Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[ganesh]

Lots of good shows around then that were one offs.  

[BuyMoreAndSave]

The Office isn't really all that funny. Like, if I watch a comedy I want to laugh more than once every 5-10 minutes.

[Ohwell]

20 hours ago, BuyMoreAndSave said:

The Office isn't really all that funny. Like, if I watch a comedy I want to laugh more than once every 5-10 minutes.

In fact, sometimes I thought it was painfully unfunny.

[SmithW6079]

21 hours ago, BuyMoreAndSave said:

The Office isn't really all that funny. Like, if I watch a comedy I want to laugh more than once every 5-10 minutes.

Or, in the case of The Office, ever.

[2727]

I like the new hosts and judge on Great British Bake Off better than the old ones. Mary Berry seems like a sweet person but the show is fine without her.

I binged all seasons over Thanksgiving and the editing has not "gotten more manipulative" with the change to a new network. Contestants have teared up or cried on every episode in every year.

Edited November 28, 2018 by 2727

[Nordly Beaumont]

8 minutes ago, 2727 said:

Mary Berry seems like a sweet person but the show is fine without her.

I honestly only miss her because she looks so much like my mom! And I agree, the show's the same. I love Noel and Sandy (I also loved Mel and Sue - my heart has room for all GBBO hosts!)

[andromeda331]

I miss Mary Berry on the show and always will. Along with Mel and Sue. Paul was always the one I could do without. I expected to hate the new people. Or simply not like them because they weren't Mary, Mel or Sue. So many times when shows replace someone its not the same anymore. Its nothing against the new people. Its just not. But I was very surprised that I liked the new people. They do a good job.

Edited November 28, 2018 by andromeda331

[ByTor]

On 11/25/2018 at 10:19 PM, BuyMoreAndSave said:

The Office isn't really all that funny. Like, if I watch a comedy I want to laugh more than once every 5-10 minutes.

 

On 11/26/2018 at 7:03 PM, Ohwell said:

In fact, sometimes I thought it was painfully unfunny.

 

On 11/26/2018 at 8:16 PM, SmithW6079 said:

Or, in the case of The Office, ever.

People assume I must love The Office because I'm originally from Northeast PA, but I don't, I think it's dreadful.

[TattleTeeny]

I love The Office so much, but I share the above sentiment about Broad City, which I thought was almost painful to endure even in the midst of praise from people whose taste I usually share!

Edited December 1, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[salmondean]

Not sure how unpopular this is, but I saw a lot of backlash to it in fandom while it was happening: I actually really enjoyed Laurel's character in Arrow and enjoyed her arc throughout the first two seasons, even the addiction storyline, which I thought made a lot of sense for her character consider how much shit she went through (kidnapping, still not coping with her sister's "death," threats against her life, watching her boyfriend die, etc) and I also think Katie Cassidy sold it pretty well. Laurel's relationship with her father, Quentin, was also one of my absolute favorite parts of the show. The episode where they were both kidnapped by that creepy serial killer who injected people with rubber to turn them into living dolls (I think that's what he was doing anyway, haven't seen the ep in a few years) was one of my favorites in the show. The scene where Laurel genuinely believes that death is imminent and she looks pleadingly at her father like she's suddenly turned back into a little kid who believes that her Dad can fix everything and Quentin looks devastated as he just tells her to close her eyes because he doesn't think there's anything he can do to stop her from suffering was so brutal to me, and I feel like it didn't get a lot of appreciation in fandom because so many people were resolved to hate everything about Laurel in favor of squeeing over Felicity and Oliver 

[MadyGirl1987]

While I am looking forward to the upcoming Arrowverse crossover, I am not excited about Batman lore, in the form of Batgirl and Gotham, coming into the Arrowverse. I feel like they have a good balance right now, and am afraid of it becoming all Batman, all the time. Marvel and DC both have an unfortunate tendency to focus on their most popular characters. I feel having to rely on lesser-known, or at least not as popular, characters has helped both the Arrowverse and MCU avoid becoming either all Batman all the time or the Wolverine and Spider-man show. Just look how Batman took over the DCEU(like a brooding loner would create the Justice League) or how Wolverine became the center of the X-Men movies. I don't want the characters I enjoy watching sidelined because the producers got the shiney popular brands to play with now. Many a show has met its downfall because the creators fell in love with a character/characters to the detriment of others. 

Edited December 1, 2018 by MadyGirl1987

[festivus]

I'm just glad the crossover won't include LoT so I won't have to watch the episodes of the other shows to know what the hell is going on. We had to cut off our binge watch of LoT just to wait for Supergirl to hit Netflix. I mean we were watching and there was

Spoiler

Martin dying

and we were like, what the shit is going on?

