pick your show/movie, tell me when to get up and leave.

[Critical1]

reading the Buffy v X Files thread makes me remember seeing "I am Legend" in theaters, I had already been warned about the hollywood disaster they made of the ending (the whole entire POINT of the title) so when it got to the scene where the good doctor is upside down in his suv I got up and walked out.

not a bad movie at all.

so at what point should someone watching your favorite movie/tv show/reading a book, turn it off, get up and leave, or put it down and walk away?

from the X-Files v Buffy thread I would say season 4, maaaaaaybe season 5 of X-files is where you should just stop watching...although every single comedy episode is worth the watch.

[NAF1138]

If you walk away from Veronica Mars at the end of season 1, it is one of the best single season TV dramas of the last decade. If you watch season 2 it drops to just a pretty good show, if you stick with it until the end...well don't. Don't.

[Cuckoorex]

A.I. : Get up and leave when the kidbot is stuck under water facing the Blue Fairy or whatever the hell it is.

[Namkcalb]

Return of the Jedi: After the Sarlacc,

The epic original trilogy is wrecked by teddybears after that

[voguevixen]

Chris Elliot's Cabin Boy.

Leave after David Letterman's appearance, approx 10 minutes in. Best of all, most theaters have a loose policy of "If you don't like it within the first 20 minutes you get a refund" so this one is a freebie.

Oh wait, it's on YouTube of course. God bless you, internets.

Would you like to buy a monkey?

And yes...that was the BEST PART if you can believe it.

[shijinn]

Battlestar Galactica: stop at the mid-season break of the last season.

[Sister Vigilante]

There is a scene in Full Metal Jacket in the latrine involving the drill instructor and one of his 'problem' soldiers. After that scene (I don't want to spoil it; you'll know it when you see it), you can leave.

[AuntiePam]

Gone With the Wind -- leave after Rhett says to Scarlett, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

[RikWriter]

Millenium: Stop watching after the end of season 2.

[salinqmind]

It's not even re-run on TV any more, but after Joel says goodbye to Maggie, steps through some kind of rent in the universe in Alaska and ends up on the Staten Island Ferry (closeup, with inspiring music) - that's all she wrote. The last season with the new couple they brought in to stretch it out is pretty stupid.

[Dahnlor]

A.I.
Blue fairy.
For that matter, it's also fine to show up late and start when they dump the kid in the wilderness.

The Fifth Element
When the opera begins.

The Matrix: Revolutions
After the invasion of Zion.

Saving Private Ryan
After the invasion of Normandy.

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
When the Pirates of the Caribbean show up.

[Lamia]

The only time IRL I was advised to end a movie early was after some friends of mine in college went to see Unbreakable. They reported back that it was good until the very end, and said that if I wanted to see it I should just get up and leave when it seemed like it was ending.

I didn't see the movie until a couple of years later on video, and watched all the way to the end. My friends were right. I know some people disliked the twist in Unbreakable, but I was fine with that. The real problem is that at the end of the last real scene in the movie (which works fine as an ending, albeit a rather dark one) there's a text crawl describing what happened next. And it's not what happened to the characters years later or anything, it's mostly what happened almost immediately after the last scene. If this stuff had actually been filmed then that might have been fine, but it comes across like M. Night Shyamalan ran out of money and slapped some text on the end.

For television, if you ever feel like watching Xena: Warrior Princess, you might as well stop at the end of season four. I might even say season three, if that season didn't end with a cliffhanger. The penultimate episode of season four* is a downer, but the actual series finale two seasons later is ALSO a downer and you have to endure a lot of bad episodes to get that far. So I'd say you might as well stop at the end of season four.

*The actual last episode of the season is a humorous one that occurs outside the main timeline of the show.

[salinqmind]

Originally Posted by Lamia

For television, if you ever feel like watching Xena: Warrior Princess, you might as well stop at the end of season four. I might even say season three, if that season didn't end with a cliffhanger. The penultimate episode of season four* is a downer, but the actual series finale two seasons later is ALSO a downer and you have to endure a lot of bad episodes to get that far. So I'd say you might as well stop at the end of season four.

*The actual last episode of the season is a humorous one that occurs outside the main timeline of the show.

