Television Lovecraft Country (HBO) - Official Trailer (16 August 2020), update: first reviews posted

[Mercury33]

23 minutes ago, Emblazon said:

Made me want to watch Last Crusade, National Treasure, and Goonies. 

Yep, those EXACT 3 movies are what I thought of. I had the biggest damn smile on my face when I saw where the tunnel took them 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

What I absolutely adore about this show is how totally earnest/non-cynically it treats the supernatural material -- it's quite "old-fashioned" in that sense.

 

This episode's metacommentary on the notion that (historically speaking) museums contain at least an element of "inherent racism" is one certainly worth examining.

Quote

There is so much going on in the museum-tour scene in “A History of Violence,” but if you look closely you’ll see something similar: Virtually all of the artifacts displayed in the Braithwhite exhibit are from the indigenous people of Guyana. And by “from” I mean “stolen from.” Like so many of the show’s hidden gems, this sidebar is based on a real-life phenomenon, and it doesn’t just implicate the British Museum. In the wake of European colonization, the artifacts and cultural monuments of nonwhite populations around the world have, for centuries, “ended up” in their colonizers’ hands. In a 2018 study commissioned by the French government, researchers estimated that “90 percent of African cultural property resides in European museums.” Countries ranging from England to the U.S., Germany, and Australia have all seen museums pressured into returning stolen artifacts. In the past year and a half alone, museums in New York, Manchester, and New Zealand have repatriated multiple collections back to their homelands. In Lovecraft Country, it comes as no surprise that the artifacts in the Braithwhite wing would belong to those crushed under the boot of colonization. Like the mystical resources extracted from indigenous people in the show, the museum itself is a reminder of the bounty of settler colonialism. For a show obsessed with legacy, Lovecraft Country pinpoints exactly what the American inheritance is rooted in.

 

[Emblazon]

Spoiler

What are everyone’s thoughts on the dad killing the siren?

 

[Ghost_MH]

31 minutes ago, Emblazon said:

  Hide contents

What are everyone’s thoughts on the dad killing the siren?

 

 

Spoiler

He's hiding something. What, I'm not sure yet. I don't know if it's as simple as wanting to keep Atticus from learning what may be forbidden and evil magic or if he's hiding something else...maybe about their ancestry? Maybe about his birth?

 

[Mercury33]

Sheesh that last episode was insane. I’m still not really sure where this show is going, or what the point is but god damn am I enjoying the ride

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

On 9/16/2020 at 8:34 AM, Mercury33 said:

Sheesh that last episode was insane. I’m still not really sure where this show is going, or what the point is but god damn am I enjoying the ride

 

That episode was quite...something alright.  I'm not exactly sure how else to describe it!

[Ghost_MH]

Regardless of all the weirdness, this show handles racism and sexism quite well. It's almost like putting a black woman in as showrunner for this series actually made a difference.

[_BJ_]

Jamie Chung 🥰

[Mercury33]

And there it is. The first truly great episode from start to finish. Episode 6 was phenomenal!

[Ghost_MH]

I have no idea what to think going into the next episode. Time travel and nearly becoming one with the universe was not what I was expecting.

 

Also, Atticus continues to be the clumsiest oaf he can be.

[Kal-El814]

1 hour ago, Ghost_MH said:

I have no idea what to think going into the next episode. Time travel and nearly becoming one with the universe was not what I was expecting.

 

Also, Atticus continues to be the clumsiest oaf he can be.

I was wondering how they were gonna cover that part of the book, but I should have known better. The show makes everything weirder. 

[Ghost_MH]

2 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

I was wondering how they were gonna cover that part of the book, but I should have known better. The show makes everything weirder. 

 

Without any book spoilers since I haven't read it, maybe now Atticus can so 6 being a bumbling idiot since he's now in possession of the Lovecraft Country book. I guess that means he accidentally wound up in our era, so that's cool.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

I'm at the point where I'm nearly convinced that Atticus really is supposed to be an avatar for the audience rather than an actual protagonist because events essentially happen "around" him rather than him being the catalyst for them.

[Bloodporne]

I started watching it two days ago and this show is bizarre and I'm not sure I mean that as a compliment. The first episode was really good and totally sold me, then the second episode left me disinterested and by the time I hit the third last night I was totally baffled by its pacing. The first episode made it feel like we're about to go on some huge adventure, then the second episode just kind of jerked it down into second gear and came to a screeching halt by the end. 

