Board 8 > Scarlet Ranks User-Nominated Episodes of Television: Midseason Premiere

(+) Yeah! (+)

We all know it was on purpose ;)
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no one's gonna blame you for wanting to erase it from history
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Samurai Jack - "XCIV"
Nominated by: Pirateking

When I run into Tartakovsky animation, I'm often struck by the animation style. Of course, for me, I primarily think of the original Clone Wars series in association with his name, but clearly Samurai Jack shares a significant style similarity with Star Wars. There's a graceful economy of motion, straddling a line between comic panel and cartoon. The result is a naturally more mature tonality. The decision to be measured in all motion may come from a budgetary restriction, but it's interpreted stylistically in such a way that it comes across as completely intentional. The sparse backdrops only serve to give an artistic presence, a forlorn desolation that is still rich and colorful. Watching Jack fight is less enjoyable than the first half of the episode and the bright blood intermingling with the darkness of shadows, but still the fighting style is quite unique - I've really only seen it duplicated in other Tartakovsky shows.

As for the plot, there was nothing special here. A flashback episode is tough to care about when you are picking up an episode deep into its run. It feels clear that flashbacks aren't a consistent feature of the show (and if they are, god help the viewers), so once this episode shakes that shackle, there's a more original and intriguing tone to the episode. The fight itself isn't totally spectacular, but it's memorable and, once again, the economy of motion makes it spectacular. There even is a whimsical wisp of humor in this sequence. Right up until the cliffhanger ending (which felt really forced), the episode seemed to never have an issue with time management, and the pacing was great.

The material itself, the real meat of the episode, was less than thrilling, but all of the other components were well-done.

Storytelling: 5/10
Characterization: 6/10
Scarlet Factor: 10/10
Overall Rating: 21/30
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Next up is... Mystery Science Theater 3000 - "Pod People" (Nominated by: Inviso)

30 Points:
Penny Dreadful - "Seance"
Arrested Development - "Top Banana"
LOST - "The Constant"
Scrubs - "My Lunch"
Community - "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"
29 Points:
Doctor Who - "Heaven Sent"
West Wing - "20 Hours in America"
Star Trek: DS9 - "In the Pale Moonlight"
Game of Thrones - "Blackwater"
28 Points:
Star Trek: TNG - "The Inner Light"
Game of Thrones - "A Golden Crown"
X-Files - "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"
27 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Charlie Work"
Atlanta - "Teddy Perkins"
Paranoia Agent - "Happy Family Planning"
Sports Night - "The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee"
26 Points:
Louie - "In the Woods Part 1/Part 2"
House - "Last Resort"
Better Call Saul - "Five-O"
Black Mirror - "Nosedive"
25 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "The Gang Turns Black"
Star Trek - "The Trouble with Tribbles"
Archer - "Placebo Effect"
Fargo - "The Castle"
24 Points:
Star Trek: DS9 - "The Visitor"
Firefly - "Out of Gas"
23 Points:
Castlevania - "For Love"
Babylon 5 - "Confessions and Lamentations"
22 Points:
Flash - "Duet"
Agents of SHIELD - "Self Control"
21 Points:
Avatar: The Last Airbender - "The Southern Raiders"
Fresh Off the Boat - "The Shunning"
Black Mirror - "The National Anthem"
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - "Chill of the Night"
South Park - "The Death Camp of Tolerance"
Samurai Jack - "XCIV"
20 Points:
Frasier - "My Coffee with Niles"
Newsroom - "What Kind of Day Has It Been?"
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse"
Seinfeld - "The Contest"
19 Points:
Bojack Horseman - "Time's Arrow"
DuckTales - "Woo-oo!"
18 Points:
Breaking Bad - "Pilot"
Twilight Zone - "It's a Good Life"
12 Monkeys - "Splinter"
17 Points:
Seinfeld - "The Bris"
Justice League - "Starcrossed"
Simpsons - "A Streetcar Named Marge"
Broad City - "Knockoffs"
16 Points:
Galavant - "Pilot"
15 Points:
Black Donnellys - "Pilot"
Burn Notice - "Friendly Fire"
Stargate: SG-1 - "Window of Opportunity"
Angel - "Hero"
14 Points:
Futurama - "Godfellas"
Frasier - "Ham Radio"
Teen Titans - "Troq"
24 - "Day 1: 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM"
13 Points:
Twilight Zone - "The Masks"
Star vs. the Forces of Evil - "Star Comes to Earth"
Father Ted - "A Song for Europe"
Arrow - "Kapiushon"
Studio 60 in the Sunset Strip - "What Kind of Day Has It Been"
12 Points:
Xena: Warrior Princess - "Been There, Done That"
10 Points:
Steven Universe - "Alone Together"
American Dad - "Rapture's Delight"
9 Points:
Married With Children - "Married... With Aliens"
8 Points:
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - "Surprise"
Courage the Cowardly Dog - "The Tower of Dr. Zalost"
7 Points:
Danny Phantom - "The Ultimate Enemy"
6 Points:
Gravity Falls - "Sock Opera"
5 Points:
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - "Maud Pie"
Regular Show - "The White Elephant Gift Exhange"
Hey Arnold - "Stoop Kid"
4 Points:
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - "Chaos Theory"
3 Points:
Spongebob Squarepants - "Band Geeks"
Invader Zim - "Mysterious Mysteries"
MLP:FIM - "Pinkie Pride"
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Samurai Jack is such an odd show. It was targeted at kids but seemed like it was meant for an older audience, so it ends up in a weird place between the two

but for the most part it's still excellent
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It strikes me, much like the Star Wars series, as being aimed at families. The tone is mature, but the content is not.
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that makes sense
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Neat, Brave and the Bold ended up my highest nom from what I recall (though with the same score).

