Random TV Show Thoughts

[Totenkindly]

I really dislike those “behind the episode” bits that air after some TV shows now. They never actually say anything interesting or revealing like how a special effect was done, or how a scene was shot. It’s almost always some dipshit producer/show runner telling us exactly what we just saw. “X character is upset because Y character took their last can of pringles, so they decide they’re gonna get even.”

Yes, we know, we just watched the episode.

Along with that, I kinda hate most comic books film/show fan articles too. Usually they try to answer a particular question but it's usually not enough to really derive an article from and often seems to be conjecture or the obvious. Someone is just trying to get paid or fill up Internet space to get hits to get advertising revenue.

Also, what is common to it all is a lack of critical thought or real critique. It just typically assumes the story-telling decisions were amazing, rather than really assessing them. I really despise articles where they play up a showrunner or writer explaining the reasoning behind something, if it was a controversial point; I firmly believe that if you tell a story sensibly and coherently, then there shouldn't really be questions about your main plot or reasons characters did what they did. If it's supplemental material that is one thing, or maybe "What do you think happened to your character after the story?" or other questions that wouldn't have been addressed on-screen; but lately there seems to have to be a lot of folks explaining their own shows to the audience because they weren't able to write it correctly. Like, if you have intentions for your character that aren't scanning during the watch, then you failed to write or direct it properly. There was a lot of damage control after Season 8 of GoT, where even the actors were taking offense at fan reaction; but I have seen it happen for a number of different shows.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

“Danny kind of forgot about the Iron Fleet...”

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

The first time I watched "Freaks and Geeks" I liked Lindsay, but she really annoys me now. She treats Nick really badly always making that disgusted face when she knows he's going through crap with a psycho father who sold his drums and is going to force him into the military. It's a wonder he has any self-esteem with the way people treat him. She disdains him for liking her too much. What a little snot. I'd slap her if I were 16 and in the imaginary world of the show.

 

[Totenkindly]

Netflix's Mark Millar plans to build a streaming superhero universe starting with 'Jupiter's Legacy,' after inspiring some of Marvel's biggest stories

Don't remember if I mentioned "Jupiter's Legacy" releasing on Friday on Netflix. Losing track.

It's a Mark Millar / Frank Quitely property. I never read it, but Millar and Quitely worked on The Authority, which could be pretty brutal (basically what happens if the Avengers decided that the world's government suck, so they might as well be in charge and fix things for everyone). I actually enjoyed it, but Millar's got a little sadistic streak and really puts some characters through the wringer. Quitely's art is really great, typically; yes, some of his faces are "ugly" (he's not a pin-up guy, like J. Scott Campbell), but it definitely is detailed, has great scene composition, and gets the brutal reality of the world across as well in all of its ugly grit.

Sometimes Millar just seems to be want to be provocative. I'm not sure whether he or Ennis is worse in that regard. He wrote the familiar "Kick*Ass" property, and I don't much like the comic book, but I do love the first film -- it has heart and courage and some goodness to it... and is really funny... I consider it an example of how to covert a niche property to something more appealing while making a better story and characters. (Same goes for The Boys, the show seems to have more of a point + character pathos). I think Wanted did better as a film, whereas the Kingsman stuff has been kinda "eh."

Anyway, I'm willing to give it a shot based on the strength of "The Authority" run.

 

[Totenkindly]

Netflix's Mark Millar plans to build a streaming superhero universe starting with 'Jupiter's Legacy,' after inspiring some of Marvel's biggest stories

Don't remember if I mentioned "Jupiter's Legacy" releasing on Friday on Netflix. Losing track.

Wow, Netflix dropped the entire season. There has been a push lately to go back to weekly rollouts in streaming (occasionally releasing the first three episodes to get people hooked) -- but nope, all eight episodes dropped I think, just like last week or two ago when Shadow and Bone dropped a whole season too.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

 

[Totenkindly]

The Jupiter's Legacy adaptation feels pretty shoddy, like it is just recycling ideas from other superhero shows without really digging into anything. The action sequences also feel shoddy, like trying to elevate action from "Hercules" TV show or something. There's a lot that isn't explained, it's not really clear what the focus of the show is, and characters doesn't really feel that real. It should be more thoughtful than the transition to the screen is showing.

