# Series you've recently watched, are now watching or have given up on **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [July 9, 2021, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108 "2021-07-09T17:50:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 206
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4108 "2024-05-13T15:29:34Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > Yeah. We watched the space babies/snot monster episode last night and it was not good. It’s just my opinion but I don’t think they should have done such a silly episode this early on. Wait until you see the next one. It’s worse (although keep an eye out for a Mrs Flood/Anita Dobson appearance). ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4109 "2024-05-13T15:32:46Z")
**Seinfeld** Wow. A lot, really, to unpack here, and I had no idea when we started watching it, that our finishing this show would coincide with a Jerry Seinfeld “comeback” attempt, but here we are. For starters, had you mentioned to me that _Seinfeld_ ended in, say, 2009, I would’ve believed you. I completely forgot that it ended well before the Clinton Presidency did, which isn’t something that is common with me - I generally have a good memory for these things. Regardless, _Seinfeld_ holds up very well. There are a few moments where the technology has left the story in the dust - there’s one sequence where Elaine is constantly hearing fax machine/modem dial-up noises every time her phone rings, stuff like that - but that sort of thing didn’t happen very often. I don’t buy current Jerry saying that our world is too “woke” for _Seinfeld_ - to be fair, I found the show to be kind of tame by current standards, a nice throwback to a time of network censorship where a long-running joke about masturbation would not be anywhere near as _crude_ as what we would get today. And, holy hell, his standup is as anodyne as could be - why is Jerry Seinfeld, of all people, getting mad about silly made-up shit like “woke”? Doesn’t he realize he is _Jerry Seinfeld_? We wondered why they stopped doing the standup bits at the beginning and end of the show (starting with season 8) - did Jerry stop doing the act? Did he realize that none of them were really all that funny? Enquiring minds want to know! I asked Inna: “Do you think that Jerry is a good person?” We had quite the debate as she saw him as a basically typical guy who was there to react to his crazy friends’ doings, while I saw the character as far more morally flawed than she did - to me, Jerry was completely unsympathetic and, at times, just plain sociopathic. A lot of memories, though. Catch phrases that I still use today that I completely forgot were _Seinfeld_-isms (“Heeelllloooooooooo” being one of them). We could tell when they were running out of steam - sometime around season 7, especially by season 8 they started introducing (and relying on) a series of side characters, with Elaine’s boyfriend, Putty (played by Patrick Warburton), being the most common. The situations started becoming more silly - Kramer and Newton running a bunch of return bottles to Michigan for $.05 each was pretty bad - and by the end of season 9, you could tell there was a sense of exhaustion from everyone involved: I thought the “Frogger” and the “Puerto Rican Day Parade” episodes (the last two episodes prior to the clip show + finale) were extremely weak when I first saw them, and they did not impress upon the latest viewing. Anyway, if you liked it the first time, give it another shot. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4110 "2024-05-13T15:32:55Z")
I had massively high hopes for Russel T, but why he would start the new season with a concept as dumb as Space Babies is beyond me. I was not a fan of that one. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4111 "2024-05-13T15:34:21Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > For starters, had you mentioned to me that _Seinfeld_ ended in, say, 2009, I would’ve believed you. I completely forgot that it ended well before the Clinton Presidency, which isn’t something that is common with me - I generally have a good memory for these things. I mean Bill Clinton was president for most of the time Seinfeld was on. But I see you mean it ended before George W. Bush became president. I think of Seinfeld as a very 90’s show. It ran almost the entire length of the 90’s and kind of helped define it. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4112 "2024-05-13T15:35:21Z")
Thanks for the correction, fixed. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2024, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4113 "2024-05-14T11:48:37Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Anyway, if you liked it the first time, give it another shot. We’re very familiar with the show, as we kept the boxed set in the RV along with Flight of the Conchords and The Larry Sanders Show. All three were our go-to entertainment when bored or rained in, and never failed to make us laugh. Seinfeld is an admittedly flawed personality and was basically playing himself on the show. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he’s somewhere on the ADHD spectrum or even autistic. But he worked “clean” and his schtick resonated at the time. For sidesplitting funny, though, I’ll take Larry Sanders. Pre-“me too” Jeffrey Tambor was hysterically funny throughout all six seasons. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2024, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4114 "2024-05-14T12:06:58Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I thought the “Frogger” and the “Puerto Rican Day Parade” episodes (the last two episodes prior to the clip show + finale) were extremely weak when I first saw them, and they did not impress upon the latest viewing. Neither of those are among my favourites, but Peter Stormare as Slippery Pete was great, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2024, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4115 "2024-05-14T12:21:06Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he’s somewhere on the ADHD spectrum or even autistic. I once saw an interview with Seinfeld in which he said he can never stop looking for material, and that it’s basically a curse to not be able to experience even the most mundane thing without turning it into a bit in his head. