Entil's State of the Union Part Duex
Just some more thoughts on shows that I watch that I don't write reviews for.
Except for now, apparently.
***
STARGATE SG-1 - I admit, this is not the same series that it was back in the first four or five seasons. The writers haven't provided the same consistent quality or cohesion that used to be there. But if there's a series that can adapt to constant cast changes, this is the one. The cast hasn't truly been stable since the end of the fifth season, so perhaps it's time to jump in with both feet. And yeah, that means cutting the cord when it comes to RDA. If the series sustains audience after that, then it's more than just a question of comfort...it's an unquestionable franchise! (And my wife and I are still on board, if anyone wonders!) Speaking of...
STARGATE: ATLANTIS - This series is a good example of how to expand a franchise. Take the first season to establish a rapport with the fans and develop the characters apart from the original, and then move on from the initial conditions in the second season. This series deserves to continue and grow, and the producers should be pleased to know that even if "SG-1" falters, this series still has plenty of life to it.
NCIS - Every week, I fall deeper in TV-Lust with Abby. And that's about all I can say about that.
SMALLVILLE - Oh, yeah, and everyone else can have Lana or Lois. I worship at the altar of Chloe Sullivan!
ANDROMEDA - Can someone, anyone, please tell the writers of this show that being intentionally vague does not make up for the show's shortcomings? This season had the potential to be strong in terms of the writing, but instead, the writers can't seem to figure out how to work around the budget. The last episode was utterly impossible to understand, and yet, it pertains to a larger plot arc. I'm not stupid or even that thick-headed...so how come I can't make heads or tails of it all?
AMAZING RACE - No matter how annoying the teams can be, this is still the best reality show out there!
AMERICAN IDOL - And this is still damned funny, even when the producers are being overly cruel. And I maintain that there's a level to this process that can only be appreciated by those who have undergone the audition process and remember all too well what kind of self-delusional people show up, time and time again...and sometimes, you're one of them...
SURREAL LIFE/REAL WORLD - Yeah, we still sometimes watch this crap, but these days, it's like an ongoing cautionary tale for modern society. I still think Adrianne's hot (the kind of girl that could have been your high school girlfriend, but insane) and I think I'm the only person watching "Real World" who thinks Melanie is the most interesting person on the show.
***
Recently, I wound up pissing off a friend for defending the fact that "Alias" was using a plot device that had once been used for "XF": going undercover in suburbia. I think my argument was taken somewhat personally, but it wasn't intended as that. But as I've read similar condemnations regarding episodes of other shows, I remembered something from my college days.
There's a quote out there (Ellison? Bradbury?) about how every possible plot has already been explored ad infinitum, so the true measure of originality lies not in the situation, but how the characters deal with that situation, and this grow and change as a result. So the question of whether or not a plot devide is "original" or a "ripoff" is moot. Most of the plot devices used in "XF" that are so easily recognized now, after the fact, were considered "ripoffs" when they were used for episodes of that series. What made them work, when they did, had everything to do with character.
This is why, most of the time, the success or failure of an episode that I review will come down to character. Even when the characters are going through a familiar plot device or jumping through the hoops of an all-too-familiar character arc, it can seem fresh or interesting if the characters themselves are growing in the process. Shows like "Buffy", "Angel", or "Babylon 5" took archetypical plot elements and put unique characters through hell, and those shows were creatively fertile as a result. Shows like "Enterprise", "Roswell", and "XF" would falter when characters failed to learn from their experiences or made decisions in service of the plot.
Or put another way...when it comes to cultural icons, like Kirk, Mulder, Spock, etc., how many people in the public know anything about what they actually experienced, episode to episode? Not much. Most people actually remember these characters for what they believed and how that defined them. Sure, Kirk was captain of the Enterprise, but that was integral to his psychology, and that's why people remember that. Mulder, as well, is remembered more for his desire to search for the truth than the details of that truth. Ultimately, it's about the ability to forge a rapport with a character's point of view, positively or negatively, that makes a story work.
