OT: HFPens Community Lounge: Its been 84 years... But now Karlsson is here

[HandshakeLine]

Laos has been a borderline religious experience for me so far. I don't even have words for it yet.

I'm gonna wind up being as obnoxious about Laos as people were about Thailand 40 years ago by the end of this.

Where else are you going? Are you gonna hit Taiwan, like everyone should before it ceases to exist as a cool independent space?

Yeah I can't speak highly of it enough. The bad reviews for the game are basically just "this isn't Three Houses". The story is really bland, it's a classic "this guy bad and wants to take over the world!!!" story. But most Fire Emblem stories are basically that.

I bought it based on the reviews of the gameplay, which all said it was terrific. But I also grew to love the characters, they're all really weird in an endearing way. My favorite is Merrin, who's a geeky furry Wolf Knight that absolutely demolishes enemies

Take the story from Three Houses with the characters from Engage and I think you have the absolute best Fire Emblem game ever.

Honestly, I never thought 3H was that deep as far as the story goes. It was cool, lots of neat stuff, but basically your interactions with the characters are still pretty shallow, there's basically the "make friends with your students or kill them" binary, etc.

It's not like Chrono Trigger/FF VI/VII/IX/Planescape: Torment levels of deep characterization or anything. It's just kinda neat to have a Fire Emblem game that even embraced that much narrative.

 

[LOGiK]

Been feeling like a husk of a human with this head cold, but my nap to comfort show has been dilbert. Something about that obscure late 90's show I enjoy.
Watched pom poko last night.

 

[Ogrezilla]

wife and I just re-started Lost. Jacob help us.

 

[LOGiK]

wife and I just re-started Lost. Jacob help us.

Great great mysterious show.
If we did a re-watch of lost it would definitely include skipping all the flashbacks (off the island stuff).
Can't remember if there is a lot of it but only really cared about the island plots.

Almost getting to the point where we can re-watch it and not remember most of the lesser plots.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Great great mysterious show.
If we did a re-watch of lost it would definitely include skipping all the flashbacks (off the island stuff).
Can't remember if there is a lot of it but only really cared about the island plots.

Almost getting to the point where we can re-watch it and not remember most of the lesser plots.

The flashbacks are great early on and are crucial again starting with the S3 finale through S4. I'd say the s3 finale's off-island bit is one of the best moments of the whole show. That said, they really do drag a lot of the time.

I love Lost. It's a great show, but definitely flawed. I bet it would be half the episodes if it was made today; 10-12 Episode seasons instead of 22-24. I think that would do a lot to keep the plot cleaner, but would also take away a ton of time to get to know the characters and their relationships. Not sure if that makes it an overall better show or not honestly. But cutting out half of the flashbacks would help for sure.

 

[LOGiK]

The flashbacks are great early on and are crucial again starting with the S3 finale through S4. I'd say the s3 finale's off-island bit is one of the best moments of the whole show. That said, they really do drag a lot of the time.

I love Lost. It's a great show, but definitely flawed. I bet it would be half the episodes if it was made today; 10-12 Episode seasons instead of 22-24. I think that would do a lot to keep the plot cleaner, but would also take away a ton of time to get to know the characters and their relationships. Not sure if that makes it an overall better show or not honestly. But cutting out half of the flashbacks would help for sure.

Yeah it's a great show to get submerged in. I remember watching it for the first time and we were so excited to look forward to each night to see what bit of mystery was uncovered.
I couldn't imagine watching that show from the very beginning (live airings) and having to watch all those years for reveals...
Had to be rough!

 

[Ogrezilla]

Yeah it's a great show to get submerged in. I remember watching it for the first time and we were so excited to look forward to each night to see what bit of mystery was uncovered.
I couldn't imagine watching that show from the very beginning (live airings) and having to watch all those years for reveals...
Had to be rough!

yeah same, I only ever watched it after-the-fact too all at once.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

wife and I just re-started Lost. Jacob help us.

