Netflix/Prime/Hulu/BritBox Binge Watching: Coronavirus Edition

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peibeck

Simply looking
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Anyone know if this weekend's "LOTR: the Rings of Power" episode was the season finale? I thought there were 8 episodes, but the pyroclastic flow finish seems like it could be it for another year or so. :lol:
 

text_skate

Well-Known Member
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1,944
I've enjoyed watching "The Journalist" on Netflix, a Japanese series. I can recommend. Acting, writing and development of characters is really good. Very believable. Although I can't tell, how much in the real world the story is based, as I don't know much about Japanes society or media system.
Here is a review in Forbes.
 

Spikefan

Rooting for that middle-aged team
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4,551
This makes me sad. I love binging a series on a weekend!
My nephew is a traditionalist about some things and he has shows he will only watch with us, Stranger Things is one. It’s convenient to have him over for a weekend of binging. I really hope they don’t go weekly with some series but I guess if they do we will just wait until they are all out.
 

misskarne

Handy Emergency Backup Mode
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23,456
Anyone know if this weekend's "LOTR: the Rings of Power" episode was the season finale? I thought there were 8 episodes, but the pyroclastic flow finish seems like it could be it for another year or so. :lol:
Two more episodes. Plus they haven't done anything with the Elrond-Durin and Harfoot storylines wrapping up yet.

I think this episode was much better for only focusing on two of the storylines and bringing them together. Hopefully the showrunners remember this.

Hooray, we're finally getting payoff for the long setups! Actual action! Excitement! A whole lot less yelling than usual!

Arondil is kickass, and I loved that the Southlands folk were rallied and able to pull off strategy. The scene where the orc had an eye missing while wresting with Arondil was a bit much, though. Too gory, to GOT-y for me. I watched most of that scene through my fingers.

I was always pretty worried about Bronwyn from the moment Arondil finally spit it out and they kissed, but glad she managed to live, not without tormenting poor Theo first though. I did like the moments between Theo and Arondil, it was nice to see, and Theo's maturity.

I did spend most of it shouting "COME ON NUMENOR, NOW WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT TIME..."

Speaking of maturity, we finally caught glimpses of the wise Galadriel we should have been getting all along here. She definitely seemed more mature as a character, at times. Though now they're making the whole thing between her and Halbrand weird.

Halbrand. I'm so glad he's chosen to step up to his destiny and lead his people, though the instant acceptance by the Southlanders was a bit odd. But it's also really hollow, knowing that the Southlands are destined to become Mordor and Halbrand's kingship either isn't going to last very long or have much of a legacy. I hope they can give him a little happiness while the storyline lasts.

And one major critcism: holy wow the idiot ball was in play here. No way does Adar get locked up on his own with nobody watching him. And how did the switch take place? How did Theo know where Arondil hid the key? How did Arondil, who is much more alert and sensitive than the humans, not recognise instantly that the large, unwieldy key had been switched for a smaller, lighter axe?

I do think the series is suffering somewhat from Season 1 only being eight episodes, and then spending the first four-five setting up plot. They're now rushing to wrap up the storylines before the season ends. IMO, this episode could have been left before the switcheroo was discovered, and Orodruin was lit. Let the episode end on a happy note, let the Southlanders enjoy their victory and welcome their new King. It would have been far more dramatic for the Southlanders to feel like they'd won and were rebuilding, with Halbrand's guidance, for much longer before the big explosion.
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
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58,281
My nephew is a traditionalist about some things and he has shows he will only watch with us, Stranger Things is one. It’s convenient to have him over for a weekend of binging. I really hope they don’t go weekly with some series but I guess if they do we will just wait until they are all out.
Waiting is hard for me because I get spoiled and I don't like that.
 

VGThuy

Well-Known Member
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41,020
Finished season 11 of Call the
Midwife,
and let’s just say

the show has been upping the ante when it comes to catastrophes and tragedy but boy that penultimate episode and the season finale really was borderline ER and Grey’s Anatomy level. Though I’m glad Call the Midwife still has some level of restraint unlike when those two aforementioned shows started going off-the-rails.

As always, I can’t wait to see what season 12 has in store for us.
 

SkateSand

Cat Servant
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2,634
Two more episodes. Plus they haven't done anything with the Elrond-Durin and Harfoot storylines wrapping up yet.

I think this episode was much better for only focusing on two of the storylines and bringing them together. Hopefully the showrunners remember this.

And one major critcism: holy wow the idiot ball was in play here. No way does Adar get locked up on his own with nobody watching him. And how did the switch take place? How did Theo know where Arondil hid the key?
I think they showed Theo watching Arondil when he told Bronwyn that he was going to hide the key. So I wasn't a bit surprised he knew where it had been hidden. Also, Adar told his henchman that he had a special task for him. That's when he gave him the key. We didn't see the exchange take place, but it was hinted at and that's the only time it could have taken place.
 

smurfy

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6,086
Just binged the 2 seasons of Van Der Valk - via the PBS Passport app.
Good show, never read any of the books. The mysteries were interesting - but the team of detectives and their interactions are very nice - good cast. Hope there is a season 3.
Set in Amsterdam, but most have british accents as the show is produced in Britain. Love the Dutch scenery
 

LeafOnTheWind

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17,505
I found an offbeat goofy comedy called Sprung from the Freevee channel which you can access through Amazon Prime as well. Two inmates get an early release from prison because of Covid. They end up sequestering together to plot crimes for good instead of evil.

