What TV Shows Are You Watching?

[Grand Potentate]

I started Night Agent Season 2. I don't remember much about the first season. I remember the guy manning the phone and saving the girl and the oriental lady being his handler, but I don't recall the final episodes with the lady President.

So far the Farsi is giving me flashbacks. My aunt was going to tell me something about it but she is waiting for me to finish all ten episodes. I guess it has to do with how incredulous it is? I can't see this having too many plot twists.

thought it wasn't nearly as good as season 1. also, the black woman who they cast as the handler is a terrible actress.

 

[Thruth]

thought it wasn't nearly as good as season 1. also, the black woman who they cast as the handler is a terrible actress.

definitely not as good as the first season.

 

[Dropbear]

I’ll be binging The Recruit S2 this weekend

 

[Grand Potentate]

I’ll be binging The Recruit S2 this weekend

I never saw season 1. How was it?

 

[Dropbear]

I never saw season 1. How was it?

I really liked it. It’s not too cerebral, but it’s a lot of fun with some interesting characters.

 

[Dropbear]

The Recruit S2 was good. I’m not sure how long they can sustain this momentum and character development. Maybe another season or two before it fails, but these first two really were a riot.

 

[Fwiffo]

It was somewhat painful but I finally finished Night Agent season 2 which has graduated into Manchurian Candidate territory.

The show has 10 episodes. It reminds me of some of the critique I received from my professors during undergraduate studies on length of essays. Length doesn't necessarily mean quality. There were so many moments in the show that I thought was unnecessary like the Tomas backstory, Sloan, etc. The time spent on the Bala family didn't make the terror attack any more or less convincing. They could have been just gruff steely voiced men with strange accents. How many Rose & Peter moments did we really need - we know they're star-crossed lovers fated for a Romeo & Juliet end.

The show could have been edited down to 6 or 7 episodes.

The problem is there were other parts of the story where you miss a few lines because you're distracted and you miss key plot points. The final conversation between the governor and Robert Patrick being the last one that I recall.

Also why did Arienne Mandi's character survive? They could have just said she was abducted back to Iran. Was there a purpose to say she survived other than to say she makes tasty zereshk polo? It wasn't like the epilogue gave the American characters any redemption/forgiveness for the brother getting himself killed.

Also finished Dune Prophecy. Precious few characters will return for the second season after the final episode. The sisters stuff was a bit long in tooth. Not quite illuminati level intrigue.

 

[Fwiffo]

Starting to watch No Good Deed. Unless my TV was off I thought Lisa Kudrow's voice along with herself was getting 61 years old. But by the third episode the Phoebe Bouffay mannerisms started coming out.

Ray Romano sounds like Ray Romano but more gruff. Denis Leary I thought was Willem Defoe and then I thought maybe a wrinkled Kevin Bacon. Luke Wilson I mistook for Christian Bale.

Linda Cardellini is in the show. She plays the trophy wife. Not sure she can pull off 33 year old at 49 year old as her character says. Also I think she did a Padma Lakshmi and got more busty as she aged. I don't remember her like that on ER or her guest spot on Mad Men.

I'm not sure it is a comedy so much as people put in acute money and professional troubles and situations.

 

[Dropbear]

I watched the first ep of the new White Lotus. The formula seems similar, though the cast isn’t as impressive as previous seasons. I hope it picks up soon

 

[Fwiffo]

Simona Tabasco is gone?

 

[Fwiffo]

Laysla De Oliveira is finally back in the fourth episode of Lioness. So hot.

 

[Dropbear]

I watched the first ep of Zero Day. Dinero playing a Biden-like ex President tasked with investigating a massive cyber attack. Doubt I’ll venture further, unless someone can convince me it picks up quickly

 

[Grand Potentate]

In my continuing sci-fi rewatch a-thon I've decided to finally watch Babylon 5. Up to season 3 now. The first two seasons were pretty good and I can totally see how JMS said they shopped the series script around and that was how they came up with Star Trek Deep Space 9. It doesn't have the same oomph as DS9 for some reason and I'm not sure if that's because I'm a treckie or used to those characters and worlds or what, but its definitely slightly lacking in comparison. I'm going to keep going with it because there's nothing much else on.

 

[Grand Potentate]

The Pitt on HBO has been fairly good so far, if you like medical shows, but its very slow to setup since its contained all in the same day. Its more of a 'this is what is like on the floor' than an overall medical drama like Grey's or the old ER.

 

[Fwiffo]

I watched the first ep of Zero Day. Dinero playing a Biden-like ex President tasked with investigating a massive cyber attack. Doubt I’ll venture further, unless someone can convince me it picks up quickly

Local paper said it was well acted but “comically disconnected from American political reality”

..so I guess like the Biden presidency.