Waste of time.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Waste of time.

All TV is a waste of time. Lost is great and we can pack while we watch since we've seen it before.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

All TV is a waste of time. Lost is great and we can pack while we watch since we've seen it before.

I tried to get into it. Saw a black cloud attack a bloke and that was it for me.

But I am trying to find shit to watch so maybe I'll give it try numero 3.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I tried to get into it. Saw a black cloud attack a bloke and that was it for me.

that's fair. Fantasy/sci-fi elements in what seems to start like a realistic survival show aren't for everyone. If the smoke monster bugged you, you left at the right time. It gets much weirder The mystical stuff does end up going off the rails by the end imo. Not enough to ruin it, but enough to be a detraction from the last season or two I'd say.

It's weird because I think most people get upset that it didn't answer all the questions, but I think it actually tried to answer way too much. I think it would have been much better if they just left the mystical stuff unanswered for the most part. The most interesting conflict is the survival and conflict between the people, but then the last two seasons lean so far into understanding the mythology stuff. Just let the island be a strange and neutral place as a setting and let the plot focus on the people and how they deal with it. And for the first few seasons that's how it's largely handled. They try to get answers, and you do get some, but the focus is always on the characters. Then it flips to being much more focused on the magic stuff.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

that's fair. Fantasy/sci-fi elements in what seems to start like a realistic survival show aren't for everyone. If the smoke monster bugged you, you left at the right time. It gets much weirder The mystical stuff does end up going off the rails by the end imo. Not enough to ruin it, but enough to be a detraction from the last season or two I'd say.

It's weird because I think most people get upset that it didn't answer all the questions, but I think it actually tried to answer way too much. I think it would have been much better if they just left the mystical stuff unanswered for the most part. The most interesting conflict is the survival and conflict between the people, but then the last two seasons lean so far into understanding the mythology stuff. Just let the island be a strange and neutral place as a setting and let the plot focus on the people and how they deal with it. And for the first few seasons that's how it's largely handled. They try to get answers, and you do get some, but the focus is always on the characters. Then it flips to being much more focused on the magic stuff.

Also the fat wanker being fat for that long was funny. I mean I'll still try to watch as I've got nothing else to binge.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Also the fat wanker being fat for that long was funny. I mean I'll still try to watch as I've got nothing else to binge.

To be fair, I think the entire show is meant to take place over just a few months of actual time on the island. And they find pretty legit food sources much sooner than that. Him still being fat does come up at some point.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

To be fair, I think the entire show is meant to take place in about 100 days of actual time on the island. And they find pretty legit food sources much sooner than that.

Ah ok. Hopefully I can finally cross this show off the list after binging through it.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Ah ok. Hopefully I can finally cross this show off the list after binging through it.

I love the first 5 seasons. The flashback bits drag in seasons 2 and 3 before they mix up the formula.

Season 6 is okay but a clear step back for me. Focus just fully shifts into what I find to be the less interesting part of the show. It's worth finishing for the characters more than anything. Some solid character moments through to the end, but the plot is nonsense by that point imo.

I think S3's finale has two of my all-time favorite or at least most iconic TV moments in the same episode. Back when this was a whole new kind of TV, so it might not hit the same today. Now that I'm back into it, I really do think this show could be much better today with half as many episodes. I can't imagine a series like this these days having 2 or 3 scenes per episode move the overall plot forward and the rest being a problem-of-the-week. Though that pace certainly picks up in later seasons.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I love the first 5 seasons. The flashback bits drag in seasons 2 and 3 before they mix up the formula.

Season 6 is okay but a clear step back for me. Focus just fully shifts into what I find to be the less interesting part of the show. It's worth finishing for the characters more than anything. Some solid character moments through to the end, but the plot is nonsense by that point imo.

