23 minutes until the craziest month of the year begins. November is a fascinating, joy filled time for me because I once again embark on a novel. This year I still don't know what I'm writing and we're now 21 minutes away from the time that you can put the first word on the page that can count.
In general I plan before novel writing. Not a whole lot, just some. I like to create the characters, and delve into the world a little. This is why RPG, while looked down upon by some authors, really helps. You get through the awkward phase where your character is you, reacting and responding to everything, and change it into a separate entity. Its like pregnancy, holding on to this child, and then setting them free to grow and develop more in the novel you write later.
That being said, my favorite character, the one I spent the most time writing while RPing was Adair, who I have not written in something I would like to share with people. Instead she exists, in and out, in other forms.
Still, Ian, Molly and Alice had a good start in RP. Alice especially had an excellent start -- though perhaps this was because I was older, and more mature in my writing. Or so I would like to think.
17 minutes now. I'm kind of pumped. I should be reading about RNA and how it transcribes DNA, but there is a definite excitement in my life, a jump up and down, life is good excitement.
I am contemplating blogging my NaNo. At first this was going to be in a new blog, but this one works just as well. The writing process can be impeded by too much thought, but this is not about trying to make it work for others, but rather for myself.
14 minutes. My phone just went off to inform me of my test tomorrow. I am instead contemplating where to start. My novel this year, I believe, will be the Book of Gates. I have two groups to juggle -- Alane and Mya are the main characters. Mya fascinates me more then Alane does, and in the interest of time and in an effort to just keep writing, I believe I will start with Mya.
I was thinking, reading through some of the Mary-Sue stuff about various characters, that perhaps the whole original idea of the Book of Gates should be scrapped. The most exciting thing about it is Mya and I am heading into 12 novels? Not exciting. We'll see though, because there is a powerful pull from Alane.
9 minutes.
Even if I were to get rid of the entire idea for the entire plot and do something else -- a sequel to A/I/M or the Tower story with Benny and Nat -- I am unsure of where I would start. The other thing I could do would be my literary fiction novel -- Six Impossible Things -- but my creative writing teacher has turned me off to the idea.
I have realized I am going to need a playlist for the month. Perhaps I shall wander off in the last seven minutes to the forums to see suggestions for creating a playlist. Then again, they rarely do what I want -- which is to have songs that make me want to write.
3 minutes.
I had forgotten that the sites gets slower and slower as the first goes by. It is making things more difficult for me. But its fine. We're getting closer and closer. Soon it will be word counts instead of minutes.
I have thought about how I am going to do this. Posts will be short from here until the end of November, but I'm sure you can manage that. I am not expecting much traffic through here. But this is my writing process, how I do things.
No one can tell me what to do. National Novel Writing Month is about to begin.
Hold your breath. We're into the opening stretch.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Two Episodes In
Who was excited by this TV season? Me, that's who. How did the season do as compared to my predictions? Well, some of the shows I haven't gotten around to watching. Anything on Monday at 8 gets cut into by my biochemistry class, so I haven't watched House yet. HIMYM I have watched, because I like doing it with BBT. So lets start with these two.
HIMYM --
This show did well for the first episode. The frame within the frame within the frame was excellent. Robin was still not pleasing as a character, but I have given up on her a little, and am just giggling at the show now. Having given up on standard characterization, the show has fallen prey to the characteristics of sitcom -- over generalization and flanderization. Barney has lost control, Ted is repeatedly placed into positions that make him seem more and more ridiculous. Lily has become shrewish, and Marshall has become more small town, if that is possible. Robin has degenerated into typical femaleness. Still, having these character tropes is not necessarily bad. They can still be funny and lovable, and I'm going to keep watching because... well who is the mother.
I think that they have to reveal who the mother is finally, or its going to stretch the premise to the breaking point. Sure its just the frame, but there is something to be said to remaining true to what you began. I would lose an enormous amount of respect (probably all they have left from me) for the writers if they tried to pull a fast on us again like they did last season with the information about how the mother was in that classroom.
