Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[bmoore4026]

I just saw the MeTV schedule for 2020 and we're still stuck with M.A.S.H, Hogan's Heroes, and Wagon Train. 

All three of those shows can eat a big bag of [penises].

Also, I could care less about Stranger Things.  I know it has a huge fanbase, but my memories of the 80s are drastically different than the ones the show fetishises. 

[BlackberryJam]

UGH. Stranger Things. It isn't so much a show about the 80s as it is an interpretation of the 80s by someone who only knows the 80s by having watched 80s TV. Also Millie Bobbie Brown is probably a lovely person, but her acting is just fair. Looking intense while reaching to the sky is not good work. And they (family? stylist?) dress her like a 30 year old on the red carpet and won't let her be in group photos with the other stars to set her apart and create her brand. FULL ON BARF.

[DoctorAtomic]

I have netflix and I didn't even know it was on netflix.

[Seelouis]

3 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I have netflix and I didn't even know it was on netflix.

It’s not. It’s on Amazon 

[DoctorAtomic]

I have Amazon and didn't even know it was on Amazon. 

I do not care for the Nutcracker. 

[kiddo82]

12 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

UGH. Stranger Things. It isn't so much a show about the 80s as it is an interpretation of the 80s by someone who only knows the 80s by having watched 80s TV. Also Millie Bobbie Brown is probably a lovely person, but her acting is just fair. Looking intense while reaching to the sky is not good work. And they (family? stylist?) dress her like a 30 year old on the red carpet and won't let her be in group photos with the other stars to set her apart and create her brand. FULL ON BARF.

Stranger Things* should be right up my alley but I didn't care for it.  I made it through the first season and it was a chore and I never looked back.

When I initially typed out the words "Stranger Things" I accidentally typed out "Stranger Thongs" and caught the typo.  I was kind of disappointed that I caught it and briefly debated leaving it.   

Here's a UO akin to me not liking Stranger Things, I don't care if a piece of media is a throwback or homage to a time period that gives me the warm and fuzzies.  I've heard people say they like shows like Stranger Things or the Goldbergs strictly for the nostalgia, and that's fine, but that doesn't automatically make something a good show.  Nostalgia may enhance my enjoyment but it doesn't work if it's just lipstick on a pig.  And sometimes it's just a crutch.

Edited December 14, 2019 by kiddo82

[Blergh]

11 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I have Amazon and didn't even know it was on Amazon. 

I do not care for the Nutcracker. 

Thank you! I like the music but I agree that the storyline of a girl dreaming of helping a nutcracker battle a rat early on seems to set the stage for an interesting plot  but almost immediately winds up being rather anticlimactic and pointless 

[Was-MArsenault]

Some unpopular opinions of mine about Home Improvement and Touched By An Angel:

When Marty's twin girls were on the show, I thought that the show started to get bad after that.

The show got worse once Jonathan Taylor Thomas left.

I prefer the original angel trio of Tess, Monica, and Andrew.

[Katy M]

7 minutes ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

Some unpopular opinions of mine about Home Improvement and Touched By An Angel:

When Marty's twin girls were on the show, I thought that the show started to get bad after that.

The show got worse once Jonathan Taylor Thomas left.

I prefer the original angel trio of Tess, Monica, and Andrew.

I agree.  I don't think the twins ruined it per se.  Actually, I thought they were kind of cute, but Claire had a horrid personality. I just think it was getting past its prime, and IMO Randy was the most interesting and best actor of the kids.  

I didn't really ever particularly care for Touched by an Angel. Just watched it because I was living with my parents at the time and my mom liked it.  But, much as I like Valerie Bertenelli in general, I don't think she brought anything to that show.  Might also have been a case of "run its course."

[proserpina65]

I don't think the hot priest on Fleabag was hot at all.

[Wiendish Fitch]

12 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I don't think the hot priest on Fleabag was hot at all.

I haven't watched Fleabag yet, but I agree. I don't find Andrew Scott attractive in the slightest, and all I can see is his embarrassingly squirrelly Moriarty from Sherlock.

