tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post2408934086297016994..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Is it just me?By Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86969476754652309732022-05-28T01:34:37.205-07:002022-05-28T01:34:37.205-07:00With payoffs like the half-season finale, BCS remi...With payoffs like the half-season finale, BCS reminds you that time spent admiring the scenery, or the mechanisms of vending machines is the teasing of a master showman making you wait. The Howard/Lalo scene was a better gut punch than the Hector/Gus faceoff. blogwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07362291687463326731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33765021550334647962022-05-27T21:22:14.871-07:002022-05-27T21:22:14.871-07:00I feel the same way about Barry. (I do not watch t...I feel the same way about Barry. (I do not watch the other show.) I have seen the first couple of episodes and am confused as ever about the foreign terrorists. I am rather bored with snobby Sally. I do not really understand the inside tv stuff. And the Barry/Fonzie story used to be interesting and now it is dull. It is like Barry has regressed to how he was before taking acting lessons.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69193258524328143932022-05-24T06:14:22.463-07:002022-05-24T06:14:22.463-07:00Looks like you have forgotten how slow Breaking Ba...Looks like you have forgotten how slow Breaking Bad was. <br />Or maybe you were fast forwarding in your binge watching.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21785375363061167622022-05-21T13:06:13.291-07:002022-05-21T13:06:13.291-07:00Pretty much since the first episodes of BCS I’ve h...Pretty much since the first episodes of BCS I’ve heard the complaint that the show moves too slow. When are we going to see Walter White and Jessie? Is going to become Saul by the end of the season? They are spending too much time with Chuck, Howard, and Kim, they aren’t even in Breaking Bad.<br /><br />For me each episode and season is too short. I’ve really enjoyed the story, the pace and yes the growing occasions of crossing paths with Breaking Bad. Super Labs aren’t built in a day.<br /><br />The slow pace has made me care about how Chuck influenced his brother, and what drives Mike. The scene where Mike talks about how his son was murdered was incredible. “I broke my boy”.<br /><br />We’ve learned a lot about the Salamanca Cartel along the way.<br /><br />Up until this year we got one episode of the “Gene Takovic Show” per year. The wait each season was exquisite. I wondered what they were going to do after a two year wait, looks we will see something at the end of season (part II).<br /><br />I don’t need extensive action every episode. I want something I can roll around in my head each week. And then it pays off.<br /><br />Mid-season finale on Monday. Looking forward to it. It’s my favorite show.<br />Rich Shealerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06349316644704593604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57025883196731567662022-05-20T19:34:25.374-07:002022-05-20T19:34:25.374-07:00My feeling is Better Call Saul is pushing too far ...My feeling is Better Call Saul is pushing too far in the direction of 'respecting the audience's intelligence' by doing away with most exposition and 'allowing' us to patiently put the puzzle pieces together.<br /><br />I say 'push too far' in that I (I like to think I'm a fairly intelligent person) am just confused and don't know what's going on in recent episodes. I've felt like I'm missing something (what is Jimmy and Kim's plot? What was Gus doing down in his planned lab space?) I have to go to fan discussion boards to help me out. I didn't know that woman in the last episode was Howard's wife till someone on a discussion board said he had told his analyst about his marriage woes in a prior episode).<br /><br />And yeah, I think this is not exactly a wise decision. Like there is something wrong with being compelling? Maybe the show had to make changes due to Covid or this is when Odenkirk had his heart attack.<br /><br />The Nacho episode was fantastic though. I'm still a fan of the show and thus far these recent issues are a blip.-beenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22822202545213844612022-05-20T15:23:29.521-07:002022-05-20T15:23:29.521-07:00I still watch Barry, but I agree with you complete...I still watch Barry, but I agree with you completely it seems to have lost its way when she becomes the Show Runner I was confused. How’d she get there so fast anyway?<br />, I love your blog and I’ll keep reading it and keep hoping that we’ll get some good television. Go back to writing that stuff. You’re the best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4789927270339343922022-05-19T21:54:34.920-07:002022-05-19T21:54:34.920-07:00Hi Jahn,