Wonder how the previous Samurai Jack ep where he is first being hunted by that group would have done. There were some pretty nice shots in that too.
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Maybe you'll have the chance to nominate for Season 2!
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Maybe!
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Should get another episode done tonight.
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Mystery Science Theater 3000 - "Pod People"
Nominated by: Inviso

Man, this was such a slog to get through. Low production values, weak jokes meant to snipe at a terrible movie, a flimsy plotline sandwiching the feature gimmick of this marathon of mediocrity... I have never enjoyed other peoples' opinions on movies. Sugarcoat them however you want, but people just aren't as clever as they think. You can't disguise a movie that's terrible in detached cynicism and hope that it absolves your clunky premise built on recycling unoriginal content of any criticism of itself. The worst aspect of this is that the material that exists outside of lobbing verbal grenades at a defenseless shitty film kind of proves that the people invested in making this project are just as creatively bereft as the sad innocent filmmakers who are skewered for 90+ minutes.

I really just can't wrap my head around why someone would want to waste this much time watching bad movies. Life is short.

Storytelling: 1/10
Characterization: 1/10
Scarlet Factor: 2/10
Overall Score: 4/10
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Should've nommed Pumaman :P
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Next up is... Justified - "Fire in the Hole" (Nominated by: Iceman)

30 Points:
Penny Dreadful - "Seance"
Arrested Development - "Top Banana"
LOST - "The Constant"
Scrubs - "My Lunch"
Community - "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"
29 Points:
Doctor Who - "Heaven Sent"
West Wing - "20 Hours in America"
Star Trek: DS9 - "In the Pale Moonlight"
Game of Thrones - "Blackwater"
28 Points:
Star Trek: TNG - "The Inner Light"
Game of Thrones - "A Golden Crown"
X-Files - "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"
27 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Charlie Work"
Atlanta - "Teddy Perkins"
Paranoia Agent - "Happy Family Planning"
Sports Night - "The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee"
26 Points:
Louie - "In the Woods Part 1/Part 2"
House - "Last Resort"
Better Call Saul - "Five-O"
Black Mirror - "Nosedive"
25 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "The Gang Turns Black"
Star Trek - "The Trouble with Tribbles"
Archer - "Placebo Effect"
Fargo - "The Castle"
24 Points:
Star Trek: DS9 - "The Visitor"
Firefly - "Out of Gas"
23 Points:
Castlevania - "For Love"
Babylon 5 - "Confessions and Lamentations"
22 Points:
Flash - "Duet"
Agents of SHIELD - "Self Control"
21 Points:
Avatar: The Last Airbender - "The Southern Raiders"
Fresh Off the Boat - "The Shunning"
Black Mirror - "The National Anthem"
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - "Chill of the Night"
South Park - "The Death Camp of Tolerance"
Samurai Jack - "XCIV"
20 Points:
Frasier - "My Coffee with Niles"
Newsroom - "What Kind of Day Has It Been?"
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse"
Seinfeld - "The Contest"
19 Points:
Bojack Horseman - "Time's Arrow"
DuckTales - "Woo-oo!"
18 Points:
Breaking Bad - "Pilot"
Twilight Zone - "It's a Good Life"
12 Monkeys - "Splinter"
17 Points:
Seinfeld - "The Bris"
Justice League - "Starcrossed"
Simpsons - "A Streetcar Named Marge"
Broad City - "Knockoffs"
16 Points:
Galavant - "Pilot"
15 Points:
Black Donnellys - "Pilot"
Burn Notice - "Friendly Fire"
Stargate: SG-1 - "Window of Opportunity"
Angel - "Hero"
14 Points:
Futurama - "Godfellas"
Frasier - "Ham Radio"
Teen Titans - "Troq"
24 - "Day 1: 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM"
13 Points:
Twilight Zone - "The Masks"
Star vs. the Forces of Evil - "Star Comes to Earth"
Father Ted - "A Song for Europe"
Arrow - "Kapiushon"
Studio 60 in the Sunset Strip - "What Kind of Day Has It Been"
12 Points:
Xena: Warrior Princess - "Been There, Done That"
10 Points:
Steven Universe - "Alone Together"
American Dad - "Rapture's Delight"
9 Points:
Married With Children - "Married... With Aliens"
8 Points:
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - "Surprise"
Courage the Cowardly Dog - "The Tower of Dr. Zalost"
7 Points:
Danny Phantom - "The Ultimate Enemy"
6 Points:
Gravity Falls - "Sock Opera"
5 Points:
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - "Maud Pie"
Regular Show - "The White Elephant Gift Exhange"
Hey Arnold - "Stoop Kid"
4 Points:
MST3K - "Pod People"
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - "Chaos Theory"
3 Points:
Spongebob Squarepants - "Band Geeks"
Invader Zim - "Mysterious Mysteries"
MLP:FIM - "Pinkie Pride"
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scarletspeed7 posted...

