Small Talk: The Quiver

[FurryFury]

I actually liked a lot of Lorelai's LIs! Luke was funny, Max was sweet and Chris was intriguing. I can't say I had a clear favorite. In contrast, Jess/Rory was the best Rory pairing, hands-down. She had zero chemistry with the others, and Dean was boring, while Logan was obnoxious. Just no contest.

Edited October 2, 2014 by FurryFury

[foreverevolving]

also another reason i'll ditch out of a show? when i can't even bother to remember when it's on.

that's how i stopped watching GA, Bones, NCIS and a bunch of other shows.

 

actually i'm having the same issue with TMoL, which probably isn't a good thing for the longetivity of the show on my "must watch" list

[NumberCruncher]

I've noticed that binge watching certain shows give you less time to get ragey. It might become the better way to watch tv.

This. It's interesting the reactions that people who faithfully watched the show have re: season progression and unhappy finales versus my reactions after binge-watching. For example, I know that most Chuck fans and Battlestar Galactica fans hated their respective series finales but I didn't mind them all that much (in fact, I really liked how Chuck ended). I don't think you get as emotionally invested watching a show over 3 or 4 months as opposed to 3 or 4 years. That being said, I have been on the other side of the fence where a show I've faithfully followed has royally pissed me off in the end (yes, I'm looking at you X-Files and Gilmore Girls).

I've also never stopped watching because of one character because I don't watch a show to begin with unless there are multiple characters I'm interested in. I generally prefer shows with larger casts as well, which is why I gravitate towards Walking Deads and Downton Abbeys of the world. There's less of a chance for one actor or character spoiling my enjoyment.

[SonofaBiscuit]

This. It's interesting the reactions that people who faithfully watched the show have re: season progression and unhappy finales versus my reactions after binge-watching. For example, I know that most Chuck fans and Battlestar Galactica fans hated their respective series finales but I didn't mind them all that much (in fact, I really liked how Chuck ended). I don't think you get as emotionally invested watching a show over 3 or 4 months as opposed to 3 or 4 years. That being said, I have been on the other side of the fence where a show I've faithfully followed has royally pissed me off in the end (yes, I'm looking at you X-Files and Gilmore Girls).

 

The Lost and Battlestar Galactica finales completely ruined the shows for me.  I felt like I had wasted years of my life on something that was so utterly disappointing.  The fact that Ronald Moore is involved in Outlander scares the crap out of me because I have been down that road before, and it didn't end well.  With Outlander, there is already a series of books in existence, so he shouldn't be able do too much damage there.  Even if the final book ends in a disappointing way, I don't see Outlander making it nine plus seasons, so the story on the show will probably be left more open-ended. 

Edited October 2, 2014 by SonofaBiscuit

[dtissagirl]

Oh, man, to this day I wish I hadn't watched the BSG finale. If only I had read spoilers. It really ruined the whole show for me as well.

[Sakura12]

I binge watched Breaking Bad this summer and didn't find Skylar nearly as annoying as I heard from other people. I think a lot had to do with watching her husband go from doing it for his family to raging psycho in the span of a week. 

[Kymmi]

Oh, man, to this day I wish I hadn't watched the BSG finale. If only I had read spoilers. It really ruined the whole show for me as well.

 

To this day I have NEVER watched the BSG finale (I actually avoid finales like the plague).  After reading a lot of "WTF?" responses I deleted it.  Favorite show will remain my favorite show.

[FurryFury]

The Lost and Battlestar Galactica finales completely ruined the shows for me.

 

This. I'll never, ever forgive Ron Moore for BSG finale. It's not like I particularly enjoyed s4 (and even s3), but the finale was just... no.

With Lost, it's more like the whole purgatory storyline in s6 sucked ass. I'd actually be completely satisfied with the ending of the present timeline. Jack's death was probably the scene I liked him the most of the whole show.

 

I was lucky to miss HIMYM finale. I watched almost the whole show before that (mostly binged), but I stopped a few episodes before the finale, planning to binge after it aired. Needless to say, I didn't.

 

To this day I have NEVER watched the BSG finale (I actually avoid finales like the plague).

