Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[Chaos Theory]

Wincest grew out of the complete lack of anyone to ship two hunks of burning love...so they got shipped together. I think the sheer lunacy of the pairing is why the writers brought in Castiel. It brought in a non blood relative to ship on of the brothers with. Poor Other brother.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[Guest]

Wincest grew out of the complete lack of anyone to ship two hunks of burning love...so they got shipped together. I think the sheer lunacy of the pairing is why the writers brought in Castiel. It brought in a non blood relative to ship on of the brothers with. Poor Other brother.

 

The mostly needed content for the meta episodes.

[Minneapple]

The creepy thing about Wincest is when it bleeds over to the actors.  It happened a couple of weeks ago when one of the actors started an internet campaign with another actor from the show (an actor that is part of Destiel, the other major ship) and some fans reacted badly.  It was one of the most ludicrous things I've ever read and I felt embarrassed for everyone involved.  That storm seems to have passed, thankfully.

Oh hahaha. That happens like every week in Supernatural fandom. It's called Jsquared (for Jensen and Jared) and it's creepy as fuck. There's a group of fans who firmly believe Jensen and Jared are in a secret relationship but that the network/studio/show won't let them come out and so they've gotten married to women and have families to hide their secret gay love. 

 

This is why they say truth is stranger than fiction.

 

I know there's been some accusations about her being racist too. I don't know any details about it though.

 

Mostly just that she didn't have any minorities on her show in the beginning. Like the show was ALL WHITE. I haven't watched in awhile so maybe it's gotten better. 

[amensisterfriend]

With Gilmore Girls getting a reboot, I'll take the opportunity to say that I loved Jess and disliked Luke. I wasn't the only one, but definitely in the minority

 

Thank god I'm not alone! I've gotten to the point where I seriously can't STAND Luke. I think he's a bitter, boring, obnoxious, passive-aggressive, borderline deceitful, scarily temperamental boor with anger management issues and the worst, most infectiously depressing attitude all the freaking time for absolutely no reason. The fact that once or twice a year he'll build or fix something for you doesn't make up for how utterly unpleasant he'd be the other 99% of the time. The only thing I like less than Luke is how all of his egregious character flaws and ridiculous missteps are automatically excused and defended by fans, and usually by blaming someone else ("well, it's Lorelai's fault for LETTING him do that to her..." and "his anger is a sign of passion, and some other character LIKE it when he melts down and freaks out to the point of needing sedation, so why shouldn't he?" and "so Luke drove in a rage to someone's apartment and sucker punched him in the face the second he opened the door? Good! The guy deserved it!")  

 

I'll add to the unpopularity by adding that I think the widely beloved Luke/Lorelai are one of the worst TV couples ever. The actors were embarrassingly devoid of chemistry and looked acutely uncomfortable in each other's presence the whole time they were dating. There are screenshots were you can actually see them wincing when they have to exchange even a chaste kiss on the cheek. The characters have literally nothing in common, and instead of complementing each other's differences and challenging each other, they just seem to irritate and baffle each other constantly. They're miserably unable to connect or get each other throughout the relationship, 'bickering' in the name of chemistry but coming off as just woefully incompatible rather than playful. Everything about their relationship is beyond depressing IM(U)O. 

 

And the most unpopular: Lorelai seemed FAR happier around Christopher, with whom she had far, far more chemistry, natural connection, compatibility, commonality, etc. Christopher is obviously a problematic character and we certainly weren't *supposed* to feel that way, but unfortunately the acting, writing etc. led me in that direction. 

Edited February 24, 2016 by amensisterfriend

[amensisterfriend]

Oh, and I forgot the reason I came: I find Charmed (at least the early seasons) much more rewatchable and entertaining than Buffy. I assume I don't even have to elaborate on the degree to which that's unpopular :) 

[topanga]

Oh, and I forgot the reason I came: I find Charmed (at least the early seasons) much more rewatchable and entertaining than Buffy. I assume I don't even have to elaborate on the degree to which that's unpopular :) 

You're not alone. I actually liked the show better when Shannen Doherty was one of the sisters. Shannen Doherty's co-workers, however, did not. 

