TV Stuff 2018

[shapinglight]

Normally this time of year, I'd try and do a post about my fandom activities of the year before, including any fanfic I'd written, but since I wrote no fanfic last year and didn't do anything fannish, there doesn't seem much point. ;)

So here instead is a post about TV stuff I really enjoyed in 2018.



Where returning series are concerned, the ones I enjoyed most were Legion, which outweirded its own season 1 weirdness while looking absolutely stunning, and Westworld, which only really sucked me in in season 2 anyway (was not enamored of season 1). With both of the above, I seem to be swimming against the tide, in that (so I'm told) most fans preferred season 1 of both shows - and certainly the plummeting ratings for Legion would suggest this is true.

Very late in the year, The Last Kingdom season 3 was also really good, as - earlier on - was The Good Fight season 2.

I enjoyed - in a bittersweet way - the final season of The Americans, one of the best TV dramas I've ever watched. I'm glad to know that, at last knockings (this year's Golden Globes, was it?), it finally - finally won the award for best drama that it's deserved to win every year since the first season but never won before. About time.

Versailles ended too. It didn't deserve to win any awards, but I liked it anyway. Oh well.

And I continued to love Lucifer (despite knowing on an intellectual level that it's a load of facile nonsense, and despite season 3 not being as good as season 2 and much hampered by guest star Tom Welling's resemblance to a block of very dull wood). One of the TV highlights of the year for me was the determined fan campaign after Fox cancelled the show that eventually saw it picked up by Netflix for season 4.

The Expanse was also cancelled and picked up by Amazon, but for whatever reason, I just haven't got around to watching season 3 yet, and it's now so long since I watched the first two seasons I think I'll have to watch them again before I watch season 3. Oh well.

Where new shows are concerned (new to me anyway), there was lots of good stuff last year, including The Marvellous Mrs Maisel and The Good Place, both of which I came across for the first time, and both of which I loved. I've just started The Marvellous Mrs Maisel season 2 and am trying not to rush through it. Then there was Altered Carbon, which really was new in 2018, and which I liked enough to watch twice (I understand that again I'm in the minority here?), and Sacred Games, Netflix's first Indian drama, which was so, so good. Must watch that again too.

There were some good BBC series also, my favourites of the ones I watched being Black Earth Rising and The Informer.

A few shows disappointed me, chiefly Star Trek: Discovery, which should have been much better, The Gifted, which should have been less boring, and The Bodyguard, which should have been good enough to justify the hype, and wasn't. I will continue to watch Discovery, though, in case it improves.

I gave up on a couple of shows:

Jessica Jones, because season 2 bored me so much that, despite having slogged through eleven episodes of it, I couldn't (and still can't) be bothered to watch the final two.

The Man in the High Castle, because I'm sick to death of Nazis.

I've probably missed a few things out. If I remember them, I'll come back and add them.



Speaking of Amazon Prime (which we sort of were), I discovered the other day that all seven seasons of BtVS are now available on it. So I've started watching. Only got to the third episode of season 1, but am sucked in enough again to go and re-read what I thought about those episodes back in 2015, when we were doing the (sadly, never completed) re-watch on fantas_magoria. I think I was too kind to the first two episodes. They really are not good. However, I still love Witch, the episode which first made me sit up and take notice of the show way back when.

Comments

[ex_peasant441]

Yes, Amazon Prime seems to have added a lot of stuff recently. I discovered Buffy, Angel and Dollshouse are all available, plus plenty of other stuff that I am fairly sure wasn't there back in the summer.

I got to see both Paddington movies :)

[shapinglight]

I got to see both Paddington movies :)

Yay! Did you like them?

[ex_peasant441]

I did! The second one is miles better though.

[dalmeny]

Good to know. I was underwhelmed by the first film, as it seemed unnecessarily frenetic, but I might now try the second.

[yourlibrarian]

With both of the above, I seem to be swimming against the tide, in that (so I'm told) most fans preferred season 1 of both shows - and certainly the plummeting ratings for Legion would suggest this is true.

I'm afraid I'm one of them. I still haven't seen more than 4 episodes of Westworld S2 but so far it's not grabbing me the same way either. We saw that HBO had a free week but we only found out on the final day so didn't get very far into the season.

I still haven't gotten back to Versailles. I expect I will sooner or later as Mike is now back at work and I'll need things to watch on my own.

Yeah, S3 of the expanse, you'll probably want to rewatch at least a few of the final episodes of S2 to get you back on track.

I watched 2 episodes of JJ's 2nd season and just gave up. I was not only bored but the word was that the season wasn't worth sticking with either.

