I don't have cable either so am behind on shows and many from HBO and AMC I have to wait for them to come out on DVD and for Netflix. Working on Mad Men, season 5 and Boardwalk Empire, Season 2.
Okay, we're zipping right through Mad Men. Tonight, we're gonna watch the final two episodes of season 2. Really enjoying this show right now.
I'm about to wrap up season two of Breaking Bad (not Katie's kinda show, I'm watching it solo). While I like many of the performances quite a bit, I think there's a good chance I'm gonna drop this show pretty soon. It depends on how Season 2 wraps up. Trying very hard not to give away any spoilers here for anybody who hasn't yet seen the show, but for those who have, the episode I just saw... at the end, Walt was rushing to a Big Meet/Sale right when he gets a text message concerning his wife.
There's too many of these types of coincidences in the show. It makes it very hard for me to buy in. And while I do like the ingenuous ways that they often get out of their wacky jams with science (the show is sort of a cross between The Wire and Bill Nye the Science Guy), it just gets to be a bit too much. I mean, I can buy into an unlikely premise, but when it's got a bunch more unlikely scenarios and coincidences stacked upon that foundation, I start feeling like I'm just getting played by the writers. The story feels flimsy and shallow, and they're just taking cheap easy shots. But we'll see.
I have a question about another show I just put in my netflix instant watch queue... The Killing. I saw the first episode a while back, and so I get a sense of what it is, how it films, etc. My question, though, is this... I've read small comments here and there (twitter, etc) that the show took a turn for the worse, either because of the writers or something... and that it went downhill after season one or two. If this is the case, am I able to watch season one and just call it a day? Or is there no true resolve at the end of season one, and all my time invested in watching it is going to be a big letdown because of the show's nosedive later? I'm looking for some guidance here. I'd rather not waste my time watching the show. I have very little time I can spend on tv each week, and would prefer spending that time on a show that will pay off better.
jonah - I have not watched The Killing, but I do know that there is no resolution after season one, and it takes the whole series (cancelled after season 2) to get the resolution.
I really recommend sticking with Breaking Bad. It's about to really hit its stride, and the end of Season 2 is kind of awesome in the holy crap that character has taken a dark turn, sort of way.
Ok, I just read summaries of the end of season 2 because it all sort of blends together for me; it is good, but it's gonna get even more difficult to believe. Reading summaries I'm reminded just how difficult to believe Breaking Bad often is, but it almost never bothers me when I'm watching the show. I think I just suspend disbelief very easily when I enjoy the acting, the pace, the dialog and the characters so much.
Jonah - is it The Killing that is in Danish with English sub-titles or is it another series with the same name? If the first. it had rave reviews over here and Series 3 started a couple of weeks or so ago. Both Series 1 and 2 had a resolution
The Killing that I'm speaking of (I believe) was an AMC production. It takes place in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (Seattle?) and has a Twin Peaks kind of feel to it (subdued flow, long silent looks that could be interpreted in many ways, etc). No subtitles, all English. It sounds more like the one that Cafreema is addressing.
@Amclark2 - I'm connecting with Breaking Bad very similar to how you stated in your post. Right now, sitting here, I don't feel compelled at all to watch the last episode of Season 2, even though it's a cliffhanger moment. The story is just too flimsy. HOWEVER, once I do sit down and begin watching it, I will probably keep watching it, episode after episode, until I finally have to break away from it. Then I go back to thinking, eh, waste of time that was, not sure I feel like picking it back up. And now the younger partner (whatever the fuck his name is) backsliding the way he's backsliding with his girlfriend... that storyline is tired and been done way better before. Guh. This show pulls me in two opposite directions.
Jonah, as it happens I'm just one episode ahead of you with Breaking Bad, so I suggest you watch the next episode (ie, penultimate of season 2) and then decide whether you and the show are a good match. The episode I just saw relies on a very big coincidence for its climax, and if you find yourself thinking more about just how dramatically convenient that was, rather than about the implications of what happened, then Breaking Bad probably isn't for you.
I start feeling like I'm just getting played by the writers
Well, surely writers of fiction are by definition manipulative liars. The issue isn't whether they're playing you, it's whether you (a) notice and (b) care. If there's enough elsewhere in the show then I don't care.
