Timewaster's Guide Archive
Departments => Movies and TV => Topic started by: Reaves on March 12, 2009, 07:30:35 PM
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Nathan Fillion. Playing an author? Yes.
Anybody seen this? It premiered on Monday. I thought it was interesting and funny, and I'm kind've curious to see where its going. I hope it doesn't turn out to be another "cop show with a twist" ; they're popping up all over the place these days.
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Nathan Fillion plays a great dirt bag. I have hopes that this show will continue. It wasnt amazing, but it was a nice change from the terrible CSIs and Law and Orders. I hate James Patterson, but seeing his little role made me laugh. You are right though, they will need to do something different to make this a "must-watch."
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Oh, I forgot to watch it. I'll have to check it out at least the first episode online.
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I watched it. I enjoyed it. I hope it goes somewhere interesting. They exhausted the "copycat killer copying the author's books" schtick in the first episode. But they did set up for ways in which the author can actually contribute to invesatigations. I have high hopes.
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I just watched it last night. It was fun to see Stephen J. Cannell. ;D
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I also thought the "copycat killer copying the author's books" thing was going to be a show theme, rather than just a pilot theme. But it looks like they're going with a "annoying, narcissistic author helps tough-as-nails-yet-very-hot female detective solve murders" theme instead. I loved the pilot, and have high hopes for it.
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i enjoyed his reaction to the confrontation at the end of the episode last night. it shows they intend to grow his character which makes me happy. that said, while the comments at the autopsy were funny, they were absurd. there is no way the police officer has that reaction. "Sex?" "Spermicide?" The show lowered my respect for the cop which is a bad thing.
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I watched both episodes last night, and I really enjoyed it. It's basically just another police procedural, of which there are too many already, but the writer gimmick is pretty fresh, and it's a nice change of pace from the glut of CSI/Law & Order spinoffs. I loved the scene with the other writers (playing themselves, which was awesome), and the father/daughter relationship is shaping up to be one of the best I've ever seen on TV.
Quick observation: all three of the female leads in this show have red hair, and are incredibly (almost dangerously) thin. Do I sense a fetish in the casting director?
Edit: by the way, I really want to complain about ABC's online viewer. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Hulu and Netflix, but auto-pausing the show so that I have to get up and click a mouse every seven minutes is just a stupid way to watch television.
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Dan: Learn to wireless mouse. It's like a remote.
Essentially this show is Murder He Wrote. Which is fine. I am waiting for them to introduce an overarching plot. I thought that they would use the pilot plot as a full season thing, but oh well. My one complaint is that they are making the female detective an idiot. I've already mentioned her completely unrealistic dialog from Ep 2, but in addition to that they are pretending like everyone thinks she is isnt attractive. In Ep 1 there was the line, "Well, some lipstick couldn't hurt." It's a tad absurd. I really hope they move on from that...or actually give her a disfigurement so that people's fake impression that she isn't attractive is warranted.
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The lipstick line was especially dumb when it was accompanied by a closeup in which she was obviously wearing lipstick.
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last night's episode was rather weak.
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It did feel like the "writer angle" didn't have much to do with the plot. Which makes it just another police show which happens to have a writer tagging along for no real compelling reason.
Castle is definitely losing his "bad boy" cred. All we see of his personal life is him being a great dad with every indication that he has always been such. Refreshing to see in TV land but at odds with the billing of the show and it hasn't added much. It's gone from interesting to simply "pleasant to watch."
However, I enjoyed it and will definitely watch the next. It still has possibilities. I too am looking forward to an overarching plot.
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The show has plummeted after the pilot.
Let the fillers begin!
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You're right about the bad boy cred, Skar--it's hard for me to buy him as a hedonistic playboy when the only things we ever see him do are solve murders and be the best father on TV. They need to show more parties, more bad decisions, and more poker games with other writers (which would, incidentally, make the writer gimmick a lot more meaningful).
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You're right about the bad boy cred, Skar--it's hard for me to buy him as a hedonistic playboy when the only things we ever see him do are solve murders and be the best father on TV. They need to show more parties, more bad decisions, and more poker games with other writers (which would, incidentally, make the writer gimmick a lot more meaningful).
they also need to show him mess up an investigation rather than show him as the only one who can solve the crime. they are continually undermining the female lead which bothers me. honestly at this point they may as well make him the detective and kick her to the curb.
