Taken Down [RTE]

The Specialist

youre boring me now wrote: »

Should be a thread for those who find it decent-to-good, where we can post about the show unaffected by the anti-RTE crew, whose ability to discern a good drama I would question. (“It’s too slow,” etc - LOL!)

The only "LOL" would be the 2 posts your circle jerk thread would have (sorry that would be actually be the 2nd LOL after your statement here that this is a good drama).

youre boring me now

Are you all the same person or do you just happen to be similarly stupid?

yourdeadwright wrote: »

In this case the tv show just happens to be slow and the majority think the same ?

What's the problem with people having the same opinion ,If everyone loved it would you have a problem with that to ?

If you’re looking for bangs and flashes, I suppose it might seem slow. The problem is the relentless reputation of the same ill-considered criticisms.

Colby Blue Denim wrote: »

Are you saying you want a separate thread just for posters who agree with you.
It's a discussion forum it's going to have people with different opinions.

No..! Just to weed out the likes of you and your irrelevant opinions.

The Specialist wrote: »

The only "LOL" would be the 2 posts your circle jerk thread would have (sorry that would be actually be the 2nd LOL after your statement here that this is a good drama).

Yikes, that was cringe.

clfy39tzve8njq

youre boring me now wrote:

No..! Just to weed out the likes of you and your irrelevant opinions.

Excuse me, but my opinion is every bit as relevant as yours as is the opinion of every other poster. If you can't cope with differing opinions without resorting to insults maybe forums aren't the best place for you.

The Late Late Show

yourdeadwright wrote: »

In this case the tv show just happens to be slow and the majority think the same ?

What's the problem with people having the same opinion ,If everyone loved it would you have a problem with that to ?

When the majority of people feel the same about TV shows, then they all cannot be wrong. The flaws in Taken Down are typical RTE and the producers of the show in RTE are 100% to blame. RTE are determined to sanitise everything and their dramas are now the equivalent to drama as boybands are to music.

The subject matter of Taken Down is good but the production is poor. If it was made in 2012, it would open with a balaclava-clad terrorist murdering the woman and then would have shown an abusive relationship between the main character and her employer who would treat her like a handmaid.

youre boring me now

Colby Blue Denim wrote: »

Excuse me, but my opinion is every bit as relevant as yours as is the opinion of every other poster. If you can't cope with differing opinions without resorting to insults maybe forums aren't the best place for you.

Lol that you think your opinion is in any way worthy of being heard by others.

The Specialist

youre boring me now wrote: »

Lol that you think your opinion is in any way worthy of being heard by others.

From your snarky up your own arse attitude, I'm going to take a guess you either work in some section of RTE or have some involvement in the program.

The Late Late Show

rob316 wrote: »

The writers have taken a good interesting topic and turned it into a dull boring show. It needs pace and better characters.

I'd blame the RTE Green light team. They edited all the violence out of it because of the squeamish types who cry 'torture porn' when they watched The Handmaid's Tale and Love/Hate. Taken Down is made for fans of Dancing With The Stars and Westlife.

youre boring me now

The Specialist wrote: »

From your snarky up your own arse attitude, I'm going to take a guess you either work in some section of RTE or have some involvement in the program.

Lol, what a pathetic and inaccurate stab in the dark!

The Late Late Show

rob316 wrote: »

Finding joy getting a second season. Who the **** watches this ****e

Typical. More of the retrograde attitudes of RTE. When the world in general gives us top quality drama series like The Handmaid's Tale, Game of Thrones, Mr Mercedes and Better Call Saul, RTE shove on this tripe. Compared to Finding Joy, Taken Down is a masterpiece!

Deleted User wrote: »

No surprise there. She is one of the darlings of RTE along with hubby :rolleyes: Like Tubs she is well connected and even her very wooden talentless brother Mark manages to get the odd gig here and there

Amy Huberman is very lightweight and her 2 recent series are very very poor. She is well connected and perfectly suits the focus on tame watered down fare RTE want to push at us. Amy Huberman could never play someone like Offred/June from The Handmaid's Tale or Siobhan from Love/Hate that is for sure. There was a reason why she never was in Love/Hate.

tylercheribini wrote: »

The show is a microcosm of decades old RTE practice.

Finding Joy is like The Big Bow Wow and dozens other attempts at drama. Cheaply made watered down crap with nothing of substance in it whatsoever. RTE are insulting its viewers by producing this type of tripe and expecting us to pay for it.

hatrickpatrick

How do ye think Flora got caught? Or did she voluntarily go back to the brothel even knowing that they'd likely retaliate for her escape attempts?

The Late Late Show

jvan wrote: »

I wonder is the pace of the show a metaphor for how long people are in direct provison!

It seems like it alright! The first 3 episodes were overall very poor. Sure, some mid season episodes of dramas can be like episode 3 of Taken Down but usually the opening episodes (one and two) are good and strive to grab viewers' attention. Taken Down did not do this.

