What’s on TV?

[Huntn]

Holy shit, it's excellent, I'm actually a bit shocked. I liked S1-3, but now it feels like that was just a setup for S4 We finished it yesterday, they did a great job at handling the three separate plots, and then the convergence of everything into the big reveal, JFC, that was just fantastic.

And the concept of the Hellfire Club from the X-Comics, wow, did they nail that, first as a bunch of a geeks playing D&D and then as a very direct callback to the comics, and speaking of, can the horror callbacks get any better?

Nope.

Also this, which I can't love enough ...

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1530656428322607104/

Binged it over the weekend, IMO the best of all the seasons. So well written and a great plot line the entire way through, was worth keeping Netflix for, the Duffer brothers really delivered.

Looking forward to S4. I had been starting to worry it would be more of the same.

 

[Roller]

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

I've been disappointed with both Discovery, and to a slightly lesser extent, Picard. They've both had their moments, but they don't quite feel like the Star Trek I used to know and love.

Enter Strange New Worlds. This is what I've been waiting for. A crew that feels both fun and profession. Lots of exploring the galaxy. Whole episodes dedicated to solving a problem. It is good.

I like the episodic format and the many throwbacks to TOS — we seem to be on the Enterprise of The Menagerie era. I'm not so much of a purist that I reflexively eschew TV series or movies that play loose with the Star Trek universe, but there was much in the first two episodes that threw me off. Examples:

Spoiler

• Captain Pike's demeanor is often so un-captain-like, whether it's the way he asks the crew for advice to his aside about how much he loves his job in the midst of a crisis on the bridge. He's not a leader I would want to follow. In contrast, when I was introduced to Patrick Stewart on the set of TNG, I didn't know whether to shake his hand or ask "What would you like me to do, Captain?"
• TOS was widely recognized for presenting Gene Roddenberry's sanguine concept of a future in which humanity had avoided destroying itself and moved out into the galaxy. Many episodes dealt with social topics directly or allegorically. But SNW hits the viewer even more squarely in the head, and I find it a bit much. To be honest, Star Trek: Picard sometimes does the same thing, which makes me wonder if this is Akiva Goldsman's influence.
• The whole sequence with the crew inside M'hanit (AKA the comet) in episode 2 was odd. Cadet Uhura is supposed to decipher alien written communication just because she speaks many languages on Earth. You'd expect the Enterprise would have specialists on board, especially given their mission. (Sam Kirk is a research biologist.) And I also think AI would be sufficiently advanced to at least help with deciphering the markings on the "egg." Instead, we get a serendipitous response to Uhura's humming, which just seemed like a nod to the five-tone sequence in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
• In that same episode, the comet is initially depicted as a solid rock, including when the away team beams over. But Spok's flight shows it as a collection of smaller pieces, which let him change its course without technically touching it.

Despite my misgivings, I'm going to stick with the series, but I sure hope it gets better.

 

[MEJHarrison]

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

I've been disappointed with both Discovery, and to a slightly lesser extent, Picard. They've both had their moments, but they don't quite feel like the Star Trek I used to know and love.

Enter Strange New Worlds. This is what I've been waiting for. A crew that feels both fun and profession. Lots of exploring the galaxy. Whole episodes dedicated to solving a problem. It is good.

I just got caught up with Discovery a day or two back. It's a good sci-fi show, but I'd hesitate to call it good Star Trek. The Orville is better at doing Star Trek than Discovery. I need to rewatch season 4. For whatever reason, I didn't pay attention very much and missed quite a bit. For me the best part of the whole series is when they had Pike and Spock on the show.

I've not started Picard. But that's probably next up. I've honestly never understood the fascination with Picard and always though Sisko could captain circles around Picard. So I'm not overly excited to jump in. Which is good. That's setting me up to be impressed. Still, I think Picard is my least favorite captain. I fully accept that it seems to just be a "me" thing and I'm ok with that.

Strange New Worlds is one I'm really, really excited about. I'm intentionally avoiding it for now so I have a few to watch when I do jump in.

 

[Cmaier]

I just got caught up with Discovery a day or two back. It's a good sci-fi show, but I'd hesitate to call it good Star Trek. The Orville is better at doing Star Trek than Discovery. I need to rewatch season 4. For whatever reason, I didn't pay attention very much and missed quite a bit. For me the best part of the whole series is when they had Pike and Spock on the show.

I've not started Picard. But that's probably next up. I've honestly never understood the fascination with Picard and always though Sisko could captain circles around Picard. So I'm not overly excited to jump in. Which is good. That's setting me up to be impressed. Still, I think Picard is my least favorite captain. I fully accept that it seems to just be a "me" thing and I'm ok with that.

