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5 hours ago, RobinsDuckEgg said:

 

Am currently into the 2nd season of this. Was avoiding it because it looked like a stale idea, but happens to be very good, and has the advantage of having Bryan Cranston in it.

 

They’re killing it off without ending it properly by the looks of things. 

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2 hours ago, jorvik_latic said:

 

They’re killing it off without ending it properly by the looks of things. 

I suppose that would be at the end of the 3rd season? I'm about halfway through the second. Strange , but Amazon do make some strange decisions. I was enjoying "Patriot" so much I even bought the T shirts, and they cut it after only 2 seasons.😠

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On 2/25/2020 at 7:46 AM, RobinsDuckEgg said:

After the third series ( spoiler coming) which lacked sub plots, was one track, boring and only saved by the acting, frankly I was glad it looks like they may have killed him off.

 

 

 

Yeah, I didn't even finish it. Shite. 

 

 

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  • 4 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Queen's Gambit was fantastic. Loved it. 

 

The Boys (S2) was also brilliant recently. As was Watchmen (the HBO one).

 

Just started The Vow (another HBO one, showing on Sky Docs rather than Atlantic) which is already looking great - that's the documentary about the sex cult Alisson Mack (kid actress) is in, which made the news about 2 years ago. 

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4 hours ago, Ackey said:

Queen's Gambit was fantastic. Loved it. 

 

The Boys (S2) was also brilliant recently. As was Watchmen (the HBO one).

 

Just started The Vow (another HBO one, showing on Sky Docs rather than Atlantic) which is already looking great - that's the documentary about the sex cult Alisson Mack (kid actress) is in, which made the news about 2 years ago. 

 

I've read the Dynamite Comics The Boys and whilst the TV show is pretty good so far (I won't give anything away), it holds back on a lot of stuff. I don't think they could screen what goes on in the books. Watchmen was a great series too, half way through I wondered where it was going, but it tied together at the end.

 

Did you get to see DEVS on BBC iPlayer? And what about Simon Stelenhag's art/RPG to screen adap , the absolutely beautiful Tales From The Loop also on Amazon?

 

Way off, but on my radar already - Fallout (yes that Fallout franchise) on Amazon, can't wait for that one to be fucked up.

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On 11/13/2020 at 1:04 PM, Matt said:

I've read the Dynamite Comics The Boys and whilst the TV show is pretty good so far (I won't give anything away), it holds back on a lot of stuff. I don't think they could screen what goes on in the books. Watchmen was a great series too, half way through I wondered where it was going, but it tied together at the end.

 

Did you get to see DEVS on BBC iPlayer? And what about Simon Stelenhag's art/RPG to screen adap , the absolutely beautiful Tales From The Loop also on Amazon?

 

Way off, but on my radar already - Fallout (yes that Fallout franchise) on Amazon, can't wait for that one to be fucked up.

The Boys goes pretty fucking far!! So I'm slightly terrified what was in the Comics, as I've not read them.  I suppose the same is true of Watchmen, which doesn't hold back by TV standards but I know doesn't come close to the Comics.

 

I have all of DEVS sat on my box and haven't got around to it - sounds like I should make the effort on that.

 

Tales From The Loop is indeed absolutely stunning. I didn't entirely get it at first, but I could watch it all day just for how effortlessly beautiful it is.

 

On a completely different tack, we just watched all of The Vow (HBO/Sky Documentaries) in a weekend as that is mesmerising! Highly recommend that one.   

 

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On 11/16/2020 at 12:37 PM, Ackey said:

The Boys goes pretty fucking far!! So I'm slightly terrified what was in the Comics, as I've not read them.

 

 

Godolkin's G-Men, for starters - those storylines will never be fully replicated on screen. Then there's Herogasm(!), and the whole Tek-Knight and Laddio 'thing'.

 

I'll give you a taste because it's already happened in a watered down way - spoilers reveal season 2 story lines.