 

1 hour ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

Many a show has met its downfall because the creators fell in love with a character/characters to the detriment of others. 

Yeah, I've given up a few shows due to this. I kept watching a few I shouldn't have in the past but I find it a lot easier to quit shows now.

Edited December 1, 2018 by festivus

[scarynikki12]

6 hours ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

I feel like they have a good balance right now, and am afraid of it becoming all Batman, all the time

Warner Bros is being super strict on Batman as far as tv, and the Arrowverse in general, is concerned.  That's why Gotham has the younger pre-cowl versions of Bruce and his friends/allies/rogues, why Arrow tends to be more Batman-lite than truly Green Arrow, and why the upcoming crossover was granted permission to bring in Batwoman rather than her more famous cousin.  Even Batgirl is off limits since she's scheduled for the movie-verse.  Things can change, of course, and those of us who watch Gotham are hoping that the series ends with David in full Bat regalia but that's how things stand right now.  You're probably safe as far as the actual character is concerned though there's always a chance that they'll get around it by doing more of what they're already doing to get around the WB rules and have an increased focus on the Bat-world.  If Batwoman does get picked up for series then I'd expect it to be centered in Gotham and I think WB would let some of the general Bat Rogues out to play in addition to whatever Batwoman specific plans are already in place. 

[IWantCandy71]

The tragic villain backstory thing. I'm okay with it, because I have to disagree in that I don't think it's necessarily done to make you feel sorry for them. It's done to flesh them out, make them less of a caricature(like so many old school villains can be), and make them more like a real human. Because once you see them as human, you realize they could be you, and vice versa. I love Tracy Quartermaine and I will always think she was one of the best characters GH ever had. If you look at a lot of her life, it was tragic. I was hooked from the word go on her-and yes sometimes I felt sorry for her, because a lot of what happened to her was crap.

But then, she'd take things too far and she was her own worst enemy and I never, ever rooted for her when she was causing trouble. There were many times I hated what she was doing. But I never hated her. Now, maybe she's not a perfect example of "tragic back story" but she's a great example of a character who for 2/3 of her almost forty years off and on the show, was considered a flat out villain(though I never saw her that way-her actions, yes-but her, not so much).

That last 1/3 of her time, though ? She showed tremendous growth, became a true anti heroine, and in her last few years, was really a geniuine heroine(though still with a razor sharp tongue). And those kinds of characters are my favorite. I don't mind a sob story back story if it means the character is interesting(and nine times out of ten, those characters ARE more interesting than the heroes, they just are. Loki will always be more fascinating than Bore, as a for instance). It's far more interesting to watch them scratch their way up, and learn to love and be better, in not just word, but in deed. It's far more fascinating to watch them mess up, fess up, get up, and go on. I can't relate to Hollywood "heroes" because unless they are three dimensional(and so few of them are), they come across as unreal-as fake. Not for me, I don't care for that type of character. No surprises, and therefore, no reason to get invested because you can always predict what they will do.

Edited December 3, 2018 by IWantCandy71

[Mabinogia]

18 hours ago, IWantCandy71 said:

I love Tracy Quartermaine and I will always think she was one of the best characters GH ever had. If you look at a lot of her life, it was tragic. I was hooked from the word go on her-and yes sometimes I felt sorry for her, because a lot of what happened to her was crap.

OMG I loved Tracy. She was probably my favorite GH character of all time. She was terrible, but she was so good at being terrible. 

[IWantCandy71]

On ‎12‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 5:08 PM, Mabinogia said:

OMG I loved Tracy. She was probably my favorite GH character of all time. She was terrible, but she was so good at being terrible. 

Me too ! Forever and always. GH has literally never had another female character like her and never will again. She was awesome and Jane Elliot could give a master class on shaping *that* kind of character. The one you want to hug one minute and punch the next. She was just a joy to watch.

[Rosiejuliemom]

I finally watched The West Wing and I have developed some opinions.

I don't like Josh/Donna. At all. If I had to pair them with anyone, I'd put him with Amy and her with Reese.

For a Sorkin take on the White House, I'll take The American President over TWW any day of the week and for Sorkin TV, I prefer The Newsroom.

Zoey was incredibly annoying.

[Misslindsey]

1 hour ago, Rosiejuliemom said:

I don't like Josh/Donna. At all. If I had to pair them with anyone, I'd put him with Amy and her with Reese.