At the start of BCS, Howard was really Ch...Hi Jahn,<br />At the start of BCS, Howard was really Chuck's henchman. Trying to stop Jimmy from progressing in HHM and then sending Kim to do drudge work for her association with him. But my problem with the show is that they have been setting up this vendetta against Howard, but their revenge stands to be much more destructive than the petty torments he used to dish out to them.Rocketmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06687665000722610466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90925956606367588892022-05-19T21:49:01.389-07:002022-05-19T21:49:01.389-07:00I'm really disappointed with Season 6 of BCS t...I'm really disappointed with Season 6 of BCS too. It looks gorgeous but the plot has barely moved along for the last three episodes. We also kinda know what Kim and Jimmy are going to do to HHM and Howard but I'm just not invested in it because they've made Howard almost pathetically likeable. The weird bit for me is that there's a psychotic killer who may be after Kim and Jimmy, but they're still so invested in this scheme to stitch up Howard. I hope it pays off and the Howard storyline finishes with this half of Season 6 and let the remaining episodes deal with Lalo and the events leading in to Breaking Bad.Rocketmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06687665000722610466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30923893319344349542022-05-19T19:16:42.460-07:002022-05-19T19:16:42.460-07:00I've been enjoying Barry, but think it may hav...I've been enjoying Barry, but think it may have gone darker than it was in the first seasons. I explicitly didn't go back and rewatch the first two seasons, because I want to only sort of remember what happened, and hope that most of what's going on in the current season can stand on its own without requiring complete knowledge of what's gone before. <br /><br />I've not really liked the Sally Reed character from the beginning. I understand how she makes the show better, but wish it could be done some other way. The fact that she got her own show and is running it, just accentuates that time has passed from whenever the last season ended and this one picks up.William C Bonnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18419958146523957415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45394436772798810802022-05-19T17:51:07.013-07:002022-05-19T17:51:07.013-07:00I also dislike the dubbed version of foreign shows...I also dislike the dubbed version of foreign shows. Half the acting is in the voices, and it seems the same four people do all the dubbed voices for every dubbed show. It makes the shows completely emotionless and bland. I'd rather read subtitles and get the feel of the words from hearing the way the actors say them. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04017782778019385363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70946176238946467982022-05-19T15:49:45.172-07:002022-05-19T15:49:45.172-07:00I agree about BARRY; I watched the first two and a...I agree about BARRY; I watched the first two and a half episodes -- HBO Max crashed halfway through ep 3 and I haven't felt compelled to finish it. BCS, however, doesn't seem to have changed it's pace to me, though I do note that the episodes with commercials on AMC have run 70 minutes or more. But I'm still enjoying it, and I trust the core writing, directing, editing team Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51770654307440126032022-05-19T15:31:56.230-07:002022-05-19T15:31:56.230-07:00I LOVE Hacks. Jean Smart is brilliant and 100% bel...I <i><b>LOVE</b> Hacks</i>. Jean Smart is brilliant and 100% believable (Not that it's news that Jean Smart is a really, really good actress. No one's forgotten her on <i>Frasier</i>, and did you see her season of <i>Fargo</i>? She was great!). I've worked with, and around, and even written for, a few top-tier comics (People that include Lucy, Groucho, Berle, Barry Humphries, and several others), and Jean rings so very, very true. (Also, I'm madly in love with "Marcus.")<br /><br />I have only one issue with it: the character of "Kayla." She alone seems to have drifted in from some other, lesser, more obvious sit-com. She is not remotely believable at any level, and as a result, she hurts every scene she's in. The entire rest of the show is far, far above her. (And it does not help that 37 years ago I had a boss named "Kayla," who was a horrible, entitled bitch.)D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2564664906502301562022-05-19T13:49:09.467-07:002022-05-19T13:49:09.467-07:00Barry has been officially renewed for season four ...Barry has been officially renewed for season four today.Hollphotonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50174378586649801132022-05-19T12:40:48.379-07:002022-05-19T12:40:48.379-07:00Anonymous Dave Lennon said...
