Succession

shakahislop

shakahislop

Well-known member
IdleRich said:
I think that we've talked about this before, but one thing I'd say is that when you got this "new" long-form telly thing that took off with, I dunno, Sopranos and Six Feet Under and various other things, it was a new format that left behind the old cliches and wrote its own rules... but then of course these rules ended up being codified and becoming new cliches of their own.

One thing I've noticed is that a lot of series start off with the first episode being really good, maybe the second too, then they tread water until approaching end, at which point they pick up a bit for the last couple of episodes and put in a cliff-hanger - or if not quite as crude as that, something that needs to be resolved - so as to get a second series.
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One thing that is kind of interesting is that contrary to films, music, art, theatre, the US/UK axis hasn't produced (so far as I know, I don't watch much of this stuff) anything that could be identified as a kind of alt tv series. there's stuff made for different segments of what could broadly be called the mainstream but nothing that subverts it, nothing particularly left-wing political, and so on. it feels like quite a consolidated world to me.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
Yeah that sounds right to me. Again I think it's a function of something that started off as breaking the mould but which is now a formula of its own - and a formula which is expensive, long-term etc etc involving huge amounts of planning and investment and - they hope - lasting popularity. Just put like that it doesn't seem conducive to risky alternative stuff.
 
shakahislop

shakahislop

Well-known member
IdleRich said:
Yeah that sounds right to me. Again I think it's a function of something that started off as breaking the mould but which is now a formula of its own - and a formula which is expensive, long-term etc etc involving huge amounts of planning and investment and - they hope - lasting popularity. Just put like that it doesn't seem conducive to risky alternative stuff.
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it's not something i've thought about before, but having what is probably the main storytelling medium of the present moment being so consolidated and hard to penetrate is perhaps one small thread running through our culture at the moment. a lack of alternative horizons.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
As an aside, like I said, my favourite character is Tom (of course), and one final thing, his surname is Wambsgans, that's like the perfect final piece of the jigsaw. Surely Wambsgans is not a real name, but for him it is perfect, it sounds kinda slimy and flabby yet sleek, just like him, how did they think of it.
 
D

DannyL

Wild Horses
shiels said:
Tom is a brilliant character. Especially his relationships with Shiv and Greg. Ruthlessness, pathetic bumlicking and real vulnerability all wrapped in this superficial camp and deviance that makes him charming
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he's so great. I love how he slips into absolutely slaughtering Greg without even breaking sweat. I read recently that the only true thing in the world is personal abuse. Tom is a master of it.
 
D

DannyL

Wild Horses
I thought the two speeches in this week's episode were incredible. Kendal's speech in particular - a weird paean to capitalism.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
imagine working for a wage another man gives you pocket money. thats how much your allowed for beer this week shiels.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
well yeah i do you know i do. but i worked for bossman all winter its fucking lame its humiliating
 
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