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General => Movies and TV => Topic started by: bout to crash on August 05, 2011, 06:15:12 PM
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I could've SWORN there was a thread already, but I can't find it. I just finished it after a marathon of about two weeks or so and I feel like babbling on about it :D
This is just such a beautiful TV show. Yes, there are certain storylines I've never been a fan of and some seasons are weaker than others, but STILL. It tackles so many important things, most obviously death and not taking one's life for granted. I always cry my fucking eyes out during the last episode seeing the deaths of these characters whose lives I've invested so much time/emotion in... but I also feel like it adds, as I described to a friend, some oxygen to my "carpe diem" spark. It makes me grateful for what I have, what I've done... and also evaluate where I am and where I'm going. It makes me ask if I'm living my life in the way I want to be and if not- what can I do to change that? Life is so fucking short... and after finishing it about an hour ago, despite doubts and anxieties I often have, I do feel happy with the way I am living my life- my decisions, the people I am surrounded by (both in body and spirit), and so on.
But enough about me. Since it's fresh in my mind I want to share...
Some of my favorite deaths/funerals:
"Eat a peach" guy
"Drive to his own funeral" guy
Hardcore Christian woman who thinks loose helium-filled blow-up dolls are angels and runs into traffic
Guy who dies laughing in his partner's arms surrounded by friends/family
Porn star electrocuted by her cat in the bathtub
The Santa Claus biker funeral
Other things I love:
The occasional Ruth outburst
Billy's bipolar freakouts
The ecstasy in the aspirin bottle
Tons of gay sex
Shit in the mail
Aunt Sarah and Bettina
Joe (he's so adorable; why does Brenda have to be such a dumbass?)
Things I hate:
Brenda's mom
The Rico/Infinity storyline
Okay, that's it for now :p
Discuss.
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I've only seen the first 3 or 4 episodes, but what I remember seeing it was very good, I just never remember to pick up the DVD, nor can I really afford it. :sadpanda:
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I started watching this earlier in the year, I got through about a season and a half but I had all of the episodes on my laptop and the power adapter for that bastard crapped out. Naturally I never got round to replacing it. I just use my desktop now and I have some kind of mental block preventing me from downloading something I already downloaded. Especially since it is sitting on my laptop which just needs a new power adapter. So until I get a new power adapter (or get over my irrational mental block.. Yeah right.. :lol) I guess I won't get to finish it.
From what I have seen though it was a pretty amazing show. They certainly weren't afraid of tackling controversial or hard hitting material and I found that it really puts your own mortality in perspective, the opening scenes particularly. It shows how fragile we are with some of the ridiculous ways people die. (Particular reference to the cat/bath/pornstar scenario) I'm also a bit of a sucker for dark humour and if there's one thing this show has in abundance, it's dark humour, so I guess I was bound to love it.
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this show's on my list to check out, but it's behind finishing catching up on Breaking Bad, Deadwood, and probably Sons of Anarchy
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I didn't put any spoilers in here since it's apparent some people here haven't seen it.
I'm currently watching the series for the third time (I'm on S3E11). It's my favorite series ever due to the easily unmatched emotional connection it creates. I managed not to cry the first time I saw the finale, but it look everything I had to hold it back. The second time I got through the series, I thought the emotion impact would be lessened because I've already seen it before, but I ended up blubbering. It's literally the only piece/moment of entertainment that has ever made me cry. Nate is my favorite character of all time, and I think Peter Krause had the best TV performance I've seen. What I think is so great about all the characters on the show is that it's not always easy to understand them and they always remain multi-dimensional because the characters don't understand themselves, which is something I don't believe has been done so consistently, and with so many characters, in any other show.
I have a hard time remembering individual moments, so I'll just rank the seasons:
1. Season 5 - The most emotionally intense writing on the show
2. Season 1 & 2 - The best writing on the show. No flaws.
3. Season 3 - Starts off a little bit dull, but it REALLY picks up around episode 9
4. Season 4 - Not a fan of David's situation in this season and how it turns him into such a wife.
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What I think is so great about all the characters on the show is that it's not always easy to understand them and they always remain multi-dimensional because the characters don't understand themselves, which is something I don't believe has been done so consistently, and with so many characters, in any other show.
Amen! And I think I pretty much agree with your season rankings.
I think this is probably the 4th or 5th time I've watched it (which includes when it originally aired) and it never gets any easier! Although there are some things I want to fast-forward through.
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I have seen a few of them. Started watching it because of James Cromwell (?) aka Zephram Cochrane :D
The episode where Michael C Hall's character was held hostage by the hitch-hiker was pretty good acting-wise.
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It's a fantastic show, one of the best ever on TV. I watched it on original release on HBO, and I would love to own it to re-watch it now. But like all of the other best shows ever, it wasn't really about what it seemed to be about (a funeral home), but was rather about the relationships between the various characters and how they developed over time. Simply incredible. Although I must admit that David pissed me off almost every episode and I wanted to slap him around. Easily the only character I didn't really care for. But even he had his moments.
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Really? David did do some annoying stuff but I love him... and I feel for him in a lot of ways.
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I had HBO when this first aired and enjoyed it at first. Then the show just seemed to try harder and harder to be edgier and take the plots to extremes and it just became dull and stupid to me. I think I stopped watching around the end of season 2 or beginning of season 3.
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I've been avoiding this thread because I was watching the third season when it was posted, but now I have finished the series and I have to say I've never invested so much emotionally in any other show.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Nate's death was almost like having someone die in real life. I didn't even like his character so much (he's pretty much an asshole), but after 5 seasons he (and other characters too) felt almost real. I have spent the last two episodes crying and the finale has left me completely drained. It doesn't help that I'm not in a good mood lately for personal troubles.
