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'Sons of Anarchy' on FX HD

post #1 of 1050
9/3/08 at 9:53pm
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So who else caught this new show last night? The jury's still out for me, as its tough to gauge a series on nothing more than the pilot, but the cast of mostly character actors (other than the pretty boy lead) made it work for me easier than I expected. Its also proof positive that Mitch Pileggi will probably still be getting work in television even after his mortal coil has left this earth. The show has interested me enough to hang around for at least a few more eps to see if it it stays the course or jumps the shark , but I think the former more likely.

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post #2 of 1050
9/3/08 at 11:28pm
I have it "TIVO'd". I am waiting for the opinions to start coming in. I'm on the fence whether or not I want to start watching.
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post #3 of 1050
9/4/08 at 5:29am
No FX-HD for us TWC customers means not much chance this show will stick in my home's lineup. Only SD show I'm watching right now is 'Charlie Jade', which is so good it's worth it.
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post #4 of 1050
9/4/08 at 6:04am
This show was not hd on D*. I believe it is shot on film like "The Shield" in order to give it a grainy and harsh look. The pilot was intriguing. I don't want to give anything away. There seems to be a lot of self searching by the lead pretty boy. This appears to be an ongoing plot theme. I am willing to give it a few more eps also.
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post #5 of 1050
9/4/08 at 6:10am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by archiguy View Post

No FX-HD for us TWC customers means not much chance this show will stick in my home's lineup. Only SD show I'm watching right now is 'Charlie Jade', which is so good it's worth it.

Well Arch, I wish I had the options to be as discriminating as you in terms of choices, and given my druthers, this would be a purely HD universe. But if I adopted thr same approach with my service provider, I'd have to pass on The Shield, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Burn Notice, Sci Fi, and practically anytjing else that is not on the Big 4 or a premium channel, and I'm not disposed to giving up quite that much good content despite the disappointing resoluion.

And to be clear, I''m not advocating SOA until I have a firmer idea as to where its going with the concept, but thankfully its not 'Then Came Bronson '. (at least, not yet).

Maybe things will get better after the 'digiral revolution'. .

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post #6 of 1050
9/4/08 at 6:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palladin View Post

Well Arch, I wish I had the options to be as discriminating as you in terms of choices, and given my druthers, this would be a purely HD universe. But if I adopted thr same approach with my service provider, I'd have to pass on The Shield, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Burn Notice, Sci Fi, and practically anytjing else that is not on the Big 4 or a premium channel, and I'm not disposed to giving up quite that much good content despite the disappointing resoluion.

I get 'Mad Men' and 'Breaking Bad' in HD on the Showcase on Demand channel, fortunately; very nice of AMC to provide that. We got 3 episodes of 'Burn Notice' in HD because TWC gave us USA-HD during the Olympics (and what TWC gaveth, they soon tooketh away - I'll have to catch the last 2 eps in SD). Of course, BSG trumps HD/SD concerns; I'd watch that on an iPod if I had to. Strangely, I never got into 'The Shield'. Maybe on DVD someday, but now that it's gone 7 seasons, it may be too much to bite off at this point.

But I see your point and agree: content should always trump delivery. Thing is, in an increasingly crowded TV landscape, the availability of time to watch will lead to difficult choices. All things being equal, I'm choosing the show that's available in HD by my cursed provider. That's why SoA probably won't make the cut.
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post #7 of 1050
9/4/08 at 7:39am
I dont get FX-HD either, but I still checked it out. IMO, I thought it was really good. So along with The Shield, this is goin to be the other SD show that I watch every week.
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post #8 of 1050
9/4/08 at 7:50am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by archiguy View Post

Strangely, I never got into 'The Shield'. Maybe on DVD someday, but now that it's gone 7 seasons, it may be too much to bite off at this point.

Yes and no, but you're probably right. The Shield will probably be looked back at someday as a milestone in television that was way ahead of its time. Its the down, dirty and gritty story of corrupt cops you can't help rooting for, and has probably broken more conventions than any other program. It also helped to launch some other shows that were not exactly in the mainstream, most notably 'Damages' due to Glenn Close's continuing role during season 4 or 5. But if you decide to give it a shot, let me give you two forewarnings. 1) The seven seasons basically comprise a single loooong contiuing story; and 2) as a result there is a certain amount of redundancy due to the central running theme.

Quote:


But I see your point and agree: content should always trump delivery. Thing is, in an increasingly crowded TV landscape, the availability of time to watch will lead to difficult choices. All things being equal, I'm choosing the show that's available in HD by my cursed provider. That's why SoA probably won't make the cut.

And for all I know, it may not deserve to. What really PO's me over the whole HD thing IS THAT THE FRAKKIN' TECHNOLOGY IS ALREADY THERE!

Where is Howard Beale when we really need him?

