The Big Door Prize - General Discussion

[BetterButter]

 

[BetterButter]

 

[aghst]

Getting pretty good reviews, probably will check it out at some point.

But Beef may have a bigger pull for me to add to a busy slate of shows I'm currently watching.

[HerkyJerky]

I saw the first 3 episodes and I enjoyed them!

[Turtle Wexler]

I’m watching the second episode right now, and am enjoying this! I’m just trying to figure out where it could be going. The SSN bit is weird! I cringed when I watched Dusty and Cass enter theirs. 

[bilgistic]

Yeah, in no world would I put my SSN and fingerprints in a random video game. I don't even put my birthdate in the blood pressure machine at Walgreens.

Someone said the market doesn't have WiFi. That doesn't matter. The machine could have a SIM card just like a phone and connect to a cellular network.

Edited March 31, 2023 by bilgistic

[SoMuchTV]

20 hours ago, Turtle Wexler said:

I’m watching the second episode right now, and am enjoying this! I’m just trying to figure out where it could be going. The SSN bit is weird! I cringed when I watched Dusty and Cass enter theirs. 

 

6 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Yeah, in no world would I put my SSN and fingerprints in a random video game. I don't even put my birthdate in the blood pressure machine at Walgreens.

Someone said the market doesn't have WiFi. That doesn't matter. The machine could have a SIM card just like a phone and connect to a cellular network.

Haha that’s the thing that really bugged me and I see I’m not alone! And the only person in the show who was bothered was one derpy high school student. 

Other than that (Mrs. Lincoln) I’m enjoying it so far. 

[Turtle Wexler]

On 3/31/2023 at 11:33 AM, bilgistic said:

Yeah, in no world would I put my SSN and fingerprints in a random video game. I don't even put my birthdate in the blood pressure machine at Walgreens.

Someone said the market doesn't have WiFi. That doesn't matter. The machine could have a SIM card just like a phone and connect to a cellular network.

 

On 3/31/2023 at 6:05 PM, SoMuchTV said:

 

Haha that’s the thing that really bugged me and I see I’m not alone! And the only person in the show who was bothered was one derpy high school student. 

Other than that (Mrs. Lincoln) I’m enjoying it so far. 

I mean, I suppose it’s a poke at anyone who so willingly gives away their SSN or other personal information. 
 

I’m assuming that we are supposed to think that Father Reuben’s card was a reference to being a parent, rather than a priest. 
 

I’m curious whether we’ll see people’s ’ cards manifest in unexpected ways.

[aghst]

Only watched the first episode so far.

Is Dusty suppose to be an American?  Because COD isn't even trying to hide his Irish accent -- he says 'turd' instead of pronouncing it as "third" like other Americans.

COD obviously never played basketball.  His form on the shooting game was horrible.

OK, I thought Morphos was a figure out of Greek mythology but apparently not, it's a genus of several species of butterflies.

Especially with one of the main character names being Cassandra, there were some allusions to Green mythology.

I doubt the town would be so preoccupied with that machine but maybe it's a boring place otherwise, a small town, kind of middle of nowhere?  It's so old school over there that Dusty wanders at night, when others are sleeping to the general store and he's in his bathrobe and so is Mr. Johnson.  How does he go into he store, which presumably has been closed for hours?

 

A lot of Apple TV + shows have this element of mystery, fantasy or sci-fi.  Severance is the obvious example but there are several upcoming shows with a sci fi theme, of dystopian alternate worlds.

I was thinking they do it too commonly.  I know this streaming service is owned by a tech company but not everyone who owns iPhones read sci fi and fantasy books or only watch movies and shows in these genres.

Then I thought about it, the mystery of the Morphos machine is driving the plot in the premier.  Presumably they townspeople will continue to be preoccupied with it and more about the nature of the machine will be revealed.

If this show was just a conventional story of a little town and the folks who live there, it probably wouldn't be too interesting, unless it turns into some juicy soap opera or something or some horrific crime or accident occurs and the characters have to reveal that.

But a pseudo tech or sci-fi mystery at the center of the plot is not a bad device.

 

Anyways, Dusty must be mid 40s at least.  Not that he couldn't change his career yet but his kids are almost all grown up, could be out of the home in a year or two.

