Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The Best of Excellent Television

Of all the TV shows we watched, which one was your favourite? (you can include the episodes we saw earlier from “Freaks and Geeks” and “Enlightened” in the ones to choose from)


When you choose your favourite, comment on what makes the show interesting (characters, how it is filmed, the story and so on). Be specific and defend your choice of favourite.

3 comments:

  1. That’s a hard question! I like various shows for different reasons: “Rectify” for its slow pace and interesting subject matter; “Freaks and Geeks” because of its spirited teenage atmosphere; “Enlightened” for its humanity; “Nine: Nine Time Travels” for its uniquely Korean way of presentation; “The Walking Dead” because it provides a test of stressed out humans in an alien world. You might note that I left out “True Detective,” a show that sinks deeply into my consciousness every time I watch. It’s rare that any show makes me turn to my wife and say, “Whoa! What was that?” That feeling came back to me again while watching the series premiere with you last week. “True Detective” is unique in its complexity. I found myself paying closer attention to small details—the crosses, the views of the Louisiana bayou, the way we were introduced to Marty’s wife!—more the second time through. The jumping back and forth in time that took place several times in the show felt to me seamless. Maybe it was the changes in hair styles and smoking habits, but I never felt lost in the narrative at all. Since I had only just finished watching the eight part series, it is remarkable to think that I would happily watch it all again based on seeing the pilot with you. This new form of TV, where name actors commit to a story that can be done in a single season, is becoming more popular (the show “Fargo” on FX is another example) and, if “True Detective” is any example, we are in for some great new shows on TV!

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  2. I liked all the shows we watched in class,the Korean TV show was interesting and entertaining.To pick my favorite is easy " The Walking Dead".The concept of the world going to hell because of a zombie apocalypses is secondary .Rick Grimes and his crew of ordinary people facing life changing decisions are the real appeal for me.Each one of the main characters are important to how the story is told , equally aside from Rick they are all expendable.The Walking Dead writers shock the viewers by killing popular and long standing characters then introducing new interesting ones that help the story line get even more interesting.After watching the pilot episode i had to watch the first three seasons again on Netflix ,I am a true W.D. fan and am excited for the next season to start.

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  3. I liked ‘True Detective’ the most. After we watched the pilot episode together in the class, I searched to watch all other episodes in my home.
    Rust is the most important and impressive character in the show. He is the heart of ‘True Detective’. From the surface, he seems like a sick pessimist, but he is the most capable and sincere person. Even in all of those bad lucks, he is still righteous, and there is consideration over his cold face. Especially, his low and dragging southern accent contributing this as a noir film.
    The place and the time are also attracted my attention. 1995 is not too far but not too close year to me. It is adequate time to me to remind my young days, and this quiet side of Louisiana reminds me much, too. Those are makes me focus on the show. It feels like there could be that kind of cases happening often even to me. Smoking in the building, cases closed with no clue and many of men of power slipped out of the eye of justice during those days in Korea, too.
    For the last, the most enjoyable part of this show is the contrast and the harmony of Rust and Marty. Puritanically living Rust and promiscuous Marty is the contrast, and maladjusted in organization but superb interrogator Rust and well-adjusted but poor skilled detective Marty is the harmony. Compound of them is really good because they are the exact opposite, but on the contrary they are too similar. That is the most interesting part of this show I suppose.
    ‘True Detective’ is a very sharp and impressive show in a long time of my experience of watching American TV shows. Many of shows are grinding on too many seasons and ending pitifully, but this had made me smile and cry for only 8 episodes.

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