#and I would say that adjusting the plot line to fit 8 episodes works better in natla than percy jackson
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
cogentranting Ā· 8 months ago
Text
I think the Disney+ Percy Jackson series and the Netflix ATLA series are about equivalent in terms of how good they are.
The casting is good, though the performances don't land 100% of the time. The effects are great and the overall look is impressive. The story line had to be adjusted to fit 8 episodes, sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. Changes were made and sometimes they're great and sometimes they don't work as well. Sometimes it's just different. But you can tell the people making it really care about the original.
13 notes Ā· View notes
hopevalley Ā· 4 years ago
Text
Season 8, Episode 5: What the Heart Wants
I was going to try to follow my scene-by-scene format for the entire season, but Iā€™ve been getting a lot of migraines recently, presumably from staring at the computer too long, so I donā€™t want to spend all morning working on typing up the play-by-play for this episode.
Also, for what itā€™s worth I think this episode lends itself to plot discussion better than some of the previous episodes...at least in some sense.
And as another headā€™s up, itā€™s back to being critical for me. ;P
Storylines:
School Ends/Graduation/Parent-Teacher Conferences
The Dress Shop/Rachel
Postal Service, Ned
Billā€™s Uniform, Nathanā€™s Vacation
Carson and Faith
Henry
Elizabeth and Lucas
Claraā€™s Dilemma
--
School Ends/Graduation/Parent-Teacher Conferences
This plot felt a little scattered, but for once it wasnā€™t the kind of storyline they foisted too much drama upon. After years of every single function possible being besieged by bullshittery, itā€™s a relief to see one go off without a real hitch.
The beginning scene with Robert hugging Elizabeth was sweet. I enjoyed the Canfields immensely and am intrigued by Angelaā€™s role in the story long-term (PLEASE let her befriend Allie!). Nathan...eh, I have thoughtsā€”but Iā€™ll talk about that a bit soon. The actual ceremony was cute and kind of fun with the kids singing.Ā 
Neat Thing I Noticed:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Continuity? Cat Montgomery is still listed as Emilyā€™s mother. ā™„ā™„ā™„ I donā€™t know why but this made me really happy???
-
Complaint Corner:
Parent-teacher conferences should have been in this show from a much earlier point, and so should graduation have been. If there was a point to this celebration (the first year in a while anyone was old enough to graduate) that would have been a nice touch, too. It just managed to feel sliiiightly out of place.
Iā€™ll forgive theĀ ā€œeveryone in town goes to the graduationā€ thing because this is 1918...something like this would be a whole-town affair IMO. Invite everyone and have a nice get-together/party, probably on a Sunday afternoon after church but Hope Valley does whatever it wants, so...eh.
The threat of merging Hope Valley with other schools doesnā€™t fit in this scenario and it feels like they ripped it directly out of Tales from Avonlea which was almost rage-inducing to me.
Look, school mergers happened a lot in the early 1900s, especially around the WWI mark, but it wouldnā€™t be hitting a rural western town just yet. They donā€™t have any way of getting these kids to other towns for schooling. Where would the next closest school be? It would have to be pretty large and modern to merge multiple schools together.
*Adjusts nerd glasses* This felt forced and completely unnecessary. If anything this guy could be telling Elizabeth that theyā€™re working on building a modern school somewhat close by, and could even have her involved in some decision-making regarding layout. Then they could bring in a ā€œmergerā€ storyline next season without it feeling out of place.
It mostly just felt dramatic for the hell of it, and it was boring, as was this manā€™s threat that Elizabeth had no right to teach a blind student. As if theyā€™d accept Angela at a better school? As if her parents could afford top tier education for her? PLEASE.
Now itā€™s time for Nathan. The man chose to go fishing instead of to the parent-teacher conference? It makes him look like a tool. This isnā€™t about him or about Elizabeth; itā€™s about Allie. I understand why he didnā€™t want to go, but he should have done it anyway. It would have taken five minutes of his time.Ā 
His flippant attitude annoyed me because it went completely against his character as we know it, but Elizabethā€™s lecturing was irritating, too. For a moment I thought we had Lorigail back on the show...
I think Elizabeth was well within her rights to warn Nathan about the effect his work has on his ward, but that inquiry took like a week AT MOST. Heck, letā€™s be generous and say TWO WEEKS. Allieā€™s concentration suffered for two weeks. There was no need to say more than,Ā ā€œHey she worries about you and her work suffered for a bit during that time frame, just so youā€™re aware.ā€Ā 
I think what annoyed me about the math program thing is that...Elizabeth being a teacher would probably be VERY WELL AWARE that MOST of the parents to her students arenā€™t good enough at schooling to assist their kids with their homework. I dunno, it just feels out of place for her to tell Nathan that she wants to put Allie in an acceleratedĀ ā€œprogramā€ and that Allie might need his help with her homework. Itā€™s even more out of place when he admits he used to bribe his sister to do his work for him. Like. Itā€™s very possible heā€™s not that good at math and isnā€™t capable of helping. (But maybe that will be a plot down the road...?)
