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precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
Patriot is an Amazon Original Series from Steven Conrad, who has done a few films, most notably the excellent The Weather Man with Nicolas Cage.

It is a show about a man who goes into a "Non-Official Cover" position at an industrial piping company in order to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear capability. Alternately, it is a show about a folk singer who occasionally has to kill people.

More articulate people than me have called it "indescribable", and it's true. It fits into no genre neatly, aside from possibly the overly nebulous "mumblecore" style. It's so much more than that, though - heavily serialized, almost every episode is showing you flashbacks from different POVs, or flash-forwards, that slowly reveal this is far from a simple story. As things go on, things get more hosed, and by mid-season I genuinely had no clue how any of it would wrap up.

Also, I need better ideas for the thread title.

e: And imgur is down so I'll add some pictures later. If I feel like it.

e2: :siren: Netflix Spoiler Rules Apply: Do it like this:

s1e6 I can't believe Leslie had to eat all those muffins by himself

precision fucked around with this message at 21:08 on Feb 28, 2017

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Vodos
Jul 17, 2009

And how do we do that? We hurt a lot of people...

Loved the show, especially since I grew up in Luxembourg and you never see it in US media. There's a couple of mentions in Sorkin's shows for some reason but that's it. They filmed part of it in Luxembourg City, which is central and parts in Echternach, which is on the border with Germany (that long-ish bridge they sometimes show ends in Germany) and make it seem like it's one place, but other than that it was fun seeing locations I know well for once. There's no cops even half as smart as the detective lady though, everyone with half a brain goes into finance.
The thing with our driver's licenses (and IDs) is real and happens all the time.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
That's something I was actually wondering about, if they actually shot it in Luxembourg, and man does it look good.

Vodos posted:

The thing with our driver's licenses (and IDs) is real and happens all the time.

Ah, so DMVs being terrible is a worldwide epidemic.

Vodos
Jul 17, 2009

And how do we do that? We hurt a lot of people...

precision posted:

That's something I was actually wondering about, if they actually shot it in Luxembourg, and man does it look good.


Ah, so DMVs being terrible is a worldwide epidemic.

Oh I meant the part where people in other countries look at your documents and go like, is this real / that's a country? Not the walking into a DMV to steal an ID part.

Elite
Oct 30, 2010

quote:

More articulate people than me have called it "indescribable", and it's true. It fits into no genre neatly, aside from possibly the overly nebulous "mumblecore" style. It's so much more than that, though - heavily serialized, almost every episode is showing you flashbacks from different POVs, or flash-forwards, that slowly reveal this is far from a simple story. As things go on, things get more hosed, and by mid-season I genuinely had no clue how any of it would wrap up.

I guess I'd describe it as : Character-driven drama comedy where serious characters try to claw themselves free from a farcical problem.

Maybe character driven is debateable there, but it is a point that I'd argue for.

The characters feel consistent and reasonable (with one or two silly personality quirks) and they're always trying to advance their own goals, but for comparison the main plot doesn't necessarily change much from episode to episode.

I also think the characters do a good job of setting up comedy:

Leslie getting super psyched about breakfast is made funnier by him being so serious and such a hardass everywhere else in the show.
John's desperate need to keep his job for the greater good make his various sabotages of Stephen (ranging from petty to horrific) become funny, but they'd horrible if done for a selfish motive.

Rocksicles
Oct 19, 2012

by Nyc_Tattoo

precision posted:

Patriot is an Amazon Original Series

Earned yourself some good will today.

That DMV scene, i had tears, also in the last two eps Rochambeau i was actually clapping at how good it was.

i had no one to share my absolute joy with :(

Rocksicles fucked around with this message at 05:59 on Mar 1, 2017

Zythrst
May 31, 2011

Time to join a revolution son, its going to be yooge!
I liked this show quite a lot. I want own a Jaywick Sands track suit

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
I would hang out with Cool Rick. Ill Communication is my jam.

Hollismason
Jun 30, 2007


Get ready for Price Time, Bitch



I love Leslie Full Season spoilers He starts off as seeming like a dick but then by the end he is one of the best characters , his patience with Stephen makes total sense and his impatience with John makes total sense then you learn why that parking spot is so important to him. He tries too like through out he constantly tries to genuinely understand John and put things behind them.

Just a phenomenal acting job by Kurtwood Smith.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
Just finished episode 9, that was the most amazing thing ever. No idea what will happen but I'm about to find out.

