Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[Archery]

On ‎5‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 3:49 PM, Shannon L. said:

*deep breath*

I don't mind Ryan Seacrest.  Granted, I've only ever seen him on AI and the red carpet before awards shows, but I never understood why he's so hated.  Is it because of his ambition?  I mean, he seems nice enough.  Did I miss an article where he admitted to being an proud member or the KKK?  Was he caught abusing puppies?  With some people I get why they aren't liked (even if those things about them don't bother me), but I never understood the hate for Ryan. 

I actually actively like Ryan Seacrest.  I think he performed a difficult job on American Idol with a lot of grace.  Hundreds of contestants (including some real famewhores) went through that show, and most of them had their dreams crushed on national TV.  He had this smooth empathy (Carson Daly can't ever muster any) to handle those moments on every show.  (One of my favorite moments was him handing Nadia Turner his silk tie to dry her eyes when she was eliminated).  He also handled the massive egos of the judges, shooting them down when necessary -- and got the live show in on time.  The only host I can say does it better is Tom Bergeron, but he's got 20 years more experience than Seacrest.  I think he and Kelly Ripa will be very watchable. 

[ribboninthesky1]

I've no strong feelings either way about Seacrest, but I'll never understand how Carson Daly got into TV hosting. No idea what he's doing now, but way back when he was fairly ubiquitous, he was so unnatural on camera. If there was ever a need to gif or meme "deer in headlights," Daly's expressions fit the bill.   

[SmithW6079]

On 5/2/2017 at 2:57 PM, ribboninthesky1 said:

I recall Tony Goldwyn relaying a story of a someone on a flight reprimanding him for something his Scandal character did.  I remember thinking, "Wait...people still do that?" To my knowledge, his life hasn't been threatened - seems to be primarily women with that cross to bear. Yeah, the blurred line "fans" are disturbing.  

But what do I know - the very rare times I come across an actor in person, I leave them alone. I have no interest in their autograph, or taking a selfie with them. 

 

On 5/3/2017 at 8:27 AM, Haleth said:

Just this morning this was a headline on Yahoo.  Josh McDermitt has been getting death threats for the actions of his character on TWD.  Really, people?

We live in an alternate reality world now, where the line between fantasy and real life is so blurry as to be nonexistent. I'm not surprised people believe the actions of a character on a TV show are those of the actor who plays him. 

[vibeology]

1 hour ago, Archery said:

I actually actively like Ryan Seacrest.  I think he performed a difficult job on American Idol with a lot of grace.  Hundreds of contestants (including some real famewhores) went through that show, and most of them had their dreams crushed on national TV.  He had this smooth empathy (Carson Daly can't ever muster any) to handle those moments on every show.  (One of my favorite moments was him handing Nadia Turner his silk tie to dry her eyes when she was eliminated).  He also handled the massive egos of the judges, shooting them down when necessary -- and got the live show in on time.  The only host I can say does it better is Tom Bergeron, but he's got 20 years more experience than Seacrest.  I think he and Kelly Ripa will be very watchable. 

This is also my unpopular opinion too. When it comes to hosting live TV, Seacrest is one of the best. He managed to get the show in on time (except for his epic "And the winner is ..... David...." TiVo cuts off moment from season 7) handled all the different judges, was good with the contestants, was good with the bad auditions and brought his Nana to work at least once a season! Seacrest juggled a huge machine and did so in a way where you rarely saw the cracks. I'm never home to watch Live with Kelly and Ryan but I wish him the best because I think he's kind of great.

[stillsearching74]

 I am so happy this thread exists! And I can't get over how respectful everyone here is when opinions differ from their own - quite a rarity on the internet :) 

I sometimes suspect I'm the only TV fan who doesn't like Mike Schur's comedies, Parks & Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I want to like them and even have this strange feeling that I'm supposed to like them, so I've tried many times to watch episodes from different seasons of those shows, but it's a lost cause. I find the humor so silly, childish and often just dumb. It's not like I'll only enjoy highbrow sophisticated wit or incisive satire on my shows - far from it! But the stuff that's supposed to be funny on Parks & Rec  and Brooklyn Nine-Nine doesn't even make me crack a smile, let alone laugh. I find most of the characters on both shows grating, and a lot of the warmth and sweetness feels forced and overdone to me.  