ā€œOr a tutor...ā€ BITCH WHERE IS HE GONNA FIND A TUTOR IN THIS TOWN?! Itā€™s super annoying to see dialogue like this that feels completely out of touch with the reality these people would be living in...lol. But also if she needs a tutor to stay caught up in an advanced program, she probably...shouldnā€™t be in the advanced program.
I donā€™t know how to feel about this whole thing here: ā€œNathan, you are Allieā€™s world. Youā€™re the only father sheā€™s ever known, and as she grows up you will always be the measure of the quality sheā€™ll look for in a man as she chooses who to marry.ā€Ā 
On one hand, it does fit the situation (he seems to think everything is behind him but Elizabethā€™s words are kind of a caution that 1) his actions still have an effect on Allie, and 2) every day heā€™s teaching her by example). On the other hand, it seems almost wildly inappropriate to bring up? At the same time, itā€™s probably not wrong that Allie will measure other men (friends, acquaintances, potential future romantic interests) against Nathanā€™s example.
I dunno. The conversation felt disjointed.Ā 
I think what they were going for was Nathan just feeling too awkward and weird about being with Elizabeth to want to be there for the conference, but...he interacted with her quite normally after the inquiry and stuff (even after sheā€™d broken things off with him), so...it feels out of place. Like maybe this should have taken place right after the breakup and not weeks later?
Anyone else have thoughts on this and why it doesnā€™t feel quite right?
--
The Dress Shop/Rachel
This plot wasnā€™t what I would call a waste of time (rather, itā€™s worth having it mentioned now), but part of it was completely pointless and stupid. The whole Rachel getting lost thing was tacked into the promos to stir up drama, but nothing happened and there was nothing worrisome even going on. YAWN.
Rosemaryā€™s desire to do something meaningful and different with her life is super interesting. Iā€™m very curious to see what they decide to do with her if Dottie does sell the dress shop.
Also, Rosemary finding the book under Rachelā€™s bed was pretty funny.
Tumblr media
But yeah, I didnā€™t really find much in this plotline to care deeply about. I guess I am pretty interested in knowing who might be purchasing the dress shop and/or if this decision is to bring someone else onto the show (a female love interest for the man who doesnā€™t win Elizabethā€™s heart in the end, or even to bring back an old character*) or to take the dress shop out of the equation entirely... Itā€™s also just as possible that Rosemary/Lee or Clara/Jesse end up buying it themselves down the line... Thoughts?
*I canā€™t begin to imagine who would be the best fit for this in this case, though. Who would have the money to buy her out?
--
Postal Service, Ned
Ned is just honestly so cute and fun. I love him. Heā€™s really been doing well this season and seeing him wander around town delivering mail door to door was kind of nice.
Also, heā€™s one SMOOTH operator! Look at him, talking about putting a bell on the door so that he and Florence wonā€™t be caught off-guard if theyā€™re in the middle of...something.Ā 
Tumblr media
Oh my, Ned. What might customers be...interrupting? :3
Continuity? Not only was the ulcer from last season brought up, but the horrid cabbage juice was, too. :ā€™) It was a nice touch. And these two had just enough screentime to be kind of fun/interesting without also taking up too much time.
--
Billā€™s Uniform, Nathanā€™s Vacation
Nathan got his vacation and Bill is in charge...again. This happens an awful lot. I wonder if itā€™ll actually impact the next few episodes or if itā€™s just here for the hell of it.
I love Bill a lot and I want to brag up his character in this episode a bit. Iā€™ve complained many times in the past about him being written like a Grumpy Old Man Yelling at Clouds but this episode was super respectful. He got his scene with his uniform. Nobody interrupted it. There werenā€™t even any words. I quite liked it.
Tumblr media
But it also felt kind of...pointless? I donā€™t want to judge it too harshly yet. Like the dress shop plotline, this could actually be going somewhere in the next couple of episodes.Ā 
Plus, unrelated to the uniform, it was nice to see Bill acting fatherly toward Clara. While it sort of came out of nowhere for the wedding, I appreciate the attempt at continuity there. Plus, so far this season, Iā€™ve felt like Billā€™s almost been a father-figure to Clara, Fiona, and even Nathan, so Iā€™m enjoying that a lot.
--
Carson and Faith
CONTINUITY? The show finally remembered that not only is Carson actually a surgeon, but that was his original passion. Itā€™s not that they completely forgot (S5 had him performing surgery on his sister-in-law, after all), but giving Carson a PASSION makes him a way more interesting character to me.Ā 
And also, finally, this feels like a REAL high-stakes plotline for him and for Faith.
Tumblr media
I really liked Faithā€™s take on things. I know, I know, Iā€™ve been rooting at them to break up, but the reason is mostly because theyā€™re just so BORING together. Iā€™d rather watch Henry twirl around in a chair for an hour than suffer through date scenes with these two.
