What is the latest series you've been binging through?

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > What is the latest series you've been binging through?

ufarn: May 30, 2009

butros posted:

god dammit i'm halfway through season 3 and though i was safe to look at a spoiler about season 1.

gently caress.

It's not really a spoiler that will ruin anything for you. Don't worry - it's not as bad a spoiler as you think.

# ¿ Jun 4, 2009 22:08

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 05:48

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Just binged through Reaper, giving it a second chance after I catched some of the later episodes of Season 1 on TV (the pilot being weak and the first ten-or-so episodes being bland compared to the following episodes which are great).

It's partly attributable to the fact that you don't have to suffer through the atrociously written Andi-Sam drama, after they hook up - for good. Great writing otherwise, though.

Bad time to pick of a series, the imminent cancellation considered. :smith:

# ¿ Jun 8, 2009 19:32

ufarn: May 30, 2009

EX-GAIJIN AT LAST posted:

I was not that impressed with Jekyll but maybe it's just me.

I saw the pilot a while ago, and the pilot was weak. Maybe the rest of the series is good, whaddoiknow.

# ¿ Jun 13, 2009 12:47

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Hello Pity posted:

There's binging and there's binging. 15 hours a day of any show for a week can't be good.

I guess it saves time in the long run. Although I think we should check for signs of brain damage in his/her future posts.

# ¿ Jun 15, 2009 17:06

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Kithyen posted:

Me and my girlfriend just binged thru Carnivale. Up until a few days ago the first season was all I had watched and the premiere episode of the second season. After it had been canceled I didn't really have a desire to pick it back up A.) Because HBO dvds were always so f'n expensive and B.)I was afraid that after watching the second season I would get pissed at all the things left unfinished. I was walking thru the local bestbuy and saw the two seasons for 35 bucks each and decided to catch back up on it.

Needless to say it wasn't too disappointing. The final battle that I had been looking forward to was up to par with what I thought this show would deliver. And answers to questions I had after watching the first season came to light in the second. It's just disappointing to know their was so much more planned.

Honestly I wasn't surprised it was canceled. I was actually surprised when I watched the first airing that it was even green-lit in the first place due to it's unconventional pacing, story telling, characters and especially after I heard how much each episode cost to make (4mil per I believe). I honestly don't think a television show of it's kind could ever get made in today's economy so I should definitely be thankful we got two seasons out of it.

How was the second season? Better or worse than the first one?

# ¿ Jun 16, 2009 20:58

ufarn: May 30, 2009

AlternateNu posted:

Haven't read the entire thread, but most of my latest viewings have been on old school nastaliga (sp?) cartoons. Latest being Gargoyles.

It's great having half the Star Trek: TNG crew as voice actors, and to watch a cartoon that actually had (no-poo poo) guns and characterization.

I'm a huge fan of anime, but the early 90's certainly had the best cartoons in regards to aging well vice the anime-style bullshit that gets put out now. (With the possible exception of Avatar.)

Was a pretty good show, yeah. Sucks that most of all the awesome childhood cartoons are only available in VHS. Freakazoid and Earthworm Jim had a rerelease on DVD somewhat recently, if I'm not mistaken, though.

# ¿ Jun 19, 2009 12:00

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Mu Zeta posted:

Oh gently caress, that 9/11 episode was a trainwreck. I remember there is a dumbshit kid that asks something like "Aren't all muslims terrorists?"

It was inanely dull, yeah, but considering the atmosphere at the time of the attack it was seemed somewhat bold of them to go with it nonetheless.

# ¿ Jun 22, 2009 16:36

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Binged through Leverage and finally managed to pull through Dexter season 3 which didn't manage to improve its pace and made the bottom of the best-of season list.

Leverage is fantastic. All episodes are great, and the production value is splendid. As is the crew.

ufarn fucked around with this message at 02:01 on Aug 2, 2009

# ¿ Aug 2, 2009 01:56

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Just started watching Kings which is awesome. But then I found out that it got canceled. :smith:

We should do two separate recommendation lists with series that managed to do a full, or at least proper, run, and those that didn't. :/

# ¿ Aug 2, 2009 19:46

ufarn: May 30, 2009

First season of Sopranos felt like a dud. Does it pick up any pace later on?

# ¿ Aug 8, 2009 17:10

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Does anyone know why the Blu-ray version of Chuck season one is US-only? Sucks that I have to get it at import prices - $40 for 13 episodes (gag reel aside) is kinda meh.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2009 15:50

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Splat posted:

it's a terrible blu-ray. There's no episode selection, just a 5 hour long video with rough chapter markings.

poo poo. It should arrive any minute now from abroad.

