Some Unpolished TV Musings
5 March 2013 07:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frayadjacentOnce Upon a Time (through 2x15)
This past week's episode was not my very favorite ever. It reminded me of some of the weaker episodes in Season 1, with awkwardly-written dialogue that the actors couldn't really pull off -- particularly in the scenes with young Snow and her Mother. And I'm beginning to have less patience than I used to for the good vs evil stuff. I'm hoping that Snow's decision to kill Cora will murk that up a little. I would love it if Snow actually *did* kill Cora. But I really don't see that happening. Then again, I didn't think the writers would actually break the curse in S1, and I was (delightfully) wrong.
There were a few moments when that little girl playing Snow pretty much nailed adult-Snow's mannerisms, but apart from those moments ... well, it's always tough when the emotional depths of an episode rely on a child actor's performance.
Basically, the stuff about the show that is not super great was pretty prominent, while the stuff I love -- basically all the lady awesomeness and female relationships -- well, it was there, but apart from the Cora-Regina-Snow stuff, not so prominent. And I think I have less tolerance for the stuff that isn't great about the show than I did when watching S1, because I'm not mainlining it any more. I'm always more critical of a show when I have a week or more between episodes to distance myself from the characters and stories.
I generally don't mind Henry, and maybe I'm being unreasonable given that he is a child, and one who's been pretty seriously betrayed by parental figures, BUT: his whole "you lied to me you're just like Regina" thing is just grating on me. I hope that once they have a chance to talk, Emma will explain to him the degree to which Neal hurt and betrayed her. It annoys me when shows build tension between characters over issues that could be solved by some really basic communication.
Also, the benevolent ruler and grateful servant trope? There are not enough capslocks and exclamation points in the world to say how much I hate this trope, so I'll just keep my letters lower case and move on.
30 Rock (through 7x05, vaguely)
I stopped watching 30 Rock sometime in S5, but we heard from the internets that S7 was back to old form, so we've been watching it. And it is! It's been quite funny. Um, that's all.
Xena (through 5x02)
I liked Season 4, for the most part, especially the ending. I particularly liked Gabrielle's developing pacifism throughout the season, and where she ended up with it. I was surprised to see the show engage that topic so seriously. I mean, it wasn't a super-sophisticated intellectual interrogation of pacifism, but as a character arc it worked really well for me. The notion that the different characters can follow different Ways, and be OK with each other, was sort of an interesting twist that made a lot of sense to me for how they would negotiate their friendship under increasingly different moral philosophies. Ultimately I liked that Gabrielle came to realize that pacifism was untenable in a life with Xena, and that it really wouldn't work for her (as the yoga episode foreshadowed), but it was quite interesting to see her *try*, and to see her further develop strength in other ways.
Also, I was ridiculously excited at Caesar's assassination. I mean, I know Brutus et al aren't actually much better, but it was still so satisfying to see.
I'm sure everyone on my R-list who watches Xena knows this, but the India arc was pretty damn cringeworthy in its dealings with race. Wow, who'd have thought Indians would play the exotic backdrop for white people on a spiritual journey? Ugh. I did actually like what they did with Xena and Gabrielle's character development in those episodes, but my god the way they got there was awful.
Relatedly (in the sense that S4 is, assanguinity pointed out, the comparative religion season), the whole Heaven/Hell stuff in the S5 premiere was just kind of weird. I was mostly going "huh?" the whole time. But the positives: 1. Gabrielle's best outfit ever! I am embarrassingly predictable when it comes to short-haired ladies in even remotely butch outfits. And she looks great in kelly green. 2. Maybe Calisto really truly is done? I liked her a lot when she was introduced, but she's come back way too much. In this case, though, the show actually made pretty good use of her. So it would be a great wrap-up for this villain. *crosses fingers*
The unbalanced-Xena episode was kind of interesting. I liked Lucy Lawless's portrayal, and now they both have awesome new weapons! I'm also glad there was at least *some* time spent on the consequences of their deaths. It wasn't just death-oh nevermind-everything's back to normal. Maybe not Buffy S6 consequences, but still something.
Finally, I couldn't believe Epiny died! In a teaser! That new young Amazon who's name I can't remember is kind of bratty, but she's growing on me.
This past week's episode was not my very favorite ever. It reminded me of some of the weaker episodes in Season 1, with awkwardly-written dialogue that the actors couldn't really pull off -- particularly in the scenes with young Snow and her Mother. And I'm beginning to have less patience than I used to for the good vs evil stuff. I'm hoping that Snow's decision to kill Cora will murk that up a little. I would love it if Snow actually *did* kill Cora. But I really don't see that happening. Then again, I didn't think the writers would actually break the curse in S1, and I was (delightfully) wrong.
There were a few moments when that little girl playing Snow pretty much nailed adult-Snow's mannerisms, but apart from those moments ... well, it's always tough when the emotional depths of an episode rely on a child actor's performance.
Basically, the stuff about the show that is not super great was pretty prominent, while the stuff I love -- basically all the lady awesomeness and female relationships -- well, it was there, but apart from the Cora-Regina-Snow stuff, not so prominent. And I think I have less tolerance for the stuff that isn't great about the show than I did when watching S1, because I'm not mainlining it any more. I'm always more critical of a show when I have a week or more between episodes to distance myself from the characters and stories.
I generally don't mind Henry, and maybe I'm being unreasonable given that he is a child, and one who's been pretty seriously betrayed by parental figures, BUT: his whole "you lied to me you're just like Regina" thing is just grating on me. I hope that once they have a chance to talk, Emma will explain to him the degree to which Neal hurt and betrayed her. It annoys me when shows build tension between characters over issues that could be solved by some really basic communication.
