John from Cincinnatti: The rest of season 1

[zuma]

Inspired by the pirate master thread title.

Last week on John From Cincinnatti, I gave up. Big Love should be pissed that they lost their sunday night home for this.

However, I put in my time, and would like to hear from those who are still watching what happens. Preferably in a couple paragraphs with appropriate snark.

[Rube E. Tewesday]

Myself, I got no snark. Sure, I'd rather have Deadwood, but I'm really trying to figure out what's going on here.

"And a Roy Rogers for my young friend."

[askeptic]

Myself, I got no snark. Sure, I'd rather have Deadwood, but I'm really trying to figure out what's going on here.

"And a Roy Rogers for my young friend."

Me to.

"one tall, and one short" :confused:

Did anyone else notice last week when john briefly appeared (sort of a flash really) "The Beast" was written on his wetsuit?

[Rube E. Tewesday]

Me to.

"one tall, and one short" :confused:

Did anyone else notice last week when john briefly appeared (sort of a flash really) "The Beast" was written on his wetsuit?

No, I did not notice that. Hmmm.......

[Spoke]

The show is already running on fumes.

[askeptic]

No, I did not notice that. Hmmm.......

Maybe it is nothing. I just did a quick search and apparently Butchie's pro surfer name was Butchie "The Beast" Yost. So maybe John was just wearing one of his wetsuits. I find it is hard to believe there is anything in this series that does not have meaning. I don't know what most of the meaning is but I get the sense that it is there...

[Zeldar]

I just can't fathom the idea that somebody as accomplished as Milch would piss directly into the faces of a willing audience nor that HBO would allow him to do so. I keep waiting for some evidence that that is not precisely what is going on.

If you had told me at the outset that we would need ten or more episodes to find out if an uncommunicative kid would ever make it in the surfing world while those around him struggled to make sense out of traffic lights and shuffleboard courts, I would have said "No, thanks" and bypassed the experience the way I have most other HBO offerings. But on the strength of The Sopranos, Rome, Deadwood, and even Carnivale, I decided to give it a try.

I feel more stupid each passing week.

Flight of the Conchords is all that keeps HBO in our house. That and boxing.

[UncleRojelio]

I keep saying I'm going to quit watching this dreck but the instinct to plop down on the couch in front of HBO on Sunday nights is hard to ignore. Hopefully something better will be appearing soon.

[AuntiePam]

I watched last night's episode. I could be wrong, but I don't think anything happened.

Unlike other HBO shows (Deadwood, Sopranos, The Wire, Rome, Carnivale), a second viewing of JFC adds absolutely nothing.

Zeldar, have you tried The Wire? I'm late to the show, but it really is what everyone says it is -- the best thing on TV, ever.

[Phatlewt]

My reaction to the show has varied since it began. Early on, it was something like, "That was a little odd, but it's got some interesting characters."

A few episodes later, it was "I don't know, this is pretty weird, and I'm not sure where it's going..."

Last night, all I could say was "What?"

[Zeldar]

Zeldar, have you tried The Wire? I'm late to the show, but it really is what everyone says it is -- the best thing on TV, ever.

I watched part of one episode well after it had been on. May have even been in the second season. Felt like I needed more background so I didn't try to catch up that year. (I was also late coming to The Sopranos but did manage to get caught up there with reruns.)

Based on your recommendation, along with the others I've seen, I may make Netflix my catch-up solution.

[Zeldar]

One more thing that keeps me puzzled is how there's never any significant development in any single character. If you can point one out to me I'll gladly change my view, but I see the same reactions to similar stimuli in every one of them. It's almost a Groundhog Day scenario with no forward motion. Folks come and go as if in a dream but without much in the way of flashy graphics and sounds to let you know it's all a dream. More like a coma.