Season six will be interesting to watch and see how they shape things towards that wedding where Ted is the best man. (My prediction is that Barney is getting married. To who? Robin of course. Clearly I am slightly delusional).
Big Bang Theory --
Solid start to the fourth season. Despite the fact that it has been proclaimed that Penny and Sheldon will never be together (and there was something of a jibe about it in the episode), I still think that it could lead somewhere what with that awkward date with Sheldon, his date and Penny. I mean, come on. My fear of the loss of ensembleness that was with this show has been slightly alleviated, though not completely. Howard got face time (hilariously), but Leonard hasn't really had a story in a while, nor has Raj. It continues to be a Sheldon/Penny show. As a character person it bothers me that there isn't a lot of development for the side characters, but for the show it probably works, because most of the humor is found in Sheldon's behavior.
Bones --
Oh Bones! "Gather your squinterns!" Back to the witty banter and Brennan being slightly out there, and just Bonesy goodness. Gotta say the fact that they all got called back for Cam was good, but a little contrived. Still, the first episode was excellent and amusing (though, it annoyed me that the kidnapping case had the father as the bad guy, because I was like "But no! Colby would never do such a thing!" since Dylan Bruno was the actor). The second episode was actually amazing. I dislike Hannah because of the way she speaks, but appreciate that she speaks like she is writing something, which humanizes and characterizes her. But the really amazing part of the second episode was the way that the writers could finally begin to pull on some of the emotional strings they have been playing with for the past five years. Brennan's "I am the only one who is where they expected to be" and her in the bar at the end was heartbreakingly good. Way to have pay off for your hard work Bones. Now, don't blow it, as you are prone to do.
Glee I'm not going to talk about because they upset me by falling back into their usual annoying pattern. 30 Rock was done well, but nothing in particular to talk about with them. I think that's all I've watched. Maybe I'll do an episode recap soon. Maybe not. We'll see. ;)
HIMYM --
This show did well for the first episode. The frame within the frame within the frame was excellent. Robin was still not pleasing as a character, but I have given up on her a little, and am just giggling at the show now. Having given up on standard characterization, the show has fallen prey to the characteristics of sitcom -- over generalization and flanderization. Barney has lost control, Ted is repeatedly placed into positions that make him seem more and more ridiculous. Lily has become shrewish, and Marshall has become more small town, if that is possible. Robin has degenerated into typical femaleness. Still, having these character tropes is not necessarily bad. They can still be funny and lovable, and I'm going to keep watching because... well who is the mother.
I think that they have to reveal who the mother is finally, or its going to stretch the premise to the breaking point. Sure its just the frame, but there is something to be said to remaining true to what you began. I would lose an enormous amount of respect (probably all they have left from me) for the writers if they tried to pull a fast on us again like they did last season with the information about how the mother was in that classroom.
Season six will be interesting to watch and see how they shape things towards that wedding where Ted is the best man. (My prediction is that Barney is getting married. To who? Robin of course. Clearly I am slightly delusional).
Big Bang Theory --
Solid start to the fourth season. Despite the fact that it has been proclaimed that Penny and Sheldon will never be together (and there was something of a jibe about it in the episode), I still think that it could lead somewhere what with that awkward date with Sheldon, his date and Penny. I mean, come on. My fear of the loss of ensembleness that was with this show has been slightly alleviated, though not completely. Howard got face time (hilariously), but Leonard hasn't really had a story in a while, nor has Raj. It continues to be a Sheldon/Penny show. As a character person it bothers me that there isn't a lot of development for the side characters, but for the show it probably works, because most of the humor is found in Sheldon's behavior.
