TV: Last TV Show Episode You Watched and Rate It (Part I)

[Shareefruck]

I'm the opposite as well. I think Louis CK's current standup is only decent/solid (less polished due to all that time he spends on the show-- feels like every time he pops his head up to do an SNL appearance, he's nervous as hell and out of his element, too, which doesn't help), and while I think he was one of the best working comedians at the time in his prime (Chewed Up era), even then I DON'T think he was ever anywhere close to being a fraction as good as any of the greats like Hicks/Carlin/whoever... but he's sometimes treated like he's the next one, so.... overrated in that sense. I think Hedberg's legacy will probably hold up more when it's all said and done.

His show on the other hand is brilliant-- one of the greatest of all time, and one of the biggest gamechangers, IMO. He's still wetting his beak in season one (maybe one or two home run episodes), season 2 is great, season 3/4 are brilliant, and season 5 showed that even a burned out CK not out to impress anyone is fantastic television.

He's a better comedic interview/personality and artist/showrunner (genius-level, IMO) than he is a straight-up comedian, IMO,

I would go as far as to say that Louie and Last Week Tonight are the only two things on television right now that are actually doing something worthwhile and don't feel like mere guilty pleasure entertainment (I really like Veep but it's closer to that bucket as well). GOT and True Detective in particular seem to have fallen off a cliff.

 

[HanSolo]

I really like Louie CK's standup...but damn. I've never been able to get through a single episode of his tv show.

I enjoy the show. It's different.

Though I'd disagree with Share on the overall brilliance of it. It's a good quality show for sure. And I do see the improvements in season 2 a bit. But it still does feel...at least watching them all in a row like a compounding of the same sort of self deprecating tropes, tones, and themes. On one hand it gets weary, the same sort of "bummer" style humor and on the other it gets predictable. Like oh, Louie is going for it for a girl. It's not will we he fail miserably? No we already know he's probably gonna come close and do one little thing to **** it up.

Still enjoyable overall and I'll see how the rest of it goes.

Complete opposite for me. I think Louie CK's standup is a little bit too mellow for my taste but his show is just heartwarming and genuine. I can't get enough of it.

I think I'm about the same. I prefer the show to his standup. His stand-up is pretty often hit and...not so much miss but just like...yeah all right. Some of the joke lines he'll do are just really simplistic statements without much wit. Like when he talks about his weight or food. He just makes these loud statements about how bad it sucks. Like "I'm so fat that if blah blah blah saw me then blah blah blah" like...okay. Ha. I don't have a particular line right now.

And an 8 to me is still better than most of the crap on TV now. But compare season 1 of Louie to some of say...It's Always Sunny and ehhh. Just under it I'd say. I'll see how the rest is.

 

[Shareefruck]

For what it's worth it changes drastically between Season 2 and 3 and then again between 3 and 4 (S1 and S2 are the same show but S2 is much more consistent, inspired, and focused). Still alot of the same themes (I think the way he revisits them has a compounding effect rather than getting stale though), but it becomes a very different show each time. Definitely not the kind of show you watch purely for laughs or to see where the story goes, though, so I think it'd be a mistake to watch them that way (it probably has more in common with a Woody Allen movie-- or even a Coens Brothers-type comedy-- than with It's Always Sunny-- even then it's more its own brand of thing). In the latter seasons, even the standup material doesn't seem to focus entirely on comedy. (as in the strength of the material becomes less and less the point of those scenes)

It really has much more to do with diving into his psyche and playing in it rather than watching how his life plays out-- There's only occassional narrative consistency and continuity even attempted.

I thought the "God" episode in S1 was brilliant/perfect, but that was about it-- alot of the rest is solid but doesn't particular stand out to me. The latter seasons hit those high notes more consistently.

 

[HanSolo]

For what it's worth it changes drastically between Season 2 and 3 and then again between 3 and 4 (S1 and S2 are the same show but S2 is much more consistent, inspired, and focused). Still alot of the same themes (I think the way he revisits them has a compounding effect rather than getting stale though), but it becomes a very different show each time. Definitely not the kind of show you watch purely for laughs or to see where the story goes, though, so I think it'd be a mistake to watch them that way (it probably has more in common with a Woody Allen movie-- or even a Coens Brothers-type comedy-- than with It's Always Sunny-- even then it's more its own brand of thing). In the latter seasons, even the standup material doesn't seem to focus entirely on comedy. (as in the strength of the material becomes less and less the point of those scenes)

It really has much more to do with diving into his psyche and playing in it rather than watching how his life plays out-- There's only occassional narrative consistency and continuity even attempted.

I thought the "God" episode in S1 was brilliant/perfect, but that was about it-- alot of the rest is solid but doesn't particular stand out to me. The latter seasons hit those high notes more consistently.

