TV: Last TV Show Episode You Watched and Rate It (Part I)

ProstheticConscience

Check dein Limit
Apr 30, 2010
18,459
10,107
Canuck Nation
Perry Mason.

Very early one, from 57 or 58. Raymond Burr isn't even morbidly obese, and he's more shouty than in later years.

Perry saves a client from a murder charge while on vacation. He drags Paul Drake and Della up from LA to join him at a lodge somewhere. Because he's an absurd workaholic, and people always drop dead whenever he's around. At least this time he gave LA DA Hamilton Burger a break for this one. Spares him one single case of getting beat like a drum.

Although if you're Hamilton Burger, at what point do you just start internally screaming the instant Perry Mason walks into a courtroom? How many years does he have to completely own you EVERY TIME before you just lose it?

"And in addition to the suspect's fingerprints on the gun, fifty nuns as eyewitnesses, footage from ten tv cameras and the suspect's own brother turning him in, he also had in his possession this series of notarized pictures of him killing the victim. That concludes our opening statement, your honour."
"Very well, Mr Burger. Defense?"
"Perry Mason for the defense, your honour."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA DEAR HOLY ****ING **** WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!"

It'd be so demoralizing.
 

Central PA Hawk Fan

Registered User
Apr 16, 2007
3,378
30
York, PA
12 Monkeys S2 E13 (season finale). 3.5 out of 5. Not a bad way to end the season, but imo it felt flat after the much more amazing penultimate episode. I'm a little leery with the direction they're going WRT the Witness being [spoil]the son of Cassie and Cole[/spoil]. I'm willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt here, because it has earned it after a really fun, fresh, and exciting season 2 on the whole. Awesome cameo from Madeline Stowe (who played Dr. Railly in the movie version, although I believe it was Katheryn and not Cassandra in the movie). But it still felt like a tacked on episode, I personally would have ended the season after the previous episode. I thought that was a better place to leave us hanging for the break.
 

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
28,875
3,570
Vancouver, BC
Ping Pong: The Animation - 3.0 (Very Good)
(Only watch in Japanese w/ Subs)

I've always hated the tired trappings of Shonen Anime, where creators just take some generic interest or hobby, hyper-stylize it, and treat it like some silly, never-ending videogame where some too-cool-for-school introvert prodigy keeps leveling up and learning special attacks in the nick of time to overcome obstacles and beat enemies with cliched faux conflict.

While this idea sounds like a particularly ludicrous/hilarious example of that, Ping Pong: The Animation begins with the same premises, archetypes, and starting points and instead puts care, style, flair, and substance into each idea (while also having fun with how silly the premise seems).

The hand-drawn animation style is bold/striking and wonderful. It blows my mind that people complain about it. It intentionally has this aggressively minimalistic, raw/ugly/chaotic/rough around the edges, seemingly LSD inspired kinetic fluidity to it. Sort of like it's saying "who cares if the lines are ugly and the frames are choppy, just get the essence of the movement/feeling/framing right and **** the rest."

While the plot is limited to the general outline of other Shonen Anime (which initially put me off), it has this deceptively beautiful pacing and economy of storytelling-- alot gets packed into eleven short twenty minutes episodes yet it all feels perfectly paced and rhythmic-- nothing is ever rushed, no shortcuts are taken, the director knows when and when not to show things, when to toy with your expectations ([spoil]Loved the bad knee red herring, and the convincing double-psyche-out on the importance of the Peko character in general[/spoil]), and not a moment/character is wasted. Every interaction affects even unimportant minor characters, which then shoot off on their own tangents and naturally come to a head without wrapping everything in a neat little bow (one random, throwaway, nothing character gets easily dismantled in a match and spends the rest of the series comically wandering the earth trying to find himself).

There's a surprising amount of depth/theme/symbolism/humor/playful irreverence here and there, and the way certain characters are presented has this really cool dynamic to it. My favorite example of this is the character, Wenge Kong, a Chinese ping-pong player (complete with this great Mandarin voice acting) who spends most of the show between matches wandering about, exchanging quietly egotistical, sometimes sentimental conversation and waxing philosophical with his protege/long time friend. Something I can't put my finger on just adds so much color to the show.

While the crazy animation style misleads you into thinking it's exaggerated/super-human, the style of play is actually surprisingly realistic/grounded. The way a wide variety of styles and personalities clash is also well done, and in particular, the fallout of the way characters deal with triumph and defeat feels refreshingly genuine and measured.