While I'm here confessing to not liking shows that nearly everyone else loves: Gilmore Girls. I tried it a few different times and ended up just feeling annoyed - the characters are over the top and obnoxious, the self-indulgent babbling they use for dialogue makes me reach for my bottle of extra strength Tylenol, the writing and directing tries so painfully hard to be whimsical and quirky but just ends up irritating, and the plots...are there plots? ;)  My friend was lamenting how unlikable the characters were in the revival and how cloying, obnoxious and irritating she found it. "So it's exactly the same as the original series then?" I said, forgetting she's a diehard fan. It didn't go over well. ;) 

And one more: Supernatural. I love genre shows, and I was so excited to see a show that offered a spin on myths and urban legends while fcusing on siblings rather than romance, but the show just never clicked with me. Based on the five or six episodes I saw from a few different seasons, I felt like it consisted of the same two characters having the exact same poorly written arguments and circular discussions over and over. I just didn't love the writing, acting, characterizations or stories. This is the kind of confession you can't make on other sites without eliciting a series of attacks ;)   

Keep in mind that I'm a 40-something adult who absolutely loves Charmed, so I've officially forfeited the right to ever judge anyone's taste in TV! There are just some popular and deeply loved shows that I can't seem to enjoy nearly as much as most others do. 

[Ohwell]

I think Seacrest is good at what he does, but I'm just tired of seeing so much of him.  Surely there must be other hosts who could do the job.

[Sweet Tee]

Quote

I felt like it consisted of the same two characters having the exact same poorly written arguments and circular discussions over and over.

That's exactly what it is.  If it had ended after season 5 (like it was supposed to)then I could happily look back on it as a fun genre show.  Not a perfect one but an overall solid one, but they just refuse to let it die and it's kind of ruined the whole thing for me.  Not that I've watched it in years but I can't imagine that's it's gotten any better.

And I find Seacrest pretty easy to avoid.  The only time I see him is during awards season on the red carpet.  But, even then, I can switch to another channel with other people.   He doesn't bother me.

[kassygreene]

I'm also not a fan of Supernatural.  I'm glad the actors have made their peace with its unending run, and more power to them, but ick, not my thing.

I did make a concerted effort to watch when Amanda Tapping had a recurring role, but I wound up relying on the TWOP recap to tell me which episodes she was in, and where in the show (AT can be truly scarifying, as she was here).  Someday I'm going to track down and watch all the meta episodes; I've only seen the one at the girl's school where a Supernatural musical was being performed.  To be fair, anything with "Dust in the Wind" will win my heart.

[Minneapple]

36 minutes ago, kassygreene said:

Someday I'm going to track down and watch all the meta episodes; I've only seen the one at the girl's school where a Supernatural musical was being performed.  To be fair, anything with "Dust in the Wind" will win my heart.

The meta episodes, at least the ones early on, were definitely worth it. Although I nearly died of secondhand embarrassment when they referenced slash shipping on the show. I watched Supernatural through season...six? I think. And then I watched the 200th episode with the musical, which was amazing but not enough to get me to watch the show again. Amazing that it's on its 12th season. I still remember the TWoP thread in season one where we anxiously followed the ratings, praying for renewal. 

[auntlada]

@stillsearching74, I didn't watch Charmed a lot, but when I did I usually liked it. However, I also liked Ghost Whisperer, and I like Big Bang Theory, which I gather from the internet means I am not very smart and I have bad taste. I do actually know a group of mathematicians/scientists who are very similar to the guys, although slightly better socially adjusted.

[SmithW6079]

@stillsearching74 -- I don't like "Parks & Recreation" or "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" either. I think I  watched the pilot episodes, found them unfunny and never went back.

[TaraS1]

13 hours ago, Sweet Tee said:

That's exactly what it is.  If it had ended after season 5 (like it was supposed to)then I could happily look back on it as a fun genre show.  Not a perfect one but an overall solid one, but they just refuse to let it die and it's kind of ruined the whole thing for me.  Not that I've watched it in years but I can't imagine that's it's gotten any better.