 

They don't ALWAYS suck. Angel finale, despite the show being canceled mid-season, remains one of my all time favorites. Buffy was mostly OK as well. 

Edited October 2, 2014 by FurryFury

[NumberCruncher]

The BSG finale wasn't my favorite either, but it didn't ruin the entire series for me.  To be honest, the show started going downhill in S3 and the S4 plotlines were a complete mess.  The only reason I stayed with it was because I cared for the individual characters.

 

I understand your concerns about Outlander, @SonofaBiscuit, but I think you're right that there's only so much Ron Moore can deviate from the source material without the book fans freaking out.  I think Diana Gabaldon would have a big problem with it too.

[Sakura12]

Whenever there's a bad finale, another show comes around and beats it. After seeing the Dexter and True Blood finales, Lost and BSG moved up a couple spots on my list. 

 

Outlander is my new favorite show, I think with the books, Ron Moore can only change so much. What he's changed so fan hasn't been bad, mostly he's just added a few things. 

Edited October 2, 2014 by Sakura12

[dtissagirl]

To this day I have NEVER watched the BSG finale (I actually avoid finales like the plague).  After reading a lot of "WTF?" responses I deleted it.  Favorite show will remain my favorite show.

I both salute and envy you right now. :)

[FurryFury]

Whenever there's a bad finale, another show comes around and beat it. After seeing the Dexter and True Blood finales, Lost and BSG moved up a couple spots on my list.

 

I had completely different expectations for Lost and BSG compared to Dexter and True blood. Those two started to suck years before their finales, with Lost and BSG it wasn't as pronounced (I actually enjoyed Lost season 5 for the most part). With BSG, it was the stupidity that cheapened the whole message that infuriates me to this day. Sacrificing your entire civilization to live a barbaric lifestyle? Talk about contrived.

[NumberCruncher]

I binge watched Breaking Bad this summer and didn't find Skylar nearly as annoying as I heard from other people. I think a lot had to do with watching her husband go from doing it for his family to raging psycho in the span of a week. 

 

I've never understood the ridiculous levels Skyler hate, TBH.  To me, she was no more flawed than any of the rest of the BB characters.  I certainly didn't love her in the first few seasons, but I felt for her so much in the 2nd half of S5.

[catrox14]

I was satisfied with the finales of both LOST and BSG. I found that binge watching Supernatural left me more emotionally attached than watching S9 real time.

I think it really depends on the show

I don't think I could handle Breaking Bad as a binge watch because it's just too intense a especially by the last few episodes that were relentless.

[Sakura12]

Skylar wasn't my favorite character or anything, I just wanted her to take the kids and run far far away from Walter. 

 

I also think Breaking Bad should be a lesson to all tv show executives. Sometimes less is more. 5 seasons is just the right amount of time to tell a story from beginning to end. More than that usually results in the show going so downhill, people end up hating it. Especially since we keep giving shows more and more episodes per season. The British are doing it correctly, less episodes per season gives you more time to tell the story.

 

I don't think I could handle Breaking Bad as a binge watch because it's just too intense a especially by the last few episodes that were relentless.

 

You'd think so, but I couldn't stop watching and when they got to the huge cliffhangers I couldn't imagine having to wait months to find out what happens. 

Edited October 2, 2014 by Sakura12

[KenyaJ]

I stopped watching Veronica Mars towards the back half of Season 3 because of Piz. The only thing worse that watching a useless character is having that character needlessly shoved down your throat.

 

I stopped watch Alias because of Lauren Reed. I'm hard pressed to name a character I've ever disliked more than her. I came back to Alias after she left, but by then, it mostly sucked.

 

And I stopped watching Grey's Anatomy for a while because of Izzy. It felt unhealthy spending the entire show wanting to punch her smug face. Eventually, I went back, but now that Cristina's gone, I think I'm out again. I couldn't make it through last week's episode.

