Random TV Thread

posted by Fab4Runner

Just finished The Looming Tower and I thought it was very good. Tahar Rahim as Ali Soufan was a highlight for me.

I'm interested in reading the book.

It's a great book.

I would also recommend Ali Sufan's book: The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KL5Q8A/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

posted by jmog

Started watching Splitting Up Together. 

Its funny/intertaining Sit-Com. Unfortunately its on currently so only 3 episodes to watch.

I've watched the first 3-4.  It's pretty good.  I would compare it to the Good Place, which is a pretty funny comedy with an actual decent plot.

But....OMG....I feel so old seeing Jenna Fischer play a MILF.

Just finished "End of the F***ing World."  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  A very easy watch, a quick watch.  Think I finished it in 2-3 days.

posted by ernest_t_bass

Just finished "End of the F***ing World."  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  A very easy watch, a quick watch.  Think I finished it in 2-3 days.

I watched the first 2 or 3 episodes and thought it was weird and slow. Never picked it back up.

posted by jmog

I watched the first 2 or 3 episodes and thought it was weird and slow. Never picked it back up.

Same

Westworld S2 premier last night. Seems like this season will be much better, but still with the 100 different timelines is annoying.

posted by Laley23

Westworld S2 premier last night. Seems like this season will be much better, but still with the 100 different timelines is annoying.

If I hadn't been reading reviews, I'm not sure how long it would have took me to figure that out.  And I'm not sure it wasn't more fan speculation until known fact late in the season.

Don't think I'm excited for this expansion of the park I've been reading about.

posted by gut

If I hadn't been reading reviews, I'm not sure how long it would have took me to figure that out.  And I'm not sure it wasn't more fan speculation until known fact late in the season.

Don't think I'm excited for this expansion of the park I've been reading about.

Wait, what? I’m confused by your comment? You didn’t realize there were 3 timelines going on?? The post Massacre and then the army one are very distinct. Then the opening conversation with Bernard and Dolores had to be way in past, or future, since they aren’t together and haven’t been together in awhile.

I just want them to be on a single timeline. Last year was whatever, even though it was extremely obvious so the “gotcha” moment didn’t happen. But I don’t understand why they need to do it again. 

Only question I have regarding timeline is what is the timeframe for Maeve is right now? 

posted by Laley23

Wait, what? I’m confused by your comment? You didn’t realize there were 3 timelines going on??

No, that was pretty clear last night.  I meant I was slow to realize last year there were at least two timelines.  I guess there were clues if you looked really carefully, but for the most part (since "loops" and the story are supposedly customized for the visitor) this isn't confirmed until late in the season when it's revealed the Man in Black is, in fact, William 30 years later.

posted by gut

No, that was pretty clear last night.  I meant I was slow to realize last year there were at least two timelines.  I guess there were clues if you looked really carefully, but for the most part (since "loops" and the story are supposedly customized for the visitor) this isn't confirmed until late in the season when it's revealed the Man in Black is, in fact, William 30 years later.

Oh ok. Yeah, I have a group text with some buddies and we all agreed by about episode 3 that William was Man in Black, but yeah, last year was much less obvious. Bernard/Arnold being a host on the other hand was way too predictable.

posted by Laley23

Oh ok. Yeah, I have a group text with some buddies and we all agreed by about episode 3 that William was Man in Black, but yeah, last year was much less obvious. Bernard/Arnold being a host on the other hand was way too predictable.

I actually didn't think Barnard was obvious, not for a while anyway....and the problem is it basically told the viewer there are no rules and you have no idea what's true or real, nor do the characters (with maybe one or two exceptions).  So any assumptions you had, at that point, were seriously in doubt.  Unless, I'm sure, you watched multiple times with the eye of a detective and saw extremely subtle clues.  I think the last few episodes cleared all that up...or did they really?

A little after its start, the show became slavishly devoted to twists, all of which were successfully predicted, up to and including Dolores’ identity as the mass-murdering big bad Wyatt (shown in the finale not to be an evil being but a human-directed host on a murder-suicide mission of compassion) and William being one and the same as the Man in Black, a theory so well-circulated it became unavoidable even to people doing minimal spoiler avoidance.

I’m not trying to sound smart here. The only twist everyone didn’t see coming was Dolores as Wyatt. The others were so horribly predictable it actively made the show worse.

That quote is from Slate. But I could find about 100 of them quickly.

I just started Dark and I’m doing my best to avoid the discussion going on in here. I typically can’t get into many shows on a Netflix or Hulu or Amazon. But the pilot of Dark was pretty good. 

Has anyone watched The Americans?

Thinking about starting it up. 

posted by wildcats20

Has anyone watched The Americans?

Thinking about starting it up. 

It is probably one of my top-5 shows.  The acting and writing are both outstanding, and there's barely a bad episode.  It can be a bit slow at times, but it's always pretty intense.   Also quite dense, so probably not a show you can fully appreciate binging.  They really don't waste any screen time (kind of the anti-Walking Dead in that regard).

edit:  also, unless you're a history buff or 1980's expert, I'd recommend tracking down episode recaps and reading each one after you've watched the episode.  I'm talking NYT or Vulture - they don't really get into fan theories, only speculation based on history and what has been foreshadowed on the show.

Cleaned up the Dark spoilers since the other thread was created. I'll be working on a spoiler tag this evening.

posted by friendfromlowry

I just started Dark and I’m doing my best to avoid the discussion going on in here. I typically can’t get into many shows on a Netflix or Hulu or Amazon. But the pilot of Dark was pretty good. 

Join the other thread when you're ready.  Enjoy watching.  

Timeless was really great in Season 1 if you like historical fiction. The new season hasn’t been special. 

The spoiler tag is turning out to be a little more difficult than I thought. Until I get that squared away, post any spoilers in a new thread dedicated to the show you want to discuss.

posted by wildcats20

Has anyone watched The Americans?

Thinking about starting it up. 

Best show on tv right now. 

Spycraft meets great story telling about a husband and wife and their relationship. The final season so far has been fantastic.