Television thread

[Abagadro]

My wife and I watch Project Runway. I'll one-up you by saying that I also watch What Not to Wear with the missus.

[Signe]

Holly?  From Red Dwarf?  I'm confused again maybe.

[Margalis]

Holly from Make Me a Supermodel.

http://www.bravotv.com/Make_Me_A_Supermodel/season/1/photos/models.php?model=holly

I like the reality shows like Project Runway and Top Chef because I feel like I'm learning a little about something vaguely interesting. Err...I mean yes...my girlfriend forces me to watch this crap against my will...

[Abagadro]

Top Chef is great food porn.

[Rasix]

I watch Project Runway with my wife.  As a rule I don't watch reality TV because I think it's stupid crap, but my wife likes it when I watch it with her. The show isn't totally devoid of entertainment and they try not to focus on the stupid interpersonal drama.

Plus, I can always just play on my iphone or laptop through most of the show and it still counts to her as watching it as long as I catch the runway section.

[Abagadro]

I thought the flaming queens having to dress the WWE Divas last night was comedy gold on several levels.

[Miasma]

They admitted that they make up the story as they go along and that they don't have resolutions in mind. They also said (they being writers) that the numbers mean nothing and that's the entire explanation.

That's what upsets me the most about Lost, knowing that the ending is going to be absolutely terrible.  There is no way they can explain half the stuff they've done so it's either going to be unresolved, have a copout ending (Aliens! It was all a bad dream Jack was having!) or some bullshit nebulous end in which we're supposed to "resolve it ourselves".  Most likely the latter.

You just have to enjoy the ride and try not to worry about the brick wall at the end of the road.

[Ironwood]

Next you'll be telling me you didn't enjoy the last episode of Quantum Leap.

[Sky]

Eisner did not elaborate on terms of the agreement. He said he expects most of the media companies affected by the strike to have "small" write-downs as a result of the deal. Eisner said the deal was struck last Friday.

As a result of studio cutbacks, however, many of the writers who went on strike are unlikely to return to the same big-money contracts they'd had as individuals with the studios, Eisner said.

I hate businessmen. Disneycorp...ahh how I loved Disney World when I was a kid, a land of magic. Didn't realize the magic was necromancy.

(I was a Warner Bros kid, anyway)

[Merusk]

Next you'll be telling me you didn't enjoy the last episode of Quantum Leap.

Wait a sec, you did?  "Sorry bout your luck, you get to help Al but you're fucked forever. Continue jumping."  Seriously?

[Xanthippe]

Lost promised they'd tie up all the loose ends.  Instead, we get more.

I want to know about the polar bears.  Both of them.

[HaemishM]

They promised they'd tie up all the loose ends by 2010. We're only 2 episodes into the new season.

[Tebonas]

This remote island has more people going through it than grand central station.

[stray]

I just started watching it. Lucky me, I guess. I haven't seen anything too unexplainable. Still in the beginning of the second season. Sawyer's still my favorite character. Michael's an insufferable asshole.

[Yegolev]

They promised they'd tie up all the loose ends by 2010. We're only 2 episodes into the new season.

You are the perfect MOG player.

[HaemishM]

And yet I'm not playing any MMOG's. Fancy that.

No, I just haven't seen anything in the show yet that makes me go OMGZHATE!1! While I can see where other people might get pissed at the show, I still enjoy it. I enjoy the characters, the interaction, and the mystery which yes, might never be explained to my satisfaction.

I also liked the last episode of Seinfeld and hated Buffy.

[Miasma]

I want to know about the polar bears.  Both of them.

They sort of explained those in season three.  The sentient cloud of black smoke however... no, not yet, and I'm not holding my breath either.

[Lucas]

Don't worry folks.

The Writers of Lost have a VISION 

[tazelbain]

You guys are missing the point.

The Lawnmowerman has joined the cast.

[Lucas]

/rabid fanboi mode -on

But seriously: I started watching Lost last year when my ex-girlfriend gave me the Season 1 box set as a birthday gift.

The writing, the pace, the characterization, everything is just on a superior level compared to any other TV show out there. Maybe it's the greatest series of all time, seriously (Before Lost, my favorite ones were Twin Peaks and Chris Carter's Millennium)

Of course it also comes down to personal tastes with the plot, the setting and so on, but the complexity is amazing. Most of all, I like how coherent they managed to stay throughout the entire three seasons (and counting). While there are surely mysteries they created on the run, from what I understand they have a clear, big picture in mind they are following.

Or, maybe, it's just the magic turtle.

[stray]

I don't think it's that great. Good, but not greatest. Three's Company is the greatest series of all time, I think. 

One thing I don't like about Lost is how unreasonable/impatient/generally immature and shitty some of the characters get when they have a conflict of some sort. Like when Walt was kidnapped from Michael, Michael just started going off on everyone else. Like it was their fault. Jin is kind of the same way when he has a problem. Also, the pregnant girl... Total psycho bitch for the most part. Charlie's a little more chilled out, but he gets pretty unreasonable too.

Which brings me to Sawyer... If anyone has a reason to be a fussy bitch, it's him. Instead, he's just a dick, and laughing his ass off at everybody else. I like that.

[edit] Which is to say, I don't know anybody so unreasonable like that. So to me, it's bad writing.

