Welcome to a feature called "Writing Blind." In this series, I will be writing about seasons of television that I watched in the past year or so, but failed to write about at the time. I call it writing blind, because I will be sharing my thoughts months after I have already finished the season. This is both because I want to write about these seasons, but don't have the time to re-watch them and because it is a challenge to hopefully improve my writing.
The writer's strike could have not come at a worse time creatively for Supernatural. Normally, I think Supernatural can get by and maybe even benefit from airing less than 22 episodes per season. But the second season ended as quite the set-up for an amazing third season. Dean had just sold his soul to bring Sam back to life and over 100 demons escaped from hell.
So a few natural developments occur as a result of this: Sam deals with the fact that he should be dead, Dean prepares for his life to end in one year, and they both try to find a way to get Dean out of his deal. In addition, they need to try and kill the demons who escaped from hell. This is a lot to deal with and I'm sure the writers wanted to space it out accordingly. But then after 12 episodes, the writer's strike happened, interrupting their story. They were able to finish four more episodes for the third season once the strike happened, but the end result makes this season feel rushed.
This season introduces several new characters, who unfortunately were limited by the budget in how the series could use them. Sterling K Brown (making a name for himself currently on The People vs. OJ Simpson as Christopher Darden) was supposed to appear in more episodes, but due to another commitment, only appeared in two. Nonetheless, he features a darker side of what Sam and Dean do. He kills at any cost anything that is not human. Thus, he is dedicated to killing Sam, because he is supposed to be dead.
I really liked Sterling K Brown in this role and am very much not surprised at how he's killing it for American Crime Story. It's disappointing that he couldn't be in more episodes, as he provides a moral counterpart to what the two brothers do. Ultimately, he's clearly set up as a season-long adversary in his first appearance, it just didn't work out. It adds to the rushed feeling of this season when he dies in his second appearance. He would have been an interesting villain and turning him into a vampire was sort of an easy out for the brothers to kill him.
It also introduces another character who I think the writers wanted to keep, but again budget reasons meant they needed to drop her character for the next season. Lauren Cohen plays a thief who steals supernatural elements for a profit. She's basically like a spy who will sell anything to the highest bidder, no matter what the bidder will do. This presents a natural problem for the brothers, as the item in question is usually evil. I guess the writers were really interested in making characters who present big problems for Sam and Dean, but who they couldn't really kill because they weren't demons or explicitly evil.
Apparently, the studio was interested in Supernatural making their stakes more epic for the third season, which creator Eric Kripke warned would mean they'd need a bigger budget. The studio allowed it, but the first episode went way over budget, so the studio backed down. Thus, they were forced to make an epic story, but were extremely limited on the budget. This leads to the writers still figuring out what to do in the first few episodes as they needed to deal with those two conflicting things.
Nonetheless, Kripke believes that the season started hitting its stride on its eighth episode and I think I'd have to agree with him. The eight episode is "A Very Supernatural Christmas" which is an unusually sweet episode as the brothers decide whether to celebrate Christmas, with Sam decorating the motel room at the end, wanting to celebrate it. Of course, it also features a creepy demonic couple so it's not all sweet.
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" puts Bobby (the great Jim Beaver) in peril as he's in a dream that he can't get out of and will eventually kill him. The dream puts you in your worst nightmare and makes you face your worst fear. This leads to Dean confronting the fact that he is not ready to die yet, even as his time appears to approaching. "Mystery Spot" is maybe one the greatest Supernatural episodes ever as Sam has to constantly watch Dean die in a Groundhog Day type episode.
The midseason finale - the last episode before the strike - "Jus in Bello" has the brothers searching for the Colt that Bela (Cohen) stole from them in the last episode. But she tips off recurring character FBI agent Victor Henrikson, who is determined to catch them. But they got bigger issues as they are locked in a cell, with a demon running around killing people and possessing them, and no weapons. So they need to convince Henrikson they are really demon hunters and then try and save everyone in the police station. It's a great setup for an episode.
This season also introduces the bumbling idiots who make "Ghostfacers," an endless source of comedy from Ben Edlund. The last two episodes feature Sam and Dean trying to find the Colt that can kill anything and trying to save Dean before his time runs out. Since this is a television show, we suspect Dean isn't going to hell, but woe and behold, the season ends with him in hell for a lifetime of misery. It's a hell of a cliffhanger, one that the show would have to necessarily back down from.
I didn't find a way to add in Ruby, the demon who reveals that demons are simply humans who have lost their soul in hell. But Ruby still remembers being a human so she's not quite the same as most demons - who you can kill free of conscience because they are pure evil. She is wonderfully acted by Katie Cassidy. I don't know why they couldn't get Cassidy back for the fourth season, but I sure wish they had because her replacement is dreadful. Alas, a conversation for the next season.
Everything about this season felt rushed to me even though it didn't necessarily hamper my enjoyment of it. I spent most of the first few episodes wondering how they were going to wrap up so much plot in less episodes and the later episodes thinking they could have done more with the premise they had set up. But they were stuck by a limited budget, a grand idea, and a strike-shortened season, so they did the best they could.
Grade - B+
Showing posts with label Supernatural. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Supernatural. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Rewind: Supernatural S2
WARNING: IT MAY SEEM OBVIOUS, BUT DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE SHOW. SOMETIMES I CAN WALK AROUND SPOILERS, BUT I DEFINITELY CAN'T AVOID SPOILERS HERE. SPOILERS IMMEDIATELY.