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post #9 of 1050
9/4/08 at 8:07am
I thought it was decent, a little rough, may take a little time to get used to the "universe" of the show. Katey Sagal was outstanding though, forever erasing any hints of being stereotyped via her Married With Children days.
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post #10 of 1050
9/4/08 at 8:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by keenan View Post

I thought it was decent, a little rough, may take a little time to get used to the "universe" of the show. Katey Sagal was outstanding though, forever erasing any hints of being stereotyped via her Married With Children days.

Glad to hear she didn't get typecast as a hot alien cyclop!
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post #11 of 1050
9/4/08 at 8:36am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keenan View Post

I thought it was decent, a little rough, may take a little time to get used to the "universe" of the show. Katey Sagal was outstanding though, forever erasing any hints of being stereotyped via her Married With Children days.

I kind of got the impression that her character was channeling a 'white trash' version of Angelica Huston in Prizzi's Honor.

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post #12 of 1050
9/4/08 at 9:02am
I liked it...will watch again.

I think its a lot more gritty than Sopranos (what everyone was comparing it to)...its like a mix of Nip/Tuck and Sopranos....good stuff though
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post #13 of 1050
9/4/08 at 9:03am
This was in hd on D*. It started out grainy at first the look more hd later. I don't understand why FX would show a new series in HD, but not the Shield.
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post #14 of 1050
9/4/08 at 11:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palladin View Post

I kind of got the impression that her character was channeling a 'white trash' version of Angelica Huston in Prizzi's Honor.

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Palladin

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Yes, as noted by lax01 as well as the critics, she being likened to a female Tony Soprano. There's definitely enough here for me to stick around and see how it turns out.

The fact that they're not riding around on 2-stroke dirt bikes is also a plus.
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post #15 of 1050
9/4/08 at 12:31pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keenan View Post

Yes, as noted by lax01 as well as the critics, she being likened to a female Tony Soprano. There's definitely enough here for me to stick around and see how it turns out.

Actually, upon further consideration, I realize that the comparison to Prizzzi was unwarranted. Maerose Prizzi actually was smart. But here you can see that Gemma (somewhat like Tony Soprano) seems to be working almost entirely off of instinct.

BTW maybe its because I'm an ex-smoker, but did anyone else notice that the few times the pretty-boy lead was smoking, he did it like someone who never held a cig or a dube in his entire life before??

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post #16 of 1050
9/4/08 at 12:44pm
I didn't catch that, but one thing that I know will probably bug me throughout the series is pretty-boy's swagger when he walks, it looks far too exaggerated to me. I can't imagine he normally walks like that, and if it is part of the character I think it's being overdone.
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post #17 of 1050
9/4/08 at 2:10pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keenan View Post

I didn't catch that, but one thing that I know will probably bug me throughout the series is pretty-boy's swagger when he walks, it looks far too exaggerated to me. I can't imagine he normally walks like that, and if it is part of the character I think it's being overdone.

My guess is that some rocket scientist finally realized that this kid looked more like a malibu surfer than a biker, and decided that if they had him swagger like John Wayne (despite being half the size) it would make him look 'tough'. Probably why they have him carrying around that wise-ass smirk as well.

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post #18 of 1050
9/4/08 at 2:59pm
Yeah, it's pretty unnatural looking, at least to me anyway. The creators did find a pretty good group of "bad" looking bad-guys though.

Apparently the character of Jax is loosely based on a real life club member.
http://www.blockheadcity.com/aboutOIBS.htm

Also interesting is the use of the "Redwood" badge, as the Sonoma County, CA chapter is one of the more notorious of the HA motorcycle club.
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post #19 of 1050
9/4/08 at 4:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by archiguy View Post

I get 'Mad Men' and 'Breaking Bad' in HD on the Showcase on Demand channel...

Great, I hadn't thought about checking Comcast HD on Demand. Last night I recorded the SD version on my Vista MC, but I have not watched it yet.

It will be SOA HD nirvana tonight!
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post #20 of 1050
9/4/08 at 10:15pm
This is not the shield type action show I was hoping for. It's more like Sopranos which is just as good in my book. Was surprised that in just one episode you started to care about most of the characters. Definitely will keep watching. I only have one dvr at the moment so I very pleased that FX runs their original programs multiple times.
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post #21 of 1050
9/5/08 at 4:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cocoon View Post

This is not the shield type action show I was hoping for. It's more like Sopranos which is just as good in my book. Was surprised that in just one episode you started to care about most of the characters. Definitely will keep watching. I only have one dvr at the moment so I very pleased that FX runs their original programs multiple times.

Agreed - we were equally surprised with how much we cared just one episode in. My wife was immediately hooked because of Jax. And let me say this, if you're tuning in to see Peg Bundy (Katy Segal), well, this ain't your father's Peg Bundy. Wow. Indeed very Sopranos-like. So much so that Adriana is even on the show!