In total, I've seen probably ten minutes of that show in all the years it's been on and the acting was so, so bad that I had major second-hand embarrassment.  The last time I saw it, Jensen Ackles was speaking with this really weird, deep voice that I'm 99.9% sure is not his natural speaking voice.  It was bizarre.  But I suspect another reason it will never die is because of how the show's fan conventions have turned into such a huge gravy train for seemingly every person who ever had a single line in an episode.  It's insane how they bleed the fans dry at those things.

[Chaos Theory]

3 hours ago, TaraS1 said:

In total, I've seen probably ten minutes of that show in all the years it's been on and the acting was so, so bad that I had major second-hand embarrassment.  The last time I saw it, Jensen Ackles was speaking with this really weird, deep voice that I'm 99.9% sure is not his natural speaking voice.  It was bizarre.  But I suspect another reason it will never die is because of how the show's fan conventions have turned into such a huge gravy train for seemingly every person who ever had a single line in an episode.  It's insane how they bleed the fans dry at those things.

I like genre shows and I originally thought this one had potential but it kept writing into the same basic problem and as i keep mentioning it has a top heavy male cast which doesn't really fit my viewing habits.  

However I do appreciate the show's ability to not take itself seriously at all.  One of the favorites fanfiction pairings happened to be Sam and Dean.  This was in large part because they were the entire lead cast for the first half of the show.  Even when females were introduced people just perfered to pair the brothers as a couple.  Instead of the front runners and the actors getting angry they wrote an episode commenting on it.  I thought it was hilarious actually.    The show also knows what it is and and doesn't try to be anything else.  It's not to my taste but I can appreciate it for at least that.

[ParadoxLost]

10 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I like genre shows and I originally thought this one had potential but it kept writing into the same basic problem and as i keep mentioning it has a top heavy male cast which doesn't really fit my viewing habits.  

However I do appreciate the show's ability to not take itself seriously at all.  One of the favorites fanfiction pairings happened to be Sam and Dean.  This was in large part because they were the entire lead cast for the first half of the show.  Even when females were introduced people just perfered to pair the brothers as a couple.  Instead of the front runners and the actors getting angry they wrote an episode commenting on it.  I thought it was hilarious actually.    The show also knows what it is and and doesn't try to be anything else.  It's not to my taste but I can appreciate it for at least that.

I don't think this is all that true anymore.  Its been a long time since anyone slow danced with a grey or was chased but a poodle.  I think whichever writers had the liked the meta and humorous episodes are long gone.

[Enigma X]

I have always enjoyed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  and think it is the best series based in the comic book world on TV. Yes, this season has been its best, but before this season it was hands down superior to other comic book shows is my UO. (Followed by another UO that Gotham comes in second place.) Do I like all the creative choices the show has made though? No. Still, it is a very good show for its genre.

[Minneapple]

1 hour ago, Enigma X said:

I have always enjoyed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  and think it is the best series based in the comic book world on TV. 

SHIELD is a very underrated show IMO. I appreciate the show's diversity and its strong female characters. And really it treats all of its characters well. Even the recurring characters get good development. So glad it's coming back for season five!

[SmithW6079]

Maybe it's as I grow older, but I find myself finding less and less funny bickering, arguing couples on sitcoms, or where they're mean to someone just because. If you're that miserable together, get a divorce and lead lives far from each other. And for those "friends" who mock you (I'm looking at you, Stuart from "The Big Bang Theory"), get new friends.

I also hate when shows have characters just to be the punching bags of other characters. In addition to Stuart, I'm thinking of Meg, from "Family Guy"; Klaus, from "American Dad" (although he gets his revenge occasionally); and Jerry, from "Rick and Morty." 

[Chaos Theory]

20 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

I don't think this is all that true anymore.  Its been a long time since anyone slow danced with a grey or was chased but a poodle.  I think whichever writers had the liked the meta and humorous episodes are long gone.

Well it has been awhile since I watched it.

 

19 hours ago, Enigma X said:

I have always enjoyed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  and think it is the best series based in the comic book world on TV. Yes, this season has been its best, but before this season it was hands down superior to other comic book shows is my UO. (Followed by another UO that Gotham comes in second place.) Do I like all the creative choices the show has made though? No. Still, it is a very good show for its genre.

