What are you watching right now?

**DoctorDodge** · 12-01-2011 04:39 PM

Watching Right Now: Carnivale.

Looks ok so far. Might be a few eps before I get into it, though.

**Heather19** · 12-01-2011 05:30 PM

**Shannon** · 12-02-2011 12:14 AM

LOVE Carnivale. With its subtle mythology and overarcing storylines, to me, it was a precursor to the excellence that is/was Lost.

**DoctorDodge** · 12-02-2011 04:29 AM

Yeah, it seems ok atm. 2 eps in, and I'm not really connecting with any of the characters just yet, but that could change over the coming eps. The hints at mythology seem cool, but with the way Heather rates it, I'm expecting a little more than that over the coming eps. In fact, a lot more: I enjoy big arcs and stories that unfold over multiple eps, but I also need characters with weight and psychological depth, as well as as stories that carry emotional weight, too. And humour. Not expecting a comedy, but there's not been much humour so far. I hope it isn't this "serious" the whole way through, really.

**Heather19** · 12-02-2011 05:17 AM

Yeah its definitely dark and serious. There's not really much if any comedy in it, I hope that's not what you were expecting. Keep an open mind.

**DoctorDodge** · 12-02-2011 05:38 AM

Well, I don't mind "dark" and I wasn't expecting a comedy at all, but I never like it when programmes have nothing to balance out the "seriousness" and have the tone as completely serious all the time. Look at Life on Mars, or better, yet, Jekyll: neither are comedies, in fact they're total mind fucks at times, with Jekyll crossing into deep psychological horror several times, and yet both still have plenty of laugh out loud moments that totally fit the situation. I'm not asking for Dead Like Me levels of comedy, just a little bit of humour every now and then, or something at least to connect with the characters better, which hasn't happened at all so far. I'm gonna wait and see, anyway.

**Heather19** · 12-02-2011 05:39 AM

And that reminds me, I still need to watch Jekyll.

**DoctorDodge** · 12-02-2011 05:43 AM

You're missing out. It's Moffat unleashed with that show. I need to re-watch it again soon.

Oh, and bear in mind that I wasn't expecting any humour in Carnivale anyway, which is why I put it off for so long. I'll let you know if I like it more as it goes on. So far, I like the ideas, and there's some beautiful imagery in there, but it's kinda ruined by the writing for the characters, which has come across as rather flat so far. I can live with zero humour just about if the characters get more interesting and are given more weight. Does this happen at all as the show goes on?

**Heather19** · 12-02-2011 05:47 AM

I know, I don't know why I haven't gotten to it yet! I hope it's still up on instant.

I think so. With any show the first few episodes seem to be setting things up. I never had a problem with the characters in that show. They do take on personas to say, but I never felt they were empty, if that makes any sense. And I love the setting and scenery in the show. It's dark and bleak, and fits with the story so well. I think I'm going to go back and rewatch it now that you're finally watching it too.

**DoctorDodge** · 12-02-2011 06:04 AM

Well, the problem with the characters so far is we're only given a sense of one side of their lives, at best. The main character? All I get from him is that he doesn't talk much, hates his strange power, and sees weird stuff. I never feel like we really get a sense of what he's going through. One of the things I loved about Dead Like Me was that I connected to George instantly (although that might've been because I had more in common with her than I would've liked to admit). From her opening sentences of "I wish I could say, 'Sorry to dissapoint you'...but I'm not", we're given a far better idea of who she is as a whole than I've gotten from any of the Carnivale characters after a couple of episodes, which certainly helped with the more heavier and more emotional aspects of the show, as George went through hell so much (in the first season anyway, the second one, not so much, but I still enjoyed it).

I will say I'm very interested in the Minister's story, out of all of them, he does seem to have the most depth by far. I'm looking forward to seeing where his story goes.

**Heather19** · 12-02-2011 06:24 AM

I miss Dead Like Me so much. That's one that I always go back and rewatch. George was great in the show, but we can't forget about Mason!

**DoctorDodge** · 12-02-2011 07:10 AM

As if I could! And Daisy, who went through a wonderful journey, too. Dead Like Me was one of the few shows that genuinely affected how I looked at life. In a state of longterm unemployment and near-constant dissillusionment with the way of the world, DLM really taught me something important: no matter how fucked up you think your life and everything else is, there's always something that could come along and fuck it up even more in an instant, so be thankful for how little bullshit you have to deal with atm!

**alkanto** · 12-02-2011 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by Heather19

I miss Dead Like Me so much. That's one that I always go back and rewatch. George was great in the show, but we can't forget about Mason!

