Fans of Television Series

[shibashis]

Breaking Bad - Season 4 .....Finally just finished, Breaking Bad SE04 ... and I am stumped, just brilliant, simply brilliant, every aspect of this show is plain awsome. So well executed, so well written, writing and performance is the virtue of this show. Every situation is dealt with ground touching reality ......it has ended so well, I could not possibly think what else would there be in SE05 .... (please no spoilers) ........

Will start SE05 tomorrow ......

Looks like I will have to start watching it soon, you compel me with your updates!

 

[nSinghal]

True, I have advocated for The Practice on this forum and will say again, this show even though is all about court room proceedings, goes much beyond that. As the season's progress you get to witness the dilemma of practitioners of law, how their moral fabric is strained to its very existence. Beautiful to watch the conflict between actual 'Justice' or the idea of it against the judicial system.

Yes. Though I did find it getting a bit repetitive in the later seasons. Same moral dilemma and predictable outcomes (scumbags goes free and decent, sometimes innocent people get convicted). But still doesn't make it not worth your time. Even though I just finished watching it, I'm still finding myself rewatching it coz its better than pretty much everything else on tv. This, lost (rewatching that one too) and The West wing are the only three shows on Indian TV I watch right now. Waiting anxiously for Boston legal to start.

 

[technobhatt]

Time to update something here...

Let me start with a preamble. Few years ago, I had watched a movie called 'A Time To Kill' which was based on trial of a black man accused of murdering 2 guys who were responsible for the rape of his little girl. This was one of the movies that made a lot of impact on my movie watching process. Before that, I was always busy watching only popular rom-com or action movies of Hollywood. 'A Time To Kill' introduced me about the importance of Jury in the justice system of USA and I learnt that judgement there is not always a judge's cup of tea, but require a conclusion from many sides and many perspectives of the society.
One more legal drama movie, that comes to my mind is "A Few Good Man"... Awesome movie!! All I remember is...exceptional dialogues of Jack Nickolson..Time to revisit this movie shortly. It's Hindi remake 'Shaurya' was also as good as the original movie is... And another Hindi movie 'Jolly LLB' which is my second favourite this year after Madras Cafe.
I am also a '12 Angry Men' fan and I remember another latest legal drama movie 'The Lincoln Lawyer'. Thus I always liked legal dramas as a genre in the movies; but never came up watching any TV series based on legal dramas.

Now, after much wait and anticipation after sam9s' rave reviews, I started watching 'The Good Wife'.
Please don't let the name fool you!
It is not a SitCom or family drama; it's a legal drama along with a political drama in the main story arc.

I would like to quote sam9s here:

The plot outline goes like this ..."Alicia (the protagonist) is shown as a good wife to her husband, she is a former state attorney. After a very humiliating sex and corruption scandal, the husband is behind bars and so she has to work not only to support her family, but also to fulfill her passion as an attorney", inturn deal with husband's arrest and peal under to what is the truth........... The show takes the same formula of having a big story that goes in the background (The husbands conspiracy in the case) that proceeds with every passing episode, and then there are cases and investigations that
Alicia's LAW firm takes on, in every episode.
TGW, take a more realistic approach, towards the cases, as it deals with the entire scenario as a law firm in totality, not only prosecuting the bad guys but also running (and surviving in this case) as a firm, which makes the top management take some really "in-favor-of-the -firm" decisions. This involves a lot of tactical politics and many layers of complex emotions, professionalism, competition and heavy in conscious decisions. All This made me really stick with the show and appreciate its worth. Any court room drama fan should simply not miss TGW.

So far, I have reached to the middle of Season 3 of The Good Wife and it's proving to be an addictive show for me
Apart from the court cases per episode along with story arc, there is the variety of characters in the show that makes it more interesting.
There is attorney-come-rape-convict-come-(Not going ahead due to avoiding spoilers), and then there is a dis-heartened wife becoming lawyer, there are teenage kids in the show, who make sure their presence is always interesting...there is a typical SAAS (Mother-In-law), but before it gives any flavor of being a family drama...there comes a political lobbyist named as 'Eli Gold'- whose role emerges from very little to little to a regular one... There is an investigator of law firm-Kalinda Sharma, who got her own style and plays an important role in every case that law firm wins or looses..
And another most interesting part is its ensemble cast in the show!!
There are different judges and each one of them is unique and sometime they make lot of comic moments with their presence.

All in all, 'The Good Wife' is MUST watch TV show!!

 

[sam9s]

Man your review made me remember and miss all the characters that I so much loved, while watching the show and later on as well. The Good wife will remain my all time top 5 fav show.