By the way Hef, I think David was the shows best character by far. He's the best actor, the most complex character and the most realistic imho. Scenes like when Keith and him are told that Anthony has a brother and Keith agrees to meeting him make him the absolutely most lovable character in the show for me.
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Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you said. I also invested so much that the characters felt real to me. When I'm in the midst of watching it and I'm out with friends or something I'm sure I annoy the shit out of people talking about it... and every once in a while I'll go to tell a story like it happened to me and then I remember it happened on SFU :lol
And yeah, the last two episodes also drain the fuck out of me every time. The energy in the family is just crazy. But I love Nate and don't think he's an asshole (usually). But yes, David and Keith = :heart
I also love Claire's character because I can relate to her in many ways, as much of an asshole as she can be later on. And don't even get me started on Ruth :D
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I hope no one minds that I am reviving this thread, but I was looking for somewhere to talk about this show as I just finished watching it for the first time just a few days ago. I couldn't agree more with the OP; it's such a beautiful show and I was moved by the ending like nothing I've ever watched before. Everything about the ending was perfect in my opinion. There were a few episodes here and there that were a tad boring and I was so antsy to watch the finale because I had heard so many good things, but now I'm kind of depressed that it's over and hadn't realized how attached I became to the characters until the very end. Hopefully this sparks some more discussion on this truly amazing show :tup
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I got around to watching this show just last year. I was prepared for disappointment with the finale because I'd been hearing for years that it's one of, if not the best, series finale of all time. Usually when something gets hyped up like that it's disappointing even if it is good because you allow your expectations to get too high and it becomes almost impossible for something to live up to those expectations. However, the ending to this show despite all of that did not disappoint me at all. On the contrary, it is one of my all-time favourite series finales now and I wouldn't begrudge anyone saying it's the best, because it just might be.
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It totally is!
Hooray for reviving this thread. I totally forgot I started it back in the day :lol
I've been considering re-watching it again, but I just have so much other shit I want to check out and it's such a time investment. I will watch a couple episodes here and there occasionally but it's been a while. A year or so ago I got a friend in NJ to watch the whole thing, and when he got to the last two episodes I told him to let me know and I would watch it "with" him- we texted back and forth while watching and it was fun.
I just realized something: Rico... fell into Infinity :neverusethis:
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I know what you mean; there are a lot of shows that I've been meaning to watch (new & old), but it can be hard to find the time. Rico really did fall into Infinity, that little weasel :lol … his character was comical in the last few seasons. Now that I've had a few more days to absorb that powerful ending, I'd have to say that Nate and David were easily my favorite characters. The writing for these characters was impeccable, and Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall were brilliant throughout the show. I'll miss these characters dearly, which is why I'm already thinking that somewhere down the line I'll end up watching the entire show all over again. :tup
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Yeah, you really do end up missing them!
I was talking to a friend about the show and one thing I find interesting is that we see SO much of Nathaniel Sr. through the eyes of his family, but it's all other peoples' projections and ideas about him. I love his character, but I really don't know who he is. I believe it was Nate who said at some point "You can never really know anybody, ever," and it's sort of true. He was their dad/husband but he turned out to still be sort of a mystery.
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Yeah, you really do end up missing them!
I was talking to a friend about the show and one thing I find interesting is that we see SO much of Nathaniel Sr. through the eyes of his family, but it's all other peoples' projections and ideas about him. I love his character, but I really don't know who he is. I believe it was Nate who said at some point "You can never really know anybody, ever," and it's sort of true. He was their dad/husband but he turned out to still be sort of a mystery.
That's a great point about Nathaniel Sr.'s character and I think you're right about Nate being the one who said that line. It's pretty hard to disagree with that if you really think about it. I've questioned how well I even know my own parents at times and I'm closer to them than anyone else in my life really.
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Yeah, it's kind of crazy when you think about it. I mean, I feel like a completely different person than I think I'm viewed in a lot of ways. People say "You're so ____" and it's often a quality I don't see much in myself, or a quality I'm very good at faking, stuff like that. It's interesting.
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*scrolls down and posts without reading a thing*
I finally started watching this show and I am hooked! The first two seasons were totally awesome; I couldn't get enough. I am currently five episodes into Season 3, which has seemed kind of slow so far; it doesn't have that "OMG, I have to keep watching" vibe about it, but I am hoping it will pick back up. I have read that most say this showed stayed consistent to the end, so I have faith. :coolio
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I have read that most say this showed stayed consistent to the end, so I have faith. :coolio
Well, it stayed at a high level until the end.
Personally, I thought it did dip a little the last two seasons, but it absolutely made up for it with perhaps the greatest series finale episode in the history of TV.
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I've heard that said. It'll be tough to top the finale of Breaking Bad, which was the perfect climax to the best thing ever, but we shall see. I will probably avoid this thread till I finish, as I don't want people to have to tip toe around me with spoilers since that isn't fair. I'll be back. :biggrin:
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Well, as you can see it's not a very active thread :lol
hef- we were JUST talking about this! Weird.
Anyway, I think it sorta dips in seasons 3 and 4 but it is 100% worth sticking with for various reasons. I need to watch it again...
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The death of Lisa. Holy crap. I literally sat there in stunned silence for hours while that arc played out over several episodes.
Still trying to avoid spoilers... :lol :lol
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The carjacking episode... :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek
:eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek
I don't think I've ever been that nervous or terrified watching anything in my entire life. Holy crap.
