What are you binge watching?

[Kolumbo]

LOST (2004-2010)
Is this worth it? Never saw it before and now I am almost done with Season 1. While it was interesting at first, it seems each episode goes into some surprising background of a passenger along with some other storyline. I'm getting kind of bored but I thought this would be intriguing. Perhaps it picks up steam later on? It was highly rated so I'd like to stick with it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

For me "The Gentlemen" really picked up at Ep. 5 and I blasted my way thru the rest of the season. Theo James and Kaya Scodelario were good as the two leads. Having actors like Vinnie Jones, Ray Winstone and Joely Richardson as more minor characters really brought it home.



I guess you can't call people gypsies anymore, now they are known as Travelers. Well this gang of Travelers wasn't nearly as interesting as Brad Pitt and company from "Snatch." Richie tried to revisit the same territory but didn't strike gold this time.

I really liked it until the last episode. The cast was great. I was not crazy about Theo James in the lead at first, but I warmed up to him. Kaya Scodelario was excellent, and should have gotten an Emmy nomination. Her character was hard, because the Glass family are crime lords, but they are not the biggest crime lords and the head of the family is in jail. She had to pull off being tough but with a little desperation and vulnerability while bluffing her way through one situation after another. I liked the Freddy character and the actor that played him. He was supposed to be an upper class twit, and he had to be completely over the top because all the other characters were over the top. The show is what you would expect from a Guy Ritchie project, with a lot of eccentric, interesting side characters stealing scenes. Ritchie is not about subtlety. The more recognizable faces (Richardson, Jones, Winstone, Esposito, Hivju) were all good and right for their roles.

A core theme of the movie and the show is skewering the "rich" and the idea of a hereditary, landed gentry, and the show does a great job with that. I laughed every time one of the characters who didn't know Eddie referred to him as "posh". One of my few complaints was not having more nobility in the plot, because every episode centering around one of the declining families was very entertaining.

I did not like the last episode. The writers could have gotten to the same ending in a more entertaining, less contrived way. I expected better from a Guy Ritchie project.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Anybody watch "Heels" on Starz? It's on Netflix now. About brothers in a small time family run wrestling promotion, who have a rivalry inside and outside the ring. I'm just starting. Seems to have potential. Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig play the two bros.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Heels" is addictive. It's a bit soapish, but wrestling is soapish, so that fits. The characters are compelling. I'd have to say Kelli Berglund is stealing the series. I'd seen a bit of her years ago in discount Disney or Nickelodeon type of movies. She's clearly moved beyond that type of stuff now. It being from a premium cable channel, it of course has to be a bit risque.

 

[ZooCougar]

Alright. Bad Monkey grew on me.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Alright. Bad Monkey grew on me.

I am only 2 episodes in, but this role is more Vince Vaughn’s speed. He is great for a character like this.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Alright. Bad Monkey grew on me.

I’m enjoying it. It’s non stop Vince Vaughn snark, but it works. The plot is clever. The narration a nice touch, and the characters are all pretty well written and acted. Rosa is a great match for Yancy.

 

[LIuconn]

Bad Monkey
Slow Horses
The Menendez show on Netflix. Halfway through pretty good. I was too young when it happened so this is a nice reenactment. Good cast

 

[temery]

Bad Monkey
Slow Horses
The Menendez show on Netflix. Halfway through pretty good. I was too young when it happened so this is a nice reenactment. Good cast

'I've seen ads for Slow Horses. Apple+ is about the only streaming service I don't have. Any other shows on Apple+ that would make subscribing worth the monthly cost?

 

[HuskyHawk]

'I've seen ads for Slow Horses. Apple+ is about the only streaming service I don't have. Any other shows on Apple+ that would make subscribing worth the monthly cost?

Lots. Ted Lasso, Masters of the Air, Foundation, Bad Monkey, plus movies like Greyhound. It’s the best bargain among the streaming services. Disney+ and Max are almost useless by comparison.

