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TV Shows I am enjoying

GAJ said:
Watched the first half of "The Highwaymen" last night on Netflix.

Awesome thus far and I'm no Costner fan...or Harrelson for that matter but they are entertaining together for sure as washed up lawmen.
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Natural Born Killers is one of the greatest films ever made.
 
I saw NBK when it came out, have no real plans to see it again.

If you like Highwaymen, and looking for some more chasing robbers through Texas, then "Hell or Highwater" is an excellent movie.

I can't seem to find where its streaming, but its even worth the $5 to rent it on your platform of choice.

Finished "Presumed Innocent". 6.8, I guess.

I tried to watch "Your Honor", but the boy is a complete idiot, so I can't really watch it anymore.

And I started "The Diplomat", so far it's excellent.

What makes "The Boys" so good?

What do people like about it?
 
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The Boys punches a hole in the super-hero genre because they are all flawed and most abuse their ability to the detriment of mankind. Their actions are all reported by media but are often staged and their excessive killing is kept secret as much as possible. It’s also a very contemporary social commentary, by allusion, to the current right wing movement in our country towards fascism and includes themes of race and religion. The entire underpinnings is that a mega-corp called Vought actually created the superheroes with a patented chemical injected shortly after birth by willing parents (sorry that’s a spoiler but you find out fairly soon). Vought does everything: promotes candidates, manufactures many types of goods and services and uses media (ala Fox) to push their narratives; plus they are constantly trying to insert themselves into the US military and LEO on a privatized basis.. The most powerful superhero becomes more and more megamaniacal as the show progresses and surrounds himself with nervous sycophants who often end up dead. The Boys themselves are a small band trying to fight and sometimes kill the worst of the lot even though one of the boys is a female with superhero abilities.
It’s a first-class production of premium cable and is a bit too gory probably for many women (including Ms. BA) . On top of all of it, it is somewhat self-mocking and intentionally campy. Lavish special effects, good use of popular music etc…
 
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Saw "Don't Look Up" for the first time.

Hilarious in a sad way as it is so true.

Saw the end, then the end end, and finally after the credits the end end end which I wonder if everyone else did as the credits are very very long.
 
Bay Arean said:
The Boys punches a hole in the super-hero genre because they are all flawed and most abuse their ability to the detriment of mankind. Their actions are all reported by media but are often staged and their excessive killing is kept secret as much as possible. It’s also a very contemporary social commentary, by allusion, to the current right wing movement in our country towards fascism and includes themes of race and religion. The entire underpinnings is that a mega-corp called Vought actually created the superheroes with a patented chemical injected shortly after birth by willing parents (sorry that’s a spoiler but you find out fairly soon). Vought does everything: promotes candidates, manufactures many types of goods and services and uses media (ala Fox) to push their narratives; plus they are constantly trying to insert themselves into the US military and LEO on a privatized basis.. The most powerful superhero becomes more and more megamaniacal as the show progresses and surrounds himself with nervous sycophants who often end up dead. The Boys themselves are a small band trying to fight and sometimes kill the worst of the lot even though one of the boys is a female with superhero abilities.
It’s a first-class production of premium cable and is a bit too gory probably for many women (including Ms. BA) . On top of all of it, it is somewhat self-mocking and intentionally campy. Lavish special effects, good use of popular music etc…
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I can't stand all of the marvel/dc bullshit so I avoided this too. I knew it was supposed to be different but your description makes me want to check it out, thanks!!
 
The wife and I love Resident Alien. Feels like they really hit their stride on the third season.
 
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Bubba_s said:
I can't stand all of the marvel/dc bullshit so I avoided this too. I knew it was supposed to be different but your description makes me want to check it out, thanks!!
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To further validate, it’s VERY different from the Marvel and DC shows. Way more mired in human personal corruption than gee whiz effects.
 
berth said:
What makes "The Boys" so good?

