So, I started watching True Blood recently and saw the first three episodes of season 1. Now, I like the concept, all the in-jokes, social commentary, yada yada yada, but somehow I'm underwhelmed. I love HBO, I love Alan Ball and I love vampires so the show should be right up my alley but somehow it seems boring-ish. It could be because it is based on a book which wasn't that good (haven't read it) or maybe it just has a slow start.
By comparison, when I first got season 1 of Six Feet Under, I watched half way through it during the first night, staying up until 4 a.m. or something, I was so drawn in.
So to people who saw it - what is your view - and does it get better?
Do you like Lafayette? If Yes, then yea it gets a little better.
If you don't, no.
And before someone comments - yeah, I know the show is a couple of years old. I just don't like watching tv shows on actual tv, because I always miss episodes etc. so I just buy them on DVD when they come out and then it may take a while before I get around to see them - I have several shows lined up that way - for example later seasons of Battlestar Galactica, season 4 of Queer as Folk, season 1 of Dexter, etc. - which I know are good but I haven't yet had time to sit down and watch.
Quote from: Grey Fox on November 12, 2009, 10:42:55 AM
Do you like Lafayette? If Yes, then yea it gets a little better.
If you don't, no.
Well I like him - but the characters overall are kinda boring/one dimensional.
And the Josh-Whedonish-Mary-Sue (Sookie) annoys the hell out of me.
I tolerated the show through the first season and the first couple of episodes of season 2. After that it starts getting very good and I'm an enthusiastic fan. I'm not at all interested in going back and watching the first season though, way too much whining.
When I first started watching it I did think the first episode or two were quite awful. But I had nothing else to do so I stuck with it and...yeah, it gets good.
I dunno what to tell you Marty. I've only seen the first season, and I thought it was good.
meh, Marty is just creaming his panties because Alan Ball said there will be more ghey characters on True Blood.
I liked it mostly. The 1st season took a bit to find it's pace but got quite cool towards the end. The second season starts out great but after a while things got all too silly. Still watched all of it. Not looking forward towards a third though.
The show sucks.
It's ok. The second season gets ridiculous, but they don't seem to take it seriously so its kinda amusing.
I didn't enjoy the series. Hopefully it's canceled soon.
Quote from: Fate on November 12, 2009, 12:43:10 PM
I didn't enjoy the series. Hopefully it's canceled soon.
odds are unlikely, as it is doing too well for hbo.
My wife likes it.
Quote from: frunk on November 12, 2009, 10:47:35 AM
I tolerated the show through the first season and the first couple of episodes of season 2. After that it starts getting very good and I'm an enthusiastic fan. I'm not at all interested in going back and watching the first season though, way too much whining.
I thought season 1 was better than most of season 2. Season 2 had some great stuff, but the Michelle Forbes storyline dragged out way too long. imo.
Season 1 seemed very lazy. Beyond the continual annoying whine of Sookie, Tara and Bill the storyline resolved, [SPOILER WARNING]
after numerous half-hearted red herrings, with a killer who had no foreshadowing, no real motive and not even much character development. The second season had a much better plot, tons of interesting characters including the other telepath, vampire gov't, the maenad which I liked and mercifully much less whining by all involved. Yes it got sillier, but also entertaining at the same time when it stopped taking itself so seriously.
The show is fantastically uneven. Way too campy for my tastes.
Check out Mad Men and Breaking Bad. AMC now has the best dramas on television. Somehow.
I thought Season One was really good.
Season Two was really bad.
I think once the concept of having vampires walking around, coming out, as it were, wears off, it gets pretty dull.
Quote from: Queequeg on November 12, 2009, 01:51:48 PM
The show is fantastically uneven. Way too campy for my tastes.
Check out Mad Men and Breaking Bad. AMC now has the best dramas on television. Somehow.
Breaking Bad doesn't stand out that much. It's not as good as Weeds, for instance(yeah I know Weeds is a comedy, but the comparison is unavoidable). Worth watching but so are most HBO/Showtime series.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on November 12, 2009, 03:47:56 PM
Breaking Bad doesn't stand out that much. It's not as good as Weeds, for instance(yeah I know Weeds is a comedy, but the comparison is unavoidable). Worth watching but so are most HBO/Showtime series.
:huh:
It can't really be compared to Weeds. Breaking Bad is a fantastically depressing drama, and frankly one of the best (and best reviewed) shows on American television. Weeds is a light, over-quirk dependent comedy.
Breaking Bad? Never heard of that one.
Mad Men...I watched the first two episodes and...meh. It just didn't appeal at all.
I'm just getting into "Curb Your Enthusiasm" about 10 years too late. :blush:
Quote from: Queequeg on November 12, 2009, 04:06:03 PM
:huh:
It can't really be compared to Weeds.
Average joe suburban white person gets caught up in the drug trade, learns the ropes, hijinks ensue. Sure their treatment differs, but it's the same story.
But if you prefer, let's compare it with Mad Men. The problem with Breaking Bad is that it is too gritty and realistic. None of the characters are larger than life, there's no romance to it. It's kind of like a reality show where nobody realizes they're being filmed.
Like I said, it's worth watching. But it's not a show to fall in love with.
Quote from: Capetan Mihali on November 12, 2009, 04:12:31 PM
I'm just getting into "Curb Your Enthusiasm" about 10 years too late. :blush:
I watched a couple episodes of "The Larry Sanders Show" on youtube recently. :lol:
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on November 12, 2009, 04:51:55 PM
Average joe suburban white person gets caught up in the drug trade, learns the ropes, hijinks ensue. Sure their treatment differs, but it's the same story.
