The TV Discussion Thread

[Mara]

Bones-- which I watch sometimes-- pissed me off royally last night.

[

Show Spoiler

Zack was my favorite character, and easily the funniest person on the show. To randomly make him a killer and a cannibal was manipulative and stupid.

]

I'm not going to watch it any more.

[Sycophant]

So, I watched the second and third episodes of Fawlty Towers last night after watching the first about six months ago. Its charm is certainly growing on me and I'm beginning to see why it's so loved. I don't know if I'll revere it like everyone else seems to, as it's not exactly the most expertly shot television comedy, but I'm enjoying it.

[Winston*]

I don't understand why you would care how Fawlty Towers was shot. Slicker camera work or whatever wouldn't make it funnier.

[Sven]

Been watching a killer lot of South Park lately (helping me get through my homework angst) and, huzzah, it's delicious. One of the best shows ever. Satire is constantly engaging, if not always on the money. And in the latter scenes, it packs a visceral wallop. Very imaginatively written and assembled show. Love it.

[number8]

Been watching a killer lot of South Park lately (helping me get through my homework angst) and, huzzah, it's delicious. One of the best shows ever. Satire is constantly engaging, if not always on the money. And in the latter scenes, it packs a visceral wallop. Very imaginatively written and assembled show. Love it.

What season are you watching?

[Sven]

What season are you watching?

I watched all of this season so far, all of eleven, and I'm about 2/3 of the way through ten. So I'm kind of going backwards.

My favorite episodes so far have been the one about the head lice ("I've gotta make the world safe for my beh-beh!"), the homeless/zombie one, loved the Canada on Strike episode, and I also quite loved the two-part Cartman-going-into-the-future-for-a-Wii episode.

[Sven]

I trust you understood that scenes = episodes.

At any rate, I was wrong. I've got only one episode left in ten.

[number8]

Cool. Yeah, all those are gold. It's funny, despite how big and popular they are, I still always think of them as a really underrated underdog show. Always nice to see someone discover/rediscover SP and finding it brilliant satire.

[Sven]

Cool. Yeah, all those are gold. It's funny, despite how big and popular they are, I still always think of them as a really underrated underdog show. Always nice to see someone discover/rediscover SP and finding it brilliant satire.

I thought of you, actually, seeing Dahmer, Bundy, and Gacy doing the Three Stooges. Don't know why.

[Saya]

The first episode of the Decalogue was brilliant, sad and heartbreaking. Great stuff.

[dreamdead]

Since early May, I've been on a Buffy kick that the g/f has fostered. Films have been all but abandoned temporarily in order to make my way through the series. Right now I'll be starting disc 2 of Season 4, and I'm loving the slow shifts in character psychology that have been involving Xander and Anya especially.

[Mara]

Since early May, I've been on a Buffy kick that the g/f has fostered. Films have been all but abandoned temporarily in order to make my way through the series. Right now I'll be starting disc 2 of Season 4, and I'm loving the slow shifts in character psychology that have been involving Xander and Anya especially.

Yeah. I refused to watch Buffy when it was on tv because it just looked so stupid, but I made my way through the series a couple of years ago and got truly hooked. In fact, I wrong a ridiculously long paper on Buffy that I posted in the Kitchen Sink recently.

Whedon has a real idiot savant thing going on with the show, where he's not afraid to be ridiculous and outlandish, but then he draws on some very serious and heart-wrenching storylines. The result is completely absorbing.

Everyone is very opinionated about the tonal and quality changes through the seasons, but here is my breakdown:

Season 1: Pretty mediocre, with the exception of the two-part finale.

Season 2: Moments of brilliance, but the show is still finding its stride.

Season 3: Excellent.

Season 4: Pretty solid overall, but with a couple of really stupid, terrible episodes.

Season 5: Practically perfect in every way.

Season 6: Very hard to watch. Brilliant, in its own way, but emotionally devestating.

Season 7: Slightly lighter in tone, with a vast epic feel that almost borders on parody sometimes. Enjoyable.

[Sycophant]

I don't understand why you would care how Fawlty Towers was shot. Slicker camera work or whatever wouldn't make it funnier.

Okay, yeah, forget what I said. Just finished episode eight and this show's pretty much perfect. I still think there were some technical issues in series one, but fuck it. I understand the love.

[Sven]

Best Fawlty Towers episode: The Germans

"He started it!"
"No I didn't. You invaded Poland!"

[Sycophant]

Best Fawlty Towers episode: The Germans

"He started it!"
"No I didn't. You invaded Poland!"

It's good stuff, though the Psychologist episode might be one of my favorites thus far (only two left!), if only because it was one of the most breathless 30 minutes of television I've ever watched.

I'm a little surprised you like the show, Mr. 'sos. I didn't think you ever liked cringe humor.

[Saya]

The Decalogue II was excellent. I can't believe how much there is to discover for the viewer in a single episode of this series. It is really amazing.

[Thirdmango]

I really liked those last two episodes to House. Nice end to the season.

[Qrazy]

I posted it in Y Tu Film Discussion but any fans of anime and particularly of Mindgame ought to check out Kemonozume (13 eps) and Kaiba (not fully released)... both from the creator of Mindgame.

On a similar note... Mushishi and Great Teacher Onizuka were both good animes I got through recently. I'm about half way through Serial Experiments Lain and it pretty much sucks, not sure if I'll finish it.

[Ezee E]

Shirley Manson is going to be in that Terminator TV show now.

A shame I could careless about that show.

[[ETM]]

A shame I could careless about that show.

I rolled my eyes when I heard they were making it, but it turned out watchable.

[transmogrifier]

Shirley Manson is going to be in that Terminator TV show now.

A shame I could careless about that show.

Couldn't.

[Qrazy]

Couldn't.

Maybe he really likes the show?

[Qrazy]

I rolled my eyes when I heard they were making it, but it turned out watchable.

How watchable? Like... doesn't make you want to kill yourself watachable or like actually worth watching watchable?

[Acapelli]

Another show in which I'm losing interest is Dead Like Me.
It was fairly noticeable in the first season when creator Fuller left the show, and this second season misses his touch completely.
The first was still very enjoyable, this one's a drag so far.

I much preferred the similar Now and Again & Brimstone.

Aw, this is terrible to hear. I just started watching Dead Like Me and am really enjoying it.

[Thirdmango]

I posted it in Y Tu Film Discussion but any fans of anime and particularly of Mindgame ought to check out Kemonozume (13 eps) and Kaiba (not fully released)... both from the creator of Mindgame.

On a similar note... Mushishi and Great Teacher Onizuka were both good animes I got through recently. I'm about half way through Serial Experiments Lain and it pretty much sucks, not sure if I'll finish it.

Thanks, I will check out Kemonozume. GTO is amazing, and I only watched the first three episodes of Lain because one friend puffed it up to be amazing and I hated it.