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curestardust · 1 year ago

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Dust Watched: Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King

Genres: Shounen (VERY), Fantasy (Magic) // 1 movie (2h) // S01 (x)

As I don’t keep up with anime news very much, I’ve lived under the assumption that this movie was a continuation of the main series. It isn’t. My disappointment was immeasurable and my day was ruined... Okay, not really, but the first 5-10 minutes of this movie gave me whiplash.

✧ story ✧

Now I’m not sure if this is considered canon as a freshly minted booklet/manga was made alongside the movie, explaining the plot and characters. The story takes place after the (VERY LONG) Elf Arc but before the Spade Kingdom Arc. Now, considering that the whole lead-up to the latter is the Magic Knights training to become stronger because they are too weak to take on the Dark Triad, I’m going to file this away as an AU because the cast is way too OP in this movie.

This movie is the most Shounen thing I’ve seen in ages. It’s literally 2 hours of non-stop battle sequences with barely any downtime and... it’s great! If you like that thing (and if you’re a Shounen fan then you most likely do). It’s basically an arc without the filler.

The plot itself is paper thin on the surface. The former Wizard King, Conrad, breaks Julius’ seal that was keeping him imprisoned. Then using the Sword of the Wizard King, Elsdocia, he revives 3 former Wizard Kings who held very similiar ideals to him: in order for an equal society to be born the current one needed to be completely destroyed because it was rotten to its core. I’ll further go into these characters in the next section but yeah, that’s about it. Four incredibly powerful Wizards are trying to destroy the Clover Kingdom and our main characters try to do everything in their power to stop them.

Also, the fight choreography! Probably the best parts of the original season were the fights against the powerful villains, however those fights often only included 3 or max 4 characters using their magic together. In this movie, the scale is MUCH bigger. It was a lot of fun!

✧ characters ✧

A few mentions on the already existing cast: Asta and Yuno probably interacted more in this movie than in the last 50 episodes of the original season, the side characters didn’t get much screentime but the ones they did were used very well and highlighted the most important part of their personalities and/or skills.

An absolute highlight of the movie was definitely the treatment of the female characters. Probably some of the best I’ve seen from any Shounen in recent memory (this includes the original season!). Noelle finally wasn’t used for fanservice nor was her entire arc framed around Asta. I do think her reaction to what happens to her was pretty mid but the character focus was like a revolving door so nobody really got any meaningful focus (besides Asta) so that’s more of an overall complaint I have not specific to Noelle. Nero’s new "job” was great, that science lady who showed up for like 5 minutes was great, and the obvious GOAT that cannot go unmentioned, Mereoleona, was insaneeee here. I cannot put into words how much I loved her chemistry with a certain other female character.

But that directly leads me into probably my biggest complaint with the movie, the villains. The way the 4 of them want to go about creating their equal society is portrayed as crazy, and while it’s definitely extreme, everything they say is true! In fact it’s SO true that their argument, the fact that the Wizard Kings have no power and that basically nothing has changed with the class divide and the treatment of people with weak magic powers through GENERATIONS was one of the thing I complained about in my review of the original season!

And that’s why I’m deeply disappointed that their backstories were not shown or explained *in the movie*. That booklet/manga they gave out with the release of the movie? It’s in THERE. But that makes absolutely no difference to me, and most people who’ll only watch this movie who will not understand where the villains are coming from. Because it’s such a great exploration of the world itself and proper worldbuilding has always been a weak point of Black Clover. I do understand that the flow of the movie might’ve been broken if we had flashbacks but then do what every Shounen does: make the characters drop exposition in the middle of combat. The things they say gives us a glimpse into their personalities but not where they’re coming from that they’d literally agree to come back from the dead to carry out this plan.

Of course, with the lack of any insight into their pasts, who they were teamed up against didn’t really matter but as I read their backstories on the wiki, I thought the final team ups could’ve also been tweaked so they were essentially fighting their “past selves” . I won’t go into detail about their backstories, I linked the wiki if you want to read it but I would’ve went with Princia vs Noelle, Edward vs Yuno, and Jester vs... I dunno. But he is perfectly gremlin shaped and loved him for that. Actually, by the end of the movie I grew to like all of them. But, as I keep repeating, putting more of their backstories into the movie itself would’ve made them even better.

✧ art ✧

I was initially really scared because the movie starts off with some mad ugly CGI establishing shots but thankfully that was pretty much the only time they stuck out like a sore thumb (not a good first impression though!). For the rest of the movie, there’s so many angle changes that the CGI wasn’t noticable anymore. Princia’s soldiers were probably the weakest part of the whole movie visually but everything else around it was so high quality that I’ll give that a pass.

The animation in this movie absolutely blew me away. Especially with the length! 2 hours long and not a single drop in quality??? It was insane, BIIIIG props to the animation and art department, for real.

This movie also fixes what I mainly complained about with the original season which was that the colours were very washed out making the battles much less exciting to look at. Not here, though! A beautiful and, most importantly, vibrant colour pallette makes the fight scenes POP like they should’ve in the original.

✧ sound ✧

Probably the only part of the movie I found quite disappointing. Most of the OST felt like some Disney knock-off ‘badass fight music’ and whenever something good came on I realized that they were just the OP’s from the original season.

But holy hell, did the VA’s put on a PERFORMANCE. They were fantastic, and especially seeing how much Asta’s VA improved was a treat.

✧ overview ✧

I took off a point for the lackluster villain backstories and honestly, as much as I like bombastic Shounen fight scenes, there was so little breathing room in this movie that I kind of zoned out a few times.

My Rating: 8/10

#dusty reviews #Black Clover #i thought this was gonna be a short review 😭 why do i keep doing this to myself

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b0oker18 · 4 years ago

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On the anniversary of ‘My Struggle IV’ I have many thoughts:

I became a fan of The X Files in 2008 when I saw ‘I want to believe’ on DVD. When I watched it I fell in love with Mulder and Scully and the strange universe that they lived in. Long story short over the next few months I watched every episode, then I watched them again and then again (and then again). Not only did I fall in love with M and S but I fell in love with the Mythology, the MOTW, and the themes of science and religion. I’m such a big fan I even (sort of) defend seasons 8 and 9 (I am very much aware of all the problems with both seasons ok lol).

I was so enthralled with this journey that these two lovely people had together! And you know what? I was somewhat happy to leave them and never see them again after ‘I want to believe’ While we didn’t get all the answers like colonization, William, etc. I was ok with that! I even had my own elaborate head canon of what happened after ‘I want to believe’. Basically it involved Gibson getting into contact with M and S to tell them that the colonists had left Earth because William was normal now (so colonization would never happen) and it also involved Mulder writing a series of memoirs that gave him a renewed sense of purpose in life, but maybe I’ll get into it another time cuz it’s a lot lol.

Anyway, one day in 2015 (I think) season 10 was officially announced and I was very happy! I thought finally we were getting closure! Then the Mulder and Scully breakup rumors came out and I knew we were in trouble, but I still wanted to give it a chance. Then Chris Carter called the “revival” series a “reimagining” and again I thought we were in trouble, but I still wanted to give it a chance.

I remember the night ‘My Struggle I’ aired. The Files fandom was SO excited and so was I. I remember loving it! Sure the entire mythology was flushed down the toilet and sure Mulder and Scully were broken up and none of things made any sense, but we got 5 more episodes! The mythology will go somewhere and Mulder and Scully will get back together. None of things happened and I felt horrible! Season 10 is the worst season of The X Files in my opinion. But I didn’t think the show would come back and somehow it was easy for me to ignore and I did for a while.

A year or so later Season 11 was announced and again the hype got to me! Finally we will get the answers to the shows original mythology and finally Mulder and Scully will get back together (noticing a theme here). Then ‘My Struggle III’ aired and it sucked! Haha. But then ‘This’ aired and OMG Dana Scully and Fox Mulder are back together as a romantic couple again! Hooray!!!! 🥳🥳🥳🎉Nope! they weren’t. 😞But that’s ok cuz next week Mulder and Scully will have sex, twice! Then the episode aired and while the episode was somewhat entertaining, it had what I feel is the single worst Mulder and Scully scene in the history of the show. Im sorry but that bed scene was horrendous! It was like two high schoolers talking about if they would still love each other after graduating. These two characters have WAY to much personal history to have any conversation even remotely like that. But they had sex twice and you know HYYYYPPPEEE ZOMGS they did it.... twice!! 😱😱😱.

‘Ghoulie’ was good but William is like a shape shifting monster now or something??? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But dear god the acting of Gillian Anderson was TOP notch! So you know MORE HYYYPPPE!!!

‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ was kinda boring but that ending!!!! They are back together!!!! They are talking about their regrets and letting them go!!!!! YAY!!!! HYYYYPPPEEE level over 9000!! But that shit should’ve happened WAY sooner. And is as fans deserve to know what Scully whispered.

Then we get to ‘My Stuggle IV’. We got car chases! We got Mulder shooting like 20 people! We got Scully doing.... stuff! We got Chris Carter doubling down on William not being the true son of Mulder! But who cares SCULLY IS PREGGOOOSSSSS!!!😱😱😱😱. Greatest series finale EVERRRRR.!!! I got the Mulder and Scully happy ending I have always wanted y’all! Ty Chris Carter!!! 🥳🥳🎉🎉🥳

Yeah, I thought that way for months. Then I walked away from the show for a year or so and I honestly didn’t think much of it! Then the “revival” came back into my conscience. My “revival” HHYYPPEE brain had left me. I started objectively thinking about the revival. Literally nothing made any sense. Mulder and Scully are back in the FBI in there 50’s? With no training? As Mulder is clinically depressed?? Mulder just believes some random person that alien colonization is all bull shit and it was all evil white dudes? This man has been lied to his entire life yet he just believes? That ain’t my Mulder. Where was all that character development from the original series? It certainly wasn’t in Chris Carter’s show bible (I think only a few people will understand that joke lol).

I don’t want to make this post much longer so what I’m trying to get at is the revival as a whole was noting more than a soft reboot. That REALLY bothered me for months when I came back to this show. It’s so goddamn disrespectful to the original fandom. There are still so many fans that care about the original mythology and Mulder and Scully, we wanted to see both progress into new and interesting ways. Instead it’s all burnt down to the ground. Sure Mulder and Scully are cute in the revival series, but what’s it really worth when they aren’t truly together. I get the show needs angst, but at what cost? Breaking them up is the easy way out. That shit hurt me. Same with the mythology, Carter just deletes all of it so he can tell a story that would connect to a new audience. Instead it pissed off just about everyone.

I’ll never, ever begrudge any fan for loving the revival. Actually I’m a little envious, but now that I look at it objectively I just can not reconcile the new Mulder and Scully we got and the new mythology that were being told. So for me the “true” X Files ended after ‘I want to Believe’. Mulder is writing his books, finding his new purpose in life. Scully is still working as a doctor helping children get better. Colonization will never happen and William will have a happy life with his loving adoptive parents. Sure maybe the rest of Mulder and Scullys life may be rather dull. But in my heart of hearts it’s what I believed they longed for, it’s what I longed for after I first saw ‘I Want to Believe’. So I’ll give it to them, they deserve it. I’ll love this show forever. 💜

#the x files #msr #mulder and scully #dana scully #fox mulder #mulder #scully #the x files season 10 #the x files season 11 #my stuggle iv #thanks for reading #I need to learn how to edit #I think this may be the last time I talk ever talk about the revival at length like this #writing this down has made me feel pretty damn good #I love this show forever

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lilydalexf · 4 years ago

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Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Slippin’ Mickeys

Only 3 stories by Slippin’ Mickeys ended up at Gossamer, but she’s written many more stories than that. She’s also one of the few authors who posted numerous stories during the show’s original run and then again in the revival years. I’ve recced some of my favorites of her stories here, including Last Chance Falls and Currahee. Big thanks to Slippin’ Mickeys for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

I would say that it does and doesn't surprise me. It surprises me that anyone would want to read something I wrote all those years ago, (only in that I was an actual teenager at the time, and had no chops at all -- I've grown a lot as a writer, and honestly have trouble reading my old stuff because I would have made much different creative decisions now). But the fanfiction that came out of the original run of the show -- from almost day one -- was so rich and varied and a lot of it so well written that I am not the least bit surprised that people want to read it today. I go back and read old favorites often, and am always thrilled to find something that's new-to-me, even if it's 27 years old.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

The first thing I think about when I think about my fandom experience are the friends I made along the way. The X-Files came up with the internet, and there was a whole new way of connecting with people that liked the things that you liked. To this day, I am good friends with many people that I met through the show back in 1997-98. When the revival came about, I dove back in, and made new, more recent friendships that are just as rich. I love the show, but I also love the people I met along the way.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

I first got into the show's online community on some random message board that I think I probably found through a Yahoo search one day in a computer lab on my university's campus. I connected with one woman from Greece named Fay that day, who invited me to join a group of women that chatted about the show after it aired on Monday nights. After the first time I hooked up with them, we talked almost daily via ICQ. Later, in the early aughts, I found the forums on Mighty Big TV/Television Without Pity, where some of the most intelligent discussion was going on. The forums were heavily moderated, and so they were always on topic, and it was just a smart, funny, great place to be.

Eventually, I started working for TWoP as both a writer and moderator (surprise! A lot of people don't know this because TWoP protected the identities of their mods so well, but I was the X-Files board mod after Jessica left!). It was my first paid writing gig and opened doors for me both professionally and personally. Two TWoP recappers were in my wedding!

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general?

Fanfiction opened my eyes to storytelling as a medium. I'd obviously gone to school and read books, but it opened my eyes to words to could do and be. It was a heady time. There were stories of every stripe. Short, long, canon-compliant, AU, experimental, you name it. We had such gifted writers, too. To this day, I'd almost rather read a piece of well written fanfic than a good book. Fanfic made me want to be a storyteller myself.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

It was the 'ship. God bless the ship. My first episode was Never Again, but I didn't watch again until I was sitting with my college roommate freshman year and she was like "sorry, but I have to watch The X-Files on Sunday nights." That first episode was Redux. The next week was Redux II, and by then it was all over for me. The lengths Mulder and Scully would go to for each other? And the relationship wasn't even sexual? Here were two people who loved each other. Really loved each other. Selflessly. I was SO IN.

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

At first, I started reading it. This was back when you could only watch the show in reruns or on those VHS tapes that were sold in three packs that had two eps on each tape (I still have the trading cards that came with them), so after I burned through the VHS options (of which there were few), and set my VCR to tape the weekly reruns on FX, I needed MORE. I found fanfic. And in fanfic, Mulder and Scully actually like, kissed and maybe even had sex! I read everything I could get my hands on. Pretty soon, I wanted to write it myself.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

Things are tough these days. It's a hard world to live in, and politics aside, it just feels like everything is falling apart around us. When I first found the show, my life was in a bit of upheaval and I dove into the fandom to distract myself. I'm doing the same thing these days. When the show ended, I left the fandom and lived without it for about 15 years. But when the revival came (and really only after finishing season 11 -- season 10 didn't do much for me), I dove back in. I have quite a few more responsibilities these days, but when I can't watch the news anymore, I log on to XF Twitter (I use my fandom account far more than my IRL account) or Tumblr and get lost for a while. And most nights find me reading or writing fanfic before bed. When the world gets better (I'm cautiously optimistic) and the show has been off the air for years and years, will I leave again? Maybe. But for now, it's once again my happy place.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

Nothing hardcore. The X-Files is my ride or die.

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

I do an occasional episode or movie rewatch. Not too often, but when I'm jonesing and have 45 free minutes, I'll put one on. But I'm writing fanfic again, and I get hit with inspiration at random and odd intervals, so it's safe to say I find myself thinking about Mulder and Scully probably more than is healthy.

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

All the time. The old stuff, the new stuff, the good stuff. If I have five minutes and my kid is entertaining himself? I'll happy pull out an old favorite.

Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

I'm reluctantly abstaining from this question, as I'm still active in the fandom and I know that naming favorites will hurt some feelings.

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

Of The Eight Winds is probably my favorite. I've had a lot of fun writing AU's lately. It's a nice creative outlet, taking our favorite agents and plunking them in a totally different world.

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

Do I! I have a whole ass queue. It's frankly irresponsible.

Do you still write fic now? Or other creative work?

I was writing professionally before I had a baby, and I took years off to be a stay at home mom. Once my kiddo was finally in school full time, I started writing again. With the pandemic, that's for the most part on hold, as I just don't have the bandwidth to dedicate to professional work. Fanfic is easier to play with when you only have five minutes here or there, and it's also great exercise when it comes to plotting and prose, so I'm sticking with fic for now. When the kiddos are all back in school, maybe I can start getting paid again.

Where do you get ideas for stories?

I get a lot of prompts that I just adore. And honestly, a lot of times, I'll post a stupid picture or ridiculous prompt of my own on Twitter and get dared to write it. If the idea gets stuck in my craw, I generally have to exorcise the demon.

What's the story behind your pen name?

Bad Blood had just aired and I was obsessed with it. I wanted to pay homage to it, so took Mulder's "who slipped him the mickey?" quote and ran with it. Do I regret that? Sometimes.

Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions?