[SonofaBiscuit]

My main issue with Lost came from all of the ridiculous happenings that were never explained.  I thought that it was this carefully crafted show and all of these mysteries would be revealed at some point.  I started to feel dread close to the end of season six, wondering how they would have enough time to give me all of the answers that I needed.  Oh, my mistake.  It was about the characters (I think that the showrunners actually said that).  All of this weird shit that happened totally didn't matter at all and would never be explained.  FU show!    

Edited October 2, 2014 by SonofaBiscuit

[FurryFury]

The British are doing it correctly, less episodes per season gives you more time to tell the story.

 

I want to say one thing about British shows: changing the core cast between seasons pisses THE HELL out of me. I already had to stop watching Misfits, Being Human and Bedlam because of it, and right now, I've just downloaded an ep of Wolfblood season 3 to find out the main heroine was gone. I find it completely unacceptable and simply can't move on after that. Sure, some of new characters may be great, but they are not why I've started to watch. I simply can't move on, knowing my favorites were put on a bus, often without any good reason. I loved Mitchell's death in Being Human, and it was probably the time for Annie to move on, and Simon had a good exit on Misfits, but everyone else? No, just no.

Edited October 2, 2014 by FurryFury

[Sakura12]

The changing casts and actors leaving before, during or after a season(s) is annoying, that is probably one of the good things about American shows, actors in contract where they can't leave for 3 seasons. It does help that most British actors can actually act, it helps with the transitions. 

 

It doesn't happen in all of them though and for the first 2 generations of Skins it worked for me, once they graduate to Uni, let them go. I don't know if anyone here has watched Episodes with Matt LeBlanc on Showtime, it's a show about the inner workings of a tv show with it's actors, writers and executives, exaggerated to a degree where I don't think it's too far off the mark. It's hilarious and 4 seasons in the actors are all still there. 

Edited October 2, 2014 by Sakura12

[KenyaJ]

The BSG finale wasn't my favorite either, but it didn't ruin the entire series for me.  To be honest, the show started going downhill in S3 and the S4 plotlines were a complete mess.  The only reason I stayed with it was because I cared for the individual characters.

 

I understand your concerns about Outlander, @SonofaBiscuit, but I think you're right that there's only so much Ron Moore can deviate from the source material without the book fans freaking out.  I think Diana Gabaldon would have a big problem with it too.

 

I watched the Outlander panel at SDCC this past weekend, and a fan actually asked him about that (which was awk.ward. because it was clear the fan didn't enjoy what he did with BSG). He said the BSG source material provided him a certain latitude that the Outlander books don't, so it sounds like it's going to be a fairly faithful adaptation.

Edited October 2, 2014 by KenyaJ

[FurryFury]

AFAIK, some of the BSG writers left after s2, and it influenced some of the following material. I wouldn't be surprised if they were the reason the show was so good during those years. At least, after the finale I got the impression Moore has a bit of an ego - never a good thing for a writer, TV or otherwise.

 

It does help that most British actors can actually act, it helps with the transitions.

 

Didn't help me. I simply can't even give the replacement a chance. I always watch for the characters, and I'll never accept some (if not all) of them leaving for some arbitrary reason(s). Especially if those replacements suck outright, like Rudy in Misfits (hated him at the first sight). The Being Human new cast seemed nice and interesting, but I still couldn't watch after Annie's passing - it just didn't feel like the same show anymore.

[Sakura12]

I always give them a chance. Misfits just got stupid, I don't blame the actors for that. For me the show was never the same when Nathan left and when they got new powers. I actually started liking the new cast of Being Human and was kind of upset they got cancelled. I was more upset that Becoming Human never got to be a tv show, I loved seeing a teenage vampire, werewolf and ghost get through 6th form.

[FurryFury]

Yeah, I agree it wasn't the same without Nathan, but I would still watch it. However, without the rest it felt really stupid. 

 

I actually started liking the new cast of Being Human and was kind of upset they got cancelled.

 

I'd watch a different show about them in a heartbeat. But it was still called "Being Human", and in my mind, "Being Human" was about Mitchell and Annie and George, not about them. I can't simply transfer my affection onto a wholly different group.