 

I liked Buffy the movie but never really got into the show. 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

The only thing I like less than Luke is how all of his egregious character flaws and ridiculous missteps are automatically excused and defended by fans, and usually by blaming someone else ("well, it's Lorelai's fault for LETTING him do that to her..." and "his anger is a sign of passion, and some other character LIKE it when he melts down and freaks out to the point of needing sedation, so why shouldn't he?" and "so Luke drove in a rage to someone's apartment and sucker punched him in the face the second he opened the door? Good! The guy deserved it!")  

 

Replace 'Luke' with 'Angel' (and later 'Spike) and you've pretty much summed up my own bafflement. Something about hundred and fifty year old adolescents must be just damn fascinating. :-)

[ribboninthesky1]

The only thing I like less than Luke is how all of his egregious character flaws and ridiculous missteps are automatically excused and defended by fans, and usually by blaming someone else ("well, it's Lorelai's fault for LETTING him do that to her..." and "his anger is a sign of passion, and some other character LIKE it when he melts down and freaks out to the point of needing sedation, so why shouldn't he?" and "so Luke drove in a rage to someone's apartment and sucker punched him in the face the second he opened the door? Good! The guy deserved it!")

 

 

I've seen this for characters across many shows. I can enjoy a character without being blind to their flaws and mistakes. Hell, I liked Luke, but I never understood why he didn't just leave town if everyone annoyed him so much.  

 

As for Gilmore Girls, I HATED Paris.  Rory got my nerves at times, but Paris was a bully.  The show making them "friends" was bullshit. I wish the Lane and Rory friendship would have been more explored.    

[blueray]

 

As for Gilmore Girls, I HATED Paris.  Rory got my nerves at times, but Paris was a bully.  The show making them "friends" was bullshit. I wish the Lane and Rory friendship would have been more explored

I liked Paris. However, I agree that Lane and Rory's friendship should have been more the focus. They sort of stop being friends halfway through the show. Though I suppose that's realistic.

[SmithW6079]

A lot of the hate Lena gets nowadays has to do with her allegedly molesting her sister when she was younger/later writing/joking about it in her book

When the molester actually admits she molested her sister, that's not allegedly.

[peachmangosteen]

Speaking of Gilmore Girls UOs, I was not a Lorelai fan. In fact, often times I straight-up hated her. And I do not like Lauren Graham or her acting style at all.

[zxy556575]

Speaking of Gilmore Girls UOs, I was not a Lorelai fan. In fact, often times I straight-up hated her. And I do not like Lauren Graham or her acting style at all.

 

I would give this a thousand likes if (1) that were allowed and (2) it wouldn't bust your notifications panel. Looking back, I'm not sure why I even watched as many episodes of the show as I did since Lorelai grated so much. So very taken with herself, she was. I guess I was still somewhat entertained by Rory's arc and did like most of the Stars Hollow secondary characters.

[UYI]

When the molester actually admits she molested her sister, that's not allegedly.

 

I guess I meant more about how some don't think it counts since she was only seven and most likely wouldn't have known better.

 

Of course, there was also the story of how Lena slept/masturbated next to Grace when she (Lena) was 17, which may be worse. 

Edited February 26, 2016 by UYI

[Chaos Theory]

You're not alone. I actually liked the show better when Shannen Doherty was one of the sisters. Shannen Doherty's co-workers, however, did not.

I liked Buffy the movie but never really got into the show.

Heh! No one liked working with SD maybe she should have taken a hint.

Buffy the movie gets a bum rap. It was entertaining in its own way. As for Charmed.....I find the early seasons comparable to the early seasons of Buffy so take that for what it's is. Both at their best had their strengths...and weaknesses.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[mansonlamps]

I guess I meant more about how some don't think it counts since she was only seven and most likely wouldn't have known better.

Of course, there was also the story of how Lena slept/masturbated next to Grace when she (Lena) was 17, which may be worse.

I just find her disgusting, I guess I just don't "get" her or her alleged sharp writing skills. I tried for two seasons to get into Girls, but finally had to admit to myself I hated it.

[applecrisp]

I don't mind voiceovers.  I have been watching Outlander and I liked the voiceovers.  It is a way to hear a person's thoughts without them having to awkwardly slip it into the story.  Especially when the person has no one to confide in.

