The TV Series discussion thread

[danutz_plusplus]

I'm halfway through The Outsider, and if there isn't another good twist to how they're currently strongly hinting at what the source of killings is I'm gonna be seriously disappointed. I do not like the spin currently going, and I hope it's just a red herring.

Spoiler

I'm not 100% against having a perceived supernatural entity be the cause of it all, but I really disliked all the ties to old culture boogeymen. I hope it's just to throw us off, but I have a strong feeling it won't be.

 

[Redglyph]

Other than a brief reprieve in the middle of the season, I did not like it.

What didn't you like?

I've only seen the 1st episode but something is bothering me, I'm not sure what. The flow seems rushed, maybe, and it feels like a super-heroes show. Not that I have an issue with that style when it's well done, I enjoy Marvel movies.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

I sort of finished The Outsider. I saw it up until the final episode and then just skipped through it after the start. I just couldn't waste more time on it, even though I did for the rest of it.
Honestly, the second half was a painfully average show. The sort you'd see on regular tv. I don't know how or why HBO financed it for 10 episodes. It probably didn't cost a lot. It could've been one 2h tv movie.
The start is intriguing enough, and was solid for the first 2-3 episodes. Then, after they reveal the source of the killings it takes a huge nose-dive in my eyes.
I just lost almost all interest. I was still watching, hoping for some other twist, but it just never game and seeing how the final episode started I think I lost all interest.
Very average 5/10.

 

[JFarrell71]

What didn't you like?

I've only seen the 1st episode but something is bothering me, I'm not sure what. The flow seems rushed, maybe, and it feels like a super-heroes show. Not that I have an issue with that style when it's well done, I enjoy Marvel movies.

I'll tell you, but since you're watching the season, we can talk about it afterwards. I don't want to poison the well in case you like it more than me.

 

[JDR13]

I sort of finished The Outsider. I saw it up until the final episode and then just skipped through it after the start. I just couldn't waste more time on it, even though I did for the rest of it.
Honestly, the second half was a painfully average show.

I wouldn't rate it quite that low, but I agree the second half wasn't close to the first. For me, one of the main reasons was...

Spoiler

Jason Bateman's character getting killed early on. He was one of the reasons I wanted to see the show to begin with, and none of the other actors were nearly as good.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

I wouldn't rate it quite that low, but I agree the second half wasn't close to the first. For me, one of the main reasons was...

Spoiler

Jason Bateman's character getting killed early on. He was one of the reasons I wanted to see the show to begin with, and none of the other actors were nearly as good.

Yeah, that was surprising.

Spoiler

To me the most disappointing thing is that it felt like it started like a serious crime investigation, sort of like True Detective. And it kept being promising until they introduced the supernatural explanation.
Which I would've been fine with, had it been an actually interesting one. But it just felt like one of the average monster-of-the-week X-Files episodes drawn out over too many episodes.
That was another thing, after the reveal of what the cause of the killings is, around the middle of the show, they spend another 5 episodes meandering towards trying to catch it. Way too much time spent on that.

 

[JDR13]

Spoiler

To me the most disappointing thing is that it felt like it started like a serious crime investigation, sort of like True Detective. And it kept being promising until they introduced the supernatural explanation.
Which I would've been fine with, had it been an actually interesting one. But it just felt like one of the average monster-of-the-week X-Files episodes drawn out over too many episodes.
That was another thing, after the reveal of what the cause of the killings is, around the middle of the show, they spend another 5 episodes meandering towards trying to catch it. Way too much time spent on that.

Well, it is Stephen King after all. Were you aware it was based on one of his stories before you watched it?

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Well, it is Stephen King after all. Were you aware it was based on one of his stories before you watched it?

Yeah, I was. But as I said I had no issue with the supernatural cause. If it were also something more unique and interesting. I at least found nothing particularly interesting. I even had an audible gasp when around the middle point they start with the eastern european culture boogeymen explanation. Maybe it's because I'm from Eastern Europe? I don't know, but my interest fell significantly, and I was still hoping for another twist on that twist.

And to put it in perspective, the Autopsy episode of Cabinet of Curiosities was somewhat similar to this (at least, I think), and the explanation was way way better and more terrifying

"Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities" The Autopsy (TV Episode 2022) ⭐ 7.9 | Drama, Horror, Mystery

58m | TV-MA

www.imdb.com

Technically you could explain the evil in The Outsider as some cosmic horror being, but they did none of that. Had they did and explored it further, I think I would've liked it a lot more.
Maybe it's just my positive bias for cosmic horror.

