Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[kiddo82]

10 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

One day, for some reason, I really wanted to see the "Home" episode of X-Files. And by some miracle, later on as I flipped channels, there it was, just starting! I became disproportionately excited over such luck! And also, I really need to start randomly wishing for more useful things.

I mean, the Mega Millions jackpot is worth over a billion dollars.  If I were you, I'd use my wish powers for that but maybe that's just me.  :)

[TattleTeeny]

Maybe I only get one and I wasted it on an X-Files episode of all things! Still, let me try it...though now it’s not random and spur of the moment! Oh, what have I done?!

[Dr.OO7]

Ah, yes. "The X Files".

I HATED that show.

Every. Single. Episode it was the Same. Fucking. Thing:

"Mulder/Scully, something about aliens, corrupt government officials trying to kill them"

[roamyn]

9 minutes ago, Camille said:

Ah, yes. "The X Files".

I HATED that show.

Every. Single. Episode it was the Same. Fucking. Thing:

"Mulder/Scully, something about aliens, corrupt government officials trying to kill them"

No it wasn’t.  There were monsters (both human & animal), paranormal, and idiosyncratic episode ala the genetically engineered tobacco beetle that infected smokers.

[ganesh]

And a guy who could set things on fire, vampires with bad teeth, clones, virtual reality that tries to kill you, whatever Donny Pfaster was, crabby ghosts that wanted you to kill each other, cerulean blue but it was really his sister, Special Agent SLUT Dana Scully!, he's got a bomb he's got a bomb he's got a bomb, and Home. 

[TattleTeeny]

37 minutes ago, roamyn said:

No it wasn’t.  There were monsters (both human & animal), paranormal, and idiosyncratic episode ala the genetically engineered tobacco beetle that infected smokers.

Agree. I would never have watched it all those years if that's all it was! The aliens/government stuff didn't interest me too much.

[GaT]

39 minutes ago, ganesh said:

And a guy who could set things on fire, vampires with bad teeth, clones, virtual reality that tries to kill you, whatever Donny Pfaster was, crabby ghosts that wanted you to kill each other, cerulean blue but it was really his sister, Special Agent SLUT Dana Scully!, he's got a bomb he's got a bomb he's got a bomb, and Home. 

And half a cream cheese bagel. And it wasn't even real cream cheese, it was light cream cheese!

[supposebly]

And a twin living inside his brother and who wanted to leave him, a liver-eating guy squeezing through chimneys and vents, a disease creating the most revolting boils, soldiers who hadn't slept in a decade, possibly a Loch Ness monster, a serial killer reborn in his daughter, a sasquatch that was a woman but not really a sasquatch, horny gender-bedning Amish-type people, really, the most engaging alien/government conspiracy story was Scully's abduction.

[Katy M]

I never watched the X-Files, but one time my sister and I were watching TV and there was a commercial for it.  And they said "It's a classic case of demon fetal harvest."  My sister and I looked at each other and repeated that in sync.  We never do stuff like that.  I'm not sure if it was just the sheer ridiculousness of the line, or if the show itself had some supernatural power over us.

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, supposebly said:

And a twin living inside his brother and who wanted to leave him, a liver-eating guy squeezing through chimneys and vents, a disease creating the most revolting boils, soldiers who hadn't slept in a decade, possibly a Loch Ness monster, a serial killer reborn in his daughter, a sasquatch that was a woman but not really a sasquatch, horny gender-bedning Amish-type people, really, the most engaging alien/government conspiracy story was Scully's abduction.

Would it be too much an UO (and show my squareness) if I said that that show sounded as though it spent WAY too much time in the flake field for me to have had any interest in it? To each one's own, regardless!

[supposebly]

Well, some of those stories were utterly tragic, some were funny and/or absurd, some were scary and/or creepy. I won't tell you which was which. But these were some of my favorite episodes. I can take or leave the alien stuff but these were what made the X-files for me. And Gillian Anderson as Scully. That woman could act circles around people even at the young age of 23.

[proserpina65]

On ‎10‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 11:21 AM, Blergh said:

Would it be too much an UO (and show my squareness) if I said that that show sounded as though it spent WAY too much time in the flake field for me to have had any interest in it? To each one's own, regardless!

Now that would be a fair criticism.  Me, I liked it being out there, but I get that you weren't interested.  But the government/alien conspiracy episodes were the ones I liked the least.  Except for Eve - that one scared the crap out of me.