Kampouris (Chloe Sampson) and Ben Daniels (Walter Sampson) seem to be the best actors on the show, but Chloe's plotline is a jumble. Walter's not an interesting character but Daniels is an old veteran from some decent shows and just seems to make himself interesting to watch.

Also, Kurtwood Smith gets a short cameo and he blows everyone away. It's like, why couldn't we get more Kurtwood? He's an accomplished veteran actor who knows how to elevate the stories he's in.

There is so much that isn't explained, the two plotlines makes it hard to determine the gist of the show or what should be happening, it's not clear where younger people got their powers, and so on.

I think there is a core story here -- you get a hero from the 20-30's who is still alive, but the world has changed and yet he doesn't want to change with it. In the process, he's kind of an asshole to the younger generation (much as my generation and younger are disillusioned by Boomer behavior and expectations), in the way that a paladin can be an asshole in an AD&D game. He's got rules he judges everyone by when they don't follow them, but can't accept maybe his rules don't make sense. He has two kids who respond to this in two ways -- one tries to please him and mediate the family interactions, while at the same time it's clear he's not going to be able to follow his dad's rules forever, and the other just cuts loose from the family and goes her own way. How do the kids reach a place where they feel fulfilled and happy, contributing to the world in some way?

But the show isn't really honing in on this and has lots of superfluous crap. The writing also just isn't that sharp.

EDIT: Season 1 ended better than it started and has a bit more development. We now also see why (knowing his backstory) The Utopian might be so fixated on the Code, as it provided stability for him when he was having a breakdown + enabled them to be given powers to start with. But talking about "The Code" in such an abstract way often feels ludicrous; at least the show kind of agrees with that by the end, that it existed more to support Sheldon's sanity but isn't necessarily the best way to choose moral behavior in a given situation. At least also by the end of Season 1, we have an idea what threat the Union is needing to deal with and who is behind it.

 

[Totenkindly]

Watched the first few episodes of Portlandia yesterday, on the advice of my eldest. The whole thing ran from 2010-2018, so it's completed and currently on Netflix, although it's leaving in early June.

Actually is pretty funny and really a sketch comedy format (revolving around Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein playing a variety of characters) as opposed to a full cast playing the same characters throughout, although I think some characters are recurring throughout the series.

I know I've seen Brownstein over the years and specifically recalled Armisen from playing the pastor father of Olive's nemesis in "Easy A". They're both pretty funny and show some range. They age and gender-swap throughout too, which is amusing for some sequences.

In Episode 3, Aimee Mann (the singer) plays herself in the role of a house maid due to the music industry tanking and it's pretty hilarious. Jason Sudeikis and Kyle McLaughlin (i remember when he was young!) have already shown up in bit roles. Plus it's kind of nice to not feel obligated to watch 80 episodes to see what happens through an ongoing plotline, you can just watch the sketches on your own timeline.

 

[Totenkindly]

Watched the first two episodes of "Hacks" on HBO Max with Jean Smart. It was pretty funny -- an older female comedienne forced to take on a younger woman writer with a different style and how they come to terms with each other. Smart has been in a lot of stuff recently, not all similar, and she's hitting everything out of the park.

They are releasing two episodes a week, they're half-hour episodes.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

This scene makes me laugh every time - especially when the funky music starts. It's all quite exciting and scary. My car! My car! MYYYYYYY Caaaarrrr!

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Watched the first few episodes of Portlandia yesterday, on the advice of my eldest. The whole thing ran from 2010-2018, so it's completed and currently on Netflix, although it's leaving in early June.

Actually is pretty funny and really a sketch comedy format (revolving around Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein playing a variety of characters) as opposed to a full cast playing the same characters throughout, although I think some characters are recurring throughout the series.

I know I've seen Brownstein over the years and specifically recalled Armisen from playing the pastor father of Olive's nemesis in "Easy A". They're both pretty funny and show some range. They age and gender-swap throughout too, which is amusing for some sequences.

In Episode 3, Aimee Mann (the singer) plays herself in the role of a house maid due to the music industry tanking and it's pretty hilarious. Jason Sudeikis and Kyle McLaughlin (i remember when he was young!) have already shown up in bit roles. Plus it's kind of nice to not feel obligated to watch 80 episodes to see what happens through an ongoing plotline, you can just watch the sketches on your own timeline.

