TV shows & dramas

[Minelauva]

Watched any TV show and/or drama lately? Here is the place where you can share it with us.


I still have to watch the fourth season of Teen Wolf. I didn't think I would enjoy this show so much when I started watching it, but the evidence is there. And I'm quite proud of myself because this summer, I managed to get my younger sister hooked to Game of Thrones.
At the same occasion, I also got to watch the fourth season again and notice some details that had escaped me the first time.

I don't watch much dramas anymore. I stopped when I noticed that I had watched quite a number of kdramas but had forgotten most of them, to the point that I had trouble remembering whether I had watched them or not even with the title and description right before my eyes. I have such a bad memory... 
What's weird is that it does this only with k- and j- dramas, not with american series (I don't watch any french series, there aren't any good ones).

[Hats]

I don't have a lot of time to watch TV anymore, so I buy DVD sets whenever they come out and cross my fingers I have time in the next year or so to watch it. The series I did manage to finish just the other day was The Hour starring Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai, and Dominic West. Unlike most Hour fans, I thought season 1 was handled better, with crisper dialog and less OOC moments. Season 2 made me want to fast-forward until the last episode, which basically reduced me to a soggy mess when Freddy starts stammering, "Money... Money..." And of course that bastard Cilenti has no clue what he's talking about, but I do, so I start sobbing even more.

The Japanese drama I'm currently watching is Ashita Mama ga Inai. You know, the show that lost its sponsors because it allegedly depicted orphanages in a negative light? I think the girls are great. Ashida Mana's not at her absolute best, but she's still pretty good. My favorite orphan turned out to be "Bombi" though. She was soooo totally adorable trying to get adopted by her Japanese "Jolie-Piiiiii~"

btw...I haven't started on Game of Thrones yet. Reason being, I'm not sure how graphic the sex/violence is, but I heard there is a lot of it, and a lot of rape. This, from people on the imdb boards. I just don't know if I can handle rape scenes. I've got a weak stomach for it. It doesn't help that I never read the series, so I have no idea what I'd be getting myself into. You're free to convince if you really think it's worth it though. 

[Minelauva]

Hmm.... About the rapes in GoT specifically, maybe my memory is faulty but I don't remember seeing some actually filmed. Or rather, I can think of a couple, but I'm not sure the scenarists intended for them to be rapes, which in itself is sad and shocking, but the scenes are not traumatizing. However, there are definitely rapes in GoT, generally speaking there is a lot of violence against women, and it is indeed a very violent world. Oh, and there is quite a lot of sex and nude bodies shown on screen.
I will start with the bad aspects. In a way, GoT is a very calibrated show. It has to have (show) a certain amount of violence and sex to live up to its reputation and attract viewers. The way this violence, sex and nudity are filmed is quite sensationalist. It's not there only for the purpose of the story, but also to prove that HBO doesn't shy away from showing questionable scenes and to entertain viewers. So sometimes, all this seems gratuitous.
But in a way, their approach is also commendable and at least, they follow the spirit of the books. GoT's world and story are inspired by medieval Europe and Mediterranean world and it describes a troubled period. So there is bound to be violence and showing it is the only way to make viewers really understand what the characters are going through.

I can't tell you whether to watch it or not but I understand your hesitations. I have never had any problem watching rape scenes before but I don't like watching violent scenes. It has made me dislike admitedly good movies (for instance some Tarentino movies). I can't do anything about it. The sight of blood IRL makes me sick, to the point that I can't give my blood, and watching violence on screen is quite hard for me. So obviously, some scenes of GoT have stuck with me. But the good ones have stuck too. It really is a good series. Its treatment of the characters and of the plotlines is very good, it is subtle and complex, it doesn't take the easy way and, since a lot of money is involved, it is beautifully made. I won't lie to you, it is very violent (though there aren't that many graphic scenes), but I don't regret watching it.

[Minelauva]

The Mindy Project starts again tomorrow. I'm so excited about it! 

Also, does anyone else watch "Last week tonight with John Oliver"?

[TezukasDarjeeling]

I only watched the first season of The Hour, but I read the plot summary for season two and I decided I wasn't going to watch it. From what you said Hats it seems I made the right decision, because the first season was absolute gold.

Also, I was wondering is anyone had any Korean drama they would recommend?

[Hats]

Oh, man, I am so behind on The Mindy Project! I only saw up to the episode when Mindy comes back from Haiti, though I did see an interview featuring the infamous "butt grab." I love how Chris Messina never knows where to look when he's asked about it. I'm buying the DVD for s2 though!

