Exceelent TV Shows

[heyelander]

Final episode of Supernatural Thursday night. They've jumped through some silly hoops to keep it going for, maybe the last 10 seasons? But the series pretty much resolved itself last week in a decently satisfying way. Not sure what happens tonight, but it's been a great ride.

[chancellor]

Three episodes into The Queen's Gambit, and neither me nor my wife understands all the fuss. Does it get better?

I love it; absolutely love it. But then, I have a close tie to this movie - I started playing chess when I was five, was pulled out from competition for three years at age 10 due to my behavior becoming erratic (which is probably generous), then played competitively through high school and early college years and a bit after college. The books referenced were near-sacred texts among serious chess players; many players cared for their books the way an Orthodox Rabbi cares for their Torah. The openings played are accurate, the games referenced are real grandmaster level games from the era they're showing, the issues with substance abuse (especially alcohol) for high level players was very, very real. The dominance of the Russians in the '60s is very real - other than Bobby Fischer, the other players in that era in the top five were all Russian - Petrosian, Tal, Korchnoi, Spassky, Smyslov; Karpov began his run in the top five in 1970.

The only criticism I have of the series relative to accuracy is there's not enough crazy in it. In my four years of high school chess, we had a top six team in our state all four years. We had nine different people rotate through the five boards on our team. The top board on our team my freshman year had to quit playing competitively because he'd work himself into such a mental frenzy that he'd either faint or puke; normally the former. The top board my sophomore year graduated from high school, had a nervous breakdown freshman year in college; after two years of recovery, ended up as a self-medicating, pot-smoking DJ for a local radio station. Our second board through my last three years is a brilliant language savant - learned Russian to a competent level in 18 months, was fluent in German and Latin in three years, was passable in six other languages - but he's also a severe manic-depressive whose been hospitalized more times than I can remember. The person I really didn't know well - he was a sophomore and our fifth board my senior year - committed suicide in his late 20s or early 30s. Two others were less severe, but had counseling before age 20.

But I get that too much crazy wouldn't play as well. But, damn, I've never seen more crazy in a room than at the state opens I played in.

I'd love to hear from Cavebird on the series.

[revo]

I got to pretty near the end of season 2 (end of the first Heist) but haven't gotten back to it. Started to get frustrated with how the guy that so meticulously planned the heist, chose such erratic criminals to pull it off.

Funny, I was getting frustrated with the police side of it, how they bungled a couple of "incursions" into the Mint and couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with their shooting. Plus, the whole Inspector - Professor thing, ehhhhhh.....

Anyhow, into Season 3 and it seems like it's run its course, although my son loves it.


The Liberator on Netflix was most exceelent.....

[ironfist]

Just finished Flight Attendant and found it very enjoyable.

[fuhrdog]

Started watching Fauda, an Israeli drama about the conflict with Palestine. 3 seasons with a 4th scheduled. Just finished season 1 and it is pretty good imo. Starting season 2 tomorrow.

[Judge Jude]

Just finished Flight Attendant and found it very enjoyable.

one of my nieces is a flight attendant (though still grounded until March).

she loved the show but said it was ridiculous.

I told her that I learned to enjoy "Everybody Loves Raymond" the same way. she liked that (on a 20 family member Christmas Day Zoom).

[Teenwolf]

Pretty sure it was Revo and possibly Fresno Bob who recommended Mindhunter a couple of years back. I've kept it on the back burner for a couple years, but I'm glad I finally dug into it. Even if the series seems dead in the water (stupid Netflix).

I want to talk about a plot line thats bothering me. The first season has a principal who is tickling kids feet. Principal is told that parents and officials are concerned, guy keeps tickling anyway. Guy gets fired despite no accusations of sexual impropriety, just tickling. I found it really jarring that the show brought this up as a moral dilemma, seemingly leading the audience to conclude that the tickler was treated unfairly. I just don't see the issue. If someone is told to stop touching other people's kids, and implied that their job is in jeopardy if they continue, where is the injustice in his firing? It really bothered me. I wondered if this idea of bodily autonomy has only come to prominence recently and older viewers would agree with the show writers, that the principal firing was problematic... I would hope that its more of an attempt to show how outdated our previous concepts of protecting children were but I can't be sure where its going. Interesting anyway.

I'm also just at the end of season 1, so maybe the tickler turns out to be a pedo. I guess I'll see.

Thanks, belatedly for the strong recommendation.

[Ken]

Pretty sure it was Revo and possibly Fresno Bob who recommended Mindhunter a couple of years back. I've kept it on the back burner for a couple years, but I'm glad I finally dug into it. Even if the series seems dead in the water (stupid Netflix).