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The carjacking episode... :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek
:eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek
I don't think I've ever been that nervous or terrified watching anything in my entire life. Holy crap.
That's one of the best episodes on the entire show :tup It really comes out of nowhere and is nothing like any other episode in the series. I just got done watching the series for the first time a few months ago and thinking about that episode makes me want to watch it again :lol
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Oh man, thinking about that episode makes me NOT want to watch it. So terrifying. Poor David :|
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The carjacking episode... :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek
:eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek
I don't think I've ever been that nervous or terrified watching anything in my entire life. Holy crap.
Yeah, I remember that.
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That's a great episode. It's go od to see SFU getting the appreciation it deserves. No other show has ever affected me anywhere close to how this one did. I still remember how incredibly drained and satisfied I felt when I finished he show. Only to rewatch it two more times after that, with a similar feeling each time. Such a great show, that cannot recieve enough praise.
I'll forever miss my family dinners with the Fisher family (and guests). Enjoy, Kev!
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I dipped in and out of this show. I mainly started watching due to James Cromwell ( Zephram Cochrane ;) )
I thought the episode where Michael Hall's character gets kidnapped was well acted and quite moving.
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The follow-up episode had one of the most touching sequences I have ever seen:
-David breaking down to Claire and telling her what happened
-Claire telling Nathan he needed to come back to working with David ("He'd do it for you.")
-Nathan coming down unexpectedly during a wake and standing next to a surprised David, leaving David looking so relieved and fighting back tears, while Nathan looked like the proud brother who realized how much it meant to his brother.
Fantastic writing, and tremendous acting. I already thought Michael C. Hall was awesome thanks to Dexter (see: my avatar :lol), but his acting in this is off the charts. :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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Yeah, he's pretty amazing.
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I am well into S5, but I was kind of disappointed with the whole brother-in-law angle in regards to Lisa's death that they threw in at the end of S4. Considering the concept of the show is how death can be so random and unexpected, I thought it was neat that they killed off a major supporting character in such a random way, since that kind of stuff sadly happens in real life (people up and disappearing for unexplained reasons), and then the whole Hoyt thing was them walking it back a bit, while still leaving it somewhat ambiguous, but with the strong implication that he had something to do with her death. It felt a bit too cliched, which this show rarely seems to far into the habit of doing.
I also am not a fan of the whole George going crazy/depression storyline.
But, all in all, I am still loving this show, and can't wait to see how it ends. :coolio
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So yeah, that finale...
I literally have no words.
:hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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:hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
Pretty much.
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I was not surprised by Nate's death. After the close call at the end of S2/beginning of S3, and given the concept of the show, I figured he would die at some point during the show (as opposed to after it, if you know what I mean). The way they did it was awesome, though, and the burial scene, where the family takes turns throwing dirt on him after lowering his body into the ground, was quite literally the saddest bit of fiction I have ever seen. The acting alone there of Michael C. Hall was absolutely soul-crushing.
Back to the final sequence of the show, if that does not get to you, you have no soul.
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I actually thought from very early on that the show might end with Nate's death and funeral in the same way that it began with their father's, in a "cycle of life" kind of way. So when that happened a few episodes before, I was left thinking "how is it going to end now?" :lol
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I thought it was cool that pretty much every episode began with a death, but the last one began with the birth of Nate and Brenda's daughter.
I also liked the fact that Claire was the focus of the final sequence. While I am guessing she always got as much screen time as Nate and David, you always got the impression that she was number 3 at best in the pecking order of "main characters," so it was cool that she was the center of attention at the very end. I thought the whole art school storylines were always neat.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crh01jusdcc
:rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin
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I thought it was cool that pretty much every episode began with a death, but the last one began with the birth of Nate and Brenda's daughter.
I also liked the fact that Claire was the focus of the final sequence. While I am guessing she always got as much screen time as Nate and David, you always got the impression that she was number 3 at best in the pecking order of "main characters," so it was cool that she was the center of attention at the very end. I thought the whole art school storylines were always neat.
Agreed. Also yes, the whole burial scene is amazing and I also got tired of the George going crazy storyline. But still, totally worth going all the way!
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Indeed it was!! :hat
I am glad Claire did not end up with Billy. I never liked the teases about them possibly getting together, and when they finally got together at the end of 4/beginning of 5, I rolled my eyes big time. I know his character wasn't mean to be likable, but most of the time when he was involved in a scene, I couldn't wait for it to end.
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I think Billy is hilarious until he gets creepy. That scene where he won't put clothes on because he can't find his Ski Iraq shirt cracks me up... and the way Brenda dies, with him talking :rollin
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I guess for me, any time Billy was there, it was just a matter of waiting for his inner creep to come out. :lol :lol
Now, Brenda's mom, she was freaking gold. Every time she did or said almost anything, it was both inappropriate and freaking hilarious.
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Oh man, she is funny but I fucking hate that woman. Toward the end where she throws Maya's monkey aside, I want to tear her face off.
She does utter one of my favorite lines in the show though: "Ruth, it isn't the fifties anymore, no matter how you dress." :rollin
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LOL, that was a good one. :lol :lol
She's one of those 'if you knew someone like her in real life, you'd hate her guts, but as a character on TV show, she is great" characters. Like Dwight Schrute.
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Yeah, I agree but still want to tear her face off.
edit: In other news I've been strongly considering restarting the series soon...
