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Room 104:-- A Duplass Brothers/HBO Joint

Anyone watching this new series from the Duplass brothers tonight? It's an anthology series all set in a single motel room (the 104 of the title) with each episode being a different cast, story, etc

If the first episode is anything to go by each episode will probably be different genres as well. I wasn't sure quite what to expect but this wasn't it. I shouldn't have been surprised with the Duplass brothers considering all the different genres they've used to sometimes great effect in their mumble core work.

Anyway I loved the first ep tonight and I'm eager to hear what others thought. Discuss!

A pic from your first episode
screen-shot-2017-06-02-at-1-38-26-pm.png

And your second episode

Going from that bloody nose to VanDerbeek is definitely enough to get me excited.

Season 1 Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zudxg4qHRZQ


Some early positive reviews
The Guardian: Room 104 review – multi-genre motel anthology makes for a thrilling stay

Vox: Room 104, HBO’s exciting new anthology, crams The Twilight Zone into a single hotel room

Sepinwall seemed mixed on it but says it's worth sticking around for the really strong episodes (the show is only about 26 minutes so even if an episode is bad it hardly seems like a slog)

Sepinwall: HBO’s ‘Room 104’ Can Take Its Audience Anywhere

Searched and couldn't find any other OT or topics about it. Check me out before noon if old
 
Sorry about that lol
On topic, I just watched the episode, really enjoyed it. Can't say I'm entirely sure I know what happened though with that ending.
Yeah the ending felt a bit...lost, but overall I laughed/jumped several times and really enjoyed the tone of the episode.

I especially like the idea that they apparently jump around in eras in the room as well, with one ep taking place in the 90's and another possible being entirely a dance scene (not an era I know but still cool).

I mean wtf HBO why you so awesome?!
 

kami_sama

Member
You just made me remember Hotel Dusk: Room 215, I know it isn't very similar, but damn, those memories came back!
On-topic: Will try to watch the series when I reduce my current backlog. But the premise is interesting.
 

TripOpt55

Member
I just watched the episode, really enjoyed it. Can't say I'm entirely sure I know what happened though with that ending.

This sums up my thoughts on the episode as well.

I like the concept of the show a lot. Looking forward to seeing what other kinds of episodes might pop up.
 

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Regarding the premiere, I feel like they were aiming for something on the level of The Twilight Zone, but ended up landing somewhere closer to Goosebumps. I thought it was pretty bad. Amateurish even.

Thankfully the whole show isn't "horror" and some of the other episodes have gotten good reviews.
 

kevin1025

Banned
I'll definitely keep watching, I'm intrigued enough.

But every time I hear about it or think about it, it just makes me think about Four Rooms.
 

jwk94

Member
Did someone say anthology series?! I'm there! Gonna have to check this out. Thanks op!

Edit :
Just finished ep 1. I like the fact that these episodes are only 30 mins. Makes them easier to digest and theoretically harder to mess up. That said, the first episode was terrible. Not sure how I feel about this all taking place in one room either, but I guess we'll see.
 

DOWN

Banned
Wasn’t there another show like this about a motel room or something before? Or a movie? Sounds like I’ve heard this premise
 

MoeDabs

Member
So, I take it the babysitter was the crazy one? I don't know. That shit was weird.

They definitely want you to think that. But then that bathroom door slam is either Ralphie or all in her head. Again.
The more I think about the ending the more I dislike the episode. I don't mind ambiguous endings at all, but this is only ambiguous because they threw every twist at you and couldnt decide on what one they liked more.
Based on the information we get,she is either crazy, or the father just failed to mention his demon spawn other child. And if it was just in her head, why the door slam at the end? Fuck
 
They definitely want you to think that. But then that bathroom door slam is either Ralphie or all in her head. Again.
The more I think about the ending the more I dislike the episode. I don't mind ambiguous endings at all, but this is only ambiguous because they threw every twist at you and couldnt decide on what one they liked more.
Based on the information we get,she is either crazy, or the father just failed to mention his demon spawn other child. And if it was just in her head, why the door slam at the end? Fuck
When she saw them both, I was like that's cool, not another split personality type thing, but now I'm just not sure. And yeah, it really does feel like they couldn't make up their mind.
 