Very closely related, the last season of the space opera 'Andromeda'. There is the powerful space ship orbitting some crappy planet, and its powerful crew stranded on the same crappy planet. Working in a BAR! And talk-talk-talking...apparently the last season was a last minute renewal but they ran out of money for any special space effects. However, a Penthouse centerfold in a pink velour jumpsuit was added to the show, and she was quite good at kicking ass when necessary.

[Joey P]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned it yet, but I think the epitome of this is Twin Peaks. The show is more or less over after the killer is revealed*. Even David Lynch admitted the show went downhill after that. But, from the beginning up until that point (midway through season 2) you have one of the best shows on TV compacted into a very short series that I offer up to anyone who wants to blast through something amazing in a month or so.

*I see this is spoiled on the episode descriptions on IMDB.

[moejoe]

If you ever find yourself watching The Notebook, grab your things and go when he comes back and they hug in the rain. Everything after that is just a real sad way to spoil a pretty good love story.

[standingwave]

Originally Posted by Dahnlor

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
When the Pirates of the Caribbean show up.

Before the ring is destroyed? I agree that most of what comes after that was bladder bursting for me in the theater but I would advise anyone to at least last long enough to see the ring destroyed.

[Nobody]

Babylon 5. Stop after season 4.

[VOW]

I agree with Auntie Pam re: Gone With the Wind. I've ALWAYS thought that Rhett's dramatic exit line should be the absolute end of the movie. When Scarlett finishes up by saying, "Tomorrow will be another day!" I wanna puke.

If you enjoy torturing yourself with "Roseanne," quit watching BEFORE they win the lottery. It become ridiculous afterwards.


~VOW

[Mrs. Cake]

After season six, Red Dwarf became unwatchable. It was like bad fanfic.

[flano1]

2 Broke Girls. 15 seconds into ep. 1!

[Untoward_Parable]

They really need to allow fan edited versions of shows and movies to be distributed, make people own the original to download or whatever. Editing Jar Jar out of Star Wars must be allowed to happen somewhere without Lucas's hissy fits and lawsuits.

[SciFiSam]

Originally Posted by Cuckoorex

A.I. : Get up and leave when the kidbot is stuck under water facing the Blue Fairy or whatever the hell it is.

That was the first one that came to mind for me too.

For the X-Files I'd say stop at the end of season 7, about five minutes before the end of the last episode. But I know others who also say to stop at the end of season 5, and I understand their reasons.

For Prison Break, only watch seasons 1 and 2. 3 had some good points, but also too many down points that made the other seasons make less sense, and those first two were amazing TV.

Chuck: stop about two thirds of the way through the last episode of the previous season to now (4, I think).

[Untoward_Parable]

Deep Space Nine: skip the first season, skip the last season.

Star Trek Next Generation: Skip the last season. Skip any episodes with Troi or Beverly Crusher as clearly the dominant main character.

Star Trek Enterprise: Skip the first season.

Star Trek Voyager: skip the series, maybe look online for a list of half a dozen or so episodes worth watching.

[Koxinga]

Lost. Wait for the big kaboom, then walk away. Assume that they all died or something. Well, come to think of it . . .

[Lamia]

Although I still watch Glee, I am increasingly feeling like I'd recommend to other people who have never seen the show that they should either stop at the end of the first season or, if they really like Kurt (and I do), continue on to the second season and stop with the prom episode.

[Critical1]

this thread is going to save me so much time.

[Mr Shine]

Fallen: Stop before the antagonist can get his final voice-over in.

[Sigmagirl]

Stripes: After boot camp. What is this bullshit about going to Europe to drive around in an RV?
Private Benjamin: After boot camp. What is this bullshit about going to Europe to chase Armand Assante?

[Ferret Herder]

Originally Posted by Untoward_Parable

Deep Space Nine: skip the first season, skip the last season.

And, IMO, skip the "alternate universe" episodes.

Originally Posted by Mr Shine

Fallen: Stop before the antagonist can get his final voice-over in.

Similarly, in Jacob's Ladder - if you liked it as a horror movie, stop right after the protagonist sees someone important at the foot of some stairs and they go somewhere.

