There are some movies that are extremely visually pleasing. Amelie for example is a very visually pleasing movie, as is House of Flying Daggers. Anything with Scenery Porn tends to be visually pleasing for a very specific reason. There are some movies that you just want to watch for the beautiful imagery.
The Fall is a movie just like this, but there is much more to this movie then just the stunning visuals (and Lee Pace wearing eyeliner).
The Fall is a story with in a story, and the beautiful thing about it is that the way it is told is so intuitive and beautiful and funny that it feels like you are a part of it. It feels natural, is what I'm trying to say. There is a moment that is completely exemplary of this feeling where Lee Pace's character says that he will go and kill every Spaniard, and the little girl listening to the story says "But he's Spanish too!" and you see the moment, the brief moment when it changes suddenly, as the character in the story looks uncomfortable and then renews his fervor as a Frenchman.
This sort of natural progression, the interweaving of the story that Roy is telling and the story of what is going on outside, draws you in and makes you think about the process of story telling.
Critics of the movie say its boring -- beautiful but boring -- and on TV Tropes everyone seems to love it and I think there's a reason for this -- a reason why there is a good bit of Terry Goodkind bashing -- because TV Tropes is a way of looking at media and discovering greater depths to it. This movie uses this knowledge and makes watching it thoroughly enjoyable.
Its one of the reasons I love TV tropes so much. Yes it does ruin watching certain things, but the only way it ruins it is if the author or writer does something stupid with a trope and turns it into a cliche. There are so many clever ways to play with tropes, use them!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
David Tennant's final episode (Doctor Who)
I love Doctor Who a lot. As a fictional character he is amazing. And David Tennant is my favorite Doctor. Admittedly, I have only seen two -- Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant... and a little bit of Matt Smith much as it pains me to say it, but David (yes, I call him David, get over it) brought such an energy to the show and to everything he did on it, that I got quite a crush on the Doctor, and accepted the fact that most of the girls got crushes on him as well. Because he's just so good.
Anyways. Because I had such a crush on him, I didn't want to finish David's tenure as the Doctor. So I stopped watching half way through Planet of the Dead for a very long time. I was just so upset and unhappy about the fact that he would be leaving that putting it off seemed the best way to soothe the hurt.
Well, I finally finished this weekend, and let me say, in terms of story this was amazingly perfect (well in terms of everything and breaking my heart over and over again, but this is a blog about writing, so focus). The one mar, I must mention, will be quick.
In Planet of the Dead Christina asks if she can come along and the Doctor says "No." When asked why he says its because there have been people with him but they've all left him. This feels odd to be honest, because really what happened was he lost Rose, Martha did leave him and Donna's mind had to be wiped. Not exactly leaving him. I thought a better reason would be "No, because we would be good together, very good. But it wouldn't be a good, good. We could take over the world, and you wouldn't stop us. And I need someone to stop me sometimes, from doing the wrong thing." But ah well, it was a tiny mar in the overall story.
Then with Waters of Mars we got a magnificent story and this huge hubris from the Doctor. Pride cometh before the fall, and we knew that this was the building to the final fall -- and David's end. And this worked so well in The End of Time.
The reason it worked so well was because of the ending. The Doctor's last act is to save someone. The symmetry of it -- one where he was saving someone for his own personal happiness, and one against every molecule of his being, yet knowing that if he doesn't he can never forgive himself. Its perfect. Its beautiful.
Then there is other good stuff about dialogue and perfect moments of solemnity and comedy, but I think I will leave you with this: When David Tennant says "I don't wanna go." in the voice, and with that look, doesn't it break your heart? I cry every time I watch it, and I've watched it many times now. At least Matt Smith can make me laugh through the tears at the "I'm a girl!"
More to come when the new season starts and I will try not to let Matt Smith ruin it for me.
Anyways. Because I had such a crush on him, I didn't want to finish David's tenure as the Doctor. So I stopped watching half way through Planet of the Dead for a very long time. I was just so upset and unhappy about the fact that he would be leaving that putting it off seemed the best way to soothe the hurt.
Well, I finally finished this weekend, and let me say, in terms of story this was amazingly perfect (well in terms of everything and breaking my heart over and over again, but this is a blog about writing, so focus). The one mar, I must mention, will be quick.
In Planet of the Dead Christina asks if she can come along and the Doctor says "No." When asked why he says its because there have been people with him but they've all left him. This feels odd to be honest, because really what happened was he lost Rose, Martha did leave him and Donna's mind had to be wiped. Not exactly leaving him. I thought a better reason would be "No, because we would be good together, very good. But it wouldn't be a good, good. We could take over the world, and you wouldn't stop us. And I need someone to stop me sometimes, from doing the wrong thing." But ah well, it was a tiny mar in the overall story.
Then with Waters of Mars we got a magnificent story and this huge hubris from the Doctor. Pride cometh before the fall, and we knew that this was the building to the final fall -- and David's end. And this worked so well in The End of Time.
The reason it worked so well was because of the ending. The Doctor's last act is to save someone. The symmetry of it -- one where he was saving someone for his own personal happiness, and one against every molecule of his being, yet knowing that if he doesn't he can never forgive himself. Its perfect. Its beautiful.
Then there is other good stuff about dialogue and perfect moments of solemnity and comedy, but I think I will leave you with this: When David Tennant says "I don't wanna go." in the voice, and with that look, doesn't it break your heart? I cry every time I watch it, and I've watched it many times now. At least Matt Smith can make me laugh through the tears at the "I'm a girl!"
More to come when the new season starts and I will try not to let Matt Smith ruin it for me.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Final Episodes
I watch a lot of TV, so sometimes I have to do a run to wiki or imdb to figure out what is showing what week and when and add them into my calendar -- not so much to watch at that time, but so I remember to watch it later. I was doing this yesterday and discovered that Numb3rs had been cut down to 16 episodes and the finale was Friday night. Shocking enough to find myself suddenly at the end of a season, more shocking to realize the show was probably about to end (one of the actors, Rob Morrow, is leaving the show for a pilot, and since his character is one of the two main characters, its unlikely the show can manage without him).
It got me thinking though -- what makes a good series finale -- and how can you screw it up royally. Is there a way to make just a mediocre ending, or will these finales huge and momentous. Its one of the dangers of the TV format that I think is a major issue -- these are characters that you've watched for however many seasons (hopefully many) and you love them and are rooting for them and want the stories to keep going -- and yet, at some point, there is an end. Letting go is important, but keeping in tone with the show is also important. How do you manage to make a good finale episode?
Of course, spoilers will be rampant and present. If you want to avoid being spoiled for the following shows I would suggest that you don't read this one: Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars, Firefly, Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip and Friends.
Let's start with the poorer finale episodes. These are the episodes that when I watched them, I felt like the show was slightly off balance -- there was something wrong in the writing. Often, the stories were annoying at best, and just wrong for the kind of show at worst.
Battlestar Galactica is currently one of my favorite shows, I will admit to that right off the bat, however, its finale was weaker then some of the other episodes from a writing perspective. Lets ignore the screaming voice in my head that says that there is not way in hell that making the characters in BSG our ancestors could be possible, and edge around the huge amount of fridge logic that apparently made its way into this episode. There are two major concerns that occur to me right off the bat -- the flashbacks, and the characterization.
Lets start with the flashbacks. Who puts flashbacks into a finale? It feels like a clip show to be honest. Lets be honest is there any information about the characters that we found out from the flashbacks that is necessary to close out their stories? Lee and Kara had chemistry when they first met? WELL DUH. We knew that from watching the goddamned show. Bill Adama loves his ship. REALLY I COULDN'T TELL! Baltar has daddy issues. At this point I don't even know what to do with Baltar's character and how much it has been fucked over. Rosalin's family died in a car crash? I mean, I actually found this flashback compelling, but it didn't add to her character in the slightest.
We're watching a finale. We don't need NEW information about these characters. We know them well. We know their intentions, the way they move, what they are supposed to do. Instead of giving more of them to us, to remind us what we're going to be loosing, we get information that's been recycled through the season. To be honest, it feels like they had a two hour episode to write, stared at it, and thought they didn't have enough story to stretch out over the two hours.
This would have been fine in a different show -- but BSG has been consistently well written in the form of a space drama since day one (with a few exceptions) -- and this finale sells it out. And its because the show was written well that the character changes are so obvious. The people that most bothered me were Baltar, Caprica Six and Kara.
Baltar's character started pissing me off completely when he started being Jesus (I once saw an icon that said "On the next Battlestar Galactica, Bill uses the glare of death, Lee gets emo and is on the verge of tears and Guis pretends to be Jesus. Again." and was super amused by it). But I'll be fair, it was within his character's capabilities. The switching sides was what bothered me. I couldn't figure out why he did it. To prove Lee wrong? When has that ever been an incentive for him? It seems that the writers were just like "Eh, he's been annoying, so let's redeem him!"
Caprica Six. Ah Tricia Helfer, you're so pretty and a good actor, why was it decided to just have you wander off with Baltar at the end? I was all right with the whole Tigh subplot of him having sex with her (all right being the key word, I was not exactly happy with it) and then the baby that she lost because Tigh didn't love her? I don't understand in the slightest. Caprica Six was in love with Baltar, not Tigh, and the whole story seemed weird, but don't just forget it. That failing the characters.
Lastly -- Kara. End of season 3 I knew she was coming back, because, well, I read ahead, so I was curious how it was going to work, what with her having died and all. The convoluted "Angels walk among us" idea though was not an appropriate way to end the series. Messages from a "God" figure whether he likes the name or not, plays far too into the origin of BSG (based on Mormon mythology? I really don't know but apparently) then into creating a space drama.
The failing of BSG was not looking at itself properly and seeing the many threads they had tugged at and realizing the important ones. Yes, Kara had to be explained, Hera had to be saved, and something had to happen to either save Galactica or find somewhere to settle down (like many shows with characters in the title, its difficult to have a show called Battlestar Galactica without the Battlestar in attendance in an episode), but you have to do it within the flavor of the show, rising the characters out of the muddied waters that have been created, and instead of getting that, the writers kept them in the mud -- the desire to wrap everything up neatly failing in more ways then one.
The problems in BSG are ones that they had time to anticipate, and perhaps that's what is so disappointing for me. They knew they were coming to an end -- and they failed at using that information to their advantage. This is not the problem for Veronica Mars however.