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Do it. :coolio
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I think I've got my younger brother hooked on this now. He is pretty busy in general, but he has banged out most of S1 in two weeks. :tup :tup
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Funny story: I got my oldest brother hooked on it a few years ago. He had knee surgery, so he was mostly stuck at home. I gave him the box set and he blew through it pretty quickly. One night I came over and we ended up watching an episode together. It happened to be the episode where Brenda has that creepy dream about Billy- you know the one I mean. Later when I was leaving, my brother was like "Well... I'd give you a hug, but I still feel a little uncomfortable." I think we ended up shaking hands :lol
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LOL, that is hilarious! :rollin :rollin
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Yeah, and my brother being the King of Inappropriate, he will occasionally make jokes about it and call me Brenda :lol
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And you bark at him, right? :lol :lol
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:rollin, I should start doing that!
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And make that your latest, greatest gif file. :hat
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Just finished it for the first time tonight. Fucking amazing
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Indeed.
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Just finished it for the first time tonight. Fucking amazing
Amazing finish, wasn't it?
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Yeah, and I sure as hell couldn't hold the tears back. I thought the inclusion of all the character deaths at the end was unexpected, but necessary. Now I know why it is regarded as one of the best endings to a series ever. Looking back, it's hard to tell who my favorite character was. What I love about it though is there are times when I really disliked certain characters, but loved them at other times.
Examples..
Season 2 Brenda was pretty unbearable for obvious reasons, but she became extremely likeable for me later in the show.
Nate was easily my favorite from the start of the show, but near the end, I questioned a ton of things he did.
I think if I had to pick a favorite character, it would be between Nate or David. David really had some big moments later in the show, with the car-jacking, his panic attacks as a result, and the burial scene with Nate was just absolutely heartbreaking. I've only seen a few shows in full (Breaking Bad, Lost, Luther), but I'm certain this is my favorite show. None of the others has ever gotten me so emotional before.
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Great show! I read somewhere that the last 10 minutes of the show was considered among the best ending to a show.
I love the ending song and purchased on ITunes. The song fits the ending so well.
Also, was it this show that was a first for the director or producer and some people thought the show would not make it.
Kev, I have to say that every time you post something, I can see Dexter's attitude and witty come backs.
Do you think they could bring Dexter back as a sequel or movie?
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Slightly off topic, but I would like to get into Dexter. After watching Six Feet Under, I really have become a big fan of Michael C. Hall and seeing a show primarily revolved around a completely different type of character of his would be awesome. I saw the pilot episode a while back but never saw beyond that. I heard it kinda goes downhill after a while but without giving any spoilers, what would you, those who have seen it, say about it ?
And the last line in the series is resounding: "You can't take a picture of this, it's already gone."
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Kev, I have to say that every time you post something, I can see Dexter's attitude and witty come backs.
Do you think they could bring Dexter back as a sequel or movie?
I can't see it. The odds would be too great of them botching it badly.
Slightly off topic, but I would like to get into Dexter. After watching Six Feet Under, I really have become a big fan of Michael C. Hall and seeing a show primarily revolved around a completely different type of character of his would be awesome. I saw the pilot episode a while back but never saw beyond that. I heard it kinda goes downhill after a while but without giving any spoilers, what would you, those who have seen it, say about it ?
I would say watch the first four seasons and stop after that. Seasons 1 and 2 are two of the best seasons of television ever, 3 is very good, and 4 is pretty great as well. It goes downhill after that, but without giving spoilers, they could have ended it after 4 and it would have been a great way to end it.
And the last line in the series is resounding: "You can't take a picture of this, it's already gone."
Ya know, I never thought about that, but that is pretty freaking cool. :coolio
We are obviously not counting the stuff we could sort of hear during the montage at the end (like Billy still talking about Claire when Brenda dies :lol).
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Oh god, Brenda's death is kind of hilarious but also depressing because you know she's been listening to that shit for all those years. And yeah, I've always loved that line from dead Nate to Claire. I can't even think about the end of this show without tearing up, to be honest. I still feel like the goddamn Fishers are part of my family.
Looking back, it's hard to tell who my favorite character was. What I love about it though is there are times when I really disliked certain characters, but loved them at other times.
Totally. They're very real characters. Sometimes you love em and sometimes you hate em (in addition to what you mentioned, Claire gets super cunty for a while).
Also, not sure if I have said this before but I can see a bit of myself in all of the major characters. I've always identified most with Claire and Nate but I've got bits of David, Brenda... even Billy :lol
I'm not sure I can choose a favorite though I fucking adore Ruth the more I watch it.
Also, was it this show that was a first for the director or producer and some people thought the show would not make it.
It may have been the first thing Alan Ball directed but he was definitely involved with TV and movies before SFU, like American Beauty :heart
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Ruth was such a neurotic nutcase; always entertaining to watch!
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Exactly. She's just so... cute :lol
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Ruth has a very contagious smile and laugh. Her quirkiness is so awkward and I love it. I was glad to see her and Claire make peace at the end of the show, they couldn't stand the sight of each other for a bit :lol
Oh, and let's say, out of the main cast, which excludes Brenda's awful mother...who was the least favorite character?
For me: Rico. Before I started the show, I already liked Freddy Rodriguez, but he turned out to be my least favorite of the main cast. He was pretty much a selfish prick the whole time who only seemed to care about money.
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Claire gets super cunty for a while
Phrase of the day
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:hat
I agree on Rico as least favorite major character. Yeah, the money stuff was annoying but culturally I think it was where he was coming from. Sure Vanessa worked, but he was supposed to be the one providing for the family and had an image to uphold, that sort of thing. The story line with Infiniti was really what peeved me about him, and what a super cunt SHE was. Ugh.
