Current TV Boxset Addiction

[radiator]

I guess I'm not seeing much so far to dissuade me from the notion that Stranger Things should have been a self-contained miniseries.

Which it was, really: it has an entirely satisfying conclusion, with no loose ends to speak of (apart from Barb).  There was no need for subsequent seasons, but I see it as an entertaining bonus to get to spend more time with the characters, or in Will's case, any time.

I said so at the time it aired, but I am 100% convinced that the first season was conceived and pitched as a standalone series with a definitive ending. As you say, it comes to a pretty satisfying conclusion, and what dangling threads there are seem like they were tagged on at the last minute.

[Keef Monkey]

I was disappointed when they announced a second season, because even the dangling threads just felt like the kind of dangling threads you get at the end of any standalone eighties horror film. I didn't feel any need to see them resolved (in fact they're arguably more effective left alone), and I'd enjoyed the first season so much that I just wanted it to stand on its own. I thought at the time that maybe an anthology series might be a more interesting way of keeping the brand going, and I think I might even have heard that was the idea at one point. Those S1 characters must have just proved way too popular to move on from I suppose.

All of that being said, I did really enjoy season 2. Not as much as the first, but I can't say I felt it was a worse in any significant way, just a bit less of a fresh surprise. There's some great stuff in it (Hooper and Eleven carried the whole thing for me, and the fact that the school bully looks like Rab Florence kept giving me a chuckle) and some lovely soundtrack moments. I hadn't heard 'Runaway' by Bon Jovi since childhood so that was a joy, and I really liked when at one point they acknowledged how much of a debt the score owes to John Carpenter by just plain using John Carpenter score (it was Bank Robbery from EFNY if I remember correctly).

So I liked it, but also agree with a lot of the criticisms I've heard of it. Can't say I'd be clamoring for a season 3, would be nice if great things could just be left to be great cool things that happened instead of being dragged out.

[radiator]

The episode where [spoiler]Eleven joins a gang[/spoiler] is just plain weird, and not helped by some really painfully ropey acting by the girl that plays [spoiler]Eight[/spoiler]. Ouch!

Overall I thought it was a very patchy season. The various plot threads and characters being so dispersed gave it a very loose, disconnected feeling, and it didn't have the same feeling of stakes that season 1 did. In some ways it felt a lot smaller and less urgent.

It also beats me why you'd choose to introduce a host of new characters to a series that arguably already has far too many of them. [spoiler]Bob [/spoiler]in particular was a totally useless character. I kept expecting some sort of twist relating to him, but nope -[spoiler] he's just there as cannon fodder[/spoiler] to artificially raise the stakes, and - I suppose - give Joyce something (anything) to do other than endlessly screaming about "my son!".

As for where it goes from here, it's hard to imagine much they can do with this premise and these characters in this setting other than yet more wheel spinning.

[JOE SOAP]

I said so at the time it aired, but I am 100% convinced that the first season was conceived and pitched as a standalone series with a definitive ending. As you say, it comes to a pretty satisfying conclusion, and what dangling threads there are seem like they were tagged on at the last minute.

It's both: since ST was basically conceived as an IT clone – and this being serial TV – it has the built-in open-endedness of being continued, if successful, but also works as a stand-alone without the need to shoot a wrap-up season if the reception happened to turn out less than great. I can see them leaving the cliff-hanger in anyway because it's another 80s throwback.

This is the final page of the original pitch/bible when the series was called Montauk:

[The Legendary Shark]

Been resisting the urge for months but finally gave in - just started another re-watch of Babylon 5.

[Greg M.]

Been resisting the urge for months but finally gave in - just started another re-watch of Babylon 5.

I just did from the middle of Season 3 to just after the end of the Shadow War - I only intended to watch Messages from Earth, but I got caught up in it all again. (I did Z'ha'dum twice in a row, once with the commentary.) That stretch really is the show's imperial phase.

[The Legendary Shark]

I keep expecting the first few episodes to be rubbish but they're not. Knowing what's to come is half the pleasure. I really hope they don't re-boot it. Updating the effects shots might work, like they did with ST:TOS, but it really doesn't need such faffing about. I still think it's the closest thing to a perfect sci-fi show that I've ever seen, or am ever likely to see.

Looking forward to being moved by Londo and G'Kar again!

[Greg M.]

I keep expecting the first few episodes to be rubbish but they're not. Knowing what's to come is half the pleasure.

The start and the end (especially the end) of Season 1 are largely all right - it's the middle of the season when it starts to get a bit gruelling. The episodes clustered around the exemplary Signs and Portents are the weakest.

[The Legendary Shark]

I can agree with that - I still think it has a higher "hit rate" than any other show, though - including all the Star Treks.

My least favourite episode is Grey 17 is Missing, but even this has its moments.

The show is so well written - I quote it often in RL. One of my favourites is, "what do you want, you moon-faced assassin of joy?" Classic!

[Tjm86]

I'd go with that.  There are probably only about 4 or 5 episodes in the entire series that I don't tend to bother with.  Grey 17, as you say.  The episode with the kid who needs the operation but his parents are 'religious fanatics' is another.  Season 5 is probably the weakest but mainly because they got screwed around in season 4 and were convinced that they needed to wrap it up. 

Never really saw Legend of the Rangers but Crusade had its moments as well.  The movies tend to be a little hit and miss though.  My biggest bug bear on the DVD release has always been that they remastered the music for the pilot from the VHS release.  Maybe its nostalgia but I always felt it worked better.  (Bit like Legend which doesn't really work for me without the Tangerine Dream soundtrack).

[Greg M.]

I quite like Grey 17 - the Robert Englund bits are fairly rubbish, but the b-plot with Marcus and Neroon is great. The one episode I've always had problems with is A Spider in the Web from Season 2 - it sets up something that goes absolutely nowhere (well, maybe to Divided Loyalties if you squint) and Sheridan's characterisation seems a bit off.

For the record, I think the first couple of episodes of Season 5 are great, as is the second half - the big problem is the interminable telepath colony story from the front half of the season. Would have been a brilliant story for Ivanova (Byron as Marcus substitute, chance to really get into her latent telepathic abilities, plus she'd have been captain at the time) but for Lyta, it just doesn't work in the same way.

[The Legendary Shark]

I quite like the episode with the child needing an operation because it speaks to my personal opinions on faith and reason and the dangers and limitations of both. But that's just me

I agree that the S5 telepath story is a bit of a dead fish as it is but was maybe a set-up for the Telepath War story that never happened. It probably doesn't work so well because of the cock-up of Season 4's forced wrap-up - although this did give us one of my favourite episodes, The Deconstruction of Falling Stars.

I can't really bring A Spider in the Web to mind but a quick Google jogged my memory a bit. I generally ascribe B5 stories that don't seem to go anywhere as the results of Shadow influence in which the Shadows themselves have no specific interest or involvement. "It was the Shadows" is always a good excuse!

[Professor Bear]

Never really saw Legend of the Rangers

Literally the first video that comes up when you do a Google or Youtube search for "Legend Of The Rangers."

[Tjm86]

You know, that was a little vague.  I meant, I've never seen it.  Aware of it.  Thought about it a few times.  Not that easy to track down a DVD copy.  I think it was only included with the box set in the end.  Since it only ever got to the pilot stage I've wondered if it was worth the effort.

[Greg M.]

I quite liked Legend of the Rangers - certainly more than most of the other 'movies', though it's been ages since I've watched it. The introduction of new baddies The Hand promised to restore some of the 'dark, ominous, ultra-powerful alien threat' vibe that was lost after the end of the Shadow War. Shame it never went anywhere.