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JAN/FEB 2018 TV DISCUSSION


RIPPA

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Binged all of Big Little Lies over the weekend.  I can't really talk about it without spoilers so...

This is an interesting show but the entire premise is a joke.  7 episodes of build-up to a violent death that the police are investigating and the death ends up being a routine, obvious case of self-defense.  But that's not interesting, so the characters have to do that TV/movie "create fake drama in a way no real person ever would" thing where they lie about obvious self-defense.  The dead guy in this series attacks a woman in front of four other women, attacks some of them, and gets shoved to his death down a flight of stairs.  Why would there be more than 5 minutes of investigation?  Why would the people involved lie?  The show never answers that and instead spends the entire season implying something sinister happened and creating fake tension and drama.  It's all a big letdown after a pretty good batch of episodes.  The cast is stellar with Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, and Shailene Woodley all starring and lots of great people in the supporting cast.  I enjoyed the show but I just can't get past the incredible letdown of the big reveal.

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Lord did I hate this book (or the series of them if you will) but then Erinn Hayes showed up as the Mom and I kinda feel I need to watch it since I feel like I need to support her since she got dicked over by Kevin Can't Wait

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4 hours ago, Tabe said:

Binged all of Big Little Lies over the weekend.  I can't really talk about it without spoilers so...

 

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This is an interesting show but the entire premise is a joke.  7 episodes of build-up to a violent death that the police are investigating and the death ends up being a routine, obvious case of self-defense.  But that's not interesting, so the characters have to do that TV/movie "create fake drama in a way no real person ever would" thing where they lie about obvious self-defense.  The dead guy in this series attacks a woman in front of four other women, attacks some of them, and gets shoved to his death down a flight of stairs.  Why would there be more than 5 minutes of investigation?  Why would the people involved lie?  The show never answers that and instead spends the entire season implying something sinister happened and creating fake tension and drama.  It's all a big letdown after a pretty good batch of episodes.  The cast is stellar with Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, and Shailene Woodley all starring and lots of great people in the supporting cast.  I enjoyed the show but I just can't get past the incredible letdown of the big reveal.

 

 

We had a good discussion about Big Little Lies a month ago or something. Spoilers...

Spoiler

So my least favorite part of the season, the thing that almost brings it all down, is the completely hackneyed and forced cover up for obvious self-defense. He's beating the shit out of all of her friends and he's on the verge of killing Celeste. Then Bonnie runs in for the save. I loved everything except for what looks like a really forced investigation by the detective. Why the fuck wouldn't you believe the women involved? Aren't their lives fucked up enough and have enough questions without the detective who isn't buying their story? It makes no sense. Again, I thought everything except for the cover-up was great. I didn't expect the series to have that many intense moments.

And for what it's worth, in the book, Bonnie says she can't lie and winds up confessing. She gets let off extremely light with community service, which I believe Celeste helps her with. Celeste also sets up a trust fund for Ziggy since she knows that if Perry knew that Ziggy was his then Perry would take care of Ziggy. The way the book ends makes so much more sense. Reading the book after watching the series gave me a sense for how David E. Kelley basically stumbled on the landing.

I'm still not sure I want a second season. I said it before, but while there's some obvious places they can go, it's material that's been covered repeatedly on Netflix. Everything between Ed and Madeline reminds me so much of Togetherness, but that's probably what I'm interested in the most. Second most would be how Jane moves on with her life. The thing I'm least interested in is investigating the women for murder because it was clearly and obviously self-defense. Why lie about it?! More importantly, why doubt them? Ugh.

 

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Doesn't tell us what we need to know the most, just how broadly Parker Posey will be playing Dr. Smith. It also kind of sucks it's about the survival of the human race and not the adventure of it all, but those are the times we live in.

