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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Amph What was the last tv episode you watched?

Discussion in 'Community' started by Coruscant, Sep 28, 2014.

  1. gezvader28

    gezvader28 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2003
    The Alienist .

    19th century NY , kind of another Jack the ripper story , looks pretty expensive but I'm not getting into it . (btw - it's nothing to do with aliens )
     
  2. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Firefly S1, Ep.6 "Jaynestown" (2002) - Plot; The crew land on a planet where Jayne Cobb is regarded as a folk hero.

    Even a series that fancies itself a true ensemble has to put a single character front and center every once in while, or at least build the story around a single character and let the others sorta rotate in orbit around them/it. That's the case here, as the brutish and often self serving Jayne Cobb finds himself put up on a pedestal, almost literally. For the most part it's a fun episode as Jayne soaks in the adoration, but a gut wrenching twist in the final minutes gives it a real poignancy. - 7/10

    Firefly S1, Ep.7 "Out of Gas" (2002) - Plot; Three separate timeframes show how the crew of the Serenity came together all while they deal w/a damaged engine and rapidly failing life support in the present.

    Binging my way through this breathlessly praised "cult" series has been a real treat. Despite its lofty status my expectations were somewhat muted, but almost immediately it hooked me and I've thoroughly enjoyed my hitch w/the crew of the Serenity. But as uniformly good as it's been, nothing to date can touch "Out of Gas", one of the best hours (okay, 42 minutes) of television I've had the pleasure of watching. Starting off w/a scene that shows how close the crew has become in such a short time and then introducing a catastrophe that tests those bonds, it is, on paper, a simple story. Where it shines, and I mean shines like a super nova, is in its execution. Expertly cutting between timeframes--past, near present and present--it weaves a tale equal parts warm and white-knuckle. It's a fully satisfying four course dramatic meal. By the end, I was a tad bit teary eyed, and surprised by how quickly I'd come to care for this crew. Bravo. - 10/10
     
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  3. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Firefly S1, Ep.8 "Ariel" (2002) - Plot; The crew break into an Alliance hospital to steal meds and to allow Simon access to equipment so that he can examine River.

    Once again it struggles to include everyone in a meaningful way (Inara has nothing but a Cameo and Sheppard is completely absent) and the means by which the gang initially break into the hospital are extremely contrived, but it's got a fun Ocean's 11 style vibe to it... for a while. But a twist once they're inside changes the tone and the subsequent fallout leads to unexpectedly powerful ending. - 8/10
     
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  4. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Firefly S1, Ep.9 "War Stories" (2002) - Plot; Wash, jealous of Zoe and Mal's personal bond, maneuvers to replace Zoe on a mission w/Mal that goes horribly wrong.

    Since the beginning the elephant in the room has been the tight bond between war buddies Mal and Zoe, and it's addressed here in typical Firefly fashion. Which is to say expertly. Relationships are torn apart only to grown back stronger and nearly everyone is pulled into the story in a meaningful way (save for Inara, who has an interesting but ultimately unimportant little side story). - 8/10
     
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  5. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Firefly S1, Ep.10 "Trash" (2002) - Plot; Mal and the Serenity crew team up w/the duplicitous Saffron to steal a priceless artifact from one of her former marks.

    The return of Saffron (Christina Hendricks) is a welcome one, and not just because Hendricks is drop dead gorgeous. Her turn as the scheming Saffron might just be the best performance in a show filled w/them. Had the series continued, I've no doubt Saffron would continue to pop up to cause trouble for the crew of the Serenity. If there's been a nit to pick w/the series it's that it sometimes struggles to include everyone in a meaningful way, but Trash is an example of how you can give characters impactful moments, even if the size of their role is relatively small. Simon and River get to close the door on some previous drama w/Jayne in a fun way, and Inara gets her best moment of the series in a nice twist at the end. The only character who suffers here is Sheppard, who is relegated to a single throwaway line/moment. - 8/10
     
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  6. Juliet316

    Juliet316 Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2005
    On the other hand, if the show had continued and she kept recurring, she'd have never been in Mad Men.
     
  7. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    @Juliet316 Never got into Mad Men (though I know it's well regarded), so on balance I'd have taken a good 7 year run of Firefly :p. But @ only 1-2 Firefly eps. per year, she probably could've done both (though who knows how that might have spun her career in a different direction).

    I think what surprised me was just how fantastic she is here. I'd never seen her in anything else (*edit* I see that she was in Drive, but I barely remember her) so my only real exposure to her was visual, and in my myopia I just thought of her as the knockout from Mad Men. I see her performance here isn't a fluke, as she was nominated for an Emmy 6 times for Mad Men =D=.
     
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  8. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Firefly S1, Ep.10 "The Message" (2002) - Plot; While picking up parcels Mal and Zoe receive a crate that contains the body of a former army buddy.

    The premise hooks you right away and the eventual twist really digs its claws into you. Like so many Firefly episodes, the emotional track is carefully laid and really pays off in the end. Attempts to move the Simon/Kaylee "Will they/won't they?" relationship forward are less successful. - 8/10
     
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  9. I Are The Internets

    I Are The Internets Shelf of Shame Host star 9 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 20, 2012
    I was in and out of the room while my roommate was watching all of Altered Carbon. It seems decent, I guess. I don't really watch TV shows these days unless I'm with people.
     
  10. Sara_Kenobi

    Sara_Kenobi Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2000
    Watching The King of Queens. It's much better than Kevin Can Wait. I think it was a mistake to bring on LR and let go of the actress who plays his wife on the second show.
     