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Plus, he had the dumbest moment in the history of the series when he admitted to his wife that he slept with the stripper. "I didn't sleep with her until last night after you kicked me out." (might be a slight paraphrase). Idiot. :facepalm: :lol :lol
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Well, I wouldn't want that shit hanging over my head either so I can't blame him for admitting it, but that whole "relationship" was just maddening. I wanted to fast forward over those scenes the last time I watched it.
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Like what was he even thinking. I honestly didn't think he would be one to do that because of how faithful he had been but I guess he just cracked at some point with Vanessa's depression and distance. Still no excuse to hook up with a random stripper he meets :lol
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His admission was basically a plea that "hey, I wasn't cheating on you when you thought I was...but I am now." :lol :lol :lol :lol
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Yeahhh :lolpalm:
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I've seen differing opinions on the timing of Nate's death in accordance with his female relationships.
Some think Nate was always nothing but a selfish bastard who would have torpedoed the relationship with Maggie before long because that is what he does.
I actually take the stance that Nate was a guy who had finally found someone he really connected with, on more than just a physical level. When he came out of his coma, he looked very at peace and had just a genuinely warm smile and disposition, one we had never really seen out of him before (except when he was faking being at peace when married to Lisa), when he had that last conversation with Maggie...and then he dies. The message, of course, being, you only live once, so don't dick around trying to make yourself truly happy because you never know when it will be too late. Some might call that a heavy-handed way of looking at it, but that is how I took it.
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I can agree with you.
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I thought it was interesting that they chose an actress to play Maggie who wasn't particularly attractive. I mean, Tina Holmes wasn't ugly or anything, but she kind of had that homely look about her; not the kind of gal you would imagine a guy like Nate going for. And I think that was the point.
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She kinda had a big nose. But Brenda did too really :p
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Maggie was kinda cute. I don't find Brenda particularly atrractive, despite the titties. Nate and I clearly have differing tastes in women. I do find Lili Taylor adorable, though.
Interesting theory. I do think he and Maggie had something special, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't have gotten screwed up eventually.. but that doesn't matter since he died before that could happen. He was happy, as she said. That's all that matters, I guess.
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Glad Claire finally found a good guy. I thought Russell was the guy but he started acting really desperate and clingy and weird. Ted, the lawyer, I figured was just another douche at first but turns out he was an alright guy.
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Maggie was kinda cute. I don't find Brenda particularly atrractive, despite the titties. Nate and I clearly have differing tastes in women. I do find Lili Taylor adorable, though.
Brenda's titties never stood to me as anything special. ???
She was the classic example of someone whose personality made or broke her attractiveness. When she was portraying herself as confident and self-assured, she was sexy as hell; when she was down and mopey (see: most of Season 2), not so much. Confidence goes a long way.
I can never get past Lili Taylor looking white trash, probably because Ransom was the only thing I had seen her in for the longest time. That aside, even though I wasn't overly fond of the Lisa character, the way her death played out was still absolutely stunning.
Glad Claire finally found a good guy. I thought Russell was the guy but he started acting really desperate and clingy and weird. Ted, the lawyer, I figured was just another douche at first but turns out he was an alright guy.
Russell always had that kind of tortured, depressive, self-loathing, self-destructive thing going on. I thought they were doomed from the start. :P
As for Ted, their relationship would have been doomed as well, but Nate's coma and eventual death brought them together. Given the way they were fighting at dinner when Claire got th call about Nate being in the hospital, Claire would have written him off as another asshole guy the second that date was finished otherwise. :lol
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This show is still hitting me. My friend Ashly is flying through the show. She finished Season 4 in like 2 days. I think she's on Season 5, Episode 3 now.. I can't wait till she sees the end. She said she's not one to get very emotional with TV and movies but I have a feeling this might catch her off guard.
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Aww, Ted.
You know who I loved?? Joe. Brenda fucked that up so badly. When he runs naked from his apartment to hers :lol :heart
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Joe was great. I like him as an actor too. He plays I guess the main character in The Leftovers. Joe was a cool guy. Eccentric, and he really loved Brenda. Oh well. He sure didn't hesitate to say fuck it, I'm out after he saw Nate and Brenda on the couch :lol
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See, I do not like Justin Theroux as an actor AT ALL. His voice always sounds so monotone that any character he plays seems to come off as emotionless and sterile, IMO anyway.
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Eh, I think he's fine as an actor. And cuuuuute. Especially holding a french horn.
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I like his monotonous voice thank you very much. :lol
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I figured I'd be alone on that one. :lol
Nate: "Did you know Claire was high on crystal meth the night Dad died?"
David: "Isn't that an elephant tranquilizer?"
:rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin
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:rollin
I always laughed at the little things between David and Keith. :lol
(https://i.imgur.com/COaX1fN.gif)
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Whenever David and Keith fought or argued, it was almost always hilarious.
I remember the scene where Keith says he "accidentally" slept with Celeste.
David: "What, were you walking by and accidentally fell in her vagina?"
:rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin
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:lol, that was good. I love them together. That time when they weren't together was lame, though that guy David dated was super adorable.
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For quite a bit of the series, I was actually rooting against them staying together, as Keith always seemed too mean and angry for a meek-mannered guy like David, but when it was all said and done, them ending up together worked for the sake of the overall story.
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My friend just finished this, and yeah, she got emotional. :)
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What is your favorite 'death' that they showed to begin the episodes?
Mine is the inflatable dolls accidentally being released and the lady wrecking thinking it was the rapture
Also the lady killing her non stop talking husband with a cast iron skillet.
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It's hard to remember them all, but the pilot stands out for me. I went in to watch having no idea what the show was about, except that it was about a family that owned a funeral home, so when the dad was killed five minutes into the first episode, I was wowed and sucked in right away.