The other thing All Hell Breaks Loose manages to accomplish is make everything that happened before make sense. I seriously doubt creator Eric Kripke had the entire two-seasons planned out before he started this show, but it couldn't have worked out better. Why did the mother die? She was in the way. Why did Sam's girlfriend from the pilot die? She was in the way. What previously seemed horribly contrived now was all a part of the master plan. If all this demon had to do was get a human to unlock the gate, it's a little confusing why he doesn't just... do that instead of making a 23-year plan. Whatever, it doesn't matter everything else works well.
To begin the season, Sam and Dean's father sells his soul and at the end Dean sells his soul. Now, this I'm fairly certain was planned and it makes for a nice bookend to the season. It also makes it interesting how against Dean was on bringing back things from the dead - surely more to do with his father being in hell for him than an actual moral reason - and how ultimately he does it anyway. What makes this work is that never for a second would I doubt Dean would actually do it. Supernatural also nicely set up Dean's eventual soul selling in "Crossroad Blues," an episode that didn't seem that important in future events, but certainly worked in establishing Dean's feelings about his father trading his life for Dean's.
This second season introduces and promptly destroys the Roadhouse, a place for fellow hunters. I don't think the Roadhouse was a bad idea or that it failed in any particular way, but something tells me they had different plans for it that ultimately didn't pan out. I like Jo and Ellen as characters so in that sense, it certainly worked. But the fact that the show didn't do anything with the "fellow hunters" maybe influenced their decision to scrap it.
For a show that mostly works episode-to-episode with no need to have seen the particular episode, Supernatural is good at remembering past events. In particular, Dean gets accused of murder and subsequently killed, but they use this to their advantage when both Sam and Dean end up holding up a bank and later getting themselves arrested. Judging by the fact that they break out, and some seeds are planted in FBI agent Henriksen's mind that the brothers are possibly not that bad, this seems like a plot point they will return to.
I'm pretty sure this is the first season to feature outright comic episodes and they give us two of them. I mean if you're wondering how to fill out a season and you have a couple empty spots, there's worse ideas that making a comic episode. Both are pretty hilarious with "Tall Tales" using the brothers' exaggerated representations of themselves when telling the story to Bobby and "Hollywood Babylon" riffing on Hollywood and scary movies. (In hindsight, yeah I should have seen that type of episode coming.)
In addition to the two-part finale, I thought "Roadkill" was an exceptional episode, thanks largely to the performance of Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer. The episode helped establish the show's second season theme of "Maybe not all supernatural beings are bad" and had a pretty good twist. Also helping that theme is Gordon, a man who clearly has no qualms about killing supernatural beings and certainly represents the extreme of what the brothers do. If I had to guess, I would guess Sam killing Gordon will show Sam's deteriorating morality putting Dean's decision into question. (Well it's definitely already in question, but you know...)
Another standout episode - really the whole back half of the second season is a step up - is "What Is and Should Never Be." This is the alternate timeline if Sam and Dean's mother never died and it's depressing. It's odd that that Jeffrey Dean Morgan couldn't come onto the show considering he briefly appears in the finale, but I guess the explanation for his disappearance is as good as any. I'm probably not alone in thinking that despite how everything looks better in the alternate, Dean goes back because he's not friends with his brother at all. (I kind of wish his alternate wife had more personality than "She really knows me man")
But for the time being, I'm genuinely surprised at how there's basically no useless or bad episodes. Again, the show tries very hard to make sure every episode matters in some way - and when they don't appear to have any significance to the overarching plot, it's usually still a good episode. In essence, there is a distinct lack of filler episodes.
Due to the show's willingness to completely uproot the show in a different direction, it's focus on character, and it's incredible two-part finale, I am almost scared that the show has peaked. Of course, the finale also set up incredible potential and looks more serialized than its ever been. The limited episode list does worry me as it could have been rushed due to the writer's strike, but otherwise I'm looking forward to that season.
Grade - A
Playlist
1. "Uptown Funk" - Bruno Mars (because of course)
2. "Banana Clipper" - Run the Jewels feat. Big Boi
3. "My Generation" - The Who
4. "Little Eyes" - Yo La Tengo
5. "Distortion to Static" - The Roots
This second season introduces and promptly destroys the Roadhouse, a place for fellow hunters. I don't think the Roadhouse was a bad idea or that it failed in any particular way, but something tells me they had different plans for it that ultimately didn't pan out. I like Jo and Ellen as characters so in that sense, it certainly worked. But the fact that the show didn't do anything with the "fellow hunters" maybe influenced their decision to scrap it.
For a show that mostly works episode-to-episode with no need to have seen the particular episode, Supernatural is good at remembering past events. In particular, Dean gets accused of murder and subsequently killed, but they use this to their advantage when both Sam and Dean end up holding up a bank and later getting themselves arrested. Judging by the fact that they break out, and some seeds are planted in FBI agent Henriksen's mind that the brothers are possibly not that bad, this seems like a plot point they will return to.
I'm pretty sure this is the first season to feature outright comic episodes and they give us two of them. I mean if you're wondering how to fill out a season and you have a couple empty spots, there's worse ideas that making a comic episode. Both are pretty hilarious with "Tall Tales" using the brothers' exaggerated representations of themselves when telling the story to Bobby and "Hollywood Babylon" riffing on Hollywood and scary movies. (In hindsight, yeah I should have seen that type of episode coming.)