As with many Irish drama series, I wanted to like Taken Down and I gave it a chance. Now 3 episodes in, it is very clear this is yet another series ruined by RTE's puritan killjoys.

The irony is RTE listen to all those complainers about violence. Look at the outcry over the shooting of the cat in Love/Hate. Or Siobhan's rape or Fran's prison fight? The squeamish minority came out and forced RTE to essentially never make a violent drama again. Meanwhile, all the poor fare like Finding Joy, Striking Out and all the reality series get made despite a myriad of complaints.

I'm sure Taken Down was written much better but was toned down and sanitised by the RTE production team. I think Stuart Carolan should not deal with RTE in future and write for Hulu, Netflix, and so on where it would be made properly. RTE is a ruiner of drama at the moment.

blackvalley

yourdeadwright wrote: »

In this case the tv show just happens to be slow and the majority think the same ? ?

The majority of the handful of people who have the time or interest to bother posting opinions on forums such as this of course .

blackvalley

yourdeadwright wrote: »

In this case the tv show just happens to be slow and the majority think the same ?

What majority would that be

The Late Late Show

Another major observation I will make about the show is that we learn very little about the world of direct provision. We find out very little about any of the characters and it just seems a heavily edited (diluted?) hodge podge of ideas with little connecting them. That man who committed suicide for example: what was his purpose even? He was troubled and we never found out much and they then kill him off.

Taken Down has not become a substitute for Love/Hate. Thankfully, many proper dramas like McMafia, Peaky Blinders and The Handmaid's Tale are being made and these will satisfy fans of Love/Hate. None of them are Irish of course! It seems that for every proper Irish drama like Love/Hate or Strumpet City, there are dozens of poorly made ones like The Big Bow Wow, Rebellion, Trouble in Heaven, On Home Ground, Striking Out, Finding Joy and now Taken Down. 3 years ago, Clean Break was a major disappointment coming off the highs of Love/Hate Series 5 but now Clean Break looks decent. It had a story, action and wasn't all filmed in the dark.

Love/Hate ended on a high but there was talk of a 6th season focusing on the traveller character. This was dropped and instead we got a series of crime dramas not nearly as good as Love/Hate of which Clean Break was the best. A big deal was made of Rebellion in 2016. Sequels one named Resistance were mooted but quickly dropped. They were full sure this was going to be a worldwide hit. The toned down nature of the show meant that it would not get any where outside of RTE. Despite there being a golden era of TV shows, RTE have actually regressed. Clean Break may well be one of the last decent ones as all the ones since then have been brutal. Taken Down has been the most disappointing of all.

RTE drama was better a few years ago. Love/Hate of course but I found both Amber and Charlie to be well made and interesting. Amber got savaged at the time but I found it to be well made and realistic. It was way better than all the drivel coming out at the moment like Striking Out, Finding Joy and Taken Down.

The Late Late Show

Deleted User wrote: »

No one disputed his education or the fact he has a certain amount of intelligence but his views on immigration are deeply flawed. If Western countries keep taking in refugees then the origin countries will never learn and will continue to act the bollócks.

Leaders with some bit of back bone should be coming together and warning these dictators that their carry on is a burden on the rest of the world instead of resorting to this unsustainable madness of direct provision and forced migration.

The debate about direct provision and the wrongs of dictators, greedy superpowers and warfare that causes the refugee crises is something for shows like Prime Time and the chatshows. Taken Down does not convey a good story on this topic that will engage people with a world most do not know about.

Even though Taken Down is not intentionally racist, its poor depiction and RTE stereotypes of some of the non-national characters make it look so. For example, when the African man was putting the curse on the woman was pure stereotypical voodooism. I know a direct provision centre in the city I work in and have talked to some Africans in it. None of them act like the ones in Taken Down and it is clear that those producing Taken Down (I'm not including Stuart Carolan who probably wrote a more gritty more violent draft that RTE toned down) are as far removed from the world of direct provision centres as possible.

The Late Late Show

quinnd6 wrote: »

It's too boring to watch.
Nothing happening.
Then followed by more crap.
No the licence fee is not worth it.
It's wasted money.
TV is just crap on all channels anyway.

The amount of drivel on TV is frightful. RTE drama has gotten worse in recent years. Taken Down is about the same as Striking Out. The names of these drama series may sound like titles of Dirty Harry movies but are anything but.

pixelburp

mod: stop sniping at each other. If you can't discuss a simple TV show, without making snide personal comments and asides, then don't post here.

Next one to show an inability to be civil gets a card.

pixelburp

mod: asinine bickering posts deleted.

