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Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions


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Actually I think Game of Thrones has been consistently good. It's not the BEST SHOW EVAR but I think the hype is the product of its times with social media. It's a little silly how so many people die, but it's also fair that character's arrogance and stupidity usually lead to their downfall. The show benefits from voluminous source material though.

 

I'd actually give BB a nod over GOT because it was intended to be a short series and it had less episodes to work with in order to tell the story.

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Its weird the shows I don't like and the reasons I don't like them.  I tried to watch Mad Men a couple of times but could never get passed the first episode.  Even though Supernatural is exactly the genre I love I cannot stand the show.  The only reason I can come up with is they are both testosterone heavy.  I will stick with a female heavy show longer then a male heavy one.  I didn't expect to like Sons of Anarchy.  I was actually surprised I did. Ditto to Spartacus.   But Mad Men and Supernatural are just too dude heavy for me.  

Edited by Chaos Theory
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OK, deep breath. I've never seen an episode of Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Wire, Orange is the New Black, Dr. Who, Homeland, The Wire, True Blood, Dexter, or Modern Family. I have, however, seen every episode of Whitney.

I guess UO: I am a huge fan of most of the shows you've mentioned (except Dr. Who in a big way) and also watched and loved Whitney. Apparently I watch way too much TV.

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I guess UO: I am a huge fan of most of the shows you've mentioned (except Dr. Who in a big way) and also watched and loved Whitney. Apparently I watch way too much TV.

I looked up internet slang, but what is UO?

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OK, deep breath. I've never seen an episode of Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Wire, Orange is the New Black, Dr. Who, Homeland, The Wire, True Blood, Dexter, or Modern Family. I have, however, seen every episode of Whitney.

 

Out of that group I've only watched Mad Men.

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OK, deep breath. I've never seen an episode of Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Wire, Orange is the New Black, Dr. Who, Homeland, The Wire, True Blood, Dexter, or Modern Family. I have, however, seen every episode of Whitney.

I've watched Breaking Bad, Dexter and Modern Family.  We quit Dexter after a few seasons because it was getting bad, the acting in Breaking Bad is great and there are some shocking twists, but I honestly don't see how it's the Best! Show! Ever!--it's depressing and there is almost no one to root for.  We're still watching Modern Family.

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I watched some episodes of Breaking Bad and appreciated the quality, the acting and the black humor, but... am I a terrible person if I really don't want to watch a show like this?  I'm actually really tired of "trainwreck" characters - people you're supposed to keep watching to see how mad, bad, crazy or dangerous they can get.

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IIRC, Mad Men and Breaking Bad debuted together in that order.  I had read some reviews of Mad Men which raved about the physical and social period detail and decided I really didn't want to watch something about male WASP privilege and chain smoking.  I didn't need to read any reviews about Breaking Bad because it had Bryan Cranston.  Which is odd, because I only rarely watched Malcolm in the Middle (a good show but intense).  I remember Cranston from a very small role he had on Babylon 5, the part of Ericsson.  In just a few minutes of Show time he put together a fully realized and noble human being.  And that's Cranston - he puts together fully realized characters.

 

I bailed on Breaking Bad about four minutes after the credits.  I've never seen more than a few very short clips.  I've read some really insightful recaps.  And my conclusion is this show is good because the characters are huge, the stories are shocking, the boundaries are non-existent, and for the most part it is what you can do when you don't have to worry about Broadcast Network Standards.  It's interesting work for the actors, for the writers, for the production, and still an overall story about people I can not and will not give a good g** d***.

 

So.  That's sixty-two hours of my life I did not spend on that show. 

 

I did eventually start watching Mad Men.  The last two episodes of season 3 were perfect to me, as I remember the JFK assassination when I was 7, and how everything was suddenly scary.  Following it up with the "secession" of Sterling, Cooper, other Important Personnel (and Harry), files, film stock, office furniture, and plum accounts, was the sort of thing that I, as a veteran of so many corporate-level idiots, re-watched many many times.  Best "You're Fired!" scenes EVER.  And therefore I caught up with On Demand, and kept up with DVR.