Bones --
Oh Bones! "Gather your squinterns!" Back to the witty banter and Brennan being slightly out there, and just Bonesy goodness. Gotta say the fact that they all got called back for Cam was good, but a little contrived. Still, the first episode was excellent and amusing (though, it annoyed me that the kidnapping case had the father as the bad guy, because I was like "But no! Colby would never do such a thing!" since Dylan Bruno was the actor). The second episode was actually amazing. I dislike Hannah because of the way she speaks, but appreciate that she speaks like she is writing something, which humanizes and characterizes her. But the really amazing part of the second episode was the way that the writers could finally begin to pull on some of the emotional strings they have been playing with for the past five years. Brennan's "I am the only one who is where they expected to be" and her in the bar at the end was heartbreakingly good. Way to have pay off for your hard work Bones. Now, don't blow it, as you are prone to do.
Glee I'm not going to talk about because they upset me by falling back into their usual annoying pattern. 30 Rock was done well, but nothing in particular to talk about with them. I think that's all I've watched. Maybe I'll do an episode recap soon. Maybe not. We'll see. ;)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Gearing Up
The 2010 - 2011 TV season begins Monday. I believe some shows have started but the majority of the shows I watch are getting their first episode next week. Here's what I'm following and why.
MONDAY:
House, MD --
We left off last season with House and Cuddy making out. WHAT?! Six years and now they start making out? HOW WILL THEY MANAGE SEASON SEVEN? I am curious to see what kind of things they can put House through while still keeping him House. However, I have been scared by How I Met Your Mother's treatment of characters who get together who should be together, so I am unsure if they will manage to pull through this drastic change. Still, it will be exciting and different and could re-energize the show.
How I Met Your Mother --
So, I hated season 5 of this show. Maybe it was the way I watched it, spread out like it is, or possibly its that the writers decided to ruin Robin, who is my favorite female on television, but either way, season 5 was not a good season for me. The last episode was probably the best (because DON IS GONE!) And it was a good place to be leaving off, with change in the air. I think the next season may be able to lift me out of the funk I am in with this show, but we shall see.
Castle --
A third season for Nathan Fillion? SHOCK. But this show has so much excellent, and raw, potential. They had the sense in the finale to have Kate realize she might like Castle enough to give it a go. They are pushing the boundaries they have set up with the week to week stuff and I like it. How far they can go, we will see, but I think that they are clever enough to make it work, and Nathan and Stana are going to make it work with the chemistry enough for me to give up on the writing and still love the show.
TUESDAY:
Glee --
We all know I don't like Glee about 75% of the time. I had my rant before. In my season finale episode wrap up post, which never got published, I mentioned that the finale of Glee was where the writers really got some pay off, and THAT IS HOW PACING IS DONE GUYS. Maybe they will take it from there, but I worry that its a once in a blue moon kind of thing. I have also heard they are cutting down on music and that is not okay with me. But, on the plus side, Kurt is getting a boyfriend and I think this season may have potential, we will have to see.
THURSDAY:
This is the big night.
Bones --
This past season bored me a little, gotta say. It wasn't that it wasn't good, but the little things started to get at me that didn't used to. Like the palm trees that DO NOT EXIST IN WASHINGTON, or the fact that the Washington Metro has a very specific look, and they ignored it, or the fact that that building that was at "American University" could not exist on this campus. But, I like that they have managed to move into a new place with the Bones/Booth relationship. The taking a year break I think is actually an amazing idea. I thought it was well conceived, if not thought out. I will be interested to see where they take it and what's going to happen.
30 Rock --
Oh Tina Fey. I am so hoping that she gets to have a boyfriend this season. I think it would be more fun to see her doing stuff like learning to accommodate someone else into Liz Lemon's life, then her doing the stereotypical ridiculousness they make her do on the show. I will probably be disappointed on this point, but I will continue to watch because its smart and funny.
Big Bang Theory --
Sheldon and a girl. I am a huge Sheldon/Penny shipper, but I think that the relationship that is going to unfold (spoiler) is going to be interesting to behold. I believe that it will, in fact, help my Shenny cause, as it will allow Sheldon to grow and become someone new. Leonard, Raj and Howard must also have face time, but I believe that the real draw of the show now is Sheldon. I worry, however, that BBT will lose its sense of who the show is about like HIMYM did, going from ensemble show to the Barney/Sheldon show. They may not make the same mistakes though, and we can hope that is true.
