Watching any good TV?

[The Shoemaker]

Black Sails - Season 1

Watched the first season of this show over the last few days, which wasn't too much of a feat considering it's only 8 episodes long. Moving into season 2, I'm interested. The show started with an interesting premise, but it wasn't until the last few episodes of the season where I was really starting to get invested in these characters and felt the story move in a meaningful way. If the show can keep its momentum going, I think it will be a worthwhile watch.

[Kong Wen]

Black Sails - Season 1

Watched the first season of this show over the last few days, which wasn't too much of a feat considering it's only 8 episodes long. Moving into season 2, I'm interested. The show started with an interesting premise, but it wasn't until the last few episodes of the season where I was really starting to get invested in these characters and felt the story move in a meaningful way. If the show can keep its momentum going, I think it will be a worthwhile watch.

All I know is Titus Pullo joins the cast in season 3. So that's saying something!

[Kong Wen]

I finally forced myself to sit down and finish the first season of The Wire, which is apparently the holy bacon messiah of television shows if my friends are to be believed. The first season was goodish. It seems like the kind of show that'll grow into itself now that the pieces are getting set up. I'll be happy to give the second season a shot when I get back from vacation.

[The Shoemaker]

Been continuing with Black Sails. Just finished season 2 last night. Wrap up in a very satisfying way, setting up season 3 to be quite different.

[The Shoemaker]

Just finished season 3 of Black Sails! I like that every moment in the show feels impactful. Every scene from seasons 1 and 2 feel like they play a part in the story season 3 told. Moving onto season 4 now!

[Kreegs]

I am rewatching all of Arrested Development . Still hilarious.

[The Shoemaker]

Finished Black Sails season 4, which ends the series.

Rely great show, first season was a bit slow but after that it was a really great watch. Awesome production values that make for some really impressive sets and full scale pirate battle sequences.

More than that though, the show' s real achievement was it's characters. Every episode and every scene felt necessary, each pushed a character forward. I can look at character and think of everything they've gone through and understand where they are today. It's really refreshing.

I suppose now I'll have to read Treasure Island!

[Claytone]

Yesterday, by watching the Season 8 finale, I finished my first rewatch of my favorite show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, making it (I think) the only television show I've seen twice through in its entirety. Additionally, I caught the long-awaited Season 9 premiere of Curb as well. It was hilarious! Well worth the wait. Can't wait to see what Episode 2 has in store. Good to have LD back.

[The Shoemaker]

I watched the first 6 episodes of Stranger Things 2 today. Things are coming together in a very interesting way. I actually wasn't sure if they would be able to pull the second season off as well but it's going good so far.

[Kong Wen]

Mrs. Kong and I finished Stranger Things season 2 over the weekend. It was OK. It did some things better than the first season, but some things worse.

I thought it handled the "bad men" much better this time around. The over-the-top sinister CIA cliche wasn't as strong. Also, Steve was a champ. Steve's my new favourite character.

They handled the atmosphere somewhat worse, at least in the earlier episodes. The first season's charm came from the elements of the setting being in the background, used to establish atmosphere. In the new season, they were a bit more hamfisted and relentless about it. I expected to see the characters pointing at '80s nostalgic elements and winking into the camera. The soundtrack also leans far more heavily on period pop pieces than the original electronic/synth compositions that I liked about the first season.

I also felt like they didn't really handle Eleven's integration into the story very well (spoiler below on this point):

Spoiler

They devoted an entire episode (the 7th, I think) just to Eleven's side-story to get us all caught up on what she was doing and paving the way for her dramatic return. That plus the fact that it came when the rest of the plot was at a dramatic cliff-hanger seemed like bad pacing.