The Late Late Show

Was just reading the number of viewers tuning into Taken Down has decreased drastically. Not surprising at all after 3 lame episodes deliberately toned down to be the antithesis of Love/Hate. Go and watch McMafia, The Handmaid's Tale and Peaky Blinders and do not waste time with Taken Down is my advice. Unlike the other 4 series mentioned, Taken Down will not be part of my DVD collection. I'd say Stuart Carolan's script after all the RTE meddling is reduced down to less than 5%.

youre boring me now

The Late Late Show wrote: »

Was just reading the number of viewers tuning into Taken Down has decreased drastically. Not surprising at all after 3 lame episodes deliberately toned down to be the antithesis of Love/Hate. Go and watch McMafia, The Handmaid's Tale and Peaky Blinders and do not waste time with Taken Down is my advice. Unlike the other 4 series mentioned, Taken Down will not be part of my DVD collection. I'd say Stuart Carolan's script after all the RTE meddling is reduced down to less than 5%.

Thanks so much for your advice Late Late Show!!! I'd be super grateful if you would check back regularly with your latest thoughts on the programme that you don't like but continue to heroically watch!!!

The Late Late Show

youre boring me now wrote: »

Thanks so much for your advice Late Late Show!!! I'd be super grateful if you would check back regularly with your latest thoughts on the programme that you don't like but continue to heroically watch!!!

Who said I will continue to watch this? I've watched 3 episodes and wanted to give it a chance but 50% of the way through it, there is nothing impressive about it and it is just boring. Rebellion was a masterpiece by comparison so far.

I REALLY wanted to like Taken Down and thought that it would give us a good drama that would catch the imagination of the nation like Love/Hate did. So far, Taken Down is actionless, humourless, dark (as in set in the dark), draggy, tame and boring. There is nothing there to recommend it.

Across 5 series, Love/Hate was always interesting and it essentially documented the violent life of Nidge from happy go lucky second in command to paranoid gang leader. Even in its quieter episodes of each season, Love/Hate was a billion times better than anything in Taken Down so far. Each season and each episode of Love/Hate had something interesting and added to the story. And unpredictable stories came into being: for example after an IRA heavy series 3 and first 4 episodes of series 4, suddenly a seemingly forgotten story of Nidge bombing Fran's wife's place comes back into focus and the pipe bomb maker dominates the rest of series 4 and almost all of series 5. Even when it felt most likely Fran or the cops posed the greatest danger to Nidge, it was the pipe bomb maker in the end who proved most lethal.

Can I see Taken Down get 5 series or go through the twists and turns of Love/Hate? Not based on the first 3 tame episodes. If RTE have an aversion to violent dramas, they should do one about Bertie Ahern or about the banking crisis or something else. They totally ruin gangland dramas now because they are afraid of the people who criticised Love/Hate then and The Handmaid's Tale now.

youre boring me now

The Late Late Show wrote: »

Who said I will continue to watch this? I've watched 3 episodes and wanted to give it a chance but 50% of the way through it, there is nothing impressive about it and it is just boring. Rebellion was a masterpiece by comparison so far.

I REALLY wanted to like Taken Down and thought that it would give us a good drama that would catch the imagination of the nation like Love/Hate did. So far, Taken Down is actionless, humourless, dark (as in set in the dark), draggy, tame and boring. There is nothing there to recommend it.

Across 5 series, Love/Hate was always interesting and it essentially documented the violent life of Nidge from happy go lucky second in command to paranoid gang leader. Even in its quieter episodes of each season, Love/Hate was a billion times better than anything in Taken Down so far. Each season and each episode of Love/Hate had something interesting and added to the story. And unpredictable stories came into being: for example after an IRA heavy series 3 and first 4 episodes of series 4, suddenly a seemingly forgotten story of Nidge bombing Fran's wife's place comes back into focus and the pipe bomb maker dominates the rest of series 4 and almost all of series 5. Even when it felt most likely Fran or the cops posed the greatest danger to Nidge, it was the pipe bomb maker in the end who proved most lethal.

Can I see Taken Down get 5 series or go through the twists and turns of Love/Hate? Not based on the first 3 tame episodes. If RTE have an aversion to violent dramas, they should do one about Bertie Ahern or about the banking crisis or something else. They totally ruin gangland dramas now because they are afraid of the people who criticised Love/Hate then and The Handmaid's Tale now.

That's all first-rate stuff. Keep it coming.

robwen

Why does the Handmaid's tale get mentioned in here so often, similar subject matter or what's the comparison?

youre boring me now

robwen wrote: »

Why does the Handmaid's tale get mentioned in here so often, similar subject matter or what's the comparison?

It was critically acclaimed, and those people see nothing foolish in comparing an independent Irish production to a lavishly funded American adaption.

The Late Late Show

youre boring me now wrote: »

It was critically acclaimed, and those people see nothing foolish in comparing an independent Irish production to a lavishly funded American adaption.

The Handmaid's Tale and Love/Hate both are excellent with one being also an Irish drama with less funding and the other an American drama with a big budget. Both are critically acclaimed and both did not shy away from their subject matter. There is no way Taken Down can compare to either of these 2 dramas and is the antithesis to them.