Your comment about The Witch made me think of how much has changed about TV. I mean, no, it wasn't great, and had I seen Buffy in order even back in 2007 I likely wouldn't have continued to a S2 (although clearly many did). But having started later I found it worthwhile going back to the start. And I have at least one friend who stuck with it (thanks to multiple recommendations) and was liking the show by the end of S1 and is now a devoted fan.

I think there is a lot to be said for getting second opinions on shows either from reviewers or fans etc. in terms of what we give chances to. Although I happen to disagree with you about the 2nd seasons you mention, I am prepping a post where I'll be talking about how great it is to see a show develop into a 2nd or 3rd season because it gets to flesh out a lot of things (especially its characters). And for those that do get better that ring of other voices encouraging people to hang in there can be vital.

[shadowkat]

Your comment about The Witch made me think of how much has changed about TV. I mean, no, it wasn't great, and had I seen Buffy in order even back in 2007 I likely wouldn't have continued to a S2 (although clearly many did). But having started later I found it worthwhile going back to the start. And I have at least one friend who stuck with it (thanks to multiple recommendations) and was liking the show by the end of S1 and is now a devoted fan.

It's interesting -- I watched Buffy live in 1996, when it premiered. And I remember being annoyed...because I came to it from the superior and more adult VR5 (which had gotten cancelled...and Head had jumped from VR5 to Buffy -- so I followed him to it.) I'd seen the Buffy film and read the novel in a book store, so had really low expectations. At that time -- no one had discovered it.

I almost gave up on it...I remember half-watching a lot of episodes in 1996, it really wasn't until the episode The Pack that I thought it had any potential..although Angel was interesting. Head's role disappointed me -- he was so edgy and cool in VR5.

Prophecy Girl -- I thought okay, not bad, I'll give it one more chance, but they really have to step it up. It really wasn't until School Hard that I got hooked on the series. Prior to that I half-watched, it wasn't must see viewing until School Hard -- which is when I started taping it to make sure I didn't miss an episode. It had a lot to do with the villains. The first season, outside of maybe the Witch, the Pack, and Angel -- the villains were lame. In S2 - they had great main villains -- villains that were wickedly cool, entertaining and that you wanted to root to and loved to hate.

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, I think that many would agree with this and had a similar experience.

[shapinglight]

I'm afraid I'm one of them. I still haven't seen more than 4 episodes of Westworld S2 but so far it's not grabbing me the same way either. We saw that HBO had a free week but we only found out on the final day so didn't get very far into the season.

:Sigh: I'm beginning to feel very isolated here. Nobody seems to feel the same as me about these two shows. Maybe my critical faculty has been too dulled by Lucifer? :(

Oh well, at least I know there are a few people out there who liked Altered Carbon, otherwise Netflix would never have given it a season 2.

Yeah, S3 of the expanse, you'll probably want to rewatch at least a few of the final episodes of S2 to get you back on track.

I thought as much. Rewatching isn't a hardship exactly. It's just finding the time.

I am prepping a post where I'll be talking about how great it is to see a show develop into a 2nd or 3rd season because it gets to flesh out a lot of things (especially its characters).

I'll look forward to reading it. :)

[shadowkat]

1. Agreed on Legion -- in some respects I found S2 more interesting than S1. It definitely haunts me more.

2. Haven't gotten around to S2 of Westworld -- wasn't all that impressed with s1.

3. Agree completely on Lucifer (I'm really watching because I enjoy the concept and Tom Ellis and Maze), but S3 had issues...Tom Welling...sigh.

4. Lost track of the Expanse...and gave up finally. If I take it up again, will have to rewatch from the midway point in S2.

5. Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was great fun -- I love that show. I watched one-two episodes a night with my parents over the holidays. We'd be doing it with the Crown, but now, we can do it with Mrs. Maisel. We tried The Bodyguard -- but it didn't hold our attention.

6. I need to see if Sacred Games is one Netflix here. The Informer and Black Earth Rising are both coming to US Netflix sometime in Feb or March. (remembered that you rec'd both Informer and Black Earth Rising -- so have been on the look out for both.)

7. Agreed on The Gifted, I finally gave up on it. So bored. That show has serious pacing issues. Considering the subject matter -- you'd think it would be better. (I also find the Stryker's annoying, which is the problem, since they are the main characters...)

8. Jessica Jones S2 - agreed. Unfortunately the villains in this season weren't as compelling as Tennant's Kilgrave. And it meandered. I liked the concept of it being the origin story of Trish Tilby turning into the villain, but the execution ...was seriously lacking. I slugged my way through it. And I was bored through most of it. By the end, I didn't really care that much.