Also, the benevolent ruler and grateful servant trope? There are not enough capslocks and exclamation points in the world to say how much I hate this trope, so I'll just keep my letters lower case and move on.
30 Rock (through 7x05, vaguely)
I stopped watching 30 Rock sometime in S5, but we heard from the internets that S7 was back to old form, so we've been watching it. And it is! It's been quite funny. Um, that's all.
Xena (through 5x02)
I liked Season 4, for the most part, especially the ending. I particularly liked Gabrielle's developing pacifism throughout the season, and where she ended up with it. I was surprised to see the show engage that topic so seriously. I mean, it wasn't a super-sophisticated intellectual interrogation of pacifism, but as a character arc it worked really well for me. The notion that the different characters can follow different Ways, and be OK with each other, was sort of an interesting twist that made a lot of sense to me for how they would negotiate their friendship under increasingly different moral philosophies. Ultimately I liked that Gabrielle came to realize that pacifism was untenable in a life with Xena, and that it really wouldn't work for her (as the yoga episode foreshadowed), but it was quite interesting to see her *try*, and to see her further develop strength in other ways.
Also, I was ridiculously excited at Caesar's assassination. I mean, I know Brutus et al aren't actually much better, but it was still so satisfying to see.
I'm sure everyone on my R-list who watches Xena knows this, but the India arc was pretty damn cringeworthy in its dealings with race. Wow, who'd have thought Indians would play the exotic backdrop for white people on a spiritual journey? Ugh. I did actually like what they did with Xena and Gabrielle's character development in those episodes, but my god the way they got there was awful.
Relatedly (in the sense that S4 is, as
sanguinity pointed out, the comparative religion season), the whole Heaven/Hell stuff in the S5 premiere was just kind of weird. I was mostly going "huh?" the whole time. But the positives: 1. Gabrielle's best outfit ever! I am embarrassingly predictable when it comes to short-haired ladies in even remotely butch outfits. And she looks great in kelly green. 2. Maybe Calisto really truly is done? I liked her a lot when she was introduced, but she's come back way too much. In this case, though, the show actually made pretty good use of her. So it would be a great wrap-up for this villain. *crosses fingers*The unbalanced-Xena episode was kind of interesting. I liked Lucy Lawless's portrayal, and now they both have awesome new weapons! I'm also glad there was at least *some* time spent on the consequences of their deaths. It wasn't just death-oh nevermind-everything's back to normal. Maybe not Buffy S6 consequences, but still something.
Finally, I couldn't believe Epiny died! In a teaser! That new young Amazon who's name I can't remember is kind of bratty, but she's growing on me.
no subject
on 5/3/13 07:40 pm (UTC)Don't forget the episode that got Hindu groups so angry that the show agreed to pull it from the air! >_<
Relatedly (in the sense that S4 is, as [personal profile] sanguinity pointed out, the comparative religion season), the whole Heaven/Hell stuff in the S5 premiere was just kind of weird. I was mostly going "huh?" the whole time.
Not to give any spoilers, I will say that seasons 4-6 are a different creature than seasons 1-3, above all in the shift away from the Greek pantheon as the main supernatural focus. Before S4 the only non Greco-Roman gods we meet are the Dahak family and that gag ending to a S1 episode. S4 brings us shamanic spirit quests, Hindu gods and demons, Eli, and now a Christian mythos.
Combine that with the continued shift towards plot arcs and the changed look of the show (so pretty!), seasons 4-6 don't seem like exactly the same show to me. (Of course, the friend I watched Xena with moved away that year, so it may be the removal of any nostalgia filter that's the biggest change for me.)
Finally, I couldn't believe Epiny died! In a teaser!
Yeah! >:( Maybe that's it -- the shift away from familiar supporting cast, first because Xena and Gabrielle are off in India, then Ephiny is killed (boo!), and Caesar (yay!), and Callisto is brought back to be killed again...
Yeah, Callisto meets her end far too many times. Not that Xena and Gabrielle haven't died a dozen times or that I didn't love each of Callisto's deaths, but each of her deaths thematically wraps up the same arc, and how many times does a single arc need to be concluded? She also has gotten a tour of the different afterlives -- Hades, lava flow, not!Hades, Hell/Heaven -- which seems very strange to me, because even if some dead go elsewhere than other dead, afterlives shouldn't go poaching them.
Gabrielle's fabulous haircut is what gave me the confidence to finally cut my own hair short.
no subject
on 5/3/13 09:10 pm (UTC)In contrast, the Lao Ma episodes were pretty good, I thought. There both Lao Ma and her son were individuals with their own characterization, whose agency was pivotal in the story.
I will say that seasons 4-6 are a different creature than seasons 1-3, above all in the shift away from the Greek pantheon as the main supernatural focus.
Yeah, the friend I watch Xena with told me that the show tried to reinvent itself in S4. It definitely feels that way. I'm liking it (I also liked the old way, and I realized in "Chakram" that I'd missed Ares because OMG hilarious!)
S4 brings us shamanic spirit quests, Hindu gods and demons, Eli, and now a Christian mythos.
I think what got me so confused about the Heaven/Hell stuff is that the show has always introduced new gods/demons/afterlife locations/etc via the people who follow the corresponding religion. But this was introduced without any of that, which I guess bugs me because it feels like it's being presented as the True afterlife, the one that exists whether the person in question -- or anyone, since this show pre-dates Christianity -- believes in it. And also it just sort of came out of nowhere.
You pretty much summed up all my views on Callisto and her stories. And now I'm giggling at the notion of poacher afterlives. Heh.