Hello everyone and welcome to another Weekly Tound Table. This week I'm (MK) joined by Kollin (KL), Emmaline (EH), Lisa (LM), Luana (LA), Samantha (SB), Jimmy (JR), Angela (AN), Milo (MI) and Jamie (JC). As always sit back,
enjoy the read and join the discussion in comment section down below.
1.Is 'Netflix and Kill' a thing? Are you attending the box office less these days due to all the cable and streaming options?
KL: The films this year just haven't been that good. The Mummy was thoroughly disappointing, King Arthur was meh, Alien: Convenant was awful, Transformers was a nightmare, Dark Tower was a disaster, Pirates of the Caribbean 120 or whatever number it's at...I didn't even go near that, and Baywatch? No comment. Then August comes and, yeah, Hitman's Bodyguard and Logan Lucky were good, but they weren't money making films - the same goes for the excellent Baby Driver.
That's 10 weeks of bad and/or not profitable films for the summer, straight up. Wonder Woman and Dunkirk, and to a lesser degree Spider-Man and Apes saved the summer from sinking completely, but those were only 4 money making films worth watching all season. Yikes.
With all these disasters populating the box office, content on Netflix and other streaming sites have risen in quality.
Studios will bounce back, but they first need to figure out what audience wants.
LM: I don't think I'm a very good case study for this question. I've probably seen more movies this summer! Actually, I would have seen more, but I also have to stay home and watch tv in order to review it. In addition - making me a bad case study - is that I don't subscribe to any streaming services because I don't have time and can't afford it... Nope. It's true. I don't have Netflix...
The studios are still getting the movies wrong - it's too expensive to go to the movies for a lot of people - it's cheaper to stay home and watch on your computer. I also _never_ trust the studio numbers.... Box office attendance may be down, but are profits?
LA: Going to the cinema is still a fun experience, but nowadays it is done less, I don't think it's because of Netflix in particular, I think the golden age TV is going through means a lot of people prefer spend their time on watching TV shows.
SB: No, so far this summer I've been cinema once and saw 2 movies. There are a couple other films I'm interested in, but my local cinema is completely and utterly useless, having the films I'm interested in either on limited showings or just not being shown at all. I'm also extremely picky over which films I want to give my money to. You can have a good premise but an actor/actress who is problematic involved with the film, and in that case, I'm more likely to just watch at home because I don't want to give them my money. Then there's also the issue of time, I've had shows queued in Netflix since January which I was aiming to save for a summer binge but I've been extremely busy, so haven't had the chance to watch. I really want to see Girls Night, The Hitman's Bodyguard, Logan Lucky and A Ghost Story before I head off to University but that might not happen, Blade Runner 2049 comes out on my first week of classes & American Assassin 2 days before I start, so I may just wait for the DVD.
AN: I haven’t gone to the movies with any sort of regularity for a long, long time now, and my reasons for doing so have nothing to do with Netflix (I only just got connected to Netflix this year). For me it’s just that either a) I don’t have the money to go see a movie, or b) there’s not much variety in terms of films in my local theater. I’m also just not a huge movie buff/follower in general-I pretty much only go to the theater if there’s something I really want to see, and I don’t really follow any of the major franchises or things of that sort that have come out in recent years.
And I imagine those are some of the same reasons other people aren’t going to the movies as often, too. That said, I do also think the increase in things like Netflix or other streaming/viewing platforms is part of the reason why the box office is struggling, just as it’s partly the reason why TV ratings have been going down in recent years. And while I can’t personally speak to the quality of the films that have been coming out lately, since I haven’t seen a lot of them, I could also see some people complaining that they haven’t been impressed by the movies that have come out, too. If reviews are anything to go by, it doesn’t seem like there was a whole lot to engage audiences this year, so maybe the film industry needs another shake up in the types of movies it produces, too.
MI: I still find myself going to the cinema at least once a week depending on what films interest me, mainly due to the offers on Mondays where it's fairly cheap and it's a good excuse to get out of the house. I would use Netflix a bit more but my internet connection isn't the best, and besides, I'm a big believer of watching movies on the biggest screen possible so will always do my best to see them on the cinema if budget/scheduling/interest/availability allows!
JC: Yes, but I never much enjoyed going to the movies anyway so if I can watch one out of the comfort of my own home it's an easy decision. I only really go to the movies if there's one I'm super anxious to see (like Wonder Woman). Besides, most movies that interest me, don't interest my friends (like Marvel movies) and no one really likes to go to the movies by themselves.