In addition to the two-part finale, I thought "Roadkill" was an exceptional episode, thanks largely to the performance of Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer. The episode helped establish the show's second season theme of "Maybe not all supernatural beings are bad" and had a pretty good twist. Also helping that theme is Gordon, a man who clearly has no qualms about killing supernatural beings and certainly represents the extreme of what the brothers do. If I had to guess, I would guess Sam killing Gordon will show Sam's deteriorating morality putting Dean's decision into question. (Well it's definitely already in question, but you know...)
Another standout episode - really the whole back half of the second season is a step up - is "What Is and Should Never Be." This is the alternate timeline if Sam and Dean's mother never died and it's depressing. It's odd that that Jeffrey Dean Morgan couldn't come onto the show considering he briefly appears in the finale, but I guess the explanation for his disappearance is as good as any. I'm probably not alone in thinking that despite how everything looks better in the alternate, Dean goes back because he's not friends with his brother at all. (I kind of wish his alternate wife had more personality than "She really knows me man")
But for the time being, I'm genuinely surprised at how there's basically no useless or bad episodes. Again, the show tries very hard to make sure every episode matters in some way - and when they don't appear to have any significance to the overarching plot, it's usually still a good episode. In essence, there is a distinct lack of filler episodes.
Due to the show's willingness to completely uproot the show in a different direction, it's focus on character, and it's incredible two-part finale, I am almost scared that the show has peaked. Of course, the finale also set up incredible potential and looks more serialized than its ever been. The limited episode list does worry me as it could have been rushed due to the writer's strike, but otherwise I'm looking forward to that season.
Grade - A
Playlist
1. "Uptown Funk" - Bruno Mars (because of course)
2. "Banana Clipper" - Run the Jewels feat. Big Boi
3. "My Generation" - The Who
4. "Little Eyes" - Yo La Tengo
5. "Distortion to Static" - The Roots
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Rewind: Supernatural S1
Back in 2005, I remember when Supernatural first went on the air on what was then WB11. I was a little kid then and I was much too scared of the potential to be scared. I hated scary movies. Still do. That was probably the right decision. Supernatural isn't exactly scary, but it employs enough of the horror movie tricks that I probably would not enjoy myself.
Now that I'm older, I can more easily watch these episodes. Helping the matter is that this first season lacks in scares, for better or worse. I'm not saying that as a bad thing either. I'm not watching Supernatural to be scared. The show did manage to have some freaky and unsettling moments though.
The first season shows enormous potential, but ultimately too many of the episodes have stock monsters. Whenever the show managed to make an episode about the season-long arc or an extensive look into the character, it was a much better show. To the show's credit, each episode contained something that contributed to the overall show past that episode.
The pilot episode was like nearly every other pilot: good and extremely rushed. In 42 minutes of screen time, Sam and Dean's mother gets killed, their father disappears, and Sam's girlfriend gets killed. One of the weaknesses to the season is that Sam understandably spends most of the first half of this season getting over Jess' death. That's only a problem because Jess was a nothing character. It wouldn't have made any difference if we never saw her on the show, because she had that much character development.
The only way I could think to fix that would be to have her appear in flashbacks in a few episodes following the pilot. Flashbacks aren't that great, but it would help us care about his struggle. Not only that, but it's not like the monster of the weeks were that compelling. They could probably have easily shed 3-4 minutes and not suffered at all. (Then again, I don't think Friday Night Light's Adrianne Palicki would be up for it anyway. She's not that great of an actress. There's like no chance she could have done what I want in 15 minutes of screen time spread across a couple episodes.)
The show took a little while to find its ground. After the pilot episode, brothers Dean and Sam mostly just visited the monster of the week, probably bickered, and then defeated it. The success of the episode largely depended on how good of actors the people they saved were. In most cases, they weren't great. Still, the show was finding out what worked and what didn't and all of them were still self-contained episodes. This paragraph is harsher on the first eight episodes than I intend. I mostly enjoyed them.
Then, creator Eric Kripke wrote "Home," his second episode after the pilot. Kripke seems like a good showrunner to me. He only wrote four episodes in the first season, and all of them were pretty important to mythology of the show. He didn't seem too interested in writing stories that were simply standalone. "Home" is technically standalone, but Sam gets his first vision. Kripke was quoted as saying the standalone episodes were "hit-and-miss," which is pretty much correct.
The show was surprisingly quick to play with its formula. In "Scarecrow," I was not expecting the show to actually separate the brothers for an extended period of time. Plus, it introduced "Meg Masters," played by Nicki Aycox. Aycox thankfully is very good in this role and provides a worthy opponent. In "Faith," Dean basically is condemned to die, but they unknowingly use supernatural forces to cheat it. Helping the show is the questions it raises about who deserves to die and casting Buffy's Julie Benz.
Other stand-out episodes include "Nightmare," where Sam gets a premonition of a man being killed. Not only do we find out where Sam's powers may eventually be, but we get to see a scenario where they could have ended up if their father took a different route to parenting. John Winchester isn't exactly the greatest parent, which he readily acknowledges later in the season, but things could have turned out worse.
I hope Supernatural continues its emphasis on season-long arcs, because it was easily the strongest part of the first season. Sam gets the brunt of character development as he gets over Jess' death gradually throughout the season, learns to forgive his father, and discovers his powers. "Provenance" does a good job of somewhat allowing Sam to get over Jess by having him date for the first time. He's not completely over it, but it's a step. Also, I admire the show's restraint as it's close to a year in the show's time when he does that.
