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[OCT 2016] TV DISCUSSION THREAD


RIPPA

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I've been watching Atlanta and Better Things both on FX this season.  I've only watched 1 of the former and 2 of the latter, but I'm pretty sure they're both really good.

Also just wrapped up Vice Principals and haven't really decided whether I really like it or not.  It's occasionally quite funny but I'm not sure if I'm into the whole premise or not.

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Westworld premired last night.  It was good enough to warrant watching some more, although I'm not sure about making The Gunslinger a guest instead of a robot, but we'll see where that goes.

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25 minutes ago, Raziel403 said:

Westworld premired last night.  It was good enough to warrant watching some more, although I'm not sure about making The Gunslinger a guest instead of a robot, but we'll see where that goes.

This.  Not sure what I think about the role reversal with both machines and humans serving as the monsters.  Kinda takes away from the original cautionary tale of being really fucking careful what you do with technology.

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I caught up on Atlanta this weekend.  I want to hang out with Darius, he's such a weirdo.  One of my biggest problems with television and movies is that we only really see a few representations of black people.  I know people like Earn, Paper Boi, and Darius.  Earn is the smart kid, who somehow is also a fuck up.  Paper Boi is the street kid, who everyone likes, but can't let anything slide.  Darius is the dude who hangs around the neighborhood doing odd jobs and drinking beer, who always has some goofy ass story to tell.  Him trading Earn's phone for a samurai sword, that he trades for a dog, which he trades for a few thousands of dollars a couple of months from now, reminds me of my friend's dope fiend uncle.  As far as I know, he's never had a real job, but if you need your car detailed, your grass cut, your snow shoveled, a deer dressed, or anything else, he's available.  The thing that is missing from most TV and movie depictions of black neighborhoods is the humor.  A lot of funny shit happens when you are poor and black, and we recognize it when it is happening.  This is the first show I can think of, where everyone realizes that everything around them is ridiculous.    

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17 minutes ago, supremebve said:

I caught up on Atlanta this weekend.  I want to hang out with Darius, he's such a weirdo.  One of my biggest problems with television and movies is that we only really see a few representations of black people.  I know people like Earn, Paper Boi, and Darius.  Earn is the smart kid, who somehow is also a fuck up.  Paper Boi is the street kid, who everyone likes, but can't let anything slide.  Darius is the dude who hangs around the neighborhood doing odd jobs and drinking beer, who always has some goofy ass story to tell.  Him trading Earn's phone for a samurai sword, that he trades for a dog, which he trades for a few thousands of dollars a couple of months from now, reminds me of my friend's dope fiend uncle.  As far as I know, he's never had a real job, but if you need your car detailed, your grass cut, your snow shoveled, a deer dressed, or anything else, he's available.  The thing that is missing from most TV and movie depictions of black neighborhoods is the humor.  A lot of funny shit happens when you are poor and black, and we recognize it when it is happening.  This is the first show I can think of, where everyone realizes that everything around them is ridiculous.    

#zanlivesmatter

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2 hours ago, J.T. said:

This.  Not sure what I think about the role reversal with both machines and humans serving as the monsters.  Kinda takes away from the original cautionary tale of being really fucking careful what you do with technology.

See, thing is, I'm kinda seeing the theme as People = Shit, with the Guest's being the real monsters and the Hosts being the good guys, but I'm not quite sure how they're going to get there.  I'm also pretty sure we haven't seen the good human yet (none of the real human characters seem palatable except *maybe* Hopkins' character, and even he's ambiguously having a moral dilemma at best).  I'm almost feeling as if the update was made to specificaly make the robots cognisant because The Director knows the "bigger" picture and doesn't like it.

 

Still, interesting enough to hook me for a few episodes.

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On ‎10‎/‎3‎/‎2016 at 0:25 PM, Raziel403 said:

See, thing is, I'm kinda seeing the theme as People = Shit, with the Guest's being the real monsters and the Hosts being the good guys, but I'm not quite sure how they're going to get there.

That part is pretty simple. 

We'll be shown the absolute worst in human qualities as exemplified by Newcomers like The Gunslinger and since the humans are cruel and exploit the Hosts in every manner possible, the androids will be justified in their rebellion.  It'll be like The Terminator movies with Skynet as the hero.

Which TOTALLY misses the point of the original movie. 

Westworld wasn't just about the perils of technology, it was also about the peril of humans inserting so much technology into the process of social interaction to the point that they were interacting more with the tech than they were with other human beings, and the consequences that come along when the tech does not function as designed.

