Ahhh...more stuff and Firefly
Jan. 10th, 2004 12:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatFeeling a tad persnickity and irritable tonight. I think this is just end of the week woes - ie. I'm frustrated that I'm still unemployed, single and poor. And a tad bored of whining/worrying about it. Don't mind the single bit so much - except for being horny and no sex. Forget I said that. Hmmm, wonder if I can take a vacation from myself?
Watched the Train Job on pumpkinpuss's Firefly DVD tonight, along with the commentary - is it just me, or is anyone else finding the commentary wicked hard to access? Had no trouble finding it on the DVD, just could not for the life of me get it to click on, took me forever, then suddenly without warning? It does. And I have no idea how I did it. Is this a design problem or a problem with my DVD player on my computer? Have no idea. Anyhow - after watching the commentary section, I realized a couple of things.
But since I'm in a snarky mood? I think I'll keep them to myself. All in all? A revealing commentary.
Especially after reading that annoying chud DVD review on whedonesque. Yep, Whedon has *exactly* the same experience with Firefly that Serling had with the Loner and for some of the same reasons. Another nice tid-bit? Apparently Mike Mastiff - Boreanze's stunt double and stunt coordinator had a cameo on The Train Job. He has the same hair style as Boreanze. Interesting.
While I like Firefly, a lot better than just about anything else on at the moment, - it can be slow at points. I think over time it would have grown on me. Because to be honest? I wasn't that fond of either BTVS or ATS in their first seasons, got incredibly bored at times. The second seasons? Took off. I honestly think Whedon is one of those tv show-runners who needs time to build a series - he needs time to fiddle with the characters, feel them out, play - then whammo! Brilliance. Of course he also should probably stop after about five years...or before he gets bored, or the series can well peeter out a bit.
From the Train Job Commentary and the Serenity Commentary and some of the Objects in Space Commentary I read - there's a subtle hint that Whedon got incredibly bored of BTVS in S6-7, which explains a lot. While I liked portions of both seasons quite a bit, in retrospect I have to admit the plotting and pacing was a tad disjointed at times and very uneven from a structural standpoint.
After watching The Train Job, wandered over to atpo board and almost, almost got sucked into that ranking game some of the posters are playing. I'd play but I can't for the life of me remember the order some of these episodes aired in, which makes reading some of the posts very confusing. Must avoid ranking game. Ranking games bring out the geek in me - every time. Also lead to me bashing others favorite episodes such as *cough*storyteller*cough*
...which is never a good thing. Not to mention a tad hypocritical on my part.
Still frigid in New York. That type of cold which has the radiators hissing and clacking to keep up with it. The type that leaves the streets and sidewalks with a white dusty residue from the morning dew freezing on contact and any remaining water on rooftops: Cracking as ice, frozen solid. Not a shred of water underneath. Meanwhile the sky is clear and sunny. Not fond of the cold. Like those in between temperatures of 40s,50s, 60s and 70s. Extremes make me grouchy. And up until 2000? I was spoiled, NY had been having incredibly mild winters and summers. Hmmm, should go to bed now, read for a while maybe. Sleep late. Too cold to go anywhere. So guess I'm hibernating until Sunday, when I meet cjl for lunch, discussion, and a movie. Will be the first I'd seen since RoTK over the holidays.
Oh the new icon is commenurate my new ship - the brother ship between Spike and Angel, not slash, except in my head. I have no interest in seeing it on screen.
Watched the Train Job on pumpkinpuss's Firefly DVD tonight, along with the commentary - is it just me, or is anyone else finding the commentary wicked hard to access? Had no trouble finding it on the DVD, just could not for the life of me get it to click on, took me forever, then suddenly without warning? It does. And I have no idea how I did it. Is this a design problem or a problem with my DVD player on my computer? Have no idea. Anyhow - after watching the commentary section, I realized a couple of things.
But since I'm in a snarky mood? I think I'll keep them to myself. All in all? A revealing commentary.
Especially after reading that annoying chud DVD review on whedonesque. Yep, Whedon has *exactly* the same experience with Firefly that Serling had with the Loner and for some of the same reasons. Another nice tid-bit? Apparently Mike Mastiff - Boreanze's stunt double and stunt coordinator had a cameo on The Train Job. He has the same hair style as Boreanze. Interesting.
While I like Firefly, a lot better than just about anything else on at the moment, - it can be slow at points. I think over time it would have grown on me. Because to be honest? I wasn't that fond of either BTVS or ATS in their first seasons, got incredibly bored at times. The second seasons? Took off. I honestly think Whedon is one of those tv show-runners who needs time to build a series - he needs time to fiddle with the characters, feel them out, play - then whammo! Brilliance. Of course he also should probably stop after about five years...or before he gets bored, or the series can well peeter out a bit.
From the Train Job Commentary and the Serenity Commentary and some of the Objects in Space Commentary I read - there's a subtle hint that Whedon got incredibly bored of BTVS in S6-7, which explains a lot. While I liked portions of both seasons quite a bit, in retrospect I have to admit the plotting and pacing was a tad disjointed at times and very uneven from a structural standpoint.
