Scots Taffer on 11/6/2008 at 13:05
Quote Posted by Thirith
I think I'm one of the few people who liked season 4 better than season 3. I simply found Lisa grating ... stomach them much more than Lisa's passive-aggressiveness. (I'm quite amazed that they got me to like Ruth again in season 5, though.)
Lisa's compelling because of her passive aggressive nature though, she's this nicer-than-air goodie-two-shoes character who's really a simmering cauldron of miscontent and petty dislikes and suprisingly controlled for all her hippy stylings. It's perfect
SFU material because it's all about exploring the dualities of personality and the hypocrisy of them too.
Ruth is easy to do full circle with because she's literally so clueless and hopelessly dependent most of the time. She's like a child.
Thirith on 11/6/2008 at 13:12
Thinking back to it, I minded the Ruth/Arthur storyline because so often it was played for laughs. They had that very rarely only, but every now and then they put punchlines before characterisation, which is something that I do mind.
I agree with you about Lisa, but my reaction to her was purely emotional. Yes, she was compelling, but she got on my nerves so much! Which is strange, because usually I like Lili Taylor.
In general, though, one thing that 6FU did extremely well was making me care about characters who were often self-involved idiots. Nate does and says some really hateful things, yet he broke my heart. The bit in the very last episode where Claire sees him in the rear view mirror, and then he's gone, always brings me close to bawling like a baby. And then the last nine minutes push me over the edge. :)
(If you're interested, I wrote a blog entry on his "You can’t take a picture of this; it’s already gone." in the last episode - feel free to ignore (
http://goofybeast.wordpress.com/2008/03/02/you-cant-take-a-picture-of-this-its-already-gone/) this link, though.)
Aerothorn on 11/6/2008 at 17:26
I don't have HBO.
I guess I'll rent season 1 at some point, but I've had bad luck with these epic-cast super-serious dramas - they often start off well and then go downhill rapidly (Battlestar Galatica, Deadwood, etc.).
That said, I'm currently watching I, Claudius, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Of course, it helped that it was counterbalanced by marathons of Sam & Max: Freelance Police.
SubJeff on 11/6/2008 at 17:33
The Wire is nothing like anything else mentioned in this thread. It's nothing like anything you have seen before.
Scots - the lingo comes, don't worry. You can understand your countrymen? I've been North of Berwick and the Scots accent, in general, is far harder to get. It's worth persevering.
Thirith on 11/6/2008 at 17:43
Quote Posted by Aerothorn
I guess I'll rent season 1 at some point, but I've had bad luck with these epic-cast super-serious dramas - they often start off well and then go downhill rapidly (Battlestar Galatica, Deadwood, etc.).
What was your problem with
Deadwood? By the way, none of the HBO series I've watched are "super-serious". They all mix the dramatic with the amusing. Just look at Al Swearengen's cohorts for humour in
Deadwood.
Aerothorn on 11/6/2008 at 17:53
To be fair, I didn't get THAT far into Deadwood, so that's not a fair judgement (unlike BSG, which I stand firmly behind). I watched maybe the first 8-10 episodes, and I found the first, say, 4 much more interesting than the later ones - it seems like it became established how the characters would act in a given situation, so it was all rather predictable and dull for me. Plus, you could just hear the writers going "Okay, how can we make this EVEN MORE bleak?"
Thirith on 11/6/2008 at 18:59
You think Deadwood is too bleak? I guess that means our tastes in fiction are pretty different; compared to a Thomas Hardy novel, Deadwood is practically sitcom material.
Out of interest, what series do you like?
theBlackman on 12/6/2008 at 01:17
Obviously, "best" is a matter of taste. That's why some drink Scotch and others won't touch it.
The "Best"series ever; in my not humble opinion was Soap!
heretic on 12/6/2008 at 01:42
I've enjoyed all of the HBO shows to one degree or another, but the only show I never seem to grow tired of watching reruns of is 'Northern Exposure' for some intangible reason.
Scots Taffer on 12/6/2008 at 02:16
Delightful whimsy is always easy to watch.