As for The Killing, the US one is a remake of the Danish one. The original was magnificent, but again manipulative as hell - it was 20 episodes long and it seemed like they identified the killer in about 18 of them. I saw the first episode of the US one and it was very close to the original - too close to keep me watching. So I don't know if the criticisms leveled at it would also have been made against the original, or if the remake veered away from the original.
I just watched the second to last episode of season two. The scene at the bar pretty much exemplified the crap I'm talking about, though to a lesser degree. The thing that happened in the bed to end the episode, while what triggered it happening bothered me a tiny bit, what immediately followed eclipsed it and made me like it a lot.
And I guess that speaks to the differentiation you reference above... I think it's the job of the creative team (writers, director, producer, etc) to make it that I don't notice... or at least, don't notice while the show's in progress. I find I'm distracted from the story itself by the plot devices the staff is utilizing. That's not good. And the only thing that's redeeming it is the quality of the acting.
I'm going to watch the final episode of season 2 this afternoon. I've decided that if... [CAUTION: PERHAPS A MILD SPOILER HERE, THOUGH REALLY NOT...] ...the cash goes up in flames because he hasn't yet gotten it to his lawyer, then I'm done with the show. If the cash survives and makes it back to him (laundering or otherwise), then I'll move on to season 3.
I'm going to rewatch the first season or so of Breaking Bad with my wife soon. I'll be curious to see what she thinks of it and if I notice any of the issues you guys bring up here. It is a delicate balance to not let a show becoming too predictable, but also to have a show that frequently and mercilessly frustrates reader expectations (LOST anyone?). Season 5 of Mad Men managed to shake up things nicely for me by its conclusion.
Speaking of Lost, I recently added that to my instant queue. It's probably the show I'll begin watching whenever I stop watching Breaking Bad. Either that, or The Riches, which I've been wanting to watch for awhile, but had completely forgotten about until netflix suggested it.
Lost is most definitely the main reason why things like coincidences don't bother me much these days. I started to hate it for its failure to answer any questions, and keep adding more, until I realised that this was actually a reason to love it. Now I'm a lot more tolerant of writers' tricks.
r.e. Breaking Bad - I can only heartily recommend sticking with it because some really whack s**t is coming in the next couple of seasons. One of the better, if dark and twisted, shows on TV for me.
I just finished watching the end of season two of Breaking Bad, and then the first two episodes of season three.
I will refrain from commenting on anything until I know that Nereffid has caught up with me (or at least seen the end of season two).
And, quite frankly, nothing should be read into the very fact that I've begun season three. I likely was going to give season three a chance to hook me regardless of how season two ended.
Okay, now I am going to talk, vaguely, about Breaking Bad. If anybody doesn't want to even go so far as read my general opinions about this show, please ignore.
I just finished season 4. I gave the show an ultimatum for its season 2 finale, and it wound up choosing a Plan C over my two choices. I watched season 3, and it got better. Season 4 was pretty good, too. But, ultimately, my complaints about the show are the same. Writing that feels disingenuous at times, coincidences that are just a little too bullshit to be believed, and great acting. Since it's supposed to be over in Season 5, I'll watch it when it comes on netflix, but I don't think this show is anything better than a B/B- grade. If I had to do it over again, I'd probably have skipped the show altogether.
Well, maybe not. Bob Odenkirk as the shady lawyer, actually, redeems the show for me. So, I guess I wouldn't have skipped the show. Odenkirk is just great. That scene when he's on the phone talking to Skyler and she's admitting to certain crimes, and Odenkirk gets notably exasperated then mutters that she's "really being a Chatty Cathy today" pretty much put me over the edge with laughter. And then the scene in the finale when Hector Salamanca painfully goes through the bell and spell routine with the nurse just to tell the cop to suck his dick and fuck himself, I'm still laughing about that just thinking about it. That bell dinging and the nurse saying one letter after the other... F (ding) A, F, L, R (ding), row four, R, S, T, U (ding)... I mean, just knowing what was coming was too much. Ooh boy. Really laughing now.
I also really liked how they showed Pinkman descending into apathy. The way he began throwing nice parties in his home, then just let the hobos and addicts live there to party 24/7, and just looked comfortable amongst all the speedy decay. What nailed that whole story arc for me was his complete indifference to learning that his cash had been stolen, that all he wanted to do was sit that girl down on his bed and play video games with her. I dunno. It all made sense, but it was a nice surprise.
I like how Walt ends the season by saying to Skyler over the phone, "What happened? I won."
