Originally posted by DocDave
View Post
-
I'm almost through the first season of this, pretty solid. It's made for some fun post-episode Wikipedia-ing to see how much of the material is based on history or "established" folklore/urban legend versus how much is the show's own creation.“There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, 'Do trousers matter?'"
"The mood will pass, sir.” -
Hmm. Good to know [MENTION=7232]Sideswipe[/MENTION]. I'll have to head on over to Wikipedia and check that out.Comment
-
Is anyone still listening to season 2 of Serial? Still good? I knocked out the first 3 episodes months ago, but just haven't had the strong desire to listen that i did with the first season. Granted, I was able to binge almost the entire first season since all but 1 or 2 episodes had already dropped when I started listening.Comment
-
Yeah, I'm still listening to it. I didn't think I would get sucked in, but I must admit I am. The whole military mentality thing is interesting to me. I don't find it as gripping as season 1, but I still think it is a good show.Comment
-
Season 2 gets a bit better as it's moved along. It's definitely not as gripping as season 1. I don't think they did as good a job this time around establishing a narrative from the onset. It took me a bit longer to really understand exactly why I was listening, exactly what the tensions were that were compelling enough to demand the serialized format. But it finds its footing a bit more in the coming episodes. I'd stick with it. Or at least revisit once the whole thing has dropped.Originally posted by Deke View PostComment
-
I agree that the season has gotten better as it has gone along. I think they spent too many stand-alone episodes on the ground stuff in Afghanistan, as the stuff that's been most interesting to me has been the home life before the army, the rescue efforts (or lack thereof), the reactions and thoughts of fellow soldiers, and the politics. I think that they could have condensed some of the early episodes or told it in flashback. In sum, there was less meat early and more meat later and I think the season overall could have been leaner.Comment
-
Thanks for the input fellas. I'll have to crank it back up on my next trip.Comment
-
How Did This Get Made's latest episode is on Bloodsport!!!Comment
-
-
I just realized I have not made my wife watch this movie in full. This will be corrected.Originally posted by Deke View PostComment
-
Well Serial just came to a close for the season. Anyone want to offer any thoughts?Comment
-
[MENTION=13399]DocDave[/MENTION], OK I'll bite.
I think the season just got stronger over time and I ended up liking it quite a bit. I know you aren't asking for a comparison of the two seasons, but I have trouble putting my thoughts on this season together without comparing it to the inaugural. Consider that your disclaimer.
I was pretty sure that Season 2 would not live up (in terms of hype at least) to the trendpiece-writes-itself phenomenon that was Season 1. I was skeptical that they could follow it up with anything nearly as compelling. And they didn't. But it still was a success in my book.
The first season had an inherently fascinating question of guilt or innocence where facts could not necessarily be taken at face value and it put the listener in the position of having to make sense of it all. Season 2 had more of a crime and punishment feel to it. The fundamental facts were not in dispute. What the listener is being asked to do is to evaluate the motivations for various actions and consider hypotheticals about what might have been had things been handled just a bit differently. Those who expected a ripped-from-the-headlines type drama would be disappointed, but I think it was successful in fleshing out what might have been going through Bergdahl's head, which is really something given his idiosyncratic nature and the setting (war) that few listeners are likely to have experienced.
The weakest part to me was the intercutting of Bergdahl's taped interviews, since they just had a canned feel that grew over time. It certainly hurt the story they were trying to tell that they were already-recorded audio of another interviewer's questions. More compelling was the direct interviews with people who knew him from home and from the army as well as the reporting on the back-channel politics and military planning. The tone of the narrative was kind of Greek tragic in how the very public trial played out.
The season 1 story was more encapsulated and defined in scope. Season 2 was more ambitious with broader themes as it touched on all manner of topics from mental illness, personal conduct during wartime, the vast machine that is the military, blame/culpability, delicate diplomacy, politics and public relations, and a nation trying to figure out how it feels about recent wars we've waged.
Making a Murder got me to think more broadly about the justice system in ways that the more focused Serial Season 1 never did. So too did Serial Season 2 get me to consider some larger themes mentioned above, even if the story itself wasn't quite as tight.
I'll be very interested to see what they choose next.Comment
-
I'm not sure what to think of this season. At first I wasn't all that interested. I'm a not a big military guy and as someone who doesn't live in the US I could care less what the US Military does with their people. But then as the season progressed I started to get sucked in. I started to get interested in whether or not the military was screwing him (which they were) or if he was screwing them (which he was). So it made for compelling listening and I stuck it out.
Now that the season has finished, I am glad I listened to the whole show. I like how Sarah brought the issue of the war to a larger issue rather than just focusing on Bergdahl. The issues she raised did cause me to pause and think about things, which is always a good thing. I'll be sure to check in to Season III since I do enjoy this type of journalism.
As you said [MENTION=2598]redbeardedmike[/MENTION], I am interested to see what they chose next.Comment
-
I have only three in the rotation right now because I am going through their back catalogs.
FreeThoughts from Libertarianism.org
Art of Manliness Podcast
The First 40 Miles (Hiking and Backpacking)Comment
-
Bill Simmons just had Louis CK on plus Key & Peele. His interview with Al Michaels was golden too.Comment
Comment