I also liked how the father-son dynamic between Sam and John worked. John opened up to Sam about his parenting, and Sam seemed to finally understand he's more like his father than he thought. It was also a nice touch for Dean to question his father at the end, as he seemed more like a loyal soldier. Sam helped him to not just blindly follow. These characters were pretty well fleshed out by the end. Other problems with the show aside, that's kind of my most important aspect of a TV show -character.
Lastly, I really liked the show's restraint with Sam's powers. He only really telekinetically moved one thing and that was because he foresaw his brother's death. In the finale, his "father" dares him to move the gun, but he can't. I was fully expecting him to move it, and I applaud the misdirection as instead John is just that strong of a guy.
Pretty much the only way this show works is if the two leads have believable chemistry as brothers. Boy, do Jensen Ackles and Jared Padelecki manage that. Ackles probably IS Dean in real life, because he pretty immediately shines. I had some issues with Padelicki to begin the series, but he got stronger as an actor as the series went along. One thing I don't understand is that Dean seems to pretty much get any girl he wants - which is believable to a point - and yet Sam is virtually ignored. Some of that has to do with will - Dean seeks out girls, while Sam does not. But is Padelicki really that less attractive than Ackles? I actually have no idea, but it was a bit distracting. (I'm obviously more of an Ackles fan and it was still weirdly one-sided to me.)
And while I did have some problems with the guest stars - probably a budget issue - the important guest stars could act. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is fantastic in very little screen time. The aforementioned Aycox is basically the only recurring villain and justifies it. I also liked appearances from Benz, Amy Acker, and Jim Beaver, who I'm thrilled is in many more episodes of this.
What I find interesting is that Supernatural is molded by X-Files veterans, yet does not in any way evoke that show. The first two episodes are directed by David Nutter, who directed quite a few episodes of The X-Files in its first few seasons. Kim Manner, who directed 52 episodes of The X-Files, directed five in this first season. And it's not only the directing as writer John Shiban plays a prominent role in this season. Shiban is one of only four writers who write more than two episodes n this season, with Kripke and the team of Sera Gamble and Raelle Tucker being the others.
I hope Kripke assembles a more consistent writing team in the second season and I don't even mean that as from episode to episode. The first season features a TON of writers, some good and some not so good. Less writers means a more consistent voice and hopefully a better season.
The first season has its problems, but there's no question I feel more confident in committing to this show than before I started. The show nailed the important aspects that I care about - character development and a good story arc - and its weaknesses can definitely be improved. I'm looking forward to the next season.
Grade - B+
Playlist
1. "Found a Job" - Talking Heads
2. "White Unicorn" - Wolfmother
3. "Bang Bang You're Dead" - Dirty Pretty Things
4. "Holiest" - Glass Animals feat. Tei Shi
5. "Weekend" - Priory
Now that I'm older, I can more easily watch these episodes. Helping the matter is that this first season lacks in scares, for better or worse. I'm not saying that as a bad thing either. I'm not watching Supernatural to be scared. The show did manage to have some freaky and unsettling moments though.
The first season shows enormous potential, but ultimately too many of the episodes have stock monsters. Whenever the show managed to make an episode about the season-long arc or an extensive look into the character, it was a much better show. To the show's credit, each episode contained something that contributed to the overall show past that episode.
The pilot episode was like nearly every other pilot: good and extremely rushed. In 42 minutes of screen time, Sam and Dean's mother gets killed, their father disappears, and Sam's girlfriend gets killed. One of the weaknesses to the season is that Sam understandably spends most of the first half of this season getting over Jess' death. That's only a problem because Jess was a nothing character. It wouldn't have made any difference if we never saw her on the show, because she had that much character development.
The only way I could think to fix that would be to have her appear in flashbacks in a few episodes following the pilot. Flashbacks aren't that great, but it would help us care about his struggle. Not only that, but it's not like the monster of the weeks were that compelling. They could probably have easily shed 3-4 minutes and not suffered at all. (Then again, I don't think Friday Night Light's Adrianne Palicki would be up for it anyway. She's not that great of an actress. There's like no chance she could have done what I want in 15 minutes of screen time spread across a couple episodes.)
The show took a little while to find its ground. After the pilot episode, brothers Dean and Sam mostly just visited the monster of the week, probably bickered, and then defeated it. The success of the episode largely depended on how good of actors the people they saved were. In most cases, they weren't great. Still, the show was finding out what worked and what didn't and all of them were still self-contained episodes. This paragraph is harsher on the first eight episodes than I intend. I mostly enjoyed them.
Then, creator Eric Kripke wrote "Home," his second episode after the pilot. Kripke seems like a good showrunner to me. He only wrote four episodes in the first season, and all of them were pretty important to mythology of the show. He didn't seem too interested in writing stories that were simply standalone. "Home" is technically standalone, but Sam gets his first vision. Kripke was quoted as saying the standalone episodes were "hit-and-miss," which is pretty much correct.
The show was surprisingly quick to play with its formula. In "Scarecrow," I was not expecting the show to actually separate the brothers for an extended period of time. Plus, it introduced "Meg Masters," played by Nicki Aycox. Aycox thankfully is very good in this role and provides a worthy opponent. In "Faith," Dean basically is condemned to die, but they unknowingly use supernatural forces to cheat it. Helping the show is the questions it raises about who deserves to die and casting Buffy's Julie Benz.