I love The West Wing a lot. I do not like Josh and Donna as a romantic pairing. I enjoyed Josh, but found Donna annoying. I know she was a stand in for the audience in the earlier seasons, but I could only handle her in small doses. I still find it unbelievable that Donna ended up being the first lady's chief of staff in the last season. I would have liked Josh with Joey Lucas or Amy.

[Neko]

Okay, so...I can do without Mel and Sue on GBBO.  I don't dislike them, but I don't think they're especially lovable, or cute.

Definitely unpopular, lol.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Rosiejuliemom said:

I finally watched The West Wing and I have developed some opinions.

I don't like Josh/Donna. At all. If I had to pair them with anyone, I'd put him with Amy and her with Reese.

For a Sorkin take on the White House, I'll take The American President over TWW any day of the week and for Sorkin TV, I prefer The Newsroom.

Zoey was incredibly annoying.

Oh, bless, to a large extent; I'll put WW over The Newsroom, which I hated, and The American President, which I was just so-so about.  But, otherwise, yes:

- Josh and Donna are a truly horrible combination, perhaps the only fictional pairing where I felt each party is too good for the other/doesn't deserve the other.  They suck as a pair, even on top of the obvious "um, she's his assistant" thing.  On every level.  And while I so vaguely remember Donna and Reese I can't comment on that, I did like Josh and Amy (but regarded Joey Lucas as his only truly root-worthy love interest).

- Zoey sucks.  I hope the critical acclaim means the actor has grown and gone onto better performances as she matured, but I haven't seen them, so Moss is stuck in my mind as Zoey, quite the weak link except for that scene when Bartlet lays out the nightmare scenario (of Zoey being kidnapped) and she finally shows she has some acting ability.  Pair her with Charlie, one of the other glaringly weak links (along with Donna), and I have no warm regard.

[MissAlmond]

There is only one Grinch and he was voiced by Boris Karloff.  

[Browncoat]

1 minute ago, MissAlmond said:

There is only one Grinch and he was voiced by Boris Karloff.  

This. A thousand likes for this.

[Sara2009]

On 12/6/2018 at 9:11 PM, Rosiejuliemom said:

I finally watched The West Wing and I have developed some opinions.

I don't like Josh/Donna. At all. If I had to pair them with anyone, I'd put him with Amy and her with Reese.

For a Sorkin take on the White House, I'll take The American President over TWW any day of the week and for Sorkin TV, I prefer The Newsroom.

Zoey was incredibly annoying.

I thought Josh and Amy were really toxic too tbh. Sorkin didn’t write relationships well.

[MargeGunderson]

1 hour ago, Sara2009 said:

I thought Josh and Amy were really toxic too tbh. Sorkin didn’t write relationships well.

I really, really hated Amy. So very much. I hated her more than Mandy. 

[GaT]

1 hour ago, MargeGunderson said:

I hated her more than Mandy. 

This has bugged me since the 2nd season started, WHAT HAPPENED TO MANDY? Why did Moira Kelly leave the show? I've never been able to find out.

[Sara2009]

2 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

I really, really hated Amy. So very much. I hated her more than Mandy. 

I didn’t hate Amy, but she was written more like Sorkin’s wet dream than a well-developed character.

Mandy I was just sort of meh on.

Edited December 11, 2018 by Sara2009

[andromeda331]

On ‎12‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 3:42 PM, Sara2009 said:

I thought Josh and Amy were really toxic too tbh. Sorkin didn’t write relationships well.

God yes! Although I never watched The West Wing but remember his crappy job of writing relationships on Sports Night. Casey and Dana anyone? Coming up with Dana's stupid plan for Casey to date for six months before they really start dating because he hadn't dated a lot? I mean what? Plus her weird one with Gordon. He was an asshole who treated her like crap and she kept putting up with it.

[BuyMoreAndSave]

On 11/14/2018 at 1:30 PM, theredhead77 said:

On a similar front I don't care if the weather in an episode is exactly perfect for the time of year the episode takes place Sure, something jarring like people wearing shorts and flip flops during an episode that is supposed to take place in January in New York would throw me off (unless the story line is "freak summer hits NYC in January) but otherwise I don't care that there 'should be' snow on the ground, or no leaves on the trees, etc...

Skins and Degrassi were the worst for this. Like, Degrassi takes place in Canada, it's winter for half the year, yet it was never winter on the show. The actual reason why this happened was because the kids filmed during summer break from school to not disrupt their education, so I guess it's kind of justified, but still. Then Skins took place in England and while I've never been to England, my impression of it is that it's cold and raining a large percentage of the year. Yet once again, I don't think it was ever winter or even fall on most of the seasons. They probably did that so the characters could get away with wearing revealing clothes the entire year. Of course Skins was an unrealistic to the point of insulting the audience show in a lot of ways.