I really just can't wrap my head around why someone would want to waste this much time watching bad movies. Life is short.

man bad movies are a blast

I've watched The Room more times than The Bridge on the River Kwai
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The Room is the only exception. But we should aspire to greatness, not mediocrity.
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there's genuine joy to be had in watching something you know is going to be bad

have you seen the best of the worst series by redlettermedia?
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Yes, and I absolutely hate that. There is no joy to be had. I find it off-putting to see people gleefully eviscerate something that other people worked hard on in their own way. I would hate to be the butt of that joke. It's one of the absolute worst parts of society; we shouldn't glorify people who make it their life's work to tear people down for the worst kind of schadenfreude entertainment.
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Also, RLM is an example of something that is completely unfunny on its own merit, so it makes sense that it would also be an other vulture product that needs other original content to buttress itself.
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Watching bad movies is great, depending on the movie

Watching other people make fun of bad movies is usually awful

They're often not any funnier than the movie and their interjections don't add anything. Truly great horrible movies can stand on their own.
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There's bad and there's ridiculous. Something like Con Air is ridiculous and enjoyable for me on a purely entertaining level. But just a lack of competency in filmmaking is painful to watch. I don't get joy out of bad editing and acting, with the exception of The Room.
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RLM does not just tear down others for their own personal enjoyment out of malicious intent. There's a genuine love of film-making and craft that always shines through for them, and they do a great job of reaching out to many filmmakers they have reviewed on the show, with some even making appearances!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R6_Chr2vro#t=12s
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Sorry, got slammed with work the past couple days, but I plan to watch Iceman's ep tomorrow.
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See, Con Air was too competently done for me to get any enjoyment out of. I loathed that movie, because it was close enough to being an actual movie that I kept expecting it to not suck and I was perpetually disappointed. I can't meta suspend my disbelief for things like that
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For sure tonight!
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Justified - "Fire in the Hole"
Nominated by: Iceman

Apparently this was a bit of a pilot season, these 100 episodes I was watching. And judged as a pilot, this is pretty tight writing. In a way, this episode wrapped itself in a nice, neat tidy little bow. A main character is both propelled forward and given reason to take reflective pause on his life, and the painting of said character is completed. Nothing really lingers after this episode. If this show ended here, you couldn't really complain about loose ends, and that's a strong start for a show. There are definitely some strong, nebulous themes to work with. Playing in the always delightful backwoods of a redneck state, I always come away from shows like Justified fascinated with that inbred, unsanitary, uneducated lower class world. It seems so foreign to me. In a way it is a bit intoxicating to see people be so hateful and stupid. Perhaps that's why Boyd is compelling. He's King of the Idiots. He has just enough brainpower to prove a complex, layered antagonist when compared to the herd of morons at his beck and call. And Raylan is given so many opportunities to dunk on these regressive losers, only cementing an air of coolness that already surrounds him thanks to a cowboy sensibility and a loner demeanor. He plays by his own rules, the world be damned. The difference between him and Boyd is alignment. Otherwise, this show is a presentation of two smart, tough sons of bitches.

You can't go wrong there.

What I don't like is the necessity to exposit stories from time to time. Raylan's love interest of the episode proves to be just on the wrong side of interesting, and her past is a tonic for insomnia. That part is a bit detrimental to this episode and causes it's second act to linger too long, languishing in that pitfall so many 40-minute dramas find themselves. The building act needs less telling and more showing. The first act already has to spend some of its time in that role.

Overall, though, a strong start to a show I've never really watched before. I would give it a second shot.

