sinkwriter November 17, 2015 Share November 17, 2015 Toby is my guy, always, and both Bruno and Abby are funny and fantastic in that Thanksgiving West Wing episode, and the Butterball hotline is hilarious, so I do love the episode for the humor. Link to comment
sinkwriter November 17, 2015 Share November 17, 2015 I would love to hear you all have a discussion about that post-9/11 Sorkin West Wing episode sometime. I think your perspective on it would be really interesting (and potentially funny in its scathing-ness, LOL). Link to comment
angstinmypants November 17, 2015 Share November 17, 2015 Since the concept of the Nonac was introduced on EHG mark 1 I have been waiting for "Isaac and Ishmael" to be inducted. It seems to me the epitome of the "terrible episode of a great show" idea. Link to comment
ApathyMonger November 17, 2015 Share November 17, 2015 Since the concept of the Nonac was introduced on EHG mark 1 I have been waiting for "Isaac and Ishmael" to be inducted. It seems to me the epitome of the "terrible episode of a great show" idea. "Isaac and Ishmael" is the nadir of the Sorkin-era episodes, but if there's a West Wing contender for the Nonac, I'd go for S5's "Access," the mockumentary episode. Link to comment
angstinmypants November 17, 2015 Share November 17, 2015 That one is so terrible and I do always skip it when I rewatch (that one and The Long Goodbye, about Cj's dad's Alzheimer's, are the only ones I always skip) but I feel like it's sort of harmlessly bad, compared to the offensive bungled mess that is I&I. Link to comment
John Potts November 17, 2015 Share November 17, 2015 Personally I'd rank Access and Posse Commitatus below Isaac & Ishmael. I&I was an immediate response to 9/11, written in a day or two and comes across like a 45 minute PSA. Access and Posse Commitatus were PLANNED to be the way they were, which is why I'd put them lower. (OTOH, Posse Commitatus led me to TWoP, which in turn brought me here, so clouds, silver linings & all that). Link to comment
LAFR November 18, 2015 Share November 18, 2015 I'm just impressed someone got an episode of the West Wing into the cannon since for every Butterball hotline there are Indians in the lobby and the Bishop of Rome. It's hard to find an episode with enough good to balance out the overwrought portions. I thought the Isaac and Ishmael episode would be in the Nonac first. Link to comment
David T. Cole November 18, 2015 Author Share November 18, 2015 I would love to hear you all have a discussion about that post-9/11 Sorkin West Wing episode sometime. I think your perspective on it would be really interesting (and potentially funny in its scathing-ness, LOL). I'd like to know what Joe thinks the worst episode is. I&I is the worst I've seen since, as I mentioned, I pretty much bailed after that one. Link to comment
Primetimer November 18, 2015 Share November 18, 2015 Finding new locations...for horror! Read the story Link to comment
Misanthrope November 18, 2015 Share November 18, 2015 My suggestion: Up his own ass, because his head is pretty far up there already. Link to comment
Monty November 18, 2015 Share November 18, 2015 My suggestion: Up his own ass, because his head is pretty far up there already. "American Horror Story: Colon" Link to comment
Side Item November 18, 2015 Share November 18, 2015 For a while the Hotel ads were super focused on Lady Gaga, and would alternate between American Horror Story: Hotel and American Horror Story: Lady Gaga. I admit, I kind of want to see American Horror Story: Lady Gaga. Link to comment
April Bloodgate November 18, 2015 Share November 18, 2015 Thanks for highlighting PR Junior. I wasn't going to watch it, but after your discussion, I decided to give it a go. It's good! Link to comment
SnideAsides November 18, 2015 Share November 18, 2015 Surely the West Wing Nonac episode has to be the Lemon Lyman one, just out of principle. I kind of would like to see a skirt made out of dildos on the grown-up version now. It'd be the best interpretation of "avant-garde" (avant-hard?) ever. Link to comment
SnideAsides November 19, 2015 Share November 19, 2015 Lady Gaga's Elbow is our new Supreme. Link to comment
Snookums November 19, 2015 Share November 19, 2015 An Old West ghost town. They could toggle between present day awful people and Old West awful people. Link to comment
David T. Cole November 19, 2015 Author Share November 19, 2015 Oh man, I'd watch that until I remembered they still don't know how to tell a story. Link to comment
Primetimer November 19, 2015 Share November 19, 2015 Giving descriptive theme songs to shows that really need them. Read the story Link to comment
Certainly Ken November 19, 2015 Share November 19, 2015 Still holding an admiring grudge/grudging admiration against "Butterball Hotline" for knocking my King of the Mountain "Batman: The Animated Series" entry out after only three days, but what can you do? That scene is pure gold, and much as Sheen carries the dialogue, Schiff is the one carrying ALL the water. He's just magical in it. Link to comment