FrancieBrady

The Late Late Show wrote: »

The Handmaid's Tale and Love/Hate both are excellent with one being also an Irish drama with less funding and the other an American drama with a big budget. Both are critically acclaimed and both did not shy away from their subject matter. There is no way Taken Down can compare to either of these 2 dramas and is the antithesis to them.

Love Hate had all the same cliches as this. Including the same actor playing almost the same part.

The Late Late Show

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Love Hate had all the same cliches as this. Including the same actor playing almost the same part.

Love/Hate was a million times better. The important issue was this actor played a minor rather than a major character in Love/Hate. She is a backup actor rather than a main character.

The Late Late Show

Another issue with the actor Lynn Rafferty: in Love/Hate, her character Aideen was perfect comic relief often to counteract the violence and keep things balanced. She was never a major character and was ideal as Ado's girlfriend. As the main character in a far tamer drama, she is not as convincing and there is no purpose here to lighten things in any way. I am not sure if she or the script are wrong but RTE have messed up this one which is typical of all post-Love/Hate drama RTE has done.

Love/Hate had those comic moments as well as the violence and the tension. Nidge and his son going to see Santa for example was a humorous contrast to Fran's wife committing suicide. That is how Love/Hate succeeded and where Taken Down does not.

RabbleRouser2k

Handmaid's Tale was fine for the first season-but it dropped off enormously in the second season-probably because there should never have been a second season.

That's another issue that American Drama has had in the last few years-too many shows dip after their first season-be it Lost, or Girls (which had a brief flirtation with popularity) or The Walking Dead. Audiences dip out, and if the quality isn't maintained, they're gone. True Detective S2 was a mess compared to S1.
Breaking Bad maintained it's quality-whilst shows like Mad Men just didn't click over here, so it's hard to judge the quality of product.

If RTE interfered in the script-and I don't believe they did, then there are workarounds to that. But the writing is one thing, the acting is something else-and that's down to direction, and poor casting.
We're getting a politically correct story-with no meat.

FrancieBrady

The Late Late Show wrote: »

Love/Hate was a million times better. The important issue was this actor played a minor rather than a major character in Love/Hate. She is a backup actor rather than a main character.

I was talking about the Git character. Same actor, same part. Cliched.
Both series are. Love Hate was just ok, just. Some tedious writing and over wrought characterisation in it as well.
I always think the people who hate RTE, making an exception for Love Hate to be hilariously funny tbh.

Yeah..would love/hate really hold up now even..apart from the 'gritty/glamour Irish drug dealers hitting the big time' hype that kind of surrounded it at the time..was it really that gripping, or was it just that it was RTE doing something other than fair city..I never really watched it..I probably will at some stage..

hatrickpatrick

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah..would love/hate really hold up now even..apart from the 'gritty/glamour Irish drug dealers hitting the big time' hype that kind of surrounded it at the time..was it really that gripping, or was it just that it was RTE doing something other than fair city..I never really watched it..I probably will at some stage..

Love/Hate really was incredible. Not without its flaws obviously, but seasons two and four in particular were incredible - the perfect mix of crime action and personal drama.

I think two crucial elements of Love/Hate added to the realism - one being the on-location film shoots at familiar locations in Dublin along with familiar landmarks in scene-setting pans, and also their use of contemporary music in the background of various scenes - to take one example, Season Four begins with the lads trying to have a meeting in the car park of a nightclub, and in the background you can hear the muffled verse of We Found Love (Calvin Harris / Rihanna) which was big in the charts at the time. The Christening scene in that same scene was similar - the background music was exactly what you'd expect from a 2010s private function at a Dublin hotel with a DJ.

Because of this, the show nailed that "this really could be real life and happening right now and just around the corner" feel. Ado's gaff was a block of old flats in Dolphin's Barn beside where some of my friends lived, and that definitely enhanced the show at least for us - could cite many more examples of excellent use of Dublin scenery and landmarks to fully immerse viewers, assuming they actually live in Dublin or are familiar with it.

Taken Down is far more claustrophobic, which its meant to be, but it does mean that it can't easily go for either that sense of geographical familiarity, or strategic deployment of background music to properly date the show as happening in the present time, right now. Maybe others would disagree, but in my view those were two of the defining features of Love/Hate - and, indeed, RTE's inability to make a deal with IMRO for using the same music on the DVD release definitely took away from that immersive atmosphere, which is why I will always rewatch it from my Sky box's planner rather than any of the DVDs.

The Late Late Show

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Handmaid's Tale was fine for the first season-but it dropped off enormously in the second season-probably because there should never have been a second season.

That's another issue that American Drama has had in the last few years-too many shows dip after their first season-be it Lost, or Girls (which had a brief flirtation with popularity) or The Walking Dead. Audiences dip out, and if the quality isn't maintained, they're gone. True Detective S2 was a mess compared to S1.
Breaking Bad maintained it's quality-whilst shows like Mad Men just didn't click over here, so it's hard to judge the quality of product.