I'm not sure w...Anonymous Dave Lennon said...<br /><br /><i> I'm not sure what Howard has done to deserve the reputation tarnishing he's about to receive.</i><br /><br />I forget what "greivances" Kim and Jimmy/Saul have with Howard - but they think (have said) they can bring a more-rapid payout to the oldest/sickest Sandpiper clients. <br /><br />If they succeed with that, those clients can "spend their children's inheritance" - more of it, anyway. <br /><br />I DO recall MY "grievance" with white-shoe "ethics" - which Jimmy ignored when he solicited Sandpiper clients. I have no respect for the blanket application of that sort of $#!T.Jahn Ghaltnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49272205863561728962022-05-19T11:25:04.041-07:002022-05-19T11:25:04.041-07:00Ken, I agree Better Call Saul has been very slow. ...Ken, I agree Better Call Saul has been very slow. I hope Kim survives. I also agree that Barry is not as good,so far, as seasons 1 & 2. I haven't started season 2 of Hacks. The first season was brilliant. I have started watching The Girl From Plainville. Elle Fanning is excellent. We know the story and result but the writing has delved into the dysfunctional justice system. Lots of nuance a la The Americans. Lots of dysfunctional people. Hard to watch.Malaspinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00206739059192230548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28901321778339101512022-05-19T08:28:49.619-07:002022-05-19T08:28:49.619-07:00I loved HACKS. They avoid the cheap, lazy intergen...I loved HACKS. They avoid the cheap, lazy intergenerational jokes (i.e. old person 'can't-figure-out-newfangled-iPhone', young person 'doesn't-know-coffee-can-be-brewed-at-home' type groaners) Jean Smart's character is razor sharp and, while each character started with those generational misconceptions, we quickly saw how they learned from each other as they struggled to get outside their comfort zone. Steve Mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02072882089558326913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52529955231128562092022-05-19T00:41:38.523-07:002022-05-19T00:41:38.523-07:00The relationship between Jimmy and his brother Chu...The relationship between Jimmy and his brother Chuck contained the best story elements. The family dynamics also showed much of where Saul's personality came from. Chuck's death was an essential element to Saul's transformation, but at the same time, the show lost some momentum. The dramatic focus shifted to the drug cartel, which is not what attracted me to the show. And you're right about the pace. I'm also not too fond of watching good people get victimized. In the earlier seasons, Jimmy was sticking up for the old folks and going after big business. His scams were aimed at people who were needing to be brought down a peg. Now we're watching innocent people get what they don't deserve. I'm not sure what Howard has done to deserve the reputation tarnishing he's about to receive.Dave Lennonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25517793817587510922022-05-18T21:38:24.251-07:002022-05-18T21:38:24.251-07:00I am not reading any of this, because I'm goin...I am not reading any of this, because I'm going to binge the series once it has concluded.<br /><br />My comment. I'm sick of Hulu providing only DUBBED versions of foreign series. WTF? Netflix has done it a few times, as well. Give me the GD option of using subtitles, and hearing the actors speak in their own voices. How HARD is it to add that one option?Leightonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62749590128587239542022-05-18T18:30:06.461-07:002022-05-18T18:30:06.461-07:00I thought the third ep of Barry was the best yet, ...I thought the third ep of Barry was the best yet, with Noho Hank answering all the app questions and of course the fact that there's a Bomb app to begin with...I suspect we're heading downhill to a big climax that will set up season 4, which Hader and Berg have said is already written. austinspacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16442891248185123443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53989230067949257632022-05-18T15:59:59.292-07:002022-05-18T15:59:59.292-07:00I usually stop watching most TV shows in their las...I usually stop watching most TV shows in their last couple of years because they're either recycling plots or padding, but I'll stick with BCS for Kim. I fast-forwarded through most of the desert episode of BCS last year, and