Zorral Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Previous Watch, Watching and ReWatch thread over 400 posts, thus closed. Here begins the new one. I just began watching Succession (2018) Season 1 HBO. I would group this series with Billions – obscenely wealthy people behaving very badly, with not a single decent character among them. Except Billions's characters are fascinating and their stories are interesting, the writing is very sharp and the interactions are extremely articulate, in a good way. In every way the operative descriptor for Billions is smart. However, though Succession's characters are indescribably rich, there isn’t glimmer of likeability among any of the many Succession characters – and not a single interesting one. They are disgusting, ignorant and boring. They are coarse, stupid and mean, so petty. They are NOT articulate, and do not have a single original thought in their heads -- they take everything they say from pop culture, particularly urban culture from which they are removed by about a thousand billion dollars. They are trumps. Whereas I can't wait for season 4 of Billions, I'm not sure I can put up with these intentionally awful sorts who aren't even attractive, much interesting, and who already dominate all the media cycles and suck all the oxygen from anything that matters or is even interesting to themselves. This is all intentional by the writers. The series has garnered a lot of favorable critical buzz. By the way, Matthew Macfadyen, is part of the cast, and he's just frackin' weird, but not interesting. Mean. Maybe this will grab me over further viewing? But it better be soon, as my patience for mean and stupid is non-existant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexal Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 2 hours ago, Zorral said: Previous Watch, Watching and ReWatch thread over 400 posts, thus closed. Here begins the new one. I just began watching Succession (2018) Season 1 HBO. I would group this series with Billions – obscenely wealthy people behaving very badly, with not a single decent character among them. Except Billions's characters are fascinating and their stories are interesting, the writing is very sharp and the interactions are extremely articulate, in a good way. In every way the operative descriptor for Billions is smart. However, though Succession's characters are indescribably rich, there isn’t glimmer of likeability among any of the many Succession characters – and not a single interesting one. They are disgusting, ignorant and boring. They are coarse, stupid and mean, so petty. They are NOT articulate, and do not have a single original thought in their heads -- they take everything they say from pop culture, particularly urban culture from which they are removed by about a thousand billion dollars. They are trumps. Whereas I can't wait for season 4 of Billions, I'm not sure I can put up with these intentionally awful sorts who aren't even attractive, much interesting, and who already dominate all the media cycles and suck all the oxygen from anything that matters or is even interesting to themselves. This is all intentional by the writers. The series has garnered a lot of favorable critical buzz. By the way, Matthew Macfadyen, is part of the cast, and he's just frackin' weird, but not interesting. Mean. Maybe this will grab me over further viewing? But it better be soon, as my patience for mean and stupid is non-existant! How much of Succession did you watch? I felt that way early and it morphed. I still didn't like the characters but I felt for a lot of them. I thought the show started meh and turned fantastic by end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 50 minutes ago, Mexal said: How much of Succession did you watch? I felt that way early and it morphed. I still didn't like the characters but I felt for a lot of them. I thought the show started meh and turned fantastic by end. I had seen one and a half episodes when I wrote that. I really despised it all, but have been willing to give it more time because, as you say, 1 1/2 episodes. As I've gotten really sick I just finished the second half and the third episode. I'm still waiting for jell time. But so far I don't think I can put up with Tom being such a horror to Greg -- not that he doesn't attract it, just as Tom does. Really, how in hell can people this stupid end up with ALL the MONEY? Clearly, what they'ver got is nothing more than all the rest of the obscenely wealthy -- dominance of the greatest fantasy ponzi schemes in the history of the world. Tulips are nothing to what these guys do, who run our countries and economics. But how much of that each ep must I be subjected to? But! there are more eps to go, and I'm not going anywhere. At least in Billions in the sociopaths are also really smart and talented with numbers. Succession people can't even speak three words together. Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! every 2 - 3 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 We've watched the first couple of episodes of Sex Education on Netflix. Reasonably funny with an offbeat kind of humor and lots of awkardness. I'm guessing we'll continue to watch episodes for variety from other genres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I got Netflix recently so I've been watching Happy!, which is on there everywhere aside from the US as I understand it (where it's a SyFy joint). Cracking show. Great self-aware black comedy with real emotion bubbling udnerneath, I've been comparing to to Shane Black mixed with Crank (not surprising, one of Crank's directors showruns) and it's also got more than a dash of Deadpool thrown in (though I like this season more than either Deadpool film). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I finally saw Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Fairly average film with a good scene or two and a terrible ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEyedGhost Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 1 hour ago, polishgenius said: I got Netflix recently so I've been watching Happy!, which is on there everywhere aside from the US as I understand it (where it's a SyFy joint). Cracking show. Great self-aware black comedy with real emotion bubbling udnerneath, I've been comparing to to Shane Black mixed with Crank (not surprising, one of Crank's directors showruns) and it's also got more than a dash of Deadpool thrown in (though I like this season more than either Deadpool film). I keep meaning to watch that, other things keep taking precedence though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartofice Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 I can't believe I'd never heard of nor seen Nathan for you until yesterday afternoon. I guess its never been on UK tv, but holy cow I've binged the hell out of it and wet myself laughing at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chatywin et al. Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 10 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said: We've watched the first couple of episodes of Sex Education on Netflix. Reasonably funny with an offbeat kind of humor and lots of awkardness. I'm guessing we'll continue to watch episodes for variety from other genres. My take as well. I can't binge it, but will do my best to watch it. A long flight with few viewing options had me rewatching Bad Times at the El Royale. I liked it a lot more the second time through. I like non-linear stories, but this one just has too much going on. It makes the first viewing a bit jarring. Once you know how much it will bounce around, it becomes a lot easier to enjoy the story. Also, Game Night. Not terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbunting Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Had a few days off and some shit weather so tv time was high. Finished S2 of Travelers on Netflix, pretty decent season if you are into time travel stuff. Started S3, will finish this weekend. Finished Jack Ryan on Amazon, really well done show, unfortunately I figured out the thing so not surprised. I thought it did a good job building the side characters up and still had to to shoot people and blow shit up. Saw Replicas at the movies. Went in with very low expectations and came out pretty happy. The previews/movie title make it obvious whats going to happen (suspend reality about cloning and you'll be ok) but I just felt like it was done pretty well with an ending that I actually liked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derfel Cadarn Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Finished the last season of Fortitude. wtf happened? It's almost a different show to season 1. Coincidental that the same actor has had two of his characters castrated in recent shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalbear Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Second ep of Deadly Class is out, and it's significantly better than the first. The casting is much better and I enjoyed Saya in this ep a lot more, and the chemistry of the class is phenomenal. Plus, Lex having a fight with a giant dildo against Saya's sword was amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briantw Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 On 1/23/2019 at 3:37 PM, Mexal said: How much of Succession did you watch? I felt that way early and it morphed. I still didn't like the characters but I felt for a lot of them. I thought the show started meh and turned fantastic by end. I haven't watched it (it's on the list), but from everything I've read it's a tale of two halves. If you can get through the first half, the second half is amazing, apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 I watched the US premiere of the CBC series Pure about a Mennonite pastor who gets lured into the drug trade and Mennonite mob. Intriguing premise and pilot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted January 25, 2019 Author Share Posted January 25, 2019 10 hours ago, Triskele said: I can definitely echo the oft-shared sentiment that Succession goes places that might surprise given the first 3 or so episodes. Zorral's take on the early episodes is definitely the norm, but a lot of people that stuck with it ended up glad that they did. Difficult to say on an individual basis if one should go on, but definitely some that are not down after a few will be rewarded for continuing. Thanks for the information. I have watched now the first three episodes only. I'll start the next ones tonight -- if only in hopes that Shiv (could she have a more apt name?, though the entire family are shivs in the back, in the dark, except they are all too transparent and stupid -- so far) will wear something that isn't a rag bag of baby-poop brown, pilled polyester -- which also looks like it could do with a launder. I can't believe that someone in her line of business as a political campaign operative and her money dresses like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teng Ai Hui Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 I've been binge watching The 100 and just finished the first season It's good if you can accept it for what it is, a scifi soap opera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawkcabi Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 On 1/23/2019 at 5:13 PM, polishgenius said: I got Netflix recently so I've been watching Happy!, which is on there everywhere aside from the US as I understand it (where it's a SyFy joint). Cracking show. Great self-aware black comedy with real emotion bubbling udnerneath, I've been comparing to to Shane Black mixed with Crank (not surprising, one of Crank's directors showruns) and it's also got more than a dash of Deadpool thrown in (though I like this season more than either Deadpool film). Netflix has it in the U.S. I expect it's one of those shows like Shameless, The Good Place, Get Shorty, etc. that run their entire season exclusively on their respective networks than some months later or just before the premiere of the next season, the previous season shows up on Netflix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 There's a few A-list shows airing as I post.... Counterpart, first and foremost (Top 5 show for me)... Outlander, True Detective, Star Trek Discovery.... ... The Magicians is back , which is awesome because that show is fun AF... and Deadly Class seems like a hoot. ... Love The Orville & the Gifted... Berlin Station is still pretty good... ... But the show that's prompting this post is "A Discovery of Witches".... it takes a couple of episodes to get going, but I am really digging it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted January 26, 2019 Author Share Posted January 26, 2019 Ok. Two more eps of Succession to go. King Lear? Who is Cordelia? Guess we know who is the fool. Billions got the ortalans and Eric Begosian first. Also, their camera mannerism of short in and out, back in forth, within the scene, is really annoying. Worse than that, the screen resolution is gloppy (where as on Billions it's so very sharp). And why, when the male characters have all these bespoke suits and shoes do the female characters dress so drab -- and polyester? They don't convince for a second they've been raised in this over the top opulence. And -- shyte! this series is supposed to be HBO?????:? It's cheap. Really cheap, and shows in every screen shot. Plus these people are horrible, but not interesting. This might be more impressive if I hadn't already watched with ever increasing admiration three seasons of Billions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nictarion Posted January 26, 2019 Share Posted January 26, 2019 Watched a pretty good thriller/horror movie called Revenge by first time director Coralie Fargeat. It’s about a woman who’s raped, and and left for dead after an attempted murder. It’s brutal as hell. Cringed quite a few times while watching it. Requires some suspension of disbelief as far as how she survives, but I had read about that going in, and it really didn’t bother me much. Gorgeously shot movie (think it’s in the Moroccan desert). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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