The show is far from sunk, and it hasn't "plummeted" at all. They just need to get back to using the writing angle as a part of the story like Dan said.
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there was one element in this week's show where they used the writer angle (sort of) in a way that actually made the woman look good: when she was questioning the drug dealer, Castle was expecting a big dramatic shouting match full of accusations and threats, since that's usually what you see in fiction, and instead the police chief narrated a much more subtle and professional strategy that the woman used to get what she wanted. It was a great contrast of fiction vs. reality, it was a great chance to show that the writer doesn't know everything, and it was one of the very few times Detective Beckett looked competent; in short, it was exactly the kind of stuff the show needs way more of.
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i was about to mention that, Dan. that was a good segment. i think it would also be good to bring her more into HIS world. she mentioned that she should go to their poker games. i agree. not to mention they introduce his ex-wife/agent in Ep 1 and haven't shown her again? need more conflict.
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Mmm, Yes they are definatly getting a Stepmom for the little girl that is ten times smarter than everyone else.
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Just saw the latest episode. I liked it still. Didn't wow me but didn't squander any more potential.
I must say, though, that the writers have a tendency to be a little lazy. For example. There is no way in hell you could carry even a much bigger rug than the one they find the body in two blocks without noticing that it had a lumpy 180 pound 'thing' in it that feels like nothing more than a human body. Give me a frackin' break.
And I'm sorry, but I just didn't buy that the wife would confess because the detective laid out a plausible sequence of events that implicated her, just like the last several perps, one per show.
PLEASE give us just one perp who says, "&*^# you. I want a lawyer," and clams up.
Huh, I find that I may not be enjoying these shows as much as I think. I'll still watch the next one though.
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I'm actually watching this right now, Skar. Awesome.
So hooray for Castle, who gets to be all bad boy again finally, but the detective continues to be dumb (she doesn't have to be dumb to be the straight man) and the writing is, as you said, increasingly lazy. They had the black woman call someone girlfriend? Honestly? Though I have to admit the "he wears a rug" line was brilliant.
What really bugs me, as an author, is that he had a new book in this episode--just four weeks after he had a new book in the pilot. That's a pretty awesome publishing schedule. Can't the writers find some way to incorporate his writing career without an actual book launch? Does he ever do signings or readings? Can he get into a fight with his agent or editor or something?
Also, ABC's viewer is now faulty in addition to poorly designed. As the technology becomes less usable and the writing becomes more lazy, it will soon reach a point where it's not worth my time.
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I'm actually watching this right now, Skar. Awesome.
Crap. I think that means I spoilered you. I am sincerely sorry. I'm usually so far behind on these things that I've never had to worry about spoilage. I didn't even think this time. But that's no excuse. Again, I'm really sorry.
(writes "Don't spoil shows for people, dummy" on an index card then staples it to his left eyebrow like an eyepatch, text inward)
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Trust me, there is no way that you could spoil a mystery plot that thin--I had the wife pegged within the first 15 minutes. Besides, if I didn't want spoilers I shouldn't have been discussing a show online WHILE WATCHING IT.
Though this reminds me, in a roundabout way, that I just bought a Conan board game and I keep meaning to call you to set up a game night. As a fellow Robert E. Howard fan I think you'd love it.
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I'm actually watching this right now, Skar. Awesome.
So hooray for Castle, who gets to be all bad boy again finally, but the detective continues to be dumb (she doesn't have to be dumb to be the straight man) and the writing is, as you said, increasingly lazy. They had the black woman call someone girlfriend? Honestly? Though I have to admit the "he wears a rug" line was brilliant.
What really bugs me, as an author, is that he had a new book in this episode--just four weeks after he had a new book in the pilot. That's a pretty awesome publishing schedule. Can't the writers find some way to incorporate his writing career without an actual book launch? Does he ever do signings or readings? Can he get into a fight with his agent or editor or something?
Also, ABC's viewer is now faulty in addition to poorly designed. As the technology becomes less usable and the writing becomes more lazy, it will soon reach a point where it's not worth my time.
Dan, it's the same book. The party in Ep 1 was an advance party honoring his forthcoming book - remember, he gives the female detective an advance copy as a gift in the episode? This episode was the actual book release - the reading he did from the book was of the death scene of his main character (the one Patterson gives him crap for in Ep. 1).
more importantly, you has Conan game? can I be a half-naked barbarian chick that's hawt?