If RTE interfered in the script-and I don't believe they did, then there are workarounds to that. But the writing is one thing, the acting is something else-and that's down to direction, and poor casting.
We're getting a politically correct story-with no meat.

I enjoyed both series of The Handmaid's Tale. The first season was the best because it was based on the excellent book of the same name. Series 2 though I enjoyed as well and it is streets ahead of anything RTE did recently that is for sure.

I was a late comer to Breaking Bad but have really enjoyed it and it is an excellent series. Mad Men I have yet to see but I like Elisabeth Moss' acting style and she is excellent in The Handmaid's Tale.

RTE's recent dramas are poor and I would very much think RTE are toning them down. They probably didn't interfere with the script but just sanitised it and decided what should be shown and how it should be shown.

Taken Down clearly is poorly directed and the actors are not suited to the role. Lynn Rafferty was grand as Aideen in Love/Hate but she is not a convincing Garda any more than Amy was a convincing solicitor in Striking Out. But the sad truth is this is more likely the type of cop RTE will show. They won't be doing a Dirty Harry type one that's for sure!

FrancieBrady wrote: »

I was talking about the Git character. Same actor, same part. Cliched.
Both series are. Love Hate was just ok, just. Some tedious writing and over wrought characterisation in it as well.
I always think the people who hate RTE, making an exception for Love Hate to be hilariously funny tbh.

Gar is a watered down version of Git that is for sure. Watered down being the operative word when it comes to Taken Down in general.I enjoyed Love/Hate a lot and it is something I have watched several times. There is so much stuff in Love/Hate that today's RTE would not make: let alone the violence, all the scenes with the taking the drugs would not be shown either. With all the ultra-Catholic doctors like Frank Murray breeding down our throats with misinformation about drink, RTE will soon no longer be able to show people drinking in their dramas. This is how sad things are going in RTE.

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah..would love/hate really hold up now even..apart from the 'gritty/glamour Irish drug dealers hitting the big time' hype that kind of surrounded it at the time..was it really that gripping, or was it just that it was RTE doing something other than fair city..I never really watched it..I probably will at some stage..

Yes, it does stand up. Watch Love/Hate and just compare it to Taken Down or Striking Out and you see the difference. Love/Hate was not afraid to show its word and it should have been followed up with more such dramas. Since then, RTE are afraid to show anything offensive (meaning violent) or anything that goes against the puritanical agendas of the likes of Dr Frank Murray (a Catholic religious fanatic who also happens to be a doctor). Sadly, the 'new' Ireland and the old Ireland are not as different as we are lead to believe. It is now only the PC types and health types can use these to peddle their religious extremism when people no longer take note of religion. Sadly, this agenda is creeping into how our dramas are made. Fair City too while just a soap is still better than Taken Down or Striking Out. But it is the same here: once, there was Billy Meehan and gangland, now it is a lot tamer.

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Love/Hate really was incredible. Not without its flaws obviously, but seasons two and four in particular were incredible - the perfect mix of crime action and personal drama.

I think two crucial elements of Love/Hate added to the realism - one being the on-location film shoots at familiar locations in Dublin along with familiar landmarks in scene-setting pans, and also their use of contemporary music in the background of various scenes - to take one example, Season Four begins with the lads trying to have a meeting in the car park of a nightclub, and in the background you can hear the muffled verse of We Found Love (Calvin Harris / Rihanna) which was big in the charts at the time. The Christening scene in that same scene was similar - the background music was exactly what you'd expect from a 2010s private function at a Dublin hotel with a DJ.

Because of this, the show nailed that "this really could be real life and happening right now and just around the corner" feel. Ado's gaff was a block of old flats in Dolphin's Barn beside where some of my friends lived, and that definitely enhanced the show at least for us - could cite many more examples of excellent use of Dublin scenery and landmarks to fully immerse viewers, assuming they actually live in Dublin or are familiar with it.

Taken Down is far more claustrophobic, which its meant to be, but it does mean that it can't easily go for either that sense of geographical familiarity, or strategic deployment of background music to properly date the show as happening in the present time, right now. Maybe others would disagree, but in my view those were two of the defining features of Love/Hate - and, indeed, RTE's inability to make a deal with IMRO for using the same music on the DVD release definitely took away from that immersive atmosphere, which is why I will always rewatch it from my Sky box's planner rather than any of the DVDs.

I agree with this. Love/Hate is a treat to watch I think. The music in it I agree was well chosen too. Look at the use of the spiritual at the very start of season four to hone in on Nidge's guilt while visiting Darren's grave. Or Roy Orbison's Crying used when Fran found out about Nidge and Linda. Or the rebel songs for the IRA episodes. The lack of the original music often is sadly a feature of the DVDs and takes from them.