Itā€™s not that Iā€™m against a doctor wife/husband team. Iā€™m not. I just think Faith was a much more interesting and cool character on the show before Carson showed up and usurped her place (and completely overshadowed her for literal seasons). This plotline for Carson might actually be interesting. Like, a fellowship? For modern surgery? IN BALTIMORE?!
I hope this is Faithā€™s way of saying she wants a break and/or a break would be good for them. I canā€™t picture her leaving Hope Valley without any trained medical staff, let alone long enough for a fellowship...Ā 
But if this goes through, what will they do with it? Would they really write Carson off the show? To be perfectly honest with yā€™all, Iā€™d be fine with that. At least itā€™s the type of write-off that makes a lot of good sense (unlike some of the other ones we got). I guess this is just anotherĀ ā€œwait and seeā€ plotline which is uhh...the theme of this episode, huh? Anyone have thoughts on this?
--
Henry
Henry barely had any screentime, but I do want to say he is #relateable. The man is back at work for ten seconds and already exhausted. SAME.
Tumblr media
Also, I appreciate that heā€™s ready to be back in the oil business. At what cost? I know people were worried they were gonna kill him off, and I really doubted it, but now Iā€™m starting to wonder where theyā€™re going with this exactly. Yet another wait and see moment LOL!
--
Elizabeth and Lucas
Some damn fine scenes for Lucas and Elizabeth in this episode. Mostly the scenic ones. :P
Tumblr media
I enjoyed the agreement to a date. The horseback riding stuff was pretty cute.Ā 
Complaint corner? I donā€™t know. I have petty complaints. Even though the celebration for the kids was a town-wide event, and therefore Lucas was invited, it still felt out of place to see it brought up. Maybe it should have been mentioned as a town celebration from the start?
Then Lucasā€™s comment about not wanting to make things awkward for Nathan (who is actually a parent and there) makes a liiiittle more sense. I do think it was good of him to not go, even though he wanted to spend more time with Elizabeth, but it gave off a weird vibe, like,Ā ā€œLook at how good and wholesome Lucas is!ā€ Is that intentional? Iā€™m not...sure...?
For what itā€™s worth I already felt like Lucas was an honorable person in this regard. He loaned Nathan money, after all. Maybe he should have told Elizabeth he views Nathan as a friend and doesnā€™t want to hurt his feelings unnecessarily and/or if he was there heā€™d want to hog her all to himself or something cheesy. Hm.
My other complaints are:
Elizabeth running to the saloon would be WAY faster than all this getting set up at her house...?? Who thought this made sense?
Elizabethā€™s dress looked like a nightie she bought at Kohls.
Too many damn candles.
Characters Do What Plot Dictates Even Though Plot Makes No Sense. More at 11:00!!
I have no further comments on the dress. It needed sleeves or something so it looked more like a dress and not like a nightgown/piece of lingerie.
I think the candles might have been on purpose to parallel Jack...but I hated it lol. Fire hazard? HAVENā€™T ENOUGH THINGS IN TOWN BURNED DOWN/EXPLODED?!
I didnā€™t hate the date scene! But I never feel like Elizabeth has any meaningful conversations with Lucas and itā€™s starting to drive me batty.Ā 
Tumblr media
Could we get uhhh something of substance please? It has to be surface-level nonsense on purpose. Right? RIGHT?
(And no, discussing a book for ten seconds on-screen is notĀ ā€œintelligent conversationā€ okay...?)
Itā€™s really a shame because Iā€™m starting to actually warm up to Lucas a little bit in this season but it feels like the conversations are just...kind of stilted and sheā€™s not really into dating himā€”just agreeing to it because heā€™s the only option.Ā 
And I canā€™t believe Iā€™m saying this, but...he deserves better than that.Ā 
Donā€™t get me wrong, by the way. If itā€™s part of the story and itā€™s revealed as such down the road, Iā€™ll be fine with it...but I always worry theyā€™ll just skip important relationship milestones and/or important conversations and expect us all to just accept it.
Kiiiiiind of looking forward to the rainy date scene in the next episode, though. Iā€™m Team Nathan mostly but Iā€™m keeping an open mind and I think I might actually enjoy it. Hopefully theyā€™ll get some good scenes together that donā€™t feel like this one did.
--
Clara's Dilemma
Claraā€™s fears about running the salon without Fiona...are legit. LOL.
Tumblr media
Also, this little bit was funny (between Mike and Jesse and Bill):
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Anyway, if Clara was that worried about it, she should have just...told Fiona no? I hope it comes up down the road. Poor Molly??
