The Chair (Netflix) is a short series that attempts to make a rom com around PC on a college campus and mostly succeeds. A worthy attempt for sure, and mostly pretty good. It won't change your life but it's a pleasant couple of hours.
Agreed.
Of possible interest to those who have watched or intend to watch (spoiler alert) The Chair:
I see some similarities between these 2 shows. Mostly ultra rich, and NY location. But one is vastly superior in my view. Succession is always written about as a parody of the Murdoch's and to some extent it is. But to me it is really a parody of the Trump kids. Don. Jr, Ivanka, and Jared, are clearly there, but also obviously tweaked. Roman's version of Eric has far too much charm and interesting lines, but he fills that position. Baron, instead of being 20 years younger, is 20 years older, and a complete buffoon with no personal insight. Even the step mom is from another country, and has a certain amount of nastiness towards others. The show is not caught up in the financial minutia of Billions, and relies more on characters, than a hamster wheel of financial and political revenge. Billions has become a parody of itself. You could make a drinking game of the amount of words that Giamatti drops per episode that most people have never heard, simply to make him appear enlightened. But my guess is in real life, not even wealthy politicians speak like that in private. Wish the dad would just die, like he did on Walking Dead.
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 1:50 pm
by chuckrh
Man, that's a toss up. I like both plenty.
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:23 pm
by beantownbubba
Except for what I assume is some more skin and some people of color scattered throughout, are either of these shows much different from Dallas?
I haven't watched any of the 3 shows but they all have the same magnetic repellent factor for me.
And the days of politicians who spoke in big words in private is surely over (though I'm sure it did exist).
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 9:01 pm
by oilpiers
I am not sure how anyone who has never seen either could compare this to Dallas. I never saw an episode of Dallas, but was aware enough of the culture to know I had no interest in 80's evening soaps. Succession is the best HBO show since Game of Thrones, or more logically, The Wire. Incredibly subtle hilarious dialogue. And a fantastic parody of the Trump kids.And my question, Beantown, is why would you comment on 2 shows you have never seen? I have seen you post positive stuff on pure crap, that at least I have seen to judge it crap.
I am not sure how anyone who has never seen either could compare this to Dallas. I never saw an episode of Dallas, but was aware enough of the culture to know I had no interest in 80's evening soaps. Succession is the best HBO show since Game of Thrones, or more logically, The Wire. Incredibly subtle hilarious dialogue. And a fantastic parody of the Trump kids.And my question, Beantown, is why would you comment on 2 shows you have never seen? I have seen you post positive stuff on pure crap, that at least I have seen to judge it crap.
I am not sure how anyone who has never seen either could compare this to Dallas. I never saw an episode of Dallas, but was aware enough of the culture to know I had no interest in 80's evening soaps. Succession is the best HBO show since Game of Thrones, or more logically, The Wire. Incredibly subtle hilarious dialogue. And a fantastic parody of the Trump kids.And my question, Beantown, is why would you comment on 2 shows you have never seen? I have seen you post positive stuff on pure crap, that at least I have seen to judge it crap.
Actually I didn't comment on any shows, I asked a question. Like everyone, I decide what to watch based on a combination of randomness, buzz, reviews, summaries, recommendations from friends, clips/ads, favorite (or not) actors, etc. I chose not to watch all 3 of these shows because based on those inputs (other than some positive personal recs), the shows sound similar to me in ways that I find unappealing and uninteresting. You seem to have chosen not to watch Dallas in what sounds to me like a similar way. But I know that my conclusions are based on "secondary sources" and multiple people have recommended both Billions and Succession so I thought I'd ask the question.
I appreciate the substantive portion of your answer. As it happens, I have never been interested in watching Game of Thrones so that doesn't add to my store of knowledge or interest in watching Succession. OTOH, I love The Wire, which may be the GOAT. So if Succession is like the Wire that's a good, intriguing thing to know. But how do you know that neither Billions nor Succession is comparable to Dallas?
I am not sure how anyone who has never seen either could compare this to Dallas. I never saw an episode of Dallas, but was aware enough of the culture to know I had no interest in 80's evening soaps. Succession is the best HBO show since Game of Thrones, or more logically, The Wire. Incredibly subtle hilarious dialogue. And a fantastic parody of the Trump kids.And my question, Beantown, is why would you comment on 2 shows you have never seen? I have seen you post positive stuff on pure crap, that at least I have seen to judge it crap.
Actually I didn't comment on any shows, I asked a question. Like everyone, I decide what to watch based on a combination of randomness, buzz, reviews, summaries, recommendations from friends, clips/ads, favorite (or not) actors, etc. I chose not to watch all 3 of these shows because based on those inputs (other than some positive personal recs), the shows sound similar to me in ways that I find unappealing and uninteresting. You seem to have chosen not to watch Dallas in what sounds to me like a similar way. But I know that my conclusions are based on "secondary sources" and multiple people have recommended both Billions and Succession so I thought I'd ask the question.
