It's a good place to start if you're interested in mapping out the demise of Metallica. It always helps to start at rock bottom and work your way up (and backwards) - I think this would be the least disappointing way to experience the band.

Walt makes a deal with the DEA. Jesse is dragged away in cuffs. "You told them ALL OF IT?!"

During my TV Club-paced re-watching of The Shield, "Cherrypoppers" is the first episode that reminds me the most of what I saw and felt during the later seasons/episodes of the show. It's a completely gut-wrenching episode dealing with a lot of disgusting behaviors with no real dramatic pay-off. Vic clobbers Connie…

@avclub-ea93d61158b479315c8e0d4cd003ec35:disqus The problem is that I've only missed the most recent season… maybe now is the time to not climb aboard this ship (again). I'm one season behind with Girls and Treme and up to season 4 of Sopranos.

I find I'll usually let episodes pile up and watch them two at a time. However, I suspect I'll be letting the first season of Homeland pile up in its entirety and do a binge in a couple of months - my motivation is somewhat lacking because I jumped in on the second season with only the barest knowledge of what…

Excellent comments, @avclub-f6f154417c4665861583f9b9c4afafa2:disqus. I can understand some people being put off by the violence on display in The Shield - there are shocking moments of physical and psychological violence portrayed, implied and/or described in virtually every episode (some of it gratuitous) but this…

If we want to get all "cultural", it probably makes sense to discuss guns and the new Pope.

Hippy. I only say that because my sister refuses to ditch her flip phone, too, and she's a hippy.

@avclub-6dfb04136529fba8a8b870b91b59f8e6:disqus Your last line, about conveying what's happening inside a character's mind, is one of the main examples why some critics are viewing Girls with the same intensity and analysis as they did with The Sopranos. I agree with those critics. It's easy to think The Sopranos was…

@avclub-8f1899cdb606a3c7a0aa80d617eb123b:disqus Hold on, Guinness IS the cheap beer. No one drinks Bud, do they?

@avclub-45d15693cb729fefc030a41d117da9c1:disqus Bell Aliant gave me free HDMI cables when I switched from Rogers to get FiberOp and they're working just fine. Perhaps my senses are not as finely tuned as some of you FLAC-asses but everything looks amazing and sounds awesome in my memory!

Cheap beer is just as good as expensive beer after 2-3 drinks. And nobody here is having just 2-3 drinks.

Monster is a completely ridiculous luxury brand. "Look at these expensive cords hidden behind my couch!" I was silly enough to believe their hype many years ago but today I'm completely content to watch my 1080p tv using HDMIs from Costco. 2 for $20! Pop pop!

I have it on cassette. It only got bunched up in the cassette player 3 or 4 times.

Not always. The transparent iMacs never really took off.

The Homeland interrogation/confession was completely masterful and probably the main highlight of last season. I suspect The Wire's interrogation scenes are more realistic (read: mundane, see: The First 48) but The Shield is probably the best example of how to dramatize them without resorting to violence (e.g., 24).…

I'm really hoping the re-watch holds up because in my memory the show progressed in a very organic way that, like you said, kept past events in mind at all times.

@avclub-22eda830d1051274a2581d6466c06e6c:disqus I never had the impression that Julien was ever comfortable with his self-imposed heterosexuality, which is why I would disagree that he became "generic". Even if the writers chose to placate the actor's wish to not play a gay character, the plot revolving around sexual…

You'd appreciate the most recent Simpsons episode with teachers named Cantwell and Testiclees.

@avclub-9cd818ea56273170b63f339aa6f34bca:disqus I'm in the same boat with Lost. I haven't seen it but plan to watch it despite knowing major plot detail, including how it ends. Ditto for The Sopranos. I also happened across a major spoiler for the upcoming season for Game of Thrones - I just couldn't pull myself away…