General Television Thread

[KONGO]

Finished Blake's 7. What a great show. The special effects are horrible but often hilarious, but the acting and stories were great.

Was slightly disappointed by the end but that was only after it was over. Killing of Blake pretty much summed up the show: confusion, betrayal, and a hair trigger. Kind of predictable everyone dies ending, but it matched the tone of the show and the episode. They ultimately didn't have a chance.

[fr34k]

I thought the Revolution pilot was terrible but I'll watch a few more episodes to see if it improves. So far, 99% of the characters are cringe inducing and/or totally unlikeable.

[GoGo Yubari]

Yeaaaah, this is a problem. I really like Giancarlo Esposito's character but at least half of that is because he's being played by Giancarlo Esposito. Wacky Comic Relief Dude With a Beard is okay. Everyone else has no depth yet or is outright annoying (fuck off, Danny, this is all your fault).

[Benji]

Jeez, just watched the season four finale of House. That is just amazing television.

[Josh]

Jeez, just watched the season four finale of House. That is just amazing television.

That is, indeed, a great episode.

Are you watching through the series for the first time? If so, Season 5 gets even better.

But you might want to stop after the first two hours of Season 6.

[Benji]

Yeah, really didn't enjoy it on first airing, but it started on Sky Atlantic a few months back and I've been watching a full series every time it records up to that point. It can be a bit samey at points, but there's always a sense of arcing story continuance that I've grown to love. I think House's Head was better, but Wilson's Heart was just heart wrenching...

... they really couldn't have chosen a better character to go through that than Wilson. The guy is the perfect Watson.

[fr34k]

Yeaaaah, this is a problem. I really like Giancarlo Esposito's character but at least half of that is because he's being played by Giancarlo Esposito. Wacky Comic Relief Dude With a Beard is okay. Everyone else has no depth yet or is outright annoying (fuck off, Danny, this is all your fault).

Agreed. Plus...

I didn't like the idea of jumping 15 years in the future right from the get go. It would have been way more interesting in my opinion to see everything unfold over time, but now it's more like "Well, here we are now" and the things that have happened in the past 15 years are the mystery that's supposed to drag the audience along (e.g. how did the mother die, how did Monroe take over, etc.). Problem is - I don't care. I also didn't care about Charlie's dad dying because I didn't know him - random character death to get the plot moving is not really a great idea to begin with but especially pointless if we don't know the guy (but I get that something has to kick start everything and they can't spend the whole pilot setting things up properly because it will almost certainly alienate viewers). Also, did they just give Danny asthma in a desperate attempt to make him more likeable and show the problems of the new world? Because it didn't work and I was hoping from start that Esposito would just shoot him. Let's hope he dies when they try to rescue him (but I don't think that I can take Charlie being all emotional again (IT'S NOTHING JUST LET US GO ALREADY MY UNCLE IS A JERK *SADFACE* / BUT WE'RE FAMILY!). Eric Kripke and J.J. Abrams also don't have the best track record of resolving things in any meaningful way. Like I said, would have found the show a lot more interesting if they didn't jump 15 years and actually showed how everything falls to pieces.

Jeez, just watched the season four finale of House. That is just amazing television.

That is, indeed, a great episode.

Are you watching through the series for the first time? If so, Season 5 gets even better.

But you might want to stop after the first two hours of Season 6.

Listen to this man.

[GoGo Yubari]

Yeaaaah, this is a problem. I really like Giancarlo Esposito's character but at least half of that is because he's being played by Giancarlo Esposito. Wacky Comic Relief Dude With a Beard is okay. Everyone else has no depth yet or is outright annoying (fuck off, Danny, this is all your fault).

Agreed. Plus...

I didn't like the idea of jumping 15 years in the future right from the get go. It would have been way more interesting in my opinion to see everything unfold over time, but now it's more like "Well, here we are now" and the things that have happened in the past 15 years are the mystery that's supposed to drag the audience along (e.g. how did the mother die, how did Monroe take over, etc.). Problem is - I don't care. I also didn't care about Charlie's dad dying because I didn't know him - random character death to get the plot moving is not really a great idea to begin with but especially pointless if we don't know the guy (but I get that something has to kick start everything and they can't spend the whole pilot setting things up properly because it will almost certainly alienate viewers). Also, did they just give Danny asthma in a desperate attempt to make him more likeable and show the problems of the new world? Because it didn't work and I was hoping from start that Esposito would just shoot him. Let's hope he dies when they try to rescue him (but I don't think that I can take Charlie being all emotional again (IT'S NOTHING JUST LET US GO ALREADY MY UNCLE IS A JERK *SADFACE* / BUT WE'RE FAMILY!). Eric Kripke and J.J. Abrams also don't have the best track record of resolving things in any meaningful way. Like I said, would have found the show a lot more interesting if they didn't jump 15 years and actually showed how everything falls to pieces.

I think Danny's asthma succeeds at showing a complication of the new world they're in but definitely fails as a means of making him sympathetic.

And I'm actually totally fine with skipping the 15 years but I do really hope they're going to have proper flashback episodes and show the way things play out as they go on, because that stuff does genuinely interest me and it's by far the most interesting part of the show (certainly not BUT WHO'S SIDE IS JACOB FROM TWILIGHT ON???).

[fr34k]

Yeaaaah, this is a problem. I really like Giancarlo Esposito's character but at least half of that is because he's being played by Giancarlo Esposito. Wacky Comic Relief Dude With a Beard is okay. Everyone else has no depth yet or is outright annoying (fuck off, Danny, this is all your fault).

Agreed. Plus...

