Movies/TV worth watching (or at least discussing)

[wilson]

I haven't made it all the way through the WOT books yet...they're dense and voluminous, to say the least. I'm going to watch the series, but I too fear that it'll never be completed satisfactorily. I've said all along that I think it should have been high-style animation, which would have precluded a lot of daunting production challenges.

[IrishDevil]

I haven't made it all the way through the WOT books yet...they're dense and voluminous, to say the least. I'm going to watch the series, but I too fear that it'll never be completed satisfactorily. I've said all along that I think it should have been high-style animation, which would have precluded a lot of daunting production challenges.

The books concluded fairly well after Jordan passed, as others have noted, thanks not only to Sanderson, but in large part to Jordan's extensive notes and his wife's guidance, so I would encourage you to finish them. As for the series, I take it as a good sign that season 2 has already been green-lit. It is such a sprawling narrative, both in terms of characters and geography, it will be interesting to see what the series chooses to focus on vs. exclude and how closely a condensed narrative will adhere to the letter and spirit of the books. Not a new challenge obviously, as GOT most likely had the same issue, but I suspect one that will weigh heavily into determining how successful the show is, along with how they visualize the more fantastical elements. Not sure if this show, at least its first season, will have full access to bottomless Bezos pockets to fund heavy CGI.

Along the lines of high-style fantasy animation at Amazon, albeit with a more comedic bent than WOT: Amazon has partnered with Critical Role, a web-streamed live Dungeons and Dragons fantasy adventure show put on by a cast of voice actors, to produce two twelve-episode seasons of the Legend of Vox Machina, an animated series based on the first campaign of Critical Role (115 3-4 hour episodes, plus additional play before they began streaming their games). The release was pushed back significantly due to COVID, but there will be a sneak peak of the series at NYC Comic Con next month and most likely a release announcement, probably targeting the end of 2021 or early 2022. The show will be aimed at an adult audience despite its animated presentation.

I have listened in podcast form to both complete campaigns of Critical Role (they started streaming campaign 1 in 2017, campaign 2 concluded at the beginning of this past summer, and season 3 will likely start up at the end of this year or beginning of next), and can recommend the show if high-fantasy comedy/adventure interests you. The cast is excited about the animated series and the behind the scenes videos look promising, so hopefully the show fulfills its promise. Critical Role's youtube channel and website have more info about the forthcoming animated series specifically and Critical Role's content more generally.

[OldPhiKap]

Just finished this week’s Ted Lasso. Hilarious.

Will say no more.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Just finished this week’s Ted Lasso. Hilarious.

Will say no more.

I thought you and I were aligned. My least favorite episode. It had some moments but it was so different than the others. The billiards scene was excellent.

I had to go to the doctor today and tend to get very nervous and chatty. I noticed myself sounding exactly like Ted Lasso. Unclear whether the staff was laughing with me or at me.

[OldPhiKap]

I thought you and I were aligned. My least favorite episode. It had some moments but it was so different than the others. The billiards scene was excellent.

My understanding is that they wrote ten episodes for season two, and then Apple asked them to do twelve. Rather than stretch things out and add filler stuff, they decided to do two stand-alone episodes that showed some depth of characters but did not change the plot arc. The Christmas episode was the first one, this was the second. You can identify them by the altered opening themes.

After several weeks of heavy, I really liked this one. But understand other views.

[OldPhiKap]

@CNC — review of the new Lasso (with spoilers) that kind of sums up my reaction:

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-r...hours-1225404/

[lotusland]

Vague Spoiler alert

GOT’s ending is both horrible and lame. The rushed nature of the last seasons were less of a bummer to me than the actual ending. The over arching theme of the show is cut-throat, back- stabbing lust for power yet the ending is resolved in a harmonious, though ridiculous, committee meeting. I binge watched the whole show and got caught up a week or so before the last season aired and I did not read any plot discussions on social media before completing the series. It’s a lot of fun but it can’t be compared with The Wire or Breaking Bad with such a horrendous outcome IMO. I can’t speak about the Sopranos but this discussion has me itching to watch it.

Speaking of great shows and controversial endings, Mad Men was fantastic. I loved how the cultural shifts were portrayed as the show skipped forward 5 or so years each season. The last season might have been the best but I was
sorely disappointed in the ending. I assumed DD, over course of the show, was slowly descending into the abyss due to a life of excess built on deceit (his identity, not his profession). I saw the falling images from the show’s intro as a harbinger of DD’s inevitable descent. So I told my buddy I hated the ending but he convinced me to see it in a different light. His take was that DD’s story was one of perpetual reinvention thus the ending was perfect.

