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babyskyhook Franchise Player
Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 18492 Location: The Garden Island
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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GOT
Band of Brothers
All the Tyson fights when he was just destroying people on HBO in the late '80's/ early '90's. Never seen anything like it.
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Everything else.
Not that I think everything else is in one lump category, as there are a million gradations which you guys have been covering, but I've enjoyed the top 3 at a level above anything else, and there was a long time in my life where I didn't watch tv outside of Laker games and other live sports, so I can't rank the stuff I haven't seen.
One of the shows I have never seen is the Wire, although it is on the list for an eventual binge watch. |
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babyskyhook Franchise Player
Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 18492 Location: The Garden Island
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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Omar Little wrote: |
The wire is a complete and ridiculously carefully crafted meditation on the decline of America as seen through the lens of a single city. It explores crime, law enforcement, politics, industry, the media, schools, and how all of it inertwines, and bow the folks in each strata and milieu are really no different from each other (thus making potent race and class statements). That its moral centers are both homosexual and black (or biracial in the case of Kima), and one is a stickup man, is both highly unusual and also important in multiple ways.
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That sounds nice and all, but are there any White Walkers or Dragons ? |
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KeepItRealOrElse Retired Number
Joined: 11 Oct 2012 Posts: 32767
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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GOT
Westworld
Band of Brothers
Sopranos
Love em all |
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ChickenStu Retired Number
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31919 Location: Anaheim, CA
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
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DaMuleRules Retired Number
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52656 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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ChickenStu wrote: | Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
Curb blows Seinfeld out of the water, and I loved Seinfeld. Curb can just go places Seinfeld couldn't. The cable realm allows Larry David the awkward, disturbingly inappropriate voice that really makes for great comedy. It's not really fair to compare the two. _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Jason Isbell
Man, do those lyrics resonate right now |
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ChickenStu Retired Number
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31919 Location: Anaheim, CA
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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DaMuleRules wrote: | ChickenStu wrote: | Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
Curb blows Seinfeld out of the water, and I loved Seinfeld. Curb can just go places Seinfeld couldn't. The cable realm allows Larry David the awkward, disturbingly inappropriate voice that really makes for great comedy. It's not really fair to compare the two. |
I can understand that viewpoint. It's a hilarious show. Susie Essman and JB Smoove are over-the-top funny. |
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Omar Little Moderator
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90306 Location: Formerly Known As 24
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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DaMuleRules wrote: | ChickenStu wrote: | Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
Curb blows Seinfeld out of the water, and I loved Seinfeld. Curb can just go places Seinfeld couldn't. The cable realm allows Larry David the awkward, disturbingly inappropriate voice that really makes for great comedy. It's not really fair to compare the two. |
Yeah, uh, no. Love curb, but the beauty of Seinfeld is leavening Larry with Jerry. Completely different as a partnership. _________________ “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel |
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DaMuleRules Retired Number
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52656 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
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Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:06 am Post subject: |
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Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | ChickenStu wrote: | Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
Curb blows Seinfeld out of the water, and I loved Seinfeld. Curb can just go places Seinfeld couldn't. The cable realm allows Larry David the awkward, disturbingly inappropriate voice that really makes for great comedy. It's not really fair to compare the two. |
Yeah, uh, no. Love curb, but the beauty of Seinfeld is leavening Larry with Jerry. Completely different as a partnership. |
I can see a preference for Seinfeld, but for me the edginess and cringe factor of David unfiltered is much more interesting and funny. _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Jason Isbell
Man, do those lyrics resonate right now |
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panamaniac Franchise Player
Joined: 28 May 2011 Posts: 11239 Location: PTY
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Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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Quick shout out to Spawn the Animated Series. As a lover of R rated animation, I must say this show certainly ranks among the best. |
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Omar Little Moderator
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90306 Location: Formerly Known As 24
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Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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DaMuleRules wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | ChickenStu wrote: | Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
Curb blows Seinfeld out of the water, and I loved Seinfeld. Curb can just go places Seinfeld couldn't. The cable realm allows Larry David the awkward, disturbingly inappropriate voice that really makes for great comedy. It's not really fair to compare the two. |