BTW, if you enjoy movies/TV shows dealing with the US justice system, (and enjoy my recommendations as well ) do not miss (if not already seen) Erin Brockovich based on true life events....... shows you dont need a law degree to understand the ethics of system and stand against what is right..... Brilliant movie

 

[technobhatt]

Man your review made me remember and miss all the characters that I so much loved, while watching the show and later on as well. The Good wife will remain my all time top 5 fav show.

BTW, if you enjoy movies/TV shows dealing with the US justice system, (and enjoy my recommendations as well ) do not miss (if not already seen) Erin Brockovich based on true life events....... shows you dont need a law degree to understand the ethics of system and stand against what is right..... Brilliant movie

Hell yeah... Erin Brockovich this is my favourite Julia Roberts movie!! Much more than Pretty Woman and all her famous RomCom movies.
Sorry Julia, I forgot to mention that...it's just that there was no court in that movie...
Do mention any more such movies if you know.
Now I feel like watching TGW everyday...

One more thing I can say about the show is...they have taken case subjects like current affairs and matters related to human-rights, international relations, America's foreign policies, post 9/11 matters etc.
And sometime it drives me to reading and learning too... Today evening, the word was 'Grand Jury'. Before that I got to read Wikipedia on 'KM Nanavati' case because I searched 'Jury System in India' and came to know jury system was there in India, but got abolished... Hell of general knowledge comes into picture...hyeah:

 

[sam9s]

Yes lots of cases, were real life examples, like I remember there was this incident where in a girl died due to over dose of an "Energy Drink" called Monster. That case was taken an example and showed on TGW.

 

[nSinghal]

Not sure how I didn't hear about this yet but Breaking Bad is getting a spinoff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Call_Saul

 

[esanthosh]

I finished 'Deadwood' a while back. It's an abrupt end to what was a promising series. I'd put Al Swearengen on top of my "TV characters I like" list.

Then there is 'Homeland'. I almost gave up on it at one point when Dana and Carrie were driving me crazy. Glad that I stuck around to watch the last 4 episodes. But, the series finale went exactly how I wanted it to, gave me closure and enabled me to drop it off my watch list next year. IF it miraculously gets as interesting as the first season, I'll be sure to get back to it.

 

[sam9s]

^^ Oh man I didnt think of even slowing down with HOMELAND forget about dumping. It was so so very engrossing and a whole new world for me. HOMELAND is my best TV series along now with Breaking Bad. Both in my top five list definately .....

 

[Rupam]

^^ Oh man I didnt think of even slowing down with HOMELAND forget about dumping. It was so so very engrossing and a whole new world for me. HOMELAND is my best TV series along now with Breaking Bad. Both in my top five list definately .....

Yeah Im also currently watching Homeland, its quiet good, but hope they live up to the last moment. How is Breaking Bad. Does it get boring ?

 

[asliarun]

Yeah Im also currently watching Homeland, its quiet good, but hope they live up to the last moment. How is Breaking Bad. Does it get boring ?

Finished Breaking Bad. What a marathon! It does get very dark and gloomy - i think in season 3. Worth seeing through to the end. Very very good script writing - probably the best I have seen outside a good movie (like, say, Lucky Number Slevin or Fight Club).

 

[esanthosh]

^^ Oh man I didnt think of even slowing down with HOMELAND forget about dumping. It was so so very engrossing and a whole new world for me. HOMELAND is my best TV series along now with Breaking Bad. Both in my top five list definately .....

I hope you have finished the third season. The first season was really good, the second was good too. But in the third, there is a 8-episode build-up and setup to the last 4 episodes (which I don't fault). To me, my reason to stick around with the show has vanished with the last episode (Why aren't there spoiler tags?).

I would rather watch Firefly for ... this ...

compared to more of ... this....

I rest my case

I am looking forward to new seasons of Justified, Sherlock, House of Cards and GoT!

 

[hydra]

I couldn't agree more about Homeland! What a let down! All I can say is, I enjoyed the long tease.

 

[sam9s]

mmmmmm ... So I presume they have completely ruined it in season 3 ....... well all I can say I will now have less expectations while watching it ..... and that might be good in a way .....lets see..

 

[technobhatt]

I too finished Homeland Season 3 tonight... (was watching every Monday/Tuesday night since the start of season 3)... and feeling disappointed here... considering how good Season 1 and 2 were
Episode 1 was a good start...really a good start... from 2 to 4... I started feeling drowsy... but at the end of 4th, some turn around happened... but then again till 9th episodes, I was bored and I thought they have ruined it... then in 10th and 11th...I thought ohh it might be back on track....


