What are you watching in 2025?

[Mutaman]

And while I didn't love One Battle for the reasons mentioned,

Other than the fact that you didn't like the charachters, what reasons did you mention?

[JWags85]

Other than the fact that you didn't like the charachters, what reasons did you mention?

I thought the plot and themes were heavy handed, which I get is partly due to artistic choices/direction and were at least in part intentional, but I just particularly enjoy those choices from PTA as a result.  It made the first half of the movie a bit of a slog, obviously exacerbated by the number of unlikable characters.  I realize not everyone would feel this way, hence why I said it was a YMMV sort of situation as opposed to "this movie sucks/is terrible".  There are "acclaimed" movies where I'm like "i can't believe any normal civilian movie-goer actually enjoyed this to the extent people are saying", but I don't feel like this was one of them.  Just not my jam, which is completely fine.

[MU82]

Just wrapped up Season 2 of Paradise. I really liked the way the season started and unfolded, especially Xavier's arc. Lots of exciting and/or emotional scenes, and some surprises, too.

It's a lot of sci-fi, which requires some willingness to accept some out-there stuff ... and accept it I did.

The season also featured the easiest-to-care-for baby in the history of TV babies!

[tower912]

The Pitt.


Project Hail Mary.

[wadesworld]

Great season of Love on the Spectrum. The last episode was really good.

[wadesworld]

Jury Duty presents Corporate Retreat was great. I still have a hard time believing the main characters truly don't know what's going on. Anthony seems like a genuinely awesome guy.

[MU82]

First two episodes of The Boys were awesome. Gonna miss this show when it's over.

[MU82]

Just watched the Netflix doc on the Portland "Jail Blazers." It's an interesting look at a unique team, including great interviews with the famously reticent Rasheed Wallace.

I mentioned to my son that I watched it, and he said: "The guy that directed it, Sascha Gardner, went to Payton Prep with me."

Which is pretty cool. He did a nice job.

[PointWarrior]

Corporate Retreat is awesome

Jury Duty presents Corporate Retreat was great. I still have a hard time believing the main characters truly don't know what's going on. Anthony seems like a genuinely awesome guy.

[Mutaman]

Spartacus: House of Ashur.

Great sex, great violence, great dialogue ( "believing the gods spread cheeks for frequent ramming") and a Lucy Lawless appearance in Episode 1.

[StillAWarrior]

We started watching Big Mistakes (Netflix) over the weekend. We enjoyed it. Kind of a dark comedy that reminds me in some ways of Fargo (the movie...I never saw the tv show).

[MU82]

We're really enjoying Margo's Got Money Troubles on Apple TV. A clever premise, and good acting, especially from Elle Fanning and Nick Offerman.

[MU82]

Enjoyable, fitting wind-up to The Boys. I won't give away anything, but I will say they REALLY leaned into what's going on in America these days. So many great characters during its 5-year run, but Homelander was iconic.

We also really liked the first season of Margo's Got Money Troubles. Funny and touching and well-acted.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

People openly mock what CBS news has become.  And they should.

PYONGYANG (The Borowitz Report)—Embattled CBS News chief Bari Weiss abruptly left the network on Wednesday to accept a new role as general manager of North Korea's state-run media.

"I was a big fan of her work at CBS," said the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un. "I've spent years trying to purge all the news from our media and she pulled it off in a matter of months."

"Plus, her willingness to do David Ellison's bidding proved she can debase herself to a leader who got his position purely from nepotism," he added.

But Weiss's tenure at the North Korean network DLT (Dear Leader Television) got off to a rocky start as staffers quit en masse, complaining about her lack of television experience.

[JWags85]

While I kind of got ambivalent on The Boys (LOVED Season 1 and 2, bit more lukewarm on 3-5 though they were still entertaining.), I saw a little interview blurb with Anthony Starr about the Homelander memes and it reminded me that Ive always been meaning to go back and watch Banshee, series on Cinemax from 2013-2016 that was his big break into the US market.  It was Cinemax's first original series and I didn't really clock the network for original programming until The Knick (also an excellent series I've been meaning to rewatch).

So I binged the 4 seasons over the last few weeks when Ive been traveling or up working after my wife goes to sleep.  Its a FANTASTICALLY entertaining show about a former soldier turned ex-con, just released after 15 years in prison for a failed jewel heist, who kind of falls into assuming the identity of the sheriff of a rust belt town in Pennsylvania Amish Country.  Its got a great cast beyond Starr.  Frankie Faison (Commissioner Burell from the Wire), Hoon Lee (a classic "oh that guy" before his success in Your Friends and Neighbors recently), and also the first post-Daytime TV role for Tom Pelphrey who is having a breakout recently with Ozark, Outer Range, and Task.  Whats funny is the first 2 seasons have these fantastic actors crushing it, but the supporting/1 or 2 off episode character acting is community theater levels at times.  Its a bizarre juxtaposition, probably cause Cinemax was running limited budget on it.

But the show's biggest strength is the action/fight sequences.  Its incredibly choreographed in its fight sequences, tons of "oh crap" moments, and very creative in some of its more gruesome elements, which I appreciate.  Its a little heavy on the "how do these people keep missing?" and "can someone really eat that many punches/kicks?", but otherwise its great viewing.

[StillAWarrior]

Any thoughts on S3E1 of House of the Dragon? The season certainly hit the ground running. My understanding is that this was originally supposed to be the end of S2, but that when that season was shortened from 10 to 8 episodes it was pushed back to this season.

I enjoyed the episode. Some pretty impressive scenes that were reminiscent of old-school GoT.

[MU82]

Any thoughts on S3E1 of House of the Dragon? The season certainly hit the ground running. My understanding is that this was originally supposed to be the end of S2, but that when that season was shortened from 10 to 8 episodes it was pushed back to this season.

I enjoyed the episode. Some pretty impressive scenes that were reminiscent of old-school GoT.

The naval battle (and dragon battle) was one of the best war scenes I've ever seen. Looking forward to seeing how the story advances from here.