General Television Thread 2023

[Benjamin]

Finally finished Succession. 

Spoiler

For a show full of nothing but loathsome characters who should all die painful deaths, that was as satisfying an ending you could give them. 

They're all terrible people, though, for the life of me I can't imagine why some people have cheered these characters on. 

Watching the three kids lose the one thing they think proves what value they worth was absolutely fucking brilliant, just because they all suck and can't let someone else have what they want.

 

[gunnar hendershow]

I just wrapped it up too.

Spoiler

Connor's Wedding is up there in my pantheon of great TV episodes. I thought the show had a lot of juice after killing off Logan and when it started I felt his eventual death was a narrative midpoint. They wrapped up so much, so well though that none of the aftermath of them losing the one thing that gave them any sense of personal value was needed. It would've felt odd seeing Shiv just grin and bear it as a CEO's housewife, Connor annoying the hell out of Willa when he's not an ambassador to anywhere, and Roman go on a personal coming-of-age story just in time for his 40th birthday. Kendall dealing with throwing away his marriage and any meaningful relationship with his children for a job as Waystar CEO that was now forever out of reach, however, would've been incredibly compelling.

As a result him staring out at the river in a state of somber reflection is the perfect way to end the show.

Just about every side character had their moments of brilliance too, and as the show became ever more dramatic, they provided necessary levity. 

Looking back I get the sense that they changed some of the approach to the show after season one. Most for the better, but it seemed to become much less cringey and much more committed to showing you how awful all these people are. There's chances for sympathy with the Roy kids, they had truly horrendous parents. But then you get those regular reminders that as full-grown adults they can forge their own path and, well, they don't. 

I forget when I told my wife "there's a oft-used trope that women marry their fathers" about Tom back before we saw how low he'd go. Well, I guess I called that one.

 

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

13 hours ago, damhausen said:

I just wrapped it up too.

  Reveal hidden contents

Connor's Wedding is up there in my pantheon of great TV episodes. I thought the show had a lot of juice after killing off Logan and when it started I felt his eventual death was a narrative midpoint. They wrapped up so much, so well though that none of the aftermath of them losing the one thing that gave them any sense of personal value was needed. It would've felt odd seeing Shiv just grin and bear it as a CEO's housewife, Connor annoying the hell out of Willa when he's not an ambassador to anywhere, and Roman go on a personal coming-of-age story just in time for his 40th birthday. Kendall dealing with throwing away his marriage and any meaningful relationship with his children for a job as Waystar CEO that was now forever out of reach, however, would've been incredibly compelling.

As a result him staring out at the river in a state of somber reflection is the perfect way to end the show.

Just about every side character had their moments of brilliance too, and as the show became ever more dramatic, they provided necessary levity. 

Looking back I get the sense that they changed some of the approach to the show after season one. Most for the better, but it seemed to become much less cringey and much more committed to showing you how awful all these people are. There's chances for sympathy with the Roy kids, they had truly horrendous parents. But then you get those regular reminders that as full-grown adults they can forge their own path and, well, they don't. 

I forget when I told my wife "there's a oft-used trope that women marry their fathers" about Tom back before we saw how low he'd go. Well, I guess I called that one.

 

Spoiler

Not to rain on your parade but I don't feel like Tom is the new Logan. Lukas is the new Logan. There's absolutely no way Logan would have ever put himself in a position where he does whatever the person above him wants especially knowing that man wants to sleep with his wife. 

 

[Bobfoc]

1 hour ago, Mx. Canadian Destroyer said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Not to rain on your parade but I don't feel like Tom is the new Logan. Lukas is the new Logan. There's absolutely no way Logan would have ever put himself in a position where he does whatever the person above him wants especially knowing that man wants to sleep with his wife. 

 

Spoiler

My impression was that Tom is simply Lukas' sycophantic puppet who would get kicked to the curb as soon as a better option appears. By staying with Tom, Shiv is clinging onto the last threads of "legitimacy". Both Tom's position and his marriage with Shiv are those of short-term convenience and will almost certainly not last.

