TV Show Mini-Reviews

[FatherJack]

I enjoyed them both, Ashes perhaps slightly more. Mars had a few good themes about the differing attitudes in the 70s, but a large part of it was about Sam missing modern technology and tactics which I enjoyed as well but didn't think it was as clever as it could have been. Ashes really shone in the social aspects, with Alex being remarkably game to join in (highlighting her modern attitude) had some stand-out moments with wierdness happening on the TV (which Mars also did) and some nice references to Mars, but it lacked quite such a driving main story and tailed off later on, although the ending has a nice symmetry.

Of course the returning supporting cast are as much a part of the appeal as the two main characters and I feel make a stonger showing in Ashes with more depth to their characters. The 80s theme resonates more with me, I remember more of the 80s than the 70s and they seem to me a more lurid (and embarrassing) characture to portray.

[friznit]

Need to add Sherlock to OP I think? It's pretty good TV.

[FatherJack]

Need to add Sherlock to OP I think? It's pretty good TV.

It is good TV, nice modern twist without being too Twitter and Facebook about it. Of course he's no Jeremy Brett and if you haven't experienced his portrayal then your doing yourself a disservice, but technically this isn't same character at all - at least not in the same timeline.

I kind of liked the "detection graphics" or perhaps more cruelly "subtitles for the stupid" employed in the first series' episodes, but the shift to Dr W's viewpoint with Holmes being inscrutable until he decides to explain himself is perhap more "true" to the concept, as it's Watson's diaries which form the story.

[Roman Totale]

I love Sherlock - shame it's only 3 episodes a series

[Dr. kitteny berk]

Dads

Seth mcfarlane's attempt at a non animated sitcom.

About as amusing, and desirable as a cat fetus smoothie.

[spoodie]

Dads

Even the promo/trailer thing I just watched makes it look shit.

Rick and Morty
A mad scientist and his nervous nephew go on insane adventures. Like Adventure Time, but the weirdness is more twisted and dark.

You can see the new episodes each week on the Adult Swim Youtube channel. Here's the latest. It's not the funniest, but it gets particular disturbing in the second half.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SutlAKqlmNo[/media]

[Chickenz]

Has anyone heard of C-Bomb?

I caught the back end of an episode a few weeks ago and it reminded me of Romans rapping at jockbash.

Some spectacled geekish almost 30 something man who still lives with his mum and is obssesed with dubstep.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YTxkIwMZD8[/media]

[Dog Pants]

it reminded me of Romans rapping at jockbash.

Some spectacled geekish almost 30 something man who still lives with his mum and is obssesed with dubstep.

But what about the show?

[Mr. Johnson]

Rick and Morty

Chris Parnell is in it and Dan Harmon's involved? I think I'll be watching this.

[HereComesPete]

it reminded me of Romans rapping at jockbash.

Some spectacled geekish almost 30 something man who still lives with his mum and is obssesed with dubstep.

But what about the show?

Isn't Roman closer to 40?

[Roman Totale]

it reminded me of Romans rapping at jockbash.

Some spectacled geekish almost 30 something man who still lives with his mum and is obssesed with dubstep.

But what about the show?

Isn't Roman closer to 40?

Inches!

[fabyak]

Dress size!

[Mr. Johnson]

Fargo (2014)

Just finished watching the first series on netflix (now that we finally have it) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some great performances in there and if you liked the film Fargo and No country for old men you will probably like this too. I might even rate this as highly as I did True Detective and Breaking Bad. Good stuff.

[Joose]

Daredevil

New Netflix series, and the first of a handful of Netflix/Marvel series that all lead up to a Defenders series (a bit like how all the Marvel films lead up to Avengers). As is befitting the character, its more street level and gritty than the films or Agents of SHIELD. In fact, one of the shows creators (can't remember if it was the writer or director, someone like that anyway) has said its a crime story first and a superhero story second. Despite being set in the current Marvel cinematic universe (some time after the first Avengers film, i'm not sure when exactly) its got a feel to it that reminds me of the darker side of 70s crime shows/films.