So does it really matter if both "XF" and "Alias" used the same plot device? Was one better for coming first? Nope. Personally, I found both episodes wanting for very different reasons. "Arcadia" used the concept for some good laughs, but the situation did little to reveal hidden layers of the characters, and the plot itself was seriously lame. "Welcome to Liberty Village" focused on the characters, and while that development was strong, it was to the exclusion of nearly everything else that makes the series work. That could have been true even if some other plot device was used in each case for the same purposes, and that's why the "suburbia" device ultimately didn't matter.
Hopefully, this explains my point of view more clearly, without making anyone who disagrees feel like I'm calling them stupid...
***
Oh, and onto another topic, just to show that I'm an equal opportunity kinda guy...
The vote in Iraq was a victory. It may disgust some anti-Bush types to hear that (some people are really against the whole idea), but it was a victory. And it managed to make us look like fools, and not for the reason that anti-Bush people would like to think. It made us look horrible because even though there were insurgents threatening to kill voters, even though there are massive religious divisions that will probably cause future strive, and even though there are those who hate the fact that the US brought the election about...around 60-70% of eligible Iraqia voted to have a stake in their nation's future.
Meanwhile, we're jumping for joy if just over 50% bother to get off their ass on a relatively warm day, with little more than political signs and exit pollers in the way, to routinely help determine the course of our future. There's even less interest when it's not a presidential vote, when the local government (usually more immediately important) is the only thing up for grabs. People, we get worked up over the thought of possible psychological coersion against voters, when the Iraqi voters stood in line, even knowing that at any moment, they could be dying for the right to cast that vote.
I'm not going to debate, at the moment, whether or not it's right to enforce democracy in the Middle East. That's for the people of Iraq to decide. While I may have certain issues with the circumstances under which this election was made possible, the fact remains that the people appear to have embraced the concept at this point and time. Supporting the people of Iraq in this effort does not constitute a blanket advocacy of the Bush administration, to be sure. But I'm also not going to let those disagreements on policy blind me to the fact that this is a major step forward for those who have, until recently, had no part in their own fate.
***
Lately my left elbow has been incredibly sore. This isn't making it much better. Hopefully this is a momentary problem, and not a symptom......
Perhaps more later..."24" will be on soon!
Except for now, apparently.
***
STARGATE SG-1 - I admit, this is not the same series that it was back in the first four or five seasons. The writers haven't provided the same consistent quality or cohesion that used to be there. But if there's a series that can adapt to constant cast changes, this is the one. The cast hasn't truly been stable since the end of the fifth season, so perhaps it's time to jump in with both feet. And yeah, that means cutting the cord when it comes to RDA. If the series sustains audience after that, then it's more than just a question of comfort...it's an unquestionable franchise! (And my wife and I are still on board, if anyone wonders!) Speaking of...
STARGATE: ATLANTIS - This series is a good example of how to expand a franchise. Take the first season to establish a rapport with the fans and develop the characters apart from the original, and then move on from the initial conditions in the second season. This series deserves to continue and grow, and the producers should be pleased to know that even if "SG-1" falters, this series still has plenty of life to it.
NCIS - Every week, I fall deeper in TV-Lust with Abby. And that's about all I can say about that.
SMALLVILLE - Oh, yeah, and everyone else can have Lana or Lois. I worship at the altar of Chloe Sullivan!
ANDROMEDA - Can someone, anyone, please tell the writers of this show that being intentionally vague does not make up for the show's shortcomings? This season had the potential to be strong in terms of the writing, but instead, the writers can't seem to figure out how to work around the budget. The last episode was utterly impossible to understand, and yet, it pertains to a larger plot arc. I'm not stupid or even that thick-headed...so how come I can't make heads or tails of it all?
AMAZING RACE - No matter how annoying the teams can be, this is still the best reality show out there!
AMERICAN IDOL - And this is still damned funny, even when the producers are being overly cruel. And I maintain that there's a level to this process that can only be appreciated by those who have undergone the audition process and remember all too well what kind of self-delusional people show up, time and time again...and sometimes, you're one of them...
SURREAL LIFE/REAL WORLD - Yeah, we still sometimes watch this crap, but these days, it's like an ongoing cautionary tale for modern society. I still think Adrianne's hot (the kind of girl that could have been your high school girlfriend, but insane) and I think I'm the only person watching "Real World" who thinks Melanie is the most interesting person on the show.