Other stand-out episodes include "Nightmare," where Sam gets a premonition of a man being killed. Not only do we find out where Sam's powers may eventually be, but we get to see a scenario where they could have ended up if their father took a different route to parenting. John Winchester isn't exactly the greatest parent, which he readily acknowledges later in the season, but things could have turned out worse.
I hope Supernatural continues its emphasis on season-long arcs, because it was easily the strongest part of the first season. Sam gets the brunt of character development as he gets over Jess' death gradually throughout the season, learns to forgive his father, and discovers his powers. "Provenance" does a good job of somewhat allowing Sam to get over Jess by having him date for the first time. He's not completely over it, but it's a step. Also, I admire the show's restraint as it's close to a year in the show's time when he does that.
I also liked how the father-son dynamic between Sam and John worked. John opened up to Sam about his parenting, and Sam seemed to finally understand he's more like his father than he thought. It was also a nice touch for Dean to question his father at the end, as he seemed more like a loyal soldier. Sam helped him to not just blindly follow. These characters were pretty well fleshed out by the end. Other problems with the show aside, that's kind of my most important aspect of a TV show -character.
Lastly, I really liked the show's restraint with Sam's powers. He only really telekinetically moved one thing and that was because he foresaw his brother's death. In the finale, his "father" dares him to move the gun, but he can't. I was fully expecting him to move it, and I applaud the misdirection as instead John is just that strong of a guy.
Pretty much the only way this show works is if the two leads have believable chemistry as brothers. Boy, do Jensen Ackles and Jared Padelecki manage that. Ackles probably IS Dean in real life, because he pretty immediately shines. I had some issues with Padelicki to begin the series, but he got stronger as an actor as the series went along. One thing I don't understand is that Dean seems to pretty much get any girl he wants - which is believable to a point - and yet Sam is virtually ignored. Some of that has to do with will - Dean seeks out girls, while Sam does not. But is Padelicki really that less attractive than Ackles? I actually have no idea, but it was a bit distracting. (I'm obviously more of an Ackles fan and it was still weirdly one-sided to me.)
And while I did have some problems with the guest stars - probably a budget issue - the important guest stars could act. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is fantastic in very little screen time. The aforementioned Aycox is basically the only recurring villain and justifies it. I also liked appearances from Benz, Amy Acker, and Jim Beaver, who I'm thrilled is in many more episodes of this.
What I find interesting is that Supernatural is molded by X-Files veterans, yet does not in any way evoke that show. The first two episodes are directed by David Nutter, who directed quite a few episodes of The X-Files in its first few seasons. Kim Manner, who directed 52 episodes of The X-Files, directed five in this first season. And it's not only the directing as writer John Shiban plays a prominent role in this season. Shiban is one of only four writers who write more than two episodes n this season, with Kripke and the team of Sera Gamble and Raelle Tucker being the others.
I hope Kripke assembles a more consistent writing team in the second season and I don't even mean that as from episode to episode. The first season features a TON of writers, some good and some not so good. Less writers means a more consistent voice and hopefully a better season.
The first season has its problems, but there's no question I feel more confident in committing to this show than before I started. The show nailed the important aspects that I care about - character development and a good story arc - and its weaknesses can definitely be improved. I'm looking forward to the next season.
Grade - B+
Playlist
1. "Found a Job" - Talking Heads
2. "White Unicorn" - Wolfmother
3. "Bang Bang You're Dead" - Dirty Pretty Things
4. "Holiest" - Glass Animals feat. Tei Shi
5. "Weekend" - Priory
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Rewind: Star Trek Season 1
I'm going to write this review with a heavy dose of context involved because it'd be unfair and impossible to grade this without it. Star Trek suffers mightily from being the first to do many of the things they did. I don't exactly know which specific things they did first only that many of their then original story lines are now played out and cliche.
So I'm going to try and focus my complaints on things they could control. I got to be honest though. In terms of 2013, having never seen the show and admittedly having seen many of its copiers, Star Trek is not a good show. It's not a show I would recommend anyone watch unless they are like me who want to watch a show that started it all.
I understand why it was considered great. I can see some of the things that made it great. There's a few things that I personally think Star Trek had control over that they did wrong, but most of it happens to just be a bi-product of being aired in 1966. I can't think of another example of a show that is considered so great to age so incredibly badly.
The biggest obstacle that makes the show hardest to watch for me personally is William Shatner. He's an atrociously over-the-top actor that I can't take anything seriously. I'm not the first to make this complaint, but you have to see it to believe just how bad he is. This show is basically content telling us how awesome Kirk is at everything, which gets old pretty fast. Also, the villain of the week structure is both a positive and a negative. When the villain is bad at acting, it really just makes the episode borderline unwatchable.
Then, there's the things it can't control. The first season is a whopping 28 episodes at 50 minutes an episode. It shows at times that the writers are struggling to come up with original ideas. I'm impressed at how many times it does. It was also 1966 so the networks demanded that the show would wrap up each episode nicely and just completely ignore the deaths of many Enterprise passengers.
I'm impressed with the writing, specifically the writing for Spock. I'm pretty amazed at how they seemed to write such good lines for a character with no emotion. I totally bought it. Leonard Nimoy is a large reason why as he's a genuinely good actor and one of the reasons I choose to continue watching the show. I also think DeForest Kelley is a pretty good actor, sometimes aims too over-the-top, but frankly it's barely noticeable when Shatner is his opposite.
