Like any series, it has highs and lows. This latest one was a high.
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What TV are you watching and how would you rate it? [Revive from FRDB]
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Like any series, it has highs and lows. This latest one was a high.
Underseer
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Just saw the latest Orville episode. Brilliant Star Trek-style commentary on the absurdities of modern social media, with just the right amount of humor here and there.
Jayjay
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Stranger Things 2
7/10
I liked the first season of Stranger Things. Maybe it was the eighties nostalgia, maybe the music, maybe the meds I was taking at the time. But season two doesn't feel the same way, and the things I might have found endearing in the first one seem boring cliches this time around. First, it seems to rely heavily on flashbacks of eleven's past, which is a cheap copout when it comes to tv. Nobody has liked flashbacks since Lost, since usually they are there just to fill up time and add re-explain nonsense we already know or can infer otherwise. Same is true of Stranger Things. Second, there is over reliance on psychic powers. I would much prefer the monsters to be more grounded, gritty and science-based, rather than bullshit happening in people's heads. To be fair, there are actual monsters, but not enough. And third, they broke up the kids. Not formally, they are still supposed to be friends, but they don't act like it anymore. They keep having their own stupid side quests instead of solving problems together like they did in the first season. There is no proper dynamic between them or any of the other characters anymore, except maybe Eleven and the sheriff who becomes her father-figure of sorts.
So, I suppose if you liked the first season, you'll wade through the second no matter what anyone says, but keep your expectations low.
7/10
I liked the first season of Stranger Things. Maybe it was the eighties nostalgia, maybe the music, maybe the meds I was taking at the time. But season two doesn't feel the same way, and the things I might have found endearing in the first one seem boring cliches this time around. First, it seems to rely heavily on flashbacks of eleven's past, which is a cheap copout when it comes to tv. Nobody has liked flashbacks since Lost, since usually they are there just to fill up time and add re-explain nonsense we already know or can infer otherwise. Same is true of Stranger Things. Second, there is over reliance on psychic powers. I would much prefer the monsters to be more grounded, gritty and science-based, rather than bullshit happening in people's heads. To be fair, there are actual monsters, but not enough. And third, they broke up the kids. Not formally, they are still supposed to be friends, but they don't act like it anymore. They keep having their own stupid side quests instead of solving problems together like they did in the first season. There is no proper dynamic between them or any of the other characters anymore, except maybe Eleven and the sheriff who becomes her father-figure of sorts.
So, I suppose if you liked the first season, you'll wade through the second no matter what anyone says, but keep your expectations low.
Underseer
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Tiger and Bunny Premise: 9/10, implementation: 5/10
Average: 7/10
The overall premise is delicious, however, as it is a savage parody of American-style superhero stories. In the rousing moments, the score sounds like something straight from The Incredibles. That can't be an accident.
Unfortunately, the implementation is lacking. The characters are anime stock, including the ridiculous caricature of a gay man. The plot was basic shonen trope, right down to
Average: 7/10
The overall premise is delicious, however, as it is a savage parody of American-style superhero stories. In the rousing moments, the score sounds like something straight from The Incredibles. That can't be an accident.
Unfortunately, the implementation is lacking. The characters are anime stock, including the ridiculous caricature of a gay man. The plot was basic shonen trope, right down to
Underseer
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Steve Shives talking about Orville and why it's more popular with Star Trek fans than people expected.
Underseer
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ID-0
Rating: 4/10
(Available on Netflix)
Rating: 4/10
(Available on Netflix)
It's giant robot anime, so it sucks like giant robot anime usually does. The peculiar CGI style that is becoming so popular with anime (similar to Knights of Sidonia) makes the characters seem wooden and not-quite-alive, which fits the story I guess. In typical shonen style, there is a big mystery to be solved, and eventually we find that the people in power were the real bad guys. People sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Ra ra. I guess.
If you actually like shonen and/or giant robot anime, you might like it. Redeeming features: the action isn't bad, and the main character is intelligent yet incredibly clueless and a klutz.
TSwizzle
I am unburdened by what has been.