I genuinely donā€™t know how I feel about Clara and Jesseā€™s involvement in this episode. I guess it was okay. I liked Claraā€™s scenes with Bill. I thought the idea of Clara and Jesse buying into the cafe was a nice one. Jesse havingĀ ā€œinvestedā€ their money and lost it all, though... They did a similar plot with other people in what...Season 5 was it? Or was that the start of S6? He didnā€™t even say what he invested it in? But he admits the money is all gone?Ā 
I think thatā€™s what was missing from that scene.Ā ā€œI invested it in X, hoping to make us more money, but it didnā€™t work out and we lost everything.ā€
Iā€™m not going to criticize Jesseā€™s characterization, only because sometimes character "growthā€ doesnā€™t happen for the better of anyone involved. My biggest worry here is that itā€™ll be solved by the end of next episode....but I hope thatā€™s not it.
Like, I think they did better with Frank and Abigail if weā€™re going to talk about a man who didnā€™t know how to live like he was in a committed relationship. It made more sense with Frank, too, being older and single most of his life. His bouts of selfishness felt realistic.
Jesse feels like heā€™s somehow getting worse and worse as a person as the show goes on. Iā€™m kind of at a point where I hope he and Clara divorce, because heā€™s so damn selfish itā€™s embarrassing. Heā€™s off having a beer while his wife works multiple jobs? And then he has the audacity to act like they should save money when he just blew all their savings?Ā 
Iā€™m sure itā€™ll work out fine but I hope Clara puts herself in charge of the finances at the very least.
As to investing failures, I liked how they did that with Henry and Abigail. That was the kind of tension and worry that felt natural to meā€”like she trusted him with her money after heā€™d proven himself untrustworthy ten million times throughout the years, and he failed and had to uhh admit that.Ā 
Jesse straight up betrayed Clara. Which, if itā€™s dealt with in a satisfying way...I think can be a good plotline. I just worry about it actually being dealt with properly. Thatā€™s a huge stumbling block in a relationship. And why is he continually getting worse as a person? There doesnā€™t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.Ā 
Gasp... itā€™s almost like itā€™s just plot because they feel like they have to give someone something every damn episode.
--
Which brings me to THE FINAL
COMPLAINT CORNER (The Big Boyā„¢ Complaints)
The show has really struggled with finding its footing. I wish theyā€™d take notes from better shows with ensemble casts (cough cough Road to Avonlea cough) without also ripping off their storylines (cough school merges cough).
My #1 complaint at this point in Season 8 is the SHEER AMOUNT OF THINGS GOING ON EVERY EPISODE.
I want continuity, so I want to see things happen naturally over a season, but my God do we not need to have mindless pointless crap in the episode. Rachel gettingĀ ā€œlostā€ for ten seconds wasted literal MINUTES of screen time that would have been MUCH better allocated to basically anyone else in this episode.
And I donā€™t think it would bother me so much if it wasnā€™t also shoved into the promo like it was supposed to matter. It didnā€™t matter. Nobody cares. Why was it allowed to stay in the episode alongside stuff like Clara and Billā€™s conversation?
Tumblr media
Or Lucas and Carsonā€™s?
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I think they want to appease all the fans in every episode by giving them scenes of their favorites, but what did Henry sitting in his chair accomplish in this episode? Rachel getting lost? Jack not sleeping well/missing his mom? The school superintendent?
Did Bill trying on his uniform have to be in this episode? Did Jesse and Claraā€™s problems have to come fully to light right now?
When every episode is formatted like this, with 10 plotlines all interconnected slightly and going on at the same time, I feel like...nobody gets the spotlight they deserve when they deserve it.
I cANNOT believe Iā€™m saying this, but this plotline for Carson, especially if it will end with him leaving the show for a while or permanentlyĀ should get the focus it deserves. But it wonā€™t if we get tiny snips of it here and there and then BOOM decision made because Reasons.
And again, I know Iā€™ve said before that I want more continuity throughout the season, but... the best way to do that is to tighten up the plots. Have fewer of them per season and give more screentime to the ones you choose to pursue.Ā 
--
Anyway, Iā€™m still enjoying the season, but I hope they keep some of this kind of stuff in mind for next season. They donā€™t need plotlines for everyone in every episode. They need the plotlines they choose to write to be worth their screentime.
Sorry this was sloppily written and all that. Hopefully it makes sense. Very curious to see yā€™alls thoughts. Feel free to make your own posts and @ me, or reblog this or comment!
18 notes Ā· View notes
ithinkthingsaboutstuff Ā· 4 years ago
Text
Well I am bored and canā€™t get back to sleep. So itā€™s time for a supergirl s5 rant no one asked for.
Now every season has its issues and there were some outside ā€œissuesā€ this season (COVID-19 and Melissa being pregnant) so I will keep that in mind.
That being said.
This season had problems from the word jump. This was for a few reasons.
1- The plot was all over the place
And I donā€™t mean, ā€˜oh there was not enough of [blank character] so it was bad.ā€™ No, I mean it was literally jumping between to many elements. Like what was this season about really?
Was it about a new tech environment taking over peopleā€™s lives? Was it about an ancient occult power coming out of the shadows to ā€œtakeā€ the earth? Was it about adjusting to a post crisis world? Was it about the Luther siblings joining forces to achieve common goal and brainy is a secret inside man?