I can see that.

I appreciate that the style is different. I do. And I'm almost done with S2 and it's much more enjoyable. Sitting at a solid 9 right now.

 

[Everlasting]

Blacklist episode 1 - Pilot

I didnt know you could fit that much cliche into one episode of tv.

5 / 10.

 

[Everlasting]

Blacklist episode 2. - 6 /10

1. Megan Boone is not a good actor.
2. Megna Boone lacks the ability to show emotions
3. She is a poorly written character who feels dumb.
4. She looks like an emotionless doll.
5. Spader delivers.

Why does hollywood insist of writing so many dumbass female characters? What happen to the Buffy-effect? The effect that gave us shows like Alias?

 

[Baby Punisher]

Paw Patrol
Pups save a hoedown 6/10

 

[Shareefruck]

That Mitchell and Webb Look: S1 - 3/5 (Unreservedly Good)
Awesome, awesome show.

Inside Amy Schumer: S2 - 2/5 (Somewhat Positive but Underwhelming)
I was skeptical until the Alan Sorkin parody

Sketch Comedy:
Monty Python's Flying Circus - 5/5 (Masterpiece)
Mr. Show - 4/5 (Great)
That Mitchell and Webb Look - 3/5 (Unreservedly Good)
Kids in the Hall - 2.5/5 (Pretty Good with Reservations)
------
Inside Amy Schumer - 2/5 (Somewhat Positive but Underwhelming)
Portlandia - 2/5 (Somewhat Positive but Underwhelming)
Key and Peel - 1/5 (Poor)
SNL - 0.5/5 (Outright Bad)
MadTV - 0/5 (****ing Awful)

 

[Shareefruck]

Generation Kill - 3.5/5 (Exceptionally Good)
This might be one of the best war-related things I've ever seen-- short, nothing gimmicky, no reliance on shock, death, and gore, memorable but believable characters, tons of rich/human ideas that just kind of simmer rather than smashing you over the head or feeling hokey and manipulative, great individual scenes/moments, and most surprisingly: funny without feeling forced -- Call me crazy but I liked it better than Band of Brothers (which in hindsight feels really hokey in a typically Spielbergian way), IMO.

First few episodes of Show Me a Hero - 2.5/5 (Pretty Good, but hasn't picked up yet)
First few episodes of True Detective: S2 - 1/5 (Poor)

 

[USC Trojans]

2/5 (Positive but Nothing Special)
Game of Thrones
Legend of Korra
Fargo
An Idiot Abroad
Maron
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Silicon Valley
The Moaning of Life
Would I Lie To You?

I guess this goes to show how different people's tastes can be...
The underlined are amongst my favorite shows ever

 

[Shareefruck]

I guess this goes to show how different people's tastes can be...
The underlined are amongst my favorite shows ever

I don't dislike them or anything-- but they're more guilty pleasures level for me-- stuff that I keep watching but can feel hit or miss at any given moment.

 

[Killahpunk]

I don't dislike them or anything-- but they're more guilty pleasures level for me-- stuff that I keep watching but can feel hit or miss at any given moment.

How would you rate The Wire on your current scoring system?

I just finshed season 1 recently and I have just started season 2.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Show Me a Hero (Eps. 1 & 2) - 9/10

 

[Shareefruck]

How would you rate The Wire on your current scoring system?

I just finshed season 1 recently and I have just started season 2.

I guess you're not familiar with my incessant Wire gushing. It's a 5/5 (Masterpiece), and in the running for my favorite of all time.

Honestly, it's so good that I would recommend that you push through and watch the first four seasons regardless of whether you have a tough time with it or not (which would be understandable if you do-- s2 in particular is tough)

 

[ProstheticConscience]

CFL game. BC Lions vs Montreal Alouettes.

Terrible in every way.

 

[DeYarmond Edison]

I guess you're not familiar with my incessant Wire gushing. It's a 5/5 (Masterpiece), and in the running for my favorite of all time.

Honestly, it's so good that I would recommend that you push through and watch the first four seasons regardless of whether you have a tough time with it or not (which would be understandable if you do-- s2 in particular is tough)

Season 2 is probably the most anti-climatic but man, it is still so ****ing great.

 

[Shareefruck]

Season 2 is probably the most anti-climatic but man, it is still so ****ing great.

Yeah-- if you even have one foot invested in thrills and addictive serialized television, it almost feels like Simon's intentionally ****ing with you in S2. Then once enough time has passed, you kind of go "Oh, you were right-- you don't need any of that stuff, and it usually just gets in the way"

 

[JDinkalage Morgoone]

The Wire is a show I really liked when watching it, but have come to appreciate it much more as time has gone on when thinking about it, as well as seeing some of the themes in the show playing out in my own experiences/things I see occurring.