The show did have a weird fixation on wanting to prove Spock's dedication to logic as a fault. Sometimes, it made sense to criticize, such as Spock figuring out the best chance to survive is by letting crew members stay on the planet and likely die. Other times, they do a poor job of showing why logic was wrong in that certain scenario. Almost always logic is the best way to make decisions.
The first season is filled with many merely ok episodes, a few great, a few awful, and then "A City On the Edge of Forever" which is considered a classic episode and rightly so. I would strongly suggest you watch that episode. It has aged quite well. It's kind of like how the only 80s movies that have avoided the 80s touch (in a bad way) are those that are movies set in the past. Well most of this episode takes place in 1930. And I got to say, I was impressed at the design of it - it reminded me very much of Once Upon a Time in America - which came 20 years later.
I guess a small mention should go to the show's poor special effects (doesn't matter) and sometimes blatant sexism. Not to mention the aura of Kirk is irresistible to just about every woman Kirk wants, which makes little sense. But those are products of the 1960s and apparently Star Trek was a very progressive show at the time.
Anyway, Star Trek was a landmark point in television that just hasn't aged very well. Despite that, there are still some episodes that are really good even now, but some have suffered mightily. I'd recommend this show only to those that are purely watching to get a sense of history, or to those who will someone be able to pick the good from the bad.
I'll attempt to highlight ones I particularly enjoyed - however this took me about six months so I could be forgetting some.
1. Pilot: The Cage - I know Star Trek would be different without William Shatner, but I liked this version of the show better with Jeffrey Hunter. Either way, it's worth it just for the contrast.
2. The Naked Time - Funny episode where crew acts all out-of-character
3. The Corbomite Maneuver - Memorable villain
4. Balance of Terror - This involves bigotry towards Vulcans, Spock's race - Got to be some strong subtext since at the time racism was still pretty common
5. The Squire of Gothos - Godlike being who wants playthings (read: humans) is pretty scary
6. This Side of Paradise - Pretty funny episode where Spock has feelings and smiles
7. Devil in the Dark - Some monster is attacking miners - memorable
8. Errand of Mercy - Not sure I recommend, but this is the beginning of the Klingons, popular villains.
9. The City on the Edge of Forever - Best episode by far of any in the first season
10. Operation: Annihilate - Season finishes strong with five good episodes of last six
So there's 10 episodes you can watch without having to suffer through mediocre or just downright bad episodes. I don't know if they are bad because they aged badly, or they've always been bad, but some are just bad in 2013.
I will attempt to watch the second and third seasons - thankfully the episode list dwindles down to 26 and then 24, but I'm not sure I'll write about it. Frankly, I'm not sure I'll have anything new to say, but I might anyway just to recommend episodes.
Playlist
1. "I Want You Back" - Jackson 5
2. "Ordinary People" - John Legend
3. "Hello Operator" - The White Stripes
4. "Otherside Remix" - Macklemore ft. Fences
5. "Your Ass Got Took" - Scarface
I guess a small mention should go to the show's poor special effects (doesn't matter) and sometimes blatant sexism. Not to mention the aura of Kirk is irresistible to just about every woman Kirk wants, which makes little sense. But those are products of the 1960s and apparently Star Trek was a very progressive show at the time.
Anyway, Star Trek was a landmark point in television that just hasn't aged very well. Despite that, there are still some episodes that are really good even now, but some have suffered mightily. I'd recommend this show only to those that are purely watching to get a sense of history, or to those who will someone be able to pick the good from the bad.
I'll attempt to highlight ones I particularly enjoyed - however this took me about six months so I could be forgetting some.
1. Pilot: The Cage - I know Star Trek would be different without William Shatner, but I liked this version of the show better with Jeffrey Hunter. Either way, it's worth it just for the contrast.
2. The Naked Time - Funny episode where crew acts all out-of-character
3. The Corbomite Maneuver - Memorable villain
4. Balance of Terror - This involves bigotry towards Vulcans, Spock's race - Got to be some strong subtext since at the time racism was still pretty common
5. The Squire of Gothos - Godlike being who wants playthings (read: humans) is pretty scary
6. This Side of Paradise - Pretty funny episode where Spock has feelings and smiles
7. Devil in the Dark - Some monster is attacking miners - memorable
8. Errand of Mercy - Not sure I recommend, but this is the beginning of the Klingons, popular villains.
9. The City on the Edge of Forever - Best episode by far of any in the first season
10. Operation: Annihilate - Season finishes strong with five good episodes of last six
So there's 10 episodes you can watch without having to suffer through mediocre or just downright bad episodes. I don't know if they are bad because they aged badly, or they've always been bad, but some are just bad in 2013.
I will attempt to watch the second and third seasons - thankfully the episode list dwindles down to 26 and then 24, but I'm not sure I'll write about it. Frankly, I'm not sure I'll have anything new to say, but I might anyway just to recommend episodes.
Playlist
1. "I Want You Back" - Jackson 5
2. "Ordinary People" - John Legend
3. "Hello Operator" - The White Stripes
4. "Otherside Remix" - Macklemore ft. Fences
5. "Your Ass Got Took" - Scarface
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Supernatural Genre
Before reading this, I suggest you read the introduction to this site where I say what I'm doing.
