Are these short-lived TV series worth watching?
April 23, 2023 5:53 PM Subscribe
On my list of potential shows to binge are several that lasted 3 or fewer seasons, and I’d love to hear firsthand opinions from anyone who’s watched them: Despite their early cancellation, do they feel like they have enough of a resolution to make for a satisfying viewing experience? Or... well, let’s just say I’ve never really gotten over Carnivàle?
The shows in question:
The Deuce (HBO, 3 seasons)
High Fidelity (Hulu, 3 seasons)
Sneaky Pete (Amazon, 3 seasons)
Pushing Daisies (HBO, 2 seasons)
Altered Carbon (Netflix, 2 seasons)
Sense8 (Netflix, 2 seasons)
The OA (Netflix, 2 seasons)
Chance (Hulu, 2 seasons)
Three Pines (Amazon, 1 season)
Reboot (Hulu, 1 season)
General opinions about the quality of any of these also appreciated, but I’m specifically interested in the resolved-or-hanging question.
The shows in question:
The Deuce (HBO, 3 seasons)
High Fidelity (Hulu, 3 seasons)
Sneaky Pete (Amazon, 3 seasons)
Pushing Daisies (HBO, 2 seasons)
Altered Carbon (Netflix, 2 seasons)
Sense8 (Netflix, 2 seasons)
The OA (Netflix, 2 seasons)
Chance (Hulu, 2 seasons)
Three Pines (Amazon, 1 season)
Reboot (Hulu, 1 season)
General opinions about the quality of any of these also appreciated, but I’m specifically interested in the resolved-or-hanging question.
Pushing Daisies didn’t have much of an ending, but I’d definitely say it was worthwhile.
posted by skewed at 5:59 PM on April 23, 2023 [18 favorites]
posted by skewed at 5:59 PM on April 23, 2023 [18 favorites]
The Deuce wasn’t canceled and has a very satisfactory ending.
posted by rhymedirective at 5:59 PM on April 23, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by rhymedirective at 5:59 PM on April 23, 2023 [7 favorites]
Three Pines is resolved at the end of the single season and it was great.
posted by loopsun at 6:01 PM on April 23, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by loopsun at 6:01 PM on April 23, 2023 [5 favorites]
The OA ends on a terrible cliffhanger that made me so incredibly angry. But it’s still worth watching bc there are so many wtf moments.
posted by fancyoats at 6:11 PM on April 23, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by fancyoats at 6:11 PM on April 23, 2023 [10 favorites]
Sense8 - definitely. The ideas, the diverse international and queer characters, the music all make it worth watching. It had a movie-length final episode which tried to wrap up as many loose ends as possible with the plot, which obviously wasn't as good as a season length, but was better than nothing. They also tried to end it with a positive feeling of celebration which could have been cheesy but I thought it worked and I'm a jaded cynical old fart.
The OA - I actually thought this was just a mini-series, no second season coming. When S2 did come out, I watched it without rewatching the first which may not have been the best idea. I think the first season is definitely worth watching on its own. The second season is good and has some truly spectacular wtf moments, but as mentioned it totally ends on a cliffhanger so that's pretty frustrating.
posted by Athanassiel at 6:22 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
The OA - I actually thought this was just a mini-series, no second season coming. When S2 did come out, I watched it without rewatching the first which may not have been the best idea. I think the first season is definitely worth watching on its own. The second season is good and has some truly spectacular wtf moments, but as mentioned it totally ends on a cliffhanger so that's pretty frustrating.
posted by Athanassiel at 6:22 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Sense8 (Netflix, 2 seasons)
Definitely.
It's very good, and
I would say that it ends either resolved or partially resolved.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 6:55 PM on April 23, 2023
Definitely.
It's very good, and
I would say that it ends either resolved or partially resolved.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 6:55 PM on April 23, 2023
I would recommend Sense8 and Pushing Daisies, both of which have quick but working resolutions and are a joy to watch.