I've never heard of "Last week tonight with John Oliver"? What's it about?

Tezuka: I'd say, watch s2 if you're curious and have time. It's a straightforward thriller with some nice elements to it. Freddie and Bel do take a leap in the right direction, though much too quickly, while Hector and Marnie found their way into a special place in my heart. I was surprised at how much I loved them in the end.

As for kdrama reccs, I'd like some too. Except I'm very, very picky. Hope to hear of some good ones to convert a non-kdrama viewer like me.

Right now I'm sucked into the intrigue, splendor and romance in Spanish TV's Gran Hotel on Netflix. The plot twists are sometimes farcical, sometimes schizophrenic, but nevertheless addictive as hell. I am seriously crushing over Julio Olmeda and Andres Cernudas' bromance. There were definitely some serious scenes that made me crack up though. And I love how everyone looks so good with minimal make-up. By no means historically accurate or really attentive to detail, I still think it's a good costume drama to watch if you don't mind seeing it in Spanish with English subtitles.

[Minelauva]

Ohoho, the season 2 of The Mindy Project was so good!  I remember a memorable scene with Danny / Chris Messina dancing to Aaliyah...

I'm going to try to watch Gran Hotel. I'm in the mood for this kind of thing.

Last Week with John Oliver is completely different though. It's a weekly 15-minute program from HBO I think, during which the anchorman, humorist John Oliver, discusses a topic that recently made the news. I found some of his videos very interesting and funny. I watch it on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3XTzVzaHQEd30rQbuvCtTQ

It's going to be hard for me to recommend Kdramas, since as I said, none of those I watched have stuck with me in the long term, not necessarily because they were bad but because their format makes it easy to watch the whole drama in less than a week, and I tend to forget about shows I've binge watched more easily. 
But here is the list of those I remember having watched: The Greatest Love, Secret Garden, You're beautiful, Coffee Prince, Dream High and its sequel, Flower Boy next door, Stars falling from the sky. Yes, I like romantic comedies. >.<

[Hats]

The Grand Hotel is being subbed on Viki (sucky place, I know) for those who don't have a Netflix account: http://www.viki.com/videos/1033836v-grand-hotel-la-doncella-en-el-estanque-episode-1

As for John Oliver, he sure gets a kick out of satirizing us Americans, lol. Pretty fierce and funny guy. Honestly, I don't watch the news this way because I prefer to read articles, but he has a powerful way of presenting information. I wouldn't mind saving his channel. 

[Minelauva]

I tend to keep informed mainly by reading too but when I have the time, I like listening to some radio and TV programs as a complement of information and to get some commentaries. Also, being able to talk to your audience directly makes satirical texts much more powerful and sometimes, after hearing some depressing news, I need to be able to laugh about them too. In a way, "Last week tonight" reminds me of a famous satirical french TV show that has been going on for years now. It's not always that funny but sometimes, it's hilarious. 

[Minelauva]

I just watched the last episode of Grand Hotel available on Netflix. Even though some of the plot twists are ridiculous, it's addictive. The end of the episode was so intriguing! I hope Netflix will stream the rest of the series. It makes me regret even more I didn't learn Spanish. Otherwise, I would already be watching the next episode on Youtube. :D

[Hats]

I stayed up with the ex to watch a Thai tv series on youtube called Hormones over the weekend, similar to UK's Skins. TV shows in Thailand are rife with soap operas and sitcoms, and I almost NEVER want to see anything from there, so it was a very weird experience watching something that is basically a first of its kind in the country. The show deals with adolescence and puberty, and touches on subjects that matter to teens in Thailand like sex (urp!), love, family issues, and homosexuality (urp!), and does it in a way that is neither preachy nor soapy. It was actually a teenage cousin that introduced it to me after a conversation we had about Thai entertainment. I told him how Spinsters vs. Casanovas was the first "soap opera" that took out the uber-soapy elements and tried to focus more on friendship, the working woman, being single in your thirties, and god forbid an older woman-younger man relationship (gasp!). I told him I was really starting to like what's happening to the entertainment scene there, and he suggested I see a music video for Hormones, and that sealed the deal.

But honestly I don't know what it is with Thai culture that creates these creatures of sound. I'm trying to understand it, I guess, because it is a big part of who I am. With the relatives over so constantly these days, it's been a constant battle for my own identity. They are just so loud, and most of the time make me want to retreat into my room and tape manga over my ears to block out their bullet-speed dialog.

