Anyone watching Hacks on HBO Max? It’s really pretty great. Jean Smart plays an aging comedian so extremely well. She’ll get all the Emmys! Highly recommend.
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Jean Smart is also very good in Mare of Easttown. Vey good deadpan delivery 
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True, but good enough for my very strict vegan daughter!
Just came back to say that I finished The Good Place last night and my eyes are swollen from crying. Also I think it’s my new religion.
One of, if not, the best series I’ve ever watched.
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For a comedy series that show was so emotionally powerful.
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We watched “Mare of Easttown” per a lot of recommendations.
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SNL’s ‘Murdur Durdur’ skit distracted me so much. I keep missing the ‘Mare of Easttown’ plot and rewinding, because I’m laughing so hard at the PA accents, the setting and colloquialisms. I had tears in my eyes when he brought Mare Rolling Rocks, a cheesesteak sandwich AND a hoagie for dinner to get over her injury.
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If you enjoy “Mare of Easttown” you should enjoy “Broadchurch”. Both are good, but we liked Broadchurch more.
SNL’s famous ‘Murdur Durdur’ skit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaKZi6p6sxg&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive
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Broadchurch is the best mystery/cop show ever imo, and I cannot recommend it enough. The cast is phenomenal, every single one of them. Olivia Coleman can make me cry with a look. Just don’t ever watch the American remake. It’s absolutely terrible, even with its great cast- all good to great actors who were somehow terrible anyway. And David Tennant’s American accent is something I just cannot get behind. I’m a HUGE Good Omens and Doctor Who fan (though he’s not my Doctor) and think he’s just amazing… but I’ve seen him trot out an American accent a few times now and it makes me cringe every single time.
As for Mare, the SNL skit was hilarious, but that’s home for me and the people who populate the show feel (and sound) like my family, so I can laugh and then still immediately appreciate the authenticity. I have cousins nicknamed mer mer and jer jer, so the flow of the words is spot on. It might seem over the top after watching the skit, but half my family could be a caricature of Philly, really. Also, I would probably kill for a cheesesteak and a bag of herrs chips every time I watch, and when I’m back in Philly this summer wawa is likely to be my first stop. It’s a shame they haven’t worked in soft pretzels or tastykake or acme yet. Ha ha ha!
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I think I need to give The Good Place another chance. I’ve tried twice, got to maybe the 4th episode or so then gave up. It wasn’t holding my interest. But I’ve learned that many shows you need to push forward a few more episodes.
I’m currently bingeing Brothers and Sisters again. It’s on Hulu. I loved it the first time it was on, and I’m loving it again. So much I don’t remember, it’s like visiting old friends. I so wish I had that type of family.
Speaking of Hulu, my son subscribes and I just started using it. Any great Hulu shows besides Handmade’s Tale I need to watch?
After Season 1, Handmaid’s Tale becomes too repetitively horrific. Watch sparingly, I would say episode 1 and 2 then the last one.
(SPOILER)
They should have started Season 3 with “June fights back and wins at least sometimes” v. June almost wins then gets endlessly tortured.
After the start of season 2, I’ve tried to check social media to know whether it’ll be too hard so that I can skip parts of whole episodes as needed and season 3 has been just too hard. I read the producer said he’s squeamish so he won’t go too far and I wonder what exactly he thinks is “too far”.
I’m just waiting for June to start winning and winning.
To anyone seeking a superhero show: The Flash. Season 1 is stellar and makes you want to watch the rest, but it gets progressively worse so I recommend you should stop while you’re ahead.
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The cheesesteak+Hoagies+ Rolling Rocks gift basket was awesome, I actually laughed.
I generally really like it when a show is firmly anchored in a place and the film makers try to get it right.
They’re missing the “Wawa v.Sheetz” battle tough. (For those who don’t know either one, it’s the topic you pick when you want to pick a stupid argument and just want to talk but have nothing to say.)
(Though I’ll call foul if Siobhan goes to UCB after talking to a random cool professor there, because from a CollegeConfidential point of view, that’s utterly impossible, since Mare doesn’t have 65K; I’m actually kind of curious as to where she applied, since so far we’ve heard of Kutztown, Penn State, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and I think another one, wrt other young people, but not from Siobhan).
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Is there a wawa vs sheetz battle though? Until I moved away from Philly I’d never even heard of the latter- are there any there now? After being in Virginia where they were sometimes across the street from each other I tried both and it was a simple whichever looked less crowded or whichever was on my way. Ha.
We just watched the first episode two nights ago, looks like our suspense/twist type show. Add Watson and Seth Cohen actors, we’re in. Hope to watch second episode tonight (last night This Is Us finale!).
It’s a fake/silly “battle” along the lines of “who has the best cheesesteak”. Both still exist, their combination minimart+gas station works (some have expanded to fast food) and they’re basically the same thing with different colors and names. 
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You piqued my curiosity, so I headed to Google maps. There isn’t a sheetz in Philly or anywhere near where Mare is set. They don’t seem like folks who head over to Lancaster for the day. I think most of the people I grew up with never really leave their part of the city, except maybe to go to center city on rare occasions, so I don’t think that battle is one that most Philadelphians would know. Or maybe it’s just the ones I know. Lmao
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@conmama I wasn’t sure of TGP for some of the first season. But getting toward the end of it, and through the next three, I adored it. It takes a while to really set up and really get going. But lots of funny lines along the way. Don’t want to say more.
I felt the same way about Schittz Creek-- like it was good but didn’t love it, till towards the end of the second season, when I became utterly hooked.
Both are easily among my all-time top shows now.
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My enjoyment of The Good Place was enhanced by reading the tv boards after watching each episode. They are still around on (third iteration of the same site) Primetimer. The show has so many references that fly by, especially in the set design which is very clever, that it’s hard to catch them all. There are also tons of call backs to previous episodes and characters that I really appreciated the insights from other viewers.
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Lol, that’s dedication! I would have sworn there’s a Sheetz somewhere near West Chester or King of Prussia, but guess not. And yes, you’re right, they wouldn’t randomly go to Lancaster for the day. (I actually never drive into Philly :p, I’d rather take the train or, if need be, the bus.)
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I remember turning off the first episode of The Good Place at the premiere! One of my sons said it was his favorite show but (I may be alone here) not a Kristen Bell fan. And I love Ted Danson although only watched one episode of The Mayor, maybe that gets better too. Many fans of The Good Place on this site.
Casual is a great show on Hulu.
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