Matricians: What are you watching?

[Mikero]

I figured it was flashback stuff in seasons I hadn't seen, so thanks.

I really hate kid Ben. The actor, the character, I can't distinguish I just hate him. Which is annoying because I actually like the actual actually actual Ben the man who is not Ben the kid.

I'm tired of waiting to find out why that one guy doesn't age.

[ASR]

The next three episodes are Ben-centric, Miles-centric, and Faraday-centric.

So... it's going to be a good three episodes, oh man.

And yeah, I really want them to just get around to explaining Richard's agelessness, too.

[Abominator]

Where has Faraday been anyway?

[ASR]

Sawyer hinted at something that went wrong. Like, Jack or someone asked "And where's Faraday? Is he here?" and Sawyer said "...well, he was... until..." and was interrupted. Paraphrased, of course.

I'm sure it has something to do with the opening scene of this season, with him down in the Orchid.

[Abominator]

I just hope the end is worthwhile, that's all that matters.

[ASR]

Same. This show has the potential to have such a crazy satisfying and fulfilling series finale, and if they don't deliver it's going to kill me.

EDIT:
I thought of a really interesting theory with the direction Lost might be going. It's a little similar to the whole time-travel dealio in Donnie Darko (as much as I hate to compare Lost to that)... but, alright, clearly they are hinting a time-loop sort of thing. The Losties go back in time and cause Ben to become the way he is, and in the future, older Ben is integral in making them go back to the island after they get off, which causes them to go back in time and cause Ben to become the way he is, which in turn eventually leads to him making them go back... so it's an endless loop. You could say that all of Lost so far is a part of this loop, and the island is a major part of why it's happening.
Now, we have Desmond. He is apparently "special", he can change things. If this is the direction they're going to take, I'm pretty sure it'll boil down to Desmond being the only one who can get them out of this time loop.

I'm not saying this is the direction I want them to go, but it's an interesting possibility.

IN OTHER NEWS

I finished Season 2 of Californication last night. All caught up. What a great show, David Duchovny rocks.

[Johncarllos]

Holy crap.

That show sounds complex.

[ASR]

It's a demanding show. It makes a lot more sense if you've been watching. But yeah, it leaves a lot to theorize about, and a lot of times, the fans make it a lot more complicated than it really is, like I just did.

Though, with the time travel stuff right now, it actually is getting pretty hard to follow if you're not paying attention. I hate explaining it.

Currently, some of the the cast is in 1977 and the rest are in 2004.

Who'da thunk the show would reach this point? It started with a simple plane crash.

This is relevant: I've started to do TV-Show Profiles on my blog, basically just in-depth posts about shows I like. I started with Lost since I had just been talking about it and was in the mood. So, here:
http://alecrobbins.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/tv-show-profile-lost/

Posted on:  4 April 2009, 01:20:35

Haha, I just watched an episode of Six Feet Under and Zachary Quinto was in it as a very minor role, Hip Student. He had about 10 or so lines, and was pretty funny in it. He looks a lot younger here.

[Mikero]

Holy crap.

That show sounds complex.

It's not. Well maybe it is now, since there's at least 2 different time frames happening, but before this season not so much.

It's really a lot easier to pick up from nothing than the hardcore fans want to admit. I was able to start predicting stuff within watching 3 episodes near the end of season 3 without having watched anything before that. I mainly attribute this to the fact that while a lot of things SEEM to happen in every episode, nothing REALLY happens.

That is; Anything that's truly important only happens once in a while or over the course of multiple episodes, even though a lot of things pretend to be important but end up not really holding weight. It takes more than a single episode for anything to develop (they favour the start and end of an episode with the :-O bits and kind of explain things in the middle) and takes barely any time to catch up on anything.

The only thing you'll miss is characters reappearing (like earlier), since you can tell when something that already happened is being referenced anyway.

It took me less time to get up to speed in than House.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, House tonight.
:-OOO

[ASR]

Yeah, Mike pretty much nailed everything on the head about Lost. It feels a lot more complicated than it is when you're watching, and even though I'm sure it's not as hard as I think for people to just start and go.