I would love a mini-series that blends True Detective with some Lovecraft. And a proper deep investigation into something like that.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

I decided to subscribe to Amazon Prime Video, since I noticed The Consultant was actually released this Feb 2023, but I forgot all about it.
It's pretty solid. Just two episodes in right now. Christoph Waltz is fantastically menacing.

On prime video's movie offering, I'm actually quite surprised at the diversity they have. It seems to have quite a few things that Netflix or hbomax doesn't have.

 

[Drithius]

It's pretty solid. Just two episodes in right now. Christoph Waltz is fantastically menacing.

Hadn't heard of it before; Waltz does sociopath really well

 

[Carnifex]

Yeah I'm working my way to trying out the Consultant, simply because of Waltz being in it.

 

[JDR13]

Starting watching Game of Thrones with a friend who's never seen it before. We binge-watched the first 8 episodes this weekend. I have to say it has aged like fine wine.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Yeah I'm working my way to trying out the Consultant, simply because of Waltz being in it.

He's very good in it.
I'm up to ep 4. It keeps up the mystery very well. And it's pretty unbelievable and outrageous. But it's still very intriguing.
I'm getting some light LOST vibes, in that I'm really curious as to how they'll explain it all. But for what it showed so far, it's very intriguing.

 

[Deleted member 18181]

The Last of Us - average at best, maybe half of the episodes were useless filler like most of the flashbacks; and seriously they could not find a more beautiful actress, Ellie was so fugly. Not to mention the crap ending.

1899 - doesnt deliver as Dark but still a good and atmospheric show, i read yesterday and was shocked to learn they cancelled it.

 

[Redglyph]

On prime video's movie offering, I'm actually quite surprised at the diversity they have. It seems to have quite a few things that Netflix or hbomax doesn't have.

It used to be very limited but it's slowly improving, now there are a number of good series and movies.

If that's the same where you are, you'll see that they tend to change more often than a Netflix though, I suppose it's easier for them to get temporary licences. For example I see that two of my preferred series, Mr Robot and The Americans, are not available anymore.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

It used to be very limited but it's slowly improving, now there are a number of good series and movies.

If that's the same where you are, you'll see that they tend to change more often than a Netflix though, I suppose it's easier for them to get temporary licences. For example I see that two of my preferred series, Mr Robot and The Americans, are not available anymore.

In my region Mr Robot is available. The Americans is not.

It is annoying that prime video seems to blacklist the ips of known VPN servers (I assume). I'm getting a "you're currently connected to a vpn. disable it to use video prime" message.

 

[Redglyph]

It is annoying that prime video seems to blacklist the ips of known VPN servers (I assume). I'm getting a "you're currently connected to a vpn. disable it to use video prime" message.

That's annoying, I didn't know they bothered to check that.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

That's annoying, I didn't know they bothered to check that.

I only tested and saw that from my PC and browser, but I assume it's the same for any client (tv clients).

I do wonder why Amazon enforces this but Netflix doesn't. Does Amazon think they're more of a target to a lawsuit?

 

[Redglyph]

I only tested and saw that from my PC and browser, but I assume it's the same for any client (tv clients).

I do wonder why Amazon enforces this but Netflix doesn't. Does Amazon think they're more of a target to a lawsuit?

I think Netflix enforces it too, but maybe it's not as good at detecting it, or perhaps it doesn't have blacklisted the VPN IPs of the service you're using. I don't have one, so I haven't tried.

Maybe Amazon remembers if you access their sites sometimes with the VPN and sometimes without it. Netflix only has the video service and perhaps you're always using a VPN for it? From what I've read, some of those providers also look at DNS leaks in case your real IP is used for some accesses, and some VPN providers are even scams, but I don't know if any of that's true.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Yeah, probably.

I finished The Consultant. It didn't go much anywhere very differently, but it was still very entertaining to watch all the madness. And Waltz was great until the end.
Though I'm not sure where they could go with this next. It feels like they should just end it, but theoretically they could keep milking it.

A 7.5 or 8 out of ten. I'm not sure it was profound, but it was entertaining to watch.