 

Spoiler

Butcher's wife - Becca - was killed at birth along with nearly everyone in the delivery room due to the baby's uncontrolled laser-eye powers. Butcher slaughtered the baby there and then. Oh yes, and Starlight was raped repeatedly by The Deep, Black Noir and Homelander - at the same time - not just The Deep.

 

The Lamplighter story line was so different and much better in the comics. I can't really tell you about that, something might crop up in later seasons.

 

Stormfront is interesting because his (it's a bloke in the comics) backstory is fleshed out a bit more (the racism is much, much more pronounced and open). He's the leader of Payback team too, Tek Knight, Soldier Boy etc in general get more story - but I guess there's time for that.

 

Spoiler

Maybe the TV Stormfront is still alive...

 

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20 hours ago, Matt said:

Spoilers reveal season 2 story lines.

That's some interesting insight. I'm terrible for reading (other than non-fiction online) and so I doubt I'd ever get to the comics. Thanks for avoiding spoilers that could come in to play for S3 onwards though.

 

Same for me below spoilers...

 

Spoiler

I'm kind of glad they dialled back the more graphic things you describe above to be honest. Not least of all because I sure as shit don't want to watch them!

 

Butcher's storyline made sense, though it was quite route-one typical "man saves woman" shit. I'd not have missed it if it were gone, but it isn't the worse McGuffin in the world. 

 

The Starlight thing I think I prefer the TV version. It's less immediate, less graphic. But it's more real and relatable. It's harder to believe (though I am sure happens a staggering and depressing amount) the idea of what the comic describes.  However, something more subtle is entirely relatable and leads to a story line which is slower burning but far more heinous, around the disbelief and systemic covering up of such things, until a time at which taking action is simply unavoidable or beneficial to the corporation.  I can believe that's happening every single day of the week. 

 

Same with StormFront, where they created an allegory for the institutional racism people face every day of their lives, as opposed to some kind of overt racist. Both are problems, but as we're seeing globally right now it's actually the insidious and hidden forms of bigotry we need to fear. Because then it only takes one figure head for them to feel empowered. 70 million people voted for a literal Hitler-light this month. That's no longer Godwin's law / lazy argument making, it's based squarely in fact and evidence.  Depressing and terrifying. 

 

I can firmly believe she is alive, too. I expect her to come back next season in a big-bad kind of way, appearing mid-season in some form of monstrous form, unhealed but more powerful. Maybe she gets some kind of V-compound overdose to revive her.

 

Anyway, that's enough for now. Happy to keep talking though - I fucking love the depth the show has! 

 

 

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4 hours ago, Ackey said:

That's some interesting insight. I'm terrible for reading (other than non-fiction online) and so I doubt I'd ever get to the comics. Thanks for avoiding spoilers that could come in to play for S3 onwards though.

 

 

TV show spoilers for anybody else who's bothering to read this. Some comic book references too, but not giving anything away.

 

Spoiler

This isn't so much of a spoiler, but I'll cover it up just in case - season 2 episode 1. I liked the way TV Stormfront was introduced, she stood up to Homelander, she came from Portland OR, she was kind of nice, it really wasn't what I was expecting at all. The subtle Reichsadler on her belt buckle was barely noticable - it wasn't obvious, but I guess that's the point - people like Stormfront are your friend until you aren't. I got why they did Stormfront that way. Comic Stormfront was a balls-out Nazi, no mistaking it, Reichsadler on his chest, wrapped in a Nazi flag.

 

Couple of other things...

 

Love Sausage, the character barely seen in season 2 - I think it was in the facility where all the uncontrollable supes were being locked up - well he had a much bigger part in the comics, he was on Butchers side and helped out a lot.

 

Hughie is a Scot in the comics (I guess that might have been a problem for our American friends), and his appearance was based on Simon Pegg.

