What TV are you watching and how would you rate it? [Revive from FRDB]

[steve_bank]

I just watched samples of zombie apocalypse shows.

They are the absolute lowest budget of low budget TV shows. No or simple sets, no wardrobe, and simple repetitive dialogue. Zombies kill humans, humans kill zombies. humans kill humans.

In an apocalypse they never run out of ammunition or flashlight batteries. Women dress like they are going to a mall.

Not very demanding acting.

People must be watching. AMC is running 24/7 multiple days Walking Dead. Low budget high profit.

 

[ZiprHead]

Ive only watched one episode of TWD and only because I was told the episode included an armored version of my Infiniti Q45.

 

[Tars Tarkus]

I watched the first season of TWD and it was enough for me to give up on it.

 

[arnoldo]

Man in the High Castle. . .Season 3 (Amazon Prime Video Series).

 

[Opoponax]

I watched the first season of TWD and it was enough for me to give up on it.

The first few seasons of The Walking Dead may be the pinnacle of the genre. I have a very special place in my heart for the original Dawn of the Dead, and I'll always hold that as the best. But TWD truly fleshed out and was able to develop a zombie infested world, and did it better than anyone ever has or likely ever will.

 

[Rhea]

God Friended Me

We watched the first episode of this new show and enjoyed it well enough. I'd like to see more television that touches on ethics, religion and philosophy (like The Good Place) so gave this a go. My only real complaint is that they grounded his atheism in the death of his mother, playing into the "angry at God" stereotype of an atheist. I'm hopeful future episodes show that only as the spur that sent him into research which in turn lead him to atheism.

In just the first episode there was very little actual atheist argumentation presented while there was a good amount of theistic apologetics represented so we'll see how this goes. I do like, however, that they portrayed the main character as just a basically good person living his life.

I’m seeing this one, too. My daughter was interested. She like supernatural stuff. The people stories are entertaining, if predictable, but I, too, was put off by the “angry at god = atheist” trope. Plus the monologue, “ I don’t believe in god, but then this happened.” They need an actual atheist on te script team, pronto! He keeps saying things that don’t mesh with a guy who studieed hard in his deconversion and has a podcast about it. And the “oh look, a sign” stuff is like a blugeon.

So, I may watch one more if my daughter keeps liking it. Maybe it will be a good opportunity for me to explain furth what makes me atheist. She does like to talk about that stuff and learn.

 

[Underseer]

God Friended Me

We watched the first episode of this new show and enjoyed it well enough. I'd like to see more television that touches on ethics, religion and philosophy (like The Good Place) so gave this a go. My only real complaint is that they grounded his atheism in the death of his mother, playing into the "angry at God" stereotype of an atheist. I'm hopeful future episodes show that only as the spur that sent him into research which in turn lead him to atheism.

In just the first episode there was very little actual atheist argumentation presented while there was a good amount of theistic apologetics represented so we'll see how this goes. I do like, however, that they portrayed the main character as just a basically good person living his life.

I’m seeing this one, too. My daughter was interested. She like supernatural stuff. The people stories are entertaining, if predictable, but I, too, was put off by the “angry at god = atheist” trope. Plus the monologue, “ I don’t believe in god, but then this happened.” They need an actual atheist on te script team, pronto! He keeps saying things that don’t mesh with a guy who studieed hard in his deconversion and has a podcast about it. And the “oh look, a sign” stuff is like a blugeon.

So, I may watch one more if my daughter keeps liking it. Maybe it will be a good opportunity for me to explain furth what makes me atheist. She does like to talk about that stuff and learn.

Why would they want an actual atheist on the script team? It's obvious that they want to appeal to people who would rather not deal with reality. I think they should portray all atheists as kitten-eating demons with horns and fangs.

 

[bilby]

God Friended Me

We watched the first episode of this new show and enjoyed it well enough. I'd like to see more television that touches on ethics, religion and philosophy (like The Good Place) so gave this a go. My only real complaint is that they grounded his atheism in the death of his mother, playing into the "angry at God" stereotype of an atheist. I'm hopeful future episodes show that only as the spur that sent him into research which in turn lead him to atheism.

In just the first episode there was very little actual atheist argumentation presented while there was a good amount of theistic apologetics represented so we'll see how this goes. I do like, however, that they portrayed the main character as just a basically good person living his life.