Now I understand that most tv shows have multiple plot points to follow thatā€™s normal and expected. However, you need to have them meet up in away that is rewarding to the viewer and makes sense for the story that you are trying to tell. And there is an old writing trick called ā€œone step at a timeā€ Basically it boils down to, The audience will only believe one thing at a time.
Eg. You tell the audience this character can only do something in a certain way, (like the sups and the yellow sun,) but then you say that actually never mind this is another way to do it,(like Kara can keep her speed and only her speed under a red sun). This is bad writing as there is no set up or pay off and you cheated your audience by just changing the rules you made for no reason. (Think that kid on the playground that does that ā€œunbeatable force fieldā€ thing in a game of tag.)
This can also apply to story concepts this is called a ā€œconflicting narrativeā€ in season 5 this apples to leviathan.
At the start of the season (ep 1 -8) we are told that they are ancient and magical based villains, all good.Ā 
and their big plan is to therefor, of courseĀ  *checks notes* to use advice sci fi tech to achieve their goals and do something? with the people inside, yeah that makes sense what else would they use? Magic? that thing the super family is vulnerable to? Nah.....sarcasticā€™s aside, if you establish one thing you canā€™t turn in round with no explanation.Ā 
They actually have a good example of this concept working in this season, in ep 10 with Brainy and his changing physical appearance.Ā 
It was set up in the ep early on that our brainy was ā€˜offā€™ compared to the other Brainyā€™s, we get an explanation in the bar scene with the Rath siblings and then it is built upon with a Kara and Brainy scene, then after a build up and a reason (a character based one I might add) it is then and only then that it gets revealed and guess what.... that is hands down the best ep of the season.Ā 
I literally have re-watched that ep so many times cause itā€™s that good. It is great self contained episodes and builds on per established character moments and plot points (brainyā€™s character inconsistency and the crisis plot aftermath) itā€™s the gold standard of what Iā€™m talking about.
it sets up and pays off what it is trying to do and give character base reason for the story.Ā 
But the season as a whole donā€™t do this effectively becauseĀ 
2- They focus on making the plot the compliment characters, and not the characters complimenting the plot.Ā  Ā 
the blanket term for this is, this is called ā€œbuild up and releaseā€ this is used to drag out tension effectively. there are 2 ways to do this but basicallyĀ 
1- answer one thing, then that answer leads to another questionĀ  Ā  Ā 
2- give partial answers through out a space of time, to keep attention but not make it the only focus of any given moment.
but anyway,
season 5 has this issue where they bring up a point then either donā€™t carry it through or donā€™tĀ ā€˜step it outā€™ in a way that leads well to the story.
remember what i said about acceptingĀ one thing at a time? now let me ask.
If Leviathan is secret why did they reveal themselves now?
I donā€™t know and guess what, I donā€™t care, because the show didnā€™t care either. they never set up why they came out of the shadows or why that even mattered? so why would anyone care outside of ā€œseasonā€™s bad guysā€.Ā 
you know what this season did care about the Luther siblings. there is nothing wrong with that per say, I just donā€™t see why they needed Leviathan if they didnā€™t actually want to develop them in anyway. If the post crisis season was just about taking down the Lutherā€™s then fine nothing wrong with that.
but here is why they NEEDED the Leviathan ā€˜plotā€™ (and i use that loosely) is that they needed it to justify Lena working with Lex and not have her come off asĀ ā€œtoo evilā€ that way she can say
ā€œiā€™m only working with you because I want to get rid of Leviathanā€Ā 
instead ofĀ 
ā€œiā€™m working with you because i have the same motives as youā€
which would not play well in herĀ ā€œredemptionā€ (and i use that term even looser) they kept an aspect to the story purely to complaint a character they wanted a particular outcome, so they kept a plot element around regardless of how well it actually worked with the story.Ā  Ā Ā 
and then thereā€™s the bitch himself LEX (John did a great job tho tbh)
he is the biggest example of ā€˜plot fitting characterā€™, Lex didnā€™t fail ONCE the whole season, no problems or surprises and it wasĀ ā€œoh so easy for himā€ like that is just frustrating for everyone, iā€™m not sayingĀ ā€œthe heroā€™s should win all the timeā€ No, but the villains need to earn their wins to. here is why that is an issue if you make it to easy.Ā Ā 
1- the audience wants to see every character have their problems with achieving their goals and how they go about solving the problems as it is and hear me out...entertainingĀ  Ā 
2-Ā  when a character always has things ā€œgo to planā€ it feels super forced, the Human error, is built into us (the audience) as people, so to see it not come into play at all,Ā at any point, feels fake as we all know life donā€™t work that way for anyone. especially if there are people actively trying to stop you.Ā 
overall you shouldnā€™t force a plot to fit a character, you should write a character to fit the plot their in (or in other words have them adapted to new situations they donā€™t even have to do it well)Ā 
Ironically a good example of this in s5 was William
they built up that he was a journalist and that he was hiding something, fast froward and it turned out that he was trying to uncover Leviathan (unknowingly to him) and not apart of them.Ā 
this is a good way for a character to compliment the plot.Ā 
they said here is a new journalist and he doesnā€™t even know the depths of what he is looking into and thatā€™s a smart move.Ā  Ā  Ā Ā 
iā€™m just going to leave this clip here...