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True, that was sort of unexpected :lol
I agree with In Case of Rapture being one of the best deaths. Also Eat a Peach. And the guy who drives himself to his own funeral. I fucking loved him.
Oh oh, and the gay guy who dies laughing surrounded by his partner/friends who are all ripping on an old movie. I kinda wanna die like that.
The death itself wasn't the best, but the biker Santa was probably my favorite funeral.
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Not that the porn star's death was one of the best, but the wake was hysterical, with the one guy crying while talking about how much he loved getting head from her, and the look on Ruth's face when she heard what they were talking about. :lol :lol
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Oh yeahhh, I forgot about her! Her cat knocked a radio or something into the tub and electrocuted her, right?
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Some of those were so ridiculous. The guy trying to reach for the paper or whatever and falls out and runs himself over :lol
The girl laughing so hard she falls off the bed and kills herself. :lol
Kinda scares me cause after watching SFU, I'm making sure everything I do isn't some kind of death hazard
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Well I think that's part of the point- it doesn't matter WHAT the fuck you do. There's always a risk, and you're gonna die no matter what.
Yeah, the newspaper one is pretty ridiculous. That was Nate's high school friend, right? Sam Hoviak?
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Completely avoided the rest of the thread but I just started watching the series and I already burned through 7 episodes tonight. I love the dark comedy aspect with the fact that it does family drama at a pace can actually enjoy and appreciate.
Also did HBO just recently release all of their series On Demand or am I just behind? I'm not talking about HBO Go but the HBO you get with a cable subscription. I hope it lasts a little while because there are definitely some other shows I wanna burn through.
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I watch all things HBO on HBO Go, so I am not sure about On Demand.
I actually just started rewatching some of this series, so the timing here is ironic, orcus. ;) It's great from beginning to end, so enjoy. :hat
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I have another friend hooked on this now :hat
I've been meaning to rewatch but not yet. I told him I may want to watch the last few with him at least.
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I'm a little spoiled knowing the finale is supposed to be absolutely top notch but I'm really enjoying this so far. Part of the fun for me is guessing how everyone gets offed at the beginning of each episode.
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Also did HBO just recently release all of their series On Demand or am I just behind? I'm not talking about HBO Go but the HBO you get with a cable subscription. I hope it lasts a little while because there are definitely some other shows I wanna burn through.
I have their On Demand through cable. They usually have a lot of stuff, but they've never had EVERYTHING available. In fact, they rarely have more than a single season of anything, except sometimes in the past they have put up all previous episodes of any series getting read to come back for a new season.
If they've done it now, that would be a first, but I haven't checked it recently.
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Looks like all shows available until 12/31.
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Cool. Which provider are you with?
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Fios
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OK. I'm with Time-Warner Cable. It may be slightly different from service to service.
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Started Season 3. Holy shit what a start but that episode and the next episode have a lot of light and bloom so I'm not sure if I'm seeing things or if the show is trying to make this a dream sequence from here on out.
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It's cool to see this show still picking up plenty of new followers so many years later. It deserves it.
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Fuck yeah!
Orcus, I always tell first-timers that things get a bit weird in 3 and 4 but stick with it!
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I haven't had much luck in that regard.
My brother started watching shortly after I did and got through like a season and a half pretty quickly, but then got really busy with work, put it on the back burner, and has never gotten back to it.
My cousin watched two episodes and said it didn't grab him at all.
I've mentioned it to a few other friends, but none of them have HBO Go.
Oh well.
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I'm about a third of the way through Season 3 but Lisa seems batshit enough where I wouldn't be surprised if it is revealed later on that it's not Nate's child at all and that the whole thing was setup because she was jealous of Brenda. Soap operaish cliche but I wouldn't put it past her character.
One thing the show is doing that a lot of shows seem to do is the story is at a point where you have main characters that the writers really have no idea what to do with so they set them up with completely new characters just for the sake of screentime. Like I don't give a shit about what Ruth and her sister's friend are doing on a day to day basis because it's insanely boring, just show me more of the other characters. I don't expect it to get to Twin Peaks Civil War storyline level of terrible but I wish more shows had the balls to not show main characters for chunks of episodes/an entire season if the storyline doesn't really require them.
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I know what you mean. I never found the stuff with Ruth and Bettina that interesting (even though Kathy Bates is always great), and I was totally bored with a subplot involving George late in Season 4 (you don't know who he is yet, orcus, but me saying that doesn't spoil anything), but you can't hit it out of the park with every character's major and minor storylines.
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Absolutely but I wish showrunners would just tell lead actors/actresses "look, we really don't need your character this season since we really want to focus on this and this" instead of just shoehorning scenes in for them that have no bearing on the overall story. All shows seem to do this during the middle parts of their run for some reason.
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But, they do have a bearing on the overall story. Four of the seven central characters on this show are family, so their lives are always going to revolve around one another's at some point or another. If we didn't see one of them for a while and then they just showed up when something major happened, then that would feel shoehorned in.
Plus, by seeing them every episode and what is going on with their lives, we, the viewer, feel more of a connection to the character, rather than not caring as much about character who isn't around at all because what was going on in their lives wasn't the most interesting at the time for a viewing standpoint.
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I totally agree, Kev. Certain storylines do get boring/weird, but it would feel weirder if there was just no Ruth for half a season. There are definitely parts that could have been written better, but I don't think it's a mistake to involve the whole family most of the time.
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Lisa is driving me crazy. Aside from my bitching before about sidestories I'm not minding the Ruth/Dwight interaction at this point.
EDIT: YES, LISA IS DEAD. I dread that I have the George storyline though.
