Last TV Show You Watched?

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  • edited May 2022 Posts: 3,272
    Just finished Ozark. After a great series, it's been completely ruined by yet another pathetic, Hollywood/Netflix dumbass ending to rival NTTD.

    This trend is definitely stuck with us for the moment. Horrible. Uplifting endings aren't allowed anymore. It's trash shock these days.

    I didn't like the Ozark finale either but if you expected ANY ending for that show to be "uplifting" then I don't know what show you had on for 43 episodes prior.

    I was expecting Marty to rescue Ruth, the same way Walter rescued Jesse in Breaking Bad. Ultimately Walt dies, and the show was built on a very similar premise to Ozark, but the show still manages to ends on a high regardless.

    These days it appears as though ending shows on a high is not allowed anymore. It has to be downbeat, miserable. Hollywood is stuck in a rut, so is Netflix. They don't know how to end things properly anymore. Maybe this woke culture that is rumoured to be affecting Tinseltown really is having an effect on how script decisions are made now.

    Keep it up and at this rate Hollywood and Netflix will be going under, and I for one will find it hard not to celebrate when it does happen. The industry was built on entertaining, and a big part of that is feeling good when you have finished watching something for a couple of hours (or a lot longer if it's a box set).

    Now this trend has been turned on its head, and the industry looks for controversial shock elements instead, give things a real gloomy ending, so people start moaning about it on social media, in the hope to stir up a hornets nest so they can hashtag trend for as long as possible afterwards. It's also about giving out messages too, so we as an audience are being lectured to on Tinseltown's woke principles. Ozark is about rich capitalists winning at any cost.

    But keep this nasty negative trend up, and Tinseltown, and everything it was once built on, will be finished.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 12,914
    Gosh.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    It would be like watching Breaking Bad and being upset that it didn't end with Walt and his family being given the keys to the city and Walt's cancer being cured by a miracle drug.

    Completely wrong analogy. This would be the equivalent to Breaking Bad if Walter didn't rescue Jesse at the end. That's pretty much what happens in Ozark. Marty was Walt, and Ruth was Jesse, and a big part of the show was built around those 2. It's where it's heart was at, the same with Walt and Jesse. Had Walt not rescued Jesse at the end, and allowed him to be killed off instead, no way on earth BB would be as fondly remembered as it rightly is.

    If BB was filmed today. that's exactly the kind of ending we would get now. A trash, shock gimmick, to really give a nasty, downbeat ending so the audience can't feel good about what they have seen.[/quote]

    The point of the analogy wasn't to relate an exact or similar situation to what happened in Ozark. As I said, I had no concrete idea what that show is about, outside of the tone it set in my mind from seeing trailers and talking to folks about it. The point of the analogy was to give an example of a time when you'd not be expecting a show with no hopes of ending happily to end happily. Even with my own ignorance as to the plot, story and characters of Ozark, I never would've gone into it expecting anything remotely happy or uplifting or sunshiney splendid to happen at the end, because every scene I've seen of the show has been shot as if it's from an Auschwitz documentary, bleak as can be, and the tone is set very heavily from then on. That's why I was surprised that you seemed surprised by how it ended, because I wouldn't have been. Now, if the camera lenses had more than just blue or grey filters over it, that'd be another story. But, anyway... ;-)
    And no, NTTD was not done with beauty and respect. It was done mainly on the whim of luring an actor one more time to play Bond, regardless of what it does for the franchise. You may think I'm immature for thinking this way, and I may think you are a dumbass for falling for such an obvious trash shock gimmick they spewed out.

    If Bond were to die, I couldn't imagine a more respectful and touching way for it to be done. He wasn't killed by a shot in the back, or shot in the head turning a corner, he was given the chance to not just save the day, but save his family and have a final moment with them knowing that his sacrifice was worth it. It's what he signs up for each mission he goes on, knowing that maybe he won't always come out of it. The Craig era has been setting that up rather well, and I knew that if one era would do it, it'd be his. That's part of why I don't view it as shocking, as the groundwork was laid and I find it to be a fitting conclusion, and one that was well set up for.

    I also find it to be something Fleming probably would've done before long, as in the books he also set that up rather well, for it all to end in Bond dying after doing one "ugly" mission too many. The literary reincarnation remarked more than once that he didn't conceive of surviving until retirement, and so he spent on life's luxuries knowing each moment could be his last. This to me, is what Dan's Bond nailed. A man who knew what job he was in, and got the most out of life while he could because he understood the hazards of the work.

    It also does literally nothing to the franchise. I don't understand why people think Bond dying damages the franchise in any way, or put it in a bad spot. It's one Bond that has died, and we'll get another one before long. I've read far more positive reactions to where Bond's story goes in this era from outside this forum than anything negative, because Dan was able to make people connect to the man and his performance paid off half a decade of character work. And clearly it did nothing negative for the success of the series, as Dan's films were behemoth successes and raked in the cash, including NTTD during a pandemic of all things. We're coming off of a Bond era that took the world by storm at a time when it was the hardest for Bond to compete, and yet he did, smoking out Ethan Hunt, Jason Bourne and everyone in between inside his genre while also setting a strong performance outside it. There's absolutely no worries about Bond's health in the future, outside of the next guy having a damn hard job replacing Dan. I don't envy him.