Still, it's preferable you watch from the beginning, ha.

There's a lot of minor details and sub-sub-sub-plots that add to the mythology and are cool to keep up on, even if they've been abandoned (Libby in the mental institution!). Though usually they pop up again waaaaaaay later (four-toed statue!).

[Mikero]

I just watched the Terminator episode from friday.
I really really liked it. Just 3 days until the season finale and I can't wait.
:-OOO

Posted on:  7 April 2009, 19:47:53

Oh yeah, I've been watching this new Batman cartoon.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold, not The Batman which I haven't liked (from the little I've seen). I didn't really like the style much at first--it's more like Bruce Timm's illustrative style (which is reminiscent of Jack Kirby's stuff from in the day) than his animation style (Batman The Animated Series, Justice League cartoon, etc.)-- and there's some animation screw ups now and then but it grew on me.

I like it 'cause it spotlights generally lesser known characters, if you don't read comics. Although it's weirdly got no actual timeframe. I mean... Speedy, Black Lightning and Metamorpho are still like teenagers or something, yet Jaime Reyes is the current (and my favourite) Blue Beetle.

Green Arrow is a lot more like Wally West (The Flash) was in Justice League than he is like the Green Arrow, but I'm fine with that since I don't like Green Arrow at all anyway.

Green Lanterns have been in it. Of the Earth GLs I've only seen Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner so far, and it makes sense they wouldn't put in John Stewart since he was all over Justice League (and thus, Justice League Unlimited) and thus already popular with the kiddies. Kyle Raynor was the only Green Lantern to appear in Batman The Animated Series, but that was like ONE time so I'm hoping he shows up in this new show sometime as he's my favourite GL.

What's most impressive about the GLs in the show isn't anything they actually do. I just can recognize and even name 90+ percent of the Green Lanterns in the background of episodes with them, which means they're actual characters from the comics. You might say "Wow big #####ing deal Mike" and you could be right but I figure that since they're all established characters in the comic, it means that the designers made full rotations for each one of them in case the show would use one of them as a more important character later on. Usually for stock background characters you only really make like a 3/4 pose for the model sheet and leave it at that.

...

Yes I do have to know this kinda ##### for both my animation career and my current job so shaddap and also ##### you I like the cartoons based on comics (sometimes).

Anyway it's a cool show and that guy that played Oswald on the Drew Carrey Show, and who was in a season 5 episode of Reno 911! (as a parody of Dog The Bounty Hunter, named Tommy Hawk) and in that Balls Of Fury movie does the voice of Batman. I find that to be awesome.

Oh and on a Reno 911! tip, I didn't really like the first episode of the new season much. ... Yeah. I really can't say that about any other episode of the show.

[Lunchebox]

I like Brave and the Bold, it's a good show. The season finalie was awesome.

[Mikero]

It was OK, the two before it with Owl Man and stuff were better.

Lost was great tonight.

[ASR]

Good to hear. Can't wait to watch it. Gotta' find it onliiiiine...

Posted on:  9 April 2009, 04:17:32

Just watched it.

That really was great. Awesome episode.

Posted on:  9 April 2009, 17:24:12

Kanye responds to last night's South Park.

[preventerWIND]

CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL.

[ASR]

Saddam was forced to watch the South Park movie over and over again during his captivity.

AWESOME.

[Mikero]

Kanye responds to last night's South Park.

Since my main reason for not liking Kanye (and 'Lil Wayne, though I enjoy them both in group tracks and stuff) has been his ego, I liked what he said there. Clip is gone though so I can't see it, I'll just watch the episode sometime since I'm behind on South Park.

Saddam was forced to watch the South Park movie over and over again during his captivity.

AWESOME.

More proof that morons are running things. That's funny, but it's SO something that any layman would do that it actually kind of gets me mad that people actually responsible for stuff did it. Although it was the marines that did it, and that doesn't really surprise me. Eh I'm not sure what I think.

[NovaMan XP]

I saw that episode today.

After reading that, I still think he's a gay fish.