[Sakura12]

I didn't transfer my affection, I still like Mitchell, Annie and George. The new group Hal, Tom and Alex just became another group of supernaturals trying to live like humans. I guess I just watch so many British shows that I've gotten used to it and just go with it as long as the stories are still written well. I've been through 4 Doctors on Doctor Who and those are supposed to be the same character with a new personality. 

Edited October 2, 2014 by Sakura12

[FurryFury]

I still consider "End of Time" the true finale of the "Doctor Who" I loved and cared about. Moffat's show is just something new, it's just so different in tone and basically features different characters. And it took me a season to warm up to Ten, but the Doctor still wasn't a completely different character - he was partly the same one, just in a different body with somewhat different quirks and mannerisms. 

Edited October 2, 2014 by FurryFury

[Kymmi]

I was satisfied with the finales of both LOST and BSG. I found that binge watching Supernatural left me more emotionally attached than watching S9 real time.

I think it really depends on the show

I don't think I could handle Breaking Bad as a binge watch because it's just too intense a especially by the last few episodes that were relentless.

 

That's an interesting observation on binge watching.  I watched S1 & S2 of Supernatural in semi-real time (DVDs, but spaced out episode watches).  Then lost the show (more like years of my life due to parenting a small child) and didn't come back until S8.  I binged 4-8 in a pretty short amount of time and was verrrrry invested.  S9 I watched in real time, and was definitely not as attached, but I wonder if that's just the quality of S9.  There were moments (I miss you, Tahmoh!) but overall I still don't feel a desire to rewatch this.  

[BkWurm1]

Well, I've finally remembered one example. Haven. I hated Nathan and Nathan/Audrey romance so much I had to stop watching around the end of season 3. Absolutely awful.

 

Ha!  I LOVE Audrey and Nathan and their romance.  My biggest complaint about last season and this season is not enough Audrey so too few moments of Audrey and Nathan.  ;)

 

On Gilmore Girls I came this close to not watching season 7 after the way 6 ended because really, there was no quick fix to that.  I hated season 7 with Christopher and Lorelai because it seemed so obvious to me that she was just playing house trying to make her feelings work with him since he was there and she'd been so impatient to be married and have that relationship that she didn't really examine the importance of it being the right person.  Luke made mistakes but Christopher, he was weak and selfish in his mistakes.  I really wished there could have been another season to finish off the storylines left hanging but they at least left the show headed in the right direction and I've spent time in my head and at FanFiction.net to fill in the missing happily ever after.

 

Funny thing about Angel, I've only seen the first episode and the last season.  I bawled all through the finale.  Does that make it good?

 

BSG is one of those rare shows where I stopped watching it with any kind of expectations or shipping (well, I never stopped shipping the Admiral and Madame President but I had no expectation of HEA)  I didn't have a problem with season 3 or 4.  The finale was a let down but I forgive everything that went down just for the cabin on the mountain and Gauis weeping about having to become a farmer. 

 

The ending to Chuck so quickly got rewritten in my head that I actually keep forgetting that they didn't show them kiss and her memory come flooding back.  Honestly, no one can convince me this didn't happen.  Lalalalalala I'm not listening!

 

I quit Lost when I felt like Jack was being ruined.  I still popped in time to time for some of the other great characters but I had no expectations of the show ending the way I wanted it to once they went from flashbacks to flashforwards. 

 

For that most part that's my MO. I don't quite over characters, I quit over storyline direction. 

 

 Smallville after season 8 (though by now I've seen all I skipped for one reason or another)  was the closest to quitting out of hatred of a character (Clark!!!!) but it was so OOC that I blame storyline more than character. 

 

I quit Alias when I heard they were going to kill off Vaughn.  Even though I knew given the kind of show it was he probably wasn't dead, I wasn't willing to put myself through it.  I eventually bought the final season but I've still only watched the episodes he's in.  I have two years worth of Hart of Dixie unwatched on my DVR since I think I picked the wrong end game couple to root for.  I should just delete them but I keep thinking I might be bored one day.

 

I came close to quitting Good Wife after THE EVENT of last season, cause what was the point then?  But it's gotten interesting in other ways now. 

 

Anyone remember Vegas with Josh Duhamel?  I was rooting for him and his childhood BFF but when she got pushed off the show, I was gone. 