 

[Fwiffo]

In my continuing sci-fi rewatch a-thon I've decided to finally watch Babylon 5. Up to season 3 now. The first two seasons were pretty good and I can totally see how JMS said they shopped the series script around and that was how they came up with Star Trek Deep Space 9. It doesn't have the same oomph as DS9 for some reason and I'm not sure if that's because I'm a treckie or used to those characters and worlds or what, but its definitely slightly lacking in comparison. I'm going to keep going with it because there's nothing much else on.

Wasn’t Babylon 5 the grown up real politick version of Deep Space 9? The latter was more aspirational until ratings were bad and they changed directions.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Wasn’t Babylon 5 the grown up real politick version of Deep Space 9? The latter was more aspirational until ratings were bad and they changed directions.

I’m not sure of the timeline. I was reading something where JMS was talking about having trouble getting it on the air and how he was convinced the studios gave the script to the guys who made DS9 as a template.

 

[Fwiffo]

I’m not sure of the timeline. I was reading something where JMS was talking about having trouble getting it on the air and how he was convinced the studios gave the script to the guys who made DS9 as a template.

If you're an actor or actress you want to be in the Star Trek one. I was randomly clicking on the Babylon supporting characters and most of them died.

 

[Fwiffo]

I finished No Good Deed.

It was an interesting premise to get all these disparate characters together over bidding of a house that Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow owned. But I think in the end it had no idea what to do so in the final episode it tried (forcibly) to solve everything and tie it up with a bow. I don't think we'll see another season given the premise of the show is over. The house is sold and some of the characters go their own ways. Which is a pity because so many of the characters were good TV actors and actresses.

 

[Fwiffo]

Is the Halo TV show worth watching? I played the first three games. I think first two and a half. Not sure I finished the third.

 

[Dropbear]

Is the Halo TV show worth watching? I played the first three games. I think first two and a half. Not sure I finished the third.

No. It’s pretty bad

 

[Grand Potentate]

Is the Halo TV show worth watching? I played the first three games. I think first two and a half. Not sure I finished the third.

No

 

[Fwiffo]

Okay, I started The Recruit instead. Every time they say they do recaps I have vague recollections of some scenes and none of others.

 

[Fwiffo]

I think The Recruit is really missing Laura Haddock even though they killed her off in the previous season.

 

[Fwiffo]

I finally finished The Recruit. It took awhile because I had to turn it off from time to time when Noah Centineo the CIA lawyer kept getting himself into ever increasing ridiculous situations where he doesn’t quite die. It was fun in the beginning but the entire show revolving around his one act was too much.

The final scene with the dozen Russians continuously shooting using assault rifles the 3 people fleeing by swimming, then climbing onto a boat, and then having the time to crawl into cover yet without anyone taking a hit is probably why the Ukrainian war is still going on.

It would have been nice if they worked Colton Dunn into it more. Looking at A Knight’s Tale alum, James Purefoy looks a lot older than Rufus Sewell.

 

[Fwiffo]

Zero Day. An old 80 something white ex President who has memory/cognitive issues being invited back to lead a commission into a cyberattack on the US by the sitting black female President.

Maybe Democrats can watch this for solace.

 

[Dropbear]

The White Lotus was really slow to pick-up, but now I’m enjoying it a lot. Walter Goggin’s character is probably my favourite storyline

 

[Dropbear]

The White Lotus ending was really solid. I feel it went from the weakest to the strongest over the season.

I’m also about half way through The Resident. It started strong, but could’ve been cut in half. I’m bored now and will probably drop it.

 

[Fwiffo]

Re: White Lotus. I feel like I missed some monumental cultural moment because The Daily Show and this conference I went to of social media managers, PR, comms and marketing people constantly made references to it.

I did finally finish Zero Day. De Niro is an 80 something one term President who has one son who died and is succeeded by a black woman in the White House. This must have been like Hollywood Democrat’s wet dream. It even had the former President do a cognitive test and have his mental competence questioned. I thought the end would follow what happened with Biden and De Niro would succumb to the swamp in the name of preserving his country (and his daughter) but the show took a moral principled stand with the ending…as unnecessary as it was.

 

[Dropbear]

Black Mirror is a lot better, this season.

My son had the whole family watching Invincible. It’s fun. The killer soundtrack doesn’t hurt, either

 

[Fwiffo]

Law and Order just down the street from me.

 

[Fwiffo]

La storia della mia famiglia or My Family on Netflix grew on me.

At first the 2010 and 2024 moving around in time for Eduardo Scarpetta's character was a bit annoying. But then I realise why it was doing it. He is a father of two and dies leaving his two sons to his single mother, his brother an ex addict, and his two best friends Cristiana Dell'anna and Antonio Gargiulo. He explicitly says they should not be reunited with their mother Gaia Weiss (the only non Italian) because of some tmental/psychological issues which the court and law supports.

The show then takes one episode and focuses on each foster parent character, how they knew Scarpetta, how their relation with the kids are and their own personal sacrifice and struggle. You think it will resolve everything for that character at the end of their episode but it always ends on a it of ambiguity. Like real life. One of the better stories is from Dell'anna who is in love with Scarpetta before his marriage and kids but is the one he turns to when he gets cancer and is estranged from his wife. At the same time Gargiulo has always had a crush on her so it makes it a weird love and friendship triangle.

