All Things TV Series Recommendations/Reviews

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Nokomis said:
Anyone here in to Ozark? We watched the pilot and really didn't like it. Very bleak & doesn't even seem remotely plausible, and none of the characters are likeable or relatable. I like Jason Bateman, and the show got good reviews with some personal recommendations. I realize it's just the pilot,ut I don't think I could handle whole series of this. Has anyone seen it & recommend it?
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It was the first thing we watched back in March at the start of the lockdowns; at that time several people were watching it.

I liked it, didn't love it. If it starts back up again, I'm not sure we'll watch it. We binged through 3 seasons (I think they finished 3?). I really like Jason Bateman and there are a few good characters in it but I wouldn't say it was great.

Recommendation? On a scale of 1-10, I would go with around 6 or 7 maybe? Good not great.

Just do yourself a favor and watch "The Wire" and thank me later.
 

Nokomis said:
Anyone here in to Ozark? We watched the pilot and really didn't like it. Very bleak & doesn't even seem remotely plausible, and none of the characters are likeable or relatable. I like Jason Bateman, and the show got good reviews with some personal recommendations. I realize it's just the pilot, but I don't think I could handle whole series of this. Has anyone seen it & recommend it?
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Bleak is a good descriptor-as with Ogee, not sure we will pick it up after it returns. Really strong acting, but it’s really tough to find characters to like and the storylines are hard to digest-same rang true at times with The Wire, except the storylines/characters were believable and likable. Just thinking about a couple of Ozark’s storylines-yeah, not really itching to get back into that show.
 

Nokomis said:
Anyone here in to Ozark? We watched the pilot and really didn't like it. Very bleak & doesn't even seem remotely plausible, and none of the characters are likeable or relatable. I like Jason Bateman, and the show got good reviews with some personal recommendations. I realize it's just the pilot, but I don't think I could handle whole series of this. Has anyone seen it & recommend it?
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Loved it. Wife and I watched the whole series in 9 days in July. Couldn't stop.
 

That's one Yay, and two Nays. I think we'll skip it. We also recently watched the first couple episodes of the fifth season of Arrested Development. Loved the original seasons, but it seems like they're just phoning it in with Netflix and recycling old jokes. Hmm...what else to try besides The Wire?
 

Nokomis said:
That's one Yay, and two Nays. I think we'll skip it. We also recently watched the first couple episodes of the fifth season of Arrested Development. Loved the original seasons, but it seems like they're just phoning it in with Netflix and recycling old jokes. Hmm...what else to try besides The Wire?
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Just finished the series, "You're the Worst" on hulu. Best end to a series in a long time imo.
 


Nokomis said:
That's one Yay, and two Nays. I think we'll skip it. We also recently watched the first couple episodes of the fifth season of Arrested Development. Loved the original seasons, but it seems like they're just phoning it in with Netflix and recycling old jokes. Hmm...what else to try besides The Wire?
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Certainly not a new show, chances are you’ve at least already tried it, but Mad Men is a show I continually circle back to in my mind for its excellence. When we started watching, I was skeptical that a drama about advertising would keep me engaged, but it’s #1 or 1A for dramas in my personal rankings (with The Wire). And for good old fun, Justified is
 

I recently started two new shows. My wife and I watched the first season of Broadchurch and really liked it. I believe there are 3 seasons - I hope they can continue to carry a strong story through.

And I am in the middle of the second season of Ballers. Sports, sports agents, jersey chasers, etc....what's not to love?!

Go Gophers!!
 

Nokomis said:
That's one Yay, and two Nays. I think we'll skip it. We also recently watched the first couple episodes of the fifth season of Arrested Development. Loved the original seasons, but it seems like they're just phoning it in with Netflix and recycling old jokes. Hmm...what else to try besides The Wire?
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I don't know what criteria others use for series choices, what's great, etc but one of the biggees for me is depth of characters; and by that I mean, is the 6th or 8th most important character on your show STILL a great character, great actor/actress, etc. The Wire, just plain no weak spots for the characters on that show. If you ask 8 different people who their favorite was, you may get 6-7 different answers. Same reason I love Billions on ShowTime. Great characters, top to bottom.

