The Official Good Television Thread

[CiG]

I posted my list in a FB group and the first comment was "where's The Bear" lmao so don't take my list as representative of the year.

I think it's a solid list though, and I even had a whole bunch of stuff that could be honourable mentions like The Continental, The Righteous Gemstones s3, Hunters s2, Twisted Metal, Loki s2 etc. I didn't need to dip into my 6/10's and my 6.5/10's to complete the list. I even liked (not loved) The Idol, which was probably considered the year's hugest flop.

But considering you liked Yellowjackets s2 we probably just have wildly different tastes.

 

[Slammed]

I don't even remember what I've watched this year, let alone be able to rank them.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

View attachment 34617
Upcoming Crystal Lake series. Produced by A24, created by the Hannibal series guy, a prequel to the first Friday the 13th film.

 

[CiG]

It better be brutal.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

But considering you liked Yellowjackets s2 we probably just have wildly different tastes.

Eh, I liked it but I wouldn't go out of my way to defend it. Others who paid more attention to the plot than me (incl. Ein in this thread IIRC) have listed numerous plot threads that were unceremoniously dropped and it doesn't exactly instill me with confidence that the writers know where they're going. And a show this fucking slow needs to go somewhere good.

Checked out the season premiere of Fargo. That was... the most cinematic episode of TV I've seen in a while. This show has a history of pissing me off midway through each new season but goddamn that was a strong start. We'll see where this goes.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

Slow Horses is trash but also bingeable as fuck. Think I finished the three seasons in as many days.

 

[CiG]

Been loving The Brothers Sun on Netflix. Seems like it came out of nowhere. Can't remember the last time someone combined Wick-tier action scenes, and very graphic violence with genuinely funny black comedy.



The basic premise is the wife of a Triad boss lives in hiding in America with their youngest son while their oldest son is left behind to become the top enforcer for their gang back in Taiwan, and so the two brothers are nothing alike when they reunite as young men. Michelle Yeoh is brilliant as the matriarch and Justin Chien is unhinged as the Triad son. Already something cool and 2024 only just started.

 

[CiG]

Last night I finally restarted The Walking Dead from season 1.

After years and years of putting it off because there's way too many fucking seasons and spinoffs. On the bright side, the first episode was a lot better than I remembered, maybe because the original DVDs haven't aged very well compared to the streaming version. The cinematography really stood out to me.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

Did not find the premiere of True Detective s04 to be very promising.

 

[CiG]

I didn't mind it. Or, at least I have a better feeling about it already compared to s3.

 

[Einherjar86]

Did not find the premiere of True Detective s04 to be very promising.

It was not the return to form that critics claimed. I'll withhold judgment until I see the rest of the season.

Also, that CGI. Woof.

 

[Slammed]

The Continental wasn't too bad.
Soundtrack for it was pretty good too.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

It was not the return to form that critics claimed. I'll withhold judgment until I see the rest of the season.

Also, that CGI. Woof.

It could be salvaged if the mystery goes somewhere interesting I guess.

But why would you make a new True Detective season and not do the masking effect for the opening credits! Come on, that one's a freebie.

 

[CiG]

Second episode was betterino. I'm officially in-diddly-trigued now.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

For me it just solidified the bad impression left by the first episode. It is presenting a lot of fodder for speculation but the delivery is so flat and expository it's hard for me to get invested.

There have also been a lot of weird production issues already in only two episodes. The first episode had a bunch of continuity errors between shots and in this one I picked up very obvious ADR where a character's lip movement doesn't even match the dialogue and... AI-generated posters? I don't know if they're doing it intentionally to evoke delirium (that'd be cool!) or if they really rushed this out the gate.

 

[CiG]

My eyes must be fucked cos I've clearly missed the crap CGI and ADR issue. That "Metal" poster was shite though, didn't know it was AI though! They can afford multiple uses of The Beatles but can't pay a real poster designer?

What were the continuity errors?

 

[Einherjar86]

For me it just solidified the bad impression left by the first episode. It is presenting a lot of fodder for speculation but the delivery is so flat and expository it's hard for me to get invested.

There have also been a lot of weird production issues already in only two episodes. The first episode had a bunch of continuity errors between shots and in this one I picked up very obvious ADR where a character's lip movement doesn't even match the dialogue and... AI-generated posters? I don't know if they're doing it intentionally to evoke delirium (that'd be cool!) or if they really rushed this out the gate.

Those posters in True Detective: Night Country are a knock on A.I.

Eagle-eyed True Detective viewers noticed that a poster in the background of episode two advertised the world-famous "2st LIVE Metal U.S. Tour"

www.avclub.com

According to López, however, these mistakes are very much intentional. “The idea is that it’s so sad up there that some kid with AI made the posters for a loser Metal festival for boomers. It was discussed. Ad nauseam,” she wrote on X in a speedy response to the growing speculation and criticism. In a separate reply, she added: “Exactly! Chat GPT came as.we [sic] were shooting. So, we were— feeling not kind towards AI.”

Not sure I'm convinced, but sure. Whatever.

 

[Einherjar86]

This Sunday was the best episode so far of the new TD season, I thought. I'm all in for the horror deep dive. Let's see where this goes.

 

[CiG]

1883 was really fucking good. Elsa Dutton is goated.


If they gave us more time with the characters I might even say it's better than Yellowstone. Maybe it is anyway, only time will tell how I feel.
I started the other Yellowstone prequel 1923. Not sure how I feel just yet, but I've never been fully convinced of Harrison Ford's post 80's career.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

Man I have no idea what you guys find to appreciate in the new TD season, shit's boring me to tears.