![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatAlmost lunch time. Slept in, ate a nice breakfast of poached eggs, bacon, and gluten-free English Muffins (which actually taste and look like real English Muffins) - they are a multi-seed brown rice and flax concoction that I get from Food For Life, courtesy of my local health food store. Also watched my cheesy/soapy gothic serials - Vampire Diaries and Supernatural - which are both highly entertaining, sort of taking the place of Buffy and Angel (even if Buffy and Angel were better written and crafted shows - by better written, I mean riskier and more experimental with the format, as well as with far more layered characters and a lot better actors - and clever/sharper dialogue - few people write television dialogue better than Whedon. Plot-wise, the other two are admittedly tighter, but also a tad more predictable - that's the downside of a tight plot - it tends to be easier to predict, because let's face it there aren't that many ways the thing can go and if you figure out the pattern, the mythos, and the genre, plus the fact that it is a tv show and they want to keep going - you pretty much know where it's headed. This was true to an extent with Buffy and Angel too, actually.)
Supernatural - once you get past the at times increasingly sexist and misogynistic storylines, which unfortunately are an integral part of this genre, is rather interesting and entertaining. The fact that they are an integral part of the genre is why I give Supernatural the pass that I may not give someone else - who is intentionally writing a feminist narrative and accomplishing the exact opposite. For me? It's always been about intent or motivation. Although, to be honest, I don't think anything is really that black and white or clear cut. However much we all would like it to be. Supernatural is down and dirty, American, Western, white male mythos horror pop noir. Violent, and crass. I like the genre, always have. But I like all genres. Even literary. Yes, I know, shocking.
In this week's episode - we get to see Sam with a soul, a nice contrast to Sam without. (Although I'm not sure I see that great a difference...this is apparently harder to act than one might think, Ed Norton these guys aren't, but whatever.) We also have an odd storyline that reminds me of the Persephone myth - commented on in post by yuki_onna earlier this week, albeit not in any way shape or form in reference to Supernatural (I seriously doubt she watches it - due to what I stated above about the genre, could be wrong about that though). Dragons in the form of male humans, grab female virgins to open a door to purgatory in order to pull the "mother of us all" out. Apparently she needs a "pure" and "un-scarred" vessel to inhabit. She flies up and out of the earth, red hot, brunette.
A counter to the blond haired medievalist with her sword in the stone, and pristine castle - that provides the gang with the info they need. The manual on how to do this - is written on human skin.
And purgatory is considered the land that monsters go, neither hell nor heaven, made up of the souls of all things nasty. The girls are held underground, and used to pull the mother up from underground - Persephone raped from the earth. They are viriginal. And thrown to the earth for her to rise up.
Watching it - it strikes me how violent our "culture" is. Our society isn't necessarily - well not for everyone. But our "culture" is. The dragon and virgin bit is also a nice metaphor for Sam, who is once again innocent, yet inside him dwells knowledge of hell.
Vampire Diaries - less to talk about. It's not as steeped in metaphor and mythos as Supernatural is, but it is also just in it's second season and it has different intent. Damon continues to be the most interesting character, next to possibly Caroline, Tyler, and Elena's Daddy. Elena continues to be the least interesting. This is a huge weakness and what makes Vampire Diaries a tad formulaic in its approach. Will state that the werewolf storyline, clearly borrowed from the Underworld movie series, is far more interesting than usual. Usually werewolves are depicted as pathetic things, unable to control their power or urgings. Here, they are shown as a bit well more organized. I think Tyler has a problem - he cares about Caroline, genuinely. He didn't appear to know what to do in this episode.
She's right - he did nothing to help them. But he did nothing to hurt them either, he could have left Caroline in the cage. He hung back to see what was going on, having just gotten blind-sided on two levels, can't say I blame him.
The John, Isabelle, and Katherine (Elena's biological family)'s tryst is intriguing me. I like all three characters. And remain uncertain what their goal is exactly. It's not to keep Elena safe.
So what exactly is it? They keep doing weird things. You'd think John would want Katherine dead after she tried to and almost succeeded in killing him. And he apparently has his fingers back on.
So why are they working on getting her out of the tomb? What are they up to? Guessing it probably has something to do with Elijah and Klaus.
