on recent TV-watching
May. 6th, 2010 01:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xparrotRegarding Xena (which we're watching now, my first time, minus a couple random mid-season eps way back when they first aired, and "Been There, Done That" which I've seen a dozen times because it is one of the funniest Groundhog's Day time-loop eps I know of), about halfway through s2, and, putting aside the delicious, delicious cheese and camp (honestly, I wish more TV was willing to sacrifice "quality" for the sake of sheer absurd fun):
1. I already knew Lucy Lawless was awesome, but seriously, awesome! Sexy and strong and sarcastic and silly, what more do you want? She could totally be a VA, too, with the number of different wacky voices she can do. So yeah, love Xena (and she's a redemption character, so +100 right there). Having only seen a couple eps before, what I didn't realize was that Gabrielle is just as awesome and funny and I adore her and her bluffing and spirit and loyalty and comic timing to little bits.
2. Girl-girl h/c indeed works for me every bit as well as guy-guy and guy-girl, and will more shows be giving it to me, please? Though I don't know if I'll be fic-seeking for this fandom because it's rather like early SPN was like, in that it already gives me everything I could want from fic (OTP friendship? Check! Presumed dead? Up the wazoo! Insane AUs? Gabrielle is Indiana Jones LOLOLOL!)
3. I <3 Bruce Campbell.
4. New Zealand is awful pretty. As I knew from LotR already but this confirms it in spades. The cinematography isn't much better than anything else of the show, but it doesn't have to be, because pretty much any direction they aim a camera is gorgeous. Definitely high on places I yearn to go to someday.
5. Joke credits FTW!!!
Then, regarding new New Who, ahh, okay, I'm finding it frustrating. Most of the ingredients I've loved are still there, the shiny and the silly and the spooky, but the show itself is falling flat for me, and I'm not even entirely sure why. I like Matt Smith okay, he looks like the Doctor and he's got spirit, but he's just so much like Ten, I can scarcely tell the difference. I don't think he's done anything that I couldn't as easily picture Ten doing. And then Amy Pond is almost the same - I like her actor, too, she's cute and charismatic, but I don't feel the character. I don't dislike her in the least, but I don't like her, either; she comes across as very generic to me, nothing distinguishing her from any other Companion. She's spunky; otherwise I don't have a real sense of what she loves or what she hates or what she wants, (except, apparently, the Doctor, and that was so completely out of left field that I don't know what to think, though I did appreciate the Doctor's reaction of OMGWTFRUNAWAY!) and I find myself not really caring about what happens to her.
And the episodes, too, I find myself not really caring what happens, and again, I'm not sure why. I don't think the plots have been particularly more ridiculous than any before, but it feels like something's missing. It's odd; for all my trepidations about Moffat taking the reins, I never feared that he was going to make it less interesting. But I do think he's largely the problem (whatever the heck the problem actually is). Character is part of it - RTD was a character-centered author; his plots were only there to create emotional scenarios for his characters to explore. What the chars do matters less than who is doing it; a char's actions are significant insofar as they show something about the character (this char will do that; that char won't), or will have consequences for the characters and their relationships. The actual acts aren't the point. And his plots often suffered for it, but he is damn fine at writing characters, at creating people that you quickly come to care about, however implausible or cliche the situations they end up in are. Moffat, on the other hand, seems to be a more plot-centered author; his characters exist and act to further the sequence of events and explore theoretical concepts and themes. Who is acting is less important than what they're doing. Which can make for really interesting ideas (I find the concept of River Song's reversed relationship with the Doctor absolutely fascinating) but the characters lose out (I don't find River Song herself that compelling.) And I watch TV for characters and their relationships. So when he was taking existing characters out for a spin for an ep or two, he did really nifty things with them; but when he's inventing them himself they're lacking a certain crucial depth.
I'm going to keep watching, there's still enough that I do love for me to stick around, and I'm curious where it's going. And I'm still hoping it might pick up for me, but for now, yeah, frustrated.
1. I already knew Lucy Lawless was awesome, but seriously, awesome! Sexy and strong and sarcastic and silly, what more do you want? She could totally be a VA, too, with the number of different wacky voices she can do. So yeah, love Xena (and she's a redemption character, so +100 right there). Having only seen a couple eps before, what I didn't realize was that Gabrielle is just as awesome and funny and I adore her and her bluffing and spirit and loyalty and comic timing to little bits.
2. Girl-girl h/c indeed works for me every bit as well as guy-guy and guy-girl, and will more shows be giving it to me, please? Though I don't know if I'll be fic-seeking for this fandom because it's rather like early SPN was like, in that it already gives me everything I could want from fic (OTP friendship? Check! Presumed dead? Up the wazoo! Insane AUs? Gabrielle is Indiana Jones LOLOLOL!)
3. I <3 Bruce Campbell.
4. New Zealand is awful pretty. As I knew from LotR already but this confirms it in spades. The cinematography isn't much better than anything else of the show, but it doesn't have to be, because pretty much any direction they aim a camera is gorgeous. Definitely high on places I yearn to go to someday.
