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Pope Corky the IX posted:This sort of thing has actually become a big problem, at least in my opinion, when a television series ends. There was plenty wrong with the last season or two of Game of Thrones, but it can be argued that it would seem less terrible if they hadn't shortened both seasons, the seventh by three and the eighth by four. For some reason, there's a trend of ending a series with a shortened season, but then cramming in at least a season's worth of material or more. Boardwalk Empire also suffered from this. Gejimayu posted:I couldn't watch BWE after Darmody died. It lost all appeal to me quickly because it was so staunchly about the struggle between the two of them. There just didnt seem to be anyone else strong enough to carry the show after that. Same thing happened with a certain anime that I wouldnt want to double spoil here but if you know what I'm talking about you know what I mean. I've noticed an "HBO syndrome" where otherwise good shows fall flat after two seasons (or less). Oz, GoT, Sopranos, BWE, all got pretty drat stupid and unnecessary after the initial excellence.
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Aug 31, 2019 21:13
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Good thing Big Little Lies is/should be done now after two seasons in that case.
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Aug 31, 2019 21:18
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phasmid posted:I've noticed an "HBO syndrome" where otherwise good shows fall flat after two seasons (or less). Oz, GoT, Sopranos, BWE, all got pretty drat stupid and unnecessary after the initial excellence. That’s just most TV.
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Aug 31, 2019 21:33
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Off the top of my head, the only show that never decreased in quality as it went on is Friends
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Aug 31, 2019 21:34
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Henchman of Santa posted:That’s just most TV. I guess so but any time I've started the third season of an HBO show it always had this feeling like "ugh, should never have clicked S3E1".
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Aug 31, 2019 21:39
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phasmid posted:I guess so but any time I've started the third season of an HBO show it always had this feeling like "ugh, should never have clicked S3E1". The Wire’s best seasons are probably 3 and 4, for whatever that’s worth. Six Feet Under was great throughout. I can’t speak for the Sopranos but most people would probably disagree with you on it.
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Aug 31, 2019 21:43
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Yeah Sopranos post-s2 is still loving awesome and has my two favourite seasons (6.2 and 5)
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Aug 31, 2019 21:44
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I can speak for the Sopranos - seasons 3 and 4 is the peak of the show and where it starts getting really good. Season 1 is arguably the worst season. I'd say 3/4/6B are the three best years.
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Aug 31, 2019 21:45
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Pretty cool Sopranos rewatch thread going on for fans who may have missed it https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?noseen=0&threadid=3879795&perpage=40&pagenumber=47#pti23
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Aug 31, 2019 22:38
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oldpainless posted:Off the top of my head, the only show that never decreased in quality as it went on is Friends Cheers.
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Aug 31, 2019 23:56
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Fraiser.
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Sep 1, 2019 00:05
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Everybody Loves Raymond was never great, but it was consistently alright. Basically, if you want a show that maintains a very standardized level of quality, you're going to unambitious sitcoms.
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Sep 1, 2019 00:52
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true blood never dipped in quality
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Sep 1, 2019 01:09
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oldpainless posted:Off the top of my head, the only show that never decreased in quality as it went on is Friends Kinda hard to go lower than none
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Sep 1, 2019 02:28
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Seinfeld was pretty consistent till the mediocre finale.
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Sep 1, 2019 02:32
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And then he turned into a prick
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Sep 1, 2019 02:36
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Henchman of Santa posted:The Wire’s best seasons are probably 3 and 4, for whatever that’s worth. Six Feet Under was great throughout. I can’t speak for the Sopranos but most people would probably disagree with you on it. Couldn't disagree with you more. The Wire's last two seasons felt more fast paced but that was accomplished by introducing new story lines. No resolution on old ones either. Hell, the Greek is a bit character in S 4 and they spend forever trying to resolve Stringer, Joe and Marlow because it's like the writers couldn't figure out which foils they wanted for newly minted protagonists. The whole Prez storyline was boring and forced and a lot of good characters just seemed to stop existing until they wanted to liven the thing up. Same with Kima. As for the Sopranos? Again, have to disagree. After season 2 every single goddamn story line was "Ey Tone, your cousin just got outta da joint! We wanna make 'im a wiseguy?" And Tony gets a five episode crisis involving his dumb sister and the new cousin which of course always resolves with the cousin getting shot. Seriously, they go through Steve Buscemi, Robert Loggia, Joe Pantoliano and David Proval. Tony's cousins drive the show. Blah. Never watched Six Feet Under. 
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Sep 1, 2019 03:32
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Bertrand Hustle posted:And then he turned into a prick jerry seinfeld is one of the more disappointing examples of comedians turning into chuds because they cant update their material
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Sep 1, 2019 03:49
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The Bee Movie sucked, but Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is a perfectly fine and quiet way to spend retirement. I’m not sure how we can say Seinfeld is worse now when he dated a 17 year old in the 1990’s.
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Sep 1, 2019 03:58
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Deep Space Nine only got better with each season and only dipped at the end of season 7 where they tried to go with a fully serialized story and didn't quite manage to pull it off.