 

Maeve is a steaming drunk throughout the books - she's just as shallow as the rest of them, however they've tried to make a little bit likeable in the show, especially with the Flight 37. Speaking of which, the whole plane thing went down (pardon the pun) completely differently in the books. It started as a terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, and ended with it crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge killing more people on the ground than there was on the plane. The Chief of Staff stood down the air defences and Voigt told The Seven to attack the plane. All of them. Considering only about three can fly, the others had to carry the non-flying supes to the plane, you can imagine it was a farce. They dropped The Deep on the nose of the plane, Black Noir fell, Lamplighter loses his torch and nearly falls into an engine, Mister Marathon died, and Jack from Jupiter fucked off (you'll notice The Seven are a bit different in the comics).

 

There's this whole subplot throughout the comics that Voigt are looking for world domination, and they need to install a puppet in the Whitehouse to realise this goal. The plane thing was supposed to be a feather in the cap for Voigt, they ended up trying to cover it up.

 

I think I can say this, I don't think it's too revealing because I reckon we'd have seen it already in the TV show, but in the comics all of Butchers team are on V. Frenchie, Hughie, The Female, Mothers Milk, it's the only way they can fight the supes. Which brings the whole Nietzsche abyss thing: be careful you don't become the very evil you're fighting against. I think that still comes across quite well in the TV show.

 

I won't tell you why MM has the name MM...

 

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1 hour ago, Matt said:

TV show spoilers for anybody else who's bothering to read this.

Same...

 

Spoiler

I guess all TV broadens / de-escalates / reduces the graphic nature of comics, really. I loved Deadpool (even 2), but it's clearly nowhere near the extent of the comics.

 

As for The Boys, I'm certainly enjoying hearing about the comic perspective from you - thanks man. I got the impression Voigt would continue down that road of trying to take control of politicians etc. through blackmail and other such shenanigans. I also liked Maeve, but felt like that entire B plot was rushed at times. They'd given so much room to the main crash-bang-wallop that it didn't have room to just be. I'd liked to have seen more of that. 

 

I hope that it remains broad and diverse. I don't want an entire season of Butcher and the kid, trying to protect him and Karate Kid him up!  

 

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3 hours ago, Ackey said:

Same...

 

Believe me, there's nothing I've said that will reveal what will happen if it follows the books - everything I've said has either happened, it's kind of obvious, or been skipped over and shouldn't happen because it would confuse the timeline of the TV show. I've kept key things quiet, I'm dying to tell you but I don't want to spoil it. Hopefully the big story arcs in the comics pan out the same way on TV, they're sooooo good, on the other hand I do think it's missed some opportunities like Lamplighter.
 

Again, some TV show spoilers for anybody else who's bothering to read this. Some comic book references too, but not giving big plots away.

 

Spoiler

The other thing that the TV show doesn't do, and I can't see it happening - in the books there is an old bloke called The Legend, he writes the comic stories for the supes in Victory Comics. The comics were the propaganda stories to enable Voigt to push the Super Hero narrative to the world, when in fact all they were, were a bunch of hedonistic, power crazed, drug addled fuck ups. The Legend knows everything about the supes, throughout the story he helps Butcher and his team by giving him inside information about the Seven and the other super teams. Apparently the character is based on Stan Lee.

 

Popclaw, A-Train's girlfriend, was in the Teenage Kicks team and played a bigger role in the comics. In fact, there are loads of teams in the comics - there is a lot of material for the TV show to use.

 

Translucent never existed in the books. The Seven were Homelander, Black Noir, Mister Marathon (replaced by A-Train), Lamplighter (replaced by Starlight), Jack from Jupiter, The Deep, and Queen Maeve. (The Deep wears a full diving suit).

 

Mesmer wasn't in the books either, although it's revealed in the show he was in Teenage Kicks.

 

Ezekiel? Not in the books. Although Capes for Christ is a thing in both TV and comic, and there is a character called Oh Father, a paedophile supe.

 

Some things that you may have spotted in the TV show - but probably wouldn't have clicked because it's a comic reference so far:

 

Tek Knight, member of Payback has already been mentioned.