One more thing.... where the hell is the background music in this season 3 ? Specially the JAZZ music which was there in first 2 seasons... It's not like I'm fan of background music in TV shows, but I think it was really needed in few scenes which were long...

At the end of season finale... I just don't know whether I'm excited about next season at all... But I think some changes were made in season finale, considering a very crucial real-life international event happened (No.. no... that could be spoiler... So I'm not writing it)...

 

[esanthosh]

Yep, @technobhatt

The end was guessable once Saul talked to Carrie and explained the 'plan'.

The reason, @sam9s, I want to quit 'Homeland' is I don't want to sit through another 'Dexter', where it keeps going downhill, spoiling your overall impression of the series. If by end of 4th season, others are convinced it is as good as S1 and S2, I will get back to it.

<Rant>Seriously, we need mentions and spoilers. It's very difficult to write down the thoughts on movies and ongoing TV series without spoiling it for everyone</Rant>


Between 'The Shield', 'Boardwalk Empire', 'Arrested Development' and 'Six Feet Under', which one should I get next?

 

[technobhatt]

In the middle of The Good Wife - Season 4 these days...

Not writing much... you gotta watch this show for a very special character 'Louis Canning' played by Michael J. Fox... very first time I seem to watch this actor and he is amazing...
and in TGW, he's a witty, guileful and manipulative character... Doesn't appear often in the show...but he has been appearing as an ensemble cast since season 1.. I think he is the best.
A minor spoiler... the show becomes much more exciting...when Canning has the last laugh at the end of a case... ohh man, even if he looses.. he seems to win everything

He is in fact... Louis 'Cunning'

 

[esanthosh]

Michael J. Fox... very first time I seem to watch this actor and he is amazing...

You haven't watched 'Back to the Future' trilogy? Or Peter Jackson's earlier effort, 'The Frighteners'?

 

[musicbee]

I hope you have finished the third season. The first season was really good, the second was good too. But in the third, there is a 8-episode build-up and setup to the last 4 episodes (which I don't fault). To me, my reason to stick around with the show has vanished with the last episode (Why aren't there spoiler tags?).

I would rather watch Firefly for ... this ...

compared to more of ... this....

I rest my case

Very well put... though I wish we had more of Inara in Firefly.

I have yet to start with the series myself... probably will in a couple of days.

In the middle of The Good Wife - Season 4 these days...

Not writing much... you gotta watch this show for a very special character 'Louis Canning' played by Michael J. Fox... very first time I seem to watch this actor and he is amazing...
and in TGW, he's a witty, guileful and manipulative character... Doesn't appear often in the show...but he has been appearing as an ensemble cast since season 1.. I think he is the best.
A minor spoiler... the show becomes much more exciting...when Canning has the last laugh at the end of a case... ohh man, even if he looses.. he seems to win everything

He is in fact... Louis 'Cunning'

You haven't watched 'Back to the Future' trilogy? Or Peter Jackson's earlier effort, 'The Frighteners'?

Back to the Future trilogy is a must and the guy is a super actor. Also, check out...
The Hard Way (1991) - IMDb
Greedy (1994) - IMDb
For Love or Money (1993) - IMDb
The American President (1995) - IMDb (more of a Michael Douglas movie)
Life with Mikey (1993) - IMDb

PS - A couple of these movies have been made (remade) in Hindi too. Will only make you cringe at the hammy "acting" our heroes have pulled off in comparison.

 

[sam9s]

In the middle of The Good Wife - Season 4 these days...

Not writing much... you gotta watch this show for a very special character 'Louis Canning' played by Michael J. Fox... very first time I seem to watch this actor and he is amazing...
and in TGW, he's a witty, guileful and manipulative character... Doesn't appear often in the show...but he has been appearing as an ensemble cast since season 1.. I think he is the best.
A minor spoiler... the show becomes much more exciting...when Canning has the last laugh at the end of a case... ohh man, even if he looses.. he seems to win everything

He is in fact... Louis 'Cunning'

hahaha M.J Fox as louis Canning was awsome ........ he screws the firm like anything ....... enjoyed every single episode he was in, and I am a fan of MJ Fox since Back to the future trilogy days, I have not seen too many of his movies, except the awsome Frightners and Mars Attack, but I just love this guy. He also is in Boston Legal so I will be looking forward to those episodes. BL is been getting recorded on my Tatasky HD+ on Starworld HD channel so I will be starting that soon too. Its been a bit busy these days hence I am still stuck in the middle of Breaking Bad season 5 but will soon get back.

BTW in the mean time I have come across this another latest scifi TV Series
called Almost Human ...... and reviews are really good for this. I was to able to arrange the first 6 episodes so this is also on my watch list now. Just thought to share it with you all.