Yeah, uh, no. Love curb, but the beauty of Seinfeld is leavening Larry with Jerry. Completely different as a partnership. |
I can see a preference for Seinfeld, but for me the edginess and cringe factor of David unfiltered is much more interesting and funny. |
I respect your taste, I just think the material is much more subversive on Seinfeld. Curb is kind of a Woody Allen offshoot. No there there. Just a curmudgeon. _________________ “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel |
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ChickenStu Retired Number
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31919 Location: Anaheim, CA
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Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | ChickenStu wrote: | Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
Curb blows Seinfeld out of the water, and I loved Seinfeld. Curb can just go places Seinfeld couldn't. The cable realm allows Larry David the awkward, disturbingly inappropriate voice that really makes for great comedy. It's not really fair to compare the two. |
Yeah, uh, no. Love curb, but the beauty of Seinfeld is leavening Larry with Jerry. Completely different as a partnership. |
I can see a preference for Seinfeld, but for me the edginess and cringe factor of David unfiltered is much more interesting and funny. |
I respect your taste, I just think the material is much more subversive on Seinfeld. Curb is kind of a Woody Allen offshoot. No there there. Just a curmudgeon. |
I give Seinfeld the slight edge, but I can totally understand where DMR is coming from. There are scenes from Curb where I've literally cried from laughing so hard, or where my ribs hurt. Like he said, because they can push the boundaries further on HBO, there are just things on NBC that you can't do. I would also argue that Larry David is funnier than Jerry Seinfeld, strictly as a sitcom actor, anyway. I agree with you though, Omar, that Seinfeld was revolutionary for its time, was more structured, and featured the same 4 iconic characters in each episode. And while Jerry was a bad actor (by his own admission), it was kind of endearing still, and there is no overstating the brilliance of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards on that show. And of course, just like Curb, there are incredible recurring characters on Seinfeld, too. |
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Omar Little Moderator
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90306 Location: Formerly Known As 24
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Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 8:19 am Post subject: |
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ChickenStu wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | ChickenStu wrote: | Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
Curb blows Seinfeld out of the water, and I loved Seinfeld. Curb can just go places Seinfeld couldn't. The cable realm allows Larry David the awkward, disturbingly inappropriate voice that really makes for great comedy. It's not really fair to compare the two. |
Yeah, uh, no. Love curb, but the beauty of Seinfeld is leavening Larry with Jerry. Completely different as a partnership. |
I can see a preference for Seinfeld, but for me the edginess and cringe factor of David unfiltered is much more interesting and funny. |
I respect your taste, I just think the material is much more subversive on Seinfeld. Curb is kind of a Woody Allen offshoot. No there there. Just a curmudgeon. |
I give Seinfeld the slight edge, but I can totally understand where DMR is coming from. There are scenes from Curb where I've literally cried from laughing so hard, or where my ribs hurt. Like he said, because they can push the boundaries further on HBO, there are just things on NBC that you can't do. I would also argue that Larry David is funnier than Jerry Seinfeld, strictly as a sitcom actor, anyway. I agree with you though, Omar, that Seinfeld was revolutionary for its time, was more structured, and featured the same 4 iconic characters in each episode. And while Jerry was a bad actor (by his own admission), it was kind of endearing still, and there is no overstating the brilliance of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards on that show. And of course, just like Curb, there are incredible recurring characters on Seinfeld, too. |
Yeah, I didn't phrase that right. There's a lot of there to curb, just not as much outside of a narrowish lane that's sort if bizarre woody Allen like. _________________ “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel |
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PRLakeShow Franchise Player
Joined: 07 Oct 2016 Posts: 10460
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Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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Started watching TV shows about 3-4 years ago so haven't watched the older HBO shows like The Wire, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Deadwood and a couple more. I definitely have them in my queue. Well, here's my list:
Game of Thrones
Westworld
Band of Brothers
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Leftovers
True Detective S1
Veep
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
The Newsroom
The Night Of
Silicon Valley |
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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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Huey Lewis & The News wrote: | adkindo wrote: |
(Note: Never watched The Wire, which is why it is not on list) |
(bleep) cancel everything you're doing for the next 3 days and watch it. It's one of the most transformative pieces of art in existence. |
just finished season 1...."all in the game, yo" |
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governator Retired Number
Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 25092
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Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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Omar Little wrote: | KeepItRealOrElse wrote: | Huey Lewis & The News wrote: | adkindo wrote: |
(Note: Never watched The Wire, which is why it is not on list) |
(bleep) cancel everything you're doing for the next 3 days and watch it. It's one of the most transformative pieces of art in existence. |
*puts contrarian pants on*
I'm watching it for the first time now and I'm super disappointed. I'm just guessing it didn't age well... benefited from a mediocre time in TV (it's the golden age right now)
Season one was good, like a "B" grade.
