409 - Search / 410 - Ten of Swords
SomeBiscuit
UK
There was a lot going on in these two episodes, and I'm still kind of processing it, but my first thought is: what a perfect ending. I loved every minute of this. Here you have a rare example of a show that started out pretty middling but somehow just kept getting better and better every season. This final season is easily in top 3 shows of 2017 for me (the other two being The Leftovers and Twin Peaks, just don't ask me to try and rank them), and I'm going to miss it.
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Gordon was the fucking best. And so was this show. Such a good final season.
Ha, like money? I missed that... I fast forward through the commercials.
I simply can not understand why and how this show became so underrated? It is a complete mystery to me! I was genuinely sad that it ended. Since they did a pretty big time jump somewhere in the middle, (don't remember exactly where), in my opinion there was material there for at least 1 or 2 more seasons. This show just had so much heart and the way you got to know these characters so well, was incredible.
Growing up a kid in the 80's, the nostalgia this show brought out in me was equal to that of Stranger things, but this show brought me a whole new perspective: of what it would have looked like for some adult individuals of this era. I will miss this show a lot
If anyone has recommendations for similarly underrated shows with a lot of heart like this(without being cringey/soap opera style), feel free to give advice... cause right now it is hard to see what show could fill the hole this show left when it ended. Thanks.
Yeah, it is really sad. I can't think of any other show that equals the tragedy that is the viewership ratings of HACF. I'm glad Jim was able to plug it for as long as he did, but I know A.Ron (1) would have added some weight to that plug and (2) would definitely enjoy the show, so that's a shame too.
It REALLY deserved more analysis, and was written for it. Think of all the extra shit you got from analysis of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Leftovers...
Anyway, I hate thinking about it.
Yes, it really is sad it didn't get much more attention, this show really deserved better. It makes me think of when you stumble upon a really great song/music artist that is not widely known. On a more positive note, it kinda gives you that feeling that you belong to a small secret society or something...
It was great that you mentioned Mad Men! I never really got into watching that, can't explain why, probably had too much else to watch and guess I thought it seemed a bit too hyped and perhaps too much like a "glossy magazine". But I guess it's not too late to try that show, heard many good things about it, so thanks for the reminder!
Anyway, I agree it was sad that A.Ron never seemed to fall in love with HACF, and I also agree it is understandable with his scheduling/having too much to watch. Do you have any advice MrX, when it comes to underrated shows I might have missed?
Mad Men is my favorite. Let me know what you think! Some people like the first 2 seasons less than the others, but I love all of it.
Twin Peaks (the original and the new "Return") is definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it. The new season was probably my favorite show this year. Nothing like anything I've ever seen on television.
@Jim. Now that season 4 is on Netflix you should definitely try to catch up over Christmas break.
That was my exact reaction aswell! I was like: I really love these guys and they're amazing, but I think they're simply dead wrong in comparing Mindhunter to....CSI....
That felt a bit like lumping together Beef Tenderloin in a French upscale restaurant, with a cheeseburger from McDonalds... And claim that you won't like the French fine dinner, "cause they're both meat, and you don't like McDonalds"..
Sorry too, for offtopic I will be quiet now!
I also agree with that feeling you describe, I wasn't hooked at all at first. Like you, I found Cameron annoying... she grew on me, later, but was still a frustrating character from time to time.
But I have experienced quite often that a show will prove me wrong after a little while... So I stuck with it. Glad that you came back to it aswell, would have been a shame to miss this show.
I binged all 4 seasons the last couple of weeks. I was thoroughly impressed. Being a software engineer and someone who grew up in the late 80's early 90's, a lot of hit home for me. I loved Gordon's and Joe's relationship, it was rocky, but they were really the only true friends each other had.
I'm sure a lot of people would probably disagree with me, but I thought this show was way better than something like Stranger Things. It was definitely towards the top of the list for stuff I watched in the last year.
10x better than Stranger Things. I don't understand the appeal of Stranger Things beyond nostalgia glasses. But Stranger Things is so popular, it'd be bad business not to cover it.
"I also found it very odd the guys didn't cast this show. It seemed right up their alleys, especially being in tech before BM."
Let me see if I remember the order of things and the state of AMC... IIRC, Breaking Bad was a hit, Mad Men was a hit. Then came The Walking Dead, which took a nose dive at the end of season 1 and never recovered. Then we got this Hell on Wheels show, which was pretty mediocre. So then we — we AMC fans — were like, WTF AMC, no more good shows now? Then Halt and Catch Fire was being advertised everywhere, and it felt like they were just going for the Mad Men thing again — which had won them 4 'Best Show on TV' Emmy's, btw. I watched the pilot, back then. Man... the pilot was just awful. Like the part when Cameron attacks Joe, making out with him, then suddenly gets super choosy about how he speaks to her, and leaves him. Such a heavy-handed way of showing that she's sensitive about sexism, and really, no woman can afford to be that sensitive about sexism... And the show was much more accurate about that in later seasons. Then Joe is doing a poor man's Donald Draper talking about tech. Of course I know now what they were doing with Joe, and that he isn't a Donald Draper at all, but that's how it read at first, like bad writing. The main two characters seemed lame. So I stopped watching it, and only came back 2-3 years later when a friend I respect swore to me the 3rd season premiere was incredible, and so was the 2nd season as a whole, and pointed me to Alan Sepinwall saying the same. Or maybe I jumped back in before season 3 started? I can't remember.
It just got off to a bad start, and by the time we all realized it was good, Aron didn't have the time for it. Jim did, but last year was really busy, so it's a shame we didn't get a season 4 cast.
A fantastic, fantastic show that, tragically, didn't get its due.
When thinking of shows it's "better than," I think Better Call Saul is a good example. BCS wishes it were doing what Halt and Catch Fire did with character development and foreshadowing and theme.