Author Topic: Altered Carbon  (Read 8426 times)

roosterboy

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #30 on: 10 February 2018, 13:13:00 »
It started with the Sopranos back in '99, but no, it is not your imagination.

It started with Oz back in ’97. Without Oz paving the way for hour-long drama series at HBO, The Sopranos would never have gotten made.

And without The Sopranos we wouldn’t have Mad Men.

And without Mad Men, we wouldn’t have the current era of “peak TV”, a.k.a. the Second Golden Age of Television.

Kidd

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #31 on: 16 February 2018, 13:59:57 »
Just finished Ep 4.

Please tell me the social commentary goes significantly beyond transhumanism vs. religion. I do not object to exploring this facet of social reaction to technology - I love Dune - but it shouldn't be the only or even dominant one. E.g. the points of disruption to individual maturity and the economic divide has only briefly been touched on in comparison, yet these seem equally core to how the society reacts to the tech.

Other than that, and that is about the only thing I can criticise - this is hitting all the cyberpunk buttons that GITS failed so miserably to do. LOVE it. I think I've found the book series I need to fill the Btech-shaped void in my reading life ;D but after I binge the rest of the series :D

Questions so far: I can guess the upcoming Ryker-Ortega connection reveal, but why is Henchy important? who are CTAC and the Praetorians? what were the Envoys and Quellists fighting for?

Looking forward to revelation ;)
« Last Edit: 16 February 2018, 14:05:16 by Kidd »

YingJanshi

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #32 on: 16 February 2018, 14:26:34 »
After a bit of reflection, I'd say I enjoyed the first half pretty well (mostly just because of the murder plot). But the last few episodes were just meh.

Really did enjoy the AI Poe though. He was awesome.

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Colt Ward

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #33 on: 18 February 2018, 23:40:49 »
Kidd, there is more . . . and I think its the background canvas the story is written on to explore.  Down side of such explorations on TV is that it is sometimes hard to get the viewpoints, but I am on Ep 9 and it DOES spend some time looking at the philosophical divide between Kovacs reborn idealism and his Meth master's pragmatism.

Honestly, the ruthless way his will is set up definitely keeps the 21 legitimate kids in line.
Colt Ward
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Kidd

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #34 on: 21 February 2018, 14:03:36 »
Finished all 10 episodes. I must say my reaction is as below too:

After a bit of reflection, I'd say I enjoyed the first half pretty well (mostly just because of the murder plot). But the last few episodes were just meh.

The resolution was... hollow. The identity of the real Big Bad and connection to Kovacs was... boring. It's not the kind of twist needed at this stage - it doesn't help showcase the world of Altered Carbon, which is what a first season plot ought to do. To be blunt, I could have expected this kind of "twist" from any soap opera in any setting elsewhere. The red herring solution was more interesting than the actual one.

Now I'm going to read the novel and see if its any different.

Colt Ward

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #35 on: 21 February 2018, 14:24:58 »
Eh, I do not know . . . the different levels of blackmail to get to Bancroft was sort of interesting.  Even the admission of devotion to her brother was a bit hollow- her aim was 653 disrupting her empire.  Kovacs getting woken up and pardoned was a happy coincidence.
Colt Ward
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"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Lorcan Nagle

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #36 on: 21 February 2018, 14:26:34 »
Now I'm going to read the novel and see if its any different.

The plot is almost identical while the details being about 80% different.  I think they sit beside each other well.
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Colt Ward

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #37 on: 21 February 2018, 14:35:20 »
I have started the novel.  Its a good read and I think its one of the few times I think the changes were for the book/TV difference and some of the ways they introduced setting information from the book was quite original.
Colt Ward
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"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Kidd

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #38 on: 04 March 2018, 12:24:47 »
The plot is almost identical while the details being about 80% different.  I think they sit beside each other well.
Finished the Takeshi Kovacs trilogy. I don't think any of the Netflix original content is an improvement except Poe, love that guy. The general line of the plot is indeed similar but... also so different. Like 3025 CBT and MechAssault different

What is it with TV writers anyway, its like they all contracted Hobbititis off Peter Jackson. There's so much content in the source material they'd have their hands full just cutting it down to fit TV. Why invent stuff from whole cloth? Take a gamble that your plotting is better than the author's? Well excuse me, did you get your bestsellers optioned or did he?!
« Last Edit: 04 March 2018, 12:28:56 by Kidd »

NeonKnight

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #39 on: 04 March 2018, 13:36:13 »
Loved the Show...and loved my internal chuckles as a lot of the Forest Scenes of the ENVOY base brought back my memories of wandering around that area last summer. 

For those interested:

https://www.seatoskygondola.com/adventures/suspension-bridge



But a very interesting show.
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

Kidd

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #40 on: 02 August 2018, 06:39:09 »
Season 2 has been renewed and will star Anthony Mackie, aka Falcon. Will be interesting to see him in an ultra violent role. But it's expected to hit Netflix only in 2020. I wonder how the plot will go.

Lorcan Nagle

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #41 on: 02 August 2018, 12:32:10 »
It could well be an adaptation of the second novel, Kovacs is sleeved in a black body for most, if not all of the book.
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Kidd

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Re: Altered Carbon
« Reply #42 on: 02 August 2018, 13:58:45 »
It could well be an adaptation of the second novel, Kovacs is sleeved in a black body for most, if not all of the book.
I hadn't noticed.

But what I meant was that Season 1 was more... "inspired" by the book than an adaptation. Some significant plot differences. So I wonder how this one will go.

 

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