I love your post! I am just in awe of this series and have always had a soft spot for the 80s in particular since I was born late in that decade. Man, there's just something about the music, style, and times that is cool as hell. It really makes me want to get in a time machine and go back to that time as soon as possible! And I can't believe people used to wear Miami Vice like clothes, that is awesome! . Personally I like the style, it looks hip and classy! I definitely would have had my unconstructed suit jacket.
I guess watching Miami Vice was a long time coming for me as I've been a big Michael Mann fan for quite a while. I love everything about his movies and content, they're just so stylish and atmospheric. Mindhunter, Thief, Heat, To Live and Die in LA (wasn't Mann but seemed like it), all great work! This most recent episode I watched of Miami Vice had Bruce Willis on it! Lol! Didn't expect that. It's nice to see in reference to the recent news about his condition.
When I read your words about prime time viewing it instantly brought me back to a simpler time in my life when I was a child. We all huddled around the TV to make sure we were there for things like the airing of TGIF or as we called it the Friday night lineup featuring Family matters, Boy Meets World, Step by Step. On Saturday's we looked forward to SNICK on Nicklodeon and Are You Afraid of the dark. I loved those times because the first airings provided a sense of community, a belonging that you shared in something special. Only people of certain generations can understand that, it's hard to explain.
If I could I would go back to a time before social media, streaming, and most of the Internet. It's funny cause I make my living thanks to software but I'd trade that in a minute!
Michael Mann fans should check out a movie he directed called "Manhunter", which was really Thomas Harris's novel "Red Dragon" that introduced (unleashed?) Hannibal Lector and led to Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, etc. Manhunter, like Miami Vice, was highly stylized and the scene where Francis Dolarhyde gets "killed" was shot with a soundtrack of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida that I really liked.
“One of the first questions we had when we started the show is will we see Walt and Jesse? And I can say, yes, we will,” says co-creator @petergould on #BetterCallSaul season 6.
Yep. I've been binging season 5 again, getting ready for 6... should be crazy.
You watch Saul, Pit?
We finished up Dexter a few weeks ago. We like that.
We liked Saul but stopped about mid way, maybe pick that back up. She liked the Americans, me not so much. I didn't like a show where Russian spies were the main story line.
Not so much binge watching as in start to finish, but I have been catching a lot of "Law and Order" of later. That is a decent show that is pretty realistic.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
I'm glad you mentioned Law and Order. Watched it occasionally back in the day. Now I see it's streaming on Youtube TV, once you put something in your library there it usually pulls in a ton of episodes immediately.
Yeah, I watch Saul and watched Breaking Bad. Once I'm caught up on Saul I'm going to start watching Dexter. I usually concentrate on a hand full of shows at a time combined with sports and news. I only allocate so much time to watching TV so it makes it easier to keep up with and keep the plot lines and stories fresh in my mind. Really looking forward to the coming episodes of Ozark as well.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Yep. I've been binging season 5 again, getting ready for 6... should be crazy.
You watch Saul, Pit?
So we recently went back and rewatched Breaking Bad again. Breaking Bad is (was) my number one show of all time.
So we also, in order to get ready for the final season of Saul, went back and watched that entire series again, not just season 5. I have come to the conclusion that Better Call Saul is better than Breaking Bad. It is the true number one show of all time. However, the show is entirely dependent on Breaking Bad having existed. Weird dynamic.
Watching Saul again I just couldn't believe how good it was. The character development and arcs of Chuck, Jimmy, Kim, Mike, and Gus were just spectacular. I don't think I've ever watched a show that took such care with telling the story and developing characters.
Pit - Dexter is the definition of "binge-worthy" imo. You'll enjoy it.
Rish - that's hard to argue with. Saul and BB are pretty much neck and neck for me, but you bring great points in terms of character development. "Spectacular" fits the bill.
I also think the previous season of Ozark pushed that show into the same territory.
Love Ozark but it's not an original show. It's Breaking Bad set in the Ozarks. I am looking forward to the final episodes though. It's still very good.
I also love Yellowstone but it's basically Sons of Anarchy set in Montana.
I've hesitated to add this to the list because it's so new. In fact, it's so new, you can't actually binge it. It's on NBC, and it's called: "The Endgame."
It flips the script about who's 'the good guy' and who's 'the bad guy'... and it keeps you guessing from one episode to another.
So..... not so as much a 'binge,' as 'ongoing obsession,' I give you:
To date, the show is still airing its first run, and there is no word about ratings or a second season. I invite you all to watch the first 3 episodes. See what you think. If you think it's worthy of more time/attention, blast some folks who can make things happen.
