Watched some golden age HBO I missed at the times in the last year and half something. Am in the mood to do a brief review for each show.
Entourage: the lighter one of the bunch. It's a comedy about a young, emergent actor in Hollywood, his a bit of a loser brother, his two best friends and his agent (his "entourage", indeed). Many called it the "Sex and the city" for males and (for the little SATC I watched lol) it's probably accurate enough. Some characters are truly hilarious and every episode is just 20-25 minutes iirc. There probably are better comedies around but it's still a nice, light one to unplug.
The Wire: the fame of this show should talk for itself. The story mainly follows a group of cops and a group of dealers in the war for drug in Baltimore. In every season the show deconstruct a piece of the "system" (may be police, media, justice, politics etc.) and the whole of it contributes to create a magnificent canvas that digs deep in the real life misery of that world. A true masterpiece.
Big Love: the unforgivable BIll Paxton (rip) in the secret life of a mormon man with three wives (of which just a single "public" one) and many children. All the show mainly articulates between their struggles to have their lifestyle recognized in public and the conflict with the rest of the (deranged) family. Nice to see, other than Bill, another Alienverse-familiar face (Harry Dean Stanton). I wouldn't put this show as high as others, but all in all it's still an entertaining watch.
OZ: talks about the life in the Oswald (OZ) penitentiary, investigating the human nature while narrating all the disadventures of both inmates and guardians. Plenty of great, unforgivable characters and storylines; unfortunately, the last season and half it's simply not on par with the rest and the ending doesn't do justice to what they builded before. Pity. It's one of the few occasions in which I think a reboot, or a sequel of some sort would be nice to have.
Deadwood: western drama based on the homonym, really existed town, it also features many historical characters as well (like Calamity Jane, "Wild" Bill Hickok and many others). Another great show with probably the best bad guy I've watched on the small screen since Tony Soprano (a truly great Ian McShane), but unfortunately they cancelled it quite early and abruptly; it only lasts 3 seasons, but they did an ending movie which is quite good. IT's more or less on a realistic vein so the pace of it all is a bit slower than one might expect from such a genre; I appreciated it, but somebody else might be put a bit off I guess.
Having closed the "golden age" topic, as of now I'm watching a more recent Succession, which is still HBO; a drama about a misanthropic, decrepit tycoon of media communications and his dysfunctional family. Two episodes at the end of the first season and to say I'm pretty hooked it's still not enough. I rarely saw a tv show which isn't about action with such a wonderful, compelling rhythm. Absolutely recommended.
What i loved in it that the creatures acted more like i imagined the clown would act in the new IT movies but it was just a generic jumpscare monster, which is a shame because all the coming of age thing and the kids were amazing.
