MovieChat Forums > Shetland (2013) Discussion > OT The Night Manager

OT The Night Manager

posted 9 years ago by sluggr-2
10 replies | jump to latest

I watched about half of the first ep last night and was so unimpressed that I stopped there. When I went to its board this AM, most posts seemed like schills from the studio/network.

Since we Shetland viewers are among the most discriminating ( ;-) ), has anyone here watched it and what do they think? Actually, it was worse than being unimpressed, it was almost painful, like 3 out of every 4 seconds had ended up on the cutting room floor.

edit 3/7: Have now watched 3 eps and it is picking up. The pilot is still bad but I think time constraints focred them to rush through everyones backstory.

I think my percentage of Chimp DNA is higher than others. Cleaver Greene

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] !!!deleted!!! (41638798) 9 years ago

Hi Sluggr!

We like some of the same things, so now I'm wary of TNM.

It was SO exciting to have an adaption of this available after decades, that I was prepared to overlook some faults that surely WILL come with a BBC production with all the PC crap, the pandering to certain ideologies and so forth.

Have tried to avoid reviews before watching, but ran across a large-print comment that Le Carre liked it even though they changed the protagonist from a man to a woman...and changed the ending. Ugh.

The sound you hear is the slamming door as I leave for my local library to pick up a copy of the book--looking forward to pure, Le Carre perfection. When will I learn.

Gah.

Schills!!! Haven't seen that word for awhile. LOL

[–] sluggr-2 9 years ago

I have a free hour this afternoon so I will give it another shot with full attention. I can't think of it offhand but there was another show recently where the first 20 min was awful and the last 20 epic in the pilot. TNM though seemed like a fully laden train going down a hill with no brakes.

And as an exercise, I might try to give my second opinion completely in old-timey phraseology. Oh Night Manager, Where Art Though. ;-)

I think my percentage of Chimp DNA is higher than others. Cleaver Greene

[–] lilactime2014 9 years ago

Could be wrong but I thought it was Shill, still what is a "c" between Shetland friends.

A Shill is someone who is paid to give a biased opinion. I would guess it goes right back to the medicine man days where there would be an audience member who would be cured by the miracle medicine, but to keep up with the phraseology the patient and the doctor are in "Cahoots".

In modern use the studio execs would encourage staff to come on a board like this and rave about their most recent production. Not too difficult to spot. The sad thing is if you do go onto a board because you love a show a show and it is the *wrong* type of show you will be accused of being a shill.

It won't happen on the quiet backwaters of shows like Shetland, Foyle's War or Endeavour but it is rampant on places like The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul. Shows that not only appeal to the discerning viewer but also attract the Brain Dead whilst waiting to be shot by Law Enforcement in their particular State.

The kind of shows that encourage "Fanboys" I guess.
'tler

[–] sluggr-2 9 years ago

Well, I lied. I actually got distracted and watched ep 03 of Happy Valley in the afternoon, but I did watch The Night Manager in the evening. My assessment of the first 20-30 minutes is still the same, it was as if 3/4 of the character backgrounds had been left on the cutting room floor which in effect created a half dozen characters going about their business with zero motivation or direction. If you had read the book, perhaps this doesn't matter, but both times I watched the opening I kept asking "why?" whenever a character did something or reacted a certain way.

Pine's character is the least competent spy I have seen since the original Tall Blonde Man with One Black Shoe. He is the complete opposite of Magnus Pym, to employ another iconic Le Carre character. The word stealth is completely absent from his behaviors. He alternates between the deer in the headlights and oblivious guy standing on the tracks as the train approaches. I counted a half dozen instances where he was just standing there openly gazing at stuff he shouldn't see, or opening acting with contempt towards those he would eventually have to win over. And we are to believe he suddenly becomes an uber secret deep cover operative based on these initial behaviors? It is like watching Austin Powers, but NOT as a comedy. Again, going back to A Perfect Spy, it is like we are being presented with the character Magnus Pym, but with absolutely none of the background story growing up with Rick Pym which so succinctly demonstrates how Magnus came to be. Maybe it gets better, but it ain't off to a good start.

Oh, and the list of weapons being bartered. Exactly how does a trident thermonuclear missile or an F-22 raptor get on a shopping list? And how is an RGP-7 available in different calibers? At least the resident spy reacted with disgust when he learned they were trying to buy Napalm, which is pre-WW-II technology. If you want to be insulted as a viewer, this show will accomplish that task in spades.

Now I'm going to tell you how I really feel. ;-)

I think my percentage of Chimp DNA is higher than others. Cleaver Greene

[–] GreenGoatGhost 9 years ago

I think you mean shill not schill? Schill is another term for ejaculating, shill is a swindler who acts as an enthusiastic customer to entice or encourage others.

[–] GreenGoatGhost 9 years ago

Fancy this, a shill that schills in shetland, is a sham of a man that synergistic in a can. Say that ten times fast!

[–] sluggr-2 9 years ago

I get stuck on Unique New York, once!

I think my percentage of Chimp DNA is higher than others. Cleaver Greene

[–] Lady_Imrahil 9 years ago

I loved the first episode of The Night Manager. Also love Shetland, Vera, Hinterland, Scott and Bailey, well heaps of other British shows as well. Will wait to see if the rest of TNM will be good, but I always prefer to watch a first episode myself rather than rely on critics or other people's opinions. Though sometimes a show will be so bad I'll only last the first five minutes!

Cheers,
Lady Imrahil

[–] !!!deleted!!! (41638798) 9 years ago

As I finally caught up with the first two eppies of TNM, the jury in my house is still out.

But will hang in there until it's over and try to do 2-3 eps at once to get some plot traction.

Meanwhile, back on the snow swept rocks of "a small town in Iceland," in the excellent noir "Trapped," on BBC4, we sit, parkas on, goggles in place, rocking our Frances MacDormand fur hat with ear flaps, against the driving snow and the occasional creepy avalanche.

Here we get the fantabulous Andri taking 10 episodes to try to unravel another murderous plot, contained in a small, parochial land mass where its isolation is part of the plot--cuz--nobody can come in. Nobody can leave. Oooooo.

And Andri--living proof that zaftig, scruffy and very hairy is...the New Sexy.

Who knew.