The Television Thread

[secretlettermkr]

anyone is watching it ?

 

[Mr. Reindeer]

anyone is watching it ?

Yeah!

Spoiler

Fuches’s latest about-face being inspired by Rain Man was hilarious. Very intrigued by the flashbacks to Barry’s childhood and where that will lead, although we didn’t get one this week. Henry Winkler and Fred Melamed continue to be a dynamic comedic duo. The sequence of them breaking into Patrick Fischler’s house was a comedic masterpiece. Wondering if next week’s episode will just be one long prison break episode.

 

[Jordan Cole]

Have not watched new season yet. I have kind of conflicted feelings about the show, though I mostly like it. I think it's kind of over-praised....

 

[Cappy]

I really enjoyed Yellowjackets Season 1, but haven’t had time for S2 between new Succession and Star Trek: Picard eps, plus my Friday Night Lights re-watch.

Highest recommendation for Friday Night Lights btw. The subject matter is not inherently interesting to me (high school football in a small town in Texas), but the performances, visual style and atmospheric post rock soundtrack place this series in a category all its own.

 

[Cappy]

And I’ve been watching the new Beavis and Buttheads off and on, and oh my god, the adult B&B segments are kind of depressing af! There’s obviously comedy in there, but seeing them end up this way is just sad, although not terribly surprising.

 

[secretlettermkr]

Yeah!

Spoiler

Fuches’s latest about-face being inspired by Rain Man was hilarious. Very intrigued by the flashbacks to Barry’s childhood and where that will lead, although we didn’t get one this week. Henry Winkler and Fred Melamed continue to be a dynamic comedic duo. The sequence of them breaking into Patrick Fischler’s house was a comedic masterpiece. Wondering if next week’s episode will just be one long prison break episode.

I think Barry has very "Lynchean" moments, and overall a very COEN BROS style. Bill Hader (who directs this whole season) is doing an amzing job. Pacing, tone, its perfect. The balance between humor and suspense and creepyness... its all so perfect. Im enjoying this show big time.

 

[Agent Earle]

Just started Succession (after reaching the end of Better Call Saul), I'm two episodes into the first season and really enjoying it - the characters clicked instantly for me! Friday Night Lights was on my short list but will have to wait now till I get through Succession - I've been hearing many great things about that show and I very much like the template of an ensemble show with high-school football serving as a canvas to tell personal stories of rural township inhabitants and deal with their everyday issues. I'm about as far from a sports fan as it gets, but seeing this is modern (ie. post-Sopranos) TV, I'm not concerned in the slightest about the series having trouble pulling me in; plus I like the actor playing the main protagonist (the coach) so I think I'll be good.

 

[Jordan Cole]

I think Barry has very "Lynchean" moments, and overall a very COEN BROS style. Bill Hader (who directs this whole season) is doing an amzing job. Pacing, tone, its perfect. The balance between humor and suspense and creepyness... its all so perfect. Im enjoying this show big time.

That's my issue with it. It feels like Hader is just a big fan of these things (especially Breaking Bad) and is just sort of copying it? It doesn't feel very unique to me. It's entertaining, sure. But...?

 

[secretlettermkr]

 

[secretlettermkr]

Bill Hader Just Wants to Make Weird Things

The co-creator and star of the HBO comedy “Barry” on the end of the series, his film-nerd past, and why he has no desire to be part of “the conversation.”

www.newyorker.com

 

[secretlettermkr]

MASTERPIECE FINALE

 

[Jordan Cole]

I was kind of underwhelmed by it, but then again, I'm not a huge fan of the show.

 

[Cappy]

I watched the first several eps of Barry and enjoyed them, but for whatever reason I never kept up with it.

Love the “Sandy Passage” and “Dronez” eps of Documentary Now!, Hader’s documentary parody show w/ Fred Armisen.

 

[secretlettermkr]

You should watch the entire series. Best show since THE RETURN. ( 2nd season is uneven, but 3 & 4 are AMAZING)

 

[Cappy]

Anyone have any feelings about the Succession finale?

It certainly had a punch, and the outcomes made a lot of sense, but I don’t know. Part of me felt like “that’s it?”

I’m still processing it, but not loving the finale at the moment.

 

[Jordan Cole]

I watched the first several eps of Barry and enjoyed them, but for whatever reason I never kept up with it.

Love the “Sandy Passage” and “Dronez” eps of Documentary Now!, Hader’s documentary parody show w/ Fred Armisen.

I am baffled by Documentary Now. I watched several episodes. There's no jokes. It's just an exercise in copying documentary formats, but it's not a comedy show, and doesn't add any humor. I don't understand the point.

 

[Cappy]

I am baffled by Documentary Now. I watched several episodes. There's no jokes. It's just an exercise in copying documentary formats, but it's not a comedy show, and doesn't add any humor. I don't understand the point.

Tbh I couldn’t stand Fred Armisen for most of his run on SNL, but then I saw Portlandia and his style just “clicked” for me.

But Doc Now is weird, in that each episode is so tonally different. Honestly I don’t care for the Spalding Gray or Talking Heads eps, despite being familiar with the subject matter. The only three that I ever revisit are “Dronez”, “Sandy Passage” and I guess “Blue Jean Committee”.

 

[Jordan Cole]

But Doc Now is weird, in that each episode is so tonally different. Honestly I don’t care for the Spalding Gray or Talking Heads eps, despite being familiar with the subject matter. The only three that I ever revisit are “Dronez”, “Sandy Passage” and I guess “Blue Jean Committee”.

The Talking Heads one is one of the ones I watched because I am a massive Talking Heads fan. It had absolutely no humor in it. It had no jokes, no sense of parody, as in, we're emulating this thing but putting a comedic spin on it. I seriously didn't get the point. I kept waiting for something funny to happen.