[anaron]

Poor Tyler. :( Such an awkward and sad advancement of affection to watch play out.

looooool@Amy's club hair. Shit was approaching Lady Marmalade-Aguilera levels.

I find it interesting and fairly impressive - due to the writing and performance - how much I flip-flop from wanting to see Amy develop a genuine friendship with Krista, to hoping she'll take her down a few pegs.

Hope the ratings hold steady/improve!

[dead souls]

Another great episode. I love watching this and Bored to Death every Monday night.

[ivysaur12]

Finally catching up now. God, I love this show - Laura Dern is great.

[JCreasy]

That's aallll you bruh

[RatskyWatsky]

looooool@Amy's club hair. Shit was approaching Lady Marmalade-Aguilera levels.

Oh man, I forgot to mention the hair. I can't believe she went out looking like that.

[Spotless Mind]

I'm completely in love with this show. It's my favourite new show this year (Homeland being the only real competition). Pity about the ratings, but i'm relieved to hear HBO are supportive of it. I hope it grows an audience over time, as it deserves to be picked up for another season and then some.

Dern is absolutely nailing what i imagine would would be a difficult character to play. I'm often cringing at-some of the baffling things she does, yet she still remains easy relate to and sympathise with. The montages and narration are being perfectly utilised here and have helped a lot in giving us some perspective into her character. I'm not usually a fan of them, but when done right, like in this show, they can have a lot of power. The ones in the rafting episode, in particular, were incredibly touching and almost had me tearing up.

The development of the supporting characters has been great too. Dougie and Amy's interactions have been consistently hilarious and her bonding with Tyler has been sweet. Fuck Krista, though.

Tyler making the move on Amy... geez that was painful. “Some of us are more alone.” Argh. :(

[RatskyWatsky]

Ratings dropped again this week. From 150,000 to 120,000. Not good, but at least it didn't drop again to 90,000 like it did 3 weeks ago. :/

I'm completely in love with this show. It's my favourite new show this year (Homeland being the only real competition). Pity about the ratings, but i'm relieved to hear HBO are supportive of it. I hope it grows an audience over time, as it deserves to be picked up for another season and then some. Dern is absolutely nailing what i imagine would would be a difficult character to play. I'm often cringing at-some of the baffling things she does, yet she still remains easy relate to and sympathise with. The montages and narration are being perfectly utilised here and have helped a lot in giving us some perspective into her character. I'm not usually a fan of them, but when done right, like in this show, they can have a lot of power. The ones in the rafting episode, in particular, were incredibly touching and almost had me tearing up. The development of the supporting characters has been great too. Dougie and Amy's interactions have been consistently hilarious and her bonding with Tyler has been sweet. Fuck Krista, though. Tyler making the move on Amy... geez that was painful. “Some of us are more alone.” Argh. :(

Perfectly said.

[dead souls]

Ratings don't matter on HBO. Everything they put on Monday gets awful numbers. The only way most of their recent half-hour shows get decent ratings is to be on after whatever Sunday drama is currently in season. Enlightened getting renewed doesn't strike me as a particular long shot.

At this point the only half-hour that I'm fairly certain HBO will cancel is Bored to Death, and that's just because it will be hard to schedule Danson/Galifianakis to shoot.

[anaron]

With the show slowly emerging as the fall favourite, (alongside Homeland of course) I'm praying hoping that'll be enough to convince HBO.

[anaron]

Preview for episode 8 "Comrades Unite!"

[RatskyWatsky]

Ratings don't matter on HBO. Everything they put on Monday gets awful numbers. The only way most of their recent half-hour shows get decent ratings is to be on after whatever Sunday drama is currently in season. Enlightened getting renewed doesn't strike me as a particular long shot. At this point the only half-hour that I'm fairly certain HBO will cancel is Bored to Death, and that's just because it will be hard to schedule Danson/Galifianakis to shoot.

Sure, but the ratings are really terrible, even for HBO. It is getting some positive buzz, and if it garners some recognition during awards season then I think HBO would definitely keep it around.

It can't be that expensive to make, either.

I just really hope HBO is behind it now, as it really didn't seem like they were when the show launched: premiering it on a Monday with 0 fan fare, etc. That tells me that they initially had little faith in it.

Of course, HBO prides themselves on having unique shows, and Enlightened certainly is unique. That plus the (mild) critical acclaim is a combo HBO shouldn't pass up.

[anaron]

New episode tonight: episode 8 "Comrades Unite!"

Friction increases between Amy, Dougie and the staff when she finds herself reported to Human Resources for job deficiencies.


