The really great TV thread

[RallyMonkey]

The Sh1t definitely hit the fan tonight on American Horror. Lot of secrets and questions finally answered tonight.

Agreed. I'm enjoying this show deep down in places I can't talk about at parties.

[sportdan30]

Unguarded: The Chris Herron story by ESPN films was excellent. Talk about throwing your basketball career away!

ESPN Films is putting out great personal documentaries left and right.

[Badgun]

Did anyone else watch Grim?

I DVR it just to check it out and I thought it was really good. The fact it is on NBC scares me they f*** up everything but it sure had some good suspensful moments.

Love Grimm. Both episodes have been great.

[Danimal]

Did anyone else watch Grim?

I DVR it just to check it out and I thought it was really good. The fact it is on NBC scares me they f*** up everything but it sure had some good suspensful moments.

Love Grimm. Both episodes have been great.

It's getting decent ratings but no one I know watches it. Real shame it's a good suspenseful show, one of the few TV shows that made me jump in my chair just through the use of sound.

[jLp vAkEr0]

Saw the pilot for American Horror Story a couple of nights ago, gf and me loved it.

Have all 5 episodes waiting for me on my PS3, can't wait to see more!

[Naples39]

While this season of Walking Dead has been pretty lame, I am catching up on Breaking Bad. Into the 4th season now. Wow, what a great show. My wife doesn't like to watch it though....she says it is too stressful.

[pk500]

While this season of Walking Dead has been pretty lame, I am catching up on Breaking Bad. Into the 4th season now. Wow, what a great show. My wife doesn't like to watch it though....she says it is too stressful.

Best drama on TV. Even better than "Mad Men," which also is excellent.

Every episode of "Breaking Bad" seems to be like a mini-Tarantino epic. That's a tough feat to achieve week in and week out, but Vince Gilligan and crew have pulled it off.

[RobVarak]

Interesting. I'm loving Walking Dead. It's definitely shifted in tone substantially, but with the exception of the interminable Sophia search, I've really liked it. Last season felt like a standalone mini-series. This feels like a genuine show, with the characters grappling with problems larger than minute-to-minute survival.

[Naples39]

Interesting. I'm loving Walking Dead. It's definitely shifted in tone substantially, but with the exception of the interminable Sophia search, I've really liked it. Last season felt like a standalone mini-series. This feels like a genuine show, with the characters grappling with problems larger than minute-to-minute survival.

The Sophia search is taking ridiculously long. Also I thought the episode where Shane and Otis went for supplies amidst the zombies was without tension or continuity in my opinion. The last episode was better that some things seem to start happening, whereas I thought the previous 2 were kind of duds.

I guess I just don't find the characters very interesting right now, and the setting is the real appeal of the show for me.

[FifaInspected]

found Breaking Bad a few weeks ago. Best TV ever in my opinion. I literally can't wait to see what happens next. Only about 10 episodes left.. not sure what i'll do when i'm caught up!

[pk500]

found Breaking Bad a few weeks ago. Best TV ever in my opinion. I literally can't wait to see what happens next. Only about 10 episodes left.. not sure what i'll do when i'm caught up!

Squirm and weep in equal measure in anticipation for next season, the last of the series!

[Brando70]

Got caught up with Homeland over the weekend. My wife and I stayed up until after 1 am on Saturday to watch three episodes in a row. So far it has been nearly flawless in my opinion. It's expertly paced, with a great balance between action and drama. The characters, even minor ones, are really fleshed out. And the acting is top notch, with Claire Danes, Damien Lewis, and Mandy Patinkin in particular delivering great performances. I'm actually bummed that I now have to wait for new episodes.

[webdanzer]

Got caught up with Homeland over the weekend. My wife and I stayed up until after 1 am on Saturday to watch three episodes in a row. So far it has been nearly flawless in my opinion. It's expertly paced, with a great balance between action and drama. The characters, even minor ones, are really fleshed out. And the acting is top notch, with Claire Danes, Damien Lewis, and Mandy Patinkin in particular delivering great performances. I'm actually bummed that I now have to wait for new episodes.

It's kept up the good for sure. My only question is why you had to catch up!?

My wife and I have been drooling for each new episode since the first. Can't wait for Sun nights! Best show currently airing, IMO.

[Brando70]

Got caught up with Homeland over the weekend. My wife and I stayed up until after 1 am on Saturday to watch three episodes in a row. So far it has been nearly flawless in my opinion. It's expertly paced, with a great balance between action and drama. The characters, even minor ones, are really fleshed out. And the acting is top notch, with Claire Danes, Damien Lewis, and Mandy Patinkin in particular delivering great performances. I'm actually bummed that I now have to wait for new episodes.

It's kept up the good for sure. My only question is why you had to catch up!?

My wife and I have been drooling for each new episode since the first. Can't wait for Sun nights! Best show currently airing, IMO.

Ha, no doubt. I got Showtime just so I could watch this series and it was worth it.

[wco81]

Think the behavior of Carrie would make intelligence professionals roll their eyes.

Show is entertaining but is it realistic? And could there be a mole inside the CIA? Not a novel idea as one of the producers was also a producer on 24.

