Enlightened Season 2 |OT| Even agents of change get cancelled sometimes.

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ivysaur12 said:
But Krista and Janice and co. are just as nasty.
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Exactly.

I see it like this: where Amy's more terrible qualities stem from ignorance and a lacking self-awareness, people like Janice & Damon are intentionally malicious, unforgiving people. What they did to Amy in the S1 finale was unbelievably cruel and honestly, far, far worse than any of Amy's shittier moments.

Krista's certainly awful too, but I don't see her going out of her way to be an asshole like those two do.
 
Amy's intentions are good. She may be a bit overzealous or "in-your-face", but I personally love her passion. She is sincere.

We are meant to identify with her. Part of Amy's problem is having to deal with the various nasty, selfish, two-faced characters on the show who acted like her friends.

These other "nasty" characters are, for me, the crux of the message of the show. The complete lack of compassion, the utter disregard, the overt disapproval and disdain they have for Amy is a microcosm of one of the greater issues in human relationships.

Maybe they tried to get along with Amy but eventually became soured by interacting with her too much. That doesn't excuse their rudeness, though. There are much better ways to perhaps help someone understand that they need to "tone it down" or similar.

Just look at the scene from last season when everyone was laughing at Amy after she left the conference room and had given her presentation. How could anyone watch this show and not think these people who surround Amy are nothing but self-serving, two-faced dickheads?

Scenes like that show you that Amy's issues are largely but not solely the product of being around people like that. People who lack compassion. People who are selfish. People who manipulate others for personal gain. These types of negative people can really hurt others. And when they do, they brush it off, laugh, and act like the other person is the problem.
 
I don't know...I feel like Enlightened takes a pretty neutral stance regarding all of the people in it. It presents perspective in such a realistic way that it allows me to step back and view things objectively. Like Krista for example, someone who simple tolerates Amy as opposed to actively maintaining a "friendship" with her. It's not really hard to see why because while I adore Amy Jellicoe, most of that adoration comes from what Enlightened as a television series/Laura Dern allows me to see in her. In real life? Without getting into her head the way we do? I would probably and unfortunately react a lot like Krista does.
 
that was excellent again. i'm enjoying the stronger plot emphasis which i was a little worried about when i read about it. i think it works because they've done such a good job with the characters so far that when the stakes are upped it's making me tense thinking about the fallout. the omar stuff was very well done this week - the final monologue from amy, the scene in the parking lot :(, helping making tyler more complex than a sympathy character.

i also found the short scene where helen offered the pillow and talked about how a simple gift can change everything quite poignant because it reminded me a lot of my own lovely and super positive grandmother's life advice (helen not being like that most of the time made it interesting). i wish that something that simple and pure could solve more complex problems like that between krista and amy but of course it can't.

i'm wondering where luke wilson is going to fit in this series. i miss him though it'd be weird to have him straight back from rehab i guess.
 
dead souls said:
Read 'em and weep:

Enlightened (HBO)
-9:31 PM: 0.202 million viewers, 0.10 A18-49
-10:31 PM: 0.233 million viewers, 0.09 A18-49

From page 3 of the comments on this TVbTN article: Link
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I mean, that's still better than most of season 1's ratings and I think it's a good sign that the repeat did better than the original airing. It's tied for the 3rd highest rating of the series, I believe.
 
‘Enlightened’ Is Hilarious And Beautiful. Are You Watching?


Maureen Ryan: 'Enlightened's' Luke Wilson Gets A Spotlight In Rehab Episode

"Enlightened" is going to end up on my Top 10 list for 2013, and Sunday's episode is one of the reasons why I have no doubt of the show's top-tier status.

The HBO series, which just began a terrific second season, stars co-creators Laura Dern as Amy, a determined woman bent on bringing justice to the world (or at least to her fellow cubicle drones), and Mike White as Tyler, her timid co-worker and partner in (possible) crime.

Though Sunday's episode at first appears to be a departure from how "Enlightened" usually does things (Amy is barely in it), the digression actually fits in perfectly with the show's themes, which have to do with the difficulty of truly changing who you are and how you relate to the world.
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anaron said:
Plus I think the show is about to get some good press with the raves I've seen of the next episode.
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I love all the good press this is getting, but it's not like it'll help the ratings at all (see Girls being unable to crack 600,000 viewers for either of its first two airings on Sunday).

I bet HBO wishes it was March 31st so damn bad.
 
dead souls said:
I love all the good press this is getting, but it's not like it'll help the ratings at all (see Girls being unable to crack 600,000 viewers for either of its first two airings on Sunday).

I bet HBO wishes it was March 31st so damn bad.
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haha, probably.


I just mean, with finally getting some deserved critical praise, the prospects of the show surviving feel safer. Back in season one, there wasn't that same sort of net.
 
Seriously, it's great that critics are finally waking up to the show. The first season was renewed with horrible ratings (not that HBO cares, etc. etc.) and a very tepid critical response, but now that the show is getting tons of praise and better ratings, a third season renewal, while not guaranteed, is a much safer bet this time around. Feels good men.
 
