What Have You Been Recently Watching

[Sock Monkey]

Finished watching the last two seasons (four and five) of the The Wire last night. God, if this show doesn't live up to its reputation for complex, adult storytelling. There are some things in the last two seasons that happen with characters that just stick a knife in deep and then twists. Ever get the feeling when you've watched or read something that you've only scratched the surface of the story holds, that though you feel narratively fulfilled there is still this lingering feeling lots of little connections may have slipped by? This is exactly how the The Wire feels. For example, the show gives a minor background character nothing more than three very short scenes in Season 3, 4, and 5, yet somehow establishes a complete arc for this character, while just expecting the audience to the make the connection. While I absolutely get why people have a hard time with the show--there is no clear protagonist, each season's shift of focus destablizes those that want more of the same, and season story threads take almost to the end of each season to pull together, not to mention story arcs play out over seasons--this has to be one of the more rewarding television watching experiences I've had. What a great show.

[dannyboy121070]

I watched the first few episodes of Season 1, but my wife just couldn't get on board so I didn't make it much further than that. I might need to go back and watch both seasons. I'm glad to hear that they pretty much covered the main storyline, but I kinda feel like this would have done better on HBO where it would have had more time to breath and possibly delve more into all the side stories the comic had. All the weird one-off tales where really good.

I was actually surprised by how many of the one-shot stories they managed to fit into the show (A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Sound of Her Wings, The Song of Orpheus, Calliope....). I think the showrunners really did a masterful job of adapting the series as a whole.

[Sock Monkey]

Has anyone been watching THE SANDMAN on Netflix? I just rewatched the first season (Something I never do, so you KNOW that I loved it!) to get ready for the new/final season, and the first half of season 2 was excellent. I was really bummed to see that they were ending the show, but they managed to adapt the entire series, or at least the major beats, which impressed me very much. I haven't seen the last half of the new season yet (Shark Week got in the way...), but I'm confident they'll stick the landing. Great show.

I watched the first few episodes of Season 1, but my wife just couldn't get on board so I didn't make it much further than that. I might need to go back and watch both seasons. I'm glad to hear that they pretty much covered the main storyline, but I kinda feel like this would have done better on HBO where it would have had more time to breath and possibly delve more into all the side stories the comic had. All the weird one-off tales where really good.

[dannyboy121070]

Has anyone been watching THE SANDMAN on Netflix? I just rewatched the first season (Something I never do, so you KNOW that I loved it!) to get ready for the new/final season, and the first half of season 2 was excellent. I was really bummed to see that they were ending the show, but they managed to adapt the entire series, or at least the major beats, which impressed me very much. I haven't seen the last half of the new season yet (Shark Week got in the way...), but I'm confident they'll stick the landing. Great show.

[Sock Monkey]

Finished season three of The Wire and it was another great season. Switching back to dealing with more of the street-level drug trade from season one helps put a little bit of pep back in the show's step. Not to say season two was bad--it's actually very good and the more I think about it, the more I like it--but it was big departure from the first season. The show is so intricately plotted that it feels like it isn't at all. That is to say, every season seems to start off a little loose and then everything starts to slowly pull together, but not quite in the way one thinks. Some great resolutions to long-running arcs in this season and the show does some really interesting things with two of the main criminals that make the viewer reconsider them as characters and their place in the show's world. Sorry, trying not to give spoilers, so I'm a little vague. Anyways, great show and working on season four already!

[Sock Monkey]

I watched a Folk-Horror film called Frewaka last night on Shudder, and really enjoyed it. A home health aide is dispatched to a remote Irish village to care for a paranoid elderly stroke victim, creepiness ensues. Very well-made and effective.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be putting this on the "to watch" list.

[dannyboy121070]

I watched a Folk-Horror film called Frewaka last night on Shudder, and really enjoyed it. A home health aide is dispatched to a remote Irish village to care for a paranoid elderly stroke victim, creepiness ensues. Very well-made and effective.

[Sock Monkey]

I finished season two of The Wire. From what I've seen online, this season is pretty contentious amongst the fans and I can see why. After taking a long time to settle in during the first season, this season shifts gears and places the viewer in very different setting with a bunch of different characters. It also takes quite a bit of time to "get the gang back together." However, by the end of the season, I was really into this one and I liked it more than I remember liking it the first time around. Now we are moving on to season three, which is all new territory as we stopped last time after season two. Very much looking forward to it!

[Ben Staad]

The only exception was digital media. I could have accessed the two connecting Counties e-library, which I believe, is all through the same service.

[Ben Staad]

LOL! You are 100% correct. Florida here and no interlibrary loans. It was so frustrating that I just stopped going.

They don't do Interlibrary Loans?? Are you in Florida? I was a librarian for over 40 years and rarely encountered a library/library system that didn't participate in that service. Select items that couldn't be interlibrary loaned, of course, but shutting the whole service down, weird. I say Florida, because a friend of mine worked in Florida and a private corp. took over library service and one of the first things they did was kill library service.

[mhatchett]

Wow, a public library that doesn't do loans/swaps, never heard of that! Bummer for that community!

They don't do Interlibrary Loans?? Are you in Florida? I was a librarian for over 40 years and rarely encountered a library/library system that didn't participate in that service. Select items that couldn't be interlibrary loaned, of course, but shutting the whole service down, weird. I say Florida, because a friend of mine worked in Florida and a private corp. took over library service and one of the first things they did was kill library service.

[sholloman81]

Good idea. I had forgotten that they have other physical media.

I haven't been there in years and will probably go this weekend. The selection of books in years past have been exceptionally poor plus they don't do loans or swaps from other Counties so I stopped going.

Wow, a public library that doesn't do loans/swaps, never heard of that! Bummer for that community!

[Ben Staad]

Good idea. I had forgotten that they have other physical media.

I haven't been there in years and will probably go this weekend. The selection of books in years past have been exceptionally poor plus they don't do loans or swaps from other Counties so I stopped going.

I don't pay to stream either. I'm sure you can check it out at your local public library for free if you're into physical media like I am. I find so many good movies and tv show available at the library, and their small wall of movies also gives me some video store nostalgia too!

[Sock Monkey]

One of my favorite series of all-time! You've got to make it through season 4 which is one of the best seasons of tv ever IMO. Just jaw droppingly good and has so much to say!

I've heard that about season 4! While I can't wait to get there, I'm enjoying the journey, though. I read somewhere that the best way to approach the show is realize there is no traditional lead protagonist and instead the protagonist is the city of Baltimore itself. This has helped a lot in getting used to the sprawling cast and how the show refuses to centralize anyone as the lead.

[sholloman81]

Am now working my way through Orange Is the New Black. I honestly avoided this show like the plague while it aired as I was sure that it wouldn't be my cup of tea. I was able to snag the complete blu-ray series at a yard sale recently for $15 bucks so I figured that I would give it a try, and if I hated it, I could trade it in at my local record store for some store credit. Just finished the first season and I was honestly blown away by how good it was. Reminded me a little of HBO's "Oz" tv series except with lots of humor added. Will be interesting to see if the quality holds up in the subsequent seasons.