 

[GoGo Yubari]

re: all that

Spoiler

Yeah, I would say Shiv less married the new Logan so much as she married the new Karl.

I do think Tom could plausibly stick around in Matsson's orbit for a very long time because in the context of that show, it's the guys in that Karl/Jerri/Frank tier who seem to be the most stable. Even when they get cast out they're back in within like six episodes.

 

[gunnar hendershow]

Spoiler

I felt Tom kept managing to come out ahead because he was driven to be rich, which was I felt Logan's precise motivation. The people in his life no longer mattered at the end (and it could be argued Shiv made him that way), every relationship was purely transactional. That's where I feel like he is "most like" Logan. And that's what Shiv likely saw her father is, a man who only loved his kids when he needed something from them.

 

[FLiam]

Watched the first five episode of season two The Bear and it really is quite good.

Marcus’ episode in particular was so heart-warming and such a nice change of pace for the entire show. 

I’ve heard episode six is where the season really picks up - looking forward to watching it later.

[Benji]

I watched Spin City back in the day and am now rewatching and I had entirely forgotten that Connie Britton is in it.

[LL!]

7 hours ago, Benji said:

I watched Spin City back in the day and am now rewatching and I had entirely forgotten that Connie Britton is in it.

Wait till you find out Michael J. Fox teen wolves into Charlie Sheen.  

[Lint]

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/2023-emmy-nominations-list-1235666521/

 

Paddy Considine was robbed.

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series is literally just The White Lotus vs Succession

How is The Bear considered a comedy series?

Guest Actor and Actress in a Drama Series is The Last of Us vs Succession

All this is telling me I should watch Succession

[Bobfoc]

17 hours ago, Lint said:

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series is literally just The White Lotus vs Succession

Guest Actor and Actress in a Drama Series is The Last of Us vs Succession

HBO certainly seems set for plenty of prizes.

[Schlitzbrille]

18 hours ago, Lint said:

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/2023-emmy-nominations-list-1235666521/

 

Paddy Considine was robbed.

Ramin as well for the music categories

 

[gunnar hendershow]

Always Sunny was firing on all cylinders this week. And it's not the season finale, because they apparently had to adapt Glenn Howerton's Tesla story into an episode.

[FLiam]

The Bear season two spoilers:

Spoiler

Marcus 

That is all. Poor Marcus. 

 

[Benji]

Rewatching The Simpsons in full and season 14 is absolutely the season it tanks. The writing has been going downhill for a while, but 14 stinks with few exceptions.

Sidebar that I've decided Raphael is my favourite background character, and yet somehow in nearly 30 odd years of Simpsons fandom it's only in this run I remembered his name.

[The Buscher]

For some reason I had it in my head that the 2nd season of Severance was already in the can and, presumably, could be rolled out whenever Apple needs some new programming amid the strikes.  Turns out I was wrong on that, filming was nearly complete but not quite done when the actors (understandably) walked out in support of the writers and now of course they're on strike too.

Anyway, glad there's solidarity etc and hopefully everyone holds out for a good deal.  But damn, I miss this show a lot.  Given the strikes have no real end in sight I guess it'll have to wait til 2024.

Might be time for a rewatch.

[Ace]

On 13/07/2023 at 05:17, Benji said:

I watched Spin City back in the day and am now rewatching and I had entirely forgotten that Connie Britton is in it.

Still one of my go-to rewatches. Love that show.

[Benji]

Just saw a show on Disney+ and it was described as "from the producers of Stranger Things" and it made me realise just how much the description "from the X of Y" turns me off from watching them. If a show or movie isn't good enough to be described on its own merits then I'm not going to bother.

[gunnar hendershow]

"from the producers of" is the most nothing descriptor you can have. I guess it implies that if they produced one good show they must have the smarts to fund and produce another good show, but really those have little correlation.

[Benji]

Futurama is back (again, again) tomorrow