Edited December 18, 2019 by Wiendish Fitch

[proserpina65]

1 minute ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I haven't watched Fleabag yet, but I agree. I don't find Andrew Scott attractive in the slightest, and all I can see is his embarrassingly squirrelly Moriarty from Sherlock.

I thought I was the only one who didn't like his Moriarty.  He was very good in Pride, but still not hot.

[scarynikki12]

This is one that I've been sitting on for a long time but I only think of it when I'm away from the computer:

I hate Amy Farrah Fowler from Big Bang Theory.

Let me clarify, I like the Amy who first showed up and was the female version of Sheldon. I thought it was hilarious that she also was convinced that she was the smartest person in the room, that she also believed her field of science was superior to all the others simply because it was the one she chose, that she also couldn't pick up on social cues and was rude as a result, and I especially loved that she also didn't want a romantic relationship with anyone. 

The Amy I hate is the one who stopped being the female Sheldon. She wanted things from her relationship with Sheldon (kissing, sex, general intimacy) that he wasn't able to give her and, instead of recognizing that and looking for a partner who could, she spent literal years begging him to change into something he wasn't. Yes, the show eventually had them start kissing, having sex, and getting married and Sheldon was on board with all of it but I hated that too. Asexual Sheldon was always the best Sheldon. I hate that Amy was rewarded for her years of whining and nagging. I wanted to see her either start dating Stuart, who at one point was interested in her, or Raj, who she always referred to by his full name in a way that I read as romantic. And both men would have been willing to give Amy the kind of relationship Sheldon couldn't so she wouldn't have had to whine and beg.

[Hiyo]

I find Fleabag overall to be very overrated.

[Kel Varnsen]

17 hours ago, Hiyo said:

I find Fleabag overall to be very overrated.

I kind of do too. It is not a bad show in any sense but it seems crazy to me the amount of award and critical attention it gets. Because I can't believe that many people think the writing on Fleabag is better than the writing on The Good Place.

[Mabinogia]

I actually loved Fleabag, but also think it is highly overrated. Then again I think anything that got the kind of hyped up praise it got is pretty much overrated. Nothing can live up to that kind of excessive, almost cult-like praise. 

It was a very well done show though. But I agree on "Hot Priest" being, well, not someone I'd throw out of bed, but not someone I'd make break his vows or anything. He's alright. I've seen better. 

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, Kel Varnsen said:

I kind of do too. It is not a bad show in any sense but it seems crazy to me the amount of award and critical attention it gets. Because I can't believe that many people think the writing on Fleabag is better than the writing on The Good Place.

I hate that Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are considered comedy for award shows.  Fleabag is a great show that did make me laugh a few times, but it is not a comedy like The Good Place, Brooklyn 99 or Schitt's Creek.  The writing, directing, acting and editing are completely different.   To me, the main point of a comedy is that it is designed to find humor in different situations and make the audience laugh.  

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

I kind of do too. It is not a bad show in any sense but it seems crazy to me the amount of award and critical attention it gets. Because I can't believe that many people think the writing on Fleabag is better than the writing on The Good Place.

I can easily see so many people finding the writing better than The Good Place. I love both and love The God Place more but Fleabag is in its entirety 5 hours of television written and filmed over a period of three years; therefore, the seasons and the episodes are tighter and more focused when viewing them in the compressed window that they dropped. Not to mention the first season was basically her one woman show, the material has been gone over and over again. Most people I know binged each season and that makes a different kind of viewing experience. I mean each season is an hour shorter than The Irishman! 

Edited January 7, 2020 by biakbiak

[DrSpaceman73]

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I hate that Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are considered comedy for award shows.  Fleabag is a great show that did make me laugh a few times, but it is not a comedy like The Good Place, Brooklyn 99 or Schitt's Creek.  The writing, directing, acting and editing are completely different.   To me, the main point of a comedy is that it is designed to find humor in different situations and make the audience laugh.  

Thank you!!!!  A million freakin' times, Thank you!!! 

I've been preaching this for years. 

Throw in Atlanta as well.  I like those shows each one of them, I have watched them all, every episode except the latest of Mrs. Maisel.  But if you are putting them in comedy categories, then the question becomes are these the funniest shows on TV, in my opinion.  Do they make you laugh.  And yes, there are funny elements to all these shows, but they are not the funniest show out there. 