For the record, that's one of the reasons I did NOT love Breaking Bad as much as others. Cranston was great, the kid was good, but there were some real weak spots after that I thought.
 

coolhandgopher said:
Certainly not a new show, chances are you’ve at least already tried it, but Mad Men is a show I continually circle back to in my mind for its excellence. When we started watching, I was skeptical that a drama about advertising would keep me engaged, but it’s #1 or 1A for dramas in my personal rankings (with The Wire). And for good old fun, Justified is
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We gave Mad Men a try way back when and couldn't stick with it. Don't remember the specifics now, but I think the constant misogynism wore thin.
 



Ogee Oglethorpe said:
I don't know what criteria others use for series choices, what's great, etc but one of the biggees for me is depth of characters; and by that I mean, is the 6th or 8th most important character on your show STILL a great character, great actor/actress, etc. The Wire, just plain no weak spots for the characters on that show. If you ask 8 different people who their favorite was, you may get 6-7 different answers. Same reason I love Billions on ShowTime. Great characters, top to bottom.

For the record, that's one of the reasons I did NOT love Breaking Bad as much as others. Cranston was great, the kid was good, but there were some real weak spots after that I thought.
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Agree in general but disagree on Breaking Bad. I love a good villain, and Gus Fring & Todd Alquist are two of the best -- expertly played by Giancarlo Esposito & Jesse Plemons.
 

Nokomis said:
We gave Mad Men a try way back when and couldn't stick with it. Don't remember the specifics now, but I think the constant misogynism wore thin.
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I really wanted to like Mad Men and started it a good long time ago and I don't remember what else (there had to be more to it) but as pansy-ass as it sounds, the treatment of women in the show was a little tough to endure at times. I can't remember how many episodes I got into it. I'm not saying I would never pick it up again, but I'd have to have a lot of time on my hands. The overall reviews are just really really good so I really want to embrace it. Time will tell!
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
I really wanted to like Mad Men and started it a good long time ago and I don't remember what else (there had to be more to it) but as pansy-ass as it sounds, the treatment of women in the show was a little tough to endure at times. I can't remember how many episodes I got into it. I'm not saying I would never pick it up again, but I'd have to have a lot of time on my hands. The overall reviews are just really really good so I really want to embrace it. Time will tell!
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I don't know how to do the double post response, but this is also in response to Nokomis. Before Netflix pulled it from the lineup, I watched the first episode again, a couple months back and was startled by the misogyny myself, as that's not how I remembered the arc of the show. In fact, Peggy Olson grew into one of my favorite TV characters over time, as did Joan, to a lesser extent (the buxom head secretary). I came to see the show not so much about the men, but about the three lead women-Peggy, Joan, and Betty, Don Draper's first wife. Their characters, at least the first two, really developed over time while dealing with the testosterone fueled work environments.
 

I know awhile back, someone on here recommended Brockmire with Hank Azaria, which I haven't been able to watch yet, but today there was a podcast through the Dan Lebatard network with Brockmire as the host and it was freaking hilarious-Lebatard was his guest and he ribbed him continuously and mixed in some great humor-his guided instigation piece had me crying. You can listen to it here, I believe: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-big-suey-the-brockmire-podcast/id934820588?i=1000490786164
 




Watching Schitt's Creek, but might have to pull the plug on it. Give it about 6, maybe a 6.5 on the Rayometer. Although I have fallen in love with Alexis.
 

Nokomis said:
Agree in general but disagree on Breaking Bad. I love a good villain, and Gus Fring & Todd Alquist are two of the best -- expertly played by Giancarlo Esposito & Jesse Plemons.
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The brilliance of Breaking Bad and Saul are that the 7th or 8th most important characters could be the star of any episode at any time. They were all so well thought out.
 


