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The TV thread

Started by rollntider, May 28, 2014, 01:06:50 AM

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Crewe

Shameless
Seasons 1-9

I stated earlier that Ive never seen a more loathsome, vile, deplorable, morally bankrupt character than Frank Gallagher as depicted by William H. Macy in Shameless. After blowing through 9 seasons, I stand by that opinion wholeheartedly.

This series depicts the life of a south side Chicago family of 6 as they struggle in poverty with no parental figure.
Frank Gallagher is an absolute waste of space and is deluded in to thinking he is a great father all the while his eldest, daughter Fiona (Emmy Rossum)
has donned the patriarchal perch of the Gallagher clan. An addict and alcoholic father with a mostly absent bi polar drug addicted mother, the youth are left to their own devices, the south side way. Scams and thefts lead the way for the fam to pay bills and keep the household running.
Fiona makes sure "her kids" are fed, schooled and clothed as much as she can while trying to scrape together a living working menial jobs.
Her best friend, V, who might just be the best character on the show IMO, and her husband Kev use each others homes as their own, displaying the tight knit nature of this extended family.
Flanked by her high school aged younger brothers, Lip (Phillip) and Ian, Fiona (21 in S1) focuses mostly on her younger sister Debs, 11, brother Carl, 10 and baby brother Liam, 2, who is black by the way, Fiona gets along as well as she can all the while trying to find romance beyond her one night stands and seemingly doesn't have time to wonder if she has a future.
Lip is the smart one of the bunch and his arc stems from going from scams and hoodlum like behavior to finagling his way in to college where he finds for the first time, he's a fish out of water. Truly an interesting series long arc uses Lip to demonstrate the obstacles someone in that situation might not be able to overcome.
Ian has an equally intriguing storyline as he is a gay teenager in a tough hood. That along with another serious flaw which I won't spoil here are welcomed tropes to be examined.
Deb and Carl seem to get the lesser storylines but still are a vital part of the show, however gimmicky and oner the top some might be at times.
Liam, the forgotten one is basically an anchor until later seasons, primarily season 9 when he finally gets some screen time and makes it count on every occasion.
As you follow this family of misfits, you have the backstory of Frank essentially ruining and infuriating his family and the viewer at every single turn with his self righteous right wing propaganda. His life is all about the high and the score with zero remorse nor regard for whomever he hurts, even his own kids. Using them at every turn makes you wonder why they keep him around. And that is addressed throughout th series.
Macy was absolutely magical as Frank. His home away from home, or the street as the case may be, is a small dive bar called The Alibi which is run by aforementioned neighbors Kev and V who get quite a bit of fascinating and pertinent arcs themselves.
With his pockets full of cash from his government, Gallagher vehemently protests liberals and all the hand outs that are running this country. its just one of the many maddening ways Frank worms his way through life. After the apocalypse, he will still be around, just like a cockroach.

I couldn't go this in depth without giving a shout out to Joan Cusack for her tremendous role as an uptight agoraphobic mom whose only release is through her sexual experiences which rival Kev and V and you'll just have to watch to see what I mean.

Overall, its a terrific cast led by Rossum and Macy whose experiences we see probably rival the real world hardships of folks in similar situations and its a harsh reality when you keep the big picture in mind.
That said, 9 seasons is a long freaking time for an hour long dramedy series and the storytelling does suffer quite a bit. By season 9, I was ready for it to just be over, but there is a season 10 forthcoming but Im not sure Ill watch because
Spoiler
Fiona and Ian are not coming back. Plus, where the other kids were headed isn't all that interesting

Despite a couple of seasons sagging, the writers were still able to maintain the integrity of some of the major character arcs that we should be interested in even if accompanied by some ridiculously circus like material that makes you wonder how it was greenlit.
Despite some cartoony bullshit, the series survives, even though its so long.

A few notes with spoilers
Spoiler

The storyline of Fiona is an amazing one, especially season 9 which is essentially the fall of Fiona.
Ian has a great, deeper meaning arc, but the ginger gay Jesus stuff was seriously, wtf. I can't believe it lasted as long as it did.
And his true love, Mickey, was not a good actor for the neighborhood tough guy closeted gay, but maybe that's just me.
Joan Cusack's development was terrific until the Indian lover came along. Her riding off in a stolen RV while the dealer is 50feet away is just so out of this world, again, I can't imagine how this made it in to the script.
I love the fact that there are many serious opportunities for Frank to man up and do the right thing when it comes to particular situations involving his kid, but he never does, he stays Frank, true to his character.
Lip's arc had me really pulling for him and when he gets in college, you are hoping he doesn't blow it, but he does, of course. He becomes a raging alcoholic, as all Gallagher kids are prone to do obviously. He recovers, but has been long expelled and can't get back, now he becomes a working stiff, a father and now caretaker of his younger siblings now that Fiona is gone. Its really a sad story, but a necessary one. He has some of the most human moments in the show.

