S01.E01: Celebration

[FemmyV]

Off to a good start!

I thought all the performances were solid. This is looking like a great take on King Lear, and more.

Interesting music for Kendall's bathroom fit, and again in the final boardroom scene: very reminiscent of Prokofiev's "Dance of the Knights" from Romeo and Juliet, only without the violins and such.

[Paws]

The NYT review compared the family to the Murdoch’s and to the Bluths from arrested development, but the most obvious comparison to me was to the Trump family. Even the security guard for the family looks exactly like younger Donald Trump and I assumed from the teasers that Kendall was Dt junior and Roman was Eric. They threw in that  extra older brother there though! 

 

So so weird seeing Matthew McFadyen w an American accent and being such a little bitch.

 

All in all this seems like a fun trashy show for the summer. It’s nice to have a show where I don't have to think too much about timelines etc after watching Westworld.

Edited June 4, 2018 by Paws

[Maurina]

Horribly, disgustingly wealthy people being horrible and disgusting.  But the acting is fantastic, and it has that juicy trash factor Paws is talking about, so yeah fine I'll watch it BUT I WON'T LIKE IT (but I probably will).

[meowmommy]

13 hours ago, Paws said:

The NYT review compared the family to the Murdoch’s and to the Bluths from arrested development, but the most obvious comparison to me was to the Trump family. Even the security guard for the family looks exactly like younger Donald Trump and I assumed from the teasers that Kendall was Dt junior and Roman was Eric.

So much this.  Five seconds in, having seen none of the reviews or previews and knowing absolutely nothing at all about this show, I pegged the son as DJT Jr.  Looks like him and has the same smarmy, unearned sense of entitlement.

[tennisgurl]

Its a classic summer "rich people being the worst" story with lots of family and courtroom drama, and I think I can get into this. A lot. Its probably going to be trashy, but the performances are great, the family dynamics look interesting, and the dialogue is good. 

I almost wonder if the show will end with a time jump to the whole company being bought out by the grown up version of the kid from the park, who now has his own media empire started with money he got selling the watch?

[Mumbles]

I will give it another episode or two but the tone threw me off a bit....didn't know if it meant to be a satire or a drama (and maybe the answer is both, which can be done but very carefully). In a way it reminded me of a Lars von Trier film where I was never sure if the director was making fun of the characters, or the audience.

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

almost wonder if the show will end with a time jump to the whole company being bought out by the grown up version of the kid from the park, who now has his own media empire started with money he got selling the watch?

From your lips to the universe's ears. What a hateful thing that whole baseball bet was. 

Edited June 4, 2018 by Mumbles

[Panda Bear]

I thought a prestige HBO drama like this would get a lot of buzz, but no one seems to be recapping it or paying that much attention to it. I thought the premiere was kind of weird tonally and the baseball bet was indeed very hard to watch (I hope that family gets good money for that stupid watch!), but I'd be lying if I said I weren't intrigued enough to check out the next episode. 

[atlantaloves]

I think this is sort of a Ted Turner story thing,  He had the same family crap going on as I recall here in Atlanta. His father owned a sign company back in the day which he took over, and then Ted started a strange cable company in 1970. Oh yeah. It was channel 17 and all they showed were home made music videos. I remember it well. And here we are with CNN today and Turner Classic Movies of course.

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, Mumbles said:

What a hateful thing that whole baseball bet was. 

That bothered me the most. The family members were used to mean digs and an unhealthy competition egged on by either a maniacal father or a narcissistic one. That child (they kept saying it was a boy but the hat and mannerisms made me think girl) would just have been happy to play. There was no need for the son to bring a million dollar bet into the fray of his family’s politics. 

[atlantaloves]

Exactly, that jerk was a total rich pig. ? It will come back to haunt him. 

[Mumbles]

25 minutes ago, atlantaloves said:

Exactly, that jerk was a total rich pig. ? It will come back to haunt him. 

I hope so. I can't imagine the psychological pain that kid would endure, thinking if he just ran a little faster or hit it a little harder, he would have lifted his family from poverty. And there was no way a kid that age would hit a home run, so the Kieran Culkin character knew what he was doing. Plus, nobody there stopped it from happening.

Maybe the scenario will play out later metaphorically against that character. I hope!

[walnutqueen]

Not a bad start for a show that's received so little buzz.  I'm intrigued enough to stay tuned for now; especially when some other shows are winding down for the season.

[atlantaloves]

Oh hell, it is a Drumpt world in America.....I think I am through with this dreck. These people stink through the television set. 