I want to talk about a plot line thats bothering me. The first season has a principal who is tickling kids feet. Principal is told that parents and officials are concerned, guy keeps tickling anyway. Guy gets fired despite no accusations of sexual impropriety, just tickling. I found it really jarring that the show brought this up as a moral dilemma, seemingly leading the audience to conclude that the tickler was treated unfairly. I just don't see the issue. If someone is told to stop touching other people's kids, and implied that their job is in jeopardy if they continue, where is the injustice in his firing? It really bothered me. I wondered if this idea of bodily autonomy has only come to prominence recently and older viewers would agree with the show writers, that the principal firing was problematic... I would hope that its more of an attempt to show how outdated our previous concepts of protecting children were but I can't be sure where its going. Interesting anyway.

I'm also just at the end of season 1, so maybe the tickler turns out to be a pedo. I guess I'll see.

Thanks, belatedly for the strong recommendation.

Of note, the principle wade plotline came straight out of the book and is based on real events.

[heyelander]

I've really been enjoying The Expanse. Started off on Sci-Fi so it was a bit rocky at first, but it's been picked up by Amazon, and is good stuff.

Amos makes it worth watching all by himself.

[Teenwolf]

Of note, the principle wade plotline came straight out of the book and is based on real events.

Good to know, thanks for the added context.

[The Feral Slasher]

Cobra Kai is cheesy yet enjoyable. Binged 4 episodes last night on Netflix.

I watched the first few episodes tonight. I agree with your assessment

[revo]

Pretty sure it was Revo and possibly Fresno Bob who recommended Mindhunter a couple of years back. I've kept it on the back burner for a couple years, but I'm glad I finally dug into it. Even if the series seems dead in the water (stupid Netflix).

I want to talk about a plot line thats bothering me. The first season has a principal who is tickling kids feet. Principal is told that parents and officials are concerned, guy keeps tickling anyway. Guy gets fired despite no accusations of sexual impropriety, just tickling. I found it really jarring that the show brought this up as a moral dilemma, seemingly leading the audience to conclude that the tickler was treated unfairly. I just don't see the issue. If someone is told to stop touching other people's kids, and implied that their job is in jeopardy if they continue, where is the injustice in his firing? It really bothered me. I wondered if this idea of bodily autonomy has only come to prominence recently and older viewers would agree with the show writers, that the principal firing was problematic... I would hope that its more of an attempt to show how outdated our previous concepts of protecting children were but I can't be sure where its going. Interesting anyway.

I'm also just at the end of season 1, so maybe the tickler turns out to be a pedo. I guess I'll see.

Thanks, belatedly for the strong recommendation.

Yup, best show on Netflix IMO.

Season 2, which focuses on Wayne Williams, the Atlanta Child Killer, isn't as strong as Season 1, but still a great season. It kind of gets a little derailed with minor sub-plots that had little to do with the main storyline (a lesbian love affair, Tench's young child being involved in a heinous crime, etc.) and it's kind of a shame they never got to the BTK killer who had appeared throughout the series as the ADT serviceman.

From what I understand, David Fincher was just overwhelmed with the series, and felt it wasn't getting enough love for what he was putting into it.

[revo]

I watched the first few episodes tonight. I agree with your assessment

It's funny to me that a somewhat minor local karate event 35 years prior is still front and center among many in that community, and the main characters are still visibly affected by those same events that happened way back in 1984. As if something that happened to me when I was a 7th grader has any relevance on my life today.

[johnnya24]

I've really been enjoying The Expanse. Started off on Sci-Fi so it was a bit rocky at first, but it's been picked up by Amazon, and is good stuff.

Amos makes it worth watching all by himself.

I really really (2x really) liked The Expanse when it first came out. The first series actually improved on the books by retaining the serious hard-sci fi character but vastly improving on the dialogue and character interactions. The dialogue in the novels is so wooden ... it's painful to read.

The problem (IMO), was that they stuck too closely to the novels (weirdly enough). Thomas Jane was clearly star of the show, and they should have realized that and not followed his plot arc too religiously. Losing him for the next couple of series was a real handicap, and when he returns his character is a side show.

Still solid ... but I felt it was going to be Battlestar Galactica tier sci fi at first.

[chancellor]

It's funny to me that a somewhat minor local karate event 35 years prior is still front and center among many in that community, and the main characters are still visibly affected by those same events that happened way back in 1984. As if something that happened to me when I was a senior in JHS has any relevance on my life today.

While I agree with you, after re-connecting with an old classmate at a funeral a couple years ago, I was shocked to find out how much a bad outcome at a HS football game impacted him.