Previous Sections
The Shows That Changed Television
Quirky Comedy
Unconventional Drama
Classic Comedy
British TV Shows
This section of TV shows is relatively easy to understand. It's a television show where there is a force beyond scientific understanding at play. Simply put, these are shows with ghosts, aliens, and all kinds of other manifestations of that nature.
I mentioned that British TV Shows was a section I would finish pretty fast since barely any British TV shows last all that long. Well, this is the direct opposite. Most of these shows are long-running and the first TV show is hard to watch, because it is a show that has aged terribly.
I'm going to start in chronological order, starting with the TV show I am in the middle of watching.
Star Trek (1966-1969)
Well, I don't really know where to start. I'm watching this the same way a movie buff would need to watch The Birth of a Nation. Yes, it's not really good in modern terms. Yes, it's definitely not politically correct in modern terms either. But it changed television into what it is today.
Part of the problem is that many shows do what Star Trek did first. So the originality aspect of Star Trek that made it so great is simply another cliched show from my perspective. So let me run down the many problems that I've run into while watching this show:
Perhaps the worst effect any TV show can have on its viewer: boredom. I constantly check to see if the episode is almost over. It's a chore to watch most of these episodes. I do it, because I want to appreciate television history, dammit. But seriously, it seems like a lot of the episodes have a whole lot of what I call "filler" - pointless bullshit that doesn't advance the plot.
The acting is incredibly over the top from William Shatner and whoever the villian is that week. Leonard Nimoy and DeForrest Kelley are actually great actors that only highlight how bad Shatner is at acting. This is a problem that I can't blame on the time period, quite frankly. Good actors existed in 1966 right?
Things I can blame on the time period: the sometimes blatant sexism evident in some episodes. It's pretty bad as all the women just fall for Captain Kirk for pretty much no reason. When I say all the women, I mean ALL the women. Is William Shatner really that attractive? I have no idea. When stuff like that happens to men like Shatner and Dennis Leary in Rescue Me, I'm always so confused, because man do I not see it.
The special-effects are out-dated sure, but that has never bothered me before. I don't know the writing just seems way out-of-date. I'm trying, but I am struggling. I'll have a post up about Star Trek whenever I finish.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
My interest in Star Trek was piqued because of the cult fandom it produced. The reason I ended up choosing to watch it was because of this series. I haven't seen an episode, but by all accounts, this one is actually good. Like good in 2012 not good in 1966 only.
Really I want to watch this for two reasons: Patrick Stewart and LeVar Burton. Stewart, because of X-Men really, and he just seems like a fantastic actor. Already he's got a point over the older show because the leading man can actually act. Burton, because, well any Community fans out there? (That's the only reason by the way - He appears on episode of Community as LeVar Burton)
Also, Wil Wheaton hasn't turned out half bad. Not all child stars become crazy lunatics.
X-Files (1993-2002)
I have never seen an episode of X-Files. However, this is one of those shows I go into pretty much knowing its awesome. There's a special value to finding a show when it starts and then watching it be one of the best on television (Here's hoping The Americans is that!). But it's also nice being able to start at the beginning knowing the show is headed to a wonderful place.
And that's where X-Files is. I haven't seen Californication, so I'm not familiar with David Duchovny's acting credentials, but for some reason he annoys me. It's the representation of what I imagine his character is like in Californication and that imaginative character annoys me, so in turn he annoys me. Sense, this makes none. I know.
Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
I want to watch this really for one reason: Michael C. Hall. Namely, I've heard he plays a vastly different character than he does on Dexter. I mean that makes sense since Dexter is one of the most original characters created. But if I thought I appreciated his acting on Dexter, I think I'm going to be blown away on this show.
I have no idea if he stars or is a supporting player, but I don't really care. Also, I'm under the impression that it's actually a good TV show, which is important.
Supernatural (2005- )
Here's a show that I've wanted to watch since it first aired. I never got around to watching a single episode somehow. This blog has given me the motivation necessary to watch this show.... in like a year. Plus, some twitter friends of mine are die-hard watchers of this show who've recommended it to me.
The Guild (2007- )
Well, this is awkward. I have basically no idea what this show is about. I just found out it was a comedy and it also is apparently a web series. I just assumed it was on television since it's on Netflix. Anyway, I'm a fan of Felicia Day so I'll give this series a shot.
An important thing to note by the way is that my sections are meant to be general so if a TV show doesn't appear to belong in a section, I don't really care. I'm just trying to organize my TV shows into a coherent way for me to easily view all of them at one time or another.
Anyway, I'm forcing myself through Star Trek, which as I said, has aged pretty awful. The most excited I am for any of these series has to be Six Feet Under, which I've wanted to watch for a while. Next in line would have to be X-Files, a highly regarded show.
Update on Current Shows: (Episode listed is first episode I haven't seen yet)
American Horror Story - Season 1, Episode 3 - Very shitty so far, heard season 2 is good, might stick with it
Freaks and Geeks - Season 1, Episode 11 - I'm dragging this show out as long as possible. Excellent.
The Simpsons - Season 1, Episode 8 - Haven't seen this show in a while. Might attempt an episode tonight.
Sons of Anarchy - Season 2, Episode 4 - Still a very good show. Surprised they've maintained the quality of the first season.
The Sopranos - Season 2, Episode 11 - I will finish season 2 at some point in my life...
Next post: Probably episode reaction to the second episode of season 1 of The Sopranos, though I may think of something for tomorrow.
