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TV Shows you've watched recently

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Amory

Member
I watched the premiere of "Lie to Me" last night. It was entirely forgettable, unfortunately. I can't recommend it.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
as i said, scored my CHUCK season 1 dvd yesterday and watched the first episode.

w98lfk.jpg


this all comes under the caveat that i was warned it starts weaker than it becomes, and that i need to watch several to really get in the groove, but i like what i see so far. it's a good pilot. that said, some stuff works and some stuff doesn't right now. what works? the ACTION. holy shit, i didn't expect it to be good at all, but in the first sequence with his long-lost buddy kicking ass it really looks like he knows what he's doing. i was impressed. and chuck himself is super charming and believable, and even if his friend who works with him at nerd herd isn't so great right now, he at least works when he's talking to chuck. the female lead seems labored, though, and some of the lines by really all the actors seem overwritten and overly cute and clever. but i like it on the whole. watching more tonight.

is it just me or does the lead sort of remind you of naomi watts?


also watched probably my favorite X-FILES episode ever: "bad blood."

118lo40.jpg


what more can be said about this fantastic episode? if you like your x-files with a bit of comedy, this is a great episode for you. it costars luke wilson and the fat redheaded kid from the big green and the sandlot, but the real strength of the show is that it plays with the concept of perspective in storytelling when mulder and scully each tell their side of a very confusing case involving vampires, with noticeable differences between the two versions. the fun comes in the little discrepancies in the scenes you see twice, and the different ways the leads act in each version.

it's just x-files at its best. perfect television.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
CiSTM said:
If you wan't more NG then go for Voyager. If you wan't something deeper with coherent story arc then go for DS9. Enterprise is garbage so skip it.

oh, I've seen voyager too and liked it quite a bit, although they do rely on reversing the polarity of stuff in the last 3 minutes of the show too often. Who can't love the emergency medical hologram (who turned up in Atlantis!)

Will do DS9 first then, once I'm done with BSG and firefly
 

Blader

Member
I just watched episode 8 (I think) of The Shield s4 last night....and Jesus, the way Shane was speaking to Vic
about how he needed help, and in spite of the money train bullshit, Shane still thought of Vic as his friend
almost made my eyes water.
 
beelzebozo said:
but i like it on the whole. watching more tonight.
Great! Keep watching - you have some good stuff coming up.
is it just me or does the lead sort of remind you of naomi watts?
They're both hawt, blond Australian women.
also watched probably my favorite X-FILES episode ever: "bad blood."
One of my favorites. Luke Wilson is awesome.
i3cpyg.jpg
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
so i've ordered/bought a lot of tv dvds lately, and i'm looking to snag a few more holes in my collection. notably:

- the critic: complete series
- the o.c. season 1 (guilty pleasure)
- possibly a few south park seasons

i wanted some advice from you guys who have watched a lot of south park though: i have 1-3, and my favorite episodes are decidedly not topical in nature--they're the ones in which the humor comes from the characters just being themselves, or stories that have a limited at best connection to real world occurrences. so how are seasons 4-6 in this regard? i remember season 5 being pretty funny (seamen + sea people = seaciety?), but i can't remember how reliant it was on references to shit happening in the news.
 

Memles

Member
beelzebozo said:
- the critic: complete series
- the o.c. season 1 (guilty pleasure)
- possibly a few south park seasons

Word of warning: the standalone O.C. DVD set is in Full Screen. I don't know who made that bone-headed decision, but the only way to get it in HD is by ordering the complete series.

I paid $75 for it in the Fall and as someone who quite liked the show it was ultimately worth it - have you seen the whole thing?
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
i've seen a couple of seasons. does it hold up through the end, or is it one of those "lost its way" shows that had a very solid arc for the first season and then got less and less believable and more goofy in subsequent years? i'm looking at you, nip/tuck, oz, veronica mars. . . etc
 
Finally watched "Celestial Navigation." My favorite episode so far, followed by "In Excelsis Deo."

Lots of funny moments, Edward James Olmos was awesome, and a lot of Josh.
 

