I agree generally speaking with this : "if s5 doesn't work, the fault lies in the writers not setting up the story they wanted to tell, not in the writers not telling a different story. "
I think that's true.
But here's the thing - whether it works or not appears to be a matter of opinion. For some, it worked, for some it didn't or so I've noticed.
I noticed this is true of all fictional works - it works for some, it doesn't for others. I don't think anyone can say the story didn't work for anyone, any more than they can say it worked for everyone. Nor, do I think it is possible for a story to work well for everyone. This is true of everyone from William Shakespeare to JK Rowling.
Whether it is told well or not? Also a matter of opinion. It depends on what you want from a story and what criteria it needs to meet, and your expectations. Which varies from person to person. I mean some people require tight plot, don't care much about character, other's require character development, plot be damned, many require tight plot and character - but plot driven, other's want character driven...etc.
I was about to say it's not like a mathematical equation in which there is only one answer because in math it depends on how you work the equation and the rules. If you use one set of rules, you get one answer, if you use a separate set, you get a different answer. If you don't know the rules, you get a completely different answer. Yet in math, it is required everyone use the same rules, which everyone should memorize and be taught in school. (If you suck at memorizing the rules, you probably struggled with math.)
But, in story-telling, that doesn't really apply - there really aren't any set rules, except basic language requirements and guidelines. (Which is why I prefer story-telling to mathematical equations.) And you can bend those, many do...look at David Foster Wallace or various surrealistic films by people like Luis Bunuel (whose name I probably misspelled.)
I mean, I blasted the comics, saying they weren't told well, but there were a lot of people who disagreed and the Buffy comics worked for them. Just because I didn't think it was told well and it didn't meet my expectations, doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't told well. Nor do I think it really matters that it didn't work for me, but worked for someone else.
If anything, I find it oddly reassuring.
To say we deserve one story over another; sort of dismisses the people who got the story they loved and needed. And to say the story is bad or not told well, because it didn't work for us, but worked for others, feels somehow arrogant? I mean, who made us the authority on the manner? And should there even be an authority in regards to storytelling?
no subject
I think that's true.
But here's the thing - whether it works or not appears to be a matter of opinion. For some, it worked, for some it didn't or so I've noticed.
I noticed this is true of all fictional works - it works for some, it doesn't for others. I don't think anyone can say the story didn't work for anyone, any more than they can say it worked for everyone. Nor, do I think it is possible for a story to work well for everyone. This is true of everyone from William Shakespeare to JK Rowling.
Whether it is told well or not? Also a matter of opinion. It depends on what you want from a story and what criteria it needs to meet, and your expectations. Which varies from person to person. I mean some people require tight plot, don't care much about character, other's require character development, plot be damned, many require tight plot and character - but plot driven, other's want character driven...etc.
I was about to say it's not like a mathematical equation in which there is only one answer because in math it depends on how you work the equation and the rules. If you use one set of rules, you get one answer, if you use a separate set, you get a different answer. If you don't know the rules, you get a completely different answer. Yet in math, it is required everyone use the same rules, which everyone should memorize and be taught in school. (If you suck at memorizing the rules, you probably struggled with math.)
But, in story-telling, that doesn't really apply - there really aren't any set rules, except basic language requirements and guidelines. (Which is why I prefer story-telling to mathematical equations.) And you can bend those, many do...look at David Foster Wallace or various surrealistic films by people like Luis Bunuel (whose name I probably misspelled.)
I mean, I blasted the comics, saying they weren't told well, but there were a lot of people who disagreed and the Buffy comics worked for them. Just because I didn't think it was told well and it didn't meet my expectations, doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't told well. Nor do I think it really matters that it didn't work for me, but worked for someone else.
If anything, I find it oddly reassuring.
To say we deserve one story over another; sort of dismisses the people who got the story they loved and needed. And to say the story is bad or not told well, because it didn't work for us, but worked for others, feels somehow arrogant? I mean, who made us the authority on the manner? And should there even be an authority in regards to storytelling?