John Potts November 19, 2015 Share November 19, 2015 (edited) (To the tune of the Flintstones) Firstly,There's a plane crash,And a lot of strangers must survive:Landing,On an island,With the Others they must learn to strive. What are,Those six numbers all about?Is it,Possible to figure out? When you're,Lost among them, Have a "White or Black?" time, A "Locke or Jack?" timeIt's Faith or Science you see! (WAL-TER!) ETA: Version 3, because I'd forgotten how the theme song actually ended! Edited November 21, 2015 by John Potts Link to comment
Portia November 19, 2015 Share November 19, 2015 (edited) I've never seen The West Wing, but as soon as I heard the title "The Indian in the Lobby," I assumed it was a nod to "The Indian in the Cupboard." Edited November 19, 2015 by Portia Link to comment
Slovenly Muse November 20, 2015 Share November 20, 2015 That Quantico song is genius and ALMOST makes me want to watch the show! Link to comment
Primetimer November 20, 2015 Share November 20, 2015 Exploring TV characters' family trees. Read the story Link to comment
Tara Ariano November 20, 2015 Share November 20, 2015 What is the song from Dave's one? It's from the old Playstation game "Parappa The Rapper." Link to comment
David Thomas November 20, 2015 Share November 20, 2015 Hey I've been thinking: it might make Game Time slightly easier on Dave if you just use the same rotation every week--say, Tara-Joe-Sarah-Guest. You could still let PICCI randomize who starts, but if you then proceed from there into the standard rotation it'll soon become second nature and you won't have to think about who's up next. (That particular rotation also groups people by location and nicely alternates Girl-Boy-Girl-Boy when the guest is a boy. I've thought about this too much.) Link to comment
Aethera November 20, 2015 Share November 20, 2015 When I saw Martin Sheen give a talk, he said the Butterball Hotline was his favorite scene on the series. I personally love that Abbey scene just as much - every time Stockard Channing was on, she made that show better - she and Sheen were so great together. If I ever get around to doing a Nonac, I was absolutely planning on Access, but that would mean I need to watch it again. I think it definitely belongs in there, especially coming after one of the few watchable Season 5 eps, The Surpremes. It's awful. I'd rather watch I&I 40 times than watcb that. The other one I absolutely hate is An Khe. I used to run through the entire show every time I watched, but now I skip almost all of Season 5. Joe Reid, please come over to TWW forum and tell me what your top eps are. I posted a roughly-ranked favorites list over there a while ago, in one of the threads. So hard to pick an actual favorite! Link to comment
Eeksquire November 20, 2015 Share November 20, 2015 Listening on the way home tonight, I was (momentarily) ready to come here and mount an impassioned defense of the Nutmeg State until Sarah mentioned sitting in traffic. I've got to give you that one. Link to comment
David T. Cole November 21, 2015 Author Share November 21, 2015 Hey I've been thinking: it might make Game Time slightly easier on Dave if you just use the same rotation every week--say, Tara-Joe-Sarah-Guest. You could still let PICCI randomize who starts, but if you then proceed from there into the standard rotation it'll soon become second nature and you won't have to think about who's up next. (That particular rotation also groups people by location and nicely alternates Girl-Boy-Girl-Boy when the guest is a boy. I've thought about this too much.) Making things easy for myself is not in my stupid nature. Link to comment
SnideAsides November 23, 2015 Share November 23, 2015 This topic totally gave me warm fuzzy flashbacks to that season of TAR where the TWoP recaps included lyrics to the opening credits. Thank you. Link to comment
Primetimer November 23, 2015 Share November 23, 2015 TV shows that need Hail Mary passes. Read the story Link to comment
Aethera November 23, 2015 Share November 23, 2015 This is one of my favorite minis ever. Sarah, you made me laugh so hard at work, I got stares. That was incredibly amazing. Please, please write the rest of that! Link to comment
FormerMod-a1 November 23, 2015 Share November 23, 2015 This was the best! I especially loved the Quantico and SVU themes, but they were all good. Link to comment
formerlyfreedom November 23, 2015 Share November 23, 2015 Okay, they were all great, but the Quantico theme had me giggling pretty hard, thanks, Joe, and thankfully, I was exiting the highway just as Sarah started the L&O: SVU one, because that would have been a hard accident to explain, and this way, I just lurched into the lane while crying tears of laughter.... Link to comment
