The Official Good Television Thread

[Krow]

Without giving anything in the way of spoilers, it felt like one of those stories where the bad guys power was so fucking immense and absolute the only possible way for him to lose was for him to do it to himself.

Literally

Spoiler

he could have done nothing and his army would have completely overrun Winterfell, he had them outnumbered by hundreds of thousands if not millions

 

[rms]

I don't really get Vegard's point here about main characters and being "protected" ? When was the last time this show thrown an integral character off for whatever reason?

This show is clearly interested in being feminist and saving fat losers like Sam. How is this any different?

And more interestingly (imo), when did this trend of television/film "God" intervention become the main stream prevalence? Walking Dead, Marvel/Comic Book movies, GoT, those teenage hunger game spin off shit franchises...was Harry Potter the first?

 

[Vegard Pompey]

I don't really get Vegard's point here about main characters and being "protected" ? When was the last time this show thrown an integral character off for whatever reason?

I neither complained about main characters having plot armor nor did I use the word "protected" even once. What post did you read? My complaint was that the episode had no tension because it never created a convincing illusion that anyone was in danger, a point I supported by citing examples from previous episodes where the show created tension without actually killing anyone.

And more interestingly (imo), when did this trend of television/film "God" intervention become the main stream prevalence? Walking Dead, Marvel/Comic Book movies, GoT, those teenage hunger game spin off shit franchises...was Harry Potter the first?

What are you even talking about? When the hell did "God" intervene in TWD?

 

[rms]

I neither complained about main characters having plot armor nor did I use the word "protected" even once

here, you did it again:

My complaint was that the episode had no tension because it never created a convincing illusion that anyone was in danger

a point I supported by citing examples from previous episodes where the show created tension without actually killing anyone.

so you're just mad they didn't dangle the carrot far enough from your head? this show has clearly been interested in preserving several characters for non-storyline reasons, it's been that way awhile. (unless i'm forgetting something)

What are you even talking about? When the hell did "God" intervene in TWD?

definitely not going to watch that garbage again but the show is about saving main characters and rotating side characters through the first 5 or 6 seasons. It's the same thing in GoT, after the stupid Stark slaying.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

here, you did it again:



so you're just mad they didn't dangle the carrot far enough from your head? this show has clearly been interested in preserving several characters for non-storyline reasons, it's been that way awhile. (unless i'm forgetting something)

My point has literally fuck all to do with preserving characters. I'm not complaining about them holding back in that regard, I'm complaining about the execution. The action hero usually survives the action movie but I expect a good action movie to make me believe he's made of meat and bones regardless. This was an action episode, and by that same token, for it to be an effective action episode I want to be tricked that these characters occupy a physical dimension where being surrounded by armed zombies poses a legitimate threat to their well-being.

definitely not going to watch that garbage again but the show is about saving main characters and rotating side characters through the first 5 or 6 seasons. It's the same thing in GoT, after the stupid Stark slaying.

I fail to see what this has to do with "God".

 

[Einherjar86]

I assume rms is referring to the deus ex machina ploy, i.e. an unexpected and implausible turn of narrative events by which characters are saved from assured destruction. GoT has pulled a deus ex machina on occasion, but I don't think they're repeatedly guilty of it. The real narrative failure in this episode was, as Vegard says, a lack of tension. Part of this had to do with the pacing and length of the episode, I think. The Battle of the Bastards managed to build masterful tension in a sequence that comprised less than half of the total episode. The Battle of Winterfell granted an entire episode's length (plus change) to a single battle sequence, and it came out bloated and overwrought.

 

[Krow]

I’m not sure some character randomly surviving something they shouldn’t have like constantly happens in TWD is the same as R’hllor, who sure as fuck seems to be there for real, as long as you’re serving his will.

 

[rms]

GoT has pulled a deus ex machina on occasion, but I don't think they're repeatedly guilty of it.

not repeatedly?! without too obvious on spoilers, they finally ended two of them in the latest episode!

The action hero usually survives the action movie but I expect a good action movie to make me believe he's made of meat and bones regardless.

And again, when has GoT ever done this? Jon Snow is the closest to this and he died and came back to life! everyone else died and that was it -- because this show used to have some semblance of integrity.

This episode granted an entire episode (plus change) to a single battle sequence, and it came out bloated and overwrought.

best thing was forcing this battle into one episode. Battles have always been the weakest element of GoT and hoping that they aren't immediately jumping into another battle.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

I assume rms is referring to the deus ex machina ploy, i.e. an unexpected and implausible turn of narrative events by which characters are saved from assured destruction.

Ah yes, the recent trend of deus ex machina.

 

[Einherjar86]

lol

 

[rms]

has it ever been so prolific? that's my point, quit getting so defensive

 

[Blurry_Dreams]

anyone watching any other shows??
or are we just gonna bitch about how lame the last season of GOT is for the next few pages??

 

[Einherjar86]

I imagine some of you in the UK have watched this before, but I finally discovered how to watch Utopia online. It looks like this site has all the episodes. I've only watched the first one, but I think I'm gonna like it (I know it was cancelled after two seasons; apparently Amazon is picking up an American remake).

 

[Dak]

And again, when has GoT ever done this? Jon Snow is the closest to this and he died and came back to life! everyone else died and that was it -- because this show used to have some semblance of integrity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catelyn_Stark

 

[rms]

Killed and kept her dead in the show

 

[Dak]

Killed and kept her dead in the show

Haven't watched past season 1 but just saying. GoT is kind of hot garbage at this point.

 

[no country for old wainds]

my problem with both the books and the show is that they're just too generic, at least up to the points i've reached (i'm in the middle of season 3 and have read book 1). too many characters and scenarios and exchanges i've come across a hundred times before. i find it watchable enough but i wish it had more personality, more distinctiveness, so many characters are archetypes or non-entities up to now (tyrion is a notable exception, and there are a handful of others i'm intrigued by i guess). anyways, i've started watching again so we'll see if i change my mind at all.

 

[CiG]

rms and his faggoty spoilers.

 

[rms]

That was like 5 seasons ago

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

GoT was pretty fucking badass
We haven't really been watching much of anything