Sound familiar?

On ‎10‎/‎3‎/‎2016 at 0:52 PM, Technico Support said:

I haven't watched the show yet, maybe tonight, but the reversal seems like a good idea.  I mean, come on, "we should be wary of technology" is such a worn out old trope.

Eh, like Westworld, most decent hard sci-fi focuses more on ethics (right vs. wrong) rather than morality (good vs. evil) and the whole man's inhumanity to man thing has also been done to death.

Yul Brynner's Gunslinger wasn't frightening because he was sadistic or bloodthirsty; he was frightening because he was unaware of how his malfunctioning program affected reality.

Sorta how the visitors to Westworld, Roman World, and Medieval World didn't think all that much about how their "adventure vactions" were excuses to engage in the act of murder without the guilt of taking another human life or to sexually gratify themselves in any manner they saw fit without the messy aftermath of degrading another human being.

Not only are the robots subject to that behavior, they are programmed to encourage it from the guests!  They are like that cow in Restaurant At The End of The Universe that wants to be eaten!

IMO Westworld is a much better story when people are punished for being arrogant, hedonistic, and over-indulgent and not when they are punished for being "evil."

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15 minutes ago, supremebve said:

I'm watching the first episode of Pitch.  This is a show that is going to live or die by the star.  I'd legitimately watch her do anything. 

A woman called into a radio show last week and thought it was real. 

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Atlanta is legit great TV! Ern beign stuck in jail and watching all the shit around be totally insane is shitthat happenes in every county lock-up I've been in right down to the one guy in denial about being gay for sleeping with a transgender. The Beiber episode had me rolling o nthe floor cracking up

James

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On 10/3/2016 at 10:49 AM, J.T. said:

 

Sorta how the visitors to Westworld, Roman World, and Medieval World didn't think all that much about how their "adventure vactions" were excuses to engage in the act of murder without the guilt of taking another human life or to sexually gratify themselves in any manner they saw fit without the messy aftermath of degrading another human being.

Not only are the robots subject to that behavior, they are programmed to encourage it from the guests!  They are like that cow in Restaurant At The End of The Universe that wants to be eaten!

IMO Westworld is a much better story when people are punished for being arrogant, hedonistic, and over-indulgent and not when they are punished for being "evil."

 

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Apples to oranges, really.  While the idea of roleplaying is very similar, we're still talking about virtual vs. physical gratification. 

The act of taking a "life" is very similar.  It doesn't really matter if the virtual gun is in Trevor's hands, you are still choosing to pull the trigger.

It's the other sort of physical gratification where things differ greatly.

You can sleep with a Westworld pleasure android and he or she will encourage you to do so.  It is in their programming and those androids are designed to be physically appealing.

When Trevor is having sex, you are a voyeur not an active participant.

Also Westworld is not designed to be too challenging while some aspects of GTA5 will make you tear your hair out of your head.

Also, If the console breaks, you find something else to do with your time.  If Westworld breaks, the robots will kill you.

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Stage parents continue to be the worst.  'Stranger Things' Star's Father Demands Cash From Agents to Represent Her  I can see this girl's career going down the crapper fast due to crazy parents, like this generation's Thora Birch.  Yes, you're hot now, but that shit fades fast and the next big thing is a dime a dozen in Hollywood, especially where child actors are concerned.

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So, we aren't going to talk about last night's Atlanta.  I really liked that they focused on Van, who has been underserved so far, and humanized her as someone who generally has her shit together, but is not infallible.  Her friend, who I hate by the way, was the exact type of person who could influence a young single mother to forget her responsibilities for a moment.  Her going full Macgyver to get clean pee only to have it blow up in her face, broke my heart.  She then came clean with her boss, who was understanding for about 4 seconds, before ultimately firing her was a good swerve.  But, we need to talk about the star of last night's episode...The kid in whiteface.  I don't know what kind of direction they gave that kid, but he was perfect.  He clearly knew exactly what he was doing, and was just waiting to see how his teachers were going to handle it.  That shit eating grin, and that raised eyebrow made me laugh out loud.  The only problem with the episode, was no Darius(I rewatched the Justin Beiber episode, and I think Darius may be secretly a genius).

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I love me a good spy caper and damn if Berlin Station hasn't sucked me in with just one episode

I mean sure we're going ot be seeing plenty of TV shows and movies doing their versions of the Assanage/Snowden type whistle blower, but so far I like the cast and the first episode sets it up nicely. Now let's see if it can deliver for the other 9 episodes

James

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