Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

[elgaucho]

Started two shows since my last post:

The Americans
1980's cold war spy drama. It's nothing super special, but if you like that kind of thing it's a decent enough show. Lots of familiar faces in the cast.

Lupin
I watched the first couple of these.
I like the casting. I like the production values. Narrative and dynamics are fairly cliche overall, but it's plenty watchable, and fun.

I also finished Alice in Borderland Season 1.

Alice in Borderland
Starts off pretty good, gets better and then around episode 5 started to lose interest if I'm honest. Worth a look though but be prepared for some Japanese whining and pointless exposition, it is based on a Manga after all.

This kept my interest to the end of the season, even if it the ending was a bit silly. They change up the dynamics a bit for the last three episodes and with the beach, which was definitely needed.
I mean the whole premise is ridiculous, but once you accept it, it's plenty watchable

[Raid]

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3

This was better than the second season, which was so awful I considered just not watching the series any longer. The events of season 2 left the ship and crew in an entirely new scenario that I was interested in, so I ended up sticking with it. It had some fun ideas, but every so often they throw in an idea so idiotic that it completely ruins the experience.

As a case in point - the turbolifts. In TNG, the turbolifts are shown as operating in a lift shaft. Sure, they can move in three dimensions, but they're basically just a fast elevator, hence the name. In the first season of Discovery, there's a brief establishing shot that shows Discovery's turbolift network operates in a massive void that exists somewhere in the ship, and the lift cars move on tracks resembling rollercoasters. It had absolutely no impact on the episode, but it was just so utterly stupid that it caused ridicule among fans. Well, apparently the effects staff on Discovery didn't listen, and in season 3 this void is both upgraded and now bigger than the fucking ship. Discovery has an established size, the showrunners just don't care about it, and it's indicative of the thinking throughout. It feels like they think their audience are complete morons who aren't going to think beyond the whizz-bang effects.

Star Trek: Discovery is insulting. I don't mean that trekkies like myself won't be happy with it, I mean it assumes the audience has the critical thinking ability of a four year-old.

It's such a shame too. There's a particularly lovely story thread that runs through the season that deserves better.

Spoiler

Adira Tal, a non-binary character (played by a non-binary actor) who gets adopted by a gay couple. It's utterly wholesome, and the dialogue even tries to normalise a concept that a lot of people find difficult to grasp - the use of alternate pronouns. There's a brief, almost throwaway line that highlights the fact, and it's never referenced again, all of the characters just adapt and move on. It's a topic that affects people I know, and it's something that just confuses and even irritates people I consider to be reasonably enlightened. I welcome the mainstream media trying to normalise this sort of thing, and Discovery did it well.

[Wrathbone]

Cobra Kai

Started watching this on a whim and raced through season 1 in a couple of days. Really good, simple, fun storytelling that absolutely plays up to 80s nostalgia, but in a way that's not tiresome. Stranger Things could learn a lesson from this, because while ST showcases everything 80s at every opportunity, Cobra Kai feels like an 80s film at its core, not just in its window dressing. This is an 80s-style tale being played out in the present day.

But if all you're looking for is street punks being kicked in the face to 80s synth rock, it's got you covered. Few modern series have had me grinning this much while watching.

[Sly Boots]

Keeps coming up in my Netflix recommends, but I've not watched it as, while I liked Karate Kid at the time, it's not really one of my nostalgia touchstones. But I've seen lots of people now highly recommending it, so may have to give it a go.

I'm still working through Star Wars Rebels, though, which was Raid's prior recommendation

[Wrathbone]

Keeps coming up in my Netflix recommends, but I've not watched it as, while I liked Karate Kid at the time, it's not really one of my nostalgia touchstones.

I'm the same with Karate Kid - I've seen it and enjoyed it, but it's not one I keep going back to. Nevertheless, I'm thoroughly enjoying Cobra Kai.

[Rossell]

Lupin:

As el said a little bit cliche but the more it goes on the better it gets. And a nice little cliffhanger for part 2. I'll be watching.

[Raid]

Cobra Kai

Started watching this on a whim and raced through season 1 in a couple of days. Really good, simple, fun storytelling that absolutely plays up to 80s nostalgia, but in a way that's not tiresome. Stranger Things could learn a lesson from this, because while ST showcases everything 80s at every opportunity, Cobra Kai feels like an 80s film at its core, not just in its window dressing. This is an 80s-style tale being played out in the present day.

