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Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Started by Steven, October 29, 2016, 08:59:55 PM

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Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Mister Six on January 10, 2018, 06:22:50 PM
Shame - I only just saw series one and loved it. Hope series two has something close to a proper resolution and isn't just another cliffhanger.

I'd say it feels pretty satisfactory and wraps up most things, whilst keeping a few doors open for a potential third season. It's definitely worth watching, that's for sure.

Mister Six


Timothy

Season 1 was great.
Season 2 was bollocks.

Ferris

Watched the first 2 of these on a whim - such an odd little show. Halfway between Matt Smith's Doctor Who and the Bryan Fuller season of American Gods. Hyper-real and surreal at the same time, and also got surprising bits in it.

It's weird, but I'm going to stick with it I reckon. I haven't read through the entirety of the thread to avoid spoilers sadly but will go back through when I'm done. So far it isn't really anything like the books and I'm on the fence about whether that's a good thing.

(And for the record, I was a huge nerd as a child and loved the Dirk Gently books and especially HHG2tG - I had the tv series on VHS and the BBC radio series on cassette, and held the record as the youngest member of the ZZ9 fanzine which was back when you had to send off for things in the mail etc. The theme music for the BBC radio series was my motivation for learning the banjo.)

phantom_power

Despite not sharing any plot with the original books I think it is more in keeping with Adams' spirit than the by-the-numbers BBC adaptation. If you are talking about the Netflix version, that is

Ferris

Quote from: phantom_power on April 23, 2019, 08:17:55 AM
Despite not sharing any plot with the original books I think it is more in keeping with Adams' spirit than the by-the-numbers BBC adaptation. If you are talking about the Netflix version, that is

I am, and it is (though I liked the bbc version as well)

phantom_power

I quite enjoyed the BBC series but it didn't have the mad invention and impossible to predict but relatively coherent plotting of the Netflix show. Their Dirk is better than Mangan in the role as well

Ferris

Quote from: phantom_power on April 23, 2019, 02:52:10 PM
I quite enjoyed the BBC series but it didn't have the mad invention and impossible to predict but relatively coherent plotting of the Netflix show. Their Dirk is better than Mangan in the role as well

Interesting - everything I've read online seems to very pro this chap playing Dirk Gently, but I think he's a bit over the top. Dirk/Svlad was a miserable college dropout in his 40s who would try and borrow money off you for cigarettes in the books. This one is like a CBBC presenter, all primary colours and Labrador excitement.

I like him, it's just a different interpretation than the one I am used to. I agree with you on the tone though - much more unpredictable sci-fi which I prefer.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on April 23, 2019, 03:09:48 PM
Interesting - everything I've read online seems to very pro this chap playing Dirk Gently, but I think he's a bit over the top. Dirk/Svlad was a miserable college dropout in his 40s who would try and borrow money off you for cigarettes in the books. This one is like a CBBC presenter, all primary colours and Labrador excitement.

I like him, it's just a different interpretation than the one I am used to. I agree with you on the tone though - much more unpredictable sci-fi which I prefer.

I thought that about the character during the first season, he was just a bit too manic, but he becomes a lot more likeable in the second series.

Ferris

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on April 23, 2019, 03:44:58 PM
I thought that about the character during the first season, he was just a bit too manic, but he becomes a lot more likeable in the second series.

I always thought of Dirk as a shabby, unremarkable-looking man who is fairly intelligent but quite lazy and a touch manipulative. Coincidentally I reread the books quite recently and Dirk is described near the beginning from another character's memory:

"Richard had run into Dirk from time to time and had usually been greeted with that kind of guarded half smile that wants to know if you think it owes you money, before it blossoms into one that hopes you will lend it some."

...So I found this actor's interpretation jarring with my own. That said, once I got over that (and basically just mentally reassigned it away from Douglas Adams aside from a few character names), I enjoyed it a lot more and was willing to go along with it.

The last 2 episodes were surprisingly satisfying, and the show still had the power to surprise and do things you wouldn't expect (**spoiler** poor Estevez!), and is happy to shock you. It draws you in and makes the whole thing feel more anarchic and organic. You (or the characters!) never feel entirely safe - who are these loud guys in a van? Why does Bart seem so blasé about shooting people and what if she gets a character we like? Oh what's happening over there with Ned/Zed/Red arghhh etc etc.

Anyway! I'm sure no one is reading this, but basically, I really liked this show in the end. I started a skeptic, but I'm fully on board now and looking forward to watching the second season. Another night though, because I'm tired and want to go to bed now.

Excuse any typos and complete lack of editing. I bet I could get this into a punchier format if I had the energy. Sorry :(

Ferris

About midway through the 2nd season - still really enjoying this. It's become it's own thing now and is basically nothing to do with Douglas Adams at all at this point. It's really good though - I'm looking forward to watching the rest and that's quite rare for me

Mr_Simnock

An absolute bastard that it's never going to get a third series, loved it

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Mr_Simnock on April 26, 2019, 05:17:21 PM
An absolute bastard that it's never going to get a third series, loved it

Yeah, there was a small chance another network or streaming service could have picked it up but then Max Landis turned out to be an utter shit and it's never going to happen now.