At least it's in HD with the same stuff on - right? :cry:

EDIT: gently caress it; I'm returning the poo poo. Queue one week more of waiting for something to watch if I decide to get the DVD. Christ.

ufarn fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Oct 30, 2009

# ¿ Oct 30, 2009 17:48

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Splat posted:

yeah, it's HDish, but a pain to watch. Still better than nothing for me. No idea if DVD is similarly terrible.

To make matters even weirder, I mailed the shop to say that I intended to return the order when I received it. After which I receive a mail saying that it hasn't even been sent yet due to supplier issues. DVD has now been ordered; I shouldn't vent my anger by depriving myself from seeing the series.

Axelmusic irrefutably loving sucks, regardless.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2009 20:09

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Ratatozsk posted:

It can sometimes come down to semantics. I think that the Wire was absurdly well written and acted, and I think that the way it addressed the systems and structures of Baltimore and how they interacted was unlike anything I've ever seen before. That said, I liked the Shield more because of the faster pacing and particular characters that I enjoyed more.

I feel the same way about West Wing - except that it doesn't have a following as fanatic as, say, Firefly. It's a really, really great show with top-of-the-line writing (at least in the Sorkin years), but it is not a life-changing experience or, dare I say, classic.

# ¿ Oct 31, 2009 23:33

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Totally forgot: Finished Yes (Prime) Minister a couple of weeks back. One of the best comedies and series of all time without any doubt.

You also learn about politics while watching it; what's not to like?!

# ¿ Nov 3, 2009 22:42

ufarn: May 30, 2009

I want to get the second season of Chuck on Blu-ray, but have the publishers done anything to assure fans that they won't gently caress up the version this time?

# ¿ Nov 12, 2009 17:31

ufarn: May 30, 2009

doctor thodt posted:

It's still coming from WB, so don't get your hopes up.

Do they have bad track record, aside from Chuck Season One?

And what is the reason they aren't releasing the Blu-ray version simultaneously with the DVD which was released weeks ago?

# ¿ Nov 12, 2009 20:47

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Finished watching season 2 of Chuck at the behest of goons, and ...

... holy loving Christ an atrocity. The first half or third of the season seemed cool enough, but what's with the filler episodes, the rear end-pulls, McGuffins and back and forth BS with Sarah and Chuck that is going to keep going, as long as there's a chance of another season, like they're doing with Bones. Casey was horribly two-dimensional and out of character compared to season 1, and Sarah shifting from robotic CIA lapdog overruling Chuck to loving him and risking whatnot for him, her own life and career.

I don't know what happened to the writing; it's one thing that they don't know what to do with the plot (do they seriously only plan one season at a time?), but the season lacked enthusiasm and meticulousness on the writers' part which is particularly evident in the filler episodes whose only content seemed to perpetuate the yo-yo relationship between Sarah and Chuck; mostly by Chuck finding other suitors by Sarah or having his trust in her challenged.

It's gone all Alias-Prison Break-Bones in one season, and I don't mean that in a good way. I wish I could summon more anticipation for season 3, but I find it hard; it's just a good thing the show has Yvonne Strahovski.

Does the writers' strike have anything to do with this, or what the heck happened? The whole set-up seems so incredibly weird, particularly considering the preceding season. I've read that the show faced cancellation, but I don't know if it was a cause of or reaction to the weird season. As aforementioned, if anyone has the scoop, I'd like to know.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2009 19:13

ufarn: May 30, 2009

jeffersonlives posted:

Pretty sure the consensus is the exact opposite, that the second half of the second season of Chuck was far better than anything they'd done previously. Starting with the Christmas episode the entire thing is very tight in building to the finale, with only a few unrelated random villain of the week plots.

You're not supposed to take the particulars of the storylines themselves seriously. The show is about being funny, cool music, blowing stuff up, and the character relationships. One of the reasons NBC has had trouble marketing Chuck is because it has a little bit of a bunch of different genres - a spy/sci-fi romantic dramedy? - and the creators haven't given in and turned it into a procedural or a soap just to make it easier. If you need a show that's just one thing, it's probably not for you.

By the way, the Chuck/Sarah romantic storyline has already progressed far more in essentially a season and a half than Booth/Bones has in four and a half.

