TV you've just watched

[lilmanjs]

Psych. In the middle of Season 4. I watched the show when it was on, but it has been quite a while since I went through it all the way. Having a lot of fun with it!

Did you know they're shooting a movie too?

They aren't shooting a movie. They are in the middle of ADR work! So yeah, December can't come fast enough.

[emphatic]

The latest Game Of Thrones was the shortest episode since the beginning of the series. Boy, was it rad though.

[Stevens]

Wife and I decided to give Red Oaks a chance. Amazon original that follows the employees of a country club in New Jersey.

In 1985.

So far so good.

[dan76]

The latest Game Of Thrones was the shortest episode since the beginning of the series. Boy, was it rad though.

Yep, though about half way through my gf said it was a poor episode. I kind of agreed and said hopefully they will pull something out if the bag for the last bit... Yikes!

Unlike Battle of the Bastards this had

Spoiler

characters on both sides who I didn't want to see die. But by the end I felt Bronn should've got it. Way too much plot armour for GoT. I hope they continue to be ruthless with their main characters (except for the dragons, don't touch them!)

I wonder if we will get another large battle this season?

Btw, that was the best screen dragon since Dragonslayer, way back in '82.

[GaijinPunch]

Unlike Battle of the Bastards this had

Spoiler

characters on both sides who I didn't want to see die. But by the end I felt Bronn should've got it. Way too much plot armour for GoT. I hope they continue to be ruthless with their main characters (except for the dragons, don't touch them!)

I wonder if we will get another large battle this season?

Btw, that was the best screen dragon since Dragonslayer, way back in '82.

Spoiler

I think at least one of them needs to die... they've shown they are mortal... it's not enough though.

[emphatic]

Yep, though about half way through my gf said it was a poor episode.

"You're right, I don't need you anymore."

[lilmanjs]

Lexx. Was pretty cheap for the full series, and I'm not one to complain about packaging if the discs are easy to get out. Just watched the first movie and enjoyed it. Watched this show as a kid but never saw much of it. Gonna be fun going through this along with Psych.

[Vexorg]

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Based on a character from several Douglas Adams books (one of my favorite authors) but it's been so long since I read the books that I recall little about them. From the first episode it's clear that this show is going to be bizarre and confusing and leave lots of plot threads dangling for as long as they can possibly get away with. Perhaps the most distracting part of it is that it's supposed to be taking place in Seattle, but hardly anything about the Seattle being shown on screen has any basis in reality (apparently the show is being filmed mostly in Vancouver.)

Seems to have decent reviews from critics, but most viewer reviews seem to be somewhere along the lines of "stopped watching 20 minutes into the first episode". Guess it's a bit of an acquired taste.

[BIL]

Game of Thrones s7e5 A riveting start, worthily capping off last week's inferno. The remainder was a little too obviously transitional an ep for my liking, if enjoyable. Dinklage, Cunningham, Flynn, all my favourite chaps got some good screentime. A veritable mantastic voyage at the end too! Silly fanfictiony stuff, but it's impossible not to enjoy seeing these guys improbably linking up for Great Ranging Beyond The Wall 2.0 . Next week looks fun. Been a whole two years since Jon and Tormund terrifiedly ran away from a horde of dead men. I'll always hate the show's shitty s5-onward Wights though. Skeletons doing ninja flips, whatever. Lacks the grunge and pathos needed for proper meat puppet horror. That s2 finale wight staggering along sans most of his face ala Day of the Dead's sun-blotting title card abomination, that was the stuff.

Surprised at the apparent swerve away from

Spoiler

ongoing war between Cersei/Dany as the Walkers proceed unchecked

- not unpleasantly so. More potential for chaos than the neater alternative of burning the house down before shit truly hits the fan.

Alan Partridge fans will no doubt enjoy Kevin Eldon's encore, after his winning turn as Not Ned Stark last season.

Spoiler

motherfucker's face got turned into fuckin chili

It was around this point last season that a tepid Arya plotline took a sudden turn for the retarded, after weeks of fan chatter insisting the previews were surely misdirecting. I wonder what'll happen this time?

