A Mostly Positive Thread About What You're Currently Watching

It's basically the same idea as @liquiddragon's positivity thread for video games, but for TV shows, movies, web series, anime, and so on. Criticism is welcome too since it's fine to not like certain things about a thing, but let's try to keep it about 80:20 in favor of positivity for all things considered.

To kick things off: After watching the first three episodes when it was new but putting it on-hold for eleven years for various reasons, I'm watching K-ON!. Cute girls doing cute things isn't really one of my go-to genres, but I kinda feel like I need it right now; just something wholesome: a group of girls trying to get a band/music club together and slice of life humor ensues, as a basic synopsis for those who don't know about the show for some reason. Despite putting the show on the back burner for so long, I've been interested in watching the main character, Yui Hirasawa, start with basically nothing in terms of musical talent and become a pretty proficient guitarist as the series goes on, since I've fantasized about the idea of being a practicing metal musician since the mid to late 2000's, and I finally managed to buy an Ibanez GRX20 with a 20w Fender Champ in October and now I've got nothing but time. So in addition to finding bands that people I knew in person wouldn't talk about such as The Faceless, Beyond Creation, Obscura, The Black Dahlia Murder, Brain Drill, Atheist, Cynic, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and so on, K-ON! is also a source of inspiration for getting into music even if it doesn't go further than just a hobby, so it'll most likely be a top 10 for sentimental reasons. ...that, I bought the Ultimate Collection for $80 during a Right Stuf sale, so I'm kinda already locked in.

Oh, and Don't Say "Lazy" is still a banger. Change my mind.

The Mary Tyler Moore show. Still a great show, although the later seasons suffer for Rhoda's absence. Great chemistry between the cast; solid writing and comedic timing.

Also watched Palm Springs, that recent Andy Samberg movie. Had a good time with it.

Recently finished The Tick season 2 on Prime, and I absolutely loved it. Googled season 3 and found out there isn't going to be one. What a bummer.

I'm trying to watch a couple more things before my Netflix sub runs out. The Last Dance is awesome and tells its story really well. I've started watching Drive to Survive and I can already tell Haas is going to be where the fun is.

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts is some good shit.

Been working through HBO Max's Criterion Collection selections and Yojimbo is a fucking masterpiece, good lord. Just completely kicks ass from beginning to end.

Also just watched Palm Springs, which is delightful. Pretty shocked the time loop trope still has legs, but I'm very glad it does!

I'm digging Warrior Nun a lot. I like that it takes its time explaining the characters and establishing the world, rather than focusing on the action aspect. The cinematography is stunning and the performances are good. I'm not done with the season yet, but it's in my sites.

I had never really watched Star Trek much besides catching the odd TNG episode here or there, so I decided to watch all of it because clearly I'm insane. I'm about halfway through TOS and it's honestly a lot better than I thought it would be. I think my favorite episode so far is The Changeling but most of them have been good to great.

One weird complaint; I'm watching on CBS All Access (a fine CBSi property), and they only have the remastered versions that I've seen. I'd honestly rather watch the janky 60's versions without the CGI outer space, part of the fun is seeing what they could do with the limitations of the time.

Chef Kenji Lopez-Alt's Youtube channel has been pretty awesome. He's a really good cook with a lot of knowledge and an easy manner, but also his preferred way of working is with a GoPro on his forehead - 1st Person Cookery Lessons. Anyway watching him cook and learning is great, even if his tech experiments with the format occasionally lead to a resolve-testing amount of motion sickness when he decides the best way to show you a tossing fry is by mounting the camera on the handle of the pan. Highly recommended and he's made so many videos since the lockdown began.

Recently finished watching season one of "The Boys" on Prime. Karl Urban knows no bounds. That is all.

Currently watching through Community for the first time, I had caught an episode or something a long timr ago and figured the show wasn’t my thing. I couldn’t have been more wrong, or maybe I changed. It’s hilarious, without (so far) doing the ”let’s have a serious arc that almost kills the fun”. Even if they fly just close enough they always pull up into funny nonsense before that happens. Cool, cool.

I've been slowly working my way through Armored Trooper Votoms, the anime Austin Walker described as "Rambo with mechs". Having not seen any of the Rambo movies, but knowing roughly of them, I think that's pretty spot on. I just finished the Kummen (i.e. space Vietnam) arc and am currently in an interstitial arc that I might (inaccurately?) describe as "what if the hotel from The Shining was a space ship?"

