posted by ernest_t_bass
If you like time travel stuff, Gut suggested 12 Monkeys to me. I was hesitant at first, but it really grew on me.
Depending on how GoT finishes, 12 Monkeys is my #1 or #2 show. Love everything about it, and was hooked by the second or third show. But that first season is a bit rough, for some. I know you struggled to get into it.
Best written show I've ever seen. Flawless. It's so brilliant, even writers and actors disagree or aren't sure how it ended (which isn't to say the ending is not satisfying or confusing). I'll watch it a third time some time soon, and I rarely re-watch anything. There are insignificant, throw-away lines and events from the first shows that connect all the way thru to the end.
Dark season 1 is probably better than 12 Monkeys season 1. But I'll be amazed if Dark can sustain that, much less rise to the levels 12 Monkeys scales in following seasons. It has everything, every theme...and does it all extremely well. Although I really like the actors and acting, if you're going to knock the show that's where it's not perfect. Very much GoT in that regard, where you have some brilliant supporting actors but the main are not as strong.
Only real negative I would say is 12 Monkeys kind of abuses the bootstrap paradox, and especially in the last season veers a good bit into science fantasy. The former is a big turn-off for a lot of people on time travel, and the latter is its own turn-off for a lot more people.