you’re not allowed to say The Sopranos though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT7Yj3eYx3U
The Leftovers is the best drama I’ve ever seen. 2% of the world’s population suddenly disappears and the series follows the psychosocial collapse of society in the wake of that. The acting and writing are above any other HBO drama and should have won every main performer a dozen Emmys. The way it handles its religious themes from an absurdist standpoint is extremely compelling and unique. It feels like the polytrauma of living through COVID but they anticipated that by a few years.
Spoiler scene:
spoiler
One of the characters is an Episcopalian priest who parallels the biblical story of Job. His wife has a catastrophic brain injury from the rapture, his church goes bankrupt because he can’t explain what happened, and a cult takes it over before driving him out of town. He goes through the full ringer of humiliation and defeat before finding himself on a ship with a guy handing out business cards claiming to be god. His entire world has collapsed and the priest is so fucked up by this point that he confronts the man with an axe. It’s such an amazing dialogue that really sums up what makes it such a good show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0KHjAJXDv4
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Venture Brothers is easily my favorite show.
The Good Place
I legit think of that long quote about waves in the last season way more than I should. Or why there’s a dot in Jeremy Bearimy
Legion is really good.
Also super obvious but Andor.
I loved Legion all the way up until the end of season 2. The finale just felt like such a rush to make him into an obvious bad guy. I get that he is in the comics, but they spent the better part of two seasons showing him mostly as the good guy. There were some definite questionable things he did, but I didn’t buy the slide from good guy with some issues to outright villain. I don’t know if they just didn’t have enough time to fully show that descent, but it really soured me. I gave up after two episodes of season 3. Although, I will say it was still worth the ride, the cinematography, effects and overall style of the show is absolutely fantastic. I probably still will finish season 3 someday, but it’s not high enough on my list to make it a priority.
True Detective is the greatest show ever made
the real heads, the true of heart, watch all 4 seasons
Although I did lowkey kind of hate 4. I was extremely in for Jodie Foster, a strong female focus in an isolated macho place, a story about indigenous culture etc. But fucking hell, the whole thing felt like it was written by AI.
Rewatching Avatar the Last Airbender with my kids. I don’t think there has ever been a more perfect cartoon series.
Midnight Mass. it’s far and away the most incredible thing Netflix has ever released, and it is only 7 episodes.
Seconding midnight mass. You shouldn’t google anything about it. Even knowing the central premise is almost a bit of a spoiler since it’s such a slow burn.
Yeah, going into Midnight Mass almost blind is a special experience.
I’d put Godless in that camp too, although I do prefer Midnight Mass when it comes down to it.
Dark. It’s on Netflix. I don’t want to say anything about it because I want you going in blind. It’s really good, though. Bring your 4-dimensional thinking to the game.
Completely agree. It’s a slow burn, but genuinely one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.
Common Side Effects - Adult Swim show attempting to take a fantasy scenario about the pharma industry to its logical conclusions
Wolf Hall - BBC Masterpiece series from the perspective of Thomas Cromwell, who advised King Henry VIII throughout his reign.
Pee-Wee as Himself - 2 part documentary about Paul Rubin’s crazy life.
Barry - Batshit insanity about a hitman who decides to become an actor in LA.
Second for common side effects, that’s the most engaged I’ve been in a show in years
What We Do in the Shadows
Trailer Park Boys. Julian is the looks, Bubbles is the brains, Ricky is the wildcard.
Mobland, it’s not particularly clever but the entire cast nails it
Andor- what if Star wars but political (good)
HBO’s Rome- what if game of thrones but with history’s greatest man children
Star Trek lower decks
deadwood
I’ve only watched one season of White Lotus but it captures bourgeois social pathologies like nothing else I can think of. Except maybe Succession.
How to With John Wilson - guy goes around New York filming a documentary on whatever he found more interesting on that particular day
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