My husband knows and is supportive. He's a working writer, so he supports my endeavors, though I know he wishes I were doing something I could monetize. But it makes me happy, and ultimately: happy wife, happy life and all that jazz.

The friends of mine that I've made through the fandom all know and are super supportive.

As for the rest, well... I have a nom de plume on purpose!

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

All my newest work is on AO3. My old stuff can be found on various archives. Like the truth... it's out there.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with fans of X-Files fic?

I'd leave it with: we're a blessed fandom. The show we stan (even with the real stinkers, there's always something to love) keeps giving, the fellow fans are all some of the smartest, sweetest, and most dedicated people out there... we've been blessed for 25 years, and I don't see that stopping any time soon.

(Posted by Lilydale on August 11, 2020)

#new post #old school x #xfiles fanfic #xf fanfic #slippinmickeys #xf fanfic author interviews

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alipeeps · 4 years ago

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New tag game: Post pictures of your first ever (fictional/celeb) crush to the latest one and tag five others to continue the game

Thanks to @minmoyu for tagging me and ooof, are you sure you’re ready for this?!! :D I have been around/in fandom for a loooooong time and at first I thought, okay, no way I can list all my crushes, there have been SO many and we’ll be here all day but then as I started compiling a list I found I was having fun reminiscing and decided, what the heck, yeah, let’s do em all... or at least all I can remember! :D

There have absolutely for sure been other more minor crushes and passing fancies along the way, but these are the big ones that I remember (and that, in more recent years, I can track by going through my posted fanfics on AO3 and even *shudder* FFNET and seeing which shows I was into enough to want to write fic about the characters).

[Quick note: with rare exceptions, for actors I am listing them by the character they played rather than just the actor. Whilst there are actors that I like in multiple roles (and conversely, characters who on paper I would normally be into but are played by actors who do nothing for me, and hence the character generally does nothing for me either), for the most part it is the character I really have the crush on.]

I’m going to put this under a readmore cos it has gotten ridiculously long:

So... without further ado:

1. MORTEN HARKET from a-ha - OKay so, dating myself badly here but... I had the *biggest* crush on Morten Harket when I was a teenager. Pretty much the entirety of my side of the bedroom I shared with my sister was covered in posters of a-ha, and Morten in particular. I even had a heart-shaped Morten Harket pillow! :D I loved a-ha’s music (still do!) and I wanted to go see them in concert when I was 14 but my parents wouldn’t let me (*sob*). I did finally get to see them in concert in the early 2000s and they were BRILLIANT live (and Morten was still very very pretty)!

2. RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON as MACGYVER - MacGyver is the first tv character I remember being really into and having a crush on, to the extent that I would record episodes of the show off the tv (onto VHS tape - yes, I am *that* old!) so that I could rewatch them (especially the ones where he got hurt - yeah, I was a whumper even then! :D)

3. KEIFER SUTHERLAND - One of my rare exceptions. I think I first saw him in Lost Boys (and loved him in that film) but it was his role as Doc Scurlock in Young Guns that really made me fall for both the character and him. I definitely remember seeking out any and all films he was in and buying any magazine he was interviewed in (and knowing far more facts about him than was probably healthy! :D) and even drawing a fanart portrait of him. :)

4. KYLE MACLACHLAN as SPECIAL AGENT DALE COOPER - I remember hearing about Twin Peaks before it started airing in the UK and it sounded so different and interesting... I watched it from the very first episode and very quickly developed a crush on Coop.

5. BRENT SPINER as DATA - I think ST: TNG had been airing for a while before I stumbled across it but I quickly became hooked and Data was my favourite character right from the start. I definitely remember at one point buying an (unofficial) episode guide book so that I could look up which episodes were good Data-focused ones (especially ones where he got hurt! :D) so I could go out and buy the videos that had those episodes on (at the time the show was available to buy on VHS-tape with 2 episodes on each tape).

6. DAVID DUCHOVNY as FOX MULDER - Another show that I heard the buzz about and started watching right from the start and, like so many others, I immediately developed a crush on the snarky, enigmatic, troubled FBI agent with the weird name. The X-Files was the first show I ever tried writing (one, never-finished) fanfic for.

7. PAUL GROSS as BENTON FRASER - Man, Due South was such a good show! It was so quirky and clever and funny and Benton Fraser, with his huge heart and his serious demeanour and his gorgeous blue eyes, was just so darn attractive! He also got whumped a fair bit too! :D Due South was also the show that introduced me to the music of Sarah McLachlan (I was enough of a fan that I bought the show soundtrack on CD).

8. HUGH LAURIE as DR GREGORY HOUSE - This was a bit of an odd one for me because I had grown up knowing Hugh Laurie solely as a comedian/comic actor, known mostly for playing buffoons and genial idiots. And suddenly here he was with stubble, an American accent, and a limp, and he was hawt AF! :D It caused quite the feedback loop in my brain for a while which pretty much went “Wow, House is hot.... but it’s Hugh Laurie... but he’s hot... but it’s HUGH LAURIE!!1!”

I *loved* House (the first few seasons, at least) and oof a character with persistent pain (and a self-destructive streak a mile wide!) was a whumper’s dream. House was the first show for which I wrote - and published online - completed fanfics.

8. JOE FLANIGAN as JOHN SHEPPARD - Stargate Atlantis was my first proper online fandom, the first show I prolifically and repeatedly wrote fanfic for, and the first time I ever met in person an actor I was a big fan of (and while the show was still airing, to boot!). It was also my first introduction to the online community of whumpers! A bunch of us from the Shep Whump thread on Gateworld heard that Joe was going to be at a convention in London and we decided to book hotel rooms and meet up and go to the convention together and it was AWESOME! I can still remember seeing Joe *in person* for the first time and just,,,, struggling to believe he was actually here, in person, in front of me! He was super super lovely and humble too and took time to chat to everyone at the signing table and I clearly remember my brain just pretty much fritzing out during the photo session and being intensely aware of the sensation of Joe’s hand on my shoulder....

It was also super lovely to meet fellow fans, and online friends, in person for the first time and we had so much fun, and it kickstarted me going to lots of other conventions, including specific Stargate/SGA ones where I got to know lots of other lovely fans and online friends. I’ve met Joe about 4 or 5 times in total now and he’s been lovely every time.

9. PAUL BLACKTHORNE as HARRY DRESDEN - Gosh I loved the shortlived tv adaptation of The Dresden Files. I loved the fantasy aspect, the stories, the humour, and I especially loved Harry Dresden and how often he got whumped! :D

10. DAVID TENNANT as THE 10TH DOCTOR - I had watched the Christopher Ecclestone revival of Doctor Who and enjoyed it well enough but I can clearly remember watching David Tennant’s first episode as The Doctor - on Christmas Day, at my brother-in-law’s house - and being aware, as I watched it that... ooookay, yes, I’m in trouble here... I like him... I like him a lot... :D I mean, I’m sure the fact that he got whumped so thoroughly in his very first episode had nothing to do with how quickly I fell for him... right? :)

11. ALEX O’LAUGHLIN as MICK ST JOHN - Another show that ended far too soon and just as it was getting *seriously* good. But also a prime example of my point about having a crush on the character not the actor. I looooooved Alex as Mick St John... and yet in Hawaii 5.0 he pretty much does nothing for me (the character is too stoic and the whump often too unrealistically glossed over). Anyway, in Moonlight he was my favourite kind of character - angsty, brooding, dangerous AF when he needed to be... and essentially immortal so you could whump the heck out of him and he’d recover so you could whump him again! :D

12. SIMON BAKER as PATRICK JANE - There is so much to love about Patrick Jane... his smarts, his sass, his angst... and Simon is a rare “against type” blonde crush for me (you may have noticed by now that most of my crushes follow a similar physical aesthetic - tall, slim/wiry, and dark-haired) and again here I think my crush is almost all to do with the character rather than the actor.

12. BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH as SHERLOCK HOLMES - I’m almost ashamed to admit it, given the clusterfuck that both the show and its fandom became, but in the earlier seasons I had quite the crush on Benedict’s Sherlock (and okay, a little bit on Benedict himself - I did definitely enjoy some of his other roles too). It helps that I was already a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes character (I’ve read all the stories and novels multiple times and was a big fan of the Granada adaptation starring Jeremy Brett - whose Holmes would definitely count as one of my more minor/passing crushes) already. Benedict is another crush that I have met in person, at a (actually, the first!) Sherlock convention and he was lovely in person - very genuine, very articulate and thoughtful.