Season 2 was centered around stupid young white boys and their uncle at the dock.. and it was pretty slow
I'm on ep. 6 in season 3 and this is the slowest season of all..
the show is like 75% centered around the detectives and their lives... ain't no surprise murders in this show.. ain't nothin surprising so far pretty much
The show's most interesting character Omar, isn't featured enough.
Season 1 was good, it was raw and eye opening... but 2 and 3, not above average.
They don't even allow this pace of a show to take place today... I think the Sapranos is way better , even though I identify and am interested in The Wire's culture more
This show is the 1950s, one handed head down, dribbling basketball stars of shows.. did not age well. Slow as hellll
*scurries away* |
The wire is a complete and ridiculously carefully crafted meditation on the decline of America as seen through the lens of a single city. It explores crime, law enforcement, politics, industry, the media, schools, and how all of it inertwines, and bow the folks in each strata and milieu are really no different from each other (thus making potent race and class statements). That its moral centers are both homosexual and black (or biracial in the case of Kima), and one is a stickup man, is both highly unusual and also important in multiple ways.
Even the smallest character is precisely written and cast, and every bit of it has something to say, something powerful and even more relevant in our current economic, racial, and political climate. |
agreed with everyone, one of the best shows you'll see, very deep. Just ignore the 80s beepers and phones |
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ChickenStu Retired Number
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31919 Location: Anaheim, CA
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Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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PRLakeShow wrote: | Started watching TV shows about 3-4 years ago so haven't watched the older HBO shows like The Wire, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Deadwood and a couple more. I definitely have them in my queue. Well, here's my list:
Game of Thrones
Westworld
Band of Brothers
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Leftovers
True Detective S1
Veep
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
The Newsroom
The Night Of
Silicon Valley |
This isn't an HBO show, but since you said you only started watching TV shows about 3-4 years ago, I highly recommend Lost. There had never been a network television series quite like it, when it first came on the air. I was enthralled throughout, even if some people think it went off the rails (I don't agree with that opinion). The first couple of seasons, in particular, are remarkable. |
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PRLakeShow Franchise Player
Joined: 07 Oct 2016 Posts: 10460
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Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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ChickenStu wrote: | PRLakeShow wrote: | Started watching TV shows about 3-4 years ago so haven't watched the older HBO shows like The Wire, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Deadwood and a couple more. I definitely have them in my queue. Well, here's my list:
Game of Thrones
Westworld
Band of Brothers
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Leftovers
True Detective S1
Veep
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
The Newsroom
The Night Of
Silicon Valley |
This isn't an HBO show, but since you said you only started watching TV shows about 3-4 years ago, I highly recommend Lost. There had never been a network television series quite like it, when it first came on the air. I was enthralled throughout, even if some people think it went off the rails (I don't agree with that opinion). The first couple of seasons, in particular, are remarkable. |
Obviously heard great things about it. It does have more episodes than most of the shows in my queue. For now, it's a maybe. In a year or two I might watch it.
Ironically, I'm watching all 700+ episodes of Star Trek. Should be finished before the upcoming series. |
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AY2043 Franchise Player
Joined: 26 Feb 2012 Posts: 10621
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Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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GOT
The Wire
True Detective
John Oliver
Silicon Valley
Newsroom
The Night Of
The Leftovers
Those are all the ones I've watched in their entirety. Loved all of them TBH, but some shows are just on another level |
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ExPatLkrFan Star Player
Joined: 29 Jul 2004 Posts: 3985 Location: Mukdahan, Thailand
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Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 2:02 am Post subject: |
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Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | ChickenStu wrote: | Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
Curb blows Seinfeld out of the water, and I loved Seinfeld. Curb can just go places Seinfeld couldn't. The cable realm allows Larry David the awkward, disturbingly inappropriate voice that really makes for great comedy. It's not really fair to compare the two. |
Yeah, uh, no. Love curb, but the beauty of Seinfeld is leavening Larry with Jerry. Completely different as a partnership. |
I can see a preference for Seinfeld, but for me the edginess and cringe factor of David unfiltered is much more interesting and funny. |
I respect your taste, I just think the material is much more subversive on Seinfeld. Curb is kind of a Woody Allen offshoot. No there there. Just a curmudgeon. |
I kind of agree. Curb is kind of a one trick pony. Larry is a tool, yeah i got it.