[Mikero]

Like a boss.

[ASR]

South Park has been awful for these last two seasons. I keep watching because I'm a diehard fan, but it bothers me when people don't recognize that the show has clearly gone downhill. I was able to lower my expectations and I can finally enjoy it again, because I've accepted it's never going to return to the status it was at before in my mind.

People will continue to eat it up like it's the funniest ##### ever for years to come, though, I'm sure.

[Chron]

... it hasn't actually gotten any worse than it already is.
It's always been this bad. Which really isn't all that bad... it's just strange.

You just have to find the time to appreciate it.

I do agree that it got a little preachy after a while, but I've never cared one way or the other.

At the very least it's not Family Guy.
A show that has never been good.

[ASR]

I don't care about the preachiness, that shouldn't be a problem. It's more social commentary and that's fine, it's not flat-out preachiness.

And you're wrong, it's gotten worse. I can still go back and enjoy older episodes thoroughly, just as much as I used to. From when it was great. Because it was. In my opinion, sure, but it's a pretty damn good opinion.

Also, the word "good" in terms of media is RIDICULOUS.

I like to use movies as an example. Kevin Smith is fun for this... Clerks 2 is a good movie, but it's also not a good movie. It's good at what it's trying to be, and what it is, but you're not gonna' see artsy film students every call it "good." Crank is a great, fun action movie that isn't necessarily GOOD, but it's goddamn GOOD. Fargo is a GOOD movie but I find it to be extremely boring a lot of the times I watch it unless I'm in the right mood and therefore it isn't really that GOOD despite being GOOD. ETCETERA.

[Johncarllos]

Pulp Fiction is GOOD.

[Chron]

I'd say something like "take of your nostalgia goggles", but I really should leave that alone.

I've got the heaviest prescription here.

[ASR]

No, seriously, the ONLY effective way I've found to judge if something is "good" is by asking "Is this good in the sense of what it's trying to be?"

My point is: don't compare Anchorman to Slumdog Millionaire, don't compare Arrested Development to Six Feet Under, don't compare Harry Potter to Vonnegut, don't compare the MegaMan 2 Soundtrack to Kanye's newest album.

And people DO all of those things, and that bothers me.

Maybe you get what I'm saying, maybe not, but I know what I mean and that's fine.

[Chron]

The way I interpreted it that just winds up supporting what I said.
... but we'll just agree to disagree here, or, as I'm sure you'll say, we'll live under the delusion that you're right and I'm wrong.

[Lunchebox]

I have to agree with Chron, it has gotten preachy. It ceases being social commentary when there are some very obvious strawmen, yelling, screaming, being crazy, and representing the opposing point, while YOUR viewpoint is shown as cool, rational, and good.

Perfect example would be the smoking episode, or the stem-cell research episode.

Also need to agree with ASR on the point that yes, the show has gotten worse, and it's because of things like that, and general writing quality going down. The humor is no less and no more mature than t used to be.

[ASR]

I didn't say there wasn't preachiness, I just said it's never been a problem to me, though usually episodes that are entirely devoted to that sort of thing are weaker lately.

The way I interpreted it that just winds up supporting what I said.
... but we'll just agree to disagree here, or, as I'm sure you'll say, we'll live under the delusion that you're right and I'm wrong.

It really is a wonderful delusion. I'd suggest you try it, but you need to be right about something first. But yeah, my post wasn't disagreeing with anyone in particular. I just had more to say on the subject. But you are wrong, yes.

[Mikero]

... it hasn't actually gotten any worse than it already is.
It's always been this bad. Which really isn't all that bad... it's just strange.

I'll take time to read the rest of the posts later 'cause I gotta jet for a bit, but I completely disagree with that statement. Go look at the first episodes of South Park and tell me that they actually WRITING in them. Regardless of if you like the show or not, the actual show is world's apart from what it used to be.

I remember being 11/12 and thinking the show was SO funny because kids swore in it, and I remember taping (TAPING! On VHS TAPES! ... I bet there's members here who don't even know what that means!) it because I'd watch them again.