 

Ok, that last is not an unpopular opinion, those were superb episodes.  But Breaking Bad became the show that taught me that I don't have to watch great shows on nasty topics (I'm not-looking at you, Game of Thrones).

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I don't know if this is an UO or not, but I am sick of the violence on so many shows.  There are already so many, and most are too similar to be differentiated in any interesting way.  There was a new pilot last year, can't even remember which one now, that started with a woman being raped and murdered in full gory detail.  I turned if off after the first two minutes because I just don't want to spend my time watching that kind of stuff.  Maybe the rest of the pilot and show was awesome and maybe they never did that again, but I refuse to add any more new shows to my schedule that are focused on rapes and murders. 

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On the flip side of that, it's ridiculous how rape and grisly killings are meant to be edgy, but most tv, cable or broadcasts are still massively prudish when it comes to sexuality. 

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OK, deep breath. I've never seen an episode of Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Wire, Orange is the New Black, Dr. Who, Homeland, The Wire, True Blood, Dexter, or Modern Family. I have, however, seen every episode of Whitney.

I picked that group of shows because they often come up as the "best ever,recent TV edition" (except Dr. Who, which has been around forever). I didn't include the Sopranos, because I actually watched that one.

Edited by GaryE
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Also, I think [Pushing Daisies] would have lasted if it had 1. A shorter episode order(since it was so expensive to produce) and 2. An expiration date. I think it would have worked really well as a limited run series.

 

If I recall, "Pushing Daisies" also got hammered because of the writers' strike, so any momentum the show built was lost during that time.

 

I've never seen an episode of Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Wire, Orange is the New Black, Dr. Who, Homeland, The Wire, True Blood, Dexter, or Modern Family.

 

I watched "Doctor Who" when Christopher Eccelston was the Doctor. I liked him, but I hated Rose, and when he left and David Tennant took over but Rose was still there, I stopped watching (especially after the Doctor, in a fit of pique, ruins the prime minister of England because she defended Earth by violent means). I've watched a few episodes of "Modern Family," which are amusing enough, but it's not the greatest sitcom ever, and the over-the-top stereotypical portrayal of the gay couple (at least the effeminate one) is off-putting to me. The others, I just never developed a taste for or don't have the channels to streaming service.

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I cannot stand Lucille Ball.  Not in old movies, not on her TV shows.

 

The only time I've ever liked her was in "Stage Door," an old, black and white movie with Katherine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, and a bunch of would-be actresses living in a boarding house.  It was a dramatic role for her, though she was a lively one.  Hate the slapstick and everything else I've seen her in.

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I watched some episodes of Breaking Bad and appreciated the quality, the acting and the black humor, but... am I a terrible person if I really don't want to watch a show like this?

My husband made it through 3 episodes and quit.  My friend and I get together once a week and watch an episode or two.  It really is all about the acting and the surprises around each corner for us. 

 

On the flip side of that, it's ridiculous how rape and grisly killings are meant to be edgy, but most tv, cable or broadcasts are still massively prudish when it comes to sexuality.

Exactly.  My husband and I don't really get it either.  Which brings me to this UO (although, I do know a few people who agree with me, including a minister):  I could not have cared less about Janet Jackson's breast being exposed during the Super Bowl.  What bothered me even more was how it became exposed.  Like it was cute or edgey to have Justin angrily rip her top off (even if it wasn't supposed to go that far)? 