[AuntiePam]

Zeldar, that bothers me too. I realize that what we've seen has taken place in just a few days, so big changes aren't going to happen with these people. But I think that's Milch's fault, for structuring the story this way. What we've seen could have been condensed to a two-hour show, or expanded to a twenty-hour mini-series, but not ten hours, when half of those hours consist of scenes that feel like non-sequiturs (sp?).

As for The Wire, check this out (http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/3131#TheWireHBO).

[mazinger_z]

I gave up after His Visit Day Three. What the hell is this show about? Why can that dude float in the air? Why does John always have something useful in his pockets? Is he a halfling theif with a magical bag?

Flight of the Conchords is the best show on HBO and most of tv right now.

[jlrepka]

One more thing that keeps me puzzled is how there's never any significant development in any single character. If you can point one out to me I'll gladly change my view, but I see the same reactions to similar stimuli in every one of them. It's almost a Groundhog Day scenario with no forward motion. Folks come and go as if in a dream but without much in the way of flashy graphics and sounds to let you know it's all a dream. More like a coma.

I think that Linc's quote from the end of last week's episode says it all for me: "...a million dollars to anyone who can tell me what's going on here!"

It's not just that nothing seems to be happening, it's that there doesn't seem to be the promise of anything happening anytime soon. It's like watching Twin Peaks, except that I know that Lynch was making it up as he went, while Milch almost certainly has an arc in his head, he just refuses to tell us (he's much like John in that way).

I am in love with the Joe Strummer theme, though...

[Dewey Finn]

I gave up after His Visit Day Three. What the hell is this show about? Why can that dude float in the air? Why does John always have something useful in his pockets? Is he a halfling theif with a magical bag?

Flight of the Conchords is the best show on HBO and most of tv right now.
First of all, I think Entourage is a much better and funnier show, although Flight of the Conchords has its moments.

Second, I think what John From Cincinnati is all about is seeing the response of people to someone who is clearly not from this world, although we don't yet know if he is supposed to be an angel, or Jesus or something else. Basically, these people have been confronted by miracles and their response appears to be hostility towards the person responsible.

[John Mace]

I am in love with the Joe Strummer theme, though...
Is that the theme music to this show? I was just saying last night how much I like it. It's a sad commentary when the best part of a show is the opening music...

I'm with those who have given up, but still watch it since there's not much else to do on Sunday nights. And it's on right before Entourage.

[RogueRacer]

Did anyone else notice last week when john briefly appeared (sort of a flash really) "The Beast" was written on his wetsuit?So, what's the chance of John not being good after all or at least his father not being the Big Guy upstairs? There was a scene last night where Cass asked him if his father had good intentions. John was silent in response.

I still can't believe that we're getting this instead of Deadwood.

[UncleRojelio]

I still can't believe that we're getting this instead of Deadwood.Amen.

Milch, if you are reading this, screw you.

[Hello Again]

One more thing that keeps me puzzled is how there's never any significant development in any single character. If you can point one out to me I'll gladly change my view, but I see the same reactions to similar stimuli in every one of them.
Well, Butchie kicked drugs, decided to be a bit more of a grownup towards Shawnie's mom, attempted to reconnect with his son, and occasionally stood up to his mother.

He's about the only one who's made any changes though.

[Zeldar]

Well, Butchie kicked drugs, decided to be a bit more of a grownup towards Shawnie's mom, attempted to reconnect with his son, and occasionally stood up to his mother.

He's about the only one who's made any changes though.

Good point. I'll give you that character's changes.

Just thought of another: Bruce Greenwood's character has improved in the past few episodes: he's been gone!

[flickster]

I bow to you all for being able to stick with this series and have any interest. I watched week one but have been unable to build up enough interest to catch up via video on demand since then. Sad when I find CSI reruns more appealing.

I agree with an earlier comment and can't understand why this is being broadcast on Sunday night instead of Big Love

[AuntiePam]

I think we're hampered in our understanding of these people because we never got to know them before things got crazy. Or crazier than usual.

