Hidden Gems of HBO Max

Still HBO Max on my area, so everything has been smooth on my end.

Succession and Barry are over and ended "well". In quotes, because there is no happy endings, but they have proper endings.
Amazing shows. Will be missed.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Okay, I watched it. Great finale. My only issue is the dread that they'll cancel this show when they could easily do 8 seasons plus.

Update on Perry Mason: Canceled.

Rat Boy wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Okay, I watched it. Great finale. My only issue is the dread that they'll cancel this show when they could easily do 8 seasons plus.

Update on Perry Mason: Canceled.

Another one I never got around to. I guess I’m part of the problem.

Did it end gracefully at least?

PaladinTom wrote:
Rat Boy wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Okay, I watched it. Great finale. My only issue is the dread that they'll cancel this show when they could easily do 8 seasons plus.

Update on Perry Mason: Canceled.

Another one I never got around to. I guess I’m part of the problem.

Did it end gracefully at least?

It ended okay. It could have easily kept going, but there were no significant cross season story arcs. Season 2 was not well written compared to season 1. They had some great actors, but the dialog was clunky and anachronistic and the plotting was not very tight. The characters were increasingly cliched.

Dammit!

Finally got around to binge watching the Harley Quinn animated series. Tons of fun. Bane as the butt of everyone's jokes was hilarious.

I WILL BE THIS CREDIT CARD'S RECKONING.

Paleocon wrote:

Finally got around to binge watching the Harley Quinn animated series. Tons of fun. Bane as the butt of everyone's jokes was hilarious.

Yessssss

I think my favorite little bit in the entirety of Harley Quinn:

Spoiler:

Joker uses a CPAP.

Veloxi wrote:

I think my favorite little bit in the entirety of Harley Quinn:

Spoiler:

Joker uses a CPAP.

Spoiler:

There was so many of those little things like that. Like Dr. Psycho having his dermatologist in his phone because of his adult acne.

Paleocon wrote:
Spoiler:

There was so many of those little things like that. Like Dr. Psycho having his dermatologist in his phone because of his adult acne.

Yes. Brilliant.

I think the most surprising thing for me was....

Spoiler:

how incredibly bold the writing was, particularly in season 3.

Most superhero stuff turns out to be rah rah copaganda through and through. Even the shit that purports to be "edgy" showing that the villains have a point always seem to come back to the villains crossing some sort of line that makes it clear you shouldn't root for them. Killmonger, Bane.... all of them end up being a "worse" alternative to the status quo of neocolonial racism or plutocratic fascism portrayed in the MCM or Gotham or wherever.

HQ turns this all on top of its head in the end. Joker turns out to be an amazing mayor and reveals that Batman and Lex Luthor are on the same side: the repressive rich. His "Is this about the evil lair tax? It's 1/2 a percent for Christ's sake and it will make Gotham University free" made me literally cheer at the television. As did his little throwaway line to Gordon that he was going to defund the GCPD.

This is honestly some of the smartest tv I have seen in years.

Great news, everyone, My Adventures With Superman is exactly my bullsh*t.

This is how you get me into Superman, by making him a big sweet himbo magical boy w/ a heart of gold and a lot to learn. It's "what if Smallville but without the WB/CW angst/gravitas". Clark and Lois are hitting it off immediately and it's sweeter than cotton candy. Clark & Jimmy are roommates b/c they're young adults who just moved to the city and can't afford their own places on intern salaries.

Am I very tired & a bit toasted? Yes, but I started watching this while less tired and not toasted and felt the same way then. Either way, I'm fully onboard.

One of the things I liked about the DCAU version of Superman was that Clark was very much a junior reporter, and he was explicitly partnered up with Lois in order to learn the trade from a veteran.

I do, however, remember looking at his apartment and thinking, "damn, how much does the Planet pay its junior reporters?"

Nice to hear that this new version thought that part through a little better. (:

hbi2k wrote:

I do, however, remember looking at his apartment and thinking, "damn, how much does the Planet pay its junior reporters?"

Given how dangerous Metropolis can be, I bet apartments were damned cheap.

The Righteous Gemstones:

The Interlude (aka flashback) episodes are a real treat every season.

The Righteous Gemstones:

I take back a quarter of the bad things I've said about David Zazlav. Who else but him could have let an episode of one of his prestigious HBO TV shows make SAG-AFTRA's point for them in the most hysterical way possible a mere three days after the guild went on strike?

I was dying at the child actors’ imitation of their older counterparts this time around. Especially teenage Judy. There were so many times she copied the mannerisms and phrasing perfectly.

The Righteous Gemstones:

Baby Billy's Bible Bonkers will go down as one of the greatest setups and payoffs in comedy television.

Harley Quinn S4 is soooooo good...

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Harley Quinn S4 is soooooo good...

I love it, but I hope they don't ruin Joker as good mayor. I think that is my favorite turn in S3.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Harley Quinn S4 is soooooo good...

This was completely off my radar. Moving to the top of my watch list.

Paleocon wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Harley Quinn S4 is soooooo good...

I love it, but I hope they don't ruin Joker as good mayor. I think that is my favorite turn in S3.

I hope not too, but I have faith in these writers. I just feel like he wants to still be connected to "the game" is all.

Winning Time: Season 2, Episode 2

The way the sound was carrying from Paul Westhead and Pat Riley during their argument on the 747, one might have thought all four engines had died.

Watched "The Flash" last night. It was good. And a lot of it was due to Ezra doing well as the hero too bad he is such a screw up in life.

farley3k wrote:

Watched "The Flash" last night. It was good. And a lot of it was due to Ezra doing well as the hero too bad they are such a screw up in life.

Ezra uses them/they.

The show "Beat Bobby Flay" popped up in my recommends, but skimming the episode descriptions, it appears that bats, boards, lead pipes, and bar soap in socks are not I repeat not involved. Thus, would not recommend, not a hidden gem.

I never got the appeal of Beat Bobby Flay. And it was everywhere on the food channels. Nearly as much as Triple D.

fangblackbone wrote:

I never got the appeal of Beat Bobby Flay. And it was everywhere on the food channels. Nearly as much as Triple D.

I've watched quite a bit of it simply out of boredom. The people they bring on to compete seem to be from a wider variety of backgrounds than other shows which can result in seeing a lot of things you might not be as familiar with. Of course, every once in a while you get a dud where their signature dish is f*cking fried chicken or something.