Board 8 > I'm watching The Leftovers.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I heard Cyclo likes this show?

This show exists in a Shaqless universe. No wonder there's no joy.
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Is this a cooking show about repurposing one's leftovers?
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@velocycloraptor
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Oh yeah, best show in recent years.
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it is not a cooking show because this is a universe where Anthony Bourdain has been raptured

no Shaq, no Bourdain, no Pope.
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Menji posted...

Oh yeah, best show in recent years.

there's like a million great shows. "best show" is a meaningless descriptor.
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iiicon posted...

Menji posted...

Oh yeah, best show in recent years.

there's like a million great shows. "best show" is a meaningless descriptor.

Why are you this way
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How many people watched this show when it aired and wanted to (or did) write this show off after the first episode? I think the premise is fine, and to the show's credit it provides a lot of textured details about the world after the Departure in the background of scenes (the schism between science and religion is a believable one, particularly with how confrontational the American government is to the scientific community), but the first episode was just so plodding for 70 minutes. There are very few moments of genuine human emotion detailing the total loss of human life in their day-to-day. The show rushes to the aftermath and to conflict without giving us reason to care. I understand that the show gets better later on (I don't know when, or in what capacity), but I found the first episode underwhelming.

Also Carrie Coon was only in the episode for one scene and that made me sad.
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did you already finish Fargo?
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yeah. I just picked that up from where I left off in the spring, so I only had 6 episodes to watch.
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Ah, that makes sense.

Not the tightest season, but a subpar season of Fargo is still better than most things
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iiicon posted...

How many people watched this show when it aired and wanted to (or did) write this show off after the first episode?

I'm in this camp. I think I watched the first 3-4 before giving up on it. I knew it was going somewhere, but I got literally no enjoyment out of what I had seen up to that point and it didn't make sense to continue watching. It's cool to see that the later seasons were reviewed so highly and I'll probably watch it all someday, but yeah... it started off terribly.
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iiicon posted...

How many people watched this show when it aired and wanted to (or did) write this show off after the first episode?

I was planning to continue watching, but I lost Internet and lost the impetus to watch more.
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CherryCokes posted...

Not the tightest season, but a subpar season of Fargo is still better than most things

I need to rewatch season two because the first season is fresher in my mind despite (at the time) enjoying season two more overall. I don't think the third season is too far off the mark, though I will admit it's hard to tie down some of the more metaphysical aspects of the season (the Wandering Jew, Gloria's apparent invisibility, etc.)

I touched on this idea briefly in chat before watching the final episodes, but I think this is a good read of the season, and Fargo as a whole:

http://www.vulture.com/2017/06/fargo-season-three-finale-close-read.html

That conclusion invites the audience to decide whether the universe bends toward justice or injustice, a question that always hangs over the proceedings in Fargo. But I also think it raises another question, about what place a woman in law enforcement has in this Fargo world, and whether she can ever fully, without caveat, own and exercise her power.

thundersheep posted...

I'm in this camp. I think I watched the first 3-4 before giving up on it.

Not very encouraging!!
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iiicon posted...

How many people watched this show when it aired and wanted to (or did) write this show off after the first episode? I think the premise is fine, and to the show's credit it provides a lot of textured details about the world after the Departure in the background of scenes (the schism between science and religion is a believable one, particularly with how confrontational the American government is to the scientific community), but the first episode was just so plodding for 70 minutes. There are very few moments of genuine human emotion detailing the total loss of human life in their day-to-day. The show rushes to the aftermath and to conflict without giving us reason to care. I understand that the show gets better later on (I don't know when, or in what capacity), but I found the first episode underwhelming.

Also Carrie Coon was only in the episode for one scene and that made me sad.

I can attest to this sentiment, and did in fact quietly tune out as the first season went on.

It wasn't until I saw the theme song of a random third season episode that I not only even remembered the show existing, but was super intrigued by some combination of sight/sound (I hate Season 1's super dramatic Carnivale-style credits) that I... watched one or two episodes of the first season again and delved into Season 2.

Season 1 is a slog, but is pretty important if you want to get to Season 2 which might be my favorite single season of television since Breaking Bad S4 or 5.
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Mega Mana posted...

It wasn't until I saw the theme song of a random third season episode that I not only even remembered the show existing, but was super intrigued by some combination of sight/sound (I hate Season 1's super dramatic Carnivale-style credits) that I... watched one or two episodes of the first season again and delved into Season 2.

I love connections like this. What was the song?

I'll say that the reason I picked this show off my backlog rather than any other number of shows (the most promising was Suburra, the new French/Italian show on Netflix) was because I just finished Fargo S3 today and wanted to watch more from Carrie Coon.
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I forget, did you watch Legion?
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Nope.
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That would have been the other direction to pivot off of Fargo S3, I'd say. How Hawley made those two shows semi-simultaneously and made them both as good as they are is just unreal.
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I am probably not going to watch Legion.
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That's a shame. Incredible performances from Jemaine Clement, Aubrey Plaza, Jean Smart, among others. A mind-bending and visually stunning watch. And it's only 8 episodes.

(It also doesn't feel like a Marvel/X-Men product in the slightest)
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I've read enough about Legion to determine I don't want to watch it.
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Incredible show, especially S2
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Also to elaborate more - episode 3 is the first episode that most people like and then episode 6 is another highpoint for most. If the show doesn't register by then, it's not for you

Additionally - Carrie is much better in this than in Fargo. In Fargo S3 she was really underutilized except the one episode that explicitly followed her. She isn't the only great actor in Leftovers though, the show is full of them
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I love this departure benefits interview scene in episode 2. It's an affecting detail, and makes me want to know the history behind each question. Why Brazil? Why cooking?
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iiicon posted...

