Also, I really love the score.

That scene between Nora & Holy Wayne being a great example of how weell the score works for this show

Oh, god, I love the music in the show. It's really beautifully done.

I wasn't all that interested in The Guilty Remnant cult for about the first half of the season, but they really found a way to make them feel like they are an important part of this world during the second half. Unfortunately, the Holy Wayne cult has definitely taken a back seat. Hoping to see more of them in the finale this Sunday.

I do like this idea that cults have become a much more prevalent and dangerous part of the post-Deprature world. I also want to see more of the ATFC.

I have a feeling that Holy Wayne will meet his demise on Sunday considering his belief that his death is imminent. Which is a shame since, as you've said, they've taken a back seat in the story.

But I'm interested in seeing if they tie in with the rest of the storyline. Especially considering Holy Wayne's cult is essentially the opposite of the GR's MO.

I actually thought that Holy Wayne was the leader of the GR in the first episode. I just thought that the dressed in white, silent people were the face of his cult, the soldiers. It wasn't until the next episode that I realized they were completely different cults.

I initially thought the obvious ending, for Season 1, was going to be that the Departures returned - largely because photographs included well known actors. But then we had that flashback episode and I'm thinking the show is never really going to delve into why they left and will always focus on "the leftovers" *wink**wank*

Yeah, I hope no one is holding their breath for an explanation of the departure. It clearly will never happen, and that's not really what the show is about anyway.

Also, I imagine any explanation would be enormously unsatisfying.

I'm four episodes in to Series 1 of Utopia, and it's pretty great.

Hurrah! A convert! I thought episode 3 was very strong.

Never heard of The Leftovers, but it sounds like my kinda thing. Where can I watch it?

Oh, and I've been watching King of the Hill again recently. Loved it as a kid and it's only gotten better with age. Some of the best dry humour in an adult cartoon, and at times one of the most touching shows I've seen. It really knew how to balance realism and surreality, as well as being emotionally compelling without any extra cheese.

The ending of the episode where Bobby and Hank enter a gun competition brought a tear to my eye, not gonna lie.

I haven't seen The Leftovers other than the trailer, but I want to ask a question. From the trailer, it seems like the writers are consciously avoiding referring to it as the Rapture and having characters consider it as a good thing. Is that true within the show or just a poor guess from the trailer?

It's a bit of an issue within the show's world. The show actually does a great job at portraying the different type of long term reactions you'd get after such a miraculous event. But the Depature, as it's called, doesn't really seem like it was a good thing for any of the main characters involved - unless I'm remembering incorrectly. But some people in the post-Departure world, obviously, have been able to capitalise off it.

In the town where it's set the priest character, Matt, is essentially going around trying to prove that it wasn't the Rapture - since a lot of the people taken were actually bad people, or did very sinful things in their lifetime.

It is presented as not being The Rapture. That's pretty much the only definitive thing about The Departure that they try to get across.

No one has posted in here for a while, so excuse the double post.

Season finale of The Leftovers was beautiful, and horrifying. It was directed very similarly to the first episode, feeling almost like self contained films of their own instead of just pieces of a season of television. It's hard to discuss the show without discussing spoilers, but I really can't recommend watching it enough. It's not a perfect show, but it captures its themes perfectly, and the direction, performances, and music are breathtaking. Everyone is amazing in it, but you Brits will probably most easily recognize Christopher Eccleston, and the guy who plays the boss on Peep Show as Holy Wayne. Their characters are both really high points of the show.

Who are you, and what have you done with Mat.

I devoured him from the inside, and wear his skin like an ill fitting mask. My name is Steve.

Well, they say you are what you eat, so I'll act like nothing happened.

ban steve for account sharing

I watched The Way Way Back for a second time. I'd forgotten how full of stereotypes it was, but I'd equally forgotten why I enjoyed it so much the first time. It's a well put together movie, and you can't help but feel good watching it.

The characters are well done, and the guy that plays Duncan does an immaculate job. I can't imagine ever seeing him in any other role now. To me he'll always be that awkward, lanky boy with no social skills. Steve Carell was a really convincing asshole, too.

It's really worth watching, even though it's not as brilliant as I remember.