Better Off Dead - if you liked the twisted humor of the first part of the film (which may be normal these days, what with Heathers and all), then stop the film after the French exchange student reveals a secret to Lane. It turns into a typical '80s teen comedy after that. Still a good one, but not the same as the first part.

[Tom Scud]

Originally Posted by Nobody

Babylon 5. Stop after season 4.

Though if you're not paying money for it (borrowing someone's DVDs or something), also watch the last episode of season 5, which was actually filmed as the last of season 4 before they knew there was going to be a 5th season.

[Nobody]

Originally Posted by Tom Scud

Though if you're not paying money for it (borrowing someone's DVDs or something), also watch the last episode of season 5, which was actually filmed as the last of season 4 before they knew there was going to be a 5th season.

Agreed.

[tdn]

Originally Posted by Cuckoorex

A.I. : Get up and leave when the kidbot is stuck under water facing the Blue Fairy or whatever the hell it is.

Or even before that.

Cast Away: The moment he gets rescued.

[JohnT]

Contact: Leave after Ellie gets back to Earth. This goes triple if you read the book and liked the ending.

[HubZilla]

"Friday Night Lights" Leave before the ending card. You'll then realize you watched the wrong underdog movie.

SPOILER:

The next year, the team WINS the State Title. This is more remarkable as they're replacing all the stars on offense and defense from the previous year. Think the 49ers winning it all the year after Montana, Rice, and Lott suddenly retired

[Skald the Rhymer]

In Ang Lee's "Hulk," leave as soon as Betty Ross saves San Francisco by calming down the Hulk, the restored Bruce says, "You found me," and she replies, "You were easy to find."

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by HubZilla

"Friday Night Lights" Leave before the ending card. You'll then realize you watched the wrong underdog movie.

SPOILER:

The next year, the team WINS the State Title. This is more remarkable as they're replacing all the stars on offense and defense from the previous year. Think the 49ers winning it all the year after Montana, Rice, and Lott suddenly retired

Actually, that's what happened to the Tennessee Volunteers (college football) in 1998. In the April '98 NFL draft they lost three first rounders (QB Peyton Manning (#1, Colts), CB Terry Fair (#20, Lions), and WR Marcus Nash (#30, Denver)) and five more starters (including LB Leonard Little, who spent 12 years in the league), then won the national championship that year with their #1 player, Jamal Lewis, out for most of the season with a torn ligament. They beat 8 bowl-bound teams, 4 top-10 teams, and 3 teams who played in BCS games (IIRC, this was the first year of the BCS.)

Go figure.

[Sir T-Cups]

Here's a different one that I always mention in this topic: Gone Baby Gone

Leave right Casey Affleck has to decide whether or not to report a certain event to the authorities. He makes a good case, his girlfriend makes a good case, and then get up and leave and decide for yourself what he does.

Don't stay til the end and have the decision ruined.

[Lamia]

Not exactly what the OP is asking, but in the same spirit, you should begin the underappreciated sci-fi noir film Dark City after the opening narration. Either that or just hit "mute" until you see Kiefer Sutherland look at his watch. (I'm not actually certain that's the right moment, but that's what I found online.) The studio was apparently afraid audiences wouldn't "get" the movie, and over the director's objections insisted that narration be added. The narration is full of spoilers for what you're about to see, and if you're the kind of person who'd be interested in a sci-fi noir film in the first place you're almost certainly not going to need or want the help.

[Typo Negative]

Deleted

[RealityChuck]

The Sandbaggers. Pretty obscure these days, but it still was the best spy show to ever appear on TV. You can leave after 16 episodes; episodes 17-19 were no better than mediocre. The series finale picks up a bit, but ends as a cliffhanger with no resolution. The reason for this is simple: the creator and writer of the first 16 episodes, Ian Mackintosh, vanished without a trace,* leaving the final season three scripts short. They were shot, but everyone agreed that there was no point in doing any more, since no one could write like him.

The first two seasons, though, are astoundingly good.

*Really. His light plane vanished over the ocean in mysterious circumstances; there is some belief it was on a spy mission.

[Elendil's Heir]

Originally Posted by voguevixen

Chris Elliot's Cabin Boy.

Leave after David Letterman's appearance, approx 10 minutes in....

And yes...that was the BEST PART if you can believe it.

