What TV SHOWS are you watching?

Gary Sax wrote: Thanks for the chatter on Dark. Watched the first episode last night. Felt like sort of a grimdark Twin Peaks/Stranger things mixup.

It's so...SO much better than Stranger Things.

More to my taste, at least. I hated the 2-3 eps I saw of Stranger Things.

I liked the blurb on Netflix.

WARRIOR NUN - She's not a warrior or a nun!

Aye, and I'm not watching it.

hotseatgames wrote:

Gary Sax wrote: Thanks for the chatter on Dark. Watched the first episode last night. Felt like sort of a grimdark Twin Peaks/Stranger things mixup.

It's so...SO much better than Stranger Things.

Saw that too so have listed it, unfortunately I'm enjoying all the Marvel TV series at the moments so have quite a few seasons to get through before I will get to look at it.

Sagrilarus wrote:

dysjunct wrote: Started WARRIOR NUN which is kind of whatever. A fine show to have on in the background while mindlessly browsing Twitter or Reddit. The wife likes it though.

I gave this a shot when I saw you were watching it, and I couldn't get through the first five minutes of gun violence. I just can't deal with shows about big guns anymore, and this show led with them bigly. I hate the noise, I hate the attitude, I hate the lazy writing that comes with it. I had hoped for somewhat of a period piece.

You want Into the Badlands also on Netflix. No guns in that one.

I kind of prefer Stranger Things' sense of humour, if we're comparing the two shows. And the people in it are kind of idiots a lot of the time, or hard to like. I'm looking forward to season 3 though.

Still - If I was going to compare it to anything, it's kind of like a tighter more interesting and convoluted (in a good way) Twelve Monkeys (tv series, not the movie).

Just a few episodes left in my binge of Rome, but decided to change things up and try I'll Be Gone in the Dark, a documentary about the East Side Rapist/Original Night Stalker of the mid-'70s. It's based on the book of the same name by Michelle MacNamara. I nearly gave up halfway through the first episode, because the show has several problems:

1. MacNamara died before the documentary was made.
2. She was married to famous comedian Patton Oswalt.
3. All the crimes were committed over 40 years ago.
4. MacNamara didn't solve the crimes.

The first two problems mean that the documentary sometimes wanders off topic to talk with Patton Oswalt, and some of the other recurring comments are fawning praise for the deceased author.

But I came back tonight to watch the second half of the first episode and suddenly got hooked. Part of it was seeing the map with the crime scenes numbered in chronological order, and part of it was hearing the testimony of one of the early victims. There are also some interesting comments about how the police handled rape investigations back in the '70s. If you like crime documentaries, this one is a pretty good. And just days before it debuted on HBO, the actual EAR/ONS killer got caught, so I am hopeful that there will be an additional episode at the end to deal with that major update.

Shellhead wrote: 4. MacNamara didn't solve the crimes.

No, she didn't, but no-one did. He was caught via genetic database, which is how she said he would be caught in her book. McNamara's book is unbelievably timely, and an excellent comprehensive work. Barring DeAngelo telling the police everything he did from day one, and he won't, it will remain the best coverage of the crimes for a good long while.

Thought I'd give Condor a try. I love the book and the film, so the series has to be worth a try, right. Well, not so much, as it's all a bit generic. Perhaps would have been better off watching Rubicon again.

Shellhead wrote: I nearly gave up halfway through the first episode, because the show has several problems:

1. MacNamara died before the documentary was made.
2. She was married to famous comedian Patton Oswalt.
3. All the crimes were committed over 40 years ago.
4. MacNamara didn't solve the crimes.

1. She died before the book was published, too. However, there are lots of interviews and her podcast from which to draw her voice. I think she may have been recording an audio version of her book, too, due to some of the quotes.
2. Understandable. He can really rub people the wrong way. However, he was instrumental in finishing her book and getting it published posthumously.
3. All the crimes *started* 40 years ago. They went on for a very long time.
4. She didn't solve it, but she was instrumental in getting it solved. Her hard work and insights had a big impact.

The first two problems mean that the documentary sometimes wanders off topic to talk with Patton Oswalt, and some of the other recurring comments are fawning praise for the deceased author.

This latter statement was true of the book as well, and it drove me crazy.

But I came back tonight to watch the second half of the first episode and suddenly got hooked. If you like crime documentaries, this one is a pretty good.

I agree. It's really well done; both fascinating and terrifying.

And just days before it debuted on HBO, the actual EAR/ONS killer got caught, so I am hopeful that there will be an additional episode at the end to deal with that major update.

Actually, he was caught quite a while ago (2018). He just recently pled guilty as part of a plea bargain.

I actually really like Patton Oswalt. It's just that a documentary about a serial killer doesn't normally spend much time on the husband of the writer of a book about the serial killer. I suppose this is really a documentary about a book about the serial killer, so it makes more sense.

It's also a documentary about obsessive behavior, both in the serial killer (obvs) and in the true crime writer. I think they've been planting seeds for this throughout. There's some speculation that she died from a drug overdose due to her inability to stop focusing on the book.

Just finished The Order on Netflix. Season is great. Fast paced, lots of snappy writing, gets as close to that Buffy magic as any show I've seen in quite a while.

Season 2 hits a lot of walls though, mostly because of poor internal continuity and world building. Yeah, yeah, a show about magic and werewolves shouldn't have rigorous scientific accuracy like a Brandon Sanderson book, but it should have a rule book of some sort that is followed, if not explained. Plus they start getting so deep into telenovella style drama plot twists it gets hard to understand why characters fight for a goal one episode but against it in another.

Still, season 2 was decent. It's easy watching fun.

I've started re-watching Inside No.9 on Netflix (UK), surprised that it doesn't get talked about more here. Highly creative and unique twisted tales, almost like someone put Black Mirror through the lens of Amicus portmanteau horror movies. Apparently it's on Britbox and Hulu stateside, I think there are people here who would really dig it.

Also been watching some Star Trek, never been a Trekkie and catching up on the hundreds of hours of missed shows. The future never looked so out of date. I got there purely through watching some repeats of (best show ever) Quantum Leap which then led me to Enterprise which has now totally captivated my attention. I came for Scott Bakula but stayed for Dr. Phlox.

mezike wrote: Also been watching some Star Trek, never been a Trekkie and catching up on the hundreds of hours of missed shows. The future never looked so out of date. I got there purely through watching some repeats of (best show ever) Quantum Leap which then led me to Enterprise which has now totally captivated my attention. I came for Scott Bakula but stayed for Dr. Phlox.

I lost interest in Enterprise during the first season, but randomly tried an episode early in the final season and got hooked again. From what I saw, the entire final season of Enterprise was great.

mezike wrote: I've started re-watching Inside No.9 on Netflix (UK), surprised that it doesn't get talked about more here. Highly creative and unique twisted tales, almost like someone put Black Mirror through the lens of Amicus portmanteau horror movies. Apparently it's on Britbox and Hulu stateside, I think there are people here who would really dig it.

Seconded.

Inside No. 9 is one of my favourite recent tv shows. I look forward to each season and the last season (the fifth) comes with a making of podcast (because they weren't allowed to do extras for the DVD releases.) I was even able to catch the live episode.

I love anthology shows and Inside No. 9 is much better than the recent do-overs of Twilight Zone and Amazing Stories - it also uses some very clever story telling techniques that I wish more shows would experiment with. It also varies in tone considerably. Some stories can be quite serious, some can be unexpectedly gruesome and some can be heartbreaking. Highly recommended.