Blunt Talk - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Your Blunt Talk Topic!

[BetterButter]

First two episodes on theStarz website

Edited August 16, 2015 by BetterButter

[Bort]

First two episodes are also available OnDemand.

[Primetimer]

Patrick Stewart is a sharp-tongued cable-news anchor preaching well-meaning but ill-executed gospel. Is it worth tuning in for his message?

Read the story

[Chaos Theory]

It's Patrick Stewart my secret TV husband. I kinda have to.

[ApathyMonger]

I watched the first two episodes. Not great, but I'll give it another few episodes to see if it improves. I like Ames, and the cast is great.

[swimmyfish]

That's disappointing but not necessarily a surprise - Ames and McFarlane strike me as having very different sensibilities.

[BloggerAloud]

I'm glad this is on because politically incorrect anti-hero white male leads are so under-represented on television.

[Chaos Theory]

This is by no means a super hit but I would hardly call it disappointing either. I laughed several times. Honestly I think everyone is being overly and overtly critical. Also not liking a show because the lead is a white male is childish.

Edited August 22, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[mjc570]

I just watched the first two eipsodes.  I liked the frist one very much, the second not nearly as much.  I'll keep watching, tho, especially since the episodes are short.  Patrick Stewart was amazing, but I was totally blown away by Jackie Weaver, whom I had only seen in Broadchurch.  I just hope they don't dumb it down too much, by going for the cheap laughs. 

[cpcathy]

There have been a lot of shows lately with white guys who are unhappy with their perfect lives, so I can see where the criticism can come from, but each show should be critiqued on its own merits, and there is a lot of humor to be mined when the scenario is done correctly. I watched the first five minutes and didn't give it a chance, but I'm a Bored to Death devotee, so I'm biased to think this won't be as good. It would seem on paper Patrick's character is reminiscent of George Christopher, only amped up to eleven.

[Gregg247]

I was very much looking forward to this show, as seeing Patrick Stewart as a lecherous old reprobate with a giant ego and a TV show sounds so good it could practically write itself.  Unfortunately, I wasn't pleased with Episode 1 at all.  It seems like Walter Blunt is SO FAR into his booze and drugs that the show races past comedy and dark comedy and lands in tragedy. 

 

I felt like I was watching a man slowly commit suicide.

 

How many times did Walter pass out in the 30 minute episode from too much drinking/drugs?  Three?  Four?  By the end, I was HOPING his network boss would pull him off the air, just so someone could get this man some professional help.

 

This could be a really funny show, but, like many things in Hollywood, it's just too much.  Too big, too drunk, too out-of-control.  It's more like a sad cartoon.  I hope they can rein in some of the excess and settle on telling the story of this character in a manner that's a little more realistic and sane.

[marketdoctor]

 

This could be a really funny show, but, like many things in Hollywood, it's just too much.

 

I wasn't sure how much of it was pilotitis, and how much of it was actors too good for the material.  The latter is an odd challenge--usually good actors can raise up bad material, but in this case it was as much that they were illustrating the weak points (like the absurity of "he has cocaine?  He really is a Fruedian." I laughed at that, but it took me out of the moment.)  There was an odd mix of the very subtle (Blunt trying to save Gisele from arrest was very Don Quixote, for example), but some of it was so over the top it was hard to enjoy.  They rewarded paying attention, but the tone was uneven enough that it was harder to enjoy.

 

It's more like a sad cartoon.

 

Yes--one difference is that cartoons don't have facial expressions as much, and are innately artificial, so going "big" works better in that medium than in live action.  A Million Ways to Die in the West had that same issue--jokes that would have worked in animation didn't work as well in live action, even with a great cast.  That said, with a TV show, there will be time to (hopefully) find a little more balance, and still keep the details that make some things work.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Hah !! Brent Spiner was the Phil the piano player at the bar.

[candall]

I'm glad this is on because politically incorrect anti-hero white male leads are so under-represented on television.

I like Blunt's companion show, Survivor's Remorse, much more.  (Black people being unabashedly politically incorrect!)

Edited August 31, 2015 by candall

[formerlyfreedom]

This show is growing on me. It's over the top, but I'm finding it rather delightful. Sir Patrick Stewart has a lot to do with that, but Jacki Weaver and the rest of the supporting cast is pretty fun too! And Brett Gelman as a porn producer? This...does not seem like a stretch? And I actually like Brett Gelman!

 

Who hasn't had a bathroom experience like that? Seriously, those automatic bathrooms suck! And poor Harry and his dilemmas. Working for Blunt has to be wearing the poor man down to nothing!

[pelicanlover]

I'm enjoying this show tremendously and have recommended it to many people.  I understand that it's a bit wicked and isn't for everyone, but if you like the offbeat humor in HBO's "Getting On" or "Curb Your Enthusiasm," you'll probably like this.  Who knew that Patrick Stewart was such a talented comedic actor?  :-)

[candall]

Maybe someone with a hi-def tv could tell me:

 

When the woman who slept with the magician was stripping the bed and paused to stare down, I thought she was going to find the magician had sleight-of-handed the condom, but I don't see it.