Now? If you put me in an escapeless room with only a TV playing the first episode of South Park I would kill myself and the TV by throwing my head through the glass and breaking the tubes (remember when TVs had tubes?).

The old South Park was devoid of anything but dick and ass jokes. Some of the humour now may be considered crude, sure, but it's leaps and bounds more clever than it was then. And the episodes ASR was talking about, i.e. a couple years ago, actually made very valid and intelligent points all the time while still being comedic. I'm not the hugest SP fan or anything, frankly I haven't watched a new one since sometime last year, but to say it's still the same doesn't even border on farce. It's well past the property line.

[ASR]

I'm not a huge fan of the earliest episodes, I stand by that my favorite stuff is Seasons 4-9.

And Mike is right, South Park has changed a GREAT deal over time. Some was for the better, some was for the worse, but regardless of that, it's at its very worst right now.

The earliest stuff was straight-up potty-humor-this-is-innappropriate comedy, the middle stuff was when they started to develop a sort of voice and mature a little bit, and this newest stuff is like... it's like they're trying too hard, but at the same time, not trying at all.

We're all over-analyzing. I mean, it's just freaking South Park.

[Mikero]

I think it can't possibly be at it's worst right now, you're the only person I've heard say anything about it being worse now than before. I can't possibly be worse than season one. But the season where they started grade 4 was my favourite.

[Chron]

I still hold that it really hasn't changed that much in terms of how bad it is.

I haven't watched any of the older episodes in a long, long time, though.

[ASR]

Older stuff is really lame and different than where it is now. I'd still rather watch those then the new stuff, though.

But yeah, Mike, Season 4 is some good #####.

Posted on: 11 April 2009, 03:56:26

Lost was good last night.

[spoiler]
If they had done this sort of Miles episode earlier on, it would've been too much to swallow, but since we've seen so much crazy unbelievable stuff since he was introduced, an episode where we blatantly see him genuinely talk to dead people isn't so outlandish anymore. It's good that they coaxed us into this rather than reveal it all straight away.

ALSO, ANOTHER ANN ARBOR REFERENCE. To the point where we might actually see University of Michigan in the next episode, haha. The two scientists from Ann Arbor are the DeGroots, Gerald and whoever. Haven't seen them since Season 2 in the first Dharma Initiative Video for The Swan (as in, The Hatch, that they're building right now) so it makes sense for them to be coming right now. To do whatever they're supposed to and, well, be in that video, I guess.

ALSO FARADAY. Can't wait for the next episode.[/spoiler]

Posted on: 16 April 2009, 19:23:23

And I just finished Six Feet Under last night.

My god.

If I could ever call a show "perfect", it'd hands down be that one. I can usually say "I really enjoyed that show" or "That show was #####ING AWESOME" or "You NEED to watch that show or I can't remain friends with you."

But NEVER have I just sat there and said, out loud, as the final credits are rolling: "This... wow... this was... perfect."

I'm glad I watched this later on, because not only did it really seem poignant to me right now, but the bar has been forever raised when it comes to quality television for me.

I mean, talk about a series finale. By far the best ending I've seen for any show. They KNEW how to series finale, these guys. That's a good skill. Never have I seen closure in a television show pulled off so well.

I cried.

I did.

Just a tear.

But it counts.

[Mikero]

I'm glad I didn't like Six Feet Under. I don't know why, I just am.

Yeah Lost was good. As was Heroes and Terminator and House. I'm glad.

Recently got all caught up on Smallville and Teen Titans and some other stuff that was on the back burner because of mediocrity. Teen Titans was just a completion thing and because I wanted to see Kid Flash but I'm glad I did it. I'm actually starting to kind of like Smallville again, for some reason it's all a lot less annoying now.

[ASR]

Someone reccommended Mad Men to me so I'm gonna' watch through that soon. Also I'm gonna' catch up with Breaking Bad.

I still have ALL of Friends to go through, I've been saving it for the summer.

Last summer I went through all of Seinfeld, this summer it'll be Friends.

