Rectify-TV Show-and Masters of Sex

Just curious as to whether others are having the same experience. I really liked "Rectify" last season, but it is really starting to seem off to me so far this season. Thoughts?

I suppose I should start a separate thread on this, but does "Masters of Sex" rub anyone else the wrong way? This show has gotten a lot of favorable attention from critics, etc., and Lizzy Caplan is beautiful in every respect as always, to me anyway, but otherwise it seems painful to watch to me. Maybe that is because it is realistic as to what Masters and most of men involved were like. Or is this some how a guy thing? Or am I just in a small minority? (I am comfortable there if I am, and no dis to anyone that loves the show. There is plenty of stuff that I like that puts me in a minority, as well!!)

MoS is on showtime? I'm not sure why I don't watch any showtime shows considering I'm paying for all the dern movie channels.

Im im going to start watching it. Hopefully I can find past episodes without access to ondemand or netflix

MoS seems to be on On Demand only and not on Netflix or Amazon Instant Video. I just checked.

The Knize said:

MoS seems to be on On Demand only and not on Netflix or Amazon Instant Video. I just checked.

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Bummer. I don't have access to that.

The Knize said:

Just curious as to whether others are having the same experience. I really liked "Rectify" last season, but it is really starting to seem off to me so far this season. Thoughts?

I suppose I should start a separate thread on this, but does "Masters of Sex" rub anyone else the wrong way? This show has gotten a lot of favorable attention from critics, etc., and Lizzy Caplan is beautiful in every respect as always, to me anyway, but otherwise it seems painful to watch to me. Maybe that is because it is realistic as to what Masters and most of men involved were like. Or is this some how a guy thing? Or am I just in a small minority? (I am comfortable there if I am, and no dis to anyone that loves the show. There is plenty of stuff that I like that puts me in a minority, as well!!)

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The acting is great on Rectify. They certainly slowed things down for the first four episodes of this season.

noahpictures said:

The acting is great on Rectify. They certainly slowed things down for the first four episodes of this season.

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I would have said the acting is great last season, but this season the only actor I find compelling is Abigail Spencer. I am not saying this is the actors' faults. It could be the writing and directing. Aden Young in particular seems to have turned into kind of a Forest Gump with hallucinations. Kind of like Diane Kruger on The Bridge--who, like Abigail Spencer, I normally think I would love to just watch do anything--I do not find the character very internally consistent any more. I suppose mentally damaged is can be hard to play.

I also feel the Adelaide Clemens character was original and compelling last season, but this season seems internally inconsistent and thus not credible or interesting.

Slowed down certainly seems correct. Also, off into a bunch of ancillary tracks that to me have not added anything to the main story.

May be just me though. I always thought this show had remarkable promise!

This season seems more like a play. I gotta catch up and watch the last week's episode. There is plenty of potential for the series.

Rectify was my most pleasant surprise of last season. Ray McKinnon has a real gem on his hands. There is a new show runner this season so some issues might present themselves. For me, the pacing feels right for the sleepy South/dreamlike world the characters inhabit. That said, there are plenty of arcs that will need to be tidied before the season ends. I would like to add that Rectify can have an emotional effect on me like watching a Malick or Herzog file. The Kerwin-Daniel relationship floors me all the way around. The dialogue, the cinematography, the lighting...you name it, it is a wonder.

Very thoughtful comments, Daniel. I guess the emotional effect on me is less empathetic and more dissonant. To me the last season of the show was based on a rather extreme premise but within the bounds of that premise explored the human condition through characters that to me, despite the extreme circumstances, were consistent and cogent, even if not predictable. This season they seem to have decided to thrown in random additional extreme elements and the characters reactions seem less consistent and cogent to me. I can see that being more dreamlike and more toward Malick and Herzog.

So what is grabbing you is not grabbing me. But such is art! I am going to keep watching.

I thought Ray McKinnon was the showrunner. Did that change?

The first season was an extended exploration of Holden's situation. It showed how it affected the entire family and the surrounding community in the milieu of the modern South. I found it fascinating how well the show was able to integrate the religious, the political and the racial influences, both historical and contemporary.

This season has shown more focus on the world around Daniel and the impact that his situation has had. The stress in the family, the stress of economics of a small town coupled with what happens after the homecoming. How does Daniel, his family or the town become "normal" again?

McKinnon is the creator/writer and this season's showrunner but last season's showrunner was a lady whose name escapes me. In title or not, McKinnon is the driving force behind the show.

Edit- Awoke this morning to the realization that I was incorrect on the showrunner. It was The Bridge on FX that lost their showrunner.

SmoovD said:

The first season was an extended exploration of Holden's situation. It showed how it affected the entire family and the surrounding community in the milieu of the modern South. I found it fascinating how well the show was able to integrate the religious, the political and the racial influences, both historical and contemporary.

This season has shown more focus on the world around Daniel and the impact that his situation has had. The stress in the family, the stress of economics of a small town coupled with what happens after the homecoming. How does Daniel, his family or the town become "normal" again?

McKinnon is the creator/writer and this season's showrunner but last season's showrunner was a lady whose name escapes me. In title or not, McKinnon is the driving force behind the show.

Edit- Awoke this morning to the realization that I was incorrect on the showrunner. It was The Bridge on FX that lost their showrunner.

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Thanks. I really appreciate the thoughtful analysis and information.

I guess I am hoping the show does not get too David Lynch-like--not that I do not like David Lynch.

<How does Daniel, his family or the town become "normal" again?>

I do not think they do. At least, they are not headed that direction, which makes sense to me.

To some extent I think Daniel is being set up to be something of a "Christ" figure or at least a Siddharta figure.

I thought the religion as a central part of Southern culture rang true in the first season and now not so much. In particular, I thought that Adelaide Clemens and her role were terrific and rather original in the first season, but in the current season she seems much less convincing, less important, and perhaps cliched. For one thing, she seems far less attractive. I am guessing she is being mishandled/directed, at least to my taste.

I think The Bridge needed a new showrunner. I think maybe it needs another new showrunner. It seems to me a show with lots of potential and a great cast that is wallowing in hyper-violence right now.

I have the sense that the Diane Kruger character could be terrific, but she, too, is not being directed well. It may be that it is really hard to try to have a main character with Asperger's. She seems to me to swing from portraying someone with Asperger's fairly well to being nothing like anyone with Aperger's to my limited knowledge and experience.

I need to have another look at the Danish version.

Also, I have come to believe that MoS works as a comedy, but not anything else, even though it tries to cover heavy emotional topics as well.

Great episode of Rectify last night, I thought. Had all the traits Daniel has been talking about. And they integrated some of the story lines to the main flow, that I thought were diversions.

Adelaide Clemens is back in the flow, too.

I am impressed!

I agree about last night's episode. Plenty of good shows ahead as well, it looks. Plotlines aligning, fingers crossed.

Did you catch this week's The Bridge? They also seem to have righted the ship. Less mysterious psychopath can only help. Back to the team trying to make sense of the world around them doing what it does.

The Bridge is still seeming pretty hyper-violent to me.
And
And the Daniel and Adrianna parts are good. I like it when the Steven Linder gets screen time.
So, I guess you are right that The Bridge seems more on track. <g>