13. TOM MISON as ICHABOD CRANE - I was excited for Sleepy Hollow as soon as I heard about it and I was SUCH a fan for the first couple of seasons (before TPTB completely destroyed it and it inevitably got cancelled (I didn’t even watch the last season and a half)) and Tom’s Ichabod (and his amazing chemistry with Nicole’s Abbie) was a large part of why. I also quickly became a big fan of Tom himself as he came across as so witty and self-deprecating and *fun* in all the behind the scenes/convention clips etc. I was lucky enough to also meet Tom at a convention and he genuinely is that witty and charming and lovely.

14. TOM WISDOM as ARCHANGEL MICHAEL - I think Dominion was possibly the first show that I got sucked into by seeing whumpy gifsets on tumblr! :D It was such a great show and also to date the most immersive, welcoming, cast-and-crew-interactive fandom I have ever been in. The cast and crew regularly live-tweeted the episodes, and interacted with fans on Twitter, and it was SO much fun. And Tom’s Michael was my favourite character right from the start - seemingly aloof but so much going on under the surface... and some really nice whump, especially in season 2! I was heartbroken when it was cancelled after only 2 seasons (and just as the plot was getting *really* interesting).

15. OLIVER JACKSON-COHEN as LUCAS - I was hooked on Emerald City right from the first episode. It was visually stunning, so atmospheric, and really intruiging. I love love loved Adria Arjona’s Dorothy (ngl, I had a bit of a crush on her too) and she and Lucas together were just... *chef’s kiss*. I mean... what an introduction to a character... she finds him crucified, bleeding, his wrists tied with barbed wire, and amnesiac.... and the whump only gets better and better from there on in! Like the entire first two episodes are just... Lucas whump! :D And his devotion to her... Emerald City was honestly the first show where I really got into a ship. I was *invested* in Dorcas, dammit! Aaaand sadly another excellent show that never made it past its first season.

16. JASON RALPH as QUENTIN COLDWATER - Another show that I watched right from the start, was heavily invested in.... and that the writers absolutely tanked and destroyed in later seasons. *cries* Quentin was such a brilliant viewpoint character for the show and I loved his awkwardness, and his angst, and his enthusiasm, and his adorable floppy hair... and how often he got whumped!

17. COLIN MORGAN - I fell for Colin in Merlin (which I stumbled upon late, long after it had finished airing, and hence was able to binge-watch the entire 5 seasons!) and liked him enough to seek out his other works, such as The Fall, and Humans, and The Living and the Dead, and he was brilliant (and very pretty) in all of them... and his characters also seem to get whumped quite a lot! :D

18. MATT LANTER as WYATT LOGAN - Wyatt was another of my favourite archetypes... absolutely badass and competent... but also tortured and angsty and capable of intense devotion. Another show that I watched because of whumpy gifs on tumblr and the second ever show where I actually got invested in a ship - Lyatt all the way, baby!! :D - aaaaaand yet another show cancelled before its time.

19. NOCTIS LUCIS CAELUM from FINAL FANTASY XV - my very first video game crush! I was recommended to play FFXV by fellow whumpers on the whumpshire discord because it was whumpy... and they were not wrong and I loved the game and I absolutely adored Noctis. FFXV is one of very very VERY few video games that I have actually played right through to the end. And possibly the only video game that has ever affected me to such an extent... I became so invested in the characters and their world and I actually found the last couple of chapters really hard to play because it was actually upsetting me emotionally. I had to take a break for a couple of weeks before I could go back and finish it!

20. CONNOR from DETROIT BECOME HUMAN - and from there I jumped straight into another video game crush! DBH was another game recommended to me for its whump potential and I, and many others, immediately fell in love with the quirky, sassy, self-sacrificing (if you play the game right!) “android sent by Cyberlife”. The game itself is really good too... although, I have tried to play through all the different endings to the story but have never yet managed to make myself play the machine Connor storyline.... I want to complete all the story branches... but I also just want Hank and Connor to be friends and to be happy! :D

21. ZHU YILONG - Ahhh... the beginning of the asian drama arc of my fandom life! I first came across Zhu Yilong after getting sucked into watching Guardian because of pretty (and whumpy) gifs on tumblr... and I’ve never looked back. He is one of the rare entries where I am pretty much guaranteed to like him in pretty much anything he does and my crush extends beyond Shen Wei, or his other characters, and into reblogging his fashion shoot photos, and keeping up with news of his work in general. He’s just... so darn pretty! And also so... blur! :D And the behind the scenes stuff and interviews of him with Bai Yu, during the Guardian era, just made me fall for him all the more. He’s also ridiculously talented - not only a fantastic actor, but a really good singer (I love his singing voice), he plays guitar and piano, and he can paint too!!

He’s also pretty much what made me start learning Chinese... because after Guardian I went seeking his other dramas to watch... only to find that many of them are only partially, or not at all, subbed. So I thought... why not try learning Chinese and then I’ll be able to watch his other shows? :D

21. JI CHANG WOOK - My first kdrama crush, and what a good one to start with! Healer was the first drama I ever watched and can you blame me for falling for JCW... especially when I followed up Healer with The K2?! I’ve liked him in pretty much everything I’ve watched him in. Although I do wish he would go back to doing more action-based shows as he is sooo good at them... but he seems to prefer the romcom genre these days, which is something I am nottt always a fan of tbh.

22. JAKE HSU as MENG SHAO FEI - Yet another show that I got sucked into by tumblr - and also one with a great, fun fandom through which I met lots of lovely people who I still follow/am mutuals with to this day. I just *adored* Jake’s character in History and I also loved the ship - Tang Fan and Meng Shaofei were awesome and adorable together and I was totally invested in both the ship and the gangster/cop/what happened years ago story happening alongside the ship. And Jake is just all kinds of cute.

23. XIAO ZHAN - Aaaand we are pretty much up to current day now... where The Untamed took over my life in the summer of 2019 and has yet to let me go. Xiao Zhan is another disgustingly talented human being - a fantastic singer and a really good actor, and also an artist - and he also just comes across as a genuinely sweet and charming person, and a very thoughful and earnest one too. And lbr he is ridiculously pretty, and his smile is just pure sunshine.

24. LEE DONG WOOK as LEE YEON - The most recent entry to the charts.... a Korean actor I was aware of but whose work I hadn’t watched and whose looks didn’t particularly seem to grab me... until I watched Tale of the Nine Tailed and fell head over heels for Lee Yeon (and daaayum does red hair suit LDW!!) and very quickly began to find LDW’s looks very appealing (and oh my, does Lee Yeon whump well!!). And yes, I have now started watching Goblin. :D

Phew! Aaaand we are done! I’ll admit, I did think of a few more as I was compiling this list but I decided to categorise them as more “minor” crushes and not include them... otherwise we really could be here all day!!

I’m going to tag: @sarah-yyy, @arlothia, @howdydowdy, @thepromiseweheldforlife and @the-wandering-whumper!

#meme #fandom #crushes

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221brownstone · 5 years ago

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TV Insider: Farewell Elementary! EP Rob Doherty Answers Our Series Finale Questions

"It’s safe to assume that their friendship persists. I just don’t believe in my heart that they are meant to be romantic partners. And that’s from having spent seven years in each of their skulls and what I think about when I think about them now in the aftermath. I wanted to write about a powerful platonic relationship."

What did you want to accomplish in the series’ final episode?

Rob Doherty: It was important to me that in the final episode of the series there was less a mystery to solve and more appreciation and assessment of what Sherlock and Joan have built over the years. It was less about what they did professionally and more to do with where they landed personally.

That was a pretty happy ending personally for Sherlock and Joan. Why did you decide to jump ahead three years when the episode opened, and then one year more?

After the legendary canonical story, “The Final Problem,” in which Sherlock and Moriarity tumble over Reichenbach Falls, the world believed Sherlock Holmes was gone forever. But eventually Conan Doyle brought him back in “The Empty House.” When our story began, three years have passed, which was perfect for us. It’s a nod to the canon, but also enough time for the partners to carve out new and very different lives. It was interesting to see what’s the same and what’s different.

One thing Joan did during that time was write a book tribute to Sherlock. Won’t that need an addendum now that people will know he’s alive?

[Laughs] That is true. That’s another nod to the original Watson who was constantly writing about Sherlock Holmes. We had established this book many years ago when Sherlock realized that Joan was recording their cases. We thought it would be fun to revive it for the final episode.

You also decided to give Joan the child she always wanted. Finally.

It was a story I wanted to tell in Season 6 but we were never quite sure how many episodes we were going to have and that fell by the wayside. I was grateful to have one more opportunity to punctuate that sentence.

Didn’t Lucy really want that storyline?

Yes. I had watched Lucy become a mom over the run of the show. Obviously she and Joan Watson are completely different people and yet it felt so appropriate to who Joan is and what she brings to any relationship. It seemed a shame to not make her a parent for all the work we had done in Season 6.