Edited October 25, 2018 by proserpina65

[roamyn]

On 10/24/2018 at 8:18 PM, supposebly said:

Well, some of those stories were utterly tragic, some were funny and/or absurd, some were scary and/or creepy. I won't tell you which was which. But these were some of my favorite episodes. I can take or leave the alien stuff but these were what made the X-files for me. And Gillian Anderson as Scully. That woman could act circles around people even at the young age of 23.

“The Big Inning” is one of my favorites.  It’s humorous, romantic, and involves aliens (tho not the conspiracy kind), and was written by Duchovny.

[ganesh]

He wrote 2 or 3 iirc. 

[HunterHunted]

On 10/26/2018 at 7:59 AM, roamyn said:

“The Big Inning” is one of my favorites.  It’s humorous, romantic, and involves aliens (tho not the conspiracy kind), and was written by Duchovny.

It's actually called "The Unnatural." People remember it as "The Big Inning" because the episode fades to black early on and puts the words "In the big inning" on the screen, which is a play on the "in the beginning." Most famously used in the bible, but later deployed by all sorts of other media to evoke momentous and epic scale.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unnatural_(The_X-Files)?wprov=sfla1

The episode transgressively suggests that an alien with the power and technology to travel to earth and disguise himself as Josh "not Gibson" Exley chose the Negro Leagues because he felt a kinship with African-Americans and it was the best version of baseball being played at the time.

I think people who never really watched the show can miss how cheeky the show could be. An episode like Je Souhaite (the genie episode) is funny and sad all at the same time. Bad Blood is another hilarious one.  Coincidentally, both were written by Vince Gilligan.

I still find it hilarious that they let Homicide: Life on the Street crossover with the X-Files via John Munch.

Edited October 27, 2018 by HunterHunted

[TattleTeeny]

I read once that John Munch is the (and I don't recall the correct wording) most used character across various networks or something to that effect.

[Dee]

Unpopular Opinion: There's nothing wrong with Geena on The Conners.

[TattleTeeny]

Geena doesn't bug me--and I actually thought the actress, IIRC, after the bible remark in the first episode, did a funny faux smirk at Darlene that conveyed really well that she and Darlene are fine with each other's beliefs and probably just like the banter. It was kind of impressive!

[HunterHunted]

11 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

I read once that John Munch is the (and I don't recall the correct wording) most used character across various networks or something to that effect.

He's the longest running live action television character in American television history; he's been on TV for 23 seasons.* The character has appeared in episodes of over ten TV series including Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: TBJ, The Beat, The Wire, Arrested Development, Sesame Street, The X-Files, and the Mothership. He's also been specifically mentioned in an episode of Luther as a New York SVU detective. He's also one of the reasons that the Tommy Westphall Universe theory covers basically every TV show that ever existed. I'm being facetious, but not really.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/500756/tommy-westphall-theory-unified-tv-universe-explained

https://tv.avclub.com/scenes-from-the-munchiverse-21-links-between-unexpecte-1798232753

My favorite planned, but never came to fruition crossover was that Jim Profit, from David Greenwalt's Profit, was going to be a senior partner at Wolfram & Hart on Angel.

*It's pretty clear that this statistic is ignoring soaps because those are for women.

Edited October 27, 2018 by HunterHunted

[TattleTeeny]

Oh thank you! Haha, after I posted, I was like, "So what the hell was that I read once?"

[ganesh]

The genie episode is a later series underrated classic. 

[TattleTeeny]

UO: Emma Roberts is just fine on American Horror Story, as far as I'm concerned. 

[theredhead77]

15 hours ago, Dee said:

Unpopular Opinion: There's nothing wrong with Geena on The Conners.

 

7 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Geena doesn't bug me--and I actually thought the actress, IIRC, after the bible remark in the first episode, did a funny faux smirk at Darlene that conveyed really well that she and Darlene are fine with each other's beliefs and probably just like the banter. It was kind of impressive!

Scoot over - I also love Geena. She fits right in with the family "we poke because we love" dynamic. I'd love to see when she and DJ got together, since he didn't want to kiss her (or any girl) way back when.
@HunterHunted I've never heard of that theory. I love John Munch and, well, - it's amazing! 

My UO - I don't mind when babies aren't mentioned in every episode of the series. I don't care that Hallie and Michael are not mentioned in every episode of TBBT. 
I also don't care that many sitcoms are more dramadies rather than straight up comedy. Will & Grace, The Conners, Murphy Brown, Mom. I think it makes for a smarter show.