Loved the first season, seems even better this year.
I think the narration is key, if we can't get into Amy's mind, we'd completely reject a lot of her actions. Exploring her at every moment lets the show have her be extremely un-self-aware without being alienating.
 
dead souls said:
I don't get this reading of the show at all. Amy is a fascinating character precisely because of how deluded, narcissistic, and off-putting she is. She would not be a pleasant person to interact with on a day-to-day basis at all.
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Preach, sis.

Homegirl is way too self-involved; a lot of her actions are almost completely self-serving; and she's usually unwilling to take on board other viewpoints without getting excessively caught up in her own ego. The episode where she goes to Krista's baby shower makes it totally clear why lots of people don't like her: she's a total mess.

There are other, better sides to her obvs, but that doesn't give her an excuse or free pass for bullying folks with "good intentions".
 
amazing episode. wow. luke wilson was brilliant.

outside of the opening and closing narration which was pure enlightened, the episode reminded me a lot of some louie episodes in how it played out.

also it was funny how both girls and enlightened had cocaine fuelled nights out episodes on the same night and one of girls' actors guested in this episode. was that coincidence or did they plan it?
 
That was incredible. I don't think I've ever been that impressed with Luke Wilson. It was a nice microcosm of the issues that plague the characters in Enlightened -- defenses up, unwillingness to interact on a human level, the hate and vitriol... I need to think on this for a while. Wow. I'm speechless.
 
ivysaur12 said:
AHHH! Episode 4 is on HBO GO yes yes yesssssss
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:O lucky bastard, tell us how it is!


Brilliant episode tonight. Luke Wilson is just outstanding on this show and the episoder showcased it beautifully. I loved all the callbacks to the pilot, and Levi looking for "his turtle" in Amy. That and the way he talked of her, stumbling over his love for her... broke my damn heart.
 
Yeah, that was a great episode. Luke Wilson was terrific and I'm glad the therapy is finally starting to work on Levi.

Can't believe that next week is the half way point of the season.
 
anaron said:
:O lucky bastard, tell us how it is!
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It's very Enlightened.

Probably the most overwhelmed I've been with Amy, if only because she's finally entered this world in which she wants to exist in, yet... can't, at least not yet. She's almost there. She's still small. At least, for now.

I think it's an episode that deserves more of a conversation than Higher Power (which is still amazing) just because there are some themes that I'd love to tease out. So if anyone has HBO GO, I'd love to hear what you thought.

Can Amy
exist in this world of do gooders? Are they actually agents of change, in this large house with all of this power, or is it more of an institution of do gooders? I'm inclined to think that's there's an agenda to each of these people and that they don't always work in tandem and towards one goal, like Amy might think. It's messier and realer... but I do think that Amy will be there. At least one day. She has a purpose.

Also, the imagery at the end
suggests that Amy isn't entirely wrong in her first assertion about technology. While it allows us to have a more global reach, it does take away from interpersonal connection. Not everyone is using technology as a way to enact change. It's interesting.

It's also one of the "funniest" episodes in a while.
 
I have HBO and I've never heard of this show. Rafi means I'll give it a shot. That guy is the best part of the League (other than Taco).
 
Luke Wilson fucking killed it. When he ranted about his roommate's farts being toxic, smelling like sulfur, etc., that was priceless.
 
Bladenic said:
Is it even gonna get renewed though? The ratings are abysmal.
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Great episode. I don't think I've truly enjoyed Luke Wilson in a role since The Royal Tenenbaums. That is, until now.

It doesn't hurt that Amy and Levi's relationship hits me close to home.
 
Bladenic said:
Is it even gonna get renewed though? The ratings are abysmal.
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The show is slowly going up in the ratings, and this season has gotten better word of mouth from critics and audiences. Still, the ratings are still pretty low and there is always the lingering possibility it will be cancelled. But really, I'm just happy it got a second season which was really unexpected given the ratings of season one.

With that said, just thinking about it going off the air is pretty heartbreaking. There really isn't any other show on any network right now that feels this honest. I'm starting to find the other shows I typically watch very shallow in comparison.
 
Wow, episodes 3 and 4 were so great. Sad that the season is already halfway done, but I can't wait to see what the next episodes have in store and how the storylines wrap up.
 
So I started watching this a while ago, about half way through the first season.

I know it's meant to be light hearted (or is it?) and funny (and it is funny) but fucking hell is it sad. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me by the end of each episode.

Also, her mum; what a terrible, soulless human being.
 
Crimson Clown said:
So I started watching this a while ago, about half way through the first season.

I know it's meant to be light hearted (or is it?) and funny (and it is funny) but fucking hell is it sad. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me by the end of each episode.

Also, her mum; what a terrible, soulless human being.
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Did you watch Consider Helen?
 
Forgot this started. I'm a bad person. Now I have to suffer through four episodes of choppy video on HBO Go to catch up.
 
I don't know if was just rehab, or the show forcing its way through, but I do hope that Levi gets out of the drugs and improves his life.
 
Bladenic said:
Those ratings are worse than I even imagined. Truly beyond terrible. If HBO gives this show another season, they are crazy. I will of course be rooting for a renewal, but I don't expect it.
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They renewed it with a much weaker average in season 1. It's more encouraging than not.
 
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