The Official Good Television Thread

[Vegard Pompey]

I think the exact moment when The Wire clicked for me was early in the 2nd season when (I guess I'll spoiler tag this even though it's really minor)

Spoiler

McNulty spent hours figuring out exactly where in the water a body was dumped so he could put the murder in Rawls' jurisdiction.

Up until then I'd struggled with it. I think I ended up watching the entirety of The Sopranos between seasons 1 and 2 of The Wire because I couldn't get through the boring-as-fuck season 2 premiere.

 

[Phylactery]

I've been meaning to start watching The Wire for a while now but haven't got round to it. I've just started with Deadwood and watched the first 2 episodes of season 1, so I will probably finish that first.

 

[unknown]

My dad is a retired federal agent who would watch cop shows just for shits and giggles. He'd sit there and yell at Law & Order, L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues, all of them

He said The Wire, in particular Season 1, was the only show who ever really got it "right"

 

[Dak]

Deadwood was great, such a shame it was cancelled.

 

[no country for old wainds]

the wire and deadwood are pretty much on the same level quality-wise IMO., except deadwood got cancelled before it had the chance to feel 'complete' in the same way i do slightly prefer deadwood regardless though.

i also think deadwood basically feels like the primitive idealistic root from which the wire would eventually grow into a sprawling, rigid, ineffectual society. they complement one another perfectly methinks, they're both about more or less the same things only from a different historical perspective.

 

[no country for old wainds]

just remembered there's gonna be a deadwood movie and got excited again ahhh

 

[Carpe Mortem]

Speaking of that, super sad Ian McShane will not have a huge role in GoT after all. Very disappointed. I was psyched when it first came out he'd have a part.

 

[EspaDa]

Does anyone watch Better Call Saul?

 

[Satanstoenail]

Speaking of that, super sad Ian McShane will not have a huge role in GoT after all. Very disappointed. I was psyched when it first came out he'd have a part.

It's cool, someone will probably just bring him back to life by cutting his hair and throwing it in a fire and doing a bit of chanting.

Does anyone watch Better Call Saul?

Yes.

 

[EspaDa]

I'm watching the very first episode now and fucking nostalgia hit me when I saw Mike Ehrmantraut from Breaking Bad. What great series that was.

 

[Satanstoenail]

Yeah it's been discussed here a lot. It's possibly even better than BB, and I never thought I'd say that.

 

[Dak]

I'd say it is.

 

[no country for old wainds]

the only area in which it may have exceeded BB so far is performances in my opinion, but it's a work in progress and continually improving. it may well be as fascinating subtextually, but it treads plenty of similar ground and hasn't gone to anything like the same lengths in exploring itself so far--plus i just think the screenplay has been overfamiliar and even clumsy as points, though moreso in the first season than the second. in any case, like BB i don't think it should be judged until its arc's completed. excited to see where it goes in s3, i think it's ready to start doubling down on its weirder/more fraught elements and amping up the intensity.

 

[Dak]

the only area in which it may have exceeded BB so far is performances in my opinion, but it's a work in progress and continually improving. it may well be as fascinating subtextually, but it treads plenty of similar ground and hasn't gone to anything like the same lengths in exploring itself so far--plus i just think the screenplay has been overfamiliar and even clumsy as points, though moreso in the first season than the second. in any case, like BB i don't think it should be judged until its arc's completed. excited to see where it goes in s3, i think it's ready to start doubling down on its weirder/more fraught elements and amping up the intensity.

I thought BB got worse as it went along, kind of like GoT. BCS seems to be getting better. However, I will say I'm not sure BCS would be as enjoyable without the knowledge of events in BB, at a minimum.

 

[CF87]

About ready to get rid of cable. Not being subjected to this shit anymore.

 

[CiG]

Just found Starsky & Hitch box set for half price.

 

[EspaDa]

I thought BB got worse as it went along, kind of like GoT. BCS seems to be getting better. However, I will say I'm not sure BCS would be as enjoyable without the knowledge of events in BB, at a minimum.

As I remember watching BB, there used to be 3 boring episodes in row. It really bothered me, like the one which mainly focused on the fly. 50 minutes about a fucking fly. However, season 5 was a bomb and I love it as a whole.

 

[Satanstoenail]

Just found Starsky & Hitch box set for half price.

 

[Satanstoenail]

Just re-watched "Louis and Michael" where Louis Theroux tries to get an interview with Michael Jackson and ends up interviewing his father and people who 'know him' instead. So fucking good.

 

[PhlegethonVeins]

Finally got around to watching through the newest x files season with the lady friend, and I have to say...I'm not sure what I was expecting but what a disappointing run. For being a short season, it felt fragmented. The only episode that stood out as solid was the 'funny' one, and the last episode was unforgivably bad.