I didn't like the idea of jumping 15 years in the future right from the get go. It would have been way more interesting in my opinion to see everything unfold over time, but now it's more like "Well, here we are now" and the things that have happened in the past 15 years are the mystery that's supposed to drag the audience along (e.g. how did the mother die, how did Monroe take over, etc.). Problem is - I don't care. I also didn't care about Charlie's dad dying because I didn't know him - random character death to get the plot moving is not really a great idea to begin with but especially pointless if we don't know the guy (but I get that something has to kick start everything and they can't spend the whole pilot setting things up properly because it will almost certainly alienate viewers). Also, did they just give Danny asthma in a desperate attempt to make him more likeable and show the problems of the new world? Because it didn't work and I was hoping from start that Esposito would just shoot him. Let's hope he dies when they try to rescue him (but I don't think that I can take Charlie being all emotional again (IT'S NOTHING JUST LET US GO ALREADY MY UNCLE IS A JERK *SADFACE* / BUT WE'RE FAMILY!). Eric Kripke and J.J. Abrams also don't have the best track record of resolving things in any meaningful way. Like I said, would have found the show a lot more interesting if they didn't jump 15 years and actually showed how everything falls to pieces.

I think Danny's asthma succeeds at showing a complication of the new world they're in but definitely fails as a means of making him sympathetic.

And I'm actually totally fine with skipping the 15 years but I do really hope they're going to have proper flashback episodes and show the way things play out as they go on, because that stuff does genuinely interest me and it's by far the most interesting part of the show (certainly not BUT WHO'S SIDE IS JACOB FROM TWILIGHT ON???).

I had already forgotten about our bow and arrow man, but yeah, don't care about that either. I think my problem with the time jump has more to do with the fact that every show Abram's has been involved in lately has used freaking flashbacks. LOST had them, but they were really good there. Alcatraz and Person of Interest have them as well and I can't shake the feeling that he/they are using it as an easy device to create suspense. If they decide to do proper flashback episodes, as well as feature them in a more meaningful way then a) 'Look, here is revelation to a secret from three episodes ago' in combination with b) 'But wait, what is the meaning of this? Wait ten more episodes to find out!' a big part of my criticism could vanish in thin air. The show definitely has some potential which is why I'm even going to stick with it but I'm not holding my breath that it will reach the level it could potentially achieve.

[Jimmy]

is the 6th season of the office any good?

[RPS]

I enjoy it. Probably the last "strong" season. The wedding, whilst not the best episode, definitely was a feel good moment for the show.

[Benji]

Burn Notice Season 5 is pretty dull. Far too many military episodes, not enough helping of the little people that makes this show great.

[MalaCloudy Black]

I liked season 5, just because much more of the focus was on Michael & company and not "Hey Michael, my [friend/relative/this person I met 5 minutes ago in McDonalds] needs YOUR help! It turns out they're mixed up with [drugs/gangs/arms dealers/terrorists]!" with 5 or 10 minutes at the end of the episode about the burn notice or whatever the arc for the season is.

Season 6 has a little bit more of what you're talking about, but the larger focus is still on Michael and friends. And I much rather prefer that.

[GoGo Yubari]

is the 6th season of the office any good?

Looking at the list of episodes now. The wedding episode is worth watching because it's one of the milestone episodes of the show. Elsewhere, "Murder" is very good and probably my favorite episode of that season. "Scott's Tots" is good but very, very, very heavy on the cringe comedy so your mileage may vary. And "Secret Santa" also has Michael being over-the-top awful but I seem to recall liking it.

I can't really recommend anything else that season. That's not to say that it's bad (though don't bother with "Mafia," which is the single worst episode of The Office before Michael leaves), but just that a lot of the other stuff doesn't really ring a bell anymore.

[Benji]

Say what you will about Glee, it has it's awful parts, but the latter half of season three, and particularly the final few episodes, are great emotional teen TV.

Also, I love this:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zDlrGFfBHCA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[GoGo Yubari]

I'm not sure I'd go that far when it comes to praising more than isolated bits of the last few episodes, but the Rachel/Finn stuff in the season finale was shockingly great stuff between a character I only sort of care about when she's not over-the-top awful (I also absolutely loved her choking during her audition for the drama school) and a character I don't care about in the slightest.

Season four is going to be an absolute trainwreck, though. Glee has become a hate-watch show for me, mostly, so I'm looking forward to it.

[Benji]

I really hate Rachel, everyone bowed to her whim because she was such a Superstar, it made me want to punch everyone else. I loved the tail end, especially the Nationals episode, which would've served as a better finale IMO.

Next season is going to either be a train wreck, or a refreshing change of pace that the show needs. I'm thinking former, especially considering Rachel is the only character touted for every single episode so far. I don't know who Lea Michelle is fucking, but she must be a god damned dynamo in bed to keep the lead so much when she's the least likeable person on the show.

[GoGo Yubari]

Lea Michelle is genuinely good at acting and singing. It's not her fault that Glee's writers are fucking terrible. If anything, Cory Monteith is the one who is blatantly focused on beyond his actual level of ability.

Also, being unlikable is a prerequisite for being a major character in a Ryan Murphy show.

[Benji]

Rachel's acting on the train was painful to watch, as was most of her stuff this season. I liked her stuff with Kurt because they have ridiculously good chemistry, but I just Lea's over dramatic style far more ridiculous than Rachel's.

Strangely, I like Cory. He's probably one of the worst singers, but he's got a subtlety to him that's really sweet. Plus he's the most believable person on the entire show.

One thing's for sure, Blaine reminded me this season why he's my favourite character, especially during the Christmas special.

[The Future]

The solution to everything is more Naya Riviera.