Strange New Worlds is one I'm really, really excited about. I'm intentionally avoiding it for now so I have a few to watch when I do jump in.

SNW is the most “Star Trek” of the various new shows. I’m a little less impressed with it than most people seem to be, just because I find that most of the plots so far have been derivative of plots from the original show, and I’m not a fan with the way Spock is portrayed (I suppose he could “grow into” the Spock we eventually know, but so far the character seems to be portrayed very differently than classic Spock). Pike is great, though.

TNG was always my favorite show, but I don’t like the Picard show. Just a lot of fan service with nonsensical plots, weird dream sequences, etc.

And Discovery has gotten better (the first couple seasons were a complete mess), but I really prefer episodic Trek to “confusing season arc - why are we flying to this place using space mushrooms somehow again” Trek.

 

[SuperMatt]

And Discovery has gotten better (the first couple seasons were a complete mess), but I really prefer episodic Trek to “confusing season arc - why are we flying to this place using space mushrooms somehow again” Trek.

The most recent season could have been fit into a 2-parter and there could have been many more episodes about other things. Voyager and DS9 had long-term stories, but many episodes could stand on their own. So, while I enjoyed the most recent season of Discovery, it was way too long for the story it told.

 

[Eric]

After watching the first 3 episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi I don't think we'll watch any more, this is by far the worst show so far in any of the series' IMO. It's so poorly written to the point of being cheesy, there's no way I can recommend.

 

[SuperMatt]

After watching the first 3 episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi I don't think we'll watch any more, this is by far the worst show so far in any of the series' IMO. It's so poorly written to the point of being cheesy, there's no way I can recommend.

When I saw they were using the same actor for Obi-Wan as they did in the horrendous prequel movies, I assumed it would be bad.

What’s next, The Book of Jar-Jar?

 

[Alli]

Finished Stranger Things last night. WTF do they make us wait a month for the last two episodes?!

It wasn’t until they shaved Hopper’s head that I actually recognized the actor. Holy shit! He was the best thing about the movie Black Widow. And Hellboy?! Mind blown.

Why is Nancy such an uptight old lady? Why do they not listen to Dustin? I love Eddie. That poor kid was in the wrong place at every wrong time. When did Murray become…competent?!

 

[Eric]

Finished Stranger Things last night. WTF do they make us wait a month for the last two episodes?!

It wasn’t until they shaved Hopper’s head that I actually recognized the actor. Holy shit! He was the best thing about the movie Black Widow. And Hellboy?! Mind blown.

Why is Nancy such an uptight old lady? Why do they not listen to Dustin? I love Eddie. That poor kid was in the wrong place at every wrong time. When did Murray become…competent?!

Okay, so there are remaining episodes? I had no idea, wondered why the ended it with so much left like that. Great news, can't wait!

 

[Alli]

Okay, so there are remaining episodes? I had no idea, wondered why the ended it with so much left like that. Great news, can't wait!

We just have to hold out another month.

 

[DT]

Finished Stranger Things last night. WTF do they make us wait a month for the last two episodes?!

It wasn’t until they shaved Hopper’s head that I actually recognized the actor. Holy shit! He was the best thing about the movie Black Widow. And Hellboy?! Mind blown.

Why is Nancy such an uptight old lady? Why do they not listen to Dustin? I love Eddie. That poor kid was in the wrong place at every wrong time. When did Murray become…competent?!

Hahaha, yes, it's so good, and you are spot on with Nancy. Yeah, love David Harbour in everything he does.

OMG, Murray, we were laughing so hard, "Please let him kick ass ... please let him kick ass ...", and holy hell, he went full on fists of fury!

 

[Huntn]

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

I've been disappointed with both Discovery, and to a slightly lesser extent, Picard. They've both had their moments, but they don't quite feel like the Star Trek I used to know and love.

Enter Strange New Worlds. This is what I've been waiting for. A crew that feels both fun and profession. Lots of exploring the galaxy. Whole episodes dedicated to solving a problem. It is good.

I’ve more or less relegated Star Trek to my past. I actually loved Discovery Season 1, then dumped it in S2, Picard, took a taste and spit it out. I might try this out with a hit and run subscription when the season is complete.

 

[Huntn]

Finished Stranger Things last night. WTF do they make us wait a month for the last two episodes?!

It wasn’t until they shaved Hopper’s head that I actually recognized the actor. Holy shit! He was the best thing about the movie Black Widow. And Hellboy?! Mind blown.

Why is Nancy such an uptight old lady? Why do they not listen to Dustin? I love Eddie. That poor kid was in the wrong place at every wrong time. When did Murray become…competent?!

