Too Old to Die Young (TV Mini Series) Volume 8: The Hanged Man (2019) User Reviews

Don't listen to the haters

[sackofwhine · 9/10 · 18 May 2020]

As another user has pointed out- this is nothing like Breaking Bad, because TOTDY is not even trying to be something like BB. If you are still comparing this show to something that is aesthetically, tonally and thematically completely different, then you are probably not doing a good job at paying attention.

Episode 8 is another absolutely jaw dropping episode. NWR is presenting us a major shift in its plot progression, ending this chapter with something I truly wasn't expecting. The visionary images are mixed together with gory and gritty violence, a violence that is present throughout the whole universe of TOTDY but has its peak here. Upsetting stuff, however beautifully crafted.

The most jaw-droppingly shocking, surprising, and violent episode yet

[darkreignn · 9/10 · 28 January 2021]

God damn. This episode was a complete gut punch; I saw things I certainly not only didn't expect to see, but also didn't want to see. But that's the genius of this episode - it definitely doesn't cater to its audience, but it furthers the storyline in a way that makes sense thematically, and you can tell that everything was building to this.

I won't spoil any specific scenes in this episode, but let's just say, many of them are hard to watch and stomach churning - just when things were looking up, Refn ensures that things tumble back down. And while it definitely isn't the way I wanted things to go, it makes for supremely entertaining viewing, and fits well into the mythos that the series set up. Let's just say, people get what's coming to them - and while I may not agree, I understand - or, in the words of Dr. Manhattan, "Without condoning or condemning, I understand." And in this case, it's true. It pained me to watch characters I've grown to like get hurt, but within the context of the show, I completely got why everything was happening, and it worked. It shocked me in a good way, and absorbed me further into the episode.

There were also some drop-dead gorgeous sequences in this episode, once again featuring Yaritza as the High Priestess of Death. This scene was incredibly satisfying, and the violence was cathartic - a nice change of pace compared to most other violence depicted in this series. Refn adds beauty in the chaos, something he has consistently done throughout each and every episode.

Additionally, "Volume 8: The Hanged Man" ends with a sort of finality that has been present throughout every episode; if I stopped watching here, the series would feel complete. However, two more episodes remain, and i can't wait to see what they have in store, because I literally have no idea what could be coming next.

Phenomenal episode.

[LegendaryFang56 · 9/10 · 26 July 2021]

Holy crap, man. That was...something, alright. Such brutality, violence, and depravity. And probably many more descriptive words that escape me, not just having to do with the latter three in a similar enough sense. I love it. That's definitely messed up, but I do.

As unlikely and unconventional as it is and would be, I wish there were more shows and movies showcasing this sort of thing, in every possible way. It can be to try and tell the audience that what's going on is very messed up or whatever, or it can be done simply for entertainment purposes. A very depraved sense of entertainment, I guess, and most people would likely think.

But I don't care, interesting enough. I'd like it if that were the case or if it was the case, or if it will be the case. Not in an overall sense but a more utilized sense. There's just something about it. Something more enticing, enthralling, engrossing, entrancing, engaging, and so on than the traditional normality that mostly everything in both television and films is.

More Violence, More Pretentiousness, More Narcissism, Even Less Meaning

[ThomasMuf · 4/10 · 24 July 2019]

TOTDY is a pretentious, self-indulgent, narcissistic,navel-gazing, misogynistic, slow-moving mess that does look great but offers nothing in the way of plot, character development, nuance, real tension or, indeed, meaning. It's what happens when a studio (Amazon Prime) just hands out money to a self-professed auteur without any restrictions. So far, so bad.

From this point on, TOTDY is just plodding down its tedious path without variation of tone, and no real twists. Some people felt the need to compare this show to BREAKING BAD. This is NOTHING like Breaking Bad. BB offered continuous twists and turns, shocking plot and character development, meaningful dialogue and standout performances. Instead, all TOTDY delivers is robotic acting by all the leads - no emails from Sir Anthony Hopkins, sorry!, tone-deaf dialogue (delivered robotically, too), no twists, no development, no nuance, nothing but pretty visuals and a bleak, albeit inert tone. And it's getting progressively worse, especially since *all* of the more colorful supporting characters are beginning get the axe, leaving behind only empty faces. Fans of meaningless violence can again rejoice though.

You've made it to this point, so don't give up. Are the two remaining episodes better than this ponderous drone? No, they're worse. As far as the final episode is concerned, *much* worse. But if you give up now you will just have wasted about ten hours of your life with no pay-off. Does TOTDY *offer* any pay-off? You can guess ...