The challengers were fantastic! At least the pieces of 3-4 episodes I saw were like that.
But Bobby Flay its unclear whether he is supposed to be charming or a villain. He's not really effective at either.
And he does some elevated twists but I was pissed on the mac n cheese episode because he won by not making mac n cheese. Sure it had pasta and a cheese sauce but I mean football and football take place on a field with a ball despite being quite distinct.
Winning Time:
It's only really "Beat L.A." if it's from the Bay Area, Sacramento, or San Diego. Otherwise it's "Sparkling Dislike of Los Angeles." Also, f*ck Boston.
Tracy Morgan has a new stand up special on HBO.
I had the chance to see him back in the mid 2000's and skipped it because I had never heard him do stand up before and I didn't expect him to be good at it. My friends that went to the show told me I missed out on one of the grossest, filthiest, and funniest comedians of all time. I regret my decision not to go way more than one might expect.
I watched this new special the other night and it is so absolutely foul and funny that my wife had to pause it for a few minutes so that she didn't vomit and I could catch my breath from laughing so hard I almost passed out.
If filthy stand up is something you are in to, I couldn't recommend this any special any more highly.
Winning Time Season 2 Series Finale:
Gee, I wonder why they did a end-of-Quantum-Leap montage at the end of tonight's... oh, they cancelled it.
Found in an article about the show being canceled. This picture where Rambo and Magic are the same height as Kareem.
Based loosely on the pitch Warner Bros. totally didn't steal from Bruce Lee to make "Kung Fu," how dare you suggest otherwise, and aping a lot of that "Deadwood" historical sleaze, Warrior begs 2 questions: "Why am I only learning of this now?" and "Where have you been all my life?"
Based loosely on the pitch Warner Bros. totally didn't steal from Bruce Lee to make "Kung Fu," how dare you suggest otherwise, and aping a lot of that "Deadwood" historical sleaze, Warrior begs 2 questions: "Why am I only learning of this now?" and "Where have you been all my life?"
I agree. I binged all three seasons over the last two months. It is great.
Watched an episode of the Warriors and it just didn't really work for me. But, I gather that it is from the same producer who made Banshee.
Banshee, of course, is trash tv of such magnificence that it occasionally reaches the levels of high art.
I think Warriors lacks a central character with anything like Antony Starr's unhinged, homicidal charisma.
Watched an episode of the Warriors and it just didn't really work for me. But, I gather that it is from the same producer who made Banshee.
Banshee, of course, is trash tv of such magnificence that it occasionally reaches the levels of high art.
I think Warriors lacks a central character with anything like Antony Starr's unhinged, homicidal charisma.
It is, and the opening credits is the same like all their other shows... It started like Banshee on Cinemax. First 2 seasons have been out for a few years now...
Watched an episode of the Warriors and it just didn't really work for me. But, I gather that it is from the same producer who made Banshee.
Banshee, of course, is trash tv of such magnificence that it occasionally reaches the levels of high art.
I think Warriors lacks a central character with anything like Antony Starr's unhinged, homicidal charisma.
Oh great. Now another show I'm going to have to go find.
Seriously.
After recently re-watching The Sopranos, I took the plunge and watched The Many Saints of Newark. It was not what I expected, it felt unfocused. It felt like it couldn't decide if it was telling young Tony's story or Dickey Molisanti's. Then there was the sub-plot with the black gangster, Harold, that was interesting but didn't integrate into the plot so much as like it felt like a back-door pilot for a show that wasn't picked up. In fact, that's how the whole thing seemed, like they were pitching a couple of different ideas for Sopranos prequels instead its own story.
That said, the guy who played young Silvio f*cking nailed it. Also it was so obvious
from their very first on screen interaction that Junior was going to be responsible for the hit killing Dickey. It fits his character for sure but a little more mystery would have been nice
Scavengers Reign | Official Trailer
I am not sure if it is up anyone else's alley, but I really enjoyed Last Stop Larrimah which was released on Max earlier this week (at least in the US). It is a documentary about the disappearance of a resident in a tiny town in Australia. The tone fluctuates a bit which is probably my biggest bugaboo (in addition to some hard-to-follow storytelling). It plays out as almost a Clue-level whodunnit with different chapters laying out the motive for each suspect. It runs a little long at just under two-hours. But I liked it quite a bit.
I just wanted to assure everyone that I am not HBO executive Casey Bloys, who based on images in the linked article, absolutely knows how to smile just like any authentic human.
Poor Zendaya... Her body language in the picture from that article is screaming.
I think it's the most 2020s thing ever that a media executive made his minions anonymously drag media critics on Twitter of all places. Using stock photo profile pictures.
This weekend a friend was given the DVD boxset of 'Succession', and invited me to watch the first couple of episodes with them. And that's what we did; we watched Episode 1 and 2 of Season 1.
I have no desire to watch any more... because there don't appear to be any real stakes, any real peril. If the worst comes to the worst, if the company crumbles into dust, then everyone involved remains incredibly rich. Though they have something to gain (power, prominence, etc.), none of the main characters appears to have anything to lose.
What am I missing?
I understand - I think - that this is a story of a father who - as his death nears - realises that his children have been to spoiled by wealth to follow in his ruthless footsteps. They either don't want it. Or can't do it. Or some combination of both. And I understand that this is also a story of children fighting - sometimes with each other, sometimes with their father - for his love and respect.
