[amphibian]

The chicken curry scene was what sold me on it. That's the writers/actors genuinely having fun and throwing some biting stuff onscreen.

I also really like how they regularly curse. They don't just skip over the parts where normal people would throw in a "shit" or "fuck". They bleep out the fucks and it's not a thing.

Usage of Kady is kinda odd though. Not much screen time and she's not been doing much for us to empathize with.

[Abyss]

MAGICIANS EP 3 spoilers

Spoiler

Alice raising her bro with the Simple Minds song was so stiff it failed at being funny, meaningful, nostalgic AND tense.
And the only way that resolution could have been more predictable was if Quentin had stated "I'll just bring this trap thing you called a niffin box along in case I, oh, I dunno, have to trap your dead brother who happens to be a niffin".

And the booksex could have been clever or funny but they went w the obvious.
I want to like, but when I can predict the entire ep it can't hold my attention.

[amphibian]

 Abyss, on 12 February 2016 - 10:39 AM, said:

MAGICIANS EP 3 spoilers

Spoiler

Alice raising her bro with the Simple Minds song was so stiff it failed at being funny, meaningful, nostalgic AND tense.
And the only way that resolution could have been more predictable was if Quentin had stated "I'll just bring this trap thing you called a niffin box along in case I, oh, I dunno, have to trap your dead brother who happens to be a niffin".

And the booksex could have been clever or funny but they went w the obvious.
I want to like, but when I can predict the entire ep it can't hold my attention.

They knew he was a niffin.

What Alice didn't know is that she couldn't fix the niffin without horrible consequences. Quentin knew that.

You've read the books. You know the big plot points already. The "new to you" stuff is going to be the Quentin/Julia and the hedge witch stuff. Otherwise, everything is going to be predictable. What matters is the delivery of this predictable stuff. The booksex was new and a couple people here thought it was funny, amidst the sadder parts of Quentin meeting with Julia again.

[Abyss]

 amphibian, on 12 February 2016 - 08:19 PM, said:

 Abyss, on 12 February 2016 - 10:39 AM, said:

MAGICIANS EP 3 spoilers

Spoiler

Alice raising her bro with the Simple Minds song was so stiff it failed at being funny, meaningful, nostalgic AND tense.
And the only way that resolution could have been more predictable was if Quentin had stated "I'll just bring this trap thing you called a niffin box along in case I, oh, I dunno, have to trap your dead brother who happens to be a niffin".

And the booksex could have been clever or funny but they went w the obvious.
I want to like, but when I can predict the entire ep it can't hold my attention.

They knew he was a niffin.

What Alice didn't know is that she couldn't fix the niffin without horrible consequences. Quentin knew that.

You've read the books. You know the big plot points already. The "new to you" stuff is going to be the Quentin/Julia and the hedge witch stuff. Otherwise, everything is going to be predictable. What matters is the delivery of this predictable stuff. The booksex was new and a couple people here thought it was funny, amidst the sadder parts of Quentin meeting with Julia again.

Most of that ep was new, it just wasn't all that clever to my eyes. I like Julia's plot line, it's just not overcoming the other problems I'm having w the show.

[amphibian]

Episode 105 of The Magicians. Everything was essentially new. And it was great.

I have no idea how SyFy got a room of writers this good, the cast to inject humor into some seriously dark and depressing stuff, and the overall execution down this fast.

This show is a top five on TV now show and it's only five episodes in.

I also finish every episode thinking Eliot (Hale Appleman) is a megastar in the makings on a big three network series in five years.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 18 February 2016 - 06:10 PM

[Slow Ben]

Finally catching up with season 8 of the Office.

James Spader is the damn man, but he has 0 chemistry with this cast. Huge miscast imo.

And who the fuck thought Nellie was a good character? I'm drawing a blank on a TV character I loathe more.

Oh, and Michaels gone, which obviously sucks.

Overall the season is a step down, but not as bad as if been lead to believe.

[worry]

 Slow Ben, on 23 February 2016 - 01:09 AM, said:

Finally catching up with season 8 of the Office.

James Spader is the damn man, but he has 0 chemistry with this cast. Huge miscast imo.

And who the fuck thought Nellie was a good character? I'm drawing a blank on a TV character I loathe more.

Oh, and Michaels gone, which obviously sucks.

Overall the season is a step down, but not as bad as if been lead to believe.

You're right about Spader but it does lead to a few funny/awkward moments.

Very generalized info that still might be considered "spoiler"ish, though I won't go into any plot detail:

Spoiler

The HUGE drop that nearly sinks the show in the final couple seasons is the shift of focus onto -- and the completely arbitrary, often stupid writing decisions involving -- Andy. So much time and energy wasted on destroying this character for no reason and no reward.

[Slow Ben]

 Dumbledude, on 23 February 2016 - 01:41 AM, said:

 Slow Ben, on 23 February 2016 - 01:09 AM, said:

Finally catching up with season 8 of the Office.

James Spader is the damn man, but he has 0 chemistry with this cast. Huge miscast imo.

And who the fuck thought Nellie was a good character? I'm drawing a blank on a TV character I loathe more.

Oh, and Michaels gone, which obviously sucks.

