TV shows you most recently finished watching

yep more Anthony Starr love from me as well. Should be taking the acting honours all day long. He was also very good in the offbeat and violent Cinemax series Banshee. I loved that almost as much as the Boys.

The latest offering from Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight, this is also set in his home town of Birmingham but during the civil unrest of the early 80's. I presume this is quite personal for him. It has great characters and a few well known actors such as Michelle Dockery and Neil Pinnock but most are unknown future stars in waiting. Very intense at times and not for the faint of heart. Hopefully a second series to come. 8/10

Just got done with the second series of "House of Dragon" ... and while I did not dislike it, it took me a long time to be able to make sense of things, and the separation of the various factions. The original GoT, had it easier, the different folks were VERY DIFFERENT, and here, it is like they were all under one roof and you hardly had the chance to see it all clearly ... by the 6th/7th episode, I think I finally got it, sort of, and while I do not think the writing of the show is great, I do think that the quality of some of the acting, leans towards the cartoonish side of things, which in many ways, was something that GoT made sure it did not happen with outstanding acting and performances, all the way to the end. 

Other than a couple of folks here, I do not find the acting special at all and the two leading women are nice, but way too stiff, and they are not exactly the best thing in the whole thing. And neither are the brothers, who appear to be just playing around with toys ... at least in GoT, they got rid of the king playing with toys ... but here, everyone has toys, is the only thing one can say, but the acting, is not well thought out and inspired ... the slow down at times, to make it look like it is serious, becomes sad, and drags down several scenes ... I think it was meant to be stronger, but I'm not sure the directing, was capable of bringing out more from those actors at all, specially if the cinematography was not a serious part of its design ... it all looks like it was just a one room stage ... change the drapes ... better yet ... let's make it outside with a flying dragon! And in this way to look at it, HoD comes off really cheaply done, with no clean definition of what the whole thing means, beyond some thing that folks took to and liked in the books, but the translation of it, was hurried, poorly designed, and not thought off as important ... and this usually goes back to the quality of the actors and their ability, with a director having the taste and TOUCH to make something work. I have the thought/feeling that they did not have the time and desire to put a better effort into this ... figuring the cartoon side would run the show and who cares about the actors and folks ... they die quick and easy!

As for the story ... its typical TV ... stretch it so that there will be more and more and more, of the same thing! I never got that feeling in GoT in 8 seasons worth ... and here I was hoping that the 2nd season would not be the same thing all over ... but we have to use the Deux en Maxima trick to create some tension, and hope the dragons are not the heroes ... I'm kinda wanting them to end their misery quicker ... because while good, it was getting tiring.

It gets a "B" ... I'm not sure that I even like some of the casting in this series ... it feels like it was the best they found, but I doubt if they wanted more quality from the actors, though at least one of them, is very good in a role that is thankless and leaves us hoping that he can help it work ... while helping a sick and healing king, that has been removed and will likely die quickly if the chance arrives. Now you know what stretching the story is about ... that sick king has a part to play, yet! 

Oh well, it is a TV show after all ... talent is not necessary! And worse, this series is not sexy at all ... which, in some ways makes it more boring! Written by men, for men, with men .... so TV soap opera minded. I imagine that one of the complaints from some folks was that the original had too much sex ... well, at least it helped give us a story ... this one is scrambling like crazy for a story ... and now it is up to the dragons? 

do you think it matters whether it is accurate or not? Just interested. I watched the first 2 seasons and enjoyed them but the cast change for Season 3 (Olivia Coleman for Claire Foy) was way too jarring so I gave up.

I though John Lithgow portrayal of Winston Churchill was outstanding and he deserved his Emmy. Matt Smith made a great Duke Of Edinburgh as well.

agreed!