Some specific positives about the show:

• wow cool robot/haha robot goes brrrrr
• Sick jazz tunes
• Interesting story about PTSD that hopefully (and presumably, given the series' reputation) doesn't completely shit the bed
• The most absolutely extra, over-the-top, dramatic "Next Time On..." preview narrator. For example the narration for the preview of episode 8 is "Faust sold his soul to Mephistopheles so he could know the future. Macbeth fell into Hell following the three witches' prediction. Chirico will divine his destiny from the Prototype. In Woodo*, what you need to buy your future is jijirium** and a little bit of risk. Next time, The Deal. Business in Woodo carries the scent of death."

*Woodo is the name of a city (or planet?)
**jijirium is basically the unobtanium of the Votoms universe

Seriously, the "Next Time..." previews are so good (but warning of spoilers obviously if you watch past the first few)

You're the Worst is really good but also heartbreaking at times. It veered into some tired cliches a few times but the times it subverted were just as plenty.

Now I've moved on to Better Call Saul. Bob Odenkirk is a really good actor, maybe even better than Bryan Cranston. I think his role requires him to play it a bit more comedically than Walter White's character but he does a good job at playing it straight when he needs to.

Just finished Breaking Bad not too long ago, and I think it's going to take my 'favorite TV drama' spot until further notice. Really love how everything came together and the characters were on point until the very end. It's one of those shows that you watch to see just how insanely messed up things become and it certainly doesn't disappoint. If it wasn't for space and price concerns, I'd buy it just so I could show it to others.

I'm currently going through JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders on Netflix. At first, I was a bit concerned it wasn't going to live up to the madcap insanity that was Battle Tendency, and the new stoic JoJo didn't make a good first impression, but the show's really growing on me. I'm all in favor of the author ditching Hamon for Stands, since Stands make it possible to have any kind of enemy the author can dream up. It brings so much more variety to the show and you watch just to see what kind of lunacy pops up next. And unlike the last 2 shows, every member of the cast gets something to do and foes to beat, so it's not just JoJo steamrolling everyone that shows up.

While I still prefer Battle Tendency's tone, this is probably the best the series have ever been and I'm definitely watching to the end!

I'm going through all of the Studio Ghibli movies and mostly enjoying them very much!

Just finished watching Straight Outta Compton. I was a bit worried when I saw it was 2.5 hours long but it keeps moving. They skip some stuff and fabricate a reunion at the end but I took a lot from that movie. Really well done.

Perry Mason on HBO Max is great, especially if you're into crime noirs like LA Confidential. Close Enough is pretty fun too (also HBO Max), although it struggles with adult-humor writing in a few episodes.

Check out Lady Snowblood as well (also on HBO Max). If you like Kill Bill, and want to know where the majority of the inspiration comes from, it's that movie (and I LOVE it).

Slowly going through Full Metal Panic, never thought it would be something I would like...but I have been enjoying it :)

Randomly picked a musical out of Kanopy's small selection to watch while having a face mask night and went with Royal Wedding because eh it has Astaire in it at least there'll be good dancing, and it turned out to be quite delightful. At the very least you really can't go wrong with this sequence, which is frankly incredible:

I am currently watching my hero academia and yes, it is a very good anime.

I watched 1917 on 4k Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos on Saturday. It was the best film I've seen in a while. They don't do a lot of character development, and yet a felt very much for what they were going through and one scene almost made me tear up. One of the only issues that I can think of, if I had to choose, is that although it is a film about WWI, it has murphy's law in there. I also thought that Benedict Cumberbatch was a bit distracting and almost overacting it. Still, the film was a tense, impressive film that looked and sounded great.

Just finished watching season one of Big Little Lies, or for people who have already seen it - "The Story of A Bunch of Assholes, and Bonnie". Excruciating drama on a claustrophobic scale, I have to admit I really enjoyed it. Was the first thing in ages I've had to reach for the pause after something happened in the show to go "Ok I need to talk about this". Hellish upmarket Veronica Mars spin-off, would do again, 4/5

Avatar: The Last Airbender came out at a time when I was putting aside childish things (not in any cool kind of way, just really looking down my nose in a shitty way at stuff that didn't involve BLOOD AND GUTS AND MATURE CONTENT! BUT NOT LIKE MATURE ABOUT FEELINGS OR EMOTION, THAT'S STUPID!...basically I was the exact target demo for Leisure Suit Larry and Duke Nukem), and now that it's on Netflix, a friend has commanded me to finally watch it.

And hoooooooooooooooooolyshit, I was wrong. I mean she said the first season is kind of a slog and overly silly, and yeah: each episode is basically "teach a kid a simple lesson" by the end, but I've sat through Parks & Rec, TNG, and Buffy's first seasons, this one is better-than-fine, and I can see where it's going. This is a show that assumes kids have brains and can deal with a little hardship/suspense, the fights are INCREDIBLE, the characters are fleshed-out and already really well-defined, and it actually lets the stakes be high! (I grew up in the era when people were supposedly "less sensitive," yet Spider-Man had 5 seasons of animations and never threw a single punch and the cops and robbers in Gargoyles had to use laser guns...).

