The TV thread

I liked the characters and ending more.

I liked the story telling more in the first.

 

When you got to the end of the first season, you kind of realized how much McConaughey, Harrelson and to a lesser extent Monaghan were carrying things. Season three, I think it was overall a much better show, but it didn't have the highs of season one to me, like the one-shot raid.

 

1st episode was compelling. 2nd episode was wasted time and slow. I cant see that it moved the plot along very much. But I will check out the 3rd episode.

 

I'm glad I stuck it out. It got better and the end was with it. But I do like dumb TV if there is some action and a mildly entertaining story.

 

Signed up for my latest free month of Netflix, so trying to catch up on as much as I can. So far ...

Russian Doll -- four episodes in, can't say it's completely original since Happy Death Day did it a couple years ago (and put a twist on the Groundhog's Day formula everyone compares Russian Doll to) but it is putting a different spin on it as she meets up with a fellow traveler, so you wonder how vast it will become. Will keep watching.

You -- three episodes in and love it, totally over the top and all from the stalker guy's point of view, but he's totally charming so you want to keep watching just to see how much more he's going to get away with, it was originally on Lifetime but I don't watch anything on there so can't say if it is typical to other Lifetime fare. Will definitely finish it.

Umbrella Academy -- watched one episode and it's perfectly fine, will come back eventually but might be awhile.

The Punisher -- there's not a lot of depth to The Punisher as a character, so not a whole lot you can do and they did most of it in the first episode, Frank Castle is wandering, finds what appears to be safe harbor with a barmaid, and all hell breaks out. Don't know how much they can stretch that out, and of course Jigsaw has to come back. But then what? Will probably eventually finish.

Evil Genius -- got wrapped up in this way-too-long documentary series about the Erie pizza delivery guy who was blown up by a collar bomb and either part of a bank-robbing conspiracy (doubtful) or unwitting dupe (most likely), always been fascinated by this case, the thing probably could have been half as long and who knows what to believe even after watching it.

Abducted in Plain Sight -- these people are a bunch of goofs, I'm amazed everyone in the family was willing to go on camera and talk about it 40 years later.

 

Really enjoying Trust - the Getty miniseries that aired on FX last year. When you have Donald Sutherland and Hillary Swank and a great turn by Brendan Fraser and Danny Boyle directing - you really can't go wrong.
If I didn't know better I would have thought it was a Coen Bros. production.

 

Think of the first episode as the soft open of a TV show. It gets you back in the frame of mind, even sets up the story but the action is free to expand. That episode introduced the principle (new) characters who are going to drive everything. You really should keep going. The second season actually is well done.

 

Speaking of Russian Doll, Buzzfeed actually had a good analysis of the show and how it is a videogame show without being a videogame show. Major spoilers in here for not just Russian Doll, so be ye warned.

Buzzfeed's Russian Doll article

 

Is it anything like the movie (which I thought was kind of meh)?

 

It's more "fun" - like I said, it really plays like a Coen Bros. venture.

 

Oh, I'll get back to it soon enough. And I'll enjoy it for what it is. I am looking forward to the return of Jigsaw.

 

Beverly Hills 90210 II. Or is it III?

‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ returning to FOX with original cast