FX Lets Some Pretty Sexy Shit Fly: TV Thread

[ellaguru]

Homeland isn't Serious Television, it's just for fun. I did end up warming up to it after I guess four episodes or so, although I still think the only reason they made Claire Danes bipolar was to have some explanation as to why an adult would have such an overly expressive face whenever she's thinking or talking.

I am now watching Daybreak, which is relatively interesting although I don't think it could have gone on any longer than the half season it got, since it's basically Groundhog Day as a cop show. I mean really, how often can I watch the guy get up in the morning and get framed for the same murder?

[elpollodiablo]

Say one more bad thing about Claire Danes and see what happens

[ellaguru]

I love Claire Danes! My So-Called Life got me through at least one term of my philosophy MA. Daily repeats way back when a show had to actually be airing for me to be able to watch it. I'm just sayin', is all.

[JamesSchneider]

See, that's another thing. I'm keen on Claire Danes. Gosh, I should start on a campaign to convince Jane we should do this. We are, in our togetherness, near the end of season 2 of Buffy. She seems allergic to substance in tv. Which is not a judgement of Buffy, which is perfectesque.

[dieblucasdie]

Game of Thrones, right?

Actually, scratch that, it's 3 after GoT and Awkward. I get confused when we started talking calendar year instead of seasons.

It goes 1) Game of Thrones 2) Awkward 3) Homeland 4) The Nine Lives of Chloe King

The drop-off between 3 and 4 should tell you something about new shows this year

[Ashley]

I've been really into Parks and Recreation and New Girl and that's kinda it.

My family kept trying to talk to me about TV all christmas, and they kept asking me if I watched X show or Y show.

Me:  I watch ... Misfits ... and House sometimes ...

[dieblucasdie]

Did you tell them they should do something better with their lives than watch people pretend to be other people

[Little Sixes Little Nines]

ZING


i've never heard of Awkward, anyone else reppin' for it?

[jebreject]

I've downloaded it on Bluke's recommendation but have yet to watch it. I feel a little overwhelmed by tv at the moment. We've just started a Sopranos watch through (rewatch for me, first time for M) and I have Homeland and Enlightened in the queue as well.

[jebreject]

And I've been meaning to actually watch Boardwalk Empire

[jebreject]

Seriously, watching TV in 1080p is some weird shit. Doing a full Breaking Bad rewatch in advance of teaching se. 3 and the first season looks *completely* different. Of course I've gone from watching 250MB badly-compressed rips to an HD Netflix stream, but still. It's like seeing a lot of these for the first time. It's actually heightened my appreciation for these first seven episodes.

Feel this way about Sopranos! I've been downloading shit in HD for a while and even though it takes up way more hdd space I feel like I can't go back.

[ellaguru]

ZING


i've never heard of Awkward, anyone else reppin' for it?

Awkward had its moments. Probably depends on your views on TV shows about teenagers. I liked Awkward - and I thought the lead was pretty great - but I would say it did not transcend the limitations of the teen coming of age genre. And it very much did confine itself to people pretending to be other people.

On that note, I consider myself reminded that I was going to check out Chloe King but haven't yet.

[G.C.R]

ZING


i've never heard of Awkward, anyone else reppin' for it?

i ain't seen, but that sweet little show called Huge which i was reppin for a little while ago was recommended to me by people saying that it was a bit like Awkward. So I've been mildly curious.

[elpollodiablo]

bluke what is it with you and the teen dramas, man

[elpollodiablo]

oh man just got to "4 Days Out" on the BB rewatch yesssss

[elpollodiablo]

So on second viewing it strikes me that they're only 15 miles out from some sort of rural highway--why the fuck didn't they just walk out of there once they realized Skinny Pete wasn't coming?

[dieblucasdie]

ZING


i've never heard of Awkward, anyone else reppin' for it?

Awkward had its moments. Probably depends on your views on TV shows about teenagers. I liked Awkward - and I thought the lead was pretty great - but I would say it did not transcend the limitations of the teen coming of age genre. And it very much did confine itself to people pretending to be other people.

On that note, I consider myself reminded that I was going to check out Chloe King but haven't yet.

Yeah, I mean, Awkward is just a very good teen comedy/soap, with a excellent lead. Honestly, had all of Homeland been as good as the first half I would put it ahead of both Awkward and GoT. Not that it ever got bad per se, I was just disappointed when they made some easy choices (though, at least they didn't have a big reveal where they made Saul the mole, that woulda been some The Killing-level shit, and I was terrified that it was coming).

One place where I do feel like Awkward elevates the genre is the way the series treats sex as something teenagers just do. Sometimes it's a bad idea, sometimes it's a good idea, sometimes it's awkward and funny, sometimes it's laden with emotion, sometimes it's mechanical, sometimes it's icky, sometimes it's lustful but emotionless, etc, but it's always just treated as a fact of life and not an occasion for handwringing or point-making of any kind.  

Waaatch Chloe King so we can talk about it.

[Killdozersnakeboy]

I've noticed on my internet that americans are apparently quite excited about season 2 of Downton Abbey. Don't be. That shit sucked. If you haven't watched season 1, you should do so. It's great. But season 2 was was a huge let-down.

[elpollodiablo]

Everyone who cares has probably already watched it.

I don't think there was a huge difference between seasons 1 & 2--while it certainly got more soapy and ridiculous, all of the components were pretty much the same. If you like to watch impeccably dressed people traipse around an opulent English country house and Maggie Smith tutting over the commoners' low ways, that shit is all still in there. The stuff with Edith and dude who got his face blewt off was certainly a low point and the whole Bates thing continues to be excruciating, but other than that I thought it was pretty decent. Plus, Jorah Mormont!

[ellaguru]

I think it was a step down, but apart from the the Patrick episode - which was terrible but was only one episode - I thought it was in line with season one. A little weaker but still good.

[elpollodiablo]

Did we ever talk about The League in here? I was a reluctant fan of the first season, but D and I watched most of se. 2 on Netflix while doing various household tasks and both really liked it. It's uneven and some of the jokes are really warmed-over "raunchy" sitcom-type stuff, but the cast is so strong and has such good chemistry that it often has the feel of actual old college buddies dogging on one another. Nick Kroll especially is hilarious.

[Chet]

i like it a lot, despite knowing nothing about baseball.
the dude who got famous for singing parody songs on youtube is funny.
the best episode is the one in season 3 where they get some guys to film a porno in andre's apartment.

[jebreject]

Did we ever talk about The League in here? I was a reluctant fan of the first season, but D and I watched most of se. 2 on Netflix while doing various household tasks and both really liked it. It's uneven and some of the jokes are really warmed-over "raunchy" sitcom-type stuff, but the cast is so strong and has such good chemistry that it often has the feel of actual old college buddies dogging on one another. Nick Kroll especially is hilarious.

Yes. S2 was pretty awesome. Just started S3 though, and seems more raunch than anything else. Not so great so far.

[El_Josharino]

i like it a lot, despite knowing nothing about baseball.apartment.

You must not know much football then either...

t it often has the feel of actual old college buddies dogging on one another.

This is basically how I describe the show to people. Like when you're sitting around with your buddies, have a few beers, and say some dumb shit that you all find hilarious, and someone says, "Hey, we should make a show about ourselves where we sit around saying dumb stuff all the time." That's basically the League.

[davy]

I feel like my tv tastes are so milquetoast. I've been really into Parks and Recreation and New Girl and that's kinda it.

Parks & Rec is definitely my favorite sitcom, and really, it's the only current show I bother to keep up with, since all the new episodes are posted on Hulu.