Who ever thought Sherlock was meant to be a parent?

Sherlock had certainly emphasized he wasn’t, more than once. But it’s one thing to say all those things and it’s another for your partner to come home with a child one day. I had actually thought about introducing her son much earlier in Season 7, but with just 13 episodes we didn’t have the real estate.

You also gave Joan cancer! Was it a way to keep Sherlock around?

Ultimately it’s because cosmically they are two people who belong together and yet they’re both incredibly proud at different times. It’s been incredibly difficult for one to tell the other, “I need you,” or “I’m a better version of myself with you.” The final episode is an exploration of that. They were together for a long time. Now they’ve been separated for three years. They’ve each flourished in different ways and each worries that they’re potentially harmful to each other. Joan doesn’t want him to give up everything he’s done to help her, but when you bring something as serious as cancer into the mix, all of those things drop away. You focus on what matters and ultimately that’s what I wanted Sherlock and Joan to do. For Sherlock, it was an act of love. He realizes he’s in the place he’s supposed to be and that’s why he and Joan try to head back to work in the end.

What are we to make of Sherlock and Joan’s relationship at series end? There was no kiss, but hugs and tears and a future life together.

It’s safe to assume that their friendship persists. I just don’t believe in my heart that they are meant to be romantic partners. And that’s from having spent seven years in each of their skulls and what I think about when I think about them now in the aftermath. I wanted to write about a powerful platonic relationship. Maybe I’m bad at writing romance, but that felt more expected and therefore I rejected it early and often.

What have you heard on the subject from fans?

I talked to people over the years who had different takes. I will say the people who are anti-romance are more obstreperous. I would say I hear from those folks more often and at greater volume.

As a fan, I was pleased that you brought back such characters as Morland Holmes (John Noble) and Kitty (Ophelia Lovibond). We saw Moriarity’s supposed coffin in the finale. I assume Natalie Dormer wasn’t available. Did you want to do some kind of salute to Sherlock’s iconic adversary?

I adore Natalie, but there was never a plan to bring her back. Ultimately I didn’t want to resolve the story of Sherlock, Joan, and Moriarty. I wanted to focus on the partners. The reason we dared invoke her name in the final episode is it seemed appropriate to at least drop the name of Sherlock’s greatest enemy from canon. But it’s also a great misdirect. For some people, there’s an expectation that you can only complete your Sherlockian franchise with a confrontation between Sherlock and Moriarty. Because it’s potentially expected I wanted to push it in that direction and then head in a different one.

The casket itself was a misdirection, since we saw it after Joan was diagnosed with cancer. Whoever is in that coffin, it seemed that Sherlock doesn’t believe his old lover turned nemesis is really dead.

I’m with Sherlock on this one. I absolutely believe Moriarty is alive and well.

Could we possibly see more Sherlock and Joan in any form?

Oh wow! [Laughs] Let’s see… No one would be happier than me, but I’m also aware of how many hurdles we would have to get over to get our band back together but you never know. I thought as an X-Files fan that the franchise was gone forever, and I ended up having two more seasons over the last few years to enjoy. Anything is possible, but I don’t see it on the immediate horizon.

#sherlock holmes #joan watson #jamie moriarty #their last bow #spoilers #rob doherty #read more

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masterthespianduchovny · 6 years ago

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Let’s Talk About Narrative Literacy

As a disclaimer, I’d like to start off by saying I don’t mean to come off as condescending or anything like that, but this is important discussion we need to have. I’m not going to pretend I know everything there is to know about writing or even most of it, but one thing I do know incredibly well is how to follow a a narrative.

By this, I don’t simply mean casually consume it, but rather, process the what, why, when, how, etc regardless of if I personally care for it.

This is why, despite disliking a film, I will say with all seriousness, “this doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie, I just don’t like it.” Or if I do like something, I’ll say, “I love it, but it’s not a great movie.”

People may argue, “the fact that you love it makes it a great movie.”

And to this I say, “No.”

When I make qualifying statements about things, it’s because I’m differentiating between subjective and objective things. And, IMO, some cannot, which contributes to narrative illiteracy. When a person cannot distinguish their personal feelings from objective facts, your mental grip of a thing makes most conversations go standstill. Because, now, feelings are being argued and how can you tell anyone how they feel about something?

This becomes important for mediums like Game of Thrones and The Harry Potter series, but for different reasons. (There will be spoilers)

When it comes to Game of Thrones, the lack of understanding of literary functions such as foreshadowing, character development, narrative arcs, chekovs gun, and so forth is vexing.

Writing is about intentionality. There must be a reason the writer included x, y, and z. What purpose does it serve even if it’s very minor? Why is it there? How does it influence the character or narrative?

When people say the last few season of GOT is bad, esp the last episode, we aren’t saying this because we didn’t like ending, as in, it wasn’t our preferred ending. We don’t like it because it doesn’t make any sense narratively and that is a fundamental difference.

My favorite show of all time is the X-Files and, despite the utter mess seasons 8 and 9 are, I still watch it whenever I decide to do a series rewatch. It pains me, but I still do it. Despite the massive inconsistencies with the revival of season 10, I still watched it. But, after hearing about the complete break down of the characters, which is why the series lasted as long as it did and come back, I haven’t not seen the season 11 finale over a year later.

Technically, it could be argued, it ended how I wanted (romantically), but the narrative is so shit that the characters and their motivations don’t make any sense to me. They just don’t! I’m not sure anyone can argue otherwise.

I’ll probably still rewatch the x files (and may skip the last episode) before I ever rewatch GOT again. Perhaps I’m exaggerating, but that’s how nonsensical, pisspoor, and narratively destructive the ending was.

Let’s start off the many examples of some GOT viewers having poor narrative literacy:

1. Arya’s ending.

This isn’t about whether or not you like how her story ending, it’s about people arguing that it makes sense. It does not.

The two endings that makes sense for Arya was either ending up in Winterfell or Storms End.

Why?

Because, despite Arya’s kill list, her overarching narrative has always been about getting back to her family. Arya was with the NW because Yoren was supposed to take her to Jon who could then send her to winterfell. Arya wasn’t traveling through the woods for an adventure. She went from the NW to prisoners of Harrenhal, the BWB, and then the Hound. Arya was literally on the run for her life. The first time she had true agency, she tried to go to East Watch to get to Jon, but was unable to, so she went to Braavos.

At this time, Arya believed most of her family was dead or was unable to reach them. When she talks about going west of Westeros, it’s because she think there is nothing left for her in Westeros.

She is on her way to kill Cersei when the news of Jon being at winterfell literally makes her journey to kill Cersei and go to him instead. Despite aryablosong some of her humanity, it’s still there. Then, Gendry comes back and they have sex and she fully experienced her humanity and that’s when she truly understands what she has to live for. Not Gendry: but, life, love (in all forms), humanity, etc.

Arya regressing back to her list doesn’t make any narrative sense. What was the catalyst??? Remember she was acting strange by isolating herself during the celebration and when turning down Gendry’s proposal? I’m not saying she should’ve said yes, but she clearly wasn’t herself. What set that off? What made her think that Cersei was a threat she needed to take out and die for???

We could say she needed to hear it from the hound to live life, but imo, that’s bullshit because she learned that on the night of the battle. She (WE) was explicitly told by him to justify having her in KL. Arya wasn’t there for a narrative purpose, she was there for a visual purpose and to make us care about the citizens of KL dying from dragon’s fire. That’s it.

It makes even less sense because Arya stayed in KL for what reason??? She had no intentions on killing Dany herself. She served no purpose there and it showed.

I’m not against people trying to find the best out of Aryas ending, I’m saying her ending was executed poorly because it was inconsistent with everything we’ve seen before.

No, Arya has never expressed interest in being a warrior, but warriors were her idols. No, Arya isn’t against marriage, she’s against its function in her society. Arya not wanting to be a lady doesn’t mean she doesn’t want a position of power that she can use for good ie being a lord, which she explicitly said she wanted to be in the “not me” conversation.

And a double whammy as to how they fucked her chsradter up so much, Arya admired the Targaryen women who fought and were rulers. She named her direwolf Nymeria after a warrior Queen. To make her hate Dany, be xenophobic, and reject opportunities that would allow her to achieve her dreams is laughably bad writing.

People can argue that people change, but we can’t reference the “not me” convo and argue at the same time that people change. That’s having your cake and eating it too.

2. Narrative techniques like foreshadowing means nothing if it isn’t consistently built up. I’m going to use an example from the show “Atlanta”, so stop reading if you don’t want spoilers for season 2.