Soldier Boy, member of Payback team, has already been mentioned.

Drummer Boy, member of The Young Americans (a conservative Christian supe team), has already been mentioned.

Jack from Jupiter, comic book Seven member, was briefly in Season 2 - one of the later episodes. I think he was on a TV screen, however he is striking a pose that is exactly as it was in the comics.

Love Sausage - Vasily, I've already mentioned.

Comic book Hughie says 'Jings' a lot as a term of surprise, a bit like 'gosh'. TV show Hughie says it once in season two.

There's loads, I've forgotten half of it - I'll have to watch the shows again.

 

I do think Godolkin and the G-Men supe team will make an appearance in the next season. One to watch out for.

 

 

 

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On 11/18/2020 at 6:05 PM, Matt said:

[Just quoting you to trigger the alert to be honest...]

 

 

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The Legend feels like something they could bring in, even modernise. Like it could be someone who wrote the movies - which have obviously been a big part of things. I guess they can save that back for when the story gets really tricky and they need a quick out. I think they've slightly over-played the CIA lady, whose name I forget, in that regard.  She seems to always have just what they need. I don't mind that on occasion - you don't want to derail a story in to a 30 minute trawl for a McGuffin - but sometimes it's a bit much.

 

Not knowing any difference between this Seven and anything in the books, I like this one - it's a decent enough balance. I always got the feeling that Black Noir would somehow prove to be a good guy, like that's such a trope of the silent killer being honourable etc. I like that they didn't fall on that easy out and instead just have him be a company man. Just doing his job type. It's nice when shows don't try and make everyone a 'something' and instead some things can just 'be'. 

 

Capes for Christ is obviously a part I loved, you know me well enough to know that! I'd have happily watched an entire season of them just tearing that entire conceit to shreds!  (Speaking of - you watching His Dark Materials?!) 

 

 

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On 11/13/2020 at 7:42 AM, Matt said:

Finished Queens Gambit. Recommended, really enjoyed it.

 

On 11/13/2020 at 8:51 AM, Ackey said:

Queen's Gambit was fantastic. Loved it. 

As a bit of a lapsed chess geek, I loved The Queen's Gambit.

 

Enjoyed Atypical too.

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6 hours ago, Stevie_J said:

 

As a bit of a lapsed chess geek...

 

 

Me too, me and my Dad started again because of this show. I'm a steady-as-she-goes average 1500 Elo player, so don't ask for a game - I'm not much of a test.

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I'm going to be honest with you @Ackey, I didn't really like Golden Compass - so I really didn't give His Dark Materials a chance.

 

This is the bit where you convince me otherwise, isn't it? If I get a spare hour, I'll give it a go.

 

HBO's Plot Against America is just too much, too harrowing - I don't think I'll last the series. I've got to enjoy it, and I'm not - it's well acted, well directed, looks good, and the topic is relevent, but it's mentally draining.

 

Started The Liberator on 'flix the other day, it's a rotoscoped World War Two thing - Band of Brothers it ain't - but it's not bad, and there are only four episodes.

 

Mandalorian is proper original trilogy Star Wars stuff, loving it. Favreau has done a brilliant job with it.

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@Matt if you didn't like the books I don't imagine the show will hold much weight to be honest. I probably just found the books at the right time in my life, where I was especially angry with religion (now I'm just rationally angry with it). It is basically an allegory for the Catholic Church and its abuses of people, power and faith. I loved the books, and whilst the show doesn't hold up to them how I'd like, it is a million miles away from the movie. 

 

This is a HBO/BBC collaboration, so it doesn't suffer from the white-washing the movies did, the vile priests are vile, the characters are flawed, etc.  So, if you liked the books I think the show's a good adaptation. If you didn't it's probably a slightly meek show. But it's not in any way comparable to the movies. They are different worlds (BOOM!). 