[Silver Raven]

10 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

My favorite planned, but never came to fruition crossover was that Jim Profit, from David Greenwalt's Profit, was going to be a senior partner at Wolfram & Hart on Angel.

Profit was a GREAT show!

[Anna Yolei]

Unpopular opinion on Glee:

I finally finished watching the show in it's entirety after chucking the deuces after season four. I read a lot on the old TWoP to keep up so I remember hearing about most of the plots and how off the walls some of the characters became.

Rachel was the one fandom came to love to hate: however after season four on a second viewing, the one I hated most was Blaine. Every single thing out of his mouth was a whine that was about him or pissy that Kurt had a life and hobbies that didn't involve him. I wasn't prepared at all for the episode where Blaine confesses that he misses having to play hero to Kurt back when he was being bullied and I'm like...really, dude? By the end of the series, I hated him more that Rachel "Pissed away my only career dream I ever had for a cocked up TV series" Berry.

[SmithW6079]

4 hours ago, Anna Yolei said:

Unpopular opinion on Glee:

I finally finished watching the show in it's entirety after chucking the deuces after season four. I read a lot on the old TWoP to keep up so I remember hearing about most of the plots and how off the walls some of the characters became.

Rachel was the one fandom came to love to hate: however after season four on a second viewing, the one I hated most was Blaine. Every single thing out of his mouth was a whine that was about him or pissy that Kurt had a life and hobbies that didn't involve him. I wasn't prepared at all for the episode where Blaine confesses that he misses having to play hero to Kurt back when he was being bullied and I'm like...really, dude? By the end of the series, I hated him more that Rachel "Pissed away my only career dream I ever had for a cocked up TV series" Berry.

Oh, I detested St. Kurt the Long-Suffering Gay, who could do no wrong. He stalked his own stepbrother, but then Finn was at fault for lashing out and calling him on his behavior. Plus, Blaine was so definitely out of St. Kurt's league.

On another note, I don't get upset if someone's accent is not absolutely 100 percent spot-on for whatever show they're on, just because that's the way I think someone should sound who lives there. I definitely don't get my panties in a twist if someone is speaking in a nonexistent patois from a nonexistent society that nonexists 500 years in the future.

I don't really care if a show set in 1968 or 1972 or 1989 gets some details wrong and -- HORRORS! -- plays as background music a song that was introduced in 1969 or 1973 or 1990. Likewise with clothes or cars, etc.

Edited October 28, 2018 by SmithW6079

[Sara2009]

Most of the fandom hated Mr.Schue(which I understood), but several of the other characters were just as bad.

[Rosiejuliemom]

On 10/21/2018 at 7:41 AM, kiddo82 said:

I know the later seasons of ER don't get a lot of love, especially when compared to the early days, but they are still really good.  Re-watching on Hulu and I'm up to 21 Guns/Bloodline.  (season 12 finale and 13 premier) and I'd put these up against almost anything on network or basic cable* at the time or even today.  Both are really well done.  Suspenseful. Emotional.  Even when I know exactly what will happen.  I've said this before but, throughout its entire run, when this show did something right, it did it right.

 

*Strike that.  I put it against almost anything on any network.  Not opposed to sex, nudity, violence, and/or language but a license to do it doesn't make something inherently better.  In fact, it's quite a testament to have something that did not have that license (not that an episode like 21 Guns isn't violent in it's own right) still stand up today with our experiences clouded by what else is out there.  It's the difference between saying a movie like Some Like It Hot was really funny for its time vs saying a movie like Dr. Strangelove is really funny period.

ER is probably one of my all-time favorite shows. While it did have some wobbly parts at times (I will never forgive the Romanocopter), ER at it's worst was watchable and near-flawless at it's best. Season 12 is probably my favorite.

On 10/22/2018 at 10:23 AM, TattleTeeny said:

Well, speaking of UOs and Buffy, I loved seasons 5-7!

Another UO (maybe): I do not find it farfetched in the least that characters on The Walking Dead are able to maintain their hairstyles--or even their color at this point, their eyebrows, whatever. It's not as if people at the ZA's start would have looted shops for hair dye and razors so I assume there would be plenty left, plus tons of abandoned homes would have tweezers and even shavers. My BF opts to buzz his own head now, even though the world is still (relatively) functional. 