AoS and Gotham are fun shows.  My only problem with Gotham is that it writes female characters horribly.   AoS on the other hand writes male and female characters exceptionally well.

[Enigma X]

2 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

I also hate when shows have characters just to be the punching bags of other characters. In addition to Stuart, I'm thinking of Meg, from "Family Guy"; Klaus, from "American Dad" (although he gets his revenge occasionally); and Jerry, from "Rick and Morty." 

I have always hated the "kid that even his/her parents don't like" trope even when the kid is portrayed as truly annoying. 

Edited May 13, 2017 by Enigma X

[zxy556575]

2 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

Maybe it's as I grow older, but I find myself finding less and less funny bickering, arguing couples on sitcoms, or where they're mean to someone just because.

Even as a kid, shows like The Honeymooners made me uncomfortable and sad. Enough with all the yelling! I did not and do not see the humor.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I HATE, like with the rage of a gazillion million suns, that Law &I Order: SVU was renewed for its 19th season, and there's never been any worry about its cancellation, whereas the Mothership-the show that paved the way for it and was a VASTLY Superior show, Law & Order, had to struggle during its last few seasons before being summarily axed. ???

This BETTER be its final season!

[Katy M]

24 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I HATE, like with the rage of a gazillion million suns, that Law &I Order: SVU was renewed for its 19th season, and there's never been any worry about its cancellation, whereas the Mothership-the show that paved the way for it and was a VASTLY Superior show, Law & Order, had to struggle during its last few seasons before being summarily axed. ???

This BETTER be its final season!

I don't hate SVU, but it's always been my least fave of the tree L&O series.

[GHScorpiosRule]

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

I don't hate SVU, but it's always been my least fave of the tree L&O series.

SVU was good for the first five, six seasons. Then it just went to seed. With the Original, we weren't bogged down with the personal lives or issues or drrraaaamaaa of the characters. I will seriously have a rage meltdown if this show surpasses the original in seasons.?????

[Bastet]

My Law & Order franchise OU is that I don't particularly care for the original and will only have it on as background noise if I really want some but nothing better is on.  When SVU was at its best - which, yeah, was a long time ago; I haven't watched it in many years - I think it was the only version of the L&O franchise that was ever actually good.  The chemistry of the cast/interaction of the characters made it possible for me to overlook all the "Um, that's not how the law/justice system works" objections that did distract me in the original, which I regard as a generic procedural.  Season two to six or so, or even season one, SVU, I will stop to watch it at least for a while when I come across it while going around the dial.  The original, any season, again - only if I don't have a better option.

The Criminal Intent version was utterly unwatchable to me because of Vincent D'Onofrio, and I never watched the others. 

So, to me, SVU is a (short-lived) highlight in a humdrum franchise.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oh admit it, @Bastet-you prefer SVU because it also starred Judith Light as a recurring bad ass Prosecutor turned Judge!? I know how much you love her!

[partofme]

On 5/13/2017 at 7:21 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

SVU was good for the first five, six seasons. Then it just went to seed. With the Original, we weren't bogged down with the personal lives or issues or drrraaaamaaa of the characters. I will seriously have a rage meltdown if this show surpasses the original in seasons.?????

Yeah the first few seasons of SVU were by far my favorite of the L&O franchise, but the show hasn't been good in over 10 years.  Same goes for the original, I only liked the first few seasons, partly because I hated Jack McCoy.

[Katy M]

28 minutes ago, partofme said:

Yeah the first few seasons of SVU were by far my favorite of the L&O franchise, but the show hasn't been good in over 10 years.  Same goes for the original, I only liked the first few seasons, partly because I hated Jack McCoy.

I liked Jack. I hated Mike Cutter.

[GHScorpiosRule]

34 minutes ago, partofme said:

I only liked the first few seasons, partly because I hated Jack McCoy.

 

5 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I liked Jack. I hated Mike Cutter.

And here's the REALLY Unpopular one: I LOVED Ben Stone; liked Jack for the most part, except when he was acting like a hypocritical ass; and loved Mike Cutter-found him to be a combination of Ben and Jack!?