    By the way, you can call people "dumbasses" all you want, mate, but in that event all I have to say is that you've really excelled at proving my point about the whole immaturity thing. This was part of why I neglected to discuss a lot of NTTD on its release with certain people on here, as they got so in their feelings about the film that they started to act like they were in preschool again and went on the defensive to extreme degrees with others in the community, and it's not a good look. We're all adults here, and we should act like it.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,371
    Surely one can question or even debate another's tastes without resorting to calling them a "dumbass." Different strokes for different folks but personal name-calling instantly confirms for me to step out of a debate because I'm wasting my time.
  • Posts: 3,272
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Surely one can question or even debate another's tastes without resorting to calling them a "dumbass." Different strokes for different folks but personal name-calling instantly confirms for me to step out of a debate because I'm wasting my time.

    I was called immature, so just giving back as good as I got, but yes I guess that makes me immature after all.
  • edited May 2022 Posts: 3,272

    By the way, you can call people "dumbasses" all you want, mate, but in that event all I have to say is that you've really excelled at proving my point about the whole immaturity thing. This was part of why I neglected to discuss a lot of NTTD on its release with certain people on here, as they got so in their feelings about the film that they started to act like they were in preschool again and went on the defensive to extreme degrees with others in the community, and it's not a good look. We're all adults here, and we should act like it.

    I'm bored of debating whether killing off Bond was a good thing or not, which fans liked it, which fans didn't, whether it will hurt the franchise or not, so I can't think of anything more constructive to say on the subject anymore other than dumbass. My brain is all fried up.

    I'm sure you are bored of talking about it too, even though you thought it was a good thing they killed him off.

    The one positive thing I'll say about the way Bond died actually fitted in to the narrative from the Fleming book Moonraker - on fire in a suicide action, he tells his accomplice, Gala, with a cynical tone, "The boy stood on the burning deck. I've wanted to copy him since I was five."

    Personally I'm not a lover of negative endings in general. I much prefer happy, uplifting endings, and certainly don't want to see my hero die on screen, even if he can come back in the form of another reboot. But that's just me. Others are rejoicing in his death, so be it. We can't all like the same things.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    @jetsetwilly, I get being tired of talking about certain things, just don't like when things get a little too personal and group's intelligence is doubted for an opinion. But I don't sweat that, it's the internet.

    What you mention about Moonraker is part of what I was referring to in terms of Fleming setting up the possibility of Bond dying. In that book Bond considers sacrificing himself to stop Drax, and it's no different on any other mission, specifically the NTTD one, especially since he dies in much the same way (basically vaporized). It just points to who he is as a man, willing to die to do his duty. I can never be truly upset about Bond dying if the way he died was how he lived, and I think they did him justice by allowing him to meet his end being the kind of man we all love him for being. That doesn't mean I don't cry rivers every time I watch the film, or that seeing him die doesn't tear at my heart, because it does, especially since Dan is the kind of the role to me at this point. But I am able to see the bigger picture and what that ending means for the rest of the era, and how the story was told. I just don't think it could've ended any other way, as Bond facing his mortality and seeing others face theirs was such a cornerstone of these films.

    But I get why it's harder for some to accept, as he always comes out on top and is a symbolic hero. I just respect EON for daring to go a different direction, while still keeping the essence of who Bond is intact. Can't ask for much more.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,050
    https://www.slashfilm.com/862884/magnum-p-i-chuck-lorres-b-positive-and-united-states-of-al-among-cbs-cancellations/

    I don’t like to be negative sounding but it is time CBS said enough to Chuck Lorre sitcoms. They’re almost always the same: someone’s a drunk, someone’s got mother issues, there’s a too cynical tone to each of his shows. And CBS just kept saying give us more. Netflix and some of the other networks had the balls to this sucks and cancel his shows. I still call CBS Chuck’s Bullsht or Cop Bullsht cause that’s all they offer in prime time, apart from the news.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,371
    Personally, I could do without 99.9% of these broadcast series and sitcoms. They almost always seem generically safe or reboots of past properties that don't have the same magic.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    I genuinely don't know how people even watch TV anymore. Literally the only time I watch the actual TV is when someone I'm with has it on, and when I see the kind of programming on offer, I never regret my decision to avoid it.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,050
    I genuinely don't know how people even watch TV anymore. Literally the only time I watch the actual TV is when someone I'm with has it on, and when I see the kind of programming on offer, I never regret my decision to avoid it.

