Master of None (Aziz Ansari, Netflix) TV Show • Page 7

I don't have a problem with the words, it feels like they wrote out casual conversations and then performed them exactly to the script. Like it's supposed to have a loose feel but everything ends up sounding very rigid and precise, like robots acting out what friends are supposed to sound like. It's bothering the hell out of me, it got better during season 1, Noel wells was great at not doing it so my favorite episodes were the ones focused on her.

 

First episode felt like the 37 Italian neorealism student films I saw in film school except with a good script

 

Okay so am I imagining things or did S1 originally end with the lady sitting next to Aziz asking "have you ever been before" and he says "nope, first time" and then it ends? I was rewatching it with someone this weekend and I don't remember him saying he was going to italy to learn how to make pasta, I could have sworn it ended on that cliff hanger of whether or not he goes to Italy or to Japan after Rachel. Did they go back and add that recently or something?

 

No they confirmed that he was going to Italy and used an Asian woman to throw everybody off, which was brilliant btw.

 

Finished the whole season on one plane flight yesterday, really loved it

 

So it's not the dialogue, it's the acting? In that case, yes, Eric Wareheim is extremely awkward but I love him for it. Plus I'm used to his weirdness, I loved Tim and Eric in high school and college. Still love it. His other friends-- I don't know, it doesn't seem like they're terribly bad actors. Maybe if you could give a specific example of a conversation that feels forced?

 

I think it's more the pacing, whatever it is something about every conversation seems like "hey, question about something. Answer, feigned interest, joke joke, laugh an so joke back. Anyway, we have to do the thing for the next scene so we should leave, maybe a joke, ok bye." Like the dinner conversation about Dev's birthday, when Eric first shows up is really awkwardly spoken the whole way through, when he runs into his friend at the pork thing and ducks with no hesitation then asks her about religion in like the same breathe, it'd be easier to mention the natural sounding conversations probably.

Honestly I'm most pissed at the wedding, where this guy that no one knows insults the groom, says he wanted to run away with the bride, makes an entire speech only about himself, and is cheered by that audience of strangers. Fuck whoever thought was something that could happen.

 

I'm only 3 episodes in so far, but yeah that whole wedding scene was pretty bad.

 

There are also scenes in Louie where something completely out-of-the-norm and unrealistic happens, but it's meant to be taken metaphorically. It's almost like we get into his mindspace and whatever is happening is actually what he's feeling is happening.

I took the wedding scene in that way, and some other scenes too. For example, he goes on like a bajillion Tinder dates and I'm sure some of the events that took place were a little exaggerated. The show is still a comedy, so with the hyper-realistic dramatic moments, I willfully suspend my disbelief for the comedic moments as well.

 

I agree with the criticisms on the flow of the dialogue, but think it's been greatly improved on over S1 with the exception of Eric Wareheim who I love as a person and comedic mind but despise as an actor. I would take this show's dialogue over Sorkin-syndrome "every character is an encyclopedia who knows every reference to everything ever and breathing isn't required" any day. The flaws get trampled by how charming the show is though, I adore this season so far.

 

Yeah, Eric Wareheim kinda plays one shtick as an actor, but that's his thing. I'm into it, although I refuse to believe it's all he can do. I think if he were written a dramatic scene, he could play it well. Tim Heidecker blew me away in the ironically titled, incredibly depressing, "The Comedy" and affirmed my belief that there's more to those two goofballs than you think

 

I don't think this is their thinking, and if it is they really don't do anything to show that reality has shifted into something absurd. I think it's just poorly executed either way.

I'm only four episodes in, I don't know if they'll get better, or I'll just get used to people talking in a style that is totally alien

 

Loved this season. Packed an emotional punch with just the right amount of humor and self-awareness. Loved the ending and loved the Thanksgiving episode especially.

 

Couldn't have said it better. It's like nails on a chalkboard; and it happens with most of the supporting cast, especially Eric Wareheim and Aziz's parents which I guess I can accept because they're adorable and also not actors.

It's sad that is spoils an otherwise gorgeous show.

 

I know lots of people that talk like this. I've heard the exact conversation with Dev and Denise before in episode seven. I find the dialog more realistic than Gilmore Girls or Aaron Sorkin or Marvel movies. It's a sitcom, not a documentary.

 

I mean being better than even more unnatural sounding stuff isn't that high a bar. I'm gonna say you're friends are the weird ones

Unrelated, I'd argue that this show is not a comedy, it's cute and charming with occasional jokes, but it's just not laugh out loud funny in any way. There's this whole sub genre of shows it fits in nicely with in that regard tho

 

Yeah, this whole dialogue argument is really weird. Not once did I feel like it felt fake

 

The only part that I can't relate to is how rich they are. Everything else is believable.

 

Finished the season. Dang did I love it, wow. Even more than the first, which was also fantastic. At this point, I'm just impatiently awaiting Aziz's inevitable highly successful transition into filmmaking.

I definitely don't understand the criticism of this show's dialogue, but hey, different strokes, I guess.

 

This show is basically mumblecore short films.

Which isn't a complaint, to be clear.

So yeah, he could easily move into that movie category.

 

I read in an interview with aziz that they improv the scenes a bunch of different times. And then he writes the script based on the best bits. Then there's room for improv for the actual shoot, but I think they try to stick to the script.

He said all the auditions were improv and cast was chosen for improv abilities sans his family.

 

I kind of hated the first episode of S2. And I hate to say it but its probably 99% because of Ansari's acting. This would probably be one of my favorite shows if someone less distracting was the lead.

 

Oh wow this makes the most sense. So they write it with improv but film it to a specific script, this exactly the disconnect that is bothering me

 

they try to improv to get the dialog more "realistic"

 

Episode 6 may be the best episode of TV I've seen this year.