Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Holy Frakkin' Frak!!!!!
I know I'm late (don't get me started), but I finally watched the finale of Battlestar Galactica (mainly because I couldn't read a few of my favourite tv sites until I did) and I have to say that, despite the missteps of this season, that finale was about the best frakkin' thing I've seen. However, my husband has not watched the finale yet and I have, have, have to watch this episode again. So until then, I leave you with this one thought from the ending. Holy Frakkin' Frak!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Veronica Mars
I wonder what makes a show watchable to some people? I will give a new show three looks before I can decide (usually, although in the case of Dresden Files, one look was enough). 30 Rock got multiple looks. It felt like a train wreck for a few shows and then somewhere around show 5, it turned into a handsome princess. How fortunate.
Veronica Mars is one of those shows you desperately wished others would watch. Granted, I love snarkiness more than the next person, but the dialogue alone is worth the cost of admission. I love watching characters and relationships develop and VM does this better than most. It is hip and cool without having to point it out to the viewer and though there are definitely some "made for tv" teen drama involved, there is enough grit to satisfy some of the Marlowe lovers as well.
Given that its lead in is Gilmore Girls and considering the ill fated Aerie commercials that aired to get girls more into the show (thereby scaring away any heterosexual male and some homosexuals and a few girls at that), CW's marketing of the show has been horrible. Now, I'm sure that pictures of V all casual-glammed up is worth looking at, but they gave no hint of the show. The show is part mystery, part character study. It is not Nancy Drew. Just like Joss Whedon's Buffy was a take on the lives and loves and growing pains of high school students, but with a twist, this is Rob Thomas' take on the same. The high school situations persist, but the mystery, aye, that's the true essence of the show. When I heard that Joss Whedon (known for Buffy, Firefly (my favourite), and Angel) said that Veronica Mars was the best show on television, I had to watch it and I came away from that one episode unimpressed. I stayed that way until I watched the first season on video in one sitting. When I watched that random episode on Whedon's word, I was underwhelmed and slightly confused. What was an 09er? Who was she dating? Why were rich kids getting pizza? Why did the officials of the school make such horrible mistakes? It could not be communicated in that one episode. It took the season. You had to watch for the story, but you loved to watch because it was good.
Veronica Mars is on hiatus and though the murder of Dean O'Dell is solved and the loss of Sheriff Lamb is much lamented (he was a great grey character), I find that I am anxious for a 4th season. Veronica Mars is not a viewer darling. For those of us who like mysteries and having them solved, this is a fantastic show. My husband doesn't watch it because he hates shows set in high school or high school like atmospheres. Hearst College still maintains that high school-esque feel. Yet it is hard for me to describe how that one element matters so little in the makeup of the show.
Now I hear that there is confusion about a 4th season. Will it come back as a college drama? Will it be canceled? Will it skip 4 years into the future when Veronica works for the FBI? Who knows. While it will be interesting to see how Rob Thomas writes this show so that it doesn't become a procedural, I would much like to see Veronica 4 years out, interacting with others outside of her circle of friends and enemies. Watching Veronica start something new has been interesting. My favourite episode from season 3 is still the first one, where even the theme song change was interesting. I used to skip through the theme song, but now I enjoy listening to it. I know I may be in the minority opinion, but I liked season 3 more than season 2. For my view, it would be a shame if the show didn't come back. I love Kristen Bell as Veronica and Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars. If the show doesn't come back, it will be interesting to see what those two do.
If you are a Veronica Mars fan (even if you weren't blown away by this season) you can check out E!'s Watch With Kristen blog for information about how to make your voice heard and maybe keep the CW from canceling V.
Do it for the children. And the slightly obsessed. And me.
Thank you.
Veronica Mars is one of those shows you desperately wished others would watch. Granted, I love snarkiness more than the next person, but the dialogue alone is worth the cost of admission. I love watching characters and relationships develop and VM does this better than most. It is hip and cool without having to point it out to the viewer and though there are definitely some "made for tv" teen drama involved, there is enough grit to satisfy some of the Marlowe lovers as well.
