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September 2 2014

Jack Attack Tuesday – Borderlands 2, Parks and Rec, The Wire, Patriots Football and Jim Lawlapalooza Reflections (From the Outside)

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Jack Attack Tuesday – 9/2/14

Borderlands 2, Parks and Rec, The Wire, Patriots Football and

Jim Lawlapalooza Reflections (From the Outside)

Have I mentioned that Steam is, literally, the greatest thing ever done for video games? Well it is, and one of the amazing byproducts of my revitalized love of PC gaming is revisiting games that I initially may have rushed through. Case-in-point: Borderlands 2. I don’t know how, but my first play-through of this game left me wanting a lot more. I think that was probably due to the fact that, because my brothers aren’t into the games I am I was playing solely by myself. What a mistake, as multiplayer Borderlands 2 is like a completely different game. It’s incredible how high the replay value becomes once you have three other people participating in the mayhem. Again, if you’re on steam, hit me up and let’s play.

I’m happy to report I’ve officially jumped on the Parks and Rec bandwagon. I added the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness to this article because it is literally the moment in this show where I finally got it. The comedy here is solid, layered and full of good characters. I’m now on season 3 and the inclusion of Rob Lowe and Adam Scott is really enjoyable, particularly Rob Lowe, whose comedic chops are on full display here. Once again, glad I stuck it out for this one as it’s becoming a staple in the house.

For those of you keeping track at home, I’m rounding out season 2 of The Wire in prep for our upcoming commentaries. I said it on the BingeCast earlier and I’ll say it here again; give season 2 a break. David Simon went in a totally new direction and gave viewers something radically different than anything done on TV before or since, but that’s far from a bad thing. Frank Sobotka is a great character and provides a strong connection to the normal working class in Baltimore, something very important to the overall journey of the series. I’m actually looking forward to the season 2 commentaries more than season 1, call me crazy.

I can’t believe football is finally here. I’m so ready for this season I can’t stand it, and at 1:00pm this Sunday my ass will be planted firmly in front of a gigantic TV, hopefully with a nice brew and some great company. I’m over the moon for my boys’ roster this year, and the (surprise) announcement that Gronk is good to go for game 1. While Gronk seems to be the lynchpin for the offense in the eyes of many analysts, I try to remember that last year, with a core of rookie receivers and a decimated defense, the Pats still made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game. The consistency of this team is, at this moment, unrivaled across the league, and I’m ecstatic because of that. I’m also glad that Jimmy Garoppolo is getting the backup job this year behind Brady, as I’ve never been too impressed with Ryan Mallett’s production whatsoever. Garoppolo already looks like he understands the mechanics and timing of a football game better than Mallett ever did. I’m not saying the kid is the next Aaron Rodgers, but he looks solid and willing to learn, two traits that made Tommy Touchdown the champ he is today. I’m calling it now, AT LEAST 14-2 this season.

I wanted to take a minute to acknowledge this past weekend’s Jim Lawlapalooza. First of all, thank you gents for the call during the show, it was great to be there in spirit. Second of all, and to all my fellow BingeFans/Staff, how fucking FUN did that look/sound? I’m there next year, by hook or by crook, no doubt. Here’s hoping the boys come out to New York so we can go get drunk outside the New York Public Library and quote Ghostbusters lines. Check back later this week for our daily blogs and a new Strain commentary (which kicked major ass this week!). Binge on!

August 26 2014

Jack Attack Tuesday – 8/26/14 – Fantasy Football, Parks and Rec and The Wire

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Jack Attack Tuesday – 8/26/14

Fantasy Football, Parks and Rec and The Wire

As of this writing both of my fantasy drafts this year are in the books. This, being year 2 of my fantasy football life, was a much stronger draft than last year. For instance, I took my boy Tom Brady in the first round last year. Yep, I know. As such, I had a format this year, stuck to it and was rewarded because of it. I lucked out and got first pick of the draft, had to take my boy LeSean. He was my go-to horse last year and the fact that I lucked out and grabbed him in both of my teams this year is fantastic. I am flirting with the idea of dropping Brandon LaFell and picking up Josh Gordon, just in case that suspension gets lifted at some point, but we’ll have to see what happens. Fellow Bingers, whaddayathink (looking at you, Norris)?

So this fantastic thing is happening where I want a few years for a show to blossom, then pick it up once it’s hit its stride and fall in love with it. Such is the case with Parks and Rec. I was a big fan of The Office when it was airing, up until about Season 5 where things really dipped off. I tuned in for Michael Scott’s last episode and then came back again for the series finale, but felt ultimately that show just went on too long. Having said that, Parks and Rec just looked like an unoriginal ripoff of a show that was a remake of another show.

I’m glad to say that while this show is most definitely trying to capitalize on that format it does have its own identity and style. In fact, I would say that if one were to stop watching The Office around Season 5 and then pick up Parks and Rec, you’d have a better time than hanging around to the end of The Office. Ron Swanson is a solid Dwight Schrute stand-in with some fantastic comedic timing, Aziz Ansari is perfect as a doucebag and any time Louis CK shows up in anything, no matter how terrible, it gets some respect. I’m almost finished with Season 2 and will continue watching in between episodes of another show I’m currently hooked on…

Yes, if you listened to the Binge Cast this week you know I’ve jumped back into The Wire for viewing #3. How am I feeling about this? Well, The Wire is such a dense story that I often forget how amazing it is. I fully admit I’ve never been able to get through The Sopranos. I think I tapped out somewhere at the start of Season 3 and never went back, a lot of which has to do with the fact that it couldn’t compare to The Wire. Still criminally underrated by comparison, it is really impressive how well the tone and theme of this show holds up today. To see someone tackle the failure of the American dream in such a logical, concise and unforgiving way makes this, in my estimation, the greatest TV drama ever made, even though I still would probably call Breaking Bad my favorite. Without going into details, Season 1, once again, delivered at every turn. I’ve always loved the way the series opens on the story about Snot Boogie with McNulty, and how that story compares to the rest of the season. It’s a great conversation that doesn’t wait to let you in on what’s going on, but rather challenges you as an audience member to pay attention and invest in this story. Moreno and I will have some commentaries for you soon, so keep an ear out for those, as well as our daily blogs and this week’s Strain commentary. Check out the video below for some footage of Kupka when he was younger and, as always, Binge On!