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Riverdale and The Good Place
1. Well, Riverdale just got a whole lot creepier than The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and went full-on teen Twin Peaks.
Still has some pacing issues. But the actors playing the teens are doing a great job. And, I'm noting a trend in some of these series...the parents are not so nice, and the kids seem to be discovering their wicked wicked deeds. In some ways, Riverdale goes a lot further in that department than Runaways did. (It's also better written and directed, not to mention a better production style.)
I'm finally all caught up.
They are doing a rather twisted version of Dungeons and Dragons...think D&D RPG by way of Twin Peaks.
Reminds me a little of The Secret History by Donna Tartt in some respects, which also played with the idea. In which there's an urban legend -- the more you play the RPG, the more it gets into your head, and the more you become part of the game until the game slowly takes over.
Very creepy.
2. The Good Place
Been thinking about Doug. They were discussing it on the FB Group -- The Boundless Void. And said how what made Doug miserable and unable to get into the Good Place was his inability to connect with others or make lasting connections.
And I thought, eh, no...you are missing the point.
What made Doug not a relatable character for me, and why he doesn't really get into The Good Place, is what is motivating him. He really doesn't care about anyone else but himself. He doesn't care if he makes others happy. He's only doing what he's doing to avoid eternal torment. He's doing good deeds to get to "heaven" or "The good place". Whether Michael or Janet are happy because of him, doesn't matter -- he is trying to make them happy. He doesn't care if the snail lives or dies, he only cares because it might keep him out of the Good Place.
You can be a hermit, living off the land, loving animals, and on a plant-based diet to support your beliefs and be happy. But, if you're just doing it because you're afraid of what might happen after you die? Not so much. You're living your whole life worried about what happens after you die.
In short, Doug is pissing on his life and everyone who comes into contact with him -- because he isn't living in the moment, he's living for what may or may not happen after he dies.
It's the philosophical view of living for today, not for tomorrow...or in the moment. And being mindful of others. Basically it's the mindfulness doctrine or the Buddhist view of living in the here and now and being connected to everything in it.
Still has some pacing issues. But the actors playing the teens are doing a great job. And, I'm noting a trend in some of these series...the parents are not so nice, and the kids seem to be discovering their wicked wicked deeds. In some ways, Riverdale goes a lot further in that department than Runaways did. (It's also better written and directed, not to mention a better production style.)
I'm finally all caught up.
They are doing a rather twisted version of Dungeons and Dragons...think D&D RPG by way of Twin Peaks.
Reminds me a little of The Secret History by Donna Tartt in some respects, which also played with the idea. In which there's an urban legend -- the more you play the RPG, the more it gets into your head, and the more you become part of the game until the game slowly takes over.
Very creepy.
2. The Good Place
Been thinking about Doug. They were discussing it on the FB Group -- The Boundless Void. And said how what made Doug miserable and unable to get into the Good Place was his inability to connect with others or make lasting connections.
And I thought, eh, no...you are missing the point.
What made Doug not a relatable character for me, and why he doesn't really get into The Good Place, is what is motivating him. He really doesn't care about anyone else but himself. He doesn't care if he makes others happy. He's only doing what he's doing to avoid eternal torment. He's doing good deeds to get to "heaven" or "The good place". Whether Michael or Janet are happy because of him, doesn't matter -- he is trying to make them happy. He doesn't care if the snail lives or dies, he only cares because it might keep him out of the Good Place.
You can be a hermit, living off the land, loving animals, and on a plant-based diet to support your beliefs and be happy. But, if you're just doing it because you're afraid of what might happen after you die? Not so much. You're living your whole life worried about what happens after you die.
In short, Doug is pissing on his life and everyone who comes into contact with him -- because he isn't living in the moment, he's living for what may or may not happen after he dies.
It's the philosophical view of living for today, not for tomorrow...or in the moment. And being mindful of others. Basically it's the mindfulness doctrine or the Buddhist view of living in the here and now and being connected to everything in it.
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I agree, I was surprised that the episode didn’t bring that up actually. It especially stood out to me that Doug really wasn’t doing that kid any favours to roll over and do anything that he asked, it was hardly helping the kids future character to encourage him to treat people like that and get away with it
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