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

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
29,225
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Vancouver, BC
Mr. Robot: Season 1 - 1.5 (Neutral)
Damn, somebody really loves Fight Club. That, and switching in and out of focus.

One thing I really love about this series is how they set up the opening titles. It looks and sounds great and interesting pretty much every time. I wish more shows would do it this way.

I thought the show had some potential but was also a little put off by the whiney mopiness early on. A premise like the one in Fight Club can get a little obnoxious but is saved by its nihilistic wit, black humor, sense of playful fun and charm. In this show, just about everything about that movie is lifted here except the humor. It takes itself seriously. They do that thing where the protagonist is an angsty misanthrope that you're meant to feel a bit sorry for, but at the same time they try to make him act cool. He does a pretty spot on impression of the dead, drawling narration in Fight Club, but for some reason, it sounds self serious and silly rather than stylish and cool (you just want to tell him to get over himself). The European antagonist guy was pretty good. I like the way it looks and feels, but I'm not too big on the writing/execution/storytelling.

It starts losing me in that episode where they do that heist and he goes into withdrawls. By the time the twist hit me, I started to think "this is getting a little lame", and the final few episodes where they show the aftermath of what they did, it felt like two messy hours that wandered nowhere. Parts of the ending felt stupid to me.

It also has that problem that I always talk about TV dramas having in general. They all start to blur together and feel the same to me. A character gets in over his head having to deal with some intense life or death scenario and repeatedly has to dig himself out of these hopeless situations while accidentally creating new problems along the way and it all gets out of hand. Feels like every drama does this exact same thing except for a handful of exceptions (and pretty much all of the extra time TV Shows have to explore things is spent almost entirely on doing this over and over again). I find it tiring, formulaic/gimmicky/pointlessly manipulative and boring. This is the single biggest reason why I think the whole "Television has caught up to film" narrative is total bull**** and it's still got long ways to go before it even comes close. It's been improving, but the medium's still in its infant stages, IMO.

Overall, not a bad show, well produced, but I also don't want to bother recommending it to anybody.

One Punch Man - 1.5 (Neutral)
 
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ProstheticConscience

Check dein Limit
Apr 30, 2010
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Canuck Nation
Bar Rescue

with people

Earlier one, I think. Jon Taffer goes to rescue a bar somewhere in north Chicago where the owners are a mother and son team. Their decor is early Sesame Street; board games and children's toys are all over the walls. The bar wasn't called Mommy Issues, but should've been. The son's supposedly the general manager, but guess who really makes the decisions. No, go on, guess.

Taffer of course cleans the place up, makes mommy stop getting tanked on the job, and redoes the bar in a non-idiotic decor.

But seriously, who the hell wants to start a business with their mother? Geez. Give me the choice between opening a bar with Hitler or my mother as a partner, and there'll be a bar sign out there called: Me and Hitler's.
 

Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
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Horace and Pete (Episode 1) - 3.0 (Very Good)
Louis CK just released a new thing, everyone. And it's very interesting and refreshing. It's delivered like a great play (with the attractive flaws that come with it and everything), touches on alot of important subjects and themes, plays with world issues that happened just a few days ago, and feels very cohesive and satisfying to me.

I'll need some time to process it. Very different from anything else on television.
 

Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
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Vancouver, BC
Just watched the Mad Men episode, "The Crash", and boy, you have to at least admire the creators' willingness to commit to random madness, especially for such a popular show.
 

Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
29,225
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Mad Men: Season 6 - 4.0 (Perfect)
Really skeptical and dismissive of the first two seasons (which initially felt like well-crafted but middling drama guilty of the same things as most other dramas, but less eventful/entertaining), but this show has cemented itself as one of the greatest shows of all time, for me. I think it's better than The Sopranos now. I love the clarity of who every character is, the willingness to inject understated nuance, occasionally experiment with the format, and be artful without taking shortcuts or ever feeling heavy-handed (which The Sopranos sometimes does for me). I'm not sure the show does the whole, making characters react/deal with historical milestones thing all that convincingly/interestingly, but that's a minor point. (Every time it goes into "Oh my god! They shot Martin Luther King!" mode, it feels a little off). I particularly like how, compared to the first two seasons, Don's past is only there to add context to how he's feeling now, and isn't some cheesy dramatic arc to focus on.