The problem of Veronica Mars is understandable. Not knowing about a fourth season, you have to leave it open ended enough to move forward, but still tie up a majority of the threads. What happens when you do this? Well, you end up with an episode that gets oddly distributed. The episode feels like a normal episode -- we get the mystery, we get the characters, as if nothing is different about this episode. Usually in a finale, this is a good thing, but when its too normal, you end up feeling this empty ache at the end of an episode -- Is this all I'm getting to end out this show?
I will give it to VM though, it wasn't the writers' fault in this case. Like, Firefly.
Oh Firefly, how I miss you. We're looking just at the TV show and going to avoid Serenity as the real conclusion to the show. From the stand point of not knowing that there was going to be a motion picture, lets look at the episode Objects in Space which was Joss Whedon's choice of the end of the season, if not the actual end of the show.
Firefly's own host of issues to do with broadcast make this episode feel sort of odd when watching it was the finale. I didn't find it to be a bad finale, but I didn't find it to be a particularly amazing finale. In terms of what it did well -- it created a story that felt like it closed out the show well -- River becoming a part of the group. Its what a good finale does -- creating a story within the scope of the show that ties up loose ends. What it doesn't do, however, is tie up enough of the ends.
Objects in Space is a show about River Tam, its not about the crew, its not about Mal, its about River, who, while I enjoy her character, is not the heart and soul of the show. The heart and soul is the interaction between characters, and this episode introduces a new character and cuts off the others. We are therefore left in a world that is populated by River and Early, with perhaps a bit of Simon. I felt like each of the characters had maybe one scene in this episode, even though they had more. For a finale, you want to be able to see the closing out of each character's story line and instead this episode delivered a single character show. Its why, despite the merits of creating a somewhat satisfying episode for a season finale, it is placed in the middle of these finale episodes.
Similarly, Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip lands in the middle of finale episodes, though higher up then Firefly. I don't know whether this is something that Aaron Sorkin does since after season five of The West Wing I stopped watching to be honest, but oh the drama of this four part finale. Tom's brother and Jordan's baby being the most intense bits, but there's also something going on with Simon and Jack and of course everyone is running around, smashing things, getting upset, praying, or making fun of people for praying, flirting outrageously, and trying to comfort one another.
Here again we are presented with flashbacks -- but unlike in BSG, s60's add to the plot. We see Matt and Danny's fall from grace, see what happened to them, and why them coming back is so painful. I know I said we shouldn't get more information about the characters, but rather close out plot lines, but in this case we get both. The theater is their home, and we can see it in the flashbacks, and the horrible way they lose it, and how they have no regained it. This is a delicate balance that Aaron Sorkin walks, but its done well, and therefore it works. The flashbacks enhance the story in a way that the BSG flashbacks did not.
A negative of this show that is easier to articulate, though this might be a personal preference, is the fact that Matt's main responsibility in the present seems to be wandering around keeping people from doing much. After the drug addiction storyline, I wanted to see something happen with it. I wanted to know what was going to happen or see some sort of withdrawal. Yes, there was a lot of action to get through, but there were FOUR HOURS to get into Matt's problems, and instead we just brush the surface.
On a positive side though, most of the nagging questions of the short lived show are answered. Matt and Harriet end up together. Jordan already had the adoption papers in her bag, and was always going to marry Danny, the baby is fine, Tom's brother is rescued, Simon doesn't lose his job. We get everything we really need from the finale, and the story still feels like it's supposed to exist within the mythos of the series.
If you're looking at these examples and wondering if there's any finale that I like, I will assure you that thus far, I haven't brought up good finales. Friends and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are the two best, writing wise, finale episodes I have seen. Let's start with Buffy.
What Buffy accomplishes is huge -- bringing to a conclusion seven years of consistently good television (your opinion may vary, but writing wise, the show stayed up there, even if the concepts and ideas went a little crazy) while still remaining true to the concept and giving a good ending to the characters who are so important to us.
You can see it in the moment when the four main characters (Giles will always been a main character for me) gather together in the place where it all began, and don't talk about the terrible battle that is to come, but rather talk about what they will do after. For a show that has been about relationships and characters for quite a lot of its run, this felt like a good place to leave the characters. Then we got an awesome battle, heroic sacrifice, mad dash towards the end, and that perfect shot, of the almost smile on Buffy's face.
Chosen ties up all the loose ends for the important characters -- Anya and Spike are dead, Willow, consumed by her magic a season before, becomes a force of good, Xander remains his own, silly self, who will defend them to the end, and Buffy is no longer the Chosen one, no longer alone. It feels neat, while not contrived, and that is what all shows should strive for.
The other advantage that Buffy has going for it is that this episode doesn't break from the norm of what you would expect from an episode. Its a monster, major battle, final feeling sort of episode. Angel even appears briefly to round out a cast that was split four seasons ago. We get the end and it walks that delicate balance between feeling too much like just another episode and being a special episode gracefully and well.
The best episode, in my opinion, that is a finale is The Last One from Friends.
A half hour sitcom has certain things that must happen in order for an episode to be considered good and the biggest one is laughs. In writing an episode that would make millions cry (I was among them) how do you make it funny? Whose story lines need to be focused on and what relationships need to be explored. Obviously for Friends the biggest question was: will Ross and Rachel get together -- but there are other relationships that need closure. Monica and Chandler's baby needs to be born, Chandler and Joey need to have a story line. Rachel is leaving for Paris. And, as usual, Pheobe needs to be just a little bit weird.
The solution to this last was to have Pheobe sing-narrating for a little bit. One way to get laughs, yet still within her character and still adding to the plot (a bit). Joey and Chandler get their conclusion with the Chick and Duck story line. The baby(ies) are born and Monica is finally a mother. And of course Ross and Rachel get together.
The final shot of the show is the main set piece, the girl's apartment, empty and the keys. Its just a sweet, and beautiful way to end the show and remind us that the whole premise is to make us laugh, make us cry, and watch these six people interact.
Well, its been two days writing this and its late now, so I have no witty way to end this. Some finales are good, some finales are not, but the most important thing is how you feel at the end. How do you feel after watching a finale?
It got me thinking though -- what makes a good series finale -- and how can you screw it up royally. Is there a way to make just a mediocre ending, or will these finales huge and momentous. Its one of the dangers of the TV format that I think is a major issue -- these are characters that you've watched for however many seasons (hopefully many) and you love them and are rooting for them and want the stories to keep going -- and yet, at some point, there is an end. Letting go is important, but keeping in tone with the show is also important. How do you manage to make a good finale episode?
Of course, spoilers will be rampant and present. If you want to avoid being spoiled for the following shows I would suggest that you don't read this one: Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars, Firefly, Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip and Friends.
Let's start with the poorer finale episodes. These are the episodes that when I watched them, I felt like the show was slightly off balance -- there was something wrong in the writing. Often, the stories were annoying at best, and just wrong for the kind of show at worst.
Battlestar Galactica is currently one of my favorite shows, I will admit to that right off the bat, however, its finale was weaker then some of the other episodes from a writing perspective. Lets ignore the screaming voice in my head that says that there is not way in hell that making the characters in BSG our ancestors could be possible, and edge around the huge amount of fridge logic that apparently made its way into this episode. There are two major concerns that occur to me right off the bat -- the flashbacks, and the characterization.
Lets start with the flashbacks. Who puts flashbacks into a finale? It feels like a clip show to be honest. Lets be honest is there any information about the characters that we found out from the flashbacks that is necessary to close out their stories? Lee and Kara had chemistry when they first met? WELL DUH. We knew that from watching the goddamned show. Bill Adama loves his ship. REALLY I COULDN'T TELL! Baltar has daddy issues. At this point I don't even know what to do with Baltar's character and how much it has been fucked over. Rosalin's family died in a car crash? I mean, I actually found this flashback compelling, but it didn't add to her character in the slightest.
We're watching a finale. We don't need NEW information about these characters. We know them well. We know their intentions, the way they move, what they are supposed to do. Instead of giving more of them to us, to remind us what we're going to be loosing, we get information that's been recycled through the season. To be honest, it feels like they had a two hour episode to write, stared at it, and thought they didn't have enough story to stretch out over the two hours.
This would have been fine in a different show -- but BSG has been consistently well written in the form of a space drama since day one (with a few exceptions) -- and this finale sells it out. And its because the show was written well that the character changes are so obvious. The people that most bothered me were Baltar, Caprica Six and Kara.
Baltar's character started pissing me off completely when he started being Jesus (I once saw an icon that said "On the next Battlestar Galactica, Bill uses the glare of death, Lee gets emo and is on the verge of tears and Guis pretends to be Jesus. Again." and was super amused by it). But I'll be fair, it was within his character's capabilities. The switching sides was what bothered me. I couldn't figure out why he did it. To prove Lee wrong? When has that ever been an incentive for him? It seems that the writers were just like "Eh, he's been annoying, so let's redeem him!"
Caprica Six. Ah Tricia Helfer, you're so pretty and a good actor, why was it decided to just have you wander off with Baltar at the end? I was all right with the whole Tigh subplot of him having sex with her (all right being the key word, I was not exactly happy with it) and then the baby that she lost because Tigh didn't love her? I don't understand in the slightest. Caprica Six was in love with Baltar, not Tigh, and the whole story seemed weird, but don't just forget it. That failing the characters.
Lastly -- Kara. End of season 3 I knew she was coming back, because, well, I read ahead, so I was curious how it was going to work, what with her having died and all. The convoluted "Angels walk among us" idea though was not an appropriate way to end the series. Messages from a "God" figure whether he likes the name or not, plays far too into the origin of BSG (based on Mormon mythology? I really don't know but apparently) then into creating a space drama.
The failing of BSG was not looking at itself properly and seeing the many threads they had tugged at and realizing the important ones. Yes, Kara had to be explained, Hera had to be saved, and something had to happen to either save Galactica or find somewhere to settle down (like many shows with characters in the title, its difficult to have a show called Battlestar Galactica without the Battlestar in attendance in an episode), but you have to do it within the flavor of the show, rising the characters out of the muddied waters that have been created, and instead of getting that, the writers kept them in the mud -- the desire to wrap everything up neatly failing in more ways then one.