A terrible movie, yes, but my favorite line was actually, "You're like the drunken, abusive grandfather I never had!" And that comes later.

Originally Posted by Joey P

I'm surprised no one's mentioned it yet, but I think the epitome of this is Twin Peaks. The show is more or less over after the killer is revealed....

I strongly agree. A wonderful miniseries that should never have become a multi-season series.

Originally Posted by Lamia

Not exactly what the OP is asking, but in the same spirit, you should begin the underappreciated sci-fi noir film Dark City after the opening narration. Either that or just hit "mute" until you see Kiefer Sutherland look at his watch....

I love Dark City! The director's cut actually omits the opening voiceover, and has some other cool bits, too. Check it out.

I'll nominate Apocalypse Now. You can leave after the helicopter assault on the Vietnamese village to the tune of "Ride of the Valkyries," and the surfing/"napalm in the morning" scene immediately following it.

[Snooooopy]

I'm a little more generous regarding The X-Files. I would give it as far as Season 7. But it's awfully rough sledding beyond that.

[Mr. Accident]

Charmed: Stop after season 7. Season 8 seemed like it was tacked on in the hopes of having a spin off based on the new witch they introduced in it. Though I do have to admit I loved the 2 part finale of this season.

Supernatural: Stop after the finale of season 5, entitled Swan Song. This would have been the perfect finale for the show. Season 6 spends the first half the season building up to a huge battle between the hunters and the mother of all monsters. This idea had potential, and I think they could have stretched it over a few seasons, since they introduced new ideas to the show with her appearance. Instead they decide to go with a good angel going power hungry. I have no idea how this settled out in s7, as I haven't watched any of it.

Married with Children: Skip any episode that features Peggy and Marcy as pregnant, or has their nephew Seven on it.

Justice League Unlimited: Stop at the end of s4. The only good episodes of s5 are Patriot Act, Grudge Match, and the 2 part finale, which is more of a Superman: TAS finale than it is a JL finale.

[DCnDC]

Braveheart: right after the Battle of Falkirk. After that point I got up to leave at least 3 times because I thought the movie was over, but it just kept going.

[elfkin477]

I just rewatched Jericho. Stop after the season one finale. The last seven episodes do little to give you any closure, but you do get to see a teenager murdered.

[zamboniracer]

Going back a ways, but stop watching Magnum P.I. at the end of season 7. Magnum has been shot and while dying, Magnum has an out of body experience while trying to tie up loose ends in his life. The episode ends with Magnum walking "towards the light" toward heaven, presumably.

Then the show got unexpectedly renew, and Magnum got rescued and spent season 8 trying to figure out whether Higgins was really Robin Masters. It wasn't very good.

[BrotherCadfael]

Dead Like Me - stop after the series finale. Don't watch the movie.


(To be honest, I like the stuff with George's family in the movie - the rest is crap.)

[Mr. Excellent]

Originally Posted by Ferret Herder

And, IMO, skip the "alternate universe" episodes.

I see the logic of this, but would note that skipping the "alternate universe" eps of Deep Space Nine means you will be missing one of the most ... entertaining ... characters in all of Trek:

SPOILER:

Intendant Kira Nerys. She's Kira, but evil and leather-clad.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Originally Posted by Mr. Excellent

I see the logic of this, but would note that skipping the "alternate universe" eps of Deep Space Nine means you will be missing one of the most ... entertaining ... characters in all of Trek:

SPOILER:

Intendant Kira Nerys. She's Kira, but evil and leather-clad.

You forgot

SPOILER:

Evilly bisexual, having had sex with alt-Sisko, alt-Jadzia, and alt-Leela. And was visibly interested in doing it with her own alternate self.

[Mr. Excellent]

Originally Posted by Skald the Rhymer

You forgot

SPOILER:

Evilly bisexual, having had sex with alt-Sisko, alt-Jadzia, and alt-Leela. And was visibly interested in doing it with her own alternate self.

Oh, no - I remembered that bit very well. But I prefer to let people discover that bit for themselves - and the truth is, some folks can't help spoiling themselves, even when you post in a spoiler box.

Now that the cat's out of the box,

SPOILER:

You forgot alt-Ezri.