It would be like if the Sopranos was on TV now, it could be considered a comedy. 

I realize there is a whole lot of crossover and there are elements of drama and comedy in most shows, but if you are in the comedy category then the main criteria should be if the show makes you laugh.  And those shows do, but not as much as a dozen other shows currently on TV. 

[DrSpaceman73]

On ‎12‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 11:15 AM, bmoore4026 said:

I just saw the MeTV schedule for 2020 and we're still stuck with M.A.S.H, Hogan's Heroes, and Wagon Train. 

All three of those shows can eat a big bag of [penises].

Also, I could care less about Stranger Things.  I know it has a huge fanbase, but my memories of the 80s are drastically different than the ones the show fetishises. 

I've been cursed countless times over the years on various forums for saying MASH is overrated. 

Not that I don't like it, but its not THAT good.  Even ignoring the obvious fact a 3 year war lasted, what, over 11 seasons or so? 

This futurama clip with IHawk pretty well sums up MASH

 

[DearEvette]

3 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I hate that Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are considered comedy for award shows.  Fleabag is a great show that did make me laugh a few times, but it is not a comedy like The Good Place, Brooklyn 99 or Schitt's Creek.  The writing, directing, acting and editing are completely different.   To me, the main point of a comedy is that it is designed to find humor in different situations and make the audience laugh.  

Cosign.  This is so frustrating.  Fleabag is a good show, but it is primarily a character study.  And the family is dynamic is so messed up and hard to watch sometimes and not in a hysterical Arrested Development way. While I liked it, I  don't think I ever cracked a laugh during the show.

[Mabinogia]

Wait! Fleabag is a comedy? That's the least funny comedy I have ever seen. It is, however, an amazing half hour drama. It certainly made me cry more than it made me laugh, and I related to it more than I'd like to, but there is no way in hell it was a comedy. Was it because PWB made funny faces at the camera? Is that what made it a comedy? 

Now, I get that not all comedies are fall off the chair and pee yourself funny, and there are comedies that can now and then make you cry like you just got kicked in the balls before realizing you don't have balls and then just crying because you didn't have balls but STILL managed to get kicked in them, but even those are more funny than sad.

Fleabag was downright depressing, in a good way, I thought it was brilliant, but still the one thing comedies aren't supposed to be is downright depressing. If they are, they failed. 

[JTMacc99]

On 1/6/2020 at 9:12 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

This futurama clip with IHawk pretty well sums up MASH

I don't remember why, but that flipping the switch from Irreverent to Maudlin just went through my head only a couple days ago. Such a funny/accurate bit. 

[Blergh]

Yeah, I always thought it was a bit much that, apart from that Very Special Ep when Radar dissed Hawkeye for getting drunk (after Hawkeye learned Radar had been wounded), M*A*S*H never seemed to raise the issue of doctors having to perform serious operations at a moment's notice but getting plastered on a frequent basis! I'm not belittling how incredibly stressful having to perform these surgeries for many hours in a combat zone had to have been. However, since their medical facility WAS in a combat zone, there's no way the doctors could have known WHEN their revelry would have to instantly end in order to perform surgeries and how many disasters re wounded patients would there have been had they either been still too inebriated and/or hungover to have given the precise attention for every single procedure  needed.  The show kept stressing how brilliant and reliable Hawkeye, BJ, Trapper, Winchester,Blake and Potter all were as surgeons yet I'm not sure I'd have wanted to rely on ANY of them to save my or my loved one's lives- considering that they all seemed to think they could 'handle it' instead of doing their best to stay stone-cold sober knowing that at any moment they'd have to buckle down to save lives! 

[Jack Shaftoe]

I am a huge fantasy fan but I find The Witcher a thoroughly mediocre show. People keep praising Henry Cavill - if you ask me stoic badasses are dime a dozen on TV. Cavill did fine, sure, but you would think he played Hamlet or something judging by some of the reactions. The plot is disjointed and full of holes, the special effects are of wildly varying quality (the dragon was pitiful), the show tries really hard to be dark and edgy but doesn't do a very good job at that and the dialogues are often cringe-worthy ("We are losing!").