So why would he be upset that Morphos told him his purpose in life is to be a teacher, which he already was?  Maybe he wanted to change careers or isn't really happy being a teacher?

It'll be interesting to see what Cassandra's role in life is suppose to be.  She's hiding it from Dusty and she would not answer his question of whether she was happy.  She certainly put up a happy front until Dusty asked her the question, which she either pretended not to hear or just stonewalled Dusty in reaction.

 

[SoMuchTV]

10 minutes ago, aghst said:

Is Dusty suppose to be an American?  Because COD isn't even trying to hide his Irish accent -- he says 'turd' instead of pronouncing it as "third" like other Americans.

I think they showed that he and his parents came over from Ireland at some point. But, yeah, he really kept his accent.  

[Clanstarling]

On 3/30/2023 at 6:52 PM, Turtle Wexler said:

I’m watching the second episode right now, and am enjoying this! I’m just trying to figure out where it could be going. The SSN bit is weird! I cringed when I watched Dusty and Cass enter theirs. 

Me too. I haven't read the book (if there is one), but I have an idea of what I think is going on.  I'll leave it for later.

On 3/31/2023 at 3:05 PM, SoMuchTV said:

Other than that (Mrs. Lincoln) I’m enjoying it so far. 

Nice to see someone else use that reference, I use it fairly often myself.

On 4/1/2023 at 7:00 PM, SoMuchTV said:

I think they showed that he and his parents came over from Ireland at some point. But, yeah, he really kept his accent.  

They did, they said he came over around 8 or so (I forget). Some people can lose (or do) accents, but others are stuck with what they had as kids (for example, Henry Kissinger came over around the age of 13, and never lost his).

[aghst]

Just watched the Jacob episode.

I guess they bridge the episodes with the character who will be featured in the next one.  The father isn't too happy with being a father (priest).

So the machine appeared out of nowhere and presumably Johnson doesn't get a cut of the money people put into the machine.

Johnson doesn't mind, he gets to chat up people who use the machine.

Good way to exposit the back stories of the characters.

The more I see Dusty and Cassandra, the more they don't seem to fit each other.  First of all Cass is way out of Dusty's league.  We would see their back story as a couple, presumably.

[Kenz]

We finished episode 6, and for a series that started off strong, unfortunately it has become kind of erratic and boring. I love Chris O'Dowd, but he can't carry the show all by himself. it's disappointing.

[Harvey]

Just looking at this series, can someone confirm if it's worth watching or not? Is it funny?

[Clanstarling]

I like it. It's different, but I'm enjoying it. It has a sense of humor, but it isn't really a comedy.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Clanstarling

[NaughtyKitty]

2 hours ago, Harvey said:

Just looking at this series, can someone confirm if it's worth watching or not? Is it funny?

It started out great and I enjoyed the mystery but it lost steam and none of the questions were answered in the finale.  I think I am done.

[BetterButter]

 

[aghst]

First 3 episodes of season 2 are available now.

No reviews.

May take me awhile to get through these, between other shows and NBA Playoffs.

[chitowngirl]

I’m glad there was a recap because it’s been a bit since season one, but I like that they pick right up where they left off.

[SoMuchTV]

I started a S2 thread so those of us who aren’t getting to it right away can still get “general” news without being spoiled for the new season. 

[ms gilly]

I’m enjoying this. It has the charm and quirk of an ensemble town of characters, ala Gilmore Girls, with a thread of mystery—but not too much—and tells stories of personal growth. I find it uplifting. And I like that there’s nothing like it on television. 

[chediavolo]

I like it too. I don’t think it’s very popular, at least by the posts here. Can’t see it being renewed.  

[giovannif7]

Game Over - according to TV Line, Apple TV+ has cancelled The Big Door Prize.

[aghst]

So people who watched both seasons, nothing solved, the characters go on journeys but they don't explain where the machine is or how now it gobbled up Dusty.

The slow burn approach probably led to lost viewers in season 2 vs. season 1.

[chediavolo]

17 hours ago, giovannif7 said:

Game Over - according to TV Line, Apple TV+ has cancelled The Big Door Prize.

Oh great. And we have no answers😡