Television

The Baby's New Diaper said:
Just finished Atlanta. Does anyone ever throw that show out there when talking about best shows of all time? Because, while I don't often cite what I think are the "best", I wouldn't blink an eye if I saw Atlanta on such a list.

I thought it was excellent and love when a show arrives, tells the stories it needs to, and knows not to overstay its welcome. Sure, I could have watched more but four seasons felt generous and worthwhile.

I especially loved that there were many episodes where they wanted to say something but it didn't necessarily fit the plot of the show proper, so whole episodes would have absolutely nothing to do with the arc - heck sometimes not even having any of the regular cast. But it all still felt thematically in the "Atlanta" universe.

Can't praise the show highly enough.
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It’s one of my favorite shows ever. I just don’t think there was anything else like it. It really created its own unique atmosphere where you could have wild episodes sit right alongside grounded understated ones. I do wish there was more coming. I know people are always happy when a show doesn’t overstay its welcome. But I don’t think Atlanta would have done that. Just one or two more seasons would have been nice. But hey what we got is some of the most original, sharp, surreal tv of the past decade.
 
The Baby's New Diaper said:
Just finished Atlanta. Does anyone ever throw that show out there when talking about best shows of all time? Because, while I don't often cite what I think are the "best", I wouldn't blink an eye if I saw Atlanta on such a list.

I thought it was excellent and love when a show arrives, tells the stories it needs to, and knows not to overstay its welcome. Sure, I could have watched more but four seasons felt generous and worthwhile.

I especially loved that there were many episodes where they wanted to say something but it didn't necessarily fit the plot of the show proper, so whole episodes would have absolutely nothing to do with the arc - heck sometimes not even having any of the regular cast. But it all still felt thematically in the "Atlanta" universe.

Can't praise the show highly enough.
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It’s on my personal best of all time list. I absolutely love it.
 
mdmost said:
Episode 5 of The Last of Us is on HBO Max. Wow. Just killing it. I saw some criticism online that episode 4 felt a little too Walking Dead like. Episode 5 definitely does not.
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Yes I loved this episode. Episode 4 also basically in hindsight just feels like setting up this one. And it works. I wasn’t fully prepared for where it went by the end.
 
Abbott Elementary AMAZING. However, a lot of the scenarios on the show don't make a lot of sense at all. Like, teachers coming into each others classrooms and discussing random things without regard for the students. Teachers doing a lot of random things without regard for the students. Students who don't go on the field trip would have a lot more structure to their day and not left with the janitor. Teachers arriving to school at almost the same time as the students, they'd already be there earlier. Teachers leaving the school for lunch... wtf. There's countless others, but either way, it's still very good. It's easy to suspend belief for the situations. It's like The Office but set in an elementary school. Highly recommended.
 
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wokeupnew said:
Abbott Elementary AMAZING. However, a lot of the scenarios on the show don't make a lot of sense at all. Like, teachers coming into each others classrooms and discussing random things without regard for the students. Teachers doing a lot of random things without regard for the students. Students who don't go on the field trip would have a lot more structure to their day and not left with the janitor. Teachers arriving to school at almost the same time as the students, they'd already be there earlier. Teachers leaving the school for lunch... wtf. There's countless others, but either way, it's still very good. It's easy to suspend belief for the situations. It's like The Office but set in an elementary school. Highly recommended.
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As a teacher, I'm always amused at how teaching works in movies and TV
 
wokeupnew said:
Abbott Elementary AMAZING. However, a lot of the scenarios on the show don't make a lot of sense at all. Like, teachers coming into each others classrooms and discussing random things without regard for the students. Teachers doing a lot of random things without regard for the students. Students who don't go on the field trip would have a lot more structure to their day and not left with the janitor. Teachers arriving to school at almost the same time as the students, they'd already be there earlier. Teachers leaving the school for lunch... wtf. There's countless others, but either way, it's still very good. It's easy to suspend belief for the situations. It's like The Office but set in an elementary school. Highly recommended.
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Yeah i think it's an interesting dichotomy that it is rightfully lauded for portraying real problems and issues that teachers face but also has them all hanging out together in the break room and going to lunch. Obviously wouldn't be much of a show to realistically show them never having time to talk to each other, much less get their work done, but my wife does frequently say things like "must be nice!" at the TV nonetheless.
 
wokeupnew said:
I’m not a teacher but just thinking back to my schooling it’s very obvious some things wouldn’t happen. But it’s not even close to a dealbreaker because if it was hyper realistic it wouldn’t be as funny.
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I always get a kick out out of the trope (in a ton of shows/movies) where you see two minutes of class, and the teacher is barely getting to their topic when the bell rings and they tell the students the homework. What were you doing the first 40-50 minutes of class?!
 
