Dexter

[Stickler]

This is one case, Kicky, where your particular taste doesn't match up with any kind of objective reality. I've watched Dexter since the beginning. I don't like it as much as the true top tier of television shows, like Breaking Bad, The Wire (which I know you don't care for), Mad Men, The Shield, Buffy the Vampire Slayer... But to say flat out, after having seen less than a handful of episodes, that it's "not good," (or that it's "tragically unhip") I have to really disagree with.

It's certainly good. Whether or not you like it, or it works for your specific sensibilities, is another matter. It would be perfectly fair for you to say you didn't care for it. It is perfectly fair to say it is flawed. It's not your style. But don't say it's not good. First of all, you don't know enough about it.

It's well-acted, sharply written, completely original.

It's not my favorite show either; the psychology doesn't make much sense, the formulas get boring, some of the subplots are drawn out for way too long... but it has had moments of greatness. It's certainly better than Entourage. My God. Entourage? Entourage has been almost-awful for a long time. Dexter has been consistently almost-excellent.

It's one of those shows that has plenty of flaws, but succeeds in other ways. It's not like it's Gossip Girl or Gilmore Girls or Supernatural or something. Dexter is, at the very least, a show that a person can say he likes with a straight face without feeling any shame at all.

 

[DutchJazzer]

I finished season 1 last week. The first few episodes were a chore but it picked up. In my quest to catch up on all things hip, I'm moving on to East Bound and Down, season 1. I can't watch another season of Dexter just yet. I might have to kill someone.

eastbound and down is kewl.
go kenny powers

 

[DutchJazzer]

ooh yeah and april is HOT

 

[YB85]

Funny, I've come to associate Dexter with the tragically unhip.

I work with a lite version of SirKickyAss and he mirrors most of your television recommendations (Mad Men, Breaking Bad, etc.) and I say most because he LOVES Dexter. I was ready to give up on the first season after the first 4 episodes and he told me to trudge on. He was right. He also said the series really gets good in the subsequent years because they do away with a lot of the peripheral **** that I thought bogged it all down. I'll probably start Season 2 in a couple of weeks. Next up is East Bound and Down, then I start Breaking Bad.

 

[sirkickyass]

This is one case, Kicky, where your particular taste doesn't match up with any kind of objective reality.

False. Only I have perfect taste that is free of prejudices. You have 181 posts and should know this by now.

The Wire (which I know you don't care for)

I would say that's a bit too strong. I believe that the Wire is overrated because it occupies, with a certain substantial segment of television viewers, an unassailable position as the greatest television show of all time. I have been told that I "didn't get it" and that the show is so epic that it is "beyond traditional criticism." To my mind, both of those statements are patently ridiculous. I think of most of the good and unique things people write about the show are really only true for two seasons (Seasons three and four, which are admittedly excellent) and that the show is prone to long stretches where it twists in the wind. In the past I've described some of the seasons, particularly the first 80% of season one, as simply being a good police procedural. This characterization invariably infuriates the show's acolytes.

The Wire is a show that I would classify as good with two great seasons. Some people act like not hanging on David Simon's every word makes me functionally illiterate.

(or that it's "tragically unhip")

The three people I associate most strongly with loving Dexter are beantown, Archie, and my dad. That is the definition of tragically unhip. I love my father, but the dude likes Rob Schneider comedies and unironically enjoys albums by the Carpenters.

First of all, you don't know enough about it.

When would I know enough about it? I watched four or five hours of the thing. That's the equivalent of watching the Godfather Part II. How much of my life do I have to invest before I'm "allowed" to say it's not a good show?

Here's a test: If I give you four hours and you can't suck me in, you failed.

I see this argument all the time by defenders of television shows who want to discredit those who aren't as passionate as they are and gave up midstream. Tons of people tell me that I should have watched Parks and Recreation last season. Maybe they're right. But I watched a full season of that show and I know a few things to the core of my being: 1) that I HATE Aziz Ansari with a burning passion that cannot be put into words, 2) that everytime I see Rashida Jones I wonder why Maya Rudolph doesn't get all her parts and 3) that I gave that show a very long leash and it hung itself with it. So why does a show that I'm not enjoying deserve more time to impress me?

Personally, I think giving a show four hours is more than a fair shot. And in four hours there was literally nothing about Dexter that I found interesting or worthwhile.

It's certainly better than Entourage. My God. Entourage? Entourage has been almost-awful for a long time.

I acknowledged it was true trash above. My point in bringing up Entourage (which is so lazy and horrible that I enjoy watching it for disaster pornography reasons while it flails in the wind and increasingly relies on cameos) is that I find it watchable precisely because it is so awful. I can stand up and go to the bathroom without pausing it or read e-mail and if I miss "key" plot points I'm not bothered in the slightest. It is empty noise that is occasionally punctuated by Johnny Drama saying something ridiculous or a gratuitous shot of breasts. I get 90% of the quality moments of the show without having to actively engage any part of me. Dexter is too demanding for that treatment, but not in the sample I saw of high enough quality to merit my actually devoting my attention to it. It fails both modes of my television watching as a result.

It's one of those shows that has plenty of flaws, but succeeds in other ways. It's not like ... Gilmore Girls

We will now fight to the death.

 

[sirkickyass]

then I start Breaking Bad.