It took me a minute but Rooster's mother Barb is played by Martha Plimpton from Goonies. I kept thinking she looked really familiar. Martha and Philip Garcia are the main reasons I kept watching this oddball. I have to say the scene where Barb is driving the inmates back to her house but takes the scenic route through a nice neighborhood is hysterical and the main reason I went on to the next episode. She's not driving at that point, saying nothing at all and is not even in focus on the screen. But she is one of the funniest, laugh out loud moments I've had in a while and I kept waiting for her to pop in and out of the scene. She was distracting me from the main conversation going on at the time. :lol:

I would say watch this if you are ready for funny Covid or just a weird offbeat comedy.

Official Trailer for Sprung
 
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AJ Skatefan

Well-Known Member
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2,926
I found an offbeat goofy comedy called Sprung from the Freevee channel which you can access through Amazon Prime as well. Two inmates get an early release from prison because of Covid. They end up sequestering together to plot crimes for good instead of evil.

It took me a minute but Rooster's mother Barb is played by Martha Plimpton from Goonies. I kept thinking she looked really familiar. Martha and Philip Garcia are the main reasons I kept watching this oddball. I have to say the scene where Barb is driving the inmates back to her house but takes the scenic route through a nice neighborhood is hysterical and the main reason I went on to the next episode. She's not driving at that point, saying nothing at all and is not even in focus on the screen. But she is one of the funniest, laugh out loud moments I've had in a while and I kept waiting for her to pop in and out of the scene. She was distracting me from the main conversation going on at the time. :lol:

I would say watch this if you are ready for funny Covid or just a weird offbeat comedy.

Official Trailer for Sprung
Thanks for this recommendation! I’m stuck at home with Covid and needed a laugh!
 

TanithandBenFan

Author of the Ice and Edge Series
Messages
9,275
I found an offbeat goofy comedy called Sprung from the Freevee channel which you can access through Amazon Prime as well. Two inmates get an early release from prison because of Covid. They end up sequestering together to plot crimes for good instead of evil.

It took me a minute but Rooster's mother Barb is played by Martha Plimpton from Goonies. I kept thinking she looked really familiar. Martha and Philip Garcia are the main reasons I kept watching this oddball. I have to say the scene where Barb is driving the inmates back to her house but takes the scenic route through a nice neighborhood is hysterical and the main reason I went on to the next episode. She's not driving at that point, saying nothing at all and is not even in focus on the screen. But she is one of the funniest, laugh out loud moments I've had in a while and I kept waiting for her to pop in and out of the scene. She was distracting me from the main conversation going on at the time. :lol:

I would say watch this if you are ready for funny Covid or just a weird offbeat comedy.

Official Trailer for Sprung
Thank you so much for bringing this show to my attention as I have not laughed this hard watching a show in a very long time! The Covid jokes are amazing (the birthday hat being used as a mask had me DYING) and Martha Plimpton is comedy gold in this. I love that it also is ultimately a feel-good show.
 

TanithandBenFan

Author of the Ice and Edge Series
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9,275
Did you catch the reference to the covid mask she dug out of a dumpster and cut a cigarette hole in it? :rofl:
Yes! I watched the pilot twice because I watched it again with my mom and I was laughing just as hard the second time.
 

LeafOnTheWind

Well-Known Member
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17,505
Nicholas Cage is hosting the History of Swear Words on Netflix. I have to watch this now. My mother always wanted me to do more with the study of English. ;)


Here's the chapter list for those interested.
  1. F**k
  2. Sh*t
  3. Bitch
  4. D**k
  5. Pu**y
  6. Damn

ETA: This is actually interesting. You get an adrenaline rush from swearing and can have a 5% increase in hand grip strength when combined with cursing.
 
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rfisher

Let the skating begin
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73,819
Only one more episode of bad sisters. We'll finally know who did it, although I'm wondering if it will be like a murder on the orient express when multiple people did the deed. I didn't know the actress who plays Becka is Bono's daughter.
 

Aussie Willy

Hates both vegemite and peanut butter
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27,871
I have only just discovered Cunk on Earth through clips on TikTok which appears to have gone a bit viral. Thankfully the full episodes are on Youtube. Freaking hilarious.

If you haven't seen it, the show is a parody of any British history/science documentary. Hosted by Philomena Cunk (I think the name is meant to be a wink to something else) she is a character that does the walking around showing the sites, inappropriately interviewing experts and generally dropping pop culture references all over of the place. The actress who plays her Diane Morgan does straight face so well.
 