Definitely a great show.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Shareefruck's rating of Six Feet Under? Just curious.

 

[Shareefruck]

Shareefruck's rating of Six Feet Under? Just curious.

Six Feet Under is a really tough one for me to pin down. I love the overall thrust and idea of it, I think it's well acted, well conceived, touching/human/honest, relateable/sentimental/nostalgic, funny/entertaining, and emotionally powerful (and it might be the most accessible/universal of the shows that are considered classics). Sometimes I just want to not think about it and consider it a favorite. But at the same time, by the time i got to the middle of the series it felt so emotionally draining following the exceptionally eventful and miserable and dramatic things that this family goes through, that you end up feeling like you're being ragged around like it's a soap opera. It also starts feeling a little repetitive, and I would say the writing felt messy and unfocused a lot of the time after it got going.

But then you get to the finale and you still go "wow" and get moved to tears, feeling like you know these people and experienced something real.

I'd say Six Feet Under is outrageously effective but at the same time incredibly flawed and far from perfect. So I don't know.... probably something like 3.5/5 (Exceptionally Good)? But then thinking that makes me want to lower Generation Kill, which I think is tighter, but isn't nearly as memorable.

 

[SB164]

The Office (rewatch): Company Picnic (Season 5, Episode 28, season finale). Pretty much a 10 on 10. I think The Office stands as the best comedy show of the past 20 years.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Six Feet Under is a really tough one for me to pin down. I love the overall thrust and idea of it, I think it's well acted, well conceived, touching/human/honest, relateable/sentimental/nostalgic, funny/entertaining, and emotionally powerful (and it might be the most accessible/universal of the shows that are considered classics). Sometimes I just want to not think about it and consider it a favorite. But at the same time, by the time i got to the middle of the series it felt so emotionally draining following the exceptionally eventful and miserable and dramatic things that this family goes through, that you end up feeling like you're being ragged around like it's a soap opera. It also starts feeling a little repetitive, and I would say the writing felt messy and unfocused a lot of the time after it got going.

But then you get to the finale and you still go "wow" and get moved to tears, feeling like you know these people and experienced something real.

I'd say Six Feet Under is outrageously effective but at the same time incredibly flawed and far from perfect. So I don't know.... probably something like 3.5/5 (Exceptionally Good)? But then thinking that makes me want to lower Generation Kill, which I think is tighter, but isn't nearly as memorable.

Thanks! I always find Six Feet Under a very difficult show to encapsulate, for lack of a better term, to my friends who haven't seen it but to whom I've recommended it to. Your analysis and assessment of it sums up a lot of my feelings as well, a lot of which changed the second time I poured through it and binge watched it in the span of about a month. I noticed more of its flaws (most specifically the repetitiveness and hit & miss writing that seemed to creep in during seasons 2 and 3 primarily IMO) but came away with a new found appreciation and much more favorable opinion of it than when I had originally watched it as it aired. I attribute a lot of that to growing up and its themes resonating with me and my own life experiences in a way that I couldn't correspond with back then. I still haven't experienced the same feeling with any medium of entertainment as I did while watching the SFU finale though... a stroke of genius to concoct a finale that well done and satisfying.

Kind of fitting though that the show, just like its characters displays the same traits; outrageously effective but incredibly flawed and far from perfect could have been the preeminent sentence in all of the Fisher clan's obituaries

 

[Led Zappa]

Anyone watch The Whispers on ABC? A friend is trying to get me to watch it. It's got decent ratings on RT and IMDB.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Been watching Season 6 of The League as it just came out on Netflix.

I'm a huge fan of the series, but this season has been my least favorite. There's a few funny episodes but overall I'm not liking it. There's an episode called "When Randy met Rafi" or something similar and I thought "damn this is gonna be hilarious". But it was mediocre at best. Rafi doesn't seem as funny as before, almost like his jokes are forced. He's still got some good lines in later episodes though.

 

[Shareefruck]

Show Me a Hero - 2 or 2.5/5 (Vaguely Good with Reservations)
I enjoyed it and feel it was well made, but I also feel like something as dry and understated as this type of story needs to be told in a totally authentic, syrup-less way in order for it to be really great and compelling. Unfortunately, I felt tiny hints of Paul Haggis' (not necessarily manipulative/schlocky but.... something in that family) directing hand throughout, and that was enough that I couldn't fully embrace it.

Oscar Isaac was great.

David Simon
The Wire - 5/5 (Masterpiece)
Generation Kill - 3.5/5 (Exceptionally Good)
Treme - 3/5 (Unreservedly Good)
Show Me a Hero - 2 or 2.5/5 (Vaguely Good with Reservations)