The only minor reservation I have is that it's still in the same vein as the type of show that I have such distaste for. For the most part it all works, and it really creeps up on you how well executed and substantive the show ends up being.

It might drop, but at the moment I have it pretty high. I definitely have not seen a better Shonen Anime, and I honestly can't think of many Animes that have captured my interest like this. Looking forward to finding more from this showrunner.

Example of animation style (found it really funny how melodramatic this was, too)


and I thought this is a neat little homage to Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians.


Planning to give Monster a shot next.
 
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ATypicalCanadian

Registered User
Apr 30, 2015
4,868
2,645
Canada
12 Monkeys Season 2 finale 8/10

Really dragged me into wanting to see the next season with the wtf reveal of who the main antagonist is.


Zoo season 2 Episode 6 " S**, Lies and Jellyfish" 7/10

I love this whole humans vs animals plot and they always have something new each week as the animal they have to confront. Each episode can be a different kind of creepy and terrifying.

The Last Ship Season 3 Episode 7 7/10

Easily one of the most thrilling summer tv shows for me. It's full of action and the big cast of characters battling on the naval destroyer along with the other plot point keeps the show going strong.
 

Tkachuk4MVP

32 Years of Fail
Apr 15, 2006
14,793
2,675
San Diego, CA
Justified (Season 4, Episode 4): 9/10



This show is so damn good, can't believe it took me this long to get into it. Nearly every exchange of dialogue feels like it's taken straight out of an Elmore Leonard novel or Tarantino film. Cool, interesting, thrilling, and funny all at the same time, and for the most part it's been that way from episode 1 on.
 

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
28,875
3,570
Vancouver, BC
Monster - 3.5 (Great)

I had some reservations initially-- it's obviously extremely farfetched/implausible/coincidental and has some problems related to that (some problems with direct exposition/explanation to the audience as well), but man it's great. Absolutely masterful handling of characters and telling of short, self-contained episodic story arcs that map out a bigger picture. The way it flows in and out of new characters, treating them briefly like protagonists until their part of the story is over, and how that organically integrates them into the full story at future points is my favorite thing about it, and I wish more shows did it (It highlights and beautifully solves every problem that Game of Thrones has with juggling its characters).

The wealth of side characters are absolutely fantastic, have this wonderful dynamic to them (Inspector Lunge in particular), and consistently have great moments. Even the really minor write-off characters who only serve one practical purpose for the leads are fully fleshed out and given the full spotlight for entire episodes until that purpose is handed over like a baton in a race.

Even the supplementary material presented in the show, like the children's books are fantastic in their own right.

I won't call it note-perfect, but I'm absolutely giddy about it right now.

Favorite TV Shows of All Time:
5.0 (Masterpiece)
1. The Simpsons S2-S4
2. The Wire
3. Monty Python's Flying Circus - S1
4. The Office UK
4.5 (Brilliant)
5. Arrested Development
6. The Decalogue
7. Cowboy Bebop
8. Planet Earth
9. Louie
10. Horace and Pete
4.0 (Flawless)
11. Mad Men
12. Blackadder
13. Freaks and Geeks
14. Spaced
15. Deadwood
16. Seinfeld S3-S5
3.5 (Great)
17. Monster
18. Avatar: The Last Airbender
19. Samurai Champloo
20. Mr. Show
21. Curb Your Enthusiasm
 
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Bubba Thudd

is getting banned
Jul 19, 2005
24,571
4,666
Avaland
Recently watched a show called CH:OS:EN on a network called Crackle.
3 seasons, 6 episodes per season. yet to be seen if they come out with a season 4...
Hope so, because it really didn't "end"...

I enjoyed it. 7.25/10
 

fcpremix88

Registered User
Mar 9, 2007
3,263
515
Tampa
Monster - 3.5 (Great)

I had some reservations initially-- it's obviously extremely farfetched/implausible/coincidental and has some problems related to that (some problems with direct exposition/explanation to the audience as well), but man it's great. Absolutely masterful handling of characters and telling of short, self-contained episodic story arcs that map out a bigger picture. The way it flows in and out of new characters, treating them briefly like protagonists until their part of the story is over, and how that organically integrates them into the full story at future points is my favorite thing about it, and I wish more shows did it (It highlights and beautifully solves every problem that Game of Thrones has with juggling its characters).

The wealth of side characters are absolutely fantastic, have this wonderful dynamic to them (Inspector Lunge in particular), and consistently have great moments. Even the really minor write-off characters who only serve one practical purpose for the leads are fully fleshed out and given the full spotlight for entire episodes until that purpose is handed over like a baton in a race.

