They need to get some new bots. I started watching the new season and sometimes I'm not sure if I mistakenly got a rerun from last season because many of the robots seem to be the same ones. I still find some of the matches quite enjoyable though.
What television shows are you watching?
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VicRatlhead5199
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Yup, season 1 and 2 are on Hulu. My SoA analogy might just be influenced by Ryan Hurst's presence but David Morse's character is pretty similar to Ron Pearlman's and it is about a sympathetic group of "outlaws" with their own leaders and laws although the Ferrells aren't necessarily bad guys like SoA. Took me a bit to get into it but once you get to know a few characters it gets really good.
Timsup2nothin
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EgonSpengler
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I finished season 2 of Mr. Robot. It's a little bit of a 'sophomore slump', but I still give it a thumbs-up. I also downloaded Mac Quayle's score, which I've been listening to on the way to work.
Then I started season 1 of Detectorists. I tuned in for Toby Jones of course, and was pleasantly surprised to see Rachael Stirling.
I'm nervously anticipating tomorrow's release of The Defenders. Netflix has a big banner ad on its site, a literal countdown to launch, just to add to my anxiety. These Marvel series have been on a steady slide since the great first seasons of Daredevil and Jessica Jones, hitting what I hope was their nadir with the plodding Iron Fist. The only way forward is up, right? Fingers crossed.
Then I started season 1 of Detectorists. I tuned in for Toby Jones of course, and was pleasantly surprised to see Rachael Stirling.
I'm nervously anticipating tomorrow's release of The Defenders. Netflix has a big banner ad on its site, a literal countdown to launch, just to add to my anxiety. These Marvel series have been on a steady slide since the great first seasons of Daredevil and Jessica Jones, hitting what I hope was their nadir with the plodding Iron Fist. The only way forward is up, right? Fingers crossed.
VicRatlhead5199
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Feel the same way about Defenders. Hoping they can bounce back from Iron Fist. Even Luke Cage felt a little weaker than its critical response made it seem. Just hoping the team up doesn't feel too forced. They did a decent job connecting them with the Night Nurse but just using her to bring the team together like some unofficial Nick Fury would be weak.
EgonSpengler
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Yeah, Luke Cage had a weak second half.
I thought The Defenders was really good. Random, non-spoilery, thoughts:
The series definitely benefited from being only 8 episodes. Most of the other Marvel series have sagged under the weight of 13 episodes. I hope the streaming services are in a position to let the writers decide the length of a series, going forward. Without the business considerations of broadcasting slots and everything else associated with the traditional television business model, the streaming services should have more freedom with things like episode length and number of episodes.
I know some of the reviews criticized the "slow burn" of the early episodes, but I liked taking the time to catch up with all the characters, including the supporting casts. I do have to take issue with Netflix and/or Marvel only allowing critics to view the first 4 episodes of these shows before the full series is released. I hope they change that in the future.
I wish the director of the first two episodes, S.J. Clarkson, could have done more. I had to look her up, and I'm not very familiar with her work, but I loved the way she framed shots and used the color palette.
One of my gripes with Iron Fist was how that series re-conceptualized The Hand, but things came together in a more satisfying way in The Defenders. That doesn't make Iron Fist any better, but at least now I can see where they were going.
Looking back on it, the best series - the first seasons of Daredevil and Jessica Jones - were the ones that didn't lead directly into The Defenders, and the worst - Iron Fist - did. Of course that's probably a coincidence, but I still hope the upcoming seasons of each character's shows go their own way. A second season of The Defenders could still be a self-contained story that doesn't need to bleed over into the other shows.
Speaking of other shows, there's a post-credits bit tacked on after the final episode of The Defenders. It isn't anything we didn't know already, but it's still worth seeing if you're into these "Dark Marvel" characters.
Spoiler :
Episode 6 spoilers:
Spoiler :
civvver
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I finished Turn. It was the final season. The ending was really good, a tad rushed as almost all endings of series are, but very satisfying. The final scene was an epilogue and I found it very emotional and well shot. It wrapped up all the storylines well without over reaching or stepping out of character with the rest of the show. The show had a natural conclusion since it was about the American revolution and they were nearing the end of the war anyway. I guess I'd need a history buff to tell me how accurate everything was but to a casual viewer the show always fit with what I know about history and seems factual enough.
In all a very well done series with solid acting. It's not very long either just 4 seasons, 10 episodes each. I strongly recommend.
In all a very well done series with solid acting. It's not very long either just 4 seasons, 10 episodes each. I strongly recommend.
