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Dirk Pitt posted:I finished the season, I must be really shallow since I really enjoyed the show. I didn't have many expectations beyond a casual recommendation from a friend. Plus, a dramedy with tits does not seem like the place to explorer racial tensions in America and the penal system. It makes sense for a lot of that to be ignored. Why do you think that? I don't think anyone really sees it as one of them casual comedy shows.
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Jul 25, 2013 18:24
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Cordyceps posted:Me either. Hot drat. Yeah, I'd never have put that together.
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Jul 25, 2013 18:26
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  I guess ignoring all those regulations had consequences. bring back old gbs fucked around with this message at 20:23 on Jul 25, 2013 |
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Jul 25, 2013 20:20
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ACanofPepsi posted:
I didn't even realize that was her until 3/4 of the way through the season. The whole show is just full of people that I have seen before but didn't recognize until someone pointed them out. Mendez being the dock worker from the Wire sort of blew my mind because I didn't recognize him at all.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:28
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Whoops thought this was the Trek thread 
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Jul 25, 2013 20:29
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ACanofPepsi posted:
Running a kitchen with crackheads is easier than running a starship with Harry Kim.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:31
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Okay I just discovered this, am about five episodes in, and I have to say that I love Red, Sophia and Claudette and I enjoy every second so far, so I don't really give three tenths of a poo poo about accurate prison portrayal as long as they keep these characters coming.
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Jul 25, 2013 21:40
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Pablo Schreiber is my favorite actor for the 1st season for how he switches around from the standard boorish macho man, to changing into a devious trickster role or even becoming a really scary character such as the scene in which he tries to recruit Morello to spy on Red's smuggling operation.
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Jul 26, 2013 00:12
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I just finished the first season. Not bad, better than I expected actually. A fair amount of suspension of disbelief is needed at times, but that's kinda given with comedy/dramas. I definitely liked the supporting cast more than the protagonist though. Going though a different character's back story each episode was a nice touch. It was also cool how there were so many situations where you expect it to get bad, but it always turns out better than expected,(Screwdriver dildo, peppery lotion) but then gets real brutal and serious right at the end. I didn't like the whole Daya and Bennett story very much, it got old after one episode of development. That and who can hate any show that starts it's first episode with Laura Prepon's boobs. Season 2 should start with more boobs.Stereotype posted:Oh my god what is going to happen to pipes  she might go to prison for that! Oh wait... It makes me think next season starts with Piper in the SHU or MAX, getting moved back with everyone else, and maybe with a much longer sentence.Also, if Pensatucky is back and not dead/braindamaged, she's gonna have new teeth 
wilderthanmild fucked around with this message at 01:29 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 01:26
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I am perfectly fine with Laura Prepon as an actress but I despised Alex. Just on a superficial level, her eyebrows look drawn on in a way that's unnerving and she tends to have one eyebrow ticked up all the time as if to show some sly, aloof interest in the events around her that she's too cool to actually bother with. This kinda fits her background as a successful drug ring manager -why bother with the grunts- but her superiority complex rubs me the wrong way and is emphasized in, of all things, her eyebrows. Under the skin, Alex is manipulative of Piper in all the worst ways, always painting Piper as unreasonable or selfish so that she'll guilt herself into following Alex's lead. Having said that, I admire her cool head and ability to "play the long game" where revenge is concerned (or at least, not lose her cool and start fights). My feelings about Alex are mixed up between reluctant admiration and skeptical exhaustion. She's another example of how the cast gets such interesting angles. 2nd most reviled character is definitely Piper's brother. What a laissez-faire, uninvolved lazy-rear end. "Dude, if you're mad at Piper for having sex with and declaring her love for an ex-girlfriend while engaged to you, then maybe YOU'RE the problem, whiner." Having said all that, everyone else on the show is a joy to watch and Suzanne is obviously the best.