Grey's Anatomy --
Why? Why, you ask me. Well, Grey's has been a battle for me. I sometimes watch and I sometimes don't, but I believe there could be some interesting stuff coming from this season. It may also be heading towards its conclusion, as Ellen wants to get out of the Grey's business, and I am unsure if Lexie Grey can be the Grey in the title. Its going to be an interesting season, and may result in strangely good episodes.
Private Practice --
See, you should have waited until I said this show to ask me why. Not only is this worse then Grey's, all of the show has turned into a horrible mess of "WHO'RE YOU SLEEPING WITH?". But CHARLOTTE AND COOPER ARE GETTING MARRIED. LOVE.
So that's the new season for me. Maybe a new show will catch my eye. I am debating Nikita, as a new show, but I'm unsure if I'll have time, slash it looks a little trashy. So we'll see. If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
MONDAY:
House, MD --
We left off last season with House and Cuddy making out. WHAT?! Six years and now they start making out? HOW WILL THEY MANAGE SEASON SEVEN? I am curious to see what kind of things they can put House through while still keeping him House. However, I have been scared by How I Met Your Mother's treatment of characters who get together who should be together, so I am unsure if they will manage to pull through this drastic change. Still, it will be exciting and different and could re-energize the show.
How I Met Your Mother --
So, I hated season 5 of this show. Maybe it was the way I watched it, spread out like it is, or possibly its that the writers decided to ruin Robin, who is my favorite female on television, but either way, season 5 was not a good season for me. The last episode was probably the best (because DON IS GONE!) And it was a good place to be leaving off, with change in the air. I think the next season may be able to lift me out of the funk I am in with this show, but we shall see.
Castle --
A third season for Nathan Fillion? SHOCK. But this show has so much excellent, and raw, potential. They had the sense in the finale to have Kate realize she might like Castle enough to give it a go. They are pushing the boundaries they have set up with the week to week stuff and I like it. How far they can go, we will see, but I think that they are clever enough to make it work, and Nathan and Stana are going to make it work with the chemistry enough for me to give up on the writing and still love the show.
TUESDAY:
Glee --
We all know I don't like Glee about 75% of the time. I had my rant before. In my season finale episode wrap up post, which never got published, I mentioned that the finale of Glee was where the writers really got some pay off, and THAT IS HOW PACING IS DONE GUYS. Maybe they will take it from there, but I worry that its a once in a blue moon kind of thing. I have also heard they are cutting down on music and that is not okay with me. But, on the plus side, Kurt is getting a boyfriend and I think this season may have potential, we will have to see.
THURSDAY:
This is the big night.
Bones --
This past season bored me a little, gotta say. It wasn't that it wasn't good, but the little things started to get at me that didn't used to. Like the palm trees that DO NOT EXIST IN WASHINGTON, or the fact that the Washington Metro has a very specific look, and they ignored it, or the fact that that building that was at "American University" could not exist on this campus. But, I like that they have managed to move into a new place with the Bones/Booth relationship. The taking a year break I think is actually an amazing idea. I thought it was well conceived, if not thought out. I will be interested to see where they take it and what's going to happen.
30 Rock --
Oh Tina Fey. I am so hoping that she gets to have a boyfriend this season. I think it would be more fun to see her doing stuff like learning to accommodate someone else into Liz Lemon's life, then her doing the stereotypical ridiculousness they make her do on the show. I will probably be disappointed on this point, but I will continue to watch because its smart and funny.
Big Bang Theory --
Sheldon and a girl. I am a huge Sheldon/Penny shipper, but I think that the relationship that is going to unfold (spoiler) is going to be interesting to behold. I believe that it will, in fact, help my Shenny cause, as it will allow Sheldon to grow and become someone new. Leonard, Raj and Howard must also have face time, but I believe that the real draw of the show now is Sheldon. I worry, however, that BBT will lose its sense of who the show is about like HIMYM did, going from ensemble show to the Barney/Sheldon show. They may not make the same mistakes though, and we can hope that is true.
