What we do in the Shadows.

New season has just started, it's a mockumentary series following 3 vampires in Staten Island. I really enjoy it.


Here's the trailer:

The CW (and HBO Max) just started airing Wellington Paranormal by the makers of What We Do in the Shadows. It's a mashup of "Cops" and "Paranormal Investigations" set in Wellington, New Zealand.

It is very low-key, and restrained in the comedy. But still quietly hilarious. As an American, I know I am missing a number of jokes that only Kiwis would get. But, I still find it entertaining.

Each episode the main two characters who are members of the Wellington Police department investigate odd occurrences:

Demonic possesion
Werewolves
Ghosts
Crop circles
Vampires
Zombies
Crypto-zoology

Just watched the trailer, I'll give it a go. Seems like a paranormal Reno 911.

As usual, I am years behind the world in TV - mostly cos I don't watch it - but flicked on Flowers the other day and I am completely hooked. Fantastic acting and utterly surreal, but powerful emotional themes make this a unique and authentic viewing experience.

I've recently discovered Korean period dramas, and I'm quite hooked. What I like about them is the multi-dimensionality of the characters and the fact that the twee, milquetoast sentimental endings and other Western tropes are either absent or cast sufficiently differently to make them feel absent. It leads to the sentimental stuff not feeling forced or contrite as it invariably does from Hollywood dreck. Victorious endings tend to be pyrrhic to at least some degree.

They seem to drink a lot...

The one I'm currently watching is Empress Ki. Epic stuff about a girl who grows up alone as a boy, becoming the leader of a street gang but eventually finding her way to the courts of Goryeo and the Yuan dynasty (Mongolia).

hackenslash wrote:I've recently discovered Korean period dramas, and I'm quite hooked.

My partner's hooked on all those as well - I can't even try to watch as they're in Korean (obviously), and she watches with Thai subtitles which stretches my ability and patience to try and read quickly enough.

Oh and Sex Education season 3.... some of the best television ever created in my book!

Spearthrower wrote:

hackenslash wrote:I've recently discovered Korean period dramas, and I'm quite hooked.

My partner's hooked on all those as well - I can't even try to watch as they're in Korean (obviously), and she watches with Thai subtitles which stretches my ability and patience to try and read quickly enough.

Same here. My missus watches them and I occasionally try to keep up with the Japanese subtitles. (Although sometimes they are dubbed and also have subtitles...) She can't abide the old style Samurai dramas that are constantly rerun, but she likes some of the modern ones...

But back to the topic of this thread- a friend recommended Ted Lasso. I was skeptical at first but got hooked and watched the whole two seasons over a few days. Laugh out loud funny in places and deeply moving in others. All of the cast are great, but Hannah Waddingham just blows me away...and a shout out to the ever-sweary Brett Goldstein.

Ep.1 of Foundation (Apple) was disappointing. Score is generic and intrusive... half the cast is awkward, and the others can't overcome a dull script, aimless direction, and weird editing. It feels like multiple proofs of concept glued together by - again - that annoyingly generic soundscape.

An expensive flop, but it kicked off with a teaser for what looks like a more thoughtful series coming out on 22.10:

"Invasion"

don't get me started wrote:...

But back to the topic of this thread- a friend recommended Ted Lasso. I was skeptical at first but got hooked and watched the whole two seasons over a few days. Laugh out loud funny in places and deeply moving in others. All of the cast are great, but Hannah Waddingham just blows me away...and a shout out to the ever-sweary Brett Goldstein.

I think it's paused in the first couple eps, but it was defying expectations... I think I'm waiting for a carefree weekend to binge it.

So... Squid Game.

I dumped Prime and signed up for Britbox instead. So many shows I've wanted to see for decades. I've been watching what my son calls "murder porn" all week: Fred and Rose West, and Des (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Nilsen played by David Tennant, brilliant!

Agrippina wrote:I dumped Prime and signed up for Britbox instead. So many shows I've wanted to see for decades. I've been watching what my son calls "murder porn" all week: Fred and Rose West, and Des (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Nilsen played by David Tennant, brilliant!