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Jul 26, 2013 01:53
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I posted about this show in some YOSPOS thread, but I read Piper Kerman's book a while ago after seeing her at a Moth story slam. The actual events are nothing like what really happened. This happens a lot in TV/Films based on books but in Piper's memoir these are real people with real nicknames that are based on people that actually existed. It makes watching these warped versions of real people not only strange, but really uncomfortable. I sincerely believe that radio show scene in the show is an allegory for Piper Kerman's reactions to what these real people would actually think if the saw this show. I can't imagine what the real Pensatucky must think. It's also really loving weird how "Alex" (who was never in prison with the real Piper) is portrayed in this. It's almost like some bizarre fantasy of what Piper imagined prison would be like if she wasn't the person she was, and not in a good way. She pretty much shits on everyone in her life including her family, fiancee and her real friends she had in prison. I'm very curious why she wanted to sign her life story away like this and used all the same names for everyone and the title. On that note, don't read the book after watching the show. I'm glad I did before seeing it, but it's absolutely nothing like the Netflix events and is very boring and poorly written. Piper basically does her time, makes friends with everyone and gets out on time all while reflecting on how everyone she meets basically loves her. got dat wmd fucked around with this message at 02:14 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 02:11
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I never picked up on her name, but the heavyset lesbian with the dog is definitely runner up for best character (after Crazy Eyes). And, with the exception of Crazy Eyes' dad, I absolutely hate every male character on this show. Why can't they just be cool like my girl Eyes?
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Jul 26, 2013 03:10
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A GLISTENING HODOR posted:I never picked up on her name, but the heavyset lesbian with the dog is definitely runner up for best character (after Crazy Eyes). Big Boo
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Jul 26, 2013 03:29
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I don't see enough love for Black Cindy. Poussey, Taystee, and Black Cindy are my favorites. It's the perfect amount of comedic relief to me. Edit - To actually add a bit of content, I was pleasantly surprised by this show. I haven't seen House of Cards, but my expectations for a Netflix original weren't very high. I wonder what's going to happen to Piper. I didn't realize it was based off a memoir until one of the last episodes. I'm glad somebody suggested not reading it; I'm sure the TV show is more dramatic and over the top than the real life events, but I'm not watching this show for gritty realism, and I don't think I'd give the book a fair shot after watching the first season. Kameh fucked around with this message at 05:33 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 05:25
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This has to be one of the few shows with a large female ensemble cast right? I'm surprised this hasn't blown up in the mainstream media yet. I've told about 5-10 people about this show and they've all loved it.
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Jul 26, 2013 07:18
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I heard about it via Patton Oswalt on twitter, so give it a week or two and "old media" will catch on.
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Jul 26, 2013 07:38
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Bradeh posted:Why do you think that? I don't think anyone really sees it as one of them casual comedy shows. I don't either. But I also don't expect them to carry the drama from her insulting food for the entire season where she is finally forced to lick rocks and eat bugs in the yard. I am ok with my entertaining shows having a satisfactory resolution to a conflict through a bit of crafty deus ex machina. I definitely enjoyed the season and have high hopes for future seasons. I am concerned since Netflix is relatively new at the TV game, if they can continue to produce interesting television season after season. Almost all their shows had a good first season, I hope they can continue the intrigue and story telling.
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Jul 26, 2013 17:00
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Dirk Pitt posted:I don't either. But I also don't expect them to carry the drama from her insulting food for the entire season where she is finally forced to lick rocks and eat bugs in the yard. It wasn't even a Deus ex Machina, Red told Piper that she liked her but needed to keep up her front. It was never Red's intention to starve Piper to death, just for Piper to publicly kiss the ring. Piper "working so hard" was exactly that.
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Jul 26, 2013 17:13
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Cordyceps posted:Me either. Hot drat. I was red faced to tell my brother who as big a Deadwood fan as i am, took my until last year watching Raising Hope to realise Jack McCall and Francis Walcot were played by the same bloke. and he's like "ya what? bullshit..." can't see the forest for the trees.
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Jul 26, 2013 19:41
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Kameh posted:I'm sure the TV show is more dramatic and over the top than the real life events, but I'm not watching this show for gritty realism, and I don't think I'd give the book a fair shot after watching the first season. You ain't kidding. Someone mentioned in another thread about how everyone in the show has a terrible family and I posted this passage from the memoir as an example of the differences. Pretty much the whole book is like this so if you enjoy the show and want to read the events, be prepared for differences like this: quote:My mother was like a ray of sunshine in that room.