Chubby Henparty
Aug 13, 2007


That was indeed, a tiny little policeman.

upgunned shitpost
Jan 21, 2015

Hollismason posted:

Just a phenomenal acting job by Kurtwood Smith.

Cannot wait for coked-out Kurt on a powertrip next season, it's gonna be great!

That being said, that last scene with Ichabod got to me. The way this show slammed gears between funny and sad was really well done.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
The whole plot with Ichabod was a great example of why this show is so good. The payoff was incredible.

Hollismason
Jun 30, 2007


Get ready for Price Time, Bitch



My favorite gag has to be I forget which episode " Twins they creep my out " and then his children come downstairs and their twins

Chemtrailologist
Jul 8, 2007
The part I laughed most at was when he took the airhorns to the cop who had PTSD after he stole his dog. I've never felt guilty for laughing at something fictional before.

Kingtheninja
Jul 29, 2004

"You're the best looking guy here."

Ego-bot posted:

The part I laughed most at was when he took the airhorns to the cop who had PTSD after he stole his dog. I've never felt guilty for laughing at something fictional before.

I felt loving horrible during that whole sequence, I was laughing so drat hard.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
God yeah, that was so cruel. And the followup later: "Is Charlie there?"

Popelmon
Jan 24, 2010

wow
so spin

precision posted:

God yeah, that was so cruel. And the followup later: "Is Charlie there?"

"Did you just call a dog?"

Just finished the last episode. What an amazing show, more people need to see this. The Rochambeau scene in episode 8 was one of the best executed sequences I have seen in a long time. I also love how precise the description "sad man in a suit" is.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
I wonder how many takes that roshambo scene took, because drat.

Kingtheninja
Jul 29, 2004

"You're the best looking guy here."
The bit with ichabods name is great, if only because I was thinking the same thing about him before he said it was his real name.

SunshineDanceParty
Feb 7, 2006

One Road. Two Friends. One Ass.
A lot of shows carry the caveat of the first couple of episodes aren't great but it gets there, but I've rewatched the first episode of this a few times now while introducing the show to people, and it's pacing, tone, just everything establishes itself so quickly. This is one of the easiest shows to sell if you just hit play.

3 DONG HORSE
May 22, 2008

I'd like to thank Satan for everything he's done for this organization

SunshineDanceParty posted:

A lot of shows carry the caveat of the first couple of episodes aren't great but it gets there, but I've rewatched the first episode of this a few times now while introducing the show to people, and it's pacing, tone, just everything establishes itself so quickly. This is one of the easiest shows to sell if you just hit play.

I started watching in the middle of episode 5 and stayed until the finale. Went back and watched the first 4 and it was still as good as the later episodes. I agree completely!

Stephen, lol

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
I started a rewatch last night and it's even better the second time around.

3 DONG HORSE posted:

Stephen, lol

The best part about that is you think it's just a one-off funny joke scene to set the show up, but no, like everything else it becomes a full blown subplot through the whole show. The interactions with his therapist were so great, she was just the right combination of "pissy" and "caring" that so typifies All Nurses Everywhere.

Torpor
Oct 20, 2008

.. and now for my next trick, I'll pretend to be a political commentator...

HONK HONK
This is a good show that people should watch.

precision posted:

I wonder how many takes that roshambo scene took, because drat.


Something tells me that scene happened through the magic of editing.

Torpor fucked around with this message at 23:32 on Mar 12, 2017

Teddybear
May 16, 2009

Look! A teddybear doll!
It's soooo cute!


Torpor posted:

This is a good show that people should watch.



Something tells me that scene happened through the magic of editing.

It was one long take, though.

Torpor
Oct 20, 2008

.. and now for my next trick, I'll pretend to be a political commentator...

HONK HONK

Teddybear posted:

It was one long take, though.

Compositing I think is what it is called? The left and right sides might be offset during the shoot with one actor mimicking the other's hand and then in post both sides of the shot could be synced up.
I'm just spitballing here though.

Zythrst
May 31, 2011

Time to join a revolution son, its going to be yooge!

Torpor posted:

Compositing I think is what it is called? The left and right sides might be offset during the shoot with one actor mimicking the other's hand and then in post both sides of the shot could be synced up.
I'm just spitballing here though.

Its certainly possible, though if both actors have the sequence memorized I don't know why you'd have to fake it.