[JackB1]

Interesting. I'm loving Walking Dead. It's definitely shifted in tone substantially, but with the exception of the interminable Sophia search, I've really liked it. Last season felt like a standalone mini-series. This feels like a genuine show, with the characters grappling with problems larger than minute-to-minute survival.

The Sophia search is taking ridiculously long. Also I thought the episode where Shane and Otis went for supplies amidst the zombies was without tension or continuity in my opinion. The last episode was better that some things seem to start happening, whereas I thought the previous 2 were kind of duds.

I guess I just don't find the characters very interesting right now, and the setting is the real appeal of the show for me.

Loving this show, but they need to bring an end to this Sophia thing.

[Brando70]

Think the behavior of Carrie would make intelligence professionals roll their eyes.

Show is entertaining but is it realistic? And could there be a mole inside the CIA? Not a novel idea as one of the producers was also a producer on 24.

Well, it's a drama, not a documentary. I like that they at least show the ambiguity of intelligence, the conflict between obeying the law and collecting information, and the psychological toll something like tracking terrorists can take on intelligence professionals. To me, the last item is the great character strength of the show.

The history of the CIA is also full of unstable personalities, unethical behavior, and rogue operations. It's also a very insular professional culture, which I think the show also captures.

A "real" CIA drama would probably be boring as hell to watch -- in episodes 5-7, our heroine wades through hours of NSA recordings! -- but 24 this is not. It reminds me more of The Hunt for Red October, but with a more interesting protagonist.

[wco81]

Stylistically, it's not sensationalistic or melodramatic but she pimped out an "asset" and got that asset killed after lying to her about protecting her.

Then she ends up sleeping with the subject of her surveillance?

Even if the guy is the Manchurian Candidate and she catches him, her career is over. 24 played into the right-wing fantasies about the efficacy of torture in the ticking time bomb scenario and how being "right" justified dispensing with all the Constitutional niceties that they give lip service to. That show was the subject of conferences at conservative think-tanks, as if a TV show could vindicate certain policies on the WoT.

BTW, Brody seems to have killed the other POW, unless those flashbacks are faulty. So even if the guy doesn't try to commit terrorism, he's already guilty of murder.

[Lancer]

Homeland has been pretty good so far, but it pales in comparison to Boardwalk Empire Season 2 this year.

I have to say this season just kills BE Season 1 and that was a great season.

BE Season 2 is probably the best HBO series since The Wire. In fact, the show reminds feels like a comboination of the Sopranos and the Wire.

If anyone saw the episode last night, Buscemi just killed. Not a spoiler, but the acting job he did when he had to tie his father's shoes was award winning.

[pk500]

If anyone saw the episode last night, Buscemi just killed. Not a spoiler, but the acting job he did when he had to tie his father's shoes was award winning.

Agreed. But the disdain with which Nucky (Buscemi) treated his dead father and Eli as they sat before the casket before the wake also was superb.

Nice to see Angela return to her lesbian tendencies, too.

[wco81]

What's the deal with the Kelly McDonald character screwing the help? She's come a long way from attending temperance sermons, hasn't she?

At the convo, Nucky seems to know about the infidelity and makes the guy think he knows but then switched the topic. Maybe he needs muscle from Belfast but after that ...

[Lancer]

wco - ya i think you're onto something.

Anyone else laugh when Dormity threw Doyle off the balcony while Doyle was doing his stupid annoying laugh

I just had to crack up after that!

[pk500]

What's the deal with the Kelly McDonald character screwing the help? She's come a long way from attending temperance sermons, hasn't she?

At the convo, Nucky seems to know about the infidelity and makes the guy think he knows but then switched the topic. Maybe he needs muscle from Belfast but after that ...

Absolutely. Owen is just another young turk trying to upset the existing balance of power, just like Darmody, Capone, Lansky and Luciano. Except this is hitting Nucky even harder, because it's challenging his abilities as a man and a lover.

[vinny-b]

excellent thread.


from first-hand experience the past few weeks, have learned it's not intelligent to view Mad Men after watching Breaking Bad. I had initially watched the first 2 2/3 seasons of Mad Men and really liked it, before temporarily putting it on hold when first discovered BB. After completing 4 seasons of Breaking Bad, what can i say? I feel like i lost a friend. That and Mad Men is boring by comparison.

the characters definitely have a part in this. Personally, i find both Jesse and even Walt more likeable then Don Draper. To this point (S4 E1) i continue to have a lack of respect for Draper. To me, he's a person of little to no substance. Aside from his infidelity, i don't even think his advertising skills are all that. Even Peggy is more clever/gifted at what she does. Side note: my favorite character (Grandpa Gene) was literally killed off following 2 episodes.

to get back on track. MM is a fine series. In addition to completing Mad Men, i also plan to try The Wire, Sopranos, Dexter, The Fringe, Sons of Anarchy, Life On Mars/Ashes to Ashes, Weeds, etc. Whether any of these will match up to Breaking Bad, i don't know..

[Lancer]

everyone tells me to watch BB, but it just seems so depressing. Is that true Vinny? it's a depressing show?