After watching The Train Job, wandered over to atpo board and almost, almost got sucked into that ranking game some of the posters are playing. I'd play but I can't for the life of me remember the order some of these episodes aired in, which makes reading some of the posts very confusing. Must avoid ranking game. Ranking games bring out the geek in me - every time. Also lead to me bashing others favorite episodes such as *cough*storyteller*cough*
...which is never a good thing. Not to mention a tad hypocritical on my part.
Still frigid in New York. That type of cold which has the radiators hissing and clacking to keep up with it. The type that leaves the streets and sidewalks with a white dusty residue from the morning dew freezing on contact and any remaining water on rooftops: Cracking as ice, frozen solid. Not a shred of water underneath. Meanwhile the sky is clear and sunny. Not fond of the cold. Like those in between temperatures of 40s,50s, 60s and 70s. Extremes make me grouchy. And up until 2000? I was spoiled, NY had been having incredibly mild winters and summers. Hmmm, should go to bed now, read for a while maybe. Sleep late. Too cold to go anywhere. So guess I'm hibernating until Sunday, when I meet cjl for lunch, discussion, and a movie. Will be the first I'd seen since RoTK over the holidays.
Oh the new icon is commenurate my new ship - the brother ship between Spike and Angel, not slash, except in my head. I have no interest in seeing it on screen.
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Re: Firefly
Date: 2004-01-09 11:08 pm (UTC)[whispers insidiously] Do the list... do the list... do it here....
(I've been practicing.)
Re: Firefly
Date: 2004-01-09 11:31 pm (UTC)I think Joss does take some time to get into the characters, and start showing what they're really made of. This is part of what I like about him. It's much like the way we get to know people. First we see their superficial outsides, and eventually, with time and opportunity, we begin to see more of their true natures, good and bad both.
Yes, he does..in watching the commentary I was struck by Minear's comment that they were planning on going a lot darker in future episodes and how you had to earn the darkness, earn that ability to look at a darker side of the character - not do it right off the bat. It made me mad at Fox for not giving me the opportunity to see where they'd go with it, although not too upset, since I have a hunch we will see some of their ideas popping up on Angel this year. Actually a lot of them. Whedon has pretty much taken a good portion of what he wanted to write or examine on Firefly and found a way of throwing it into Angel. He tried to do some of it on BTVS, but I think the structure of the show combined with other factors may have hampered him a bit.
I think, and I include myself in this, we forget that people are not all one thing - we are very ambiguous creatures - capable of great good and great evil - often at the same time. Firefly sort of commented on that fact - how someone could be both heroic and a complete ass, or heroic and a villian - the double edged sword. Angel is commenting on that this year.
Well I'd do the ranking game -- but first I have to figure what episodes fall where in the lineup. You sort of need a chart I think. (I honestly have no clue how they did it...on the board. The best episodes list that comes closest to mine overall is probably Sophist's and manwitch/sophist combined probably come closest to my worste list. Manwitch certainly crystallized what I disliked about both Andrew and Storyteller.)
Enabler here!!! Episode List...
Date: 2004-01-10 12:08 am (UTC)s1: Welcome to the Hellmouth
s2: When She Was Bad
s3: Anne
s4: The Freshman
s5: Buffy vs. Dracula
s6: Bargaining 1
s7: Lessons
Episode 2
s1: The Harvest
s2: Some Assembly Required
s3: Dead Man's Party
s4: Living Conditions
s5: Real Me
s6: Bargaining 2
s7: Beneath You
Episode 3
s1: The Witch
s2: School Hard
s3: Faith, Hope and Trick
s4: The Harsh Light of Day
s5: The Replacement
s6: AfterLife
s7: Same Time, Same Place
Episode 4
s1: Teacher's Pet
s2: Inca Mummy Girl
s3: Beauty and the Beasts
s4: Fear, Itself
s5: Out of my Mind
s6: Flooded
s7: Help
Episode 5
s1: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date
s2: Reptile Boy
s3: Homecoming
s4: Beer Bad
s5: No Place Like Home
s6: Life Serial
s7: Selfless
Episode 6
s1: The Pack
s2: Halloween
s3: Band Candy
s4: Wild at Heart
s5: Family
s6: All the Way
s7: Him
Episode 7
s1: Angel
s2: Lie to Me
s3: Revelations
s4: The Initiative
s5: Fool For Love
s6: Once More, With Feeling
s7: Conversations With Dead People
Episode 8
s1: I Robot, You Jane
s2: The Dark Age
s3: Lovers' Walk
s4: Pangs
s5: Shadow
s6: Tabula Rasa
s7: Sleeper
Episode 9
s1: The Puppet Show
s2: What's My Line 2
s3: The Wish
s4: Something Blue
s5: Listening to Fear
s6: Smashed
s7: Never Leave Me
Episode 10
s1: Nightmares
s2: What's My Line 2
s3: Amends
s4: Hush
s5: Into The Woods
s6: Wrecked
s7: Bring on the Night
Episode 11
s1: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
s2: Ted
s3: Gingerbread
s4: Doomed
s5: Triangle
s6: Gone
s7: Showtime
Episode 12
s1: Prophecy Girl
s2: Bad Eggs
s3: Helpless
s4: A New Man
s5: Checkpoint
s6: Doublemeat Palace
s7: Potential
Episode 13
s2: Surprise
s3: The Zeppo
s4: The I in Team
s5: Blood Ties
s6: Dead Things
s7: The Killer in Me
Episode 14
s2: Innocence
s3: Bad Girls
s4: Goodbye, Iowa
s5: Crush
s6: Older and Farther Away
s7: First Date
Episode 15
s2: Phases
s3: Consequences
s4: This Year's Girl
s5: I Was Made to Love You
s6: As You Were
s7: Get It Done
Episode 16
s2: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
s3: Dopplegangland
s4: Who Are You?
