OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

Utopia (TV Series)

POSTED BY: 6IXSTRINGJACK
UPDATED: Tuesday, December 22, 2020 20:54
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Friday, October 9, 2020 9:56 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


So... Since I'm going to be visiting my brother soon with my old man and we're going to watch at least a few eps of The Boys, I decided to watch Utopia instead last night, (which is the first TV show I've watched alone at home since the first season of The Boys).

After watching two episodes, I will try to say a few thoughts about it without going into spoiler territory. To remain objectivity, since I'm undecided at this point if I'm going to continue watching, I'm also not going to say that it's good or bad. I will say that for sure that it's not for everyone.

I guess the first topic would be the violence, since I've said before that I'm not a huge fan of it in movies or TV, particularly when it's especially gory or unnecessary to the plot.

Utopia gets a pass on violence. While my old man wasn't lying when he made a point to say that a LOT of people died, it wasn't done in a way that I found particularly disturbing, but make no mistake that the people doing it are monsters and you're going to find yourself rooting for karma to kick their asses (Think Hands of Blue, but with faces). The deaths aren't exactly the cartoonish deaths that I found pretty funny in The Hunt and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, but nowhere near reaching the deeply disturbing and disgusting levels of Hannibal or Kingsmen either.

Not watching much TV or movies myself these days, the only names I recognized were John Cusak and Rainn Wilson, both of which I do like. The rest of the cast so far is made up of people I don't recognize from anything else but are very good in their roles. No complaints at all so far about the casting, acting and direction of the series.

As for the story, I've got to say that after watching the first episode, I was intrigued. Very interesting premise that could play out to make it a great series. It wasn't long before I fired up the second episode.

Episode two was further building the interest nearly all the way through, but then somebody was killed. Somebody I liked.

I'm not a prude, and I know that we like to think of Joss Whedon as the pioneer of killing off people you wouldn't expect to be killed off and since then we see it happen all the time in TV shows, this one just felt different to me.

I won't say that it was a meaningless death, because I would probably be lying if I were to continue watching...

But it felt just a little too "real life" for me.


On the rare occasion that I watch a show, particularly one in the sci-fi/conspiracy theory genre, I want a hero. Or a whole crew of heroes manning the ship. It's perfectly fine if one or more of them are anti-heroes like Mal or Jayne, and that actually makes for a much more interesting dynamic.

But what I don't want to see is River going rogue and killing Inara for voicing an opinion that conflicts with her own.




Two episodes in, you don't really have any sense at all about who are the bad guys and who are the good guys. That in itself is perfectly fine and adds to they mystery of a story. But when you are left with only a small handful of confused people who just discovered that they're into something way over their heads and are quite obviously "good" and one of them dies an extremely unjustifiable death at the hands of one of the only people with any knowledge or power in the situation that could possibly be considered a "good guy", you're left with a sense of hopelessness and nothing and no one to cling to. You find yourself not wanting to care about any of the characters because maybe they all just die 3 seconds into the next episode.

The bad guys are out there. The bad guys are among us. The bad guys have us at gunpoint. There are no good guys.

I dunno.

I might go back to it.

Like I said, I can't and won't say that it's a bad show. It's certainly different than anything I've seen before, mostly because of my gripe above.

I just have a limited amount of time for high-budget entertainment these days, and episode 2 left me without that desire to continue watching to see what happens next.

Your mileage my very.

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Saturday, October 10, 2020 10:51 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


So I have gone back to it.

It was only around 10 or so hours after making that first post that I watched episode 3. I knew that I would be watching episode 4, but one episode for the night was enough for me.

Then I watched episode 4 and the same.


It is good. It is very good.


I think my recommendation would be to only watch one episode at a time and give it at least a day to digest. I don't feel that it's a show designed for binge watching, although I'm sure that there are people who do binge watch it.

I'm looking forward to episode 5, but it won't be at least until tomorrow.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, October 14, 2020 10:32 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


One episode left.

Without having seen it yet, being 7 episodes in, I feel like I've actually earned something by hanging in there this long.

It might be a little premature, and coming from a guy who has probably only watched a combined 80 hours of TV and movies in the last 2 years it might not mean too much, but this is probably the best thing I've seen since Breaking Bad ended. Possibly even better.


I guess it depends on how I feel if after the season finale and whether or not it gets picked up for a second season.

The only thing I've heard is that it is open ended to allow for more episodes. But I'd be okay if the last episode has a satisfying conclusion to the story. No reason to milk excellence for an extra buck... outside of the extra buck.

*cough* Matrix sequels *cough* Walking Dead *cough*

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, November 18, 2020 8:12 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Anybody watch it yet?


Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Sunday, December 6, 2020 10:21 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


None of you dummies watched this yet, did you?

Good luck with those vaccinations. Hope they work out well for you.



What have you done today to earn your place in this crowded world? :)

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Sunday, December 20, 2020 2:15 AM

WISHIMAY


Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
None of you dummies watched this yet, did you?

Good luck with those vaccinations. Hope they work out well for you.

What have you done today to earn your place in this crowded world?




Insulting people you try to speak to.....CHECK.
Making a random statement not in reference to anything you are talking about...CHECK
Implying you have earned YOUR place in this world by hiding in a basement going nowhere for almost a decade now...CHECK

Peak incel for the day has been reached



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Tuesday, December 22, 2020 9:55 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


I'm hardly ever in my basement. I've got 1,500 square feet to play in above ground, sitting on around 50,000sq feet of land, and a 2 1/2 car garage with all my toys to play with.



What have you done today to earn your place in this crowded world? :)

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Tuesday, December 22, 2020 12:50 PM

WISHIMAY


Keep telling yourself that ANY of that matters






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Tuesday, December 22, 2020 8:54 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


It really does.

Did you get laid off of work or something? It was nice not having you around for a while.

What have you done today to earn your place in this crowded world? :)

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