Taken Down just comes across as a drab, tame, toned down drama. While it is goodnatured, it is tame. Being good natured and OTT PC is not the same. The Dirty Harry character for example is good natured but he is not OTT PC for example. As an antidote to the poor episode 3 of Taken Down, I watched Sudden Impact the most violent Dirty Harry film after it. It showed how an evil misogynist gang get their comeuppance and was the perfect tonic after an hour of boredom on RTE. I'm sure back in the day when the Dirty Harry films were made, bishops and hardline priests were preaching against them. Today, the priests and bishops have been replaced by even more sinister health fanatics who will peddle misinformation that violent drama along with food, alcohol and intelligent forms of music are all bad for us!

FrancieBrady

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Love/Hate really was incredible. Not without its flaws obviously, but seasons two and four in particular were incredible - the perfect mix of crime action and personal drama.

I think two crucial elements of Love/Hate added to the realism - one being the on-location film shoots at familiar locations in Dublin along with familiar landmarks in scene-setting pans, and also their use of contemporary music in the background of various scenes - to take one example, Season Four begins with the lads trying to have a meeting in the car park of a nightclub, and in the background you can hear the muffled verse of We Found Love (Calvin Harris / Rihanna) which was big in the charts at the time. The Christening scene in that same scene was similar - the background music was exactly what you'd expect from a 2010s private function at a Dublin hotel with a DJ.

Because of this, the show nailed that "this really could be real life and happening right now and just around the corner" feel. Ado's gaff was a block of old flats in Dolphin's Barn beside where some of my friends lived, and that definitely enhanced the show at least for us - could cite many more examples of excellent use of Dublin scenery and landmarks to fully immerse viewers, assuming they actually live in Dublin or are familiar with it.

Taken Down is far more claustrophobic, which its meant to be, but it does mean that it can't easily go for either that sense of geographical familiarity, or strategic deployment of background music to properly date the show as happening in the present time, right now. Maybe others would disagree, but in my view those were two of the defining features of Love/Hate - and, indeed, RTE's inability to make a deal with IMRO for using the same music on the DVD release definitely took away from that immersive atmosphere, which is why I will always rewatch it from my Sky box's planner rather than any of the DVDs.

So it can only be good if it has geographical familiarity to 'you'?

The reaction to Love Hate was really skewed by over reverence in my opinion. Not sure at what point it happened in the series but the writers, actors and RTE could do no wrong with it with it, with a certain set of viewers, after a certain point.
But some of it was dull cliched writing that aped so much other stuff.

youre boring me now

The Late Late Show wrote: »

I enjoyed both series of The Handmaid's Tale. The first season was the best because it was based on the excellent book of the same name. Series 2 though I enjoyed as well and it is streets ahead of anything RTE did recently that is for sure.

I was a late comer to Breaking Bad but have really enjoyed it and it is an excellent series. Mad Men I have yet to see but I like Elisabeth Moss' acting style and she is excellent in The Handmaid's Tale.

RTE's recent dramas are poor and I would very much think RTE are toning them down. They probably didn't interfere with the script but just sanitised it and decided what should be shown and how it should be shown.

Taken Down clearly is poorly directed and the actors are not suited to the role. Lynn Rafferty was grand as Aideen in Love/Hate but she is not a convincing Garda any more than Amy was a convincing solicitor in Striking Out. But the sad truth is this is more likely the type of cop RTE will show. They won't be doing a Dirty Harry type one that's for sure!



Gar is a watered down version of Git that is for sure. Watered down being the operative word when it comes to Taken Down in general.I enjoyed Love/Hate a lot and it is something I have watched several times. There is so much stuff in Love/Hate that today's RTE would not make: let alone the violence, all the scenes with the taking the drugs would not be shown either. With all the ultra-Catholic doctors like Frank Murray breeding down our throats with misinformation about drink, RTE will soon no longer be able to show people drinking in their dramas. This is how sad things are going in RTE.



Yes, it does stand up. Watch Love/Hate and just compare it to Taken Down or Striking Out and you see the difference. Love/Hate was not afraid to show its word and it should have been followed up with more such dramas. Since then, RTE are afraid to show anything offensive (meaning violent) or anything that goes against the puritanical agendas of the likes of Dr Frank Murray (a Catholic religious fanatic who also happens to be a doctor). Sadly, the 'new' Ireland and the old Ireland are not as different as we are lead to believe. It is now only the PC types and health types can use these to peddle their religious extremism when people no longer take note of religion. Sadly, this agenda is creeping into how our dramas are made. Fair City too while just a soap is still better than Taken Down or Striking Out. But it is the same here: once, there was Billy Meehan and gangland, now it is a lot tamer.



I agree with this. Love/Hate is a treat to watch I think. The music in it I agree was well chosen too. Look at the use of the spiritual at the very start of season four to hone in on Nidge's guilt while visiting Darren's grave. Or Roy Orbison's Crying used when Fran found out about Nidge and Linda. Or the rebel songs for the IRA episodes. The lack of the original music often is sadly a feature of the DVDs and takes from them.