The problems in BSG are ones that they had time to anticipate, and perhaps that's what is so disappointing for me. They knew they were coming to an end -- and they failed at using that information to their advantage. This is not the problem for Veronica Mars however.
The problem of Veronica Mars is understandable. Not knowing about a fourth season, you have to leave it open ended enough to move forward, but still tie up a majority of the threads. What happens when you do this? Well, you end up with an episode that gets oddly distributed. The episode feels like a normal episode -- we get the mystery, we get the characters, as if nothing is different about this episode. Usually in a finale, this is a good thing, but when its too normal, you end up feeling this empty ache at the end of an episode -- Is this all I'm getting to end out this show?
I will give it to VM though, it wasn't the writers' fault in this case. Like, Firefly.
Oh Firefly, how I miss you. We're looking just at the TV show and going to avoid Serenity as the real conclusion to the show. From the stand point of not knowing that there was going to be a motion picture, lets look at the episode Objects in Space which was Joss Whedon's choice of the end of the season, if not the actual end of the show.
Firefly's own host of issues to do with broadcast make this episode feel sort of odd when watching it was the finale. I didn't find it to be a bad finale, but I didn't find it to be a particularly amazing finale. In terms of what it did well -- it created a story that felt like it closed out the show well -- River becoming a part of the group. Its what a good finale does -- creating a story within the scope of the show that ties up loose ends. What it doesn't do, however, is tie up enough of the ends.
Objects in Space is a show about River Tam, its not about the crew, its not about Mal, its about River, who, while I enjoy her character, is not the heart and soul of the show. The heart and soul is the interaction between characters, and this episode introduces a new character and cuts off the others. We are therefore left in a world that is populated by River and Early, with perhaps a bit of Simon. I felt like each of the characters had maybe one scene in this episode, even though they had more. For a finale, you want to be able to see the closing out of each character's story line and instead this episode delivered a single character show. Its why, despite the merits of creating a somewhat satisfying episode for a season finale, it is placed in the middle of these finale episodes.
Similarly, Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip lands in the middle of finale episodes, though higher up then Firefly. I don't know whether this is something that Aaron Sorkin does since after season five of The West Wing I stopped watching to be honest, but oh the drama of this four part finale. Tom's brother and Jordan's baby being the most intense bits, but there's also something going on with Simon and Jack and of course everyone is running around, smashing things, getting upset, praying, or making fun of people for praying, flirting outrageously, and trying to comfort one another.
Here again we are presented with flashbacks -- but unlike in BSG, s60's add to the plot. We see Matt and Danny's fall from grace, see what happened to them, and why them coming back is so painful. I know I said we shouldn't get more information about the characters, but rather close out plot lines, but in this case we get both. The theater is their home, and we can see it in the flashbacks, and the horrible way they lose it, and how they have no regained it. This is a delicate balance that Aaron Sorkin walks, but its done well, and therefore it works. The flashbacks enhance the story in a way that the BSG flashbacks did not.
A negative of this show that is easier to articulate, though this might be a personal preference, is the fact that Matt's main responsibility in the present seems to be wandering around keeping people from doing much. After the drug addiction storyline, I wanted to see something happen with it. I wanted to know what was going to happen or see some sort of withdrawal. Yes, there was a lot of action to get through, but there were FOUR HOURS to get into Matt's problems, and instead we just brush the surface.
On a positive side though, most of the nagging questions of the short lived show are answered. Matt and Harriet end up together. Jordan already had the adoption papers in her bag, and was always going to marry Danny, the baby is fine, Tom's brother is rescued, Simon doesn't lose his job. We get everything we really need from the finale, and the story still feels like it's supposed to exist within the mythos of the series.
If you're looking at these examples and wondering if there's any finale that I like, I will assure you that thus far, I haven't brought up good finales. Friends and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are the two best, writing wise, finale episodes I have seen. Let's start with Buffy.
What Buffy accomplishes is huge -- bringing to a conclusion seven years of consistently good television (your opinion may vary, but writing wise, the show stayed up there, even if the concepts and ideas went a little crazy) while still remaining true to the concept and giving a good ending to the characters who are so important to us.
You can see it in the moment when the four main characters (Giles will always been a main character for me) gather together in the place where it all began, and don't talk about the terrible battle that is to come, but rather talk about what they will do after. For a show that has been about relationships and characters for quite a lot of its run, this felt like a good place to leave the characters. Then we got an awesome battle, heroic sacrifice, mad dash towards the end, and that perfect shot, of the almost smile on Buffy's face.
Chosen ties up all the loose ends for the important characters -- Anya and Spike are dead, Willow, consumed by her magic a season before, becomes a force of good, Xander remains his own, silly self, who will defend them to the end, and Buffy is no longer the Chosen one, no longer alone. It feels neat, while not contrived, and that is what all shows should strive for.
The other advantage that Buffy has going for it is that this episode doesn't break from the norm of what you would expect from an episode. Its a monster, major battle, final feeling sort of episode. Angel even appears briefly to round out a cast that was split four seasons ago. We get the end and it walks that delicate balance between feeling too much like just another episode and being a special episode gracefully and well.
The best episode, in my opinion, that is a finale is The Last One from Friends.
A half hour sitcom has certain things that must happen in order for an episode to be considered good and the biggest one is laughs. In writing an episode that would make millions cry (I was among them) how do you make it funny? Whose story lines need to be focused on and what relationships need to be explored. Obviously for Friends the biggest question was: will Ross and Rachel get together -- but there are other relationships that need closure. Monica and Chandler's baby needs to be born, Chandler and Joey need to have a story line. Rachel is leaving for Paris. And, as usual, Pheobe needs to be just a little bit weird.
The solution to this last was to have Pheobe sing-narrating for a little bit. One way to get laughs, yet still within her character and still adding to the plot (a bit). Joey and Chandler get their conclusion with the Chick and Duck story line. The baby(ies) are born and Monica is finally a mother. And of course Ross and Rachel get together.
The final shot of the show is the main set piece, the girl's apartment, empty and the keys. Its just a sweet, and beautiful way to end the show and remind us that the whole premise is to make us laugh, make us cry, and watch these six people interact.
Well, its been two days writing this and its late now, so I have no witty way to end this. Some finales are good, some finales are not, but the most important thing is how you feel at the end. How do you feel after watching a finale?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Pacing (The Black Jewels Trilogy - Anne Bishop)
I was going to write about Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland but the more I wrote, the more it turned into a negative, annoyed review of a passing movie that didn't resonate with me. So I decided to let it go. Instead, I got my parents to bring me down a trilogy of books that I love dearly, but had kind of forgotten about -- The Black Jewels by Anne Bishop. The three books in the trilogy are Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows and Queen of the Darkness (and please note, the cover art on these books is a hallmark of don't judge a book by its cover).
I started reading on Monday evening and have just finished the third book for the umpteenth time. I mention this for a particular reason. I read books quite quickly. Maybe not as fast as some, but I'm dyslexic, so I have an excuse. When I read The Black Jewels it feels like I'm reading fast. It feels like I can't stop because, while I know what is going to happen, I need to keep going. And its this speed, and need to go on, that interests me.
To be honest, I've never read any of Anne Bishop's stuff, so I don't know if it holds the same intensity that these three books hold. I did, for a while, hold on to a collection of her short stories that included one about the same characters, but I never felt the need to read it. I've been told her other stuff isn't as good. So, if we take these three books as masterful creations of pacing that she hasn't managed to recreate, then what is so special about these books?
I'm not going to provide a synopsis this time, so I'll try and keep this easy to understand without reading the books. However, I will probably delve into spoilers of, at the very least, the first book.
So what is it about the pacing of these books that is so captivating?
I would like to say that it has something to do with how you know, subconsciously, what is going on from the beginning. Tersa tells us, in what I like to think of as a midnight voice to match Janelle's, "She is coming", and we are swept into the story -- or the mystery, or whatever you want to call it. There is a prologue, and it is brief, but it informs so much of what the story is going to be while creating lovely foreshadowing. I think all prologues could be held to this standard because while most people complain about prologues (well not most, but there are quite a few who do) and claim they give away too much, this one gives the reader a direction, a forceful wave of motion that can't be stopped until you reach the end, untangle the web and finally know what she means by "She is coming", while giving information that could not otherwise be given. This is what a prologue is for.
But the prologue is only part of it. You can only glean so much of what is happening from the prologue and the information found there, it is also in the fact that you see the world Janelle (the person whom Tersa was saying was coming) inhabits, but not the body she inhabits. The narration jumps between the people who see her and are surrounded by, which gives us leave to see into the minds of her enemies.
Even this, though, is not enough to get through the first book. While in the first book, the movements of the enemy forces are driven more by luck then scheming, and as the serious moves on the villains become little more then bumbling idiots -- the real drama relegated to the main characters and the emotional tones of the story. Still, knowing the villains as well as the protagonists, gives us some more knowledge of where the story is going, as they are the schemers, and move things into place for the action to occur.
That isn't the whole thing though, and I find myself at a loss after looking at those two items. It occured to me that it might be in the writing style -- the delicate word choice, the short, to the point sentences (that I have not managed to achieve clearly) -- the way she paces this story, moving it along, while not hurrying it to the conclusion.
And that, unfortunately, can't be taught.
Hopefully though, it can be practiced.
I started reading on Monday evening and have just finished the third book for the umpteenth time. I mention this for a particular reason. I read books quite quickly. Maybe not as fast as some, but I'm dyslexic, so I have an excuse. When I read The Black Jewels it feels like I'm reading fast. It feels like I can't stop because, while I know what is going to happen, I need to keep going. And its this speed, and need to go on, that interests me.
To be honest, I've never read any of Anne Bishop's stuff, so I don't know if it holds the same intensity that these three books hold. I did, for a while, hold on to a collection of her short stories that included one about the same characters, but I never felt the need to read it. I've been told her other stuff isn't as good. So, if we take these three books as masterful creations of pacing that she hasn't managed to recreate, then what is so special about these books?
I'm not going to provide a synopsis this time, so I'll try and keep this easy to understand without reading the books. However, I will probably delve into spoilers of, at the very least, the first book.
So what is it about the pacing of these books that is so captivating?