 

It feels odd, I really wanted the show they basically teased in the first episode so I keep feeling weirdly annoyed that it went away. I'll keep watching it because E3 definitely was much cooler than E2 but I have no idea what to make of it right now. 

[Bloodporne]

I gotta say I give up after episode 5. I keep wanting to like it because the first episode showed so much promise but it's just a complete mess to me. This is actually very similar to Ratched to me in how its production values often help duct-tape the train wreck together and make it still vaguely enjoyable to watch but after every episode I just wondered what the fuck is even happening and not in a cool thought-provoking way. 

[Ghost_MH]

On 10/9/2020 at 9:39 AM, Bloodporne said:

I gotta say I give up after episode 5. I keep wanting to like it because the first episode showed so much promise but it's just a complete mess to me. This is actually very similar to Ratched to me in how its production values often help duct-tape the train wreck together and make it still vaguely enjoyable to watch but after every episode I just wondered what the fuck is even happening and not in a cool thought-provoking way. 

 

You face up right before one if the best episodes in the series. Episode 6 was brilliant.

 

I finally caught up with episode 8 and that was a great pulp horror time.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Last night's episode might have been the most harrowing hour of television I've ever seen.

[Kal-El814]

1 hour ago, Emperor Diocletian II said:

Last night's episode might have been the most harrowing hour of television I've ever seen.

As an extremely white person, I spent a lot of time wondering how a lot of that episode would be perceived by black people right now in 2020. The show is so well produced and consistently looks go good, the juxtaposition between the “real” portrayal of the massacre and the magic / sci-fi stuff like Hippolyta jacking in or stuff like Leti being unaffected by the fire bombs was... uncomfortable? Not in a bad or offensive way, but I can’t think of a better word. I assume this is what they were going for. 
 

I think they did an excellent job showing how affected by everything Leti, Tic, and Montrose were and how hard it was for them to not change things. Michael K. Williams and Jonathan Majors specifically... just great work throughout the whole episode. 
 

Strange to think that two prestige HBO shows have portrayed the Tulsa massacre so close together given how whitewashed that event has been for so long. 

[Ghost_MH]

So, who's losing their job?

 

 

 

 

[Kal-El814]

Jesus. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

I honestly have no idea what to make of that finale.

[Kal-El814]

8 hours ago, Emperor Diocletian II said:

I honestly have no idea what to make of that finale.

I feel like all the characters ended up in essentially the right place based on how the season went but I couldn’t tell you how a couple of the mains ended up there. 
 

“Executive Producer J J Abrams”

 

Oh.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

3 hours ago, Kal-El814 said:

I feel like all the characters ended up in essentially the right place based on how the season went but I couldn’t tell you how a couple of the mains ended up there. 

 

That's certainly an accurate assessment that I wholeheartedly agree with!

 

Also,

Spoiler

I'm fairly certain that we haven't seen the last of Atticus as we know that parallel multiple universes are VERY much part of the story's mythos!

 

[CitizenVectron]

So overall it sounds like people would recommend this? Just finished Kim's Convenience and looking for something new. Obviously it deals with Gothic Horror, but how scary or violent/gory is it?

[Kal-El814]

6 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

So overall it sounds like people would recommend this? Just finished Kim's Convenience and looking for something new. Obviously it deals with Gothic Horror, but how scary or violent/gory is it?

I don’t know that it’s super scary, it has a few jump moments but not a ton. It’s often fairly gory, though. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

49 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

So overall it sounds like people would recommend this? Just finished Kim's Convenience and looking for something new. Obviously it deals with Gothic Horror, but how scary or violent/gory is it?

 

Scary? Not really at all

Gory?  Absolutely, especially body horror

[Ghost_MH]

On 10/19/2020 at 11:40 AM, Emperor Diocletian II said:

 

That's certainly an accurate assessment that I wholeheartedly agree with!

 

Also,

  Hide contents

I'm fairly certain that we haven't seen the last of Atticus as we know that parallel multiple universes are VERY much part of the story's mythos!

 

 

Late to the party, but yeah...

 

Spoiler

Atticus is probably coming back, but I don't know if we'll be looking at alternate dimension shenanigans. That would require finding an alternate Atticus that's willing to leave his Leti behind or a dimension where she's dead. Either/or is not her Atticus.

 

I'm thinking, maybe, a grievous Leti starts playing with some necromancy. Then we get to see Atticus deal with the unfortunate consequences of coming back from the other side.

