Spoilers TV Shows with Great Endings

[Snarf Zagyg]

Sopranos isn't for everyone. I love it but they're all awful really.

Out of curiosity, did you binge it?

One thing I have noticed is that if you watched it when it first aired (not binging), you tend to have a slightly different view. But if you binge it ... the awfulness is quite apparent.

Chase meant for the characters to be awful. Tony is a killer. He does so without compunction. And the Janice (anger management) and Bobby Bacala scenes? There's a reason he is the boss.

But you tended to overlook it because you want to sympathize with the protagonist, and if you aren't binging, you don't fully internalize the full horror... which was the point. As you note- these are regular people, like us, except ... they are awful.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Out of curiosity, did you binge it?

One thing I have noticed is that if you watched it when it first aired (not binging), you tend to have a slightly different view. But if you binge it ... the awfulness is quite apparent.

Chase meant for the characters to be awful. Tony is a killer. He does so without compunction. And the Janice (anger management) and Bobby Bacala scenes? There's a reason he is the boss.

But you tended to overlook it because you want to sympathize with the protagonist, and if you aren't binging, you don't fully internalize the full horror... which was the point. As you note- these are regular people, like us, except ... they are awful.

Binging definitely impacts how The Sopranos lands. I think also the time it came out matters. Watching it then, we just weren't used to characters who were this despicable. There had been shows about bad guys but it wasn't like today where they are everywhere. So it was easy to think there would be some redemption for the character even when he did truly terrible things

I find that knowing what is coming also impacts the rewatch. Spoilers so don't read ahead if you haven't seen The Sopranos all the way through but intend to do so. In the final season they explicitly make clear Tony is a sociopath. It is difficult to watch the show again without having that in your mind as you watch. Especially because they give clear examples of him being a sociopath, to highlight the conclusion Melfi draws in that respect. The two that stand out are how he treat Adrianna and Christopher. If you know what happens with Christopher, it colors every interaction they have in earlier seasons on a rewatch. And the same with Adrianna (he wasn't as close as him and Christopher with her but at one point they almost have a fling but for a car accident). On rewatches I find myself looking for evidence of sociopathy

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Non-genre show: You're The Worst, which started with the most cynical take ever on romantic comedy, with the two terrible leads meeting after heckling a wedding in the pilot, has a final season with them planning their own wedding. And the writers never relent and turn them into particularly nice people.

They've grown -- a bit -- but are still the worst and the show never pretends that marriage and kids is the goal everyone should be heading toward or that true love will redeem a group of extremely broken people.

Seinfeld tried to do something similar and completely face-planted, while YTW completely stuck the landing while still being diametrically opposite of the (also great) Parks & Rec finale and surprise final season victory lap.

I do like a show where the characters fail to grow or learn. You're the Worst just got put on my list.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I do like a show where the characters fail to grow or learn. You're the Worst just got put on my list.

The side characters -- awful in different ways -- are really great. I watched it on Hulu after watching the first half of it on FX back when I had cable.

 

[Gradine]

Which would be fine, if the show's metanarrative, aftershows, marketing etc. hadn't been selling the audience the idea that it was the point, that there were real answers out there, and if they could only piece together all the clues that were being fed to them they'd find those underlying truths.

That's totally fair, but that's why I avoided all the stupid AR meta narrative nonsense. As most of you are saying, it was pretty obvious the writers were going full Chris Carter Effect on all the sci-fi fruferoll, but I genuinely liked a lot of characters so that's what I was in there for.

Turns out the show was ultimately made for people like me.

 

[Zardnaar]

Out of curiosity, did you binge it?

One thing I have noticed is that if you watched it when it first aired (not binging), you tend to have a slightly different view. But if you binge it ... the awfulness is quite apparent.

Chase meant for the characters to be awful. Tony is a killer. He does so without compunction. And the Janice (anger management) and Bobby Bacala scenes? There's a reason he is the boss.

But you tended to overlook it because you want to sympathize with the protagonist, and if you aren't binging, you don't fully internalize the full horror... which was the point. As you note- these are regular people, like us, except ... they are awful.

Watched the first few seasons bitd then binged it somewhat recently.

Even then they were awful people. It's a dark show I don't have to like the people. I like the characters though.

 

[MGibster]

Out of curiosity, did you binge it?

Binge watching older television shows is a recipe for disappointment. I binge watched seasons 6 and 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and hated those seasons more than I would have had I watched them when they first aired. Seeing multiple episodes in a row instead of paced out weekly really has an impact on how you enjoy the show.

 

[beta-ray]

The last episode of the older American sitcom Newhart may have a lock on this (1), and the gimmick probably can't be repeated with such effect. I won't spoil it, but it manages to turn the entire eight season run on its head, and in a way that provides immense fan service. *chef's kiss

(1) Or not, but it has the key to my heart.

I agree with this one.

I don't watch a lot of TV, so it is this one, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for me.

 

[Zardnaar]

Binge watching older television shows is a recipe for disappointment. I binge watched seasons 6 and 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and hated those seasons more than I would have had I watched them when they first aired. Seeing multiple episodes in a row instead of paced out weekly really has an impact on how you enjoy the show.

SiL is a huge Buff fan. She's hated those seasons for decades lol.

 

[beta-ray]

Although Anime can be seen as cringe. I genuinely believe that Code Geass has one of the best endings in media.

If you consider anime cringe, you haven't seen enough anime. There are some wonderful series out there. Hadn't considered that when the question was posed… now I have to think about it more…