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Jul 26, 2013 20:28
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Wow, that passage single-handedly decimated any interest I had in reading the book. Good heavens, that was tedious.
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Jul 26, 2013 20:56
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White People: The Book
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Jul 27, 2013 00:20
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got dat wmd posted:You ain't kidding. Someone mentioned in another thread about how everyone in the show has a terrible family and I posted this passage from the memoir as an example of the differences. Pretty much the whole book is like this so if you enjoy the show and want to read the events, be prepared for differences like this: Bad book makes good show?
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Jul 27, 2013 02:31
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I loved the hell out of Pipers brother. I hope too see more of him just hanging out in his trailer and not giving a poo poo.
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Jul 27, 2013 05:13
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SouthLAnd posted:I loved the hell out of Pipers brother. I hope too see more of him just hanging out in his trailer and not giving a poo poo. The show is just more enjoyable when you focus on all the supporting characters instead of the Piper and Larry arc.
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Jul 27, 2013 05:15
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SouthLAnd posted:I loved the hell out of Pipers brother. I hope too see more of him just hanging out in his trailer and not giving a poo poo. *Sends text messages in the background for an entire scene* Dude, I just got engaged.
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Jul 27, 2013 05:31
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The passages from the book I've read are all awful. I'm assuming the book's cast of inmate characters, just like the show, made it worth the read, because that dull-rear end white bread passage was sleep inducing.
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Jul 27, 2013 12:37
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There's some interesting characters but not to the extent of the show. Let me give you an example: The screwdriver incident really happened, although it happened off the prison campus. Piper goes on and on about being scared about it and ends up throwing it in a dumpster. Next sentence is weeks later where nothing happens. The writing is like this a lot. Piper goes on talking about being nervous about some intense situation then everything turns out ok or is shrugged off. I was waiting for the show to depict a scene in which Piper and a few inmates are driven to a residential area in Danbury to fix some stuff in an electrical building and are left there alone while a CO goes to get some tools. She goes on half the chapter about being spotted unsupervised and how nervous she is... Then the CO comes back and it's weeks later again with no closure. It's pretty awful. A recent episode of the Moth podcast has a reading by Piper (the one I was at) in which she talks about the importance of having a radio and it's really the most grating story of nothing happening I've ever heard, dictated in this knockoff Maya Angelo style. I'm still waiting for the interview with her in which she tries to explain how the hell she let this show happen in the way it does and if she's scared of the repercussions, especially regarding the administration of the prison since on the show they are depicted as cartoonish villains when in reality everyone was treated quite well .
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Jul 27, 2013 17:33
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I was a bit on the fence for the first two episodes, but I'm about six in now and I am totally sold on this show, great stuff.
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Jul 27, 2013 21:56
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Poussey and Taystee's parody of white conversation is loving hysterical.
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Jul 27, 2013 23:59
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Unoriginal Name posted:Poussey and Taystee's parody of white conversation is loving hysterical. I found their friendship touching. 
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Jul 28, 2013 00:08
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AcidCat posted:I was a bit on the fence for the first two episodes, but I'm about six in now and I am totally sold on this show, great stuff. Because the show becomes less and less about Piper and her stupid life and more about the other inmates. Piper spends a majority of the show just making this face instead of actually doing anything:  She becomes almost interesting and slightly more bearable in the second half of the season, but then there's another scene with Jason Biggs and it all goes to poo poo. Also, the conversation Piper has with Alex about their shared experience being authentic and real, not some fodder for small talk at yuppie cocktail parties, is eye-roll inducing because that is exactly what it became for IRL Piper when she got out of prison given the content of her memoir. The rest of the cast is great and I'm looking forward to S2+ so I can see more of them. Given how lovely Weeds had been for years, I was pleasantly surprised by how good this show was. I think there's limited potential for Jenji Kohan to gently caress it up because it's mostly restrained to a controlled setting.