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I like dark and depressing and watching the bad guys.  I am not sure if that is unpopular or not.   I prefer watching stories about bad guys then good guys.  I find them more interesting.  Good guys bore me.  Heart warming bores me.  For a long time I went by the moniker Femvamp.  I am telling you this because I had used the expression "head crazy of the society of mad poets: located the the darkest part of the list gutter ~ cause we like it dark."   I stopped using the moniker for a bunch of reasons but I still like dark and depressing stories a whole lot more then happy ones.  Plus I hate sitcoms with a blinding and fiery passion.   Right now there is maybe two I watch.  I hate myself for sticking with HIMYM and getting burned with everyone else but hey thems the breaks.  Still I like dark stories like Breaking Bad, the Americans, Orphan Black, Dexter, Sons of Anarchy etc etc etc.  Now that doesn't mean I don't like heroes stories.  I loved Spartacus and I kinda love Once Upon a Time as well.  I'm weird that way.   
 

Edited by Chaos Theory
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OK, here's one: while I have liked Julia Louis-Dreyfus's work in the past and like her as a person,I CANNOT stand "Veep". I couldn't make it through one episode and I don't care how big ratings or many awards it gets. . Yeah, I'm not naive enough to be shocked at the idea of folks in public office using profanities off camera [and I know it's a cable show] but she and the rest of the cast use them so much and so often, IMO, it's like trying to sift  for a thimble full of water in a toxic landfill re discerning   coherent, relevant convos. It would be one thing if Selena [or other characters] only used them in times of intense stress or slipped in an occasional one to punctuate a point but these folks use them so much and so often that I have to wonder what they'd have left to do to get others' attention if they truly were upset - shoot their heads off?! And, everyone is expected to think that she and the others are supposed to be cool and witty by using them but IMO they just show how nasty,dehumanizing and unpleasant they are as people who don't have the excuse of ignorance re non-profane terms to fall back on re their vocabulary options-to say nothing of demonstrating how unimaginative and unoriginal they are in their thinking.

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If I recall, "Pushing Daisies" also got hammered because of the writers' strike, so any momentum the show built was lost during that time.

 

I watched "Doctor Who" when Christopher Eccelston was the Doctor. I liked him, but I hated Rose, and when he left and David Tennant took over but Rose was still there, I stopped watching (especially after the Doctor, in a fit of pique, ruins the prime minister of England because she defended Earth by violent means). I've watched a few episodes of "Modern Family," which are amusing enough, but it's not the greatest sitcom ever, and the over-the-top stereotypical portrayal of the gay couple (at least the effeminate one) is off-putting to me. The others, I just never developed a taste for or don't have the channels to streaming service.

 

I've flip-flopped about this, and have decided I still like Tenth (because I love David Tennant and Tenth had the best companions), but I can never forgive him for what he did to Harriet Jones. That was just wrong.

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If I recall, "Pushing Daisies" also got hammered because of the writers' strike, so any momentum the show built was lost during that time.

I totally forgot about the writers strike. I wonder if the show would have been successful if it came out today. I could totally see it as a Netflix show.

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I like dark and depressing and watching the bad guys.  I am not sure if that is unpopular or not.   I prefer watching stories about bad guys then good guys.  I find them more interesting.  Good guys bore me.  Heart warming bores me.

 

I don't think "good guys" necessarily have to be heartwarming. Take a look at Arrow. There's a show that's dark and depressing and even the GOOD guys are dark and depressed.

 

Generally I don't care if a character is a good guy or a bad guy as long as he/she is a well-drawn and well-developed character. But I can't take shows like Breaking Bad because everyone is so hateworthy. Even if the characters are well-done.

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I'm actually really tired of "trainwreck" characters - people you're supposed to keep watching to see how mad, bad, crazy or dangerous they can get.

 

I prefer watching stories about bad guys then good guys.  I find them more interesting.  Good guys bore me.  Heart warming bores me.

 I'm much more a good guy than a bad guy fan, although I like dark and depressing. Personally I find the bad guys rather boring, but that's why there are different shows/movies/ etc. which leads to this UO (?)...

 

I think the whole Best. Show. Ever. talk is bullshit. For anything and everything. There is no best ___ ever. It's all taste, which runs the gamut, even in one person. I personally think Homicide: Life on the Street (S1-4) is the greatest few hours I've ever seen, but that's me. I also think It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is lightyears funnier than Seinfeld (or really any other sitcom) ever dreams of being, at the same time, I know one other person who doesn't absolutely detest the show.