 

On 10/22/2018 at 2:34 PM, TattleTeeny said:

They have homes, beds, supplies, a few "luxuries," neighborhoods/villages, jobs, schedules, and lives now; it's not the "hide out in a car trunk with your gun drawn and ready to run" scenario anymore and there's plenty of time to take a moment for oneself in the narrative. But even back then, people (demonstrating the ironic opposite) questioned the validity of Lori keeping her hair long in such a terrible new world. Seriously, it takes 3 seconds to gather hair up (not that she ever seemed to, which could very well be a valid annoyance), and longer hair is much easier to keep out of one's face than short hair that's growing out. So, I still think nothing of someone trimming his/her bangs, yanking an errant eyebrow, or having some fun with an expired tub of Manic Panic, even in this version of the ZA.

Yeah! After all, you'll be up again in no time--why not at least be the most attractive of the decaying bunch, I say!

I vividly recall several animated discussions about TWD and how unrealistic it was that the actors had clean teeth and the grass wasn't knee high. Not so much discussion about reanimated corpses still retaining enough physical strength to move (let alone attack people) and gasoline/insulin still being usable over a year into an apocalypse. Suspension of disbelief comes in different levels, I guess.

I liked Buffy 5-7, too. Tabula Rasa is one of my favorite episodes of the series.

[ganesh]

Yeah, but I think the decay of resources is fair game on a show like TWD. It's part of world building. I can live with people not having their teeth fall out, and there's only so much you can do with the physical locations, but you do need to put some effort in to how the world is going to look (gas not working anymore, etc.)

[ratgirlagogo]

My unpopular opinion is that the SyFy show Z Nation and the BBC show In the Flesh are a million times better than The Walking Dead and a gazillion times better than Fear the Walking Dead.  

[Rosiejuliemom]

2 hours ago, ganesh said:

Yeah, but I think the decay of resources is fair game on a show like TWD. It's part of world building. I can live with people not having their teeth fall out, and there's only so much you can do with the physical locations, but you do need to put some effort in to how the world is going to look (gas not working anymore, etc.)

It seems like they are starting to show that now, at least.

I can kind of handwave cars, but the insulin for Sherry's sister was really pushing it for me.

[Anna Yolei]

On 10/28/2018 at 1:49 PM, SmithW6079 said:

Oh, I detested St. Kurt the Long-Suffering Gay, who could do no wrong. He stalked his own stepbrother, but then Finn was at fault for lashing out and calling him on his behavior.

I can grant Burt (one of two characters who stayed fucking awesome the whole 6 seasons) chewing Finn out for using That Word(tm), but I agree that the behavior was problematic. Kurt eventually did mature somewhat, which is more than I could say for a lot of the cast who kept sliding back into their fake image they created for themselves (Quinn) continually fuck over their friends (Rachel), make everything about them (Rachel and Blaine, especially during season 5), we're needlessly rude and nasty (Santana) and otherwise given more free passes than a rich kid with affluenza (Rachel again, which I could easily hammer out an essay on *that*).

On 10/28/2018 at 2:37 PM, Sara2009 said:

Most of the fandom hated Mr.Schue(which I understood), but several of the other characters were just as bad.

Yeah, he wasn't great in early seasons, but forcing a teenage girl to wear revealing clothing and twerk for a classroom  assignment was not a good look.

Which speaking of Marley, I'm so glad Melissa Benoist got out of that limelight and Supergirl is working out for her.

[ParadoxLost]

On 10/22/2018 at 11:23 AM, TattleTeeny said:

Another UO (maybe): I do not find it farfetched in the least that characters on The Walking Dead are able to maintain their hairstyles--or even their color at this point, their eyebrows, whatever. It's not as if people at the ZA's start would have looted shops for hair dye and razors so I assume there would be plenty left, plus tons of abandoned homes would have tweezers and even shavers. My BF opts to buzz his own head now, even though the world is still (relatively) functional. 

 

I would bet that all the grooming is unrealistic in a ZA posts put together would not come near to the number that include frustration that Daryl hadn't bathed or trimmed his hair.  

Edited November 1, 2018 by ParadoxLost

[TattleTeeny]

That's true! Pick a side, people, haha! Also, I'm not even sure why keeping teeth clean would be all that hard either.

Edited November 1, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[ganesh]

I don't like the Nutcracker. 

[proserpina65]

16 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

That's true! Pick a side, people, haha! Also, I'm not even sure why keeping teeth clean would be all that hard either.