Overall the season is a step down, but not as bad as if been lead to believe.

You're right about Spader but it does lead to a few funny/awkward moments.

Very generalized info that still might be considered "spoiler"ish, though I won't go into any plot detail:

Spoiler

The HUGE drop that nearly sinks the show in the final couple seasons is the shift of focus onto -- and the completely arbitrary, often stupid writing decisions involving -- Andy. So much time and energy wasted on destroying this character for no reason and no reward.

Yes, my wife said the same thing last night. I dont get it.

I thought season 8 was actually decent for the first half, then about the time they went to Tallahassee it took a nose dive. On to season 9.

[amphibian]

Magicians Episode 6 - Brilliant.

Show is absolutely a marvel. Plenty of new stuff even for the book readers and the cast gets so much out of the lines and scenes. Plenty of sarcasm and pushing the students to genuinely be the best magicians they can be.

If anyone else is watching, Eliot and Margo campily delivering the next task together at the table with the finger sandwiches was probably the best scene in the entire show so far.

[Tiste Simeon]

 Slow Ben, on 24 February 2016 - 08:38 PM, said:

 Dumbledude, on 23 February 2016 - 01:41 AM, said:

 Slow Ben, on 23 February 2016 - 01:09 AM, said:

Finally catching up with season 8 of the Office.

James Spader is the damn man, but he has 0 chemistry with this cast. Huge miscast imo.

And who the fuck thought Nellie was a good character? I'm drawing a blank on a TV character I loathe more.

Oh, and Michaels gone, which obviously sucks.

Overall the season is a step down, but not as bad as if been lead to believe.

You're right about Spader but it does lead to a few funny/awkward moments.

Very generalized info that still might be considered "spoiler"ish, though I won't go into any plot detail:

Spoiler

The HUGE drop that nearly sinks the show in the final couple seasons is the shift of focus onto -- and the completely arbitrary, often stupid writing decisions involving -- Andy. So much time and energy wasted on destroying this character for no reason and no reward.

Yes, my wife said the same thing last night. I dont get it.

I thought season 8 was actually decent for the first half, then about the time they went to Tallahassee it took a nose dive. On to season 9.

Yeah season 8 is the worst, and season 9 isn't much better but the last few episodes make up for it.

Agree with everything said above, Catherine Tate was a terrible addition to the car and the spoilered bit makes me mad... It was just unnecessary!

Worth it though.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

 amphibian, on 25 February 2016 - 05:04 AM, said:

Magicians Episode 6 - Brilliant.

Show is absolutely a marvel. Plenty of new stuff even for the book readers and the cast gets so much out of the lines and scenes. Plenty of sarcasm and pushing the students to genuinely be the best magicians they can be.

If anyone else is watching, Eliot and Margo campily delivering the next task together at the table with the finger sandwiches was probably the best scene in the entire show so far.

Eliot and especially Margo killed it in those task scenes.

[QuickTidal]

Got through 2 eps of FULLER HOUSE on Netflix so far and am enjoying it a lot.

Fair warning, unless you enjoyed the cliche-ridden, ultra-cheese fest of the original, don't watch. Seriously. The nostalgia train is thick and I have found only fans of the original (wholesome cheese, hokey humour and all) seem to be enjoying it. I fit into that category, so I'm enjoying it. And the middle kid, Max, being a combination of Steph's childhood precociousness and Danny's clean-freak nature, is really the funniest thing here.

Oh, and Jodi Sweetin is just damned gorgeous, and still really funny.

[Blend]

 amphibian, on 25 February 2016 - 05:04 AM, said:

Magicians Episode 6 - Brilliant.

Show is absolutely a marvel. Plenty of new stuff even for the book readers and the cast gets so much out of the lines and scenes. Plenty of sarcasm and pushing the students to genuinely be the best magicians they can be.

If anyone else is watching, Eliot and Margo campily delivering the next task together at the table with the finger sandwiches was probably the best scene in the entire show so far.

I don't know how I feel about The Magicians yet, though I have been watching it fairly religiously...

I dunno, considering they're supposed to be at a school learning, they do very little actual on screen learning. We're supposed to somehow know that the protagonist guy is only middling at spells, but every time we see him he either can't get a simple spell to work, or he casts a crazy powerful spell, so that seems inconsistent to me. Eliot is a caricature of every gay character that ever gayed up the screen, and Margo's the same, but for every bitch that ever bitched about on a screen, and same with brainy chick, who brains the same as every other brain.... The story with Julia is confusing and seems to have very little to no point - I mean, if she's all jonesing for magic, if it's so much like drugs, why do none of the Brakebils students look like junkies? And like, wtf is up with Penny? He's a Traveller, but we've gotten very little information about what that actually means beyond his being able to project his physical self to other worlds, and that it's dangerous, but nothing beyond that, no, just the surly 'mentor' who tells him not to travel. I dunno... I just don't see how or why I'm supposed to care about any of this...

And we're what, like more than halfway through the season, and still have next to zero information about Fillory? Which is supposed to be like the centrepiece for the whole trilogy?

