Must Watch Series

[Buehler445]

All this talk about series, how network TV Sucks, and how hard it is to find quality shows, and some excellent shows that fly under the radar, I need a comprehensive review of all the series I need to see.

For good entertainment, I would be willing to buy DVD sets. But I've recently picked up HBOGO by kiping it from my parents, and recently got Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Here is a listing of shows that I currently own or have seen all the episodes of. If it isn't on the list, just assume I haven't seen it.

Spoiler!

Great Shows – Must See
Game of Thrones
Mad Men
Longmire
Burn Notice
House
Spartacus
House of Cards
Justified
True Detective
Breaking Bad
The Assets
The Wire
Sherlock (BBC)
The Americans
The Walking Dead
Deadwood
Netflix: Daredevil
Jack Taylor
Luther
Bosch

Good shows
Travelers
Ozark
The Leftovers
Conviction
Medici
The Last Kingdom
Firefly
Dollhouse
The Good Wife
Hell on Wheels
Big Bang Theory
Falling Skies
Suits
White Collar
Agents of SHIELD
Arrow
Boss
Rome
Orange is the New Black
Orphan Black
The Knick
Goliath (Amazon)
Iron Fist
Show Me a Hero
Hell on Wheels
Shooter

Mediocre
Robin Hood (BBC)
Vikings
How I met your Mother
Scrubs
Chuck
That 70's Show
Top Gear
Graceland
Hung (HBO)
Gotham
Conviction


Crap
Camelot
Top Shot
Defiance
Legends of Tomorrow

Here is a listing of shows that I'm currently watching

Spoiler!

Great


Good
Boardwalk Empire
Westworld

Mediocre

Crap

Here is a listing of shows on my list to watch (mostly due to this thread)

Spoiler!

The Sopranos
24
Fargo (missed getting it on the DVR )
Band of Brothers
The Pacific
The Comeback
6 Feet Under
John Adams
Battlestar Glactica
Friday Night Lights

I work a ****ton, so it is hard for me catch a series while it is on to get it on the DVR, but I recognize the entertainment value and am willing to go after the Must See shows. Accordingly, I'm not necessarily looking for anything that is still running. I'm up for watching stuff that has run its course.

So what say you, Planet? Which shows should I see?

UPDATED for the shows I've seen recently.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by BigBeauford

Dang BL, just finished Episode 9 on Season 6 of Bojack. This might be their best season so far. So many feels.

'The View From Halfway Down' got an Emmy nom.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Newest on Perry Mason - so ready for this

Anybody watching this? I just got caught up. My god episode 6 was tremendous. Just really ****ing good TV.

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Anybody watching this? I just got caught up. My god episode 6 was tremendous. Just really ****ing good TV.

great episode

[KCUnited]

Pretty much grew up on Perry Mason. Its my dads favorite show in the world and he still watches it on one of those TV Land type channels. I was a bit leery of it as a result but knew HBO would make it quality and it is. Look forward to it every week.

Every fella needs a Della.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Every fella needs a Della.

Indeed sir.

[MelGrif]

My list of must watch tv series includes:
The Big Bang Theory
True Detective
The Umbrella Academy
The Last Dance
Ozark
Also I've recently found The Stranger in the kodi addons library. I've watched only three episodes, but I like it.

[TwistedChief]

I hadn't been sold on Perry Mason until the last few episodes, but they've been terrific. The show is really hitting its stride. Can't wait for the finale next week.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by TwistedChief

I hadn't been sold on Perry Mason until the last few episodes, but they've been terrific. The show is really hitting its stride. Can't wait for the finale next week.

So the finale was really goddamned good. I sat down there thinking, "OK, there is an hour left. I honestly have no ****ing clue what's going to happen."

The only minor quibble I have is,

Spoiler!

It's actually a pretty easy case to make. The failure to stop a crime isn't a crime.

But whatever I get it. And I'm not a up on my 1931 legal precedent. So I won't quibble too much.

The acting in this was just superb. Rhys absolutely destroyed every second of every scene he was in. Juliet Rylance (Della) also crushed it.

Spoiler!

When he takes the crack at her being gay and she looks right through his ass was really ****ing powerful.

That's just incredible acting. Not production, not music, not cuts or editing, not dialogue or writing, just pure acting emotion. What could have been just a throwaway moment hit like a freight train and also made

Spoiler!

her comment later about if we're going to work together we need to be able to say abominable things to each other."

really mean something and add depth.