I've got a few ideas on how things pick up in season five, but I'll wait until I can see the show to see if my guesses are correct.
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Okay, that's it. End of post, no more (potential) spoilers.
Okay, time for a television update... (no spoilers within)
As last I mentioned, I'd gotten through all the episodes available on Netflix for Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Both shows have their first four seasons on Netflix. I'm looking forward to more Mad Men than I am Breaking Bad, but I'll definitely finish both out until there's no more.
What we've been watching lately:
-Luther (BBC). I like it. It has whats-his-name from The Wire as the main dude. I've seen the first three episodes, and I plan to keep watching. The show doesn't blow me away or anything, and the whole thing with the chick is a little irritating, but I like things enough that it's an enjoyable show to see. While I'm not crazy about the show, I do appreciate it. Me and Katie watched the first episode together, but she decided it was "one of my shows" and dropped off.
-Sherlock Holmes (BBC). This is the new one, that has the dude from the UK version of the Office as Doctor Watson. I think this show is really really good. We both like this one. The dialog and the pacing and the newness vs. lineage of the stories is well done. While the Hound of Baskerville was the only mediocre episode of the first season (six episodes altogether, each 90 minutes in length), I really gotta tip my cap that the show's writers/producers went with the story. I believe it was the first Sherlock Holmes story I ever read, back when I was a wee tot. The show has some solid moments. The actor who plays Doctor Watson does a phenomenal job... just the right amount of sidekick and just the right amount of serious character in his own right.
-The Tudors (Showtime). We watched the first episode. We plan to watch more, but aren't exactly chomping at the bit to get started. It was a good first episode, and we (or I, at least) plan on riding out the first season to give it a fair chance to grab us.
I think that sums it up. I may be forgetting something, but maybe not.
the whole thing with the chick is a little irritating
What, you don't like Alice? She may grow on you as things progress. Luther was one of our favorites from the last couple of years. I believe Sherlock is from the producers of Doctor Who, and there are certain quirks about it that remind me of the latter.
Did anyone watch The Following, the new one with Kevin Bacon, and James Purefoy (Marc Anthony in the HBO series Rome)? Very, very dark, and I have not decided if it was one of the better things I've seen on network television lately or just the most shocking - will depend how they develop it, but I will be watching second episode tomorrow.
We watched the first episode of Downton Abbey. I'm interested in seeing another, Katie maybe not. It's been so long since I saw it, though, I might have to re-watch it before moving on to episode two. Everybody looks the same on that show.
I'm a Kevin Bacon fan -- both acting and Bacon Brothers music. I made it through maybe 15 minutes of The Following. It exceeded my tolerance for violence and gore. I left, went to another room, but I could hear all the screaming because spouse watched the entire show. No, he wasn't the one doing the screaming. ;=} He often goes to sleep while watching TV, but his only comment about The Following was, "Well, I definitely did not go to sleep during that one."
Glad you are watching some British TV Jonah!! A third season of Sherlock is currently being made; it attracted excellent reviews here. It was indeed made by the writer of Dr Who, and the same production team It is why new episodes of Dr Who have been a bit slow coming. There's beren another series of Luther, I think, since the Alice series. Again, I'm sure another is due soon. If you like Luther watch out for Utopia, about half way through here now.
Downton is interesting. Reviews for series 3, which finished here early December, were not as good, with audiences dropping a bit. We watched it all. If you missed all but the last two minutes of the Christmas special you will miss nothing, as that is where the action is - I won't spoil it. A new series is planned but they do need to introduce some different story lines.
I feel the Downton writing has been a letdown so far this season - we were strung along on a few crises that turned out not to be crises after all, the major one involving the Abbey itself, and now this rather heavy handed touch. Of course, compared to Game of Thrones (3/31/13 Season 3 I believe) it's a cakewalk.
My wife had mild pre eclampsia during her pregnancy, so I was well aware of what we were in for. Still surprised me.
Sadly, I got a little bit spoiled for those last 2 minutes, Greg. I don't know exactly what happens, but I know the result. Stupid articles not having spoiler alerts for Americans!
I love Sherlock, it's just so fun. Martin Freeman isn't the guy from The Office anymore though. Now he's Bilbo Baggins.
The best part of the show is Benedict Cumberbatch. It's just incredibly fun to say Benedict Cumberbatch! Try it. You'll like it.