[amensisterfriend]

I don't mind voiceovers.  I have been watching Outlander and I liked the voiceovers.  It is a way to hear a person's thoughts without them having to awkwardly slip it into the story.  Especially when the person has no one to confide in.

 

I sometimes appreciate voiceovers too, and for the same reason! I think the thing that tends to irk me is outside narration. I always had the highly UO that Ron Howard's constant, intrusive and often wholly unnecessary narration on Arrested Development is one reason I loved that show less than nearly everyone else does :) ("Michael was having breakfast..." Yes, thank you, Ron. We ascertained that on our own!) 

[AimingforYoko]

I don't mind it if it's part of the bit, like Howard in AD or like Jim Dale in Pushing Daisies ("Oh, Hell No"). But when it gets overexpositionary it smothers the action. (See the studio cut of Blade Runner.)

[UYI]

Daniel Stern as adult Kevin narrating The Wonder Years worked for me. 

 

Also: I loved Becky Slater. Just putting that out there in case it's a UO. 

[ByTor]

Speaking of Gilmore Girls UOs, I was not a Lorelai fan. In fact, often times I straight-up hated her. And I do not like Lauren Graham or her acting style at all.

Lauren Graham's acting style was a big reason I quit watching Parenthood. That and her daughter (who IMO looks like a troll) having every man who glanced at her fall in love with her. Not to mention little miss holier than thou Kristina, with that little shit Jack White/Eddie Vedder wannabe kid of hers who she always called "buddy".  Or maybe I just hated Parenthood :)

Edited February 28, 2016 by ByTor

[peachmangosteen]

Lauren Graham's acting style was a big reason I quit watching Parenthood. That and her daughter (who IMO looks like a troll) having every man who glanced at her fall in love with her. Not to mention little miss holier than thou Kristina, with that little shit Jack White/Eddie Vedder wannabe kid of hers who she always called "buddy".  Or maybe I just hated Parenthood :)

 

LMAO! I ended up giving up Parenthood mostly because the Kristina/Peter Krause (I can't even remember his name lol)/Max family was insufferable in a rage blackout inducing way, but I ended up hating almost all the characters by the time I stopped watching. The show fell so far it was amazing.

[mansonlamps]

Parenthood's insistence that the many must always acquiesce to the "needs" (read demands) of the few (Kristina and Max) really turned me off of the show and reminds me of a lot of crap I see going on in schools today.

[ribboninthesky1]

I recently watched Game of Thrones for the first time, specifically season 1. The production design is excellent, but I wasn't at all interested in the storytelling.  I paid attention to the backstabbing and bloviations, but I wasn't engrossed.  The most interesting character was a child - Arya Stark.  And even she's not enough to compel me to watch any more episodes.

[amensisterfriend]

Can I pull up a chair at the 'didn't like Parenthood' table?! It's the kind of family-based dramedy I'd normally love, I really like the movie of the same name, and I even like most of the cast, but I found it such a melodramatic, preachy, obnoxious and weirdly unpleasant mess. It's also an example of why there aren't more successful dramedies---neither the comedic NOR dramatic elements were executed well, IMO, and the awkward tonal shift from one to the other made for some very jarring episodes. I also hated a solid 95%  or so of the characters. I didn't find them compellingly, intriguingly flawed, just irritating. And I agree that Lauren Graham's character was a horror show---it was like the writers were determined to take away all of Lorelai Gilmore's strengths and amp up all of her (admittedly MANY!) flaws, and Sarah Braverman was the rather ghastly result of that experiment :) 

[Brandi Maxxxx]

Lauren Graham's acting style was a big reason I quit watching Parenthood. That and her daughter (who IMO looks like a troll) having every man who glanced at her fall in love with her.

That DUFF? Is she funny or something?