I know people like Sawyer however.

[AcidCat]

Lost is the only show I watch. Like Lucas I was also a big fan of Twin Peaks, but that magic really only lasted one season, the second turned to crap. Lost has already lasted quite a bit longer and shows no signs of jumping the shark. Right now the main weakness of the show is just - too many characters, and not enough time to spend with all of them -  and they keep adding more. It's like, Desmond has hardly said anything yet this season - where's his future vision right now when we need it? Anyway that's just a matter of being patient and just waiting for them to get around to focusing on that character again. I'm not at all concerned about how the show will end, I'm just enjoying the ride.

[Nevermore]

I want to know about the polar bears.  Both of them.

They sort of explained those in season three.  The sentient cloud of black smoke however... no, not yet, and I'm not holding my breath either.

So how does the polar bear skeleton with the Dharma tag that's found at the archaeological dig in Tunisia fit into that explanation?

[AcidCat]

I want to know about the polar bears.  Both of them.

They sort of explained those in season three.  The sentient cloud of black smoke however... no, not yet, and I'm not holding my breath either.

So how does the polar bear skeleton with the Dharma tag that's found at the archaeological dig in Tunisia fit into that explanation?

It just means that there was a Dharma facility there at some point. Beyond that - who knows? The mystery is half the fun. It's not a show for people that want everything to make sense within one episode.

[Lucas]

Yep, I agree. The "journey" so far has been great. Regarding the ending, I just hope is coherent with what they have been showing for three seasons and with what they will show in the next three (counting the fourth one as well).

The Dharma Initiative dabbled in various scientific experiments: they could have created a facility in Tunisia, or maybe it's the result of a teleportation experiment. Anyways, what's more interesting about that scene, is the reaction of the newly introduced antropologist character (Charlotte) : when she discovers the Dharma Logo she's actually happy, suggesting that finding traces of the Initiative was her primary purpose.
-----

Finally, the pace of this fourth season has quite increased. While they keep adding more "edges" (secrets) they also make events "happen" faster.

[Signe]

I guess they increased the pace because they've cut the number of episodes and have given a set time to end.  I don't mind some mysteries remaining mysteries but not really in this sort of show.  It might be interesting and the writing might be okay (I don't think it's any great shakes, myself) but to lose control over your story like that just seems amateur, doesn't it?  I think I watch more to see how much the writers are going screw up the story (I'm not sure "story" is the right word) they have now and how many new plots they'll introduce, never to be resolved.  The show is a bit of a train wreck.

[Rendakor]

Way too many new characters in Lost this season. I hate Miles already. Needs more Sawyer, also needs more Sayid. I don't remember any explanation for the polar bears; someone PM me with it if its spoilerific?

[Evil Elvis]

There are a lot of rumors that they plan to produce 3-6 more LOST episodes this season:

http://www.collider.com/entertainment/tv/article.asp/aid/6890/tcid/1
http://www.docarzt.com/lost-news/the-strike-is-most-definitely.php

[Miasma]

I don't remember any explanation for the polar bears; someone PM me with it if its spoilerific?

Well I'm just going from memory here, it's only a spoiler if you haven't watched the third season.  In black: The Dharma research facility on the smaller island had various experiments running.  One was a modified skinner box (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinner_box) but using the polar bears instead of rats.  They were kept in the same two cages that they used to lock up Sawyer and Kate.  I assume they were released onto the other island for some reason.

[Abagadro]

Sawyer calling Locke "Colonel Kurtz" was one of the funnier things I've seen on TV for a while.

[Rendakor]

Ohh yea, thanks Miasmic.

[Sky]

On Extreme Makeover: Home Edition last night they put  a terracotta warrior in the guy's bedroom. How fucking cool is that?

Also, it's probably the best show ever made because it's doing shit the government should probably be doing for guys like that, lost his leg in Iraq, died twice, wife left him a year after he got home, raising his 4 kids in a shithole of a house that makes my ghetto apartment look palatial. I shop at Sears because of that show, it's the best advertising in the world. Only wish every network and retail outlet would start up a similar show.

Ok, back to Lost.

[croaker69]

On Extreme Makeover: Home Edition last night they put  a terracotta warrior in the guy's bedroom. How fucking cool is that?

Also, it's probably the best show ever made because it's doing shit the government should probably be doing for guys like that, lost his leg in Iraq, died twice, wife left him a year after he got home, raising his 4 kids in a shithole of a house that makes my ghetto apartment look palatial. I shop at Sears because of that show, it's the best advertising in the world. Only wish every network and retail outlet would start up a similar show.

Ok, back to Lost.

You sure this has nothing to do with Lost?

[Miasma]

A guide to what could happen to your show due to the strike.  They might be cutting lost down to 13 episodes from 16.  I don't know how they would do that unless they extend the next season though, this isn't really a show where you can just cut three episodes worth of plot...

[Zetleft]

A guide to what could happen to your show due to the strike.  They might be cutting lost down to 13 episodes from 16.  I don't know how they would do that unless they extend the next season though, this isn't really a show where you can just cut three episodes worth of plot...

Everything I've read tells me they need more of this and focusing on what they have going instead of adding new characters, could be the perfect thing for them :P