Comments
I'm about to wrap up season two of Breaking Bad (not Katie's kinda show, I'm watching it solo). While I like many of the performances quite a bit, I think there's a good chance I'm gonna drop this show pretty soon. It depends on how Season 2 wraps up. Trying very hard not to give away any spoilers here for anybody who hasn't yet seen the show, but for those who have, the episode I just saw... at the end, Walt was rushing to a Big Meet/Sale right when he gets a text message concerning his wife.
There's too many of these types of coincidences in the show. It makes it very hard for me to buy in. And while I do like the ingenuous ways that they often get out of their wacky jams with science (the show is sort of a cross between The Wire and Bill Nye the Science Guy), it just gets to be a bit too much. I mean, I can buy into an unlikely premise, but when it's got a bunch more unlikely scenarios and coincidences stacked upon that foundation, I start feeling like I'm just getting played by the writers. The story feels flimsy and shallow, and they're just taking cheap easy shots. But we'll see.
I have a question about another show I just put in my netflix instant watch queue... The Killing. I saw the first episode a while back, and so I get a sense of what it is, how it films, etc. My question, though, is this... I've read small comments here and there (twitter, etc) that the show took a turn for the worse, either because of the writers or something... and that it went downhill after season one or two. If this is the case, am I able to watch season one and just call it a day? Or is there no true resolve at the end of season one, and all my time invested in watching it is going to be a big letdown because of the show's nosedive later? I'm looking for some guidance here. I'd rather not waste my time watching the show. I have very little time I can spend on tv each week, and would prefer spending that time on a show that will pay off better.
Cheers.
I really recommend sticking with Breaking Bad. It's about to really hit its stride, and the end of Season 2 is kind of awesome in the holy crap that character has taken a dark turn, sort of way.
Craig
@Amclark2 - I'm connecting with Breaking Bad very similar to how you stated in your post. Right now, sitting here, I don't feel compelled at all to watch the last episode of Season 2, even though it's a cliffhanger moment. The story is just too flimsy. HOWEVER, once I do sit down and begin watching it, I will probably keep watching it, episode after episode, until I finally have to break away from it. Then I go back to thinking, eh, waste of time that was, not sure I feel like picking it back up. And now the younger partner (whatever the fuck his name is) backsliding the way he's backsliding with his girlfriend... that storyline is tired and been done way better before. Guh. This show pulls me in two opposite directions.
Cheers.
Well, surely writers of fiction are by definition manipulative liars. The issue isn't whether they're playing you, it's whether you (a) notice and (b) care. If there's enough elsewhere in the show then I don't care.
As for The Killing, the US one is a remake of the Danish one. The original was magnificent, but again manipulative as hell - it was 20 episodes long and it seemed like they identified the killer in about 18 of them. I saw the first episode of the US one and it was very close to the original - too close to keep me watching. So I don't know if the criticisms leveled at it would also have been made against the original, or if the remake veered away from the original.
I just watched the second to last episode of season two. The scene at the bar pretty much exemplified the crap I'm talking about, though to a lesser degree. The thing that happened in the bed to end the episode, while what triggered it happening bothered me a tiny bit, what immediately followed eclipsed it and made me like it a lot.
And I guess that speaks to the differentiation you reference above... I think it's the job of the creative team (writers, director, producer, etc) to make it that I don't notice... or at least, don't notice while the show's in progress. I find I'm distracted from the story itself by the plot devices the staff is utilizing. That's not good. And the only thing that's redeeming it is the quality of the acting.
I'm going to watch the final episode of season 2 this afternoon. I've decided that if... [CAUTION: PERHAPS A MILD SPOILER HERE, THOUGH REALLY NOT...] ...the cash goes up in flames because he hasn't yet gotten it to his lawyer, then I'm done with the show. If the cash survives and makes it back to him (laundering or otherwise), then I'll move on to season 3.
I will refrain from commenting on anything until I know that Nereffid has caught up with me (or at least seen the end of season two).
And, quite frankly, nothing should be read into the very fact that I've begun season three. I likely was going to give season three a chance to hook me regardless of how season two ended.
That's all for now.
Cheers.
I just finished season 4. I gave the show an ultimatum for its season 2 finale, and it wound up choosing a Plan C over my two choices. I watched season 3, and it got better. Season 4 was pretty good, too. But, ultimately, my complaints about the show are the same. Writing that feels disingenuous at times, coincidences that are just a little too bullshit to be believed, and great acting. Since it's supposed to be over in Season 5, I'll watch it when it comes on netflix, but I don't think this show is anything better than a B/B- grade. If I had to do it over again, I'd probably have skipped the show altogether.