I find myself doing it more and more this year. It's especially galling when you sit through it and still don't know what happened, like when Gus was creeping around the widow's house and he looked at the label on the bottom of the acrylic thingie, which we had had to sit through the making of at the beginning of the episode. I still don't understand why he thought someone who crafted a memento would know anything about the job of the person who received it. I'm also in it for Kim. Marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69317905771257441392022-05-18T15:38:23.309-07:002022-05-18T15:38:23.309-07:00Hey Ken, a M*A*S*H question… do you know why BJ wa...Hey Ken, a M*A*S*H question… do you know why BJ was added to the opening credits after the closeup of Hawkeye, when there wasn’t a closeup of Trapper there? Was this a Mike Farrell power play (as guessed by my buddy), or just a way to incorporate the new character?Tom Asherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05403082067274425309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30853361732676567352022-05-18T14:06:46.865-07:002022-05-18T14:06:46.865-07:00"They had all this time. They could really c..."They had all this time. They could really craft something incredible."<br /><br />Maybe that's the problem. Like estiv, I was disappointed in the new season of MRS. MAISEL. It didn't really hit its stride until the bar mitzvah scene. Maybe the long layoff between seasons causes the writers to lose their edge, unlike the days when (as you well know) there had to be scripts ready to shoot every week and shows were competing for audiences and awards. BETTER CALL SAUL, etc., is not looking at the possibility of cancellation if the audience drifts away. Maybe streaming platforms are not the future after all.Buttermilk Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07430011403223875192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78630819047698099702022-05-18T14:05:19.577-07:002022-05-18T14:05:19.577-07:00Call Me Mike: Actually, I loved the ants. It was a...Call Me Mike: Actually, I loved the ants. It was also an interesting way to indicate the amount of time passing...<br /><br />Ryan E: Yes! re the Kettlemans' Statue of Liberty.<br /><br />Actually, the thing I'm least satisfied with is Kim and Jimmy's pursuit of Howard. It seems so unimportant in the grand scheme of things. But maybe that's the point. People will destroy themselves over things that really just don't matter that much.<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21817903272889409612022-05-18T13:51:07.830-07:002022-05-18T13:51:07.830-07:00I'd watch Jonathan Banks silently and methodic...I'd watch Jonathan Banks silently and methodically plotting a trap for an hour every week for ten seasons. They haven't had one of those yet this season. If they ever make a live action version of the old Sunday comic HENRY as an adult they had better cast Jonathan as Henry.BluePedalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10307466431120313073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62801709879437219492022-05-18T13:03:24.612-07:002022-05-18T13:03:24.612-07:00I DVR Better Call Saul and skip over the commercia...I DVR Better Call Saul and skip over the commercials. Every episode flies by. I also did a rewatch of the entire series leading up to the season six premiere. I also did a rewatch of Breaking Bad as the new season aired. It's been great fun watching the two series play off and now dovetail into each other. Not looking forward to the mid season break but at least we won't have to wait an entire year for the final episodes like Breaking Bad. <br /><br />You've mentioned previously how much you hate the number of commercials on Better Call Saul and it brings up an interesting question which you may have already address. The number of commercials per hour has certainly increased over the decades and as a result the shows themselves have gotten shorter and shorter. Just doing a quick online search it looks like a regular episode of M*A*S*H would be 25-26 minutes. By the 1990s a regular episode of Frasier would be 21-23 minutes. A loss of 2-5 minutes. I know some episodes of The Big Bang Theory are as short as 18 minutes. How frustrating was it to have to keep cutting scripts due to network's demand for more ads and how did that process work? Were the shows you worked on given an edict from on high demanding you cut so many seconds or minutes each episode for the whole season or did is fluctuate episode to episode such as those that aired during sweeps? Also were some episodes trimmed in post after a show had been completed to squeeze in a couple more ads? Any insight into this issue would be appreciated.Ricky Kennedynoreply@blogger.com