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Miniatures Adventure => Post-Apocalyptic Tales => Topic started by: Grumpy Gnome on October 27, 2020, 07:55:38 AM

Title: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on October 27, 2020, 07:55:38 AM
I stumbled onto this series and was pleasantly surprised. I am sure it will not be to everyone‘s taste but I enjoyed it. It had a bit of a Metro vibe, and I can‘t help wondering if that is a reflection of Russia culture or if Metro influenced this book/tv series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38-mV480iLU

Anyone else have any opinions on it?

The twist at the end makes it particularly good for wargaming I think.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: CookAndrewB on October 27, 2020, 03:19:45 PM
I noticed that one but haven't watched it yet. My biggest hurdle is getting the wife to watch it. Apocalypse shows focusing on a contagion hit a bit too close to home these days.  :?
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: BeneathALeadMountain on October 27, 2020, 04:11:03 PM
Rick I’m in exactly the same position as the other Andrew (excellent name CookAndrewB) even before the current snafu my wife was not a fan of anything too gloomy (her family hailing from a war torn country and then living in Somalia during Op.Hope due to her dads job). Ghosts and Bake-off are more her thing (and thus mine because I have no control of the tv, although in fairness I’m usually busy covered in paint gluing myself to some model) so I shall have to watch this late at night when she’s gone to bed :)

My one question is: is it a series in its own right or like many programs now does it feel like they aren’t really achieving or finalising anything in the hope there is another series?

Thanks, hope you’re well,
BALM
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on October 27, 2020, 04:29:09 PM
Yeah, this one I had to watch on my own. My wife hates stuff like this. She can just about handle Fallout and Mad Max because she sees the humor in the satire of Fallout but Walking Dead and this kind of show puts her right off.

My understanding the show is based on a book, with season one ending where the book ends but I may be mistaken as I do not have that from a great source. Any one with more info is welcome to add it here.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on October 27, 2020, 06:16:19 PM
Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: BeneathALeadMountain on October 27, 2020, 06:52:43 PM
I think our respective partners are of the same mind  :) . Awesome thanks I will watch this when insomnia ruins my night.

BALM
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on October 28, 2020, 09:12:12 AM
It would seem a second season is unlikely.

https://www.thecinemaholic.com/to-the-lake-season-2/

Which makes the final episode even more open ended for wargaming I suppose.

There are so many stories to be told. So many books, movies and games... it is impossible to catch everything so anything we can all do to help each other find worthy stuff and avoid junk is worth doing.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: CookAndrewB on October 28, 2020, 03:27:33 PM
I don't mind an open end. As you said, Rick, I can run with the hanging questions as fodder for my gaming inspiration or just happy ponderings. And, honestly, better a good cliff hanger that never answers the big questions than a really crappy ending written in haste or a second season that isn't worth a darn because they exhausted the original content and the new writers were clearly not up to the task of continuing the tale.

I loved the show Jericho, but it got cancelled as it was a "terrorist attack on US soil" show when the World Trade Center buildings were attacked. What was a fun what-if suddenly became too real and the writers hurried to wrap up the entire thing in one epically awful happy ending episode. I'm sure it felt right at the time, but I would have rather wondered what happened than get the ending they came up with.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on October 28, 2020, 05:24:20 PM
I remember enjoying Jericho but I do not remember the end.

And yeah, you make an excellent point... better a good cliffhanger than a terribly written finale.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on October 28, 2020, 05:52:20 PM
If you want a traumatic ending, not much beats Space Above And Beyond! That was the writers making sure no one was resurrecting it (okay Blake's Seven).

Jericho was 2006-2008. Lennie James was great in it.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on October 28, 2020, 07:37:41 PM
Fair point about Space: Above and Beyond.

As for Jericho.... so that was what Morgan was up to before Z Day....
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: CookAndrewB on October 28, 2020, 08:25:59 PM
Yes! That was what Morgan was up to before The Walking Dead. Fortunate for me, Lennie was busy NOT blowing up the city I grew up in (Columbus, Ohio) and hiding his nuclear device in a basement. That might not have been the wisest choice (nukes in the basement) but I remember being glad to hear that my childhood home survived that round of domestic terrorism.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on October 29, 2020, 05:28:38 AM
Ha! Just as I was pleased to hear Albany, NY survived in Damnation Alley!
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on October 30, 2020, 07:09:39 PM
Added it to my list, I have not had a chance to watch it yet (just finished Lovecraft Country and up to date on FTWD - still three series of TWD to catch up with).
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on October 31, 2020, 04:38:24 AM
The early seasons of Fear the Walking Dead were terrible but when they changed the showrunners, and brought Morgan in, it improved dramatically. It is not perfect but much, much better than how it started. Of course Strand continues to irritate me.... and Alicia goes on to become a badass in 100.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Ragnar on October 31, 2020, 04:52:35 AM
Quite enjoyed this one, but that ending.   :o
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: macgarns on October 31, 2020, 02:05:54 PM
It is good to see a disaster happening elsewhere than Los Angeles !