But if all you're looking for is street punks being kicked in the face to 80s synth rock, it's got you covered. Few modern series have had me grinning this much while watching.

I started Cobra Kai last Monday, and this included watching The Karate Kid as I'd never seen it (which I'd say you can skip if you want, but I think you'll get more out of it if you've seen it). I've watched the first two seasons in a week. Not only does half an hour per episode mean it's all too easy to justify watching "one more", but it's quite moreish too. Most episodes have a decent cliffhanger and everything ends on a power chord and the awesome flaming Cobra Kai logo. I absolutely love the characterisations of Johnny and Daniel, and they've done a brilliant job of making Johnny quite sympathetic despite him not really ditching the "asshole" persona. And holy crap, all of the young actors in this are brilliant stunt fighters - if they're using stunt doubles (and I don't think they are for the most part) they've done a really good job of hiding it. The final episode of season two that I've watched this evening had me grinning from ear to ear for most of the runtime.

[Wrathbone]

Yeah, I finished season 3 at the weekend and now have the torture of having to wait a whole year for a new season. Best show I’ve seen in ages.

[Animalmother]

Life on Mars
15 years late on watching this, I binged the first season yesterday. While it was obviously limited by budget and where they could actually film it, it does a pretty good job of looking like 1973 (well I assume it does..). Everyone is constantly smoking and drinking, while at work, then goes to the pub afterwards to drink some more Enjoying it and will no doubt give Ashes to Ashes a look as well.

[Sly Boots]

Life on Mars
15 years late on watching this, I binged the first season yesterday. While it was obviously limited by budget and where they could actually film it, it does a pretty good job of looking like 1973 (well I assume it does..). Everyone is constantly smoking and drinking, while at work, then goes to the pub afterwards to drink some more Enjoying it and will no doubt give Ashes to Ashes a look as well.

Both are brilliant telly.

The wife got her picture taken with Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) at a sci-fi convention we went to probably about 10 years ago now. He's huge!

[Achtung Englander]

The Comey Rule

9/10

A superb drama on how James Comey was stuck between a rock and hard place when it came to the Clinton emails. Now with Trump gone it is fascinating to see how much US politics was compromised by the Russians. The FSB (the Russian CIA) could not of played it better.

[Alan]

The Servant
Enjoying this so far.Its an M Night Sillyman joint so its probably going to end up rubbish but so far really liking it.

Your Honor
Cranston is a judge that has to do some naughty stuff to save his son when he gets into trouble. It starts strong but about midway now its getting pretty annoying. Its no Breaking Bad level of writing thats for sure or if it is it's that daft aircrash plot. I like the premise but its getting real dumb.

[elgaucho]

The Expanse Season 5
I finally started this series, and, true to form, it's gripping, tense, political and mysterious in just the right quantities.

The ever lingering threat of the

Spoiler

race that killed the ring creators

hangs nascent over the petty politics of the belters, martians and earthers, and you're constantly wondering if some human idiocy will trigger the next event, or it that's something that's waiting for us next season.

There's very few tv shows that are as gripping or consistently good as this show!

[Achtung Englander]

Going through a Steve McQueen phase at the moment

Steve McQueen: The Lost Movie. Good but could have been better without the young film reviewers telling me (someone twice their age) who Steve McQueen was. 6/10

Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Man. Excellent and a perfect follow up to The Lost Movie. The ending was quite powerful and a very good example that getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. 8/10

[Raid]

WandaVision

This takes a few episodes to get going, but it doesn't feel like some side story to the MCU films. I get the feeling you're going to need to watch the Marvel TV series from now on. It's certainly gone from "will watch when it's finished" to "will watch as soon as new episodes are available" in my books.

Major spoiler for episode 5:

Spoiler

And... they've used the actor that portrayed Quicksilver in the X-Men films rather than in Age of Ultron. This has to be significant; if Aaron Taylor-Johnson wasn't available, they could have cast literally any other actor, but they've deliberately chosen the actor that Fox have been using. I know Disney now owns Fox, but there's a lot of potential for strange multiverse crossovers coming up (the next Doctor Strange film is literally subtitled "in the Multiverse of Madness"), and you have to wonder whether this is the start of integrating the X-Men franchise back into the Marvel franchise.