 

I love all and everything to do with Dr. Who.  Just putting that out in the universe.  Sure some more than others, but I've been watching it since reruns on Friday and Saturday nights on PBS days so it's all gravy to me. 

[Jediknight]

The ending to Chuck so quickly got rewritten in my head that I actually keep forgetting that they didn't show them kiss and her memory come flooding back.  Honestly, no one can convince me this didn't happen.  Lalalalalala I'm not listening!

That's what happened, Morgan's magical Disney princess kiss theory was correct.

 

As for shows I've given up on.  I gave up on 24 after they killed Curtis and Jack's relatives were villains.  I gave up on Bones after season 6, I had just gotten bored with it and Sweets was really the only character I hadn't gotten bored with, hell he was the reason I stuck with it in season 6.

 

I never gave up on Alias, despite them bringing Vaughn back, while Will and Weiss were gone.  Screw Vaughn, I would have preferred Weiss or Will to come back for good.

[SonofaBiscuit]

The ending to Chuck so quickly got rewritten in my head that I actually keep forgetting that they didn't show them kiss and her memory come flooding back.  Honestly, no one can convince me this didn't happen.  Lalalalalala I'm not listening!

 

 

Yes, I'm pretty sure this is what happened.  This is the reality that exists in my head as well.

 

 

Anyone remember Vegas with Josh Duhamel?  I was rooting for him and his childhood BFF but when she got pushed off the show, I was gone.

 

 

I think that it was Las Vegas, actually.  Vegas was that one with Dennis Quaid and Michael Chikis :)  I remember that show and how they decided to stick Danny with Molly Simm's character.  Years after Las Vegas ended, I saw Nikki Cox (the actress who played Danny's childhood BFF) on a Ghost Whisperer rerun.  She had gotten those lip injections and looked awful.  I know that's not nice, but she was so beautiful I don't know why she did that.

 

Anyone watch Gracepoint?  I've mentioned this before, but I watched the original when it was shown on BBC America.  I thought that the scenery and performances were stellar, and I enjoyed the relationship between Ellie and Hardy, but I didn't think that the story was anything spectacular.  I thought that it was way overhyped by people, but a lot of people seemed to like it, so what do I know?  Anyways, I tuned in to see Gracepoint last night.  I think that it's pretty much the same story verbatim, and I was not impressed with a lot of the acting.  I especially didn't like the actress who played Ellie, so that's probably going to be a major issue.

[NumberCruncher]

The ending to Chuck so quickly got rewritten in my head that I actually keep forgetting that they didn't show them kiss and her memory come flooding back.  Honestly, no one can convince me this didn't happen.  Lalalalalala I'm not listening!

Regardless of whether it happened immediately or not, Sarah's memory was clearly on its way back. I thought the show did a good job demonstrating all the random things she started remembering. Not to mention she asked Chuck to kiss her--she wanted to remember after spending time talking/laughing/crying with this "stranger", and to me, that's the important thing. Even if her memory never fully returned, it strongly hinted she was falling in love with him all over again.

Anyone watch Gracepoint? I've mentioned this before, but I watched the original when it was shown on BBC America. I thought that the scenery and performances were stellar, and I enjoyed the relationship between Ellie and Hardy, but I didn't think that the story was anything spectacular. I thought that it was way overhyped by people, but a lot of people seemed to like it, so what do I know? Anyways, I tuned in to see Gracepoint last night. I think that it's pretty much the same story verbatim, and I was not impressed with a lot of the acting. I especially didn't like the actress who played Ellie, so that's probably going to be a major issue.

I refuse to watch it on principal as I generally hate it when TV shows have to be Americanized because they think we're too stupid to understand British accents or culture.

[Sakura12]

To be fair it is hard to understand British accents at first. I just kept watching their shows until I picked it up because their shows are often so much better than ours. The first time I watched Doctor Who I had trouble understanding what any of the characters were saying. Now I have to translate for friends that I get to watch British show. Now I'm working on understanding the Scottish accent so I can enjoy Outlander better, which means I'll be rewatching all 8 episodes a couple times before the second half of the season starts up.  Also not everyone has access to British shows, so they would never be able to know about them or see them. I added BBC America to my tv package for that purpose.