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The death of Lisa is still one of the most amazingly written things on the show. Instead of being a quick death or something many saw it coming, it was an unexpected slow burn over the course of several episodes. Terrific writing.
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I'm halfway through season four and I may be alone on this but I sort of miss the quirky dead-person-of-the-week aspect of the show from season one. I like/tolerate the character building aspect of the show depending on the storyline but the whole concept of the show brought me in and it's slowly turning into just another drama show with no real character.
It just confuses me that they still have the introduction dead person but spend almost zero time on why that person is important to the show. The episode that hooked me was the gang member that got shot in like episode 4 and talked David through toughening up. That was great.
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I don't remember the death intros as well as others do, but it does seem like over time, less emphasis was placed on that dead person having that "interaction" with a main character (that was always meant to be their internal struggle). I suspect doing that became less important as time went on, but opening each episode with a death was one of the show's trademark, so they stuck with it. I had no problem with it.
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Season 5 here we go.
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5-9: :|
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Like a punch to the gut, wasn't it?
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It was a bit shocking but due to how everything happened in previous seasons I wasn't surprised. Interesting they didn't end the show like that and the next episode. Episode 5-11 is starting to feel like an epilogue more than anything so I'm interesting to see how they wrap everything up.
One thing I don't understand is that how come David doesn't just straight up tell anyone "I'm having hallucinations of that guy who carjacked me" especially when it's fairly obvious that something is not right with him. I'm sure his family would understand at that point why he's been acting so crazy and would be relieved that there is some sort of explanation.
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I think it's pretty normal for somebody not to tell that they're having hallucinations, for fear of being seen as crazy, hospitalized, that kind of thing.. the implications for one's life, family, etc. are pretty heavy. I don't think you can say you wouldn't handle it the same way unless you've been there.
I'm going to watch the last three episodes with my friend Tuesday, so I've watched 3/4 of the ones leading up to that at home in the last few days. About to see Nate die later :'(
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Ah damn that finale really got me. Fantastically done.
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Yup. Just cried my eyes out at episode 9, now I wait til Tuesday to rewatch the rest.
Although it's tragic, there is something really beautiful about Nate sort of finding his peace and then dying.
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I tried to hold it together during the final sequence but when they showed Ruth and it clicked what they were doing I just lost it and it really hit me again when they were showing the photos/artwork on the wall during Claire's part. The only extended sequence I can think of that affected me that much was the opening sequence in UP.
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It was a bit shocking but due to how everything happened in previous seasons I wasn't surprised.
Yep, after his near death at the end of 2/start of 3, I kind of figured that Nate would die before the series ended, but it was still stunning and soul-crushing when it happened.
One thing I don't understand is that how come David doesn't just straight up tell anyone "I'm having hallucinations of that guy who carjacked me" especially when it's fairly obvious that something is not right with him. I'm sure his family would understand at that point why he's been acting so crazy and would be relieved that there is some sort of explanation.
Along with Jackie's explanation, which make perfect sense, I will add, too, that it is important to remember that Claire is really the only one who knew the extent of what David went through. He never really told anybody else how bad it really was. And really, he only told Claire because she just happened to come home that one night right after he had a panic attack. Opening up to family about things in his personal life was never David's thing.
I tried to hold it together during the final sequence but when they showed Ruth and it clicked what they were doing I just lost it and it really hit me again when they were showing the photos/artwork on the wall during Claire's part. The only extended sequence I can think of that affected me that much was the opening sequence in UP.
I had a similar reaction. That realization of "Wow, this is how they are ending it" was very powerful.
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Jackie, how did your friend react to the finale?
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He loved it! He got emotional, I think. I was sitting on the edge of the couch crying but trying not to let him see :lol
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Been re-watching some of this again, after HBO ran them all last weekend and I DVR'd the bulk of them, and I have a new appreciation for certain characters.
Russell - that actor did a great job of playing the tortured artist who was never happy and always found a way to hate himself.
Olivier - such an utter douche, but so good. That scene in the bar where he and his art buddy comically argue with each other in front of Claire and Russell is so awesome. "I would rip your dick off and force feed it to you if I didn't think you'd like it!" :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin
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Yeah, he's such a douche but I love him. I actually saw that actor in a terrible movie last night (Tiptoes) and laughed my ass off :lol
And you're right, Ben Foster does a great job as Russell. Have you seen Freaks and Geeks? He plays Eli (the retarded/special kid) in that and does an excellent job.
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I don't think I've ever seen him in anything else.
The more I watch the SFU reruns, the more Claire becomes my favorite character.
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I don't think I've ever seen him in anything else.
I've seen him in Contraband, 3:10 to Yuma and Alpha Dog (besides Six Feet Under of course). Sometimes it takes a bit to recognize him, he's pretty chamaleonic.
Hopefully I'll see the Warcraft movie soon too, he's there as Medivh.
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Along the lines of the Claire/Russell again, I think the last episode where we saw him, really summed their whole relationship all up in the three scenes he was in:
1) He talks to Claire and Ted, and comes off as the kinda crazy artsy guy, talking about how he got hit by a car and ninjas.
2) Claire runs into outside of the bathroom, and with her anger towards him now gone, she is very kind to him, sensing the soft side of him that is still there, and finally apologizes for not giving him credit for the collage thing that got her a showing at a gallery. Touched, the scene ends with him kissing her on the cheek and hurrying away.
3) Finally, minutes later, Russell tries to physically dismantle Jimmy's 7 foot lollipop, acting totally crazed, giving Claire one final reminder of how crazy he really is.
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:lol yup, I love that part!