[Minneapple]

My favorite Aaron Sorkin work remains Sports Night. I loved that show and every single character in it.

[callie lee 29]

Sorkin always had problem with writing relationships (and writing for the majority of his female characters, TBH).  I was always meh on Josh and Donna, more meh on Josh really. Mandy was just a mess though the actual character was likeable enough. Something about the actress delivery, combined with the below average character development and writing resulted in just overall badness. Amy was just kinda... unpleasant. Another example of Sorkin not understanding women.  Honestly he always seemed like he was working through past issues with his ex's or girls who were mean to him in junior high. 

I probably have the very UO Aaron Sorkin opinion that I loved Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. As much as I give Sorkin crap about a lot of his writing, I do own the entire series of Sports Night, Studio 60 and most of West Wing (not the crappy later seasons). 

[Blergh]

IMUO, it's a testament to Christine Baranskii's acting skills and, yes, charm, that her character of Maryann, despite being a constantly self-pitying drunk who refused to move  past her ex-husband doctor having dumped her, was the only entertaining and vaguely likable character on Cybill. Seriously, if Miss Baranski hadn't been on that show, I seriously doubt it would have lasted a single season. If nothing else, we can thank that show for having given that performer the spotlight to let her talents shine and she's been a steady light on her own ever since. 

Edited December 15, 2018 by Blergh
no dto

[MaryPatShelby]

On 12/12/2018 at 6:43 AM, Minneapple said:

My favorite Aaron Sorkin work remains Sports Night. I loved that show and every single character in it.

Me, too.  Hence, my screen name!

On 12/13/2018 at 8:34 PM, callie lee 29 said:

I probably have the very UO Aaron Sorkin opinion that I loved Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. As much as I give Sorkin crap about a lot of his writing, I do own the entire series of Sports Night, Studio 60 and most of West Wing (not the crappy later seasons). 

I actually own two sets of Sports Night, because my favorite episode (Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee) got scratched on the first set, and I was not having it.  

[Danny Franks]

On ‎11‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 1:38 AM, GaT said:

This has bugged me since the 2nd season started, WHAT HAPPENED TO MANDY? Why did Moira Kelly leave the show? I've never been able to find out.

I don't know that there was ever a definitive explanation. Some have suggested that Moira Kelly wasn't happy, or struggled with Sorkin's writing, and that the character wasn't panning out as originally designed (which was definitely true. She was completely superfluous). There was also the emergence of Donna, and her chemistry with Josh (and I never liked that relationship).

But what is true is that Sorkin lost interest in characters and storylines, and allowed them to disappear. Mandy was the most egregious example, but there was also Mallory and her storyline with Sam, Ainsley, and then the three election gurus in season 3, which included Connie Britton.

I've long felt that they should have locked Emily Procter into a regular deal, before CSI got to her. She added a new perspective, and a different energy to the show, which is what I think Mandy was supposed to do.

 

On ‎12‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 4:33 AM, andromeda331 said:

God yes! Although I never watched The West Wing but remember his crappy job of writing relationships on Sports Night. Casey and Dana anyone? Coming up with Dana's stupid plan for Casey to date for six months before they really start dating because he hadn't dated a lot? I mean what? Plus her weird one with Gordon. He was an asshole who treated her like crap and she kept putting up with it.

This is why I was rooting for Jim and Maggie to get together on The Newsroom. Because I wanted to see Sorkin write a relationship, and hopefully have it be about more than witty, pointed bantering. But it ended up being very similar to the rest of his writing - Lots of spikey dialogue and tension, then it seemed to just go away, then it came back right at the end.

I like a lot about Aaron Sorkin as a writer, but writing romance definitely doesn't seem to be his forte. He puts a sort of 'noble chauvinism' into most of his male characters. They're well meaning, intelligent and very progressive... but they have a tendency to talk down to women. Personally, I don't have too many issues with the way he writes the women themselves, because they usually come across as all the things they're supposed to be, while not acknowledging a lot of the chauvinism they experience from his male characters.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Danny Franks

[callie lee 29]

On 12/15/2018 at 4:23 PM, MaryPatShelby said:

Me, too.  Hence, my screen name!

I actually own two sets of Sports Night, because my favorite episode (Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee) got scratched on the first set, and I was not having it.  

Lol, I own 2 sets as well. The original box set and the anniversary edition with a bunch of extras!