 

I never saw Broadchurch and I checked out Gracepoint solely for the fact that it was the 10th Doctor and Skylar White as Detectives. I enjoyed it. A who dun it mystery is just that and I'm not expecting it to be that different than thousands of other shows with the same premise. For me like always it's about the characters and if they are interesting for me to want to find out who did it. So far I do. Seeing Danny's grieving family was heartbreaking and I want to find out who killed him. 

Edited October 3, 2014 by Sakura12

[NumberCruncher]

I don't begrudge anyone who watches Gracepoint at all.  For me it was just disappointing when I heard it is almost an exact replica of Broadchurch (which I had already seen).  I love Anna Gunn and hope she does well in her career, but my point still stands--American remakes are unnecessary especially if they aren't going to deviate from the original source material.  I did hear that Gracepoint ends slightly differently than Broadchurch, but that's not enough to make me watch 90% of the same plotline.  I get that some people don't understand English/Irish/Scottish/Welsh accents, but that seems to be a reason to expose the audience to MORE of them rather than less so that they do begin to understand them better.

[Sakura12]

How can they be exposed to it, if they don't have access to watch it? Or do you mean that American channels should air the British version? Then I agree.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Sakura12

[NumberCruncher]

Yes, I would like to see more U.S. networks pick up the rights to British shows or co-produce those shows like Starz has done with Dancing on the Edge and Outlander.

[SonofaBiscuit]

I really struggle with the Scottish accents on Outlander, especially Jamie's.  Closed-captioning has become my friend when watching that show.  Most English accents are fine and easily understandable.  I have BBC America, but I like to watch a lot of shows that they never plan on bringing over here, so I just usually order the DVDs from overseas.  It's awesome because shows over there generally come to DVD immediately after the last episode airs.

 

There are some great British shows, but one thing that annoys me is that a lot of time you get one, two, or maybe three seasons and that's it.  I've watched a lot of things that get canned after a season or two.  It also sucks that you get maybe six to thirteen episodes, and then you have to wait another nine or ten months to get another season.  I mean, over here we bitch about having to wait three or four months...try waiting almost a year!  It also seems like some British actors don't have a whole lot of loyalty to their shows.  They fulfill their contracts, and then they are out.  It really sucks when you're watching a show, and then one of your favorite actors gets killed off because they decided to leave the show.  Of course that happens in America as well, but money is a powerful motivator here, and it seems like actors will stick with their shows for much longer.  

[NumberCruncher]

I actually like the shorter seasons/series for UK shows because they keep the storylines fresh and they don't wear out their welcome.  Yes, the long hiatuses kind of suck but I know that when they do return I'll get a quality product rather than filler episodes meant to stretch out the season. *cough*Arrow*cough*

[Morrigan2575]

I really struggle with the Scottish accents on Outlander, especially Jamie's.  Closed-captioning has become my friend when watching that show.  Most English accents are fine and easily understandable.  I have BBC America, but I like to watch a lot of shows that they never plan on bringing over here, so I just usually order the DVDs from overseas.  It's awesome because shows over there generally come to DVD immediately after the last episode airs.

 

You've never been to York...LOL  I don't think I ever said "huh?" so many times in a single 24 hour period and I'm good with accents.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[SonofaBiscuit]

You've never been to York...LOL  I don't think I ever said "huh?" so many times in a single 24 hour period and I'm good with accents.

 

I should have said "most English accents on the TV shows that I have seen are fine and easily understandable."  I'd probably be doomed in a real-life situation :) 

Edited October 3, 2014 by SonofaBiscuit

[BkWurm1]

I can't help but support David Tennant and so yeah, I'm watching Gracepoint.  I will at some point probably also watch Broadchurch but it hasn't been available to me yet.  The accents are a funny thing.  I do find if I haven't been immersed in them for a while that I have to warm up with closed captioning for like 10-20 minutes and then usually I'm good again.  The problem with CC is I always read to far ahead so I know what's coming before the actors have a chance to act so yeah, that kind of ruins things. 