[BabyVegas]

Oh excellent, we're doing Gilmore Girls UOs! I just finished re-watching a bunch of episodes and I'm here to chime in! Agree with all of you that didn't like Luke. People always seem to think it's charming when some dude on TV is snippy and moody and rude but will clearly end up with one of the main characters. It's not charming. In real life, that person is exhausting to be around and you're always on eggshells hoping you won't set them off. My favorite of Lorelai's boyfriends was Max. He seemed genuinely nice, he didn't have the baggage with Lorelai that Christopher had, he was smart, gainfully employed, and Rory generally seemed to like him. Jess had the same problem as Luke, plus an added dose of "oh, I'm so much smarter than everybody else so I'm going to be a shithead to show my disdain." Maybe it's because I find Milo Ventimiglia utterly charmless, maybe it's because I've met one too many people like this in my life, but I was glad when he went far, far away.

 

And I liked Logan. I thought he had good character progression and pushed Rory outside of her comfort zone. I thought the show did a nice job of showing him growing right alongside Rory growing and he seemed like a good match for her, intellectually, but I loved that he wasn't so bookish. It was a good balance. 

 

And my last GG UO, I like Richard and Emily more each time I re-watch. Don't get me wrong, they make their fair share of mistakes. There were a lot of things they messed up on, mostly as a function of being out of touch and thinking that they knew best. A lot of the shenanigans they pulled were things that were acceptable in their world, but not realizing that their world doesn't always translate. I'm thinking of things like donating a building in Rory's name. But they were always there when Lorelai or Rory asked for help. I imagine if Lorelai had been remotely interested in going to Yale they would have found a way to make sure that she could go. Mostly they never seemed like bad people, just people who didn't understand their daughter and Lorelai made very little effort to connect with them without getting pissy about every little thing.

[zxy556575]

I've been eyeing Parenthood lately in my Netflix queue, if only as a break from my recent diet of science fiction. I could never quite hit Play, though, because of my distaste for Lauren Graham. She "acts" the same on talk shows as she did as Lorelai, so I'm inclined to believe that's her real personality. Anyway, thanks for the warning! Maybe I'll just rewatch Everwood.

[blueray]

I used to like Lorelai but now that I'm older and have been rewatching episodes (mainly get ready for the netflix season).  I forgot how annoying she is. Seriously, she can't be quiet for more then a few seconds and seems incapable of having intelligent conversation unless she is yelling.  I've only seen a few episodes of parenthood, and she does I think play the same character. I didn't get into the show so I can't say if it's good or not.

[amensisterfriend]

Oh excellent, we're doing Gilmore Girls UOs! I just finished re-watching a bunch of episodes and I'm here to chime in! Agree with all of you that didn't like Luke. People always seem to think it's charming when some dude on TV is snippy and moody and rude but will clearly end up with one of the main characters. It's not charming. In real life, that person is exhausting to be around and you're always on eggshells hoping you won't set them off

 

Exactly! But with Luke the anger and relentless bitterness over everything and nothing is not just acceptable, but somehow depicted as a virtue because...reasons. :) For a show that's ostensibly feminist, GG had some uncomfortably outdated ideas about gender and relationships. (Anger and extreme moodiness is sexy! Jealousy and temper tantrums means he's passionate about you and shouldn't be viewed as any sort of red flag! There aren't many genuinely nice, well-adjusted guys out there, and when they do pop up, they're not good enough for the Gilmore Girls because who wants a healthy, happy relationship with people you can communicate well with, get along with and have stuff in common with?!)

 

The thing about the very popular but for me dreadful Lorelai and Luke pairing is that they just seem to exacerbate each other's flaws...and they both already have MORE than enough as it is :) 

 

And I liked Logan.

 

I have mixed feelings about Logan, but I did appreciate that at least one GG male wasn't constantly angry, miserable, sulky, angry and pointlessly rude. Heaven forbid most of the allegedly desirable guys on that show are occasionally pleasant human beings or derive any joy from life! ;)

 

And I do hold the supremely UO that Rory and Logan were a much more compatible, connected, etc. couple than Lorelai and Luke. 

[Amello]

Lauren Graham is one my favourites, as is Peter Krause. The cast is what got me to watch Parenthood in the first place. I really enjoyed the first few seasons, and watched every episode to the bitter end. However, Joel and Julia were my favourite partnership on the show, and after that exemplary scene of Joel promising Julia he would never cheat on her, the fact that they went down the horrible route they did with that divorce mess was infuriating.