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I cannot stand Lucille Ball.  Not in old movies, not on her TV shows.

 

I wasn't a big fan of hers for her on-screen work, but I respect the heck out of her production company. If not for Lucy and Desilu and their studio space, there would be no Star Trek, I Spy, Mission Impossible, Dick Van Dyke Show,  or many other really good shows.

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Wasn't DesiLu somewhat responsible for The Twilight Zone? He at least aired what turned out to be a somewhat backdoor pilot for the show. And thank goodness for that, because that's some of the most thought provoking, beautiful television I've ever seen.

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I think the whole Best. Show. Ever. talk is bullshit. For anything and everything. There is no best ___ ever. It's all taste, which runs the gamut, even in one person.

 

Agreed. And even those tastes change in one person.

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1850458/

Sitcom starring Whitney Cummings. Lasted 2 seasons. Kind of universally maligned.

 

I never saw Whitney, but I've been a fan of hers for quite a long time. She can be pretty cutting (just watch any of her performances at many a Comedy Central roast). I think liking her as a stand up comedian is somewhat of a UO. Granted, I think she can yell her act a little too often (a common criticism of her), but that's not really a UO :) .

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I dislike anime.  

 

(And no, I don't even like Hayao Miyazaki stuff.)

 

I mean, it's not just me who thinks it's all herky-jerky and samey-samey, right?  Right?  

 

 

The only anime show I've ever given two craps about is Sailor Moon, and that's primarily because I was seven and I wanted to kick ass and fight villains like they did (I had all the dolls, too!). The theme song was awesome, too.

 

The fact that I watched the English dub version probably plays a factor in that, too. If I actually liked anime and had seen the Japanese version first, I probably would feel differently (that said, making the two lesbian Sailor Scouts cousins upon dubbing the show into English was beyond stupid and insulting, no matter what your opinion of anime is).

Edited by UYI
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On the flip side of that, it's ridiculous how rape and grisly killings are meant to be edgy, but most tv, cable or broadcasts are still massively prudish when it comes to sexuality. 

I guess my UO around these parts is that violence, being that it is faker than fake, doesn't bother me at all.

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On the flip side of that, it's ridiculous how rape and grisly killings are meant to be edgy, but most tv, cable or broadcasts are still massively prudish when it comes to sexuality.

 

Maybe another UO, but... I really don't enjoy graphic sex on TV.  Or in movies.  It's uncomfortable to watch.  I don't understand the point of it.  It's not like watching two actors simulate rumpy-pumpy ever really shows you anything about plot or character, that couldn't be shown before or after intercourse.

 

I like sex -- when it involves me.  Sitting there on my couch or in a theater watching other people do it (or rather, "do" it)... not so much.  It feels like something that's being shoved in there to please some segment (probably relatively small segment) of a demographic that I don't belong to.  And it used to be that TV shows were a reliable respite from sex scenes, but now as long as a show has "TV-MA" attached to it, jeezus, you never know what to expect.  My mom had been interested in watching Salem, for example, and I turned it on too and suddenly, OMG, Seth Gabel's bare ass, thrusting, on regular cable.  ("Uh... Mom?? You might... not be so interested in this show after all...")

 

It's not like I want TV-MA shows off the air or anything, but increasingly highfalutin cable drama is all about Teh Sex, and there's got to be some intelligent, adult shows out there that aren't things I feel like rolling my eyes through and staring at the ceiling, waiting for it to finish.

Edited by Jipijapa
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And it used to be that TV shows were a reliable respite from sex scenes, but now as long as a show has "TV-MA" attached to it, jeezus, you never know what to expect.