The Baby's New Diaper said:
Just finished Atlanta. Does anyone ever throw that show out there when talking about best shows of all time? Because, while I don't often cite what I think are the "best", I wouldn't blink an eye if I saw Atlanta on such a list.

I thought it was excellent and love when a show arrives, tells the stories it needs to, and knows not to overstay its welcome. Sure, I could have watched more but four seasons felt generous and worthwhile.

I especially loved that there were many episodes where they wanted to say something but it didn't necessarily fit the plot of the show proper, so whole episodes would have absolutely nothing to do with the arc - heck sometimes not even having any of the regular cast. But it all still felt thematically in the "Atlanta" universe.

Can't praise the show highly enough.
Click to expand...

I was really happy when Rolling Stone had it at #9 or whatever on their list. And I have it at #6 on mine.
 
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I’m on season five of The Sopranos and even though I do have quite a bit left overall, I am still lamenting finishing it soon. I’m enjoying the hell out of it. I realize it is weirdly similar to Mad Men (and I know Matthew Weiner wrote on it before MM). But the way scenes are structured and the use of a lot of subtext crops up in very similar ways to MM.
 
Bennnnn said:
I’m on season five of The Sopranos and even though I do have quite a bit left overall, I am still lamenting finishing it soon. I’m enjoying the hell out of it. I realize it is weirdly similar to Mad Men (and I know Matthew Weiner wrote on it before MM). But the way scenes are structured and the use of a lot of subtext crops up in very similar ways to MM.
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it is excellent to rewatch too. After you understand the characters you don’t have to use as much focus trying to figure out relationship dynamics and start to notice more of the nuanced subtleties that the show nails but details that are easily overlooked when you’re trying to figure out who everyone is.
 
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it took me like 2 hours to recover from the most recent last of us

my heart did not stop pounding. i was not prepared for THE HOLE. i’d been waiting for a sinkhole to do something because they kind of hinted at one earlier, but jesus christ.

also - a BLOATER?? i only know this term because i watched the “inside the episode” after. i’m sure a lot is recognizable to those who have played the game. but it is all new for me. i also appreciated the “inside the ep” explainer on clickers. for some reason i just thought that was their final form after 20 years, or something.
 
Bennnnn said:
I’m on season five of The Sopranos and even though I do have quite a bit left overall, I am still lamenting finishing it soon. I’m enjoying the hell out of it. I realize it is weirdly similar to Mad Men (and I know Matthew Weiner wrote on it before MM). But the way scenes are structured and the use of a lot of subtext crops up in very similar ways to MM.
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Seasons 5 and 6 are really the direct precursor to Mad Men. The Test Dream in particular.
 
Is anyone else just a little underwhelmed by The Last of Us?

Maybe it’s because I played the game already but Joel and Ellie are rarely the most interesting part of any of the best episodes (3 and 5 so far) and although it’s cruel and handsomely produced and well acted, I feel like we’ve been in this territory before. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really good show. But everytime someone mentions it, I want to shake them violently and yell “STATION ELEVEN!”at the top of my lungs.

It might not be fair to compare since one post apocalyptic story had more pew pew and clickers while the other focuses on the aftermath of a pandemic but it’s hard to ignore the overlap.
 
David A. said:
Is anyone else just a little underwhelmed by The Last of Us?

Maybe it’s because I played the game already but Joel and Ellie are rarely the most interesting part of any of the best episodes (3 and 5 so far) and although it’s cruel and handsomely produced and well acted, I feel like we’ve been in this territory before. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really good show. But everytime someone mentions it, I want to shake them violently and yell “STATION ELEVEN!”at the top of my lungs.

It might not be fair to compare since one post apocalyptic story had more pew pew and clickers while the other focuses on the aftermath of a pandemic but it’s hard to ignore the overlap.
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Actually, post-apocalyptic fiction reached its peak in 1974, with Sean Connery-

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