Impressions of other things I've kept an eye out for, but don't have a full season to pin down:
Real Time with Bill Maher - 2.5 (Good) (say what you will about him, but this show is damn solid and this man's work ethic/output is damn consistent-- How long has he been doing this now? 10-20 years? And it's basically a solid, solid hour every time)
It's Always Sunny - 2.0 (Positive) (Hit or miss, a far cry from its prime, but miraculous that it's still fun and has its moments after ten years)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee - 2.0 (Positive) (nothing ground-breaking, but I enjoy and look forward to it. She's alot better than Trevor Noah or Larry Wilmore, and she seems a little more fearless-- and psychotic-- than most, which is refreshing)
The Young Turks (the online stuff) - 1.5 (Neutral) (I used to despise these guys and write them off as disruptive, click-bait, wannabe amateurs with obnoxious web-personalities, but I've been paying attention because I'm interested in the Bernie Sanders stuff, and while many of those thnings may still be true, I'm beginning to appreciate what they do, admire the conviction and what they've been able to build from nothing)
The Knick - 1.0 (Negative) (I love the way it's shot, but after a few episodes, it bored me to tears)

OT and probably not the right place to talk about it: While I'm not at all knowledgeable about politics, nor interested in the details, and collapse in any sort of argument about it, I've always found it difficult to treat the whole republicans vs, democrats thing with the even-keeled, "it's just sensible people with different opinions, two sides of the same coin" attitude I feel like I should/common sense dictates would be the case, simply because so many of the conservatives that I've been exposed to in media seem like such cartoonishly evil tools/lunatics to me that it must just be a case of being influenced by that bias/misrepresentation. Anyways, I've always assumed from what little I've seen of him that Nick DiPaolo was one of the better ones (despite still being pretty brash, forth-coming, and take-no-prisoners, still in a pretty likeable way), but I listened to a bit of his podcast, and Jesus Christ, what a #$%@. Where are all the sane conservative celebrities? Is Norm MacDonald conservative?
 
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Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
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Same here. I really wanted to like it, but when they weren't in the hospital doing surgeries and stuff, it was quite boring for me.
Even the surgery stuff, I'm just not the type to be able to sit there and admire how seamless/realistic prosthetic skin/blood/guts look on a weekly basis (although it is pretty impressive). :laugh:
 

Virtanen18

SAMCRO
Jan 25, 2014
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Vancouver
Even the surgery stuff, I'm just not the type to be able to sit there and admire how seamless/realistic prosthetic skin/blood/guts look on a weekly basis (although it is pretty impressive). :laugh:
Oh I was totally into that lol. I think the first episode they were doing something with a pregnant woman and I could not look away. Very impressive.
 

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
29,225
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Vancouver, BC
Mad Men: Season 7 - 2.5 (Good)
Nothing detracted from the show, but I didn't like the final season nearly as much as the last three. Still, though fantastic series. Better and more cohesive/consistent than The Sopranos or Six Feet Under, IMO.
 
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Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
29,225
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Vancouver, BC
Horace And Pete: Episodes 1 to 9 - 3.5 (Great)
I'm fully won over now-- This is a legitimately great show. The imperfections only add to its charm. Nothing else like it.
 
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Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
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Vancouver, BC
Horace and Pete - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Finished the series and started to let everything sink in. This series is brilliant, IMO. Very different but virtually on the same level as Louie once you adjust to what it's doing. ****, it's really something else.