Mason! I loved him

That's another show I need to rewatch...probably buy on DVD eventually.

**Merlin1958** · 12-03-2011 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by DoctorDodge

Watching Right Now: Carnivale.

Looks ok so far. Might be a few eps before I get into it, though.

Great. Just be aware there is no "Ending" He had a ways to go, like 6 seasons. I was part of the "Let Carnivale Live" movement, alas to no avail. It ends a lot like "Lost" no real answers!!!

**Shannon** · 12-03-2011 03:55 PM

Lost ended excellently. Although the questions were brought up, in the end, I didn't care why the statue only had four toes or why the women can't have babies on the island. I cared about the people. And man oh man, I tear up like a baby everytime I watch the finale.

**DoctorDodge** · 12-04-2011 04:41 AM

I was a little annoyed that Lost kinda ended with quite a few mysteries left unexplained, but I thought it wasn't a bad ending. For me, it seemed to be as much about the mysteries as much as the characters that was the appeal.

I think my all-time favourite two endings still remain Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, though, for different reasons. The ending of Life on Mars was all about resolving the main character Sam Tyler's journey, which it did to absolute emotional perfection, I thought, while Ashes to Ashes not only resolved the stories of other characters from the LoM but resolved a few mysteries, too, something that I was initially wary of, as I didn't tune into LoM for the mysteries (partly because there weren't really that many) but for the characters, the humour, and the action, but A2A ended things in a way that didn't piss me off, so that's definitely an ending I'm pleased with.

**alkanto** · 12-04-2011 09:03 AM

I haven't watched very many shows all the way through, tbh. But I have seen two almost-perfect finales: Monk was just brilliant, the way it ended. I expected to be very sad once it was all over, given that I had watched it for years and was one of the first shows I fell in love with that wasn't a cartoon. But with that finale....it was done really well. Emotional, but not overwhelmingly so. And, for once, it ended on a happy note.
Supernatural, well....it was supposed to end at its 5th season. Halfway through this season, it got renewed for a 6th, so they were left with a series finale they had already filmed, and had to adapt it to be a season ender. If you ignore the additions made to extend the life of the show (ie, the last 4 minutes or so) it was a brilliant finale! Of course, it was also incredibly emotional, but wasn't so happy. But, in the end, it was where the characters needed to be. It worked, and I'm so mad they kept going. They needed to end on a high note...

**DoctorDodge** · 12-04-2011 03:46 PM

Re-Watching Right Now: ep 1 of Jekyll. Easily one of the best versions of the old tale in tv or film, I think. James Nesbitt is absolutely fantastic in both the roles he plays. And the recorded conversations are great. "Once...just bloody once, could you tell me where you parked the car?"

**alkanto** · 12-05-2011 03:56 PM

Watching: Ep 6 of Misfits

**DoctorDodge** · 12-06-2011 04:36 PM

Watching Right Now: that kid from Hugo in an ep of Ashes to Ashes from a couple of years ago! Thought I recognised him!

**fernandito** · 12-07-2011 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by Merlin1958

Originally Posted by DoctorDodge

Watching Right Now: Carnivale.

Looks ok so far. Might be a few eps before I get into it, though.

Great. Just be aware there is no "Ending" He had a ways to go, like 6 seasons. I was part of the "Let Carnivale Live" movement, alas to no avail. It ends a lot like "Lost" no real answers!!!

The answers are there, you just have to know where to look.

**DoctorDodge** · 12-07-2011 09:43 AM

I'm really wondering what your take would be on the Life on Mars ending, feev. It's not the ending that a lot of people expected, but it is one of my favourites. Emotionally speaking, completely satisfying, to say the very, very least. Which reminds me: will you be joining us for the re-watch next month?

**fernandito** · 12-07-2011 10:19 AM

Well I can't re watch it if I never watched it !

But yeah, I think I'm down. Isn't it only two seasons ?

**DoctorDodge** · 12-07-2011 10:24 AM

Yep, two seasons of 8 eps each. They're all a full hour long though, so I think it's most likely gonna be 2 eps a week, atm.

And yes, I'm aware that for many of the people who've signed up, it's not gonna be a re-watch, exactly, but it was the best term to use when it was just me, Pond and Jean trying to organise one, before we all realised that a lot more people on this board needed to see it, of course!

**Ricky** · 12-07-2011 11:51 AM

Hmm...only 16 eps.? I might join in as well. Dexter and Homeland will be over by then, so I'll have Sunday nights free.

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