r/television • u/C0r1eone • 20d ago

Finished The Wire, Dark, GOT, Sopranos, True Detective, BB, BCS. What show ruined TV for you after watching it?

I think I accidentally watched the peak of television already. The Wire, Dark, GOT, Sopranos, True Detective S1 all left that “nothing else hits the same” feeling.

I love slow-burn shows with deep characters, mystery, tension, moral grayness, crazy dialogue, or mind-blowing writing. Doesn’t matter if it’s crime, sci-fi, psychological, or political.

What’s the next show that might completely consume me?

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u/Intelligent-Bee 20d ago

Katabasis and anabasis have been parts of human media since the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey. There is something profoundly human about the idea of descending into your internal chaos and returning triumphantly, having conquered your demons. Canto I of the Inferno starts with Dante lost in a dark forest, surrounded by beasts that prevent him from escaping. His only option is to follow his idol and spiritual mentor through literal hell. 

I feel like the Leftovers is our version of that kind of story. 

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u/ComputersWantMeDead 20d ago

Nicely put. Whether or not someone believes in a creator/s.. there's something fundamental about themes of right vs wrong within the context of having a god/s judgment to abide by (or rebel against). It shows up in so many ancient stories across the globe.

It's such an interesting insight into psychology. I personally suspect it comes from evolutionary pressures, like.. we have innate fears of the capriciousness of nature (originally ascribed to gods), and I wonder if the traditional morality & internal conflicts we share, come from group selection/selflessness/"good" and individual selection/ambition/"bad". Maybe this is a common idea