The Hour

Stuff to watch on Netflix this summer

/ Katie Man / Leave a comment

Hot hot daySometimes it’s too darn hot to do stuff outside. On those occasions, there’s Netflix. Here are five of my recommendations if you find yourself ready and willing to plow through a season or two of TV this summer. All of these shows are available on Netflix Canada.

Justified

1. Justified
Availability: seasons 1 & 2 of 4
Type of show: Drama
Mood you should be in: Cheering for the good guy

Justified is a story about Federal Marshall Raylan Givens (played by Timothy Olyphant) and all the crooks and baddies that he has to chase and put away. It’s a fun, fast paced show with interesting characters, complex relationships and a lot (A LOT) of shooting. It is such fun summer watching because the plot is complicated enough to be interesting and light enough to not get to worked up about it. How does Raylan shoot so many people and get away with it? It’s all part of the fun of the show.

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Television: An Apology

/ ivanhenwood / Leave a comment

I watch a lot of television—by my calculations too much. This wasn’t always the case. For the majority of the last 15 years I did not own a television. That all changed two years ago when my fiancée and I bought a nice big television. We bought the television because, well, it would be a hell of a lot nicer to watch than the both of us trying to cram in front of the laptop. This is not to say that I did not watch TV for fifteen years, only most of my TV viewing was restricted to what I could rent at the video store or download or stream when it became more prevalent. “So what’s the problem?” you may ask yourselves. If the existence of this blog is any indication, we live in an era when some of the best TV shows in history are being made.  I strongly believe this to be true. We also, however, live in an era when more TV shows are being made than in any time in the past. For every Girls there is a Honey Boo-Boo; every Treme a Pawn Stars. The problem becomes, not that I now own a television but rather, that I now have cable to go along with the television—and extremely shitty viewing habits. Continue reading →

Yearly Leftovers – my favorite bits and bites from 2012

/ kwoloszyn / Leave a comment

Sick of making leftover turkey sandwiches? Read some of my leftover TV favorites from 2012! A smattering of things that I haven’t had a chance to write about that I’ve loved over the past year. No lists, no numbers, just some of my favorite stuff. 

Gravity Falls’ title sequence – It seems that more and more that title sequences for television shows are becoming short, efficient works of art.  I can’t think of a show that has a title sequence that is quite as brilliant as the one for Gravity Falls. Every episode begins with a beautiful sequence, animated to look like a time-lapse film, that takes us through the weird and wonderful town of Gravity Falls. The title sequence smartly recalls the title sequences of Twin Peaks, The X-Files and even Northern Exposure but its frenetic pace, quirky music and in-jokes tell us exactly what we are getting ourselves into.

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Pairs of Awesome: My favorite TV Pairings of 2012

/ Jane Walker / 1 Comment

Nothing excites me more on a TV show than a great pairing. I love to watch two talented actors play off each other, using good writing to their full advantage. Here are my favorite 2012 pairings and the scenes that show them off so well.

3.  The Hour: Belle and Freddie

Belle: And we’d be happy?                                                                                           Freddie: Ecstatic. We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else…with anyone else.

It was this pairing that held my attention in the beginning episodes of The Hour. The plot is complex and twisty and to be honest I had a hard time following along at first. Belle (Romola Garai)  and Freddie’s (Ben Whishaw) chemistry is clear from their first scene. They are best friends who are in love with each other.  How they met is never explained but it is obvious that their connection is deep.

Season 1 Episode 2

Freddie puts Belle to bed after a night of drinking following a disastrous news broadcast. The scene is short and simple but effective. Belle won’t let Freddie look at her as she cries about the failed evening. He obeys without question which is rare for him.  When Freddie knows something is important to Belle his listens. As Freddie tugs at her shoes there is a familiarity between them, even without looking at each other. We haven’t known these characters long but as Freddie pulls Belle’s blankets up around her and tucks her hair behind her ear it is clear that they care deeply for each other. Continue reading →