Given that its lead in is Gilmore Girls and considering the ill fated Aerie commercials that aired to get girls more into the show (thereby scaring away any heterosexual male and some homosexuals and a few girls at that), CW's marketing of the show has been horrible. Now, I'm sure that pictures of V all casual-glammed up is worth looking at, but they gave no hint of the show. The show is part mystery, part character study. It is not Nancy Drew. Just like Joss Whedon's Buffy was a take on the lives and loves and growing pains of high school students, but with a twist, this is Rob Thomas' take on the same. The high school situations persist, but the mystery, aye, that's the true essence of the show. When I heard that Joss Whedon (known for Buffy, Firefly (my favourite), and Angel) said that Veronica Mars was the best show on television, I had to watch it and I came away from that one episode unimpressed. I stayed that way until I watched the first season on video in one sitting. When I watched that random episode on Whedon's word, I was underwhelmed and slightly confused. What was an 09er? Who was she dating? Why were rich kids getting pizza? Why did the officials of the school make such horrible mistakes? It could not be communicated in that one episode. It took the season. You had to watch for the story, but you loved to watch because it was good.
Veronica Mars is on hiatus and though the murder of Dean O'Dell is solved and the loss of Sheriff Lamb is much lamented (he was a great grey character), I find that I am anxious for a 4th season. Veronica Mars is not a viewer darling. For those of us who like mysteries and having them solved, this is a fantastic show. My husband doesn't watch it because he hates shows set in high school or high school like atmospheres. Hearst College still maintains that high school-esque feel. Yet it is hard for me to describe how that one element matters so little in the makeup of the show.
Now I hear that there is confusion about a 4th season. Will it come back as a college drama? Will it be canceled? Will it skip 4 years into the future when Veronica works for the FBI? Who knows. While it will be interesting to see how Rob Thomas writes this show so that it doesn't become a procedural, I would much like to see Veronica 4 years out, interacting with others outside of her circle of friends and enemies. Watching Veronica start something new has been interesting. My favourite episode from season 3 is still the first one, where even the theme song change was interesting. I used to skip through the theme song, but now I enjoy listening to it. I know I may be in the minority opinion, but I liked season 3 more than season 2. For my view, it would be a shame if the show didn't come back. I love Kristen Bell as Veronica and Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars. If the show doesn't come back, it will be interesting to see what those two do.
If you are a Veronica Mars fan (even if you weren't blown away by this season) you can check out E!'s Watch With Kristen blog for information about how to make your voice heard and maybe keep the CW from canceling V.
Do it for the children. And the slightly obsessed. And me.
Thank you.
Heroes
Heroes is the big show phenom these days, taking the internet by storm and replacing former heavy hitter like LOST in the minds and hearts of the viewers. Last year, Digg.com was inundated with LOST information, spoilers, screen captures, etc. This year, the darling of the blog is Heroes.
What is it about Heroes that is so appealing? Is it the writing, or the characters, or some other thought that makes this show great? Not necessarily. The writing, in any given episode, goes from abysmal to inspired in the blink of an eye. Some characters seem to always have good situations. Hiro and Ando, Claire and her dad, Peter and Nathan Petrelli. While I am always interested in Hiro and Claire's screen appearances, the rest can get tedious. Peter's lines are wooden and confusingly delivered at times. Nathan tries too hard to be a bad guy and that can become dull. I'm convinced the reason Simone was killed was because she was superfluous to the story. We liked her better with Isaac, but we wanted to like her with Peter. Isaac became boring once he stopped using drugs and while I'm no advocate for drug use, I still think that the depiction gave Isaac hardened edges, which is what was needed for his gift. Now that it is at will, the drama of finding out what his drawings mean are lessened, which makes their effect less impactful, less dramatic. Nikki/Jessica is another storyline that grows tiresome with repetition. It seems there should be a better way of showing the duality. Mirrors everywhere? The stairwell, when Parkman was trying to guard the guy, was the most interesting depiction of the two since the first time we discovered Jessica. We've seen the dual personality done well before, though it was CG animation, in Lord of the Rings. Smiegel/Gollum was a fantastic rendition of good/evil in one individual. Yes, they used the water as a mirror at times, but it wasn't forever utilized, just randomly to remind us that yes, there is something else there. I think Ali Larter does a good job of changing her voice between the two, but less mirrors and more situations that show that dichotomy would make her storyline more interesting.