 

[storrsroars]

'I've seen ads for Slow Horses. Apple+ is about the only streaming service I don't have. Any other shows on Apple+ that would make subscribing worth the monthly cost?

Lots. Ted Lasso, Masters of the Air, Foundation, Bad Monkey, plus movies like Greyhound. It’s the best bargain among the streaming services. Disney+ and Max are almost useless by comparison.

In addition to what HH mentioned, I liked Shrinking, Severance, Silo, Hi/Jack, Lessons in Chemistry, For All Mankind, and The Morning Show. Anyway, lots to watch/binge for a couple months, then you can cancel.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Yeah, I'm loving Heels. Plowed thru Season 1, took a little break, now well into Season 2. I have been warned that the season ends on a cliffhanger, then the network it was on cancelled it, so there's that.

 

[HuskyHawk]

In addition to what HH mentioned, I liked Shrinking, Severance, Silo, Hi/Jack, Lessons in Chemistry, For All Mankind, and The Morning Show. Anyway, lots to watch/binge for a couple months, then you can cancel.

Forgot Silo. Loved that (but I'm a sucker for Rebecca Ferguson). I also quite enjoyed See with Jason Momoa.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

'I've seen ads for Slow Horses. Apple+ is about the only streaming service I don't have. Any other shows on Apple+ that would make subscribing worth the monthly cost?

Mythic Quest is one of the best comedies on television.

 

[storrsroars]

Is bingeing out? Seems everything I'm watching now is weekly release. Bad Monkey, Slow Horses, The Old Man, and now the Aaron Hernandez movie (wasn't expecting it to be as interesting as it is, guy who plays AH is doing a terrific job. Edsall is portrayed in a couple of scenes as kind of a sleazeball).

Also tried out High Potential last night. Not sure I'll stick with it as it seems a typical formulaic crime drama, but will say Kaitlin Olsen does a great job with the lead role. The difference between this and the litany of super-crime-solving-outsiders that came before is how ridiculous her family life is, which is the more appealing arc of the debut show.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Also tried out High Potential last night. Not sure I'll stick with it as it seems a typical formulaic crime drama, but will say Kaitlin Olsen does a great job with the lead role. The difference between this and the litany of super-crime-solving-outsiders that came before is how ridiculous her family life is, which is the more appealing arc of the debut show.

I watched the debut also. Interested enough to keep trying. Olsen reached out beyond playing her typical character.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Is bingeing out? Seems everything I'm watching now is weekly release. Bad Monkey, Slow Horses, The Old Man, and now the Aaron Hernandez movie (wasn't expecting it to be as interesting as it is, guy who plays AH is doing a terrific job. Edsall is portrayed in a couple of scenes as kind of a sleazeball).

Also tried out High Potential last night. Not sure I'll stick with it as it seems a typical formulaic crime drama, but will say Kaitlin Olsen does a great job with the lead role. The difference between this and the litany of super-crime-solving-outsiders that came before is how ridiculous her family life is, which is the more appealing arc of the debut show.

It's just a timing question. I haven't gotten around to this season of The Bear for example, so, binge. With Slow Horses, take it as it comes weekly. Same with Serpent Queen when it was out.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Tried two episodes of a new series on Netflix called "Penelope." I was interested because it's set in the Northwest. I'm not sure if I'll continue or not. It's kind of a YA version of "Wild." They even got an actress that looks a bit like a younger Reese Witherspoon to play the lead. So far it's just kind of meandering. High school girl runs away for no apparent reason and is trying to find herself in the wilderness. Like usual in this type of scenario she has absolutely no experience and no idea what she's doing.

I'm curious how she managed to get herself geared up for only $400. It showed her getting a bunch of stuff retail. I just don't think there's any way you could get boots, backpack, tent, sleeping bag and various other stuff for that little.