AL: I am a person that has rarely gone to the movies to begin with. It has always been hard to find the time, to coordinate schedules (because who wants to coordinate schedules), and to be okay with parting with eight dollars for a small popcorn. Movies aren’t an option for everyone. That being said, I do go to the movies less now than when I was a little kid, as a result of streaming. Now, instead of the unbearable weight between big screen and DVD releases, I can simply just download the movie or stream it. Additionally, at home, you can simply “nope” out of a movie you don’t like, instead of finding you have to sit through a whole picture because you paid for it. If you’re doing a cost-benefit analysis, staying home and watching Netflix wins out every time.
2. Dark Matter MATTERS! Syfy pulls the plug on Dark Matter without giving it proper closure. How surprised were you by the news seeing how both 12 Monkeys and Killjoys are getting proper planned closure?
KL: I was surprised and heartbroken at Dark Matter's sudden cancellation. Granted, while the show was far superior than Killjoys in their first two seasons, Killjoys really skyrocketed in its third season after a strong end to Season 2 with regards to its storytelling and characters; meanwhile, Dark Matter kind of flatlined with this dry, corporate politics storyline wearing out its welcome. The show remained consistently solid, but it didn't up the ante until the final episodes of Season 3 and by then it was too little too late. Having said that, fans DID deserve closure, dip in quality or not. Given that 12 Monkeys and Killjoys got their due, just makes it more angering.
LM: Sorry, Dark Matter fans, I never did see the appeal of the show. Made it through the first season and just wasn't impressed. I like Killjoys and liked it better from the get go. 12 Monkeys, however, is in a category by itself here. 12 Monkeys is SO much better than either of these other two, so it's no surprise to me that it got a lot of heads up for closure - it's also necessary for the careful storytelling in 12 Monkeys to have an end date. I review both 12 Monkeys and Killjoys, and frankly, giving Killjoys 5 seasons to 12 Monkeys 4 seasons is the actual crime here. If fans shout loudly enough, maybe Syfy will give Dark Matter a one off to finish?
LA: I didn't watch DM but it does seem too unfair to not have a reason behind it.
MI: That's surprising considering Killjoys and 12 Monkeys both got proper closures but SyFy can't do the same to all 3 as it's got to accommodate new shows so although frustrating, it's understandable. I'm way behind on the show though but it's something I wouldn't necessarily miss if it went.
JC: I'm extremely pissed off by the cancellation news since I only started watching the show last week. It's weird that they wouldn't even give it a final season, while they gave Killjoys two seasons. The two shows have a similar premise, where the ratings really that different?
AL: Even though I don’t watch Dark Matter, the news really shocked me. I had a couple friends who liked that show, and I had been meaning to get into it. Frankly, the sudden cancellation in the face of Killjoys getting a two-season renewal seems weird for me. I have been a fan of Killjoys since the beginning, but I had begun to lost interest somewhere around the end of season 2 or the beginning of season 3. I expected a renewal for one final season, but two just seems like too much. As far as I can tell, if Killjoys deserves a proper ending, so does Dark Matter. As for 12 Monkeys, it’s leagues ahead of the other SyFy shows. Everyone who I’ve talked to has said that it’s one of their favorite running shows. Though I’m not a 12 Monkeys fan myself, its renewal is the only one that has made sense to me.
3. True Detective goes into Round 3! Do you think the anthology series has still some live in it or is HBO barking at the wrong tree?
MK: I include myself in the ones who thought that season 2 wasn't that bad just quite bit weaker than the first season. Season 2's issue was mostly the slightly soapy aspect of the show. I did love the cast and think that Colin and Rachel delivered great performances. As for season 3 I'm intrigued at this point cause of Ali and the 3 time line aspect, making it seem like it will really be about that crime.
KL I think True Detective has some life. There is definitely a want for it as fans, myself included, have high hopes that the show can return to its glory days of season 1. I mean, Season 2 was just one bad season, a sophomore slump if you will. It is time for some redemption. Casting Mahershala Ali is a good first step in the right direction.
LA: I think with antologies people know some seasons are better than others, AHS fans will know, and given how good the first season of TD was I don't think people will miss out in at least giving it a try, just in case it's as brilliant as the first.
SB: True Detectives is one of those shows I've heard about but never had the chance of watching. Anthology or not every show has a bad season. However I do think the 3rd season is make or break. When True Detectives first started back in 2014, there weren't many anthology shows around and it was somewhat of a niche market. That has now changed, so they need to make sure the casting is spot on along with the writing and directing, otherwise viewers may flock elsewhere.
MI: True Detective has the potential to be awesome again and the cast so far is shaping up to be awesome so I'm really excited. I liked parts of Season 2 even if it wasn't perfect, so I'm interested to see where it goes. Hopefully, the creative team has learned their lessons.