All season, it was foreshadowed that Earn would be fire by his cousin Al because he wasn’t doing enough and kept messing up. At the end, it was basically a given, but instead, Al doesn’t fire him because of something Earn did at the last minute. During this foreshadowing, we constantly saw that Al didn’t want to fire him, but wanted his cousin to manage him better and show that he actually would do whatever it took to help him succeed. Despite it being foreshadowed that he was getting fired, Earn keeping his job was also something subtext supported and ended up being a nice twist.

Another example of foreshadowing, Snape from Harry Potter. People still debate that Snape is evil blah blah blah. But, all throughout the series, the subtext always supported that Snape was on the good side, despite being a grey character.

None of his actions makes sense for someone flat out evil unless he was planning to pull a con on Voldemort to take his spot. But, when people argue with feelings and not logic, they make it make sense to them, despite ample evidence that proves otherwise.

I’m in my 20s now, but when I read this series when I was 9, I could never shake the subtext that Snape was fighting for the good guys.

This is all to say, the subtext of the SHOW doesn’t support Dany’s heel turn nor does the foreshadowing. Burning people isn’t proof because Dany used her dragons like northerners used their swords. Dany made tactical war decisions. To suddenly pervert it to support a narrative decision that was shoddily built because the show said so is narrative illiteracy.

The only reason I suspected that Dany could go mad was because of book readers. Not because the show built this reality up well, but bedause book readers kept talking about it non stop and usually those who hated her.

3. Jon’s identity. All of that drama for him to live beyond the wall??? Ned taking a hit to his honor? People saying it’s dire that Jon knows??? Riding Rhaegal?

What the fuck was this for?

Why did we bring Jon back to life???

How does Jon’s arc make narrative sense? How?

Bexause he ended up with the wildlings and tormund?

Even if you take out the prophecies, this shit is a mess. Part of this mess started because of his parents and Jon went through all of that shit to end up where he started.

4. What’s the point of the NK? The symbols? What does it mean???

I could go on and on, but I’m tired. Certain things become important because of how much we love the world that was created and the characters. I’m not saying it’s not important—it’s actually very important, but what’s also important is internal logic and consistency.

What’s also important is telling a story that truly makes sense and not because you like a character or “there’s just so many things to wrap up, so this is good enough.” When someone tells a story, they need to tell it or not bother at all.

Perhaps certain character arcs were emotionally satisfying, but they didn’t make any sense minus Theon. But, the series overall wasn’t emotionally satisfying, but rather, a major let down.

It sacrificed good storytelling to rush a conclusion where they’ve literally known the ending since the beginning. Very few movies or shows have down multiple big bads in one narrative arc that makes sense and GOT is not one of them.

It explained very little while having some think they addressed the pertinent details. Nothing was explained. Nothing makes sense.

Like, what was brans purpose? I don’t want HC and fan theories—give me a full explanation from the series.

How was his ending emotionally satisfying or Cersei’s or jaimes or almost anyone else?

How???

This is why I’m talking about narrative literacy/illiteracy. Many people don’t understand what they’re consuming and are relying on whatever the writers say.

But, these are men who scoffed at someone asking them about themes, to which they said, “this ain’t an 8th grade report.”

And for people who think I’m taking this too seriously, please fuck off. I mean, why are you reading this. To seriously address this potential mode of thinking, Emilia Clark drew strength during her near death experiences from Dany. Abuse victims saw Dany as a role model. Sophie turner learned things from Sansa.

Fictional people can have real life impact. So, what are we telling people who identify with these characters?

That no matter what you do you can’t escape your family legacy and you are your genes?

That you aren’t deserving of love and stability because you were in an emotionally dark place for a while?

That you abuser define who you are and you should be thankful for them?

That you’ll have to harm loved ones for the greater good and get punished for it.

That you can get rewarded I life for not doing shit in you’re born in the right family and have the right story.

That we’re doomed to repeat of families mistakes.

What’s the point?

What’s the lesson here?

GOT’s ending isn’t bad because it’s didn’t turn out the way I theorized—hell, I didn’t have any theories. It’s bad because it’s atrocious writing that betrays it’s characters, plot, and overall narrative. It poorly sets up events with terrible execution to subvert expectations or reach a point that they didn’t earn.

Characters and shows that earn what they strive for: Snape, the good place, 12 monkeys, earn not getting fired in Atlanta—but, this only happens when writers give a shit, which D&D did not.

And one last thing: for those who insist that Emilia didn’t understand her character, if you watch the GOT doc “the last watch”, almost every actor negatively responded to her getting killed. Conleth, kit, Lena, Peter, and so forth. These are people who embody the characters, some of which oppose her, and even they could not believe what the series did. It wasn’t simply shock. Some were devastated and Conleth was straight up pissed.

So, please, when you or if you dismiss criticism of the series for fans not getting what they want, please try to deconstruct the narrative and ask yourself if it makes sense. Ask yourself if you understand what the series is saying or trying to say. See if you are trying to rationalize conflicting things.

#got #game of thrones

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frazzledsoul · 7 years ago

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Reboots and Revivals, Ranked By Frazzled! (well, the ones she has seen)

So we’re currently experiencing a revival craze. The suits have run out of ideas, few people actually want to watch the networks anymore, so why not send everyone scrambling back for the stuff they used to love?

I’m not so crazy about it. The trend seems to be to retcon the characters’ endings so we can place them back in the same places they were ten or fifteen or twenty years ago, and in many cases the characters needed and deserved those endings. It doesn’t do anyone any good to make these characters unhappy when they were happy or to pretend that life hasn’t moved on when it very much has. It isn’t the same and many times it ruins what was good about what we loved about those TV shows in the first place.

However, sometimes stuff needs to be fixed, and that’s not a bad thing.

However, since this article got all of it dreadfully, dreadfully wrong I will proceed to rank these revivals from worst to best, according to my infallible judgment.

(I won’t be discussing Roseanne, as this is Tumblr and I doubt that discussion would go well. It probably would be in the middle of the pack if I was going to talk about it, though).

9. 24: Legacy

Okay, whose brilliant brainchild was this? 24 without Jack or Chloe? How can we even think of such a thing? I mean, Tony Almeida was there, and he was still hot, but seriously . . . there is an entire plot thread devoted to whether Not!Jack’s wife wants to take her birth control pill. THIS IS NOT WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR, GUYS. Plus, they kill the female head of the CTU, the only likable character? (besides Tony, that is).

I’ve heard they’re planning to reboot it again, only still without Jack or Chloe, but with a female in the Not!Jack role. Guys, that was not the problem here. The problem is that you can’t do this without the Terrible Twosome. Don’t even bother.

8. Battlestar Galactica

I only watched the first two seasons, and I didn’t see the original. I’m not going to say a lot about it, but the human characters got to be so vicious and did so many blatantly immoral things I just couldn’t excuse that I quit. I kept rooting for the Cylons to wipe out the human characters. I don’t think that was the goal. Before then, it was a very well made show, though. Sometimes I wish I could have kept watching it.

7. 24: Live Another Day

Okay, I only suffered through a few episode of this, and it probably shouldn’t even count as a reboot. We still had Jack and Chloe and they merely removed the action to another continent. However, I just think that killing off Chloe’s entire family so she could wear black eyeliner was so cruel that I couldn’t get past it, especially since the show refused to touch a hair on Kim’s head. I don’t think moving the action to Europe really worked for me, either.

I’m glad they killed off Audrey, though. I could never really understand Jack’s obsession with her.

6. Fuller House

This show knows exactly what it wants to be and it is. What it wants to be is not a quality show. It wants to be a nostalgia-filled, kitschy sitcom, and it is. So I enjoy it for what it is and don’t expect more. It’s ranked low because the end result is well, not that good, but that’s mostly due to the nature of the show. It’s as good as it can be, and that’s enough.

Also, #TeamSteve forever, and I look forward to the Perfect Strangers reboot so we can have crossovers.

5. The X Files

Okay, so major points off for breaking up Mulder and Scully for the purpose of this reboot, William is a bizarre alien hybrid baby and not really the spawn of our beloved duo, someone needs to inform Chris Carter about the realities of the female reproductive system, and WTF was that ending?

OTOH, I did really enjoy Mulder and Scully being adorable and making their way back to being a couple and I can live with that ending since we’re already pretending that these two are years younger than they actually are. But please, no more, ever. Done. Finito. That’s it.

4. Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life

Oh, wow. So much to say about this. I know this because I have spent the past year and a half talking about it, over and over.

There was no need for this revival to exist. The only reason that it existed at all was because a large contingent of fans were convinced that the only real ending was the one that ASP could write, that only she could magically fix what was wrong with the last two seasons, even though she had caused most of the damage in the first place. It wasn’t to make Lorelai and Rory happy or to give them the endings they deserved so they could move on with their lives and not have to depend on each other so much. All of that had had already been done.