(This probably should have gone in the Netflix thread but I can't be bound by your organizational devices)

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On 2/20/2018 at 2:44 PM, Casey said:

Totally didn't realize Homeland started back last week, so I watched the first two episodes of the new season last night. Hot on the heels of their best season in a while, this one is looking to be quality as well. Takes our current political climate and turns it up to 11, really. And the whole thing with the ransomware was pretty badass. It went one way when I thought it was going to go in a completely different way, which is what I should have expected. Also them throwing in the "Carrie is taking her medication but just now finds out that over time it loses effectiveness" is an interesting wrinkle, I think. We, the viewer, know all of this is actually happening, but telling it to a regular citizen... yeah, it sounds like her medication isn't working (and it's possible it really isn't). I dunno I just really love this show, when it's good.

I'm hot and cold on this season so far, but last season was so good that I'm willing to wait and see.

The good:

  • Bringing Carrie's mental issues back to the fore.  I was worried they written them out of the show considering I don't think they were mentioned much, or at all, last season.
  • The show's Breitbart/Alex Jones stand-in is just as big a bloviating fake as the real thing (gives long winded speech about the second amendment and true 'murican patriots...hits self with gun on recoil because he hasn't fired one since scouts or whatever)
  • The deputy from Banshee getting a guest spot in the last ep as a FBI field agent
  • Max is still around doing his thing

The bad:

  • Our first female president being portrayed as petty and vindictive to the point where she jails everyone and anyone even remotely possibly connected to a plot to kill her.  They should have just put a man in that role because having a woman character with those traits is just a little too "bitches, am I right guys?!?!"
  • Carrie's daughter is still around with nothing at all to do.  95% of the time, kids are useless on TV shows.  "I have to do soething but I need to find daycare first" is so needless.  Just ship her off with the in-laws like Dexter's kids.

The in the middle

  • The entire "Carrie vs ransomware" subplot was bonkers, and not in a good way.  But the payoff was great.
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Well I started watching AP Bio and I am enjoying it more than I thought I would. Especially after I gave up on the Mick's second season. I was almost hoping AP Bio would be bad and tank because it doing good would hurt Sunny. The Mick has already had the next Sunny season pushed back. 

But it is interesting seeing it compared to the Kaitlin Olsen show. Both feel like disguised Sunny spin offs one with Dee and the other with Dennis. The Mick started well and the characters were being developed well and the jokes were generally funny. It did feel like they were trying to do Sunny on Network TV and eventually that became an issue with the show. I started on season 2 and as it wore on it became harder and harder to watch as the characters became more hateful without the laughs to compensate. I think the Sunny Gang are generally likable even if they do shitty things. The cast of The Mick lacks that minus Mickey (Olsen) and her boyfriend. The maid and the kids grew less likable by the week. 

With Sunny the gang gradually grew into their worse category. This is like the Sunny gang went from season 2 to 11 with no inbetween. I ended up giving up on the show a few episodes back. 

AP Bio in a way feels like it is trying to do a network TV version of Vice Principals. So far it seems to be doing a good job. They are developing the characters slowly and are avoiding softening Glenn Howerton's character so far. 

Patton Oswalt is playing the type of character he plays in the put upon principal and it works. I'm going to keep watching. 

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I just realized I've never watched a single episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  I don't even remember watching a couple minutes of any episode.  I actually didn't realize Kaitlin Olsen was on the show until I read Victator's post.  I guess the guy starring in A/P Bio is on Sunny?

That seems odd.  I normally would have at least watched Sunny's pilot.  I've never gone out of my way to avoid the show.  It just never grabbed my interest to check out.

Odd.

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I watched Good Girls but dropped out after about 15 minutes after the bit when Christina Hendricks' character was talking about how her husband doesn't seem interested in being intimate with her anymore. Look, I'm as willing to suspend disbelief as anybody but come the fuck on.................

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The movie was great.  Do not fuck up the series, TNT.

Quote

Graeme Manson is stepping in as the new showrunner for TNT’s “Snowpiercer” series.

The co-creator of “Orphan Black” takes over the upcoming drama series from Josh Friedman, who parted ways with the show in January as Variety exclusively reported.

 

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