The TV Series discussion thread

Peaky Blinders had a great first season. But it went downhill fast after that. I don't remember the details of the second and third season but after the third I decided to stop watching the show. This season was ludicrous.

I read an interview with the author Stephen Knight. He said that he improvised the story for each season after the first. He had no plan big story plan for the entire series. And it shows. I have seldom seen a series that dropped as fast in quality as peaky blinders.

Makes sense.

It happens to nearly all popular shows. They think they need to go more and more to please the audience.

Not a surprise.

Seems they're right - which you can see with something like Game of Thrones.

It takes forever for the mainstream audience to realise what they originally loved was never the spectacle - but the quality writing and care for detail functioning as underpinning for the spectacle.

Once they finally get sick of it - the show will be regarded as something that was once great.

Which is, of course, true enough. It's just that this "once" was only in the very beginning and not recently when the majority audience finally woke up.
 
Any current or recent Fantasy or Sci-Fi (preferably Space based) series you guys can recommend? I got burned after Firefly and Surface, both of which were a lot of fun but were canceled after one season. Other series I tried sort of faded out because they were too long for their own good…

The few series I've been watching:
- Game of Thrones
- The Expanse
- Stranger Things
- Fringe (watched 2 episodes so far, was apparently well received and finished after 5 seasons)
- Doctor Who (need to catch up, I'm still in the middle of season 8.)

Series I tried but couldn't get into -- should I reconsider?
- Westworld

Series that sounded interesting which I haven't watched yet -- should I?
- Killjoys
- Dark Matter
- Shannara (teen soap drama?)
- all sorts of superhero series (Arrow, Daredevil, Flash, Jessica Jones, etc. -- any of them good? I remember having dropped Heroes before or during the final season…)

Anything else?


I'm allergic against too much Drama by the way (with a capital "D"; regular drama is fine).
 
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I don't tend to watch TV series until I'm persuaded they're really good. The only thing I've seen recently that fits your criteria is Legion, which is is based on a comic, but is something quite unexpected. A series with a schizophrenic unreliable narrator that starts with a montage of teenage destruction set to The Who's "Happy Jack" was always going to be well-received by me.
 
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Any current or recent Fantasy or Sci-Fi (preferably Space based) series you guys can recommend? I got burned after Firefly and Surface, both of which were a lot of fun but were canceled after one season. Other series I tried sort of faded out because they were too long for their own good…

The few series I've been watching:
- Game of Thrones
- The Expanse
- Stranger Things
- Fringe (watched 2 episodes so far, was apparently well received and finished after 5 seasons)
- Doctor Who (need to catch up, I'm still in the middle of season 8.)

Series I tried but couldn't get into -- should I reconsider?
- Westworld

Series that sounded interesting which I haven't watched yet -- should I?
- Killjoys
- Dark Matter
- Shannara (teen soap drama?)
- all sorts of superhero series (Arrow, Daredevil, Flash, Jessica Jones, etc. -- any of them good? I remember having dropped Heroes before or during the final season…)

Anything else?


I'm allergic against too much Drama by the way (with a capital "D"; regular drama is fine).

I'm a huge fan of Westworld and consider it the best TV show since True Detective season 1. Maybe better.

But it all comes down to what you enjoy and what you prefer.

Of the samey derivative Marvel shows - I think Daredevil is the most entertaining, just don't expect miracles :)
 
I thought Westworld was badly paced, repetitive and meandering to the point where it became unwatchable, but I can see why it would obviously appeal to RPG gamers.

The only shows I watch regularly are GOT and Better Call Saul ("It's Saul good, man!") Better Call Saul is the same high quality as Breaking Bad but not as expansive or edgy.

True Detective was grossly overrated.
 
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Oh, I forgot, have you seen Agent Carter?

That is, by far, my favorite Marvel-related TV show - or Marvel-related anything, really.

It's warm and not consumed by the desire to make an impression every 2 minutes. I really enjoyed it.
 
I can't imagine how someone could not like Westworld. I thought it was one of the best seasons of a television show I've ever seen.

In fact, part of me hopes they just leave it as is and not attempt to continue it. The odds of them being able to reproduce something on the same level as the first season are small.
 
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I can't imagine how someone could not like Westworld. I thought it was one of the best seasons of a television show I've ever seen.