But if you prefer, let's compare it with Mad Men. The problem with Breaking Bad is that it is too gritty and realistic. None of the characters are larger than life, there's no romance to it. It's kind of like a reality show where nobody realizes they're being filmed.
Like I said, it's worth watching. But it's not a show to fall in love with.
Weeds is a comedy about a woman keeping her family together. Breaking Bad is, if anything, the exact opposite.
And I think the realism and darkness of Breaking Bad is a clear strength. This isn't Leave it to Beaver or The Brady Bunch. I like that.
Breaking bad and Mad Men :zzz:
Quote from: Queequeg on November 12, 2009, 05:25:00 PM
Weeds is a comedy about a woman keeping her family together. Breaking Bad is, if anything, the exact opposite.
:yeahright:
Both characters are dealing with family problems stemming largely from their decision to enter the drug trade. Both had similar reasons for getting in. Nancy may be dealing with her problems more successfully, but it's a comedy show- the treatment differs, the story not so much.
The Weeds chick gives me wood.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on November 12, 2009, 05:42:02 PM
:yeahright:
Both characters are dealing with family problems stemming largely from their decision to enter the drug trade. Both had similar reasons for getting in. Nancy may be dealing with her problems more successfully, but it's a comedy show- the treatment differs, the story not so much.
Again, wrong.
Weeds is a fairly traditional comedy show. Most of the plots exist somewhat in and of themselves, with a little bit of a season-wide plot.
Breaking Bad is in the mold of the Long Televised Novels like Oz, or better yet The Sopranos and The Wire. It has a single arc (Walter White going down), and spends almost its entire time on that, without a hugely important break between seasons or episodes where everything "go back to normal".
The premises are similar, but the individual plot and everything BESIDES the premise is different.
:frusty:
It's the subject matter that makes the comparison unavoidable. I'm not saying they're the same kind of show.
Quote from: katmai on November 12, 2009, 05:33:56 PM
Breaking bad and Mad Men :zzz:
Not sold on Breaking Bad yet....but Mad Men boring? Surely you jest. It is by far the best thing on television, bar none.
Mad Men haters are simply too emasculated to enjoy it properly.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on November 12, 2009, 04:51:55 PMThe problem with Breaking Bad is that it is too gritty and realistic. None of the characters are larger than life, there's no romance to it.
I think that's the best thing about it. :lol:
Breaking Bad is probably my favorite show on tv. Tried to watch weeds but I just couldn't make it past the first few episodes. Mad Men is great too. Although I wish I hadn't started watching either until they were finished.
Quote from: Josephus on November 12, 2009, 07:49:50 PM
Quote from: katmai on November 12, 2009, 05:33:56 PM
Breaking bad and Mad Men :zzz:
Not sold on Breaking Bad yet....but Mad Men boring? Surely you jest. It is by far the best thing on television, bar none.
Never watched it :P
Quote from: frunk on November 12, 2009, 01:51:21 PM
Season 1 seemed very lazy. Beyond the continual annoying whine of Sookie, Tara and Bill the storyline resolved, [SPOILER WARNING]
I completely agree with your assessment of the plot of the first one.
Quote from: Capetan Mihali on November 12, 2009, 04:12:31 PM
I'm just getting into "Curb Your Enthusiasm" about 10 years too late. :blush:
Me too! I love that show.
I haven't seen the show but am currently reading the books and I think the plot gets progressively better.
Thanks Korea. That white shows up very nicely on the blue background.
Quote from: Martinus on November 12, 2009, 10:44:59 AM
And the Josh-Whedonish-Mary-Sue (Sookie) annoys the hell out of me.
Fuck you. Anybody who uses the term 'Mary-Sue' reveals themself to lack taste and the ability to use rationality to analyze anything.
That said, after having to sit through my wife watching the show, the only good part of the show is Stellan Skaarsgard's kid.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 12, 2009, 08:59:11 PM
Thanks Korea. That white shows up very nicely on the blue background.
That's the color we always use for spoilers on languish. :huh: It even says spoiler above it.
Ok just finished watching the last episode of season 1, and yeah I agree it got better towards the end.
I don't know if this is intentional but I like the show flirting with a pastiche at some points (is it possible to have a vampire story these days that is not a pastiche to some degree?) I also like Sam the Dog more than Bill the Vampire. :P
Maybe Yi is using a different forum skin. There are several.
OK, wannabe homo.
Woah. Just finished Season 2 yesterday night. I'm offciailly suffering from a titties overdose. Will have to watch Vampire Diaries to cure myself :P
Anyway, is there a 3rd season planned for this show? How further can they push the enveloppe this time? I mean, in S1, there were people fucking with everyone all the time, in S2, there were mass orgies all the time, so what can they do in S3?? :D
Quote from: viper37 on November 23, 2009, 11:01:26 AM
Anyway, is there a 3rd season planned for this show? How further can they push the enveloppe this time? I mean, in S1, there were people fucking with everyone all the time, in S2, there were mass orgies all the time, so what can they do in S3?? :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGA0dIz9-Wk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGA0dIz9-Wk)
Quote from: viper37 on November 23, 2009, 11:01:26 AM
Woah. Just finished Season 2 yesterday night. I'm offciailly suffering from a titties overdose. Will have to watch Vampire Diaries to cure myself :P
Anyway, is there a 3rd season planned for this show? How further can they push the enveloppe this time? I mean, in S1, there were people fucking with everyone all the time, in S2, there were mass orgies all the time, so what can they do in S3?? :D
Gay orgies?
There's 6 others books to pick from.
Does Sookie ever get naked?
In the tv show? Yes, lots of boobage action. See her ass often too.
Especially in the first couple eps of S.2, she was in some pretty hot lovemaking scenes.