I’m interested to see the Ozark ending when it comes. The similarities with Breaking Bad are obvious but, so far, there’s been less hubris on the part of the protagonists. I see room for redemption and a narrow escape or even a split decision where Marty, Wendy and Ruth could have various outcomes that are not necessarily the same.

[duke74]

My understanding is that they wrote ten episodes for season two, and then Apple asked them to do twelve. Rather than stretch things out and add filler stuff, they decided to do two stand-alone episodes that showed some depth of characters but did not change the plot arc. The Christmas episode was the first one, this was the second. You can identify them by the altered opening themes.

After several weeks of heavy, I really liked this one. But understand other views.

I’m with CNC on this one, but now understand the backdrop. And I thought they had changed the opening theme as it started. Thanks, OPK.

But, as a Gooner, it was great to see Thierry in the episode - especially after the horrid start to our season.

[duke74]

@CNC — review of the new Lasso (with spoilers) that kind of sums up my reaction:

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-r...hours-1225404/

Excellent. Thanks.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

@CNC — review of the new Lasso (with spoilers) that kind of sums up my reaction:

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-r...hours-1225404/

Thanks. I had read a few other reviews but that summed it up well. I just tend not to like TV shows, movies, etc. that are dark (as in not well lit, though I also tend to not like things that are otherwise dark). Ted Lasso tends to be a very bright show, that very strategically and successfully uses dark moments (like his panic attacks) to advance the plot, add depth to characters, and show that the world is not a perfect place - if a show was all rainbows and unicorns all the time, that admittedly would get boring. But 40+ minutes of darkness was too much for me, even if there were plenty of independently funny moments in it and it was helpful to get to know Beard better.

I was way behind watching Ted Lasso and finally got caught up to watching it in real time. It is nice watching in real time so that I can discuss and there is a lot to digest.

[OldPhiKap]

Thanks. I had read a few other reviews but that summed it up well. I just tend not to like TV shows, movies, etc. that are dark (as in not well lit, though I also tend to not like things that are otherwise dark). Ted Lasso tends to be a very bright show, that very strategically and successfully uses dark moments (like his panic attacks) to advance the plot, add depth to characters, and show that the world is not a perfect place - if a show was all rainbows and unicorns all the time, that admittedly would get boring. But 40+ minutes of darkness was too much for me, even if there were plenty of independently funny moments in it and it was helpful to get to know Beard better.

I was way behind watching Ted Lasso and finally got caught up to watching it in real time. It is nice watching in real time so that I can discuss and there is a lot to digest.

I think you’ve described my view as well.

[OldPhiKap]

Lasso wins the first two Emmys tonight.

Hannah Waddington for best supporting actress in a comedy series (Juno Temple also nominated).

Brett Goldstein for best supporting actor in a comedy series (with three other TL actors nominated — Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed, and Jeremy Swift).

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Lasso wins the first two Emmys tonight.

Hannah Waddington for best supporting actress in a comedy series (Juno Temple also nominated).

Brett Goldstein for best supporting actor in a comedy series (with three other TL actors nominated — Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed, and Jeremy Swift).

Can Beard keep a hula hoop going while keeping that top hat on? I like his outfit.

The Just a Friend opener brought back fun memories - a personal favorite.

[duke74]

If anyone has Apple plus, I am watching “Come from Away”, a taped live production of the Broadway show of a few years ago related to the planes that had to land on September 11, 2001 in Newfoundland.

Very well done.

[camion]

If anyone has Apple plus, I am watching “Come from Away”, a taped live production of the Broadway show of a few years ago related to the planes that had to land on September 11, 2001 in Newfoundland.

Very well done.

I have an Apple II Plus. Does that count?

[Jeffrey]

Did Billions get new writers? IMO, Liberty is the series weakest episode, so far.

[bundabergdevil]

Duke represented well at the Emmys last night. One of the Hacks creators is a Duke grad.

[Skydog]

Did Billions get new writers? IMO, Liberty is the series weakest episode, so far.

I think the writing is awful this season but some on reddit think the opposite. I especially find the dialogue clunky and sometimes laughably bad. A character will just suddenly start delivering a long ‘clever’ macho/bravado speech out of nowhere. These silly soliloquies aren’t earned based on the story, they seem to be just thrown in as Billions-speak page fillers.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Excited to try Midnight Mass on Netflix. Same crew that did Haunting of Bly Manor and Haunting of Hill House - both of which I enjoyed very much.

[acdevil]

Just finished my two week binge of Breaking Bad.

Absolutely fantastic all the way through including a satisfying ending to the show.