Current TV Series You'd Like To Recommend

[Redress]

Netflix has just put up the first 3 episodes of the live action version of Teasing Master Takagi-San, and I cannot recommend it enough. The Japanese have a concept of iyashikei, which loosely translates to "healing", and refers to shows and books that are pleasant, make you feel relaxed and kinda happy. Takagi-San is one of the best examples of this. The live action series is an adaptation of the anime(which was an adaptation of a comic) about a middle school aged boy, who tries to tease and beat at contests the girl setting next to him at school, the Takagi-san from the show title. As the title of the show suggests, he fails, badly, as she is so much better at it. What the boy(named Nishikata) is totally oblivious to is why she might be teasing him so...she has a huge crush on him. The show is just them engaging in light hearted attempts to get the better of each other, while slowly getting closer. No action, no big conflicts, just mellow fun that leaves you relaxed and stress free.

 

[Higgins86]

Maybe so, but it's the underlying plot that fell apart for me. It hit a wall like all bad sci-fi where they try to explain too much, leaving the antagonist and protagonist plots equally incomprehensible.

I guess the plot fell apart for me in episode 5 when people started doing things that were played off as debatable but were actually just insane.

I'm looking forward to The Pitch Meeting's take on this show...

bad sci-fi? Its based off one of the most critically acclaimed sci fi book series of the past 20 years...

 

[Cardinal]

bad sci-fi? Its based off one of the most critically acclaimed sci fi book series of the past 20 years...

I haven't gotten to the dreaded episode 6 that jmotivator mentioned, but to me the show really isn't half bad. It's not perfect, but so far it just hasn't earned the bad press it's gotten. I'm not a huge fan of the order that certain revelations happen in, but all things considered it's a smart and entertaining story. So far.

And that's as detailed as I'm going to get because people who post spoilers should be put to death.

 

[Cardinal]

Maybe so, but it's the underlying plot that fell apart for me. It hit a wall like all bad sci-fi where they try to explain too much, leaving the antagonist and protagonist plots equally incomprehensible.

I guess the plot fell apart for me in episode 5 when people started doing things that were played off as debatable but were actually just insane.

I'm looking forward to The Pitch Meeting's take on this show...

Okay, being sure to post your answer in a spoiler window, what was it about episode 5 that bugged you?

 

[jmotivator]

Okay, being sure to post your answer in a spoiler window, what was it about episode 5 that bugged you?

Spoiler: The Answer

The whole plot twist of using the nano wire to murder everyone on The Judgement Day. It's not like there aren't easier, less lethal ways to deal with them. It made no sense. The plot gimmick seemed contrived just for the shock value and makes pretty much everyone awful in hindsight.

 

[Cardinal]

Spoiler: The Answer

The whole plot twist of using the nano wire to murder everyone on The Judgement Day. It's not like there aren't easier, less lethal ways to deal with them. It made no sense. The plot gimmick seemed contrived just for the shock value and makes pretty much everyone awful in hindsight.

Spoiler: agree

Big time agreement there. But let's just take a "war is hell" perspective: ridiculous death toll aside, that was a terrible tactical decision. That hard drive was (as far as they knew) the key to human survival. My wife said, "Couldn't they have sent Tom Cruise to mission-impossible the drive?"

The risk to the well being of the drive was insane.

 

[Higgins86]

Spoiler: The Answer

The whole plot twist of using the nano wire to murder everyone on The Judgement Day. It's not like there aren't easier, less lethal ways to deal with them. It made no sense. The plot gimmick seemed contrived just for the shock value and makes pretty much everyone awful in hindsight.

It was about sending a message using a tech they had tried to stop after killing most of earths most brilliant minds. It’s the most human thing they could have done … it was petty.
Not to mention going into It they had experienced first hand alien tech and realized they were outgunned.

 

[jmotivator]

Spoiler: agree

Big time agreement there. But let's just take a "war is hell" perspective: ridiculous death toll aside, that was a terrible tactical decision. That hard drive was (as far as they knew) the key to human survival. My wife said, "Couldn't they have sent Tom Cruise to mission-impossible the drive?"

The risk to the well being of the drive was insane.

That, too!

I look forward to hearing your assessment of the last 3 episodes.

 

[Cardinal]

It was about sending a message using a tech they had tried to stop after killing most of earths most brilliant minds. It’s the most human thing they could have done … it was petty.
Not to mention going into It they had experienced first hand alien tech and realized they were outgunned.

Spoiler: More 3 body problem convo

The story makes an important point: an interstellar race is by definition hopelessly more advanced than a non-interstellar race. The technology required to get to interstellar travel is automatically a level of technology that would wipe us out with zero effort. And the tech the Santi used to do it reminded me of the Arthur C. Clarke quote (roughly paraphrased): “Any sufficiently advanced technology seems like magic.”