I would like to say that it has something to do with how you know, subconsciously, what is going on from the beginning. Tersa tells us, in what I like to think of as a midnight voice to match Janelle's, "She is coming", and we are swept into the story -- or the mystery, or whatever you want to call it. There is a prologue, and it is brief, but it informs so much of what the story is going to be while creating lovely foreshadowing. I think all prologues could be held to this standard because while most people complain about prologues (well not most, but there are quite a few who do) and claim they give away too much, this one gives the reader a direction, a forceful wave of motion that can't be stopped until you reach the end, untangle the web and finally know what she means by "She is coming", while giving information that could not otherwise be given. This is what a prologue is for.
But the prologue is only part of it. You can only glean so much of what is happening from the prologue and the information found there, it is also in the fact that you see the world Janelle (the person whom Tersa was saying was coming) inhabits, but not the body she inhabits. The narration jumps between the people who see her and are surrounded by, which gives us leave to see into the minds of her enemies.
Even this, though, is not enough to get through the first book. While in the first book, the movements of the enemy forces are driven more by luck then scheming, and as the serious moves on the villains become little more then bumbling idiots -- the real drama relegated to the main characters and the emotional tones of the story. Still, knowing the villains as well as the protagonists, gives us some more knowledge of where the story is going, as they are the schemers, and move things into place for the action to occur.
That isn't the whole thing though, and I find myself at a loss after looking at those two items. It occured to me that it might be in the writing style -- the delicate word choice, the short, to the point sentences (that I have not managed to achieve clearly) -- the way she paces this story, moving it along, while not hurrying it to the conclusion.
And that, unfortunately, can't be taught.
Hopefully though, it can be practiced.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
First Tags
In one of the current novels I'm working on, I decided to write it with a TV shows standard arcs, as if each chapter was an episode of a season. It worked really well to be honest, and I got reinvested in my newest novel again by thinking about trying it again. Only this time making the chapters actually like episodes of TV shows. So I started looking at tags of the first episode of various shows.
Legend of the Seeker came to mind first as it is an epic fantasy (similar to what my novel will be like). LotS starts with Kahlan running from a quad, and heading into Westland. Then you go to Richard... half naked... okay, distracted. Craig Horner's torso is just so attractive.
If you think about it in terms of character developement, the tag is an important event. You've got your first impression of the characters in these brief moments. Here we get an impression of Kahlan -- strongly. We start out with her in action -- running. She also has an emotional, caring moment when her sister gets shot. We get to see the major facets of her personality in the first, what five minutes? We also get to see Kahlan's power at work, and watch her face down death without fear. And then she's all "I'm a lone ranger you can't touch me emotionally!" but is totally into Richard even though she knows its wrong.
Richard as well gets some of this. We see Richard caring about a young boy and being a generally nice and sweet guy -- and then we get to see him being really impulsive and running off to help Kahlan because she's pretty in white. Or because that's what his personality is like. He doesn't back down from a fight, he defends the weak (well he thinks Kahlan is weak), and tries to help even though she's a stranger.
And of course we get to start with the UST. Kahlan and Richard get into it right away and the music indicates everything you need to know about their future relationship.
I stopped off next with Xena, same creative vibe from it, but older, because I'm writing a fantasy, but also because my novel deals with a redemptive quest and who better to look at then Xena for that?
The tag once again sets up characters well. Xena has two protagonists: Xena (duh) and Gabrielle.
Xena's first scene is melancholic as she attempts to deal with events in her past (we see through flashbacks that she was a warrior princess pretty much), and she wants to make up for her past sins. She has a conversation with a boy who's parents she killed, and decides to give up her battle gear -- attempting to bury it. But when given the opportunity to fight, she enjoys it -- you can see it on her face the way she laughs and has this bright smile on her face, because its what she's meant to do. Thus, we are set up with a conflicted character, one who wants to do the right thing, but doesn't know how to not fight.
Gabrielle's first act on the show is to offer herself in place of another. If you've seen the show, it is completely who Gabrielle is. She is never conflicted about her actions, knows what is right and will act on it. What you see as the tag moves on is that she's fighting -- she wants to save herself and others -- but in another way its also fighting against what she is. Gabrielle does go under significant changes as the show progresses, but she will always be at the heart of the matter, and will remain Xena's moral center.
Without even trying too hard this show has set up the central conflict, and without the protagonists having a conversation, you can tell what's going to happen already. Its a very strong tag in that way. Character here is more important even then in what happened in LotS because it is so well defined that you don't really need plot to move it forward.
Moving on to a show that is not high fantasy, but more sci-fi, I looked at Torchwood's opening. They don't really have a tag for this episode, so I just watched a bit, knowing what happens in its entirety.
As a great lover of this show I would say that the character's well done in this tag as any other -- but as a more impartial, looking for information kind of viewer, I would say you get hints from this tag. There's the hint about Jack being not quite normal (Jack: Still at least I won't get pregnant. Never doing that again.) and Owen being a bit of an ass, as no one wants him to talk to the dead guy, and Tosh being not so good at communication. The best you get from it is that Jack is the father figure of the group, and Gwen is a clever-clogs because she figures out how to watch Torchwood at work.
Gwen then gets more of an intro with the rest of the act (and episode). They introduce her as an every woman -- though in reality she's kind of special -- but the point of the tag is to make the viewer feel like you're with Gwen the whole time. She is our lead in and as a result, she is the most important character. Its interesting to see how she gets drawn into this world where there are weevils and people get brought back to life, and how she won't let it go, won't stop picking at the surface of things, as if she just has to know (which comes up later in the show).
By giving her the tenacity to keep going despite the odds, we get invested and I think that's what gives this tag its edge. Unlike the previous two examples, we're drawn in as Gwen is, and its not so much about character as it is about the possibility of what she's looking at.
We see in the Firefly tag the loss of the Battle of Serenity Valley. This is a classic setting up a story so exposition doesn't have to happen later and I love Joss Whedon for doing it this way. This is a very important scene in Mal's life -- and in Zoe's -- but definitely Mal's, and it builds his character incredibly. You see him caring for his men, looking out for people and truly believing in something -- the moment when he kisses the cross -- that's the moment. And you see it -- the Mal we know, or will come to know, who will never give up. We also get the usual amusingness of Joss Whedon's dialogue with Wash. And there is a set up for what this show is going to be about -- space pirates.
The thing about Firefly's tag is that it does so much with so little time -- setting up the show, introducing us to our main protagonist, dealing with the fact that Mal is a haunted, haunted man, and seeing the clear difference between Mal of the past and Mal now (also, Nathan Fillion being on a Joss Whedon show and not scaring the shit out of me... oh well, I watched Buffy before Firefly I realize that Nathan Fillion was Mal before he was Caleb).
Speaking of Buffy, in her show we have an interesting situation -- considering Darla is set up, and she's not a main character. But its a good way to show what exactly is going to happen in this series -- vampires exist, and we're going to blow your silly little minds. Its much shorter then the other tags I looked at and I think that's what makes it so worth while. Its to the point, we don't get character development, its a good start to a monster of the week kind of show.
Lets look at an example out of the fantasy realm -- Grey's Anatomy has a sort of shtick that makes introductions easy -- the voice over:
Legend of the Seeker came to mind first as it is an epic fantasy (similar to what my novel will be like). LotS starts with Kahlan running from a quad, and heading into Westland. Then you go to Richard... half naked... okay, distracted. Craig Horner's torso is just so attractive.
If you think about it in terms of character developement, the tag is an important event. You've got your first impression of the characters in these brief moments. Here we get an impression of Kahlan -- strongly. We start out with her in action -- running. She also has an emotional, caring moment when her sister gets shot. We get to see the major facets of her personality in the first, what five minutes? We also get to see Kahlan's power at work, and watch her face down death without fear. And then she's all "I'm a lone ranger you can't touch me emotionally!" but is totally into Richard even though she knows its wrong.
Richard as well gets some of this. We see Richard caring about a young boy and being a generally nice and sweet guy -- and then we get to see him being really impulsive and running off to help Kahlan because she's pretty in white. Or because that's what his personality is like. He doesn't back down from a fight, he defends the weak (well he thinks Kahlan is weak), and tries to help even though she's a stranger.
And of course we get to start with the UST. Kahlan and Richard get into it right away and the music indicates everything you need to know about their future relationship.
I stopped off next with Xena, same creative vibe from it, but older, because I'm writing a fantasy, but also because my novel deals with a redemptive quest and who better to look at then Xena for that?
The tag once again sets up characters well. Xena has two protagonists: Xena (duh) and Gabrielle.
Xena's first scene is melancholic as she attempts to deal with events in her past (we see through flashbacks that she was a warrior princess pretty much), and she wants to make up for her past sins. She has a conversation with a boy who's parents she killed, and decides to give up her battle gear -- attempting to bury it. But when given the opportunity to fight, she enjoys it -- you can see it on her face the way she laughs and has this bright smile on her face, because its what she's meant to do. Thus, we are set up with a conflicted character, one who wants to do the right thing, but doesn't know how to not fight.
Gabrielle's first act on the show is to offer herself in place of another. If you've seen the show, it is completely who Gabrielle is. She is never conflicted about her actions, knows what is right and will act on it. What you see as the tag moves on is that she's fighting -- she wants to save herself and others -- but in another way its also fighting against what she is. Gabrielle does go under significant changes as the show progresses, but she will always be at the heart of the matter, and will remain Xena's moral center.
Without even trying too hard this show has set up the central conflict, and without the protagonists having a conversation, you can tell what's going to happen already. Its a very strong tag in that way. Character here is more important even then in what happened in LotS because it is so well defined that you don't really need plot to move it forward.
Moving on to a show that is not high fantasy, but more sci-fi, I looked at Torchwood's opening. They don't really have a tag for this episode, so I just watched a bit, knowing what happens in its entirety.
As a great lover of this show I would say that the character's well done in this tag as any other -- but as a more impartial, looking for information kind of viewer, I would say you get hints from this tag. There's the hint about Jack being not quite normal (Jack: Still at least I won't get pregnant. Never doing that again.) and Owen being a bit of an ass, as no one wants him to talk to the dead guy, and Tosh being not so good at communication. The best you get from it is that Jack is the father figure of the group, and Gwen is a clever-clogs because she figures out how to watch Torchwood at work.
Gwen then gets more of an intro with the rest of the act (and episode). They introduce her as an every woman -- though in reality she's kind of special -- but the point of the tag is to make the viewer feel like you're with Gwen the whole time. She is our lead in and as a result, she is the most important character. Its interesting to see how she gets drawn into this world where there are weevils and people get brought back to life, and how she won't let it go, won't stop picking at the surface of things, as if she just has to know (which comes up later in the show).