youtube
this tied in character and plot really well it exampled character and now after this scene they can shift his behaviour and have a reason for it. not justĀ ā€˜oh actually he was never a jerk and he is nice nowā€™. no it wasĀ ā€œhe is trying to achieve a goal using this method and now he has been exposedā€. This gives a plot based obstacle and character reaction (that failed to work)Ā and it works actually quiet well for a network conspiracy plot.
character completing plot.
and finallyĀ 
3- Rushed endingsĀ Ā 
now this one is actually treaty to talk about, cause of well the COVID- 19 problems so i canā€™t be to judgemental about it cause that is a dick move. And on top of that the lead actress (of an action show) was pageant so they had to use he a little less (in fight scenes anyway) so again Iā€™m not going to be a dick about it, and you know i donā€™t want anyone being forced to work during a pandemic if its not at all necessary. So, i will keep this brief.Ā  Ā  Ā Ā 
There are still things that fell flat due to being to rushed.
1- the tech/ VR take down.
It was built up for at least 10 eps and they took it down in 5 mins with a pep talk from Kara, like um ok that was easy i guess, donā€™t know why yā€™all were worried if you could fix it in an afternoon. this is not a bad plot line in theory, but it was given to much attention for the solution it was given.Ā 
2- Leviathan lady (donā€™t know and donā€™t care what her name is) being a robot alien thing.
this one is not too bad? but it was shown way to late in the game and again they didnā€™t focus enough on Leviathan for this to be of any real audience value outside of a surprise/ shock value. So why should i care now? they barely did anything interesting this season but then you give me something cool 2 mins after it doesnā€™t matter anymore (with the others bottled). why was this not done earlier in the season? but anyway.Ā  Ā 
3- Lenaā€™s ā€œredemptionā€Ā Ā 
I could write a whole separate rant about this, but for time and my sanity i wonā€™t. but basically, my main issue is that the whole season Lena was spiralling downward and doing worse and worse things to people, and thatā€™s fine from a story pov, but after at least 15 to 17 eps of this and countless bad decisions and judgements she dose ONE good thing and, well thatā€™s all your needed to do, all is forgiven.
now i am all for redemption arcs but one of the main words there is ARC!!!
there needs to be a reflection, apologies, rejections and making mistakes and then truly changing for the better, and still making mistakes!!
it was disgustingly quick and it honestly made me a little uncomfortable. I want to see people grow and learn but people have to earn their own way there. and another thing redemption is not something another person should be reasonable for giving you. (*cough* Kara *cough*)Ā  redemption is something you give yourself through hard choices, personal loses and hard work. and guess what you can do all that and still NEVER get back what you messed up, that was real change and growth is as,Ā 
redemption, real redemptionĀ  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā 
comes in the moments when you donā€™t benefit from it, Lena loses nothing in helping Kara in the end and gains everything she throw away in a minute flat. So, yeah i think it was rushed in a way that made my jaw drop in disbelief because of how badly rushed it was.Ā 
But getting out of that head space.
I like trying to end on a positive note the only part of the ending that was not rushed was Brainyā€™s bottling of Leviathan,Ā 
it was set up as a thing that be could do (ep 10),it was a hard choice to make (as it was going to kill him) and was given time to feel the full weight of the choice, the Rath sibling hand hold, then Lex taunting him and taking the bottle, and then Brainy being left there alone, Then a bit of hope with Niaā€™s vision. it was the best part of the ending this season and i want to see more.Ā  that is how you donā€™t rush an ending let the audience feel the consequences for the character choices with the character.Ā  Ā 
anyway season 5 rant over.
19 notes Ā· View notes
hopevalley Ā· 5 years ago
Note
What are your favorite and least stories from each Season and why?
Oh man, this is a really thought-provoking question! Iā€™ll try to come up with good answers (even though sometimes the seasons blur together a little bit):
Iā€™ll give some basic thoughts on each season and what worked/didnā€™t work for me.
Season 1
While I appreciate that they made the effort to have Elizabeth stick out (vs. blending in with all the Poors), she was downright unbearable at times in the early seasons. Her wanting to help and coming up with ideas is pretty decent in terms of story structure and even characterization/character motivation, but holy cow was it intrusive and nosy/patronizing of her sometimes! I think the point might have been to give Elizabeth flaws, which is great, but people just seemed to accept it, and her, too quickly, at least for my liking. A shame because I felt like her struggling to fit in would 1) be good for her character/force her to understand that to be accepted here she has to concede to giving up her former lifestyle, and 2) be a great, GREAT way for her and Abigail to bond and become friends, since this is something Abigail also struggled with!