So was it a mistake giving ASP control of the narrative back? I don’t know. I enjoyed the revival. I didn’t trust these writers. I had feared for years that if ASP got her chance to pretend that season 7 didn’t happen that she would have simply reunited Lorelai with Christopher and give them the happy ending because she hadn’t gotten to write that ship like she wanted. All I wanted from this revival was for Luke and Lorelai to be happy and for Christopher to stay in his corner and not bother anyone else. I got that.

I loved Luke’s epic speech to Lorelai and the wedding in the gazebo. I loved that Lorelai admitted that the Christopher thing was a mistake and she had loved Luke all long. I loved that they had formed this successful domestic life for themselves after so many hurdles and misunderstandings. I loved how much Jess had grown and that he and Luke were still close. I found a lot of the revival in general to be funny, quirky, and charming.

However, honestly? It was sloppily written. There are gigantic plot holes and logical inconsistencies all over the place. Prison Break and Roseanne both did a better job in resolving the stuff they retconned from their last seasons, and both of those shows brought characters back from the dead. It’s obvious to me that the two major things that season 7 did well - focusing on April as a vital and important part of Luke’s life and developing his relationship with other characters and making Logan an independent person who wasn’t beholden to his father for his entire existence - were dearly missing from the revival. And objectively speaking, that ending for Rory is horrible. Not because I think it’s really that disastrous of a situation now but because the intent all along was to ruin both Lorelai and Rory’s hopes and dreams and sacrifices. No one can ever escape becoming their parents, and neither Lorelai or Rory can really grow up and seek the futures they wanted because they’ll always be tied to the same cycle. “Where you lead, I will follow” becomes a curse, not an inspiration.

So maybe it’s better to just keep the finale we had, and believe that Rory was sent off to live her dream in the adult world that Lorelai had worked so hard to ensure for her. Lorelai moves onto a life (and a family) with Luke that they both had wanted. Neither of those things were possible unless Lorelai and Rory were allowed to grow up and have a little space from each other. The relationship the show was about wouldn’t be exactly the same, but it was necessary for them to move on and be happy. I think that’s a perfectly suitable happily ever after.

3. Macgyver

I don’t remember ever watching the original show, though I’m sure I must have at some point. This is a perfectly inoffensive and entertaining procedural. It’s exactly what it wants to be and nothing else. I quite enjoy it for that.

2. Hawaii 5-0

I am certain I never watched the original. However, like Macgyver, an inoffensive procedural that is exactly what it wants to be. I haven’t watched it since they kicked off half the cast, but until that point I really liked it and, and bonus points for the many, many guest appearances from TV sci-fi royalty.

1. Prison Break

Okay, I really did not expect to love this revival this much. They resurrect our dead protagonist, revive our OTP, have all of the returning characters basically behave in character, and we can get down to the business of illogical plot twists and impossible action sequences. And we end up with a happy ending with our formerly dead hero reunited with his family and the villain vanquished?

Seriously, I know it’s Prison Break and the expectations aren’t that high, but I wish other revivals were able to do this. Just bring back your characters and end it with the plot thread concluded and everyone we care about happy and alive. That’s all I ask for.

(This will probably be shot to hell if they go through with the second season, but for now it’s my favorite).

#revivals ranked!#gilmore girls ayitl #prison break #macgyver #24 live another day #24 legacy #battlestar galactica #fuller house #x files #hawaii 5-0

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televinita · 7 years ago

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kateschechterxthorwasmyfirstotp replied to post: If you did not watch the last episode, they kind of righted that wrong...

Eh...I read what they tried, but I deemed it Not Good Enough. That was a pretty fundamental betrayal of my deepest shipping principles and too many years apart for me to ever feel okay about them again.

#I have been trying to coherently explain it for like 20 minute and I keep getting bogged down in anger and sadness at the memories so tl;dr: no

EDIT: actually you know what, I am gonna explain it, via copy-pasting the long ass 4-part blog post I made about it the night it aired (I didn’t watch because I was behind on the season, but I hung out in the Tumblr tag and read live reactions), which incidentally was the night after we put my dog to sleep so those two Sadness Memories are wrapped around each other. I always meant to post at least part of it to Tumblr and I regret not doing that.

February 2013

Wednesday: Unedited Ranty Version LOL NOPE BYE. Literally just...not accepting this. Never watching the episode, done with future episodes, the show can just stop here. Unlike with Glee, I am above this. I don't feel it hard enough to be canon, and god, I am so much better for it. Sucks for all the fans who can't just handwave it and decide not to believe. I'm not even going to bother repeating all my Kurt/Blaine rage from last fall, because Sara and Grissom met late enough in life that they aren't in quite the same category of fairytale romance, even if they are soulmates, but -- my anger about relationships losing their magic if you break up in the middle and see other people after finally getting together? So very applicable. (Honestly, show, what happened to them having a marriage that worked for them and no one else needed to understand? Why couldn't you just leave that alone? Why did you have to pick? There was no reason to pick. No picking! /nasally Seinfeld voice.) I'm kind of sorry they already lost their spot in the Top Five All-Time OTPs Kingdom to Kurt and Blaine, because I would have really enjoyed kicking them the fuck out tonight. If I believed this were happening. Which I realized, 5 seconds after writing the above, that I am not. Goodbye, and good luck. Thursday morning (a.k.a. just kidding I’m still mad as hell and back to yell) I like how they keep talking about "implications into next year" and how the story will continue. No, it won't. You've separated them before, a fact I had forgotten about because I refused to watch 9x05 and it was clearly just a pause button on the way to spinny-camera grand reunion kissing as opposed to a real breakup, but there's no way to fix this now. There is no more to the story; you don't get to tell a story after this. Glee already proved to me that there is no way to make a worthwhile arc out of a vile bomb drop. Although I am kind of sorry that this relationship could actually have withstood cheating and it would have been easier to swallow than divorce. Maybe because it still feels like cheating. You're meant to be with someone, you can't have extracurricular people! I have some unfinished business with those first 7 episodes of season 13, and I'm not sure what to do with that -- they were great and I hate to leave them unwritten about, but if I go back there is a slim chance it will get devious like Grey's Anatomy and suck me back in underhandedly, and I'd rather spite myself than give it that opening. So I'm not totally sure if this is the end. But it sure has that really certain Bones Episode #100 level sense of THIS IS UNFORGIVABLE. GAME OVER. Thursday night Reading other people's opinions is always a dumb way to go, because instead of saying my piece and being done, now I'm riled up and feel like I need to FORCE people to understand something they just don't seem to be getting, whether they're being practical and pragmatic or writhing about it in "but they were my first real ship!" angst. (as if they are only a ship, instead of so much more) The thing is, this isn't just a dumb writing choice you can complain about. This isn't even about whether it's in character or not. It is literally. Not. An option. Some couples just aren't allowed to break up. A UST couple that takes more than 5 years to get together is one of them. And once they get married, that's absolutely it. A victory for permanent commitment and contentment. There's no divorce in good storytelling, there are no separations. That lazy nonsense is reserved for books, movies, and silly soap opera types like Grey's Anatomy. Couples like Grissom and Sara, they are foundations. Institutions. When you want to change the look of your house or test out something new, you work with the existing structure. You don't knock it down and build it back up from the floorboards. To be fair, I was always upset by the "long distance marriage" - there was no reason for it; there was never a reason Grissom couldn't be off screen right here in Vegas, teaching at a local university or simply pursuing his own research supplemented with travel when necessary. The longer it went on, the less happy I felt. But since they told us it worked, I put up with it for the joy of having Jorja Fox back on my screen. I see now that was a mistake, and the only way to keep them safe was to push them away. The point is: TPTB broke television law. I can't judge this like other shows as a good or bad direction for the characters, or wonder how it will affect Sara in the upcoming episodes, because they are untouchable. It's honestly laughable that anyone thought it was okay to even try this. Can you imagine if the second X-Files movie followed through on its misdirection and went "lol yeah Mulder and Scully haven't seen each other in 5 years"? I

[2017 edit: FYI I have not stopped being angry about the bitter irony of this comment since the revival spoilers hit.]

If you need more universal examples, that's like tuning in to find out the Brady Bunch has split back up into two separate households, or Disney is going to experiment with a new movie where Minnie elopes with Goofy.