I guess my problem is not that binge watching has become a thing, I don't want to wait week to week to watch a show.
I could have never watched the Soprano's if I had to do it week to week over years. Once it dropped to streaming, I watched the entire thing over a month or two. All shows like that like to have the cliff hanger, hooks. I don't want to wait a week or for the next season to see how it plays out.
I didn't watch the show because I was still working and had to go to sleep before it aired, but my wife was hooked on "Dallas" back in the 80's. I can't tell you how sick I got about hearing my wife talking about who killed JR?
I get it, I might have been the same had I watched the show. They all got that from those old soaps back in the 50's and 60's. Set the hook to keep them glued to the TV the next day.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Has anyone been watching the HBO series about the Lakers? I've seen 2 episodes, not concurrently, so I'm not in position to talk much about it. But, even though I'm no longer an NBA fan, it does look interesting. I suppose my question is how accurate are the portrayals of characters like Magic Johnson, Kareem, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Pat Riley, etc? For example, Jerry West is portrayed as an unstable rage-a-holic, and Larry Bird is like a sociopathic contract killer. I'm curious how much license they are taking with these character portrayals? That said, the episodes I watched were very entertaining.
I am much more of a reader than series viewer, but there is something about Ozark that wants me to watch more. The female charter is deep. So many flaws. So many strengths. The entire show has unreal family dynamics. No good guys. Lots of flawed characters.
There was another show that I did not think I would like, but my son encouraged me to watch it. It was about a female chess player. I watched season one and it was freaking outstanding. Very complex character development that one would expect to find in a well-crafter literary book. I need to check out if they started another season.
I assume you're talking about The Queen's Gambit... it was based on a 1983 novel by Walter Tevis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen%27s_Gambit_(novel) And yes, it was amazing. I was sure at the time it was meant to stand alone in one season, and any rumors of a second season have always been shot down by director and EP, Scott Frank...
"I feel like we told the story we wanted to tell, and I worry – let me put it differently – I'm terrified that if we try to tell more, we would ruin what we've already told."
As for Ozark, couldn't agree more. No comparison between the depth of characters here to Breaking Bad or Saul. Tom Pelphrey as Ben Davis (Wendy's brother) delivered one of the most poignant performances I've seen in quite awhile. His Emmy snub was, in a word, pathetic.
Edit to add:
Can't be posted here due to language, Youtube: Ozark – Ben Davis Opening Monologue (Full Taxi Scene) Chilling. I remember being a bit befuddled early in that season. Wondering why they would attempt to inject such a weird character into such a complex plot... boy did I get it wrong.
Has anyone been watching the HBO series about the Lakers? I've seen 2 episodes, not concurrently, so I'm not in position to talk much about it. But, even though I'm no longer an NBA fan, it does look interesting. I suppose my question is how accurate are the portrayals of characters like Magic Johnson, Kareem, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Pat Riley, etc? For example, Jerry West is portrayed as an unstable rage-a-holic, and Larry Bird is like a sociopathic contract killer. I'm curious how much license they are taking with these character portrayals? That said, the episodes I watched were very entertaining.
Winning Time is deliciously entertaining!
Here's a horrific documentary that recently released on Netflix and is rough to digest, but important nonetheless.
I assume you're talking about The Queen's Gambit... it was based on a 1983 novel by Walter Tevis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen%27s_Gambit_(novel) And yes, it was amazing. I was sure at the time it was meant to stand alone in one season, and any rumors of a second season have always been shot down by director and EP, Scott Frank...
"I feel like we told the story we wanted to tell, and I worry – let me put it differently – I'm terrified that if we try to tell more, we would ruin what we've already told."
Outstanding show. As much as I would like to see more, sometimes the story is told. I don't think you could add more to Atticus Finch by moving on to other cases he may have taken. The "Gambit" story was told.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
I have not read all of this so maybe it was mentioned
IMO "The Last Kingdom" is one of the best things I have ever seen on tv.
I read all the books before it was sold to Netflix and they are outstanding. Often the movie version of books do not have the format to make it work.
Bernard Cornwell "The Saxon Tales" is 16 books. So Netflix had the format to tell the story. It has been so successful internationally that there is a two and half hour movie that will be made following the last episode of The Last Kingdom.
It is a deep rich story with many characters. It is based in fact. Historical fiction is the genre. Just a great story.
I assume you're talking about The Queen's Gambit... it was based on a 1983 novel by Walter Tevis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen%27s_Gambit_(novel) And yes, it was amazing. I was sure at the time it was meant to stand alone in one season, and any rumors of a second season have always been shot down by director and EP, Scott Frank...