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Trust me, ... WHILE WATCHING IT.
Whew.
Though this reminds me, in a roundabout way, that I just bought a Conan board game and I keep meaning to call you to set up a game night. As a fellow Robert E. Howard fan I think you'd love it.
Oh, that sounds entirely too awesome. Please do call me.
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PLEASE give us just one perp who says, "&*^# you. I want a lawyer," and clams up.
Forgot to give you an "Amen!"
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Yeah, I eventually realized that it was the same book. I also realized that I shouldn't complain about him not doing any readings when I'm not done with the episode yet, since he did one at the end. I will say, however, that the super hot detective has never looked less hot than she did in that frumpy pink dress she wore to the signing. Sometimes I don't understand that show at all.
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I will say, however, that the super hot detective has never looked less hot than she did in that frumpy pink dress she wore to the signing. Sometimes I don't understand that show at all.
sometimes it's scary how often we have the same thoughts.
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Get out of my head, mind witch!
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Episode 5:
** Spoilers ahead**
Well, another mixed bag this time. They may have started a decent overarching plot with him looking at Det. Beckett's mother's murder file. One of the perps outsmarted them in the interview room. An interesting moral dilemma was presented. All good things.
But they missed the boat on quite a few too. No comment was made on the fact that the cop, Sloan, lazily let the murderer go free, putting the Grandfather in his difficult position. When the Grandfather was explaining why a father 'might' confront his daughter's killer and extract vengeance I, personally, would have had him mention that the darn cops had had their chance to find and stop the killer and done nothing with it. Especially because he'd already shown angst over that very thing early in the show.
I had a hard time believing the laser-tag game. His daughter's too old for it. And when Beckett shows up the daughter first asks who she is at the door and then talks about having met her at the signing. Lazy.
I wouldn't be bailing on appointments to run home and catch this show at this point but I'll still watch the next one at my desk over lunch.
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Episode 5:
** Spoilers ahead**
Well, another mixed bag this time. They may have started a decent overarching plot with him looking at Det. Beckett's mother's murder file. One of the perps outsmarted them in the interview room. An interesting moral dilemma was presented. All good things.
But they missed the boat on quite a few too. No comment was made on the fact that the cop, Sloan, lazily let the murderer go free, putting the Grandfather in his difficult position. When the Grandfather was explaining why a father 'might' confront his daughter's killer and extract vengeance I, personally, would have had him mention that the darn cops had had their chance to find and stop the killer and done nothing with it. Especially because he'd already shown angst over that very thing early in the show.
I had a hard time believing the laser-tag game. His daughter's too old for it. And when Beckett shows up the daughter first asks who she is at the door and then talks about having met her at the signing. Lazy.
i agree for the most part. the cop being lazy is actually more realistic, and i liked it. the father not mentioning it again, i agree, was a miss. Beckett showing up at the door was the biggest problem for me. Like you said, that whole doorway scene was terribad and lazy.
i disagree with laser-tag. laser-tag is always cool. always. cool. just ask Barney from the show How I Met Your Mother.
the over-arching plot is fine, but i saw it coming from a mile away (by mile i mean several episodes).
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This episode was definitely a step up, though I'm starting to realize that the last three episodes in a row have been House-style investigations: solve the problem, realize you were wrong, solve it again, realize you were wrong, etc etc. This happens a bit now and then in every good detective show, but House takes it to ridiculous extremes and now Castle is doing the same thing.
Castle has firmly entered "I'll watch it if I'm home but won't go out of my way or look it up on hulu" territory. Skar and Bookstore Guy and I all feel the same way, it seems, and yet we won't stop talking about it.
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For me it's definitely the Firefly effect. I liked that show alot and I REALLY liked the character Nathan Fillion played, so, even though it's completely irrational, it spills over onto the Castle guy.
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The important thing to take away from this so far is that, contrary to what Skar believes, Laser-Tag is always cool. Always.
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Oh yeah? What about laser tag in a mortuary? Ok, that'd be fun. Graveyard? No...that'd be fun too. Hmmmm. What about in an insane asylum? Well, no that would be more fun than all the others put together. WalMart? Huh.