[Rosiejuliemom]

On 12/15/2018 at 3:50 PM, Danny Franks said:

This is why I was rooting for Jim and Maggie to get together on The Newsroom. Because I wanted to see Sorkin write a relationship, and hopefully have it be about more than witty, pointed bantering.

Maybe it's because their relationship was mainly kept in the background, but I think he got it right with Don and Sloan.

[2727]

My favorite Star Trek TV series is Voyager and one of my favorite characters in that universe is Wesley Crusher,

I originally watched TNG when I was living overseas before the Internet and was honestly shocked when I learned years later how hated Wesley is among the general fandom.

[Chaos Theory]

I liked the last season of House of Cards.

while not a work of art....also not nearly as terrible as people are making it out to be.

[proserpina65]

On ‎12‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 3:21 PM, 2727 said:

My favorite Star Trek TV series is Voyager and one of my favorite characters in that universe is Wesley Crusher,

I originally watched TNG when I was living overseas before the Internet and was honestly shocked when I learned years later how hated Wesley is among the general fandom.

I liked Voyager until Seven of Nine consumed the entire show.  (DS9 is my favorite, though.)  But liking Wesley Crusher?   Ooookay.  lol

[SmithW6079]

On 12/1/2018 at 12:32 PM, MadyGirl1987 said:

Many a show has met its downfall because the creators fell in love with a character/characters to the detriment of others. 

 

On 12/1/2018 at 1:55 PM, festivus said:

Yeah, I've given up a few shows due to this. I kept watching a few I shouldn't have in the past but I find it a lot easier to quit shows now.

I fear "Bob's Burgers" is doing this with Teddy. I hate Teddy. He's borderline sociopathic and rage-filled, and I don't find his violent outbursts funny, especially when directed at Bob. I expect that one day, he'll murder Bob and the kids and keep Linda in the basement as a sex slave.

[MissAlmond]

This is not necessarily an Unpopular Opinion, but it is the opinion of a Party Of One, namely Me.   I wish someone would compile a combined movie/TV database that lists everyone in the cast along with photographs of THE ACTOR IN A COSTUME WORN WHILE IN THE MOVIE/TV SHOW with the credits.  Rant over.  Thank you.  

[kiddo82]

SNL Holiday Songs:  Twin Bed > Dick in a Box.

 

This is the hill I die on.

[Moose135]

6 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

SNL Holiday Songs:  Twin Bed > Dick in a Box.

 

This is the hill I die on.

I'm not sure I agree with you, but I think it's close enough that I wouldn't argue it.

[kiddo82]

Haha.  Fair enough.

[MaryPatShelby]

On 12/16/2018 at 3:37 PM, callie lee 29 said:

Lol, I own 2 sets as well. The original box set and the anniversary edition with a bunch of extras!

Well. I know what I"m getting myself for Christmas now.

[Czeri]

I liked the ending of "How I Met Your Mother", both when I originally watched the show, and after my recent re-watch. I thought it tied the whole show up perfectly. Which is all the more impressive considering HIMYM ran for 9 years.

[proserpina65]

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 6:46 PM, Czeri said:

I liked the ending of "How I Met Your Mother", both when I originally watched the show, and after my recent re-watch. I thought it tied the whole show up perfectly. Which is all the more impressive considering HIMYM ran for 9 years.

Man, that really is an unpopular opinion!

[proserpina65]

Because I just saw a reference to this in one of those "shows we're looking forward to" articles:

I did not think Season 7 of Games of Thrones was a mess.  It had some weak moments, yes, and some logic issues, but overall it was pretty damn good.  Not as good as its Seasons 3-4 high points, but still good.  Hell, even Beyond The Wall, while detailing a plotline which is the epitome of those logic issues, was entertaining as hell to watch.

[Chaos Theory]

On 12/24/2018 at 6:46 PM, Czeri said:

I liked the ending of "How I Met Your Mother", both when I originally watched the show, and after my recent re-watch. I thought it tied the whole show up perfectly. Which is all the more impressive considering HIMYM ran for 9 years.

 

On 12/27/2018 at 1:11 PM, proserpina65 said:

Man, that really is an unpopular opinion!

I was rewatching Dexter and except for  that stupid lumberjack Dexter (which still makes no sense)  the final season and finale weren’t as bad as I remembered. It might have been better to have Dexter just disappear leaving no body and a busted up boat.  

[ganesh]

I thought GOT was much much much better when they moved past the books and just wrote the shows on their own.

[Enigma X]

6 minutes ago, ganesh said:

I thought GOT was much much much better when they moved past the books and just wrote the shows on their own.

Me too!

 

I am not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but I don’t like The Good Place. I binge watched the first season and have no desire whatsoever to keep going.