[Kenz]

16 hours ago, atlantaloves said:

Oh hell, it is a Drumpt world in America.....I think I am through with this dreck. These people stink through the television set. 

Agreed, atlantaloves. I was looking forward to this show, but every character was extremely unlikable, except the stepmother. Also the word fuck or fucking was uttered in just about every sentence, and that represents lazy writing to me. I'm no prude, but when you use that word over and over, it's boring and stupidly repetitious.

[Moxie Cat]

On June 4, 2018 at 7:05 PM, Mumbles said:

Plus, nobody there stopped it from happening.

To me, that was the worst part. I thought when Logan got up, that he was going to write a replacement check because he saw how nasty his kid was, but all he did was give them the watch he didn't want anyway. And the other siblings could easily have thrown the game to spite Roman and let the kid win - seriously, even you, Alan Ruck? I liked the show, but had a bad taste in my mouth after that scene when I realized that they're all awful people. And can I stomach a weekly drama with no one to root for?

But the medical twist definitely has me intrigued enough to keep watching. I was thinking, Brian Cox is in all the ads! Are they pulling a Sean Bean here?! Logan is more interesting to me than the kids so far (except maybe Shiv) so I am counting on him recovering!

[Eyes High]

I liked these people a lot better when they were called the Bluths. Or the Lannisters, for that matter. Or, heck, any dysfunctional fictional rich family. 

The dialogue's not particularly sharp, and it really needs to be for these kinds of stories. Script needed way more work than it got. This episode doesn't have anything particularly interesting to say, and it doesn't say whatever it does have to say with any wit, insight, subtlety or charm. Nor does it bring any biting satire. For a story about horrible, callous rich people co-created by Adam McKay--who has openly professed his opinions about people of this sort ruining the world with their avarice and moral turpitude--it feels pretty toothless, apart from the baseball bet.

It's a crime to get actors of Macfadyen's calibre and give them this kind of material.

Edited June 6, 2018 by Eyes High

[scrb]

So the creator worked with Iannucci on his UK shows.

No hint of the cracking dialogue?

[FemmyV]

On 6/4/2018 at 6:05 PM, Mumbles said:

... thinking if he just ran a little faster or hit it a little harder, he would have lifted his family from poverty.

Pretty sure the family got a nice big check, anyway. They were asked to sign an NDA, that usually comes with something to make it go down easier.

[scrb]

Kind of interesting that the kids didn't give the father what he wanted or they were going to try to squeeze him for more concessions when he collapsed.

Seems like they all want to prove their mettle, to show they deserve the wealth they are inheriting, though Conor thinks he's got some great insight about water rights yet otherwise seems to be avoiding conflict with the siblings.

So far the kids pale in comparison to the patriarch.  Kendall and the daughter showed the most.  At first he sounded like a tool rapping and then trying to talk trash.  But it was interesting that he felt the need to clean up the bathroom rather than leave the mess for the help.

The daughter seems to have the least potential to be an asshole but she's also married to that dummy.

Maybe Greg will surprise but he seems dumb too.  How did those little kids kicking him cause projectile vomiting?

Now is Logan wanting to give the wife power because he believes in her or is she a schemer who hasn't shown her colors yet?

[Lily H]

I couldn't watch this longer than 10 minutes. I had read something about it being based on Rupert Murdoch, but all I could think of was Trump, Trump, Trump. I certainly don't need to waste an hour watching these vile, useless people. They all disgust me.

[Mindthinkr]

9 hours ago, FemmyV said:

Pretty sure the family got a nice big check, anyway. They were asked to sign an NDA, that usually comes with something to make it go down easier.

They gave the family the Patek Philippe watch to  “make it go down easier”.  They are Swiss made and known as being one of the worlds most expensive watches. We saw it sitting outside of the box on a table in the family’s living room later in the episode. I’m sure if they took it for pawning or resale the question would come up as to where they came by it. 

[Lemons]

On 6/4/2018 at 6:11 PM, Mindthinkr said:

That bothered me the most. The family members were used to mean digs and an unhealthy competition egged on by either a maniacal father or a narcissistic one. That child (they kept saying it was a boy but the hat and mannerisms made me think girl) would just have been happy to play. There was no need for the son to bring a million dollar bet into the fray of his family’s politics. 

I thought the daughter was going to drop the ball on purpose at one point so the kid could get the home run.  I would have. 

[atlantaloves]

Me too!

