What's on the ol' boob tube RIGHT NOW.... or close to now

[empire13]

As Amazon goes, I don't think Bosch is too bad. Not a ringing endorsement, I know. Alpha House is VERY funny. If it were me and I was looking into the back catalog, Deadwood is one of my favorite series of all time, and Six Feet Under is awesome as well. For current releases, I can't say enough good things about Daredevil. Let me know what you think if you decide on one of these. I always wonder about my taste.

[numbersix]

Fuck, anyone watch Game of Thrones. It suddenly went from swords and sandals to World War Z. It was a completely different tone, and came very unexpectedly for me. But I quite enjoyed it, especially the last few seconds as we take it all in. Because of the surprise factor there was no build-up like the climaxes of previous seasons, and in a way I dog how this was different.

I'm totally fucking bored of Sam and Ayra, though.

[W]

Yeah, this week you had some action eye candy and a ton of characters progressed in giant leaps all in the same week. Tyrion and Dany teamed up, Jon recruited a damned giant and learned his sword is as good a dragonglass, Arya learned she's got to straight up murder a guy, and of course Sansa learns she's not the only Stark left. Do we really need any of this from Sam? No. Give him ten seconds every other episode where he says "still reading about shit that'll save the world," and we're done with him for a while. I have high hopes for Arya and we haven't seen here too very much this season (maybe half the episodes) and I think there'll be a payoff there.

[undeadmonkey]

guess i'll just black out the whole thing, not huge spoilers but don't want to ruin anything for anyone

yea, I've been keeping up. to be honest, after last weeks episode, I actually had a few seconds of thought along the lines of 'I'm bored'. However this week was fucking awesome, probably my favorite episode so far. I had been waiting for the White Walkers to show up ever since we saw the Nights King last season with the baby.

I do think this might have a negative affect to the show though. Obviously, the white walkers are a force to be reckoned with and it'll make all the other little squabbles seem unimportant in comparison. who really cares that stannis and the boltons are fighting for the north, or cersie and the high sparrow with their little religious war when they could all be dead soon.

on that topic though, while it's a little bit rewarding seeing cersie get her due, I could care less about what is going on in kings landing.

I've lost interest in arya and her many faced god story line, most of the people she wants dead are or are about to be.

I think there is a reason we are seeing so much of sam, his little scenes are leading somewhere and I don't like where it's going, dreading the inevitable cliffhanger.

I was getting damn bored of dany, but tyrion showing up definitely helped, their scene together was great, looking forward to more.

Also really wish the sansa, ramsey and brienne story gets moved along, I'm tired of sansa and her passive story line, give her something to do, yes I know ramsey is a psycho, I don't need any more gruesome scenes to tell me, give brienne more things to do and maybe one of them is to rid us of ramsey.

[W]

Can you really complain about Sansa's story not progressing this week? She found out her brothers are still living. That's pretty much the info we've been looking for Theon to spill for seasons now.

BTW: I found Rickon, he's hanging out in a destroyed San Francisco.

[undeadmonkey]

Can you really complain about Sansa's story not progressing this week? She found out her brothers are still living. That's pretty much the info we've been looking for Theon to spill for seasons now.

BTW: I found Rickon, he's hanging out in a destroyed San Francisco.

yea, but what is she going to do with that information, judging by her past actions... nothing

[numbersix]

Betcha Sansa is going to be the one who kills Roose Bolton. It's being set up like this.

[Spectre]

I think the whole "boring season so far" has been a setup to this past episode. It’s like we’ve been watching pieces on a chess board move for positioning and then the white walkers came in and kicked the table over. Kind of like Stannis went from debating what to do about invading Winterfell to being sandwiched between braving the winter and the Boltons and turning around to face an undead army. All the politics, all the power struggles, etc. are suddenly secondary now. I mean sure, you’ll see them play out (especially farther south where they’re more removed from immediate threat) but it’s almost as though the game of thrones is going to be put on hold.

