New TV Season 2019-20

Evil episode 12 was pretty good. A couple of nods to current topics were unexpected. And that last scene, oh boy.

Watched the first episode of The Outsider and thought it was pretty good. It is based on a Stephen King book. A kid ends up murdered and guy gets arrested for the crime but he might not have done it. I don't know what supernatural part is yet. So far it is playing out like a crime drama.

We are 3 or 4 episodes into The Outsider. It holds up well, so far. The supernatural element is only being hinted at so far.

I’d say the best comparisons to this show are The Sinner and The Night Of. The stories plumb the depth of emotion among the various players, dealing with grief, anger, and confusion. Those shows have no supernatural elements, but I think there will be one in this, even if it is just alluded to and not point of the story.

Had gotten away from the 2nd season of Castle Rock, so we picked that up again, and it continues to be pretty great. We are now far enough in that the supernatural stuff is well in play, especially with a big reveal in the last episode we finished. Absolutely love the story and direction of this series. Just don’t get attached to Stephen King’s canon.

I think The Good Place ended on just the right note (assuming the latest episode was the last episode).

Nevin73 wrote:

I think The Good Place ended on just the right note (assuming the latest episode was the last episode).

Definitely a good episode but it is not the end. There's a two part series finale tomorrow night.

So far I'm liking season 7 of Australian Survivor which is a all stars seasons. Their format is a little different. They have more people, longer episode, and come out a few times a week. The longer episodes can lead to waste but I haven't been bored this season yet. My favorite challenge so far was the wrestling ring out challenge. I love when they have to fight each other. I did find the one girl sitting on the other girl's face and twerking funny but this is kind of a sh@ty thing to do.

Several episodes into Avenue 5 and while there’s room for improvement, I’m really enjoying it. Basic premise is that a malfunction turns the 2 month maiden voyage of a techbro’s luxury space cruise ship into a 3+ year ordeal, and since the ship is mostly automated the crew trying to deal with the situation is minimally staffed and minimally talented.

Looks interesting.

ruhk wrote:

Several episodes into Avenue 5 and while there’s room for improvement, I’m really enjoying it. Basic premise is that a malfunction turns the 2 month maiden voyage of a techbro’s luxury space cruise ship into a 3+ year ordeal, and since the ship is mostly automated the crew trying to deal with the situation is minimally staffed and minimally talented.

I thought the first two episodes fell pretty flat, but kept watching because Hugh Laurie. The third episode felt like an improvement. I really hate the style of cinematography though. I'm going to give it a few more episodes, but it may just not be the right fit for me.

9-1-1 Lone Star is pretty good and should be commended on their diversity. Granted, it is a main plot point and I think I can buy diversity in Austin.

Last nights Vikings was Epic. I don't think has been hitting all the marks this season but this episode was great with murder balls. Who doesn't like murder balls, evil people that's who.

I'm with deftly, I was really excited about Avenue 5 (love Iannucci, love Hugh Laurie, love Zach Woods) but, after forcing myself to get through the third episode over the weekend, had to acknowledge that I think I hate this show. Why is it that everyone being incompetent in Veep was funny but on Avenue 5 it's just annoying? I dunno. I'm hopeful that they'll find their footing and it'll improve and I can come back to it in a few weeks or next season or something, but for now, bluh.

I've never seen the appeal in watching incompetent characters (or real people) fail.

I liked the first episode of the new season of Survivor with all winners. Looks like it will be fun season.

I've seen zero details, but, I've read that some of the contestants are saying that this was an insanely great season, at least from their point of view as players. It's gotta be weird to watch a season of Survivor you were on to see what they used from the thousands of hours they shoot. I mean, they have to know some stuff that will air, but I've read Tribal Councils go one for 90 minutes, and sometimes longer.

Of course, a caveat is that since this is a winners season, these folks not only all know each other, they share a pretty exclusive experience. What a bunch of close friends call an amazing experience might be boring as Hell to anyone watching. But that same shared experience could also lead to some amazing moments and tricky strategy.

Kurrelgyre wrote:

I've never seen the appeal in watching incompetent characters (or real people) fail.

When it is done well, it is the essence of storytelling. It's about growth and overcoming challenges.

Baskets on FX is a perfect example. They are a dysfunctional family that can be cruel to each other, and cause so much of their own pain. But over the course of three seasons, while they are still odd and dysfunctional, they are actually coming closer as a family as they branch out and become more independent. But most of the comedy is them clumsily making their way through life.

FX is amazing in this area. Both Atlanta and Better Things are similar. The protagonists and their closest friends and family suffer, often from their own actions, but the story is in how we proceed. And those three shows are all half-hour episodes, so they are laser-focused on the protagonist. There is no time for multi-episode story arcs for characters unless they directly affect the protagonist.