And it was in HD on D*. Not sure what the above poster was watching who said that it wasn't. The Shield wasn't in HD, which annoyed me immensely.
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post #22 of 1050
9/5/08 at 7:34am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keenan View Post

Yeah, it's pretty unnatural looking, at least to me anyway. The creators did find a pretty good group of "bad" looking bad-guys though.

Yeah, absolutely! After seeing Mark Boone (Spanky from In Plain Sight ep) on board, I realized who they need to finish up their MC. Mark Sheppard! With his cool, his granny glasses, and the enigmatic smile, he'd make a perfect threat to other MCs, as well as ithe catalyst for an internal power struggle in the SOA.

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post #23 of 1050
9/5/08 at 10:28am
I give the pilot a 'thumbs up' and have set the season pass. I'm really digging Perlman's, Segal's and Pileggi's characters.
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post #24 of 1050
9/5/08 at 7:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sangs View Post

The Shield wasn't in HD, which annoyed me immensely.

It would of been incongruous with all previous episodes if it was in HD. To match previous episodes it would of had to of been in that super grainy HD style that a lot of people seem to hate. It would of been nice if they did go HD but on the whole I think its better the shield stayed 4x3 SD.
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post #25 of 1050
9/5/08 at 7:27pm
So much so that Adriana is even on the show!
[/quote]

I knew I had seen Wendy before.
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post #26 of 1050
9/10/08 at 11:52am
Thread Starter 
Well based upon what I have seen to date of the new programs, the one that's probably most captured my interest so far has been 'Sons of Anarchy'.

This is just a head's up reminder for those who saw it last week and thought it might be good, the 2d ep is on tonight at 10:00, 11:00 & 1:00 a.m.

Guess the FX people are putting their eggs in that basket.

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post #27 of 1050
9/11/08 at 6:03am
This show is a weak version of the Sopranos on wheels. The first ep was ok and last nights was pretty bad. I found myself fast fowarding throught most of it! Hell Boy is disturbing to look at without make up.
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post #28 of 1050
9/11/08 at 6:18am
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Originally Posted by dm145 View Post

This show is a weak version of the Sopranos on wheels. The first ep was ok and last nights was pretty bad. I found myself fast fowarding throught most of it! Hell Boy is disturbing to look at without make up.

Crap. Have not seen yesterdays episode yet but disappointed to hear a bad review of epi 2. My hats off to FX. I thought this weeks Shield was excellent. Can't wait for Rescue Me to return next year.

FX is SD for me as well. Common Comcast....
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post #29 of 1050
9/11/08 at 7:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dm145 View Post

This show is a weak version of the Sopranos on wheels. The first ep was ok and last nights was pretty bad. I found myself fast fowarding throught most of it! Hell Boy is disturbing to look at without make up.

really? I thought it was pretty damn good...and I really don't see the correlation to the Sopranos...its just such a different show. I think they have a really interesting dynamic between the bikers and the families surrounding the bikers (I guess you could make the comparison on that point but it just seems different here).

I guess FX is going to start running it over a minute since my DVR recording got cut off at the end...jersk
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post #30 of 1050
9/11/08 at 9:06am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dm145 View Post

This show is a weak version of the Sopranos on wheels. The first ep was ok and last nights was pretty bad. I found myself fast fowarding throught most of it! Hell Boy is disturbing to look at without make up.

I might be able to better understand the basis for your complaint, if it was not in the form of a gross overgeneralization. Could you be a little more specific?

I'd agree that it isn't The Sopranos, but that comes as no surprise as The Sopranos is generally perceived as a landmark groundbreaking show in the history of television, and i'm not aware of ANY other program that is considered comparable to it.

Did you consider NYPD a weak version of Hil Street Blues? How about the hundreds of shows spawned out of Law and Order? They were also about crime and the interrelationships between the main characters. So I guess we can toss out the innumerable CSI's and Law & Order spinoffs on the same basis, right? But wait a sec. I guess they were just weak versions of Crime Story and all the other criminal shows that preceded them

Lets be clear here. Calling something 'weak', without offering any solid explanationis for that judgment with respect to the theme or characters, is essentially meningless. Its like criticizing chocolate ice cream, because you prefer vanilla. if the best you can offer is that you find Ron Pearlman disturbing to look at, let me just point out that he is playing the criminal head of a biker club, and (get ready) those guys generally want to intimidate others by being disturbing looking.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lax01 View Post

really? I thought it was pretty damn good...and I really don't see the correlation to the Sopranos...its just such a different show. I think they have a really interesting dynamic between the bikers and the families surrounding the bikers (I guess you could make the comparison on that point but it just seems different here).

I agree completely. the first ep laid some very basic groundwork, and was still good, and last night's ep continued flreshing out the dynamics, and I'm sure there will be more to come. Is Gemma any less manipulative than Livia was? maybe hold off a few more eps before passing final judgment.

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