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Oct. 28th, 2018 09:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatI've been irritable lately for physical reasons, mainly. And well I'm frustrated with people, and worried about the stupid mid-term elections. I don't trust my fellow citizens to do the right thing. (Gee, I wonder why?)
Did finish watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina -- which was more David Lynch then Tim Burton. That should probably tell you right there that Sabrina does not necessarily end well or it ends in a dark manner.
I agree with the critics -- the first five episodes are really good. But the second half of the series, or last five episodes don't quite work and are bit sluggish in pacing. The creep factor and horror factor does go up considerably, but it also falls into cliche here and there. And I've have been happier with the series if the villain had not succeeded in her goal. Mainly because ever since approximately 2008 or thereabouts, a lot of television writers/movie writers and book writers decided to do noir endings for practically everything. It's getting old. Why in the heck do you think I started reading romance novels?
We live in frustrating world, where we are bombarded with bad news on a daily basis -- I want happy endings in my entertainment choices. If you are incapable of giving me that -- I'm not going to waste any more time on you. Life is too short.
That said, I wouldn't exactly say it was unhappy ending or even an ending. I think it's just the beginning of a series. Also the ending could be interpreted from more than one perspective.
The plot is basically that Sabrina upon her sixteenth birthday must choose whether to become a full fledged witch or a full-fledged mortal. She must pick one of these two worlds. Upon her Dark Baptism, she has a vision of a burning tree, hanging witches burning, and the beast lord hanging about in the background. She discovers that to become a full-fledged witch, she must freely choose to sign her name in the book of beast, and basically sell her soul to Satan. She's not been raised to see Satan as evil. (Although he clearly is.) Or to think of it in those terms. It's not so much about good and evil as it is about power.
Anyhow, she refuses to sign the book. Refuses to give up her free will. So the Dark Lord has sent a representative or foot solider to manipulate her. The foot solider takes the form of Miss Bardwell, one of Sabrina's teachers. While the headmaster tries to force her hand...and fails miserably, although he does manage to persuade her into going to The Academy of Unseen Arts during the weekends, and her own school during the weekdays.
As time passes, weird things happen and Sabrina becomes more and more manipulated into signing over her freedom to the Dark Lord. Until finally she has no choice -- the only way she can save the town of Greenfield, and everyone she loves and cares for, is to sign the Dark Lord's book and accept his power. The price is that she will do his bidding, and in exchange, she has power. The ability to fly, to change her hair color and clothing, to be immortal, to be forever young and beautiful, etc.
That's the plot.
What does Sabrina do? Guess.
It's fun in places. Slow in others. For the most part the acting, casting, production value and direction are rather good. But the writing could be a notch or two better. I was a little disappointed in the ending, which I found to be predictable. But overall it was a good show and I don't regret seeing it. Some rather good metaphors. And a nice take on sexism and feminism, and how men attempt to control women via various societal constructs and promises of power.
I've decided to delete without watching Episode 4 of this season's Doctor Who, entitled Arachnids of Britain -- due to the fact that I'm an arachnaphobe and wouldn't be able to enjoy it.
Did finish watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina -- which was more David Lynch then Tim Burton. That should probably tell you right there that Sabrina does not necessarily end well or it ends in a dark manner.
I agree with the critics -- the first five episodes are really good. But the second half of the series, or last five episodes don't quite work and are bit sluggish in pacing. The creep factor and horror factor does go up considerably, but it also falls into cliche here and there. And I've have been happier with the series if the villain had not succeeded in her goal. Mainly because ever since approximately 2008 or thereabouts, a lot of television writers/movie writers and book writers decided to do noir endings for practically everything. It's getting old. Why in the heck do you think I started reading romance novels?
We live in frustrating world, where we are bombarded with bad news on a daily basis -- I want happy endings in my entertainment choices. If you are incapable of giving me that -- I'm not going to waste any more time on you. Life is too short.
That said, I wouldn't exactly say it was unhappy ending or even an ending. I think it's just the beginning of a series. Also the ending could be interpreted from more than one perspective.
The plot is basically that Sabrina upon her sixteenth birthday must choose whether to become a full fledged witch or a full-fledged mortal. She must pick one of these two worlds. Upon her Dark Baptism, she has a vision of a burning tree, hanging witches burning, and the beast lord hanging about in the background. She discovers that to become a full-fledged witch, she must freely choose to sign her name in the book of beast, and basically sell her soul to Satan. She's not been raised to see Satan as evil. (Although he clearly is.) Or to think of it in those terms. It's not so much about good and evil as it is about power.
