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

[Snowy]

We've been enjoying The Patient (Disney+), which sees Jewish therapist Steve Carell kidnapped by a serial killer who forces him to try to cure him while chained up in his basement.

10 eps, each one a breezy 25mins, so it's pretty well-paced and the cliffhangers get you wanting to watch the next one immediately. Still got a couple to go, but recommended.

Found this one floating unmoored on the seven seas so snaffled it on your recommendation Sly. 4 episodes done last night and it is very good so far!

[Animalmother]

Much to my own surprise I'm still watching The Walking Dead and still enjoying it. Midway through season 4 and the prison community. The zombies are getting more gruesome looking and also more squishy it would appear. One thing I forgot about this show is there's some great music used during the episodes. Nice thoughtful little indie tunes dotted about the carnage and tedium.

I know the rot starts to set in( pun intended) once Negan makes an appearance. Fantastic character in the comic but very lackluster in the show. The Governor has also been turned into a semi sympathetic character as apposed to his utterly deranged comic depiction. I can forgive some changes to the show but I really think it would have fared better if they'd stuck more to the source material.

[Snowy]

I can forgive some changes to the show but I really think it would have fared better if they'd stuck more to the source material.

It's always the case for me, less successful writers thinking they can do a better job than the author who gained success on the strength of the original story, and who can't.

[Raid]

Star Trek: Prodigy
I ended up watching this after this year's season of Lower Decks finished, and it's not bad at all considering it's very obviously aimed at a younger audience. It's seemingly gone down pretty well with other long-term Star Trek fans too. The main character is the standard wisecracking brat that I assume literally every kids show features, but you do warm to him by the mid point of the season, at which point the story really gets going, and it's actually quite a decent tale. The big draw for older fans is that it also stars Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Janeway, and it turns out she's a pretty good voice actor. There's one episode in particular that I'd have loved to see as live-action because of her performance.

I can't recommend it to every Trek fan as you have to ignore the fact that four kids and a Medusan (just one of an absolute ton of references that show this was written by Trek fans, not Nickelodeon suits) in a robot suit are capable of operating a Federation starship with minimal assistance, but frankly that's not too distant from what they had to put up with Discovery too, and I think the kids are genuinely more likeable and better written than Burnham and co.

And, minor point, but it has a fantastic main theme.

[Bird]

I don't know if this has been said already but Severance on AppleTV is excellent. It's pretty gripping with lots of places for the story to go, the core concept is like a missed idea from the days of classic sci-fi and Ben Stiller is a surprisingly good director. I would recommend making it last though, as there's only one series and it can be a bit too stressful for a binge watch.

Incidentally you get a pretty decent apple tv+ free trial with a new iphone/ipad etc if you claim it within 3 months of purchase.

[Hatredsheart]

I don't know if this has been said already but Severance on AppleTV is excellent. It's pretty gripping with lots of places for the story to go, the core concept is like a missed idea from the days of classic sci-fi and Ben Stiller is a surprisingly good director. I would recommend making it last though, as there's only one series and it can be a bit too stressful for a binge watch.

Incidentally you get a pretty decent apple tv+ free trial with a new iphone/ipad etc if you claim it within 3 months of purchase.

A really good watch this, second season coming this year.

[Animalmother]

Future Man
I watched a few episodes of this back when it was released and it didn't do much for me. Rewatching it now and I'm really enjoy it. A aimless janitor beats a video game that turns out to be a training test sent from the future to find humanities savoir. What we get is a piss take of Back to the Future mixed with Terminator as one fuck up escalates into another.

It only managed 3 seasons so I'm guessing it doesn't hold it's appeal as it goes on but I'll keep at it until then. Not sure if it was a victim of Covid or low viewing numbers.

[Alan]

The Patient
That was excellent, good shout Sly.

Treason
Charlie Cox is promoted to head of MI5 after an attempt on the current head leaves him in a coma. The main suspect is a Russian who is also Charlies friend. Some intrigue and twists follow. Couldn't really tell you what happened but it wasnt bad or anything it was just another one of those shows with not a lot to differentiate itself.

Wednesday
Its fine. Not that into the goth-Harry Potter thing they had going, the monster design was horrible and the plot was rubbish. If the cast didn't play it as well I think we would have given up on it before the end.

His Dark Materials S3 (half way)
Continues to be very well made and just good enough to keep watching without really grabbing us.

The Peripheral (half way)
William Gibson thing on Prime. Very well made and just good enough to keep watching without really grabbing us. Déjà vu I'll always remember you.

[Animalmother]

The Last of Us
Very similar to the game but different enough to be its own thing is probably the best way to describe it. First episode was well made and got most of the beats of the first few parts of the game, some plot changes but nothing too drastic. Definitely worth a look.

[Hatredsheart]

[Snowy]

My wife and I have been watching Physical 100 on Netflix.

It is bizarrely enjoyable. 100 Korean competitors from all kinds of physical backgrounds take part in a series of challenges. It feels like Squid Game in some ways, you almost expect losers to be gunned down or similar. The actual competition is really pretty good too, with some interesting challenges.

What makes it though is the dubbing. What I presume are actual comments from the competitors are dubbed in the mildest and least emotive manner possible, which for some reason I find incredibly funny.

I don't really know what genre they were going for here, but it is really enjoyable.

[Alan]

Happy Valley
Great little series, start to finish. If you haven’t, it’s really worth a watch. 3 series with 6 eps per so it’s no huge commitment. The writing is just great and even if a plot point or two might feel a touch contrived the banter between the characters is the glue that keeps it so tight. Sarah Lancashire is pitch perfect throughout and it pretty much sticks the landing with the finale.

[Snowy]

Happy Valley
Great little series, start to finish. If you haven’t, it’s really worth a watch. 3 series with 6 eps per so it’s no huge commitment. The writing is just great and even if a plot point or two might feel a touch contrived the banter between the characters is the glue that keeps it so tight. Sarah Lancashire is pitch perfect throughout and it pretty much sticks the landing with the finale.

Yeah I will second that, only watched the show recently and thought it was brilliant.

[Lenny Solidus]

Kingdom 2014–2017

There are tv shows and there are tv shows. Kingdom for me falls gracefully but with contusions into the latter, not since Dexter have I been so glued to a show, watching episode after episode and the fact so many are still not aware of the show pains me greatly. The trials and tribulations of Alvy and Lisa, Ryan Jay and Nate are presented in such a way that you practically become a part of the on-screen family and all the shit they go through both separately and in unison.

When a show gets an 8.5 rating on IMDb but somehow only manages to air for three seasons - you know it's something you should take a look at and after I did I have rewatched it nigh on religiously ever since and am on yet another repeat viewing tonight.

I genuinely consider it one of the best, most impactful shows I have ever sat through.

Spoiler

I do believe it's up on Amazon Prime free to watch - with ads of course.

[Alan]

The Orville
Trying to get through this one assurances it gets good in S2 but by god S1 is a slog. The stories are obvious, basic and been done to death and I cannot state how much I hate the two helmsmen. The jokes are just cringe Ive no idea how it even got a S2 on the strength of this ¬_¬