Favorite TV Shows of All Time:
5.0 (Masterpiece)
1. The Simpsons S2-S4
2. The Wire
3. Monty Python's Flying Circus - S1
4. Arrested Development
5. The Office UK
4.5 (Brilliant)
6. The Decalogue
7. Louie
8. Planet Earth
9. Cowboy Bebop
10. Horace and Pete
4.0 (Perfect)
11. Seinfeld S3-S5
12. Mad Men
13. Blackadder
14. Freaks and Geeks
15. Spaced
16. Avatar: The Last Airbender
17. Deadwood S1-??
3.5 (Great)
18. Mr. Show
19. Samurai Champloo
20. Curb Your Enthusiasm
 
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Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
29,225
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Vancouver, BC
Why is 'Perfect' not the highest ranking (i.e. 5.0)?
I guess because there are things that feel probably technically flawless and perfectly put together, where I wouldn't necessarily change anything about it and don't have any particular reservations about, yet it still doesn't feel as hyperbolic-ally and actively transcendent, timeless, mind-blowing, awe-inspiring, soul-affirming, personality defining, and/or reduce me to a giddy little school-girl who can't contain herself, the way certain other things do for me.

Some things feel like pure unthinkable genius that exceeds simply doing everything "the right way". Like for example, I could probably argue that something like Deadwood is about as well executed as it could possibly be expected to be..... and yet it will never come remotely close to matching the bat-**** crazy, nonsensically inspired and liberating feeling that Monty Python's Flying Circus gives me. It doesn't give a rat's *** about being perfect.

Some things are perfect, but some things melt my brain.
 
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Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
29,225
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Vancouver, BC
"Location: Vancouver, BC"
:whatever:

Looking at your list. Not a GoT fan? Breaking Bad?
There's obviously a decent reason they're so popular and well received, but I personally find them really overrated-- repetitive, formulaic, gimmicky, and compromised. Reliant on all these populist tricks that I find really annoying, regardless of how competently put together/high the production values are.

I like them enough to continue watching them, and they're obviously very addictive/effective at what they do, but very mixed feelings about what that is.

GOT's good at pairing up characters and having them bounce off each other with fun snappy dialogue. Everything else about it can get tedious, especially the last season, which was getting close to downright bad.
 
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The Gongshow

Fire JBB
Jul 17, 2014
26,194
8,695
Toronto
Walking Dead S6-16
The more I watch that cliffhanger ending the more I like it. Episode did a good job building tension, sadly no climax and fell flat due to the ending but still a solid episode. Negan's presence was great
 

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
29,225
3,982
Vancouver, BC
That Mitchell and Webb Situation - 3.0 (Very Good)
I think I prefer this style of delivery/content over the other series' they did. Packed to the brim with clever/insightful, irreverently silly, perfectly timed/understated, gut-busting stuff in here.

Better Call Saul: Season 2 - 1.5 (Neutral)
It's fine, but it's essentially Breaking Bad but more underwhelming, with less cohesiveness/wandering plots, and more careless/silly mistakes/solutions by the characters (Mike in particular). Bob Odenkirk is great and I get a kick out of the guy from Spinal Tap playing that role, but I really find myself being put off by Vince Gilligan's sensibilities/priorities (not to mention how "brilliant" he seems to think he is whenever he peppers in hidden hints/clues to backgrounds and stuff)

The cat and mouse thing is so played out, formulaic, and boring.
 
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Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
29,225
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Vancouver, BC
Veep: Season 5 - 3.5 (Great) Best season yet-- every episode is great/perfectly executed, and a handful are outright incredible
Silicon Valley: Season 3 - 2.5 (Good) Learned alot of its lessons from last season without sacrificing any humor
Game of Thrones: Season 6 - 1.5 or 2.0 (Neutral/Positive) Two great episodes at the end, kind of lukewarm about the rest. Also seems to have lost everything that made it stand out in early seasons

I also hate to admit, but Last Week Tonight's starting to lose some of its charm for me. The topics don't feel quite as pressing and selective anymore.
 