[Katy M]

8 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

 

And here's the REALLY Unpopular one: I LOVED Ben Stone; liked Jack for the most part, except when he was acting like a hypocritical ass; and loved Mike Cutter-found him to be a combination of Ben and Jack!?

I think what I liked about Jack, was that Sam Waterston really kind of made him endearing when he was basically throwing a temper tantrum.

[stillsearching74]

Very unpopular opinion about Angel (the series), but I love Fred/Gunn as a couple, both what they were and could have been, and far preferred them to Fred/Wesley. 

[Enigma X]

40 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I think what I liked about Jack, was that Sam Waterston really kind of made him endearing when he was basically throwing a temper tantrum.

Yes. Jack was my favorite then Mike. I also liked Ben.

[vibeology]

3 hours ago, stillsearching74 said:

Very unpopular opinion about Angel (the series), but I love Fred/Gunn as a couple, both what they were and could have been, and far preferred them to Fred/Wesley. 

If that's unpopular, sign me up. Wesley had issues with women (think about some of the things he said to Cordy over the years or the way he lied to Virginia to have sex with her) and with Fred in particular that just made their relationship gross to me. Wesley has barely said ten words to Fred that weren't directly related to work when he decided he had a thing for her. The way he put her on a pedestal while treating Lilah the way he did screamed Madonna/Whore complex and the memory wipe in season four did little to make me think that Wesley had worked on the underlying issued at play once Fred/Wesley happened in season five. You see how he viewed her as a perfect idol throughout season five.

I think Wesley is such a fascinating fucked up character (for me the most complex of the entire Buffyverse) but the core of Wesley is that damage from his father, his time on the Watcher's Council and his insecurities. His connection to Fred was great in terms of drama within the story but as a couple and a relationship it was very unhealthy.

Fred and Gunn were a much better romantic couple. Gunn actually took time to get to know Fred and they had shared interests (food, video games) before Gunn made a move. He didn't see Fred as a thing, but recognized that she was a flawed person. And Fred responded to Gunn; she was still so closed off after Pylea but Gunn treated her like a normal person and that brought out the normal person in Fred.

[Dee]

2 minutes ago, vibeology said:

Fred and Gunn were a much better romantic couple. Gunn actually took time to get to know Fred and they had shared interests (food, video games) before Gunn made a move. He didn't see Fred as a thing, but recognized that she was a flawed person. And Fred responded to Gunn; she was still so closed off after Pylea but Gunn treated her like a normal person and that brought out the normal person in Fred.

I much prefer Gunn & Fred to Wes & Fred, but I've always wondered how much of Gunn's feelings for Fred were driven by his residual Alonna issues.

[vibeology]

26 minutes ago, Dee said:

I much prefer Gunn & Fred to Wes & Fred, but I've always wondered how much of Gunn's feelings for Fred were driven by his residual Alonna issues.

I do see that and I never thought Fred and Gunn were going to work out long-term (because both Fred and Gunn have these huge traumas they never really had time to process what with having to save the world over and over) but I still think they were at least a couple you could ship. I do think some part of Gunn's feelings were about protecting an innocent young girl where he failed in the past but at the same time everyone is going to bring some baggage into a relationship; the question just becomes how toxic is that baggage. It's a supernatural serial drama. Healthy relationships are bad for business.

[Dee]

Unpopular Opinion: The biggest missed opportunity A:tS made, in terms of potential ships, was not going with Gunn/Cordelia.

[Bastet]

On 5/13/2017 at 10:56 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Oh admit it, @Bastet-you prefer SVU because it also starred Judith Light as a recurring bad ass Prosecutor turned Judge!? I know how much you love her!

Judith Light is always a bonus. 

But the best of L&O: SVU is still exponentially better than the best of just plain ol' L&O.

[spaceytraci1208]

10 hours ago, Katy M said:

I think what I liked about Jack, was that Sam Waterston really kind of made him endearing when he was basically throwing a temper tantrum.

There was almost always a point in a McCoy episode where I'd say "Git 'em, Jack!" LOL

[callie lee 29]

Ben Stone was my favorite ADA on L&O. I never though pf Mike being a cross between the twp, but yeah, that's a good estimation. 

