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

[Animalmother]

The Boys Season 1 - 2 (Prime)

Great fun

8/10

Wait till you see some of the shenanigans in season 3

[Wrathbone]

Cobra Kai season 5

I’ve stopped caring whether this is actually good from a critical standpoint because it’s such pure, shameless entertainment that I’d feel churlish to nitpick at it. I’ve rattled through this season at lightning speed and I enjoyed it more than season 4, which I thought was a bit of a backstep (though still hugely fun).

[Raid]

Good to hear. I haven't started on it myself, but I too felt season 4 was fairly weak compared to the rest of the show. It was a bit of a surprise really; they usually release a new season at the very start of the year. It's only been six months since I watched the last one.

[Raid]

Andor

This definitely snuck up on me, I had no idea it had started today until, weirdly, I saw an ad for it during a break while watching Bake Off.

I've only watched the first of the three available episodes, but I think it's started fairly well. It's very expensive looking, set as it is in heavily populated civilian locations so requiring a tonne of unique costuming and props. It is doing that thing all of the Star Wars shows have been doing lately and using flashbacks too frequently, but they are at least far shorter than the ones that murdered the pacing in BoBF. I know the idiom is "show don't tell", but we just don't need this level of context for the story to work, and I'd really rather they just showed us the interesting stuff instead.

I tend to have to keep on top of Star Wars shows as the friend I play X-Wing:TMG with likes to discuss it, so I'll be watching the next couple of episodes over the weekend.

[Lenny Solidus]

Just finished up the first episodes of Andor too. It is clearly evident from the very first introduction shot that this show is on another level compared to say The Book of Boba (which I always said looked too cheap for Star Wars) there's almost a Blade Runner level of quality going on visually. It's instantly striking in all the right ways and like Blade Runner there's a definite increase in proceedings feeling a lot more adult orientated, much more serious and with a palpable sense of danger that grimey criminal underworld side I always loved, much of its draw is coming from the fantastic visual sets on display which certainly impress alongside some solid writing and acting.

Andor was very much my least favourite character from Rogue One I must admit, and when the show was announced I didn't feel all that bothered to watch it especially coming off a somewhat disappointing Obi Wan show, but just as with Rogue One there's something instantly improved at work here. It's something familiar yet fresh feeling and a lot more mature in tone with it which I feel was desperately needed.

[Raid]

I actually got a distinct Blade Runner vibe from the shot of the ship leaving that first location too.

I didn't dislike Cassian in Rogue One, but he certainly wasn't a character that needed a lavish backstory. If it ends up as a vehicle for showing the more interesting parts of the Star Wars underworld, and it tells an interesting story, then that's absolutely fine.

[Animalmother]

Really enjoyed it. I'm not a massive Star Wars fan but Rogue One is for me the the best film in the series. I thought TBoBF was garbage, couldn't get into Mando and skipped Obi Wan, but this actually looks like some effort was put into it. Looking forward to seeing more.

[Raid]

The second episode was much the same; it's a fairly slow burn so far. There was a problem though; I could not get past the Scottish-accented corporate security chap.

Spoiler

One of British TV's most memorable villains.

[Lenny Solidus]

Dahmer: Episode 1

To cut to the chase immediately let’s talk Evan Peters, what an inspired piece of casting right there, there were scenes in the first episode so genuinely unsettling in nature I felt like I wanted to pause it and leave the room for a while. I think many of us always knew he had more to give when it came to pure acting chops, but I'm honestly taken aback by how good he actually is at playing Jeffrey Dahmer. Sure, Zac Efron did his best as Ted Bundy but watching Peters do his thing in every scene he's present are both disturbingly captivating and on a different level entirely when it comes to pure physical portrayal.

Showrunner Ryan Murphy did an amazing job that's for sure, I am however very curious if it can keep up the initial thick layer of revelation and uncomfortable for an entire series that begs the question are monsters only ever born out of tragedy, or are they simply just born?

[Sly Boots]

Yeah, we're really enjoying it. From what I know about Dahmer they're sticking pretty closely to what we know about his life, upbringing, and crimes.

[Raid]

Third episode of Andor is pretty good. Plenty of tension, and speeders that actually go faster than jogging pace, unlike the ones in BoBF.

Also, and I really hope this is a detail that someone snuck in there without Disney noticing, but Cassian Andor carries a Bryar pistol; the weapon created originally for Kyle Katarn from the PC game Dark Forces. Kyle was the very similar character (prior to his force sensitivity anyway) that Cassian replaced in canon when they made Rogue One.

[Tommy]

Cobra Kai season 5

I’ve stopped caring whether this is actually good from a critical standpoint because it’s such pure, shameless entertainment that I’d feel churlish to nitpick at it. I’ve rattled through this season at lightning speed and I enjoyed it more than season 4, which I thought was a bit of a backstep (though still hugely fun).

Saved me writing this out.

Gomorrah Season 5

Spoiler

Obviously it passed the point of realism, but I still thought it was a really strong return to form after Season 4, which is comparatively weak. The opening scene of the season is probably my favourite opening scene from any series ever, and I actually think the final scene might be up there too. Really strong way to round the programme off.

