TV You Have Watched

[Neon Ignition]

Paranormal: Series 01 and 02
A BBC3 affair with Radio 1 presenter Sian Eleri looking into historical sightings in Wales. The first run deals with ghosts, the second with aliens and they're admittedly paper thin in terms of delving into the cases. Sian is more comfortable simply laying out the accounts and getting a vibe from them which is really the best you can do when the answers behind the both of them are pretty obviously staring you in the face. Brief and easy going though

[QualityChimp]

Finished Cross (Prime) mainly to just get it done.
I thought it was really poor, if I'm honest.

First episode sees Detective Cross walk into a suspect interview room and effortlessly get a confession. Then the show ditches that idea and makes Cross and unlikeable liability.

He's a rubbish cop, detective, dad, son, friend and boyfriend. He's an arse to everyone he knows and acts ridiculously unprofessionally every time he's investigating the case, which also stretches plausibility as the show trundles on.

We also watched Day of the Jackal (NowTV), which was a lot better.
It's a bit confused because it's not really clear who you're supposed to be cheering for with both sides using brutal methods to achieve their ends.
Some fun sniper action and detective work, but ultimately I enjoyed the old film more because the Jackal is such a mysterious enigma, rather than an unbelievable family man.

Worth checking out as it's got some lavish locations for its espionage thrills.

Also watched some Jonathan Creek (iPlayer), which has had its first episode without Caroline Quentin, which I'm fine about, as she was a pretty rubbish friend.

Now, it's going to be all about THE TRAITORS!

[QualityChimp]

First 2 eps of The Traitors done, so now I have to wait for the next one to drop, argh!

[Atticus]

We're two eps into The Traitors too. First time ever watching the show. It's good! I get the hype.

And four eps into Dexter Original Sins. I never expected it to reach the heights of the heyday of the original show and of course it doesn't. But it's easily good enough. Really enjoying it so far.

[Neon Ignition]

Me watching the first episode of The Traitors Series 03

[QualityChimp]

We're two eps into The Traitors too. First time ever watching the show. It's good! I get the hype.

It's so good! People seem to turn their nose up at it because they think it's reality TV or people being horrible to each other, but it's not like that.
It's like that first series of Big Brother, where it had people from all walks of life, rather than people who just wanted to be famous.
From a psychological viewpoint, it is fascinating, see how allegiances are formed and how facts are ignored when friendship is on the line, also how the slightest thing can be taken out of context. "I could murder some food" becomes "You said you could murder!".

The UK show is my fave, as it's normal people, but the US/AUS shows have reality TV alumni so it plays differently.
However, that means that every series is different. I'd say each finale has been different but the Aus S2 ending was phenomenal.

It's proper "watercooler TV" that you want to talk about with people.

[Atticus]

It's so good! People seem to turn their nose up at it because they think it's reality TV or people being horrible to each other, but it's not like that.
It's like that first series of Big Brother, where it had people from all walks of life, rather than people who just wanted to be famous.
From a psychological viewpoint, it is fascinating, see how allegiances are formed and how facts are ignored when friendship is on the line, also how the slightest thing can be taken out of context. "I could murder some food" becomes "You said you could murder!".

The UK show is my fave, as it's normal people, but the US/AUS shows have reality TV alumni so it plays differently.
However, that means that every series is different. I'd say each finale has been different but the Aus S2 ending was phenomenal.

It's proper "watercooler TV" that you want to talk about with people.

Yeah, it's great that the shows from other territories are available too. I think it's very likely we'll catch up on S1+2 of the UK series after this one at the very least. Right now though it's nice to have an appointment-to-view tv show, watching along with the nation. I do miss that feeling in this streaming age a bit. Also, as it's our first time watching we have absolutley no idea what to expect Although I assume there'll be a few twists for established fans too.

[QualityChimp]

Yeah, it's great that the shows from other territories are available too. I think it's very likely we'll catch up on S1+2 of the UK series after this one at the very least. Right now though it's nice to have an appointment-to-view tv show, watching along with the nation. I do miss that feeling in this streaming age a bit. Also, as it's our first time watching we have absolutley no idea what to expect Although I assume there'll be a few twists for established fans too.

I'd recommend also watching "The Traitors Uncloaked" with Ed Gambles as he's a massive fan of the show, it's pretty funny and you get to see the players when they're not in game mode and some of the traitors have come across as lovely, when they really play the part whilst in the house.

100% agree about being able to watch as it drops - it's harder for people to spoil it, too!

If you do watch the other seasons (which I really recommend), don't Google anything remotely close because you'll get spoilers.
Oh man, you're in for such a treat. If you can watch it with people, it's even better, just be prepped with the pause button because you'll want to chip in all the time!

[Finsbury Girl]

Finally got around to finishing The Gentlemen series. Overall I enjoyed it, though I'm not sure how long it will be able to sustain itself. The arc about trying to extricate oneself from a bad situation is for me far more interesting than the building/expansion of a new empire. But let's see how season 2 goes.

I'm also up to episode 8 of Landman - I am still enjoying it but much like with Lioness there are some character arcs that feel far too contrived and choices made don't seem to fit the character as they have been portrayed thus far. Anyway despite this, there is a lot that is keeping me interested. Hopefully the last 2 episodes contain enough of a payoff.

