Recommend me a Show
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Hannibal!
The Americans would be a fun show to watch with a spouse
Justified is basically amazing. It is about a US Marshall who seems to have been born a hundred years too late: he's got a cowboy and gunslinging attitude toward life (and fashion), and it does not always mesh well with superiors. The action starts when a questionable shooting has him reassigned to his home state, where he has to face people he hasn't dealt with in years, including his old wife, a former rival-turned-bank...exploder... and his estranged father.
The acting is phenomenal, and the dialogue is quick and fun. It takes about 3 episodes (I think) for the first sort of long-running storyline to get going, but the show is just... excellent.
The acting is phenomenal, and the dialogue is quick and fun. It takes about 3 episodes (I think) for the first sort of long-running storyline to get going, but the show is just... excellent.
I just noticed I described her as his "old wife" not "ex-wife" and I have no idea why.
My wife and I have recently been enjoying Longmire, which is a crime-drama-ish show about a sheriff's department in sleepy rural Wyoming, dealing with all sorts of modern day problems (drugs, murder, prostitution, etc.) plus having to deal with racial discrimination from and against the local Reservation.
Also, The Glades.
Also, The Glades.
Doctor Who!
Supernatural - The Continuing story of Sam and Dean Winchester. Hunters of the things that go bump in the night. The series has a unique look at a wide variety of supernatural mythos and urban legends. The highlight of the show are the characters in my opinion. Sam and Dean play off each other perfectly. The later additions of Castiel the Angel, Bobby Singer, and Crowley "King of Hell", all get gold stars. The series is drama, but definitely has it's good share of chuckles. A few episodes even go so far as to not take themselves entirely serious such as the one that's entirely in black in white where the boys hunt down a creature masquerading as classic movie monsters. Can't recommend this series enough. 8 seasons and counting.
And behold the awesomeness of Jensen Ackles.
Fringe - Think X files with Dr. Frankenstein as part of the team. The Fringe division of the FBI investigates the weird and bizarre, which usually involves science taken a step too far. Teleportation, instant mutation, matter manipulation, mind control, time travel. The team consists of experienced FBI golden girl Olivia, backed by team scientist Walter Bishop, a former inmate of a mental institution who once made a career of doing fringe science for the government. And Walter's equally brilliant son who is the only one who can keep his father focused on the task at hand.
Series had five seasons and a solid conclusion. The final season jumps the shark a bit, but overall it's a good watch. I particularly enjoyed the third season for reasons that would be too revealing to go into. But let's just say it has a unique twist to it.
And behold the awesomeness of Jensen Ackles.
Fringe - Think X files with Dr. Frankenstein as part of the team. The Fringe division of the FBI investigates the weird and bizarre, which usually involves science taken a step too far. Teleportation, instant mutation, matter manipulation, mind control, time travel. The team consists of experienced FBI golden girl Olivia, backed by team scientist Walter Bishop, a former inmate of a mental institution who once made a career of doing fringe science for the government. And Walter's equally brilliant son who is the only one who can keep his father focused on the task at hand.
Series had five seasons and a solid conclusion. The final season jumps the shark a bit, but overall it's a good watch. I particularly enjoyed the third season for reasons that would be too revealing to go into. But let's just say it has a unique twist to it.
Hannibal is similar to the books and movies only with one major exception: NOBODY KNOWS HE'S A KILLER! And yet he still helps out in investigations and where the Anthony Hopkins portrayal wore his crazy on his sleeves, Madds Mikkelson acts like straight up normal person like most psychopaths do. And he's only half, Will Graham is an excellent protagonist. He has an ability where he can empathize with a killer and figure out how they did it. The only problem is the more he empathizes the more those killers leave an imprint on his psyche, especially the first killer. Check it out, it is awesome.
Sounds a lot like Dexter.
Hannibal could literally not me more different than Dexter if it tried.
Also Dr.Lecter is still a straight up villain who has no qualms in his actions, while Dexter is a morally ambiguous anti-hero who calls his murderous urge a "dark passenger" and refers to killing people as "disappearing" them. No offense if there are people who still like this, but Dexter always seemed too silly for me to get into.
GasBandit
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I dunno what your wife will like, but my current "watching" list is similar to yours, with a couple additions:
Grimm
Archer
Venture Brothers
Other shows I have watched in the past I recommend:
The first couple seasons of House, so long as nobody watching is an actual doctor. *important.
Jericho - just be warned it got cancelled before the story was over.
Deadwood
Rome
The IT Crowd
Community
Beyond those, here's my list of essential "If you have not watched this, you have neglected your personal education" that I'm ASSUMING (ahem) you have already seen.
Babylon 5
Blackadder series 2, 3 and 4
Fawlty Towers
Firefly
Futurama
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Red Dwarf
Sealab 2021
South Park
Star Trek (all series)
Random, off-the-wall stuff you might want to watch if you get a wild notion and never saw them before:
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr
The first few seasons of My Name Is Earl
The Critic (pop culture humor might be a little dated though)
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
The Boondocks
Tripping the rift (but not much of it)
The Drinky Crow Show (may not be suitable for wife)
Moral Orel
Seconded. And if you enjoy his adventures, you might want to add the Herc and Xena series' to the list.
--Patrick
GasBandit
Staff member
I have them on my server.. I just didn't want to scare off the normie.
Recommending only the first seasons of House I understand (currently slogging through the end of 7 and beginning of 8). But why oh why would you ever suggest something as silly as not watching The Blackadder?
I've never been a fan of the first series of Blackadder. For me the series works when Rowan Atkinson gets to be evilly witty. Not something his character accomplishes in the first series since he's played dumb for laughs.
When I finally connected the dots and realized Mr. Bean was Black Adder... I was highly disappointed. Because Rowan is so delightful being the witty one.
I liked Mr. Bean, but he can do so much more.
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