I would recommend Shameless. Id have it somewhere above Justified but below Six Feet Under. Maybe around Mad Men level with not as good storytelling.

BojackHorsefella

Shameless always had a way of introducing some really interesting storylines to either A) forget about them, B) abandon them entirely, C) fail to maintain character consistency during them or, worst of all, D) not stick the landing, at all, whatsoever even when they manage to avoid A-C.

Crewe

I cant recall any being abandoned altogether, but I agree with C and D.
And btw, I have to say, since I forgot to do it earlier,
Spoiler
That storyline with Kev banging V's mom just to have a baby was....I mean, is that even remotely reality based? Am I that far out of the loop? Geez that was terrible.

*dit to add, I guess that one I listed is an example of one being abandoned lol so there ya go...

BojackHorsefella

Kev and V are a big part. They have stuff happen but it feels like they have their own spin-off occurring during Shameless. Like, they'll BARELY interact with any of the Gallaghers and yet have their own subplots about that Russian chick or yeah, the thing with V's mom. I missed the early seasons when Fiona and V were best friends, the show just kept creating new characters for Fiona to hang out with and I'd understand a bit more if they effectively showed Fiona evolving and growing apart from V, but since they barely interacted we never got anything remotely close to this.

TheNorm

Quote from: Bucfever on June 04, 2019, 10:31:31 AM
Quote from: TheNorm on June 04, 2019, 09:48:04 AM
Season 2 of Cobra Kai was almost as good as the first season and I'm already looking forward to what they could have in store for Season 3. You really need to give this show a shot. :)

Isn't it only on Youtube Red though, and isn't that a pay service?

For now it is, but I believe later this summer or fall they're changing it up.

https://www.newsweek.com/youtube-says-cobra-kai-will-have-season-3-time-its-free-1423147

Doesn't say it in this article but I'm pretty sure later this summer they're releasing seasons 1 and 2 in installments, but with ads.

I know that article says season 3 will be free with ads, but I'm hoping they offer the option to just pay up and keep it ad free (yeah yeah, I'm spoiled).
"But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity." - Martin Luther King, Jr

Crewe

Quote from: Bucfever on June 04, 2019, 02:28:01 PM
Kev and V are a big part. They have stuff happen but it feels like they have their own spin-off occurring during Shameless. Like, they'll BARELY interact with any of the Gallaghers and yet have their own subplots about that Russian chick or yeah, the thing with V's mom. I missed the early seasons when Fiona and V were best friends, the show just kept creating new characters for Fiona to hang out with and I'd understand a bit more if they effectively showed Fiona evolving and growing apart from V, but since they barely interacted we never got anything remotely close to this.

I never actually put that together. Nice

Crewe

ok, Im sad to say, I al caught up on my queue, pretty much anyway.
Im not down for a re watch of any of my faves just yet, although I am about to fire up Band of Brothers for D Day.
Im also considering considering starting Brooklyn 99 for my comedy fix. Never seen it before, so hopefully its pretty good.

Crewe

It breaks me every time, but still, firing this up today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wlYPlwjGOY

TheNorm

One of HBO's best ever.
"But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity." - Martin Luther King, Jr

Crewe

Quote from: TheNorm on June 06, 2019, 02:50:52 PM
One of HBO's best ever.

just finished it up, and it still gets me, sometimes more than the time before.
This and the HBO doc about the Miracle on Ice never fail to turn me in to a sappy little girl, but Im ok with that.

Crewe

Quote from: Bucfever on March 13, 2019, 11:45:13 AM
I have finally begun to watch The Office for the first time in my life. That is all.

how goes this?

Also, give me ideas on something else to watch. ive been going with Brooklyn 99 as my lighter show, and its entertaining, but I guess it just seems Ill get tired of it really quickly. Ill still give it a go for a bit.
I need a heavier drama to latch on to now. Im in between my re watches and caught up on my other ones, that I can recall.
A friend suggested Lucifer, and after a few looks Im seeing standard TV cop fare drama.

BojackHorsefella

Quote from: Crewe on June 20, 2019, 02:29:53 PM
Quote from: Bucfever on March 13, 2019, 11:45:13 AM
I have finally begun to watch The Office for the first time in my life. That is all.

how goes this?

Also, give me ideas on something else to watch. ive been going with Brooklyn 99 as my lighter show, and its entertaining, but I guess it just seems Ill get tired of it really quickly. Ill still give it a go for a bit.
I need a heavier drama to latch on to now. Im in between my re watches and caught up on my other ones, that I can recall.
A friend suggested Lucifer, and after a few looks Im seeing standard TV cop fare drama.

