Anyone else binge-watching TV series during the coronavirus quarantines?

[Jimbob54]

Wireless Ohms! I'm sure I'll binge the new season of Bosch, but I'm not sure I could tell you the plot of any other seasons.

He's like a cross between Dirty Harry and Morse .

 

[peanuts]

watch Tiger King on netflix, its crazy

 

[GeorgeWalk]

I haven't subscribed to cable TV for more than 25 years now, and anything I watch these days is via internet streaming or downloads. Although I mostly watch movies from around the world, I still enjoy some TV series - and a couple of time a year, I will download a season and binge-watch all of the episodes over a few days.

I really like science fiction, books, TV and movies, and I watched Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker a few days ago. In spite of the criticism about it, I enjoyed it thoroughly, because I don't expect such films to be intellectually fulfilling. To me they are pure entertainment, and enjoy the epic quality of such well-produced "space-opera" films.

Then, Last night, I watched the first four episodes of season four of "The Expanse." I plan to watch three more episodes tonight as soon as I finish this post, and finish off the last three tomorrow night. I like the gritty, down to earth style of The Expanse, and I think that the interplay of human ambition, ego, frailities, and emotion is well done.

I will probably watch a couple of seasons of various other series every week for the next month or so. Any recommendations for other SyFy or fantasy series? (More of "Black Mirror" is already on my list.)

Although I am not a big fan of detective stories, I enjoyed the first two seasons of Amazon's "Bosch" series, where detective Harry Bosh has a vintage vinyl/vacuum tube stereo system that is featured as part of his "down-time" enjoyment. His system is a McIntosh MX110 pre-amp/tuner, Marantz 6300 turntable, McIntosh MC-240 power amplifier, and Ohm Walsh loudspeakers - and a classic equipment stand/credenza with LP storage. His living room (pictured below) has to be horrible for acoustics.

It is interesting that in the Bosch books, he supposedly listened to CD's, not vinyl/tubes. It looks like Amazon if going to finish up with the 7th season as the final one, so I will see what's available up until now.

View attachment 56436

The first thing I noticed in the Bosch series was the stereo! I am not sure I could live in an LA hillside house. I would be constantly concerned that a mudslide would send it and me tabogganning to the bottom.

I also love The Expanse it is an excellent series. Well cast and well written. I have binge watched it twice. I have also read the books.

 

[Thomas savage]

Yea , Picard and star trek Discovery so far.

 

[Thomas savage]

Yes, +1 for Altered Carbon. Of course if you are more a reader try the novels instead. They are even better.

A series I really liked seemed to get overlooked when released. It is "The Night of" on HBO. Really good in my opinion, most especially how the ending is done. "Beforeigners" is a recent series on HBO. A little uneven, but rather different. A situation where people show up from other times in history in the modern world. Time migrants of a sort.

And yes for anyone who hasn't do check out "Better Call Saul" to see how the attorney in Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman, came to the place he was.

On Netflix, "the Witcher" if sort of fantasy stuff is your taste. "Giri/Haji" is another sleeper of a series. Set in Tokyo and London. Then there is "Babylon Berlin" set just before WWII. "Mindhunter" is very good based upon the real events that went into the development of the FBI's profiling of criminals. Also reality based is "Unbelievable" which is quality programming about actual events. For something more light heart-ed comedy try "the Invention of Lying" with Jennifer Garner and Ricky Gervais. A world like ours, but where no one ever lies, and never does or has. Yet an out of work Ricky Gervais discovers lying is possible. He must deal with the implications of that.

I loved altered carbon , iv got breaking bad and better call Saul to watch in their entirety.

Thank god for economic oblivion.

 

[FrantzM]

We started to watch the first few episodes and it was so hard to figure out what was going on, and the pace so slow that we gave up. I think that is the last binge watching we did!

Hi

I read the Expanse books and the series are a good adaptation. I would not call it "slow" but it does take its time, IMO one of the best shows on TV .. As for Ozarks , a bit too dark for my tastes. The main characters are too clever and almost machiavelic... Yet .. I watch it, not binge-style ...

Will read more books and try to learn something else i the meantime.. Exercise more. I am one of those who need to go to the gym to work out... Have up to now, never been able to do it at home .. Forced too

Thinking about building a Linkwitz LX Mini.
Also I will try to better set up my subs for HT (all 5 speakers going ) and music (only 2 speakers) ...

Re-watch The Good Place, I like the way they present philosophy at a "street"-level. A really good show.

 

[Ceburaska]

This pig episode made me stop watching Black Mirror. I should give it another chance. The episodes before were quite nice.