I would also suggest Wonderfalls if you find it, which isn't likely. I also liked Joan of Arcadia, though I note it got canceled on a "oooh, this would have been cool to do in a season 3" note.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:21 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
I would also suggest Wonderfalls if you find it, which isn't likely. I also liked Joan of Arcadia, though I note it got canceled on a "oooh, this would have been cool to do in a season 3" note.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:21 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
I watched Reboot six months ago, and I have to say that I enjoyed the characters much more than the plotting. Even though I have a memory that the "main plot" was not entirely resolved at the end, I have a hard time remembering what the nature of the "cliffhangers" were; what has stuck with me were the characters and their interactions. So from that perspective, I wouldn't worry about being unsatisfied when it ends.
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:22 PM on April 23, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:22 PM on April 23, 2023 [4 favorites]
Sneaky Pete had an ending and was very entertaining. Totally agree with Athanassiel that the OA season 1 was sort of self containing and then season 2 blows it all up and ends without resolution. Not sad that I watched it because it felt very original but very sad not to have a season 3.
posted by MadMadam at 7:22 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by MadMadam at 7:22 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Some of them, definitely!
The OA: Full of twists, turns and WTF moments. The end is not going to give you full closure, but the ambiguity is definitely part of its signature. I love Britt Marling, both as actor and director, and this work is among her best. If you want to have a preview of the experience in a shorter timeframe, watch her film "Sound Of My Voice", with a similar theme of ambiguous leader who is either a con artist or a supernatural prophet. Fantastic, weird and utterly engrossing!
Three Pines: My wife - who has read the series - tells me that it faithful to the tone of the books. She had been looking forward to the TV adaptation and was very pleased. Molina is a great Gamache, and the quirky Quebecois characters are both true to life (Canadian certified) and weird in an endearing way. The first season has been gripping, but also heartbreaking in its treatment of indigenous issues. Not to be confused with Wayward Pines, a sci-fi series with Matt Dillon and the great, great, great Toby Jones. VERY different place than Three Pines, but also worth a visit.
High Fidelity: You will like it if you can live with the fact that it's not the "original" movie cast. It's got a fantastic cast as it is! I enjoyed it and I liked Lisa Bonet in it. And I'll never skip an opportunity to see Lili Taylor in anything. She could read the phone book, let alone a vinyl record sleeve!
PS. If you're looking to get lost in a series, what about Dark (german series about time travel, family relationships and secret societies). Riveting, labyrinthine plots, amazing actors, totally compelling. Watch in the original German with subtitles if you can. Sic Mundus Creatus Est..... Same with Westworld, complex looping structures, labirinthine plots and a great cast. Maybe a bit too HBO-esque (i.e. unnecessary mysoginy and violence at times), but wow, what production values! You will also enjoy The Peripheral, by the same team that produced Westworld. Based on a William Gibson book, criss-crosses between London-in-the-future and Southern US today, great cast, great visualisations, but still in progress: Season 1 has just ended, Season 2 is filming, thank dog.
I'm also watching current series Dead Ringers (a remake of the Cronenberg movie as a miniseries) and Mrs Davis (holy grail quest meets AI meets The Big Lebowski, by the Lost screenwriter). You may want to look at those too.
Too many shows. Too few hours!
Enjoy.....
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 7:39 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
The OA: Full of twists, turns and WTF moments. The end is not going to give you full closure, but the ambiguity is definitely part of its signature. I love Britt Marling, both as actor and director, and this work is among her best. If you want to have a preview of the experience in a shorter timeframe, watch her film "Sound Of My Voice", with a similar theme of ambiguous leader who is either a con artist or a supernatural prophet. Fantastic, weird and utterly engrossing!
Three Pines: My wife - who has read the series - tells me that it faithful to the tone of the books. She had been looking forward to the TV adaptation and was very pleased. Molina is a great Gamache, and the quirky Quebecois characters are both true to life (Canadian certified) and weird in an endearing way. The first season has been gripping, but also heartbreaking in its treatment of indigenous issues. Not to be confused with Wayward Pines, a sci-fi series with Matt Dillon and the great, great, great Toby Jones. VERY different place than Three Pines, but also worth a visit.
High Fidelity: You will like it if you can live with the fact that it's not the "original" movie cast. It's got a fantastic cast as it is! I enjoyed it and I liked Lisa Bonet in it. And I'll never skip an opportunity to see Lili Taylor in anything. She could read the phone book, let alone a vinyl record sleeve!
