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Manhattan - The story of the first atomic bomb - Tuesdays on WGN America
- Thread starter RatskyWatsky
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Cornballer
Member
New episode tonight:
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Prinz Eugn
Member
Filmed in New Mexico, cool. Not intended to maintain historical accuracy? Eh...
firehawk12
Subete no aware
The main character isn't a real person and it really feels like they're amping up all the sex and angst stuff in order to make history "exciting". It's too bad, really.
Vert boil
Member
Decent episode. I wasn't expecting the ending to happen so soon.
getHomeSafe.gif
I was hoping they'd us his story line to cover internment a little.
getHomeSafe.gif
So I watched the first episode. I don't think I can really enjoy the show. They're not going to be able to explain breakthroughs or the drama of the science and engineering, beyond half-assed metaphors and ominous music while a scientist stares at a chalkboard or a piece of paper. It's understandable; that stuff is way too high-level for TV. But that means they'll have to focus on other things to get their source of drama: paranoia over spies and secrets and MPs, racial stuff, social stuff with the wives.
Probably not for me.
Probably not for me.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
I liked that better than the first one. Was totally caught off guard when Sid got shot in the head at the end because I figured he was going to be an important part of the show moving forward. It's also kind of unfortunate that they killed off their only minority character two episodes in.
Amping up the sex? What show are we talking about here?
Amping up the sex? What show are we talking about here?
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Same reason why I could never get into Studio 60.
Other than it being shit, I mean.
Having high brow sketches does not make up for not being able to execute the character's touted acting ability.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Seems like you kinda went in with skewed expectations - the show was never meant to be about the actual science and engineering behind the Manhattan Project. The main theme is secrecy and how it affects the lives/relationships/marriages of the people living/working in the Los Alamos encampment.
Fortunately, that's been corrected and I now know that the show isn't for me.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Yep, pretty much.
Well, PG-13 sex. I expect people to be having affairs and whatnot, because relationship angst is the easiest kind of drama and more relatable than "Maybe we shouldn't nuke people."
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
But affairs, alcoholism, race/class tensions, etc. were things that people actually dealt with in the real Los Alamos community of the 1940s. Plus, all of those things make for good TV so of course they're going to go there.
Also, we got some of that "Maybe we shouldn't nuke people" stuff this week with Charlie suggesting they build sonar (or something) instead of the bomb. The ethical dilemma of building an atomic bomb is one of the ripest themes to mine, so you can bet we'll get more of it in the future.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I'm sure there's lots of sexy time at the White House too, but other than the bad Josh/Donna and Sam fell on a prostitute stuff, they didn't really go there. I know that's more Sorkin than Schlamme, but I guess I expected more of a West Wing tone to the show than... well, typical TV drama.
I also don't deny that a story about the wives could be interesting. Frank Winter's family life could be an interesting look at what it is like being completely isolated from a member of the family. But did we need all this weird spy stuff thrown in?
I almost feel like if someone ever made an Alan Turing TV show, the producers wouldn't be able to resist showing him having sex with another man every week because it would make for good lurid TV. Never mind all the math/code breaking stuff. lol
So far the first two episodes haven't really hit for me.
Part of it is that I just don't understand why they decided to completely fictionalize the entire story with non existent characters when the actual events that happened were plenty interesting.
It doesn't help that the one scene so far with an actual historic character (Oppenheimer) came off completely bizarre and uncharacteristic to me.
It makes it hard to buy into the reality of this show when we know so much about these events and the people who were really there, and the show just throws all that out the window.
Part of it is that I just don't understand why they decided to completely fictionalize the entire story with non existent characters when the actual events that happened were plenty interesting.
It doesn't help that the one scene so far with an actual historic character (Oppenheimer) came off completely bizarre and uncharacteristic to me.
It makes it hard to buy into the reality of this show when we know so much about these events and the people who were really there, and the show just throws all that out the window.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
When the show is set in a highly secluded community where many of the characters are trying to develop an atom bomb before their enemies can do the same, and the theme of the show is "secrecy", why not?
Also, because the spy stuff centered around Sid, and seeing as how he was killed off in the second episode, it seems as though that part of the story might've just been to illustrate the high stakes of the operation, rather than something we're going to get every week.
Because it allows for more creative freedom?
Also, I take it you're not a fan of Boardwalk Empire either?
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Show me where I've done this.
I'm just trying to have a discussion on this mighty fine discussion forum that we have here, is all.
I read your response to me as essentially saying "you're doing it wrong" when I thought I'd made a decent effort to explain why the show probably wasn't for me. And the response to the other guy as being a bit dismissive when he had also explained where he was coming from.
But I may have been overreacting here. You're right, this is a discussion forum and I don't mean to tell you not to discuss things.
In that spirit, I'll note that the theme of paranoia and secrecy certainly fits with how it went in real life. (minor historical spoilers I guess?) Oppenheimer in particular was constantly spied on and was hounded for years about Communist Party ties through his brother, and eventually had all his clearances pulled over the matter, although arguably that was more about his political enemies using it as a pretext than anything else. Of course, you could probably say that about a lot of the HUAC's activities.
