The Omnibox: all things television

Lighthouse

The Dark Knight
Gold Subscriber
Hall of Fame
If you can find this 3 season series ----- The Musketeers, it was the best musketeers shows I've seen.
30 shows in all from 2014-2016.


the-musketeers-saison-2.jpg


Aramis, D’Artagnan, Porthos, Athos

I watched a few episodes.
 

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
I'm checking out Luke Cage.
I've watched most of it over the last few nights.

A few ruminations...

The lead has the right look for the role, but doesn't get much range. Not sure if it's by design or if that's about what he can do.

Laughed out loud at the homage to the old comic when he stole clothes from a line and his remark upon seeing his reflection with the headband transformed into something less cosmetic in funtion.

Violent, but not all that graphic, which is a relief.

Sexualized, but far less than most of what you see on television, which was surprising and welcome.

All in all, solid acting, good, complex villains and a story arc that isn't revolutionary, but allows for growth and conflict. Banshee has already mined most of it, but given the fun factor, the appropriate use of brilliant touches of special effects, mostly overshadowed by the storylines, I'm pleasantly impressed.
 

Lighthouse

The Dark Knight
Gold Subscriber
Hall of Fame
I've watched most of it over the last few nights.

A few ruminations...

The lead has the right look for the role, but doesn't get much range. Not sure if it's by design or if that's about what he can do.

Laughed out loud at the homage to the old comic when he stole clothes from a line and his remark upon seeing his reflection with the headband transformed into something less cosmetic in funtion.

Violent, but not all that graphic, which is a relief.

Sexualized, but far less than most of what you see on television, which was surprising and welcome.

All in all, solid acting, good, complex villains and a story arc that isn't revolutionary, but allows for growth and conflict. Banshee has already mined most of it, but given the fun factor, the appropriate use of brilliant touches of special effects, mostly overshadowed by the storylines, I'm pleasantly impressed.

I think it was by design. I finished the season and enjoyed it very much.

I wasn't fond of the subtle nods to Malcolm X as a hero, seeing as the man was a violent racist.
 

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
I think it was by design.
You're probably right. Cage is a lot like his skin, as played.

I finished the season and enjoyed it very much.
Good. I'm going to be finishing up over the next couple.

I wasn't fond of the subtle nods to Malcolm X as a hero, seeing as the man was a violent racist.
X changed after his trip to Mecca. So it depends on which Malcom is being raised. His letter from Mecca begins to note the foundation of his ongoing transformation (link).
 

PureX

Well-known member
I won't watch TV anymore. I just can't stomach the advertisements since I've gotten used to Netflix/Amazon as a source of video entertainment.

The only exceptions are the occasional football game and The Voice. But I have to watch The Voice with an iPod handy and a game to play while the ads invade my silenced TV screen every 7 minutes.

Lots of new episodes coming out on Netflix, though; The Fosters, Longmire, and Gilmore Girls revisited, to name a few.
 
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The Berean

Well-known member
I think it was by design. I finished the season and enjoyed it very much.

I wasn't fond of the subtle nods to Malcolm X as a hero, seeing as the man was a violent racist.

To the Black community Malcolm X is a great hero and civil rights leader. Make of that what you will.

Oh and welcome back Lighthouse! :wave2:
 

Lighthouse

The Dark Knight
Gold Subscriber
Hall of Fame
I've got some catching up to do on other shows. I'm a season and a half behind on a few.

You're probably right. Cage is a lot like his skin, as played.


Good. I'm going to be finishing up over the next couple.
The Netflix Marvel shows are all very good. I'm looking forward to the rest and the next seasons.

X changed after his trip to Mecca. So it depends on which Malcom is being raised. His letter from Mecca begins to note the foundation of his ongoing transformation (link).
:idunno:

To the Black community Malcolm X is a great hero and civil rights leader. Make of that what you will.
MLK is a better role model.

Oh and welcome back Lighthouse! :wave2:
Thanks.:e4e:
 

The Berean

Well-known member
I've watched most of it over the last few nights.

A few ruminations...

The lead has the right look for the role, but doesn't get much range. Not sure if it's by design or if that's about what he can do.

Laughed out loud at the homage to the old comic when he stole clothes from a line and his remark upon seeing his reflection with the headband transformed into something less cosmetic in funtion.

Violent, but not all that graphic, which is a relief.

Sexualized, but far less than most of what you see on television, which was surprising and welcome.

All in all, solid acting, good, complex villains and a story arc that isn't revolutionary, but allows for growth and conflict. Banshee has already mined most of it, but given the fun factor, the appropriate use of brilliant touches of special effects, mostly overshadowed by the storylines, I'm pleasantly impressed.

Luke Cage is getting all sorts of great reviews. A common theme is that the show is "very black", whatever that means. I'll have to check it out for sure. From what I've read Luke Cage wears a hoodie througout the show as a socio-political statement. With so many young Black men being gunned down by police recently the image of a large and bulletproof Black man is a powerful symbol in today's America.


