What Are You Watching

[BruceH]

They sure went for the surprise factor: we don't see Betty for a double episode and then we see her fifty pounds heavier! Interestingly, I believed the transformation and am glad that the thyroid cancer scare was just that. Also that she isn't yet on diet pills.

It was interesting that there's Dawn the receptionist now, glad that the firm followed through with hiring one of the surge of applicants from the end of the last episode. And it seems one recurring theme this season will be the growing exposure of the generation gap, evidenced quite clearly by the Rolling Stones portions of the show, and Don's growing alienation from the changing marketplace and possibly the gap in age between himself and his new wife.

Going to be an interesting season.

I agree with all of that.

Also watched The Killing 2 hour episode last night.

I liked it well enough that I'm going to hang in there with the show.

I've watched a few episodes of The Killing (American) but I missed even more, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to bother with the 2-hour season premiere. Well, I ended up watching the thing and getting really wrapped up in it. Maybe I'll keep watching. There's something kind of hypnotic about that show.

In last night's Mad Men, I was impressed all over again with how decent and NORMAL Henry Francis is. Except when it comes to Don; he loathes Don. I suppose that's "normal" too, certainly understandable, but after being so kind and generous with everyone else his treatment of Don as almost a pariah stands in stark contrast. But that very human reaction was perhaps put there so Henry didn't come off as some sort of saint. I liked the direction of the episode.

[Shawn]

H-y-p-n-o-t-i-c

[jazzbo]

I've watched a few episodes of The Killing (American) but I missed even more, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to bother with the 2-hour season premiere. Well, I ended up watching the thing and getting really wrapped up in it. Maybe I'll keep watching. There's something kind of hypnotic about that show.

In last night's Mad Men, I was impressed all over again with how decent and NORMAL Henry Francis is. Except when it comes to Don; he loathes Don. I suppose that's "normal" too, certainly understandable, but after being so kind and generous with everyone else his treatment of Don as almost a pariah stands in stark contrast. But that very human reaction was perhaps put there so Henry didn't come off as some sort of saint. I liked the direction of the episode.

I can definitely recommend viewing the first season of The Killing. It's very well done, hypnotic I guess, it's a nice portrayal of a police procedural and human emotions and obsessions.

I agree, Henry proves himself time and again to be the person with reasonable, honorable intentions and actions. I hope he gets treated well this season and beyond, but with this series that may be too much to ask for. . . .

Shawn, I thought you would like that!

[kinuta]

Scott & Bailey

House

Some more from The Mentalist season 2

[Soulstation1]

[Dave James]

People who don't like The Killing complain that it moves too slowly. I'd call it deliberate. I'm totally hooked on this. It's obvious at this point that the roots of this conspiracy run pretty deep. Bring it on. Nice to see Mark Moses ("Duck" Phillips from Mad Men) making an appearance as the new Lieutenant.

[mikelz777]

I'm digging The Killing as well and have no qualms at all over the pace of the show. It's so layered and more than once they had me convinced that they were on to the killer only to have the story take yet another twist. As I mentioned before, Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden is excellent in her role and really carries the show. I also really like Joel Kinnaman as her assigned partner, Stephen Holder.

Edited April 4, 2012 by mikelz777

[Shawn]

All this talk about The Killing got me curious, I just watched the series Pilot and it was excellent. I'm looking forward to the rest of season 1.

[A Lark Ascending]

All this talk about The Killing got me curious, I just watched the series Pilot and it was excellent. I'm looking forward to the rest of season 1.

Don't bother with the Andorran version.

Get the original!

[jazzbo]

All this talk about The Killing got me curious, I just watched the series Pilot and it was excellent. I'm looking forward to the rest of season 1.

I think you'll enjoy the rest of Season 1 Shawn, it's of the same quality of the pilot, and I think you'll like the way the story unfolds.

[jazzbo]

After finishing Season Four of Battlestar Galactica, I've turned to the standalone "Razor" (extended) episode (in my case as part of the complete Blu-ray collection).

Nice to watch Stephanie Jacobsen in her feature role here.

Edited April 5, 2012 by jazzbo

[jazzbo]

Oh man, best "Community" of the season!

[Tim McG]

Right now?

The Evening and Local News.

Next: Jeopardy.

Edited April 6, 2012 by GoodSpeak

[kinuta]

All this talk about The Killing got me curious, I just watched the series Pilot and it was excellent. I'm looking forward to the rest of season 1.