[fuse]

re: Traitors. The drum I kept banging with the first two runs was that unlike in similar shows (The Mole in particular), traitors and faithful alike had the exact same objectives within the confines of the tasks, meaning traitors had no incentive to act any differently, and faithful had nothing to really observe to help them work anything out. I exhaled "FINALLY" out loud when that first task of S3 came up and suddenly there was actual connectivity between the tasks and figuring out who traitors were. I am pleased they have done this!

edit: still don't like the 'breathy covers' soundtrack though

[QualityChimp]

re: Traitors. The drum I kept banging with the first two runs was that unlike in similar shows (The Mole in particular), traitors and faithful alike had the exact same objectives within the confines of the tasks, meaning traitors had no incentive to act any differently, and faithful had nothing to really observe to help them work anything out. I exhaled "FINALLY" out loud when that first task of S3 came up and suddenly there was actual connectivity between the tasks and figuring out who traitors were. I am pleased they have done this!

100% agree with this.
It was never a deal breaker, but it felt like 2 different shows sometimes where everyone is working together in the day, then eliminating at night.
I remember one episode where a traitor was saying in the to-camera section they were really happy they'd worked together to succeed a task, then a bit deflated that they had to then "murder" someone later.

Loved in S3 how one traitor was trying to give the wrong answer on a challenge, but Kas was convinced he knew the right answer, which he did, then almost put the pieces together, but this was all ignored by the time of the roundtable and he was the one under suspicion.
I definitely think there's some psychology behind a faithful being convinced someone is a traitor, because it can't be proven otherwise until they're eliminated.
Absolutely has parallels with real life events choughbrexitcough.

Apple TV+ was free this weekend, so I absolutely caned S1 of Severance.
I suspect that if I was a paying Apple TV user, I'd have enjoyed the slow-burn of the episodes that gave the story, characters and even setting to breathe.
However, as someone rushing to get through it, some episodes felt like a whole lotta nothing. The first episode sets the scene and the final two episodes finally give some meat, but only enough to lead into a cliffhanger for S2!

The criticism is mine and this enforced deadline, but I definitely had Lost vibes where they stretch stuff out.
However, I really enjoyed it and loved trying to slot the pieces together, but it still managed to catch me out with a couple of twists at the end.
I particularly enjoyed the setting with secret control rooms, vague tasks being completed on archaic computers and liminal spaces full of endless corridors and stark colours.

So yeah, if you have Apple TV, this is well worth checking out, ready for the second season at the end of January.

EDIT: Forgot to say, I convinced the missus to watch S1E1 of Gangs of London (NowTV), which I'm well-happy about. She could cope with the OTT violence as she saw it as cartoonish, but the show is so much more than that as the various players try to outmanoeuvre each other and when that fails, get brutal. S3 drops this year, so I highly recommend watching this. I think E5 is the best action television I've ever seen.

[Neon Ignition]

Amphibia
Looking for something new to watch with the kids we've swept our way through all three seasons of this show over Christmas, nearly 100 episodes. It follows Anne, a 13 year odl girl who is transported with her two friends to a frog filled alternate world and has to find them and a way back home. The first season is very episodic with humour that is absolutely on point, the second starts to bring in more arcs as these shows tend to whilst the third dials the humour down a lot and builds to its grand finale. Much, much stronger than expected with some great subtle and really on the nose nods to Gravity Falls also.

[Neon Ignition]

The Traitors: Australia Season 02
Haven't watched the first, skipped straight into the second run and binged it once we noticed the UK version only runs three nights per week. For me the mid-section of this run was the best, of the three series I've watched this was the closest to having someone who came across actually quite villainous, just far too much ego along with self-delusion of intellect. The amount that self-awareness was lacking was only overshadowed by and sadly gave them the impression of being much better at the game than they actually where by the absolutely staggering level of incompetence of the faithfuls. Just, legendary ability to firmly snatch defeat from the jaws of victory again and again.

[QualityChimp]

The Traitors: Australia Season 02
Haven't watched the first, skipped straight into the second run and binged it once we noticed the UK version only runs three nights per week. For me the mid-section of this run was the best, of the three series I've watched this was the closest to having someone who came across actually quite villainous, just far too much ego along with self-delusion of intellect. The amount that self-awareness was lacking was only overshadowed by and sadly gave them the impression of being much better at the game than they actually where by the absolutely staggering level of incompetence of the faithfuls. Just, legendary ability to firmly snatch defeat from the jaws of victory again and again.

Have you finished, this?

Absolutely astonishing finale.

Went from shouting at the stupidity of the faithfuls to finally relishing their ineptitude.

Phenomenal TV.

We caught up on The Traitors Uncloaked in the absence of new actual episodes until Wednesday.

[egparadigm]

Have you finished, this?

Absolutely astonishing finale.

Went from shouting at the stupidity of the faithfuls to finally relishing their ineptitude.

Phenomenal TV.

We caught up on The Traitors Uncloaked in the absence of new actual episodes until Wednesday.

Yeah the contestants on this were so easily manipulated it was ridiculous. The ending was sublime as the villain

->Open Spoiler<-

wildly underestimated his police officer co-conspirator’s sense of justice. He seemed totally unable to comprehend the choice that she made, which will hopefully teach him a life lesson in the long run. Assuming he’s not capable of this, however, I hope no one who’s seen it will trust him an inch.