Next big shows I'm thinking of tackling are The Wire and The Sopranos. Maybe Oz, that's always interested me. Those are expensive endeavors so I have to pick just one to start with. I think I can find The Wire cheaper so I'll start with that.

Posted on: 19 April 2009, 20:33:15

That new FOX cartoon by Mitch Hurwitz aired tonight, "Sit Down Shut Up."

It's got a lot of the main cast from Arrested Development, and similar humor.

I really enjoyed it. I liked the art style and the way it meshed with the real backgrounds.

The jokes weren't perfect but the show was definitely entertaining and promising. Will Arnett and Will Forte are both great in it.

Though, for the record, the show is a complete disappointment if you compare it to Arrested Development, but it was ONLY the first episode.

[Vinchenz Rock]

I'm downloading all four seasons of Doctor Who now.

A friend of mine got me into it, and it's pretty awesome.

Although I wouldn't mind watching some of the older episodes, to see where the Doctor got his roots from.

[Mikero]

Yesterday I watched that "Sit Down, Shut up!" show OnDemand.

It was good. But it also just made me want to watch Arrested Development.




















So I did.

[ASR]

That's EXACTLY what I did.

I'm downloading all four seasons of Doctor Who now.

A friend of mine got me into it, and it's pretty awesome.

Although I wouldn't mind watching some of the older episodes, to see where the Doctor got his roots from.

I love it so much. I just downloaded the newest special but I haven't watched it yet. This year they're not doing a season, just four holiday specials. And then David Tennant's done. He really grew on me. But Christopher Eccleston is the doctor that got me hooked.

I really wanted to watch some of the old stuff, too, but I never have and realized I don't really need to. There's just SO much there, it's really hard for me to know where to start, so whatever.

I only have Series 1 on DVD because for some bull##### reason they cost like $100 each. So screw that.

But yeah, you're in for a treat.

[Mikero]

I suspect you have to use a WABAC machine and start with the radio days of Dr. Who.

Posted on: 22 April 2009, 13:55:28

What the heck is this no Lost bullish?

[ASR]

Haha, yeah, I was pissed when I found out, but I found out last Thursday so at least I didn't tune in like an idiot!

Posted on: 23 April 2009, 05:45:24

Ohgod.

Huge spoiler if you haven't watched tonight's episode:
[spoiler]GODDAMNIT LOST, STOP KILLING OFF ALL MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS.[/spoiler]

Really good episode, though.

Posted on: 30 April 2009, 03:12:44

Just finished watching last night's episode of The Office, and holy crap, that was a REALLY funny episode. I dunno' where that came from. It's been so droll and meh lately with the occasional funny episode, but wow, that was like, a goldmine of awesome. Definitely refueled my interest in the show. I laughed quite a bit. And hard.

ALSO, forgot if I mentioned this here: I started watching The Venture Bros. I wrote it off as a crappy Adult Swim cartoon a long time ago, but I must say that I'm extremely impressed with it. The animation is actually... well, it's actually animation, and not standard Adult Swim crapimation, so that was my first tip-off to the show's quality. But then I realized it was actually funny. And then I realized it was totally making fun of 90's Saturday-morning adventure cartoons like Johnny Quest and I fell in love. Definitely reccomend it.

Oh, and I'm finishing up Season 2 of Chuck, since I dropped out for a while. Running through 'em all. It really picks up as the season ends, and I remembered how much I like this show. They'd seriously better not cancel it.

[Vinchenz Rock]

I'm half-way through Season 2 of Doctor Who.

The show is excellent, seriously worth anyone here's time.

And I'm really liking the new Doctor; the old one was just a little too serious for this kind of a show.

Also, my brother watched an episode and when he saw the new Doctor the first thing he said was, "That's Barty Crouch Junior from Harry Potter" and it turns out he is. I can't believe he caught something like that, especially considering that Barty played such a minor roll in the movie.

[Mikero]

Yeah it is. But, small role in the movie big role in the book. Well his role is big either way, but that's the character and not the actor, obviously, since the actor only gets to play a small amount of the character's actual screen time.