coolhandgopher said:
I know awhile back, someone on here recommended Brockmire with Hank Azaria, which I haven't been able to watch yet, but today there was a podcast through the Dan Lebatard network with Brockmire as the host and it was freaking hilarious-Lebatard was his guest and he ribbed him continuously and mixed in some great humor-his guided instigation piece had me crying. You can listen to it here, I believe: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-big-suey-the-brockmire-podcast/id934820588?i=1000490786164
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First two seasons of Brockmire were good. The last one was a disaster imo. Thanks for the link.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
I really wanted to like Mad Men and started it a good long time ago and I don't remember what else (there had to be more to it) but as pansy-ass as it sounds, the treatment of women in the show was a little tough to endure at times. I can't remember how many episodes I got into it. I'm not saying I would never pick it up again, but I'd have to have a lot of time on my hands. The overall reviews are just really really good so I really want to embrace it. Time will tell!
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Yeah, the gratuitous misogyny is what turned me off. I get that's the point to show "that's how things were". But I don't buy it. I recall some reviews that said they went way over the top in their portrayal. Same reason I don't like Game of Thrones. The excessive sex & violence is pure sensationalism and does nothing to move along the plot.
 

There is one series that "Iceland" turned me on to with this message board. Justified. Thought it was a fantastic series. Best dialogue, best characters. Loved it.
Hope Iceland is doing well. He doesn't post on here as much as he once did.
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
There is one series that "Iceland" turned me on to with this message board. Justified. Thought it was a fantastic series. Best dialogue, best characters. Loved it.
Hope Iceland is doing well. He doesn't post on here as much as he once did.
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He's been posting a lot lately in a few threads, Timberwolves one in particular.

Go Gophers!!
 

Nokomis said:
Agree in general but disagree on Breaking Bad. I love a good villain, and Gus Fring & Todd Alquist are two of the best -- expertly played by Giancarlo Esposito & Jesse Plemons.
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ww was the villain
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
There is one series that "Iceland" turned me on to with this message board. Justified. Thought it was a fantastic series. Best dialogue, best characters. Loved it.
Hope Iceland is doing well. He doesn't post on here as much as he once did.
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one of those shows i got into and then stopped watching for one reason or another that id like to get back into.

someone correct me if im wrong, but i believe it was created by one of the great wordsmiths of the 20 century, elmore leonard. not sure if he wrote for the show.

 

KD6-3.7 said:
one of those shows i got into and then stopped watching for one reason or another that id like to get back into.

someone correct me if im wrong, but i believe it was created by one of the great wordsmiths of the 20 century, elmore leonard. not sure if he wrote for the show.

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Ogee Oglethorpe said:
It was the first thing we watched back in March at the start of the lockdowns; at that time several people were watching it.

I liked it, didn't love it. If it starts back up again, I'm not sure we'll watch it. We binged through 3 seasons (I think they finished 3?). I really like Jason Bateman and there are a few good characters in it but I wouldn't say it was great.

Recommendation? On a scale of 1-10, I would go with around 6 or 7 maybe? Good not great.

Just do yourself a favor and watch "The Wire" and thank me later.
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the wire is one that i need to watch again.

i have heard good things about true detective, but im not gonna pay hbo to watch it
 
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Nokomis said:
That's one Yay, and two Nays. I think we'll skip it. We also recently watched the first couple episodes of the fifth season of Arrested Development. Loved the original seasons, but it seems like they're just phoning it in with Netflix and recycling old jokes. Hmm...what else to try besides The Wire?
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Ozark is worth watching. I'd say it gets better and better as it goes. As for Arrested Development....yeah.....the Netflix seasons aren't as strong as the original run. But the first three seasons (the second season in particular) are a few of the best seasons of any sitcom, period. I'd say stick with it. The fourth season was weak. But the fifth season was really solid IMO. I didn't really care for the finale....but the majority of the episodes really captured some of the magic of the original run.
 

KD6-3.7 said:
one of those shows i got into and then stopped watching for one reason or another that id like to get back into.

someone correct me if im wrong, but i believe it was created by one of the great wordsmiths of the 20 century, elmore leonard. not sure if he wrote for the
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Leonard’s short story was the inspiration for the pilot, as detailed in this article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/elmore-leonard-was-amazed-by-609804

Here’s my favorite line from this finely written show:
 



Barry on HBO was fantastic. Only two seasons. I don't know if they will ever get back to it with the COVID...
 

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