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| carrobin |
 Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:02 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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Watching the second episode of "Gotham" last night, it occurred to me that they're treading a very tricky line. The city isn't quite New York, but it's a darker, grittier version of Manhattan; the time is the present, but it has the style of the 1940s and '50s; there are no pop references or current cliches; the criminals are realistically ruthless but a little exaggerated. It's a noir TV show with admirable ambition, but I'm not sure they can pull it off. I'm interested enough to watch again next week, though. (The mother of the fellow who will eventually call himself the Penguin was Carol Kane--at her Kaniest--last night. I'm sure she'll show up again.)
Watched "Scorpion" again, it's okay, not going to be a habit.
The first show of the new season of "Castle" was quite fascinating. After the cliffhanger last season when his car was knocked off the road as he headed for his wedding, we find that he disappeared for two months, was spotted picking up a ransom and camping on a riverside, and then turned up unconscious in a dinghy in the ocean. Now he's recovered everything but the memory of those two months. Not everyone believes him, but Beckett does. More or less. I'm looking forward to next week, and hope they don't drag out the mystery all season. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:51 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Almost finished watching the whole season of Transparent, which more than lives up to the promise of the pilot. Jeffrey Tambor is award-worthy in the central role of Maura/Mort, the father of three adult children and a newly out transgender female. The three offspring are brilliantly portrayed by Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, and Gaby Hoffmann, the direction (often by series creator Jill Soloway) is reminiscent of Truffaut (the entire show has a very European feel), and the musical score is delectable. It's truly one of the best series I've seen in years and years. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:01 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6943
Location: Black Hills
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I do want to give Gaby Hoffman another chance, after an unfortunate intro to her in Crystal Fairy. Might have a look. Tambor is the man....so to speak.
Checked out "sherlock" and fell asleep during the pilot. Not sure if this UK series inspired US producers to roll out "Elementary" or its just a parallel evolution. For some reason, I get overload on all the cleverness and Cumberbatch's borderline autism. In any case, I just prefer Jonny Lee Miller. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 10:21 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| So glad someone agrees with me about the soporific qualities of the overrated Sherlock and the superiority of Elementary (not that the latter rocks my world either). Cumberbatch is running neck and neck with Depp at the top of my "meh" column. The only reason I'm excited about his upcoming movie The Imitation Game is that it's directed by Morten (Headhunters) Tyldum. |
Last edited by billyweeds on Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 10:51 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| I like "Sherlock" better than "Elementary," but then I'm an anglophile and prefer the London location to NYC (that's about the only place I prefer to NYC). I got annoyed with the show last season, though, when they wouldn't answer the crucial question of how he survived the finale of the previous season, and thus I considered those episodes as stories dreamed up by Watson. But I'll watch the next season, if they ever get around to getting it done. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 11:13 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6943
Location: Black Hills
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| The Good Wife offered a sharp and funny take on the dirty laundry problems of running for public office. Wow. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 8:57 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6943
Location: Black Hills
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billyweeds wrote: Just getting in touch (streaming on Netflix) with Luther, the 2010-12 British police show with many, many twists--not the least of which is that the title character is a semi-sociopathic Sherlock whose "Watson" is a killer herself. Idris Elba is Luther, the character whose blackness has literally nothing to do with the plot (and that's so refreshing I can't begin to tell you). Ruth Wilson is Alice, the really sociopathic woman who killed her parents and the family dog but winds up Luther's sidekick and unofficial assistant.
The plot takes so many unexpected twists and turns that you have perpetual whiplash, and some of the turns are truly WTF. Also--be warned--the grisliness sometimes reaches Criminal Minds level. But the show holds--compels--your interest. And the acting is superb.
All that, and Indira Varma, who enchanted me in that action series with Mark Valley. Netflix, in its list of episode descriptions, has an Indira Varma SPOILER, btw, which I didnt appreciate. Elba is so good that I'm wondering if I should check out The Wire, a series have never seen but heard good things re. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:31 am |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 1:40 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12889
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| It's looking more and more likely that the students in How to Get Away with Murder aren't going to pass their extra-credit project. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 2:17 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6943
Location: Black Hills
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I can't judge the latest Rhimes series, having seen only 20 min., but is it fair to say that all Rhimes shows have a similar style and/or tempo?
Luther is amazing. Am trying to space the viewings out, but this show is video heroin and I am a junkie. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 2:49 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12889
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| I haven't seen Scandal. How to Get Away with Murder has a kind of flashback structure, with a continuing story line in with the kids starring as students (about five of the class) are trying to dispose of the murdered body of their teacher' husband. The rest of the show takes place a couple of months earlier, has a case of the week, and a continuing storyline about a murdered coed in which the primary suspects are the starting quarterback, one student's pretty neighbor and the teacher's husband. Rhimes seems to have had an influence in the casting, since she likes blind casting. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:01 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12889
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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Meanwhile, Grey's Anatomy has lost Yang, but Meredith now has yet another half-sister, this time the daughter of Richard Webber and Ellis Grey. I was really annoyed at first (you killed off Lexipedia to being back a substitute?) but I really like the actress and character, and Derrick Shepard and Miranda Bailey's reactions were priceless.
Though my favorite addition is Amelia Shepard, who should always have been on this show instead of Private Practice. Maybe we can get Kate Walsh back someday. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:51 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6943
Location: Black Hills
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Anything to get her out of "Bad Judge" would be an act of mercy.
Haven't seen Grey in years. Sounds like a hospital with a pretty high mortality rate among its residents. You think word would get out. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 5:27 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12889
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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bartist wrote: Anything to get her out of "Bad Judge" would be an act of mercy.
Haven't seen Grey in years. Sounds like a hospital with a pretty high mortality rate among its residents. You think word would get out.
Yang got out alive. She's heading a research hospital in Europe that's trying to 3-D print hearts. Meredith's half-sister is her replacement. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 9:56 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| Maybe I'm slow to catch on, but it wasn't until Root called the Machine "God" again in Tuesday's "Person of Interest" that the theological implications of the show started to click in. (Maybe it was triggered by seeing a bit of "Angels and Demons" on another channel as well.) With the development of the evil Samaritan sibling, and the new set of villains that oppose our incredibly efficient heroes, things are starting to look downright Miltonian. And John Nolan makes an excellent Lucifer--but will Samaritan overwhelm him on its mission to take power? Is Root the messiah? (If so, that well-connected ruthless blonde is a worthy opponent.) This show is really starting to levitate. |
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