By giving her the tenacity to keep going despite the odds, we get invested and I think that's what gives this tag its edge. Unlike the previous two examples, we're drawn in as Gwen is, and its not so much about character as it is about the possibility of what she's looking at.
We see in the Firefly tag the loss of the Battle of Serenity Valley. This is a classic setting up a story so exposition doesn't have to happen later and I love Joss Whedon for doing it this way. This is a very important scene in Mal's life -- and in Zoe's -- but definitely Mal's, and it builds his character incredibly. You see him caring for his men, looking out for people and truly believing in something -- the moment when he kisses the cross -- that's the moment. And you see it -- the Mal we know, or will come to know, who will never give up. We also get the usual amusingness of Joss Whedon's dialogue with Wash. And there is a set up for what this show is going to be about -- space pirates.
The thing about Firefly's tag is that it does so much with so little time -- setting up the show, introducing us to our main protagonist, dealing with the fact that Mal is a haunted, haunted man, and seeing the clear difference between Mal of the past and Mal now (also, Nathan Fillion being on a Joss Whedon show and not scaring the shit out of me... oh well, I watched Buffy before Firefly I realize that Nathan Fillion was Mal before he was Caleb).
Speaking of Buffy, in her show we have an interesting situation -- considering Darla is set up, and she's not a main character. But its a good way to show what exactly is going to happen in this series -- vampires exist, and we're going to blow your silly little minds. Its much shorter then the other tags I looked at and I think that's what makes it so worth while. Its to the point, we don't get character development, its a good start to a monster of the week kind of show.
Lets look at an example out of the fantasy realm -- Grey's Anatomy has a sort of shtick that makes introductions easy -- the voice over:
Meredith: The game: They say a person either has what it takes to play, or they don’t. My mother was one of the greats. Me, on the other hand… I’m kinda screwed.
OH! A fish out of water story! Not knowing what the hell you're doing! Ah to be a medical intern (I was going to go to medical school, I know GA in no way exemplifies a real intern's life, but the feeling is similar). We get to meet Derrek, and Meredith of course, and get to peek into her head and its interesting to have a voice over at the beginning because it means you get to add in all sorts of information that is necessary to know about the character. I almost feel like its cheating though.
One thing that GA manages to do well though, is to throw the characters into action, despite it not being a fantasy show where anything can happen. GA is incredibly dramatic, and you get to see all the drama unfold in front of you in an addictive mess.
On a medical note -- let's look at Scrubs, where the tag introduces you to goofy, cute JD. Here again you get a voice over -- but this is more personal then Meredith's voice over -- its just whatever thoughts go through his mind. We get introduced to the characters quickly and efficiently, and quickly understand that this is going to be a comedy.
So from all of that, what do we get from the first tag ever?
1. Introduce the important characters, giving them details that are salient and important to the character and therefore making the characters differentialable.
2. Set up the premise of the show: what is going to happen in each episode (monster of the week, case of the week) or general theme (fish out of water, space pirates!).
Beginnings are hard -- obviously, or I would be working on my own -- so it can be useful to see how other people do it and "borrow" their ideas (though don't steal that's just annoying).
Princess (Legend of the Seeker 2x13)
If you've never seen Legend of the Seeker the basic premise is that a young man from the Westlands (a place with no magic), Richard, finds out that he is the Seeker of Truth, and must travel into the Midlands (a place where magic abounds) to save the world from a man called Darken Rahl. His companions are his grandfather, Zedd, a wizard of the first order, and Kahlan, the Mother Confessor, who's touch can make anyone fall in undying love with her, loosing their soul to her (with whom also there is also major UST because of her power). They are later joined by Cara, once part of the deadly, and leather shod Mord Sith, who torture people into obedience to them, and who serve Lord Rahl. The television show is about their adventures through the Midlands, and is thoroughly enjoyable, full of snark and fun, while also having some freaking awesome fight scenes.
Its a classic hero story, with Richard playing the part of the hero, Kahlan being a strong ass kicking heroine, and Zedd being a crazy old man. Cara's addition to the show was a whole new level of sass, snarkiness and being awesome -- setting her at odds against Kahlan.
The Episode:
"Princess" has to be considered a "light" episode. Zedd, played by Bruce Spence gets up in drag, Richard, who usually has brown hair, goes blond, and Cara, who is usually the complete opposite of a lady, has to play a princess of delicacy and grace. Even the promotions played it up as a comedic episode, none of their usual "trying to make it sound much more deadly then it is" crap, it was full on – "look what we're doing to the character's you love! You're going to laugh your ass off."
And I did.
But that's not the point.
Lets go through the major pieces of the story now (I assign positives and negatives based on what I liked and what I didn't like. The number at the end means very little without anything to judge it against. We have to start somewhere though).
The Score:
The tag encompasses a huge amount of information -- probably why this episode felt rushed at the beginning. We had to get Sister Nicci back (+2 for being much sexier then her previous incarnation), Kahlan had to be captured (-1 for awkwardness of the CGI), Cara had to be confirmed a tomboy (+3, because Cara is always awesome no matter what), we had to learn about the Margrave , and his castle (-2 for info dumping, bad writers, bad), and of course Richard had to run after Kahlan (+1 for them being cute), making Zedd yell "Richard wait!" in a totally annoying fake way (-1 for bad line, but +1 for Bruce Spence making the most of it). Then we had to have Kahlan yelling at the Margrave that Richard will find her (+2 for Kahlan fighting against the guards and being super sexy, -1 for awkwardness of her statement about the seeker), and discover Sister Nicci's sinister plan involving getting the Margrave eternal life in return for the life of the Mother Confessor (+3 for Darken Rahl's apperance, as he always makes things better, and this info dump didn't feel too uncomfortable). Oh, and lest I forget, Kahlan gets thrown in a dungeon with a woman who is Magrave's first wife, who explains the subjugation of the women folk in his kingdom (-1 for being kind of boring and being way too much information for a tag). Overall there I have to -3 for the pacing which was all off.
As I said, a lot of information. It did feel rushed, and in some ways I would have liked it to be slower -- since I had watched the show before I like being able to settle in -- but I understand the need to give new viewers a lead in, so they can understand what the hell is going on. Still, writing wise it did feel slightly sloppy to do it in this manner. Information dumping was pretty much all you got, rather then a tension filled tag that leads well into the first act. Still, overall, the tag got a 3, so I suppose it was positive in the end.
On to the first act.
Richard and Cara discuss how to get into the castle where magic can't be used, before Zedd shows up and tells them about the local gossip which includes all the information we learned in the tag about how Magrave wants eternal life in exchange for the Mother Confessor (-1 for repetition, though its necessary for those that might have missed the beginning). We also learn that there a group of travelers heading to the castle, including a princess who Magrave is thinking of marrying whom he has never met (+3 for Richard not getting it and not being a Mary Sue, +1 for Cara being sexy, +2 for Zedd being super amusing). Then Richard gets it -- all they need is a princess. Cara does not get it (+2 for Tabrett Bethell's face at this point, -1 for cliched response).
Anyways, they head off and stop the princess's party from heading towards Magrave's castle, and get the clothes and disguises ready for heading into the castle (+1 for Zedd being hilarious). Then Zedd tells Cara that she must unlearn everything that she is and:
Let's start at the beginning. Sister Nicci, who was killed a few episodes ago, came back. LotS likes to do this -- have characters come back that is. They did it with... well let’s just say, if a character dies, they tend to get better (I will admit that this season at least they have a pretty good reason for it, what with banelings wandering around killing people, and true, its not really in the spirit of 'Getting Better', but it’s the best description I can come up with). Richard and Cara have both died. Zedd has been far into the underworld. I suppose Kahlan hasn't been killed yet, but she's been split in two, so I think that should count. Evil people have come back, middling people, like Kahlan’s sister have come back. Its all a little murky and seems like everyone can come back from the dead depending on plot. I like the imagery of coming back from the dead -- and I think that it works only if you use it sparingly.
Returning from the dead is a way of cheating death -- certainly an understandable wish -- but it breaks many laws of the universe -- especially, as with Cara, if your throat cuts cut. Using it to pretend to kill someone, as they are doing in these episodes, is a cheap shot at publicity. You don't create any sort of tension if you know the character is going to be back in the next episode.
Denna was killed recently (I love Denna, but that might be because Jessica Marais plays her, and she's preeeeetty). I know she's going to come back which makes her death -- which came after a redemptive moment, less of an emotional blow, which you could just feel was what the writers wanted (then again, if you watched Denna's death, then you might have been confused by Zedd's response to it -- which was to pretend nothing had happened, despite the fact that he saw Denna's redemption).
When you trivialize death and rebrith like this show does, then you lose its power. Sure it might be the point -- the main characters kill people all the time in the show -- but without the punch you got from it the first few times, it feels like the writers are falling back on old cliches to make the writing work for them -- rather then letting the story take them where it needs to be.
I was having a conversation with Bryan about how people write. He is a very concept driven, plot driven writer, while I am much more of a character driven writer. I feel like the characters speak to me and tell me where things are going much more then I am directing their actions, something that he makes fun of me for all the time, because "You write the story Rosey, you are God." but for me the plot happens naturally, because the characters do things, and it evolves because I know how things should happen because I've had practice and I've read and watched a lot. The writers of LotS aren't listening to their instincts -- they're listening to what will make the next promo bold and dramatic, instead of looking at the characters and what they need to have happen.
So, there, my little rant about being back from the dead.
On to the humorous part of the episode.
Ah humor based on gender roles, when will you ever get old? Cara and Kahlan are out gathering firewood while Zedd and Richard argue about herbs. Gotta tell you, despite my messed up view on feminism (more on that at a later date), I still find this amusing. I think its more that I like to see women taking active roles and making fun of boys for being silly. I realize its an over used cliche, but it can always give me a giggle. Plus Bruce Spence was thoroughly amusing at telling Cara that she can't cook, and the look Cara gave him was priceless.
All of Cara's looks are priceless though.