Not that it matters as it is an anthology, but the pig episode is the first of Black mirror. I’m not sure I actually like it, but it is memorable. In a deeply horribly blackest of black humour manner. White Christmas, Entire history of you and Be right back are the standout episodes to me.
Forgot to recommend The Boys previously. It has a debut episode almost on a par with Black mirror. Insipid lead characters (like Altered Carbon) but fantastic antiheroes/ villains.

 

[Ceburaska]

I loved altered carbon , iv got breaking bad and better call Saul to watch in their entirety.

Thank god for economic oblivion.

I am the only person seemingly immune to the charms of Breaking Bad. Gave up around S2 E4. Well acted, etc, but I didn’t give a toss about any of the characters.

 

[Xulonn]

This pig episode made me stop watching Black Mirror. I should give it another chance. The episodes before were quite nice.

Indeed - one of the worst SciFi episodes I have ever seen. But the foundation of the series - the "black mirror" that our smartphones and tablets become when turned off - provides a great metaphor for tales of modern communications technology gone wrong.

 

[Xulonn]

Great thread guys. ASR members are indeed an interesting set of folks. I already have enough good suggestions to last me through this pandemic, but perhaps a couple more in the future!

And I do have a pile of SciFi paperbacks to read - 60 or 70 books that a fellow expat gave to me when he moved.

 

[Neddy]

I've been re-watching some older favorites:
Longmire (netflix) - quite a few seasons, and better than I'd remembered (esp for those Katie Sackoff fans)
Saving Grace ('zon) - weird, but wonderful...and reminds me a lot of someone I knew
And a few others, which I'll add to this thread as I remember them (ah... Stargate Universe was pretty interesting)
Big fan of The Expanse (fantastic on the big system!) and very glad to see another round of Bosch coming at us!
I suppose filming of the next season of Expanse is on hold in Canada due to the virus thing
Thanks for all the great tips - keep 'em coming!!

 

[FrantzM]

Not that it matters as it is an anthology, but the pig episode is the first of Black mirror. I’m not sure I actually like it, but it is memorable. In a deeply horribly blackest of black humour manner. White Christmas, Entire history of you and Be right back are the standout episodes to me.
Forgot to recommend The Boys previously. It has a debut episode almost on a par with Black mirror. Insipid lead characters (like Altered Carbon) but fantastic antiheroes/ villains.

oooh !!The Boys is good .. "dope" good.

 

[scott wurcer]

watch Tiger King on netflix, its crazy

Yes, you can't make that stuff up. I heard the show started a movement to reopen the case.

 

[Jimbob54]

So , if you can find 'em:

Deadwood
Battlestar reboot
True Detective (S1)
The Wire (but avoid the last season or two)
The Newsroom (oddly prophetic , far too preachy but S1 is good)-
Arrested Development

Now, any Anime recommendations welcomed, please.

 

[Blumlein 88]

oooh !!The Boys is good .. "dope" good.

I found the Boys disgusting, and a terrible thing to make into a series. I thought it utter garbage only more offensive.

 

[macauley86]

Chuck (Seasons 1-4) on Amazon Prime.
Awesome.

 

[Deleted member 9286]

I really liked Bosch, but would always get distracted with scenes in his apartment, stressing about how bad the acoustics would be with all that glass. My wife got sick of me pointing it out constantly. That was before I came to the forums, I’d probably break into a sweat if I was watching it for the first time now!

Black Mirror was generally pretty good (a few duds) but the last series was, and excuse my french, fucking appalling. The Miley Cyrus episode is even worse and childish than you could possibly imagine. If Charlie Brooker wrote that then shame on him.

For anyone looking for some light hearted and genius British comedy, Detectorists is a must. Brilliant acting and writing. The perfect tonic for these current times.
I’m not sure how well it translates outside of The UK but give it a try!

 

[Thomas savage]

I am the only person seemingly immune to the charms of Breaking Bad. Gave up around S2 E4. Well acted, etc, but I didn’t give a toss about any of the characters.

That's a phenomenon i have found common in TV series recently.

 

[Jimbob54]

So , if you can find 'em:

Deadwood
Battlestar reboot
True Detective (S1)
The Wire (but avoid the last season or two)
The Newsroom (oddly prophetic , far too preachy but S1 is good)-
Arrested Development

Now, any Anime recommendations welcomed, please.

Oh, and Watchmen was good. Arresting. Like The Boys done the right way @Blumlein 88

 

[WesParker]

If you'd like a crime/western type series, definitely need to watch Justified. Flew somewhat under the radar but great show.

Watching Tiger King made me very anxious. I don't live far from OK and it scares me that this was based on real people. Had extreme stress inducing dreams the night after binge watching the show.