 

Was she just having a moment of lonely reflection?

[ottoDbusdriver]

Maybe someone with a hi-def tv could tell me:

 

When the woman who slept with the magician was stripping the bed and paused to stare down, I thought she was going to find the magician had sleight-of-handed the condom, but I don't see it.

 

Was she just having a moment of lonely reflection?

 

I think it was just a moment of reflection because the magician was married.

 

Angry Husband: "I can't believe you're screwing Walter Blunt."

Walter: "Point of fact -- we did not engage in intercourse."

Angry Husband: "Oh you shut up.  I don't like you. I don't like your show. And I don't like you banging my wife."

Walter: "You keep my show out of this."

[mjc570]

I thought that was a pretty good episode, way better than the last one. To me, the best thing is how much fun Patrick Stewart seems to be having. My least favorite part: the young male staffer and JAckie Weaver.

[marceline]

I feel like Patrick Stewart does more running in this show than he did in Stat Trek.

[DiegoBurger]

Loving this show and not surprised, having been a huge fan of "Bored to Death." I see pieces of Ted Danson's character from that show in Walter's hedonism and Jonathan Ames knows how to keep us interested in supporting characters. It is so much fun to see Patrick Stewart's range of comedy. Last week's automated bathroom hijinks was over the top delicious - it helps that where I work everything is automated and nothing works. His bon vivant is doing a great job in wiping away any trace of a certain Star Fleet commander.

 

More Timm Sharp please. Also, I feel the urge to buy some Angel perfume.

[Morrigan2575]

Data!

[mjc570]

yeah, I've stopped watching this show, too.

[candall]

I keep telling myself:  "It's Patrick Stewart!  Watch it!"

 

Good grief.  I once bought a full-price Broadway ticket to see him in The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, when there was nothing else to recommend it but his fine chiseled bone structure and mellifluous British purr.

 

And yet, there always seems to be something else more interesting on my DVR than the further adventures of Walter Blunt.

Edited October 8, 2015 by candall

[AAEBoiler]

I'm liking this show more and more as it goes on and I think Episode 7 (Meth or No Meth ...) was the best episode by far. Does anyone know what the song was that played over the end credits? It was hauntingly lovely.

[candall]

I'm liking this show more and more as it goes on and I think Episode 7 (Meth or No Meth ...) was the best episode by far. Does anyone know what the song was that played over the end credits? It was hauntingly lovely.

Don't really care for the show, but I enjoy googling around trying to track down snippets of music I've heard.

 

It's "In Pieces" by Sucre.

 

Lyrics:

 

Don't distract me with your smile I've far too much to do Whoo, you tell me to slow dance But I can't, I can't I can't Can't say that I will never, never leave Can't really promise to be true Can't tell you that I'll always need you Can't tell you 'cause you're scared to lose What do you want? What do you want? What do you want from me? What do you want? What do you want? What do you want from me? [vocalizing]

 

 

Here's where you can hear it again:

 

http://www.tunefind.com/show/blunt-talk/season-1/24813

[Ltg.jon]

I just finished the 10th episode. The show definitely grew on me over time, even though I really don't understand the motivations of any of the characters.

I do wish they had ended with Walter still missing, instead of wrapping it up. But that would have required supreme confidence that they were getting a second season.

[Muffyn]

We're a coupe of episodes into season 2 now, and I feel like this show has finally hit its stride.  Partly this seems to be due to taking more advantage of the ensemble cast.  I find myself liking it more and more.

[iMonrey]

Me too Muffyn. I was sort of meh about it last season but for some reason it seems so much better this season. Maybe I just needed a break from it, or maybe it just got better! Loving Lesley Ann Warren, loving the Jim and Celia stuff and how annoyed Walter was that they made him feature them on his show. Harry's just as funny as always, confusing the poor police caption over The Major. It's just a quirky, oddball little show but I'm into it.

[Muffyn]

The low speed chase in the parking garage was made of win.  I loved how everyone had to be involved. 

[iMonrey]

So that was a nice ending - it seemed to have been written as a possible series finale and I'd say there's a good chance it will be. The show isn't exactly setting the world on fire with buzz but I liked it. It really found its groove this season and all the characters had a chance to shine. I'll miss it if it's over.

[Doyounot]

I miss this! its a shame it only had 2 seasons it was such a rare kindhearted show and was really good at normalizing the strange, while still recognizing that the outside world will always have people hating "freaks". One scene that really sticks in my head it when jim and celia were interviewing the woman and she was like he might have even had a.... foot fetish gross and jims reaction was perfect! Now i dont enjoy feet but compared to everything else in the show that was pretty tame and that was the gross thing she could think of hahaha

Im glad i stuck around i wasnt sure i would but season 2 really improved on season 1 making it one of my favourite shows! Also i love all the meta stuff they would point out like celia and jim or shelly and her "hotness"