The Walking Dead, 6/10; I've watched the first two episodes of the new series and it was a bit of a chore. Hopefully it will get better. Not much zombie action going on so far, mostly tribal conflicts.
The Fall, 7/10; Stars Jamie Dornan and Gillian Anderson. Set in Northern Ireland, a serial killer appears to be on the loose. The plot lines are excellent but at times, the pace is excruciatingly slow and dull. The accents are difficult to get used to sometimes so I miss some of the important stuff. Gillian Anderson is an absolute babe !
The Fall, 7/10; Stars Jamie Dornan and Gillian Anderson. Set in Northern Ireland, a serial killer appears to be on the loose. The plot lines are excellent but at times, the pace is excruciatingly slow and dull. The accents are difficult to get used to sometimes so I miss some of the important stuff. Gillian Anderson is an absolute babe !
bilby
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I am watching a Panasonic Viera TH-P46S10A TV, and it still has excellent picture and sound quality, despite being four years older than when I first posted about it; So you are correct, it really doesn't ever get old. 9/10, would recommend.
Ford
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Catching up on The Orville, and I got around to watching episode 7, "Majority Rule."
A co-worker described it to me and the first thing that came to mind was the debut episode of Black Mirror season 3..."Nosedive." I was like "oh, that sounds similar to this."
Not even close. The basic premise is the same, but wow...the execution was so different. The Orville is this nice, safe, predictable science fiction adventure show that you can watch with the kids (and maybe have to explain some of the dirty jokes) while Black Mirror is a show you don't want the kids to see until they're not kids anymore.
A co-worker described it to me and the first thing that came to mind was the debut episode of Black Mirror season 3..."Nosedive." I was like "oh, that sounds similar to this."
Not even close. The basic premise is the same, but wow...the execution was so different. The Orville is this nice, safe, predictable science fiction adventure show that you can watch with the kids (and maybe have to explain some of the dirty jokes) while Black Mirror is a show you don't want the kids to see until they're not kids anymore.
KeepTalking
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My favorite part of that episode was the subtle nod they gave to Galaxy Quest. In Galaxy Quest, when they disarm the destruction sequence with a few seconds to spare, it keeps counting down until it stops with one second left. Sigourney Weaver's character explains that in the show, they always stop the explodey-thingy with precisely one second left, so that's the way the aliens designed it to mimic the show.
In this episode of The Orville, as Lamar's downvote total is approaching 10 million, my wife made the comment that it would stop with one vote left, and I agreed. It didn't, they actually save him with a few votes to spare, but it certainly made me think of how they had used that trope in Galaxy Quest, and the fact that they were setting up the audience to fully expect that same trope here, then deliberately stopped short of it. It is one of those things that really endears me to The Orville. They constantly set you up for an expectation of how something would play out in a typical Star Trek episode, and then subtly tweak that expectation in the end.
Jayjay
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Orville
9/10
Based on first 5 or six episodes, it's a fun show. This could be because it compares favourably with Star Trek Discovery with its fun, compact episodes that actually have some scifi tropes and ideas rather than get bogged down in dark, broody backstory. I wouldn't go as far as to say that Orville is the new Star Trek, it's more like Galaxy Quest. It's not as if Star Treks never had humor or mannerisms that are too "20th century", but Orville doesn't even try, the jokes and gags are likely not going to age well. But, fun is fun, and the open-ended, episodic world gives ample opportunities to tell all sorts of scifi stories so I'm really optimistic about the show's future.
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
7/10
An animated Batman movie with voice from original cast members Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar. This could be in the movies thread, but as it is an homage to the 1960s Batman series, I feel the review fits better with other TV shows. I've actually been watching the original show recently, and if you are a fan like myself, you'll probably appreciate the story that reads almost exactly like an episode of the series, but with higher budget (due to being animated) and a couple of modern twists. Without spoiling too much, I can say that it features the classic four villains - Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman - stealing a duplication ray which they try to use to duplicate the Earth, and it picks up from there. There are plenty of callbacks to the tv show that you'll miss if you've never seen it, so this is really just enjoyable for nostalgia, but as such, it's not so bad.
