TV/Movies Megathread

[viper37]

Started rewatching Deep Space Nine again, a while ago.
Season 1 is 98% boring.
Season 2 is 96% boring.
Season 3 is 90% good.

It keeps getting better   The introduction of the Defiant really shook things up.

[Syt]

One thing I liked about DS9 was how it showed some of the negative sides of Roddenberry's utopia. The funniest might have been this exchange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx5I7uEEEYo

[celedhring]

One thing I liked about DS9 was how it showed some of the negative sides of Roddenberry's utopia. The funniest might have been this exchange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx5I7uEEEYo

Good thing it wasn't supposed to be a comedy then 

[Syt]

One thing I liked about DS9 was how it showed some of the negative sides of Roddenberry's utopia. The funniest might have been this exchange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx5I7uEEEYo

Good thing it wasn't supposed to be a comedy then 

It was a comedy plot in that episode

[Oexmelin]

Question for American TV series /movie buffs and other assorted fans:

When did the whole trope about "The Politicians" messing up the good, righteous work by police / military / spies begin?

(I ask, because I remain vaguely, and possibly irrationally, convinced that more people get politicized through fiction - i.e., NCIS, which has atrociously high ratings - than they are by actual political debate; and that trope has been disturbing me for a while now.).

[The Minsky Moment]

Oex - High Noon is probably an early origin point, but in the modern form I think the Dirty Harry series was pretty influential.

It goes counter to the traditional Western narrative of the implantation of political institutions being a sign of civilization, e.g. Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

[Zanza]

Has anybody watched the Queen biopic series on Netflix?

[mongers]

Question for American TV series /movie buffs and other assorted fans:

When did the whole trope about "The Politicians" messing up the good, righteous work by police / military / spies begin?

(I ask, because I remain vaguely, and possibly irrationally, convinced that more people get politicized through fiction - i.e., NCIS, which has atrociously high ratings - than they are by actual political debate; and that trope has been disturbing me for a while now.).

It's a good question, I don't watch enough TV to know.

I think you're onto something regarding the political impact of violent cop shows like CSI etc, whenever I catch a few minutes of those it seems like the cops are acting like soldiers clearing houses in urban warfare, rather than policy by consent.

[The Brain]

Has anybody watched the Queen biopic series on Netflix?

Killer or regular?

[Admiral Yi]

It's a good question, I don't watch enough TV to know.

I think you're onto something regarding the political impact of violent cop shows like CSI etc, whenever I catch a few minutes of those it seems like the cops are acting like soldiers clearing houses in urban warfare, rather than policy by consent.

I believe Ucks is raising a different issue than this: the dedicated cop/spy/whatever diligently pursuing bad guys while hamstrung by the self-seeking politician.

I don't have an answer to that question.  Seems like bad guy politicians have been a permanent fixture of American entertainment.

[viper37]

One thing I liked about DS9 was how it showed some of the negative sides of Roddenberry's utopia. The funniest might have been this exchange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx5I7uEEEYo

yeah, it's full of funny moments like that

[Martinus]

I suspected this about [spoiler]Barnard[/spoiler] on Westworld for several episodes now.

[Liep]

I suspected this about [spoiler]Barnard[/spoiler] on Westworld for several episodes now.

[spoiler]There was something in the way Hopkins kept reminding him of his dead kid that was off.[/spoiler]

[FunkMonk]

I suspected this about [spoiler]Barnard[/spoiler] on Westworld for several episodes now.

They handled the reveal really well.

This show continues to impress me.

[viper37]

Question for American TV series /movie buffs and other assorted fans:

When did the whole trope about "The Politicians" messing up the good, righteous work by police / military / spies begin?

Started in the 70s, became the main point of mainstrean Hollywood action movies in the 80s.
Lots of cop movies with Kurt Russel and/or Sylvester Stallone where they complained about judges not keeping criminals inside.
Robocop, where the police force is privatized to better fight crime, while the good police officers are on strike.
There was also, Iron Eagles, I think, where a teenage kid goes on the rescue his dad abandonned by the govt.  Rambo II, Missing in Action 1,2,3.
Ask DuquedeBraganca for other reference work

As much as tv show goes, I think the 80s is a good starting point too, but it was more subtle.  Knight Rider had a guy fighting crime for a private organization, not part of an organized police force.

The Practice, centered on defense lawyer, was very critical of government work too.  Boston Legal, despite being a comedy, touched these themes too.  In this case, it was defense attorneys against unscrupulous govt agents.

24 was the revelation.  Torture worked, but only on the bad guys.  There was always a conspiracy behind a conspiracy and it tainted everything that came after that.

NCIS, as a regular watcher, I don't feel it's really about politicians messing the good work of the people in the field.  More often than not, they work with the politicians (Sec Def), not against them, and rarely engage in illegal operations.  In fact, it's probably closer to CSI in spirit.
NCIS: Los Angeles is another matter.  Hawaii 5-0 follows in the pattern too, with torture and shooting once per episode, at least.

And yes, they have ridiculous ratings.  But fastfood is much more popular than other type of restaurants.