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Stopped watching after the first episode's Don Draper speech because ugh. Finished watching the first episode last night and accidentally enjoyed it. I only knew the show from previews/trailers so I was pretty relieved to find out the cute blonde supertwink is actually a woman.
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Jun 9, 2014 22:59
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Aesthetically, Lee Pace's character seems much less rooted in the time period than the other mains, which I assume is intentional. He's the only character with a vision of what computing will actually become versus Cameron's sci-fi visions. But I'm just not interested in a sociopath Don Draper clone, and I'm not interested in the inevitable "Don Draper is Dick Whitman" story beats we'll get with this character. Second episode in, I'm already watching more for the other characters than for Joe MacMillan. Even his bald boss is more interesting. Contrast that with Mad Men where I didn't start watching for Everyone-But-Don until maybe season 4.
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Jun 10, 2014 17:55
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Jake Armitage posted:At least they are introducing some good, modern tv drama now, like the scars, and the man-kiss. Cameron's character is completely ridiculous as a female 80s programming genius, but the character works as boilerplate 80s rebel kid. It's all stupid, sure, but hell I'm curious where its going. I've been comparing this in my head to Pirates of Silicon Valley which was really more about the business than the technology, and I appreciate that they are at least trying to make the technology the center of whatever story they are trying to tell here.
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Jun 16, 2014 21:12
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First episode of Mad Men gave us Don, Peggy, Joan, Pete, Roger, and Betty, all of whom would be major characters. By the third or fourth episode we had spent time with pretty much everyone else who would be a major character in some way. Kinsey, Sal, Sally, Trudy, Bert, etc. By the third episode we were already being slapped in the face with 1960s anachronisms and it added to the charm of the show. The only characters of consequence in this show so far are Joe, Cameron, Gordon and his wife, and and the sales guy. They do a good job making it look like the 1980s but they don't really comment on the era. Everything's moving super fast plot-wise and it seems like they'd rather show Frantic Cameron montages than dramatize her work. I dunno, I'll stick with it's like they're trying to make a new Mad Men without ever having watched Mad Men and without a proper budget. unlimited shrimp fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Jun 19, 2014 |
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Jun 19, 2014 16:45
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I don't think AMC really gets that high concept plots only work if the characters are interesting. Make me care about the characters and I will care about their problems. I'm not going to care just because the actors are emoting.
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Jun 23, 2014 04:49
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Donna and Gordon are the only worthwhile characters on the show. A more interesting drama would have focused on them, and the effect a Cult of Personality-type like Joe has on their family. I don't care about Joe or Cardiff Electric, but I do (kinda) care about how Joe's decisions are affecting the other characters. Joe himself is boooring.
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Jun 26, 2014 21:23
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Smart scheduling by AMC, though. I would absolutely not be watching this any more if there was anything else to watch on a Sunday night.
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Jun 27, 2014 03:18
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This episode was surprisingly good. Are there any Japanese dramas where they discuss how to do business with Americans? I want to know what our cultural/business stereotypes are. "Remember: Americans appreciate it if you are very loud and overly personal."
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Jun 30, 2014 17:48
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pookerbug posted:It comes down to the frustration that the show isn't fitting people's preconceptions of what they feel it should be and as a result they are unable to enjoy the show for what it is. I don't argue that it's flawed, but so far it's been good enough to keep me interested and I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt - for now. What's also playing into it is that we know AMC is capable of better, we can see where the writers are cribbing from superior shows like Mad Men, and they just haven't been able to pull it off. We know they can do Serious Drama because of Mad Men and Breaking Bad, and that they can do Exciting Pop Serial Drama because of Walking Dead. How do they keep missing the mark with all these other shows? It's like they have HBO concepts and network TV everything else. Ubiquitous_ posted:Given how lovely Gordon treats her, I wouldn't blame her. 