Not only that, but even TV-14 can be a bit much!  And what passes for family viewing on ABC Family is crazy.  About 10 years ago, I had friend whose daughter was 13 or 14 and she wanted to watch this ABC Family series.  She said they sat down to watch it and the first scene was two teenagers in a tent having sex. 

 

I've varying opinions on sex and violence.  When I said on the other page that my husband and I were also bothered by why sex is a big deal, but violence isn't, perhaps I should have been more specific--we don't understand why nudity (depending on the context in which it's shown) is such a big deal for so many people, but violence isn't.  Sex is a bit different depending on how explicit it is.  It's gotten to where I take it on a show to show basis. Thank God for dvrs--if we see something that we think is a bit inappropriate, we pause it for a teaching moment (our kids hate that :). 

 

This is why (and I've mentioned this somewhere before--possibly in this thread), in spite of how cheesy Scorpion can be, I think it's fine family viewing (for my kids' age range anyway) because there hasn't been anything more than flirtations and a little bit of violence--especially in comparison to most other shows.

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I really don't enjoy graphic sex on TV.  Or in movies.  It's uncomfortable to watch.

 

I'm talking more about maybe if a female character likes to be promiscuous, it's a huge deal and plots are built all around it. Or if a guy like to bang guys once and a while then there's Gay Angst. It's not necessarily watching people. Forget about it with just nudity too. Someone takes their clothes off and it's like gasps and clutching of pearls. 

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Maybe another UO, but... I really don't enjoy graphic sex on TV.  Or in movies.  It's uncomfortable to watch.  I don't understand the point of it.  It's not like watching two actors simulate rumpy-pumpy ever really shows you anything about plot or character, that couldn't be shown before or after intercourse.

Exactly, I don't understand the need to watch simulated sex.  If a viewer wants to watch sex, which IS part of the plot, there's always porn :)

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Maybe another UO, but... I really don't enjoy graphic sex on TV.  Or in movies.  It's uncomfortable to watch.  I don't understand the point of it.  It's not like watching two actors simulate rumpy-pumpy ever really shows you anything about plot or character, that couldn't be shown before or after intercourse.

 

I don't love it either to be honest, but it can be done well or alright with the right show or movie. On American TV, it's often either very prudish or very over the top (what HBO does). When you watch European or UK shows, the sex or nudity is usually not as flashy or it serves a plot point (e.g. two lovers consummating for the first time), and then it's done more tastefully.

 

I do find it odd how violence has become so omnipresent on TV because I think it's worse to see a grisly murder than two consenting characters share a brief sex scene.

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I really didn't enjoy Mad Men.  I kept going for about half of season 1 and just couldn't continue.  The big reasons why were:  I found it boring, the story just didn't move at a sufficient pace; I found the characters all unlikeable - I don't have to like everyone in a show but not liking anyone at all, even a little bit, isn't compelling for me.  I also gather that a lot of fans really find Don Draper attractive but I really did not.

 

I also didn't really enjoy Grey's Anatomy.  I watched for most of the first season but it was clear that Meredith and Derek were the central part of the show and I disliked Derek so much that I didn't think I'd enjoy watching that.  I watched Private Practice instead..

 

I liked Pushing Daisies a lot but I'm glad it got cancelled when it did as I just can't see how they could stretch out the storyline much further.

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I've heard so much about The Wire that I decided to get CDs on Netflix.  Granted, I've only watched the first three episodes but I have to say that, so far, I'm not all that impressed.  I'll watch a few more episodes though.

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I remember watching the pilot for BSG when it first came out and thought it was terrible. Only after many years (I believe the show was in its final season) and reading so many comments about how it was the greatest thing ever did I give in and watch the first (real) episode. Manoman, I was hooked. I thought the first episode faaaaaar surpassed the pilot. It left me breathless and obsessed with watching the whole series. It was the only time I've ever paid to watch a show online.

Maybe I'll have to try this. I watched maybe ten minutes of the pilot because it was so boring, but so many of my friends love this show and I couldn't understand why. This may be the way to go.