If they had done something more dramatic early in the season, it would’ve taken away from this episiode. Instead, it’s almost like sleight of hand. Last season, the white walkers were front and center in our minds. This season, we’ve been distracted from the real threat all season long and lulled into a false sense of security by a bunch of slow moving storylines and then BAM, the paradigm shifts.

I think things are about to get really, really good.

[numbersix]

And so season 5 is passed. The weakest Season so far. Even though the pieces were put in place for a few tremendous moments (the White Walker attack, the burning of Stannis's child and his ultimate failure in battle) they weren't enough to justify storylines that simply didn't work, in particular Ayra's assassin training, and even Jamie's jaunt to Dorne (even if we got more Bronn action). The best storylines were in King's Landing, where civil unrest led to religious power which we all know is merely another, more dangerous form of corruption, and the Wall which suddenly became much more concerning than ever before. It's a shame we had at least two cliffhangers for Season Six, especially when they felt a bit cheap.

[W]

To me the best storyline per minute was Zombie Mountain. You see it progressing for a minute or two during nine or ten episodes then BAM, Zombie Mountain.

With Melisandre at Castle Black and no one to take over the main storyline against the White Walkers, Jon has to be getting a reprieve from the Lord of Light. They kind of set this up when Arya was with the Hound. If not, what's the point of the Brothers Without Banners and how are a bunch of people that I can't even name at the Night's Watch (despite being a fairly avid fan) going to carry the Walker storyline?

There's no way they'd blind Arya, right? I know they've done worse, but what's the point in that?

If Dany doesn't win the titular "Game of Thrones," who does? Littlefinger? Is he the only other possibility left right now? Maybe Bran after he saves the world from the Walkers? My money is on Dany, otherwise what's her point?

[numbersix]

Definitely don't think Arya will be permanently blind. I expect it's part of her training or a punishment for what she did. She'll be a full-blown assassin next season. And I still won't give a shit.

Still plenty of options for who takes the throne next. Littlefinger is certainly playing his cards right. But the Boltons have a hell of an army and are calculating and vicious. The folk from Dorne could also make a play, maybe one of the Sandsnakes will kill the leader and start a war with the Lannister. And there's the Tyrells, watching and waiting. Hell, even John Snow might realise his true heritage and go for it. If he survives. And there's talk that Stannis might still be alive too (with Brienne using him as something to sell to the Bolton's to rescue Sansa. Though that's a little far-fetched).

[Spectre]

This season was a tough slog, mainly because it feels like the end of a brutal second act. Every single main storyline ended on a down note and that's hard to take all at the the same time.

Jon Snow is murdered as the white walkers approach, Stannis' army is slaughtered (and we assume he's dead), Sansa is jumping off a wall to save her life, Dany is captured by riders, Tyrion and friends are left in a shitshow in Mereen, everyone in King's Landing is getting crushed by the High Septon, the Dorne mission is a failure, Arya goes blind... I mean... good grief. How many characters are actually in a good place right now?

That said, I think this was intentional by GRRM, especially given that we're at the end of his known books (and even past them in some parts) and he has 2 more left for his 3rd act. Just based on their titles, (The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring) we're probably going to see some epic stuff with the walkers in the 6th season and then bad situations start to resolve in the 7th which will feel super gratifying after hitting such low lows this season. And I believe the plot lines will start to intersect. It's either bad storytelling to have all these plots go nowhere or great story weaving to have them all come together. I trust GRRM and I think he's giving direction to the show in that aspect.

That said, I'm with W in the Jon Snow is not done camp. The white walker storyline still has a HUGE part to play and they don't have a single character left up there who can carry it. Plus, with Melisandre up there having lost her last champion and after trying to win over Jon once already, I just can't imagine it's all coincidence. What's the point of sending her up there if it has nothing to do with Jon Snow? What's the point of showing the Lord of Light's resurrection powers earlier? Whether he's resurrected or it's something else, I'd be stunned if nothing happens.