Then, of course, we get to the bit about Bruce Spence being in drag. Do you know how tall this guy is (6'7", that's how tall)? He's in a dress that's too short for him, and his hair is a little curly, and he still looks better then Richard, who's hair is blond in this episode. Yes, again, humor based on gender roles. There is a bit about how Zedd gets a look over by a man and it goes on throughout the episode. I will give it to the writers though -- they are made of win.
Is there always going to be something ultimately hilarious about a man dressing in women's clothes? At least with Zedd there was a reason it was so ridiculous -- his dress was too short because he's way too tall -- but if, say, Richard had been the one to dress up, it would have been just as funny. Our fundamental state it to find transvestites funny (going from male to female, I don't think many people find the other way as amusing, given that women can wear pants easily). The fact that it is always played for comedy is somewhat worrying, to my addled mind at least. Still, its effective. You want cheap laughs, you certainly get them with putting a man in a woman's dress.
The thing the writers did with this episode (and Bruce Spence did with his acting) was take the inherent humor and turn it up to eleven. I'm not saying that it was fundamentally funnier because it was Zedd in a dress, I'm saying that it was funnier in moments that weren't hackneyed, and when it a situation where it should have been for laughs, it didn't feel like they were writing it that way. And I salute them for that.
To be honest the funniest thing about this episode was Cara in a dress, trying not to be her usual self -- which is to say, kind of a wild child, with no manners -- and then turning back to it and getting what they needed by being herself instead of someone else.
A brief note: I found this episode hilarious, and funny, and totally cracktastic. My issues with it are on an artistic level, not on enjoyment level. Keep this in mind.
Its a classic hero story, with Richard playing the part of the hero, Kahlan being a strong ass kicking heroine, and Zedd being a crazy old man. Cara's addition to the show was a whole new level of sass, snarkiness and being awesome -- setting her at odds against Kahlan.
The Episode:
"Princess" has to be considered a "light" episode. Zedd, played by Bruce Spence gets up in drag, Richard, who usually has brown hair, goes blond, and Cara, who is usually the complete opposite of a lady, has to play a princess of delicacy and grace. Even the promotions played it up as a comedic episode, none of their usual "trying to make it sound much more deadly then it is" crap, it was full on – "look what we're doing to the character's you love! You're going to laugh your ass off."
And I did.
But that's not the point.
Lets go through the major pieces of the story now (I assign positives and negatives based on what I liked and what I didn't like. The number at the end means very little without anything to judge it against. We have to start somewhere though).
The Score:
The tag encompasses a huge amount of information -- probably why this episode felt rushed at the beginning. We had to get Sister Nicci back (+2 for being much sexier then her previous incarnation), Kahlan had to be captured (-1 for awkwardness of the CGI), Cara had to be confirmed a tomboy (+3, because Cara is always awesome no matter what), we had to learn about the Margrave , and his castle (-2 for info dumping, bad writers, bad), and of course Richard had to run after Kahlan (+1 for them being cute), making Zedd yell "Richard wait!" in a totally annoying fake way (-1 for bad line, but +1 for Bruce Spence making the most of it). Then we had to have Kahlan yelling at the Margrave that Richard will find her (+2 for Kahlan fighting against the guards and being super sexy, -1 for awkwardness of her statement about the seeker), and discover Sister Nicci's sinister plan involving getting the Margrave eternal life in return for the life of the Mother Confessor (+3 for Darken Rahl's apperance, as he always makes things better, and this info dump didn't feel too uncomfortable). Oh, and lest I forget, Kahlan gets thrown in a dungeon with a woman who is Magrave's first wife, who explains the subjugation of the women folk in his kingdom (-1 for being kind of boring and being way too much information for a tag). Overall there I have to -3 for the pacing which was all off.
As I said, a lot of information. It did feel rushed, and in some ways I would have liked it to be slower -- since I had watched the show before I like being able to settle in -- but I understand the need to give new viewers a lead in, so they can understand what the hell is going on. Still, writing wise it did feel slightly sloppy to do it in this manner. Information dumping was pretty much all you got, rather then a tension filled tag that leads well into the first act. Still, overall, the tag got a 3, so I suppose it was positive in the end.
On to the first act.
Richard and Cara discuss how to get into the castle where magic can't be used, before Zedd shows up and tells them about the local gossip which includes all the information we learned in the tag about how Magrave wants eternal life in exchange for the Mother Confessor (-1 for repetition, though its necessary for those that might have missed the beginning). We also learn that there a group of travelers heading to the castle, including a princess who Magrave is thinking of marrying whom he has never met (+3 for Richard not getting it and not being a Mary Sue, +1 for Cara being sexy, +2 for Zedd being super amusing). Then Richard gets it -- all they need is a princess. Cara does not get it (+2 for Tabrett Bethell's face at this point, -1 for cliched response).
Anyways, they head off and stop the princess's party from heading towards Magrave's castle, and get the clothes and disguises ready for heading into the castle (+1 for Zedd being hilarious). Then Zedd tells Cara that she must unlearn everything that she is and:
Zedd: Always defer to the opinion of your masculine betters.
Cara: There's no such thing.
This episode uses two main devices: back from the dead, and playing with gender roles. How well they worked is what I’m going to talk about.Cara: There's no such thing.
(+4 for being AWESOME).
Then it turns out that women in Magrave's court only can speak in a rhyming scheme (because clearly they must go out of their way to make sure women think before they speak). This leads to further hilarity (+1). And then cut to Cara heading into a ball room. There is a furious amount of fan flapping -- was the heat on or something? (-2 for being distracting). Then there's a little bit of a duel between Cara and Drusilla, mostly about who can curtsy the lowest (amusing but no points for it as its minor). Cara gets points though for her painfully stated lyrical comment -- so in character and lovely to hear (+1). The Magrave tells her that she basically sucks and we cut out of the first act. Overall, I felt the need to -1 for the lack of Kahlan. Because Brigit is so pretty.
Actually pretty well paced after the mess of the tag. We end up with a score of 10, which is much higher then the tag, and there were only a few negatives.
Luckily, Act Two begins with Kahlan in the jail cell. She talks to Magrave's wife (who, coicidentally is Susan Sarandon, which I totally did not realize) about how if they can just get out of the cell, she can take all five gaurds. Because Kahlan is a BMF (-5 for Mary Sueism, +4 for Kahlan thinking of a way out instead of waiting for Richard to get her out). Meanwhile Cara must learn to dance, while Richard is all mopey because his girlfriend isn't there, and gets kind of prissy, asking why on earth he's there (-2 for Richard being mopey about Kahlan). There is more fan flapping (-1 seriously, turn the heat down). Then there is awkward flirting with a herald by Zedd.
Richard then tries to wonder around the castle -- obviously to find Kahlan (I'm tempted to take points off for it, but there are some amusing moments were Richard doesn't even realize that women are flirting with him because he's taking on the role of a womanizer, which is so not his kind of guy and Craig Horner is so amusing and pretty good at acting in it). There is more exposition, but its done well (+1).
There is more rhyming, but Magrave is looking at Cara's breasts (-1 for mixed messages). Cara then goes on to rap about torturing people, and its so much more in her style its awesome (+1). Richard complains to Zedd about getting some (-1). Zedd then tells Richard to try and seduce the Magrave's sister, who is... not attractive. And a thoroughly amusing non-verbal conversation goes on then (+1 for Richard being amusing). Then Drusilla tries to show up Cara, but there's no way that bitch could manage it, so Zedd gets them to go out and hunt, which Cara is really in to. Then we cut to Richard and the Magrave's sister making out -- which leads to them getting caught (+2 for Craig Horner's abs). Things are not looking good for our heroes as Act Two comes to an end.
Act two comes to a total of -1. First act to be a negative, though I didn't mind it all that much, it was a little slow (wow, pacing guys, its important). Things get exciting in act three though. Have no fear.
We start with Richard getting sentenced to marriage to the Magrave's sister. They head out to hunt, and Cara is finally able to be herself (+2 because Cara as herself is awesome).
More flirting between the herald and Zedd, creating more awkwardness (-1 for the awkwardness and attempting human with it). While Drusilla screams at the idea of hunting, Cara shoots the beast, goes over to it, cuts it open and offers the meat to Magrave in a very suggestive manner (+1 for sexiness). The Magrave is not happy about Cara's forwardness, he's apparently really attracted to it (+1 for Cara getting the guy by being herself). She's stopped talking in rhyme (+2 for thaaaaaaaank god). They head back to the palace and have dinner, with more fan fluttering (-1 for distraction).
But its okay because Nicci's about to appear. Richard and Zedd look at one another in shock and Richard attempts to hide behind his new blond hair (like it would work) when the sisters of the darkness come in (+2 for preeeetty outfits). I'm adding an +2 for the right pacing in this act, and ending in the right place, and just letting things go the way they should.
So we cut out of act three and we find ourselves with an 8 for act three.
We head back in right where we left off, and now the Magrave and Nicci talk -- in front of Richard who's using a wine goblet to hide himself? (-2 for making Nicci appear stupid). We go back to the prison, where Kahlan is making a knife thing with her plate which the guard doesn't seem to notice (-1 for the actor, not the writers). Kahlan tries to convince the Magrave's wife to help her, and manages it, pretty well (+1 for good writing).
We head back to the banquet, where Cara goes for the Magrave's nuts (in a good way). Cara gets him to leave the banquet and checking over his agreement with the Keeper (+1 for Cara being awesome). Cara then sweet talks the Magrave and threatens him (+1). They get into a fight and Cara is really being herself finally (+1 its awesome). Nicci figures out that Zedd is Zedd (+1 for not making her terribly stupid). A battle begins (+2 YAY!). Act four gets no add ons or subtractions, and we end up with a 3 for it.
Act five starts out where we left off. Richard killing left and right. Cara being freaking awesome -- theatening castration, and then punching out the Magrave while speaking in rhyme (+2). Then we head back to the jail where Kahlan gets involved in the fight and takes out the gaurds with a knife she made from a plate (+2 for her being awesome). Cara heads down to the jail, and more fighting ensues (+5 for all the battles). By the time Richard gets down to the dungeon, Cara and Kahlan have managed to kill all the guards (+1 for them being BMFs). Nicci gets cornered, and realizes that if she jumps through a window she can use her magic -- which she does, escaping in a clap of lightning light (+1 for awesome departure).