AVclub spotlighted the show for its "What's on tonight:"

Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Monday, Nov. 28. All times are Eastern. TOP PICK Enlightened (HBO, 9:30 p.m.): This is a fairly quiet week for TV, as most of the networks quietly begin to shut down operations until mid-January, when they’ll roar back to life after the holiday break. So that means it’s as good a time as any to catch up with shows you might have abandoned or never even given a shot to in the first place. Shows like Enlightened, which has turned into one of the fall’s best new programs and a funny, moving portrayal of a woman trying to change her life in increments. Erik Adams hopes you’ll drop by to talk about it with him.

http://mobile.avclub.com/articles/en...-so-che,65694/

[anaron]

I hate seeing Tyler and Amy's friendship strained like this. :(

Abaddon is creepy as hell. I wonder what direction they'll take Amy as she continues to work for them. I'm also curious as to what the other cogentiva workers meltdowns were like.

I'll echo Spotless now: fuck Krista. It's one thing to outright state you're uncomfortable with asking but to lie about it? Ugh.

[RatskyWatsky]

Krista is such a two faced bitch. Holy shit. And her two friends that she always hangs with are terrible as well. What's amazing though is how realistically they're portrayed/written. I've known people in the past who acted just like that.

And I love that they're already addressing Amy never working, always showing up late, etc. Most shows would never draw attention to that stuff.

I hate seeing Tyler and Amy's friendship strained like this. :(

I know. I feel so bad for him, as well as Amy. I hope they reconcile soon.

Abaddon is creepy as hell. I wonder what direction they'll take Amy as she continues to work for them. I'm also curious as to what the other cogentiva workers meltdowns were like.

Yeah, not only is the building creepy but the people are too. Everyone is so cold.

I think that Damon was sincere when he told Amy that he would take a look at her research. I'm hoping that he (the one person who hates her the most at Abbadon) comes though and creates a job for her. Maybe she could leech some coworkers from Cogentiva to help her out. Otherwise, I'm not sure how they'd keep those people on the show. They've done a good job so far in building them up, so they couldn't just abandon them. Or perhaps Amy will stay where she is and learn how to do her job?

Anyway, I love this show so much. I relate to Amy in a lot of ways, that I think that amplifies my love of the show.

[anaron]

I think that Damon was sincere when he told Amy that he would take a look at her research. I'm hoping that he (the one person who hates her the most at Abbadon) comes though and creates a job for her. Maybe she could leech some coworkers from Cogentiva to help her out. Otherwise, I'm not sure how they'd keep those people on the show. They've done a good job so far in building them up, so they couldn't just abandon them. Or perhaps Amy will stay where she is and learn how to do her job?

I was kinda shocked at how civil Damon was acting. He seemed almost likeable, at least next to Krista. It's likely a red herring though for him to do something awful.:/

Anyway, I love this show so much. I relate to Amy in a lot of ways, that I think that amplifies my love of the show

I think it's her underlining desire for change and to become the person she wants to be that is so darn endearing. Especially because, like many of us, she has such a challenging time in doing so.

[anaron]

Salon: The beguiling tough love of Enlightened

A stealth candidate for series of the year, HBO’s “Enlightened” (Mondays 9:30/8:30 Central) is about an office drone named Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern) who suffered a nervous breakdown, went away to a New Age detox and spiritual healing colony in Hawaii, then returned home to try to put her life back together. I respected but didn’t love the pilot — it felt a bit too similar to other pleasant-but-not-great comedy dramas, like Showtime’s likable but rather repetitive “Nurse Jackie” or “The Big C” — so it took me a while to catch up with it; once I did, I wished I’d been on board from the start. Co-created and executive produced by Laura Dern and actor-writer Mike White, it’s a remarkable series, demonstrating an appreciation of human complexity and a mastery of narrative voice rarely seen outside of the best short fiction. White writes all the episodes, and they’re directed by some terrific humanist filmmakers: Miguel Arteta (director of White’s screenwriting-acting breakthrough “Chuck and Buck”), Nicole Holofcener (“Please Give”) and Jonathan Demme (“Something Wild,” “Rachel Getting Married”). The show is fueled by small moments in which people miss opportunities for connection or self-improvement rather than seize them. The only other TV series that can match “Enlightened” in this department is “Louie” — and in some ways “Enlightened” might be more impressive, because it’s so much more tightly structured and outwardly traditional, yet strikes emotional notes that are just as surprising.

[Spotless Mind]

“He's no monkey” “No, he's a fucking fascist mastermind.” LMAO. Perfect delivery.

Another fantastic episode. I love that no character is really painted in a particularly good light. Amy is clearly delusional in a lot of ways and very manipulative, so i can still actually empathize with Krista, even though she treated her so horribly.

I was laughing so hard when she asked Tyler and Connie what exactly Cogentiva was. It was good to get a greater insight into Abbadon's slimy business practices.