And I think it's well-written. It's darkly funny, with some good cursing. And, of course, it's well-acted. (Brian Cox is fantastic. Indeed, he almost steals the show when lying there unconscious in his hospital bed.)
And there are secondary characters who I think have real dramatic potential. Specifically, the second wife, Marcia. She had a great moment in Episode 2 when she decided where Logan would be treated, which hinted at a quiet, determined steeliness that might make her the potential successor to Logan. (Though I suspect that the writers will turn that promising steeliness into a dull stoicism so that she doesn't outshine the siblings, who are clearly meant to the be the main characters here.)
I bailed after an episode and a half. It’s probably not for you (or me).
I bailed after an episode and a half. It’s probably not for you (or me).
That actually makes me feel better. I thought I was in a club of one.
I tend to come to these shows fairly late (or not at all), as I don't have a subscription to the Sky platform. I didn't see 'The Wire' until the BBC bought it. And I didn't see 'Breaking Bad' until it came to Netflix. And I never saw 'The Sopranos' at all.
But I do want to at least 'try' the shows when I can.
Succession is one of those shows with no likeable characters. I can't bing watch it. I've been picking through it gradually over a couple of years.
I see the quality, but it's not a fun show if you're looking for somebody to root for in your TV.
I plan to finish it because it is very well done and interesting. But it's not something I'd binge due to how it makes me feel tired.
If you believe that prestige TV is just an excuse for creators to write the same story of an awful person's descent into hell set in modern Americana (ooh! edgy!), stay away from Sopranos.
Only The Wire had something interesting to say.
And The Shield because it beat the others to the punch so it was still novel.
I don't know why Succession was so compelling to me, and many other people. Everything you say is correct. There's nobody to root for. They're all terrible people. Everyone is exactly as shitty as they initially appear to be. But something about the writing and presentation was gripping. I have no desire to rewatch it now that it's over. But I enjoyed watching it while it was part of the zeitgeist.
Blue beetle was passably decent. I was entertained for a couple hours and forgot most of it after it was done. Like most super hero movies today.
Succession is one of those shows with no likeable characters.
I've veered away from so many shows because of this. Like Vera, what some of termed as the "British Columbo" but no one on the show is likeable at all, especially the main character, so we barely got through an episode or two.
MannishBoy wrote:Succession is one of those shows with no likeable characters.
I've veered away from so many shows because of this. Like Vera, what some of termed as the "British Columbo" but no one on the show is likeable at all, especially the main character, so we barely got through an episode or two.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I watched a couple of episodes after hearing how good it is. I could see it might be funny to some, but they're all bad people 
Veloxi wrote:MannishBoy wrote:Succession is one of those shows with no likeable characters.
I've veered away from so many shows because of this. Like Vera, what some of termed as the "British Columbo" but no one on the show is likeable at all, especially the main character, so we barely got through an episode or two.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I watched a couple of episodes after hearing how good it is. I could see it might be funny to some, but they're all bad people :)
Agree to all the above. The characters are terrible, so I watch for the train wrecks. The same argument could be made for Seinfeld. Despite some iconic comedy moments (Festivus, Soup Nazi, yada yada), the characters are terrible people. It's hard to watch now.
Veloxi wrote:MannishBoy wrote:Succession is one of those shows with no likeable characters.
I've veered away from so many shows because of this. Like Vera, what some of termed as the "British Columbo" but no one on the show is likeable at all, especially the main character, so we barely got through an episode or two.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I watched a couple of episodes after hearing how good it is. I could see it might be funny to some, but they're all bad people :)
We were into that one for a while because those unlikable people never win. But then it just veered too gross for us.
I forced myself to watch Succession because so many people whose opinions I respect thought it was incredible.
Succession is terrible and I respect those peoples opinions less now because of it.
I guess now is as good a time as any to say we started watching Succession a few weeks ago and I love it. Every scene is an uncomfortable one where you get to just ride with the tension like good reality television.
The trick to loving Succession is not to view it as a prestige drama; it's actually a sitcom dressed up as a drama. You're not wrong to see a lack of stakes in most of the episodes; things tend to be fairly static in the overall course of events, that's the sit-com aspect of it. Much like Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Seinfeld, or Curb Your Enthusiam, we are supposed to be laughing at the indignities these people inflict on themselves and each other. If you can embrace the humor, and don't mind a lack of good guys to root for, then it is an enjoyable show.
The reason most people raved about it (I think) is that the writing and the acting is so incredibly good throughout the whole series. It's almost impossible for me to believe that these actors were not just cast because they matched the personas of their characters instead of putting on an amazing class in how to be a role. Every one of them felt 100% correct, the whole time. The only reason I could tell that Brian Cox, James Cromwell, or Alan Ruck were not, in fact, who they played, is because I saw them in other things. The writing is pretty much perfect, too. There's seldom a wasted word, and the words are typically used with specificity in mind. It is always a little sad to see such amazing acting in a show/movie and find out that the actors didn't want to make any changes to the script, because they had such great insight to their characters. Of course, great acting and great writing does not always equal an enjoyable viewing experience. I think Killers of the Flower Moon fits well in this category of being expertly crafted, worth watching, but not fun.
Pages