I've read enough about Legion to determine I don't want to watch it.

Was it bad?

It was hyped up pretty hard beforehand, but once it started airing I barely heard anything about it.
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Oh my God, Christopher Eccleston. You crazy bastard.
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ChaosTonyV4 posted...

It was hyped up pretty hard beforehand, but once it started airing I barely heard anything about it.

really? i've seen plenty of people rave about it.

(not EVERYONE loved it though - i've heard some people say the special effects don't always work. also, the final episode got a somewhat mixed reaction.)
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hey I want to keep this topic around.

I think episode 3 is the first episode I enjoyed beginning to start. Focusing more on an individual than the ensemble works well here.
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iiicon posted...

hey I want to keep this topic around.

I think episode 3 is the first episode I enjoyed beginning to start. Focusing more on an individual than the ensemble works well here.

There are a number of episodes like that in season 1, and I'm... just realizing that it feels like Lost in how character-centric a lot of the episodes really can be.

As far as the song goes, it's possible spoilers, I think? To those who have watched, would you consider S3E2's song spoilery? Since he hasn't gotten to either of the gags yet
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keep in mind I literally could not care less about spoilers. at all. spoil anything for me. I don't mind.
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what streaming service is it on? heard good things

It's an HBO series, so HBO Now or the usual markets.
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dope. ill check it out some time this week and maybe post some thoughts if im into it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZUFbEpSOCw
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hahaha okay I am in until S3.
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I need to watch this show, but I'm kind of burned out of slow start TV shows. Ironically, it just so happens that many of my favorite TV shows such as Justified, Hannibal and The Americans take many episodes before really becoming fantastic.

And Fargo Season 3 was awesome. I might like it more than the other two seasons. It was just incredibly entertaining and pretty focused the whole way through. I also loved Varga's scheme.
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OliviaTremor posted...

Ironically, it just so happens that many of my favorite TV shows such as Justified, Hannibal and The Americans take many episodes before really becoming fantastic.

I don't know if I can agree with this assessment of Justified or the Americans. I think their best seasons are ahead of them, sure, but I think the early episodes do a great job setting the stage, establishing motivations/characters/storylines. Those shows hit the ground running before jumping into a car.

Slow starts can kill my interest though, I'm with you there. It feels like Netflix alone is releasing a new great show every week. Who has time to be patient anymore?

OliviaTremor posted...

It was just incredibly entertaining and pretty focused the whole way through.

Do you mind elaborating on what you mean by focused in this context?
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Yeah of course. When I say Fargo season 3 was pretty focused the whole way through, I mean this in two ways. First, there isn't really a midseason tonal shift. You have this in season 1 after Malvo kills off the blackmailer, the grocery store plotline is more or less dropped, and now you have Key and Peele investigating a ghost. Season 2 also has this huge shift, but it happens much later with Hanzee betraying the family. The last episode was very, very anticlimactic and unsatisfying in my opinion. I know there is some deeper meaning behind season 2 that I am missing, but I can't bring myself to care too much despite thinking the first 8 or 9 episodes were some of the best TV ever. Fargo season 3, however, was much more focused. There isn't really any point of a huge tonal shift. Even after Ray dies the fallout feels very natural. Same thing with Nicky teaming up with Mr. Hands. It all seems like relatively natural progressions that, while shocking, didn't leave you scratching your head.

I would also argue that the major theme of season 3, bending reality until it becomes what you make of it, was incredibly well done. I think a lot of the qualms with season 3 arise from the viewer being in the dark regarding who Varga is, what his plan is, why things are happening, and so on, especially in the early episodes. Everything is cryptic bullshit. But, that's kind of the point. Varga is nothing but bullshit. Everything he spouts is bullshit. Arguably, all the main characters besides Carrie Coon are bullshit and shaping reality as they see fit. This is probably best exemplified in the excursion to LA episode where she realizes that her father was living a lie (of sorts). Everyone in this season is just total bullshit besides Carrie Coon. She is transparent in her motives and thoughts-- something hit upon to good comedic effect with her not being seen by sensors because she's 'transparent'. Like her, the viewer is thrown into this world where everyone is shaping reality to be what they want. Even Emitt and Ray are trying to alter the reality of their past to justify their present feud. It isn't an easy watch until the last couple of episodes, but everything clicks marvelously well.

Or so I thought. Sorry if that reads like stream of conscious-- it is, I'm writing it in between multitasking at work. Hopefully it kind of conveys my thoughts.

EDIT- Spoiler tagged some huge spoilers that I somehow forgot to.
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If you liked episode 3, then episode 6 will be an even greater highlight
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Hey NotYou, thanks for that. I can see where you're coming from. I don't necessarily agree with your take on causality, because I think the only metaphysical aspect of the story that has a satisfying conclusion is Gloria's trip to Hollywood and the juxtaposed sci-fi story from her ex-husband's father, but I get it.

OliviaTremor posted...

I think a lot of the qualms with season 3 arise from the viewer being in the dark regarding who Varga is, what his plan is, why things are happening, and so on, especially in the early episodes.

I think you might be onto something here, although I'll admit I haven't read any substantial S3 criticism. A lot of Coen Brothers movies trade in this, the delicate house of cards dealt by an unseen hand, and I think that's an easier trick to keep up in a movie than a TV series. They're different mediums with different audience expectations. The viewer has to invest so much when they commit to a series that they demand, and deserve, answers to mysteries presented. Maybe Fargo S3 simply offered those answers too late for most people.
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