[GaijinPunch]

Game of Thrones s7e5

It was a good episode, although I feel the pace is far too hurried this season. It's still second fiddle to Twin Peaks on Sunday night though.

[BIL]

I'm criminally late to Twin Peaks, particularly with it being a key influence on my beloved KCET Silent Hill quartet. Decided to finally make a start now the new season is out. I like to ensure a nice big binge buffer with my serialised entertainments, gotta stave off withdrawal.

Fellas! Don't drink that coffee!

Game of Thrones s7e6 "Beyond The Wall" Another leak! Get your shit together, small overseas markets! Or don't, omnomnom. ¦3

Lots of great content here - shame the underlying premise is so distractingly rickety. No spoilers, just going on the grand plan revealed in episode 5: 1) wights have only ever appeared in fuckoff massive hordes that swamp armies whole, sending our heroes running for their lives. 2) now you're going to roll up with a handful of men to kidnap one, far behind enemy lines with no evac method? what?! 3) even if this unprecedented victory pans out, the plan assumes whatever animates them will persist all the way to King's Landing and you won't be left with a regular ol' dead guy. they're all gonna laugh at you! 4) Also, dragons and other strange shit like Ser Bob Strong are around. Any ruler would be entirely reasonable to suspect a ruse, and Cersei is a known psycho on top of that. Great plan!

I get the implied desperation - nobody south of the wall will listen, and every moment wasted gathering allies sees the WillyWonkas draw nearer - but it's such an unpromising, insanely dangerous plan, what goes down can't help feeling forced. And things most certainly did go down - true to GOT form, my nutsack was bristling at the ultimate horror and its anguished aftermath! But yes, maximum indulgence for shaky writing required to enjoy the great banter and world-changing upheaval.

"Think we'll meet again?"
"Fookin hope not."

[neorichieb1971]

Since GOT is based on famiies, multiple storylines that inter tangle and so forth. I vote for George RR Martin to write all the future Star Wars movies. GOT feels more and more like Star Wars every minute. Its got Royalty, swords, strange worlds, magic/secrets of the unverse shit and a great soundtrack.

S07E06 had some of the moments you've all been waiting for. A shame there is only one more episode left.

[BIL]

Last thing GRRM needs is any more distractions.

[GaijinPunch]

I'm criminally late to Twin Peaks, particularly with it being a key influence on my beloved KCET Silent Hill quartet. Decided to finally make a start now the new season is out. I like to ensure a nice big binge buffer with my serialised entertainments, gotta stave off withdrawal.

This is a bad show to binge. emphatic summed it up nicely in an FB post. Letting the mysteries simmer for a week between episodes is half the fun... and of course all the fan theories on reddit, not to mention the tiny details that everyone catches and talks about. Holy shit... it's gonna be a massive comedown when this show ends, and nothing is going to fill it's place for years, if ever.

Sans the first two and last two, let a day or so sink in between episodes. Unfortunately at this point, you can't really discuss or search for details of a specific episode online w/o inadvertently hitting spoilers that come down the road, I'm sure.

[emphatic]

I'm criminally late to Twin Peaks, particularly with it being a key influence on my beloved KCET Silent Hill quartet. Decided to finally make a start now the new season is out. I like to ensure a nice big binge buffer with my serialised entertainments, gotta stave off withdrawal.

This is a bad show to binge. emphatic summed it up nicely in an FB post. Letting the mysteries simmer for a week between episodes is half the fun... and of course all the fan theories on reddit, not to mention the tiny details that everyone catches and talks about. Holy shit... it's gonna be a massive comedown when this show ends, and nothing is going to fill it's place for years, if ever.

Sans the first two and last two, let a day or so sink in between episodes. Unfortunately at this point, you can't really discuss or search for details of a specific episode online w/o inadvertently hitting spoilers that come down the road, I'm sure.

Yeah, do not binge Twin Peaks. I think one episode a night is OK, but more and you will go crazy. This show is ahead of it's time by it's deliberately slow tempo and execution.

[BIL]

Gotcha - will limit intake to no more than two per 48hrs.