Angel UO is that i liked Cordelia with Angel leaps and bounds than Buffy & Angel. They were the true endgame (or should have been.)

[Chaos Theory]

13 minutes ago, callie lee 29 said:

 

Angel UO is that i liked Cordelia with Angel leaps and bounds than Buffy & Angel. They were the true endgame (or should have been.)

Angel and Cordelia were a grown up pairing.  I never really understood why they weren't endgame.   

[ganesh]

Does everyone know American Gods is beautifully shot? Because it's SO beautifully shot. 

[Dee]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

Angel and Cordelia were a grown up pairing.  I never really understood why they weren't endgame.   

If BtVS & AtS ended with Buffy & Xander and Angel & Cordelia paired up, I certainly wouldn't have minded; but then, anything would've been more appealing than Spuffy & Connor/Cordelia.

[stillsearching74]

I just thought of another one (this thread is addictive and should come with a warning label): On Smallville, I liked Clark with Chloe so much more than with either Lana or Lois. I even think that Chloe's presence on Smallville rendered Lois unnecessary, as the characters were so similar other than Lois being more arrogant and obnoxious. She also sincerely seemed to think Clark was beneath her, especially before she found out he also happened to be a superhero. I know it's ridiculous to watch any version of Superman and hold out hope that Superman will end up with anyone other than Lois Lane, but I loved SV's Chloe and hated their version of Lois so much that I couldn't help wishing this would be the one version of the tale that went in another direction. (Spoiler alert: they didn't!) I also liked Lana a lot more with Lex than I did with Clark. 

[DisneyBoy]

You are not the only one with those opinions! I totally thought Lana and Lex worked better as a couple and that I actually saw some spark in her character when she was with him. I think everybody has a relationship like that at some point in their life when they get together with someone they know they shouldn't be with and that just makes it all the more exciting. I definitely saw some of that going on with Lana and Lex. 

Chloe and Clark will always be the true romance of the show for me. Even in season 8 when the producers had far moved past Chloe and Clark as a potential couple, they still couldn't resist dropping hints and playing up the possibility of them eventually getting together because they knew it had inadvertently become the backbone of the series. Out of all of the romances they tried to plot out for Clark, the only one that felt subtle and natural and earned was his relationship with Chloe. As you perfectly said, everyone else was with Clark because they were "supposed" to be with Clark...not because it felt organic to the show.

I would have much preferred it if Smallville's version of Lois ended up becoming Cat Grant and staying with Oliver Queen. Those two had terriffic chemistry.

(Lord Almighty, Smallville should just be retitled Wasted Opportunities)

[tribeca]

Never hated scrappydo  

[Katy M]

9 hours ago, tribeca said:

Never hated scrappydo  

He had PUPPPYYYYY POWWEERRRR!!!!!!

[festivus]

On 5/15/2017 at 9:03 AM, stillsearching74 said:

Very unpopular opinion about Angel (the series), but I love Fred/Gunn as a couple, both what they were and could have been, and far preferred them to Fred/Wesley. 

Yes. I posted this exact UO in the Angel forums a few months ago. Fred and Gunn were a great couple and they clearly just liked/loved each other for who they were. There was never anything complicated about it and that's why I loved them. Then of course the show had to go and complicate it but that's TV. I still enjoy watching them now even though I know what's coming.

[Blergh]

IMOU, with Ryan Seacrest and the "American Idol" and "Roseanne" revivals, ABC might as well change its name to the Bad Penny Network! 

[HoboClayton]

Speaking of Roseanne. I do not think the scene where they were smoking pot is that funny. It was 20 year old weed, not pcp. I did think it was funny when Jackie came in and freaked out and told them they were rolling it all wrong then went over and started rolling it herself. 

[zxy556575]

I don't worship Jon Stewart and didn't like his version of The Daily Show.

From all accounts he's an admirable person and I happen to agree with his politics, but his constant mugging and face pulling wasn't funny to me and undercut his message.

[Chaos Theory]

It forgot about my biggest Angel UO.  I really liked Kate and I always wished the show brought her back in some fashion even just to end the show.