I heard the series was renewed. Was that during filming because the last episode was unnecessary. It just hints there could be more. I don't know if there needs to be because there is honouring he dead father and friend's wishes and then there is life after that.

 

[Fwiffo]

Running Point with Kate Hudson. She becomes the accidental owner/president of her father’s basketball club when her older brother checks in for rehab. All the cliches of being a sports owner handling prima donna stars, kissing the head coach, the Jewish fiancée and the perfect marriage.

I always thought she was a pretty good actress but when you are doing streaming shows with Scott Disick making a cameo playing Scott Disick I guess you gave up scoring statues.

 

[Dropbear]

Is anyone else watching Last of Us? I feel like S1 ended strong they could’ve just wrapped there, though S2 is certainly off to a dramatic start (hard to talk about without dropping spoilers). I understand that it’s followed closely to the video game that I’m not familiar with, but for now I’m left wondering where it will go and what is the point now.

 

[Fwiffo]

Is anyone else watching Last of Us? I feel like S1 ended strong they could’ve just wrapped there, though S2 is certainly off to a dramatic start (hard to talk about without dropping spoilers). I understand that it’s followed closely to the video game that I’m not familiar with, but for now I’m left wondering where it will go and what is the point now.

I haven't played the video game but when he took out well armed militia types single handedly at the conclusion of the first season it started bordering on ludicrous. I reckon another 10 episodes of funghi infected monsters will start getting repetitive like Walking Dead season 99.

Fallout was better for me since I played most of the games so I had a bit of an interest in their dystopia.

I am also in a minority thinking Bella Ramsey is a bit one dimensional in her acting so I don't know how she will grow in the series.

 

[Fwiffo]

I got through part of the first episode of Chef's Table Legends. First episode. Jamie Oliver. So far it's not really a whole lot about cooking as it is about his CV. Gennaro Contaldo makes a cameo.

 

[Fwiffo]

Chef's Table Legends.

Chef's Table - great cinematography. Obviously a lot of research/archival footage shown. But not a hell a lot about food or recipes or even actual cooking. There are snippets of them cooking or prepping ingredients but that's it.

The Legends stories are furthest away from cooking in all the series. Jamie Oliver was about his humble upbringing and dealing with his celebrity chef calling in life. Jose Andres was about his philanthropy. Thomas Keller was about his transformation from a leader/head chef to basically a chef coach. Alice Waters was all about sourcing, local ingredients - her personal crusade to transform the industry. There wasn't much or anything about technique although they still had a few shots of interesting plated dishes. There was a guy in the Keller episode saying Thomas Keller was as big as Bocuse and Escoffier (!) was....hyperbole par excellence.

 

[Dropbear]

S2 of the Last of Us was excellent… right up to the final episode. It felt very rushed and confused, like they were planning to tell that story over two episodes and had to cram it all into one.

The cliffhanger was decent and about what I expected. Now we wait another couple of years for answers …

 

[Fwiffo]

I finally finished The Leopard. Netflix is bankrolling some gorgeous Italian shows. This one is even better than Lidia Poet. Not just locations and the costumes but the cinematography.

A period piece about a prince in Sicily with a nephew who joins the Garibaldi revolution and family holdings threatened by up and coming social climbers and money men. I never read the novel which apparently is canon in Italian literature but Kim Stuart Rossi is the star playing an aristocrat acutely aware his time is passing. Benedetta Porcaroli plays the strong willed moral daughter who gives up her first real love, goes to a convent, and even gives up the realistic complementary love all for the sake of her principles and ultimately her family.

Deva Cassel who clearly inherited Monica Bellucci looks is the foil to Pocaroli's character - willing to scheme and sleep her way to the top. Saul Nanni is the nephew of Rossi whom he values more than his own sons. Nanni is in a love triangle between Cassel and Porcaroli. He ultimately chooses a path that gives him all the honours and titles but ends up empty and dead inside. Of the three young actresses and actor Porcaroli is the best. Maybe because she is the oldest and most experienced.

I thought in the first two episodes I knew what the show is about but it actually evolves because the backdrop evolves and so the characters have to change too. The show's settings and colours also evolve too. Frankly the prince, or il gattopardo, is a stuck up entitled prick but yet when he dies in the end you feel sympathy for him.

Finally as gorgeous as all the costumes were I do wonder whether you can actually wear morning dress in Sicily pre industrial global warming.

 

[güero]

4th season of Clarkson's Farm. Watched the first two episodes so far, not nearly enough farming. Hoping that is going to improve, used to be pretty much the only TV show I look forward to.

Also watchted the first season of Exit, which I never got around to before, it has been out for a couple of years. Both depressing and entertaining. Probably going to watch season two some day.