Hello Ladies -- New HBO Series -- Starring Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods
11-24-14, 03:01 PM
#126
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Hello Ladies -- New HBO Series -- Starring Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods
This was terrific. Obviously I would have preferred a full season, but I'm glad we got this.
The bedroom scene was stellar.
I wonder if this will be Merchants one and only chance to star in his own series. He doesn't seem to be able to do anything besides this one character. I hope he comes out with another series. After seeing the utter dreck that is Derek, I feel like he was the real talent of the Gervais/Merchant collaborations.
The bedroom scene was stellar.
I wonder if this will be Merchants one and only chance to star in his own series. He doesn't seem to be able to do anything besides this one character. I hope he comes out with another series. After seeing the utter dreck that is Derek, I feel like he was the real talent of the Gervais/Merchant collaborations.
11-27-14, 08:14 PM
#128
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Hello Ladies -- New HBO Series -- Starring Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods
This was great. A perfect way to wrap up the series. I will miss this show. I hope SM gets another show soon.
11-28-14, 01:37 AM
#129
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Hello Ladies -- New HBO Series -- Starring Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods
I really enjoyed it. Predictable, perhaps, but still enjoyable.
Nice to see Allison Tolman in it, as well.
Nice to see Allison Tolman in it, as well.
11-28-14, 10:28 AM
#130
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Hello Ladies -- New HBO Series -- Starring Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods
Sorry SM, but americans don't want to watch anyone on TV that tall unless they are dribbling a basketball.
11-28-14, 05:52 PM
#132
DVD Talk God
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Re: Hello Ladies -- New HBO Series -- Starring Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods
I really enjoyed the finale. It would've been nice to get another season, but the premise of the show makes it hard to have a long run without it being repetitive.
I thought the best scene of the episode, and maybe the series, was the confrontation when Stuart was fixing her computer. He called her out on the problem not being that she didn't want to date... but that she didn't want to date him. Found it sorta heart-breaking. I knew how the show would end, and I'm fine with it - but I don't think it's realistic. In reality she wouldn't change her mind.
I really liked how Stuart basically told the guys on the boat to fuck off.
I thought the best scene of the episode, and maybe the series, was the confrontation when Stuart was fixing her computer. He called her out on the problem not being that she didn't want to date... but that she didn't want to date him. Found it sorta heart-breaking. I knew how the show would end, and I'm fine with it - but I don't think it's realistic. In reality she wouldn't change her mind.
I really liked how Stuart basically told the guys on the boat to fuck off.
01-23-15, 11:26 AM
#133
Re: Hello Ladies -- New HBO Series -- Starring Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods
Just watched the entire series, including the movie, on HBO Go. Sad to see that I discovered this about a year late.
It's actually funny, because I watched the pilot about a year ago--the first ten minutes--and couldn't get into it, despite it having an overall comedy-drama sensibility mix that I enjoyed. I just thought Stuart was too cartoonish and clueless.
My feeling on that continued for an episode or two this go around. I was still enjoying the comedy, but I kept always thinking, "so...is this guy gonna learn from his failures with women? Come up with some new game or approach? Lower his expectations? Do some overall introspection here?"
It was sort of bugging me--it was like he had blinders to his own obliviousness.
As the show went on though, I liked how characters like Jessica brought this to his attention. And we sort of began to see how he acknowledged his own flaws in his approach towards women--particularly models--and how he was always trying to chase what he essentially could never get or hope to be. So he's stuck in a self-fulfilling cycle of suck.
To that end, I thought Jessica mirrored that quite well. Hers is arguably worse, because it's a mix of professional closed doors and a stagnant relationship with her agent.
Overall, I thought the show nailed the relationship between Stuart and Jessica really well. I really liked Jessica's character in particular, she seemed the most "real" on the show.
It was strange, because when the show came back on, I was like, "her face looks familiar," and I realized I first saw her on The Walking Dead. So seeing her in this role, as so bubbly, was very cool and at the same time very strange. I'll definitely miss her character the most.
I thought the weakness of the show were the supporting characters though. Wade and Kives--it sort of was the same thing over and over. I felt that, as characters, they were good, but were never, ever given anything to do.