Grey's Anatomy --
Why? Why, you ask me. Well, Grey's has been a battle for me. I sometimes watch and I sometimes don't, but I believe there could be some interesting stuff coming from this season. It may also be heading towards its conclusion, as Ellen wants to get out of the Grey's business, and I am unsure if Lexie Grey can be the Grey in the title. Its going to be an interesting season, and may result in strangely good episodes.
Private Practice --
See, you should have waited until I said this show to ask me why. Not only is this worse then Grey's, all of the show has turned into a horrible mess of "WHO'RE YOU SLEEPING WITH?". But CHARLOTTE AND COOPER ARE GETTING MARRIED. LOVE.
So that's the new season for me. Maybe a new show will catch my eye. I am debating Nikita, as a new show, but I'm unsure if I'll have time, slash it looks a little trashy. So we'll see. If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Friday, May 28, 2010
The Problem With (Glee)
I have a very good friend with whom I share a lot of TV and books and movies who once described watching Torchwood as being like crack: you know its terrible for you, you know its not amazing TV, but you have to keep watching, and when you don't, you go through withdrawal. I thought the part about having to keep watching and withdrawal to be apt (I have not examined Torchwood closely enough to decide whether its really terrible or not, I think its because I'm scared to). But the point is, some shows are like crack, and I think a prime example is Glee.
Glee's pull is the music. A show where people sing? Its like having a musical every episode and that's awesome. I love musical episodes -- they tend to be my favorite episode in a series. I love musicals in general, and so I decided to try Glee.
The major problem with Glee is not the characters (though they could use some work), nor is the plot (hackneyed and cliche in some places), its the pacing. I know I have already discussed pacing -- but that was the good kind of pacing, the kind that draws you in and compels you to keep going. Glee either is attempting this and failing, or the writers have no idea what's going on.
I started Glee after four episodes had aired and felt the compulsion to tear my hair out. They stuff so much plot into those four episodes that it feels like a full half season. Rachel and Finn happen far too quickly, the emotional pull of Emma and Will is too rapid for me to love them. Quinn is pregnant and its really Puck's, but she makes Finn think its his, and Terri is faking a pregnancy. Too much stuff is going on in four episodes for one season, let alone four episodes. The problem continues as the show goes on.
The central plot at the beginning of the series -- that glee club has to succeed in order to continue -- fizzles and dies as the series gets its back nine and so we lose the suspense that could have been built. Terri has an outrageous plan that is so stupid it hurts and degrades Will's character to a chump. Seriously? He wasn't aware that his wife was being really weird about her pregnancy? The plot meanders in and out, and attempts to be interesting, but because it was blown too early, you lose that chance.
The other thing you lose is emotion. I found this particularly jarring in recent episodes when moments that are supposed to be heartwarming just didn't make sense. I am bothered by the Rachel finding her mother storyline. Yeah, it could be interesting eventually to find out about Rachel's mother -- but leave that for another couple of seasons! You have another two already ordered, why bring in something that forces emotionality on the audience when it hasn't been built too? I was confused, sincerely confused, as to why Rachel would want to find her mother. She explained at the beginning that her "two gay dads" had found a surrogate, and yet when the mother thing came up, she suddenly wanted to know why her mother had given her up.
Well, because your mother was a surrogate, and your two gay dads wanted you and had paid money to have you.
The sudden jump to finding her mother happened in two episodes -- and herein lies another problem. This show seems to not understand the concept of time. Terri has been faking her pregnancy since after Quinn got pregnant, and yet Terri had to start padding right away while Quinn still looks like she's not in the slightest pregnant. Additionally, Terri's plan to have Quinn give her the baby during Quinn's spring break seems to be all wrong, as spring break for Jesse already happened and Quinn still doesn't look pregnant. We also spend so much time waiting for sectionals/regionals and get told its coming up so soon, yet because of that we lose the urgency that the writers were looking for.