So, firstly, finished watching the entirety of The Office and not even a week later started rewatching (although I'll probably stop once Carrell leaves the show this time).

As far as the rest of your inquiry goes:

If you have HBO, I've been hearing amazing things about Chernobyl and Big Little Lies (probably our next drama watch). Sharp Objects, if you missed it, should be available in its entirety and was freaking incredible.

I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed the 2 seasons of Ozark on Netflix, and am excited for the third when it comes out.

For lighter fare, obviously The Office, if you haven't yet. We started Parks and Rec recently so we'll see how that goes. There's also shows like Archer, Easy (on Netflix), Bojack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie (both Netflix, same producers, both hilarious shows with truly dark subjects).

Honestly, it's on Hulu, but AP Bio. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after its second season (still hoping it gets saved), but I enjoyed the first season and the second season was truly remarkable. Glenn Howerton from It's Always Sunny is the lead actor, and Patton Oswalt is in it as well. But honestly, the students and the principal's assistant (played by Paula Pell, who's apparently a standup and a former SNL writer?) are the standouts here.

BojackHorsefella

Oh, and my goodness, what an oversight on my part to not include Barry, on HBO, above. Again, if you have HBO: watch Barry. 2 seasons so far, 12 episodes total, and it will absolutely destroy you. Bill Hader is amazing in it.

Crewe

Quote from: Bucfever on June 20, 2019, 02:37:32 PM
Quote from: Crewe on June 20, 2019, 02:29:53 PM
Quote from: Bucfever on March 13, 2019, 11:45:13 AM
I have finally begun to watch The Office for the first time in my life. That is all.

how goes this?

Also, give me ideas on something else to watch. ive been going with Brooklyn 99 as my lighter show, and its entertaining, but I guess it just seems Ill get tired of it really quickly. Ill still give it a go for a bit.
I need a heavier drama to latch on to now. Im in between my re watches and caught up on my other ones, that I can recall.
A friend suggested Lucifer, and after a few looks Im seeing standard TV cop fare drama.

So, firstly, finished watching the entirety of The Office and not even a week later started rewatching (although I'll probably stop once Carrell leaves the show this time).

As far as the rest of your inquiry goes:

If you have HBO, I've been hearing amazing things about Chernobyl and Big Little Lies (probably our next drama watch). Sharp Objects, if you missed it, should be available in its entirety and was freaking incredible.

I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed the 2 seasons of Ozark on Netflix, and am excited for the third when it comes out.

For lighter fare, obviously The Office, if you haven't yet. We started Parks and Rec recently so we'll see how that goes. There's also shows like Archer, Easy (on Netflix), Bojack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie (both Netflix, same producers, both hilarious shows with truly dark subjects).

Honestly, it's on Hulu, but AP Bio. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after its second season (still hoping it gets saved), but I enjoyed the first season and the second season was truly remarkable. Glenn Howerton from It's Always Sunny is the lead actor, and Patton Oswalt is in it as well. But honestly, the students and the principal's assistant (played by Paula Pell, who's apparently a standup and a former SNL writer?) are the standouts here.

lol that's awesome. I still go through all 9 seasons although Nellie is by far, the worst tv character, bar none, and that includes Andrea from TWD and Skylar from BB.

Chernobyl! Holy crap, can't believe I forgot about that, good call.
I was always on the fence about Ozark, kinda like Peaky Blinders, for no reason really. I did see and loved Sharp Objects!
Is Big Little Lies a comedy, sitcom-esque?
I am interested in Barry, but I usually like to let shows get going a good 3-5 seasons before I check in just because I don't like waiting ;-)
And that just made me remember I could go back to The Deuce. I was blowing through S2, not realizing it was a currently airing program so I had to stop about 4 episodes in and shelve it for later lol
What about Riverdale? What kind of show is that? I recall you mentioning it here before.

BojackHorsefella

Hahahaha, Riverdale is pure soap opera trash. It's absolutely absurd, ridiculous, campy, and just wild. I think the fiancee and I like it because 1) we're not very serious people, if you haven't been able to catch that about me, and 2) weed. Lots of weed.

Big Little Lies is a drama, based on a book, although season 2 is going beyond the book, from what I understand. All-star cast: Alexander Skarsgaard, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep (although only season 2, I think?)


Also, I can't believe I forgot to mention Better Call Saul. I feel like we've talked about it, you've probably seen it already, but if not get on Netflix RIGHT NOW and binge all 3 seasons so far (or was it 4?...shit, I think it has been 4 now).

Also, don't wait for season 3 of Barry, season 2 just ended. Trust me. You will not be disappointed. I guarantee it.