s5: The Body
s6: Hell's Bells
s7: Storyteller
Episode 17
s2: Passion
s3: Enemies
s4: Superstar
s5: Forever
s6: Normal Again
s7: Lies My Parents Told Me
Episode 18
s2: Killed By Death
s3: Earshot
s4: Where The Wild Things Are
s5: Intervention
s6: Entropy
s7: Dirty Girls
Episode 19
s2: I Only Have Eyes For You
s3: Choices
s4: New Moon Rising
s5: Tough Love
s6: Seeing Red
s7: Empty Spaces
Episode 20
s2: Go Fish
s3: The Prom
s4: The Yoko Factor
s5: Spiral
s6: Villains
s7: Touched
Episode 21
s2: Becoming 1
s3: Graduation 1
s4: Primeval
s5: Weight of the World
s6: Two to Go
s7: End of Days
Episode 22
s2: Becoming 2
s3: Graduation 2
s4: Restless
s5: The Gift
s6: Grave
s7: Chosen
Re: Firefly
Date: 2004-01-09 11:52 pm (UTC)yessss, yesss, do the lissst. You know I want you to... Masq's episode index has all eps in order, by season.
Re: Reading Disorderly Knights
Date: 2004-01-10 10:36 am (UTC)Not at all. I added you to mine a while ago. ;-)
Regarding Dunnett? I've been warned. Alcibades tells me that DK-Ringed Castle is "very" similar to the Angel/Connor arc and if you liked Angel/Connor - you must read. While my friend pumpkinpuss who got me hooked on them - by dangling the Sunnydale U academic BTVS/ATS listserve in front of my face (you can only join if you've read Dunnett), informs me that Dunnett tortures her characters even more than Whedon does. LOL!
Actually I'm enjoying it - I just find the battle scenes slow-going and that's the section I'm on at the moment.
Also unlike some writers - Dunnett requires the reader pay attention, which means it takes longer for me to read.
(that and the fact I keep getting distracted by things...)
The thing I love most about Dunnett - is while I may struggle a bit through the work, when I finish I feel satisfied and happy...like I want to hug the book. An experience you only really get from books that develop their characters and themes thoroughly, I think.
Am noticing a trend in her writing though - she seems to set up, like you state, a question about who the hero is, and instead of telling the story through her lead's pov, through the main characters surrounding him. There's at least three types of characters Lymond deals with: the young impressionable man who has a love/hate relationship with Lymond, befriends him then betrays him, then realizes his mistake too late and redeems himself by helping Lymond, just as Lymond redeems himself by helping the young man. (It's Will Scott in GoK, Richard Stewart? in Queen's Play, and Jerott Bylthe in Knights.) Then's there's the girl who Lymond feels responsible for or cares about: Christian Stewart in Gok, Oonaugh O'Dwyer in Queen's Play, not sure who in Knight's. The girl he betrayed or is trying to save or redeem himself for hurting: Eloise in Gok, Christian Stewart in Queen's Play (also little MAry in Queen's Play), and Oanaugh O'Dwyer in
Knight's). The complex villain/hero that he's at loggerheads with. Interesting structure.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-10 10:38 am (UTC)I agree. One interesting thing happened in my family at Christmas--my nephew got my sister and her husband completely into Firefly, watched all 14 eps, I think. She has never shown any interest in Buffy, Angel, or any fantasy that I know of, except LOTR which saw but did not read, so I was happy. Meanwhile my son who originally got me into Buffy still has not seen Firefly. Very strange.
But back to my point--this sister and I were discussing a possible Firefly movie, and her reaction--I was delighted to hear--was that a movie would be nice, but it really still needed to be a long-term series, to develop the characters. I have to say that I fear that a Firefly movie might, just might, wind up going as the Buffy movie did. I think JW's mind is probably best suited to the long, slow, unwinding over time, the separate episodes each a module in the whole. And a movie's not like that.
The pity, the pity.