[Abyss]

 QuickTidal, on 29 February 2016 - 04:07 PM, said:

Got through 2 eps of FULLER HOUSE on Netflix so far and am enjoying it a lot.
...

Stop. Just stop.
My respect for you can't take it.

[QuickTidal]

 Abyss, on 29 February 2016 - 08:11 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 29 February 2016 - 04:07 PM, said:

Got through 2 eps of FULLER HOUSE on Netflix so far and am enjoying it a lot.
...

Stop. Just stop.
My respect for you can't take it.

Meh, we all have our guilty pleasure watches.

[amphibian]

 Blend, on 29 February 2016 - 04:29 PM, said:

I don't know how I feel about The Magicians yet, though I have been watching it fairly religiously...

I dunno, considering they're supposed to be at a school learning, they do very little actual on screen learning. We're supposed to somehow know that the protagonist guy is only middling at spells, but every time we see him he either can't get a simple spell to work, or he casts a crazy powerful spell, so that seems inconsistent to me. Eliot is a caricature of every gay character that ever gayed up the screen, and Margo's the same, but for every bitch that ever bitched about on a screen, and same with brainy chick, who brains the same as every other brain.... The story with Julia is confusing and seems to have very little to no point - I mean, if she's all jonesing for magic, if it's so much like drugs, why do none of the Brakebils students look like junkies? And like, wtf is up with Penny? He's a Traveller, but we've gotten very little information about what that actually means beyond his being able to project his physical self to other worlds, and that it's dangerous, but nothing beyond that, no, just the surly 'mentor' who tells him not to travel. I dunno... I just don't see how or why I'm supposed to care about any of this...

And we're what, like more than halfway through the season, and still have next to zero information about Fillory? Which is supposed to be like the centrepiece for the whole trilogy?

The actual learning of magic is the one criticism I've consistently brought up. Julia is regularly shown to be working on her magic repertoire, while the others grab a few books and go on crazy adventures. I think we've had two points in which the Brakebills students are genuinely learning magic (glass unicorn a while back and the tests in the past episode). It's a weakness and with the Dean, Not-Amber, and the other professors we've seen, I'm wondering why this is happening. We are about to get a ton of teaching in the next episode though.

As for Fillory, I think it's being presented in the right way - as this Narnia crap adults shouldn't care about, yet somehow important in an uncertain way.

Elliot, I like considerably. Hale Appleman turns the caricature into a real person somehow. I love the camp, the fragility, and the openness he's displayed to Quentin and Alice.

Margo, I'm not sure what's going on there, just like I don't know with Rockin' Haircut Girl either. They aren't exact analogues to book characters exactly and the show uses them in a way that's not easy to identify them as mashups either. Margo isn't being Janet so far.

[Primateus]

 QuickTidal, on 29 February 2016 - 04:07 PM, said:

Got through 2 eps of FULLER HOUSE on Netflix so far and am enjoying it a lot.

Fair warning, unless you enjoyed the cliche-ridden, ultra-cheese fest of the original, don't watch. Seriously. The nostalgia train is thick and I have found only fans of the original (wholesome cheese, hokey humour and all) seem to be enjoying it. I fit into that category, so I'm enjoying it. And the middle kid, Max, being a combination of Steph's childhood precociousness and Danny's clean-freak nature, is really the funniest thing here.

Oh, and Jodi Sweetin is just damned gorgeous, and still really funny.

I saw maybe a minute and a half, until the first butt joke. It was bloody awful. Yeah, I don't think I can say anything else about it, bloody awful.

[Blend]

 amphibian, on 29 February 2016 - 09:59 PM, said:

Elliot, I like considerably. Hale Appleman turns the caricature into a real person somehow. I love the camp, the fragility, and the openness he's displayed to Quentin and Alice.

I'll give you this - he's definitely one of my favourite caricatures of a gay man that I've seen recently, but still... I dunno, it just seems too 'expected' to me...

Though the scene where he and Margo are having high tea in the woods when Quentin wakes up was great! LoL

This post has been edited by Blend: 29 February 2016 - 10:35 PM

[amphibian]

 Briar King, on 01 March 2016 - 01:17 AM, said:

I thought he was Bi? Thought he got a blow job from female hedge witch.

Good memory. I think Book Eliot hooked up with Janet once or twice, but was definitely happier getting it on with males. Show Eliot seems similar.

[amphibian]

I'm continually impressed by what SyFy has done with The Magicians and The Expanse. This is smart, challenging, character-driven television.

Magicians Episode 7, Mayakovsky Circumstances, was a B+ episode for me. Lots of great stuff, but they truncated the amount of time spent at Brakebills South (not sure why).

The writers make the individual set pieces really go, especially when Penny and Eliot are involved, and the story pieces are coming together in unexpected ways. However, the time compression/skipping of some stuff is concerning because I have zero clue how long the people have been at their various tasks. Is this still the first semester? Are they now in the second semester? How long has it taken for Julia to basically fall apart while getting closer to her goal of doing MAGIC STUFF? What happened to non-descript boyfriend?

I love how the characters in The Magicians occasionally drop an F-bomb (which is bleeped out in a way that isn't annoying). Alice also objecting to the "get naked to do magic" trope thing was also great.