[nilyank]

11 hours ago, Lemons said:

I thought the daughter was going to drop the ball on purpose at one point so the kid could get the home run.  I would have. 

But we are nice people than these people. I also think none of like to lose, so as distasteful as they may have found the bet, they still wanted to win.

[meowmommy]

21 hours ago, Lemons said:

I thought the daughter was going to drop the ball on purpose at one point so the kid could get the home run.  I would have. 

Ah, but then it would have been an error, and therefore not a home run.  Kid was screwed either way.

[Lemons]

3 hours ago, meowmommy said:

Ah, but then it would have been an error, and therefore not a home run.  Kid was screwed either way.

I don't know my baseball rules.  I've seen people on the field drop the ball by accident and then try to get and and kick it accidentally, then again, and again.  

13 hours ago, nilyank said:

But we are nice people than these people. I also think none of like to lose, so as distasteful as they may have found the bet, they still wanted to win.

None like to lose, true, but to see their sibling lose?  I bet that's ok.

[walnutqueen]

18 hours ago, meowmommy said:

Kid was screwed either way.

That whole fambly is screwed.

[PRgal]

On 6/11/2018 at 7:57 AM, walnutqueen said:

That whole fambly is screwed.

YES!  And though Kendall has some interesting ideas (streaming/digital?  Aren't we a little late into the game?), I'm not sure the way he carries himself is, well, professional (which might be a reason why his dad is so angry...besides the age thing).  I think he's supposed to be around my age (I'm going on 39 and am only basing it on the actor's age, which is one year older than me), but his maturity level seems more like someone in his mid-20s.

[sas616]

On ‎6‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 1:44 PM, Kenz said:

Agreed, atlantaloves. I was looking forward to this show, but every character was extremely unlikable, except the stepmother. Also the word fuck or fucking was uttered in just about every sentence, and that represents lazy writing to me. I'm no prude, but when you use that word over and over, it's boring and stupidly repetitious.

Amen to that.   Just started watching On Demand.  Not because I heard a peep about it.  It was just there and thought I'd check it out.   I was thoroughly turned off by the language (and I was a big Deadwood fan, mind you).   Could be that the characters are so unlikeable.  Plus, I found the acting to be very stilted.   Very much like actors trying to act.  

[Mothra]

On 6/4/2018 at 6:11 PM, Mindthinkr said:

That bothered me the most. The family members were used to mean digs and an unhealthy competition egged on by either a maniacal father or a narcissistic one. That child (they kept saying it was a boy but the hat and mannerisms made me think girl) would just have been happy to play. There was no need for the son to bring a million dollar bet into the fray of his family’s politics. 

And then to put the rotten cherry on top, to "buy off" the family with Tom's gift!  Oh these people are not just evil and soulless, they're tone-deaf!

I just started watching after reading the review in The New Yorker, which advised that the show started slowly, and that it might be hard to get through the first few eps.  To the contrary.  I was hooked immediately.  I think the references, without one-on-one equivalences, to any number of repellent rich families elevate this show from the ranks of clumsy who-is-that-supposed-to-be efforts.  I love it!

[Milburn Stone]

On 9/14/2018 at 10:05 AM, Mothra said:

I just started watching after reading the review in The New Yorker, which advised that the show started slowly, and that it might be hard to get through the first few eps.  To the contrary.  I was hooked immediately.  I think the references, without one-on-one equivalences, to any number of repellent rich families elevate this show from the ranks of clumsy who-is-that-supposed-to-be efforts.  I love it!

Could not agree more with all parts of this. I just started watching last night. Was instantly hooked. I'm not thinking about the Trumps, the Murdochs, the Bluths, or anybody else when I watch this--except the Roys, great characters all.

[Snewtsie]

21 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Could not agree more with all parts of this. I just started watching last night. Was instantly hooked. I'm not thinking about the Trumps, the Murdochs, the Bluths, or anybody else when I watch this--except the Roys, great characters all.

I'm with you.  I started watching last night after it was recommended by so many people.  I was hooked immediately, fascinated by what I feel is a truthful portrayal of American megawealth, high level corporate dealings, and real estate porn. The acting is so good! I want to root for someone to have redeeming qualities, but I'm not sure I will get my wish. In any event, I'm definitely in for the ride.

[Meedis]

I just started watching this after seeing a mention of it on Firefly Lane.   It's so interesting seeing the family dynamics of the wealthy dysfunctional family.    For some reason whenever the theme song plays, I keep wanting to hum "Shut Up" by Black Eyed Peas.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2023 by Meedis