    +1. My dad has been almost tortured me without realizing it with Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. Those high TV ratings are why my country isn’t the smartest, and why certain politicians are re-elected without end.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 7,999
    I'm currently rewatching BETTER CALL SAUL via Netflix, as the final season is currently on a mid-season break. I just finished "Cobbler" and cannot stop laughing. I really hope Bob Odinkirk finally wins an Emmy. It's been long deserved at this point. Same with Jonathan Banks, Michael Mando and Patrick Fabian for at least deserving a nomination for supporting.
  • edited June 2022 Posts: 1,637


    45 anniversary Rapid City concert today , its decent for '77 , at least much better than Omaha 19th or Houston '76
  • Posts: 2,887
    In a sense, Elvis was the first victim of the opioid crisis. There are some fine moments from those concerts (and a great one in his "Unchained Melody") but they shouldn't have been televised. He needed help.
  • Posts: 1,637
    Actually Bela Lugosi had a huge morphine problem back in the 50s
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2022 Posts: 17,727
    Tracy wrote: »
    Actually Bela Lugosi had a huge morphine problem back in the 50s

    Not to mention the infamous Nazi Hermann Göring who got addicted to morphine after getting shot in the groin during the November 1923 Munich Putsch where Hitler unsuccessfully tried to seize power in Germany. He was a morphine addict for the rest of his life and it sapped his strength and influence with Hitler until he was arrested and tried for war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Derek
    Started on season two recently. Manages to be both funny and moving. Good characters.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,371
    Derek
    Started on season two recently. Manages to be both funny and moving. Good characters.

    I love that show so much. The bloopers are even better somehow.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Derek
    Started on season two recently. Manages to be both funny and moving. Good characters.

    I love that show so much. The bloopers are even better somehow.

    Haven t gotten around to those yet. Is season 3 just one special episode?
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,371
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Derek
    Started on season two recently. Manages to be both funny and moving. Good characters.

    I love that show so much. The bloopers are even better somehow.

    Haven t gotten around to those yet. Is season 3 just one special episode?

    That's correct, just a 60 minute special. Gervais seems to favor ending his shows after 2-3 seasons/series so I'm glad we at least got a special to wrap things up because I was loving it and thought they could've stretched it to a couple more seasons personally.
  • Posts: 12,506
    Jack Reacher, Season 1.

    Have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would welcome more seasons. The kind of humour in this? Is the sort of route i wolud like to see the new Bond take moving forward. Funny with sarcasm and a darker side. :-bd
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,448
    Stranger Things

    Best thing I've seen on Netflix in ages!

    StrangerThings_StrangerThings4_4_01_08_27_04.jpg
  • Posts: 12,506
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Stranger Things

    Best thing I've seen on Netflix in ages!

    StrangerThings_StrangerThings4_4_01_08_27_04.jpg

    I hear so many people raving about this show, but I have not seen a single episode?
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,448
    RogueAgent wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Stranger Things

    Best thing I've seen on Netflix in ages!

    StrangerThings_StrangerThings4_4_01_08_27_04.jpg

    I hear so many people raving about this show, but I have not seen a single episode?

    I was born in the early '80s. ST takes place across the '80s. It combines Goonies with Alien, The Thing, The Terminator, Lovecraft, The Lost Boys, Akira and more. The synth score, for which the composers dug up authentic synthesisers from those days, is fantastic. The cast is absolutely brilliant. And after three relatively short but amusing and fascinating seasons, you dive into the absolutely addictive, viewership-record-breaking season 4, the one that put Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill high on the charts again, the one that beat Bridgerton as the best viewed Netflix series.

    ST to me is a nostalgic meal cooked to perfection. As the series progresses, characters become true idols. ST appeals not just to my inner child, but also to the grown-up I am. Unlike many other TV series, it has a story to tell. It doesn't waste episodes on the "issue of the week", nor does it spend all its time with characters just talking and talking while an epileptic cameraman makes us seasick. (There, I just gave 95% of all TV series the finger.) By the time you reach Season 4, ST has become a cinematic experience, with feature-length episodes. There's cuteness, comedy, horror, and emotion but above all, there's an '80s power trip unlike any I've seen in recent times. The '80s are back, baby, and ST made it happen.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    edited July 2022 Posts: 13,879
    Just wrapped up part 1 of season 4 Stranger Things just this minute! Seriously good show, and the last few moments were like woah.
  • Posts: 3,272
    Just finished Better Call Saul, now waiting for the final part this week. Brilliant, not quite as good as Breaking Bad, but still very good. Vince Gilligan is a genius.

    It will be interesting to see if the show ends in a positive manner like Breaking Bad did (even though Walt died).
  • Posts: 12,242
    To anyone who hasn’t seen it, I strongly recommend the Twilight Zone episode “He’s Alive.” It has tremendous acting, a perfect script, and has aged like a fine wine—as many of the show’s episodes have, but this one in particular. It’s a very powerful watch, especially right now in the world we’re in.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    The Sandman
    tom-sturridge-morfeo-the-sandman.jpeg

    Halfway through. This isn t bad, but the comics are better. Some casting decisions are excellent, while others are puzzling.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,382
    Mr. Robot.

    How have I not discovered this until now?

    And I agree about Stranger Things. Just made it to the finale of season 4. That show is 🔥
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,371
    Mr. Robot.

    How have I not discovered this until now?

    And I agree about Stranger Things. Just made it to the finale of season 4. That show is 🔥

    One of my favorite shows of the last 20 years, Malek is brilliant in it.
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