Check out White House Farm and both Manhunts if they're on there in your neck of the woods.

Just finished the last episode of the last season of 'The Expanse.'
Brilliant and compelling storytelling.
Even though this last season was only 6 episodes, the writers brought it to a satisfying conclusion.

Epic space battles and desperate 'imminent deadly breach moments, mysterious alien artifacts, a vision of humanity's future that is compelling and evocative- what's not to like?
But it turns out that the characterization is the best thing about this series. Fully fleshed out, believable and relatable characters. Just humans facing morally complex decisions and acting in ways that are human, all too human.

Sad it has ended and thinking of doing a full rewatch of the whole thing from season 1.

The Righteous Gemstones.

John Goodman is the patriarch of a mega church family. As corrupt as Kent Hovind.

Humorous HBO comedy from Danny McBride.

Just finished the last episode of the last season of 'The Expanse.'
Brilliant and compelling storytelling.
Even though this last season was only 6 episodes, the writers brought it to a satisfying conclusion.

We just finished as well and it brings the series into synch with the books. So in theory they have Books 7 8 and 9 they can produce and the end of Book 9 is also satisfying. Step up Amazon ...you've got a big time winner the Quebec gov is handing out support.

James "fucking" Holden eh.

Even made Forbes

Jan 14, 2022,02:46pm EST|1,154 views
Shohreh Aghdashloo On ‘The Expanse’ Series Finale And The Show’s Stellar Legacy

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowi ... ac09461d0d

informative and not too polemic ...learned a lot.

The Expanse (season 6). I think the show has as many big things that drag it down as it has strengths, and the casting of Marco Inaros is pretty much a torpedo in the hull. I can't imagine ever watching it again (vs spinning up BSG reboot every couple years whenever someone's willing to watch with me - or the random ST:TNG episode when doing chores). There's too much tedious characterization in this one, which sucks mainly because most else is stellar - no pun intended - especially the world-building visuals & sound.

Basically, if they'd cast a couple more like Amos, Bobbie, Drummer, Fred, and Miller... kept Holden, Clarissa, Alex, and many of the side characters... and ditched everyone else, would've been an excellent show. Cringe space-patoi explains some of the taint (Ashford for one, Nagata for another... idk how Drummer pulls it off, but she does)... and how annoying to find someone in the end more interesting than David Strathairn but who can also pull off the accent (Walker)... only to promptly die.

Some of the anime I was forced to watch...

Akame ga Kill! (2014). Meh. Dour, self-serious, disjointed, and narcissistic... but decent action, and characters that are sometimes tolerable.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (2017-). Disarmingly funny & clever. Forced to listen in French whenever I can't stare at the screen for subs, bc VRV for some reason lacks English dub... the French language cast is excellent.

Darling in the Franxx (2018). A little more painful than Akame when it's taking itself seriously, but tolerably sentimental on the whole, I suppose.

Tokyo Revengers (2021-). Idk. Not sure igaf.

Toradora! (2008). Too annoying for continuous viewing - best consumed with synopses. Like most of the titles above (except Dragon Maid) it's excruciatingly interested in the nadirs of Japanese psychology.

Dorohedoro (2020). Interesting & weird. Just 1 episode so far, hopefully I'll remember to unpause.

Just finished a re-watch of the whole six seasons of The Expanse.
It was well worth it, in my estimation. There are a lot of little things in earlier episodes that turn out to be really momentous in later phases of the story, stuff that you kind of missed or just assumed was there for atmospherics first time round.

I'd agree with Arugula that the Marco character was a bit of a gargoyle and not the show's best cast or acted character, but I'm prepared to let that slide for the excellence on show elsewhere.

Best laugh out loud line of the entire series goes to Walker.

"Marco doesn't like me. I intimidate him. Sexually."

Even the ever stony-faced Drummer almost cracked a smile at that!

Looks like I'm gonna have to get into the novels to pursue the narrative.