[ASR]

I like Christopher Eccleston more than David Tennant only because Eccleston was my "first" Doctor. He sold me on the show. "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" episodes are my favorite story of the entire of the entire series. "Just this once... everyone lives!" was so great.

But yeah, David Tennant is just as great, and I always found myself wanting to like him more. He's a lot funnier so I SHOULD like him more, at least.

I downloaded the latest special that aired on Easter/my birthday not too long ago, but I haven't watched it yet. I guess they're doing four holiday specials this year instead of a full season. Which is fine. But after these, David Tennant is gone and apparently the next Doctor is this really young guy, almost a kid. And that kind of bothers me.

Didn't know David Tennant was in any Harry Potter movies. Cool.

[Mikero]

My first doctor was the one who delivered me, and he's still my main MD. "He must be like a hundred thousand years old! HaHAAHA" yeah that's not funny you guys. My second doctor was a Mr. Dr. Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown. But that's a story for another time.

But my first Doctor Who was like from the radio stuff, though I wasn't a big fan (not that I didn't like it I just didn't latch on to it) and I don't know who that was and it was probably already old stuff back THEN. In modern times I catch the show now and then, and I guess for that Tennant was my first Doc.

Tennant is only in the one HP movie. The fourth one.

[Vinchenz Rock]

JUST finished watching The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit episodes of Doctor Who and it was insanely awesome. Those two are now one of my favourites among with The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances episodes and the Father's Day episode.

This show is insanely awesome.

[ASR]

Ooooh, the Father's Day episode. Another great one.

Posted on:  5 May 2009, 15:18:53

SO.

The Scrubs series finale. Though, yeah, they might keep it going next year without the main cast... but yeah. It was good. It's been an AWFUL last season and it's been really unfunny, but they definitely did the show justice with that finale. Really good. I am proud.

I totally called the janitor's name. Nobody can believe that I got it right. Basically, Bill Lawrence said that it was "already revealed via something in Clone High." I thought that was way too obvious: just check the name of the janitor the Neil Flynn voiced in the Litter/Ponce episode.
So, yeah, I saw what that was and told people that's what it was going to be, and nobody believed me. In fact, I didn't believe it, I was just saying it for fun. I doubted they'd actually do that.

But they did.

The janitor's name is
[spoiler]Glen Matthews.[/spoiler]

Although they totally messed with our heads directly after the reveal so that's probably not even his real name. But whatever. Not like that even matters. Just thought it was cool.

AS FOR LOST.

Good set-up for the finale. That's all I can say. It was a good episode, but nothing amazing and way too much of it was just clearly getting us ready for one huge finale. I shouldn't have watched the "next episode" spot.

[Mikero]

Yeah I caught the end of the Scrubs finale waiting for Lost 'cause I couldn't find my Celtics game on TV.

I just saw all the blooper parts and I was like "I didn't want to watch when they failed at making a good show, why would I want to watch all the parts where they fail at making a bad show?!"



No, I'm not serious. I never watched the show really or gave it an actual chance but I thought it would be fun to pull at ASR a bit.

Lost was good. I didn't see the preview for next week so good for me.

[ASR]

It didn't really give much away, but it also kind of did.

And no, go ahead, make fun of Scrubs. I like it for reasons beyond my knowledge. This last season especially has had so many unfunny moments and lame jokes that fell flat that I had absolutely ZERO faith in them for the finale. But it turned out to be really funny, entertaining, lots of closure, and even a little heartwarming. So good for them.

Posted on:  7 May 2009, 03:37:54

[Mikero]

Haar.

[ASR]

Hey, guys, I'm going to describe to you what happened at exactly 11:00PM tonight, right after Lost ended:

We stared.

We stared at the TV.

One person said "What the #####."

That would be the F-word, for those wondering.

We continued to stare.

We stood up.

We looked at each other.

We sat back down.

One of us stood up again, gripping his head and groaning in agony.

I said "What the #####."

The F-word again, yes.

I stood up.

We all sat back down.

I turned off the TV.

I stood back up.

Everyone else stood back up.

About 10 minutes of heated conversation.