Spikefan

Rooting for that middle-aged team
Messages
4,551
Only one more episode of bad sisters. We'll finally know who did it, although I'm wondering if it will be like a murder on the orient express when multiple people did the deed. I didn't know the actress who plays Becka is Bono's daughter.
Great job for whoever was successful, he was the worst.
 

clairecloutier

Well-Known Member
Messages
14,559
We finished Julia on HBOMax and loved it. Great acting, writing, and production. The show also felt true to Julia’s and Paul’s real-life characters, at least as I've perceived them from reading biographies and letters, etc. Looking forward to season 2.

Next was We Own This City, another Baltimore cop show from David Simon, creator of The Wire. I didn’t realize it until almost the end, but this show is based on a real-life case, with real characters. I found it to be good, if not as good as The Wire. The characters/actors for the most part didn’t stand out as much as in The Wire (except for Jon Bernthal), and the overall message is a little bit more obvious, maybe? Less shaded. But it did build to a really strong ending.

We’re now trying out Andor. Two episodes in, and it’s not doing much for me. No memorable characters/plot points so far. I feel like too many sci-fi/fantasy shows these days focus more on the world design and production than actual characters or story.
 
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TanithandBenFan

Author of the Ice and Edge Series
Messages
9,275
It took me five tries to get through the first episode of Succession, but once I got through two episodes I was completely riveted. Just started Season 2 last night and I have a major crush on Jeremy Strong. His portrayal of Kendall is absolutely brilliant. And I’m a sucker for deep voices and his is 😍😍
 

VGThuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
41,020
More about that Discovery/Warner merger that will affect HBO Max and other studios like Cartoon Network.


On Wednesday, Warner Bros. TV Group laid off 82 staffers across scripted, unscripted, and animation divisions, a Warner Bros. representative confirmed to Polygon. The company will leave 43 of the currently unfilled positions empty. While the three brand labels Warner Bros. Animation (WBA), Cartoon Network Studios (CNS), and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe will remain distinct, WBA and CNS development and production teams will be brought under one division.
What does this mean?

In August, Discovery laid off 14% of HBO Max staff and canceled the Batgirl movie. Later that month, beloved cartoons were yanked from HBO Max, blindsiding the cartoons’ creators. Dozens of Sesame Street episodes were taken off of the streaming platform, and other shows were totally removed — including fan favorite OK K.O.! – Let’s Be Heroes, as well as Infinity Train, which ran for four seasons and is no longer airing on Cartoon Network.
Why does this matter?

First,

While Warner Bros. Animation’s imprint feels emblematic of the past, Cartoon Network Studios has produced significant and ground-breaking shows over the courseof time that have also stood the test of time. Yes, there are reboots, notably of Cartoon Network’s incredibly popular late ‘90s and early 2000s series, like Powerpuff Girls and numerous iterations of Ben 10. But there are also bangers and plenty of paradigm-shifting programming, from shows that cemented the all-girl action team (Powerpuff Girls, of course), to shows that took cues from anime, like Samurai Jack. And that’s not to mention Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, which introduced numerous kids in the U.S. to anime before it captivated a Western audience — and which aired Pokémon for many years.
And in the past decade…

CNS was also one of few major animation studios to spotlight queer characters in the 2010s — especially sapphic romances — laying the groundwork for other animated shows. Adventure Time, which debuted in 2010 and ran for 10 seasons, was only recently able to pay off the “Bubbline” romance that sparked between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline; the two flirtatiously met in 2011’s “Go With Me.” Princess Bubblegum later sleeps in Marceline’s shirt, and the show’s 2018 finale seals the deal with a kiss. 2013’s Steven Universe would go on to become one of the most beloved and influential contemporary queer cartoons with a cast of non-binary Crystal Gems, numerous gay characters, and a wonderful wedding episode.

Is this completely a business decision? Yes and no. It’s complicated. But the fact that a large number of HBO executives laid off were people of color and they tried to shut down the Warners Television Workshop which was a place to foster new and diverse talent before backtracking doesn’t quite pass the smell test.

Though CNS does still exist after this consolidation, layoffs still have very real consequences. According to The Daily Beast,a large number of the HBO Max executives laid off in August were people of color. Former Warner Bros. employees speculated to The Daily Beast at the time that this was due an ideological shift, with content steered towards a less diverse and more “Middle America” audience. Now we’re seeing changes at an animation studio known for forward-thinking programming. How WBA and CNS will work together is an open question – as well as whether unforgettable, envelope-pushing cartoons will remain a priority at a conglomerate with a philosophy built on reality entertainment.

I expect more news like this to be announced in the next few months. And similar stories with similar mergers.
 

marbri

Hey, Kool-Aid!
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16,355
So is The Watcher on Netflix like The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window? Because if it isn't I'd be embarrassed to put this on my resume and if it is then they still haven't quite mastered this genre :confused:
 
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