[ABay]

@Jack Shaftoe, may I pull up a chair? I couldn't make it through more than 20 minutes of the first Witcher episode.

[GHScorpiosRule]

3 minutes ago, ABay said:

@Jack Shaftoe, may I pull up a chair? I couldn't make it through more than 20 minutes of the first Witcher episode.

Hah! I got you beat-2 minutes for me. And I love Henry Cavill!

[DoctorAtomic]

I'm disappointed to hear that. 

[DearEvette]

My unpopular opinion re: The Witcher, is no  -- it is not the new Game of Thrones. 

No matter how disappointed you may have been with Game of Thrones in the end, or how bad some of the character motivation/storytelling  may have gotten, there is no freaking way The Witcher even approaches the complexity of the storytelling or character development of the Game of Thrones. 

Now, I was entertained by the Witcher and watched it all the way through and even liked some episodes a lot.  But in a mindless Saturday matinee popcorn way.  When you sit back and  think about it in terms of storytelling, character development and motivation, world-building etc.  it has some gaping holes and is just plain old unsatisfactory.  Imo,  it is too simplistic and facile to be credibly compared to GOT.

 

[Enigma X]

I made it though two episodes of The Witcher, and I made it through four episodes of The Mandalorian before I realized that I was trying very hard to like it. I actually liked neither.

[Neurochick]

On 12/12/2019 at 9:51 AM, BlackberryJam said:

The marketing for Fleabag is terrible. It gives absolutely no sense of the natural and human flow of the show.

I'm not sure if I loved or hated Fleabag.  I thought she was a violent, disgusting, awful person and should have ended up in prison.  She was supposed to be 33 and yet acted like she was a hormonal 15 year old.

Edited January 10, 2020 by Neurochick

[Dr.OO7]

I haven't seen a single episode of "This Is Us" and yet I hate it.

[kiddo82]

Better Things belongs in the comedy-that's-not-a-comedy group.  At least Atlanta and Mrs. Maisel have observational or absurdist humor and they do make me laugh more so than a strict drama.  While I get the point that neither is particularly laugh out loud funny I'd still consider them comedies.   Better Things is just a miserable show about miserable people.  It's not even dark or dry or droll.  It's just miserable.

[WritinMan]

11 hours ago, DearEvette said:

My unpopular opinion re: The Witcher, is no  -- it is not the new Game of Thrones. 

 

Good.

[Misslindsey]

My very unpopular opinion is that I do not think baby Yoda is the most adorable thing ever.

[Anduin]

1 hour ago, Misslindsey said:

My very unpopular opinion is that I do not think baby Yoda is the most adorable thing ever.

100%. An interesting plot thing, but the cuteness does nothing for me.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 1/6/2020 at 7:46 PM, biakbiak said:

I can easily see so many people finding the writing better than The Good Place. I love both and love The God Place more but Fleabag is in its entirety 5 hours of television written and filmed over a period of three years; therefore, the seasons and the episodes are tighter and more focused when viewing them in the compressed window that they dropped. Not to mention the first season was basically her one woman show, the material has been gone over and over again. Most people I know binged each season and that makes a different kind of viewing experience. I mean each season is an hour shorter than The Irishman! 

For me comparing the two shows is like watching something like figure skating at the Olympics where you have to consider skill level and degree of difficulty. Fleabag is really well written and parts of it are really funny. But at the same time single lady in a big city trying to figure out her life is hardly an original concept (even if this is kind of an original take on it). The Good Place is at minimum just as well written and makes me laugh way more but at the same time the plot is nothing I have ever really seen before and yet they manage it really well, which should be way harder to pull off. But even still Fleabag seems to get way more awards and attention on critics best of lists.

Edited January 11, 2020 by Kel Varnsen

[DoctorAtomic]

17 hours ago, Camille said:

I haven't seen a single episode of "This Is Us" and yet I hate it.

Based solely on the articles I see on my FB you are entirely justified. 

[shireenbamfatheon]

UO: Cersei in Game of Thrones was never as evil as fans made her out to be, and the Mad Queen moniker (which fans applied to her) never fit her as pretty much all her actions were calculated, however ruthless and cruel. 