I don't want to take the storylines seriously, and it's not implausible that the writers don't, like you say, but the writers haven't been sprucing the season up with comic relief like you would expect. In Buffy or Angel you would usually not give a drat about the (endgame) villains and such, because they were merely blatant plot devices, which the dialogue often meta-discussed (or because it became evident that it just isn't Whedon's forte). The overall plots (the villains and conspiracies) don't matter, but the character interplay is also a plot of its own; it's actually what the show comes down to. As for the funny, I found that it lacked that a lot too; sure, it often resorts to the usual formula "stay in the car; Chuck screams in a high pitch and ends up hanging from somewhere or offing a villain by accident; Casey groans; Chuck is not sure about whom to trust; Chuck eavesdrops on Sarah and discovers something construed as betrayal; Chuck and Sarah are about to ... but are interrupted" - I don't know if it feels formulaic or procedural, but it rubbed me the wrong way. They did do fairly alright with the Buymore crew, though, but it didn't quite balance out the other lacks for me.

I'd like a show that is a lot of things, but if Chuck is, it's in a way that it is basically about nothing. I understand that there has to be some intermezzos and episodes whose purpose are merely to be funny, which I am entirely alright with (I wouldn't mind going a full season without an endgame villain and plot device), but the quality or effort of the writing was too subpar compared to the last season from what I felt.

tl;dr: Good writing surprising and feels original, and I felt that it stood out as formulaic, clich� and filler-y too much of the time.

On another note, why do they recycle the background music; the "sad moment between Chuck and Sarah" music is dreadful, and now it's drilled in my head.

As for what's coming (season 3 spoiler-ish), the future of Chuck and Sarah's relationship (or whatever the hell it is) is even more abstruse and downright weird than ever before, without going into detail.

The length of my post shouldn't be regarded as me sperging about the series, but I'm just trying to find out why season 2 annoyed me. I'm not entirely sure yet.

EDIT: I am never writing a post on a forum past 1 AM ever again.

ufarn fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Nov 22, 2009

# ¿ Nov 22, 2009 01:33

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Got through season 1 of Mad Men and ordered the second season.

It took me three-or-so viewings of the pilot to get into the show, but I'm so glad, I did.

The Kodak Caroussel had me on the brink of bawling, and aside from "that moment" in Six Feet Under, I can't remember when I experienced TV magic like this.

ufarn fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Dec 30, 2009

# ¿ Dec 30, 2009 15:23

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Roshi posted:

Just finished season 1 of Alias about to start season 2. Great show so far, but is it like Lost in that it gets more obtuse and non-sensical as the seasons progress(same creator, same network)?

It's very J. J. Abrams-esque in that every episode has a cliffhanger, and that a major McGuffin is the plot device.

The first two-ish seasons are great. I would consider stopping watching the show after that or the third season, depending on your tolerance for messed up plotlines and characters.

# ¿ Dec 30, 2009 15:51

ufarn: May 30, 2009

butros posted:

Guys, I really want to like Mad Men - I'm three episode into season one and have yet to really be grabbed.

Please tell me that it's going to be awesome...

The show seems very superficial, but it is incredibly deep at a first glance, and you'll be happy to stick to it until the last season episode, which makes it all worthwhile.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2010 14:36

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Finished first season of Damages a while ago. Piece of tripe that uses cheap narrative; you know it's terribly written when the second season also explains/reveals parts of the first season.

Glenn Close is a terrific actress, though her character is messily written, and Rose Byrne is purdy, but skip it.

EDIT: Actually, this applies to the show in general: great cast, but their characters aren't well-written. Ted Danson's character, Frobisher, is not too bad, now that I think about it, but it doesn't redeem the show.

ufarn fucked around with this message at 03:14 on Jan 17, 2010

# ¿ Jan 17, 2010 03:11

ufarn: May 30, 2009

KeroKeroCola posted:

Just finished Mad Men season 2, now time to catch up on Season 3. Frigging great show.

The bonus content on Season 2 is fantastic, so, if you get the chance, make sure you check it out as soon as possible.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2010 17:35

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Mister Fister posted:

I watched the whole season 1 of Damages in like 3 or 4 days, holy poo poo, it's better than 'the wire'.

Does The Wire rate very lowly with you, or are you seriously hyped about Damages?

To each his own, just asking.

# ¿ Jan 21, 2010 21:26

ufarn: May 30, 2009

What is Carnivale actually about? I recall watching some of the first episode(s?), but never got an idea of the theme of it.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2010 00:03

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Roshi posted:

I just finished season 3 of Alias is it worth getting season 4? I can see how its starting to go to crazytown, but how are the last two seasons.

Exponentially abysmal.

# ¿ Feb 19, 2010 23:15

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Just finished Glee. What a great show. It shouldn't be a great show by the description which reads like High School Musical and Disney targeting tween demographics, but it just rocks for reasons I can put my finger on at all.

The girls are gorgeous; the writing and jokes are lovely, and it helps that the show seems to be self-deprecating and make fun of its own genre.