***
Recently, I wound up pissing off a friend for defending the fact that "Alias" was using a plot device that had once been used for "XF": going undercover in suburbia. I think my argument was taken somewhat personally, but it wasn't intended as that. But as I've read similar condemnations regarding episodes of other shows, I remembered something from my college days.
There's a quote out there (Ellison? Bradbury?) about how every possible plot has already been explored ad infinitum, so the true measure of originality lies not in the situation, but how the characters deal with that situation, and this grow and change as a result. So the question of whether or not a plot devide is "original" or a "ripoff" is moot. Most of the plot devices used in "XF" that are so easily recognized now, after the fact, were considered "ripoffs" when they were used for episodes of that series. What made them work, when they did, had everything to do with character.
This is why, most of the time, the success or failure of an episode that I review will come down to character. Even when the characters are going through a familiar plot device or jumping through the hoops of an all-too-familiar character arc, it can seem fresh or interesting if the characters themselves are growing in the process. Shows like "Buffy", "Angel", or "Babylon 5" took archetypical plot elements and put unique characters through hell, and those shows were creatively fertile as a result. Shows like "Enterprise", "Roswell", and "XF" would falter when characters failed to learn from their experiences or made decisions in service of the plot.
Or put another way...when it comes to cultural icons, like Kirk, Mulder, Spock, etc., how many people in the public know anything about what they actually experienced, episode to episode? Not much. Most people actually remember these characters for what they believed and how that defined them. Sure, Kirk was captain of the Enterprise, but that was integral to his psychology, and that's why people remember that. Mulder, as well, is remembered more for his desire to search for the truth than the details of that truth. Ultimately, it's about the ability to forge a rapport with a character's point of view, positively or negatively, that makes a story work.
So does it really matter if both "XF" and "Alias" used the same plot device? Was one better for coming first? Nope. Personally, I found both episodes wanting for very different reasons. "Arcadia" used the concept for some good laughs, but the situation did little to reveal hidden layers of the characters, and the plot itself was seriously lame. "Welcome to Liberty Village" focused on the characters, and while that development was strong, it was to the exclusion of nearly everything else that makes the series work. That could have been true even if some other plot device was used in each case for the same purposes, and that's why the "suburbia" device ultimately didn't matter.
Hopefully, this explains my point of view more clearly, without making anyone who disagrees feel like I'm calling them stupid...
***
Oh, and onto another topic, just to show that I'm an equal opportunity kinda guy...
The vote in Iraq was a victory. It may disgust some anti-Bush types to hear that (some people are really against the whole idea), but it was a victory. And it managed to make us look like fools, and not for the reason that anti-Bush people would like to think. It made us look horrible because even though there were insurgents threatening to kill voters, even though there are massive religious divisions that will probably cause future strive, and even though there are those who hate the fact that the US brought the election about...around 60-70% of eligible Iraqia voted to have a stake in their nation's future.
Meanwhile, we're jumping for joy if just over 50% bother to get off their ass on a relatively warm day, with little more than political signs and exit pollers in the way, to routinely help determine the course of our future. There's even less interest when it's not a presidential vote, when the local government (usually more immediately important) is the only thing up for grabs. People, we get worked up over the thought of possible psychological coersion against voters, when the Iraqi voters stood in line, even knowing that at any moment, they could be dying for the right to cast that vote.
I'm not going to debate, at the moment, whether or not it's right to enforce democracy in the Middle East. That's for the people of Iraq to decide. While I may have certain issues with the circumstances under which this election was made possible, the fact remains that the people appear to have embraced the concept at this point and time. Supporting the people of Iraq in this effort does not constitute a blanket advocacy of the Bush administration, to be sure. But I'm also not going to let those disagreements on policy blind me to the fact that this is a major step forward for those who have, until recently, had no part in their own fate.
***
Lately my left elbow has been incredibly sore. This isn't making it much better. Hopefully this is a momentary problem, and not a symptom...
Perhaps more later..."24" will be on soon!
posted by John Keegan | 17:43
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