso Berdal is hawt but FFS the poor woman looked less killer synthetic, more aggrieved OAP.

[neorichieb1971]

Westworld s01e10: Satisfying 90 minute finale to a very productive first season. Looks to be in an intriguingly volatile spot for 2018's return, provided it can keep its nascent species and their predecessors rooted in temporal grime and strife. One whiff of Prometheus-style "answers" and I'm outta here! Although searching by nature it's been soberly anchored thus far, personified by the invaluable Anthony Hopkins as an older, more fatherly, yet tacitly no less groping Frankenstein.

Loses style points for another blustery action setpiece that's just as hollow as previous eps', sans the narrative safety net. Also, the fight choreography is of the Terminator Salvation school, ie shit. Ingrid Bolso Berdal is hawt but FFS the poor woman looked less killer synthetic, more aggrieved OAP.

Sums it up nicely. I don't know where season 2 would go though. Since its heavily science based it does not cover the small details of how these androids get power. I mean, even when they are taken apart there is no mention of a power source anywhere in all 10 eps.

If the show relies on Antony Hopkins staying, no doubt the last time we saw him, he probably wasn't human. Thats just speculation on my part.

[BIL]

Sums it up nicely. I don't know where season 2 would go though.

Besides the bluntly robo-pocalyptic implications of Ford's " time of war, " I'd like them to explore the notion of humans and AI coexisting. Terminator's been done. And purely within the latter's camp, there's great scope for a Lord of the Flies scenario imo.

Since its heavily science based it does not cover the small details of how these androids get power. I mean, even when they are taken apart there is no mention of a power source anywhere in all 10 eps.

I don't think it's attempting hard sci-fi any more than Shelly's Frankenstein was tbh ; the aesthetic is neat but it's ultimately about the relationship between creator and creation, their respective audacity and plight.

If the show relies on Antony Hopkins staying, no doubt the last time we saw him, he probably wasn't human. Thats just speculation on my part.

Personally I hope that was the real deal.

Spoiler

That was a profound sendoff; would hate to see his "becoming music" cheapened. The finale established a fascinatingly contradictory take on the "mad doctor" archetype, one I immediately wanted to go back and re-scrutinise from e01 now we have a more complete picture.

Jonathan Nolan has commented on the staff's freedom to hop about the timeline, so I don't think Hopkins would be barred from further contributions either way. I think it'd be better to forge ahead with the new world he's unleashed, though.

[GaijinPunch]

Finally caught up w/ Westworld. Good points above. I thought Billy's transition to the main in black could have been fleshed out a bit more. I think they generalize these guys plummet to the depths of humanity too quickly. (See also, Anakin Skywalker and Will Smith in I Am Legend). A pretty daring season finale, and am interested to see where it goes.

Biggest problem now: what else to watch?

[emphatic]

Biggest problem now: what else to watch?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4047038/

[GaijinPunch]

Biggest problem now: what else to watch?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4047038/

Bookmarked.

[neorichieb1971]

Watching 2nd series of The Man in the high castle.

Apparently the USA under the 3rd Reich, the sun doesn't shine.. ever.

Lots of story in this show, but it keeps the good stuff to itself and keeps you guessing the main story points. Surprised nobody else is watching.

[GaijinPunch]

I've been on the fence on that one... might check it out. The main thing keeping me away is, doing absolutely zero research, I still know there's going to be some Korean or other Asian mother fuckers playing Japanese and butchering the language, and that will kill it for me. If they actually pull it off w/o that, I would be shocked.

[neorichieb1971]

I've been on the fence on that one... might check it out. The main thing keeping me away is, doing absolutely zero research, I still know there's going to be some Korean or other Asian mother fuckers playing Japanese and butchering the language, and that will kill it for me. If they actually pull it off w/o that, I would be shocked.

Japanese is only spoken between Japanese people in short bursts. I'm not an expert on Asians but they look Japanese. Its a slow burning show.. almost too slow. But it has your mind in the zone half the time.

