I'm just starting to get into the second season of The Wire. Love the Sopranos so much though so am a bit skepitcal of whether it is better at the minute. I was disappointed how low Time rated the Sopranos though compared to some of the other shows in that list. I guess they had to force some comedy in, but it just shows how poor some of the comedy shows of the last 10 years have been.
The Sopranos is a great show - no doubt. However, you simply can't compare it to The Wire. The level of writing, depth of the characters and fully fleshed-out city of Baltimore make any other show seem paper thin by comparison.
Right, just seen ep 5 and really enjoyed it. I thought I was gonna get pissed off with the flash-sideways segment this ep, but it turned out ok and I'm excited for the next ep. They're definitely building something here...
Just watched 5. Spoiler Looks like the timelines are starting to interlink at last, Jack's appendics scarr being the first first major link. He had his Appendix removed on the Island in the 'real' timeline. However he seemd confused when he noticed the scarr in the 'alternative' timeline and asked his mum when he had it done, she said in hsi childhood....so either alternate timeline is somehow making up for things that happened on the island or it's managed to alter the past of both timelines! confusing er? Spoiler BTW I'm assuming that it's fairly obvious that 'smokey/nu-locke' is the beardy chap from the start of the last series seen sitting with Jacob saying that he'd fnd a loohole...which was obviously appearing as Locke to get Ben to kill him...the white rocks on the scale have pretty much boiled it down to those 2 being all about good balencing out evil...
Here is my explanation of the scar bit; Spoiler The alternate timeline we are witnessing isn't a timeline as such, more of a time-bubble like what Desmond experienced when the hatch blew, the events in it are changing themselves because it's all in their heads and will snap back just like other times when similar things have happened.
Agree it was straightforward. Disagree that is a bad thing. I thought it was nice to be able to watch an episode without having yet more questions introduced.
I quite enjoyed this episode. The directness was quite cool but Spoiler why on earth are we learning about these mostly rubbish backstories of the characters in a diff universe/timeline? am most bored with that aspect of the season tbh as im finding it really hard to see how it's relevant. was nice to see kimi back though, one of my favourite characters.
Spoiler I quite like the backstories - better than having no characters that have any soul behind them. What puzzles me most is why can't we have a season that doesn't need spirits and ********?
Spoiler it's not the backstories themselves that annoy me, it's more that because they seem to be of another outcome/timeline, I can't see how they are relevant. Unless they are all amounting to portraying that their lives would really have been better if they all went to the island. I think that's the mostly likely take on them, especially when locke/devil dude was talking about locke to I can't remember who, saying "it's sad, john locke, was the only one that realised how little his life was worth off the island, and yet he is the one that died" sort of thing. that was one of the most telling lines in the season, it proved no-one has anything to go back to. whether that is a creation of jacob, who knows! still, love lost!
Relevancy is my major issue. But I'm trying to just enjoy the "regular" bits and trust that the "alternate" bits will become relevant at some point. Still loving it though!
Indeed. I feel some of the acting has really come into its own this season. Sayeed seems a bit weak as he always did in my opinion, but Spoiler clair and kate seem to be far stronger and more convincing characters now. Locke's portrayal is fantastic, and Ben, just completely and utterly sensational. One of the ones that always slips through my opinions is Hurley. Perhaps because his character is played so perfectly, I just don't think about it. Hurley is going to save everyone. I bet you all he does!
So thoughts on today? Thought it was pretty good. Spoiler Linas is an amazing character, and the alternate timeline felt so much more pertinent today. As an actor, the raw emotion he can show is so convincing. The ep where Alex gets shot by Kimi is most definitely my favourite. I think the "jacob touching you" thing was kind of obvious, there are other things I would rather they spell out as that was one I guessed and I assumed many others did. It's interesting that way back in like S2 or 3, when Michael was trying to kill himself, even the dude from the "others" then, who was under ben, was aware of people who jacob touched not being able to kill themselves. I do feel everything is starting to come together though, the implications of what locke2/evil incarnate did to free himself are absolutely gargantuan!
Really liked todays and if I had a drum then I would happily do a drum roll from now until next weeks episode. Spoiler Even had a lump in my throat when Jacobs bodyguard said she'd have Linus. It's about time someone put him on the straight and narrow. It's been a roller-coaster ride trying to work him out because he has been such a complicated character. Like you said JM, a very well acted part. My favourite has to be Loche, I don't think there are many people that can smile and it looks warm and kind, and on the other hand smile exactly the same and it mean something incredibly evil.