Writing: 7/10
Characterization: 9/10
Scarlet Factor: 7/10
Overall Rating: 23/30
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Next up is... Masters of Horror - "Cigarette Burns" (Nominated by: Snake)
30 Points:
Penny Dreadful - "Seance"
Arrested Development - "Top Banana"
LOST - "The Constant"
Scrubs - "My Lunch"
Community - "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"
29 Points:
Doctor Who - "Heaven Sent"
West Wing - "20 Hours in America"
Star Trek: DS9 - "In the Pale Moonlight"
Game of Thrones - "Blackwater"
28 Points:
Star Trek: TNG - "The Inner Light"
Game of Thrones - "A Golden Crown"
X-Files - "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"
27 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Charlie Work"
Atlanta - "Teddy Perkins"
Paranoia Agent - "Happy Family Planning"
Sports Night - "The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee"
26 Points:
Louie - "In the Woods Part 1/Part 2"
House - "Last Resort"
Better Call Saul - "Five-O"
Black Mirror - "Nosedive"
25 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "The Gang Turns Black"
Star Trek - "The Trouble with Tribbles"
Archer - "Placebo Effect"
Fargo - "The Castle"
24 Points:
Star Trek: DS9 - "The Visitor"
Firefly - "Out of Gas"
23 Points:
Castlevania - "For Love"
Justified - "Fire in the Hole"
Babylon 5 - "Confessions and Lamentations"
22 Points:
Flash - "Duet"
Agents of SHIELD - "Self Control"
21 Points:
Avatar: The Last Airbender - "The Southern Raiders"
Fresh Off the Boat - "The Shunning"
Black Mirror - "The National Anthem"
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - "Chill of the Night"
South Park - "The Death Camp of Tolerance"
Samurai Jack - "XCIV"
20 Points:
Frasier - "My Coffee with Niles"
Newsroom - "What Kind of Day Has It Been?"
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse"
Seinfeld - "The Contest"
19 Points:
Bojack Horseman - "Time's Arrow"
DuckTales - "Woo-oo!"
18 Points:
Breaking Bad - "Pilot"
Twilight Zone - "It's a Good Life"
12 Monkeys - "Splinter"
17 Points:
Seinfeld - "The Bris"
Justice League - "Starcrossed"
Simpsons - "A Streetcar Named Marge"
Broad City - "Knockoffs"
16 Points:
Galavant - "Pilot"
15 Points:
Black Donnellys - "Pilot"
Burn Notice - "Friendly Fire"
Stargate: SG-1 - "Window of Opportunity"
Angel - "Hero"
14 Points:
Futurama - "Godfellas"
Frasier - "Ham Radio"
Teen Titans - "Troq"
24 - "Day 1: 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM"
13 Points:
Twilight Zone - "The Masks"
Star vs. the Forces of Evil - "Star Comes to Earth"
Father Ted - "A Song for Europe"
Arrow - "Kapiushon"
Studio 60 in the Sunset Strip - "What Kind of Day Has It Been"
12 Points:
Xena: Warrior Princess - "Been There, Done That"
10 Points:
Steven Universe - "Alone Together"
American Dad - "Rapture's Delight"
9 Points:
Married With Children - "Married... With Aliens"
8 Points:
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - "Surprise"
Courage the Cowardly Dog - "The Tower of Dr. Zalost"
7 Points:
Danny Phantom - "The Ultimate Enemy"
6 Points:
Gravity Falls - "Sock Opera"
5 Points:
MLP: FIM - "Maud Pie"
Regular Show - "White Elephant Gift Exhange"
Hey Arnold - "Stoop Kid"
4 Points:
MST3K - "Pod People"
CSI - "Chaos Theory"
3 Points:
Spongebob Squarepants - "Band Geeks"
Invader Zim - "Mysterious Mysteries"
MLP:FIM - "Pinkie Pride"
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Wow I'm kind of surprised you've never seen Justified. You were definitely right in saying it was a pilot season, still absolutely worth watching but the real world building starts happening season 2.

Also I'm up next, nice. I'm really nervous for this one though because it's my favorite MoH and honestly one of my favorite Carpenter works. Just hope you like it enough for horror!

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I've said it a dozen times before but I REALLY need to just sit down and go back to Justified. Loved the first season, never watched the rest
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Glad you enjoyed it! Ava is pretty consistently one of the least interesting parts of the show IMO so I'm not surprised she was the low point of the pilot to you.

Johnbobb posted...

I've said it a dozen times before but I REALLY need to just sit down and go back to Justified. Loved the first season, never watched the rest

Oh man, if you loved the first season you'll really be in for a treat with the rest. I think I like season 1 better than most fans and even I'd say it's on the lower end of the six.
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Masters of Horror - "Cigarette Burns"
Nominated by: Snake

This entire episode felt flat to me. In a lot of ways, it was just a gorier version of an Outer Limits episode. That's an insult, by the way. It didn't really achieve the heights of a Twilight Zone story - scary or creepy, but also thought-provoking. Instead, this felt a little bit like a dime novel brought to life. Unlike Carpenter's normal film works, there isn't that rich, atmospheric filmwork either. Seeing this was supposed to be made in 2005 blew my mind. It looks like a late 80s or early 90s work. Absolutely feels like a throwback in the worst way. It looks like a relic.

The other aspect of flatness that pervades across this entire episode is the flat storytelling and characterization. We're so focused on presenting the concept that nothing else in particular matters. It's almost clinical; Carpenter is so focused on keeping this a tight hour that nothing is given much time to breathe. No real creepiness lingers because we're constantly being shuffled from one thing to the next. Of course, that doesn't matter when the subject matter really demands that we don't think about it too much. It's fairly flimsy stuff; this is a plot that Del Toro would probably be able to make work. Instead, Carpenter feels out of place, out of his element.

I know I'm not the biggest fan of horror in general, but this kind of represents what I dislike about horror. A lack of characters that matter. A lack of some heft behind the story. Something quite low budget and regressive about the production. That's horror in a nutshell to me.