Again, I think it's about the time to do it.  (Not so much the teeth, which don't take that much time to brush.)  At least early on, when not getting killed was the primary activity.

[proserpina65]

I don't know if this is unpopular or not, but it's kind of bad to admit so I'm putting it here:

Maybe it's because I didn't see the episodes when they originally ran, but I didn't care at all about Jodie dying on Mom.  She was barely sketched out as a character, let alone a fully developed one, and wasn't in enough episodes for me to buy the other characters becoming so deeply involved in her life.  All I could think was "oh, the junkie overdosed - why am I supposed to care?".  That probably makes me a bad person, but it makes the writers bad writers when they couldn't make me feel anything other than annoyance at messing with Marjorie's wedding.

[memememe76]

I am a season behind on Homeland, and my UO is: I hate Quinn. Him beating up women is not funny. His tortured act is old. His Bourne Identity schticks is even more annoying.

[Ohwell]

My UO about Oprah:  While she's great as a host interviewing guests, I think she's an AWFUL speaker in front of a crowd.  She has a shouty and forced way of speaking which is not natural at all.  

[ByTor]

On 10/30/2018 at 4:25 PM, ratgirlagogo said:

My unpopular opinion is that the SyFy show Z Nation and the BBC show In the Flesh are a million times better than The Walking Dead and a gazillion times better than Fear the Walking Dead.  

Speaking of FTWD...I like Charlie and I desperately miss Madison.

[ganesh]

She's gone? I haven't watched since they blew up the dam.

[theredhead77]

Other than Neegan's constant yammering I still really enjoy TWD. I seem to be sitting at a table for 1 though.

[Anela]

1 hour ago, theredhead77 said:

Other than Neegan's constant yammering I still really enjoy TWD. I seem to be sitting at a table for 1 though.

I think people liked the episodes that were Negan-free. I haven't watched anything but the premiere of this season, for a while. It's recording, but I don't like it anymore. When they tip into really stupid territory, over keeping one character alive - a real monster, at that - then I'm done. 

[ganesh]

I had to stop because of Neegan. I plan to catch up, but there's a lot of other better shows around that are more of interest to me right now. I've found the overall world building to be kind of stagnant tbh. It seems like there's only one kind of people they meet all the time. 

Edited November 5, 2018 by ganesh

[Anela]

7 minutes ago, ganesh said:

I had to stop because of Neegan. I plan to catch up, but there's a lot of other better shows around that are more of interest to me right now. I've found the overall world building to be kind of stagnant tbh. It seems like there's only one kind of people they meet all the time. 

 

And they time-jump now, in order to meet the new villains, that you know are coming up soon. the walkers are background noise, most of the time. 

Edited November 5, 2018 by Anela

[ganesh]

I'm doubtful the new villains will deviate from what they've established already. 

[ByTor]

17 hours ago, ganesh said:

She's gone? I haven't watched since they blew up the dam.

Yes, as of this past season.  The funny thing is, I resisted watching because I didn't think I'd like her, and in the beginning I didn't, but then she somehow became my favorite character.

14 hours ago, ganesh said:

I had to stop because of Neegan. I plan to catch up

I don't know if it was Neagan that made me lose interest, but I didn't feel compelled to buy the season pass this year.  I'll watch when it comes on Netflix next year.  I feel the same about Better Call Saul...I missed this season, but I didn't miss it.  I have no problem waiting for Netflix.

[Mulva]

On 10/31/2018 at 8:23 PM, TattleTeeny said:

That's true! Pick a side, people, haha! Also, I'm not even sure why keeping teeth clean would be all that hard either.

Frankly, I'd be more careful about dental hygiene.

[Wiendish Fitch]

This is Us UO:

I think Kevin Pearson's problems are 100% his fault. He's a whiny, immature, selfish, shallow, narcissistic, mooching, entitled, bed-hopping asshat who was a rotten kid and an even worse adult. He doesn't get one iota of sympathy from me. Randall had a ridiculous drug trip episode where he sees the error of his ways, when the hell is Kevin going to get his?!

On top of that, I think Justin Hartley is a mediocre actor and looks like Gunk from the comic strip Curtis.

Oh, and I think Rebecca is a flawed but overall good mom, and she deserves a hell of a lot more respect.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Wiendish Fitch

[ganesh]

Doctor Who is just fine. I'm not one to tell people not to watch a show if they don't like it, but with all this incessant griping, how about just going somewhere else to stew in your juices?