Anyhow, she refuses to sign the book. Refuses to give up her free will. So the Dark Lord has sent a representative or foot solider to manipulate her. The foot solider takes the form of Miss Bardwell, one of Sabrina's teachers. While the headmaster tries to force her hand...and fails miserably, although he does manage to persuade her into going to The Academy of Unseen Arts during the weekends, and her own school during the weekdays.
As time passes, weird things happen and Sabrina becomes more and more manipulated into signing over her freedom to the Dark Lord. Until finally she has no choice -- the only way she can save the town of Greenfield, and everyone she loves and cares for, is to sign the Dark Lord's book and accept his power. The price is that she will do his bidding, and in exchange, she has power. The ability to fly, to change her hair color and clothing, to be immortal, to be forever young and beautiful, etc.
That's the plot.
What does Sabrina do? Guess.
It's fun in places. Slow in others. For the most part the acting, casting, production value and direction are rather good. But the writing could be a notch or two better. I was a little disappointed in the ending, which I found to be predictable. But overall it was a good show and I don't regret seeing it. Some rather good metaphors. And a nice take on sexism and feminism, and how men attempt to control women via various societal constructs and promises of power.
I've decided to delete without watching Episode 4 of this season's Doctor Who, entitled Arachnids of Britain -- due to the fact that I'm an arachnaphobe and wouldn't be able to enjoy it.
no subject
Date: 2018-10-29 07:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-10-29 07:44 pm (UTC)No, I saw that episode. It's the willing sacrifice of the one, over the deaths of all. Sort of a commentary on early US settlements and well Thanksgiving. I just didn't comment on it. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2018-10-29 08:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-10-30 01:00 am (UTC)I'm guessing you're talking about Doctor Who's The Arachnids of Britain?
So.. from various recaps, I've managed to figure out that the "spiders" were put in a panic room as a containment measure...and this was considered a more humane way of killing them than shooting them? (I'm sorry it's hard for me to care about spiders...as long as they are gone, I'm good. Also spider's don't care. They have no thought process. They are instinctual creatures...and just do what they do. They are not sentient creatures. They are blood sucking arachnids.)
no subject
Date: 2018-10-30 09:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-10-30 12:45 pm (UTC)Ah. While I'd be thinking, frigging hell, kill the blasted things and get them gone, now. Giant Spiders! I'd have shot them and taken off. Because you know, Giant Spiders!
Seriously though, the point apparently was that the American was a rageaholic who just wanted to shoot something for the sake of it. And Americans shoot things. Shooting bad. Which works, except, hello - "Giant Scary Spider!" They've done that theme better elsewhere in the series. Also, shutting all spiders in a room...they could get out. They could maybe catch tiny bugs that got in the room. Some curious person could let them out.
Apparently there's a heavy anti-gun, non-violence theme this season, more so than previous seasons? And having the villain be an American with a gun shooting at things -- emphasizes it. (Gee, wonder where they got this stereotype from?)
no subject
Date: 2018-10-30 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-10-31 12:45 pm (UTC)Yeah, that sounds poorly written. The writer's clearly didn't think it through.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-03 01:10 am (UTC)One thing that does bother me a bit was that the storyline with the warlock/his iguana/his parents being killed wasn't resolved in S1. Too much time was spent on that mystery for the writers to just drop the ball at the end imo. Luke was super suspicious and I kept waiting for Ambrose to figure it out, but then the storyline just kind of trailed off. I'm guessing they'll return to it next season, but the pacing is odd. Anyway, I'm looking forward to S2 and am sad there are only 10 episodes in each season.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-03 02:47 am (UTC)It does have a nice irreverent wink at the end. Also there's a hint ...when Sabrina states at one point that her goal is to "outwit" the Devil. Although the shout-out to Daniel Webster (the last person who attempted to outwit the Devil) is notable.
I didn't know it got a 2nd season, thanks for the heads up. Felt a bit like a stand-a-lone series and it does work as one. But I'll be curious to see what they do with S2.
Long wait though. And that's a problem. By the time S2 airs, I sort of forget S1.