Story: 6/10
Characterization: 2/10
Scarlet Factor: 3/10
Overall Rating: 11/30
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Next up is... Mr. Robot - "eps3.4_runtime-error.r00" (Nominated by: mcflubbin)
30 Points:
Penny Dreadful - "Seance"
Arrested Development - "Top Banana"
LOST - "The Constant"
Scrubs - "My Lunch"
Community - "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"
29 Points:
Doctor Who - "Heaven Sent"
West Wing - "20 Hours in America"
Star Trek: DS9 - "In the Pale Moonlight"
Game of Thrones - "Blackwater"
28 Points:
Star Trek: TNG - "The Inner Light"
Game of Thrones - "A Golden Crown"
X-Files - "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"
27 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Charlie Work"
Atlanta - "Teddy Perkins"
Paranoia Agent - "Happy Family Planning"
Sports Night - "The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee"
26 Points:
Louie - "In the Woods Part 1/Part 2"
House - "Last Resort"
Better Call Saul - "Five-O"
Black Mirror - "Nosedive"
25 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "The Gang Turns Black"
Star Trek - "The Trouble with Tribbles"
Archer - "Placebo Effect"
Fargo - "The Castle"
24 Points:
Star Trek: DS9 - "The Visitor"
Firefly - "Out of Gas"
23 Points:
Castlevania - "For Love"
Justified - "Fire in the Hole"
Babylon 5 - "Confessions and Lamentations"
22 Points:
Flash - "Duet"
Agents of SHIELD - "Self Control"
21 Points:
Avatar: The Last Airbender - "The Southern Raiders"
Fresh Off the Boat - "The Shunning"
Black Mirror - "The National Anthem"
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - "Chill of the Night"
South Park - "The Death Camp of Tolerance"
Samurai Jack - "XCIV"
20 Points:
Frasier - "My Coffee with Niles"
Newsroom - "What Kind of Day Has It Been?"
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse"
Seinfeld - "The Contest"
19 Points:
Bojack Horseman - "Time's Arrow"
DuckTales - "Woo-oo!"
18 Points:
Breaking Bad - "Pilot"
Twilight Zone - "It's a Good Life"
12 Monkeys - "Splinter"
17 Points:
Seinfeld - "The Bris"
Justice League - "Starcrossed"
Simpsons - "A Streetcar Named Marge"
Broad City - "Knockoffs"
16 Points:
Galavant - "Pilot"
15 Points:
Black Donnellys - "Pilot"
Burn Notice - "Friendly Fire"
Stargate: SG-1 - "Window of Opportunity"
Angel - "Hero"
14 Points:
Futurama - "Godfellas"
Frasier - "Ham Radio"
Teen Titans - "Troq"
24 - "Day 1: 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM"
13 Points:
Twilight Zone - "The Masks"
Star vs. the Forces of Evil - "Star Comes to Earth"
Father Ted - "A Song for Europe"
Arrow - "Kapiushon"
Studio 60 in the Sunset Strip - "What Kind of Day Has It Been"
12 Points:
Xena: Warrior Princess - "Been There, Done That"
11 Points:
Masters of Horror - "Cigarette Burns"
10 Points:
Steven Universe - "Alone Together"
American Dad - "Rapture's Delight"
9 Points:
Married With Children - "Married... With Aliens"
8 Points:
Hercules - "Surprise"
Courage the Cowardly Dog - "The Tower of Dr. Zalost"
7 Points:
Danny Phantom - "The Ultimate Enemy"
6 Points:
Gravity Falls - "Sock Opera"
5 Points:
MLP: FIM - "Maud Pie"
Regular Show - "White Elephant Gift Exhange"
Hey Arnold - "Stoop Kid"
4 Points:
MST3K - "Pod People"
CSI - "Chaos Theory"
3 Points:
Spongebob - "Band Geeks"
Invader Zim - "Mysterious Mysteries"
MLP:FIM - "Pinkie Pride"
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NBIceman posted...

Glad you enjoyed it! Ava is pretty consistently one of the least interesting parts of the show IMO so I'm not surprised she was the low point of the pilot to you.

Johnbobb posted...

I've said it a dozen times before but I REALLY need to just sit down and go back to Justified. Loved the first season, never watched the rest

Oh man, if you loved the first season you'll really be in for a treat with the rest. I think I like season 1 better than most fans and even I'd say it's on the lower end of the six.

I definitely will move it up on my shortlist. It's been there for a long time, but it always backseats to new shows that I hear about (most recently, The Boys).
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Awww well, honesty is always appreciated. And the story didn't get such a bad mark. I think there's a ton of atmosphere to it, I always feel enveloped by its intrigue, the threat of the film, and the main character's mental state.

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I can see WHY someone might like it, for sure. For some reason, it just didn't resonate at all with me.

Maybe the angel just wasn't cool enough.
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Mr. Robot - "eps3.4_runtime-error.r00"
Nominated by: mcflubbin

Phenomenal. Excellent. I've always been a huge mark for the concept of the single cut film, whether it be Rope (Hitchcock) or Birdman (Inarritu). It takes a very special kind of director to weave that illusion of complete consistency, never wavering from a continuous vision. The camera has to move in such a sly way that every shot still occurs without feeling that rush to make it happen. West Wing often did long shots that wound their way through the maze of the White House, but never on this level. Of course, West Wing is a different animal than Mr. Robot. A show that I always compare to Watch_Dogs and Assassin's Creed, Mr. Robot has always been a show where tension is a primary goal in every scene. The idea of working on the ground level of modern skulduggery and espionage is the basis for the show, and nothing creates tension like a long shot.

We don't milk it, however. Real time is often much more meaningful and grounded in emotion that the lingering shots we get in the standard drama. A medical show, for example, lengthens time with these pensive, bloated cuts. Here, there is no way to pad a moment. It happens; we move on. The episode has to be tightly written and even more tightly shot. It's a real dance.

As for the story, the first half is what really makes this special. The second half is stuck on a character who is much less engrossing and lacks the same sort of insight in the first half that keeps the episode propelled. Luckily, the action in the second half helps to make up a bit for the downturn in characterization. All in all, excellent.

