Television

[physicsfactor]

I tried to give it a chance, but I really don't like Netflix switching to the thumbs-up or thumbs down rating instead of 1-5 stars.

 

[bdotling]

I really enjoyed Devin when he was on but they have transferred him to Are You the One Second Chances. I feel like he fit in well on Rivals 3

 

[rome8180]

I tried to give it a chance, but I really don't like Netflix switching to the thumbs-up or thumbs down rating instead of 1-5 stars.

Yeah, how is it more accurate like they claim? My enjoyment of movies is not binary.

The "match" thing seems off too. There are movies I remember being rated 2.5 stars for me somehow being a 95% match.

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

I don't think this is a spoiler. Fargo has a character whose name sounds "Mick Ehrmantrau" this season. This has to be an homage to Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul, right?

 

[aiw]

There's a "b" on the end of it, but yeah. All in the FX family.

 

[TS9]

I don't think this is a spoiler. Fargo has a character whose name sounds "Mick Ehrmantrau" this season. This has to be an homage to Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul, right?

I thought the same.

Speaking of which, the Mike half of Better Call Saul is kicking whole ass so far this season. The Jimmy half is fine, but it's just not clicking for me the way Mike's story is.

 

[deepdarkblue]

Jimmy's story line is always uncomfortable because on the one hand I'm rooting for him, on the other I'm fully aware that he's a terrible person who will do terrible things and I'm dreading watching it all unfold. It's like Walter White or Tony Soprano.

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

Having Gus back is great. I hope they do a whole back story on him, or I guess it would be a Saul-current story, pre-Breaking Bad. We only got one episode in Breaking Bad to digest the tragedy of him watching his partner/protege get murdered in Mexico. I thought that made Gus a very sympathetic character, if he was doing everything in memory of that guy, but it was entirely left to our imagination.

 

[rome8180]

The first three episodes of The Handmaid's Tale absolutely blew me away. The pilot in particular was maybe the most gripping, intense thing I've seen on television in years. Every aspect -- writing, cinematography, acting -- was masterful. Elisabeth Moss's ability to convey repressed emotion with small facial gestures is one of her best talents as an actress, so she's perfect for this role. While there were certain things that felt updated for the current political era, it never felt too on the nose. The flashback sections, set in the contemporary US, were some of my favorite elements of the show and really brought the reality of the dystopia home.

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

My wife just started the Handmaid's Tale. Is it for women and girly men only?

 

[rhfarmer]

rome, have you read the novel?

 

[rome8180]

SMTTEM, not in my opinion. It's extremely dark and brutal. It does a good job of humanizing all the characters, and the straight-up evil ones are not only male.

Farmer, I've read 100 pages or so of it. I find the show better than the book based on that sample, but I am a big fan of some of Atwood's other work -- The Blind Assassin and the Maddaddam trilogy.

 

[rome8180]

It's probably easier for a man to watch it than a woman, honestly. But it was still a pretty difficult watch. The totalitarian crackdown, shown in flashback, felt very plausible, even if this particular one wouldn't have affected me directly.

Tonally, I would compare the show to Black Mirror or something by Kubrick (maybe A Clockwork Orange).

 

[deepdarkblue]

American Gods is is so gorgeous. It's very Bryan Fuller.

 

[Topher]

Do I have to have Starz to watch it?

 

[deepdarkblue]

Do I have to have Starz to watch it?

Technically, yes. But you can get a trial Starz subscription through Amazon Prime, if you want to just take a look first. Or you can torrent it or watch it on one of the sketchy streaming sites.

I just finished the book last week, so I knew the story and characters the show is was based on. A review by a critic who was given the first four episodes to watch mentioned it moves slowly. I didn't get that impression at all. Maybe the next few episodes will be slow, the first one certainly wasn't.

If you like the music Fullers uses in Hannibal and it's cinematography, you will find a lot to like in American Gods.

 

[Rollins]

dear white people is woke af.

the 5th episode (reggie's pov) is amazing. directed by barry jenkins

 

[DurhamSon]

Better Call Saul is nothing but BB fanboy porn at this point. Gus will have more screen time by the end of the season than he had in all of BB combined.

 

[deepdarkblue]

Better Call Saul is nothing but BB fanboy porn at this point. Gus will have more screen time by the end of the season than he had in all of BB combined.

I was thinking last night, this is like if the writers decided to cut the Walter White story line from Breaking Bad. I fully expect to at least see Hank at some point in the series, but wouldn't be surprised if everyone shows up.

 

[deepdarkblue]

HBO is entertaining the idea of multiple GoT spinoffs

Thus insuring that GRRM will be sufficiently distracted to never, ever FINISH THE FUCKING BOOKS!!

The pay TV network is determined to find a way to continue the most popular series in the company’s history and has taken the highly unusual step of developing four different ideas from different writers. The move represents a potentially massive expansion of the popular fantasy universe created by author George R.R. Martin. If greenlit, the eventual show or shows would also mark the first time HBO has ever made a follow-up series to one of its hits.

Most of the assigned writers have experience writing major theatrical films, and Martin is personally involved in two of the projects. The show ideas are from Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island, Fox’s Minority Report); Jane Goldman (Kingsman: The Secret Service, X-Men: First Class) along with Martin; Brian Helgeland (A Knight’s Tale, L.A. Confidential); and Carly Wray (Mad Men) with Martin.