unlimited shrimp fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Jul 1, 2014 |
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Jul 1, 2014 03:51
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Measly Twerp posted:I don't find the characters uncomplaining, but then I'm ok with being patient and seeing how things develop, so far it sounds like a lot of whining over "It's not Breaking Bad 2" as if it's reasonable to expect the same quality of every show. Not counting Luck (which was cancelled for other reasons), the last time an HBO drama failed to get a second season was John from Cincinatti 7 years ago. Even a show like Enlightened, cancelled after the second season due to low viewership, was still critically acclaimed. So clearly HBO "gets it" and is able to reliably put out high-quality content regardless of the plot or concept. AMC seems to have a high level understanding of what's required to make great TV but it's a complete crapshoot when it comes to execution.
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Jul 2, 2014 16:15
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Cameron is supposed to be a brilliant prodigy/rebel genius but instead of Mozart in Amadeus we've been given 1980s training montages. e: \/ I think she's just underdeveloped. The character had a lot of potential in the pilot that they have done next to nothing with in the subsequent episodes. unlimited shrimp fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Jul 3, 2014 |
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Jul 3, 2014 16:08
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Speaking of AMC shows, is Hell On Wheels worth watching yet? I got fed up with Walking Dead sometime in season 2 but started watching the second half of Season 4 this weekend. I was pleasantly surprised at how much less awful it was, probably because everyone I hated from the first two seasons are now dead, and because everyone was on the move instead of lingering around one location playing Lord of the Flies.
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Jul 7, 2014 21:51
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strangemusic posted:It certainly is. Last week seemed like a turnaround and this week was good too. I really liked Gordon's plot this week. Curious what direction they'll go in next season, though (assuming there is one).
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Jul 8, 2014 17:25
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Jake Armitage posted:Donna's obviously upcoming infidelity subplot doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me right as her husband finally looks like he's doing something right.
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Jul 8, 2014 19:02
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BIG HEADLINE posted:"Daddy, why didn't you save the box?!?! Don't you know it's only collectible if you save the box!" And he left the horse behind like a dumbass. Not so smart now, are ya Gordo
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Jul 9, 2014 16:54
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So Bosworth is gay as hell but closeted, right?
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Jul 14, 2014 17:10
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I dunno, I've had the impression for a few eps that Bosworth is closeted or that they'll take the character in that direction. Failing marriage + extreme reaction to relatively mild homophobic comment seem to hint at that as well.
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Jul 14, 2014 20:22
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Ooo, and he was Stumpy in Carnivale. No wonder he looks familiar.
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Jul 16, 2014 15:05
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If they get a second season then I am cautiously optimistic that the next season will be 100x better.
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Jul 21, 2014 06:15
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Jetrock posted:Am I imagining it, or did Gordon get a new hairstyle in this episode, one that more closely resembles Joe's, or just more clean-cut?
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Jul 22, 2014 17:09
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I imagine the novelty would wear off pretty quick, but maybe it really would have been mindblowing back then.
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Jul 23, 2014 15:11
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Spin-off show where Boz and Cameron team up to peddle the purest BIOS clones the southwest has ever seen. Breaking Boz
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Jul 24, 2014 17:53
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Acinonyx posted:So part of this past episode didn't make much sense to me. Joe is going all emo on his dad, who says something like 'your mom got high and dropped you off a roof' and he responds with something like 'at least she tried!'. Has he ever explained why he's so mad at his dad? All we've seen the dad do is take an interest and try and help him while Joe appears to be a self destructive super narcissist. I assume he must have been at work a lot and not been there for little Joe back in the day? Later, you find out that she didn't abandon you, but was forced to leave by your dad, and that she didn't die right away, but lived another life for 20 years. 20 years you could have known her and loved her, and been loved; 20 years to mend the broken fences, etc etc I'd be pretty furious at my dad too, even if he did the 'right thing'. From Joe's perspective, how can be believe anything his dad's said about his mom? Plus I'm sure they're saving a lot of heinous stuff his dad did for season 2.
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Jul 24, 2014 19:29
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