I think S3's finale has two of my all-time favorite or at least most iconic TV moments in the same episode. Back when this was a whole new kind of TV, so it might not hit the same today. Now that I'm back into it, I really do think this show could be much better today with half as many episodes. I can't imagine a series like this these days having 2 or 3 scenes per episode move the overall plot forward and the rest being a problem-of-the-week. Though that pace certainly picks up in later seasons.

I have a mate that is a huge fan of the show and he was telling me it didn't end all that well either, but he's been urging me to watch it as well.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I have a mate that is a huge fan of the show and he was telling me it didn't end all that well either, but he's been urging me to watch it as well.

I really think the creator felt like the fans were demanding answers that he hadn't planned on giving, but he caved and shifted in that direction. Or, the network did and forced his hand probably. He went on to make The Leftovers and it pretty much does what I said I think this should have done: less episodes, and let the mystery stay mystery. Sure the characters want to know. They make theories and they try to find answers. But ultimately the story is about the characters dealing with life that now involves weird fantastical stuff, not about the fantastical stuff itself.

Speaking of, The Leftovers is also good. It's absolutely a more consistent and a better made/structured show, but I still prefer Lost while at it's best. The average quality of Lost is probably lower, but it's peaks are some of my favorite TV.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I really think the creator felt like the fans were demanding answers that he hadn't planned on giving, but he caved and shifted in that direction. He went on to make The Leftovers and it pretty much does what I said I think this should have done: less episodes, and let the mystery stay mystery. Sure the characters want to know. They make theories and they try to find answers. But ultimately the story is about the characters dealing with life that now involves weird fantastical stuff, not about the fantastical stuff itself.

Speaking of, The Leftovers is also good. It's absolutely a more consistent and a better made/structured show, but I still prefer Lost while at it's best. The average quality of Lost is probably lower, but it's peaks are some of my favorite TV.

Yeah if they had a plan, they should have stuck with it. When they start to listen to the fans it can sometimes go well but also muddle shit up.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Yeah if they had a plan, they should have stuck with it. When they start to listen to the fans it can sometimes go well but also muddle shit up.

to be fair, I could be wrong about why it went like it did. It just feels that way to me with how it shifts and with how his show on HBO didn't go that way. But it could also just be him learning from his own previous work.

It's weird starting it again. I always forget how quaint the conflict is at first and how long it takes to really get going fully. This first half of S1 is like a completely different show than later seasons. They just don't make TV that does such a slow shift like this to basically a completely different genre as it goes. I bet this would easily be cut in half if made today.

 

[Zirakzigil]

I tried to get into it. Saw a black cloud attack a bloke and that was it for me.

But I am trying to find shit to watch so maybe I'll give it try numero 3.

Mando season 3.5 comes out this week!!!!!


Also the ending to Lost was the absolute worst of all time.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Mando season 3.5 comes out this week!!!!!


Also the ending to Lost was the absolute worst of all time.

3.5?

 

[Zirakzigil]

3.5?

One could argue book of boba fett was mando season 3 warm up.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

One could argue book of boba fett was mando season 3 warm up.

That was terrible. That show. Also lol I mentioned this in the past but the reason so many shows are being cancelled and now streamers losing people is because you see these shows come out and they're good but once they end they got nothing else lined up. Which is ridiculous.

 

[Zirakzigil]

That was terrible. That show. Also lol I mentioned this in the past but the reason so many shows are being cancelled and now streamers losing people is because you see these shows come out and they're good but once they end they got nothing else lined up. Which is ridiculous.

I just watched it again this month. Didnt mind it, wasnt the best though. Am looking forward to Mando S3. Looks good from the trailers.

 

[Deport Ogie]

Also the fat wanker being fat for that long was funny. I mean I'll still try to watch as I've got nothing else to binge.

I saw this complaint being made about GoT as well..."How is Sam still so fat after being stuck north of the wall for like, 2 years!?" It's just funny to me that in a show with ice zombies and dragons the element that's a bridge too far is one character not wasting away realistically enough.