Incidentally, Oppenheimer's brother, after being fired and essentially blacklisted over his Communist Party ties, would go on to found the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
I haven't gotten around to Boardwalk yet, so I can't tell you.
I don't really buy the creative freedom bit either, when has Hollywood ever held back on adding things to spice up the story, even dealing with real historical characters?
It's also possible that that isn't even the main reason the show rings hollow to me overall, it's just one of the things that sticks out most notably to me. For whatever reason, I haven't been able to buy in that this is a real world with real people, and I assume part of that is because I know they aren't, and more importantly I know quite a bit about the people who were really there.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
That was kind of what I was saying, but I certainly didn't mean to come off as dismissive in my post. It's just that I sensed some disappointment coming from your end and I thought it might be helpful for you know that maybe you felt the way you did because you went in with skewed expectations.
Which sounds kind of shitty now that I've typed it out, but in the past I've had people tell me when I've done the same thing and I always appreciated that insight.
I doubt they'll cover any of that on the show, but it's nevertheless very interesting.
Eh, but I mean, if they're just going to add new stuff to spice up the story, they might as well just make up brand new characters and do the whole thing from scratch anyway, dontcha think?
I'm not familiar enough with the subject matter so this particular situation doesn't effect me one way or the other, but I have had problems in the past when films/tv did fictionalized stories using settings/people that I was familiar with, and in those instances, I almost always wished that they have gone the original route like this show is doing.
Telling highly fictionalized versions of true stories is kind of a strange practice, but I mean, that's par for the course for Hollywood.
Do you think you'll keep watching then?
Cornballer
Member
New episode tonight:
firehawk12
Subete no aware
So maybe it's because I watched that "season preview" after episode 1, but it's clear that
Winter becomes a main spy suspect for West Wing's Toby to investigate.
I just wanted this to be more... From Earth to the Moon than Mad Men. It's like they don't trust the subject matter to be interesting enough on its own, so they had to add all this extra stuff to try to hit more demographics.
This is exactly what I was getting at with my criticisms. Granted WGN is no HBO, hell they aren't even an AMC, but they took what could've been a legitimately exciting historical drama and turned it all soapy and melodramatic.
i'll still probably give it another couple episodes if only for the fact that there is absolutely nothing else on until the fall season starts in september.
Cornballer
Member
New episode tonight:
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
That only lasted like 2 episodes tops.
Mmm, I'm enjoying the show for what it is, but that could've been good too.
Rectify, Masters of Sex, The Knick, Outlander, The Honorable Woman, You're the Worst, Please Like Me.
So you don't watch the show then? ;3
Cornballer
Member
New episode tonight:
rocketskates
Member
Love the title sequence.
The show isn't bad either.
The show isn't bad either.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
We're only 4 episodes in and we've already seen Oppenheimer twice and Bohr once (the show isn't about them though, so I wouldn't expect them to become regulars or anything).
ShinobiFist
Banned
I didn't even know about this show until I saw this thread, thanks! Going check it out this upcoming week. How's the music in the show?
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
It's done by Jonsi and Alex but I honestly haven't noticed it at all in the first four episodes. It's very low key.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
lol
This is not a show about the Manhattan project. It's a period drama happen to be set in the 40s in a desert where people can have sex, secrets, and lies.
Purple Cheeto
Member
Sort of sounds like The Americans only in the 40s and in New Mexico.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Hah, I suppose inasmuch as The Americans is about as an accurate representation of Soviet Espionage in America as Manhattan is about the Manhattan project.
Cornballer
Member
New episode tonight:
If you want to really know about the Manhattan Project read Richard Rhode's book 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb', it is a fantastic read.
I just don't understand the need to embelish the story or create even more fictional arcs and characters since the story itself (outside of the science) and the goings on at Los Alamos were plenty interesting enough. Sadly the reason for this is probably the lack of research and ignorance of the writers/producers.
I just don't understand the need to embelish the story or create even more fictional arcs and characters since the story itself (outside of the science) and the goings on at Los Alamos were plenty interesting enough. Sadly the reason for this is probably the lack of research and ignorance of the writers/producers.
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
Oppenheimer is in his office. He can't deal with this shit right now.
IAmRandom31
Banned
Awesome stuff. The development of the atomic bomb has always fascinated me. Like did they know exactly what they were making and exactly what it would do or was it sort of .... Ok Woops what did we just create here?
Cornballer
Member
New episode tonight:
Cornballer
Member
New episode tonight:
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
This is still trucking along nicely. It's not great but it is a pretty decent soap. Liza is my favorite character, though Viserys is a close second. He's so damn charismatic.
Cornballer
Member
That's good to hear. I think I saw the first three and have the rest on my DVR. I'm not sure when I'll get to it.
Cornballer
Member
New episode tonight:
rocketskates
Member
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Yeah, once you realize it's a soap and has nothing to do with the actual Manhattan project, it becomes a silly show that you follow because you like soapy stories.
I think the housewife discovering the Holocaust a day after having her first lesbian affair is perfect. lol
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