I'm watching the Walking dead as well. But jesus is that show tormenting. The writers of that show need to be shot. I can't believe that so many "Aces up your sleeve" get found out by Negan. Rick and his team are getting shafted up the ass with a drain pipe and thats putting it mildly.

[GaijinPunch]

I just went through this season. It had it's moments, but some of the episodes were lame. Dunno... it's still enjoyable for me, but I have no problem waiting and watching a few episodes at once. The best one by far was the Daryl episode that also coincidentally told all of Dwight's back story.

[S_Fang]

I watched Better Call Soul in these days and it's good for a spin-off, as those tend to be bad.

Just like the main series Breaking Bad, is kept the formula of negative cause-and-effect and the protagonist's descent to the criminal underworld caused by a spiteful and haughty legal system and its people.
The italian dubbing was good and Saul's new voice, while more raucous, managed to be on par with the previous voice (bless his soul) and you can get used to it.

Waiting for the third season

Spoiler

and to witness the possible departure of that Chuck prick

[Mischief Maker]

Been binge-watching "Sherlock" with Eggs Benedict Cummerbund. This is a really great show that not only respects the audience's intelligence to an extent that's shocking in this modern age, it even uses viewer knowledge of the original story to throw red herrings from time to time. Best of all it never descends into Mary Sue land the way the new Doctor Who did.

[wgogh]

Been binge-watching "Sherlock" with Eggs Benedict Cummerbund. This is a really great show that not only respects the audience's intelligence to an extent that's shocking in this modern age, it even uses viewer knowledge of the original story to throw red herrings from time to time. Best of all it never descends into Mary Sue land the way the new Doctor Who did.

I dont know how much have you watched, but i thought that it starts really good and then keeps getting worse...
Far from a clever conclusion and well written mystery like saw in the first episode, Sherlock starts using the power of divination instead of his famous method (Like when he discovers some password in some episode I don't remember). At some point, starts to seem like the show wants to portrait intelligence, but isnt smart to know how it works. Sadly, since the first episodes were really great.

[Squire Grooktook]

Yeah I'll echo that.

It's an amusingly over the top ride that works thanks to a combination of cleverness and massively slick style, but it does start to go down hill after a few series or so.

It does stay good long enough to be satisfying, though.

[Xyga]

I dont know how much have you watched, but i thought that it starts really good and then keeps getting worse...

Lol I thought exactly the opposite; not convinced with a couple of the early episodes, but increasingly satisfied as it advanced into s2 & s3.
Looking forward to s4.

[Ed Oscuro]

Watching 2nd series of The Man in the high castle. [...] Surprised nobody else is watching.

I don't have Prime, that's the only reason why so far.

At some point, starts to seem like the show wants to portrait intelligence, but isnt smart to know how it works. Sadly, since the first episodes were really great.

Even the original stories are guilty of this a bit (and Doyle admits it). It's a tall order to do that kind of thing right. I'll put this on the list to watch sometime.

For now, I'm going through - slowly - The Wild Wild West and Mission: Impossible.

Mission: Impossible is really great fun in its first season with only a few clunker episodes - but you have to be in the mood for *very* light entertainment. It helps to be a fan of garish colors and the 40 Acres lot at Culver City, or Star Trek - look for actor crossovers, there's lots of 'em.

Wild Wild West is dumb as hell and the main character himself is often a bit unlikeable (and outright abusive to the girl in the first show!) but it does have its moments. Ross Martin is the hero of the show, to me, and I think it's clear the producers felt that way a bit too. Seeing Michael Dunn and Richard Kiel together was fun (if you want to feel old, notice Google's auto infobox on searching for "doctor loveless" gets confused and credits Kenneth Branagh, presumably from the didn't-watch-this-remake-shit '90s movie remake).

[wgogh]

Oh, all kinds of opinions about Sherlock. Well, I can say that I'll keep watching for now.

Perhaps the problem with The Man in The High Castle is that it is not very accessible to watch and maybe for poor publicity. It was first announced a long time ago, btw, I think 2010. Now, the second season got some bad reviews, which doesn't help.