 

[Higgins86]

Spoiler: More 3 body problem convo

The story makes an important point: an interstellar race is by definition hopelessly more advanced than a non-interstellar race. The technology required to get to interstellar travel is automatically a level of technology that would wipe us out with zero effort. And the tech the Santi used to do it reminded me of the Arthur C. Clarke quote (roughly paraphrased): “Any sufficiently advanced technology seems like magic.”

I’d really recommend reading the 2nd book Dark Forest before you give up on the show. It’s all going to come together in a fantastic way.

 

[Cardinal]

I’d really recommend reading the 2nd book Dark Forest before you give up on the show. It’s all going to come together in a fantastic way.

I’m not giving up on the show at all. I’m gonna criticize the show because that’s just the kind of guy I am, but we really are enjoying it. One question: can I pick up Dark Forest after watching the show?

I do have a gripe with episode 6 though:

Spoiler: spoiler stuff

Episode 5 ended with the understanding that the Santi were going to return us to the dark ages by screwing up all our existing tech and ending all hope of future scientific advances, and then episode 6 carried on as if that wasn’t a thing at all. Humanity appears to be moving forward with plans to oppose the Santi like the Sophos (sp?) aren’t there to screw with us at all.

That said, the show often does address these issues, but in an order that I don’t think is super intuitive.

 

[LittleNipper]

I believe upper class homes had indoor plumbing by the Gilded Age. I sat there looking at those dresses and wondered what these poor women had to go through to take a simple wee.

Well, those layers were for s reason back then... (click watch on YOUTUBE)

One thing I've noticed is that in the attics of many old houses, one will likely find a chamber pot or two... It was the one thing everyone once had over 100 years ago, and no one threw them out, but would certainly leave them behind when they moved 20, 30, 40 years later... Most bedrooms sported a commode cabinet to place the chamber pot. The maid or even "mother" would empty the pot down the outhouse hole or down the toilet (if they had one) in the morning. Chamber pots had lids and the commode with doors worked as both storage and discreet hideaways.

 

[PoS]

We got to the middle of episode 4 when we figured out that all was not well with this show. (We only got this far so no spoilers please.)

Spoiler: warning for those who have yet to get to episode 4

It’s been roughly 40 years since the cabal of humans have been in contact with the Santi, and it’s only now that the cabal’s leader figured out that the Santi don’t have abstract thought, and therefore no lies, stories or metaphors? The lack of ability to comprehend abstract thought would have been the first barrier in communication between humans an aliens. Communication would have been IMPOSSIBLE until this was resolved.

Just finished the episode, and my main complaint is that its just boring. I dont care much for the characters either because they feel more like archetypes than real human beings.

I just burned through 1883. Holy shit the last two episodes were brutal.

All I could think of, watching this show, is how soft we are. We think we have it rough. We don’t know rough.

That show started off OK, but then it became boring and repetitive. The cowgirl's narration was just cringe and I had to fast forward after the 3rd episode. And the fact that she was bedding everyone she could find was silly.



The Queen's Gambit (2020) This showed up in my Netflix queue. About a chess prodigy with a dark past in the 1960s. It started off very well, but the middle episodes dragged. It wasnt until the last episodes that finally got me interested again. Rating: 6.5/10

 

[Rexedgar]

I just burned through 1883. Holy shit the last two episodes were brutal.

All I could think of, watching this show, is how soft we are. We think we have it rough. We don’t know rough.

It’s the best of the Yellowstone aligned series, imo.
Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and that young girl as Hill’s daughter; almost a can’t miss deal.

 

[forn]

I just finished watching Barry on HBO Max, one of the best series I've seen. I like Bill Hader anyway. I also like that the episodes were half an hour, so it makes for a quick watch. It seems like most of these hour shows have too much filler.

 

[Superfly]

That show started off OK, but then it became boring and repetitive. The cowgirl's narration was just cringe and I had to fast forward after the 3rd episode. And the fact that she was bedding everyone she could find was silly.

I disagree. I didn’t find it boring at all. And she wasn’t really bedding everyone. She had a boyfriend and then a husband.

The Queen's Gambit (2020) This showed up in my Netflix queue. About a chess prodigy with a dark past in the 1960s. It started off very well, but the middle episodes dragged. It wasnt until the last episodes that finally got me interested again. Rating: 6.5/10

Must take a lot to keep you interested. I loved this show as well. Have watched it three times already.

 

[Superfly]

It’s the best of the Yellowstone aligned series, imo.
Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and that young girl as Hill’s daughter; almost a can’t miss deal.