Anyhoo, can't wait until it apparently "gets good," cause I'm already having a whale of a time!

Just started watching Legion on netflix, and that series is weeeeird (and not in a bad way). The editing and photography are really imaginative and psychedelic. They get a lot of bang for their buck, considering it looks like it has a very small budget.

For a series set in the X-Men universe, I am surprised that they got so much freedom. There is no "I just got a call from Prof. Xavier", or "meet your new partner, Shawn Ashmore" moment in it. I guess it was lucky that it went under the radar for a lot of people...

@undeadpool: I had the exact same experience as you with ATLA when it originally came out. I watched the first season when I was 13, but felt too "mature" to follow up with the rest of the series. When it came out on Netflix, I binged the entire show, and can safely say it is now one of my all time favorite shows. It has so much charm, heart, and imagination, and it absolutely nails crafting its world. The characters are almost all either endearing or captivating to watch, with the exception of one character who I think they make comically evil. I have purchased the complete series on blu-ray, the comics, and am now looking at buying an Aang figurine. I just wish I could find a game that captures the same aesthetic and charm.

And for what I'm currently watching, Lovecraft Country aired its first episode last night, and hoooly shit was it good. Probably one of the most engaging introduction episodes I've ever seen. The pacing was damned near perfect. There wasn't a down moment, but the episode still gave each of its characters a moment to breathe and introduce themselves. It also nailed the true horror of Jim Crow, while contrasting it with literal monsters. If you are even remotely interested in the series, I highly recommend checking it out.

@jacksmedulla: I’ve heard that the first episode of Lovecraft Country is tonally very different from everything that follows and that it becomes an anthology of loosely connected short stories afterwards.

@humanity: Huh, interesting. From the podcast I listened to, the hosts that read the novel it's based on said it's more that we follow different characters' perspectives. Either way, I love what I've seen so far and am a big fan of horror anthologies, so I'm excited to see where the series goes.

@jacksmedulla: I saw that Lovecraft Country trailer and could FEEL my pupils dilate with excitement. Glad to hear it's great outta the gate.

And it's wild how ATLA lives up to all that hype AND I still don't really know THAT much about it other than broad strokes. Also the last several years have given me an all-new appreciation for "badguy in-power doesn't care who has to suffer or be hurt for his minor benefit/pleasure." Can't quite put my finger on WHY, though...

Shooter, the TV series starring Ryan Phillippe. It's on Netflix.

It's an action drama with an emphasis on long guns and snipers as you can imagine by the name. It's fine if you're into this kind of show. When Ryan's character is analyzing the ballistics of a long range shot they put what he's thinking about up on screen in graphical form. Distances, elevations, wind speed and direction, stuff like that. It's neat.

Ryan's character's name though? Bob Lee "The Nailer" Swagger. Everyone calls him Bob Lee or Swagger. It's not a name conducive to maintaining dramatic tension, let's just say that.

I just started that new Netflix Transformer series, I think it's Siege?

Anyway, I'm digging it so far. I don't have a huge affinity for Transformers, but it seems pretty cool so far. I had a few of the action figures as a kid, but I was a TMNT kid so I never really saw the original G1 cartoon.

My wife and I are almost finished with season 2 of Umbrella Academy as well. LOVE that show.

I just started watching Lucifer, it plays very much like a Psych or Monk. Procedural cop drama with a twist. This twist being that the Cop is the Devil.

I’m loving it though to be fair. Tom Ellis is great in the role of Lucifer...Which is shocking going from his back catalogue...A bit part in a terrible UK comedy.

My girlfriend and I also just finished watching all 4 Seasons of This is Us. We were obsessed with that show for a week or two.

I'm watching Lost again, about to start season five, with my girlfriend, who's watching it for the first time. Decided on it after seeing Watchmen and The Leftovers last year. I really enjoy it's turn into being a more science fiction show with its devotion into good character work. Think it's second half of the series is its strongest and the show as a whole is more enjoyable when you're able to binge it. Part of that is cause the show is able to focus its storylines and character arcs into shorter seasons (14 or 17 episodes) versus its early season lengths (23+ episodes, remember when network TV shows were over 20 episodes a season???).

I'm digging that new Ghost in the Shell show. It feels like a proper sequel to SAC, and it's just a joy to have those characters (and actors) back.

I'm watching Kindergarten Cop.

Undercover (Netflix) is amazing, kind of like a Belgian Fargo but less whimsical.