Great to see the show getting more critical love too. Too many people were quick to judge the first couple episodes.

I was kinda shocked at how civil Damon was acting. He seemed almost likeable, at least next to Krista. It's likely a red herring though for him to do something awful.:/

I'm betting he wouldn't have been half as sincere if she hadn't said it was her last day.

[anaron]

^ah you're totally right. I overlooked Amy mentioning that crucial bit of information. :P

I'd love it for someone to gif Amy's slowmo fist pump. That had me cackling.

[Spotless Mind]

^ah you're totally right. I overlooked Amy mentioning that crucial bit of information. :P I'd love it for someone to gif Amy's slowmo fist pump. That had me cackling.

Here you go:



Bonus:



First time making gifs, so hopefully they're not too big.

[anaron]

How could I forget the cock-block gesture! Haha they're fantastic, thanks bud. :)

[dead souls]

The cock-block scene was hilarious. Perfect gif material.

[ThisWreckage]

She's a fantastic actress. I felt like she should have been nominated for her performance in INLAND EMPIRE.

[hateradio]

I've been watching this show recently. I'm actually liking it. It has an interesting mix of both making it hard to sympathize with the characters sometimes, and at the same time finding them likable and relatable.

[anaron]

AV club's review of the episode:

http://mobile.avclub.com/articles/comrades-unite,65641/

[anaron]

Episode 9 preview "Consider Helen."

[RatskyWatsky]

Here you go: GIFS First time making gifs, so hopefully they're not too big.

Wonderful.

[ivysaur12]

You know, this is one of the best shows on television. I think someone said once said that part of Enlightened is learning about how to watch Enlightened - it's absolutely true. The slow build has lead to an incredible payoff, and the "world building" about Congentiva in this episode reinforced everything that's happened so far and the stasis and loneliness of the workers in Abbadon.

"He's a fucking fascist mastermind"

I love you, Amy. Even though I don't. But I do.

EDIT: 151,000 viewers. It's sort of leveled off around here. Extremely tough timeslot... but.

[anaron]

But what, ivy? BUT WHAT


I wish certain critics would give the show another chance, y'know, BEFORE it's cancelled. Sigh.

[ivysaur12]

But what, ivy? BUT WHAT I wish certain critics would give the show another chance, y'know, BEFORE it's cancelled. Sigh.

I mean, HBO does/doesn't care about ratings. Obviously Bored to Death and Enlightened (especially Enlightened) are facing uphill battles. But those numbers aren't healthy, even for HBO. The show isn't attracting new subscribers.. But you never know. HBO could be content with having its dramas post big numbers and then keeping some of its pet projects around, especially since their only half hour that's been even a moderate hit on its own has been Entourage.

But then they have shows like Veep in the pipeline, so I don't know. I really hope they keep Enlightened around.

And critics are - slowly - giving the show more notice.

[anaron]

I know I'm probably putting too much weight into having more acclaim somehow ensure the show's longevity; but with only two episodes left, I think it truly needs just about all the buzz it can get at this point.

Besides, there's no excuse for them to catch up on a 30 minute, 10 episode season. (I kid...sort of) :P

[RatskyWatsky]

I wish certain critics would give the show another chance, y'know, BEFORE it's cancelled. Sigh.

Any critics in particular? Maybe fans of Enlightened can bug them in their comments to check the show out or something.

[anaron]

Alan Sepinwall and Maureen Ryan are two of the more prominent TV critics, and people I personally follow - so I'd like to see what they think of the show in its current state. I know Mo has expressed interest in catching up so hopefully she does.

[hateradio]

This episode was exhilarating. I've never worked in an office environment, and maybe Amy is simply crazy, but, damn, I was on the edge of my seat as I waited to see what happened. The events were not extraordinary either, but it was a great set of moments. Also, "Si se puede!" had me laughing.

[RatskyWatsky]

Alan Sepinwall and Maureen Ryan are two of the more prominent TV critics, and people I personally follow - so I'd like to see what they think of the show in its current state. I know Mo has expressed interest in catching up so hopefully she does.

Sepinwall:

(Other critics I respect keep raving about "Enlightened," so I'll attempt to give that another shot before it airs its finale next week.)

:)

[anaron]

Awesome! :) Hopefully he'll end up raving about it too.

New episode tonight. Time's James Poniewozik said these last two episodes "are gorgeous."

[RatskyWatsky]

Awesome! :) Time's James Poniewozik said these last two episodes "are gorgeous."

And how could they NOT be? :)

[ronito]

I hate to admit it. I don't get the love for this show. I've watched a few episodes and just can't find it to care. It all really centers on the main character and frankly I don't like her. I know people will say "she's a realistic woman with realistic problems!" but a lot of her problems are self imposed and all that. If I wanted to watch a person with those kind of problems I'll peek over my cubicle. I dunno. I see people saying "Greatest. Show.EVAR!" but every time I watch it I'm left feeling "meh."