Memles

Member
beelzebozo said:
i've seen a couple of seasons. does it hold up through the end, or is it one of those "lost its way" shows that had a very solid arc for the first season and then got less and less believable and more goofy in subsequent years? i'm looking at you, nip/tuck, oz, veronica mars. . . etc

I, personally, really liked the 16-episode Season Four - no, it wasn't Season One, but it became much more grounded and realistic in my eyes. Season Three went off the rails a little bit, no question, but a certain creative decision at the end of the third season rejuvenated the show immensely in my eyes.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
you watching battlestar, dax? i just ordered the first season yesterday. i've watched a few eps by using netflix, but i'm tired of waiting for the discs. is it right up the alley of someone who loved ds9 as the show progresses? it seems a bit more actiony, but ron moore's involvement is REALLY encouraging

Memles said:
I, personally, really liked the 16-episode Season Four - no, it wasn't Season One, but it became much more grounded and realistic in my eyes. Season Three went off the rails a little bit, no question, but a certain creative decision at the end of the third season rejuvenated the show immensely in my eyes.

i actually don't have an hd-dvd player. . . so i guess i may just have to bite the bullet and go full screen, sadly.
 

Costanza

Banned
beelzebozo said:
i actually don't have an hd-dvd player. . . so i guess i may just have to bite the bullet and go full screen, sadly.
I think Memles just meant widescreen and uncropped. The OC never came out on HD-DVD.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
ah! gotcha. well, in that case, i may hold out until deep discount is having one of their big annual sales, depending on how much the entire run of the series costs at the moment.
 
beelzebozo said:
you watching battlestar, dax? i just ordered the first season yesterday. i've watched a few eps by using netflix, but i'm tired of waiting for the discs. is it right up the alley of someone who loved ds9 as the show progresses? it seems a bit more actiony, but ron moore's involvement is REALLY encouraging
I have all the seasons currently available on DVD and am watching the final eight episodes as they air. If you liked DS9/Babylon 5, you'll like BSG.

The show isn't without it's weak points, though. The independent stories (filler episodes) are usually really weak and not interesting at all. The show also tends to be melodramatic here and there, and a tone at the beginning of the show that I liked more than the tone it has now.

However, overall, I think it's the best show on TV and is a definite "must watch."
 

sazabirules

Unconfirmed Member
I've been watching Generation Kill. It's really good and I don't think it has a positive or negative towards attitude the war in Iraq. I'm on episode four now. Alexander Skarsgård as Brad "Iceman" Colbert is my favorite character. After seeing him in True Blood and now this, he's becoming one of my favorite television actors.

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X26

Banned
Curb Your Enthusiam s1 + s2

Don't know what took me so long as I love seinfeld, then again I never had HBO and the show doesn't seem to run on syndication anywhere. Picked up the DVD's while at the library and wow this show is amazingly funny. The situations Larry gets himself into, holy shit :lol
 

Solo

Member
beelzebozo said:
i've seen a couple of seasons. does it hold up through the end, or is it one of those "lost its way" shows that had a very solid arc for the first season and then got less and less believable and more goofy in subsequent years? i'm looking at you, nip/tuck, oz, veronica mars. . . etc

It actually one of those rare shows that had it in S1, fell off ridiculously hard for a few years, yet got it back in its final season. The OC S4 is really awesome, actually. S1>S4>>>>>>root canal>>>>S2>S3.
 

Blader

Member
Solo said:
It actually one of those rare shows that had it in S1, fell off ridiculously hard for a few years, yet got it back in its final season. The OC S4 is really awesome, actually. S1>S4>>>>>>root canal>>>>S2>S3.

Olivia Wilde making out with Mischa Barton is in one of those seasons, it can't be that bad.
 

A Human Becoming

More than a Member
Finished Mad Men Season 2 last night. Season 2 moved much faster then Season 1 and focused less on Pete and Peggy. I didn't like it as much as Season 1, but it was still a pretty solid season. A few things I didn't like were
Draper living with the real Draper's wife for some time. Seemed rather strange. Sterling's decision to marry Draper's assistant also came out of left field.
 

Kastro

Banned
I'm all caught up with Friday Night Lights now up through S03E02. Great fucking show.. in my top 5 for sure.

Also watching Nip/Tuck now, up through 5 episodes. It's okay. Not gripped by any means.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
Kastro said:
Also watching Nip/Tuck now, up through 5 episodes. It's okay. Not gripped by any means.

season 1? i think the first season of nip/tuck is one of the most perfect seasons of television i've ever watched. it's not nearly so "important" or realistic as other shows i've seen, but as far as combining entertaining plots with great character arcs and emotional moments, nip/tuck season 1 is fantastic. the tenth episode (agatha something?) will break your heart man.

myself, i just watched the x-files episode "chinga" last night.

chingaM3.jpg


this is the episode about the evil doll who makes people kill themselves when they hear "the hokey pokey." it was written by stephen king, if i recall correctly, and that integration of a creepy old song and kids who have evil dolls definitely feels king-esque. it's a decently creepy episode, but after watching "bad blood" and "clyde bruckman" back to back it feels kind of middling.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
i just bounce around, man. i'm two episodes into chuck. i was out of town all day yesterday on a date, seeing the wrestler and going out to dinner, so it was late when i got back; when i'm tired i just want something i'm already familiar with and can kick back and half pay attention to. i haven't torn through the set yet or anything, but what i've watched so far is enjoyable, if a bit "fluff."
 