In fact, part of me hopes they just leave it as is and not attempt to continue it. The odds of them being able to reproduce something on the same level as the first season are small.

They're already well on the way with season 2.

But I agree and I would never expect them to top or even match season 1.
 
I can't imagine how someone could not like Westworld. I thought it was one of the best seasons of a television show I've ever seen.

In fact, part of me hopes they just leave it as is and not attempt to continue it. The odds of them being able to reproduce something on the same level as the first season are small.
I started watching Westworld, but hated the writing, specially the storyline with the lab guys and the super droid. First episode when that thing started I frowned and smirked. Next episode I face palmed. Next episode I cried and kicked my bed. Abandoned it then as I was fearing for my sanity if I watched another episode.

Any current or recent Fantasy or Sci-Fi (preferably Space based) series you guys can recommend? I got burned after Firefly and Surface, both of which were a lot of fun but were canceled after one season. Other series I tried sort of faded out because they were too long for their own good…
There is Black Mirror if you haven't watched it.
 
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I started watching Westworld, but hated the writing, specially the storyline with the lab guys and the super droid. First episode when that thing started I frowned and smirked. Next episode I face palmed. Next episode I cried and kicked my bed. Abandoned it then as I was fearing for my sanity if I watched another episode.

But I'm guessing you think Dr Who has great writing. :)
 
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Noone answered anything more on Method? Hmmm, I knew it's a long shot but still am surprised, usually there is at least one reply on "best kept secret" shows. Maybe I should add some mild spoilers to stir the pot?
But anyway, a few words for those who like me wait till GoT season gets finished before watching it.



Two and a half years ago this happened:
And yes I'm hooked to the 100 as well. For some reason I feel I have to apologize for that (it being unrealistic and full of holes as they say)
Isn't 100 series ment not to be watched by 18+ people?
Well… I got busted. Don't ask me why I even went for it in the first place, it's a story too long and offtopic. ;)

The 100 - watched three seasons, preparing for the fourth.
In short, cca 100 years after nuclear war "changed" the face of Earth, survivors who feld in space, okay, their descendants return back to planet. A hundred of them, thus the series name. What they discover is that they're not alone. Of course.
First to say, this is a rare sci fi show where you can sccratch the "sci" part completely. I've never ever seen a show so low with basics of science advertising itself as sci fi. While in other shows we can debate is something is believable, in this series, there is absolutely nothing believable. The first reason why I endured watching it is that such science cheesyness starts to feel like deliberate trolling of master level. Yes, you've heard me. Either the authors are master level trolls or so stupid that I'm interested what more that stupidity can produce.

Characters are almost all bloodthirsty or powerhungry maniacs. A few who are not are stupid enough to assure someone will die or have serious mental problems. Basically, all are evil except two. These two are support roles and of course, one of those two will die in season three. Humanity being described as a bunch of psychopats with a rare good person, you know me, being sick and tired of shows about dogooders, I'm in.

Each of three season has it's own story arc, and each one is different than others, but general setup stays the same. Season starts with characters picking a side over something, when shit hits the fan something even more dangeorus appears and our "beloved" characters end up cooperating against the bigger evil. Of course, ending of each season adds a cliffhanger. Meh.

If there was a show I'd call a guilty pleasure of mine, it's this one. So I'll say it this way:
You should definetly watch first three episodes of this one as it's actually unique "trash" for better or for worse. If you survive, continue watching it, you won't be sorry. If you just can't stand those first three eps, don't hope it'll get smarter - it won't.



There is another sci fi show with unique approach, it's spanish and I've watched only it's first two seasons. If I understood it right, the third one is being aired in Spain, upon it's completion it will be available on Netflix. It's El Ministerio Del Tiempo.

You've all watched timetravel based stuff like Back to the Future trilogy, different Star Trek arcs including temporal wars, Doctor Who, Butterfly Effect, etc. Some also dared to watch relatively unknown gems like The Triangle and Timecrimes.
And when you think there is nothing more to invent about timetravel, you discover that there is always something.

I'll try to explain how it workd in this spanish show. Try.
The science would go something like this. Today is the time's max (fixed) point. There is nothing defined after that, the future is unknown and cannot be predicted. If there was a timemachine, we could travel to past from today and return to today, but we can't travel to the future from this point. Tomorrow we can return back one day which is today, but that's it, again we can't go forward.