 

I regularly bemoan that I don't have BBC America but that next tier of programing is a doozy on the bank account.  I really don't understand why Fox just didn't buy and bring Broadchurch over rather than redoing it, not when it remains a limited 10 episode thing.

 

 

mean, over here we bitch about having to wait three or four months...try waiting almost a year!  It also seems like some British actors don't have a whole lot of loyalty to their shows.  They fulfill their contracts, and then they are out.

 

Yeah, there is a price to be paid for everything.  I hate that a contract is probably keeping Laurel on Arrow but I would be pissed if any of the rest of the cast just got bored and wandered away from the show.  Just in Downtown Abbey the turnover has been crazy.  I can't help wondering if the writer is writing or just trying to account for all his cast changes. 

 

I get the feeling that many British actors fear, I mean REALLY fear, getting type cast.  Like Eccleston on Dr. Who.  Does anyone really thing he made a smart choice in leaving so soon?  I'm fine with it since it brought me David Tennant but as for it being a good choice???  I don't know.  Maybe he's doing fine but I do know I've never forgiven him for running away so soon. 

[Sakura12]

I always wondered if British actors get bored and don't want to play the same character for years. They want to test their acting skills and play multiple different characters. It sucks because I do hate getting to like certain characters then find out the actor decided to leave the show right before the new season was supposed to start filming. 

[Morrigan2575]

I should have said "most English accents on the TV shows that I have seen are fine and easily understandable."  I'd probably be doomed in a real-life situation :)

Nah, I was just teasing, I watch so much British TV and know quite a few Brits, even hung out with some actors in London (2007), spent the night at a pub and they entertained me by doing a bunch of different accents. I spent a night in York in 2011 and it was like they were speaking a foreign language, it's an interesting accent.

[statsgirl]

Didn't James Herriott say in his first book that he had trouble understanding the people of North England?

 

Kevin McKidd did the voice parts for the father/son team in Brave and spoke English the way they do in his native town of Elgin, which is why the characters are so hard to understand.

[BkWurm1]

So Castle was back on last Monday and it resolved it's 'where is the groom? oh no his car is in a ditch on fire!' cliff hanger by fast forwarding (very slowly) to three months later and oops he has amnesia and can't remember what happened or why he did anything he did in the past few months.  It was a ridiculous episode packed with OOC moments.  The writer's hand in moving all the pieces around is so obvious as to be painful. And yet, while I roll my eyes and sigh at the execution, I realized that my affection for the show won't shift one tiny bit.

 

Which confused me.  This level of contrivance has lead me to quit shows before but what I realized is that Castle has an advantage that shows with a more complicated mythology just do not.  It can only go in one direction.  You have Castle.  You have Beckett. They are going to work together to solve murders.  They are going to be a couple.  That's the show.  That has to be the show.  Even the most contrived set up to delay them relies on them being partners on good terms together since otherwise, the whole premise for the show falls apart.  The limited scope will always keep Castle from being presumed stellar TV like a Breaking Bad or Homeland, but it's also what keeps the show from completely imploding since it has to go in a certain direction to be the show.

 

And I guess I'm grateful to that.  It occurred to me that had Arrow tired to shake things up to the same extent, it would have totally changed the direction of the show and therefore could very likely have ruined everything that I liked about it, but on Castle, I get to shrug my shoulders and go on like nothing happened because in the end, nothing has really changed.  The show only had one direction it can go and I like that direction so I'm fine taking the scenic route. 

 

I don't know what significance I think this revelation has, but it struck me as interesting and as a kind of commentary on the different kinds of television dramas out there. 

Edited October 5, 2014 by BkWurm1

[Ceylon5]

Well, I enjoyed Castle (less so in the later seasons, but it was still fairly enjoyable in a low-key kind of way) right up to their season finale last season.  That, however, was one of the worst hours of TV I've ever subjected myself to; I was embarrassed to be watching it and, quite aside from the stupid cliff-hanger ending, I was done with the show after that.  That they could write a plot that was so contrived, OOC, and over-the-top full of stupid cliches was just too much for me.  I have not one tiny shred of interest in ever watching Castle again, and, sadly, I think it's sufficiently spoiled the show for me that I'm not sure if I'll even want to ever re-watch episodes from earlier seasons that I enjoyed.