The weakest part is the voice acting. It is endearing that the original cast got together for one last time, and I can appreciate that, but here is the thing: people's voices change when they get older. Batman doesn't sound like Batman, he sounds like Mayor West. Burt Ward doesn't sound like a kid, he sounds like an old man reading from a script. And catwoman sounds like your grandmother. The imitators who do the voices for the other villains are much better job, though they aren't quite as good as Frank Gorshin, Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith. I think they could have done better in this department.
Deduce two points if you don't like or haven't seen the 1960s Batman.
Deduce two more points if you aren't a fan of Batman at all.
9/10
Based on first 5 or six episodes, it's a fun show. This could be because it compares favourably with Star Trek Discovery with its fun, compact episodes that actually have some scifi tropes and ideas rather than get bogged down in dark, broody backstory. I wouldn't go as far as to say that Orville is the new Star Trek, it's more like Galaxy Quest. It's not as if Star Treks never had humor or mannerisms that are too "20th century", but Orville doesn't even try, the jokes and gags are likely not going to age well. But, fun is fun, and the open-ended, episodic world gives ample opportunities to tell all sorts of scifi stories so I'm really optimistic about the show's future.
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
7/10
An animated Batman movie with voice from original cast members Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar. This could be in the movies thread, but as it is an homage to the 1960s Batman series, I feel the review fits better with other TV shows. I've actually been watching the original show recently, and if you are a fan like myself, you'll probably appreciate the story that reads almost exactly like an episode of the series, but with higher budget (due to being animated) and a couple of modern twists. Without spoiling too much, I can say that it features the classic four villains - Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman - stealing a duplication ray which they try to use to duplicate the Earth, and it picks up from there. There are plenty of callbacks to the tv show that you'll miss if you've never seen it, so this is really just enjoyable for nostalgia, but as such, it's not so bad.
The weakest part is the voice acting. It is endearing that the original cast got together for one last time, and I can appreciate that, but here is the thing: people's voices change when they get older. Batman doesn't sound like Batman, he sounds like Mayor West. Burt Ward doesn't sound like a kid, he sounds like an old man reading from a script. And catwoman sounds like your grandmother. The imitators who do the voices for the other villains are much better job, though they aren't quite as good as Frank Gorshin, Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith. I think they could have done better in this department.
Deduce two points if you don't like or haven't seen the 1960s Batman.
Deduce two more points if you aren't a fan of Batman at all.
Ford
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Continuing to catch up on Babylon 5.
The Londo/G'Kar story arc is frankly magnificent. I think it is the heart of the series. Earth Force, the Mimbari, the conflict between the Shadows and the Vorlons all pale in comparison to the interplay between these two characters. They begin as mortal enemies and then go beyond that relationship.
The Londo/G'Kar story arc is frankly magnificent. I think it is the heart of the series. Earth Force, the Mimbari, the conflict between the Shadows and the Vorlons all pale in comparison to the interplay between these two characters. They begin as mortal enemies and then go beyond that relationship.
Underseer
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Gifted
6.5/10
The show has improved, but it's still mediocre. Better than Agents of SHIELD, but nowhere near Legion (the best comic book show ever in my opinion).
Mitigating highlights:
Oh, and Morlocks got a mention!
6.5/10
The show has improved, but it's still mediocre. Better than Agents of SHIELD, but nowhere near Legion (the best comic book show ever in my opinion).
Mitigating highlights:
- The protagonist family has a last name that strongly suggests that one or more of the protagonists will turn out to be supervillains. For fans who are aware of this, this fact creates additional tension because you analyze everything they do to see if any of it is evidence of them going bad.
- The premise is intriguing. The X-Men have disappeared from the world, and the surviving mutants have had to go underground (in something a bit like the Underground Railroad) to avoid persecution by the government.
- Blink has a prominent role. This is good both for representation of Asians in comic book movies and TV, and for fans of the character. This time, she is Chinese-American instead of Chinese like in the movie. Not sure how the comic book version was because she's from after my time (after I stopped by collecting comic books).