Taken Down just comes across as a drab, tame, toned down drama. While it is goodnatured, it is tame. Being good natured and OTT PC is not the same. The Dirty Harry character for example is good natured but he is not OTT PC for example. As an antidote to the poor episode 3 of Taken Down, I watched Sudden Impact the most violent Dirty Harry film after it. It showed how an evil misogynist gang get their comeuppance and was the perfect tonic after an hour of boredom on RTE. I'm sure back in the day when the Dirty Harry films were made, bishops and hardline priests were preaching against them. Today, the priests and bishops have been replaced by even more sinister health fanatics who will peddle misinformation that violent drama along with food, alcohol and intelligent forms of music are all bad for us!

A 4am post?! You must have a busy life! I wonder if you’re aware of how vapid your criticisms are. Nothing is substantiated. You simply contrast Taken Down with another show and assert that it is far inferior. Your quantity (a tad excessive, maybe?!) doesn’t mask the poor quality.

hatrickpatrick

FrancieBrady wrote: »

So it can only be good if it has geographical familiarity to 'you'?

The reaction to Love Hate was really skewed by over reverence in my opinion. Not sure at what point it happened in the series but the writers, actors and RTE could do no wrong with it with it, with a certain set of viewers, after a certain point.
But some of it was dull cliched writing that aped so much other stuff.

I never said it could only be good if it has geographical familiarity, I'm merely saying that this geographical familiarity was surely part of the reason Love/Hate was so incredibly successful. The entire program was shot on location and a huge amount of it took place outdoors and in public areas. Taken Down is a claustrophobic kind of show (intentionally and rightly, IMO) - most of its scenes take place indoors and in close quarters with the characters. I'm not saying this makes the difference between a good show, but surely it could be argued that it might make the difference between a show with mass hype appeal?

RabbleRouser2k

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

I never said it could only be good if it has geographical familiarity, I'm merely saying that this geographical familiarity was surely part of the reason Love/Hate was so incredibly successful. The entire program was shot on location and a huge amount of it took place outdoors and in public areas. Taken Down is a claustrophobic kind of show (intentionally and rightly, IMO) - most of its scenes take place indoors and in close quarters with the characters. I'm not saying this makes the difference between a good show, but surely it could be argued that it might make the difference between a show with mass hype appeal?

I think I understand what you mean- the real world locations were another character in the show. Instead of a set, it was a real world location. And being 'real' made it feel more real.
(The Wire did similar-the city was the main character. The main cast were all supporting characters.) I can understand wanting to preserve claustrophobia in Taken Down-the only problem is they've mismanaged it.

Interestingly, someone above mentioned Billy Meehan and Fair City. The actor who played him, Stuart Dunne, seemed to never escape the role afterwards. He was interviewed years later (dunno what magazine it was) but he was trying to get a movie made based on Vincent Van Gogh. He even removed some of his front teeth to get it made, and had falsies fitted until he could afford dental implants.
Anyways-the interview I read, he came across as very bitter. He had a theory as to why Fair City 'killed off' his character-he felt that the character had far more stories to be told, could even have left and come back to the show at a later stage.
But he felt there was pressure from the government and Bertie Ahern to 'get his character out of the show'... I don't know how true that is, tbh.
If anything, it felt far more like conspiracy theory than anything.

But I thought it was an interesting side note with regards to others feeling like RTE interfered in the show.

yourdeadwright

FrancieBrady wrote: »

I was talking about the Git character. Same actor, same part. Cliched.
Both series are. Love Hate was just ok, just. Some tedious writing and over wrought characterisation in it as well.
I always think the people who hate RTE, making an exception for Love Hate to be hilariously funny tbh.

Same in cardboard gangster's to, Surely there is more than one actor to play theses parts in Ireland

The Late Late Show

youre boring me now wrote: »

A 4am post?! You must have a busy life! I wonder if you’re aware of how vapid your criticisms are. Nothing is substantiated. You simply contrast Taken Down with another show and assert that it is far inferior. Your quantity (a tad excessive, maybe?!) doesn’t mask the poor quality.

One has every right to compare dramas and for me, Taken Down is not a patch on the other dramas mentioned. Maybe episodes 4, 5 and 6 may be great but the first 3 are restrained and tame taken as a whole. Episode 1 was good as a standalone episode but episode 2 was awful and episode 3 was average and tame. Taken as a whole, they are not good and tame.

The Late Late Show

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

I think I understand what you mean- the real world locations were another character in the show. Instead of a set, it was a real world location. And being 'real' made it feel more real.
(The Wire did similar-the city was the main character. The main cast were all supporting characters.) I can understand wanting to preserve claustrophobia in Taken Down-the only problem is they've mismanaged it.