I suppose the point of this is, Glee is an example of a show that has pacing problems. Its not a good show as a result, and is therefore like crack -- you have to keep watching it because maybe there will be a time when the writers realize what their doing and the show will become good. And in the meantime you get to listen to music. Yes, fast paced is good, but there is something to knowing when too much is happening in a show for its own good.
So take the lesson from Glee. Pacing is important. Work on it, and you might have something that is worth it, instead of just addictive (and will eventually make you lose your teeth).
Glee's pull is the music. A show where people sing? Its like having a musical every episode and that's awesome. I love musical episodes -- they tend to be my favorite episode in a series. I love musicals in general, and so I decided to try Glee.
The major problem with Glee is not the characters (though they could use some work), nor is the plot (hackneyed and cliche in some places), its the pacing. I know I have already discussed pacing -- but that was the good kind of pacing, the kind that draws you in and compels you to keep going. Glee either is attempting this and failing, or the writers have no idea what's going on.
I started Glee after four episodes had aired and felt the compulsion to tear my hair out. They stuff so much plot into those four episodes that it feels like a full half season. Rachel and Finn happen far too quickly, the emotional pull of Emma and Will is too rapid for me to love them. Quinn is pregnant and its really Puck's, but she makes Finn think its his, and Terri is faking a pregnancy. Too much stuff is going on in four episodes for one season, let alone four episodes. The problem continues as the show goes on.
The central plot at the beginning of the series -- that glee club has to succeed in order to continue -- fizzles and dies as the series gets its back nine and so we lose the suspense that could have been built. Terri has an outrageous plan that is so stupid it hurts and degrades Will's character to a chump. Seriously? He wasn't aware that his wife was being really weird about her pregnancy? The plot meanders in and out, and attempts to be interesting, but because it was blown too early, you lose that chance.
The other thing you lose is emotion. I found this particularly jarring in recent episodes when moments that are supposed to be heartwarming just didn't make sense. I am bothered by the Rachel finding her mother storyline. Yeah, it could be interesting eventually to find out about Rachel's mother -- but leave that for another couple of seasons! You have another two already ordered, why bring in something that forces emotionality on the audience when it hasn't been built too? I was confused, sincerely confused, as to why Rachel would want to find her mother. She explained at the beginning that her "two gay dads" had found a surrogate, and yet when the mother thing came up, she suddenly wanted to know why her mother had given her up.
Well, because your mother was a surrogate, and your two gay dads wanted you and had paid money to have you.
The sudden jump to finding her mother happened in two episodes -- and herein lies another problem. This show seems to not understand the concept of time. Terri has been faking her pregnancy since after Quinn got pregnant, and yet Terri had to start padding right away while Quinn still looks like she's not in the slightest pregnant. Additionally, Terri's plan to have Quinn give her the baby during Quinn's spring break seems to be all wrong, as spring break for Jesse already happened and Quinn still doesn't look pregnant. We also spend so much time waiting for sectionals/regionals and get told its coming up so soon, yet because of that we lose the urgency that the writers were looking for.
I suppose the point of this is, Glee is an example of a show that has pacing problems. Its not a good show as a result, and is therefore like crack -- you have to keep watching it because maybe there will be a time when the writers realize what their doing and the show will become good. And in the meantime you get to listen to music. Yes, fast paced is good, but there is something to knowing when too much is happening in a show for its own good.
So take the lesson from Glee. Pacing is important. Work on it, and you might have something that is worth it, instead of just addictive (and will eventually make you lose your teeth).
Friday, May 21, 2010
Characters (Avatar)
Last night, summer staff got together and watched Avatar. I had watched it when it was in theaters and had been thoroughly disappointed by the movie. I was really excited to go see it -- the graphics alone were exciting -- but also because I thought "Well, this will be entertaining." Unfortunately, TVtropes ruined my life, and it made enjoying the movie much harder. When I say TVtropes ruined my life, I don't mean that it made things worse -- in fact I love that TVtropes ruined my life. I can see the intricate web of story that entangles movies and novels and its a new level of enjoyment that I have found in being a consumer of entertainment. But it does mean when something cliche comes out -- it had better come at things in a new way, or with compelling characters, or with some modicum of understanding that they are taking a previously done story and need to do more then give it a face lift.