Don't bother with the Andorran version.

Get the original!

I'm not so sure about that, Bev. Before watching the Canadian version I would have dismissed it out of hand as being unable to match the Danish original.

In all fairness, I think it stands up well although I'm sure almost everyone will disagree. Just my opinion.

[jazzbo]

I haven't seen the original, but this AMC one is quite good. AMC knows what they're doing, for example Mad Men, Breaking Bad. . . .

[Shawn]

Oh man, best "Community" of the season!

Haven't gotten that far yet, just starting on Season 3. Easily my favorite sitcom in recent memory.

[JohnJ]

Oh man, best "Community" of the season!

Haven't gotten that far yet, just starting on Season 3. Easily my favorite sitcom in recent memory.

Mine is 'Big Bang Theory'. Love that show, never fails to make me laugh.

[Shawn]

Oh man, best "Community" of the season!

Haven't gotten that far yet, just starting on Season 3. Easily my favorite sitcom in recent memory.

Mine is 'Big Bang Theory'. Love that show, never fails to make me laugh.

I've only seen a couple episodes of that one so far, I'll add it to "the list". Thanks!

[A Lark Ascending]

All this talk about The Killing got me curious, I just watched the series Pilot and it was excellent. I'm looking forward to the rest of season 1.

Don't bother with the Andorran version.

Get the original!

I'm not so sure about that, Bev. Before watching the Canadian version I would have dismissed it out of hand as being unable to match the Danish original.

In all fairness, I think it stands up well although I'm sure almost everyone will disagree. Just my opinion.

I'm jesting.

I understand the commercial pressures to a) make it without subtitles and b) put it into a familiar location (less sure there - it's the unfamiliarity of the locations of these Scandinavian/French/Italian thrillers that I think has made them successful here (to say nothing of the books that spawned some of them). That's also what makes US series so intriguing over here - the unfamiliarity of location and cultural mores).

Given the excellence of so much US TV (far more ambitious than most UK TV which finds it hard to get beyond rather sentimental period drama) I'm sure the US version of 'The Killing' has been well done. It just that the need to remake the original plays into the common view outside of the USA that mainstream America is not interested in the rest of the world.

Edited April 6, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[Shawn]

It just that the need to remake the original plays into the common view outside of the USA that mainstream America is not interested in the rest of the world.

I would say that's most likely true of the vast majority. Americans get so much flag-waving superiority shoved down their throats from such an early age it's hard to take a "global view" of anything. Add to that the INSANE proliferation of Christianity at the expense of all reason here and you have a perfect little petrie dish of narrow-minded morons happily thinking the U.S. IS the fucking world.

[A Lark Ascending]

It just that the need to remake the original plays into the common view outside of the USA that mainstream America is not interested in the rest of the world.

I would say that's most likely true of the vast majority. Americans get so much flag-waving superiority shoved down their throats from such an early age it's hard to take a "global view" of anything. Add to that the INSANE proliferation of Christianity at the expense of all reason here and you have a perfect little petrie dish of narrow-minded morons happily thinking the U.S. IS the fucking world.

It's not unique to the States. There are plenty of Brits who would happily fill in the Channel Tunnel, whip us out of the EC and restart the Home Guard.

Lunacy here.

We're only a hop, skip and a jump from the continent yet our non-native language skills are dreadful (and I'm just as bad on that count. Once travelled around Sweden for a fortnight with only 'Tak' to my vocabulary!).

Edited April 6, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[kinuta]

Touch

Getting very silly indeed.

The child is starting to get on my nerves.

[Shawn]

Based on the previews for Touch I decided not to watch it. Plus I really hate Kiefer Sutherland, so I avoid him whenever possible.

[Matthew]

The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The first show of the series. My favorite line, by Lou Grant: "You know what? You got spunk... I hate spunk!" Hilarious

[A Lark Ascending]

'White Heat'

Unlike kinuta, I've enjoyed this. Lots of dramatic cliches - former flatmates meeting up to remember a wild past, a tendency to want to reference every political and cultural event of the time, the 'difficult' father-son (and father daughter) relationship. But it's kept me interested.

Yes, it's historical costume drama, but...at least there are no icebergs. Yet (I've only got to episode 3).

Edited April 8, 2012 by A Lark Ascending