What was the last TV show you watched?

This. Is. Who we are...

We wrapped up Sanditon, then became bitter when we found out there was no season two.
Currently on episode three of Beecham House.

Started 'Traitors' last night a Brit Netflix offering. So far so good, typical good Brit quality of acting and production. Not a bad hat movie either.

Julian Shellhammer said:

We wrapped up Sanditon, then became bitter when we found out there was no season two.
Currently on episode three of Beecham House.

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To be fair, the book wasn't finished either...

Finished 'Traitors' last night. It was just okay. Seems as though they ended it with a big opening for a second season but I don't think I will engage past this point.

Better Things. FX. Grateful it is back, though it isn't feeling quite the quality it has been. It could be me. Still one of my favorite shows on TV. The young actresses are fantastic. PAdlon's character is what feels like a drag to me.

Breeders. FX. I didn't care much for the first two episodes, but I've found myself enjoying it since then. Once again, the audio is horrible. When the son talks, I have to use CC or rewind five times.

Dave. FX. This is not in my wheelhouse in any way, but I did laugh a couple times. It's messy and wholesome in a demented way. I think I'll give it another episode or two.

Dispatches from Elsewhere. AMC. I don't understand this show. Well, I do understand it, but the milk toast observation/preaching is just that. It makes sense that Jason Segel is behind it. He's always struck me as milky and boring and without any edge in sight. This show is similar to Dietland inasmuch as it is a blunt beating. It doesn't even try to be clever or interesting.

Better Call Saul. AMC. This season has been good. I like that they're developing character and not relying as much on Breaking Bad. It's there, but I feel it is lesser so. Maybe that's just me?

The Busch Family Brewed. MTV. Do they really need the money (for their new brewery), or is it just a good advertising tool? Selling souls for what?

I cannot wait for the new PBS Masterpiece shows in April and Summer.

Started Hunters on Amazon Prime Video, starring Al Pacino, who leads a group of Jewish New Yorkers hunting Nazis in 1977 who escaped to the United States. Brilliant performances by all thus far, and the plot is extremely intriguing. Plus, it's always a joy to see a Nazi get knifed in the neck.

Bushman said:

Started Hunters on Amazon Prime Video, starring Al Pacino, who leads a group of Jewish New Yorkers hunting Nazis in 1977 who escaped to the United States. Brilliant performances by all thus far, and the plot is extremely intriguing. Plus, it's always a joy to see a Nazi get knifed in the neck.

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A friend said it was pretty good. Between that, "The Man in the High Castle" and the new HBO alt history drama... things are quite busy.

Worf

Ride with Norman Reedus. AMC. Haven't watched The Walking Dead in years, but I watch this. It can be quite cheesy and trite, but the last two episodes have been riding through Japan. Very relaxing and nicely done. It reminded me of when our cable provider was testing out NHK World TV, which is like Japan's PBS and broadcast in English.

Dave. FXX. I find the FX network annoying. One episode is on FX. Then it continues on FXX. Or now, Hulu. I never know where to look for a show when I'm setting up recordings, so I forget about them entirely and usually miss an episode or two. This show is moderately funny. I wouldn't recommend it, but I wouldn't recommend against it either.

No change to my viewing habits here, other than that in the evewnings I'm actually wathnig abit more broadcast TV again. My M*A*S*H dvds are in storage, so I've been enjoying reruns of those. Last night's selection on Sony Channel wasthe run up to tonight's showing of the finale, so with 30 minutes to spare on the slot, they inserted a repeat of the pilot. Up against As Time Goes BY (the penultimate episode of the final series, though actually the last one to be made), the pilot seemed almost jarring in tone. THe balance they had with Winchester and Potter in later series was much better an ensemble, though there were still a lot of stand-out moments in the early days all the same.

Bushman said:

Started Hunters on Amazon Prime Video, starring Al Pacino, who leads a group of Jewish New Yorkers hunting Nazis in 1977 who escaped to the United States. Brilliant performances by all thus far, and the plot is extremely intriguing. Plus, it's always a joy to see a Nazi get knifed in the neck.

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Was wary of this, though the more I hear the more it soundsvery Inglorious Basterds, so I might give it a go.

Edward said:

Was wary of this, though the more I hear the more it soundsvery Inglorious Basterds, so I might give it a go.

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I'd say it's reminiscient along those lines. There's a few moments of comedy, but it's otherwise more of an action drama than most of Tarantino's movies.