My favorite parts of this show were the tap dancing (wow, talk about laughing and cringing simulatenosuly) and the shame that was the pool party. I liked the temporary connection Jessica had with Stuart at the wedding, and also Stuart being frightened by the guys fixing his house, but feeling compelled to follow them on a scary night of craziness.
I also agree with someone who said the laptop scene in the movie was great.
The movie was pretty good--predictable--but good overall. I personally felt it was rushed--but I guess if you don't get a second season, it's going to be rushed.
I don't know how others felt, but honestly, I never felt an urge to see Jessica and Stuart end up together. That's not something I was on pins and needles for. I always felt satisfed with the potential implication of their friendship/relationship, without it actually going there. I thought the way the first season ended, with her rushing back to comfort her after losing her NCIS role and them spending the night (probably) watching a movie sort of sufficed--it gave me enough without giving me an absolute, concrete "yes" or "no" in terms of their relationship.
So to that end, the ultimate ending of the movie felt a little contrived or forced.
But what can you do, I guess.
Oh, and does anyone think Christine Woods looks a bit like Linda Cardellini? I kept feeling like her character, as well as part of the way she looks, reminded me of what Lindsey Weir from "Freaks and Geeks" would've grown to become and look like...perhaps if she had went to school for acting at some point
It's actually funny, because I watched the pilot about a year ago--the first ten minutes--and couldn't get into it, despite it having an overall comedy-drama sensibility mix that I enjoyed. I just thought Stuart was too cartoonish and clueless.
My feeling on that continued for an episode or two this go around. I was still enjoying the comedy, but I kept always thinking, "so...is this guy gonna learn from his failures with women? Come up with some new game or approach? Lower his expectations? Do some overall introspection here?"
It was sort of bugging me--it was like he had blinders to his own obliviousness.
As the show went on though, I liked how characters like Jessica brought this to his attention. And we sort of began to see how he acknowledged his own flaws in his approach towards women--particularly models--and how he was always trying to chase what he essentially could never get or hope to be. So he's stuck in a self-fulfilling cycle of suck.
To that end, I thought Jessica mirrored that quite well. Hers is arguably worse, because it's a mix of professional closed doors and a stagnant relationship with her agent.
Overall, I thought the show nailed the relationship between Stuart and Jessica really well. I really liked Jessica's character in particular, she seemed the most "real" on the show.
It was strange, because when the show came back on, I was like, "her face looks familiar," and I realized I first saw her on The Walking Dead. So seeing her in this role, as so bubbly, was very cool and at the same time very strange. I'll definitely miss her character the most.
I thought the weakness of the show were the supporting characters though. Wade and Kives--it sort of was the same thing over and over. I felt that, as characters, they were good, but were never, ever given anything to do.
My favorite parts of this show were the tap dancing (wow, talk about laughing and cringing simulatenosuly) and the shame that was the pool party. I liked the temporary connection Jessica had with Stuart at the wedding, and also Stuart being frightened by the guys fixing his house, but feeling compelled to follow them on a scary night of craziness.
I also agree with someone who said the laptop scene in the movie was great.
The movie was pretty good--predictable--but good overall. I personally felt it was rushed--but I guess if you don't get a second season, it's going to be rushed.
I don't know how others felt, but honestly, I never felt an urge to see Jessica and Stuart end up together. That's not something I was on pins and needles for. I always felt satisfed with the potential implication of their friendship/relationship, without it actually going there. I thought the way the first season ended, with her rushing back to comfort her after losing her NCIS role and them spending the night (probably) watching a movie sort of sufficed--it gave me enough without giving me an absolute, concrete "yes" or "no" in terms of their relationship.
So to that end, the ultimate ending of the movie felt a little contrived or forced.
But what can you do, I guess.
Oh, and does anyone think Christine Woods looks a bit like Linda Cardellini? I kept feeling like her character, as well as part of the way she looks, reminded me of what Lindsey Weir from "Freaks and Geeks" would've grown to become and look like...perhaps if she had went to school for acting at some point
01-23-15, 01:39 PM
#135
Re: Hello Ladies -- New HBO Series -- Starring Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods
