Topic: The TV Show Thread

@MightyDemon82 What?! How on earth did that happen? To be fair, same thing happened to me when I was at Waterstones in Edinburgh, but that was only because they were completely sold out

The Expanse books are great and I would definitely recommend reading first, for sure. The books and the series diverge slightly and the series were cut short, kind of. It has a satisfactory ending and the books have a solid time jump around that point, so an argument can be made that the series haven't really ended but are merely waiting for the actors to age into their characters for the final chapters... that's what I'm telling myself in my bouts of denial, anyway

@colonelkilgore That's one I missed out on and haven't gotten around to watching since. I should really do something about that...

@FuriousMachine you could probably get the whole series and the movie done in one weekend tbh which is nice. The only thing to be aware of is the Whedon-isms, which were obviously all the rage back when it originally aired… they do age it a little now though. Regardless of that though, the lore, characters and narrative-arc are all top tier.

@colonelkilgore I loved Firefly & Serenity. I was a big Whedon fan back in the day, I wonder if he will ever work again?

@colonelkilgore While I now have come to loathe the man, I do still love his work. Buffy & Angel hold a special place in my heart and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a lot of fun. Cabin in the Woods is one of my favourite horror films, and while it is Drew Goddard's film, Whedon's fingerprints are all over it and the pairing is sublime.
@MightyDemon82 He seems completely without remorse and doesn't even seem to acknowledge that his behaviour was problematic, so he's not doing himself any favours. I'm all for second chances, but...

@MightyDemon82 I doubt it but you never know. In all honesty, he seemed to lose his touch a bit post Avengers. Maybe with some time away that may/hopefully involve some introspection/retrospection, a more mature Whedon could possibly return.

@FuriousMachine yeah I’m a big fan of his work too tbh… ego is such a difficult thing to manage through unbridled success. Not excusing anything he or anyone else has done… but from the amount of power-dynamic abuse cases that we know of (and ones that we do not), it’s a very interesting and disturbing topic for discussion.

@colonelkilgore Absolutely, and I would love nothing more if he'd return to work a better person that can treat other people as human beings, as I feel I do miss his voice.

@MightyDemon82 @FuriousMachine knew I was forgetting something, it does divide opinion somewhat but the missus and I have enjoyed the two seasons available of Foundation on Apple+ if you haven’t seen it and are still after some space opera.

@colonelkilgore I have watched the first series, need to sub to Apple again sometime to watch season 2 and more of their shows. My sisters all rave about Slow Horses!

@MightyDemon82 yeah Slow Horses is brilliant. A few of their other shows are good too.

@colonelkilgore @MightyDemon82 I've also only seen the first season, but I really loved it and if it maintains that level of quality it will most likely join the others mentioned at the top of my list of sci-fi shows.
I need to get started on "Slow Horses" as well; I believe it will be right up my alley.

I hate Apple as a company, but their output on the streaming front is so in line with my tastes that I hold my nose and pay the monthly sub. This also applies to Amazon and Disney, but not to the same extent (in either way: Don't hate the companies quite as much, but they don't put out the same amount of quality shows as Apple either). Due to higher cost of living, I will be cancelling many streaming services and subscribe only for a period at a time, but Apple TV+ will be the last to go in this house.

Finished season 1 of Reservation Dogs last night and my what a strong series that was, particularly in the back half of the season. Funny, charming, heartfelt and at times emotional, it has some truly brilliant characters that's been a pure joy to follow. Will definitely continue with the other two seasons after I've checked out some other shows that's passed me by.

Popping in here for a sec to say I’ve added True Detective to my 2024 Q4 binge list. It’s a truly solid detective show. (Well to be honest I dunno what you’d expect based on the title, a cooking show?)

@Yousef-
True Detective seasons seem to have the same number curse of the Star Trek films but in reverse where the odd ones are better than the even. Season 1 and 3 are good. Season 2 kind of sucks, and Season 4 has it's fans but is incredibly divisive. It's been renewed so we will see if Season 5 continues that trend.

@Yousef- The first season of True Dick is one of my fave tv series. It maybe go deep with the philosophical monologues for some, but i found it riveting from start to finish.

Season 3 of "Industry" just dropped on BBC iPlayer in the UK... a pretty solid show, almost like a UK-based finance/stock version of Succession (although obviously nowhere near as good as that absolute masterpiece!)

Kit Harrington joins the S3 cast, and I am astounded genuinely by how great he is. He plays silver-spooned nepobaby, dripping in 'old money' and using his status to push a new green-based energy IPO to market....an amazing mix of childlike petulance with a tinge of menace. I never really rated in Kit in GoT, but he is so in his element in Industry S3!

Plot threads are strong so far, and its definitely an entertaining watch. The drugs/sex seem a little overforced, as they did with previous seasons, but ultimately I am loving the ride.

Been looking forward to this season for a while.

@JohnnyShoulder that’s what made me gravitate towards it. “Weird detective” dramas are typically my thing, the monologues are the best parts.

@CJD87 For a surprisingly funny turn from Kit Harrington, check out the excellent 7 Days in Hell, a mockumentary about the world's longest tennis match.
Will check to see if "Industry" is available in my neck of the woods. Now, I'm that one person in the world that didn't like "Succession" as I'm completely burnt out on shows and movies where every single character is a deplorable a$$wipe and there's no one to root for, so if "Industry" is similar in that regard, it may not be for me.

@Yousef @JohnnyShoulder @PegasusActual93
I'd rank the True Detective seasons as follows:

Season 1
Season 3
Season 4
Season 2

What that doesn't really tell you is how much better that first season is compared to the rest. It also doesn't tell you that the 3rd and 4th, while wildly different, are imo hard to rank against each other. It's almost a tie honestly. This list also makes it seem like maybe season 2 sucks but it doesn't. Season 2 is just the most un-True Detective of them all. So watch it like a crime thriller miniseries that's not at all associated with anything and appreciate what are some pretty incredible performances.

Edit: sorry I wrote 4 but meant 2, now fixed

This. I don't mind an anti-hero but this thing where everyone is just a disgusting human being... I just can't. Feel like I'm exposed to plenty of that irl.