Current fav US TV series

[wideopenears]

We finished HBO's The Nevers last night. Spent the first half of the show wondering what the hell was going on, as a show that spent every episode thus far as a steampunky Victorian-era story began in what seemed to be a futuristic sci-fi setting with no explanation. New characters, weird and different setting, with dialog which seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with what they series had built so far. It became clearer as the episode wore on, but we were taken out of the show, so to speak, just trying to figure out what was going on. I even checked the channel guide to make sure we were watching the right show.

Apparently, the show ended abruptly once the allegations against Joss Whedon became troublesome, and there is more planned. But it was a real left turn.

I just finished the "first half season finale" yesterday. My sentiments exactly--WTF was happening? I literally stopped and checked to make sure I hadn't started some other show by mistake. Not sure that disjointed feeling would have been handled better if Whedon were not booted........looking forward to the second half of the first season, as once I adjusted to the discontinuity of the story line, I enjoyed it. I like the Steam Punk element far better than the Sci Fi treatment......I also got distinct flashes of David Mitchell Cloud Atlas while watching the finale.

[wideopenears]

I finished “The Man In The High Castle” last night. Overall, I enjoyed it, but at the same time it had some problems and as happens in so many series / films like this, I think they really botched the ending. I won’t post any spoilers in case people still want to watch it, but the final season seemed a bit of a rush job. Some characters were just kind of dropped, never to be heard from again. Other whole characters and groups were inserted into the final season seemingly at random. The BCR group plotline were a good story, but it just seemed weird having people that important to the story not playing any role in the previous seasons. I also did not like the way they wrote out one of the main characters for season 4 (anyone who saw it will probably know who I am talking about). Not sure if the actor just did not come back or what, but it seemed odd. I will say that this is one TV series that I thought was better than the book overall. I found the book to be very dull and lifeless, but the TV series at least kept my interest. Along with the ending, some of the writers’ choices for plot storylines seem like they could have been done better. On a positive note, I think the acting was all good to great with Rufus Sewell as John Smith especially standing out. Overall, I would recommend the show, but I could think of quite a few different ways to have ended it better. Curious, other thoughts on this one for those who watched it?

I agree with everything you've written, except that I have not read the book, and don't intend to at this point.

[SteveSly]

I agree with everything you've written, except that I have not read the book, and don't intend to at this point.

I wouldn't bother. I guess at the time it came out it was considered a great work of art that commented on events happening at the time, but I don't think it has aged well. I kept waiting for something to happen in it, and it just kept meandering along. The ending of the first season of the show was similar to the ending of the book, so the show took everything much further.

I still think the show had so much potential, but they only got it about 75% right.

[Plasmatopia]

Everyone around here is cracking up at all of the local references and the accent. They're really doing a good job with it.

I thought the prominent inclusion of a cheese steak was kinda funny.

[Scott Bails]

I thought the prominent inclusion of a cheese steak was kinda funny.

The cheesesteak, the Wawa coffee cups, the Yeungling beer - all of it. It's almost distracting for us, as we spend the episodes trying to find the local references.

[Plasmatopia]

The cheesesteak, the Wawa coffee cups, the Yeungling beer - all of it. It's almost distracting for us, as we spend the episodes trying to find the local references.

Oh yeah, I saw the beer too. Around here it would mean maple syrup in every scene.

[Jerjo]

I just finished the "first half season finale" yesterday. My sentiments exactly--WTF was happening? I literally stopped and checked to make sure I hadn't started some other show by mistake. Not sure that disjointed feeling would have been handled better if Whedon were not booted........looking forward to the second half of the first season, as once I adjusted to the discontinuity of the story line, I enjoyed it. I like the Steam Punk element far better than the Sci Fi treatment......I also got distinct flashes of David Mitchell Cloud Atlas while watching the finale.

We watched the finale again. Really, they should have taken the far future chapters and started the series with them. The in medias res drop for the science fiction was a jolt that was hard to adjust to. I do like things that mash disparate genres so this still works for me but it was still a lot of "what the fuck" going on. It was great to see genre great Claudia Black as "Stripe". The connection between Amalia and Maladie/Sarah had been implied before but I still don't understand why Sarah wasn't rescued from the asylum along with Amalia. I am really curious as to where the new showrunners take this. There's some great actors in this cast.