Solo

Member
Fair enough, man. But trust me, it does take a few episodes to get cracking, and you're actually at the point where it starts coming together. Stick with it for a few more episodes at least!
 
Watched the first few eps of Chuck season 1. I like it a lot so far. Heaps of engaging, nerdy fun, a really endearing protagonist and some surprisingly good action. I'm sold! :) That sequence you mentioned beezlebozo was fantastic. I also really love the dynamic between the two agencies fighting over Chuck. Some of the Sarah/Casey scenes have been hilarious. I'm rather excited going from comments that it only gets better.

beezlebozo said:
is it just me or does the lead sort of remind you of naomi watts?
Haha. I thought the exact same thing. At some angles the resemblance was striking.

Oh, and i knew i recognized the sister from somewhere. Frakking Saved By The Bell. :lol

Also watched the Lost season 5 premiere. I was laughing my ass off... and not in a good way. I thought it might actually be good after being impressed by a few eps last season, but nope. So many poorly executed/directed scenes and, as usual, the writers focus on all the uninteresting characters played by terrible actors and give them a bunch of labored, cringeworthy dialogue. Not enthused by the
time skipping
gimmick and even more contrived character connections. I am, however, glad they might be doing something interesting with Sun after wasting her for the last 3 seasons.

Kastro said:
I'm all caught up with Friday Night Lights now up through S03E02. Great fucking show.. in my top 5 for sure.
So who's your favourite character? Please say Tami! :D
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
i have trouble gauging the quality of a season of LOST until i see the whole thing in its entirety. . . even the 4th season, which i enjoyed reasonably on tv, got MUCH better when i watched it again on dvd and got the full breadth of what they were striving for in the narrative.

and i plan on watching some more chuck this evening, if i get the time. the show really does have this really interesting dual personality where the comedy meets the action sequences, and both are shot very well: the comedy is light and fluffy, like i said, and the action sequences quite deftly pull off a slick, moody style that makes you think you're really watching a spy show.
 

Solo

Member
Spotless Mind said:
Watched the first few eps of Chuck season 1. I like it a lot so far. Heaps of engaging, nerdy fun, a really endearing protagonist and some surprisingly good action. I'm sold! :) That sequence you mentioned beezlebozo was fantastic. I also really love the dynamic between the two agencies fighting over Chuck. Some of the Sarah/Casey scenes have been hilarious. I'm rather excited going from comments that it only gets better.

Awesome. Scratch that - Captain Awesome! How far are you, Spotless? And yes, it gets exponentially better. S2 has been nearly flawless.
 

Kastro

Banned
Spotless Mind said:
So who's your favourite character? Please say Tami! :D

of course, yall. you make me so proud, girl!

I adore every scene with her and the coach

beelzebozo said:
season 1? i think the first season of nip/tuck is one of the most perfect seasons of television i've ever watched. it's not nearly so "important" or realistic as other shows i've seen, but as far as combining entertaining plots with great character arcs and emotional moments, nip/tuck season 1 is fantastic. the tenth episode (agatha something?) will break your heart man.

I don't know man, I just find myself not liking the 2 main characters I guess. I find myself not liking pretty much everybody in this show actually.
 
sazabirules said:
I've been watching Generation Kill. It's really good and I don't think it has a positive or negative towards attitude the war in Iraq. I'm on episode four now. Alexander Skarsgård as Brad "Iceman" Colbert is my favorite character. After seeing him in True Blood and now this, he's becoming one of my favorite television actors.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v213/xTheRedCometx/wp1_1280x1024.jpg
Yup. Skarsgard was great and GK in general is worth a viewing. It's a shame that more people didn't check it out.
Spotless Mind said:
Watched the first few eps of Chuck season 1. I like it a lot so far.
Excellent!
Spotless Mind said:
So who's your favourite character? Please say Tami! :D
I've also been watching the first season of FNL for the first time. I'm about 8-10 episodes in. Tami is awesome and the whole Taylor family is great. The show hasn't necessarily surprised me yet with what's going on (tends to be somewhat predictable), but it's so well constructed and the plot lines are believable, that it doesn't really bother me at all. Very easy show to get emotionally engaged with.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
watched chuck versus the tango last night. enjoyed it MUCH more than the first two episodes. the characters are starting to really settle into a rhythm with one another, and i'm becoming more accustomed to the quirky dialogue. chuck and his sister, in particular, have great chemistry and really seem related. morgan also seemed to tone it down by about 10%, which was just enough to endear him to me. in general, just the way things were handled and wrapped up felt really emotionally sound with what we know about the characters.
 