Interestingly, someone above mentioned Billy Meehan and Fair City. The actor who played him, Stuart Dunne, seemed to never escape the role afterwards. He was interviewed years later (dunno what magazine it was) but he was trying to get a movie made based on Vincent Van Gogh. He even removed some of his front teeth to get it made, and had falsies fitted until he could afford dental implants.
Anyways-the interview I read, he came across as very bitter. He had a theory as to why Fair City 'killed off' his character-he felt that the character had far more stories to be told, could even have left and come back to the show at a later stage.
But he felt there was pressure from the government and Bertie Ahern to 'get his character out of the show'... I don't know how true that is, tbh.
If anything, it felt far more like conspiracy theory than anything.

But I thought it was an interesting side note with regards to others feeling like RTE interfered in the show.

That's interesting and there is some truth in what Stuart Dunne was saying. Fair City back then was very good and Meehan's character was shown as a very violent abusive person. He was a vicious gangster and was a pre-cursor to Love/Hate. Unlike Nidge, he was very abusive to his wife.

Were there a demand by hidden powers to remove Meehan? Well, Fair City has gotten more restrained afterwards. Look when they had similar abuser Paddy Bishop in it: as with Rebellion, Taken Down and Striking Out, any violence was done OFF-SCREEN. There is certainly a restraint there for all to see and it is ruining dramas.

Love/Hate and the early 2000s Fair City was unafraid to show the warts and all picture of the worlds depicted. Today's drama on RTE sugarcoat things and it is there for all to see.

FrancieBrady

Have to say the current trailer for this has whetted my appetite for another episode.
It does stay in the system and on the retina even though it is slow and nothing seems to be happening.

Richard Roma

I just wish that a character wouldn’t say “go ooonnnnnn” every two minutes.

youre boring me now

The Late Late Show wrote: »

Taken Down is not a patch on the other dramas ... The first 3 [episodes] are restrained and tame ... Episode 1 was good ... but episode 2 was awful and episode 3 was average and tame. Taken as a whole, they are not good and tame.

My claim is not that comparisons are illegitimate. It's that your comparisons are vapid!

prunudo

What was the scene in episode 3 that was supposed to be so stomach churning?

donkeykong5

jvan wrote: »

What was the scene in episode 3 that was supposed to be so stomach churning?

Yeah what was it. ?

bodhrandude

I'm still trying to work out a scene in Episode 2, either three Arabic or Persian people walk into this house they are supposed to be taking, there's a bunch of lads on the couch in the living room drinking cans and refusing to move. What was that about, it doesn't look like it was followed up on or that story line continued. I'm enjoying it enough, it gives an interesting look at sex trafficking, slum landlords and a sleazier side to the Nigerian/Irish prostitution ring.

youre boring me now

bodhrandude wrote: »

I'm still trying to work out a scene in Episode 2, either three Arabic or Persian people walk into this house they are supposed to be taking, there's a bunch of lads on the couch in the living room drinking cans and refusing to move. What was that about, it doesn't look like it was followed up on or that story line continued. I'm enjoying it enough, it gives an interesting look at sex trafficking, slum landlords and a sleazier side to the Nigerian/Irish prostitution ring.

It seems that they were a family and paying tenants of the house. The people on the couch were sent by the brothel owner (and seemingly landlord also - he’s an entrepreneurial sort!) to force them to move (against tenancy regulations), in order to multiply the number of tenants.

RabbleRouser2k

donkeykong5 wrote: »

Yeah what was it. ?

I feel like someone was trying to play us to get us to watch the episode.

I said I was out after episode 2, and that's the promise I kept. I left the show. I was done and I am done.

The Late Late Show

youre boring me now wrote: »

My claim is not that comparisons are illegitimate. It's that your comparisons are vapid!

Why get personal and act the bully? Instead of ATTACKING posters, can YOU INSTEAD tell me WHY you think Taken Down is good????!!!!!

Another thing is I am not spilling specific plot details here and am NOT going to comment on storylines' specifics here and the series is not engaging enough to describe plots in spoilers. Stop criticizing other posters here and if you want to make a valid argument WHY Taken Down is good, do so!

The Late Late Show

bodhrandude wrote: »

I'm still trying to work out a scene in Episode 2, either three Arabic or Persian people walk into this house they are supposed to be taking, there's a bunch of lads on the couch in the living room drinking cans and refusing to move. What was that about, it doesn't look like it was followed up on or that story line continued. I'm enjoying it enough, it gives an interesting look at sex trafficking, slum landlords and a sleazier side to the Nigerian/Irish prostitution ring.

This was once more the use of stereotypes to try and pigeonhole Arabs, Iranians, Muslims, etc. as people who do not drink alcohol and the presence of someone drinking alcohol in their presence would be seen as intimidating. In reality, plenty Muslims drink alcohol and even those who don't, don't care what others are doing and have seen it 1000s of times before!