Well, maybe not. Bob Odenkirk as the shady lawyer, actually, redeems the show for me. So, I guess I wouldn't have skipped the show. Odenkirk is just great. That scene when he's on the phone talking to Skyler and she's admitting to certain crimes, and Odenkirk gets notably exasperated then mutters that she's "really being a Chatty Cathy today" pretty much put me over the edge with laughter. And then the scene in the finale when Hector Salamanca painfully goes through the bell and spell routine with the nurse just to tell the cop to suck his dick and fuck himself, I'm still laughing about that just thinking about it. That bell dinging and the nurse saying one letter after the other... F (ding) A, F, L, R (ding), row four, R, S, T, U (ding)... I mean, just knowing what was coming was too much. Ooh boy. Really laughing now.
I also really liked how they showed Pinkman descending into apathy. The way he began throwing nice parties in his home, then just let the hobos and addicts live there to party 24/7, and just looked comfortable amongst all the speedy decay. What nailed that whole story arc for me was his complete indifference to learning that his cash had been stolen, that all he wanted to do was sit that girl down on his bed and play video games with her. I dunno. It all made sense, but it was a nice surprise.
I like how Walt ends the season by saying to Skyler over the phone, "What happened? I won."
I've got a few ideas on how things pick up in season five, but I'll wait until I can see the show to see if my guesses are correct.
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Okay, that's it. End of post, no more (potential) spoilers.
As last I mentioned, I'd gotten through all the episodes available on Netflix for Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Both shows have their first four seasons on Netflix. I'm looking forward to more Mad Men than I am Breaking Bad, but I'll definitely finish both out until there's no more.
What we've been watching lately:
-Luther (BBC). I like it. It has whats-his-name from The Wire as the main dude. I've seen the first three episodes, and I plan to keep watching. The show doesn't blow me away or anything, and the whole thing with the chick is a little irritating, but I like things enough that it's an enjoyable show to see. While I'm not crazy about the show, I do appreciate it. Me and Katie watched the first episode together, but she decided it was "one of my shows" and dropped off.
-Sherlock Holmes (BBC). This is the new one, that has the dude from the UK version of the Office as Doctor Watson. I think this show is really really good. We both like this one. The dialog and the pacing and the newness vs. lineage of the stories is well done. While the Hound of Baskerville was the only mediocre episode of the first season (six episodes altogether, each 90 minutes in length), I really gotta tip my cap that the show's writers/producers went with the story. I believe it was the first Sherlock Holmes story I ever read, back when I was a wee tot. The show has some solid moments. The actor who plays Doctor Watson does a phenomenal job... just the right amount of sidekick and just the right amount of serious character in his own right.
-The Tudors (Showtime). We watched the first episode. We plan to watch more, but aren't exactly chomping at the bit to get started. It was a good first episode, and we (or I, at least) plan on riding out the first season to give it a fair chance to grab us.
I think that sums it up. I may be forgetting something, but maybe not.
Cheers.
Did anyone watch The Following, the new one with Kevin Bacon, and James Purefoy (Marc Anthony in the HBO series Rome)? Very, very dark, and I have not decided if it was one of the better things I've seen on network television lately or just the most shocking - will depend how they develop it, but I will be watching second episode tomorrow.
We watched the first episode of Downton Abbey. I'm interested in seeing another, Katie maybe not. It's been so long since I saw it, though, I might have to re-watch it before moving on to episode two. Everybody looks the same on that show.
Downton is interesting. Reviews for series 3, which finished here early December, were not as good, with audiences dropping a bit. We watched it all. If you missed all but the last two minutes of the Christmas special you will miss nothing, as that is where the action is - I won't spoil it. A new series is planned but they do need to introduce some different story lines.
Sadly, I got a little bit spoiled for those last 2 minutes, Greg. I don't know exactly what happens, but I know the result. Stupid articles not having spoiler alerts for Americans!
I love Sherlock, it's just so fun. Martin Freeman isn't the guy from The Office anymore though. Now he's Bilbo Baggins.
The best part of the show is Benedict Cumberbatch. It's just incredibly fun to say Benedict Cumberbatch! Try it. You'll like it.
Craig
Wait, Freeman is in the Hobbit? He's Bilbo in the version playing at my local theater?