Watching ... oh everything really

**sunshineboyuk** · 07-31-2012, 11:21 AM

Yes! And that's why it's just so compelling, everything matters, everything. So as a viewer you can totally trust it and it you have to pay attention, to literally everything.

I'm on season 5 now so can't remember what the final scene in 2 was but the show remains brilliant throughout so far...and talk about consequences , wow.

**James from London** · 07-31-2012, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by sunshineboyuk

can't remember what the final scene in 2 was

It's when the thing crashes into the thing.

**sunshineboyuk** · 07-31-2012, 01:25 PM

Ah yeah, well...... that has huge consequences.... but being BREAKING BAD it's when you least expect it and in the most unexpected and ohmygoddidntseethatcoming way...

**James from London** · 08-01-2012, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by James from London

Oh my gosh, I just saw Marlon Dingle in an old episode of EASTENDERS playing a twelve year old policeman (albeit a freakishly tall twelve year old policeman). Even more amazingly, he simply delivered his lines without attempting to emote everyone else off the screen.

And now I've just seen him in an old episode of CORONATION STREET delivering an unsolicited pizza to that Denise at the salon. He's got a crash helmet on his head which makes him look even taller than he already is.

**sunshineboyuk** · 08-02-2012, 09:11 PM

I'm posting this here cos I'm not going near that crazy, hysterical TNT Forum... there are no spoilers .... just that this weeks DALLAS felt like KNOTS LANDING, which makes me think KNOTS could work as a reboot/continuation.... DALLAS has finally become KNOTS.

**James from London** · 08-02-2012, 09:21 PM

"In the midst of a decent soap opera, Larry Hagman seems to be performing in his own senior-citizen remake of Breaking Bad."

http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/dallas-season-1-episode-9/

One of the best DALLASes ever, certainly one of the most touching. Sort of the opposite of a vampire curse, it was as if they'd all been rendered human. It would have made a perfect end to the whole saga. Darned if I know where it can go from here. As I was watching, I kept thinking, 'Thank God for Tommy. Maybe he can come back next week and rape the entire cast, set them on fire and that'll be an end to it.' But then came that last scene.

**sunshineboyuk** · 08-02-2012, 10:17 PM

Yeah, it really did feel like the final episode.

Oh IN TREATMENT is suddenly EXCITING! Who knew Melissa George meeting Blair Underwood could feel like a momumental tv earthquake?

**James from London** · 08-02-2012, 10:27 PM

Yeah man. HUFF's good, but it's not

**sunshineboyuk** · 08-02-2012, 10:30 PM

Well..... hang fire with HUFF, it suddenly finds itself around ep 8 or 9 and then it's incredible and s2 is incredible too.

**Canon** · 08-04-2012, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by James from London

Or...

Funnily enough I had only just watched Claudia & Krystle struggle over the gun before the latest episode of DALLAS.

**James from London** · 08-11-2012, 04:53 PM

Just done the Season 1 finale of FARSCAPE. Lots of surprises, and some exquisitely judged sentimentality. I just wish I had a better handle on what was actually going on. Fab cliff-hanger. Almost as exciting as New DALLAS. Well, not quite. (It honestly didn't occur to me that you-know-who would turn out to be who she is. Am I dense or what?)

Next Saturday on James Net: the return of MELROSE BLOODY PLACE. (Season 5, which can't be any worse than Season 4 ... can it?)

Originally Posted by Canon

Yes, that's just what I was googling for before I got distracted by pictures of monkeys with guns!

**Canon** · 08-12-2012, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by James from London

Next Saturday on James Net: the return of MELROSE BLOODY PLACE. (Season 5, which can't be any worse than Season 4 ... can it?)

Christ don't! Start 90's Emmerdale instead...unless you already have and you can't bring yourself to tell me that you don't like it!

**James from London** · 08-13-2012, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Canon

Christ don't! Start 90's Emmerdale instead...unless you already have and you can't bring yourself to tell me that you don't like it!

What?? I can't watch EMMERDALE on a Saturday. Saturdays I reserve for US shows from the 90s that have dated surprisingly badly. EMMERDALE is a weekday show. I just have three episodes of BROOKSIDE 83 to do (I think you and I are roughly at the same place) then I'll watch the first disc you sent me. But before I can do BROOKSIDE 83, I have to spend a week sitting in very hot rooms watching shows at the Edinburgh Festival.

Oh yes now about 90s EMMERDALE: I forgot I have the "The 400 Year Anniversary" DVD that has the plane crash episode on it. Should I watch that before/instead of "The Rescue" you sent me, or do I not need to bother with it?

**James from London** · 08-13-2012, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Canon

Christ don't! Start 90's Emmerdale instead...unless you already have and you can't bring yourself to tell me that you don't like it!

What?? I can't watch EMMERDALE on a Saturday. Saturdays I reserve for US shows from the 90s that have dated surprisingly badly. EMMERDALE is a weekday show. I just have three episodes of BROOKSIDE 83 to do (I think you and I are roughly at the same place) then I'll watch the first disc you sent me. But before I can do BROOKSIDE 83, I have to spend a week sitting in very hot rooms watching shows at the Edinburgh Festival.