So basically, theĀ ā€˜storyā€™ of Elizabeth coming to fit in in Coal Valley? Vaguely rubbish.
So much DID work, though, and could have been expanded upon for even better storytelling!!! This is especially true of the widows/related stories.
Loss of faith/faltering faith
Loss of personal identity
Moving on/past grief
Processing guiltĀ 
Protecting the memory of a deceased loved one
We also had some great smaller personal stories.
Genius child has to work in the mine because thereā€™s no one else ot take care of his family
Young man canā€™t read and has to work in the mine (and even after he does start learning how to read, probably doesnā€™t get to leave). Elizabeth still taking the time to try and help him still means something!
Season 2
I will never forgive the series for its convoluted attempt at a love triangle, here. Charles wasnā€™t unlikable, but he was OBVIOUSLY interested in Elizabeth romantically, and I donā€™t feel sheā€™d be so stupid as to be blind to that, old chum or not.
Basically, it was one of the worst plots to ever exist on the show, because it just wasnā€™t believable in any capacity and felt like drama that existed to be a roadblock more than anything.
Also, not to whine, but Billā€™s wholeĀ ā€˜counterfeit moneyā€™ plotline wasnā€™t very well-written.
The plot itself makes sense, but the way it bounced around seems to have just confused enough people that no one even remembers this was a thing.
That said, I think it was a good plot for the character... It was just not executed as well as it needed to have been to make a difference/really shine.
There are a lot of small things from S2 that were pretty nice, though.
Abigailā€™s fight to help Clara was meaningful, but Iā€™m not sure how I feel about the addition of Clara from a writing standpoint. I feel like Abigail should have felt somethingĀ was off about Peterā€™s trips from the start... The issue is that Hamilton is VERY far away and itā€™s VERY doubtful Peter would have ever gone there. Union City makes more sense if weā€™re talking about picking up shipments.
Tom and Julie were entertaining if nothing else.
I couldnā€™t tell you a single thing that happened in Hope Valley in S2, but Iā€™m sure there were Events.
Season 3
Honestly I donā€™t think S3 had anything horrible in it. It just wasnā€™t very inspiring at times? It was like they had all these really good ideas but didnā€™t want to fully commit to any of them.
Henry Gowen was a star.
Frank was excellent in this season.
The biggest issue I have with this plot is simply that they didnā€™t take it all the way. Either heā€™s a dangerous man to allow to stay in town or heā€™s not. Saying he is doesnā€™t make it so. A rock through a window? Okay, sure...thatā€™s threatening I guess. But it didnā€™t feel like enough to turn the whole town.
And again, having him barely doing anything even though heā€™d definitely be worried for Abigail and Codyā€™s safety is just inane.
Still, overall the whole thing was pretty good/well-done. Especially that unexpected turn at the end where Henry helped turn the tide. (I still wish that had gone somewhere and wonder even now if they had an idea they wanted to use and didnā€™t get the chance to.)
Abigail adopting children was nice. I wish Becky hadnā€™t been a part of it at all though. Like the IDEA is nice, but I canā€™t imagine sheā€™d believe in it all as fast/readily as she does? This plotline just seemed great for Cody and meaningless to Becky, IMO.
But hey, the thing with Cody is meaningful enough. My issue is just that heā€™s like, 8 or 9 and remembers his parents very clearly, so I donā€™t think heā€™d be that willing to replace them. I guess it could just be his personality, but it might make more sense for him to be like 5-6 years old instead (less attached with fuzzier memories by this point if theyā€™ve been on the run awhile).
Despite my qualms I think this was a pretty good story for Abigail. Just wish they hadnā€™t dropped her role as a mom as quickly as it felt they did.
Hattie was a good character and I enjoyed her introduction story. It was sad, but it felt good/satisfying.
Bill buying Henryā€™s share in the cafĆ© was a great little thing. Maybe too convenient and itching for a story of its own (instead of it just happening), but overall a good idea.
Jackā€™s mom coming to town was entertaining. She had some really good lines. Lard in coffee. I mean...this was gold.
Season 4
The peddler was a cute addition but I didnā€™t much care for the overt magical element.
If it felt a little more real/grounded/down to earth I think I might have been more intrigued.Ā 
Frank getting his original Bible back was a GREAT story but when they tried tying it into his vaguely stalker-like behavior? It just ruined the entire thing.
For what itā€™s worth, Frankā€™s character goes downhill pretty sharply in this season.
There were a lot of cute kid storylines in this one. But they werenā€™t all...great...
Robert telling the lie about the bear? Nice.
The kid with the knee brace? Ugh.
The storyline itself wasnā€™t bad!
But after Becky miraculously recovered the previous season it just felt like a slap in the face. I live with chronic pain and itā€™s just one of those things where Iā€™d like a little representation somewhere.