I know, Laser tag with your grandparents on catwalks over giant pots of acid? I suppose that would depend on how much you like your grandparents though...
Ok, Laser tag is always fun and cool.
It must have been the dialogue that bothered me.
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yeah, it was the conversation at the door that was icky.
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So I watched ABC's other new cop show, The Unusuals, and though it doesn't have Nathan Fillion it's way, way better. I was really impressed, actually: they established good characters and interesting threads, and they set up a long-term plot arc right off the bat. They have gimmicks, obviously, but unlike Castle they don't rely on them at the expense of actual writing.
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Since Skar won the laser tag event at my bachelor party, I believe Skar when he says it's always fun and cool.
Karen and I haven't watched any sort of TV the last couple weeks due to traveling around, and yesterday we packed up the TV leaving us with just the internet. TV just doesn't seem very important right now.
I wanted to like Drive because it had Nathan Fillion on it too. We also obsessively watch anything Adam Baldwin is in.
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So I watched ABC's other new cop show, The Unusuals, ... they don't rely on them at the expense of actual writing
Yeah. I liked this one too. Very interesting. Quite a chasm between the trailers and the actual show though. I wouldn't have tried it out on the strength of the trailer. Fell pushed me over the edge. I'm glad.
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Since Skar won the laser tag event at my bachelor party
Didn't you also watch Mary Poppins at your bachelor party? I told somebody that once and they didn't believe me.
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No, that wasn't me. We watched Zone of the Enders: 2167 Idolo, a horrible anime with a horrible mecha design with a horrible cockpit location. We cried laughing. They were going to watch something after that but I actually left early so I wouldn't be exhausted the next day.
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I just watched an episode of this show. I have to say my favorite part was when Castle dragged the girl into his office so he could read to her from a fiction novel HE wrote in order to help solve the crime. xDDD
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the novelty (see what i did there?) of this show is wearing off for me. i might be back to Netflix-ing old shows.
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I tell you, watch The Unusuals. It's completely replaced Castle in my affections, Nathan Fillion or not.
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Just finished the latest Castle episode. I may watch the rest due to misguided loyalty but I'll be very surprised if the show gets a second season. The writing just gets more and more insipid. The plots are OK, but the dialog is just terrible. It's almost like the writers are turning the scene notes into dialog.
Scene opens on a small shop that has been trashed. Beckett, Castle, two sidekick detectives enter the scene.
Beckett: "This place has been trashed."
Seriously?
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Well, latest episode kicked some serious butt. No particularly bad dialogue, they made use of the writer angle in a way that makes sense, the dirtbags acted pretty realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If they keep this up, they may come back.
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I cant take Beckett seriously at all. The "So you wanna play?" line with the shoving of the desk was beyond laughable. The red-hair fetish the writers have also bothers me more and more. what ever happened to his 2nd ex-wife that is HIS FREAKING AGENT.
I don't know that I can do this anymore...
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To be honest I haven't watched anything after the first episode. Judging from some of the comments, I'm not missing much eh? :P
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Dangit, Skar, I already gave up on this show, and now you tell me this week's episode was really good? Why do you do this to me?
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If you end up watching it, I'd be curious to know if you agree with me.
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Just got back from a 2 week absence. And I must say that the dialog in the the episode of Castle I watched over lunch was pretty terrible. I'll be joining Fell in my absence from that particular audience.
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i tried watching the finale. it was dumb. the fact that the wait a full season to do anything with the cold case is idiotic - it is especially idiotic considering they dont know if they are doing a 2nd season. the other problem is that Nathan Fillion is awesome; so awesome, in fact, that he makes the detective look completely stupid and incompetent. They really need someone else to play her character. She is terrible.
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renewed...
while i like Fillion (he is my hero), im not sure I can watch this anymore. maybe if they killed off the main chick and replaced her with, you know, someone intelligent?
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Hey I like Stana. She's a good actress, and very believable as a dumb cop. Also her stiff response to him is mitigated by the fact that she's much more natural with other characters. This is very consistent with her secret fan crush. If there is a second season, and I hope there is, give her a chance and I think she'll surprise you. not a prediction just a critique.
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I have to admit I really like Castle, despite it's flaws. It may be because I"m slightly a Fillion fangirl but I really love his character and his relationship with his daughter and his mother. I'm hoping it's much better next season.