Whigham (Strickland) really did a great job too. He didn't have a ton of play, but the episode working really relied on him expressing things right and he did a great job. I really loved watching him work in this series.

The ending wasn't what I was expecting but really goddamned worked for me.

Hopefully California opens back up and they roll out Season 2 timely.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

So the finale was really goddamned good. I sat down there thinking, "OK, there is an hour left. I honestly have no ****ing clue what's going to happen."

I was really looking forward to the finale but I have to say, I was very disappointed with how the story was concluded.

It's common knowledge that Perry Mason only lost one case in his entire career during the original run and since that episode originally aired in the early 60's, I knew that they were "boxed in" and couldn't show a true loss.

Spoiler!

I also felt that Sister Alice's story arc wrapped up way too predictably convenient, as did Perry's relationship with Lupe and the relationship with Lili Taylor's character and Emily Dodson's.

I'm sure I'll watch Season 2 but it's not something I'm anticipating or excited about.

The best hope from Season 2 is that the overall story arc is better written and less predictable (outside the fact that Perry can't lose a case in this series).

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I was really looking forward to the finale but I have to say, I was very disappointed with how the story was concluded.

It's common knowledge that Perry Mason only lost one case in his entire career during the original run and since that episode originally aired in the early 60's, I knew that they were "boxed in" and couldn't show a true loss.

Spoiler!

I also felt that Sister Alice's story arc wrapped up way too predictably convenient, as did Perry's relationship with Lupe and the relationship with Lili Taylor's character and Emily Dodson's.

I'm sure I'll watch Season 2 but it's not something I'm anticipating or excited about.

The best hope from Season 2 is that the overall story arc is better written and less predictable (outside the fact that Perry can't lose a case in this series).

I never watched any of the old Perry Mason iterations so maybe The expectations I had aren’t shared by many. I really came in fresh. I was excited because I’m a Rhys fanboy and am a sucker for 30s Hollywood (which it wasn’t).

Regarding Alice,

Spoiler!

Not sure what you’d want. They made it clear that she was unaware that it was a ****ing hoax the whole time. So the options I see are she runs away or goes back to the sister Alice character. The dialogue and acting there coupled with the growth from the sexual assault noise from the last episode lent itself to a really satisfying arc IMO.

Regarding the two mothers

Spoiler!

Makes good sense that Taylor’s character would go back to the huckster life. Plenty of precedent for it. And I didn’t necessarily need to see the mechanics of the fall of the church. That would have just taken away from scenes I enjoyed. As for Emily Dodson, the ending isn’t one I expected but it is a nice fit. She chose to live the life of a fraud with an adopted kid because that is probably her best shot at getting to raise a kid. Worked for me.

I’ll fully acknowledge that I’m the least creative dude in the room and other more creative dudes could come up with better endings but it was really good IMO. It would have probably been horrible with meh acting but the performances really sold it for me.

The other thing that really stuck with me was

Spoiler!

The turn on Holcomb being a bigger bad than Ennis. They did a good job of pushing the good cop innocent guy Idea through the series. And even though in hindsight, sure should have seen it coming but it did work for me.

I Dunno. Maybe I’m just a simpleton but it hooked me.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I never watched any of the old Perry Mason iterations so maybe The expectations I had aren’t shared by many. I really came in fresh. I was excited because I’m a Rhys fanboy and am a sucker for 30s Hollywood (which it wasn’t).

I watched Perry Mason all the time as a kid. Everyone I've spoken with that has also seen the original series were either disappointed with the new HBO series or just couldn't get into it because the original was completely different, especially the way he was portrayed by Matthew Rhys.

I was expecting something more along the lines of Bosch meets LA Confidential meets the Golden Age of Hollywood, but it's really difficult for me to reconcile this 8 episode version of Perry Mason vs. the original Perry Mason that I saw on more than 200 episodes of the original series.

Holy crap, I sound like an old fart. Yeesh.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Holy crap, I sound like an old fart. Yeesh.

What’s it like to walk around with half a ****ing brain? What ****ing fishwrap pays you?!...


. . . .


I’m fine, I just wanted to ask that question.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

.

Holy crap, I sound like an old fart. Yeesh.

It’s been happening to me a lot lately....

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

What’s it like to walk around with half a ****ing brain? What ****ing fishwrap pays you?!...


. . . .


I’m fine, I just wanted to ask that question.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

It’s been happening to me a lot lately....