Actionmage November 23, 2015 Share November 23, 2015 From Extant comes a story about Mali Woods, a "cousin" of Ethan Woods. She and her programmers, after hearing and seeing the insanity Molly was kicking up, quietly go underground and live in the 'burbs of Houston. She and her pet armadillo meet friends and try to help out neighbors and other school kids. Molly's programmers, a divorced couple, negotiate living under the radar and trying to keep Mali's Humanichs-ness quiet with working in the field in which they are also trying to be low-key. Maybe Ethan can run away to come stay. Leslie Jones reoccurs as Lenore Keystone, a.k.a. Lenoir Rock ,a performance artist, and neighbor. Mali Woods: Leah Jeffries (Lola, Empire) Denali "Denni" Flint: Irene Bedard Perry Steele: D.B. Woodside Link to comment
Actionmage November 23, 2015 Share November 23, 2015 (edited) American Horror Story: Retirement Village It explores not only aging in the US, and the billions of dollars spent in denial and then shunting folks off, but also how the Stepfordesque "villages" are advertised as sprawling acreage away from everything. So aging, isolation, seeming powerlessness, and reminding folks that old folks are not to be trifled with in general. Nasty people get out-nastied by the more experienced and long-adapted residents could be wonderfully satisfying. Kathy Bates would have to be brought on in some capacity so we can get her to tell someone " 'Night, Mother." Cast to come... PS: I'd also watch Western time-toggling! Edited November 23, 2015 by Actionmage Link to comment
Primetimer November 24, 2015 Share November 24, 2015 John Ramos and Nick Rheinwald-Jones (no relation) get punchy talking comic-book charisma, and co-pitching a Canon! Read the story Link to comment
gpgurl50 November 25, 2015 Share November 25, 2015 Great podcast! I listened to it while unpacking Christmas decorations. I really liked Jessica Jones but agree with Sarah that maybe it went on too long. I think it might be because they were kind of noticeably setting up things for down the line. Great raisins ad and game time. So many great fictional book titles. Really loved the canon submission. Well deserved. Though I am surprised it got in as it is, one in a series of recurring plots. I suppose that makes it typical of the show but also a great episode of the series. Link to comment
Dave in Chicago November 25, 2015 Share November 25, 2015 I'm enjoying "Jessica Jones" so far, but I agree with Alan Sepinwall's article today about recent TV relying too much on serialization. I was hoping for "JJ" to have individual cases each episode in addition to the overall plot, like "Veronica Mars". But instead it was so fixated on the A story that some episodes went by with only incremental progress or incident. Link to comment
ApathyMonger November 25, 2015 Share November 25, 2015 That game time was tough. I did get the one from The Affair, but only because this week's episode had a load of shots of the cover/poster for the book. I enjoyed Together too. Not great, but I liked it, and Alex MacQueen, who played the lead's father, is always welcome. Link to comment
YoSaffBridge November 25, 2015 Share November 25, 2015 Tara, any chance you'd link the gif from The Leftovers here? Link to comment
Tara Ariano November 25, 2015 Share November 25, 2015 Tara, any chance you'd link the gif from The Leftovers here? I would but I don't see a way to do it without uploading it to the internet someplace else. If anyone knows, lmk. Link to comment
John Potts November 25, 2015 Share November 25, 2015 Like Dave I went "The Simpsons!" in response to "To Serve Man" and thought Tara was harsh in not allowing it (since even though I knew it referred to a Twilight Zone episode, it WAS on The Simpsons) until I realised that although the episode is entitled "To Serve Man" (well, the segment of Treehouse of Horror it was on) the book there is actually entitled "How to cook for Forty Humans", with a series of partial reveals that keep flipping the meaning. Pretty tricksy there, Tara! Link to comment
ApathyMonger November 25, 2015 Share November 25, 2015 On who Wil Traval reminds me of, he totally looks like a beefier Scott Aukerman to me. Link to comment
David T. Cole November 25, 2015 Author Share November 25, 2015 Like Dave I went "The Simpsons!" in response to "To Serve Man". That wasn't me, I'm the jerk who stepped in with the correct answer. I'm enjoying "Jessica Jones" so far, but I agree with Alan Sepinwall's article today about recent TV relying too much on serialization. Jessica Jones? Sure, like I said the Alias stories PI cases were fun and could have been in a 13-episode season. TV in general? No way. I'm old enough to remember when everything on TV was procedural and it suck-dilly-ucked. Link to comment
MuuMuuChainsmoker November 26, 2015 Share November 26, 2015 First he advanced a pro-raisin agenda, then he shrugged at Tennant's Kilgrave. I hope Tara is taking the Thankgiving hiatus to get poor Dave the help he clearly needs. Link to comment
profreader November 26, 2015 Share November 26, 2015 Great episode -- also loved the Game Time. Link to comment
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