The Official Good Television Thread
- Thread starter Satanstoenail
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Dak
mentat
Marines get Nam, we get WW2
You get like, an 8th of WW2. Besides the other branches, there are the Allies.
rms
Active Member
TechnicalBarbarity
Poser Disposer
CiG
Harbinger of Metal
Been sick and bedridden these last few days so I just binged out on Game of Thrones when I was feeling strong enough to stare at a TV screen. Finished season 2.
This could just be me viewing everything through a post-Deadwood lens (definitely been doing it a lot lately) but my opinion on the show has changed a lot since I first watched seasons 1 through 4. At that time, pre-seeing Deadwood, I thought Game of Thrones was just using fantasy to create gratuitous violence and pornography for mainstream television and that it was more or less pointless. Not that this would bother me I'm hardly prudish and not opposed to popcorn entertainment, but I'd always identified the sort of medieval fantasy genre as being less about grit and muck and more about ideals and so on.
But now I think I see the underlying point of Game of Thrones and it seems to be the same point Deadwood was making (and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was making the point back in the early 60's to some degree but I only just watched that movie a few days ago) and that point is essentially a rebuttal to idealism.
Deadwood took the western genre with all its heroism, chivalry, morals and ideals and flipped it all and covered it in pig slop. Game of Thrones is doing a similar thing IMO. Romance is a large element in classical fantasy but this series shows that kings and queens simply tolerate each other, every sex scene is tainted in some slight manner, extramarital sex is common enough that bastard children have certain surnames based on where they come from (bastards from Iron Islands get the name Pyke, Winterfell bastards get the name Snow etc), there's incest too. It really does quite a good job at demystifying the fantasy genre.
Anyway I'm rambling. I am tempted to do what I did last time and watch the next season digitally but I think I might wait and buy them on DVD. I've thoroughly enjoyed rewatching it and it really feels like something I genuinely want to own for myself.
This could just be me viewing everything through a post-Deadwood lens (definitely been doing it a lot lately) but my opinion on the show has changed a lot since I first watched seasons 1 through 4. At that time, pre-seeing Deadwood, I thought Game of Thrones was just using fantasy to create gratuitous violence and pornography for mainstream television and that it was more or less pointless. Not that this would bother me I'm hardly prudish and not opposed to popcorn entertainment, but I'd always identified the sort of medieval fantasy genre as being less about grit and muck and more about ideals and so on.
But now I think I see the underlying point of Game of Thrones and it seems to be the same point Deadwood was making (and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was making the point back in the early 60's to some degree but I only just watched that movie a few days ago) and that point is essentially a rebuttal to idealism.
Deadwood took the western genre with all its heroism, chivalry, morals and ideals and flipped it all and covered it in pig slop. Game of Thrones is doing a similar thing IMO. Romance is a large element in classical fantasy but this series shows that kings and queens simply tolerate each other, every sex scene is tainted in some slight manner, extramarital sex is common enough that bastard children have certain surnames based on where they come from (bastards from Iron Islands get the name Pyke, Winterfell bastards get the name Snow etc), there's incest too. It really does quite a good job at demystifying the fantasy genre.
Anyway I'm rambling. I am tempted to do what I did last time and watch the next season digitally but I think I might wait and buy them on DVD. I've thoroughly enjoyed rewatching it and it really feels like something I genuinely want to own for myself.
Phylactery
Active Member
CiG
Harbinger of Metal
On the other hand, my attempt to get into The Walking Dead again is not going so well. Basically gave up 2 episodes in.
The Ozzman
Melted by feels
CiG
Harbinger of Metal
TechnicalBarbarity
Poser Disposer
Phylactery
Active Member
I got through 5 seasons of The Walking Dead before giving up. It becomes too repetitive to hold my interest. There are some good episodes scattered throughout and some decent character arcs/development/storylines. But it doesn’t seem to have an end goal as far as I can see. I’d be interested in a backstory of how and why it all began in the first place, but the show glosses over that.
CiG
Harbinger of Metal
Not sure I'd really be interested in a backstory myself, I tend to find the disaster genre less interesting than the post-disaster genre. But I will keep going with it, I guess I just have to wait for the right moment. It just feels very subpar in contrast to Game of Thrones so I may pick it up again once I'm done with Game of Thrones, whenever that may be.
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
It does have an end goal, or at least an overarching story. It's about the reestablishment of civilization following a global collapse. At first it's about individuals trying to survive, form stable communities and find a safe place to settle down. Once they reach Alexandria at the end of s05, it becomes about armed conflict between city states. So basically it's a repeat of early history on a microcosmic scale. Although I'm not sure where the end point would be exactly, I imagine what we'll be seeing next is the formation of nation states, reestablishment of industries and communication networks (the comics have already touched on this, as far as I've read) and so forth.
I can understand how the show's awful pacing makes people think it has no point but there is an arc, even if they bungle it. (It's much clearer in the comics, which consistently don't suck)
Manic Ferocity
Active Member
- Nov 5, 2006
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I got through the first season of The Walking Dead and hated the characters enough to not continue watching it. I've also heard that it's at its best in the latter half of the first season, which doesn't give me much hope. Unless it improves significantly in later seasons, I don't see much more than another way to capitalize on the zombie genre.
Deadwood is essentially a masterpiece of television.
Deadwood is essentially a masterpiece of television.
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CiG
Harbinger of Metal
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
I stuck with The Man in the High Castle for some reason and I actually really liked s02. Excited for s03 in October.
Now looking at a character popularity poll on the show's subreddit. The most popular primary character is the sociopathic nazi officer, with 2,609 votes out of 4,626. The least popular character is the protagonist's jew boyfriend, with 92 votes. It's clear where the audience's sympathies lie. (In all fairness, the jew character is really awful)
Now looking at a character popularity poll on the show's subreddit. The most popular primary character is the sociopathic nazi officer, with 2,609 votes out of 4,626. The least popular character is the protagonist's jew boyfriend, with 92 votes. It's clear where the audience's sympathies lie. (In all fairness, the jew character is really awful)
CiG
Harbinger of Metal
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
Not gonna watch the trailer because fuck trailers, but I'm hyped. Especially since I'm one of those who actually liked s02. I hope the extended hiatus will have been enough time for Pizzolatto to come up with something truly special. Also David Milch is writing for s03!
The Ozzman
Melted by feels
I've been waiting for Season 3 ever since I discovered the show back when Season 2 was released
Imagine my shock
CiG
Harbinger of Metal
Not much of a trailer tbh, just a short teaser with very little info. But seeing the lead actor and his traditional detective coat etc has me psyched.
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