What TV shows are people watching?

Trollheart · 12-29-2021, 12:14 PM

Just finished watching American Rust. Very dark, very broody, very noir, shades of grey all over the place. Jeff Daniels shines as a weary police chief in West Virginia who is not above twisting the law to his own needs, but is trying to be a good man. If you're a fan of True Detective you'll probably enjoy this. Just nine episodes, showing now on Sky Atlantic for those over this side of the puddle. Recommended.

adidasss · 12-29-2021, 11:49 PM

It's a sin (2021)

British AIDS drama. Covers a lot of territory done by other shows across the Atlantic (and recently France with 120 Beats per Minute) but it's rather new to see something like this from the UK. Always interesting to see and be reminded about how things developed in the early days of HIV, how much ignorance and prejudice helped to spread the virus and the shame involved.

Dramatically, it's not top class stuff, the actors are ok but not really excellent and I think you really need excellent actors in dramas where emotions are running high. This is the case with all Russel T Davies products I think. It has some humour which lightens the seriousness of the topic and it does manage to make you care for the characters (although maybe not as much as it should).

I had a big problem with some unnecessary dramatic choices in the last episode which really confuse things:

Spoiler for it's a sin:

But anyway, it was an emotional journey, as expected, but I would say there are far better AIDS dramas out there, from TV shows, to films to documentaries. In particular, I think once you've seen How to survive a plague, everything else pales in comparison.

jadis · 01-01-2022, 03:57 PM

Gf decided she's a fan of Indira Varma so we're watching Paranoid on Netflix. A promising first ep, lots of focus on mental health

debaserr · 01-02-2022, 05:15 PM

That cover is very UK.

Trollheart · 01-03-2022, 05:02 AM

Is that Philip Glenister on the left?

jadis · 01-03-2022, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debaserr

That cover is very UK.

Very much so but the show isn't the typical UK police procedural. It's pretty lurid, all the characters seem like cases of denial-threatening-to-spill-over-into-psychosis. I like it after 5 eps out of 8, maybe the ending will be a letdown as they often are, but so far it's fun.

Quote:

Is that Philip Glenister on the left?

It's his brother apparently

Trollheart · 01-03-2022, 07:27 PM

Oh right, yes. Robert. He's a great actor too. Loved him in Hustle and Curfew.

adidasss · 01-08-2022, 09:58 AM

Mare of Easttown (2021)

So far probably the best 2021 show I've seen. Excellent performances (although I wasn't 100% sold on Winslet's American accent) and interesting plot (although I think they try to cram in too many things at times and some twists and how they were discovered were not very believable), it makes for an enjoyable week of TV.

TheBig3 · 01-08-2022, 10:09 AM

We finished "The Great" not too long ago.
Finished "Arcane" last night.
Still making our way through "The Witcher."

2 seasons of Money Heist but knowing it goes for 5, and it not helping my Spanish like I hoped it would, I tapped out. S2 closed so well i don't want to botch it.

BassoonPlatoon · 01-08-2022, 12:36 PM

Slowly going through Ahh Real Monsters.

12-29-2021, 12:14 PM	#6901 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Just finished watching American Rust. Very dark, very broody, very noir, shades of grey all over the place. Jeff Daniels shines as a weary police chief in West Virginia who is not above twisting the law to his own needs, but is trying to be a good man. If you're a fan of True Detective you'll probably enjoy this. Just nine episodes, showing now on Sky Atlantic for those over this side of the puddle. Recommended. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-29-2021, 11:49 PM	#6902 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,945	It's a sin (2021) British AIDS drama. Covers a lot of territory done by other shows across the Atlantic (and recently France with 120 Beats per Minute) but it's rather new to see something like this from the UK. Always interesting to see and be reminded about how things developed in the early days of HIV, how much ignorance and prejudice helped to spread the virus and the shame involved. Dramatically, it's not top class stuff, the actors are ok but not really excellent and I think you really need excellent actors in dramas where emotions are running high. This is the case with all Russel T Davies products I think. It has some humour which lightens the seriousness of the topic and it does manage to make you care for the characters (although maybe not as much as it should). I had a big problem with some unnecessary dramatic choices in the last episode which really confuse things: Spoiler for it's a sin: turning Ritchie into a serial and purposeful HIV spreader but then kind of shrugging it off as if it was some kind of mildly naughty thing he did and not something massively horrible at a time when there was no medication available and contracting HIV was more or less a death sentence (making Ritchie potentially a serial killer?). I've read some interviews with Davies and I guess the motivation for that is that he likes to make his gay characters "complicated" and his resistance to them having to be "likeable". The problem is that for the preceding 4 episodes he went out of his way to make this character likeable and uncomplicated. An about turn at the last moment is totally incongruous with the rest of the show and doesn't just make the character complicated, it puts under question everything that went before it. Definitely left a sour taste in my mouth. Also, I'm not sure what they were doing with Ritchie's mother. Is she a cold hearted bitch or does she have emotions and cares for her son? Couldn't tell which to be honest. But anyway, it was an emotional journey, as expected, but I would say there are far better AIDS dramas out there, from TV shows, to films to documentaries. In particular, I think once you've seen How to survive a plague, everything else pales in comparison. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

01-02-2022, 05:15 PM	#6904 (permalink)
debaserr eat the masters Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 5,470	That cover is very UK. __________________ Last.FM

01-03-2022, 05:02 AM	#6905 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Is that Philip Glenister on the left? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-03-2022, 07:27 PM	#6907 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Oh right, yes. Robert. He's a great actor too. Loved him in Hustle and Curfew. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-01-2022, 03:57 PM	#6903 (permalink)
jadis Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: dont ask Posts: 1,413	Gf decided she's a fan of Indira Varma so we're watching Paranoid on Netflix. A promising first ep, lots of focus on mental health

01-08-2022, 09:58 AM	#6908 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,945	Mare of Easttown (2021) So far probably the best 2021 show I've seen. Excellent performances (although I wasn't 100% sold on Winslet's American accent) and interesting plot (although I think they try to cram in too many things at times and some twists and how they were discovered were not very believable), it makes for an enjoyable week of TV. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

01-08-2022, 10:09 AM	#6909 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,246	We finished "The Great" not too long ago. Finished "Arcane" last night. Still making our way through "The Witcher." 2 seasons of Money Heist but knowing it goes for 5, and it not helping my Spanish like I hoped it would, I tapped out. S2 closed so well i don't want to botch it. __________________ I've moved to a new address