The Shows That Changed Television
Quirky Comedy
Unconventional Drama
Classic Comedy
British TV Shows
This section of TV shows is relatively easy to understand. It's a television show where there is a force beyond scientific understanding at play. Simply put, these are shows with ghosts, aliens, and all kinds of other manifestations of that nature.
I mentioned that British TV Shows was a section I would finish pretty fast since barely any British TV shows last all that long. Well, this is the direct opposite. Most of these shows are long-running and the first TV show is hard to watch, because it is a show that has aged terribly.
I'm going to start in chronological order, starting with the TV show I am in the middle of watching.
Star Trek (1966-1969)
Well, I don't really know where to start. I'm watching this the same way a movie buff would need to watch The Birth of a Nation. Yes, it's not really good in modern terms. Yes, it's definitely not politically correct in modern terms either. But it changed television into what it is today.
Part of the problem is that many shows do what Star Trek did first. So the originality aspect of Star Trek that made it so great is simply another cliched show from my perspective. So let me run down the many problems that I've run into while watching this show:
Perhaps the worst effect any TV show can have on its viewer: boredom. I constantly check to see if the episode is almost over. It's a chore to watch most of these episodes. I do it, because I want to appreciate television history, dammit. But seriously, it seems like a lot of the episodes have a whole lot of what I call "filler" - pointless bullshit that doesn't advance the plot.
The acting is incredibly over the top from William Shatner and whoever the villian is that week. Leonard Nimoy and DeForrest Kelley are actually great actors that only highlight how bad Shatner is at acting. This is a problem that I can't blame on the time period, quite frankly. Good actors existed in 1966 right?
Things I can blame on the time period: the sometimes blatant sexism evident in some episodes. It's pretty bad as all the women just fall for Captain Kirk for pretty much no reason. When I say all the women, I mean ALL the women. Is William Shatner really that attractive? I have no idea. When stuff like that happens to men like Shatner and Dennis Leary in Rescue Me, I'm always so confused, because man do I not see it.
The special-effects are out-dated sure, but that has never bothered me before. I don't know the writing just seems way out-of-date. I'm trying, but I am struggling. I'll have a post up about Star Trek whenever I finish.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
My interest in Star Trek was piqued because of the cult fandom it produced. The reason I ended up choosing to watch it was because of this series. I haven't seen an episode, but by all accounts, this one is actually good. Like good in 2012 not good in 1966 only.
Really I want to watch this for two reasons: Patrick Stewart and LeVar Burton. Stewart, because of X-Men really, and he just seems like a fantastic actor. Already he's got a point over the older show because the leading man can actually act. Burton, because, well any Community fans out there? (That's the only reason by the way - He appears on episode of Community as LeVar Burton)
Also, Wil Wheaton hasn't turned out half bad. Not all child stars become crazy lunatics.
X-Files (1993-2002)
I have never seen an episode of X-Files. However, this is one of those shows I go into pretty much knowing its awesome. There's a special value to finding a show when it starts and then watching it be one of the best on television (Here's hoping The Americans is that!). But it's also nice being able to start at the beginning knowing the show is headed to a wonderful place.
And that's where X-Files is. I haven't seen Californication, so I'm not familiar with David Duchovny's acting credentials, but for some reason he annoys me. It's the representation of what I imagine his character is like in Californication and that imaginative character annoys me, so in turn he annoys me. Sense, this makes none. I know.
Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
I want to watch this really for one reason: Michael C. Hall. Namely, I've heard he plays a vastly different character than he does on Dexter. I mean that makes sense since Dexter is one of the most original characters created. But if I thought I appreciated his acting on Dexter, I think I'm going to be blown away on this show.
I have no idea if he stars or is a supporting player, but I don't really care. Also, I'm under the impression that it's actually a good TV show, which is important.
Supernatural (2005- )
Here's a show that I've wanted to watch since it first aired. I never got around to watching a single episode somehow. This blog has given me the motivation necessary to watch this show.... in like a year. Plus, some twitter friends of mine are die-hard watchers of this show who've recommended it to me.
The Guild (2007- )
Well, this is awkward. I have basically no idea what this show is about. I just found out it was a comedy and it also is apparently a web series. I just assumed it was on television since it's on Netflix. Anyway, I'm a fan of Felicia Day so I'll give this series a shot.
An important thing to note by the way is that my sections are meant to be general so if a TV show doesn't appear to belong in a section, I don't really care. I'm just trying to organize my TV shows into a coherent way for me to easily view all of them at one time or another.
Anyway, I'm forcing myself through Star Trek, which as I said, has aged pretty awful. The most excited I am for any of these series has to be Six Feet Under, which I've wanted to watch for a while. Next in line would have to be X-Files, a highly regarded show.
Update on Current Shows: (Episode listed is first episode I haven't seen yet)
American Horror Story - Season 1, Episode 3 - Very shitty so far, heard season 2 is good, might stick with it
Freaks and Geeks - Season 1, Episode 11 - I'm dragging this show out as long as possible. Excellent.
The Simpsons - Season 1, Episode 8 - Haven't seen this show in a while. Might attempt an episode tonight.
Sons of Anarchy - Season 2, Episode 4 - Still a very good show. Surprised they've maintained the quality of the first season.
The Sopranos - Season 2, Episode 11 - I will finish season 2 at some point in my life...
Next post: Probably episode reaction to the second episode of season 1 of The Sopranos, though I may think of something for tomorrow.
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