Also if you like noir and haven’t seen The Bridge (the Danish version, not the American remake) I’m unspeakably jealous that you can enjoy it for the first time. All 4 seasons are great.

Just finished season one of Perry Mason 2020. S'good.

I mean it's basically a Perry Mason(I watched '80s/'90s show, never seen the '60s show), but from the perspective of what a Perry Mason is, from the beginning. Like, if you watched the old versions, I imagine you'd find a lot of references, but we enjoyed it for being a courtroom drama set in 1931/2 L.A.. Hell of a cast. Might move onto Lovecraft Country or something next.

@petesix0 I bounced off Perry Mason for some reason. I like the cast, I know it's another good HBO show, but maybe I wasn't in the mood. I plan to go back to it. I've heard Lovecraft Country is good. Raised By Wolves sounds interesting, too.

In The Dark

It's a CW show on Netflix about an irreverent blind woman who discovers the body of her friend and vows to figure out what happened to him. My experience with the CW is limited to the Arrowverse, and I'd say In The Dark is objectively better than those shows.

Ben Stiller is an executive producer which surprised me because I don't see his influence on the screen. Maybe I'm just not familiar enough with his work. In my mind he's always either Derek Zoolander or Tugg Speedman from Tropic Thunder.

In the before times it was renewed for a third season, but who knows when that'll come out so you've got plenty of time to binge the first two seasons.

Yellowstone

Holy shit is this a good show.

Kevin Costner stars as John Dutton, patriarch of the Duttons and owner of Yellowstone, the Dutton family ranch and largest ranch in the US. The show is about the Duttons defending their land from the Native Americans and west coast businessmen who want to divide it up to build casinos and housing developments.

Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, and Cole Hauser co-star and they're great. The whole cast has been great, as has the writing. And the scenery is amazing.

My parents suggested multiple times that I watch it, but as a cord cutter I didn't have a way until the Peacock streaming service came out. The first season is free. The second season requires Premium ($5 a month). The third season is airing now on the Paramount Network, but it's not available on Peacock (yet?). It's been renewed for a fourth season.

If you like cowboys and/or good TV it's a no brainer.

Decided on Lovecraft Country(Have made inroads on starting Succession but bad taste in mouth rn). This show(Lovecraft Country), might be the most fun I've had with a show this year. Only watched the first four episodes which is my usual review period for a new show(Will now take a break until the episodes aren't week-to-week on my DVR), but holy hell it's fun. The things that are "Lovecraftian" - as in from the author and inspired by - that I can stand are things like the bonkers monster ideas, sense of pernicious dread and the unsettling nature of things being taken for granted that are suddenly very vulnerable. These are feelings that I find very much alive in this show, feeling all the more scary for the new context the show offers. Also a stunning cast that with the exception of Coutney B. Vance and Michael K. Williams I hadn't seen before(Smollett - wow), although your own exposure to them may have been different. Eyeing what becomes of Ant Man 3 with more interest now.

n.b. that said, please don't @ me about being horny for HP, HP Lovecraft was a repugnant racist and nightmare by any standard. The only good thing about reanimating him would be his dumb face when he saw the show. But then you'd have to send him back before he asks to get paid so ultimately not worth it. Unlike this show which is great so far.

I finally watched Rise of Skywalker with my mom.

Pretty sure it goes without saying that the movie itself is a cluster fuck and that the Disney trilogy overall is bad fan fiction. But between me not taking the new trilogy as seriously as I did the original and prequel trilogies as I did as a kid, and having Mom along to make fun of the movies as they went on, especially during the key moments of Rise of Skywalker where seeing my mom's reactions were priceless, it was a fun trilogy to go though at the end of the day, albeit at the expense of this and Last Jedi.

I would recommend The OA and DARK. Both are on Netflix. Not trying too hard to be heady yet being a mind-trip all the more for it. Cheesy, pretentious and arty at times, but they both really get going and leave you with plenty to think about between episodes.

Aladdin(2019), terrible Live action remake of the animated classic Aladdin. The songs feel lifeless like A Friend In Me, A Whole New World, only good song is Speechless which is original and Naomi Scott does a great job. Will Smith ain't no replacement for Robin Williams. Jafar was terrible and not evil like he was in the cartoon. Saw it through Disney+ so glad I didn't see this in theaters.

For some odd reason youtube recommended an old BBC documentary on Yukio Mishima. I enjoyed it and it was a fascinating, troubled man. Didn't care much for his politics but the circumstances surrounding his death were interesting.

Began to rewatch some Nickelodeon shows from when I was younger, but I'm only 15 and doing it. I haven't experienced nostalgia yet I believe lmao.

I’ve been mainlining Metal Gear Scanlon. I’m up to MGSV and took the opportunity to restart it on PC. That game’s still great.