9. Yep, reason I can't watch Man in High Castle in a nutshell. I probably could have watched it ten to fifteen years ago, but not now.

10. Interesting Amazon now has Buffy? I'd picked up Hulu to watch Angel and Buffy...and well, Runaways (because you know, Marsters and the whole supervillians are the parents bit..).

[shapinglight]

Agreed on Legion -- in some respects I found S2 more interesting than S1. It definitely haunts me more.

I'm glad someone agrees with me about one of these shows. ;)

I watched one-two episodes a night with my parents over the holidays. We'd be doing it with the Crown, but now, we can do it with Mrs. Maisel.

I watched episode 3 of season 2 today, and have to admit, I skipped a bit. I knew Midge was going to say something horribly embarrassing at Mary's wedding the minute she made the comment about cheap champagne going to your head quickly, and I just couldn't bear to watch it. :(

[shadowkat]

I watched episode 3 of season 2 today, and have to admit, I skipped a bit. I knew Midge was going to say something horribly embarrassing at Mary's wedding the minute she made the comment about cheap champagne going to your head quickly, and I just couldn't bear to watch it. :(

I walked out of the room and went to get a piece of my mother's fudge at that point, along with a drink of water. I couldn't watch it either. I can't watch embarrassment comedy. I remember asking my mother if it was as bad as I thought -- she said, yep, totally worth skipping. There's about five or six scenes like that -- which made me cringe.

[orangerful]

AAAAH OMG watch Season 3 of Expanse! It was amazing. I'm so excited for Season 4, I'm rewatching them again and hoping 3 will be on Prime soon.

I gave up on 'High Castle' after the first season but my husband wanted to watch the second. I felt the same way you did - I'm tired of Nazis on my TV.

[shapinglight]

AAAAH OMG watch Season 3 of Expanse! It was amazing.

I still don't really know how come I didn't watch it before. I wish I had. However, the fact that I haven't at least gives me a good reason to re-watch the first two seasons, which is not really a hardship. It's just finding the time. ;)

I felt the same way you did - I'm tired of Nazis on my TV.

It's even worse when the main Nazi is the only interesting character in the entire series, and you find yourself only enjoying the scenes he's in. :(

[lyr]

I keep meaning to watch Legion, but I have yet to make it beyond the first episode. Westworld, on the other hand, I am caught up on; I think I like both seasons roughly the same. I really want to see The Good Fight, but I don't want to pay for yet another streaming service. I'm hoping both it and St: Discovery turn up on Netflix eventually. I loved the last season of The Americans, even though I feel awful for poor Oleg. And I liked Versailles and Lucifer too, but oh, I loved Altered Carbon and Expanse.

[shapinglight]

I keep meaning to watch Legion, but I have yet to make it beyond the first episode.

It is really, really good. Very surreal. The showrunner obviously has a vision, which he's stuck to, and I'm just glad he's been given a third season to finish the story off.

At least, I hope that's what he'll do. I can't see FX stumping up for a season 4 when the ratings are so terrible, critical acclaim or not.

I really want to see The Good Fight, but I don't want to pay for yet another streaming service.

I've been lucky with this, in that Channel 4 over here, which aired The Good Wife, is showing it. It's also available on DVD. And Discovery is on Netflix in the UK, so that's how I've managed to watch it.

I loved the last season of The Americans, even though I feel awful for poor Oleg.

Oh God, me too! Poor Oleg. I felt so terrible for his poor parents as well.

but oh, I loved Altered Carbon and Expanse.

Yay! So pleased to hear it. It also makes me more determined to get on with watching The Expanse.

[sibilant]

Loved The Expanse and so pleased that season 3 is finally available though, like you, we will have to rewatch most of the previous episodes as both of us have no memory at all of the plot lines. I loved Legion, but my husband found it utterly bewildering, so I may have to sneak watch Season 2 when he's doing other things.

And yay for Buffy coming to Amazon Prime - now I can rewatch without digging out the DVDs (amazing how quickly we've all come to expect everything to be available in one place).

The Marvellous Mrs Maisel looked so great and was acted so beautifully, but I just didn't find it funny, which kind of ruined the whole premise for me. Ah well, we can't all like the same things, despite what the Orange One believes.

[shapinglight]

Loved The Expanse and so pleased that season 3 is finally available though, like you, we will have to rewatch most of the previous episodes as both of us have no memory at all of the plot lines.

That's my problem too. And, having finished the second series of Mrs Maisel, I should really have set about watching The Expanse, but instead I seem to have embarked on another rewatch of Lucifer. ;)

A shame you didn't like Mrs Maisel. I found it completely hilarious.