Wasn’t there another show like this about a motel room or something before? Or a movie? Sounds like I’ve heard this premise
There was four rooms back in the 90's. More a dark comedy. QT directed one of the segment's. I remember liking it but I'm not sure how it's aged
 

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Episode 2 was like a better executed version of episode 1 - structurally and tonally almost identical (which makes it weird that they would air them back to back), but the twist in 2 was actually coherent (if not a tad predictable) and the overall premise was more original.
 
Meh, after reading the post above me I'll wait for the season to finish to see what people's final thoughts are before spending time on this show.
 

Sobriquet

Member
Not really digging this show so far.

Wasn’t there another show like this about a motel room or something before? Or a movie? Sounds like I’ve heard this premise

David Lynch had a show on HBO in the early '90s called Hotel Room.
 

Burt

Member
Stumbled into the second episode having never heard of the show before. Was laughing my ass off the entire time, really thought it was fantastic. Went back to the first episode, it was alright. Totally watchable, just like... regular+, which is how I feel about most Duplass stuff I've seen. Good, but not the sort of thing to make me stop and find a spot to fit it in.

That second episode, though. I'll be keeping my eye on this one.
 
Push.

I assume a lot of people are subbed to HBO right now or something that shows HBO stutf like Sky. Do yourselves a favour and watch this.
 

TripOpt55

Member
Three episodes in and I think I just don't like this show. I was giving it some slack initially because it was an anthology I think, but now bleh.
 

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Three episodes in and I think I just don't like this show. I was giving it some slack initially because it was an anthology I think, but now bleh.

The ballet episode has critics raving, so I'm holding out for that one, but yeah. The first three episodes have been mediocre at best.
 

dopplr

Member
I love this show, great actors and interesting stories that work well as one offs which are ~20-30 min long. I think
he was a cult leader who was wanted for raping and lobotomizing his victims. In the middle of the 'procedure' (in which you cannot back out of!)
her senses got the better of her and she ripped his dick off like she did to that boy as a kid - She's suffering from something and this guy was out to exploit her in the worst way.
 
^^^ I think that's a good interpretation of what happened.
I got the sense he was scamming for money definitely and thought he might just kill her.
 
Just watched the first 3 episodes. I like it a lot! But I totally get why some wouldn't like it, especially after that third episode's ending.

I do have to say that I love the casting of Clark Duke as the pizza boy in the second episode, made the twist much less obvious imo.
 

Shiloa

Member
I really like anthology stuff but so far this is pretty meh.

First episode was fine, but the most run of the mill horror story. I've seen that plot a thousand times.

Second was fun, I had no idea what was going on and the conclusion was cool. I liked it.

The third...I just have no idea what that was.
 
Watched the first 2, both reminded me of poor episodes of the old HBO show "The Hitchhiker". I had hoped for more, or at least an appearance by the Landers sisters circa 1988.
 

jetjevons

Bish loves my games!
LTTP but loved the first 3 episodes. A Black Mirror meets Twilight Zone feel. Great twists. Good acting. Fun concepts.

As Sam Jackson said in 1408 "Fuck that room!"
 
1st episode was OK.

2nd episode was good. I was laughing halfway through because I thought the couple were playing out a cuck fantasy on a hapless victim but the twist was even better.

3rd episode did a good job of building up the tension but then it just ended right at the climax. It looked like they had to edit around their $0 SFX budget. Either the woman snapped after reliving her past abuse or she really was posessed and about to kill the guy.

So far I like the cast more than the scripts.
 

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Episode 4 was more of a piece with the Duplass brothers' previous work, so needless to say I thought it was actually pretty good. Judging by the previous 3 episodes, it's clear that horror/thriller just isn't in their wheelhouse.
 
Episode 4 was more of a piece with the Duplass brothers' previous work, so needless to say I thought it was actually pretty good. Judging by the previous 3 episodes, it's clear that horror/thriller just isn't in their wheelhouse.

Creep was great. They can do horror, they've just misfired here.
 
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