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The only anime show I've ever given two craps about is Sailor Moon, and that's primarily because I was seven and I wanted to kick ass and fight villains like they did (I had all the dolls, too!). The theme song was awesome, too.

The fact that I watched the English dub version probably plays a factor in that, too. If I actually liked anime and had seen the Japanese version first, I probably would feel differently (that said, making the two lesbian Sailor Scouts cousins upon dubbing the show into English was beyond stupid and insulting, no matter what your opinion of anime is).

Dubbing in the 90's through early 2000s was a crap shoot at best. Of all the mainstream anime shows, I'd say Digimon was one of the better dubs because cornball humor aside, the main story was left 99.9 percent intact.

On the other extreme, you've got Cardcaptor Sakura that got gutted like no one's business to include an attempt to make the male rival the lead over the female protagonist the original Japanese Manga was named after. The list of edits would be too long to include here and many of them were understandable (such as a teacher having a crush on his 10 year old student....even the unedited anime heavily downplayed that), but I have to ask: if the show needed to be edited THAT much, why even air it at all?

ETA:

I also think It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is lightyears funnier than Seinfeld (or really any other sitcom) ever dreams of being...

This times 100. It's a rare show that can keep up its momentum as they have (the only other example I can think of is South Park) for as long as they have. Edited by Anna Yolei
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What's funny is I used to watch anime with dubs. Then after living in Tokyo, I can't do it anymore. It grates. I have to watch in Japanese with subtitles. I watched the same FMA episodes dub/nihongo and was incensed. 

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Oh, and my other UO is that I didn't think the "alternate" season of Archer: Vice was that bad. I respect a show that wants to be experimental. I think they should have plotted tighter and trimmed out some of the wackiness, but it's not nearly as awful as everyone says.

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I've heard so much about The Wire that I decided to get CDs on Netflix.  Granted, I've only watched the first three episodes but I have to say that, so far, I'm not all that impressed.  I'll watch a few more episodes though.

 

I understand - I felt the same way at first.  I did end up enjoying the series, but if I'd watched the show week-to-week, I likely would have lost interest.  It didn't really get interesting for me until closer to the end of season 1.  

 

Though I must admit, I liked The Wire, but don't "OMG it's one of the greatest shows EVAH" love it. So, tempered expectations and all.     

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Oh, and my other UO is that I didn't think the "alternate" season of Archer: Vice was that bad. I respect a show that wants to be experimental. I think they should have plotted tighter and trimmed out some of the wackiness, but it's not nearly as awful as everyone says.

Table for two please! I honestly respect when anyone is willing to take a risk with a show, and for me I enjoyed it for what it was.

I will say that I was glad the season 6 primere's addressed

Lana using Archer's er...baby chowder to get pregnant and not telling him for nine months. He apparent ran off in a bender for six weeks but I think even he can be forgiven for that when he had no effin' clue and I got the sense she expected him to be accepting of this that seriously bugged.

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What's funny is I used to watch anime with dubs. Then after living in Tokyo, I can't do it anymore. It grates. I have to watch in Japanese with subtitles. I watched the same FMA episodes dub/nihongo and was incensed.

For the most part, I still do too. But I will say Death Note is the one dub where I enjoy the dub far more than the Japanese. The guy playing Light in the dub manages to capture the same energy of the original actor without sounding like a clone, and the same for L. The dialogue translates almost line for line.

Which reminds me of a UO I have about Bleach: I don't care for the Japanese voice acting for Rukia. I liked the voice actress in her other roles including Risa Hawkeye in the FMA remake, but for some reason her Rukia voice sounds, to quote Randy Jackson from American Idol, affected. Like she was trying too hard to make the voice sound deep and it came off as more unnatural--especially when the character is supposed to be 4'10".

It's not a knock on the actress, because she manages to hold that same voice in all the character songs for the albums, but it's just not a choice I love, and I vastly prefer American dub's Michelle Ruff in the role.

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