VicRatlhead5199
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Watched it too, Egon. I came away pretty happy as well. I definitely pleased with the 8 ep season myself. Even in JJ the plot felt stretched to fill episodes but Defenders left me feeling satisfied without the "let's get on with it" feeling.
Still feel like Iron Fist needs tweaking though. In the fight scenes Daredevil's choreography was quite a bit better. IF is supposed to be the better martial artist but he never really looked like it.
Also, get him into costume, Cage too. That was a bit of a let down in the big team up series, Daredevil was the only one suited up. At the very least Fist and Cage should have been as well. Jessica's character development makes blue jeans and a leather jacket work but the "epic team up shot" in the tunnel was a tad anticlimactic with everyone other than DD looking like street vagabonds. Maybe its justv me.
Still feel like Iron Fist needs tweaking though. In the fight scenes Daredevil's choreography was quite a bit better. IF is supposed to be the better martial artist but he never really looked like it.
Also, get him into costume, Cage too. That was a bit of a let down in the big team up series, Daredevil was the only one suited up. At the very least Fist and Cage should have been as well. Jessica's character development makes blue jeans and a leather jacket work but the "epic team up shot" in the tunnel was a tad anticlimactic with everyone other than DD looking like street vagabonds. Maybe its justv me.
EgonSpengler
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It's been observed that the lack of a mask on Iron Fist probably hinders the choreography for Danny, because it's easier to hide Charlie Cox's stuntman, and therefore you can use him more. Some of that's on the director's shoulders, of course; Natasha Romanova doesn't wear a mask in The Avengers and Captain America movies, either.
Screen Rant, 4 April 2017 - Charlie Cox praises The Defenders stunt doubles and 'A-team' directors
Screen Rant said:
Getting extra geeky for a moment, I'm thinking now about all of the martial artists and hand-to-hand fighters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I'm not sure where I would rate Danny Rand among them. Wilson Fisk gave Matt a real fight in their showdown at the end of season 1. What about Nobu, the Yakuza ninja from Daredevil? Could Danny beat Frank Castle in a street fight? Heck, I'm not convinced that Danny could even defeat Grant Ward (Agents of SHIELD) or Batroc (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) in hand-to-hand. God help him if he ever went up against somebody like Crossbones, Ghost Rider, or The Winter Soldier.
Zkribbler
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Add Battlebots to my list.
Season 2 is over.
Great final match, tho, with the main weapons of both bots being knocked out.
VicRatlhead5199
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I'm not sure where they rank in the whole pantheon but just going by backgrounds it seems like Danny would be better than Matt. Matt was trained by Stick, a Chaste, who are Kun Lun's earthly footsoldiers. Danny is supposedly Kun Lun's champion trained in the city itself, beating out other cream of the crop students for the honor of becoming the Iron Fist. Matt's senses might help give him an edge but just going by that background I don't think Danny would even need to summon the fist to better him. That's why it seemed a bit jarring to see DD throwing triple roundhouses in the same shot as Danny just boxing.
EgonSpengler
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I agree. The Danny Rand we see in the show claims to have spent half his life in a mystical city where magical monks trained him to fight undead ninjas and dragons and [stuff], but so far I haven't seen it.
Perfection
The Great Head.
Still 2 more episodes before I give my full defenders thoughts but can I just mention how inconsistent Danny Rand seems to be in his ability to summon the Iron Fist. It seems to depend more on plot convenience than any actual consistent issue. I don't get it.
EgonSpengler
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I was browsing the lists of new and returning Fall shows, and boy, this is just depressing.
Stranger Things season 2 and Mr. Robot season 3 look like the only things debuting in the next 3 months that I'm kind of jazzed about.
The Deuce is David Simon, James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhall in 1970s Manhattan, which all sounds pretty great, but it's on HBO and I'm not interested in paying even more than I already do, just to watch this show. Or any show.
Star Trek: Discovery is also something I'd normally be excited about, but the departure of Bryan Fuller, the endless delays, and fact that it's a prequel has really put me off. And it's on the CBS pay-service to boot, so... whatevs.
The Orville does kind of look like Galaxy Quest: The Series, but... I dunno. Not one person in the cast inspires me. The trailer looked promising, though, so I'll give it a shot.
The Inhumans, The Gifted, and Runaways. Sheesh, Marvel is really hammering us this year. I'd be lying if I said I won't even give these shows a tryout to make the team, but I'm struggling to muster a lot of enthusiasm. I won't be shocked if these shows are the answer to a trivia question a year from now.
Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow. Zzzzz... Alright, I'll probably give Supergirl a couple of eps to get me back. At the very least, I can look at Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh for that long.
Criminal Minds and Grey's Anatomy? Is it 2007? Is Numb3rs still on?