I’m seeing this one, too. My daughter was interested. She like supernatural stuff. The people stories are entertaining, if predictable, but I, too, was put off by the “angry at god = atheist” trope. Plus the monologue, “ I don’t believe in god, but then this happened.” They need an actual atheist on te script team, pronto! He keeps saying things that don’t mesh with a guy who studieed hard in his deconversion and has a podcast about it. And the “oh look, a sign” stuff is like a blugeon.

So, I may watch one more if my daughter keeps liking it. Maybe it will be a good opportunity for me to explain furth what makes me atheist. She does like to talk about that stuff and learn.

Why would they want an actual atheist on the script team? It's obvious that they want to appeal to people who would rather not deal with reality. I think they should portray all atheists as kitten-eating demons with horns and fangs.

That's ridiculous. I don't have fangs. And my hair largely conceals my horns.

 

[Jarhyn]

Recently watched Big Mouth season two. For those who haven't seen it, it's an honest look at puberty and the realities of being a young teenager (Even if occasionally fanciful WRT imaginary characters, though this serves as a metaphor for hidden common experience). I would say the whole thing is a fantastic catharsis for anyone who had a fucked up childhood, which after seeing that, is "all of us".

 

[Opoponax]

Man in the High Castle (season 3).

It's watchable, but the main protagonist (Trudy) is so unlikeable. She aids and carries on an affair with this goddamn demon of a Nazi hitman, but is supposed to also be the story's hero. Sure, a good character has faults, but Jesus, surely there's a better way than to do this than the way it's being done on this show.

Also, while the show doesn't have too many characters (see Game of Thrones), the characters within their own stories are often shown in increments of 3-4 minutes or less. Just when you get settled into what's going on with them and theirs, the show cuts to another character's story before any kind of adequate advancement occurs. It's jarring, and it takes a minute to settle into the next scene. Then the same thing happens. I do get used to it after awhile, but it's annoying.

Still, I'll keep watching because the subject matter is so interesting even though I know Trudy will never be killed.

 

[Goodchild]

Titans

The first episode was so much better than I could have hoped for, my wife and I absolutely loved it. The alley fight scene is fantastic and the whole "Fuck Batman" line makes much more sense in context and doesn't come off as "edgy for edgy's sake". My lone complaint with the first episode is that there was only one scene at the end for Beast Boy.

 

[Underseer]

Man in the High Castle (season 3).

It's watchable, but the main protagonist (Trudy) is so unlikeable. She aids and carries on an affair with this goddamn demon of a Nazi hitman, but is supposed to also be the story's hero. Sure, a good character has faults, but Jesus, surely there's a better way than to do this than the way it's being done on this show.

Also, while the show doesn't have too many characters (see Game of Thrones), the characters within their own stories are often shown in increments of 3-4 minutes or less. Just when you get settled into what's going on with them and theirs, the show cuts to another character's story before any kind of adequate advancement occurs. It's jarring, and it takes a minute to settle into the next scene. Then the same thing happens. I do get used to it after awhile, but it's annoying.

Still, I'll keep watching because the subject matter is so interesting even though I know Trudy will never be killed.

Wait, are you suggesting that Nazis are bad people?

You monster!

Don't you know that disagreeing with fascists is the worst kind of freedom-destroying social justice warrior of them all? Why do you hate our freedom, and why are you disloyal to Mother Russia? [/sarcasm]

 

[Patooka]

Man in the High Castle (season 3).

It's watchable, but the main protagonist (Trudy) is so unlikeable. She aids and carries on an affair with this goddamn demon of a Nazi hitman, but is supposed to also be the story's hero. Sure, a good character has faults, but Jesus, surely there's a better way than to do this than the way it's being done on this show.

Also, while the show doesn't have too many characters (see Game of Thrones), the characters within their own stories are often shown in increments of 3-4 minutes or less. Just when you get settled into what's going on with them and theirs, the show cuts to another character's story before any kind of adequate advancement occurs. It's jarring, and it takes a minute to settle into the next scene. Then the same thing happens. I do get used to it after awhile, but it's annoying.

Still, I'll keep watching because the subject matter is so interesting even though I know Trudy will never be killed.

You're confusing Trudy with her sister, Juliana. I'll admit the two characters are pretty interchangeable. I found issues with the overall pacing and characters like Kido and Smith apparently are only allowed to express one type of emotion (the emotion being wooden plank face). Like you said, watchable but very middle of the road. That and a lot of Phillip K Dick's works do not translate into TV particularly well. A dystopian alternate history show based on Harry Turtledove's books on the other hand...

 

[Tom Sawyer]

The Flash

Just watched the fourth season of this and it was a good one. They finally had a villain who wasn’t just another speedster and Barry needed to have a plan beyond trying to run a little bit faster than the fast running which he was already doing.

