Currently not watching any series. We are waiting for:
Ray Donovan
Mayans
Yellowstone
Ray Donovan
Mayans
Yellowstone
What TV series you watching?
- Thread starter Mad Man
- Start date
"Billions" is back! Been waiting a year for this.
The Medici now has new episodes on Netflix...
That was a great show except for Tony's mother. This seems to be a trope that writers introduce when they get writer's block. It's the: "Hey, let's have a character that makes people angry in an attempt to create emotional-investment and periodically throws the chessboard in the air to create tension for the main characters." It's the short-bus version of a Deux-ex-Machina that works in reverse in that magically breaks things instead of magically fixing them and as such is a cheap substitute for genuine tension and emotional buy-in. To carry the chess analogy further, it's sort of like: "Hey, you know what would make chess better? Dice! -- Check... now roll for crit to see if it's a checkmate!" Lol. Other than that and occasionally mis-using Junior in that same way, the Sopranos was one of the most brilliantly written shows I've ever seen. Funny? Check. Dramatic? Check. Heartfelt? Check. Brutal? Check. Some of the scenes were unforgettable. P.u.s.s.y.'s "retirement" party on the boat... every deadpan joke from Pauly... Carmela's soft exterior over that titanium spine that she'd display from time to time... pretty much every scene Furio was in, the development of Christopher over the entire series - what a great show.
I just finished watching both seasons of the brilliant Ricky Gervais series The Afterlife.
Every episode, I have laughed out loud. And every episode I got tears in my eyes. Every. Single. Episode.
Damn you Gervais!
Hope he makes a third season...
Every episode, I have laughed out loud. And every episode I got tears in my eyes. Every. Single. Episode.
Damn you Gervais!
Hope he makes a third season...
Netflix - “The Last Kingdom“
It’s 4 seasons of Saxon vs Saxon vs Vikings vs Viking vs Wales etc., etc. Basically, it’s a soap opera based on real characters. Lots of violence! Everyone dies. A little nudity, but plenty of exotic women.
It’s 4 seasons of Saxon vs Saxon vs Vikings vs Viking vs Wales etc., etc. Basically, it’s a soap opera based on real characters. Lots of violence! Everyone dies. A little nudity, but plenty of exotic women.
Her being so manipulative, controlling, passive aggressive, and outright dangerous played a large part in how Tony saw and reacted to the world. The background of his mother and her psychopathy really allowed me better understand the conflict inside not only Tony but everyone she had contact with, that was so prevalent throughout the series.
She certainly wasnt a likeable character and wasnt meant to be, but I do think she was a necessary one.
I have to agree with you on every point, although I'm not sure I agree with you, and others its seems, on the mother. True, I could not stand her. But here's the thing. We all have or have had a mother. And sadly, many of us have had mothers who were not only unsupportive and detatched, but outright mean and hostile. Tony is young enough to have a mother still alive so I don't agree that she was added in purely to throw tension at the situation. Frankly, the tensions created among the captains, soldiers and other heads of the families was more than enough. I think the mother was a necessary addition that put a spin on Tony that might have been lacking without her involvement. You are spot on with your comment about how brilliantly it was written. In fact, after we watched the first episode again to start our binge watching, I commented to my wife how brilliant I thought the show was written. We only have a few more episodes to watch and will likely be watching the rest tonight and tomorrow.
That's an interesting take that I didn't consider. I see her as unrealistic because my mom & all my aunts on both sides were exactly the opposite of Tony's mom character. They were strong self-starter farm-girls who seemed to have the wisdom to know when kids needed to skin their knees and when an adult was needed. Grandma had a bit of an edge to her, but a heart of gold. But hey, she was essentially a frontier woman, Lol. Raise four kids on a farm with a well and a wood-burning stove and it'll set your teeth in a permanent hard-line I guess ;-). This was pre helicopter-parenting so we were expected to get ourselves out of situations that we'd gotten ourselves into, and we were expected to live up to commitments so that we'd learn to think ahead, but we knew they'd be there if things got dangerous. Maybe that's why I find Carmela both realistic and appealing - a lot of mom in her character. Mom & dad were a strong team. They were childhood friends, highschool sweethearts - the only thing that finally parted them was death. I'm reasonably certain neither of them ever even dated another person.