PS. If you're looking to get lost in a series, what about Dark (german series about time travel, family relationships and secret societies). Riveting, labyrinthine plots, amazing actors, totally compelling. Watch in the original German with subtitles if you can. Sic Mundus Creatus Est..... Same with Westworld, complex looping structures, labirinthine plots and a great cast. Maybe a bit too HBO-esque (i.e. unnecessary mysoginy and violence at times), but wow, what production values! You will also enjoy The Peripheral, by the same team that produced Westworld. Based on a William Gibson book, criss-crosses between London-in-the-future and Southern US today, great cast, great visualisations, but still in progress: Season 1 has just ended, Season 2 is filming, thank dog.
I'm also watching current series Dead Ringers (a remake of the Cronenberg movie as a miniseries) and Mrs Davis (holy grail quest meets AI meets The Big Lebowski, by the Lost screenwriter). You may want to look at those too.
Too many shows. Too few hours!
Enjoy.....
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 7:39 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Altered Carbon I've seen and enjoyed. Definitely agree with ashbury that S1 was probably where it should have ended, but I'd still recommend it.
The OA same and same. Less a cliffhanger at the end of S2 and more of a bit of ambiguity as if they weren't sure there was going to be a S3 and wanted to keep their options open without looking like they assumed there would be more.
posted by dg at 8:34 PM on April 23, 2023
The OA same and same. Less a cliffhanger at the end of S2 and more of a bit of ambiguity as if they weren't sure there was going to be a S3 and wanted to keep their options open without looking like they assumed there would be more.
posted by dg at 8:34 PM on April 23, 2023
Pushing Daisies had a quick resolution that feels satisfying enough. Reboot ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it also doesn't have much of and arc in some ways, and one of the main arcs she's get resolved, so may stop be worth watching
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 10:05 PM on April 23, 2023
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 10:05 PM on April 23, 2023
It probably has no bearing on the contents of the show, but I'll note that Altered Carbon novelist Richard Morgan is a terf (indeed was banned from twitter for being a terf).
posted by juv3nal at 10:21 PM on April 23, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by juv3nal at 10:21 PM on April 23, 2023 [5 favorites]
Highly recommend Three Pines (you can definitely watch S1 standalone although I think it is coming back). The OA is interesting - I watched S1 and enjoyed it but its a strange show. Worth a try.
posted by crocomancer at 1:18 AM on April 24, 2023
posted by crocomancer at 1:18 AM on April 24, 2023
I'd say try the OA, if you liked Carnivale you might enjoy it. I personally found it a bit slow and dreary, got through maybe 3-4 episodes, skipped to the end, and chortled.
(I think I just have impatience for shows where a main character feels too perfect and people talk in riddles.)
posted by champers at 3:49 AM on April 24, 2023
(I think I just have impatience for shows where a main character feels too perfect and people talk in riddles.)
posted by champers at 3:49 AM on April 24, 2023
Pushing Daisies had a shoehorned last-minute pseudo-ending because of how it got cancelled, but the show in general is episodic enough that it can still be properly enjoyed. Also, because of the Kind of Weird it Is, it feels more appropriate/correct for some of its mysteries to just go without a ' full resolution' compared to some other types of show.
Agreeing with others that Altered Carbon S1 works fine standalone, S2 I couldn't get into, and LOLOLOL at the author being a terf considering, like, the whole damn premise. I just learned that. Oh well.
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:18 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
Agreeing with others that Altered Carbon S1 works fine standalone, S2 I couldn't get into, and LOLOLOL at the author being a terf considering, like, the whole damn premise. I just learned that. Oh well.
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:18 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
The only one I've seen is The Deuce, and you should definitely watch all three seasons of that.
posted by Paul Slade at 12:30 PM on April 24, 2023
posted by Paul Slade at 12:30 PM on April 24, 2023
We just finished Sneaky Pete in our house, and I thought the ending was satisfying enough.
posted by RedEmma at 7:48 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by RedEmma at 7:48 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
Lie to Me lasted 2-1/2 seasons, I think. We loved the series, which was fictional stories with an emphasis on microexpressions. The first season was the best; seasons 2 and 3 got more extreme and violent, and we didn't enjoy them as much.
posted by summerstorm at 8:23 PM on April 27, 2023
posted by summerstorm at 8:23 PM on April 27, 2023
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