Do we live in a golden age of television?

[Raoul Duke]

Started Westworld recently - just getting into the 2nd series now. First one was great but I kinda wish they'd stayed a bit more in the "before" than jump quite quickly to the "after". The world was great and I loved the setting and how the humans acted within the world, more than the other stuff.

I kinda feel like it hits a bit different in a world with ChatGPT seemingly getting ready to turn into Skynet any day

[niko_cee]

How many series did they make of Westworld in the end? Think I started out on 3 [or the last one if there was a 4th] when it appeared, but it was so long after I'd seen the first two/three that I had insufficient recollection to piece together the frankly baffling plot.

[Ian]

I watched series 1 of Westworld and thought it was good but a lot less good than aot of people thought. Then series 2 happened and Christ almighty it was boring. Couldn't see that one through.

[Raoul Duke]

I have a pretty high tolerance level for things containing copious nudity and robots, so I'm still working through it. There are four seasons from what I can see. Apparently Aaron Paul is in the next one so I assume it'll be him mooching about calling robots "Bitch" quite a lot

[Baz]

Episode four of The Wire has hooked me in, with the scene where McNulty and Bunk are figuring out the shooting in the kitchen. Excellent television.

Big fan of Bunk and the lesbian who I think is called Keema.

[Shindig]

I need to give it a rewatch.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Love the Bunk. Wendell Pierce probably the most underrated actor in it.

[Baz]

Love the Bunk. Wendell Pierce probably the most underrated actor in it.

Theyre all pretty good.

The drunk old cop whose partner got finished for injury probably the absolute peak. When he was about to chuck himself downstairs as the others arrived and he did a little twirl, I was howling.

The guy with the polish name (prez?) who figured out the pager codes is also absolutely excellent.

Only bad actor is the judge who McNulty knows and, kinda, McNulty.

(Based on 5 episodes in season 1)

[Baz]

Oh wow Johnny Weeks is Telly from Kids! Didn’t realise til he cut his hair.

The virgin surgeon, baby!

[Kikó]

Picard episode 9 nostalgia horn

Toggle Spoiler

Though fuck right off killing Shaw

What an episode. Perfectly ramped up and executed.

[Baz]

2 months free Apple TV for new and existing customers: https://redeem.apple.com/appletvjennifer-gb

You can cancel it straight away in your Subscriptions and still get the 2 months free.

[Manc]

I'm in the mood for something wild and came across Kingdom. Any good?

[Shindig]

That Roaul Moat thing is predictably a bit bollocks. Does a good job of showing the retarded, "Cop killers, yay!" mentality swimming around but they've made a 3-parter out of a manhunt that lasted less than a week. So the episodes go as thus:

1. Moat shoots people.
2. Police find the village he's in.
3. Chicken and fish.

All his accomplices act thick as fuck.

[Yevrah]

I watched the first two episodes last night.

First problem was the actor playing Moat looks like a RADA approximation of him rather than the utterly terrifying beast the real man was. Secondly, and as you say, the story does not warrant a three hour dramatisation and thirdly, I was left feeling what is the point of this?

True crime stuff is good, but if the well has run dry just leave it for a bit.

Only Gazza and his fishing rod can save it now.

[Shindig]

He wasn't that much of a beast, to be honest. They do seem to slice in how much favour he had with the tinpot communities he lived in. At the end of the day, he was a twat that went to prison for battering a 9 year-old.

[Yevrah]

He may well not have been, but he certainly looked like he was.

[Shindig]

That's probably because the one photo the coppers had on file had him in good shape. What else can an actor go off? There's even a line in the script where the coppers say, "He's lost the beef."

[Yevrah]

No problem with the actor's performance, he just doesn't look as threatening as he did in real life, or at least from the wealth of photos available. Ergo, they should have cast someone else.

[Giggles]

The Mandalorian needs to go away and never come back now.

[Yevrah]

What's it done?

[Giggles]

That ending.

[Spikey M]

Can confirm the Raoul Moat thing was a load of shite.

[Yevrah]

Didn't even have Gazza in it.

[Shindig]

They couldn't even get Ray Mears. A man actually involved in the manhunt.

[Yevrah]

I've watched half of the Boston Marathon bombing documentary on Netflix and it's pretty good. Not far off the part that became one of the greatest nights in TTH history.

Was that on this board? If so, what thread is it in?

[phonics]

As someone who waited for all the episodes. Cannot understand what people were so angry about. I assume a bunch of the far-right weirdos were annoyed about Lizzo turning up for 10 minutes but the ending seemed perfectly Star Wars and returned it to being able to go back to what it was originally, a Monster of the Week show.

[Ian]

I thought Mando was pretty up and down this series but I don't really know what's wound a load of people up about the finale. Not as good as series 2 but that was a very high bar they set. I thought it was decent fun and tying off a load of loose ends to go back to being more episodic stories as Phonics says isn't a bad thing.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I just finished the last two episodes of The Mandalorian and didn't have a problem with it. I thought it was rather good.

[Gray Fox]

I thought this Mandalorian season was less consistent than before. I still enjoyed it, but there were a few points of irritation in it.

Biggest one for me:

Toggle Spoiler

Din Djarin removes his helmet and is chastised by The Armourer. He has to go on the quest to redeem himself and be allowed back in the tribe.

Yet, disgraced former royalty Bo-Katan turns up having accidentally performed the same ritual of redemption, but The Armourer tells her to take the helmet off and it'll be fine.

Building up to and then finally revealing Moff Gideon to be still alive, only to eviscerate him again an episode later is also a bit annoying. More Giancarlo is better.

[Ian]

I thought this Mandalorian season was less consistent than before. I still enjoyed it, but there were a few points of irritation in it.

Biggest one for me:

Toggle Spoiler

Din Djarin removes his helmet and is chastised by The Armourer. He has to go on the quest to redeem himself and be allowed back in the tribe.

Yet, disgraced former royalty Bo-Katan turns up having accidentally performed the same ritual of redemption, but The Armourer tells her to take the helmet off and it'll be fine.

Building up to and then finally revealing Moff Gideon to be still alive, only to eviscerate him again an episode later is also a bit annoying. More Giancarlo is better.

Toggle Spoiler

We as good as new Gideon was alive two or three episodes in and then we found out somebody had got into his prison ship in 4 or 5? That bit didn't really bother me.

And I assume Bo Katan only gets a pass because of the Darksaber.

[Raoul Duke]

Mandalorian

Toggle Spoiler

I liked the season overall, and they had to make Grogu more than just a comedy prop as it was getting boring.

I didn't really get what happened with the Dr guy. Was the implication that they kidnapped him and used his research, hence the clones? They seemed to spend a whole episode focussing on him and then he disappeared. I might have missed it somehow

[Gray Fox]

Toggle Spoiler

We as good as new Gideon was alive two or three episodes in and then we found out somebody had got into his prison ship in 4 or 5? That bit didn't really bother me.

And I assume Bo Katan only gets a pass because of the Darksaber.

Toggle Spoiler

That's another thing. She finally gets it and is shown to be a badass then it's immediately gone!

Mandalorian

Toggle Spoiler

I liked the season overall, and they had to make Grogu more than just a comedy prop as it was getting boring.

I didn't really get what happened with the Dr guy. Was the implication that they kidnapped him and used his research, hence the clones? They seemed to spend a whole episode focussing on him and then he disappeared. I might have missed it somehow

Toggle Spoiler

The woman working with Gideon fried his brain at the end of the episode. But yeah that's the implication and it sets the ground work for the cloning of Palpatine and Snoke etc

[Baz]

Season 2 of The Wire done. Certainly won’t be watching that again.

Good job season 1 was so good, otherwise I’d think this was the longest prank in internet history.

Mike gave me his seasons best to worst as ‘4,1,2,3,5 - Maybe switch 2 and 3’ so I’m not looking forward to 5, but 4 should be a corker. Will start 3 tonight.

[Jimmy Floyd]

2 is 1000% better in hindsight than it is on first watch. It's a jarring gear change at the time but once you've watched the rest it makes so much more sense.

3 and 4 are largely more like 1.

[Baz]

Hopefully.

Had a good think about it and the worst part about season two is the police woman who is basically just reading her lines.

[Baz]

Plex was down yesterday so couldn't watch the Wire, and instead finished season 2 of Clarksons Farm. It did not reflect well on the council.

Really shows what you can do with unlimited money, doesn't it.

[CJay]

Silo. Apple TV+. Get on it.

Severance vibes.

[Boydy]

Looking forward to that, I really enjoyed the books.

[Manc]

I've picked up Deutschland 83 again. Scintillating stuff.

[Baz]

Anyone watched Bupkis with Pete Davidson? Meant to be Entouragey.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Succession e7 insanely good. Most of the series has been good but this was another level.

[Bernanke]

Succession e7 insanely good. Most of the series has been good but this was another level.

That balcony scene is up there with the best arguments between Tony and Carmela.

[Baz]

2 is 1000% better in hindsight than it is on first watch. It's a jarring gear change at the time but once you've watched the rest it makes so much more sense.

3 and 4 are largely more like 1.

Season 3 is frankly ridiculous.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Ridiculously good? If so I agree. 'We ain't gotta dream no more' one of the best scenes ever in TV.

[Baz]

Ridiculously good? If so I agree. 'We ain't gotta dream no more' one of the best scenes ever in TV.

I'm only about halfway through, I think, but the storyline where

Toggle Spoiler

it's perfectly legal to sell and take drugs in specific roads

is a bit daft.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd take it as a meditation on what would happen if somebody tried to make an idealistic change to the system, rather than anything that would necessarily happen in reality. I bet some cops have tried it somewhere, mind.

[wullie]

I think it was suggested in real life Baltimore at whatever point, but only very briefly without being given any serious consideration past that.

[Alex]

Looking forward to that, I really enjoyed the books.

I'm about two thirds of the way through the first one at the moment and quite enjoying it.

[Baz]

Season 3 is frankly ridiculous.

Okay it ended well. Redeemed. Onto season 4 tonight.

Still staggering how bad season 2 was in comparison.

[Spikey M]

I've been ploughing through The Last Kingdom recently. It's solid, but it feels a bit like the Writers of Merlin had a go at writing Game of Thrones.

Going to give Vikings: Valhalla a go afterwards.