Currently working my way through season 5 of Silicon Valley, which I'm enjoying albeit it's quite samey. After that I have the new LoTR programme, then the new seasons of Ozark and Better Call Saul (to the extent they can be called new now). A lot to be getting on with.

[Sly Boots]

Dahmer: Episode 1

To cut to the chase immediately let’s talk Evan Peters, what an inspired piece of casting right there, there were scenes in the first episode so genuinely unsettling in nature I felt like I wanted to pause it and leave the room for a while. I think many of us always knew he had more to give when it came to pure acting chops, but I'm honestly taken aback by how good he actually is at playing Jeffrey Dahmer. Sure, Zac Efron did his best as Ted Bundy but watching Peters do his thing in every scene he's present are both disturbingly captivating and on a different level entirely when it comes to pure physical portrayal.

Showrunner Ryan Murphy did an amazing job that's for sure, I am however very curious if it can keep up the initial thick layer of revelation and uncomfortable for an entire series that begs the question are monsters only ever born out of tragedy, or are they simply just born?

Don't know how far in you are Dave, but episode 6 is genuinely heart-breaking. This is a great show.

[Lenny Solidus]

Just finished up Episode 5 last night and my god, the level of wilful ignorance and outright incompetence that surrounded everything to do with this guy that could have ended up in an actual conviction and charge - it's honestly bloody mind-boggling. Dahmer lost control of what should have been entirely controlled situations so many times and at such a brazen level others were clearly aware something was horribly wrong with him, it boils my blood that so many others ended up losing their own lives when it all could have been put a stop to at a significantly earlier point in time. Knowing they went to the police and were ignored due to a lack of evidence and what I can only assume as being won over by Jeff himself - somehow, jesus christ.

When he was successful at his end game he pulled it off even with mistakes made and multiple red flags that others must have been aware of it's difficult to truly comprehend, and that doesn't even cover those who were almost victims and confronted him during his known systematic pattern head on. As the show covers other times the man ended up failing so unreservedly on top of everything else that should have put an end to it there and then yet still he remained free - he often comes across as the most sub par serial killer there ever was that managed to continue his crimes for thirteen years. Insane. I know I keep saying the same statement over, but that's how difficult it is to understand how it continued like it did.

Spoiler

The victims and their families, the Father and the fucking grandma though, someone who was doing their best to keep a troubled family member on the right path only for them to be carrying out crimes at that kind of sickening level in that very same home. I'm not even kidding when I say everytime he shouts at her in the manner he does, man. And she still paid his bail money.

Episode 6 is all set for tonight and the way things are going I don't know if I'm adequately prepared for it.

[Sly Boots]

Just finished up Episode 5 last night and my god, the level of wilful ignorance and outright incompetence that surrounded everything to do with this guy that could have ended up in an actual conviction and charge - it's honestly bloody mind-boggling. Dahmer lost control of what should have been entirely controlled situations so many times and at such a brazen level others were clearly aware something was horribly wrong with him, it boils my blood that so many others ended up losing their own lives when it all could have been put a stop to at a significantly earlier point in time. Knowing they went to the police and were ignored due to a lack of evidence and what I can only assume as being won over by Jeff himself - somehow, jesus christ.

When he was successful at his end game he pulled it off even with mistakes made and multiple red flags that others must have been aware of it's difficult to truly comprehend, and that doesn't even cover those who were almost victims and confronted him during his known systematic pattern head on. As the show covers other times the man ended up failing so unreservedly on top of everything else that should have put an end to it there and then yet still he remained free - he often comes across as the most sub par serial killer there ever was that managed to continue his crimes for thirteen years. Insane. I know I keep saying the same statement over, but that's how difficult it is to understand how it continued like it did.

Spoiler

The victims and their families, the Father and the fucking grandma though, someone who was doing their best to keep a troubled family member on the right path only for them to be carrying out crimes at that kind of sickening level in that very same home. I'm not even kidding when I say everytime he shouts at her in the manner he does, man. And she still paid his bail money.

Episode 6 is all set for tonight and the way things are going I don't know if I'm adequately prepared for it.

I think there is a couple of factors at play in Dahmer remaining undiscovered for as long as he was:

- the 9 year gap between his first kill and his next, when he was kept on a tight leash and/or in the army, and by his own admission "tried to be a good boy". Once he resumed his killings it was more like 3-4 years before he was caught - still a long time, but...
- the homophobia of society in general and the cops in particular, who wanted nothing to do with the subculture in which he operated. I imagine many didn't bother reporting his crimes - the way he was blacklisted by the bathhouses suggests it was well-known he was a date-rapist at the very least - because they knew they'd be ignored, or else they did and they were
- the racism of society in general and the cops in particular - he mainly operated in a black neighbourhood targeting black or Asian victims, and again those who flagged his behaviour were ignored and some no doubt didn't bother due to - rightly - distrusting the police to deal with it.

Watching it all play out now it's still staggering he remained free for so long, as he wasn't particularly careful - he was definitely an impulse killer rather than a planner - but I think these factors definitely played a major contributing factor to that