The thing I liked about Seinfeld is that there were a host of funny characters, the least of which was Jerry himself, the professional comedian. Everybody else was funnier than Jerry.
HBO shows?
1. Sopranos and the Wire in a dead heat.
2. GOT
3. True Detective - I think season 2 took a bad wrap mostly because of the comparison to the incredibleness of season 1
4. Treme. |
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DaMuleRules Retired Number
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52656 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
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Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 6:31 am Post subject: |
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ExPatLkrFan wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | DaMuleRules wrote: | ChickenStu wrote: | Curb Your Enthusiasm is really, really close to being better than Seinfeld IMO, and for me, that's really high praise. |
Curb blows Seinfeld out of the water, and I loved Seinfeld. Curb can just go places Seinfeld couldn't. The cable realm allows Larry David the awkward, disturbingly inappropriate voice that really makes for great comedy. It's not really fair to compare the two. |
Yeah, uh, no. Love curb, but the beauty of Seinfeld is leavening Larry with Jerry. Completely different as a partnership. |
I can see a preference for Seinfeld, but for me the edginess and cringe factor of David unfiltered is much more interesting and funny. |
I respect your taste, I just think the material is much more subversive on Seinfeld. Curb is kind of a Woody Allen offshoot. No there there. Just a curmudgeon. |
I kind of agree. Curb is kind of a one trick pony. Larry is a tool, yeah i got it.
The thing I liked about Seinfeld is that there were a host of funny characters, the least of which was Jerry himself, the professional comedian. Everybody else was funnier than Jerry.
HBO shows?
1. Sopranos and the Wire in a dead heat.
2. GOT
3. True Detective - I think season 2 took a bad wrap mostly because of the comparison to the incredibleness of season 1
4. Treme. |
Naw, it was just an abysmal POS regardless of whether season 1 existed. _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Jason Isbell
Man, do those lyrics resonate right now |
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ArminNBA Star Player
Joined: 20 Sep 2008 Posts: 2171
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Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 8:34 am Post subject: |
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DaMuleRules wrote: | ArminNBA wrote: | For comparison, 'Breaking Bad' opened Season 5 with Walter purchasing a massing piece of artillery and Vince Gilligan had no idea how they'd incorporate the weapon into the show...just that he wanted to incorporate it. 'Breaking Bad' also infamously was going to kill off Jesse Pinkman before seeing his character's potential. 'The Wire' is simply in its own league as far as conceptualization and execution. |
Yep. BB was definitely a show that was constantly evolving. Which is great. It was envisioned one way, and as things started to come together, it changed to make the most of the way it unfolded. Gilligan et al embraced the strength of what they had created and looked constantly to expound upon it and see how far they could get it.
As an Editor, I can tell you that every show, no matter how much one wants to think it is preconceived, is a work in progress. Episodes have multiple rewrites. Scenes get cut. Scenes get added. Scenes get moved to different episodes. Episodes get restructured. Just because Gilligan has been very open about his process, it doesn't mean that BB is any different than anything else in that regard, or any worse for it.
But you know what? For all your "threw it together" examples, Breaking Bad also had a magnificent collection of artisans on every level. There are countless examples of deep and intricate planning that lead to amazing choices about color palates which gave clues to the mood and direction of the various characters. There were gorgeous shots that tied the landscape into the story in a John Fordesque way. There were referential tie ins and foreshadowing that were brilliant.
Just because something was written as an organic piece doesn't diminish it's quality. Because the BB team realized they had something that became bigger and different than what it was when they started, it became hands down one of the best television series ever.
The Wire was no doubt brilliant in it's writing and vision. But BB was a much more colorful and deeper palette as an overall project, visually, structurally and mentally. |
DMR, your points are 100% valid. The "on-the-go" approach is not inherently flawed and can certainly assist the process of molding a richer narrative. I also intimately understand the constraints of the industry. Writers, who work damn hard and for a damn long time and for not enough money, typically cannot draft seasons-long narrative arcs and then lose the pitch - this is why writers will conceive a pilot and a loose narrative structure. Simon was in a unique position, as we all know.