Stranger Things season 2 and Mr. Robot season 3 look like the only things debuting in the next 3 months that I'm kind of jazzed about.
The Deuce is David Simon, James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhall in 1970s Manhattan, which all sounds pretty great, but it's on HBO and I'm not interested in paying even more than I already do, just to watch this show. Or any show.
Star Trek: Discovery is also something I'd normally be excited about, but the departure of Bryan Fuller, the endless delays, and fact that it's a prequel has really put me off. And it's on the CBS pay-service to boot, so... whatevs.
The Orville does kind of look like Galaxy Quest: The Series, but... I dunno. Not one person in the cast inspires me. The trailer looked promising, though, so I'll give it a shot.
The Inhumans, The Gifted, and Runaways. Sheesh, Marvel is really hammering us this year. I'd be lying if I said I won't even give these shows a tryout to make the team, but I'm struggling to muster a lot of enthusiasm. I won't be shocked if these shows are the answer to a trivia question a year from now.
Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow. Zzzzz... Alright, I'll probably give Supergirl a couple of eps to get me back. At the very least, I can look at Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh for that long.
Criminal Minds and Grey's Anatomy? Is it 2007? Is Numb3rs still on?
onejayhawk
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I have seen Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, half the Luke Cage episodes and about 3/4 of Daredevil season 1. In the first Episode of Defenders, Luke Cage makes reference to several things that have not yet happened in what I have seen. Should I watch the rest of Cage and DD before more of Defenders. Sofar i'm not that thrilled with either show. That said, I could go for some Elektra action.
The DC shows are definitely weaker, much like the comics underlying them.
Is Hulu worth the $12/month. Stars and Cinemax weren't. Right now I have Netflix and Prime
J
The DC shows are definitely weaker, much like the comics underlying them.
Is Hulu worth the $12/month. Stars and Cinemax weren't. Right now I have Netflix and Prime
J
EgonSpengler
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There's some stuff in season 2 of Daredevil that relates directly to The Defenders, as well as some background that's not about the plot, like the relationships between Matt, Karen and Foggy. The Defenders was clearly intended to be a jump-in point for new viewers, but if you think you're going to finish Daredevil anyway, you may as well watch them in order.
The advantage to Hulu over the other two is that you can stream many ABC and NBC shows immediately after they air, instead of waiting for the whole season to air (or, in some cases, for the following season to begin). Some of the Hulu originals have been well-regarded, too.
civvver
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I'm still crunching through game of thrones, finally in season 6! new season 7 here I come!
But I can't watch it on my phone cus hbo go parental controls are effed up, so on the go I have been watching fx's Snowall. It's good. Really catchy. For a cable show it's really violent, lots of fbombs, stuff I didn't think they could do. It would easily pass for the wire on hbo right now. I mean sons of anarchy seemed to push the limits of what cable could get away with language and violence wise and this show goes even past that. That doesn't make it good or bad, it just is.
The show is about the infancy of the cocaine trade in LA. So there's a bunch of players trying to get it going, all fueled by the cia setting up some cartel to fight commies in south america. I'm not sure how historically accurate this is. It's a good show though with interesting characters so far and I don't think I recognize a single actor which is kind of nice actually to have all fresh faces on a major network show.
Anyway if you like gritty crime dramas check it out, just be forewarned about the levels of violence and language and nudity.
But I can't watch it on my phone cus hbo go parental controls are effed up, so on the go I have been watching fx's Snowall. It's good. Really catchy. For a cable show it's really violent, lots of fbombs, stuff I didn't think they could do. It would easily pass for the wire on hbo right now. I mean sons of anarchy seemed to push the limits of what cable could get away with language and violence wise and this show goes even past that. That doesn't make it good or bad, it just is.
The show is about the infancy of the cocaine trade in LA. So there's a bunch of players trying to get it going, all fueled by the cia setting up some cartel to fight commies in south america. I'm not sure how historically accurate this is. It's a good show though with interesting characters so far and I don't think I recognize a single actor which is kind of nice actually to have all fresh faces on a major network show.
Anyway if you like gritty crime dramas check it out, just be forewarned about the levels of violence and language and nudity.
I wish it was as good as Galaxy Quest. Mediocre at best. But I did chuckle at the grand ballroom style circular stairs to reach the bridge.
There were a also a few good lines but not as many as I would expect from Seth. Hopefully it will get better.
Why in the world would you want to watch GOT in a tiny phone? Beyond me.
The Deuce pilot was pretty good. It's all about the birth of the porn industry in the 1970s. Prostitutes and pimps galore. Times Square at its worst. It's HBO though. Probably matches up nicely with Snowall.
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