The Magrave wakes up to find out that everyone has left, and there's no eternal life (+1 for just comeuppance). The four heroes head out, and Kahlan teases all of the players, and is thoroughly cute (+2). Act five gets a 12, because its a good ending, and wraps up nicely while still opening up the rest of the season.
Overall this episode gets a 35. What does this mean? Nothing really. Its just the number I got when I added everything together.
Act Breaks:
So, I've given you the break down of the episode. Let's talk about how it was written now. TV shows are based on where to cut for commercial breaks to make sure the viewer will return. It used to be a tag, three acts and then an out tag, but as the commercial side of television has worn on, the episodes have gotten shorter and the commercials need to be squeezed in more, so now we have a tag and five acts.
LotS has the right kind of atmosphere to do really dramatic breaks. Its a fantasy, were the most dramatic and ridiculous things can be said and still be taken seriously. The first break of this episode was with Nicci talking to Rahl about her evil plan to kill Kahlan. The camera moved on to her face and watched the slight satisfaction that crossed it. It falls very well into a usual scene break for any show, but it feels very LotS: "Dramatic statements made, let's head into comercial break."
The second break is another dramatic statement, with the music swelling in the background for a terrible doom for our heroes. However, it raises the stakes for the characters by making it clear that if Cara fails massively, there will be consequences. There is an up of the stakes for the third break. Richard is in trouble, Cara is the one who's going to have to make the play to help save Kahlan. Again the stakes are raised at the end of the act when the Sisters of the Dark come in, and Richard finds out that Sister Nicci is among them. They know what Richard and Zedd look like and are unlikely to be fooled by the get up the characters are in.
I do feel as if the act felt more ended at the point when Cara offer's the Magrave the liver of the beast she had just killed, but I do understand the compulsion to make the end of an act more of a dramatic "Oh shit" moment then a "Cara is fucking hot" moment.
Of course the final break comes in the middle of a battle. That I can get behind quite well. The structure of raising tension and then raising it again in order to get to a point where it has to break is a good one, and a way to keep viewers watching.
This show has the blessings of being good at dialogue (well amusing dialogue and most of the time) and also knowing how to set up an epic arc with smaller side stories to break up the major arc. You can see it in the way they break the show -- set up, build the tension, add complications, action, action, and then a softening moment at the end to tie up the loose ends. Its why LotS, despite having moments that are not good in the show, is really an excellent watch.
Devices:
Then it turns out that women in Magrave's court only can speak in a rhyming scheme (because clearly they must go out of their way to make sure women think before they speak). This leads to further hilarity (+1). And then cut to Cara heading into a ball room. There is a furious amount of fan flapping -- was the heat on or something? (-2 for being distracting). Then there's a little bit of a duel between Cara and Drusilla, mostly about who can curtsy the lowest (amusing but no points for it as its minor). Cara gets points though for her painfully stated lyrical comment -- so in character and lovely to hear (+1). The Magrave tells her that she basically sucks and we cut out of the first act. Overall, I felt the need to -1 for the lack of Kahlan. Because Brigit is so pretty.
Actually pretty well paced after the mess of the tag. We end up with a score of 10, which is much higher then the tag, and there were only a few negatives.
Luckily, Act Two begins with Kahlan in the jail cell. She talks to Magrave's wife (who, coicidentally is Susan Sarandon, which I totally did not realize) about how if they can just get out of the cell, she can take all five gaurds. Because Kahlan is a BMF (-5 for Mary Sueism, +4 for Kahlan thinking of a way out instead of waiting for Richard to get her out). Meanwhile Cara must learn to dance, while Richard is all mopey because his girlfriend isn't there, and gets kind of prissy, asking why on earth he's there (-2 for Richard being mopey about Kahlan). There is more fan flapping (-1 seriously, turn the heat down). Then there is awkward flirting with a herald by Zedd.
Richard then tries to wonder around the castle -- obviously to find Kahlan (I'm tempted to take points off for it, but there are some amusing moments were Richard doesn't even realize that women are flirting with him because he's taking on the role of a womanizer, which is so not his kind of guy and Craig Horner is so amusing and pretty good at acting in it). There is more exposition, but its done well (+1).
There is more rhyming, but Magrave is looking at Cara's breasts (-1 for mixed messages). Cara then goes on to rap about torturing people, and its so much more in her style its awesome (+1). Richard complains to Zedd about getting some (-1). Zedd then tells Richard to try and seduce the Magrave's sister, who is... not attractive. And a thoroughly amusing non-verbal conversation goes on then (+1 for Richard being amusing). Then Drusilla tries to show up Cara, but there's no way that bitch could manage it, so Zedd gets them to go out and hunt, which Cara is really in to. Then we cut to Richard and the Magrave's sister making out -- which leads to them getting caught (+2 for Craig Horner's abs). Things are not looking good for our heroes as Act Two comes to an end.
Act two comes to a total of -1. First act to be a negative, though I didn't mind it all that much, it was a little slow (wow, pacing guys, its important). Things get exciting in act three though. Have no fear.
We start with Richard getting sentenced to marriage to the Magrave's sister. They head out to hunt, and Cara is finally able to be herself (+2 because Cara as herself is awesome).
Cara: I don't need magic to make a man beg for mercy.
More flirting between the herald and Zedd, creating more awkwardness (-1 for the awkwardness and attempting human with it). While Drusilla screams at the idea of hunting, Cara shoots the beast, goes over to it, cuts it open and offers the meat to Magrave in a very suggestive manner (+1 for sexiness). The Magrave is not happy about Cara's forwardness, he's apparently really attracted to it (+1 for Cara getting the guy by being herself). She's stopped talking in rhyme (+2 for thaaaaaaaank god). They head back to the palace and have dinner, with more fan fluttering (-1 for distraction).
But its okay because Nicci's about to appear. Richard and Zedd look at one another in shock and Richard attempts to hide behind his new blond hair (like it would work) when the sisters of the darkness come in (+2 for preeeetty outfits). I'm adding an +2 for the right pacing in this act, and ending in the right place, and just letting things go the way they should.
So we cut out of act three and we find ourselves with an 8 for act three.
We head back in right where we left off, and now the Magrave and Nicci talk -- in front of Richard who's using a wine goblet to hide himself? (-2 for making Nicci appear stupid). We go back to the prison, where Kahlan is making a knife thing with her plate which the guard doesn't seem to notice (-1 for the actor, not the writers). Kahlan tries to convince the Magrave's wife to help her, and manages it, pretty well (+1 for good writing).
We head back to the banquet, where Cara goes for the Magrave's nuts (in a good way). Cara gets him to leave the banquet and checking over his agreement with the Keeper (+1 for Cara being awesome). Cara then sweet talks the Magrave and threatens him (+1). They get into a fight and Cara is really being herself finally (+1 its awesome). Nicci figures out that Zedd is Zedd (+1 for not making her terribly stupid). A battle begins (+2 YAY!). Act four gets no add ons or subtractions, and we end up with a 3 for it.
Act five starts out where we left off. Richard killing left and right. Cara being freaking awesome -- theatening castration, and then punching out the Magrave while speaking in rhyme (+2). Then we head back to the jail where Kahlan gets involved in the fight and takes out the gaurds with a knife she made from a plate (+2 for her being awesome). Cara heads down to the jail, and more fighting ensues (+5 for all the battles). By the time Richard gets down to the dungeon, Cara and Kahlan have managed to kill all the guards (+1 for them being BMFs). Nicci gets cornered, and realizes that if she jumps through a window she can use her magic -- which she does, escaping in a clap of lightning light (+1 for awesome departure).
The Magrave wakes up to find out that everyone has left, and there's no eternal life (+1 for just comeuppance). The four heroes head out, and Kahlan teases all of the players, and is thoroughly cute (+2). Act five gets a 12, because its a good ending, and wraps up nicely while still opening up the rest of the season.
Overall this episode gets a 35. What does this mean? Nothing really. Its just the number I got when I added everything together.
Act Breaks:
So, I've given you the break down of the episode. Let's talk about how it was written now. TV shows are based on where to cut for commercial breaks to make sure the viewer will return. It used to be a tag, three acts and then an out tag, but as the commercial side of television has worn on, the episodes have gotten shorter and the commercials need to be squeezed in more, so now we have a tag and five acts.
LotS has the right kind of atmosphere to do really dramatic breaks. Its a fantasy, were the most dramatic and ridiculous things can be said and still be taken seriously. The first break of this episode was with Nicci talking to Rahl about her evil plan to kill Kahlan. The camera moved on to her face and watched the slight satisfaction that crossed it. It falls very well into a usual scene break for any show, but it feels very LotS: "Dramatic statements made, let's head into comercial break."
The second break is another dramatic statement, with the music swelling in the background for a terrible doom for our heroes. However, it raises the stakes for the characters by making it clear that if Cara fails massively, there will be consequences. There is an up of the stakes for the third break. Richard is in trouble, Cara is the one who's going to have to make the play to help save Kahlan. Again the stakes are raised at the end of the act when the Sisters of the Dark come in, and Richard finds out that Sister Nicci is among them. They know what Richard and Zedd look like and are unlikely to be fooled by the get up the characters are in.
I do feel as if the act felt more ended at the point when Cara offer's the Magrave the liver of the beast she had just killed, but I do understand the compulsion to make the end of an act more of a dramatic "Oh shit" moment then a "Cara is fucking hot" moment.
Of course the final break comes in the middle of a battle. That I can get behind quite well. The structure of raising tension and then raising it again in order to get to a point where it has to break is a good one, and a way to keep viewers watching.
This show has the blessings of being good at dialogue (well amusing dialogue and most of the time) and also knowing how to set up an epic arc with smaller side stories to break up the major arc. You can see it in the way they break the show -- set up, build the tension, add complications, action, action, and then a softening moment at the end to tie up the loose ends. Its why LotS, despite having moments that are not good in the show, is really an excellent watch.
Devices:
Let's start at the beginning. Sister Nicci, who was killed a few episodes ago, came back. LotS likes to do this -- have characters come back that is. They did it with... well let’s just say, if a character dies, they tend to get better (I will admit that this season at least they have a pretty good reason for it, what with banelings wandering around killing people, and true, its not really in the spirit of 'Getting Better', but it’s the best description I can come up with). Richard and Cara have both died. Zedd has been far into the underworld. I suppose Kahlan hasn't been killed yet, but she's been split in two, so I think that should count. Evil people have come back, middling people, like Kahlan’s sister have come back. Its all a little murky and seems like everyone can come back from the dead depending on plot. I like the imagery of coming back from the dead -- and I think that it works only if you use it sparingly.
