Exceelent TV Shows

[johnnya24]

tons of detail on Empire:

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/boardwalk-empire-to-the-lost-nucky-get-your-gun

Not totally convinced here ...

Spoilers whited out below:

Darmody basically got f**ked here in every way possible. He didn't get vengeance for what was done to him. His partners-in-crime abandoned him without hesitation. His kids legacy is in tatters, and now he's an orphan being protected by a whore and a suicidal lunatic. He seems to, without reason (or at most a completely misguided reason) walk to his death, at the hands of a bunch of people who were utterly remorseless about doing it. This was the opposite of a heroic sacrificial walk off ... did Darmody somehow think he could get in Nucky's head by making him pull the trigger? Nucky didn't flinch when he moved in to finish him off. This is one of the most tragic sends off's I can ever remember. His life was already in tatters before he left for war, it was much worse when he came back, and then it was ripped apart before he walked to his inglorious end. I thought The Wire did a job on its characters ... but this is a whole other level. I keep thinking this is the antithesis of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe ... a completely inglorious and pointless sacrifice with no chance of redemption, and no redeeming qualities. Darmody's life, death and legacy is a Greek tragedy on speed.

I always knew that Michael Pitt was not in this for the long haul ... he's destined for much bigger things IMO... but glad to see that Michael Shannon will still be hovering around. His character might be even more f'kd up!

[revo]

Not totally convinced here ...

Spoilers whited out below:

Darmody basically got f**ked here in every way possible. He didn't get vengeance for what was done to him. His partners-in-crime abandoned him without hesitation. His kids legacy is in tatters, and now he's an orphan being protected by a whore and a suicidal lunatic. He seems to, without reason (or at most a completely misguided reason) walk to his death, at the hands of a bunch of people who were utterly remorseless about doing it. This was the opposite of a heroic sacrificial walk off ... did Darmody somehow think he could get in Nucky's head by making him pull the trigger? Nucky didn't flinch when he moved in to finish him off. This is one of the most tragic sends off's I can ever remember. His life was already in tatters before he left for war, it was much worse when he came back, and then it was ripped apart before he walked to his inglorious end. I thought The Wire did a job on its characters ... but this is a whole other level. I keep thinking this is the antithesis of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe ... a completely inglorious and pointless sacrifice with no chance of redemption, and no redeeming qualities. Darmody's life, death and legacy is a Greek tragedy on speed.

I always knew that Michael Pitt was not in this for the long haul ... he's destined for much bigger things IMO... but glad to see that Michael Shannon will still be hovering around. His character might be even more f'kd up!

Response in white to avoid spoiler:

Darmody didn't get vengeance, he was satisfied in tying up loose ends.

For all intents and purposes, he made everything whole and then committed suicide-by-cop (except he was a gangster). Between the incest and WWI, he was already done for, and his mishandling of AC proved it. After bungling the coup, he wanted to go out on his own terms.

[johnnya24]

Darmody didn't get vengeance, he was satisfied in tying up loose ends.

For all intents and purposes, he made everything whole and then committed suicide-by-cop (except he was a gangster). Between the incest and WWI, he was already done for, and his mishandling of AC proved it. After bungling the coup, he wanted to go out on his own terms.

You think? Spoilers below:

He left a mess as far as I can see. Even his final speech to Nucky was a disaster: "I remember the first time I killed a man ..." ... Nucky shrugged his shoulders, shot him in the head, and then remorselessly finished him off. He thought he understood Nucky, he was very wrong. Whatever he thought he was doing a the end, he was completely misguided ... Nucky doesn't care ... Margaret understood that.

They were definitely going with the Greek tragedy angle ... had sex with his mother, killed his father (his mother told Jimmy to "finish him"), abandoned his child, then haplessly walked to his own death. Maybe this was this some kind of twisted revenge against his mother? Whatever happened, whatever angle the writers were shooting for ... it's pretty unique. What are the odds that Jimmy's kid will be raised by his grandmother to enact revenge on Nucky. Would seem like a good way to end it all.

[johnnya24]

DeVito is awesome in "Sunny", wait until you get to the "Anything Goes" episode.

Don't be the guy who puts mittens on his kitten ...

[Mithrandir]

Don't be the guy who puts mittens on his kitten ...

I just watched that episode a few nights ago..classic...love the interplay with the lawyer..

[pjs24]

In this day and age, I think Community is more of an anomaly than Whitney when it comes to network TV. People who are looking for quality will go anywhere to find it, and there are a hell of a lot of channels now. People who just want to turn off their brains at the end of the day just flip on the major networks and don't look anywhere else.

I think you're saying what I'm about to say, but I'm not sure.

The drek that is Whitney is the network standard which is why I think people will look anywhere BUT the network for quality and that is why something as brilliant as Community can't get its base built up. I think Community would excel on FX.

[Erik]

I think it's more about the expectations. If it were on FX, it may have fewer viewers than it would have on NBC, but a show on FX doesn't need as many viewers to be considered a ratings success for it than a show on NBC does to be considered a ratings success for it.

People who like quality television will watch network TV if given a reason to.

[johnnya24]

I think you're saying what I'm about to say, but I'm not sure.

The drek that is Whitney is the network standard which is why I think people will look anywhere BUT the network for quality and that is why something as brilliant as Community can't get its base built up. I think Community would excel on FX.

I watched the first series of Community ... it was good ... but certain UK newspapers are hailing it as the best US import comedy series ... that I don't agree with. Parks & Recreation is next on my list when I'm done with Sunny. Both Modern Family and Sunny are way better than Community IMO.

[BuckyBuckner]

I watched the first series of Community ... it was good ... but certain UK newspapers are hailing it as the best US import comedy series ... that I don't agree with. Parks & Recreation is next on my list when I'm done with Sunny. Both Modern Family and Sunny are way better than Community IMO.

Modern Family and Arrested Development are definitely better than Community, Sunny could be but I felt had some so so moments. It's been great this year though. I felt the first year with DeVito was average, I think they were still trying to figure out how to use him.

[Mithrandir]

Modern Family and Arrested Development are definitely better than Community, Sunny could be but I felt had some so so moments. It's been great this year though. I felt the first year with DeVito was average, I think they were still trying to figure out how to use him.

As usual we disagree Season 2 of Sunny (Devito's first season) was phenomenal..with so many great episodes...

[johnnya24]

tons of detail on Empire:

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/boardwalk-empire-to-the-lost-nucky-get-your-gun

also, HBO did a sneak preview of a series coming out in late January called "Luck."
Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, Jill Hennessy (yum) in a series about horse racing.

Definite potential ... but I think they will need to widen the net to keep it interesting.

... and great music.

[owned]

did a search, but nothing came up.
Anyone seen Call me Fitz, starring Jason Priestley. It's on the Canadian The Movie Network. I was hooked, with the opening scene and I just finished watching the 2010 season on netflix. It's pretty raunchy, so keep the kids away.

[johnnya24]

I think I'm losing interest in Hell On Wheels. It started off promising ... but has completely lost any edge it had. I'll probably watch last nights episode, only because there was nothing else on.

[ironfist]

I think I'm losing interest in Hell On Wheels. It started off promising ... but has completely lost any edge it had. I'll probably watch last nights episode, only because there was nothing else on.

completely bored by this show. I'll probably watch through the end of the season, but if it doesn't get any better, I'm dropping it.

[revo]

completely bored by this show. I'll probably watch through the end of the season, but if it doesn't get any better, I'm dropping it.

I've been stuck on a episode from November (I think it was ep 4), and as soon as I start it up, I start to look for something else and switch over. I take it I haven't missed much since then. Probably a drop, then. Too bad.