It's Only People Pretending: New TV thread

[edison]

I'm pretty sure my experience would be quite similar were I to rewatch it. I believe it's the first TV show I watched in its entirety in my life!

edit: stupid page-break - we're talking about Six Feet Under

[hannah]

Newest Justified, holy smokes.

something I've been meaning to ask: I started watching Justified a few months ago but found the first four episodes (after the awesome pilot) kind of a slog. Is there a point later in the first season where it picks up a bit and I can safely start without being too lost, plot-wise?

[elpollodiablo]

I can't remember exactly, but you'd probably be better off just forging ahead distractedly, maybe while grading papers or something. They eased away from the procedural aspect towards the end of se. 1 and almost completely abandoned it by the middle of se. 2, and it's a far stronger show for having done so (though they still manage to work in odd one-offs that are at least tenuously connected to the main plot). Stuff that you could skip entirely would be any scene featuring Raylan's ex Winona (except the Winn Duffy bits) and anything that's obviously a one-shot procedural episode. Or you could just start with se. 2, though you'd miss some good endgame Crowder stuff.

[elpollodiablo]

Co-signed. I couldn't make it through Six Feet Under.

It's weird. I loved it when I first watched it. It was one of my first experiences of going through and watching an entire series from start to finish with someone (in this case, my friend Scott). We watched through it pretty quickly, and though I found certain characters and plots annoying, on the whole, I was quite fond of the show.

And then I tried re-watching it. And I couldn't. Fucking. Stand it.

This was pretty much my experience; I was really into the first few seasons, got *extremely* exasperated with it as it was finishing up its run, and the one time I tried to revisit those first season episodes I just couldn't bear it.

[dieblucasdie]

You could skip ahead to episode 10, but really, you're through the most boring patch already, and there's stuff in episodes 5-9 you probably want to see. Had you asked this question before starting, I would said watch the pilot and skip 2, 3, and 4!

xpost

[edison]

I'm probably way to anal about things like that, but I just couldn't imagine watching a show (unless we're talking Seinfeld or Simpsons kind of stuff) while doing something else or skipping episodes.

[elpollodiablo]

Shit man I can hardly remember a time when I watched TV without meanwhile doing something else .

[jebreject]

I give my full attention to the shows I really care about. I do other shit while watching, say, How I Met Your Mother, but I give my undivided attention to Justified, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, etc. And my still on-going Sopranos rewatch.

Also M scolds me if I start checking facebook or whatever while we're watching a show together.

[jebreject]

Okay, so I went from feeling fairly ambivalent about this season of Justified to getting firmly behind it. And it's not just that the back half of the season is considerably stronger than the first; the last couple of arcs actually make me appreciate the earlier ones all the more. Not as strong as Season Two, certainly, and not with nearly as much emotional weight, but still, this is really, really good (if not great) television. Great work from all the players, big and small--this show is really ranking up there with Breaking Bad in terms of excellent charactor acting. Man.

[elpollodiablo]

yeah, the finale was pretty good! Though D did point out that essentially nothing has changed vis-a-vis Boyd. There's only so many times dude can narrowly avoid prison. Almost certainly he'll eat it next season.

[jebreject]

yeah, the finale was pretty good! Though D did point out that essentially nothing has changed vis-a-vis Boyd. There's only so many times dude can narrowly avoid prison. Almost certainly he'll eat it next season.

Well, I sort of think that next season we'll see Ava becoming even more of a player in their criminal enterprises, and begin crossing more lines (Graham Yost mentioned in interviews that "crossing lines" was meant to be a major theme this season) and that Boyd's main conflict next season will probably come from there. I don't know if we'll see Boyd get got (though really, he almost has to sooner or later), but I think they could really give him some bigger, more interesting character stuff, especially given how fucking good Walton Goggins is.

[elpollodiablo]

I also like Goggins a lot! And the woman who plays Ava. When Winona appeared in the last scene, though, we both groaned out loud.

[jebreject]

Oh yeah, same here.

[milly balgeary]

Shit man I can hardly remember a time when I watched TV without meanwhile doing something else .

Me too.

[milly balgeary]

OK I admit I like Revenge.

[peacocks]

oh jesus christ who has seen this new HBO show Girls and who has an opinion on it? I just watched it on http://youtu.be/OrQfvq9RfM0 and my opinion is that all the characters are annoying and I'm not interested in how the protagonist solves her non problems. It's not even funny. I know, I like The New Girl but that's not trying to BE something. It's just a dumb show. This is like, bleheaghhhhhhhhhhh.

[dieblucasdie]

haha, I haven't watched it yet, but it's probably the most positively reviewed show this season.

[peacocks]

Haaa I knew it, and that might be one reason why I am reluctant to be into it.

[elpollodiablo]

We don't have to talk about this.

[peacocks]

:/ ? Sorry?

[elpollodiablo]

Just saying! Probably the best thing to do for Lena Dunham is ignore her until she's at least 30.

[dieblucasdie]

Did you watch Veep too? That is relevant to pollo's interests, since it's the Thick of It/In the Loop guy's stab at American politics. I'll definitely have something to say about both it and Girls once I get a chance to watch them.

xposts

[hannah]

Veep started? fuuuuuck I am so behind on TV

This summer I will watch Justified, Community, Game of Thrones, Veep, the most season of 30 Rock, Boardwalk Empire, Luck, etc etc etc

[Ashley]

oh jesus christ who has seen this new HBO show Girls and who has an opinion on it? I just watched it on http://youtu.be/OrQfvq9RfM0 and my opinion is that all the characters are annoying and I'm not interested in how the protagonist solves her non problems. It's not even funny. I know, I like The New Girl but that's not trying to BE something. It's just a dumb show. This is like, bleheaghhhhhhhhhhh.

I'm watching it now.


its a little weird, but i think a lot of it can be chalked up to being the first episode.

it just needs to find the right balance of awkward.   i think it's also supposed to make you want to punch yourself in the face a little bit.  i'm pretty sure that part is intentional.

also; god girl, you're supposed to become a waitress.  don't you know that?

[elpollodiablo]

Did you watch Veep too? That is relevant to pollo's interests, since it's the Thick of It/In the Loop guy's stab at American politics. I'll definitely have something to say about both it and Girls once I get a chance to watch them.

xposts

Wow, completely missed this. First episode doesn't air until later this week, evidently.

Hey and Anna Chlumsky's in it!