Got it? I hope you did, because there is more.
What happened is not timetravel machine invention, but people discovered portals through which they can travel to past. Each portal leads from today to another date.
So let's return to the basics, we can travel in, dunno year 100 B.C., we can go to 1404 A.D. or any other date that happened before today. Works vice versa, someone who found a portal in mentioned 100 B.C. can travel to the fixed point that's today and that's it.

Interesting setup, right? Well, there is more.
Unlike general timetravel works, in this case time continues running synchonized in all "timezones". What I mean is if we passed through a portal to year 100 B.C., after one year, the same portal will lead to 101 B.C. Got it? We can't return at the same time point.
Yes, you got it, we can't go back in time, change something, return, check if it's okay, then go back at the same point in time through the same portal as we'd arrive later!
Who understood, good, who didn't, ah well if I was good in explaining I'd be a teacher. ;)

Anyway, the portals discovery led to forming a ministery of time in Spain because a new portal gets discovered often and sometimes abused which should be prevented, right? Yea, you see, there will be a mass murderer escaping justice by using portals, then there will be an organization stealing works of art and then black marketing them in "the future" changing the past etc.

Except the interesting sci fi base, the cast is having fun while making the show, it's so obvious you can't not to love them all and they're all so different. The lead girl is so cute I could watch her ironing 24/7, the chief is most probably deliberately acting oldschool (outdated), the secretary is a genuine music antitalent but has no shame in letting the voice when comes to the must sing part, etc.

Just as the show above, watch three first episodes, if the deliberate sillyness of actors doesn't turn you off, you'll enjoy each an every episode of this show.
I mean, look, you won't go discuss reflexes with a peasant from 1000 years in past. You might, but he won't understand what a word "reflex" means. This show forgets it. Deliberately, as if actors make up dialogs without any script. But it happens, I love that cheesyness. Maybe you will too. ;)



Before I bore everyone to death, one more. A show available on Netflix that sounds promising, Hotel Beau Séjour.

A girl died, her spirit is still on Earth, she sees everyone but can't remember what happened 24 hours before her death.
5 people, living ones, can see her and talk to her, at first they don't know why. What they discover later is that they can communicate with her because they've talked to her a few hours before she died. One of them is a killer then. Or not as they all claim not to have anything with the murder.
Later they'll discover the sixth such person that can see the dead girl's spirit, maybe that's the killer?

This whodunnit thriller could have been a masterpiece in the right hands as the premise is relatively unique - instead of one living person who sees dozens of ghosts, one ghost can communicate with a bunch of people here.
Sadly, after the very good first episode it turns into a boredom fast where half of each episode is an unnecessary filler and ending conclusions in the final episode presentation, honestly, is far from satisfying. The cast is good, but the script and it's execution produced lower than an average work that'll be forgotten soon. It makes me sad, but what can I do.

Skippit.
 
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A double because of max characters I guess or something on my side… About mentioned stuff above. Have to comment, just have to, sorry. :D

IMO:

- Westworld - If you watched the movie mastepiece back in the day and expect something like that, you'll get turned off. However, force yourself to forget the movie and prepare for a completely different story, you won't be disappointed. The show is not stupid and doesn't fall into a handholding trap so common in "modern" series.

- Killjoys - Do not watch that trash. Unless you're into Hollywood plastic&cute fighting nonplastic&noncute people. Horrible, cheap and can be used to torture people in Guantanamo.

- Dark Matter - Mostly cliche, not expensive, but IMO very good. Android steals the show. Do watch.

- Shannara (teen soap drama?) - never heard of it, but when I hear "teen" I'm instantly expecting something only lobotomized monkeys can bear through.



- all sorts of superhero series (Arrow, Daredevil, Flash, Jessica Jones, etc. -- any of them good? I remember having dropped Heroes before or during the final season…)

- Heroes - tried to watch some random episode of season 1 a few years back when it was a hit, switched to something else in the middle of it, so annoying, never went back to retry it

Arrowerse (overlapping series):
- Arrow - cheesy, silly, but with a few comic relief moments per episode story about no powers superhero, bad lead actor, the rest of the crew saves the day, watch it
- Flash - spinoff from Arrow with overlapping episodes, even more humor and more effects, good lead, a few good supports, but party not as good as Arrow, watch it too
- Supergirl - bad and stupid, skippit
- DC Legends of Tomorrow - doesn't take itself seriously anywhere, mocks everyone and everything, a mustwatch!