I am, I'll admit, a character person. I spend most of my energy in writing on characters because without them, you don't have much of a story. I like character driven pieces, where the fate of the world may be hanging in the balance, but its not the world people are concerned about -- its their friends and families. And the friends and families are people I know. So when I say that the major failing of Avatar was the characters, you must keep in mind, that for me, characters are the only story, which is to say, I didn't like the movie. If you liked it, congratulations on not getting caught up in the trope ridden, one demensional, cliche stuffed, 3-D blockbusterness of the whole thing. I was not so lucky.
For a moment I'll put aside my rage at the problem of characterization to point out a few things about the plot of the movie to assure you that the plot of this movie is not the problem, and to draw your attention to the fact that while you can have a solid plot, without good characters, you can destroy the good parts of your narrative.
There is a school of thought that states that there are seven stories in the world: Man v. Self, Man v. Man, Man v. Society, Man v. Nature, Man v. Supernatural, Man v. Machine and Man v. Destiny. I would say that most good plots employ a few of these in order to accomplish a multi-faceted world of story. It is not necessary, if you're playing with layers of each story, to have multiple stories, but it can help to have more then one. There are several at play in Avatar: Man v. Man, Man v. Society, Man v. Supernatural -- they all come into play in some way and in some ways there are so many interesting interactions that could come about because of these stories. The interaction of these stories are the most interesting and compelling parts of the movie, in my opinion: when Colonel Mile Quaritch and Sully go up against one another there is real drama and it feels fresh and interesting in a way it shouldn't because we've seen this scene before. Why? Not because its in a magical, color filled world, but because its a mixture of Man v. Man, Man v. Machine, Man v. Nature, Man v. Society and all of it together is a new lens through which to view the scene.
The movie can illicit the right feeling, is the point.
Why then is there such a failure in illiciting any feeling from other parts of the film? My explanation is the characters. There is a flatness to most of the characters that has nothing to do with the characters. You've got Jake Sully who is solider boy, strong and dumb. You've got Neytiri, the warrior princess who's all cold at first and falls in love with a dofus for some reason. Grace the scientist lady, and Tsu'tey the proud warrior guy. These are the only sides of each character we see.
Jake Sully is the main character. You've got three hours to explain who he is and to make it clear why he is going to go native. Instead you get a convoluted idea that Jake Sully is a solider guy who is strong and dumb. There is no depth to his character. Events slip off of him because he's a flat surface. Look at the scene where he is shown his brother, and the lack of emotional response it gives you. He never once mentions his brother again. Could this mean they weren't close? Sure. And no, you aren't supposed to be too emotional about the brother -- but as the viewer you're not to be upset. Sully should be and it should be in his actions, but it seems like the five years of hibernating sleep makes it possible for him to just forget he had a brother who died. We never get to see the moments that make him emotional. Instead he comes off as a cliche without redemption. He might not be emotional -- fine -- but from the indications, he just has no emotions in general.
Neytiri also has a huge role in the movie and rather then go into her world, we get this cliche bullshit about how she's to be the new spiritual leader of her clan and mate Tsu'tey. Imagine the wealth of character that could be drawn from that -- the fight within herself about falling for Jake, for letting down her people, for being forced into something she might not like, or maybe she does? We are lost because we have no emotional hook. Instead she is one-dimensional and stiff. And I should note, these faults are not faults of the actors, who did well, its a fault of the writing.
The single facet of each character is focused on and what you get is a cliched story about a guy who goes native. Its a weird mixture of a Disney Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves with a heavy handed conclusion. If the characters had been more developed, beyond the single feature that separated them, then the movie would have transcended its base, and become a truly good movie. Instead its a gimmicky (creatively gimmicky, with fantastic scenery porn, but still gimmicky), cliched piece that is, at best, merely passable as entertainment.