Writing: 10/10
Characterization: 8/10
Scarlet Factor: 10/10
Overall Rating: 28/30
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Next up is... Star Trek - "Spock's Brain" (Nominated by: Anagram)
30 Points:
Penny Dreadful - "Seance"
Arrested Development - "Top Banana"
LOST - "The Constant"
Scrubs - "My Lunch"
Community - "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"
29 Points:
Doctor Who - "Heaven Sent"
West Wing - "20 Hours in America"
Star Trek: DS9 - "In the Pale Moonlight"
Game of Thrones - "Blackwater"
28 Points:
Mr. Robot - "eps3.4_runtime-error.r00"
Star Trek: TNG - "The Inner Light"
Game of Thrones - "A Golden Crown"
X-Files - "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"
27 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Charlie Work"
Atlanta - "Teddy Perkins"
Paranoia Agent - "Happy Family Planning"
Sports Night - "Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee"
26 Points:
Louie - "In the Woods Part 1/Part 2"
House - "Last Resort"
Better Call Saul - "Five-O"
Black Mirror - "Nosedive"
25 Points:
Always Sunny - "The Gang Turns Black"
Star Trek - "The Trouble with Tribbles"
Archer - "Placebo Effect"
Fargo - "The Castle"
24 Points:
Star Trek: DS9 - "The Visitor"
Firefly - "Out of Gas"
23 Points:
Castlevania - "For Love"
Justified - "Fire in the Hole"
Babylon 5 - "Confessions and Lamentations"
22 Points:
Flash - "Duet"
Agents of SHIELD - "Self Control"
21 Points:
Avatar: The Last Airbender - "The Southern Raiders"
Fresh Off the Boat - "The Shunning"
Black Mirror - "The National Anthem"
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - "Chill of the Night"
South Park - "The Death Camp of Tolerance"
Samurai Jack - "XCIV"
20 Points:
Frasier - "My Coffee with Niles"
Newsroom - "What Kind of Day Has It Been?"
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse"
Seinfeld - "The Contest"
19 Points:
Bojack Horseman - "Time's Arrow"
DuckTales - "Woo-oo!"
18 Points:
Breaking Bad - "Pilot"
Twilight Zone - "It's a Good Life"
12 Monkeys - "Splinter"
17 Points:
Seinfeld - "The Bris"
Justice League - "Starcrossed"
Simpsons - "A Streetcar Named Marge"
Broad City - "Knockoffs"
16 Points:
Galavant - "Pilot"
15 Points:
Black Donnellys - "Pilot"
Burn Notice - "Friendly Fire"
Stargate: SG-1 - "Window of Opportunity"
Angel - "Hero"
14 Points:
Futurama - "Godfellas"
Frasier - "Ham Radio"
Teen Titans - "Troq"
24 - "Day 1: 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM"
13 Points:
Twilight Zone - "The Masks"
Star vs. the Forces of Evil - "Star Comes to Earth"
Father Ted - "A Song for Europe"
Arrow - "Kapiushon"
Studio 60 in the Sunset Strip - "What Kind of Day Has It Been"
12 Points:
Xena: Warrior Princess - "Been There, Done That"
11 Points:
Masters of Horror - "Cigarette Burns"
10 Points:
Steven Universe - "Alone Together"
American Dad - "Rapture's Delight"
9 Points:
Married With Children - "Married... With Aliens"
8 Points:
Hercules - "Surprise"
Courage the Cowardly Dog - "The Tower of Dr. Zalost"
7 Points:
Danny Phantom - "The Ultimate Enemy"
6 Points:
Gravity Falls - "Sock Opera"
5 Points:
MLP: FIM - "Maud Pie"
Regular Show - "White Elephant Gift Exhange"
Hey Arnold - "Stoop Kid"
4 Points:
MST3K - "Pod People"
CSI - "Chaos Theory"
3 Points:
Spongebob - "Band Geeks"
Invader Zim - "Mysterious Mysteries"
MLP:FIM - "Pinkie Pride"
---

MIIIiISSSTER ROBOT.
---

I stopped watching Mr. Robot like an episode or two before that one and after hearing how great it is have meant to go back and watch it ever since
---

Props for shouting out Birdman, that might be my favorite film of the 2010s.
---

It's not that high up on my list for the decade, but it's really fantastic! There are also elements of Birdman that are reminiscent of Mr. Robot, at least in terms of how Keaton delivers his lines to a presence that's not necessarily there.
---

Star Trek - "Spock's Brain"
Nominated by: Anagram

What dooms Spocks Brain is its execution. We cant take it seriously because the story really is just that goofy. Not helping matters any is the portrayal of the inhabitants of Sigma Draconis VI. If this is supposed to be some kind of layered message with respect to the dichotomy of the societal roles between men and women, I think that note got tucked into one of the ladies go-go boots.