beelzebozo said:
chuck and his sister, in particular, have great chemistry and really seem related.
A number of people pointed this out last season, and it's cool that you picked up on it, too. They really anchor the show with a believable sibling relationship that only gets better as the show goes on.
 

Memles

Member
Cornballer said:
A number of people pointed this out last season, and it's cool that you picked up on it, too. They really anchor the show with a believable sibling relationship that only gets better as the show goes on.

Remember my earlier Alias comparison, everyone? Yeah, that's a big part of it: what Sidney's friends were in the show's first and second seasons, that's what Ellie really represents for Chuck. It works well, and definitely kept them grounded throughout S1 and really worked well in S2.
 

Solo

Member
beelzebozo said:
watched chuck versus the tango last night. enjoyed it MUCH more than the first two episodes. the characters are starting to really settle into a rhythm with one another, and i'm becoming more accustomed to the quirky dialogue. chuck and his sister, in particular, have great chemistry and really seem related. morgan also seemed to tone it down by about 10%, which was just enough to endear him to me. in general, just the way things were handled and wrapped up felt really emotionally sound with what we know about the characters.

Vs. The Tango was the episode that I really started loving the show on. The actual tango stuff, the creation Chuck's "alias" (which will get used time and time again in a nice bit of continuity), and so on. I was patiently waiting to see how you felt about this episode, because it will sort of let me know how the rest of the season will sit with you. Since this seems to be the first episode that really clicked with you, then I would say you have great things coming.

Cant wait until you see Vs. The Alma Mater, Vs. The Truth, hell, the whole backend of S1.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
SundaySounds said:
The Office. Us Version.
Shit is so hilarious.

i like this show less and less the more i watch of it. i'm just not sure that the comedy syncs up with my tastes at this point, as a lot of it seems based on wahjah, so even when the jokes themselves are funny they're contingent on taking advantage of how pathetic the characters are. i had to actually convince a friend to watch arrested development by telling him how unlike the u.s. version of the office it was, and that it doesn't rely so heavily on thrusting us into these embarrassing scenarios with offensively pathetic people. it's certainly a watchable enough show if you catch it every now and then, but i can't imagine watching an entire season of it through. that would be exhausting.
 
beelzebozo said:
i like this show less and less the more i watch of it. i'm just not sure that the comedy syncs up with my tastes at this point, as a lot of it seems based on wahjah, so even when the jokes themselves are funny they're contingent on taking advantage of how pathetic the characters are. i had to actually convince a friend to watch arrested development by telling him how unlike the u.s. version of the office it was, and that it doesn't rely so heavily on thrusting us into these embarrassing scenarios with offensively pathetic people. it's certainly a watchable enough show if you catch it every now and then, but i can't imagine watching an entire season of it through. that would be exhausting.

See, that's kinda how I felt the first couple seasons. My ex tried to get me to watch it in the beginning, and I watched a couple episodes. I didn't much care for it. But then like, a month ago, My friends were watching the fourth season and I sat down and watched it with them. It's so much better. I couldn't believe it. Just watch the newer stuff, it's a lot better.
 
Completed Mad Men Season 2 over the long Weekend. This is now my favourite show currently on TV. Great Cast, storylines, and Cinemaphotography.

Can't wait for July for Season 3. Hopefully the creator of the show returns.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
4th episode of CHUCK = yes.

the show's action continues to deliver, but the real strength is the interpersonal relationships. this episode really highlighted chuck and sarah, and let them develop through a few little interactions that made it feel less contrived and more natural. in particular, i'm thinking about how something silly like her lying to him about bryce suddenly became a big deal, and is really the first indicator that both of them are actually investing subconsciously in the relationship; and, of course, the nice touch of his noticing that she doesn't like olives on her pizza, and following up on that at the end of the episode.

it's incredible watching the show mature episode to episode.
 
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