I am, I'll admit, a character person. I spend most of my energy in writing on characters because without them, you don't have much of a story. I like character driven pieces, where the fate of the world may be hanging in the balance, but its not the world people are concerned about -- its their friends and families. And the friends and families are people I know. So when I say that the major failing of Avatar was the characters, you must keep in mind, that for me, characters are the only story, which is to say, I didn't like the movie. If you liked it, congratulations on not getting caught up in the trope ridden, one demensional, cliche stuffed, 3-D blockbusterness of the whole thing. I was not so lucky.
For a moment I'll put aside my rage at the problem of characterization to point out a few things about the plot of the movie to assure you that the plot of this movie is not the problem, and to draw your attention to the fact that while you can have a solid plot, without good characters, you can destroy the good parts of your narrative.
There is a school of thought that states that there are seven stories in the world: Man v. Self, Man v. Man, Man v. Society, Man v. Nature, Man v. Supernatural, Man v. Machine and Man v. Destiny. I would say that most good plots employ a few of these in order to accomplish a multi-faceted world of story. It is not necessary, if you're playing with layers of each story, to have multiple stories, but it can help to have more then one. There are several at play in Avatar: Man v. Man, Man v. Society, Man v. Supernatural -- they all come into play in some way and in some ways there are so many interesting interactions that could come about because of these stories. The interaction of these stories are the most interesting and compelling parts of the movie, in my opinion: when Colonel Mile Quaritch and Sully go up against one another there is real drama and it feels fresh and interesting in a way it shouldn't because we've seen this scene before. Why? Not because its in a magical, color filled world, but because its a mixture of Man v. Man, Man v. Machine, Man v. Nature, Man v. Society and all of it together is a new lens through which to view the scene.
The movie can illicit the right feeling, is the point.
Why then is there such a failure in illiciting any feeling from other parts of the film? My explanation is the characters. There is a flatness to most of the characters that has nothing to do with the characters. You've got Jake Sully who is solider boy, strong and dumb. You've got Neytiri, the warrior princess who's all cold at first and falls in love with a dofus for some reason. Grace the scientist lady, and Tsu'tey the proud warrior guy. These are the only sides of each character we see.
Jake Sully is the main character. You've got three hours to explain who he is and to make it clear why he is going to go native. Instead you get a convoluted idea that Jake Sully is a solider guy who is strong and dumb. There is no depth to his character. Events slip off of him because he's a flat surface. Look at the scene where he is shown his brother, and the lack of emotional response it gives you. He never once mentions his brother again. Could this mean they weren't close? Sure. And no, you aren't supposed to be too emotional about the brother -- but as the viewer you're not to be upset. Sully should be and it should be in his actions, but it seems like the five years of hibernating sleep makes it possible for him to just forget he had a brother who died. We never get to see the moments that make him emotional. Instead he comes off as a cliche without redemption. He might not be emotional -- fine -- but from the indications, he just has no emotions in general.
Neytiri also has a huge role in the movie and rather then go into her world, we get this cliche bullshit about how she's to be the new spiritual leader of her clan and mate Tsu'tey. Imagine the wealth of character that could be drawn from that -- the fight within herself about falling for Jake, for letting down her people, for being forced into something she might not like, or maybe she does? We are lost because we have no emotional hook. Instead she is one-dimensional and stiff. And I should note, these faults are not faults of the actors, who did well, its a fault of the writing.
The single facet of each character is focused on and what you get is a cliched story about a guy who goes native. Its a weird mixture of a Disney Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves with a heavy handed conclusion. If the characters had been more developed, beyond the single feature that separated them, then the movie would have transcended its base, and become a truly good movie. Instead its a gimmicky (creatively gimmicky, with fantastic scenery porn, but still gimmicky), cliched piece that is, at best, merely passable as entertainment.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The Fall
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!
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!
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).
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