Popelmon
Jan 24, 2010

wow
so spin

Zythrst posted:

Its certainly possible, though if both actors have the sequence memorized I don't know why you'd have to fake it.

They probably had someone with cue cards standing on both sides.

Chemtrailologist
Jul 8, 2007
Or something in their ears.

robotsinmyhead
Nov 29, 2005

Dude, they oughta call you Piledriver!

Clever Betty
I almost didn't watch this show. My friend told me it was a "somewhat less serious" take on a spy show. I wasn't interested, then he made me watch the sales speech that Leslie gives in ep2 that was chock full of all the hacked-together engineering jargon (possibly my favorite running joke ever in a TV show)

I'm up to episode 9 now after binging all week, and I'll say I've never enjoyed a show front-to-back as much as this one. Sure, there are better shows - funnier shows, better writing, etc - but something about this one gets me. It's like a mashup of Wes Anderson and the Cohen Brothers.

I have cried laughing at this show virtually every episode John gaslighting Steven/Eugene, closing his laptop, the PTSD Cop, Calling the dog on the phone and the consistency of the running jokes like John's 10-digit social security number, the Roshambo'ing, and Cool Rick's tracksuits. John's made-up folk songs were amazing too and I'm kinda sad they aren't in every episode.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
When Cool Rick tells the story about the Beastie Boys concert, it was magical. Just imagining Terry O'Quinn repeatedly getting bopped on the head with an inflatable penis made me smile.

e: If/when we get a second season, I hope there's more about Cool Rick being a Congressman

Zythrst
May 31, 2011

Time to join a revolution son, its going to be yooge!

precision posted:

When Cool Rick tells the story about the Beastie Boys concert, it was magical. Just imagining Terry O'Quinn repeatedly getting bopped on the head with an inflatable penis made me smile.

e: If/when we get a second season, I hope there's more about Cool Rick being a Congressman

At the very least an attack ad against him for missing 94% of votes.

Snowman Crossing
Dec 4, 2009

I finished the season and just really enjoyed this show. Once I learned by was a project from the same brain as Weatherman it made more sense why I liked it so much.

The ongoing irony that John's NOC is working for a company whose prime directive is designing systems for the exact problem he himself has, abstracted a bit, is delightful. We

John's dad seems like a loving father, not the closeminded stereotype you might expect from someone in his position, but he's also a true believer and far enough removed from the more distasteful requests he makes of John that he isn't completely aware of the psychological toll it is taking on his son John.

Also, I love the way Leslie is a stickler and a hardass, but also capable of empathy and forgiveness. Even John, during on of his songs, reveals that he really admires his integrity and work ethics.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
The attache running gag was the best. "Do I get a badge?" "Can I make a badge?" "Yeah, I'm an attache and poo poo. Here's my badge." "Yeah they stole all my attache poo poo!"

Hilario Baldness
Feb 10, 2005

:buddy:



Grimey Drawer
I'll attest that this show is phenomenal. All of John's interactions with Stephen are hilarious.

Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer
Finished the season and loved it. One question I had, what do people think of (s01e10) Agathe's heel turn? It was an interesting development, but I didn't think it was set up beforehand at all really.

Lurks Morington
Aug 7, 2016

by Smythe
I felt like her hypercompetence went largely unnoticed and she finally saw a reward for her persistence. Like, I don't think anyone actually catalogued what was in the bag, so she's pretty much in the clear.

I hope we get a second season. It was heavily influenced by the coen brothers, but there isn't much like it on tv.

Torpor
Oct 20, 2008

.. and now for my next trick, I'll pretend to be a political commentator...

HONK HONK

Escobarbarian posted:

Finished the season and loved it. One question I had, what do people think of (s01e10) Agathe's heel turn? It was an interesting development, but I didn't think it was set up beforehand at all really.

I think it was supposed to be a mind game. she was probably taking the train back to the station house

When I am having a terrible day at work I think of this show.

Vincent
Nov 25, 2005



Escobarbarian posted:

Finished the season and loved it. One question I had, what do people think of (s01e10) Agathe's heel turn? It was an interesting development, but I didn't think it was set up beforehand at all really.

She could at least take her daughter on a vacation >:(. Also the bit in ep10 when the physicist's wife had to put the burka back on and you could see her eyes was heartbreaking (in a long line of heartbreaking moments from this show)

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savinhill
Mar 28, 2010
Dennis is the best friend any guy could have, would gladly lift weights/work out with him and always let him win any pose-downs we might have :)

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