5. Joke credits FTW!!!
Then, regarding new New Who, ahh, okay, I'm finding it frustrating. Most of the ingredients I've loved are still there, the shiny and the silly and the spooky, but the show itself is falling flat for me, and I'm not even entirely sure why. I like Matt Smith okay, he looks like the Doctor and he's got spirit, but he's just so much like Ten, I can scarcely tell the difference. I don't think he's done anything that I couldn't as easily picture Ten doing. And then Amy Pond is almost the same - I like her actor, too, she's cute and charismatic, but I don't feel the character. I don't dislike her in the least, but I don't like her, either; she comes across as very generic to me, nothing distinguishing her from any other Companion. She's spunky; otherwise I don't have a real sense of what she loves or what she hates or what she wants, (except, apparently, the Doctor, and that was so completely out of left field that I don't know what to think, though I did appreciate the Doctor's reaction of OMGWTFRUNAWAY!) and I find myself not really caring about what happens to her.
And the episodes, too, I find myself not really caring what happens, and again, I'm not sure why. I don't think the plots have been particularly more ridiculous than any before, but it feels like something's missing. It's odd; for all my trepidations about Moffat taking the reins, I never feared that he was going to make it less interesting. But I do think he's largely the problem (whatever the heck the problem actually is). Character is part of it - RTD was a character-centered author; his plots were only there to create emotional scenarios for his characters to explore. What the chars do matters less than who is doing it; a char's actions are significant insofar as they show something about the character (this char will do that; that char won't), or will have consequences for the characters and their relationships. The actual acts aren't the point. And his plots often suffered for it, but he is damn fine at writing characters, at creating people that you quickly come to care about, however implausible or cliche the situations they end up in are. Moffat, on the other hand, seems to be a more plot-centered author; his characters exist and act to further the sequence of events and explore theoretical concepts and themes. Who is acting is less important than what they're doing. Which can make for really interesting ideas (I find the concept of River Song's reversed relationship with the Doctor absolutely fascinating) but the characters lose out (I don't find River Song herself that compelling.) And I watch TV for characters and their relationships. So when he was taking existing characters out for a spin for an ep or two, he did really nifty things with them; but when he's inventing them himself they're lacking a certain crucial depth.
I'm going to keep watching, there's still enough that I do love for me to stick around, and I'm curious where it's going. And I'm still hoping it might pick up for me, but for now, yeah, frustrated.
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no subject
Date: 2010-05-06 05:44 pm (UTC)Trouble is, most of the time Rusty's characters, for me, didn't seem to work. I don't think Rose, for example, was really developed enough as a person - she had a promising set up (shop worker, bored, single mum etc) but then when Ten took over IMO Rusty seemed to throw all that out the window and she just became a carbon copy of the Doctor and lost any/all personality of her own. Making the big, emotional set ups for her and her relationship with the Doc fall flat for ME because they didn't seem to have been set up enough.
Contrast with Amy - because we have NOT been given a big dump of info about her at the start we are learning about her slowly and getting small insights into her character every epsiode, which allows for her character to PROGRESS as the show goes on. This seems a more realistic way of portraying a character to me as much as anything else and she's definitely my favourite new series companion so far because of this, although Donna is still a very close second :p
Just my two cents anyway. I tend not to bother thinking too hard about DW anymore because when I DID start thinking and analysising the new series that was when I found I didn't like it as much as I thought I was liking it, and that was sad for me cos I loved the old series and I was upset to find the new one wasn't matching up like I hoped. Also, discussing this show tends to make me crabby and kind rude, so... sorry about that :/
I think perhaps I'm pre-disposed to disagree as well because, just thinking about it now, the old series probably was, for the most part, what you're calling plot driven, so I guess that's just how I prefer my DW :p I know the always harping on about Jackie and Martha's family bugged the hell out of me most of the time - the TARDIS is something you step into so you can LOSE yourself and your past, you're not supposed to drag that stuff into it with you.
But yeah, I'll stop now, because I'm not supposed to be involving myself in discussions about this anymore. Pffft! :p Sorry again, for having a mini-rant in your LJ and that Moffat is not your cup of tea.
no subject
Date: 2010-05-06 07:51 pm (UTC)Hmm, yes, another friend suggest that the current season needs to be watched more like the old Who than the new, because of the change to plot-orientation. So maybe that's what I need to do...
And sorry for raising the discussion! I don't usually analyze Who myself, I just relax and go with the flow. It's just that's not working for me this time around - every ep I start out excited and then am disappointed by the time it ends, so I'm trying to work out what's changed...
no subject
Date: 2010-05-06 08:39 pm (UTC)I really wish this didn't make a difference, because it SHOULD be the same show, but it really really DOES.
I'm also really sorry you're not liking this series/Doc as much as you hoped to, especially when TBH I am PSYCHED about this series. I keep telling people it's the show I wish I'd had 4 seasons and a series of specials ago - so I think your friend is right, it IS much more like the old series, hence my enjoyment. I am sad you are dissatisfied when I am so happy :(