 

I have not even come across The Plot Against America. Possibly because we don't have Sky Atlantic. I will have to keep an eye out for it, sounds great (if hard going, as you say). We usually balance the brutal (watching Trail 4 on Netflix right now) with the cheery (Schitt's Creek is due it's fourth watch and I just found my Phoenix Nights DVD!).  Trail 4 is good, but very much along the same lines as other Netflix documentaries about the US justice system and the systemic failings/unfairness within it. 

 

I'm watching both SW Mandalorian and ST Discovery through gritted teeth. I'm actually starting to enjoy both, despite both S1 and S1/2 respectively being a bit meh for me. I like how both have returned to a monster of the week approach from the broader over-the-top stuff of previous series of that type (including S1/2 of Discovery itself).  We could do another spoiler-ridden talk-through of either of those if you fancy...!

 

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3 hours ago, Ackey said:

I'm watching both SW Mandalorian and ST Discovery through gritted teeth. I'm actually starting to enjoy both, despite both S1 and S1/2 respectively being a bit meh for me. I like how both have returned to a monster of the week approach from the broader over-the-top stuff of previous series of that type (including S1/2 of Discovery itself).  We could do another spoiler-ridden talk-through of either of those if you fancy...!

 

 

The first season of Discovery was ok, the second was trash, the current one is ok again - none of them are really good. As a side note, Picard wasn't very good, the idea was ok - but it dragged.

 

The Mandalorian just feels like the original 1977, run down, space western again. Also, it's starting to fit into post RotJ pre new trilogy quite well - with references to the cartoons too, which is something I skipped through to be honest, however the final season of The Clone Wars was pretty good.

 

Mandalorian S2 spoilers:

 

Spoiler

Bo-Katan Kryze already has made an appearance and Ahsoka Tano is due in the next episode, called 'The Jedi' - which is a bit of a giveaway tbh. Also, who do you think it was at the end of S2 Ep1? Boba Fett or Rex? I guess if you didn't catch a few episodes (you didn't need to watch them all, it's like Emmerdale, jump in a pick it up) of the Clone Wars you might not know who some of these characters are.

 

3 hours ago, Ackey said:

I have not even come across The Plot Against America.

 

It's a hard watch, I've stopped. Tell me how you get on.

 

Have you watched Umbrella Academy?

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@Matt 

 

I agree about Discovery. I want to like it. And S3 is giving me hope. But it's tough going at times. I've always been more of a Trek than Wars guy. I'd seen all of SNG and Voyager before I'd even seen the first three Wars movies. So it's a bias within that makes me want to watch. 

 

I also agree about Picard. The idea/ideals were sound, but again they tried to make it too Wars-y instead of making it what we loved about Picard. I did like that they aged him, and didn't try to make out like he was still some suave swashbuckling Captain. But by the same token, taking the most iconic captain ever and sticking him on some random ship fighting the Federation just felt wrong somehow. I dunno, if they'd just given him a ship that would have been worse still, so maybe it was a decent idea.  Meh. 

 

I've not seen or read enough of the Wars canon to know who / what most of Mando's about. I am just enjoying it superficially I suppose.

 

Yes I've seen both S1 and S2 of Umbrella Academy. Love it! 

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On 11/23/2020 at 1:37 PM, Ackey said:

I've not seen or read enough of the Wars canon to know who / what most of Mando's about. I am just enjoying it superficially I suppose.

 

There is a lot to watch and take in, it strange how things turn around. I remember the Phantom Menace and the other two being - to me anyway - nearly a complete disaster, now they are regarded as somewhat decent. I can't see it personally, but I guess one can't consider the whole without these three, and to a certain extent - the final three. If you need a watch list, give me a shout - I'll try to put them, and the supporting cartoons/films/TV shows, in some sort of coherent order. Don't worry, you'll not have to watch all of the toons.

 

Which reminds me, during the April/May lockdown we watched the MCU films in order up to Endgame - there is probably no way I could do this under normal circumstances.

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