 

I agree that Peter and Kristina were too focused on. Everyone season someone would eventually cross them, and they were usually in the wrong. But more annoying than that, was the obsession with making Ray Ramano happen. Sarah, if she ended up with anyone, should have stayed with the doctor, Carl something. They had the most chemistry, but alas, Jason Katims couldn't get over his fixation for an actor, which demeaned his product substantially.

[Julia]

That's why my favorite family drama will always be Six Feet Under. That show is a more honest depiction of family life IMO.

I thought Keith and David were one of the most realistic marriages on TV.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

I am not a fan of these family shows where they put in as many characters into a family as possible to get as many name actors as possible and to deal with as many issues as possible.

 

"You def. won't like "Life in Pieces".  What are there, like 20 main characters?

[mansonlamps]

"You def. won't like "Life in Pieces".  What are there, like 20 main characters?

Right? In a 22 minute show. I love it anyway. Such a great cast to split the 22 minutes among.

[peachmangosteen]

And I liked Logan.

I mostly liked Logan, too. I just hated his relationship with Rory. But I'll admit that might just be Rory/Jess bias. I am thinking about rewatching GG before the revival and I'm going to try to go in more open-minded with regards to Logan and Logan/Rory.

 

And my last GG UO, I like Richard and Emily more each time I re-watch.

Is this an UO? In any case, I'm right there with you. The only thing with regards to Lorelai that really interested me was her relationship with Emily. Honestly Emily was probably my favorite character.

Edited February 28, 2016 by peachmangosteen

[tennisgurl]

My current unpopular opinion (at least among critics) is that Fuller House really is not that bad of a show. I mean, its not great comedy, or great writing or anything, but its cute and light and is just a fun little nostalgia trip. Hell, its not even really good, but I find it to be enjoyable, for a 13 episode romp. I just do not get why critics seem to HATE it so much. And I am usually a fan of the clever, usually cynical comedies that critics love!  But people are acting like its personally offended them by its mere existence. I know people tend to exaggerate to be funny or entertaining, but its bizarre to me how many people are referring to it as "evil" or "the worst show ever", when I can name at least 5 shows that are far worse to watch. I would take Fuller House over 2 and a Half Men any day.

 

My GG UO? I hated high school Jess. Thought he was annoying, mean, ungrateful, and SO pretentious. Oh, you read books! Arent you freaking special and deep? Arent you just SO above it all? Could not stand the guy, and hated him as a love interest for Rory. However, I did like him when he came back later.  

[Misslindsey]

 

My current unpopular opinion (at least among critics) is that Fuller House really is not that bad of a show. I mean, its not great comedy, or great writing or anything, but its cute and light and is just a fun little nostalgia trip. Hell, its not even really good, but I find it to be enjoyable, for a 13 episode romp. I just do not get why critics seem to HATE it so much. And I am usually a fan of the clever, usually cynical comedies that critics love!  But people are acting like its personally offended them by its mere existence. I know people tend to exaggerate to be funny or entertaining, but its bizarre to me how many people are referring to it as "evil" or "the worst show ever", when I can name at least 5 shows that are far worse to watch. I would take Fuller House over 2 and a Half Men any day.

I agree. Do the critics not remember that original recipe Full House was not that great either? It is a cheesy, light, fluffy show that I do not have to overthink or anything. I like critically acclaimed shows, but I like fluff too.

[galax-arena]

Maybe the critics are all just bitter because they secretly would have preferred a Step by Step reboot. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

Maybe the critics are all just bitter because they secretly would have preferred a Step by Step reboot. 

Dammit, galax-arena, don't give them ideas!

[Chaos Theory]

I agree. Do the critics not remember that original recipe Full House was not that great either? It is a cheesy, light, fluffy show that I do not have to overthink or anything. I like critically acclaimed shows, but I like fluff too.

I guess light and fluffy isn't the rage especially when eggy critical darlings like Master of None (which I just didn't get) and is unpopular opinion is highly overrated. But then I am usually not a comedy person so take my or rated with a grain of salt.

[SmithW6079]

I guess I meant more about how some don't think it counts since she was only seven and most likely wouldn't have known better.