The women are portrayed as complete idiots until taught to do something, after which that knowledge evaporates and they go back to having the intellect of toddlers. In fairness, the men who serve at the womens beck and call arent treated much better; theyre big strong brutes who say little and think less, and who are good to have around for lifting heavy things and maybe stomping on the odd rogue spider. Come to think of it, theyre pretty much every father figure on every American sitcom for the past thirty years. We know the women sometimes corral a few of the boys in order to procreate and perhaps take out the trash, but the rest of time the Morg are forced to live up on the surface of the glaciated planet, running around in long underwear but with some of the nicest hair any Neanderthal could ever want. Why would a societys rulers, especially those who command such sophisticated technology and who apparently are no longer around, set up something like this? Whats the point of keeping your entire population so completely unprepared to carry out even the simplest tasks? These are questions which might have been worth exploring, but theyre cast aside in favor of the weaker central storyline.

So we race away at Warp Factor Six from this episode, hoping to put it far, far behind us, buried deeply in the annals of Star Trek history.

Writing: 3/10
Characterization: 2/10
Scarlet Factor: 3/10
Overall Score: 8/30
---

Next up is... Doctor Who - "Turn Left" (Nominated by: Inviso)
30 Points:
Penny Dreadful - "Seance"
Arrested Development - "Top Banana"
LOST - "The Constant"
Scrubs - "My Lunch"
Community - "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"
29 Points:
Doctor Who - "Heaven Sent"
West Wing - "20 Hours in America"
Star Trek: DS9 - "In the Pale Moonlight"
Game of Thrones - "Blackwater"
28 Points:
Mr. Robot - "eps3.4_runtime-error.r00"
Star Trek: TNG - "The Inner Light"
Game of Thrones - "A Golden Crown"
X-Files - "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"
27 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Charlie Work"
Atlanta - "Teddy Perkins"
Paranoia Agent - "Happy Family Planning"
Sports Night - "Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee"
26 Points:
Louie - "In the Woods Part 1/Part 2"
House - "Last Resort"
Better Call Saul - "Five-O"
Black Mirror - "Nosedive"
25 Points:
Always Sunny - "The Gang Turns Black"
Star Trek - "The Trouble with Tribbles"
Archer - "Placebo Effect"
Fargo - "The Castle"
24 Points:
Star Trek: DS9 - "The Visitor"
Firefly - "Out of Gas"
23 Points:
Castlevania - "For Love"
Justified - "Fire in the Hole"
Babylon 5 - "Confessions and Lamentations"
22 Points:
Flash - "Duet"
Agents of SHIELD - "Self Control"
21 Points:
Avatar: The Last Airbender - "The Southern Raiders"
Fresh Off the Boat - "The Shunning"
Black Mirror - "The National Anthem"
Batman: BATB - "Chill of the Night"
South Park - "Death Camp of Tolerance"
Samurai Jack - "XCIV"
20 Points:
Frasier - "My Coffee with Niles"
Newsroom - "What Kind of Day Has It Been?"
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse"
Seinfeld - "The Contest"
19 Points:
Bojack Horseman - "Time's Arrow"
DuckTales - "Woo-oo!"
18 Points:
Breaking Bad - "Pilot"
Twilight Zone - "It's a Good Life"
12 Monkeys - "Splinter"
17 Points:
Seinfeld - "The Bris"
Justice League - "Starcrossed"
Simpsons - "A Streetcar Named Marge"
Broad City - "Knockoffs"
16 Points:
Galavant - "Pilot"
15 Points:
Black Donnellys - "Pilot"
Burn Notice - "Friendly Fire"
Stargate: SG-1 - "Window of Opportunity"
Angel - "Hero"
14 Points:
Futurama - "Godfellas"
Frasier - "Ham Radio"
Teen Titans - "Troq"
24 - "Day 1: 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM"
13 Points:
Twilight Zone - "The Masks"
Star vs. the Forces of Evil - "Star Comes to Earth"
Father Ted - "A Song for Europe"
Arrow - "Kapiushon"
Studio 60 in the Sunset Strip - "What Kind of Day Has It Been"
12 Points:
Xena: Warrior Princess - "Been There, Done That"
11 Points:
Masters of Horror - "Cigarette Burns"
10 Points:
Steven Universe - "Alone Together"
American Dad - "Rapture's Delight"
9 Points:
Married With Children - "Married... With Aliens"
8 Points:
Hercules - "Surprise"
Star Trek - "Spock's Brain"
Courage the Cowardly Dog - "The Tower of Dr. Zalost"
7 Points:
Danny Phantom - "The Ultimate Enemy"
6 Points:
Gravity Falls - "Sock Opera"
5 Points:
MLP: FIM - "Maud Pie"
Regular Show - "White Elephant Gift Exhange"
Hey Arnold - "Stoop Kid"
4 Points:
MST3K - "Pod People"
CSI - "Chaos Theory"
3 Points:
Spongebob - "Band Geeks"
Invader Zim - "Mysterious Mysteries"
MLP:FIM - "Pinkie Pride"
---

Doctor Who - "Turn Left"
Nominated by: Inviso

"Turn Left" proves quite quickly that Donna is the most intriguing of the Doctor's companions. Stripped of his charisma, this episode stretches and yawns, relying on the universe of the show, its long-running continuity, to buttress an episode solely focused on the phenomenal understated acting of Donna Noble's actress, Catherine Tate.

