What TV SHOWS are you watching?

Finally went back and tried watching Fargo, season 2 again. We watched all of season 1 and enjoyed it, but season 2 just didn't hook us and we gave up around episode 3. But I needed something to watch in the mornings while I'm exercising (and while I was waiting for Daredevil episodes) so I got into it again. I'm still not genuinely compelled by the approach of the series, but it was worth watching. By far the best roles were Kirsten Dunst as Peggy and Bokeem Woodbine as Mike Milligan. Also a highlight was Zahn McClarnon as Hanzee.

Daredevil remains the best property that Marvel TV has ever produced. The Netflix series were all excellent and Daredevil: Born Again is no exception. I think the reason I'm so fond of them, aside from Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio's excellent performances is that, even through they're still superhero stuff, they're stories about real humans who act in very human ways, even when confronted by the extraordinary circumstances presented to most superheroes.

I always thought D'Onofrio really outperformed what was already a pretty decent series.

I think I'm just going to retire from the Star Wars universe, with Andor, Rogue One, and A New Hope. Maybe a little Rebels cartoon. I do like Empire but it's a cliffhanger that leads to teddy bears beating storm troopers. The writing, acting, arcs, everything in Andor is great.

I didn't predict any endings, except.

I'm halfway through The Residence on Netflix. It's light, amusing, and very enjoyable. It's a "Knives Out"-style murder mystery that takes place in the White House.

Re: CMD's post about the Star Wars universe (I can't quote it because I'm only to episode 9 and that will show the spoilers)

I'm right there with you. Andor season 1 was the best-written thing to ever come out of that franchise, full stop. It had human characters facing real situations and dealing with real emotions and was still an elaborate plot in an SF setting. It was an Asimov-level story, if slightly less cosmic. I think Skellan Skarsgaard's rant in the penultimate episode about how his life was ruined even if they succeeded was the best writing and acting moment of the entire franchise and may be the best acting moment of his career (which, given his performance in Chernobyl, is saying a lot.) Season 2 started slowly, like season 1, and you can see where they've cut corners to finish the story in one season, rather than three (supposedly that was Tony Gilroy's choice?) but it's still been excellent. I just finished watching episode 9 this morning (been watching while exercising) and it's the first show I've seen in a while that I'm eager to get right back to whenever I'm not watching it. I also love that it parallels the current political situation in the US in many ways. Art imitates life, etc.

I believe the primary motivator for shortening was Diego aging. He ends Andor ten years older than when he starred in Rogue One. How much older can he get before it looks ridiculous?

Just watched Rogue One, he looks younger but almost good-hair day younger. Everything ties in nicely with Andors' stuff. The short early scene with Mon Mothma has more depth to the conversation. Andor and her obviously have much better developed characters, but I felt the biggest boost character background-wise was to Saw Guerrera. His scenes scattered throughout Andor made him feel more connected in RO.

"You might as well be a stormtrooper."
-Jyn to Cassian after he considers assassinating Galen.
He was clearly upset, but to be honest, I felt his reaction to Nemic about being grateful was better.

Binged our way through all of American Primeval in the past two days. I enjoyed it. I'm a fan of realistic and often brutal Westerns (which is why I appreciate things like Deadwood and Sergio Leone's work (Man With No Name trilogy, etc.) so much and this plays right into that theme. I think the ending dragged a bit and there were times when they played into the violence a bit too much, but most of the story was well told. I do have to say that I found the lead female role, Sara Holloway (Betty Gilpin) almost completely repellent. She was a bully who made the lives of almost everyone else around her worse in some way, even when people like Isaac Reed (Taylor Kitsch) were doing their best to get past her repellent behavior and actually provide the help that she and her son needed. Writer Mark Smith made an effort to redeem her in the final two episodes, but I think it was much too late for that. In the end, my favorite character was fort owner, Jim Bridger (Shea Wigham) whom I latterly recognized as Eli Thompson from Boardwalk Empire. He was excellent here and one of those with the clearest vision of everything that was happening around them.

I noticed that the LDS church released a statement of mild outrage at the fact that the series was telling the story of the Utah War and the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Real history often takes no prisoners.

I've been watching The Glass Dome on Netflix. It's a (Swedish?) show about a woman who has been living in the USA but returns home for a funeral. As a child, she had been abducted, but escaped. That experience fucked her up in all sorts of ways.

While she is home, another child goes missing, and shit starts going off the rails. It is a slow burn, full of trauma, and pretty intense.

Finished The Residence on Netflix. Very good, and if you were a fan of Knives Out, you will like this.

I've watched all 4 available episodes of Duster on HBO. Taking place in the '70s, the main character is a driver for a crime boss played by Keith David. The driver has the titular Duster, and every episode features donuts, peel outs, 180's, etc. Mysteries surround the death of the main character's brother, and he gets mixed up with an FBI agent to uncover the truth.

This is one of those shows that is pretty average, but has endearing characters. It continues to get better, but I would not be shocked if it does not get picked up for a season 2. If you are bored, maybe give it a try. After all, KEITH DAVID.

That's the new Josh Holloway show, right? He was solid as Sawyer in Lost, but I think the best thing he did was Colony. An alien invasion show with the human race subdued under totalitarian rule. Duster caught my eye, will check it out.

Yes that is the main character. I have not seen any of his prior work.

Murderbot on Apple. A late night binge when I should have been sleeping instead, but I wanted to watch it and anyone who’s had kids knows the difficulty in finding time to be able to sit and watch something.

Not how I pictured it when I read the books, but a decent adaptation so far. I plan on continuing with it.

hotseatgames wrote: I've watched all 4 available episodes of Duster on HBO. Taking place in the '70s, the main character is a driver for a crime boss played by Keith David. The driver has the titular Duster, and every episode features donuts, peel outs, 180's, etc. Mysteries surround the death of the main character's brother, and he gets mixed up with an FBI agent to uncover the truth.

This is one of those shows that is pretty average, but has endearing characters. It continues to get better, but I would not be shocked if it does not get picked up for a season 2. If you are bored, maybe give it a try. After all, KEITH DAVID.

Please tell me they at least give a cameo to DAVID KEITH

Sherlock & Daughter - I'm two episodes in and was hooked at the first. Leagues better than Enola Holmes. A clever American girl, who's read Watson's stories, was told by her murdered mother that Sherlock's her dad. Meanwhile, he's being blackmailed with Watson's life to not investigate certain cases. She acts as his new maid to get close enough to talk to him, and he ends up sending her to look for clues in those forbidden cases as his secret apprentice.