Returning from the dead is a way of cheating death -- certainly an understandable wish -- but it breaks many laws of the universe -- especially, as with Cara, if your throat cuts cut. Using it to pretend to kill someone, as they are doing in these episodes, is a cheap shot at publicity. You don't create any sort of tension if you know the character is going to be back in the next episode.
Denna was killed recently (I love Denna, but that might be because Jessica Marais plays her, and she's preeeeetty). I know she's going to come back which makes her death -- which came after a redemptive moment, less of an emotional blow, which you could just feel was what the writers wanted (then again, if you watched Denna's death, then you might have been confused by Zedd's response to it -- which was to pretend nothing had happened, despite the fact that he saw Denna's redemption).
When you trivialize death and rebrith like this show does, then you lose its power. Sure it might be the point -- the main characters kill people all the time in the show -- but without the punch you got from it the first few times, it feels like the writers are falling back on old cliches to make the writing work for them -- rather then letting the story take them where it needs to be.
I was having a conversation with Bryan about how people write. He is a very concept driven, plot driven writer, while I am much more of a character driven writer. I feel like the characters speak to me and tell me where things are going much more then I am directing their actions, something that he makes fun of me for all the time, because "You write the story Rosey, you are God." but for me the plot happens naturally, because the characters do things, and it evolves because I know how things should happen because I've had practice and I've read and watched a lot. The writers of LotS aren't listening to their instincts -- they're listening to what will make the next promo bold and dramatic, instead of looking at the characters and what they need to have happen.
So, there, my little rant about being back from the dead.
On to the humorous part of the episode.
Ah humor based on gender roles, when will you ever get old? Cara and Kahlan are out gathering firewood while Zedd and Richard argue about herbs. Gotta tell you, despite my messed up view on feminism (more on that at a later date), I still find this amusing. I think its more that I like to see women taking active roles and making fun of boys for being silly. I realize its an over used cliche, but it can always give me a giggle. Plus Bruce Spence was thoroughly amusing at telling Cara that she can't cook, and the look Cara gave him was priceless.
All of Cara's looks are priceless though.
Then, of course, we get to the bit about Bruce Spence being in drag. Do you know how tall this guy is (6'7", that's how tall)? He's in a dress that's too short for him, and his hair is a little curly, and he still looks better then Richard, who's hair is blond in this episode. Yes, again, humor based on gender roles. There is a bit about how Zedd gets a look over by a man and it goes on throughout the episode. I will give it to the writers though -- they are made of win.
Cara: I think you have an admirer.
Zedd: Is there any reason why I shouldn't?
Zedd: Is there any reason why I shouldn't?
Is there always going to be something ultimately hilarious about a man dressing in women's clothes? At least with Zedd there was a reason it was so ridiculous -- his dress was too short because he's way too tall -- but if, say, Richard had been the one to dress up, it would have been just as funny. Our fundamental state it to find transvestites funny (going from male to female, I don't think many people find the other way as amusing, given that women can wear pants easily). The fact that it is always played for comedy is somewhat worrying, to my addled mind at least. Still, its effective. You want cheap laughs, you certainly get them with putting a man in a woman's dress.
The thing the writers did with this episode (and Bruce Spence did with his acting) was take the inherent humor and turn it up to eleven. I'm not saying that it was fundamentally funnier because it was Zedd in a dress, I'm saying that it was funnier in moments that weren't hackneyed, and when it a situation where it should have been for laughs, it didn't feel like they were writing it that way. And I salute them for that.
To be honest the funniest thing about this episode was Cara in a dress, trying not to be her usual self -- which is to say, kind of a wild child, with no manners -- and then turning back to it and getting what they needed by being herself instead of someone else.
A brief note: I found this episode hilarious, and funny, and totally cracktastic. My issues with it are on an artistic level, not on enjoyment level. Keep this in mind.
Monday, March 1, 2010
A List of Possibilities
Here is a list of shows that I watch, and will possibly write about:
01. 30 Rock
02. Angel
03. Battlestar Galactica (2004 reimagining)
04. Big Bang Theory
05. Bones
06. Boy Meets World
07. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
08. Caprica
09. Castle
10. Coupling
11. Doctor Who (relaunch)
12. Dollhouse
13. Firefly
14. Friends
15. Glee
16. Grey’s Anatomy
17. House, MD
18. How I Met Your Mother
19. Legend of the Seeker
20. Lie to Me*
21. Private Practice
22. Pushing Daisies
23. Scrubs
24. Sex and the City
25. Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip
26. The Colbert Report
27. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
28. The Simpsons
29. The West Wing
30. Torchwood
31. Ugly Betty
32. Veronica Mars
33. Weeds
34. Will and Grace
35. Psych
36. Alias
37. Futurama
38. Avatar: The Last Airbender
39. The IT Crowd
40. Sherlock
41. Black Adder
42. Dirty Sexy Money
43. Sports Night
44. Episodes
45. Mr. Sunshine
46. Dead Like Me
47. Fullmetal Alchemist
47. Fullmetal Alchemist
48. Blackpool
49. Happy Endings
50. Being Human
Items will be added, but I'll note it when I do. Any suggestions, and I'll look into it.
49. Happy Endings
50. Being Human
Items will be added, but I'll note it when I do. Any suggestions, and I'll look into it.
On Nights With Full Moons
I get crazy ideas from time to time -- usually around the time of the full moon.
I blame it on Ian, Molly and Alice, my werewolf characters, who get all antsy when there's a full moon and want to be written. Even when I have school work to be done and my brain isn't quite in full gear.
I decided tonight that I was wasting a perfectly good title for a blog on my Day 0 Project. Especially since I wasn't doing anything for it. So I deleted all those entries, and stared at the title and it occured to me -- what do I love most in the world? Writing, that's what. And what comes second? Talking about writing.
Now I know that most people don't like to read about unpublished stuff, and to be honest, it gets in the way of publishing to put your stuff up where people can read it, and on a little blog like this, there is no point to trying to get people involved, but I can talk about the writing in things like already published novels, or in movies, or in, and this is my favorite, TV shows.
Joss Whedon in his commentary on the Dollhouse episode "Man on the Street" said "can we add a little science to our fiction." and I liked the phrase so much I took it and made it into my blog title. And so this is adding a little science to our fiction: looking at the elements that make up TV shows, and movies and novels and short stories, and writing about them.
So, yes, this is what this blog is about.
But before I drive into this world of fiction and talking about it, perhaps I should introduce myself. I'm Rosey, a junior at American University, double majoring in biology and psychology. I have been writing since I was five, and I started my first novel when I was eleven. I finished my first novel when I was seventeen however, by participating in NaNoWriMo. Since then I've written the rough drafts of seven different novels, and am currently working on an eighth -- which might possibly be edited and sent out if I ever feel its ready. I watch a lot of TV (see here for a list of shows I watch/own), love watching movies, and listen to books on my iPod almost constantly. I have a morbid sensibility and a dark sense of humor, like action and snarkiness over romance, and my tastes in TV shows, movies and books reflect that.
Despite that, I tend to see the bright side of everything -- I just tend not to believe it will happen.
I am an avid reader of TV Tropes. Two things about TV Tropes: 1. I believe it is an excellent source for a writer -- just to see what is out there, what has been done, and how some of the most successful have managed to become successful. 2. One of my dreams is to have a page on TV tropes that was not created by me, about something I have written. I do edit on TV tropes -- if you want to find me over there, I'm frenchrabbi.
Anyways, this is my blog. Feel free to read/comment/tell me I'm stupid. I'm good for it all. Each of my entries will focus on an episode, or book, or short story or movie, and see what the story has to offer by way of devices, plot, character development and so on. I'll do a recap of what happened and include points -- but like in Who's Line is it Anyways, the points don't really matter.
I blame it on Ian, Molly and Alice, my werewolf characters, who get all antsy when there's a full moon and want to be written. Even when I have school work to be done and my brain isn't quite in full gear.
I decided tonight that I was wasting a perfectly good title for a blog on my Day 0 Project. Especially since I wasn't doing anything for it. So I deleted all those entries, and stared at the title and it occured to me -- what do I love most in the world? Writing, that's what. And what comes second? Talking about writing.
Now I know that most people don't like to read about unpublished stuff, and to be honest, it gets in the way of publishing to put your stuff up where people can read it, and on a little blog like this, there is no point to trying to get people involved, but I can talk about the writing in things like already published novels, or in movies, or in, and this is my favorite, TV shows.
Joss Whedon in his commentary on the Dollhouse episode "Man on the Street" said "can we add a little science to our fiction." and I liked the phrase so much I took it and made it into my blog title. And so this is adding a little science to our fiction: looking at the elements that make up TV shows, and movies and novels and short stories, and writing about them.
So, yes, this is what this blog is about.
But before I drive into this world of fiction and talking about it, perhaps I should introduce myself. I'm Rosey, a junior at American University, double majoring in biology and psychology. I have been writing since I was five, and I started my first novel when I was eleven. I finished my first novel when I was seventeen however, by participating in NaNoWriMo. Since then I've written the rough drafts of seven different novels, and am currently working on an eighth -- which might possibly be edited and sent out if I ever feel its ready. I watch a lot of TV (see here for a list of shows I watch/own), love watching movies, and listen to books on my iPod almost constantly. I have a morbid sensibility and a dark sense of humor, like action and snarkiness over romance, and my tastes in TV shows, movies and books reflect that.
Despite that, I tend to see the bright side of everything -- I just tend not to believe it will happen.
I am an avid reader of TV Tropes. Two things about TV Tropes: 1. I believe it is an excellent source for a writer -- just to see what is out there, what has been done, and how some of the most successful have managed to become successful. 2. One of my dreams is to have a page on TV tropes that was not created by me, about something I have written. I do edit on TV tropes -- if you want to find me over there, I'm frenchrabbi.
Anyways, this is my blog. Feel free to read/comment/tell me I'm stupid. I'm good for it all. Each of my entries will focus on an episode, or book, or short story or movie, and see what the story has to offer by way of devices, plot, character development and so on. I'll do a recap of what happened and include points -- but like in Who's Line is it Anyways, the points don't really matter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)