[ivysaur12]

I'm ready for the awkward social interactions and heart break. Bring it, Mike White.

[RatskyWatsky]

How trustworthy is this? PR Newswire has a (supposed) press release from HBO Latin America (Link), stating that Enlightened (among pretty much every other HBO series :/) is getting renewed.

I may be grasping at straws, but I want to believe! :(

[dead souls]

Best episode of the fucking season tonight. Just absolutely brilliant.

[anaron]

I WANT TO BELIEVE

Such a beautiful episode. Particular kudos to the direction, score and Diane Ladd - so basically everything :P - for fleshing out such a tragic history for Amy and Helen. Is this the first we have heard of Bethany? That definitely took me by surprise.

[anaron]

AV Club's review.
http://mobile.avclub.com/articles/consider-helen,66035/ A-

[ivysaur12]

Oh my god that grocery store scene. I kept wishing it would end, it was so heart breaking. Absolute chills afterward.

This is like watching my grandmother go through life right now. There's so much regret and ennui without any type of direction in Helen's life. I haven't cried at an episode of television this much in a long time.

I want all of the Emmys for Enlightened. I really hope the voters stop sucking Modern Family's cock next year and give credit where credit's due. My one concern is that Enlightened is more of a drama than a comedy (a reason why I dislike Nurse Jackie, The Big C, et. al being in the comedy category), but someone needs to give Enlightened something in some category.

I WANT TO BELIEVE Such a beautiful episode. Particular kudos to the direction, score and Diane Ladd - so basically everything :P - for fleshing out such a tragic history for Amy and Helen. Is this the first we have heard of Bethany? That definitely took me by surprise.

Me too. I was a little surprised as well.

[RatskyWatsky]

;_; What a haunting episode. Helen leads such a subdued life, living with the ghosts of her past. I wonder if that's what it's like for most old people? Remembering their kids/family the way they used to be, hearing them playing in the yard and stuff. (I mean that in a non hallucinogenic way)

It was also interesting to learn more about the past of Amy/Levi and Helen/Jim.

Is this the first we have heard of Bethany? That definitely took me by surprise.

I think so, yeah. Carol seemed to hesitate when mentioning her, so at first I thought she was talking about her dog. haha I wonder if her other daughter had problems with her too?

Diane Ladd was so great in the supermarket scene. (and the rest of the episode too) When she first met her old friend, it was amazing how much she said by not saying anything at all. You could tell right off that she couldn't remember who Carol was, but slowly she began to remember and by the end of their meeting, she remembered more than Carol did.

AV Club's review. http://mobile.avclub.com/articles/consider-helen,66035/ A-

She was rarely cast in a sympathetic light; the series’ perspective on Helen has softened considerably since “Not Good Enough Mothers,” but even that episode found her refusing to loan her car to Amy. She says it’s all for insurance reasons, but she seems convinced of the notion that something terrible is going to happen to Amy in the car. Such an accident would be on Helen’s insurance—and, to a lesser extent, her conscience. “Considering Helen” sheds some light on Helen’s fear of automobile-related trauma (warning: big spoiler ahead): Her husband, Jim, asphyxiated himself in the driver’s seat of the family car when Amy was a child, driven to suicide by a real-estate deal that went south in the 11th hour.

Ahh! Totally didn't make that connection.

[anaron]

I thought it was especially heartbreaking after having spent so much time with Helen's perspective and past, that when we finally return to her interacting with Amy, it's with the same usual difficulty. :(

[ivysaur12]

I thought it was especially heartbreaking after having spent so much time with Helen's perspective and past, that when we finally return to her interacting with Amy, it's with the same usual difficulty. :(

Because she can't. She can't talk to anyone and it's her own god damn fault - she knows it too.

To the four or so of us in the this thread that are on this incredible ride, I'm so glad at least a few others are experiencing it.

[anaron]

To the four or so of us in the this thread that are on this incredible ride, I'm so glad at least a few others are experiencing it.

Definitely. :) It's nice to have SOME people that share the same adoration for something that's mostly unwatched and criminally underrated.

[anaron]

Interesting article on the groundbreaking and unique qualities of Enlightened and Homeland's leading ladies:'Homeland' And 'Enlightened': Women On The Verge Of Nervous Breakthroughs

[cory.]

To the four or so of us in the this thread that are on this incredible ride, I'm so glad at least a few others are experiencing it.

Just fantastic television.

[BenjaminBirdie]

I love it so much, but I'm a little behind. It's hard to watch for a lot of reasons.