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez and Tiger King on Netflix.

All four episodes of Unorthodox on Netflix.

The outline of the story is not original: a young member of an Orthodox Jewish community doesn't fit in and tries to leave. We saw a version of this story recently in Disobedience and there were echoes of it in Witness and several other movies whose names I've forgotten, but have seen over the years.

But what story really is new? The skill is in telling it well and it is told very well here. A young girl, Esty, kinda fit in, kinda didn't growing up in the Orthodox community. She loves her grandmother and seems okay with the overall culture, but dislikes that she isn't allowed to pursue music. But she reaches a breaking point when she and her new husband fail to click sexually, which brings everything else to a head.

Her "escape" plan has her fleeing to Germany where, owing to her parentage, she has guaranteed citizenship and where she hopes she can build a career as a pianist (the instrument she learned furtively when growing up). While she doesn't reach out to her immediately, her estranged mother, who gave her the citizenship documents years ago, lives in Germany.

From here, the story shifts to her trying to find a place for herself in a foreign country and strange (to her) culture (what we think of as the regular world). Watching her make friends with regular German kids her own age is genuinely talented movie making - both she and they are intrigued and respectful of each other, but there's also a "looking at a Martian" feel both for Esty and the German kids.

Adding tension, (not a spoiler as it comes up early), Esty has just learned that she is pregnant (after all the awful, awkward attempts, they finally got there), which causes the Orthodox community to send her husband and a cousin to find her and bring her back.

The cousin, a returned "escapee" himself, is a piece of work - a gambler (he's in debt and needs the "community" to bail him out) who frequents whorehouses and bars (perhaps obvious, but these are not approved Orthodox hobbies) - returned to the community. As he tells Esty, there's no place for him (or her) in the "outside" world. He might not be a good Orthodox Jewish man, but there is no better one to send on a mission requiring a combination of mental blackmail and strong-armed detective work.

Okay, other than the conclusion, that's the big-picture story and it's all done really well; in part, because, yes you root (really hard) for Esty, but you can, at some level, also see the community's viewpoint. Real life and real story telling takes place in the gray; Unorthodox reveals plenty of life's gray.

I've been watching some new episodes of Outlander and Vikings. THe latter is hotting up towards the Russ invasion of Norway; much as I loathe[/'i] Ivar (even more than than little twit in Game of Thrones, Joffrey), I fear he won't get the comeuppance he so richly deserves. (It's based on real history, but not my specialist period or area, so I have no spoiler knowledge). Outlander continues to be a bit of fluffy fun; after dipping a bit when they left Scotland, it is really picking up for me as the War of Independence looms.

Season 3 of "Ozark". I feared at the end of Season 2 it had jumped the shark but this new season has come back very strong and has found its legs.

Season 3 of Ozark. My wife and I are just 3 episodes in and it is great so far.

I also finished watching all three seasons of Peter Gunn. Now I’m watching Route 66 on Amazon. Great nostalgic television.

Steven

1967Cougar390 said:

Season 3 of Ozark. My wife and I are just 3 episodes in and it is great so far.

I also finished watching all three seasons of Peter Gunn. Now I’m watching Route 66 on Amazon. Great nostalgic television.

Steven

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I so badly wanted a Corvette when I was a teen. Test drove a used one, just a few years old, think it was a '60 model in 1966 the ask was only a few thousand but it would have taken all my summer employment wages that I needed for university.. Tis a regret to this day....it was red too.

belfastboy said:

I so badly wanted a Corvette when I was a teen. Test drove a used one, just a few years old, think it was a '60 model in 1966 the ask was only a few thousand but it would have taken all my summer employment wages that I needed for university.. Tis a regret to this day....it was red too.

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That’s awesome. I’m sure the car and the show brought a lot of interest to showrooms at Chevrolet dealerships.
Steven

Babylon Berlin first two episodes of season 3.

It hasn't lost a step since season 2 - still visually beautiful and still complex and engrossing story telling.

We end up stopping and rewinding now and then as the architecture, clothes, cars, etc. are so Fedora Lounge fun, that we sometimes miss reading the lines because we're so busy looking at everything.

To get us through the quarantine, the odd bit here and there, like Container Homes, a bio on Al Hirschfeld (The Line King), a backlog of Bull from regular tv, and bits and pieces of shows that we try and then check out of after about ten minutes.