I would love another season...

Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Calimero on October 31, 2020, 02:33:34 PM

Is it presented in English or in Russian with English subtitles? I wonder because I usually paint at the same time I "watch" series and/or movies… Original language with subtitles is fine but it makes it a lot harder to follow the story…
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on October 31, 2020, 03:50:38 PM
and Alicia goes on to become a badass in 100.
You have your chronology slightly the wrong way round, Lexa predates Alicia (an imaginative name), though it would appear she is back (I have seen one episode of The 100 since they left Earth, I have the rest of that series to watch).

Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on October 31, 2020, 06:11:45 PM
I have only seen the first couple of seasons. My wife did not like it enough to pay for more. As for chronology, I was thinking characters more than actors.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: NickNascati on November 01, 2020, 06:31:37 PM
Normally, I would be interested in it, but now I think it is too close to real life.   Maybe in a year?
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on November 01, 2020, 08:45:53 PM
Bad as things are right now, they are much worse in the show. Helps keep some perspective... similar to perhaps.... the new movie Songbird? That looks so over the top as to be satirical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzTYZTXGQeU
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Redmao on November 01, 2020, 10:15:33 PM
Half way through and I'm really enjoying it.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on November 03, 2020, 10:17:54 PM
Just watched the first episode.

Very good.

Interesting to see a Tigr and some kind of BTR with remote turret.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on November 11, 2020, 05:50:16 PM
Yeah, the various bits of kit were interesting to see.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on November 12, 2020, 06:01:51 PM
Up to episode 7. Still good, even if you want to chastise/shoot some of them for stupidity.

Blue was a good choice for one of my Dacha.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--wTY8ZJt_0I/X0ze6_W0xoI/AAAAAAAAG54/DcjrDJWFhzAVjaADG6oo12r7J6hgGTLVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/dacha-7.png)
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on November 13, 2020, 10:34:54 AM
There are some truly stupid decisions made... but, you know... people.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: GDonk on November 15, 2020, 03:04:17 PM
Thoroughly enjoying the combination of ineptitude and luck
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: NickNascati on November 30, 2020, 02:06:02 AM
I watched it, and overall enjoyed it.  Very timely I think.  I didn’t really pick up a Metro vibe though, except that the virus started in Moscow.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on November 30, 2020, 07:11:51 AM
By Metro vibe I mean the dour, fatalistic atmosphere. The rogue soldiers in the beginning, the villagers near the end, the woman in the cabaret... they all felt like they would fit right into the Metro setting. Themes of criminal justice ( the female prison guard in the cabin, the escaped convict turned cannibal), capitalism (the guy in the petrol station, repeated examples of the wealth of the protagonists not helping them), religion (the monk/priest), ends justifying the means (stealing fuel from the snow plow driver).

There just felt to me a different kind of darkness in the atmosphere that was more like Metro than Walking Dead/28 Days Later or any of the many usual “Hollywood” US/UK contagion productions.

Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: NickNascati on November 30, 2020, 01:05:48 PM
Rick W.
            Fair enough.  Definitely a different feel from any US or UK production.  I expect any second season has been halted by the real life virus.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Schogun on November 30, 2020, 02:08:45 PM
I watched the first episode, then, based on comments here, read the summaries of further episodes then decided not to suffer through all the drama and skip right to the last episode.

It is a surprise ending! And I'm surprised no one has leaked it yet (unless I missed it here...and I haven't searched elsewhere).
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on November 30, 2020, 04:05:15 PM
I tried to be careful not to leak it... it took me completely by surprise.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on November 30, 2020, 10:56:17 PM
If you want doom, gloom and bad decisions (plus a scarily frightening idea) I would suggest the Belgian series "Into the Night" which is available on Netflix.

Describing anything about the plot beyond a NATO officer forcing his way onto an airliner and forcing the crew to take off and fly West would spoil it.

Interesting idea which bears some thought.
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Ragnar on December 01, 2020, 02:20:15 AM
I tried to be careful not to leak it... it took me completely by surprise.

Have you seen a doctor?   lol
Title: Re: To the Lake (Nextflix)... opinions?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on December 01, 2020, 06:50:00 AM
Context is king, eh Ragnar?  ;)

Into the Night surprised me as well. Yes it is indeed dark, several unlikeable characters and utterly filled with poor decision making. One of those shows where you just do not know who is going to survive and who is going to die.

Decent roleplaying and wargaming potential in the premise though.