For all we know, Butchie may have had periods of sobriety where he tried to connect with Shaunie. What does a cokehead look like after 15-20 years of steady using? Not like Butchie, I'll betcha.

We really don't know much about them. They can't have been like this for the past 15 years, can they? Who could survive that?

Maybe John was the catalyst that finally broke the family.

[DMark]

I don't know how else to describe this show other than to say it is a painful cock-tease. Every time you start to think "something" is going to happen...nada.

I think the only reason I bother to watch is to see if there is a payoff somewhere.

I would not recommend this show to anybody, but will keep letting them diddle with my diddle, but boy - this whoreshow had better be worth the effort or I ain't leavin' a tip on the nightstand.

[Szlater]

According to this (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33389) Milch doesn't know what it's about.

I'm only watching it now because I started and want some form of payoff hopefully Al Swerengen, Dan and Wu turn up with knives and pigs and eliminate the entire cast.

Deadwood was far better than this, and had much more interesting characters.

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

I gave up weeks ago. My husband has expressed interest in watching, but the episodes are just sitting in the Tivo queue, especially since Psych, Dr. Who, Eureka, and 4400 have come back.

I agree the show is a tease. At first I thought it might be cool, since confirmed supernatural shit was happening, and the characters acknowledged it (cf. Lost). But then the characters just kind of went about their weird-ass business and acted nothing like real people. I have better things to do with my time.

But I'll keep reading here, because I'm curious how the season will turn out, whether there will ever be revelations (heh), and basically WTF is going on.

[MaxTheVool]

Did anyone think that the business with lottery-winner-guy talking about turning the motel into a theater, and how could anyone not find that interesting, was a bit of an "up yours" to people complaining about the theater plot from Deadwood?


I agree with the general consensus here... I'm finding that watching the show is becoming a chore, not something I look forward to. But I'm still intrigued.

[Rube E. Tewesday]

I guess I'm in the minority, because, as I indicated above, I don't find it a chore, I'm definitely looking forward to each episode. I'm really hoping that it comes together, even though:

-- In the past, Milch has had trouble coming up with payoffs to meet his build-ups (I'm looking at you NYPD Blue); and

-- I'm prepared to concede that this show might be evidence that Milch is back on drugs.

I alway love the dialogue though, no matter what.

(Hell, I even watched The Big Apple. Did anybody else do that? Huh? Didja? ....I think I'm David Milch's bitch.)

[gonzomax]

It is kind of odd. Strange timing and backtracking. I like odd. I wait to see where it goes. It could have a spectacular crackup at the end.

[RogueRacer]

Episode 9 is in the books (8/05). Didn't we just have a Shaun is missing episode a few weeks ago? Again I have to ask, why this instead of Deadwood?

Spoiler from the previews:

They said in the previews that the season ender would have some answers. I'm not sure that I believe it.

On the bright side, that was a nice tramp stamp that Tina was showing off early in the episode. ;)

[UncleRojelio]

How many more episodes this season? I'm trying to stick it out to the end but it's getting tougher and tougher.

[gonzomax]

I gave up after His Visit Day Three. What the hell is this show about? Why can that dude float in the air? Why does John always have something useful in his pockets? Is he a halfling theif with a magical bag?

Flight of the Conchords is the best show on HBO and most of tv right now.
You think Conchords is about something. I watch them both and like both. John has to go somewhere fast .Last episode is next week. They have some very interesting actors in the cast.

[AuntiePam]

How many more episodes this season? I'm trying to stick it out to the end but it's getting tougher and tougher.

I believe the upcoming episode is the last.

I just today discovered the episode summaries (http://www.hbo.com/johnfromcincinnati/inside/season1/episode09.html) written by Steve Hawk. They add some much needed insights on Milch's thinking.

I found the Hawk summaries at another board -- not through the HBO website. Hell, I couldn't even find these at the website.