The steampunk element is kind of a disappointment. This isn't really steampunk. It's just borrowing a few gears, brass fittings, and goggles for seasoning.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

We just started "The Man In The High Castle" on Amazon last night. I read the book many years ago and actually thought it was not very good, but I have always thought it was a great premise that could be turned into good tv or movie. So far 4 episodes in I am really digging the show.

I loved the book. It's very subtle and stays with you a while. PKD is my favorite sci/fi author. He's like the Hemingway of speculative fiction. My only quibble with the series was its departure from the book and the fact that the subtlety is abandoned for a tried and true sci-fi trope. The book only hinted at the origin of the films. You pretty much had to fill in the blanks for yourself. The series does all this for you. Still, though, the acting is great and the images of a Nazi Manhattan and a Japanese West coast are chilling.

[Paulie]

We made quick work of the second season of Love, Death, & Robots. Fun stuff!

[NogbadTheBad]

We made quick work of the second season of Love, Death, & Robots. Fun stuff!

Oh I need to jump on that

[SteveSly]

I loved the book. It's very subtle and stays with you a while. PKD is my favorite sci/fi author. He's like the Hemingway of speculative fiction. My only quibble with the series was its departure from the book and the fact that the subtlety is abandoned for a tried and true sci-fi trope. The book only hinted at the origin of the films. You pretty much had to fill in the blanks for yourself. The series does all this for you. Still, though, the acting is great and the images of a Nazi Manhattan and a Japanese West coast are chilling.

I realize that many consider the book to be a classic, but just had a difficult time getting through it. Maybe it just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. I agree that the series got much more sci-fi oriented than the book but doing a 4-episode series they almost had to do something that expanded on the book’s initial premise. I would have liked the series more with a better ending, but I did enjoy it for the most part.

[Progatron]

So, BritBox is basically the best thing that's ever happened to me. I don't know why it took me so long to sign up, but I'm guaranteed to keep it once the free trial is up. This is fantastic! So many British dramas and comedies that are hard to track down anywhere else nowadays.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

My wife and I are really into Foyle's War. Great show about a principled British detective and his associates during WWII Britain.

[NogbadTheBad]

Yeah, Britbox is great

[interbellum]

Halfway watching the series Catch-22. The book and the original film are classics for me, so I hesitated to buy this one on DVD. But I like the way they adopted the story. In the film the main-character is more or less an innocent bystander, in this version his actions have unpredicted/unwanted influence on many people. But of course there's a lot to smile too.

[mozo-pg]

The Hunters with Al Pacino. Nazi hunters in NYC in the 1970s. Very stylish and interesting so far. The entire cast is excellent. Lots of twists and turns. Really well done, almost finished the first season.

[Hal...]

Forgot to mention I finished the second season of Love Death + Robots the other day. I was really looking forward to this but, man, what a disappointment. The only episode I liked was "All Through the House", where two kids hear some noises coming from downstairs on Christmas Eve.

None of the other episodes were bad, exactly, but none were actually good, either. Unlike the first season where almost all the episodes were really good and some exceptional.

I will say, tho, that a couple were thought provoking.

[SteveSly]

This is an older one, but we just started watching "The Americans" on Amazon Prime. So far I am digging it.

[Jerjo]

This is an older one, but we just started watching "The Americans" on Amazon Prime. So far I am digging it.

A great slow-burn series with incredible characters. Keep with it to the end because they really stuck the landing on this one!

[Hal...]

A great slow-burn series with incredible characters. Keep with it to the end because they really stuck the landing on this one!

I still haven't finished it.

[wideopenears]

Watching His Dark Materials on HBO Max. Started season two....finished season one yesterday.

[SteveSly]

A great slow-burn series with incredible characters. Keep with it to the end because they really stuck the landing on this one!

[Scott Bails]

Anyone have any thoughts or theories on Mare of Easttown before the big finale this Sunday?

[NogbadTheBad]

Anyone have any thoughts or theories on Mare of Easttown before the big finale this Sunday?

I'm two episodes behind so I'm going to duck out of this thread for a while.

[Jerjo]

I have the last episode sitting on the DVR and we might end up watching it back to back with the finale. It's one of HBO's better efforts and the acting is stellar. Best short series since Sharp Objects.