It also helps that the narrative is so messed up and fast-paced because it has to reflect the mentality of a pubescent high-school student. Some reviewers have not got this when they watched it which probably says more about their desire to affirm the presumptions about the series.

Watch the pilot, and you should be able to decide whether to watch it or at least juuust take a glimpse at another episode, or two. Or three. Or twelve.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2010 16:25

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Radd McCool posted:

I just finished season one of Mad Men. I need to watch more of what's highly regarded around these parts. I hope season 2 is as good as the first.

Season 1 is by far the best in my opinion. The following seasons are mostly about personal development.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2010 14:45

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Roshi posted:

Just finished Alias Season 4, it wasn't terrible under any stretch. While the some of the stand-alone(terrorist has sci-fi weapon X, take them out) were forgettable, the main arc, especially starting with "A Second Mr. Sloane" was phenomenal. While having Rembaldi's greatest creation being a Zombie-Maker could be construed as jumping the shark, it isn't because they played it straight with excellent writing.

Also, Sloane was the main character this season, with Jack being the 2nd main, I don't care what anyone else says

I'm looking forward to watching season 5.

Like teflon.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2010 20:23

ufarn: May 30, 2009

electricsugar posted:

I know a lot of folks in this thread have said that Man Men has only gone downhill since season 1, but personally I think the series has just been getting better and better with every episode. I love the "rise of Peggy" story-arc and the rift between Don and Betty. Each character just keeps getting more and more interesting and the actors keep getting more and more refined.

Point of this post: I MISS MAD MEN!!

When is season 4 supposed to start?

Season 2 and 3 have mostly been about the development (positively or negatively) of some of the main characters. The discussion have been raving particularly of how Bets and Don are and have changed as people. No one argues that point, but a lot of all-round good writing seems to be lacking. Not to any enormous extent, perhaps, but enough for people to notice and compare to season 1.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2010 12:15

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Dubs posted:

I have had absolutly nothing to watch over the last week or so, so i finally decided to attack The West Wing.

Mid way through season 1, and this show is great. Not what i was expecting really.

Its preety fast paced, does this pace keep up through the entire show? I also have a huge boner for Donna the assistant.

Hurr, fast-paced. :hurr:

# ¿ Apr 5, 2010 12:24

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Leviathan posted:

While Spartacus is pretty drat entertaining, it's nowhere near the quality of Rome or the other top HBO shows. Not even in the same ballpark.

For the sake of people watching this thread, I hated Rome and have taken quite a liking to Spartacus.

One of the best things about it is that the plot's pace is insane; every door left open is shut within three episodes at the very most. No lame plot carrots to keep the show alive (from what I have seen of ~8-10 episodes so far).

# ¿ Apr 7, 2010 22:46

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Ratatozsk posted:

Rome had production values up the wazoo. Spartacus falls way behind in this category. How about this analogy (which will probably get me flamed to a crisp):

Spartacus is to Rome as The Shield is to the Wire

Each pair covers similar territory but from a very different vantage. The storylines and plot arcs of Spartacus and The Shield are much tighter and faster paced, while Rome and The Wire take their sweet time to tell not just the story of some people but of a city and a time.

The budgets are ridiculously different, yes, and I am amazed at how well Spartacus does with what it has. There are a few times when you rolls your eyes at some SFX in Spartacus, but, generally, they're doing unfathomably well.

I would imagine that one of my main criticisms of Rome is that the historical obligations hampers the writing, while Spartacus is left free to do a lot of things.

# ¿ Apr 8, 2010 12:29

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 05:48

ufarn: May 30, 2009

Roshi posted:

I just finished Angel and the final moment was an as Angel, Illyra/fred, spike and an injured Gunn run off to fight a horde of demons just as "Executive Producer Joss Whedon" appears and I assume they all die. Still its more of a cliffhanger for a season finale, not a series finale.

Overall, I liked Angel more than Buffy, I can't put my finger on exactly why, but I have to say Wolfram Hart is big part of it. They are truly one of the best TV antagonists I've ever watched.

Better writing and a better sense of enthusiasm on the writers' part most of all. Also, f'ing Ben Edlund(!) and David Greenwalt; I personally don't think Joss does very well without them, and it's a shame that he gets all the credit. Just check the bonus material and interviews and see all the things Ben Edlund was behind - be it in Angel, Firefly or Dr. Horrible: Black Horse, the Puppet episode, and so on.

Angel is also more dark and sad without being too emo; it's already known that true happiness is never going to happen to him, which sets it apart from Buffy's hope(s) of it - albeit without Angel at her side.

# ¿ Apr 18, 2010 00:38

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > What is the latest series you've been binging through?