What do people like about it?
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Well, it is brutal for starters, and I find great value in media so comfortable presenting a full frontal assault on anyone's delicate sensibilities. Throw in excellent set design, costumes, great acting, and brilliant casting, and this home for relentless social commentary on American Politics, Corporatization of our media, Religion, and Hero Worship, is inspired.

Karl Urban is a joy, I have fallen in love with Karen Fukuhara on every screen I have ever seen her on, Giancarlo Esposito may be one of the greatest actors of our time, and Anthony Starr as Alt-Superman may be one of the greatest villains ever portrayed on film.
 
Thanks for BARF we found season three last night and started watching RA. Honestly didn’t know it had continued after season two. Love it! It took some doing to find it but it turned out to be on our DirectTVstreaming under Syfy channel. I kept looking for USA to have it. Guess that’s season four when it comes out.

As for the Boys, I agree about Karl Urban and Antony Starr knocking it out of the park. As mentioned before, I started re-watching Banshee because I like Starr and don’t like hating him as Homelander so much. What’s weird is that they are both Kiwis and since my son moved down there I have been more tuned into that place.

I guess I would add, if you haven’t ever seen the Boys, it’s pretty odd at first understanding the premise then masterfully unraveled as the episodes progress. I actually remember finding it cold, somewhere mid season a while back, and just not understanding what I was seeing.

Even though it’s kinda chick flick-y, we are watching The Gilded Age. I remember thinking Barry Lyndon was a milestone for costumers, but this thing is amazing. No, I don’t sew and I dress, well, like a bro, but the frickin dresses and even suit combos on the men are nothing short of astounding. The production crew is just inspired and even if the characters get annoying, my eyes keep luxuriating in the expense they went to on all visual aspects of the thing,
 
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Bay Arean said:
Thanks for BARF we found season three last night and started watching RA. Honestly didn’t know it had continued after season two. Love it! It took some doing to find it but it turned out to be on our DirectTVstreaming under Syfy channel. I kept looking for USA to have it. Guess that’s season four when it comes out.

As for the Boys, I agree about Karl Urban and Antony Starr knocking it out of the park. As mentioned before, I started re-watching Banshee because I like Starr and don’t like hating him as Homelander so much. What’s weird is that they are both Kiwis and since my son moved down there I have been more tuned into that place.

I guess I would add, if you haven’t ever seen the Boys, it’s pretty odd at first understanding the premise then masterfully unraveled as the episodes progress. I actually remember finding it cold, somewhere mid season a while back, and just not understanding what I was seeing.

Even though it’s kinda chick flick-y, we are watching The Gilded Age. I remember thinking Barry Lyndon was a milestone for costumers, but this thing is amazing. No, I don’t sew and I dress, well, like a bro, but the frickin dresses and even suit combos on the men are nothing short of astounding. The production crew is just inspired and even if the characters get annoying, my eyes keep luxuriating in the expense they went to on all visual aspects of the thing,
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As a long time nerd, I don't have anything to add on to questions about why The Boys? Is worth watching. Trying to not repeat what others have said and also what people have questioned why we like the show? Other than acknowledging the violence and vulgarity is not the point. Much more to it than just that. Anyone can disagree but The Boys shines a light of a "What If" universe where the majority of people with superpowers are not good people and the ones that are supposed to be the good guys, they're even worse but there are those with superpowers that are good. In my view, It's a caricature of the "Crisis on Multiple Earths" story where the evil "Justice Society" was in charge of the American government in a very fascist way ... and pretty much the world (because who's going to stop them?). That version of Superman, Wonderman, The Flash, Batman... Not just anybody can have superpowers if just been available to the process with no real justification why other than $$$$$.

I remember maybe 3-4 years ago, a friend asked me if I could lend her some comics because her kid loves the MCU and DC movies and TV shows. I can but it'll take me a little bit. "Why?"

I told her, I'd have to dig a little bit because the first issue I came across was Batman brutalizing and interrogating criminals in a strip club. Very wholesome for your kids...

