Television

The Ghost Nation episode was excellent. It also conflicted with some of the ideas they established about hosts, IMO, and it was a kind of storytelling they didn't use before or after. That's more of a knock on the overall show, since I would love a version of WW that played more vague and less technical with the level of agency hosts have and left more space for us to project our own humanity on to the hosts. Getting very technical and explain-y with stories about sentience, identity, and agency–much like with time travel stories–actually makes it harder for me to connect to the emotional and human core of the story. Give me enough details to buy the magic and then give me space to insert my own experiences and feelings. I thought the performances in the Ghost Nation episode achieved the effect that they wanted for the other hosts in the main story but have, IMO, failed to achieve because it's become more about the puzzle box and a technical illustration of every decision a host makes.
 
I really liked WW season 1 and think the puzzle box reveal at the end was worth the obtuseness. Season 2 was a huge let down for me. At the time that season 2 was airing, I was frequently crossing paths with one of the main actors and they expressed a similar confusion and frustration over the direction that season 2 went in the final half of episodes. I'm not sure if that was just their own unpopular opinion or if it was a general sentiment amongst the cast and crew that things lost their way a little bit. Now that I'm typing it, did HBO or any show runners talk about the season after it aired and address its reception?

All that said, I'll try season 3 and see if moving to the outside world and bringing in new characters is an opportunity for a fresh slate and a re-focusing of things. It could be a cool way to soft-reboot the show while keeping all the main folks' stories going.
I thought S2 was exhausting.
We almost stopped watching season 2 of WW. It was really non sequitur, IMHO. They jumped around and sort of showed us cool stuff but it was too much. I agree @Bennnnn I like the idea behind it. I love shows that delve into other forms of consciousness. But the execution was just confusing in a lot of places.
 
Stupid Netflix cancelling it’s best show...

Wait.. what the fuck. Going to furiously read this article now but WHAT THE FUCK?

Edit: just finished reading. To say I am disappoint would be an understatement.
 
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With all the new streaming options currently available I was barely keeping my Netflix subscription as it was. This might put me over the top.

I agree and as they lose out on their older catalog of other network's stuff, they really need to step it up their programming. Even a lot of the stuff I've seen raved about on Reddit was fucking awful (in my humble opinion of course) but this was some serious almost-prestige level television.
 
Stupid Netflix cancelling it’s best show...
This article is smarmy and accusitory, but it hasn't been officially cancelled, it's been put on hold while David Fincher starts work on movies again.
 
This article is smarmy and accusitory, but it hasn't been officially cancelled, it's been put on hold while David Fincher starts work on movies again.

Yeah, a shitty blow for Netflix after a pile of their own cancellations, but it’s ending on Fincher’s terms as far as I’m concerned. He’s onto making his Citizen Kane biopic and over the FBI. Beyond that, the delay in seasons proved he’s obviously not able to hit the pace needed to maintain this as a proper show with his notoriously meticulous working method. Even though he doesn’t direct every episode he’s heavily involved in the day to day of the show, much more than House of Cards where he passed the baton early on.

This is the downside of auteur TV, most auteurs don’t want to stick around for more than a season or two, and replacing them almost always results in a major dip in quality (see True Detective Season 2). In all honeslty I’m glad Netflix is sticking by Fincher as a creator and willing to let him blow up one of their bigger hits to keep him happy.
 
I'd typically agree with you but they wouldn't cancel the actor's contracts (or not renew them) if they had any intention of really continuing it.
Yeah that’s the thing...it’s not really cancelled, but it certainly doesn’t give me any hope of it continuing. There was already a pretty long gap between seasons 1 and 2 and now this. Does Fincher hold enough sway at Netflix to just tell them whenever it is he’s ready to come back? I don’t know.


anyway, Mindhunter was/is one of my favorite shows. it hit everything I love so well.
 
Yeah that’s the thing...it’s not really cancelled, but it certainly doesn’t give me any hope of it continuing. There was already a pretty long gap between seasons 1 and 2 and now this. Does Fincher hold enough sway at Netflix to just tell them whenever it is he’s ready to come back? I don’t know.


anyway, Mindhunter was/is one of my favorite shows. it hit everything I love so well.

I really wanna make a Rupert Murchoch comment related to Anna and how he could basically save it but who tf knows anymore.
 
Anyone enjoy Sex Education? Didn't realize season 2 got added to Netflix this weekend.

Finished season 2 last night and I have to say I'm impressed they kept the quality and didn't turn the show into something like The OC. Unless it's less realistic that season 1 (wait til you se the Romeo and Juliet they make -which school has that budget for a play!?), it has some very nice moments. some secondary characters, like Adam's mom, become more important.
And Gillian Anderson in a jumpsuit is EVERYTHING.
 
Anyone watching The Outsider on HBO? I haven't read the book so I have zero expectation. So far, it's interesting. I was a bit shocked by the end of episode 1. And from the preview of episode 3, it looks like the story takes a left turn.
 
Anyone watching The Outsider on HBO? I haven't read the book so I have zero expectation. So far, it's interesting. I was a bit shocked by the end of episode 1. And from the preview of episode 3, it looks like the story takes a left turn.
This is actually a show I want to start watching since I just finished Watchmen. But I got too caught up in The New Pope and don't have a ton of time to watch a lot of shows that I need to watch with no kids around.
 
Anyone watching The Outsider on HBO? I haven't read the book so I have zero expectation. So far, it's interesting. I was a bit shocked by the end of episode 1. And from the preview of episode 3, it looks like the story takes a left turn.
I’ve seen the first three episodes and while it’s not a genre I normally search out, I really like it.
 
I’ve seen the first three episodes and while it’s not a genre I normally search out, I really like it.
I will watch episode 3 tonight. Does it get scary? Cause I can't handle scary.

And

Does Jason Bateman appear in episode 3? I was quite surprised he was killed off in episode 1.
 
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