MK: In the sites comment section I was called pathetic and having daddy issues for calling out CBS white male centric shows so I honestly hope they prove me right this time around. Some people are still delusional about CBS's ways and I think that CBS will prove us it right site just like in May 2017 when it picked up only male lead shows with 1 POC lead. They don't know better.
KL: No comment. I've given up on CBS and what they plan or not plan to do. Seeing more diversity on their slate is encouraging, but who knows?
LM: CBS is trying - whether it's too little too late and whether they are giving quality projects to more diverse actors is really the question. It's no good casting women and other diverse actors if you are putting them in crappy projects - setting them up to fail so that you can say, see? The audience really doesn't care.... Diversity needs to happen behind the camera and in the writers room and at the producer level too.
LA: I think they're really trying, and I hope they succeed, I guess all we can do is wait and see on that one.
SB: I have a real love/hate relationship with CBS. I'm gonna forever be bitter that they cancelled 2 Broke Girls, but I have too many shows on this network so am unfortunately stuck here. I would like to think the attempts to think outside the box will go somewhere, but this is CBS. They could give pilots to a billion different projects covering all aspects of society, but come May, it'll still be all about them white dudes. It's just CBS.
AN: I wouldn’t blame people for being cynical and wary of CBS’ claims of changing up their programming and becoming more diverse, but at the same time, I think they do deserve a chance to try and prove themselves if they really are actually trying to make some positive changes. Even if their first attempts are shaky and imperfect, it’d still be a start, and any encouragement could prove helpful in the long run.
MI: Hopefully CBS can diversify their slate a bit more successfully and have it become a hit with audiences but I fear they a) won't or it b) won't be considered a hit for CBS and be quickly canned and used as an excuse as to why CBS should stick with their traditional lineup. It remains to be seen, but I'll be keeping an eye out for sure.
JC: I've learned enough these past few years to know it's better to not get my hopes up. If I keep my expectations low, I can't be too disappointed. I won't be giving any praise until the end of the season.
AL: I’m prepared to be disappointed by CBS. Their slate is still overwhelmingly white and male, and I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon. Remember, we’re talking about a network who last year passed on a Sarah Shahi Nancy Drew show, giving one of the reasons for cancellation as the show being “too female”. Hopefully things turn around, but I’m still keeping my standards low.
5. Fall season is coming! Which character are you seeing biting the dust for shock value purposes this time around?
MK: My feels are going into Grey's Anatomy directions. The show played it pretty safe in the recent two seasons so I could see someone going overboard. Other than that Scandal won't back down from pulling a couple of shocking moves.
KL: The shows I watch aren't really prone to shocking deaths and I don't see it changing this season. Maybe in Blindspot, Weller's lame ex-girlfriend, US Marshall Allison, will die to raise the stakes, but that's all I see happening.
EH: I just a have a feeling Olivia Pope does in the Scandal premiere and the rest of the shortened final season is about who did it. But they did just do that trick last season with the president elect, so maybe not. Just have a feeling...
JR: All I could speculate on is another HTGAWM death. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr Robot offed a major character this season as well.
AN: Hopefully it won’t be any of my shows. The character of Stephen Walker is looking to be killed off on “Criminal Minds”...but those of us who watch that show have been expecting that going in thanks to spoilers, so that wouldn’t really count as a “shock” death, I don’t think. Hopefully that’ll be the only death that show pulls this season, though. I could also see them killing off another character on “How to Get Away with Murder”, but I think, if they do, it will be a side/one-off character this season. I don’t know that I see them trying to pull another “kill a major character” move this year.
I also wouldn’t be surprised to see one of the new dramas kill off a character to try and help ratings or get some buzz or something. Otherwise, I imagine we’d have to poll the fans of various shows, since they’d have the best grasp on which characters may or may not be living on borrowed time.
MI: Hopefully Felicity Smoak and Mon-El, but they won't be killed off by the looks of things. The 100 could potentially do another shock death - maybe Harper given the actresses role on Supernatural? (It is only a guest role though). Jaha's days could be numbered too. The Flash and Arrow both used the main character is going to die trope with different spins on it so somebody on the CW will probably die. HTGAWM too has killed off major characters in the past and I can see it doing it again, a shot in the dark guess, but Asher maybe is next?
JC: Well, I'm guessing the majority of shock value deaths won't be white or straight. There are a few characters on certain show that I'd like to see gone because I feel they hold the show back (won't name names) but I'd like for shows like HTGAWM to stay away from these kinds of storylines this season. I feel like you can only have so many big deaths before it gets too much.
That is it from us! I hope you enjoyed our small weekly discussion and join in the comment section downbelow. Till next week . . .