YB, I'll give you a specific moment at which it is ok to bail if you don't like the show on Breaking Bad. If you're not interested by the end of Episode three, then you'll probably never be interested. Episodes one and two are good, but Episode three was the one where I thought the show made "the leap" and demanded my strict attention. I wouldn't read the next paragraph if I were you simply because I wouldn't want to overhype the show.



A true story about Breaking Bad: I related in a different thread that I had zoomed through Seasons 1 and 2 in what for me is record time (I usually take a very leisurely pace on television shows; I spent about 5 months watching the Wire one time through). After those two seasons I wanted to watch Season Three so bad it was practically a physiological condition. I felt like I was suffering from withdrawals. Season Three, of course, is not presently available on DVD. I also was not willing to watch it on my computer and didn't want to steal it. All this led to me purchasing a $99 roku box so I could get access to the Amazon On Demand store for my television and then spending another $25 to get Breaking Bad HD streamed to me. In sum I spent over $100 to watch 13 episodes of television and to date have no concrete plans to use the Roku box for anything else.


It was worth it. Can't wait for Season 4.

 

[UGLI baby]

The Event is where its at people. Getting better and better every week.

 

[Stickler]

The three people I associate most strongly with loving Dexter are beantown, Archie, and my dad. That is the definition of tragically unhip.

You forget we've seen your picture...

 

[Archie Moses]

Wait, did Kicky just call me unhip? That's classic. I guarantee Kicky has more online friends on jazzfanz.com then he has in real life. He's the definition of hipster, I mean, right?! Would I be more hip if I followed Kicky and watched black and white movies, referred to my woman as "madame" online, forced novice college debaters to play "Flat Earth", bought a "Victory in Truth" shirt from the Flat Earth Society, with a picture of a flat earth, because obviously that is hilarious, own a Fesenko jersey and buy court side tickets to a Jazz game and jump up and down screaming at the top of my lungs to get Fes's attention, wrote really big words, etc?....__________ fill in the blank.

 

[Gyp Rosetti]

YB, I'll give you a specific moment at which it is ok to bail if you don't like the show on Breaking Bad. If you're not interested by the end of Episode three, then you'll probably never be interested. Episodes one and two are good, but Episode three was the one where I thought the show made "the leap" and demanded my strict attention.

Good to know. I've had the first season sitting here for about a month. I watched the first two episodes, a little half-heartedly, and wasn't that impressed. Nothing grabbed me to get me to keep watching. Perhaps I'll sit down, watch the third and see how I feel after that.

For me, other than the main character and his brother-in-law, no characters seemed to interest me.

 

[sirkickyass]

You forget we've seen your picture...

I've long since accepted that I'm a skinny white dude.

Why fight it?

Wait, did Kicky just call me unhip? That's classic.

You're married. That's the death of cool. End of discussion.

I guarantee Kicky has more online friends on jazzfanz.com then he has in real life.

What are you guaranteeing? I would like to collect on this bet.

He's the definition of hipster, I mean, right?!

Well, I don't drink PBR and I don't own any skinny jeans and I've never seen The Human Centipede and I don't own any vinyl records and I ...

Would I be more hip if I followed Kicky and watched black and white movies,

Is this something Hipsters do now? If so, I guess I'm guilty.

referred to my woman as "madame" online

Far less of an offense than referring to another person as "my woman." Then again, taste and decorum have never been particular strengths of MLM.

own a Fesenko jersey

TWO Fesenko jerseys thank you very much. I wasn't going to deal with the embarassment of having an out of date Fesenko on November 5th.

and buy court side tickets to a Jazz game and jump up and down screaming at the top of my lungs to get Fes's attention

There are many things in my life that I regret and would apologize for. Being too big of a fan of the Jazz will never be one of them. I'm also pretty sure I yelled at every Jazz player and staff member at some point in time. I am the proud owner of vicious glares from Jeffers and Gary Briggs and one classic kicked puppy look from Koufos to name a few. Such are the privileges of proximity.

Also, I'm pretty sure being passionate about sports is some sort of anti-hipster trait.

 

[Archie Moses]

I gotta admit, you handled that better than anticipated.

 

[Jazz Punk Rocker]

YB, the first season of dexter was easily the worst...watch the second season, its def the best

 

[DutchJazzer]

The Event is where its at people. Getting better and better every week.

ooh realy.

imho it sucks

 

[Stickler]

I also hate The Event. Admittedly, I only watched the first episode. But why torture myself? It was one of the suckiest sucks that ever sucked.

 

[sirkickyass]

But to say flat out, after having seen less than a handful of episodes, that it's "not good," (or that it's "tragically unhip") I have to really disagree with.

...

It would be perfectly fair for you to say you didn't care for it. It is perfectly fair to say it is flawed. It's not your style. But don't say it's not good. First of all, you don't know enough about it.

I also hate The Event. Admittedly, I only watched the first episode. But why torture myself? It was one of the suckiest sucks that ever sucked.

Interesting.

 

[Inn Dawn]

Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies...

 

[Stickler]

Interesting.

Not the same thing.

 

[Jean-Luc]

I'm pretty sure hipsters don't post on messageboards. At least they don't post on Utah Jazz messageboards... ... .... .... that just ain't hip yo.