The HBO Original Programming Thread

[Jeff Lebowski]

Is anyone else watching The Rehearsal? If you are into Nathan Fielder's brand of humor at all, you need to check it out. Tonight's episode was absolutely nuts. Don't want to spoil it, but it may be the funniest thing I've seen ... maybe ever.

Our daughter and son-in-law are begging us to watch it. We are gonna check it out this week.

[UVACoug]

Is anyone else watching The Rehearsal? If you are into Nathan Fielder's brand of humor at all, you need to check it out. Tonight's episode was absolutely nuts. Don't want to spoil it, but it may be the funniest thing I've seen ... maybe ever.

[Pelado]

Last week I watched "Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God". It's a 3-ep docuseries about the cult who believed Amy Carlson was God. The overall arc of the cult is pretty whack, and when Mother God finally dies (it's not a spoiler--her death is part of the opening scene) the actions of the cult members are just so, so bizarre. Not exactly uplifting, but it did send me down a fun wormhole for a couple of days researching the cult and a lot of the stuff that wasn't covered in the docuseries. The story is told almost entirely from the perspective of the cult members, but with some interviews and perspective from Carlson's family (not a part of the cult) mixed in.

Never heard of it.

[Donuthole]

Last week I watched "Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God". It's a 3-ep docuseries about the cult who believed Amy Carlson was God. The overall arc of the cult is pretty whack, and when Mother God finally dies (it's not a spoiler--her death is part of the opening scene) the actions of the cult members are just so, so bizarre. Not exactly uplifting, but it did send me down a fun wormhole for a couple of days researching the cult and a lot of the stuff that wasn't covered in the docuseries. The story is told almost entirely from the perspective of the cult members, but with some interviews and perspective from Carlson's family (not a part of the cult) mixed in.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Hot take: Succession is wildly overrated. Lumping it in with The Wire, The Sopranos, and Breaking Bad etc. is premature and based primarily on recency and novelty bias, IMO.

I enjoyed it, but it is nowhere near on the level of Breaking Bad. I haven't actually watched the Wire of the Sopranos, so I cannot comment on that. I would also not put it even close to the level of Better Call Saul, Halt and Catch Fire, the Leftovers, and many other dramatic shows.

[Pelado]

I really enjoyed Succession, though I'm rethinking that now. Very disappointing to learn that a television program would so wantonly misrepresent public accounting practices just to create additional drama.

It is incredibly irresponsible.

[YOhio]

I really enjoyed Succession, though I'm rethinking that now. Very disappointing to learn that a television program would so wantonly misrepresent public accounting practices just to create additional drama.

[Pelado]

The only winning move is not to start.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I only lasted a few episodes with Succession.

[Shaka]

I completely agree with that assessement. It was good but not THAT good.

[Moliere]

Hot take: Succession is wildly overrated. Lumping it in with The Wire, The Sopranos, and Breaking Bad etc. is premature and based primarily on recency and novelty bias, IMO.

After watching about five episodes I think I’m in agreement here, but that’s pending me finishing a season or two.

[Donuthole]

Succession S1E3 is stupid. It’s a public company and they just happen to have $3.2 billion in callable debt that no one knows about? Yeah, that would never happen, let alone refinancing the debt through an equity infusion and the auditors just being like “oh yeah, we didn’t know about that debt but okay, that’s fine”

Hot take: Succession is wildly overrated. Lumping it in with The Wire, The Sopranos, and Breaking Bad etc. is premature and based primarily on recency and novelty bias, IMO.

[Moliere]

Succession S1E3 is stupid. It’s a public company and they just happen to have $3.2 billion in callable debt that no one knows about? Yeah, that would never happen, let alone refinancing the debt through an equity infusion and the auditors just being like “oh yeah, we didn’t know about that debt but okay, that’s fine”

[Non Sequitur]

Halfway through The Outsider which I'd surprisingly never heard of until a friend started telling me about it last week. Surprising because it stars and is directed by Jason Bateman whose work I universally enjoy. It's from the covid days, 2020, and based on a Steven King novel. We've been watching an episode before bed each night (an hour each) and it's gradually moved from crime drama to horror and now at the midway point it is solidly in the horror category.

I read the book when it came out and enjoyed it. I also liked the movie but didn't realize Jason Bateman directed him. I like him a lot. SmartLess is my go-to podcast.

[SteelBlue]

Halfway through The Outsider which I'd surprisingly never heard of until a friend started telling me about it last week. Surprising because it stars and is directed by Jason Bateman whose work I universally enjoy. It's from the covid days, 2020, and based on a Steven King novel. We've been watching an episode before bed each night (an hour each) and it's gradually moved from crime drama to horror and now at the midway point it is solidly in the horror category.