"I feel like we told the story we wanted to tell, and I worry – let me put it differently – I'm terrified that if we try to tell more, we would ruin what we've already told."
As for Ozark, couldn't agree more. No comparison between the depth of characters here to Breaking Bad or Saul. Tom Pelphrey as Ben Davis (Wendy's brother) delivered one of the most poignant performances I've seen in quite awhile. His Emmy snub was, in a word, pathetic.
Edit to add:
Can't be posted here due to language, Youtube: Ozark – Ben Davis Opening Monologue (Full Taxi Scene) Chilling. I remember being a bit befuddled early in that season. Wondering why they would attempt to inject such a weird character into such a complex plot... boy did I get it wrong.
Love your takes on this. Yes, it was The Queen's Gambit. Outstanding character development. I wanted more, but I was thinking that the character portrayal might devolve into something far less than what the first season gave us. Thanks for educating me on what Scott Frank said. I did not know that.
Good take on Ozark. Wendy's brother was actually a great addition and I think it was right to move on from him. He played that role well and was eerily creepy. Hell, the entire show is full of creepy characters and a disturbing story line and plot. I'm not often a fan of that type of thing, but somehow, this show pulls it off. I kinda squirm when I watch it and then I binge watch multiple episodes.
Hell, the entire show is full of creepy characters and a disturbing story line and plot.
Did you happen to catch "Sons of Anarchy"? Another show full of creepy characters. You get somewhat attached to them then the story takes you right back to the reason these people are horrid excuses for human beings. The story never got dull, twists and turns every episode. My wife even liked it.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - John Muir
As for Ozark, great show but tainted by the fact that it's a Breaking Bad reboot and that Jason Bateman plays the same character in every movie and show he's in. He's same character in Couple's Retreat as he is in Ozark.
Interesting. But again, I am an avid reader and rarely watch television other than football. So, I have no idea about character familiarity. I really like the show, but it's cool if others don't Just making conversation.
LOL at your "my wife even liked it." But no, I haven't watched that show. Would you recommend it?
Yes. I never thought I'd like a show about a biker gang, but it really kept our interest until the end....and the ending itself was good. It had legitimate closure.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - John Muir
Another show I watched was Mindhunter or something like that. I thought it was pretty good. A bit repetitive in regards to episode topics, but I watched. I actually identified w/the one dude who was part of the team and his adopted son was sketchy and how he had to juggle his family life w/his professional life. I also like the idea of how "profiling" became a thing. I remember a long time ago and reading about an FBI profiler and how it was so mentally and emotionally taxing to put oneself inside the mind of a serial killer. There really is something to about how doing such things can affect one's own thought processes. I'm huge into the powers of psychology. Not a fan of action stories w/the BANG, BOOM, ROAR scenes. The mind is the most interesting and scariest aspect of life, in my opinion.
Last edited by Versatile Dog; 04/21/2210:19 PM. Reason: spelling
As for Ozark, great show but tainted by the fact that it's a Breaking Bad reboot and that Jason Bateman plays the same character in every movie and show he's in. He's same character in Couple's Retreat as he is in Ozark.
Rish...SOA jumped the shark after season 3. It was just really bad tv and writing after that. Absurdly redundant. They now have Yellowstone, which is just SOA on horses.
I agree on Ozark. First couple season were good, this last season was just bad. I threw in the towel.
Give me a limited a series where the writers do not have to keep coming up with new plots for the sake of extending the series.
Looking forward to this on HBO Max...same people that did The Wire...
Stumbled across Mindhunter in 2021, it was definitely my favorite "binge" show in 2021. Season 3 has been kicked around but now looks like it probably won't happen. Shame. "Huge into the powers of psychology" should probably go on my tombstone... we're a lot alike in that area, Vers. And yes, Bill Tench and his relationship with his son and wife was a great subplot that many can relate to when they're so deep in their work -- even though it was his partner and crime that was often dragging him deeper down the rabbit hole.
Delving into the mind of psychopathic killers was enough on it's own, following the timeline of the FBI and the journey into identifying serial killers put the show over the top. Pretty damned accurate account historically, even to the point of combining the real-life players into the personalities of the actors. Very true to the real-life crimes it covered with the Atlanta killings being the background mystery behind many of the other crimes that they covered.
Another thing I remember about that show is how great the cinematography and quality of "setting" was. Many times I was nodding and thinking things like "I remember those lamps, seemed like everybody had one back in the day". Silly, but I really appreciated that painstaking attention to detail.
Personally I like the style, it looks hip and classy! I definitely would have had my unconstructed suit jacket. 
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