Gilligan's approach - backing Walt into corners and trying to find ways to get him out - worked brilliantly with Walt. However, I have to say that certain failures on BB's part had a lot to do with the long-term vision being unclear. Now, I LOVE BB. It's a great show. One of my favorites. I watched it week to week with nearly insurmountable anticipation. Your points about its flawless cinematography and art direction are true. However, ancillary characters were poorly conceived and executed (most famously Walt Jr.). There were short-lived arcs, like Marie's kleptomania, that were ill-conceived and completely disappeared because of that fact. Even Hank drastically changes from Season 1 to what he became in Season 2 and beyond - and it wasn't character growth. Hank's change was due to the simple fact that the writers did not know who Hank was and what they wanted him to be when they began the show (or even if he'd play a significant role). This is not uncommon. Parks & Rec, another one of my favorites, was still trying to find it's footing into Season 2. Ron Swanson is drastically different in Season 1 (wears suits, panders to his boss) because they hadn't nailed down his identity. This is quite common in TV history.
Now, to be 100% clear, I don't say any of this to denigrate any of these other shows. These shows are THE BEST OF THE BEST. It's nitpicking at this point. It's comparing Kobe to MJ. It's comparing KAJ to Wilt. It's comparing Shaq to Hakeem. All great, but we start to nitpick. To be fair, The Wire did have a discernible edge because it was a show based on a novel, which was based on the real-life reporting of the showrunner David Simon. But the ultimate product does certainly reflect that home-court advantage with the characters being multi-dimensional, complete, and defined from the jump and their character flaws or strengths playing recurring roles in the narrative - and these were characters up and down the call sheet and not just the stars (McNulty's alcoholism or Omar's pride or Stringer's hyper-capitalistic attitude or Kima's strong will vs. Marie's kleptomania for example).
Thanks for pointing all that you did, DMR! I think it definitely helped me more thoroughly expound on my points and elevate the discussion. |
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numero-ocho Franchise Player
Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 18222 Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 9 coming October 1st. _________________ "Suck it up. Don't be a baby. Do your job." - Kobe Bryant |
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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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Just finished 5 Seasons (60 Episodes) of The Wire. It was an extremely good series and well written. It would be on my top 10 list....likely close to the top, but I still think it falls short of The Sopranos.
Season 5 was definitely damaging to the series as a whole.....it almost seems like all the writers quit after Season 4 and they turned over Season 5 to a community college Creative Writing class. I realized it had "jumped the shark" when they brought on that Baltimore hack Billy Murphy to play himself, and began to feature Felicia Pearson (Snoop) as a primary character.
Also, I do not think Dominic West (McNulty) should have been the primary character from the outset. They almost completely wrote him out of Seasons #3 and #4 and they were solid. Also think they missed the boat by not going a little deeper into the back story of Bodie played by J. D. Williams. I thought John Doman (Rawls), Andre Royo (Bubbles), Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar Little), Chad L. Coleman (Cutty), and Robert Wisdom (Bunny) were some of the more exceptional characters that were both well written and acted in the series.
Finally, there was some earlier discussion about the show not ageing well. I think the issue is it is old, but still within this era. I think those ageing concerns will go away at it ages more. For example, a lot of the clothes are out of style but were within this generation. It is not as easy to distinguish as it would be a show set in the mid 70's and the characters wearing bell bottoms. Another example are the cars....like in Season 1 & 2, Avon Barksdale and Stringer are riding around in a '01-'02 Mercedes SUV....which was probably a very nice car then, but is found on every other "buy here, pay here" car lot today for a couple grand. I think in 10 more years when that car is out of circulation, it will become easier to discern that as an expensive automobile fit for a local drug kingpin.
great series, highly recommended |
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KeepItRealOrElse Retired Number
Joined: 11 Oct 2012 Posts: 32767
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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adkindo wrote: | Just finished 5 Seasons (60 Episodes) of The Wire. It was an extremely good series and well written. It would be on my top 10 list....likely close to the top, but I still think it falls short of The Sopranos.
Season 5 was definitely damaging to the series as a whole.....it almost seems like all the writers quit after Season 4 and they turned over Season 5 to a community college Creative Writing class. I realized it had "jumped the shark" when they brought on that Baltimore hack Billy Murphy to play himself, and began to feature Felicia Pearson (Snoop) as a primary character.