Of course, there was also the story of how Lena slept/masturbated next to Grace when she (Lena) was 17, which may be worse.

The thing is, if it had been a 7-year-old boy, some people (feminists) would have been screeching that he was a predatory pedophile in the making.

But Lena Dunham gets a pass because she's a woman and toes the feminist party line.

[galax-arena]

a) A lot of people calling Lena out were also feminists. I also don't see any evidence that people would have gone in harder on a 7-year-old boy than a girl. Eveyone's familiar with the concept of playing doctor. And Lena is hardly the patron saint of feminists. #fffffeminists, maybe. 

 

c) Because male-on-female abuse (generally speaking) is always taken so seriously instead of dismissed as "boys being boys"? 

 

I always thought the most off thing about that whole controversy was how blithe she was about it decades later. Like even if you're going to give her a pass because she was so young, the fact that she decided to write it up in her book as this merry quirky anecdote was gross and incredibly tone-deaf. I don't recall if someone upthread already mentioned this part, but when she describes bribing/manipulating Grace into touching her, she literally compares herself to a sexual predator. The fuck, Lena??

Edited February 29, 2016 by galax-arena

[Cobalt Stargazer]

The thing is, if it had been a 7-year-old boy, some people (feminists) would have been screeching that he was a predatory pedophile in the making.

But Lena Dunham gets a pass because she's a woman and toes the feminist party line.

 

 

a) A lot of people calling Lena out were also feminists. I also don't see any evidence that people would have gone in harder on a 7-year-old boy than a girl. Eveyone's familiar with the concept of playing doctor. And Lena is hardly the patron saint of feminists. #fffffeminists, maybe. 

 

c) Because male-on-female abuse (generally speaking) is always taken so seriously instead of dismissed as "boys being boys"? 

 

Not about Lena Dunham, but related:

 

 

 

I love and adore Rachel Bloom beyond the telling of it, but would that really fly if you flipped the script? Is it funny? Sure, it's hilarious. But consider if a man had been singing "You Can Touch My Penis" under the same circumstances.

[andromeda331]

I agree about Parenthood, I watched from the beginning because I liked most of the actors. But ended up hating

every character on the show. The top ones being Kristina, Max and Adam. I finally bailed when Kristina got the

idea to open the school. I wish I had bailed long before then.

[MaryPatShelby]

I agree about Parenthood, I watched from the beginning because I liked most of the actors. But ended up hating

every character on the show. The top ones being Kristina, Max and Adam. I finally bailed when Kristina got the

idea to open the school. I wish I had bailed long before then.

Geez, then you missed the part where Kristina tearfully tells Max he's "brave" for being a stalker.  It was horrendous; you are lucky.

[UYI]

Maybe the critics are all just bitter because they secretly would have preferred a Step by Step reboot. 

 

I'd be totally okay with this tbh. 

[Raja]

Agent Carter, the tone was all off this season by trying to tell a story of race relations in 1947 with selected lines of dialog, maybe once everyother episode, aimed at one character when no other person of color had any problem and every visual of the happy extras in positions of power like being Federal Agents, shown could have been from a 2016 episode of Criminal Minds with some old clothes and cars in the mix

Edited March 2, 2016 by Raja

[gator12]

The grey's board is full on April hate and acting like Jackson is a saint. I don't see it that way and April is a better character than Jackson 

Edited March 2, 2016 by gator12

[Constantinople]

When Neil Degrasse Tyson's Cosmos was aired, many commentators criticized the historical reenactments in Carl Sagan's Cosmos.

 

I liked them

Edited March 3, 2016 by Constantinople

[Winter Rose]

I don't mind if TV adaptations stray from their original source material, provided whatever creative choices they do make are done well. Similarly, I don't think because a certain character/couple/event exists in such a way in the original story that that's enough to justify its existence in the new show. Writers still have to develop their stories, whether it's an original work or an adaptation.

[ganesh]

I'm curious as to how "Jon Stewart would have done so much more of a better job with the election" than Trevor Noah. In what way? Because I'm not seeing much in the way of explanation or deconstruction of TDS beyond it's just !=Jon Stewart.