BN-QA520_colter_P_20160928135409.jpg
 

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
Luke Cage is getting all sorts of great reviews. A common theme is that the show is "very black", whatever that means. I'll have to check it out for sure. From what I've read Luke Cage wears a hoodie througout the show as a socio-political statement. With so many young Black men being gunned down by police recently the image of a large and bulletproof Black man is a powerful symbol in today's America.
I think that's part of it. He also gives mad props to black culture, from jazz to literary references, which might prompt some to expand their horizons, both within and outside of the black community. It's also continuing to establish new traditional supporting characters from the community, like the former felon whose barber shop becomes a sort of Switzerland and who urges others to their better selves, the sharp as a tack but vulnerable police detective and similar thoughtful, intelligent and driven characters of color. The only unfortunate note for me is that there's not a white character who isn't a villain or hostile and marginalized so far. I think that's a mistake, but then that sort of thing never stopped me from watching kung-fu movies produced in Asia, so... :)
 

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
Found another curious offering by Netflix: Black Mirror. It's a bit like the old Twilight Zone in approach. I believe it was initially a BBC offering that's been taken int the Netflix fold. Two seasons of it are currently available, though that's only four episodes, around an hour each, three in season one and four in season two. They're episodic, stand alone, as with the Twilight Zone, so you can start anywhere. I inadvertently started with season two and watched Be Right Back, then White Bear. Interesting stuff, if with the same occasionally heavy handed approach that marked some of the best and worst of the TZ.

Be Right Back is the story of loss and what we're willing to do about it, set in a world much like ours but with some fairly dramatic technological advances we haven't managed. A woman mourning the loss of her husband is suddenly confronted with a choice.

White Bear begins with a woman waking to a world of watchers and apparent sociopaths, with three of the latter hunting her for no apparent reason as she struggles to survive and reclaim a fractured memory while moving through a town where little help is offered and spectators to her hunt are the rule of thumb.

More to follow...
 

Arthur Brain

Well-known member
Found another curious offering by Netflix: Black Mirror. It's a bit like the old Twilight Zone in approach. I believe it was initially a BBC offering that's been taken int the Netflix fold. Two seasons of it are currently available, though that's only four episodes, around an hour each, three in season one and four in season two. They're episodic, stand alone, as with the Twilight Zone, so you can start anywhere. I inadvertently started with season two and watched Be Right Back, then White Bear. Interesting stuff, if with the same occasionally heavy handed approach that marked some of the best and worst of the TZ.

Be Right Back is the story of loss and what we're willing to do about it, set in a world much like ours but with some fairly dramatic technological advances we haven't managed. A woman mourning the loss of her husband is suddenly confronted with a choice.

White Bear begins with a woman waking to a world of watchers and apparent sociopaths, with three of the latter hunting her for no apparent reason as she struggles to survive and reclaim a fractured memory while moving through a town where little help is offered and spectators to her hunt are the rule of thumb.

More to follow...

It's actually 'Channel 4' as oppose to the BBC and one of the more innovative and provocative series to come out over here in recent years. Three episodes per series so far and an extended 'Christmas special' up until the 16 episode (I think) one to come out on Netflix. It's dark stuff in the main and profoundly dystopian at times but compelling viewing and thought provoking, with some nice satirical stabs at everything from politics and the media to 'reality tv' & 'pop culture'.
 
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Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
It's actually 'Channel 4' as oppose to the BBC
My exposure to British television is limited to BBC America. I wasn't paying attention to that sort of thing travelling. What's the difference between channel 4 and the BBC? Are some channels government sponsored and others privatized? How does that work exactly?

and one of the more innovative and provocative series to come out over here in recent years. Three episodes per series so far and an extended 'Christmas special' up until the 16 episode (I think) one to come out on Netflix. It's dark stuff in the main and profoundly dystopian at times but compelling viewing and thought provoking, with some nice satirical stabs at everything from politics and the media to 'reality tv'.
It's interesting so far. I'm not sure what I thought about the ending to Be Right Back. The second I noted, White Bear, was a curious turn on a couple of different bad guy gets to suffer Twilight Zone episodes, though the public response and the response of the lead torturer were a bit unnerving, which to my mind set up an interesting subtextual commentary on the cost of idealized revenge.

I'm just settling into the Waldo episode. More to come. :)
 

Arthur Brain

Well-known member
My exposure to British television is limited to BBC America. I wasn't paying attention to that sort of thing travelling. What's the difference between channel 4 and the BBC? Are some channels government sponsored and others privatized? How does that work exactly?

Essentially the BBC is the one broadcast service over here that requires a licence and has to be paid for. Every other channel is free and Channel 4 is/was one of the channels that often sponsored more of the cutting edge type of drama/series. Unfortunately it also sponsored the likes of 'Big brother' although wisely dropped it.

It's interesting so far. I'm not sure what I thought about the ending to Be Right Back. The second I noted, White Bear, was a curious turn on a couple of different bad guy gets to suffer Twilight Zone episodes, though the public response and the response of the lead torturer were a bit unnerving, which to my mind set up an interesting subtextual commentary on the cost of idealized revenge.

That's why it's thought provoking. A lot of it involves 'future shock' and the ethics of where such a society may be prepared to go.

I'm just settling into the Waldo episode. More to come. :)

One of the more profanity laden episodes but still with an impact and a commentary on politics and the crassness of a lot of it...

Rather apt come to think on it...

:eek:
 
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