guy is ON POINT

Lurks? Hell, he probably was the first one to start the FAT MIKE meme

I thought this was a really good explanation for why the GoT writing has fallen off the last few years (beyond "the writers didn't have Martin's material to crib from"). It has to do with the type of story GoT was telling, and how Hollywood has generally been ill-equipped to tell that type of story.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com...me-of-thrones/

I thought the Barry S2 finale was subpar (for them) because of a few things:

1. Fuches doesn't "get" anything out of setting up his prized, and only, asset.

2. Fuches' speech to NoHo Hank and Cristobal was amusing and well acted, but it was dumb.*

3. Cousineau remembering/realizing what Fuches said just before the credits roll was cool, but asks a lot of the audience.

4. The shootout was great but it's pretty annoying that Barry knows to use a real rifle for a siege a few episodes ago, but chooses just a pistol for this siege and enjoys the infinite ammo perk.

I still enjoyed it because the show is great, but I thought it missed its marks way more than it normally does.

* I do recognize that the show is fascinated with the concept of eschewing consequences for Barry, and I did enjoy that this episode extended that gag to nearly the whole cast.

the finale was universally acclaimed.

I thought it was a bit off too, but not really for any of those reasons. I cant really put my finger on it. I guess it was the pace and the set up?

I didnt have any problem with the things you mentioned either. all of it made sense to me and was realistic in this universe.

Fuches is a manipulative, spiteful, mean man. He burns Barry for breaking things off with him, is what he gets.

It depends what you mean by "dumb." I don't think what was important were the words themselves so much as the type of people Hank and Cristobal are, and the respect and affection they have for one another, something we've known about for some time. (Plus, we got a funny moment where Cristobal and his men couldn't quite hear Fuches and couldn't tell if he was talking to them.)

I tend to hate that kind of "reveal something to a character but don't reveal it to the audience until later" device, but I'll live it because it's a big gut punch to end on and a setup for season three. Plus they only held him from us during the episode; I would have been more annoyed if they dragged it out. If that doesn't address what you mean by "asks a lot of the audience," then I'm not sure what you mean.

Perhaps I need to watch again for clarity, but I got the impression that Barry went over immediately when Hank told him Fuches was there, and just took whatever hardware he had with him. Barry can be an impulsive guy. (He also lacks people skills, as we well know by now, otherwise he probably would have realized Hank likes him enough that he could've told him to just detain Fuches until he got there.)

I'm not sure it is fascinated with that concept, but perhaps we mean different things. I think we absolutely see the consequences to Barry's actions, and the only reason he avoids any consequences personally is because he takes more and more desperate actions to do so.

What fascinates me is that Barry, like a character on another show I hype up a lot, is a bad man and a killer who desperately wants to believe he's a good man, and so he'll choose times to do what he thinks a "good guy" would do-- going back to not killing Taylor in season 1, and including not killing Ronny Proxin this season-- that end up causing more death and destruction than if he hadn't tried to finesse his way between being a murderer and a non-murderer. (A half measure, if you will.) Because (just like the guy from the other show) even more important to Barry than being a good person is to get away with it all, to avoid prison or any other consequence for all the murders he's committed.

Best article ive read in a while. Actually amazing

You make a good point about the fourth point, you've mostly persuaded me (ininite bullets notwithstanding).

Regarding the rest, I feel differently yo. Even the bluetooth joke didn't land with me because Fuches has no reason to be speaking almost inaudibly. That was profoundly weird.

He is shown changing the clip once.

Is Barry S2 better or worse than S1? Because I thought S1 was pretty average

S1 is better but both are amazing

DEADWOOD

Chernobyl is absolutely elite television and must be watched. Its only 5 episodes but acting and script are absolutely on a level with any show you might care to mention.

Out wires the wire when it comes to showing bureaucratic hostility to actual pragmatic realities. It is Russia after all. Its not all civil servant absurdity, people melt etc.

yeah chernobyl was fantastic def the best miniseries i have seen in some time

does anyone watch fleabag? the journalists on twitter i follow seem to be all about it i'm wondering if its worth starting

i've only watched the first episode of chernobyl and feel like it's aged me 5 years

that **** was intense

Fleabag (particularly season 1) is the most well written show in years, and it only takes like 3h to watch, so definitely try it.

do you recommend? Im not too into the idea of watching it because i just dont like the idea of it

As I said, only one episode in, but yeah it was excellent. It was like a knife in the heart emotionally, but I’m glad I watched it.

The nobyl is excellent for sure.

It is a very well made show and everyone involved - both in front of the camera and behind the scene - was doing a great job.

It is also something that I didn't like. It wasn't enjoyable to watch. "It aged me 5 years" was mentioned earlier and is a pretty fair take. Some people enjoy things like that but it's not my cup of tea. I didn't finish it after watching the first two episodes and don't think I will.

Yeah, thanks for that take. This past weekend at a wedding people were like "YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS SHOW BEST RATINGS EVAR ALREADY!!!!!!!!!" and I basically said I don't really care, the subject matter turns me off

That's a weird insecure thing to say. Don't watch this show because I say it is good, watch it because people that have time to spare to log in and vote on TV ratings websitesm say it is good.

I thought Fleabag was very pleased with itself but by the end I was glad I'd watched; I liked the second season more and love where it landed.

Chernobyl was outstanding, I mean damn. Think I'm trying Big Little Lies next.

Quit BLL a few eps in in S1.