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2024, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4116 "2024-05-14T13:14:14Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > For sidesplitting funny, though, I’ll take Larry Sanders. Pre-“me too” Jeffrey Tambor was hysterically funny throughout all six seasons. Me too? I thought his main thing was verbal abuse to Jessica Walter. They were so funny together on Arrested Development, it was unfortunate to learn he blew up at her during filming. It was probably both actor’s best and now most iconic role. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4117 "2024-05-14T13:57:52Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Me too? I thought his main thing was verbal abuse to Jessica Walter. Perhaps so; my memory is a bit foggy on it. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4118 "2024-05-14T14:15:41Z")
Tambor was fired from _Transparent_ over [sexual harassment claims](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/feb/15/jeffrey-tambor-fired-transparent-sexual-harassment-claims#:~:text=Jeffrey%20Tambor%3A%20Transparent%20star%20fired%20over%20sexual%20harassment%20claims,-This%20article%20is&text=Jeffrey%20Tambor%20has%20been%20dropped,Transparent%20after%20sexual%20harassment%20allegations.). There were also the allegations that he verbally harassed Jessica Walter on [Arrested Development](https://www.npr.org/2018/05/24/614009165/under-the-skin-why-that-arrested-development-interview-is-so-bad). I enjoyed his work going all the way back to _Three’s Compan_y, too bad he turned out to be such a turd. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4119 "2024-05-14T15:35:08Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > > [@hogarth](#): > > > > My wife and I watched half of the first episode so far. So far there’s a lot of subtitle reading and my wife has been asking “who’s that guy? what are they talking about?” quite a bit. > > That’s about as far as we made it too. My husband said. “too much reading”. We powered through the first couple of episodes of **Shogun** and we started enjoying it more once we figured out who the characters are and what they’re trying to do. Still a couple of episodes left to go. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4120 "2024-05-14T15:44:38Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > We powered through the first couple of episodes of **Shogun** and we started enjoying it more once we figured out who the characters are and what they’re trying to do. Still a couple of episodes left to go. It was lot more dull than expected. I think of it as “Slowgun” now and it was disappointing. Fallout was great, though. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4121 "2024-05-15T12:53:17Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > nd by the end of season 9, you could tell there was a sense of exhaustion from everyone involved: I thought the “Frogger” and the “Puerto Rican Day Parade” episodes (the last two episodes prior to the clip show + finale) were extremely weak when I first saw them, and they did not impress upon the latest viewing. As someone who didn’t watch them at the time, I watched them in bulk (and many times since), and while season 8 and 9 seemed different they still have some of my favourites, such as Bizarro Jerry, Little Kicks, English Patient (god did I hate that movie), The yadda yadda, Serenity now and the Betrayal. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4122 "2024-05-15T13:44:17Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Elaine’s boyfriend, Putty For the record, it’s “Puddy”. I thought his character was hilarious. Yeah, that’s right. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4123 "2024-05-15T13:49:07Z")
Elaine: Is it a problem that I’m not religious? Puddy: Not for me. Elaine: Why not? Puddy: I’m not the one going to hell. Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4124 "2024-05-15T14:02:19Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > For the record, it’s “Puddy”. I thought his character was hilarious. Yeah, that’s right. I liked Puddy as well and I think Seinfeld went off the air at the right time. Season 9 was not bad, but even Jerry realized the whole thing was just about over and you should leave while the show is still wanted. They offered Jerry a lot to continue, but they left at just about the right moment. X-files has to be the obvious answer of a show that did not leave at the right moment. Season 7 should have been the end, but Chris Carter envisioned it continuing on even without Mulder AND Scully, so he kept it going and tried to introduce leads that could take over after Gillian Anderson eventually left. Should Seinfeld have ended after season 8? Maybe. Did season 9 tarnish the show? Not for me. The finale? Lame. I can barely count it as a proper episode. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4125 "2024-05-15T14:05:57Z")
Huh. Inna _loved_ the finale, said it made a lot of sense. But then, she’s an expert in Russian literature, a form of expression where people rarely win at the end, so not surprised she had that reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4126 "2024-05-15T17:16:44Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > For the record, it’s “Puddy”. I thought his character was hilarious. Yeah, that’s right. Then you may be interested in the Patrick Warburton led show Rules of Engagement, which ran for seven seasons. He effectively plays an older married Puddy without the religion. Even David Spade is funny in it too. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4127 "2024-05-15T17:44:57Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > The finale? Lame. Did you see the _Curb Your Enthusiasm_ finale? I thought that was brilliant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108.md?page=205) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108.md?page=207)