Out of all of them, thus far I’ve only watched 1883, the first season of Yellowstone when it first came out years ago, and now I’m on 1923. Burning through that pretty fast, too. I told HBG last night that I don’t understand how the casting director finds these absolutely gorgeous, plucky women who can get away without wearing a stitch of makeup and still look fantastic. I’m talking Elsa (the daughter from 1883) and Alex (from 1923).

 

[Cardinal]

So we finished 3 Body Problem and I give it a 7.5/10. It's an imperfect show, but the faults simply don't justify the bad press it's gotten. I have to think a large chunk of the condemnation comes from haters who don't like the fact that it's not exactly like the book, and in my experience these people can be ignored. And by "these people" I mean consumers of a story in a prior media, be that a book, a game...whatever...before it was made into another type of media (a show or movie).

Halo was a super fun show, and you know who all the haters were? You guessed it: the gamers. And you know what their primary complaint was? Master Sargent didn't appear in his armor enough.

"But that's stupid" you say. Yes, yes it is. And frequently critiques of a show by such people tend to be on this level of stupidity.

I'm also reminded of Wheel Of Time haters. Know what one of the critiques was? The dialogue wasn't like in the book. Yeah....that's an extremely good thing. The dialogue and the chacters in the book were shit. These people forget that while Robert Jordan was good at world building and creating a large macro-story, he couldn't write for shit. He couldn't create convincing characters, let alone the dialogue to go with them, and the tv show fixed that.

 

[Superfly]

So we finished 3 Body Problem and I give it a 7.5/10. It's an imperfect show, but the faults simply don't justify the bad press it's gotten. I have to think a large chunk of the condemnation comes from haters who don't like the fact that it's not exactly like the book, and in my experience these people can be ignored. And by "these people" I mean consumers of a story in a prior media, be that a book, a game...whatever...before it was made into another type of media (a show or movie).

Halo was a super fun show, and you know who all the haters were? You guessed it: the gamers. And you know what their primary complaint was? Master Sargent didn't appear in his armor enough.

"But that's stupid" you say. Yes, yes it is. And frequently critiques of a show by such people tend to be on this level of stupidity.

I'm also reminded of Wheel Of Time haters. Know what one of the critiques was? The dialogue wasn't like in the book. Yeah....that's an extremely good thing. The dialogue and the chacters in the book were shit. These people forget that while Robert Jordan was good at world building and creating a large macro-story, he couldn't write for shit. He couldn't create convincing characters, let alone the dialogue to go with them, and the tv show fixed that.

I don’t usually let haters determine what I watch, anyway. I watched “Apples Never Fall,” and it was panned by the critics, but I enjoyed it. Wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever seen, but by far wasn’t the worst.

I think the worst - the one that literally made me angry at the end - was a movie we just watched this week called “On The Line.” Mel Gibson as a shock-jock radio host. I’m not a fan of his, but HBG is, so we watched. By the end, I was angry. I just looked at him and was like, “What the actual ****??”

 

[Lursa]

I don’t usually let haters determine what I watch, anyway. I watched “Apples Never Fall,” and it was panned by the critics, but I enjoyed it. Wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever seen, but by far wasn’t the worst.

I think the worst - the one that literally made me angry at the end - was a movie we just watched this week called “On The Line.” Mel Gibson as a shock-jock radio host. I’m not a fan of his, but HBG is, so we watched. By the end, I was angry. I just looked at him and was like, “What the actual ****??”

I should have come back and commented after I finished Apples Never Fall. I also thought it was pretty good but was really disappointed in the ending...they never fleshed out at ALL

Spoiler

anything with their prior prodigy or their home life that led to the foundation for the whole story.

I found it abrupt and rather unsatisfying.

 

[Superfly]

I should have come back and commented after I finished Apples Never Fall. I also thought it was pretty good but was really disappointed in the ending...they never fleshed out at ALL

Spoiler

anything with their prior prodigy or their home life that led to the foundation for the whole story.

I found it abrupt and rather unsatisfying.

Spoiler

I couldn’t figure out why the Sam Neill character didn’t just dump the trophies in the trash can. Why put them in a garbage bag, and dump them in the ocean? It was just filler to stretch the show. Unnecessary filler.

 

[Lovebug]

Has anyone watched The gentlemen?

 

[Cardinal]

We got 4 episodes into Black Bird, which started with some serious Mind Hunter energy (that’s a very good thing), but it transformed into a character study of how grotesque Larry Hall is. It’s a major derailment, imo. And if you say “Dude, that’s the plot,” then I think that is unfortunate.

 

[Demon]

Has anyone watched The gentlemen?

I looked it up, and I'd watch if I had Netflix. Is it good?

 

[Moon]

Has anyone watched The gentlemen?

I really enjoyed it.