It's not my intention to rant but PG-13 rated comic based movies are from R rated comics.
 
Kurosaki said:
I told her, I'd have to dig a little bit because the first issue I came across was Batman brutalizing and interrogating criminals in a strip club. Very wholesome for your kids...
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This is so true, because for me, "The Dark Knight" was certainly a far different view of Batman for someone who grew up watching Adam West on TV. And "The Killing Joke", one of my all time (few) favorite comics really show what kind of character The Joker is.

Captured so well by Heath Ledger. I did not care much for Phoenix's Joker.

Sounds like The Boys may be a bit much for my tender sensibilities.
 
Kurosaki said:
As a long time nerd, I don't have anything to add on to questions about why The Boys? Is worth watching. Trying to not repeat what others have said and also what people have questioned why we like the show? Other than acknowledging the violence and vulgarity is not the point. Much more to it than just that. Anyone can disagree but The Boys shines a light of a "What If" universe where the majority of people with superpowers are not good people and the ones that are supposed to be the good guys, they're even worse but there are those with superpowers that are good. In my view, It's a caricature of the "Crisis on Multiple Earths" story where the evil "Justice Society" was in charge of the American government in a very fascist way ... and pretty much the world (because who's going to stop them?). That version of Superman, Wonderman, The Flash, Batman... Not just anybody can have superpowers if just been available to the process with no real justification why other than $$$$$.

I remember maybe 3-4 years ago, a friend asked me if I could lend her some comics because her kid loves the MCU and DC movies and TV shows. I can but it'll take me a little bit. "Why?"

I told her, I'd have to dig a little bit because the first issue I came across was Batman brutalizing and interrogating criminals in a strip club. Very wholesome for your kids...

It's not my intention to rant but PG-13 rated comic based movies are from R rated comics.
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Per my previous posts, I would argue that Super Powers and Super heroes are not even really the point of this show. This is in no small why they have divorced so significantly from the comics. Much more the show is a commentary on our society, and a brilliant one at that.

The underlying message that no one is actually the good guy is so essential.
 
Eldritch said:
Per my previous posts, I would argue that Super Powers and Super heroes are not even really the point of this show. This is in no small why they have divorced so significantly from the comics. Much more the show is a commentary on our society, and a brilliant one at that.

The underlying message that no one is actually the good guy is so essential.
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The underlying message is not that no one is actually the good guy.

There are a LOT of good people in The Boys comics and the TV show. The superpowered people that are bad are... bad... But non superpowered peopled are bad too... Also... Superpowered people are good people as are non-superpowered humans. There are demonstrably really bad people and demonstrably really good people throughout the show. All seasons.

If you think the underlying message is that no one is actually good, that's a 'you' thing.
 
Kurosaki said:
The underlying message is not that no one is actually the good guy.

There are a LOT of good people in The Boys comics and the TV show. The superpowered people that are bad are... bad... But non superpowered peopled are bad too... Also... Superpowered people are good people as are non-superpowered humans. There are demonstrably really bad people and demonstrably really good people throughout the show. All seasons.

If you think the underlying message is that no one is actually good, that's a 'you' thing.
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I mean, watch the show, which is wildly divorced from the comics.

The arc throughout has been Starlight as the good guy, except now it comes out this season that she isn't. Kimiko early on was sold as an actual good guy who really was a victim of terrible circumstances, but her past also is coming to haunt her now this season. MM might be the closest thing to a consistent good guy, but his arc this season is about how tormented he is by all the murders he has committed.

The theme for this season 4 seems to be soiling the ones you thought were the good ones with their own past misdeeds. The message I see is one of truth. If you want to be part of a fight for something better, you will have to do wicked things to be in it, no matter how just your intentions are. No one in the game is clean. Only varying shades of dirty.
 
Been watching Ragnarok on Netflix. It's a Norwegian series about an awkward teen who becomes imbued with the power of Thor. Pretty entertaining show imo.
 
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