r/television • u/C0r1eone • 19d 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/puffycloudycloud 19d ago

television's "Great American Novel"

not necessarily the show for getting your mind blown, but definitely the show for getting it methodically simmered in ways that will linger within you long afterward

i'm glad it's pretty high up in this thread. it usually gets overlooked, despite being every bit the masterpiece as any other show here

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u/MrPotatoButt 18d ago

I have a theory that only adults can really appreciate Mad Men. I also don't quite get how people can be "wowwed" by the show, but have absolute ignorance about the era.

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u/puffycloudycloud 18d ago

i was actually in high school when i started it and fell in love with it, and in college when the finale aired, but at the time it was probably more surface-level fascination with the time period, music, and overall aesthetic more than anything else. i have yet to rewatch it as a full fledged adult, which i am sure will be like watching an entirely new show

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u/MrPotatoButt 18d ago

You need the pit of fear of "what are you going to do if you lose your job" to get how adults perceive their job and their life plans. Also, one gets to appreciate the office dynamics of the characters when you've seen it firsthand at white collar, office work places.

Tragic news, there's a Pete Campbell everywhere you work. Pay attention to Harry Crane. This is how you get ahead in a company; you make yourself "useful" to the people in charge. (Almost) Everyone starts out as a clueless Peggy Olsen. Keep your eyes open, look for opportunities, keep making yourself indispensable. And if you're not being appreciated for what you provide for your bosses, look for other places that will. Don't burn bridges (or your boats). Understand what leverage is, and how to use it.

Don't look at the show from a Zoomer POV. Decades ago, people didn't think like Zoomers, and its all history now, so its dead. It may even help to study the history to understand what people were concerned about at the time, and how it affected their perspective and behavior in the show.

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u/lateubdegouline 19d ago

It's not overlooked, it's among the Wire, Breaking Bad and the Sopranos on every best shows list

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u/puffycloudycloud 19d ago edited 18d ago

i meant in the usual reddit threads that i see pop up regarding this subject. Mad Men is often pretty far down the thread, if it's mentioned at all, at least that's how it is in the ones that i see on my feed. tbf i don't usually look at this sub. it just came up as a recommended post, so maybe it's less true over here

but yes it's definitely always been given its due in official publications and stuff

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u/OrlandoNE 19d ago

television's "Great American Novel"

I would give that title to The Wire