I appreciate the substantive portion of your answer. As it happens, I have never been interested in watching Game of Thrones so that doesn't add to my store of knowledge or interest in watching Succession. OTOH, I love The Wire, which may be the GOAT. So if Succession is like the Wire that's a good, intriguing thing to know. But how do you know that neither Billions nor Succession is comparable to Dallas?
I saw enough of Dallas via osmosis. Clips referring to it, someone having it on while I was in the room. I trained in a med surg unit for one summer and every Friday all rooms had Dukes of Hazard on. I never watched it, but saw enough to know I did not want to. Similar with Dallas. The Wire is my favorite show ever. Succession is hilarious in its parody. Billions takes itself too seriously.
I see some similarities between these 2 shows. Mostly ultra rich, and NY location. But one is vastly superior in my view. Succession is always written about as a parody of the Murdoch's and to some extent it is. But to me it is really a parody of the Trump kids. Don. Jr, Ivanka, and Jared, are clearly there, but also obviously tweaked. Roman's version of Eric has far too much charm and interesting lines, but he fills that position. Baron, instead of being 20 years younger, is 20 years older, and a complete buffoon with no personal insight. Even the step mom is from another country, and has a certain amount of nastiness towards others. The show is not caught up in the financial minutia of Billions, and relies more on characters, than a hamster wheel of financial and political revenge. Billions has become a parody of itself. You could make a drinking game of the amount of words that Giamatti drops per episode that most people have never heard, simply to make him appear enlightened. But my guess is in real life, not even wealthy politicians speak like that in private. Wish the dad would just die, like he did on Walking Dead.
Billions is certainly repeating itself. But I like the characters and I like the writing so I don't mind them becoming the tv equivalent of a jam band.
Haven't seen Succession yet. We need another lockdown so i've an excuse to sit down and watch three seasons of something.
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 12:47 pm
by tinnitus photography
Succession has extremely snappy dialog and is hugely entertaining. it's not close to The Wire as those characters had plenty of nuance and there were very many shades of grey between the poles of black and white... everyone on Succession is a despicable scumbag w/ the possible exception of Greg, who is too stupid to be one.
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 1:50 pm
by beantownbubba
Call My Agent - on Netflix, in French w/ English subtitles, 4 six episode seasons. I really enjoyed this one. Light w/out being fluffy, smart w/ out being stuffy or heavy. Great characters, nice mix of humor, pathos and humanity. I still don't have the necessary patience for stupid plot developments that make no sense but are there just to move the plot along, but the form is the form and I recognize that the problem is w/ me, not them. Even so, well worth watching. And while no longer rare, it's still nice to see a series in which the women characters are both the focus and the best drawn.
One conceit of the show is that every episode features a real life French (or in one case, American) movie star often playing against type or allowing themselves to be made fun of. This is a major source of what is probably the biggest problem of the show for an American: it is obvious that the show is full of in jokes, cultural commentary and sly references that I can tell are there but which I don't get. While it's frustrating to know that I'm missing some good stuff, it doesn't detract from one's ability to enjoy the large parts that don't require a "cultural dictionary."
Succession has extremely snappy dialog and is hugely entertaining. it's not close to The Wire as those characters had plenty of nuance and there were very many shades of grey between the poles of black and white... everyone on Succession is a despicable scumbag w/ the possible exception of Greg, who is too stupid to be one.
SPOILER ALERT!! Nothing compares to The Wire. Have seen the whole thing 6 times and still figuring things out I missed before. Succession is just to me the best written and acted show since. Comparing Succession to Billions is really just like comparing HBO to Showtime. Showtime is better than Amazon, but it ain't like top tier HBO, which Succession clearly belongs.
Succession has extremely snappy dialog and is hugely entertaining. it's not close to The Wire as those characters had plenty of nuance and there were very many shades of grey between the poles of black and white... everyone on Succession is a despicable scumbag w/ the possible exception of Greg, who is too stupid to be one.
SPOILER ALERT!! Nothing compares to The Wire. Have seen the whole thing 6 times and still figuring things out I missed before. Succession is just to me the best written and acted show since. Comparing Succession to Billions is really just like comparing HBO to Showtime. Showtime is better than Amazon, but it ain't like top tier HBO, which Succession clearly belongs.
have you read this book? it's def worth checking out:
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 2:19 am
by oilpiers
Have not. I will say this about Succession/Billions. Wags is the best character on Billions and deserves a role on Succession! I will check out this book. Thanks!
Except for what I assume is some more skin and some people of color scattered throughout, are either of these shows much different from Dallas?
I haven't watched any of the 3 shows but they all have the same magnetic repellent factor for me.
And the days of politicians who spoke in big words in private is surely over (though I'm sure it did exist).