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Same,
I actually like Better Call Saul better than Breaking Bad. I'll admit that it's much more of a slow burn than Breaking Bad and that it probably doesn't appeal to as a broad an audience, but I am much more intrigued by Jimmy's character and his background (as well as Mike's) than I ever was with Walt or Jesse. Plus Bob Odenkirk just darn near stole the show every time he was in a scene in Breaking Bad. Plus getting the back story on the feud between Gus & Hector, more appearances by the Salamanca Twins, the character of Nacho...Better Call Saul is absolutely brilliant....
If I remember correctly she was written to have Borderline Personality Disorder. Her behaviour and her relationship with Tony's father are amongst the main reasons he has panic attacks in later life and has to see Dr. Melfi. Without that, no Sopranos.
Ridpath
FIGHTER!
Might have to give it a go then. I generally stay away from spin offs but Better Call Saul sounds good.
Just watched s3e1 of Netflix’s Chef’s Table, featuring Jeong Kwan, a Korean Buddhist monk. Being one of the younger crowd, my attention span is shorter than I’d like. This episode transfixed me from the first minute in until the closing credits, which speaks of the quality of the videography, writing and subject matter. Highly recommended (this particular episode, anyway).
Tony was self destructive enough as it was. Without Carmela being his stability and moral compass, he never would have survived. Watching his struggle between good and bad was very well portrayed. When he was confronted with very difficult moral decisions, sometimes he could only manage to do the right thing after getting drunk. When he didnt do that, he exploded in a rage. All of that goes back to his childhood and the relationship his parents had with each other.
"I didnt hurt nobody." Seeking Carmelas approval while showing her he is capable of doing the right thing, even if it is very difficult.
The relationships between all the characters in that series are very special and done in such a way that really gives insight into them.
Its a very deep show. The writing and acting in that show is a marvel. I've never looked into the producers but they have an insight into the criminal underworld not many people have.
I think she was beyond borderline lol. She was dangerous in a way the mob guys didnt even understand and even blew off.
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I've loved this show. Watched every single episode over the years - I will miss it.
There are times in Better Call Saul during seasons 1-3 where its slow and even a bit boring, but it doesnt last long. Then there are scenes that are so incredibly well done its stunning. The writing is really good and very clever. The whole scam to get Huell off the hook was fantastic and quite often the music is an integral part of the scene. I remember a scene with Mike, shot at night when he was watching someone and it was the music that really made it. It played out like a perfect 1970's style film noir scene.
Absolutely brilliant, yeah, I agree. It just keeps getting better. I can see three more seasons before it runs out of steam.
I have the entire series saved on a back up drive and have rewatched it all but season 8 three times. Its, arguably, my favorite show.
@ Esox have you ever watched “Billions”? I’ve been watching that and a new season just started up. Another good show in my opinion.
I like Ray Donovan as well.
Neither as good as Homeland though
And as a side note, Quinn was one of my favorite characters on the show. Devastation when they took that turn...
Yep, as portrayed brilliantly in this scene. An arch manipulator and opportunist at work. The acting, writing, everything about this programme is superb, as good as I've seen in TV and Cinema.
I did watch something about it a few years ago and seem to remember mob members being consulted and used throughout, even in some of the acting roles. I think David Chase was involved in most of it. Olivia Soprano was apparently based on his own mother.
Yeah, I watch Billions and have since it started. I like it but I was a bit thrown off with the first episode this season.
Then zoomed in to the Mongolian type Yurt that looked like plastic tarps?
Which was occupied by, what looked to me, an East Indian, in American Southwest garb? This is Alaska right?
Being in Alaska, I can let the New York license plates go because they likely had the bikes flown to the nearest town anyway lol.
For a show thats so far had pretty high production values, they sure crapped that episode out.
The Wendy Rhoades character I've always liked too...
Intelligent and very sharp but maybe they changed writers for her character this season. Her part is feeling forced and doesnt suit her. Throwing fake punches with a professional wrestler, really? Unbecoming of her character...
Maybe it's just me, I donno, but its losing me quickly.
I'm a big Ray Donovan fan too.
Quinn yeah...
I was sorry to see him go but he sure went out with a purpose.
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