But anyway, I'm waiting for Grand Hotel season 3 as well. I haven't watched a costume drama in a while because I just haven't had time. Even while I was watching Hormones, I was constantly nodding off due to lack of sleep.

[Minelauva]

It must be kind of awkward spending time with your ex to search for your cat. Or maybe not, I guess it depends on your relationship. Anyway, ever since I finished watching the second season of Gran Hotel, I haven't been able to really get into anything else apart from the Mindy Project. It shows how much I grew to like this show. But it's also true that the beginning of this season of the Vampire Diaries was pretty weak...

[Minelauva]

It's rather old but a few months ago, I watched Firefly. I liked it. Everything wasn't perfect, the storyline seemed to like direction, although it has its charm (and can be easily justified) but the characters were well-fleshed out and the world building was interesting. It kind of reminded me of Star Wars, but I haven't watched the movies in years. Speaking of Star Wars, I found out this summer that my younger siblings have never watched any Star Wars movie. It was kind of a shock to me since me and my brothers (the ones closest in age to me) grew up watching episodes 4, 5 and 6 on repeat. 

[Stiletto]

Girl, I’ve survived 34 years without having seen any Star Wars films. Your siblings will be alright.

Hats and I worked through the first six episodes on Youtube of Spinsters vs. Casanovas while peeling potatoes to prep for our Thanksgiving dinner, which we’re doing on the 23rd instead of the 26th because of the family’s conflicting schedules. Hats might have a lot more to say on the matter, being the critical hippo that she is, but me? I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Yes, I am an unabashed Thai drama addict. I love pairings and silliness and gag-inducing romance. But even I had to admit that the last drama I saw, Roy Fun Tawan Duerd with Nadech Kugiyama and Yaya U., was embarrassing to watch, especially when you know that Nadech was adopted by a Japanese father, but he's really Belgian-Thai, and they don’t seem to have a clue what real Japanese people are like.

Spinsters is one of the better ones this year. Rather than being a true and blue rom-com, it played out as a parody of thai soap operas. We couldn’t stop laughing.

[Hats]

@ Caro: I've seen the older SW films, but not any of the newer ones. Even if people haven't seen the film, it's so pervasive to pop culture that I doubt your siblings wouldn't know who Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker is.

As for TV series, me and the ex are starting Firefly as well!  I'm kind of afraid to invest in a short-lived series, but we did buy the movie Serenity after all, so it should feel "complete"?
 
@ Stiletto: Tsk, tsk. You don't know me very well if you think I'd be overly critical. I don't hold Thai dramas up to the same standards as I do, say, Western dramas. Have to factor in cultural differences after all. Needless to say, at its very core, the script, chemistry between cast members, acting and the comedy in Spinsters works...if you understand Thai soap references, that is. Because at the end of the day, a lot of it IS a parody of the genre, and if you are not familiar with thai lakorn, then some references will just fly right over your head.

For instance, the "leading hero always - and I mean ALWAYS - comes to save the heroine right when or before she collapses" trope.

Int., Club House, muted disco music

Maple collapses like a sack of potatoes and her friend, Walai, with her Ripped Gym Instructor Hubby rush to her side. Even though her husband could probably lift Maple with one hand, he looks helplessly at his wife.

Ripped Gym Instructor Hubby: What should we do?

Walai: We have to wait for her prince on a white horse to come!

Ripped Gym Instructor Hubby: Usually the leading man arrives pretty fast. He's even faster than the police!

The romantic scenes were surprisingly...cute too. I'm a total sucker for Maple & her adorably geeky intern Krit. They are my new crack pairing fandom. The 10-year age gap doesn't even bother me.

Krit: You should try going to a temple. My mother was just like you. She was always angry and had a bad temper, so she went to the temple for meditation. You wouldn't believe this. When she came back--
Maple (interrupting him with a tone of wonder and excitement): She became calm and serene, as if she was a whole new person?
Krit (deadpan): She's the same.

With that said, only 1-6 and 7 part 1 has been subbed. I've struggled to watch it without subs and I can assure you that the latter half bar the final episode looks like an experiment gone horribly wrong.  Guess I'm going to have to hold judgement until all the translations are out.

And I've just got one last thing to say... Are you using J's laptop, Stiletto? You are, aren't you? Damn you!