[dan76]

Game of Thrones S7E6. It's all great. Hell, apart from Twin Peaks this is the best tv by a moonlight mile. However, it's too damn quick. This dumb plan was only hatched last episode

Spoiler

and by the end if this episode it's almost done!

Previously this would have been drawn out over a whole season. I'm conflicted, usually tv writing has lots of scenes of characters sitting around talking and not doing much. This season has gone in the opposite direction, and whilst it's refreshing, it's a bit much. Maybe the writers think we've spent enough time with these characters to know them now. Just push on with the plot. I like that in theory, but I want more!

One this is the show seems to have

Spoiler

lost it's balls killing characters off. Dennis Penis was the only one to get it - which was crazy. I really though Jorah should have taken it, maybe the Hound as well, but you can tell they're saving him for a face off against his brother. Tormund made it, just, he could've gone though my gf shouted that she would stop watching the show if he died...

Which leaves some weird stuff like

Spoiler

why didn't Jon get on the dragon. Why didn't the Night King spear the dragon that was closer, sitting down with everyone on top if it instead of the flying target Rhaegal (or was it Viserion)?

Also, this episode showed how the

Spoiler

walkers will be defeated. It's the "kill the head vampire" thing... A bit weak.

Still, great, fast, unbelievable.

Spoiler

I must admit I did predict the very ending of this episode at the start of the season with the gf. We were going through things we wanted to see and it's happened.

[BIL]

Previously this would have been drawn out over a whole season. I'm conflicted, usually tv writing has lots of scenes of characters sitting around talking and not doing much. This season has gone in the opposite direction, and whilst it's refreshing, it's a bit much. Maybe the writers think we've spent enough time with these characters to know them now. Just push on with the plot. I like that in theory, but I want more!

It's a shame the story's climactic phase (show and books alike) ended up wedged between such extremes of pace. D&D want to wrap things up ASAP and are going at double speed, delivering lots of bloodening action and drama but stripping away gravity, atmosphere and at times plausibility... while GRRM seems to have ground to a halt, leaving fans wondering if he'll ever get the last two books out. Ideally the show would be going for another full-length season, letting the continental gears shift into war and apocalypse more believably, while GRRM would've gotten his fucking finger out with TWOW sometime in 2016. Wouldn't have hurt the show having more book material to draw on, either.

One this is the show seems to have

Spoiler

lost it's balls killing characters off. Dennis Penis was the only one to get it - which was crazy. I really though Jorah should have taken it, maybe the Hound as well, but you can tell they're saving him for a face off against his brother. Tormund made it, just, he could've gone though my gf shouted that she would stop watching the show if he died...

Agreed.

Spoiler

I think it should've been a couple anonymous Wildlings who survived to escape on Drogon's back, leaving a beloved Jorah, Sandor and/or Tormund behind with Thoros (Berec is a bit different, with his whole "dead man walking" gig - wherever he falls, it's likely to feel right). I'm not a fan of shock deaths for their own sake, and I think all three of these guys have far better ways to die later on, if ever, as does Jon... but there's nothing shocking about anyone dying on such an insanely foolhardy mission.

Instead the whole kidnap debacle stumbled in sounding ridiculous, and waltzed out in full plot armour. The usual cliche of random redshirts being picked off at regular intervals felt especially cynical here. The chap who fell screaming into the horde would've been a traumatic loss, had we known him; unfortunately the poor fucker was as much the writers' meat puppet as his killers were the Walkers'.

There is the massive exception of Viserion, ofc, whose dying in his infancy perhaps gains a little poignancy from his mother and all but one of her cohorts making it home safely. I loved Emilia Clarke's performance throughout the rest of the episode. I don't care about the dragons personally - we've just not been given enough time with any of them - but a mother's grief, even a figurative one's, is universal.