No real clue about who ends up on the Iron Throne because the white walkers are such a game changer once they make it past the wall that it's up for grabs. I still think it ends up being Dany just because I think every piece to the puzzle has a place and that's hers IMO.

[undeadmonkey]

Stannis is done, Brienne is a woman of her word, it would be completely out of character to not have executed stannis.

I too think Jon will be resurrected, why show the ability back in season 3, also, I think this is why lady stoneheart wasn't brought into the show, to make for a bigger impact, since Jon seems central to the story and Lady stoneheart isn't. (though I could be eating my words next year, you never know with GRRM). The red witch is also a clue, cant be coincidence, there's no other reason for her to be back at the wall.

Season 5 had some of the most awesome moments, but it definitely had a lot of slow moments as well and gratuitous and unnecessary scenes. this is probably from GRRM extending the book count. So there is a lot of maneuvering and subplots to extend the story. I really hope season 6 reigns it in and brings it back to the main stories and characters and season 7 goes out with a bang. I realize season 5 broke tons of records for hbo, but with the backlash it received, I think they have hit their high notes now.

In regards to who wins The Game of Thrones, I don't think we will see a true winner, it's too conventional an ending for GRRM, but who knows, maybe in the end, he'll give in to a decent ending, since that would be very unconventional for his books.

[Buscemi]

The new network schedules have been out for a while so I figured that I would analyze them.

Sunday

Football's obviously going to win this night but CSI's finale on September 27th should do very well. However, I must wonder why ABC is putting their CIA-themed series Quantico up against CSI: Cyber. They must have little hope for it since it's only going to be a short run (The Family will take its place in the Spring). I don't give that show's lead-in Blood and Oil much of a chance either against The Good Wife.

Monday

The 8/7c spot is going to be among the most competitive with Dancing with the Stars, a month of The Big Bang Theory (to be replaced with Supergirl at the end of October), Gotham and The Voice all facing each other. The CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend could be the first show gone (I find it puzzling The CW took this Showtime reject as it seems too niche-appealed for network television, with its post-modern sitcom premise and the lead only being known through being a former Cracked columnist). Meanwhile, I must wonder why CBS is putting Supergirl up against Gotham. I understand there's not many places to put it but against another DC series? Maybe they expect Hulu reruns to help it last.

Tuesday

A mix of the established (more Voice, Agents of SHIELD, NCIS, The Flash, Chicago Fire) and some newcomers. All of the new 10/9c series look like flops (a True Detective clone in Wicked City, a TV adaptation no one asked for in Limitless, and the 400th attempt at bringing back the variety show with Neil Patrick Harris's Ant and Dec remake Best Time Ever) but The Grinder and The Real O'Neals will be an interesting battle.

Wednesday

A night with not many new shows. Rosewood will probably finish third in its time slot (ahead of only the surprisingly still on-the-air The Mysteries of Laura) while Code Black should retain much of its lead-in audience (but probably won't be a hit).

Thursday

Football and the Shondaland lineup will dominate the early part of the Fall season. The Big Bang Theory and Mom should stay strong but the new CBS sitcoms probably won't do so well (and since CBS has new 2 Broke Girls and Mike and Molly episodes waiting in the Spring, neither Life in Pieces nor Angel from Hell have a chance to succeed). The lineups on NBC, Fox, and the CW don't look so hot.

Friday

The networks aren't really paying attention anyway but ABC should dominate with the family shows. The CBS lineup should do decent too.

Saturday

All about the football. ABC, Fox, and possibly some CBS SEC action too. NBC must be feel out in the cold with only Notre Dame in the afternoons.

Most likely to succeed: no big standouts as all the big stuff's gone to cable and Netflix
Most likely to fail: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

[Ron Burgundy]

On Game of Thrones, i actually liked season 5 very much, probably 3rd best so far. More story for Ser Jora Mormont, Sansa's direction, Jon Snow, what becomes of him, The Mountain, High Sparrow, i could go on. Season 6 should be even better.

Anyone watched episode 1 of True Detective? It was very much an introduction to the characters, but sets it up very nicely.