They had people dying, the villain succeeding and the need for the good guys to do unique and interesting things to try and fight him. It was entertaining.

 

[Opoponax]

Man in the High Castle (season 3).

It's watchable, but the main protagonist (Trudy) is so unlikeable. She aids and carries on an affair with this goddamn demon of a Nazi hitman, but is supposed to also be the story's hero. Sure, a good character has faults, but Jesus, surely there's a better way than to do this than the way it's being done on this show.

Also, while the show doesn't have too many characters (see Game of Thrones), the characters within their own stories are often shown in increments of 3-4 minutes or less. Just when you get settled into what's going on with them and theirs, the show cuts to another character's story before any kind of adequate advancement occurs. It's jarring, and it takes a minute to settle into the next scene. Then the same thing happens. I do get used to it after awhile, but it's annoying.

Still, I'll keep watching because the subject matter is so interesting even though I know Trudy will never be killed.

You're confusing Trudy with her sister, Juliana. I'll admit the two characters are pretty interchangeable. I found issues with the overall pacing and characters like Kido and Smith apparently are only allowed to express one type of emotion (the emotion being wooden plank face). Like you said, watchable but very middle of the road. That and a lot of Phillip K Dick's works do not translate into TV particularly well. A dystopian alternate history show based on Harry Turtledove's books on the other hand...

Oops. Yes. I stand corrected. It was Juliana I was whining about. But then things in the show progressed...

Still though, it's hard to like her. John Smith (played by Rufus Sewell) is infinitely more interesting than her. Same with Tagomi... and Inspector Kido... and Joe Blake. All of those storylines and characters are really intriguing, yet we're stuck with the relatively dull Julianna as the primary protagonist. I groan when the show cuts back to whatever she's bumbling through.

I don't know if it's the actress who plays her, or just how her character is written, but one shouldn't feel disdain toward the supposed hero of the story.

Overall though, I do really like the show. But after this season I'm going to wait until the whole thing is over before watching it again. Waiting a year or so between seasons after watching over the course of ~two weeks kind of ruins it.

 

[Underseer]

Salt Fat Acid Heat
9/10
(Currently on Netflix)

I only watched one episode so far, but I'm hooked. I learned stuff about how to use fat in cooking, I learned things about Italian dishes and Italian attitudes about food, all of the people were friendly and fun, the images were beautiful. This is easily my favorite food-related documentary on Netflix right now, even better than season one of Ugly Delicious when that Korean-American chef explained how he consulted with university professors to create pork katsuobushi (that delightful madman). I'm looking forward to the other episodes.

 

[steve_bank]

Magnum PI

A -10. Mind Numbing bad cliche acting.

 

[marc]

Curious Creations of Christine McConnell

Kind of like what you get crossing Martha Stewart with Morticia Adams, and Jim Henson monsters thrown in. Only six episodes, but they are fun. The story side is of a strange woman that lives in a nice house with several monsters. She does address the audience when explaining the various projects she does, leaving the monsters to wonder who the heck is she talking to. Projects like candy spiders, cookies with eyes, monster house cake, ouija board cookie, latex bat wings, and donut claws.

 

[Opoponax]

First

If you have Hulu, then see this show. Maybe I should wait before making that suggestion because I've only seen two shows. Whatever.

It stars Sean Penn as an astronaut who because of stuff I don't want to spoil, is picked to lead a mission to Mars. It is well written, terrifically acted, and very engrossing. Lately (meaning for like 4+ years), I haven't been much of a drama fan, but I was sucked into this show immediately.

Highly, highly recommended.

 

[Opoponax]

First

If you have Hulu, then see this show. Maybe I should wait before making that suggestion because I've only seen two shows. Whatever.

It stars Sean Penn as an astronaut who because of stuff I don't want to spoil, is picked to lead a mission to Mars. It is well written, terrifically acted, and very engrossing. Lately (meaning for like 4+ years), I haven't been much of a drama fan, but I was sucked into this show immediately.

Highly, highly recommended.

I think quoting oneself is poor form or something, but after having watched another two episodes, I have to revise my rating downward. It's descended into schlocky melodrama that would've been cutting edge 10-15 years ago, but now is been there, done that material. And one of the main characters is doing things that no one in her position would do, which seems like she's doing because the writers didn't know how to keep the tension and suspense up from the first two episodes.

I'm being intentionally vague, so I apologize for that.

But this has gone from say, 9/10, down to 5/10 pretty quickly.