I also liked Thoros's tastefully muted sendoff - especially after he and Jorah's reminiscence beforehand. Fuck, I liked just about everything involving the main characters here, except for the idiocy of the situation they were in! Tormund's near-miss save by the Hound I could've admired, in better circumstances (my heart was in my mouth throughout Bastardbowl, thought he'd cark it VS Smalljon Umber before that savage turnabout)... but despite having grown to like his character, I was near-apathetic. Even when it looked like he was about to get fucking Joe Pilato'd ("Choke on 'eeem!"), I was more exasperated at the writing than anything. When the camera pulled out to reveal the circle of innumerable wights closing in on the island, ostensibly to shock and perturb, all I could think was "How the fuck else were we to expect this would end up?" This exact outcome has happened literally every time Wights have been encountered. It's not even a viable suicide mission, ffs. -_-

Not to harp too much - it's certainly not the nonsensical disaster Arya's "No One" plotline ended up as. I do appreciate the role of absolute desperation, in the face of southern increduility, northern exhaustion and perceived impending annihilation... and from that angle, I did think Viserion's loss was pretty moving. Dany now not only believes, a seismic development in itself, but she's come to do so at grievous personal cost. There's a decent sense of tragedy and anguish there, even before the haunting notion of the allies having played directly into the Night King's precognitive hands. Not to mention the military cost - the Others now have a fucking dragon, a practical nuclear weapon, and are presumably going to be doing some "convincing" of their own before very long.

It's all huge world-upending fun despite the inevitable rough edges, to be sure.

[neorichieb1971]

Game of Thrones S7E6. It's all great. Hell, apart from Twin Peaks this is the best tv by a moonlight mile. However, it's too damn quick. This dumb plan was only hatched last episode

Spoiler

and by the end if this episode it's almost done!

Previously this would have been drawn out over a whole season. I'm conflicted, usually tv writing has lots of scenes of characters sitting around talking and not doing much. This season has gone in the opposite direction, and whilst it's refreshing, it's a bit much. Maybe the writers think we've spent enough time with these characters to know them now. Just push on with the plot. I like that in theory, but I want more!

One this is the show seems to have

Spoiler

lost it's balls killing characters off. Dennis Penis was the only one to get it - which was crazy. I really though Jorah should have taken it, maybe the Hound as well, but you can tell they're saving him for a face off against his brother. Tormund made it, just, he could've gone though my gf shouted that she would stop watching the show if he died...

Which leaves some weird stuff like

Spoiler

why didn't Jon get on the dragon. Why didn't the Night King spear the dragon that was closer, sitting down with everyone on top if it instead of the flying target Rhaegal (or was it Viserion)?

Also, this episode showed how the

Spoiler

walkers will be defeated. It's the "kill the head vampire" thing... A bit weak.

Still, great, fast, unbelievable.

Spoiler

I must admit I did predict the very ending of this episode at the start of the season with the gf. We were going through things we wanted to see and it's happened.

The last 2 episodes were done for TV appeal rather than any smart strategy. The battle with Jaime had some of the worst Daeny tactics ever. The Dothrackie could have kept Jaime's line in place and the dragon come from the side in one swoop kill everything in sight.

The leaked episode had the bits you touched on. The Gilly scene went under the radar for many which means that Jon isn't a bastard. He is in fact the top dog.

The only thing left (apart from whom wins) is the question of the witch, lord of light angle. Which is obviously the Ace card which turns it all around at the last minute.

[BIL]

In fairness to the writers, I don't think Dany intended to annihilate all the Lannister men, just enough to leave the rest scared shitless and ready to kneel (which they did, Randyll and Rickon aside). Fits with her stated aim of avoiding unbridled slaughter.

(*Dickon )

There's still the matter of her targeting those wagons, after commenting on the lack of food for her own troops... I'm willing to accept she had no idea the Tyrell gold had been deliberately sent ahead and was safely within the city walls, as we were privy to overhearing from Lord Tarly, but it's still dumb of her to target spoils of any sort.

Oh well. They sure blew up good. Must've been carrying explosive potatoes or hyper-pressurised corn or something.

[GaijinPunch]

Previously this would have been drawn out over a whole season. I'm conflicted, usually tv writing has lots of scenes of characters sitting around talking and not doing much. This season has gone in the opposite direction, and whilst it's refreshing, it's a bit much. Maybe the writers think we've spent enough time with these characters to know them now. Just push on with the plot. I like that in theory, but I want more!