Just started with the intent of watching Stranger Things S4, however, I rewatched the last 2 episodes of S3. I might put the breaks on till closer to July. Actually thinking about dropping Netflix and going to hit and run subscribing to it when necessary.

 

[JayMysteri0]

After watching the first 3 episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi I don't think we'll watch any more, this is by far the worst show so far in any of the series' IMO. It's so poorly written to the point of being cheesy, there's no way I can recommend.

I wouldn't say it's the worse. I would say Obi Wan is 'meh'. Like when I watched Moon Knight, the first question that came to mind was, "why was this made?" With Moon Knight I'm still not sure, especially if it's a one & done series. With Obi Wan, I can only guess it was just to put a Star Wars series on television. The biggest issue I have is that it feels like it's an Obi Wan series in name only, and other characters like **** & Darth Vader are the real focus. The series is just using Obi Wan as the connecting tissue between the characters that are the real focus, which makes me wonder "Why not just do a Darth Vader series or a **** the early years?"

I'll probably see it thru, but "The Boys" are back, and that will be my biggest interest.

 

[Eric]

I wouldn't say it's the worse. I would say Obi Wan is 'meh'. Like when I watched Moon Knight, the first question that came to mind was, "why was this made?" With Moon Knight I'm still not sure, especially if it's a one & done series. With Obi Wan, I can only guess it was just to put a Star Wars series on television. The biggest issue I have is that it feels like it's an Obi Wan series in name only, and other characters like **** & Darth Vader are the real focus. The series is just using Obi Wan as the connecting tissue between the characters that are the real focus, which makes me wonder "Why not just do a Darth Vader series or a **** the early years?"

I'll probably see it thru, but "The Boys" are back, and that will be my biggest interest.

Yeah, I thought Moon Knight was okay but agree about it being sort of pointless. For Obi Wan I'll say the bar has been set high with the Disney series' so I'll give it that, out of those it's at the bottom of the list for me though.

BTW I've loved "The Boys" so far, as raw, raunchy and entertaining as ever.

 

[JayMysteri0]

Yeah, I thought Moon Knight was okay but agree about it being sort of pointless. For Obi Wan I'll say the bar has been set high with the Disney series' so I'll give it that, out of those it's at the bottom of the list for me though.

BTW I've loved "The Boys" so far, as raw, raunchy and entertaining as ever.

As if I needed to be sold anymore to watch...
https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1533162040939859968/
Perfectly in keeping with the show

 

[Edd]

After watching the first 3 episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi I don't think we'll watch any more, this is by far the worst show so far in any of the series' IMO. It's so poorly written to the point of being cheesy, there's no way I can recommend.

We watched the first ep and liked it. I'm curious, did you like Book of Boba Fett? I think it was 3 episodes in we dropped it. I found it borderline dumb, which is not unusual for Star Wars.

 

[DT]

I'll probably see it thru, but "The Boys" are back, and that will be my biggest interest.

BTW I've loved "The Boys" so far, as raw, raunchy and entertaining as ever.

As if I needed to be sold anymore to watch...
Perfectly in keeping with the show

The Boys is so fun, and wow, right out of the gate, were like, "Oh, they're not going to ... oh yeah they are!" hahaha, wow.

Anti-male is code for, "I've never had a date ..."

 

[Eric]

The Boys is so fun, and wow, right out of the gate, were like, "Oh, they're not going to ... oh yeah they are!" hahaha, wow.

Anti-male is code for, "I've never had a date ..."

That's putting it mildly, every time you think they've topped it, nope they take it a step further.

Spoiler

When you pulled out your wang and placed it into the hand of an invalent wheezing on her deathbed with missing limbs and a melted face and it still wasn't the most offensive thing you did that day.

 

[Cmaier]

We watched the first ep and liked it. I'm curious, did you like Book of Boba Fett? I think it was 3 episodes in we dropped it. I found it borderline dumb, which is not unusual for Star Wars.

I like obi-wan better than boba fett so far. Boba Fett went nowhere, I have never been all that interested in the character anyway, and the whole thing felt like they filmed an aside to the Mandalorian.

As for obi-wan, I get it already - he’s curmudgeony, Leia is precocious, blah blah blah. The inquisitors are comic-book-evil (not evil in a good way, like Darth Vader was before the retconned in his teen emo angst). And when last I saw Vader, he was friggin-awesomely mowing down a corridor full of people like blades of grass, and now he’s just sort of walking around force choking people and fighting at 10% of his capacity when it counts.

We know this really can’t go anywhere because of where we start out in episode 4, so I was hoping to at least see some really cool fight scenes or something.