Watched the Leftovers finale last night. Was pretty good! I thought it was very interesting that the writers took the episode in an unexpected direction for the majority of it. Justin Theroux was also rather impressive.

Also, I hear they've essentially exhausted all the book material so I do wonder whre the show will go from here...

I think they would have used less material from the book if they had been sure they would get a second season. It felt like the last episode was made as a possible last episode.

I'm glad, though. I think the season really needed a sense of closure. I don't think a cliffhanger would've served the story that much.

It was filled with mini cliffhangers, but still had the tone of finality. It's a testament to the skill of the show runners that they pulled that off.

Without explicitly spoiling anything here I do wonder how the show will continue. Whether the current storyline can effectively evolve or if another Departure-like conceit will be required. I do hope we get more insight into ATFEC next season, anyway. Also, I've been listening to this repeatedly since.

I don't think we will see another Departure, but I also don't think they will have to struggle too hard to write more stories. There are a lot of unresolved plot lines.

I imagine they've considered all this, anyway, when structuring the first season. Also, I think there's at least one storyline from the book that can be mined for Season 2.

Unrelated I finally saw Soylent Green for the first time expecting a sort of B-movie affair simply famous for its twist.

But I was surprised that there was a rather engaging human element in it. Edward G. Robinson was pretty fantastic in particular and really elevated it from what could have been a rather cheesy dystopian adventure. More impressively because apparently he was almost entirely deaf and needed multiple takes to get into the rhythm of the scenes. Charlton Heston wasn't bad either.

Not a perfect film but certainly better than expected.

I watched a few episodes of Rick and Morty yesterday. I think I was most surprised by the structure of the show. It's much more of a Simpson's/Bob's Burgers/Family Guy animated sitcom structure than your typical Adult Swim original. It's still very fucked up, and weird, like you would expect, just not in the same abstract way that Adult Swim shows have become known for. I really liked it.

I watched the first season of Bojack Horseman, there. Unlike Rick and Morty it doesn't really grab you from the get go but it was surprisingly good once you got through about 5 or 6 episodes. It has the same sort of running continuity you'd find in a sitcom like Arrested Development.

I watched half of the first episode and turned it off.

Was it good??

It was phenomenal!

Aye, it's honestly not that impressive in the beginning but it really does get better.

I might give it another chance.

Newest Doctor Who, in an episode I will forever dub Doctor Who in: The Attack of the Missing Plot.

They need to stop threading episodes together through Clara. At this point it's safe to say that she's actually Worse than Amy Pond.

inb4 that's every episode of DW.

I wouldn't say she's worse than Amy, but I do think it's time for someone new.

I really like her character. But right now it's feeling more and more like the Clara show and it's getting kind of old. Twice now they've introduced an interesting premise only to cut to her talking to the most awkward man alive for 5 minutes and totally killing the pace. It's like they've actually forgotten the basics of writing and pacing stories in their attempts to be deep and meaningful. If you can't have well constructed individual episodes then nobody's going to care about your overarching bullshit.

But I digress. Doctor Who is bad. I've been saying this for years now.

This. It had potential, too. Maybe it gets better, but I've got other shows to eat up my time.

Like South Park! Which is now entirely on YouTube due to some legal loophole (I think? The pitch is shifted down slightly and it's zoomed in). Still a great show, though not nearly as consistent as it was during the "golden era" (first 6 or 7 seasons).

It's a strange thing, but it seems to me like Stephen Moffat is a far better writer than RTD, yet RTD is the better head-writer as he's better at getting good scripts out of other writers.

RTD was happy keeping the show exactly like it was. I love that Moffat is trying to take things in exciting new directions, but it's just not working. The latest episodes go from excruciatingly slow dialogue to skimming over important details. Everything exciting happens in a few short minutes, but there's no climax because he spends the entire build up focusing on Clara. He was a better writer, but this latest series is full of wank.

But yeah, with RTD there were good and bad episodes. Now every episode has the exact same problems.

With RTD there were some fucking amazing episodes and some absolutely abysmal. Under SM both extremes have been shaved off to make everything just about 'okay'. Subjectively, of course.