 

[storrsroars]

I'm curious how she managed to get herself geared up for only $400. It showed her getting a bunch of stuff retail. I just don't think there's any way you could get boots, backpack, tent, sleeping bag and various other stuff for that little.

You might be able to pull it off at an Army Navy Store.

Joe's Army Navy Surplus | Military Surplus, Outdoor and Tactical Gear

 

[nwhoopfan]

You might be able to pull it off at an Army Navy Store.

Joe's Army Navy Surplus | Military Surplus, Outdoor and Tactical Gear

Yeah, but that's not where she was shopping. I looked at some prices on REI after I watched. While there is a huge price range on various kinds of gear, it just seems like a stretch. Boots alone could easily be $200-$250.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Season 2 Rings of Power. Saw some negative comments but I think it's been good so far. My wife hates how arrogant Galadriel is, but I can pretty much forgive Morfydd Clark just about anything. Plus, Galadriel is right. She's pissed because Sauron duped her and others aren't reacting properly to the threat. Introduction of Tom Bombadil is nicely done. Also the backstory on the Istar is interesting, we don't know which wizard the stranger is.

 

[CL82]

Is bingeing out? Seems everything I'm watching now is weekly release. Bad Monkey, Slow Horses, The Old Man, and now the Aaron Hernandez movie (wasn't expecting it to be as interesting as it is, guy who plays AH is doing a terrific job. Edsall is portrayed in a couple of scenes as kind of a sleazeball).

Also tried out High Potential last night. Not sure I'll stick with it as it seems a typical formulaic crime drama, but will say Kaitlin Olsen does a great job with the lead role. The difference between this and the litany of super-crime-solving-outsiders that came before is how ridiculous her family life is, which is the more appealing arc of the debut show.

I decided to watch High Potential with minimal expectations. I thought it was pretty good as well and will definitely go back.

My experience with ABC shows are that they frequently start out strong, with a unique hook but then lose focus once the concept gets tired or is outgrown by the narrative. (E.g., The Good Doctor's autism coupled with hyper analytical skills or The Rookie's hook of being a middle-aged rookie cop.) This one seems ripe for that. The whole engine that drives this is how incongruous Olsen's character is in a police investigation. Eventually, that's not going to work as she gains more and more experience investigating.

Also, it's a little formulaic in that they seem to be setting up a narrative of initial dislike, followed by begrudging respect, followed by effective partnership, followed by inevitable romance with the lead detective she's working with.

All that said, I'm still in.

 

[storrsroars]

I decided to watch High Potential with minimal expectations. I thought it was pretty good as well and will definitely go back.

My experience with ABC shows are that they frequently start out strong, with a unique hook but then lose focus once the concept gets tired or is outgrown by the narrative. (E.g., The Good Doctor's autism coupled with hyper analytical skills or The Rookie's hook of being a middle-aged rookie cop.) This one seems ripe for that. The whole engine that drives this is how incongruous Olsen's character is in a police investigation. Eventually, that's not going to work as she gains more and more experience investigating.

Also, it's a little formulaic in that they seem to be setting up a narrative of initial dislike, followed by begrudging respect, followed by effective partnership, followed by inevitable romance with the lead detective she's working with.

All that said, I'm still in.

Agree with all that, which is why I think going forward, a lot of storylines will need to focus on how she balances family with job. It was interesting in Ep1 how her eldest daughter doesn't have the brain power of Olsen's character or her son's (don't recall about the other daughter). That's gonna come into play at some point. And it seems an important subplot will be her missing partner. So my opinion on this series is that for it to find lasting appeal, it has to be more about her personal life than the crime solving gimmicks.

 

[HuskyDevil]

Sugar on Apple TV. 5 of 8 episodes released, so far so good. Modern noir style series with Colin Farrell

Just finished it...liked the first 6 or so but did not care for the path towards the end...

 

[nwhoopfan]

Now "High Potential" is taking a couple week break after only 2 episodes. Really?