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Sep 1, 2019 04:39
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phasmid posted:
Literally only one of those characters was his cousin. I've heard the "new character shows up and so the new main antagonist/driver for this season" criticism before and I honestly think it's unearned because it applies to only two of the show's seasons (2 and 5). Season 1's main antagonist is Junior, who sticks around for the length of the show. Joe Pantoliano sticks around for multiple seasons (3 and 4) so he doesn't fit the criticism either, nor does Frank Vincent who is also the primary antagonist across seasons 5, 6A and 6B. Really the only characters that applies to are Richard Proval in season 2 and Steve Buscemi in season 5. Robert Loggia doesn't count either because he shows up for a few episode arc and is literally meant to be a callback to Richard Proval's character. Like I think this is a non-criticism that emerges from people binging the show all at once, when really they did two sort of similar plots 4 years apart. Blast Fantasto has a new favorite as of 04:43 on Sep 1, 2019 |
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Sep 1, 2019 04:40
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Blast Fantasto posted:Literally only one of those characters was his cousin. I've heard the "new character shows up and so the new main antagonist/driver for this season" criticism before and I honestly think it's unearned because it applies to only two of the show's seasons (2 and 5). Season 1's main antagonist is Junior, who sticks around for the length of the show. Joe Pantoliano sticks around for multiple seasons (3 and 4) so he doesn't fit the criticism either, nor does Frank Vincent who is also the primary antagonist across seasons 5, 6A and 6B. I figured this would come up since it's harder to mention a revolving door of inlaws and whatnot. I just figured call them all "cousins" since I don't wish to rewatch the whole series to figure out the little details. However, I still contend that the only force of the show was Big Bad 1-6. All those guys started off as Tony's friends/advisors/aides de camp only to be a big heel later on. His relationship with Malfi goes nowhere (okay, that's the point but still) and his family are an unlikable bunch of pigs by S3. Good for two seasons. The rest is superfluous. e. This probably isn't a worthwhile derail so I'll just say if you like the shows then enjoy. Somehow HBO fare just kinda goes flat after a while and while they use wonderful talents in every part of the show, the writing engine fails first. phasmid has a new favorite as of 04:52 on Sep 1, 2019 |
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Sep 1, 2019 04:45
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I mean so the criticism is that the show has antagonists? Only one season truly has a "big bad" who exists only within that season.
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Sep 1, 2019 04:52
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True Blood’s last season was rough, starting mostly at post Sookie/Eric’s fling if that was in the second-to-last season. I never watched The Sopranos, and my wife made us binge it on Prime recently and it was great from start to finish. And I didn’t watch Downsizing, I only listened to it as my wife watched it on her iPad. The one line that stuck with me was “What kind of gently caress you give me?” I guess that’s a subtle Alexander Payne director trademark. He always has some kind of vulgar-ish line in his movies.
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Sep 1, 2019 05:59
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BiggerBoat posted:Pretty cool Sopranos rewatch thread going on for fans who may have missed it Holy Christ does that dude know how to write up an episode recap/analysis. I'm going to sort the thread by his posts and read them all immediately. Unironic thanks for the heads up, seriously. Very cool.
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Sep 1, 2019 06:59
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Blast Fantasto posted:Literally only one of those characters was his cousin. I've heard the "new character shows up and so the new main antagonist/driver for this season" criticism before and I honestly think it's unearned because it applies to only two of the show's seasons (2 and 5). Season 2 doesn't really count either IMO because Ritchie Aprile's introduction was seamless and set up by Jackie Sr battling cancer in S1. At least Ritchie is mentioned prior (I believe anyway) as being a "legend", etc. Ritchie also wasn't played by a big star so his sudden appearance wasn't nearly as jarring. When Buscemi came on as the never before mentioned "long lost cousin" it was really forced and one of the few parts of the show I disliked. Buscemi was fine but he really wasn't needed. His role in starting the war could have easily been handled using any number of already established characters with no loss in tension and his side stories never struck me essential to anything. The Sopranos is loving great. I enjoy it more than The Wire, Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under. None of those shows ever had what I'd call a serious dip in quality. Pissed Ape Sexist posted:Holy Christ does that dude know how to write up an episode recap/analysis. I'm going to sort the thread by his posts and read them all immediately. Unironic thanks for the heads up, seriously. Very cool. He did one for The Wire too but I can't find it now and it's been stagnant for a month or so. Agreed though. Jerusalem does fantastic write ups and both threads were a blast to go through. I recently read "The Sopranos Sessions" book and legit think that the threads were more fun to read. Having pictures helps too. ... To contribute and since the thread is about movies: In Toy Story, Syd's carpet is the exact pattern from the Overlook Hotel in the Shining. Another great of example of subtlety is Christopher Reeve's use of body language in the Superman films. When he plays Kent, he slouches noticeably and moves more awkwardly, really selling the idea of a secret identity. He even talks differently, with a more nasal pitch and a bit of a stammer. The scene where he removes his glasses to confide his secret to Lois is a remarkable transformation into Superman just through posture, voice inflection and facial expression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1va--ud-aU
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Sep 1, 2019 15:08
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Pissed Ape Sexist posted:Holy Christ does that dude know how to write up an episode recap/analysis. I'm going to sort the thread by his posts and read them all immediately. Unironic thanks for the heads up, seriously. Very cool. Found The Wire rewatch thread he made. It's excellent and points out a ton of poo poo I never noticed the first 2x I watched thru it. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3522091&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1 Sorry: double post
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Sep 1, 2019 15:45
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Jerusalem owns
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Sep 1, 2019 15:49
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beanieson posted:Seinfeld was pretty consistent till the mediocre finale. I don't know. I rewatched the series recently and thought the two seasons after Susan's death weren't all that great overall.