 

[69los]

 

[Kal-El814]

1 hour ago, 69los said:

 

 

BOOOOOOOOOOOO

[EternallDarkness]

1 hour ago, 69los said:

 

 

not surprised. The 'season' was based on the book and as there is no sequel no second season. Much like HBO not doing a second season of The Outsider. These things should have been called mini-series not seasons. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

After the announcement, the show's creator revealed that a 75 page "Bible" existed that would've served as the conceptual basis for the next season.

 

"Lovecraft Country Season 2 Teased By Creator Misha Green After HBO Cancelation – Deadline"

‘Lovecraft Country’ Season 2 Teased By Creator Misha Green After HBO Cancels Horror Drama Series

DEADLINE.COM

---

What the second season of the horror drama based on Mark Ruff's novel could have been was unveiled today after HBO axed the show

 

 

[Greatoneshere]

On 7/2/2021 at 9:53 PM, EternallDarkness said:

 

not surprised. The 'season' was based on the book and as there is no sequel no second season. Much like HBO not doing a second season of The Outsider. These things should have been called mini-series not seasons. 

 

But they are doing a season 2 of The Outsider and also of Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. It's possible but not necessary to go past the book.

[EternallDarkness]

1 hour ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

But they are doing a season 2 of The Outsider and also of Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. It's possible but not necessary to go past the book.

 

Unless it is new news, They said back in December there would not be a second season of the outsider. And yes, they can go beyond the arc of a book, but as often is seen unless and sometimes even if the original author is involved it turns out shitty. Look what happened with Game of Thrones when they didn't have Martin's work as a template. What also makes things shitty is when a production company tries to take a book/short story and drag out into a multi-season series rather than a self contained mini series...recent things that jump to mind are The Mist and NOS4A2. Networks envision these things as cash cow guaranteed ratings, but it rarely works out that way. Heck half the time when they are just using the source material they screw up the story never mind going beyond the source material. 

[Greatoneshere]

2 minutes ago, EternallDarkness said:

 

Unless it is new news, They said back in December there would not be a second season of the outsider. And yes, they can go beyond the arc of a book, but as often is seen unless and sometimes even if the original author is involved it turns out shitty. Look what happened with Game of Thrones when they didn't have Martin's work as a template. What also makes things shitty is when a production company tries to take a book/short story and drag out into a multi-season series rather than a self contained mini series...recent things that jump to mind are The Mist and NOS4A2. Networks envision these things as cash cow guaranteed ratings, but it rarely works out that way. Heck half the time when they are just using the source material they screw up the story never mind going beyond the source material. 

 

I'm not saying it would be good or not - just that it could be done and the creator of the show had ideas for more seasons. As for The Outsider, it's gone back and forth, here's the latest I saw: 

 

'The Outsider' Season 2 Confirmed by Stephen King, Who Promises Something "Really Great" and "Real Spooky"

WWW.SLASHFILM.COM

---

The Outsider season 2 hasn't been announced yet, but Stephen King says it's in the works and he's seen the scripts.

 

 

'The Outsider' Season 2 Not Happening at HBO; Stephen King Series Now Being Shopped to Other Networks

WWW.SLASHFILM.COM

---

HBO has passed on The Outsider season 2, so the studio behind the show is now shopping it around other networks for a new home.

 

[EternallDarkness]

8 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

I'm not saying it would be good or not - just that it could be done and the creator of the show had ideas for more seasons. As for The Outsider, it's gone back and forth, here's the latest I saw: 

 

'The Outsider' Season 2 Confirmed by Stephen King, Who Promises Something "Really Great" and "Real Spooky"

WWW.SLASHFILM.COM

---

The Outsider season 2 hasn't been announced yet, but Stephen King says it's in the works and he's seen the scripts.

 

 

'The Outsider' Season 2 Not Happening at HBO; Stephen King Series Now Being Shopped to Other Networks

WWW.SLASHFILM.COM

---

HBO has passed on The Outsider season 2, so the studio behind the show is now shopping it around other networks for a new home.

 

 

yeah it's gone back and forth but I think the last story I saw was from January saying it was a no go. They definitely could have done a second season if they wanted to and used King's If They Bleed as source material as one of the 4 stories in that book (the title one in fact) is about the outsider. I've actually only recently started watching the show, halfway done and must say it's quite well done and I wouldn't mind a second season, especially as I enjoyed the If It Bleeds book, but I'm not holding my breath.