Oh, and Morlocks got a mention!
prideandfall
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angie tribeca:
8/10 for what it is and what it's going for, not really sure how to rate it absent its niche context.
this is literally "what if we made police squad! as a TV show now, with the cultural touchstones updated and a bit of poking fun at police procedurals?"
it's... it's totally police squad! (or the naked gun) - rashida jones replaces lesley nielson as the hard boiled detective (and does a shockingly good job of it) and the show is just wall-to-wall absurdism, sight gags, and parody.
it's vaguely hard to quantify because much like police squad! or the naked gun or the airplane movies, i think how much you enjoy is derived 100% from how on-board you can get with that particular style of comedy, because there's pretty much nothing to the show outside of it being a ceaseless joke machine.
anyways, i laughed my ass off through the first season - partially at what was on the screen, partially in bafflement over what i was watching and that this would exist in 2017.
it's good stuff.
8/10 for what it is and what it's going for, not really sure how to rate it absent its niche context.
this is literally "what if we made police squad! as a TV show now, with the cultural touchstones updated and a bit of poking fun at police procedurals?"
it's... it's totally police squad! (or the naked gun) - rashida jones replaces lesley nielson as the hard boiled detective (and does a shockingly good job of it) and the show is just wall-to-wall absurdism, sight gags, and parody.
it's vaguely hard to quantify because much like police squad! or the naked gun or the airplane movies, i think how much you enjoy is derived 100% from how on-board you can get with that particular style of comedy, because there's pretty much nothing to the show outside of it being a ceaseless joke machine.
anyways, i laughed my ass off through the first season - partially at what was on the screen, partially in bafflement over what i was watching and that this would exist in 2017.
it's good stuff.
Smallville - 6 / 10
A typical teenage sci fi show about Clark Kent in high school growing into his powers and finding new and different ways to accidentally fall backwards into a pile of kryptonite so that every episode doesn't end after two minutes when he drop kicks the villain of the week into the sun. It's entertaining, but fairly formulaic. I'm in the second season and the plots are already starting to get redundant and it goes on for about eight more seasons, so I see it running pretty hard towards a steep cliff for it to fall off of.
One stand out in the show is the guy who plays Lex Luthor. He does so excellent job of someone with a serious dark side trying to be good but constantly taking step after step towards evil. You see the character as a younger version of a supervillian and its cool watching his progression and the choices he makes as a contrast to Clark's choices on the road to becoming a hero. With all the Roy Moore stories going around, though, it's a bit awkward seeing this grown man hang out with teenagers so much and that kind of undercuts what they were going for with him.
A typical teenage sci fi show about Clark Kent in high school growing into his powers and finding new and different ways to accidentally fall backwards into a pile of kryptonite so that every episode doesn't end after two minutes when he drop kicks the villain of the week into the sun. It's entertaining, but fairly formulaic. I'm in the second season and the plots are already starting to get redundant and it goes on for about eight more seasons, so I see it running pretty hard towards a steep cliff for it to fall off of.
One stand out in the show is the guy who plays Lex Luthor. He does so excellent job of someone with a serious dark side trying to be good but constantly taking step after step towards evil. You see the character as a younger version of a supervillian and its cool watching his progression and the choices he makes as a contrast to Clark's choices on the road to becoming a hero. With all the Roy Moore stories going around, though, it's a bit awkward seeing this grown man hang out with teenagers so much and that kind of undercuts what they were going for with him.
Harry Bosch
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Halt and Catch Fire - 9/10
Great show. Great acting, story, tension, and delivery. I'd give it a 10/10 except I generally like more Sci-Fy type of shows. But HACF is awesome. I'm half the way through season 3. I hear that season 4 is the best.
Great show. Great acting, story, tension, and delivery. I'd give it a 10/10 except I generally like more Sci-Fy type of shows. But HACF is awesome. I'm half the way through season 3. I hear that season 4 is the best.