 

Even fun, light, uncomplicated shows need to stay true to their characters, their story-arcs and their internal mythologies.  For me, Castle violated too many of those things in too short a space of time and in the process ruined everything I liked about the show.  There's just no excuse for atrocious writing!

[SonofaBiscuit]

How are people liking Capaldi's Doctor Who?  I gave up when Matt Smith left because I didn't care too much for Clara and I don't really care for Peter Capaldi either (although, he was good playing a villain on The Musketeers).  I just didn't think that Capaldi had enough charm or charisma for the role, but how is he doing?  I might come back for the next Doctor if it is an actor that I like. 

[BkWurm1]

Well, I enjoyed Castle (less so in the later seasons, but it was still fairly enjoyable in a low-key kind of way) right up to their season finale last season.  That, however, was one of the worst hours of TV I've ever subjected myself to; I was embarrassed to be watching it

 

I caught that season finale again a couple weeks ago and was surprised how much better it plays on the second viewing.  It was and will always be a silly episode but I was able to enjoy the silly much more this time around and oddly enough, the plot made more sense and I found Castle and Beckett's emotional connection a lot sweeter than I remembered. 

 

Maybe the same thing will happen to the series premiere this year as well. 

[statsgirl]

I adored Castle, it was My Show, until at the end of season 2 when Beckett had broken up with Demming because she realized she wanted Castle and he waltzed in and out on the arm of the ex who had been shrewish to him, according to him, and headed up the the Hamptons with her for the summer and most of the rest of next season.  I gave up, I even stopped reading all fan fiction till this summer, because I thought it was such a cheat.  After that, my expectations for the show plummeted and now I get what I can out of it. So as long as Castle and Beckett aren't being as stupid as they were in seasons 3 and 4, I'm pretty  much enjoying the show.  I even didn't mind the silliness of her ex last season and the season finale.  For the premier last week, I like that they were left in a weird place, not knowing how much to trust each other (better than an ex coming back or being tempted by Ioan Griffud).

 

I lost the channel that played Dr. Who early in Matt Smith's day (curse you, cable company that changed the game) and I haven't caught up on the newer episodes.  I read a review that said that Clara was in the group of "better with their second Doctor" because she had a purpose now.

[Sakura12]

I stopped watching Castle around the 5th season. I finished watching the 5th season and just finished the 6th one. It's much easier to watch them all after my anger at how they handled Castle and Beckett was gone. I enjoyed it at least until the finale, that was just stupid and cliche, really Beckett was married the whole time to some stupid guy in Vegas. Why do writers ever think a surprise you're already married SL is ever a good idea? Why make your character look like an idiot when they are not. 

 

That said, I tend to like Castle's silly episodes like the Time Traveling Morgan from Buy More ep, or the cancelled after one season Sci-Fi show that Beckett cosplayed. The serious ones just don't hold much weight since everyone is completely fine the next episode. If you're going to do a torture, abuse, kidnapped story you have to follow through, not act like it never happened and go back to being silly. 

 

I stopped watching Doctor Who after Matt Smith's first season because it just wasn't a show I enjoyed anymore. Smith was a great Doctor but I just felt nothing for the rest of the characters and the stories just seemed like Moffat thought of something he thought would be cool then tried to write a plot around it. I tried watching the new Doctor and he's just an asshole and not a Doctor I want to watch. 

[BkWurm1]

really Beckett was married the whole time to some stupid guy in Vegas. Why do writers ever think a surprise you're already married SL is ever a good idea? Why make your character look like an idiot when they are not.

 

The thing that drives me nuts it that while you can get married the same day in Las Vegas and yes, you can do a drive thru wedding, you first have to go get a marriage license so NOBODY ever can really say they didn't know it was real. 

[wingster55]

Did anyone (or interested in) The Affair? I saw the premiere online..it's pretty great actually.