Damon...'s conflict appears to be about Elena. He is in love with her but can't have her. Something he's managed to realize and accept, even though it rips at him. His distraction, the woman who understood and he cared for - was killed by a werewolf attempting to kill him. So now, he distracts himself with random women and kills them - thinking that will help, yet weirded out by the guilt that crops up afterwards. While generally speaking this storyline has been done before and better elsewhere, I do find it interesting here. Mostly because the fight seems to be against being good, to try and stay bad, to deny the goodness or the guilt, but it's not working. He wants to go back to what he was - the homicidial manic, he doesn't want to change. And he can't have Elena. So why bother.
It's sort of the Spike tale in S6. But not quite. What I find interesting is that he wants to be bad, not that he wants to be good. Because being bad was freeing. It references the conversation with Rose - who said she didn't want to be bad, she was made bad. Here, Damon...just wants to give into being bad, to turn away from the good - because the good hurts.
Outside of that...eh.
Off to make lunch and go to Doctor appointment at 2:30.
Supernatural - once you get past the at times increasingly sexist and misogynistic storylines, which unfortunately are an integral part of this genre, is rather interesting and entertaining. The fact that they are an integral part of the genre is why I give Supernatural the pass that I may not give someone else - who is intentionally writing a feminist narrative and accomplishing the exact opposite. For me? It's always been about intent or motivation. Although, to be honest, I don't think anything is really that black and white or clear cut. However much we all would like it to be. Supernatural is down and dirty, American, Western, white male mythos horror pop noir. Violent, and crass. I like the genre, always have. But I like all genres. Even literary. Yes, I know, shocking.
In this week's episode - we get to see Sam with a soul, a nice contrast to Sam without. (Although I'm not sure I see that great a difference...this is apparently harder to act than one might think, Ed Norton these guys aren't, but whatever.) We also have an odd storyline that reminds me of the Persephone myth - commented on in post by yuki_onna earlier this week, albeit not in any way shape or form in reference to Supernatural (I seriously doubt she watches it - due to what I stated above about the genre, could be wrong about that though). Dragons in the form of male humans, grab female virgins to open a door to purgatory in order to pull the "mother of us all" out. Apparently she needs a "pure" and "un-scarred" vessel to inhabit. She flies up and out of the earth, red hot, brunette.
A counter to the blond haired medievalist with her sword in the stone, and pristine castle - that provides the gang with the info they need. The manual on how to do this - is written on human skin.
And purgatory is considered the land that monsters go, neither hell nor heaven, made up of the souls of all things nasty. The girls are held underground, and used to pull the mother up from underground - Persephone raped from the earth. They are viriginal. And thrown to the earth for her to rise up.
Watching it - it strikes me how violent our "culture" is. Our society isn't necessarily - well not for everyone. But our "culture" is. The dragon and virgin bit is also a nice metaphor for Sam, who is once again innocent, yet inside him dwells knowledge of hell.
Vampire Diaries - less to talk about. It's not as steeped in metaphor and mythos as Supernatural is, but it is also just in it's second season and it has different intent. Damon continues to be the most interesting character, next to possibly Caroline, Tyler, and Elena's Daddy. Elena continues to be the least interesting. This is a huge weakness and what makes Vampire Diaries a tad formulaic in its approach. Will state that the werewolf storyline, clearly borrowed from the Underworld movie series, is far more interesting than usual. Usually werewolves are depicted as pathetic things, unable to control their power or urgings. Here, they are shown as a bit well more organized. I think Tyler has a problem - he cares about Caroline, genuinely. He didn't appear to know what to do in this episode.
She's right - he did nothing to help them. But he did nothing to hurt them either, he could have left Caroline in the cage. He hung back to see what was going on, having just gotten blind-sided on two levels, can't say I blame him.
The John, Isabelle, and Katherine (Elena's biological family)'s tryst is intriguing me. I like all three characters. And remain uncertain what their goal is exactly. It's not to keep Elena safe.
So what exactly is it? They keep doing weird things. You'd think John would want Katherine dead after she tried to and almost succeeded in killing him. And he apparently has his fingers back on.
So why are they working on getting her out of the tomb? What are they up to? Guessing it probably has something to do with Elijah and Klaus.
