ok that was the quickest cutting and pasting i’ve ever done, and for a 15ish year old show
1 Like
Some of your takes disturb me, but one of them where I can provide a more concrete answer:
The Julien story kinda petered out for two reasons:
- One, as Shawn Ryan has said, in his research for the show he found gay people who try to “convert” can keep up a straight life for about seven years or so before relapsing, and that didn’t fit in the timeline of the show, which takes place over about three years. (You do see that moment in the finale of Julien considering that gay couple, a nice little nod to that.)
- The other reason is that Michael Jace was uncomfortable playing a gay man, and, well, as you discovered for yourself, he clearly had some issues.
tell me more!
Shouldn’t have folded those aces, Mike.
1 Like
-
I think Vic’s punishment is more appropriate than it seems and truly fits him. All along he had this image of himself as a good guy and a family man, and he has that completely taken from him, everyone knows who he really is, and he’s lost every relationship in his life that mattered to him. For most people, a three-year desk job would be a pretty good deal, but Vic is a shark-- he needs to be on the street, and this is as soul-crushing an ending as could be.
But what really makes it strong is that it’s what Vic chose. He had all sorts of opportunities to come clean when the consequences would have been lesser, but he continually dug himself in deeper because he was so sure he could get away with it. In the end, he did-- but that’s all he got; he lost everything else.
That’s true of just about everybody in the show, one way or another: Shane and his family chose to kill themselves (I don’t believe he would have done that without her assent) rather than be split up; Ronnie chose to trust Vic rather than go on the run; Lem chose to take the consequences of prison and trust in the people he saw as his family, but one of them put his real family first. That’s what really makes the show powerful; that and the way the heat is gradually raised on our characters.) -
I’m most disturbed by your assessment of Walton Goggins, one of our greatest living actors. (But also, I think calling his descent into upper-fueled planning “lame writing” really misunderstands the kind of pressure Shane is under and how someone like him would react to it.)
Twilight Zone S2 first episode “Meet in the Middle” was WTF IS HAPPENING.
Second episode “Downtime” is also WTF is happening, but is a bit like part 1 of a two-part episode that stops at part 1 and skips to the end of part 2. But you can’t go wrong watching anything with Morena Baccarin.
I skipped to the finale “You Might Also Like” because The Egg sounded like a neat premise. It had a similar problem as episode 2. It does star Gretchen Mol, though, in case you’re wondering what she did after destroying Mike McDermott’s chances of being a poker god sooner.
Then went back to episode 3 “The Who of You” and it is SO GOOD, even if it leaves alone a lot of unexplored depth. Just watch it sight unseen, no spoilers. Well, one spoiler, the lead character is played by Ethan Embry, who you might recognize as the curly-haired kid struggling to confess his love to Jennifer Love Hewitt in the 90s movie Can’t Hardly Wait. He is now bald and has a big beard.
Onward to more episodes later tonight.
The show is at its best when its like Black Mirror and you aren’t really sure what’s happening until the credits.
Phew, ok this is the kind of stuff I can handle and are prob good points. When I read someone saying that my takes are disturbing and I know that I’ve written them while buzzed I get worried that I said something crazy offensive or something unintentionally.
You bring up some really good points. There’s a part of me that just wanted to Vic to die, Breaking Bad spoiler ahead, don’t click if you haven’t watched it like Walter White. When he didn’t, my reaction was frustration, but you definitely do bring up stuff I hadn’t considered.
I dunno man, maybe it’s like enjoying diet coke vs diet pepsi for some people. Walton Goggins just doesn’t really do much for me. Now your point about the drugs is well taken. My memory was that he hadn’t touched any kind of drug (other than booze) throughout the whole show, so after doing a few lines one time with some randos he all the sudden is doing blow from a dealer he mugged? It seemed far fetched during the watch, but yeah who knows, under that kind of pressure maybe he just saw it as a release.
It was a truly great show and I thank everybody in here for the rec. I’m on to Dark next.
1 Like
Holy fucking shit that S2 cast. I cannot wait
1 Like
Hahahah the only thing that really “disturbed” me was being unimpressed with Walton Goggins’ acting, and I mostly exaggerated that because I like him so much.
As far as your spoiler: I think this is one of the reasons Breaking Bad is a lesser show than The Shield. Vince Gilligan believed in a moral universe, and Walter’s death is ultimately the universe condemning him. (And because he is able to admit the truth about what he did and why, he gets a little win at the end.) Vic’s final fate is not the universe or any outside force judging him; it’s entirely what he brought on himself, and moreso it’s exactly what he wanted– he just didn’t know the cost. (Note the difference, too, that despite confessing to what he’d done and nailing Beltran, there is no redemptive moment or win for Vic. Olivia at ICE, and the cops at the Barn, know exactly who he is now, and it’s clear there’s no coming back from that with them.)
1 Like
After watching Sunderland 'Til I Die on Netflix and Take Us Home: Leeds United on Amazon, something happened I never thought possible:
I became slightly interested in soccer.
1 Like
Binged the first two seasons of Nathan for You tonight.
What an incredible show.
4 Likes
lol
You should definitely watch The Damned United, a film about the rise of Brian Clough and his assistant, Peter Taylor, (winning the biggest club trophies in world football without great players) at Derby, Leeds and Forest.
1 Like
There’s also the Calendar interview with Clough and Don Revie after Clough got sacked. God knows how many times I’ve watched it, it’s awesome seething anger on both sides.
Highlights
1 Like
Yeah, that was brilliant.
It’s funny how establishment Revie, the darling of the FA, ended up shafting them by leaving the Eng-er-lund job for the Middle East, and sad that the best manager of his generation (pound for pound probably the best ever) didn’t get a go at it.
Yes, fuck Don Revie. Though as a (now heavily lapsed) Forest fan I would say that.
This might be the show I’d most want to see again for the first time.
1 Like
Mine is still You’re the Worst, but the wife and I had a grand ole time watching Nathan for You the last couple days. Some of these are cringey as fuck, and I wasnt the biggest fan of the “Buy this toy or you’re a baby” segment, but all in all, it’s a 9.5/10
Nathan For You is still one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. I don’t know too many things I’ve laughed at as hard as “Gas Station / Caricature Artist” or “The Movement.” And the final episode is just incredible.
Late to the party as usual but the 1st season of Dave was so good. Not a Lil Dicky fan at all, might even call myself a hater, but the show is top notch.
1 Like