Jayjay
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The Punisher
9/10
Finished binging Marvel's Punisher on Netflix. Not bad. It's the least superheroish of all the shows, focusing mostly on Frank dealing with stuff from his past coming back to bite him, which in turn forces Frank to start dealing with his own tragedy. In the beginning, he's a broken man, but near the end Frank becomes whole. This is perhaps the best character arc since Jessica Jones. I don't want to spoil too much, but compared to comics, this series focuses less on the Punisher going after different kinds of criminals in creative ways, and mostly just deals with his military past. I was expecting more linear progression, him first killing lower lever mooks and moving his way up in the chain like a video game, but no. There are dead ends, it's less about the violence (though there is that too) and more about the plot and even a serious discussion about whether what the Punisher is doing is the right thing in the end. I'm bumping off one point because the kiling does get a bit stale with all the enemies being basically the same generic special forces dudes, and because Frank comes off as a raving madman rather than a calculating tactician, but that's clearly an intentional creative choice and not due to disrespect to the source material.
Plenty of open ends if there is ever a season 2. I do hope so.
9/10
Finished binging Marvel's Punisher on Netflix. Not bad. It's the least superheroish of all the shows, focusing mostly on Frank dealing with stuff from his past coming back to bite him, which in turn forces Frank to start dealing with his own tragedy. In the beginning, he's a broken man, but near the end Frank becomes whole. This is perhaps the best character arc since Jessica Jones. I don't want to spoil too much, but compared to comics, this series focuses less on the Punisher going after different kinds of criminals in creative ways, and mostly just deals with his military past. I was expecting more linear progression, him first killing lower lever mooks and moving his way up in the chain like a video game, but no. There are dead ends, it's less about the violence (though there is that too) and more about the plot and even a serious discussion about whether what the Punisher is doing is the right thing in the end. I'm bumping off one point because the kiling does get a bit stale with all the enemies being basically the same generic special forces dudes, and because Frank comes off as a raving madman rather than a calculating tactician, but that's clearly an intentional creative choice and not due to disrespect to the source material.
Plenty of open ends if there is ever a season 2. I do hope so.
Ford
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Hip Hop Evolution on Netflix.
8/10
My first college radio gig was in 1984 at this station that played top 40 and hip hop...which was rare back then. As a rock guy, I dismissed both kinds of music going in, but then playing records by Prince, Madonna, and Huey Lewis alongside UTFO, Grandmaster Flash, and Run DMC I was like "whoa, what is this music?"
This series goes back to the early days of the music in the 70s, talks to the originators, and does a pretty good job of explaining how it wound up on the turntables of a college station staffed by a bunch of white kids in the Midwest. A lot of people don't know that The Sugarhill Gang was a made-up group that stole their rhymes from other rappers, or that Blondie was an "early adopter" of the music and brought it into the mainstream but was legit.
The show also goes into why certain MC's were so good, and draws a line from the beginnings of hip hop to the present day.
8/10
My first college radio gig was in 1984 at this station that played top 40 and hip hop...which was rare back then. As a rock guy, I dismissed both kinds of music going in, but then playing records by Prince, Madonna, and Huey Lewis alongside UTFO, Grandmaster Flash, and Run DMC I was like "whoa, what is this music?"
This series goes back to the early days of the music in the 70s, talks to the originators, and does a pretty good job of explaining how it wound up on the turntables of a college station staffed by a bunch of white kids in the Midwest. A lot of people don't know that The Sugarhill Gang was a made-up group that stole their rhymes from other rappers, or that Blondie was an "early adopter" of the music and brought it into the mainstream but was legit.
The show also goes into why certain MC's were so good, and draws a line from the beginnings of hip hop to the present day.
Underseer
Contributor
Even in the comic books, Punisher can be of wildly varying quality depending on the writing. It's one reason I generally give live action versions of this character a wide berth. I'm glad to hear the show is actually good.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Micro from the Punisher is the original "guy in the chair" (referenced by Ned Leeds in Spider-Man: Homecoming) that has become so cliche in modern superhero stories.