I still think Becky should have stayed wheelchairbound.
I canā€™t get over how insulting it was that she just MIND OVER MATTER FIXED HERSELF. The writer who put that in there should be slapped, and the writer who wrote the saME GODFORSAKEN STORY AGAIN with this child should also be slapped.
I really feel that if they were gonna let Becky recover like that, this kid should be living with a permanent disability and this episode could deal with kids helping him play/doing activities he could participate and enjoy.
Maybe itā€™s too on-the-nose but the hardest part about a chronic illness/disability of any kind is the part where you lose things you loved to do that you considered a part of your identity. Thatā€™s an awfully deep storyline for WCtH, but they should have gone for it here.
Phillip was in between.
Phillip and his father were great, but Elizabeth was just SO incredibly awful. This is where she and Abigail started always being right about everything and I felt her involvement was unbearable.
They should have just let Faith take over Elizabethā€™s role in that plot and it would have been way better. They could have had the eyesight issue earlier and done something great with it.
Frank and Abigailā€™s relationship at the beginning of this season was pretty interesting. Even though the wholeĀ ā€œdangerā€ thing was a little goofy, it was nice to see them communicating and adjusting.Ā 
It felt like a natural issue people would actually have. And it wasnā€™t smoothly worked out, which is fine.
Also, Rosemaryā€™s interference was hilarious.
RIP to the following:
Frankā€™s character after his earlier scene, because he doesnā€™t get anything else thatā€™s actually in character.
Good writing because Carson is now the town hero heā€™s gonna save Cody from appendicitis because other doctors are just completely stupid!
Also Carson is a surgeon so TAKE THAT, regular doctors!
Doug. You were a real bro, my guy.
I DID like Dougā€™s role in the story, though. His death made some sense, but it was ill-timed. (How convenient that we only even hear of him moments before his death lol.)
AJ Foster is a highlight of S4 for me. I love her, and for the most part I love her introduction.
Sheā€™s such a pain in the neck, but she also talks a lot of sense.
The writing isnā€™t great for her, or for Bill in these scenes, but at least there was An Attemptā„¢.
I appreciate that they introduced the idea of her much earlier in the season and built up to her actual appearance, which I couldnā€™t have guessed would be relevant early on.
Considering how the officers at my company hate our IRS auditor, I find the fact that AJ has enemies beyond believable.
Railroad shenanigans were pretty entertaining in this season, too.
Season 5
The last episode at least tried to be kind to the characters, so I appreciate it.
Elizabethā€™s conversation with her father before her wedding was a highlight of the entire season.
AJā€™s return plot was abysmal.
Iā€™d be terribly embarrassed to have been the one to write this, especially considering how completely whack it feels next to the other plots.
Iā€™ve ranted about this so many times I should have run out of steam but BOY is it cringey. This is the height of Bill-is-a-grumpy-old-man as a Thing in this series and this is probably when it is its worst.
The rattlesnake plotline was contrived as heck, but the only thing to make it worse was how weird everyone acted.
Rhonda was a good character and the plotline, if it wasnā€™t so rushed, would have actually been really great. I still liked it overall, though.
Frankā€™s send-off was dumb, but at least he got one on-screen.
I still canā€™t believe they killed their main romantic male lead off-screen.
What the heck...
Abigail was really, really annoying in this season, and so was Elizabeth. Unbearable.
Also, I still hate the pregnancy oooops~~ ā™„ā™„ plot at the end of the grieving episode. Really? COME ON. I know they wanted to give the fans hope but it was jarring.
Season 6
I still HATE the nativity == baby Jackā€™s birth parallels.Ā 
Why did they feel the need to do that. Why couldnā€™t we have just gotten pregnant Elizabeth shenanigans?
They put Jackā€™s DEATH ON THE TOMBSTONE like how is she popping out a baby less than two months later when she didnā€™t even know she wa---?F?DJSAFLJDSAFHLDSAL?
Abigail?
DELETED.
Thank goodness.
Bill?
Assassinated. Or at least, his character was.
This is bad. :(
On the plus side he gets promoted to the position of JUDGE...and barely does anything worthwhile with it...yet.
GODFATHER BILL. The best thing in this season.
Fiona?
A goddess. I love her.
Lucas?
Slimy.
But handsome.
The 4th Property Brother. He even tries his hand at renovating.
Nathan?
Honest and good.
Pretty cute.
Works together with Bill once in one of Billā€™s only good scenes.
The oil plotline is actually pretty good/fun. Jesse and Clara get more scenes finally.Ā 
Elizabeth isnā€™t the focus of everything.
Lee and Rosemary got like, no mention in any of these posts but mostly because it felt like they were never really doing anything before, but I did feel like they were given a little more meaningful lines/places in this season.
--
Howā€™s this for an attempt? :P Iā€™m probably missing A LOT but I canā€™t recall everything too easily!
4 notes Ā· View notes