The new opening sequence is awesome. In general really enjoying the cinematography and the little background touches. And Ruth Negga and…the actor playing Cassidy, whose name I’m not quite sure of. Really, I couldn’t be much happier with the show. I just hope that by the end of the season they can pull everything together such that the people who are confused at this point can be assured that sticking with it is worthwhile (and thus, it can be renewed).
Still enjoying this show and am glad they renewed it for a second season. The characters are coming into their own and they are almost all likable in their own ways. The opening fight with the “clones” in the latest episode was funny, inventive, and a whole lot of fun.
Yea the “Angel/clone” fight was crazy but totally fits into the offbeat world of this show. Definitely a show that marches to its own beat but that’s enjoyable about it.
I felt like this was an episode that hopefully showed them finding their feet. A good episode and lots of promising signs for the future. And I think I’m about 75% of the way to adjusting my brain to accept how different it is from the comic now.
Another good episode. They are starting to tie things together now. The whole mess at the hotel was great. Loved when Cassidy popped in.
I have a question for those who read the graphic novel. Did Jesse deal with his frustration with Arseface basically in the same way?
I still think it’s a big mess and I could take it or leave it, except that the show comes to glorious amazing life every time Ruth Negga is onscreen. God, she’s amazing.
Although, yeah, that angel/clone fight was pretty fun.
-Tom
No, the entire Arseface situation is completely different. The comic is an almost constant road trip, so the show is pretty dramatically different at a fundamental level. Arseface pops up in basically 3 short stretches of the comic, with an epilogue near the end.
I have no idea what this show is about. I’ll echo @tomchick on the big mess front. I think I dozed off and missed the clone/angel scene since I don’t know what you people are talking about. Poop.
Negga really does carry scenes like a final boss.
I would refrain from calling it a “mess” but it definitely has some issues. Things are very slow going at first, I was afraid they would steer clear too much from the crazy and weirdness of the books. The show has been keeping a steady clip of viewers, and will come back for a second season, so there is hope that they kick it up another gear.
This is AMC, who have been notoriously tight-pocketed on shows in their early going, could be a budget thing.
I will second the Ruth Negga love, such amazing casting there. (and all around in general Jackie Earl Haley!) I could watch Ruth Negga read a phonebook. Loved her introduction sequence too.
I think, on the plus side, the show has been pitch perfect in tone. Serious, but funny. Gruesome… but a little slapstick. They have done a great job with the material they have used, but… they haven’t used much of it at all.
This show has definitely been a slow burn but the most recent episode gave us some substantial background information. There are still some really WTF? scenes like the stuff from the 1800’s that has no context as of yet but for the most part you now have a handle on what most of the characters are about.
I feel super bad for Eugene.
No, but he tells Arseface’s dad to “go fuck yourself”. Sheriff Root’s a whole lot worse in the comic, though. Pretty much a caricature of awfulness.
It’s the opening sequence.
No kidding. I was like “wait…what? NO! And the episode’s over!”
Wow. I just binge-watched all of the episodes so far. I haven’t read the comics since the 90’s so I don’t remember the source material well, but so far I’m really liking it. Ruth Negga and Dominic Cooper are really great. I think the guy playing Cassidy needs to amp it up a bit.
I think part of the charm of Cass currently is that he’s low key overall and is finally able to relax a bit now that he’s chilling with Jesse. That is of course changing now though.
Exactly. Remember the first time we meet Cassidy? I mean hes a guy who just wants to enjoy the various pleasures and vices of life, after all hes been around so long what else is there for him? He just wants to be left alone, but these asshole vamp hunters just keep trying to whack him. So yeah, hes a bit chill when he can be because when the fecal matter hits the windmill, he goes full on crazy with the relentless violence. I think its that major dichotomy in his life that makes the character stand out.
Another good episode this week, I thought. That’s two in a row! I think the actor playing Cass, and the show’s interpretation of the character, is coming along nicely too.
I’m guessing that Jesse is going to come out of the end of this season more well adjusted to having Genesis inside him, and with the first batch of pieces all on the board and slowly moving around.
I don’t know if I have brought this up before.
But… by god does this show have one of the best title sequences in TV right now. Perfect music, excellent art design with the bold text, and the lettering covering a scene from the show to start. Perfect stuff.
Welp, that’s season 1 done and dusted, and we’ve officially left issue 1 of the comic behind as of now. So many great touches in that last episode, and a few things that struck me as unnecessary, like the miscarriage reveal, although one (Jesse using the Voice to make Tulip kiss him) was largely redeemed by Tulip’s response to same. I know some people will feel that the climactic event annuls the rest of the season by happening, but I thought our time with everyone in Annville was well spent regardless of whether it ends up paying into the overall narrative of the show (and I think it will).
I bailed on this a few episodes ago. What did I miss? Besides the awesomeness of Ruth Negga.
-Tom
Depending on which episode exactly you bailed on, quite a bit. But in terms of the finale, they dealt with Carlos, Donnie had a come to Jesus moment, Sheriff Root twigged to Cassidy being a vampire and tortured him in a kind of weirdly buddy buddy way, Jesse called up God on the angel phone in front of the whole town (it did not go well), and then everyone decided they might as well let go of all their inhibitions and oh yeah, the whole town blew up in a massive explosion when the guy that was supposed to be taking care of the methane power plant passed out (or maybe died) fucking a hooker and a spark from the former mascot’s discarded cigarette lit off the entire plant’s methane through one of the vents. Which is not how Annville blows up in the comic, and took a lot longer to get to, but that’s what kicks off the comic - Annville blowing up and Jesse going off to find God.