I think this is the right interpretation. A couple thoughts on The Bear without any spoilers. It definitely isn’t a comedy in any way shape or form. It’s almost like the people categorizing it as that didn’t watch it. Who would have thought Lip could actually act? I agree with goofy that the fact it is short is to it’s benefit as it is a pretty grim depressing show for the most part. That being said I think it does a good job of being relatable because lots of parts of life are grim and depressing. And I’m sure we can all think about those jobs we didn’t want to take or the problems with family and friends that felt oppressive. As a result it does a good job of feeling real which is a hallmark of all great tv(not saying this is great tv although in my opinion it is very good) vs. the schlock on CBS or whatever.
if season 2 includes a lot more joel mchale saying mean things it could become a real popcorn classic
Great news everyone!
dlk9s jr made the cut in Stranger Things 4. I won’t post a screenshot or describe anything yet, even in spoilers, as the final two episodes just dropped. He’s near the very end. Third to last scene, maybe. Not prominent, slightly blurry, but it’s easy to tell it’s him and he’s so incredibly psyched to be in his favorite show.
By the way, it really is incredible how much detail they put into these productions. They had my son in for a costume fitting and gave the costume director multiple options. He had REALLY long pandemic hair at the time and they trimmed it and styled it one day, took notes, then redid it the same way on the day of filming. All so he could maybe show up for a half second way in the background.
Watched The Bear and enjoyed it overall. Knew it was in Chicago, but didn’t know it took place in a real restaurant. Agree with others that I wouldn’t consider it a comedy and the short season worked to its benefit.
One thing I didn’t like was the constant yelling/screaming. Like they felt the need to amplify the anxiety/intensity of each conversation by having all the characters yell as loud as they could. I never worked in the restaurant industry before so it might just be like that in real life.
Got six month of Apple TV for free, and I started watching Severance based on the discussion in this thread. Loving it so far.
Kenobi series review: a few highs, but usually somewhere between meh and hot garbage. 4.5/10 sounds right; probably never as bad as the sequels, but that’s a low bar.
I think my main beefs are about the plot (settings, acting and dialogue were fine), and not even the overarching plot with Leia’s abduction, which was a pretty good idea. Just a handful of laughably moronic sequences throughout that others have touched on, culminating with a good enough duel, but Kenobi choosing not to kill a genocidal maniac for the second time; like fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, don’t dun get fooled again? Leaving him alive makes 0 sense and it makes it impossible/laughable to take Kenobi seriously when he strains to make other moral choices, which is 75% of the show. What a clown moment.
Getting up to date on the newest Star Treks: didn’t mind season 4 of Discovery, really not bad at all. Strange New Worlds is pretty good, has gotten the closest to matching the tone of the original, although way too much fucking Spock, what a boring character. Picard season 2 was total dog shit, my oh my. Had to watch some STNG favorites just to make sure it wasn’t always this abysmal, good news, STNG as good as ever!
Gets even better.
Strange New Worlds is perfect in catching a campy tone that is a proper homage to the original Star Trek, bit doing just enough to be fresh. I am fine with their use of Spock, he is an iconic character and it makes sense to go there. But I am more impressed with their fleshing out characters like Nurse Chapel and Mbemga.
Watching The Boys S3 finally. 3 episodes in. This has to the best parallel to today’s insane GOP/Trump world on “film” today. Home lander has just said “fuck it”, the worse I am the more my base loves me
Waffle party greatly exceeded expectations
Foundation! For all mankind!
Mostly agree with all this. SNW is good. Picard pretty bad, but I could always watch Sir Patrick Stewart play Jean Luc. Discovery not doing it as much for me lately. Enjoyed the earlier seasons. Maybe I just miss Michael Burnham’s short hair.
Another geeat episode yesterday btw. Season is A+ so far. Hopefully they stick the landing.
It’s about as subtle as a syringe in your scalp
Just finished Stranger Things. Pretty much have seen nothing but bad reviews and I say that’s codswallop. Absolutely loved it.
Which is pretty much what Trump, Desantis et al are.
After taking some time to reflect on the first season of Severance, I really can’t recommend it strongly enough. The writing, set design, cinematography, wardrobe and acting all come together to create this uncanny world in a way that amplifies the show’s thematic content. I guess all of these elements working in harmony is why Ben Stiller is getting so much credit as a director.
While the show has some very fresh ideas, it also uses dramatic techniques that have been around for millennia. Many of the most powerful effects in the last two episodes are achieved through what Aristotle called “reversal and recognition,” which he saw as an explanation for why plays like Oedipus Rex work so well.