Damon...'s conflict appears to be about Elena. He is in love with her but can't have her. Something he's managed to realize and accept, even though it rips at him. His distraction, the woman who understood and he cared for - was killed by a werewolf attempting to kill him. So now, he distracts himself with random women and kills them - thinking that will help, yet weirded out by the guilt that crops up afterwards. While generally speaking this storyline has been done before and better elsewhere, I do find it interesting here. Mostly because the fight seems to be against being good, to try and stay bad, to deny the goodness or the guilt, but it's not working. He wants to go back to what he was - the homicidial manic, he doesn't want to change. And he can't have Elena. So why bother.
It's sort of the Spike tale in S6. But not quite. What I find interesting is that he wants to be bad, not that he wants to be good. Because being bad was freeing. It references the conversation with Rose - who said she didn't want to be bad, she was made bad. Here, Damon...just wants to give into being bad, to turn away from the good - because the good hurts.
Outside of that...eh.
Off to make lunch and go to Doctor appointment at 2:30.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-02-05 08:14 pm (UTC)So what exactly is it? They keep doing weird things. You'd think John would want Katherine dead after she tried to and almost succeeded in killing him. And he apparently has his fingers back on.
So why are they working on getting her out of the tomb? What are they up to? Guessing it probably has something to do with Elijah and Klaus
Yes, that's what I'm thinking as well. But we really haven't been given any hints yet.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-05 09:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-05 09:12 pm (UTC)I have a question though about another series: did you watch Highlander?
no subject
Date: 2011-02-05 09:35 pm (UTC)Never made it to the better seasons, much to the annoyance of many an online friend who thinks I'd have loved Methos. ;-)
(Two VERY popular shows with my flist that I never really got that into - X-Files and Highlander.)
no subject
Date: 2011-02-05 11:17 pm (UTC)This week's episode was okay, but I have a story problem... why exactly did they need to kidnap two groups of virgins, when all it took was one girl and a chant to open a gate to Purgatory? Wasn't that a bit, uh, easy?
no subject
Date: 2011-02-05 11:30 pm (UTC)Jensen Anckles probably helps...;-) (Have to admit I'm a Dean Winchester fan as well, but I like "fictional" male characters that are sarcastic, a bit morally grey, and a tad crass. Possibly a side-effect of working in heavily male oriented, and often crass industries (*cough*railroad*cough*). In real life? I'd have kicked him with the stare of death by now. LOL! It's an odd odd thing, but the characters I adore in fiction, I do not like in reality.
This week's episode was okay, but I have a story problem... why exactly did they need to kidnap two groups of virgins, when all it took was one girl and a chant to open a gate to Purgatory? Wasn't that a bit, uh, easy?
Had much the same reaction - initially. Why did they need so many virgins if only one would do? But, here's what I figured out - that she didn't open up the gate (the page from that book does that) - she was the vessel. They make a big deal about "vessels" in this series. And how important souls are. Note - Castiel is occupying a human vessel, with the human still inside - Angels unlike demons and monsters, require permission to do this, apparently. Also last year - Lucifer and Michael couldn't do anything until their human vessels - the brothers Winchester allowed them in. So Lucifer just burned through his vessels until Sam agreed. What if it is the same deal with this "mother" character? She just burns through the human vessel - which in her case has to be pure? That's another huge point they made - Sam's soul wouldn't return to his vessel if Sam scarred it.
I'll give Supernatural pointers for being consistent with their mythology.
I'd have kicked him with the stare of death by now
Date: 2011-02-06 12:41 am (UTC)I'd like to think I would... but damn it, that grin! The grin makes me weak kneed.
Re: I'd have kicked him with the stare of death by now
Date: 2011-02-06 01:51 am (UTC)It's an odd odd thing, but the characters I adore in fiction, I do not like in reality.
Date: 2011-02-06 12:42 am (UTC)Re: It's an odd odd thing, but the characters I adore in fiction, I do not like in reality.
Date: 2011-02-06 01:52 am (UTC)She just burns through the human vessel - which in her case has to be pure?