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I've been trying to get my brother and sister into this and they say they will get to it but keep putting it off. I guess it's fair though because they tell me the same for Game of Thrones. But they've shown me a lot of shows, it'd be nice showing them something for once :lol
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Well, it's kind of a big commitment!
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True, but a commitment that you will forever be thankful for. :biggrin:
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Start watching GoT.
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I think as soon as I finish Daredevil I'm gonna get on it. I watched the first half of Season 1 a long time ago and loved it but I just got behind and you know how it is. Years pass.
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I do, in fact, know how it is.
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Just started season 3. I remember picking up the DVDs for seasons 1-2 four years ago, but never really getting into them. But now with streaming and them being free with Amazon Prime and the insistence of my friend, I picked it up again last week and have been going through them at a good rate. Season 2 was fantastic, and the final 3 episodes alone were awesome.
I know how the show ends because I remember my aunt talking about the show a few years back. So far, I'm really enjoying everything. There was a sequence at the start of season 3 where David was getting ready to have sex with Keith, and he was brushing his teeth, flossing, and using mouthwash and I couldn't help but think how that little string of daily routines would come back into play for Michael C Hall in the Dexter theme. I thought it was funny. I find glimpses of Dexter sometimes, like when David threatens the Kroehner guy in season 1
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The best part of that scene was when Nate goes, "Where did that come from?" And David is like, "I think I am going to throw up." :lol :lol :lol
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:lol Nate's reaction was perfect during that part
There was another scene that I saw the other day that made me smile. It's when David and Claire get high before her graduation and Nate's surgery. It was a lighthearted moment in a dark episode and both play their part so well.
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Yess, love those parts! I need to rewatch again soon...
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Watching the finale.
I gotta say, season 4&5, I really hate Rico. He blames everyone but himself for everything. Somehow it was Vanessa's fault that he cheated and expected her to take him back like nothing happened and the demanding to talk about the business right after Nate died.... I loved his character to start, but now he irritates me
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I was never much of a fan of Rico. By far the least interesting character of the main seven, and not very likable either. As much as the writing on the show was almost always great, I thought the way they put Rico and Vanessa's marriage back together was a bit too contrived.
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Yeah, Rico wasn't all that interesting to me. Sympathized with him a few times early on but really felt detached and lost respect for his character as the show went on. Glad he ended the show on a more positive note but definitely the least interesting of the main characters.
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Rico was one of my favorites up until the whole marriage/Vanessa thing which felt more like the writers screwing up than anything because they were obligated in some way to give him something to do and inject a storyline. I always knock a show down a peg or two when they get to that point during later seasons when it becomes less organic to the show itself and more formulaic in that sense that the writers feel they need to keep "side" characters relevant by coming up with stupid situations to put them into and sometimes deviating from their established character traits.
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I don't know, I thought the way the marriage fell apart was pretty realistic, with Rico seeking attention elsewhere once Vanessa started acting all distant after every mother died. And let's face it, Rico was always kind of a selfish bastard, always looking out for himself regardless of how it affected others.
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I have mixed feelings about Rico but I agree that he's the least interesting for sure. I fucking hated the storyline with Infinity so much and I agree that the story felt a bit forced there. He does make me laugh sometimes, though.
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Season 5 had some of the most hilarious moments from all characters. I love David's dream sequence where Keith suggested they use Claire's eggs then he has the dream on the farm with Keith driving off on the tractor with who I assume was the puppet version of Claire. I had to rewind it two times.
Then Brenda's dream sequence where Nate burst out: "We'll never be a family no matter what you sauté!"
Ruth's dream sequence where she shoots all of her past lovers to the circus music.
Nate's I Just Want To Celebrate sequence in the finale.
I forgot to say how much I loved the finale. I teared up in the end, especially Ruth's death where she sees Nate and Nathaniel. That's how I have always imagined death and that last comfort where you see the people who meant a lot to you that left before you. And when David sees the young Keith. Just sad and uplifting at the same time.
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Yeah, David's death is usually where I lose it.
And as a hospice worker I can say that a good chunk of people do see their loved ones right before death. Sometimes they can verbalize this and sometimes we see them looking at corners of rooms or whatever and assume that's probably what is happening because they are clearly looking at something the rest oF us can't see.
Oh, how about Brenda's Billy dream? :eyebrows:
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I loved Claire going off on Kirsten at work and then ranting as Ted escorted her drunk ass out. :lol :lol
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Brenda's dream took me a few minutes to realize it was a dream. That was definitely an interesting one and interesting conversation :lol
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Bringing this thread back! Rewatching the show for the 5th or so time and showing it to a partner who has never seen it, which has been really fun. Of course I always pick up on new stuff. Also realized this time around that some Riverside lyrics were inspired by this show! Alan Ball is even thanked in the liner notes for Rapid Eye Movement which kinda made our night to discover :lol
We are almost halfway through season 3, so bracing myself for some of the weaker storylines before some real shit hits.
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Maybe my #2 show of all time (behind Breaking Bad). Arguably the best series finale ever. There is a season or two where things get a bit too...soap opera-ish...but damn, taken as a whole the show is transformative. I make it a point to rewatch the entire series every few years, or so.
Did not know that trivia about Riverside.
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I'm planning on rewatching it for the third time, all three times with my wife.
Great show!
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I'm about due for a re-watch of this entire series. Still a top 5 all-time drama ever in my book. :tup :tup
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Need to go back and watch this again. Perhaps this Novemeber/December. Do a repeat of what I did when I first watched it.
Such a good show
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Considering how awful 2020 has been, it's a good time for a re-watch. I've been bouncing around from season to season. Ecotone never fails to amaze me. Easily one of the best hours of TV drama ever.