"If it's so badly written," you say, "why do you watch it?" I don't think it's so badly written. I just think there are other shows that are better written. I watch the show because gaining, having, and using super powers is interesting to me. I watch because Hiro is totally engaging and his scenes are not only well written, but well acted. I watch because I want to see how they stop Peter from blowing up NYC. I watch because I want to see them work together like a team and I want to see Hiro turn into that badass that stopped time and talked to Peter on the train. I watch because something about the ending of each episode makes me want to go back. I watch because, though it is only a mediocre written and sometimes mediocre acted show, it is such an awesome, modern day super hero story. They have not done anything new, but they've made something we've become use to exciting again. I want those early show chills of the characters meeting each other and aiding in getting the next mission done. I want the present show's inclination of giving us answers which only begs more questions. I really like Heroes and am forced to watch it every Monday for my own entertainment and enjoyment. It goes to show that even shows that are not the best written can be a huge hit. Enjoy the spotlight, Heroes. You deserve it.
If you've never seen the show, you'll have to wait for it's return April 23. For the previous episodes, click on the Heroes link above to catch up with the show online.
What is it about Heroes that is so appealing? Is it the writing, or the characters, or some other thought that makes this show great? Not necessarily. The writing, in any given episode, goes from abysmal to inspired in the blink of an eye. Some characters seem to always have good situations. Hiro and Ando, Claire and her dad, Peter and Nathan Petrelli. While I am always interested in Hiro and Claire's screen appearances, the rest can get tedious. Peter's lines are wooden and confusingly delivered at times. Nathan tries too hard to be a bad guy and that can become dull. I'm convinced the reason Simone was killed was because she was superfluous to the story. We liked her better with Isaac, but we wanted to like her with Peter. Isaac became boring once he stopped using drugs and while I'm no advocate for drug use, I still think that the depiction gave Isaac hardened edges, which is what was needed for his gift. Now that it is at will, the drama of finding out what his drawings mean are lessened, which makes their effect less impactful, less dramatic. Nikki/Jessica is another storyline that grows tiresome with repetition. It seems there should be a better way of showing the duality. Mirrors everywhere? The stairwell, when Parkman was trying to guard the guy, was the most interesting depiction of the two since the first time we discovered Jessica. We've seen the dual personality done well before, though it was CG animation, in Lord of the Rings. Smiegel/Gollum was a fantastic rendition of good/evil in one individual. Yes, they used the water as a mirror at times, but it wasn't forever utilized, just randomly to remind us that yes, there is something else there. I think Ali Larter does a good job of changing her voice between the two, but less mirrors and more situations that show that dichotomy would make her storyline more interesting.
"If it's so badly written," you say, "why do you watch it?" I don't think it's so badly written. I just think there are other shows that are better written. I watch the show because gaining, having, and using super powers is interesting to me. I watch because Hiro is totally engaging and his scenes are not only well written, but well acted. I watch because I want to see how they stop Peter from blowing up NYC. I watch because I want to see them work together like a team and I want to see Hiro turn into that badass that stopped time and talked to Peter on the train. I watch because something about the ending of each episode makes me want to go back. I watch because, though it is only a mediocre written and sometimes mediocre acted show, it is such an awesome, modern day super hero story. They have not done anything new, but they've made something we've become use to exciting again. I want those early show chills of the characters meeting each other and aiding in getting the next mission done. I want the present show's inclination of giving us answers which only begs more questions. I really like Heroes and am forced to watch it every Monday for my own entertainment and enjoyment. It goes to show that even shows that are not the best written can be a huge hit. Enjoy the spotlight, Heroes. You deserve it.
If you've never seen the show, you'll have to wait for it's return April 23. For the previous episodes, click on the Heroes link above to catch up with the show online.
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