Top of the Lake

[Lucky]

Know there has been some talk about this elsewhere, but maybe the thread will encourage others to check it out. Sundance's first foray into the rapidly crowding quality television market is a standout entry. Like House of Cards, this is a firmly planted first step in establishing a name for the network. The pilot alone has secured my interest in the upcoming "Rectify" to see if Sundance is on to something here. Will post more as I continue.

From what I understand, this is also on Netflix instant Watch. Only 7 episodes, the time commitment isn't much.

[ledfloyd]

Mad Men and Breaking Bad have some serious competition for best TV show of the year.

[Lucky]

So I wasn't expecting this show to be my Saturday, but I'm on Ep 5 with no intention of stopping. It's bare, no bells and whistles, and completely engrossing. I imagine that this is the show the producers of The Killing had in mind, but they fell woefully short. If Sundance can maintain this feel with all of its programming, it will successfully mine a niche of television that will separate it from the styles of AMC/FX/HBO/Showtime. I'm sure I'll finish this either tonight or tomorrow morning.

[[ETM]]

Oh, shut up already, people! I'm trying to catch up on my Arrow/Veronica Mars/Mad Men, and you're making it so difficult!

[Lucky]

Episode 6. That was harrowing.

[Mara]

I mainlined this over the last two days. Yikes.

Although I found it very absorbing, atmospheric, and beautiful, I have a couple of quibbles:

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Show Spoiler

It takes the detectives forever to figure out what is going on. I had Al pegged as the bad guy from, like, the third episode, and figured out that Johnno and Robin were probably siblings around the same time.

Robin couldn't figure out that Al roofied her? Give me a break.

Also, having them find out that Matt was not Johnno's (?) father was a cop-out.

]

Still, those are minor issues with some stellar television. The young actress they got for Tui was a standout, but the whole cast was great. Moss embodied the character perfectly, although even I could tell her accent faded in and out. (Agnes' accent was even wackier.)

I'm going to be processing this for awhile.

[slqrick]

Episode 6. That was harrowing.

Holy shit, this episode.

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Show Spoiler

"Tui" falling down the slope was the most gut wrenching thing I've seen on TV in quite some time.

]

I thought the finale shoehorned some crap in a bit too handily, and some of the narrative stuff was obvious.

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Show Spoiler

Al must be totally chill guy, Peggy. There's no reason at all for him to keep bringing up the fact that hey, he did NOT rape you at his house. Repeat, he did NOT rape you, just in case you were wondering.

]

[Mara]

Yes

But they are admittedly thin on the ground.

[Qrazy]

I couldn't take this show seriously, thought it was pretty lame overall.

[megladon8]

I am liking, though, that it isn't just a blanket "all women are victims of men's assholery" message. That would just feel like a silly, extremist feminist manifesto.

Similar to "The Wire", the show shows how these issues are deeply rooted culturally and inherent in the system. Many of the men are assholes, yes, and many of the women are victims of them...but the show actually wants to ask why that is.

[megladon8]

Jeez - episode 3 had me crying like 4 times.