Actually said this exact argument last week at work. Seems like you and I are quite alike, aside from the Twin Peaks music.

I only predicted on thing...

Spoiler

...that a dragon would die this season. Denaerys' rank was up way too high to not loose a ship.

[Mischief Maker]

I've started watching Death Note after being intrigued by the demon design in the trailer for the upcoming live-action version.

It's like an anime Breaking Bad meets the "It's a good life" episode of Twilight Zone. The premise is a death demon drops a magic notebook onto Earth that kills anyone whose name you write in it, and the book falls into the hands of a moody teenager. Pretty good so far, aside from all the usual Anime over-emoting.

I'm already guessing that the live-action version is going to be terrible:

Spoiler

In the Anime, Light barely hesitates before going on a mass-murder spree while the demon just watches with curious detachment at the carnage of a teenage power fantasy brought to life. In the live action trailer the demon's aggressively pushing Light to kill over and over again, like they're trying to make Light a sympathetic character.

[neorichieb1971]

I've started watching Death Note after being intrigued by the demon design in the trailer for the upcoming live-action version.

It's like an anime Breaking Bad meets the "It's a good life" episode of Twilight Zone. The premise is a death demon drops a magic notebook onto Earth that kills anyone whose name you write in it, and the book falls into the hands of a moody teenager. Pretty good so far, aside from all the usual Anime over-emoting.

I'm already guessing that the live-action version is going to be terrible:

Spoiler

In the Anime, Light barely hesitates before going on a mass-murder spree while the demon just watches with curious detachment at the carnage of a teenage power fantasy brought to life. In the live action trailer the demon's aggressively pushing Light to kill over and over again, like they're trying to make Light a sympathetic character.

I watched the anime and the live action. I found that the live action covers almost all of the anime in a shorter space of time. It misses a few bits but not much.

Am looking forward to the more graphic natured American model of the movie on the 25th of August. Apparently the sex is ramped up and the kill scenes are modelled around other activities other than heart attacks. Like a mass suicide from jumping from a high rise building (seen in the trailer).

[Immryr]

this series of GoT is so silly. it's just over the top epic fanfic at this point. fun, though.

[wgogh]

The only series I recall calling a fanfic were Sherlock. I believe no other deserves the title more than that one.
As for GoT, its not my thing. I hope True Detective will be back

[MX7]

All caught up with GoT now so can brave this thread again. Such a shame the direction the series has headed since the dragons and ice zombies started turning up in every episode. It used to be a great exploitation soap opera, filled with torture and murxer and all sorts of filth. Now it's pretty much PG-13 fanfic. Too many action scenes, not enough toothy exposition. It's still TOP TV but it seems like they're catering to a much wider demographic.

Meanwhile Preacher is still the best thing on TV. Taking the guilty pleasure fedora fest of the comic and making something so compelling and WEIRD (for mainstream TV) with it is a pretty awesome feat. I also love people's expressions when you try to explain what the show is actually about to them.

[GaijinPunch]

Meanwhile Preacher is still the best thing on TV.

Surely you jest.

[MX7]

@GP - Very excited about the new series of Twin Peaks but waiting for the Blu Ray. I've waited long enough and I can wait a little longer

[GaijinPunch]

@GP - Very excited about the new series of Twin Peaks but waiting for the Blu Ray. I've waited long enough and I can wait a little longer

You tazy! This shit is keeping me going... End of September is going to by hard for me. Burning Man over. Labyrinth over... Twin Peaks over... I basically have whiskey and porn until the Spring.

[lilmanjs]

@GP - Very excited about the new series of Twin Peaks but waiting for the Blu Ray. I've waited long enough and I can wait a little longer

You tazy! This shit is keeping me going... End of September is going to by hard for me. Burning Man over. Labyrinth over... Twin Peaks over... I basically have whiskey and porn until the Spring.

I had to miss 2 episodes of Twin Peaks and just haven't gotten around to ever getting back to it for my excuse for not being caught up. Season 3 of Lexx is different than the first 2 for sure, but I'm still enjoying that as my current tv watching.