Marvel's series (also overlapping, not as much as arrowerse though, not yet):
- Agents of Shield - overrated trash that should have been cancelled after 1 episode if you ask me, can't understand who's still whatching that
- Agent Carter - a masterpiece
- Daredevil - very good, unlike movies understands the original character, watch it if nothing then for one of the best villains in past decade
- Jessica Jones - is not breaking bad but breaking bed, also very good, watch it
- Luke Cage - weak story but for some reason I loved performances in that one, watch it
- Iron Fist - the worst lead in series ever, dunno where did they find that guy or he just doesn't understand what's he supposed to do in a superhero show, but supporting cast does some stellar performances, watch it



- Legion - arrgh, luj1 would write "hipster" for that one and wouldn't lie, skip at all costs and buy Arkham Asylum comic on Amazon instead

- Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, True Detective - three shows I refused to watch and there is no way I'll give them a chance ever, for the latter I suggest Memories of a Murder movie instead.

- Black Mirror - watched only two episodes, the first one was about pushing sex with a pig on TV, the second about media mumbo jumbo, dropped the bullshit for good and I don't care if season three is apparently different (aka not crap, but good things)

- Confederate - not interested

- Doctor Who (2005-)- what's there to say? If you can't understand why episode 4, episode 5 and episode episode 10 are masterpieces of modern television although are a dozen of years old now, then dunno, go watch Supergirl. But I want Annette Badland to return in Doctor Who. Desperately!
What's worse, I could write for most of episodes how good those are and how I wish more of some episodic character. There are some weak episodes, sure, but those are superrare and for a longtime airing show having a few is understandable. Skip Waters of Mars special, it sucks. Everything else, series, specials and animated movies, watch everything! Even stuff like this one:
 
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As to the Marvel Series, Agent Carter was very good. A shame they ended that show.
Daredevil season 1 was better in my opinion. In season 2 I found the whole internal conflict thing a bit annoying. It did make room for a Punisher series.
I liked Jessica Jones as a different type of hero as well. For the record, she breaks only one bed :)
Just started watching Luke Cage. Not thrilled, not bored yet, so probably will finish watching it.
Agents of SHIELD has become quite boring and predictable rather quick.
Didn't watch Iron Fist yet. It is on my to-watch list.
 
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Iron Fist in itself is pretty "meh" - but I absolutely adore what Wenham and Pelphrey did with their characters. Those two characters alone go above and beyond any other character in these shows - and that includes quirky D'Onofrio in DD.
 
Iron Fist in itself is pretty "meh" - but I absolutely adore what Wenham and Pelphrey did with their characters. Those two characters alone go above and beyond any other character in these shows - and that includes quirky D'Onofrio in DD.

Yeah, Iron Fist happens to be the only one of the Marvel Netflix shows I've watched, and the Meachum family was definitely the most interesting part of it. I agree the show was mediocre overall though.
 
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I am finishing up the last season of Grimm this week.

I think it's probably one of the best supernatural shows I have seen.

It has a lot of things going for it. I recommend it if you enjoy detective shows with some supernatural things mixed in.


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But I'm guessing you think Dr Who has great writing. :)

Dr. Who is by definition irreverent, crazy things happen and that's basically the point of the show. Westworld is supposed to be a serious 'what could happen if' show, so to me things have to make sense (once you assume the concept of the premise). The whole lab technicians storyline was so stupid, every episode I had to force myself to continue watching, until I just couldn't anymore.

- Black Mirror - watched only two episodes, the first one was about pushing sex with a pig on TV, the second about media mumbo jumbo, dropped the bullshit for good and I don't care if season three is apparently different (aka not crap, but good things)
Many people get turned off by the first episode. But the series gets much better than that (and many fans still defend the first episode, but I didn't care for it either). The series is basically about the effects of technology on the future of our society. Keep watching it, I'm not saying it's going to be the best thing ever but it gets better... well, except for San Junipero which to me is indeed the best thing ever, but many Black Mirror fans actually don't like it because it has a 'good outlook' of the future and Black Mirror is supposed to always paint a bleak future... I disagree.
 
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I have to agree that the lab techs were a bit off, but I sort of accepted them as mild comic relief.
 
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