Jayhawker wrote:

I've seen zero details, but, I've read that some of the contestants are saying that this was an insanely great season, at least from their point of view as players. It's gotta be weird to watch a season of Survivor you were on to see what they used from the thousands of hours they shoot. I mean, they have to know some stuff that will air, but I've read Tribal Councils go one for 90 minutes, and sometimes longer.

Of course, a caveat is that since this is a winners season, these folks not only all know each other, they share a pretty exclusive experience. What a bunch of close friends call an amazing experience might be boring as Hell to anyone watching. But that same shared experience could also lead to some amazing moments and tricky strategy.

I haven't watched yet either, but I'm hoping for a season with veterans who not only know the game well, but may also be very aware that they are on tv and know they are there to also put on a good show.

For instance, I saw the preview where Sandra was saying she spent all last season with Rob yet didn't know both him and his wife were playing this season and said, "oh it's on!" It seemed a little disingenuous as she probably already knew that.

Basically, I want an absolutely cutthroat season where the losers smile, take a bow, and leave with class instead of acting like the others killed their puppy.

My absolute favorite show that no one watches is back Thursday night on FX, Better Things. It will now also stream new episodes one day later on Hulu, part of the new FX on Hulu deal they have going. FX going to Hulu made it easier to bail on cable, traditional or streaming, easier to deal with.

Watching Dispatches from Elsewhere on AMC and enjoying it. Very odd trippy show where you never know what is real. However, each episode has had a clear message. One was about getting older, one was about coming out of your shell, and one was about being okay with yourself in a world that might hate you. Only been three episodes so far.

mrlogical wrote:

I'm with deftly, I was really excited about Avenue 5 (love Iannucci, love Hugh Laurie, love Zach Woods) but, after forcing myself to get through the third episode over the weekend, had to acknowledge that I think I hate this show. Why is it that everyone being incompetent in Veep was funny but on Avenue 5 it's just annoying? I dunno. I'm hopeful that they'll find their footing and it'll improve and I can come back to it in a few weeks or next season or something, but for now, bluh.

For me the show has definitely found its footing. The last couple of episodes have really fleshed out the story and characters and been hilarious to boot.

And I don't think the show is about incompetence like Veep. It's much more about the absurd things that happen when image trumps competence. I mean Hugh Laurie's character isn't an incompetent captain. He was literally hired solely because he *looked* the part.

Avenue 5 The most recent episode was great! I'm enjoying this show a lot.

Spoiler:

I loved that they weren't afraid to get really dark.

Watched the last episode of The Magicians. The ending was a bit rushed but series was great.

Been watching See on Apple+ after realizing they gave me a years free subscription when I got my phone. It's Jason Momoa's post-apocalyptic sci-fi series where the survivours of a global pandemic (not many) are all struck blind as a result, and starts 2 centuries later with humanity reduced to a stone age level of existence in the ruins of the old world. Then 2 child turn up with the ability to see.

It's actually a whole lot better than I was expecting. It's very much doing it's own thing - not trying to be the next Game of Thrones or anything like that - and although there are some gratuitously unnecessary parts (does the evil queen need to indulge in self-manipulation every times she "prays"? No, she really doesn't) and the plot is faintly ludicrous in places it is enough to keep it engaging and keep it all moving forward, and the action sequences are excellent - they really do seem to have given some serious thought to how war-bands of blind people would go around fighting each other. It doesn't hold up to too much scrutiny for sure, but it does look good on screen. And Apple clearly haven't stimped any money on the budget. It looks amazing.

Happily recommended/

I liked it a lot. It felt like quite a bit of thought was put into the setting. Still haven't watched the last episode.

We bought an Apple TV when we decided to drop cable, but have still not activated Apple+. I want to wait until we are for sure going to binge something.

Finished Devs last night. I highly recommend it.

I now have to decide whether to start Ozrak, Chernobyl, or Dark

Hobbes2099 wrote:

Chernobyl

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/XZuxmpO.gif)

Killing Eve season 3 has started off well. Not as good as the previous two seasons but it has promise.

Hobbes2099 wrote:

Finished Devs last night. I highly recommend it.

Devs is awesome. Easily one of the best series in the last five years.

Suvanto wrote:
Hobbes2099 wrote:

Finished Devs last night. I highly recommend it.

Devs is awesome. Easily one of the best series in the last five years.

This. I went into it not knowing what to expect and was blown away. There’s nothing else like it on tv, expect maybe the last season of Twin Peaks.