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kihei

McEnroe: The older I get, the better I used to be.
Jun 14, 2006
43,861
11,129
Toronto
Twelfth and final episode of the BBC version of Wallander (not to be confused with the Swedish series of the same name). Wallander is a police detective out of Gstaad, Sweden who doesn't always recognize the depths of his own despair. Author Henkell Manning created a wonderful series of mystery novels built around a detective who might have been conceived by gloomy Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman: troubled, complex, world weary, intelligent, and weighed down by life in general. In this TV adaptation, Kenneth Branagh is perfect in the role. For once in his career he understates a character but still brings his immense technical gifts to the task. In the episode The Final Chapter, the mystery takes a back seat to Wallander coping with the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Branagh gives an absolutely riveting performance, certainly among the best of his career. The whole series is excellent, as is the Swedish series starring the equally absorbing Krister Henriksson. Highly recommended.
 
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ProstheticConscience

Check dein Limit
Apr 30, 2010
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Canuck Nation
Tried to watch The Knick. Was very, very misled on the premise. Instead of Clive Owen doing a turn of the 20th century House, it was volume 3984739 of: "Boy, does it ever suck to be black in America". I'm Canadian. I don't have to share the guilt. Yawwwwwwwwwn.

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Last tv episode I watched was something for Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Disappointing like all the other Shark Week stuff.

Not one cameraman got eaten. Not bloody one. What's the point? It's like watching a NASCAR race with no crashes.
 

Plural

Registered User
Mar 10, 2011
33,830
5,017
Bloodline Epsiode 13.

Season 1 Finale that is.

I like the show and liked the season 1. I think Ben Mendelsohn does brilliant job as Daniel Rayburn. I have a soft spot for the Keyes, since I was at vacation there as a kid. Love the atmosphere of the show and I think it's one of the better Netflix series.

SPOILER ALERT!

The season finale was good and I particularly liked the fact that John killed Daniel himself. It creates a good dynamic for the finale and I'm looking forward to watching season 2. I rate this last episode as 9/10.
 

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
29,225
3,982
Vancouver, BC
Peep Show - 3.0 (Very Good)
Finished binging this. Now that's a ****ing sit-com. Just a total addictive blast. Only reservation is that the characters seem to have amnesia after every episode. Gives the whole show this really surreal two steps forward one step backward feel where a bunch of things happen one episode that you would think should completely destroy relationships between people, then the next episode, the pieces have all moved to their new positions, but the broken relationships are reset to what they were before.

The last season was really lame. Good time to end it.

10 O'Clock Live - 1.5 (Neutral)
Minute 5-15 of every episode (the solo Charlie Brooker and David Mitchell rant segments) are amazing, and are pretty much the only reason to watch the show. There's really no reason for this thing to be live, and it gives the whole thing this hacky amateurish feel (not in a good way). Also, it's super cringeworthy the way they try to strike a hip four-person pose at the beginning of every episode. Still, a decent fix for the Daily Show void.

David Mitchell is awesome.
 
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ProstheticConscience

Check dein Limit
Apr 30, 2010
18,459
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Canuck Nation
Night Sweats

episode something

This was actually a better one. It had an episode of Crack-Duck I hadn't seen before; where Grub actually confesses his love. Crack-Duck briefly had a montage of all his former girlfriends leaving him, decided he was tired of the soul-crushing loneliness, and went out to find love. This consisted of accosting random strangers and shouting: "LOVE ME!!!" at them (note: don't do this in real life). Grub eventually finds him and (after having a monologue of how repressed and wrong his feeling are) tells Crack-Duck he loves him.

I always wondered how they ended up together in the Shadows of Crack episode.

Anyway, World Doctors was in there too. Easily the funniest one I've seen; the doctors get a digital rectal exam training device, and play various video games on it. What was it...Metal Gear? Call of Duty? Anyway, the powerups were like longer finger, extra lube, double jointed, etc.

I think Don't Feed the Humans was on at the end. Something about them doing a circus. Maybe. Was Terrificland on as well? No. There was another cartoon...can't remember which one it was. Wasn't City in Crisis...Oh. Erik the Viking. I think. Was busy playing cellphone games at the time.

But Crack-Duck and World Doctors were both epic.
 

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