Its bloody good, much better than AoS, I would even go so far as to say its the best comic book TV show I can think of, and there are quite a lot of the fuckers about at the moment. The story is well written and paced, the acting is convincing (although there are moments where i'm not sure if the guy playing Foggy Nelson is acting badly or if the character is supposed to be that horse) and oh god the fight scenes. I enjoy the daft spectacle of Thor smashing people with his hammer as much as anyone, but there is something deeply pleasing about watching a fight scene that is more believeable. Apart from the fact he can fight blind, he doesn't go into a fight with a dozen guys and come out untouched; he wins, but it costs him. It brilliantly handled.

I meant to just watch one this morning. I've managed to drag myself away after three, and thats only because I am hungry and need food. Its ace.

[Mr. Johnson]

I too am enjoying daredevil but like you I can't really get on with the Foggy Nelson character, I don't really understand why he's there and how I'm supposed to feel about him. A more major gripe might be how they handled the blind aspect of the character.
I know daredevil learned to hone his senses to such a degree that they are basically a sixth sense and he can "see" his surroundings using hearing, sight, etc. so I get that when he's in costume he can do things no ordinary blind person could, but when he's doing his daytime thing they really can and should make him act a bit more blind. At one point he goes to the fridge, grabs something out without feeling it and cooks a meal. Blind people never cook (at least not alone) and have to be extremely careful about heat sources. This was for a character that knows his secret identity so there was no real need for him to keep up appearances but even with super senses he shouldn't be able to cook.
Also, Charlie Cox seems to sometimes forget he's playing a blind dude, especially when he's talking to people and looks straight in their direction. Mind you, telling a seeing person to act blind is like shoving a book in someone's face and telling them not to read the letters on the front, you're going to read the letters anyway. I've also not seen many realistic portrayals of blind people apart from maybe the old Zatoichi series so he gets a pass on that. And you only notice these things if you hang out with blind people so for most these things won't be an issue. Also not for the blind themselves, for obvious reasons.

The rest of the show is very enjoyable though, pretty brutal for a marvel thing.

[Joose]

even with super senses he shouldn't be able to cook.

Er, why not? He doesn't just have honed senses, he has actual super senses thanks to the chemical spill thing. He literally can see, he just doesn't use his eyes to do so. Real blind people might have difficulty cooking, but this is a fictional character who can basically see heat.

As for the acting blind thing, I think he does a pretty decent job, especially as he is actually acting like someone who is acting like they are blind, but who can totally see where everything is through sound/smell etc. Ive only ever known one truly blind person in my life, but when he had is sunglasses on I frequently forgot completely that he was blind. Im willing to bet there were people who met him briefly who never realised he couldn't see them, he hid it so well. Not saying every blind person is like that, obviously, but I do.

I actually warmed to Foggy a little as the series went on, but he was still the weakest performance of the lot I think. That is holding him to a pretty high standard though, Vincent D'Onofrio for example was frigging ace.

[Mr. Johnson]

Well, if they explain the chemical spill thing further on then I'll accept that but so far all I got was "old guy feeds him icecream and says be better at fighting" as an explanation for his super senses.

But, daredevil

Spoiler:

just fought a ninja ON FIRE

so points for that netflix.

[Joose]

Well, if they explain the chemical spill thing further on then I'll accept that but so far all I got was "old guy feeds him icecream and says be better at fighting" as an explanation for his super senses.

Yeah, I will give you that, they dont make it very clear. It is kinda presented as "chemicals make him blind, he also has super senses" rather than "chemicals make him blind *and give him* super senses", which is what actually happens.

Spoiler:

Hence the flashback scenes to him as a child writhing around on the bed because of the sensory overload.

[Mr. Johnson]

The chemical stuff is how they explain it in the 2003 film I think, but I tried my damnedest to wipe it from memory before watching the series because I wanted to give the show a fair chance. The film is not very good. Not very good at all.

Oh, did I mention I love the intro credits? Because those are great.

[spoodie]

For all his talk about not killing people he sure takes it to the limit. If it were real life I'd bet at least one person would have died from their injuries.