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Sep 1, 2019 21:51
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Susan was the glue
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Sep 1, 2019 22:31
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iswydt
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Sep 1, 2019 22:35
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BiggerBoat posted:Another great of example of subtlety is Christopher Reeve's use of body language in the Superman films. When he plays Kent, he slouches noticeably and moves more awkwardly, really selling the idea of a secret identity. He even talks differently, with a more nasal pitch and a bit of a stammer. The scene where he removes his glasses to confide his secret to Lois is a remarkable transformation into Superman just through posture, voice inflection and facial expression. I like the behind the scenes story from Superman 2 that Christopher Reeve went to the same diner for lunch every day they were shooting in Niagara Falls. When he went in the Superman costume he was swarmed by fans. Nobody even noticed him when he was Clark Kent.
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Sep 1, 2019 22:55
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Starship Troopers is one of my favourite movies and I keep finding new ways to appreciate it. I'm watching it right now and the high school scenes have got this theme of public shaming going on. What kind of school would publically post test scores if not to set examples and humiliate underperforming students? Or how pursuing higher education at Harvard is considered second class to Federal Service. In hindsight I'm kind of surprised I missed it given how the movie's propaganda reels talk about mandatory viewing of public executions on television. Edit: also, AT&T has become a global communications network in the Federation. Arc Hammer has a new favorite as of 03:08 on Sep 2, 2019 |
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Sep 2, 2019 02:08
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RandomFerret posted:I like the behind the scenes story from Superman 2 that Christopher Reeve went to the same diner for lunch every day they were shooting in Niagara Falls. When he went in the Superman costume he was swarmed by fans. Nobody even noticed him when he was Clark Kent. link?
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Sep 2, 2019 03:29
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Escobarbarian posted:Jerusalem owns He's the best poster in tviv. Which is admittedly not a high bar, but he'd be a top tier poster anywhere. For content on HBO dips, I'm rewatching The Wire with my gf, who's never seen it. We had to force ourselves not to stay up to the wee hours watching the first four series. We're having to force ourselves to watch the fifth. The newspaper plot is awful, and the Mcnulty plot is pulpy and stupid. The lack of Ed Burns is palpable, it almost feels like a different show at times.
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Sep 2, 2019 09:30
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Arcsquad12 posted:Starship Troopers is one of my favourite movies and I keep finding new ways to appreciate it. I'm watching it right now and the high school scenes have got this theme of public shaming going on. What kind of school would publically post test scores if not to set examples and humiliate underperforming students? Or how pursuing higher education at Harvard is considered second class to Federal Service. Apparently Starship Troopers is being rebooted and I have zero faith that it won't be an unironic fascist propaganda piece.
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Sep 2, 2019 17:53
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Kanine posted:Apparently Starship Troopers is being rebooted and I have zero faith that it won't be an unironic fascist propaganda piece. If Verhoeven isn't involved at all, even as an executive producer, it will end up just like the remakes of Total Recall and Robocop. Why do they keep doing new versions of these movies without having his input? He's been a loving genius for decades.
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Sep 2, 2019 18:03
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As long as Japan keeps making CGI animated movies based on the Verhoeven license, it keeps a gritty reboot in development hell over rights issues. The two CGI starship troopers movies are pretty bad, but whatever, they're harmless schlock unlike the second film and arguably the third film. Imagine my surprise when I found out the CGI films were directed by Shinji Aramaki. The movies are bad but he's a good fit for a franchise that popularized power armor exoskeletons. Arc Hammer has a new favorite as of 18:50 on Sep 2, 2019 |
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Sep 2, 2019 18:47
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In the second season of American Vandal, the Turd Burglar's Instagram profile has a cat and fish emoji in it.
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Sep 3, 2019 15:49
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If you’re at all a fan of The Karate Kid, the Cobra Kai show on YouTube is literally meant for nostalgia points with its viewers. At times I wish they really were more subtle though because I just tear up every time they play old movie music cues or show Mr. Miyagi. My wife and I are both just totally holding tears back, it’s so funny. Just showing Mr. Miyagi’s car peeking out from underneath a car cover is enough for my wife to look over at me while biting her lip.
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Sep 3, 2019 17:45
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