It’s funny how there’s sort of an ongoing arc and it’s all tied together. The feminist bookstore clerks are probably my favorite recurring characters.

I like how Brownstein and Armisen play themselves, albeit dumber versions of themselves.

The only other sketch comedy show I can think of with a similar premise is maybe The Upright Citizens Brigade that ran on Comedy Central back in the day.

Carrie Brownstein is a cutie, I’d hit the shit out of that

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Portlandia is awesome. I love the way they create that silly tension. That is my ideal type of comedy - I don't like angry comedy, but that full of tension, but silly beyond. I like the episode with the chicken cult. Aliki's fluffy hair...

 

[Totenkindly]

Portlandia is awesome. I love the way they create that silly tension. That is my ideal type of comedy - I don't like angry comedy, but that full of tension, but silly beyond. I like the episode with the chicken cult. Aliki's fluffy hair...

Yeah, that is from the pilot. It was pretty amusing... a five-year mission just to confirm the chickens are well treated before you eat them.

I did like the two bookstore bits I've seen so far too, which included Steve Buscemi getting reamed because he tried to use the bathroom without paying anything + the poor college student who just needed her textbooks and got harangued mercilessly by the clerks. My son liked the bit with the dog that was leashed outside that they had a cow about while everyone watches on bewildered....

Safe word -- CACAO!

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Yeah, that is from the pilot. It was pretty amusing... a five-year mission just to confirm the chickens are well treated before you eat them.

I did like the two bookstore bits I've seen so far too, which included Steve Buscemi getting reamed because he tried to use the bathroom without paying anything + the poor college student who just needed her textbooks and got harangued mercilessly by the clerks. My son liked the bit with the dog that was leashed outside that they had a cow about while everyone watches on bewildered....

That bit with the college student was my introduction to Aubrey Plaza.

 

[Lady_X]

That bit with the college student was my introduction to Aubrey Plaza.

Man, I love her. What do you think her type is? i never really thought about it. an ntp maybe?

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Yeah, that is from the pilot. It was pretty amusing... a five-year mission just to confirm the chickens are well treated before you eat them.

I did like the two bookstore bits I've seen so far too, which included Steve Buscemi getting reamed because he tried to use the bathroom without paying anything + the poor college student who just needed her textbooks and got harangued mercilessly by the clerks. My son liked the bit with the dog that was leashed outside that they had a cow about while everyone watches on bewildered....

Safe word -- CACAO!

I actually own the entire series and did some rewatching during the pandemic. There's a bit about a music festival with a performer named Sparkle Pony I thought was hilarious. I wish they would add more seasons. After everything that's been going on there is so much new fodder for comedy skits now.


I follow Carrie Brownstein on Instagram and she plays guitar in a band. 😊👍

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Man, I love her. What do you think her type is? i never really thought about it. an ntp maybe?

I've considered it for sure. I've seen NFP a lot, too.

 

[chickpea]

The first time I watched "Freaks and Geeks" I liked Lindsay, but she really annoys me now. She treats Nick really badly always making that disgusted face when she knows he's going through crap with a psycho father who sold his drums and is going to force him into the military. It's a wonder he has any self-esteem with the way people treat him. She disdains him for liking her too much. What a little snot. I'd slap her if I were 16 and in the imaginary world of the show.

i think she just got socially pressured into entering into this relationship she wasn't ready for, and wasn't that interested in. he was very emotionally intense very quick, and she wasn't really equipped to handle it, i don't think that makes her a bad person (she's an obvious sx-last enneagram wise too). i think it's intentional that nick is responsible for some of the most cringe-worthy moments on the show too, he's supposed to be seen as unreasonable and over the top with his affections.

(f&g is one of my all time favorites )

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

i think she just got socially pressured into entering into this relationship she wasn't ready for, and wasn't that interested in. he was very emotionally intense very quick, and she wasn't really equipped to handle it, i don't think that makes her a bad person (she's an obvious sx-last enneagram wise too). i think it's intentional that nick is responsible for some of the most cringe-worthy moments on the show too, he's supposed to be seen as unreasonable and over the top with his affections.

(f&g is one of my all time favorites )

"Lady L" would win my heart, and I'd be all over that.
I'm not too concerned with having a normal reaction to the dynamic. I know her reaction is the standard way for 99.99% of people, so most everyone would defend it. I think differently, so there's no convincing me otherwise.