Date: 2011-02-06 12:54 am (UTC)And when he made the crack about why women should be easy (virgins get sacrificed?), I wanted Sam to respond with something like, "At least until they find themselves in a slasher film, and lose their Final Girl protection for putting out." I mean, Dean's assertion that these girls wouldn't have it so hard if only they weren't keeping themselves shouldn't go unchallenged. (Of course, my preference would have been to skip the pig-behavior entirely.)
And, how much did I love the Big Hug of Brotherly Love & Relief? (hint: A whole lot)
Re: She just burns through the human vessel - which in her case has to be pure?
Date: 2011-02-06 02:03 am (UTC)Had more or less the same reaction to Dean's comments regarding virgins. I rolled my eyes at the pink room comment and girl comments coming out of Dean's mouth - the media continues to promote negative stereotypes regarding female sexuality and how women can only become "women" if they have intercourse, which grates (I wanted to kick the writers, much the same way I've wanted to kick many many other writers who do the same thing). This show can be incredibly sexist and misogynistic at times, as are the characters. But, it is in part the genre. If you think about it - women are consistently depicted as either virgin/whore or mother/girlfriend or enemy, in these guys pov. They have no experience with women outside of those roles. Their world is all men. When women show up - they are either sexual objects, seducers, or nurturers.
And the pov is limited to Dean and Sam - two guys who have never had a long sustained relationship with a woman either as a friendship, mother/son, or sexual.
So hence the pig-behavior. They don't know how to act around or deal with women. Their main and most important relationship is with each other and their father, no one exists outside of that relationship.
Have you ever seen the film Fraility with Bill Paxton and Mathew McConaghy? Supernatural borrows heavily from it.
So, I keep in mind that the misogyny and sexism is really an example of what is so wrong with these boys. And focus on the brother relationship - which is why I watch it, I have a thing for brother relationships. LOL!
Re: Have you ever seen the film Fraility with Bill Paxton and Mathew McConaghy?
Date: 2011-02-06 07:44 pm (UTC)I do believe that Dean/Sam's problems with women can be traced to this lack of women in their lives. But sometimes, it feels a little too much like the writers aren't saying "What would Dean/Sam think of this woman" and more like, "What would I really like to say about [insert wife/girlfriend/network exec]?" that I'm not sure I can explain. At times it feels like there is a vibe of "Oh, that Dean" and at other times, it feels like more of a "Way to go, Dean! You're exactly right!" whenever he says something blatantly and blanket-y anti-female.
I haven't noticed this with Sam, but that doesn't mean it hasn't occurred. I just wish Ellen hadn't been killed - this series really needed her kick-ass-ness to cut through some of the testosterone and the actress was always fantastic and fun to me (I never really warmed to Jo - but didn't have the hate for her that I've seen). Then again, that could just be me ... I'm attracted to the Ripley-model.
Re: Have you ever seen the film Fraility with Bill Paxton and Mathew McConaghy?
Date: 2011-02-06 11:52 pm (UTC)Agree - not a huge fan of Bill Paxton either. Prefer Bill Pullman.
I get them confused at times. Powers Booth - the guy who played the cop was my favorite thing in Frailty.
But sometimes, it feels a little too much like the writers aren't saying "What would Dean/Sam think of this woman" and more like, "What would I really like to say about [insert wife/girlfriend/network exec]?" that I'm not sure I can explain. At times it feels like there is a vibe of "Oh, that Dean" and at other times, it feels like more of a "Way to go, Dean! You're exactly right!" whenever he says something blatantly and blanket-y anti-female.
Yep, I've caught that as well. It's cringe-inducing at times and most likely why a lot of women on my flist can't watch it. And it happens a lot with Ed Edlund episodes, also seen it in association with any episode regarding the fandom - they are highly critical of female fans on that show - why the female fans haven't gone after them with sporks, I don't know.
I call it juvenile male humor. Makes loving this particular genre incredibly tough at times. Feminist - Supernatural is most definitely not. If anything - I often watch the show in part to get inside the head of the male chauvinist pigs out there. ;-)
And agreed - I miss Ellen too. We need another strong kick-ass female character in the mix. All horror stories should have at least one. Where's Michelle Rodriquez - dang it! (She was in Aliens 2 and Resident Evil, along with Lost, and Avatar - I rather like Michelle Rodriquez, even if they always kill her off for some reason.)