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Jul 28, 2013 01:58
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got dat wmd posted:There's some interesting characters but not to the extent of the show. There's no way that a show will follow the book exactly. As the book is closely based off of real events, and real life isn't so concerned with plot resolution and closure. Doesn't excuse the boring memoir though; those things should be left out or made better.
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Jul 28, 2013 17:52
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It's like reading those boring rear end passages they have for the GRE, SAT, FCAT, etc. and you've spent about 5 minutes rereading the same passage before you realize that you still haven't retained any information about what you just read.
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Jul 28, 2013 20:00
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Coconut Indian posted:It's like reading those boring rear end passages they have for the GRE, SAT, FCAT, etc. and you've spent about 5 minutes rereading the same passage before you realize that you still haven't retained any information about what you just read. I loved this show, and am hoping that Netflix Original Series hold good second seasons- because from the two I have watched I've enjoyed them both. Not counting Arrested Development as one of them, which has left me weird feeling. Piper to me works great on the show because it is not about her. I think she is some sort of weird audience character, or she was written by someone who realized all the mistakes they made writing Nancy in Weeds.
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Jul 29, 2013 07:52
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Unoriginal Name posted:Poussey and Taystee's parody of white conversation is loving hysterical. Seriously, easily my favorite part of the show.
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Jul 29, 2013 17:09
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Gawker has an interview up with Laverne Cox, who plays Sophia in the show. It's more about trans issues than the show itself, but there are some tidbits in there.
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Jul 30, 2013 14:23
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Rapdawg posted:Piper to me works great on the show because it is not about her. I think she is some sort of weird audience character, or she was written by someone who realized all the mistakes they made writing Nancy in Weeds. She worked great as the relatable first person character but the tone of the show changed a lot with the final episode. Plot points in earlier episodes were light-hearted, easily resolved and mostly anti climatic, like the screwdriver in the early episodes, and being thrown into SHU for "less than 48 hours". Nicky Sobotka did the spiteful crap but he was played like an unrealistic black comedy character anyway. After they "lose" him they suddenly switch Piper over from love drama, which itself was a contrived mix of Jim from American Pie losing all sense of his own opinion and suddenly forming his thoughts based on what other people think or say to him, and Healy going being villainized in an increasingly petty feud to the point of turning a blind eye to straight up murder, among other things. I enjoyed the political aspect, and the characterization of the inmates and the stories and relationship arcs that came from them, Tricia killing herself with drugs for Red's favour and how rookie CO and Claudette's stories connected. Kill All Cops fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Jul 30, 2013 |
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Jul 30, 2013 18:27
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OK, so am I the only one who has wanted to punch Figueroa in the face repeatedly? It was obvious that she had a hand in embezzling funds from the prison programs. Also, I don't like how she wouldn't let Bennett write the report about the drugs or how she told Caputo that "Oh no. We don't use the 'R' word here" with the whole Daya/Bennett/Pornstache storyline. I hope that next season, we see Fig get indicted for the embezzlement, and I am really interested to see what happens with Daya's pregnancy. I can't help but hope that Bennett doesn't get screwed over (no pun intended).
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Jul 30, 2013 23:08
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Hip Hoptimus Prime posted:OK, so am I the only one who has wanted to punch Figueroa in the face repeatedly? It was obvious that she had a hand in embezzling funds from the prison programs. Also, I don't like how she wouldn't let Bennett write the report about the drugs or how she told Caputo that "Oh no. We don't use the 'R' word here" with the whole Daya/Bennett/Pornstache storyline. I thought Fig was redeemed somewhat when she chewed out Healy in the finale. Personally I'm dreading finding out what happens to Piper after the fight with Pennsatucky. Weeds was not afraid to shake up its status quo from season to season, mostly by having its characters ruin their lives worse and worse. I don't want to see a similar story arc with Piper. As a counterpoint to the negative book reviews, I got the book after seeing the show and am finding it enjoyable. Mostly I like finding out the similarities and differences between the show and real life. Some of the interesting ones:
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Jul 31, 2013 02:55
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