[Shannon L.]

2 hours ago, shireenbamfatheon said:

UO: Cersei in Game of Thrones was never as evil as fans made her out to be, and the Mad Queen moniker (which fans applied to her) never fit her as pretty much all her actions were calculated, however ruthless and cruel. 

I think she was evil, but she wasn't "mad" as in crazy.  She was a smart strategist.  She just let her emotions get in the way (understandably, in a way, given what happened to her children) sometimes. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I'd say she was almost as calculating as her father, but Jamie was her tragic flaw.

[Katy M]

On 1/10/2020 at 10:34 PM, Camille said:

I haven't seen a single episode of "This Is Us" and yet I hate it.

I thought the first season was really good.  The second season was OK, but you could tell it was going downhill.  The third season got me so that I was only watching sporadically and I haven't even bothered to check out any synopses from Season 4, because I just don't care. There are certain premises that should only be done for a limited run, and IMO, this is one of them.

[Haleth]

14 hours ago, Katy M said:

I thought the first season was really good.  The second season was OK, but you could tell it was going downhill.  The third season got me so that I was only watching sporadically and I haven't even bothered to check out any synopses from Season 4, because I just don't care. There are certain premises that should only be done for a limited run, and IMO, this is one of them.

I agree.  The first season was fantastic as we learned more and more about the characters.  Now in season 4 there are still some surprises, but it's become a pedestrian family drama.  I keep forgetting it's on.

18 hours ago, shireenbamfatheon said:

UO: Cersei in Game of Thrones was never as evil as fans made her out to be, and the Mad Queen moniker (which fans applied to her) never fit her as pretty much all her actions were calculated, however ruthless and cruel. 

Maybe people were thinking more about how she is portrayed in the books.  Yes, she is crazy as a loon.  Show Cersei was a lot more subtle and cunning.

[DoctorAtomic]

Kudos for the actor or whomever gave that direction. I don't think watching her being crazy would have fit. 

I guess my GOT UO is that I have no desire to read the books. I slogged literally through 20 years of Wheel of Time and the ending was lame af. I'm not giving Martin my money for him to wait till I retire to read the final book. There's no way he can stick the landing now anyway. 

[Danny Franks]

On 1/10/2020 at 4:55 PM, Enigma X said:

I made it though two episodes of The Witcher, and I made it through four episodes of The Mandalorian before I realized that I was trying very hard to like it. I actually liked neither.

I've watched five episodes of The Mandalorian, and while I keep thinking I like it, I have no real interest in watching the rest of them, or in how the season ends. It just feels very, very throwaway. Some of the people who insist it's wonderful seem to be doing it just so they can take swipes at JJ Abrams and anyone else involved in the movies.

[proserpina65]

20 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I'd say she was almost as calculating as her father, but Jamie was her tragic flaw.

I'd say she wanted to be as calculating as her father, but she wasn't anywhere near intelligent enough to pull it off.  She wasn't mad, not like she was in the books, but she was absolutely evil and only marginally competent.

[sistermagpie]

Just now, proserpina65 said:

I'd say she wanted to be as calculating as her father, but she wasn't anywhere near intelligent enough to pull it off.  She wasn't mad, not like she was in the books, but she was absolutely evil and only marginally competent.

I always felt like the main thing with Cersei was that she was smart, sure, but she wasn't half as smart as she thought she was. 

[DoctorAtomic]

That's fair. 

I remember when Tywin challenged her to contribute and she came up with a good plan but he was dismissive because he already thought of it. 

 

While I agree that there's a wealth of stories to tell in the Star Wars universe, if there's no force or sabers, I have zero interest. 

And I'll go so far as to say that Ahsoka is the most interesting character in the entire property. 

[GaT]

2 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I've watched five episodes of The Mandalorian, and while I keep thinking I like it, I have no real interest in watching the rest of them, or in how the season ends. It just feels very, very throwaway. Some of the people who insist it's wonderful seem to be doing it just so they can take swipes at JJ Abrams and anyone else involved in the movies.

My problem is that I actually have no interest in The Mandalorian, but I really want to see baby Yoda, so I'm going to watch it anyway.

[DoctorAtomic]

Allowable.