Also, I do not think Dominic West (McNulty) should have been the primary character from the outset. They almost completely wrote him out of Seasons #3 and #4 and they were solid. Also think they missed the boat by not going a little deeper into the back story of Bodie played by J. D. Williams. I thought John Doman (Rawls), Andre Royo (Bubbles), Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar Little), Chad L. Coleman (Cutty), and Robert Wisdom (Bunny) were some of the more exceptional characters that were both well written and acted in the series.
Finally, there was some earlier discussion about the show not ageing well. I think the issue is it is old, but still within this era. I think those ageing concerns will go away at it ages more. For example, a lot of the clothes are out of style but were within this generation. It is not as easy to distinguish as it would be a show set in the mid 70's and the characters wearing bell bottoms. Another example are the cars....like in Season 1 & 2, Avon Barksdale and Stringer are riding around in a '01-'02 Mercedes SUV....which was probably a very nice car then, but is found on every other "buy here, pay here" car lot today for a couple grand. I think in 10 more years when that car is out of circulation, it will become easier to discern that as an expensive automobile fit for a local drug kingpin.
great series, highly recommended |
Seems your true inclination is top 10..
that is very far from the "lock of the greatest show of all time"
And my comment about the show aging was only about pace.. So much takes place in the office or tracking the cops pretty normal lives..
I honestly guarantee that it wouldn't be in the GOAT discussion if it came out today. It's pretty bereft of twists, or pressurized moments - and too much is focused around mundane cop life and the machinations of a cop office..
Mr Robot, House of Cards, Breaking Bad, GOT
It's just a different type of TV today. The Wire is like 80s basketball without 3pointers
/millennial rant |
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Omar Little Moderator
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90306 Location: Formerly Known As 24
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 12:24 am Post subject: |
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KeepItRealOrElse wrote: | adkindo wrote: | Just finished 5 Seasons (60 Episodes) of The Wire. It was an extremely good series and well written. It would be on my top 10 list....likely close to the top, but I still think it falls short of The Sopranos.
Season 5 was definitely damaging to the series as a whole.....it almost seems like all the writers quit after Season 4 and they turned over Season 5 to a community college Creative Writing class. I realized it had "jumped the shark" when they brought on that Baltimore hack Billy Murphy to play himself, and began to feature Felicia Pearson (Snoop) as a primary character.
Also, I do not think Dominic West (McNulty) should have been the primary character from the outset. They almost completely wrote him out of Seasons #3 and #4 and they were solid. Also think they missed the boat by not going a little deeper into the back story of Bodie played by J. D. Williams. I thought John Doman (Rawls), Andre Royo (Bubbles), Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar Little), Chad L. Coleman (Cutty), and Robert Wisdom (Bunny) were some of the more exceptional characters that were both well written and acted in the series.
Finally, there was some earlier discussion about the show not ageing well. I think the issue is it is old, but still within this era. I think those ageing concerns will go away at it ages more. For example, a lot of the clothes are out of style but were within this generation. It is not as easy to distinguish as it would be a show set in the mid 70's and the characters wearing bell bottoms. Another example are the cars....like in Season 1 & 2, Avon Barksdale and Stringer are riding around in a '01-'02 Mercedes SUV....which was probably a very nice car then, but is found on every other "buy here, pay here" car lot today for a couple grand. I think in 10 more years when that car is out of circulation, it will become easier to discern that as an expensive automobile fit for a local drug kingpin.
great series, highly recommended |
Seems your true inclination is top 10..
that is very far from the "lock of the greatest show of all time"
And my comment about the show aging was only about pace.. So much takes place in the office or tracking the cops pretty normal lives..
I honestly guarantee that it wouldn't be in the GOAT discussion if it came out today. It's pretty bereft of twists, or pressurized moments - and too much is focused around mundane cop life and the machinations of a cop office..
Mr Robot, House of Cards, Breaking Bad, GOT
It's just a different type of TV today. The Wire is like 80s basketball without 3pointers
/millennial rant |
You still don't seem to know what it is about. It isn't a potboiler or plot driven action fest. It's a meditation on the fall of American civilization as told by a quintessentially American city and the quintessential organs if it's demise. _________________ “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel |
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