Even the supplementary material presented in the show, like the children's books are fantastic in their own right.

I won't call it note-perfect, but I'm absolutely giddy about it right now.

I'm glad someone else watched the whole of Monster! It's the only show that really reminds me of the scope of The Wire. Other shows like Game of Thrones have big casts and large distances traveled, but there's a loss on details, social classes, culture, history, etc. It's been years since I watched it, and you've given me the itch to rewatch.
 

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
28,875
3,570
Vancouver, BC
I agree. I don't really make the Wire connection at all, because there's nothing all that grounded or real-world about Monster, other than maybe the abstract themes. I sort of see Monster as being more in the same family of TV shows as addictive, serialized, clearly fictional, edge of your seat, intrigue/dramatic type shows that are intended to bite into a more singular, theoretical moral idea-- shows that, in general, I haven't really been all that crazy about like Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, True Detective, or Lost.

However, NONE of those shows are even a fraction as good, (like you said) detailed, well-earned, or as convincingly executed as Monster is. It's one of those shows where you want to completely ignore any and all flaws just because what it gets right is done so confidently, tastefully, and uniquely.

And that ending was a wonderful example of how you shouldn't just wrap everything up neatly.
 
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Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
28,875
3,570
Vancouver, BC
Atlanta: 1st 6 episodes - 3.0 (Very Good... so far)
Loving it so far. Has a ton of promise. Really raw, expressive/observational, creative, tasteful/artistic, surreal/irreverently humorous, unpredictable, and understated. Love how every episode feels like a different self-contained short story (without feeling like the reset button is being hit for the next episode), and are built around only a handful of simple ideas that are given room to breathe. Didn't think Donald Glover was going to return to being great after his lame foray into that Childish Gambino thing. Of all the new wave of shows that were clearly somewhat following the doors that Louie kicked open, this one is by far the best (Master of None sucked, IMO).

Mr. Robot: Season 2 - 1.0 (Negative)
Nice visual shots, good taste in music, tries hard, accomplished professionalism/polish in every area, but way too on-the-nose, lifts too much from its influences, impressed by its own not-really-that-clever-insights/ideas, and too reliant on twists and dramatic turns that have become annoying. I wish the competently made TV shows didn't all go down the same boring Breaking Bad/Game of Thrones path of prioritizing keeping you hooked with twists and turns and climactic payoffs above all else. Most of the well made/polished TV shows these days tend to have this distinct repetitive/formulaic/shallow forward-momentum feeling to it that puts me off. Most people seem to love it and it's become the expected standard, but I just can't stand that general angle.
 
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Langdon Alger

Registered User
Apr 19, 2006
24,777
12,912
Started Freak and Geeks.

I'm not sure if it's funny, but it's definitely very earnest.

Don't expect it to be a typical sitcom because it's not. There are funny moments and lines throughout though. Samm Levinne makes me laugh a lot, who plays Neil.
 

ProstheticConscience

Check dein Limit
Apr 30, 2010
18,459
10,107
Canuck Nation
I'm glad I'm not the only one. I can't stand these two but everyone around me seems to think they're the funniest thing ever. Show was unwatchable for me.

They almost single (well, double) handedly ruined the first season of Fargo for me. They were not only on the show, they were doing Key and Peele schtick. It was so annoying. Just ripped me right out of the narrative.

Although Key and Peele did one good thing for my world: they made that movie Keanu. Why is that good? My mom went to see it. She probably saw a cute kitten in a commercial for it, and off she went. My very, very white, upper middle class snobby just barely this side of eighty mother. Her review was classic. I really should've recorded it, it'd have been youtube gold.

"And the other one, he's black too. But he lives kind of white black; he's got a nice house in the suburbs and a minivan...and the language!!!
 

Virtanen18

SAMCRO
Jan 25, 2014
17,193
832
Vancouver
Holy **** I did not realize Bill is Gilfoyle! Mindblown right now.

The episode where Bill's mom starts dating the.....PE coach I think? is one of my favourites. Bill is the GOAT in that ep.
 
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Langdon Alger

Registered User
Apr 19, 2006
24,777
12,912
Holy **** I did not realize Bill is Gilfoyle! Mindblown right now.

The episode where Bill's mom starts dating the.....PE coach I think? is one of my favourites. Bill is the GOAT in that ep.

Yeah, the coach is Biff from Back To The Future.
 

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