Holy fuckety Bubba, comparing Succession to Dallas is like comparing London Fields, by Martin Amis to a Harlequin romance; very, very misguided. Is it The Wire or Deadwood? Maybe not, but it's close. In my opinion, the writing far outshines that of Billions, but I couldn't watch too many eps of Billions. As you know, I used to work for a large US investment bank and a friend of mine ended up working at that compound in Connecticut, where part of the show is shot. I wanted to watch to see her work digs, but I couldn't stay because the Finance Bro Douche Factor was overpowering the quality of the production and it was giving me too much anxiety, stellar casting though. There's stuff in Succession that ups my anxiety too, namely the whole Vice oriented story line. I hung out with the Vice guys a lot in my late 20s and early 30s as that empire started in my home town. They are possibly the meanest people I have ever met. I'm not afraid to offend people with my strong opinions and sharp (some may even say cunty) delivery, but not those guys; they are waaaaayyyy too scary. They never went after me, but man, I've never seen anyone eviscerate people the way Shane or Gavin can. They do not play by the rules. Anyway, there's a small story line in Succession about them... but the quality of the writing keeps me interested even though they are not people I like to ever think about.
Except for what I assume is some more skin and some people of color scattered throughout, are either of these shows much different from Dallas?
I haven't watched any of the 3 shows but they all have the same magnetic repellent factor for me.
And the days of politicians who spoke in big words in private is surely over (though I'm sure it did exist).
Holy fuckety Bubba, comparing Succession to Dallas is like comparing London Fields, by Martin Amis to a Harlequin romance; very, very misguided. Is it The Wire or Deadwood? Maybe not, but it's close. In my opinion, the writing far outshines that of Billions, but I couldn't watch too many eps of Billions. As you know, I used to work for a large US investment bank and a friend of mine ended up working at that compound in Connecticut, where part of the show is shot. I wanted to watch to see her work digs, but I couldn't stay because the Finance Bro Douche Factor was overpowering the quality of the production and it was giving me too much anxiety, stellar casting though. There's stuff in Succession that ups my anxiety too, namely the whole Vice oriented story line. I hung out with the Vice guys a lot in my late 20s and early 30s as that empire started in my home town. They are possibly the meanest people I have ever met. I'm not afraid to offend people with my strong opinions and sharp (some may even say cunty) delivery, but not those guys; they are waaaaayyyy too scary. They never went after me, but man, I've never seen anyone eviscerate people the way Shane or Gavin can. They do not play by the rules. Anyway, there's a small story line in Succession about them... but the quality of the writing keeps me interested even though they are not people I like to ever think about.
Ah, there you are, ponygirl, cantering in once again to give me grief before you disappear for another 6 months. Think how much fun you could have giving me grief if you came here more often.
It's alright. I get it. Succession is not like Dallas. But I have seen Deadwood and The Wire, and Deadwood, enjoyable as it is, is no Wire. One man's opinion, of course.
In other news, Fleabag does not seem to be winning her usual plaudits for her work on Bond, James Bond.
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 8:35 am
by dime in the gutter
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 5:54 am
by chuckrh
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:40 pm
by pearlbeer
Are we not going to talk about Squid Game?
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2021 7:06 pm
by beantownbubba
Has anybody watched the new season of Goliath yet?
I finished last week as well. Loved the series, but I did not feel they stuck the landing.
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:37 pm
by Zip City
I thought Squid Game was a well done show, but god damn, it was hard to watch
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2021 7:39 am
by beantownbubba
I recently re-watched the Scott & Bailey series. It was just as good as I remembered but I was pretty surprised at the number of fairly major aspects I misremembered. For example, the Gill Murray character is far more central than I remembered (before re-watching I would have said it was more of a supporting role) and the character of Rachel Bailey was more unpleasant than I remembered. But the larger point is that the series stood up to repeat viewing quite well.
I finished last week as well. Loved the series, but I did not feel they stuck the landing.
I don't want to spoil it, but that was going to be a tough present to neatly wrap and put a bow on. All things considered, I thought they did a very good job bringing it to a close. Also, red hair.
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:20 am
by John A Arkansawyer
I didn't watch the Amber Ruffin show for quite a while, because I was afraid I wouldn't love it. That has happened to me before, when someone funny as hell in small doses switches contexts. It's a bummer experience. But I should not have been afraid:
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2021 1:25 pm
by pearlbeer
I binged Narcos: Mexico Season 3 on Netflix. I'm a sucker for the Narcos series, but I think this season was really well produced and some spectacular casting and acting. I very much enjoyed it.
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2021 7:58 am
by chuckrh
Re: The TV thread
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2021 7:53 pm
by beantownbubba
We just recently found Trapped, an Icelandic series that's been around for a while. Not a must see, but very good, and very good at keeping the tension and intensity up even when the investigation at the heart of the film meanders a bit. The acting by all the principals is wonderful. There is a second season but we haven't seen that yet.