[zuma]

I cheated. I watched the last two weeks. It's only fair, as I can't really trash the show without sticking around to the end.

Apparently Shaun is gone. Just like this show.

We'll find out next sunday night what it all means, or maybe not. Mitch will be up in the air again, we might find out why Butchie's implants smoked, and where oh where is Zippy?

Was that Johnny Fever from Cincinatti in the last episode? Wait. John from Cincinatti. It's all making sense now... As god as my witness, turkeys can't fly, but Mitch can!

Fuck this show. I would be so pissed if I were anyone involved in Big Love and get thrown to monday night over this. I will now cook 800 hot dogs, which makes as much sense as this ridiculous exercise in stupidity.

Yet I watch it to the bitter end

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

I just today discovered the episode summaries (http://www.hbo.com/johnfromcincinnati/inside/season1/episode09.html) written by Steve Hawk. They add some much needed insights on Milch's thinking.Thanks for that - it certainly does add something the show has been lacking . . . I know - sense!

From Milch's own words, it seems his goal is to avoid conveying anything in a direct manner, avoiding dialog or action which might elucidate any type of meaning, and instead to communicate his themes in some subliminal fashion. Very, uh, artistic, but in the end it just makes the show suck.

[AuntiePam]

and where oh where is Zippy?


Well, I didn't notice it, but over on that other board people are saying that they saw Zippy as a small bulge in the chest area of one of the stick figures. :cool: or :rolleyes: You decide.

[Baldwin]

Thanks for that - it certainly does add something the show has been lacking . . . I know - sense!

From Milch's own words, it seems his goal is to avoid conveying anything in a direct manner, avoiding dialog or action which might elucidate any type of meaning, and instead to communicate his themes in some subliminal fashion. Very, uh, artistic, but in the end it just makes the show suck.Yeah, that's really . . . so the idea is that nothing happens except subtext? Gosh, that's . . . well, you know what I'm saying.

[gonzomax]

If Shaun is gone ,how do you have a season 2?

[Ellis Dee]

Finally caught up on the past two episodes, and I'm thrilled that I only have to suffer through one more hour before I never have to think about this POS again.On the bright side, that was a nice tramp stamp that Tina was showing off early in the episode. ;)Amen. Both Cass and especially Tina are smokin' hot, and at least make me feel better about all the time I wasted watching this dreck.

The whole show so stupid as to boggle the mind. Linc gets bought out for 65 million?! They had better be talking about pennies. If they mean dollars, then that's nothing but a viscious attack on the intelligence of every single viewer.

It's just so remarkably bad in every conceivable way. I can imagine the pitch meeting:

David Milch: "I have an idea for a show about the fucking second coming set in fucking modern times."
HBO Executive: "I don't know how that will play to our liberal audience."
DM: "They'll fucking love it. In my show, Jesus is a fucking retard."
HBOE: "I love it! The only thing is, my nephew has a hard-on about surfing, so I promised him the next new show would have lots of surfing."
DM: "No fucking problem, I'll fucking write it as The Retarded Jesus Saves a Bunch of Worthless Surfing Losers. That'll really fucking piss off all those fucking whiny, annoying fucking Deadwood fanboys. God fucking damn I fucking hate those fuckers."

Seriously, is Milch incapable of writing a single line of dialogue without some form of the word "fuck"?

I can play too: Fuck David Milch.

[Abby_Emma_Sasha]

I think I gave up on day 7. It just wasn't holding my interest anymore. If the finale gives some kind of clue what's going on perhaps I'll catch it.

I did love most of the supporting cast, Garson, Guzman, O'Neill, Perry, Van Holt, Keala Kennelly. They were superb and deserve better. I have to agree the theme song rocks and I *have* to get a copy.

Oh, and Ellis Dee they only said "cocksucker" about six times in JFC so that's not so bad. :D


Have to add: If nothing else this show has taught me to spell Cincinnati correctly without checking.