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  11. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Firefly S1, Ep.12 "Heart of Gold" (2002) - Plot; Answering a call from a friend of Inara's, the crew of Serenity accept a job protecting a brothel from a local tyrant who plans to take the child from a woman he impregnated there.

    A deceptively simple plot acts as a vessel for some pretty powerful emotional luggage. The complex feelings between Mal and Inara are explored as Mal and the brothel's Madame share a pure, intimate moment that brings Inara's feelings for Mal to the surface. The fallout is a gut punch. - 8/10
     
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  12. gezvader28

    gezvader28 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2003
    I watched that , it's complicated , kinda Buck Rogers meets the Matrix . looks expensive too . Can't tell yet if it's good .

    .
     
  13. Master_Lok

    Master_Lok Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 18, 2012
    Soundbreaking (Going Electric) This was largely about the introduction of synthesizers into modern music. Pretty cool to learn about Mr. Moog. I spaced on the fact that the earliest synths looked like a combination of operator switchboards spliced with audio decks and keyboards. Nice that Stevie Wonder was one of the first musicians to fully embrace the synth and I Feel Love was a Donna Summer song (I never knew that). I've been drawn to the synthesizer because of my fondness for chromatic scales and weird sound effects.

    I would have loved it if Claudio Simonetti from Italian prog rockers/soundtrack composers Goblin was featured in this episode too. Goblin wrote one of my most favorite weird synth tracks for Dawn of the Dead (1978).

     
  14. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2014
    While, the walking dead has seen severe decline in quality each season I decided to watch one of my more favorite Episodes. I watched the Episode Clear and it made me nostalgic for the days when this show had more good episodes then bad. However Clear is amazing because of the actor who portrayed Morgan. Lenny James just makes any episode he is in better.
     
  15. Juliet316

    Juliet316 Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2005
    Boston Trauma
     
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  16. Sara_Kenobi

    Sara_Kenobi Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2000
    Gilmore girls Season 2 episode 1. This is about my third time going through the series.
     
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  17. Master_Rebado

    Master_Rebado Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 31, 2004
    The Blacklist Season 5 Episode 14.

    Good as usual with this show.
     
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  18. Darth Guy

    Darth Guy Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2002
    I think this show is good and the serial killer is only like Jack the Ripper in that he kills prostitutes (the prostitutes being boys in this case). It does take a while to get going.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2018
  19. Sara_Kenobi

    Sara_Kenobi Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2000
    Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 2
    I'm slowly making my way through the series on Crave TV. They're showing Seasons 1-3.
     
  20. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Firefly S1, Ep.13 "Objects in Space" (2002) - Plot; A lone bounty hunter sneaks aboard the Serenity looking to claim the bounty on River.

    This is an odd episode. Not bad. Not by a longshot. Just... odd. It starts w/the bounty hunter character played w/an admirable quirk by Richard Brooks, who sets the tone for the proceedings. Joss Whedon, who wrote and directed this episode, really works to make this villain fresh and unique. Brooks is more than equal to the task, delivering what is easily the most memorable guest performance of the series. Also really good here is Summer Glau as River. While most of the crew are more or less fleshed out right from the start, hers is a character that was clearly meant to be unpacked as the series went along. A chance she, and us, sadly didn't get. This also applies to Run Glass' Shepard character, whose past remains shrouded in mystery.

    As for this episode, it's the final one, but not quite the end of my Firefly journey. I still have Serenity waiting for me when I get the chance. As for the series itself, I loved it. Not a single clunker in the 14 episodes for me. Great writing and a perfect marriage of character and actor made each episode a journey I was glad to go on. - 8/10
     
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  21. AndyLGR

    AndyLGR Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 1, 2014
    Blindspot Season 1 finale. This show has been around since 2015 although I had never heard of it til a few weeks ago. Is it on some kind of minor channel in the US or something for it to have been seemingly under the radar in the UK?

    Anyway the basic plot involves a woman being found in Times Square with no memory of who she is, shes covered in tattoos and each of them links to a new case for the FBI to investigate. She becomes part of their team, but who is she? Why was she sent to the FBI? Who is she really working for?

    Its been an interesting enough show, granted a bit predictable and a touch low budget, sort of a 24 meets CSI kind of thing. But its kept me hooked and I thought the last few episodes of this season really brought all the strands together well and it ended on a really good cliffhanger for the next season.
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2018
  22. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    I've been watching The Blue Planet, one of those Attenborough BBC nature docs. This one's from 2001 and focuses entirely on the oceans. They just did a follow-up series called The Blue Planet II in January and I thought it looked cool, so I decided to watch the original first, since it's also supposed to be really good. A lot of people complain about the quality of this one not holding up because they were using 2001 camera technology and so much of the filming is underwater, but I think it looks really good. I mean, it's not going to be 4K, but I'm finding it really beautiful and there's something jaw-droppingly awesome in every episode. I'm four episodes in and it's so cool. After I finish this one, I'll probably check out the new one.
     
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  23. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    i'm two episodes into the netflix documentary series "wild, wild country" about the bhagwan shree rajneesh, his followers, and their cultish compound in antelope,oregon. it is really enthralling so far. the filmmakers have done a really good job of collecting interviews from people on all sides of the events, and great archival footage as well. right now it's at the point where the story is really heating up.
     
  24. soitscometothis

    soitscometothis Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2003
    It got tons of advertising on Sky, where it has been showing since 2015. I'm not sure how you could have missed this, unless you don't have access to Sky.
     
  25. Sara_Kenobi

    Sara_Kenobi Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2000
    The last TV episode I watched was Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Travel and Escape. It was from Season 3, The Prom.
     
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