This episode felt like a lot of table-setting for the big two-part finale to come, but I liked it. The references to past episodes, for one, were clever and had a point, even if that point about the interconnectedness of events is a bit familiar by now. But Catherine Tate's performance really made it work. She's a different type of companion than we've seen before, at least in the modern era. Her relationship with the Doctor may not lend itself to the furious 'shipper speculation of Rose and Martha, but it's driven by a genuine, collegial love. Where Rose and Martha's partnerships seemed destined to burn out or explode into passion after a while, Donna could stick around for a while.

I think that's what makes this episode so sad on rewatch. Donna's future is known to me, and the episode here sets her up as a true partner to the Doctor, something never duplicated in the following series that would come.

A side note - the sheer number of references to other characters and events in this episode actually packs more of an emotional punch than you would expect. Alternate realities are always best presented with a super-serving of continuity. It reminds the viewer of the breadth of the series and just how many pieces are in play thanks to the butterfly effect of one single event revisited in a series. Great stuff.

Writing: 9/10
Characterization: 8/10
Scarlet Factor: 9/10
Overall Score: 26/30
---

Next up is... Sports Night - "What Kind of Day Has It Been?" (Nominated by: Eddv)
30 Points:
Penny Dreadful - "Seance"
Arrested Development - "Top Banana"
LOST - "The Constant"
Scrubs - "My Lunch"
Community - "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"
29 Points:
Doctor Who - "Heaven Sent"
West Wing - "20 Hours in America"
Star Trek: DS9 - "In the Pale Moonlight"
Game of Thrones - "Blackwater"
28 Points:
Mr. Robot - "eps3.4_runtime-error.r00"
Star Trek: TNG - "The Inner Light"
Game of Thrones - "A Golden Crown"
X-Files - "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"
27 Points:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Charlie Work"
Atlanta - "Teddy Perkins"
Paranoia Agent - "Happy Family Planning"
Sports Night - "Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee"
26 Points:
Doctor Who - "Turn Left"
Louie - "In the Woods Part 1/Part 2"
House - "Last Resort"
Better Call Saul - "Five-O"
Black Mirror - "Nosedive"
25 Points:
Always Sunny - "The Gang Turns Black"
Star Trek - "The Trouble with Tribbles"
Archer - "Placebo Effect"
Fargo - "The Castle"
24 Points:
Star Trek: DS9 - "The Visitor"
Firefly - "Out of Gas"
23 Points:
Castlevania - "For Love"
Justified - "Fire in the Hole"
Babylon 5 - "Confessions and Lamentations"
22 Points:
Flash - "Duet"
Agents of SHIELD - "Self Control"
21 Points:
Avatar - "Southern Raiders"
Fresh Off the Boat - "The Shunning"
Black Mirror - "National Anthem"
Batman: BATB - "Chill of the Night"
South Park - "Death Camp of Tolerance"
Samurai Jack - "XCIV"
20 Points:
Frasier - "My Coffee with Niles"
Newsroom - "What Kind of Day Has It Been?"
Fresh Prince - "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse"
Seinfeld - "The Contest"
19 Points:
Bojack Horseman - "Time's Arrow"
DuckTales - "Woo-oo!"
18 Points:
Breaking Bad - "Pilot"
Twilight Zone - "It's a Good Life"
12 Monkeys - "Splinter"
17 Points:
Seinfeld - "The Bris"
Justice League - "Starcrossed"
Simpsons - "Streetcar Named Marge"
Broad City - "Knockoffs"
16 Points:
Galavant - "Pilot"
15 Points:
Black Donnellys - "Pilot"
Burn Notice - "Friendly Fire"
Stargate - "Window of Opportunity"
Angel - "Hero"
14 Points:
Futurama - "Godfellas"
Frasier - "Ham Radio"
Teen Titans - "Troq"
24 - "Day 1: 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM"
13 Points:
Twilight Zone - "The Masks"
Star vs. the Forces of Evil - "Star Comes to Earth"
Father Ted - "A Song for Europe"
Arrow - "Kapiushon"
Studio 60 in the Sunset Strip - "What Kind of Day Has It Been"
12 Points:
Xena: Warrior Princess - "Been There, Done That"
11 Points:
Masters of Horror - "Cigarette Burns"
10 Points:
Steven Universe - "Alone Together"
American Dad - "Rapture's Delight"
9 Points:
Married With Children - "Married... With Aliens"
8 Points:
Hercules - "Surprise"
Star Trek - "Spock's Brain"
Courage the Cowardly Dog - "The Tower of Dr. Zalost"
7 Points:
Danny Phantom - "The Ultimate Enemy"
6 Points:
Gravity Falls - "Sock Opera"
5 Points:
MLP: FIM - "Maud Pie"
Regular Show - "White Elephant Gift Exhange"
Hey Arnold - "Stoop Kid"
4 Points:
MST3K - "Pod People"
CSI - "Chaos Theory"
3 Points:
Spongebob - "Band Geeks"
Invader Zim - "Mysterious Mysteries"
MLP:FIM - "Pinkie Pride"
---

Never really cared much for Catherine Tate. Then again, I haven't seen her seasons kf Doctor Who
---

I was the same way until I really saw the value of her commoner sensibility in Who.
---

She is great in Dr Who. Not seen her in anything else.

And yeah Donna's fate is uniquely tragic and makes a lot of her stuff really sad on rewatch.
---

Turn Left is so good
---