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Progrez

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Jun 17, 2022
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Hensmon

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Jun 27, 2020
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Haunting of Hill House. Went in optimistic as ratings very high across all platforms, but yet another dissapointment for me. This is a classic haunted house motif done decently, with some cool execution, but mostly its tame suspense and scares, with loads of this dull and cheesily acted family drama that drags on and on. You always hope for a good climax, that explains the mystery well, but didn't happen. Like most modern writing the more you think about it the less sense things start to make. 68/100.
 

erickUO

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Jul 13, 2020
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I have mixed feelings about the funny character design, but I hope the story makes up for it
 

Hensmon

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Slow Horses: S1

Everyone told me to watch it, mostly boomers, but still the praise was high. Quite shit I thought, very generic and cookie-cutter bbc crime aura to it, but none of the interesting plot you got, with let's say, Luther. All characters unlikable, 'thriller' plot that just about makes sense, but also not really, and you've seen it all 100x before anyway. Boring story, and poor dialogue and cast. Music terrible, like gen-ai spy music. Oldman is decent enough but has this over-done south London accent and is written with all these witty insults that are meant to be 'black-comedy', but none of its earned and mostly fart jokes. 59/100

Apple productions are almost all like this. Very manufactured, like the scripts/stories/characters of all the relevant material that came before is fed into this machine and then what's output is this run-of-the-mill and sanitized content that ticks all the boxes but does nothing good, original or memorable. I honestly believe self produced AI content will out perform them soon enough. The only show I can think of that was decent from them in recent years was Ted Lasso S1 and Deliverance S1. Not seen S2 of the latter, but Ted Lasso fell off a cliff quite quickly.
 
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Archon

Gagi
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Jun 27, 2020
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Rewatching Clarkson's Farm. Fiancee hasn't seen it yet but I knew she would love it so I convinced her - and she does!

Clarkson is such a good presenter, it's insane. And the show just keeps evolving throughout the first few seasons, so you always see something new happening. It's just never boring, and even rewatching it is still fun.
 

Hensmon

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Tried White Lotus S1 and went in expecting not to like it, but I did. Not quite as amazing as people make it out to be, as not too much really happens and the messaging feels a bit messy and unclear, even a bit deceitful. Character conclusions also a little unsatisfying, however everyone is written very well and feels believable. It's funny, but in a subtle way and the characters are great to watch, no matter how annoying they are being. The hotel manager was the best one, but didn't like his ending. Music and cinematography way better than this type of show usually has. 77/100

Now rewatching True Detective S1. Three episodes in and remember how much of a special show this is. I know people like to hype McConaughey nowadays, but he does deserve it, especially here. So so good as Rusty Cohle.
 

Archon

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Now rewatching True Detective S1. Three episodes in and remember how much of a special show this is. I know people like to hype McConaughey nowadays, but he does deserve it, especially here. So so good as Rusty Cohle.
One of the best seasons of television of all time, if you ask me!
 
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Hensmon

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Ok so @Archon I finished True Detectives last night. I really really want to give it legendary status, a 90/100, and probably will, but something niggling at me, because the ending is a bit of underwhelming compared to what it could have been. It's not bad by any means, but I have issues, and I don't think it delivers on the build up it created.

Do you remember it well? That final marco-polo type chase in the underground tunnels is a little cheesy/lame. Not that tense or interesting, especially when you think back to the scene where Rust robs the drug dealers with the bike gang. That actually had my heart going.

There was also so much build up to this "Yellow King" character, but is he that memorable? Not really imposing, maybe could have been cast and written better? Dewall Ledoux was more imposing.

They also just bowl up to this man's house without any strategy or caution. When they tracked down Ledouxs place in ep 4 they sneak into the perimeter, avoid traps and tactically engage, which makes perfect sense. Given the stakes here it seemed incredible lazy/uncharacteristic to just roll in, knock on the front door, and hope for the best.

The plot also turns out to be quite a straight forward crime mystery in the end. A lot threads don't go anywhere - arguably realistic in how crime works, but not narratively satisfying for a viewer - and it's solved in too easy sherlockian kind of way, where they put together tax records, housing records, and figure out the paint color of a house etc. Not that clever or interesting ultimately.

It doesn't pay off on all the themes it establishes too. It implies and presents this larger darkness, with all this occultism and lovecraftian like cosmic horror, but never delivers on that. There was meant to be this big conspiracy and mystic force behind it all, but essentially we get a weirdo in his wood hut who enjoys diddling his sister, and not much else. Not really clear how he fits in to the bigger picture and why he's that 'special' anyway.

Still love the show, but it does fumble the ending somewhat, although I personally love Rust's NDE experience how he begins to replace nihilism with optimism. Dude neeeded to catch a break badly.
 
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Archon

Gagi
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Jun 27, 2020
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Ok so @Archon I finished True Detectives last night. I really really want to give it legendary status, a 90/100, and probably will, but something niggling at me, because the ending is a bit of underwhelming compared to what it could have been. It's not bad by any means, but I have issues, and I don't think it delivers on the build up it created.

Do you remember it well? That final marco-polo type chase in the underground tunnels is a little cheesy/lame. Not that tense or interesting, especially when you think back to the scene where Rust robs the drug dealers with the bike gang. That actually had my heart going.

There was also so much build up to this "Yellow King" character, but is he that memorable? Not really imposing, maybe could have been cast and written better? Dewall Ledoux was more imposing.

They also just bowl up to this man's house without any strategy or caution. When they tracked down Ledouxs place in ep 4 they sneak into the perimeter, avoid traps and tactically engage, which makes perfect sense. Given the stakes here it seemed incredible lazy/uncharacteristic to just roll in, knock on the front door, and hope for the best.

The plot also turns out to be quite a straight forward crime mystery in the end. A lot threads don't go anywhere - arguably realistic in how crime works, but not narratively satisfying for a viewer - and it's solved in too easy sherlockian kind of way, where they put together tax records, housing records, and figure out the paint color of a house etc. Not that clever or interesting ultimately.

It doesn't pay off on all the themes it establishes too. It implies and presents this larger darkness, with all this occultism and lovecraftian like cosmic horror, but never delivers on that. There was meant to be this big conspiracy and mystic force behind it all, but essentially we get a weirdo in his wood hut who enjoys diddling his sister, and not much else. Not really clear how he fits in to the bigger picture and why he's that 'special' anyway.

Still love the show, but it does fumble the ending somewhat, although I personally love Rust's NDE experience how he begins to replace nihilism with optimism. Dude neeeded to catch a break badly.
Wow, thanks for ruining it!

But to be honest, I honestly don't agree with anything you said. I can see your point - definitely - but I honestly wouldn't change a thing about it. I don't love it for the ending, but for ALL the episodes. And for some reason, I think a more epic season finale would maybe be at a detriment to the rest of the series. I will gladly just rewatch the entire season because of E03 alone.

And actually, about the (unresolved) conspiracy - as far as I remember, that's acknowledged actually.

And about the casting - I think it's very good. Putting a huge, physically imposing guy as a deranged antagonist is a good choice, especially if you look at him from the victim's point of view.