Oh yes now about 90s EMMERDALE: I forgot I have the "The 400 Year Anniversary" DVD that has the plane crash episode on it. Should I watch that before/instead of "The Rescue" you sent me, or do I not need to bother with it?

**Emmerdalefan** · 08-13-2012, 11:14 AM

I have watched all of Corrie 1984 now and I think I shall buy some surviving Crossroads episodes. Somehow I preferred classic soaps with cosy studio sets rather than real interiors.

**Canon** · 08-13-2012, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by James from London

Oh yes now about 90s EMMERDALE: I forgot I have the "The 400 Year Anniversary" DVD that has the plane crash episode on it. Should I watch that before/instead of "The Rescue" you sent me, or do I not need to bother with it?

No because for some odd reason the Anniversary DVD didn't include all of the Plane Crash episodes. "The Rescue" put all 4 episodes together to make a feature. The Jay-Z/Kanye West soundtrack is optional.

**James from London** · 08-27-2012, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Canon

Start 90's Emmerdale

Now I have! I've just watched the plane crash episodes. It's always a bit odd coming into these things cold, but I have to say my opinion hasn't changed much from what I remember when I first saw it back in the day - the hugeness of the event is let down by the acting somewhat, which just feels a bit bland and two dimensional. Eric Pollard was the only character that I could believe was undergoing something truly incomprehensible and traumatic. And I've always had trouble taking Frank "damn and blast it, man!" Tate seriously, so making him the man of the hour didn't help. (His incredibly grave introduction on the DVD was unintentionally funny though - for some reason, I half expected French or Saunders to pop up in the back of shot.)

I liked the episode of the following day more - aftermaths are often more interesting in these things - especially the bits with Jack. Chris Tate was good too. Plus I really liked the shot of the lost cow wandering past the upturned car. And I am interested to see what happens next. (But first I have to go back to DARK SHADOWS - I've been neglecting those poor vampires and witches for a while now and I'm feeling a bit guilty.)

**Canon** · 08-27-2012, 10:55 PM

Oh I think the whole thing would come across as unintentionally funny if you're not completely invested in it. I think you really have to believe in it for it to work, I can because (without sounding weird) I love the idea of it. There is something incredibly haunting about the countryside on fire, I still find it breathtaking and then there is this eeriness in the build up to the crash - you'd almost know that something was about to happen even as the characters go about a normal night. And those fantastically shot scenes - Jack finding all those dead sheep scattered around the road (symbolising the death of the Farm), the scene where Jack (I love that Jack is in the middle of it all) turns around to find the night sky lit up with the blue glow of the fire engines. I just thought it was so well done and all filmed in a real village too.

Originally Posted by James from London

Eric Pollard was the only character that I could believe was undergoing something truly incomprehensible and traumatic.

Well that's funny and interesting because Pollard may just be the one who was for certain reasons exaggerating his reaction.

I hope I haven't overblown the 90's too much, you have a bit to go until you come to what I think is the really good stuff. I find it to be really soapy and wild. And just wait until you meet a certain Ms Dingle.

Originally Posted by James from London

(But first I have to go back to DARK SHADOWS - I've been neglecting those poor vampires and witches for a while now and I'm feeling a bit guilty.)

Going back to DS of all things isn't a good sign.

I've hit a reinforced concrete wall where DS is concerned. Vicky Winters may just be forever stuck in 1795.

**Emmerdalefan** · 08-28-2012, 02:45 PM

I still think there is more to Elizabeth's death than meets the eye, ie he saw her injured and left her to die. The scene of Nick Bates wandering aimlessly round the moors as they were on fire was quite funny and even Eric's "Have you seen Elizabeth?" was funny esp when he was calling for her in the debris field.

I am still awaiting those 1986 EastEnders discs.

**James from London** · 08-28-2012, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by Canon

Oh I think the whole thing would come across as unintentionally funny if you're not completely invested in it. I think you really have to believe in it for it to work, I can because (without sounding weird) I love the idea of it.

I liked the bits where you were told about stuff you didn't see - like the farmer crying about his burnt cows and the "tourists" turned away from the village.

And there's something interesting about the rest of the world gradually encroaching on and destroying the world of the show which is originally so isolated and timeless. In the early days, there's Henry and his new fangled pig farming ideas and Jack and his swanky London ways, followed by the long haired students and their Jimi Hendrix posters. And by this point you've got strange foreign flying machines literally crashing out of the sky and squashing everyone.

Originally Posted by Canon

Well that's funny and interesting because Pollard may just be the one who was for certain reasons exaggerating his reaction.

Yes, that's sort of ironic ... but that level of sheer incomprehension and shock is what I missed from nearly everybody else.

Originally Posted by Canon

I hope I haven't overblown the 90's too much

Oh don't worry, I'm not expecting it to be actually good.

Originally Posted by Canon

I've hit a reinforced concrete wall where DS is concerned. Vicky Winters may just be forever stuck in 1795.

Yes 1795 does go on forever. But then everything goes on forever in DARK SHADOWS. I'm just come through the Dream Curse and that went on forever too. But now I've hit a rich seam of fresh madness - Dr Hoffman has accidentally buried Barnabas alive (well, it's easy done) and the rubber bat is back! If you've got the whole thing, have you considered leapfrogging straight to the Richard Channing Years (whenever they are)?