You don't get to pretend you're setting up for a season or two-season arc. This isn't an arc. This is a slash and burn project. Let's pretend, for a minute, that this is planned as an emotionally complex journey that will force them to examine what they mean to each other and get them back together, Costa Rica style, in next year's season finale. Do you think that would be worth it? Do you think the struggle to get there will make the ultimate conclusion heartwarming, fill you with elation as you see them beat all the odds? It will not. It will be long tainted by then, a sour coda to an unfixable mess, because what you had wasn't important enough to preserve. You can't ever get back to what you were, and it's already too late. That is the best case scenario. There are no character motivations to explore. There is nothing to dig into. A death warrant was signed and went up as effectively as a brick wall in stopping the development of this relationship in its tracks. Televinita out. #breakingupwithCSI #I reject your canon and substitute my own Thursday: Post-Essay Messiness Oops. Reading my old reviews because I can't remember GSR's chronology off the top of my head, and...there is no way I'm letting anyone use this as justification for being in character, but this conversation does seem sort of relevant all over again. "Sooner or later a relationship in stasis withers. You get angry. You need more than the safety of knowing that you're not alone." "Then he should've just walked away." "Well, maybe he couldn't. Maybe he needed her to leave him." Apparently I also got kind of angry in the early part of season 9 when Sara left again, and may have threatened to break up with this show at that time? *chagrined look* But 2008 Me seems to have still accepted this as a possible, if highly undesirable, turn for the couple. What changed? And am I crazy, or is it possible to decide neither of the times Sara left were actual breakups as opposed to pause buttons? Oh, that's right. What changed is they got married. I repeat, when it comes to long-running couples on TV, wedding bands are as much a promise to the audience as they are to the people involved. You put a ring on it after proper courtship, that's a universally accepted sign for "you win: permanent freedom from being jerked around for Drama/Conflict/ratings."

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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25 best TV shows of the year, from ‘Fleabag’ to ‘Pose’

After 2019, TV will never be the same.

This year, TV got bigger than we ever could have imagined back when there were only three channels. Over 500 scripted series premiered new episodes, two major new streaming services (Apple TV+ and Disney+) debuted, “Star Wars” and Meryl Streep came to TV and “Game of Thrones” ended with massive ratings but disappointed fans. And yet we still are mostly talking about where we’ll be able to easily access reruns of “Friends.”

But there were some really fantastic TV series we hope some of you managed to watch between all the Twitter reactions and marathons of Disney animated movies. And spoiler alert: “Thrones” and its terrible ending didn’t make the cut.

You still have plenty of time before New Year’s Day to catch up on USA TODAY’s top 25 series of 2019.

Joe (Penn Badgley) stalks a new woman (Victoria Pedretti) in “You” Season 2. (Photo: Tyler Golden/Netflix)

25. ‘You’ (Netflix)

The soapy thriller starring Penn Badgley was a pleasant surprise in its original home on Lifetime, and became a sensation once it moved to Netflix, which will stream its second season Dec. 26. The second outing with self-aggrandizing stalker (and murderer) Joe is just as addictive as the first, if a little repetitive. But of all the current series that traffic in bad men doing bad things, “You” remains one of the few that asks interesting questions about its bad guy.

24. ‘Evil’ (CBS)

Akin to “The X-Files” for religion – in which a psychologist, a priest-in-training and a tech expert investigate claims of miracles and demonic possessions – “Evil” is a hard sell on paper, but a surprisingly coherent and gripping series. Created by Robert and Michelle King (“The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight”), it is thought-provoking as an investigation of organized, institutional religion and as a source of thrilling horror stories about exorcisms and evildoers.

23. ‘Living With Yourself’ (Netflix)

Paul Rudd is one of Hollywood’s most charming (and ageless) actors, and he does welcome double duty in this dark comedy about a man who ends up with a clone that is significantly better at living his life. Full of existential angst and pratfalls, the series neatly balances comedy and drama. It’s also a great showcase for Irish actress Aisling Bea, who turns in a breakout performance that isn’t overshadowed by Rudd’s star power.

22. ‘Country Music’ (PBS)

Ken Burns rarely disappoints. The legendary filmmaker turned his lens on the history of a uniquely American music genre for this 18-part documentary that traced its roots and rise. It may have also changed some minds about what country music really is and who it is for.

Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and Caleb McLaughlin in Stranger Things 3 . (Photo: Netflix.)

21. ‘Stranger Things’ (Netflix)

After a disappointing and derivative second season, the ’80s-set supernatural series – Netflix’s most popular – returned with new episodes that took more risks and repeated fewer plot points. With the Soviets as new villains, new horror inspirations for the monsters and new relationships to explore – particularly the friendship between Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Max (Sadie Sink) – the series crafted a third season that was almost as captivating as its breakout first.

20. ‘Veronica Mars’ (Hulu)

In our current nostalgia-obsessed TV era, there are plenty of truly terrible reboots, remakes and revivals (“Fuller House”), but sometimes bringing back the original cast and creators years or even decades later results in good TV. The most successful attempt in recent years is “Veronica Mars,” the cult neo-noir series canceled by CW in 2003, revived in 2014 for a movie and brought back yet again for eight episodes by Hulu. Kristen Bell and creator Rob Thomas found a mystery worth Veronica’s talents, and room for the beloved-but-damaged detective to grow. Its shocker ending divided fans, but nothing about the new “Mars” felt cheap, forced or dated, and that’s a true achievement.

19. ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’ (HBO)

If you missed this small but mighty new sketch comedy series in August, it’s worth catching up on all six episodes of the hilarious first season. Created by Robin Thede and produced by Issa Rae (“Insecure”), the series’ talented black women comedians excel in sketches that are unique to their experiences and universal in their humor.

Mj Rodriguez as Blanca, Billy Porter as Pray Tell on “Pose.” (Photo: Michael Parmelee/FX)

18. ‘Pose’ (FX)

FX’s groundbreaking LGBTQ drama became bigger and more intimate in its excellent second season, homing in on its best characters while making its stories more ambitious, tragic and complex. The season was more focused and compelling than its promising first year, with especially strong performances from Emmy-winning Billy Porter as Pray Tell, Mj Rodriguez as Blanca and Indya Moore as Angel.

17. ‘Stumptown’ (ABC)

There is nothing particularly revolutionary about this procedural drama starring Cobie Smulders, but it stands out among the new network offerings this year because of the thoughtful and fresh way the writers make age-old detective stories. Smulders shines as Dex Parios, a deeply caring if not always smooth private investigator, and her performance elevates “Stumptown” beyond just-another-network-cop-show.

16. ‘The Good Fight’ (CBS All Access)

Despite getting a little more fantastical every year, CBS All Access’ “Good Wife” spinoff is still the drama that best captures the current sociopolitical era. Its third season, with the addition of Michael Sheen as a Roy Cohn-inspired lawyer, was a little wacky without getting too weird, with smart scripts and great performances, most notably from Christine Baranski and Audra MacDonald.

15. ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ (Netflix)

This prequel to Jim Henson’s 1982 film manages to go above and beyond the beloved original. On aesthetics alone, the series is a huge achievement, but it also tells a fantasy story as lofty and politically complex as “Game of Thrones.” That “Crystal” manages to make fully-realized characters and plots through mesmerizing puppetry rounds out a superb epic.

Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II on “The Crown.” (Photo: Sophie Mutevelian/Netflix)

14. ‘The Crown’ (Netflix)

God save the Queen, whoever happens to be playing her. Netflix’s British royals drama proved it can go deep into the reign of Queen Elizabeth II by successfully swapping its original cast for an older set of actors, including Oscar winner Olivia Colman in the lead role (previously played by Emmy winner Claire Foy). The third season has a few bumps, and struggles to make Elizabeth the center of her own story, but the addition of a young Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor) and his romantic escapades makes up for Colman’s brief screen time.

13. ‘Superstore’ (NBC)

Like a cheap bottle of wine at Target, “Superstore” just gets better with age. NBC’s workplace comedy is smarter and funnier every season, and 2019 episodes represent the show at its peak. “Superstore” kept its stories and character dynamics fresh this year by promoting Amy (America Ferrera) to manager of the Cloud 9 big box store, changing her socioeconomic status in an instant and drastically altering her relationship with her co-workers, including boyfriend Jonah (Ben Feldman).

Kayvan Novak as Nandor and Harvey Guillen as Guillermo on “What We Do in the Shadows.” (Photo: John P Johnson/FX)

12. ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (FX)

Based on the cult 2014 film from Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords”) and Taika Waititi (who directed “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Jojo Rabbit”), “Shadows” is the funniest show this year, an outright bacchanalia of vampiric failures, energy draining and nerdy virgins. The comedy moves its focus from hapless vampires in New Zealand to an even more inept clan in Staten Island, New York, with lofty goals such as taking over the world via city council meetings.

11. ‘The Good Place’ (NBC)

The philosophical afterlife comedy hasn’t been quite as brilliant in its fourth and final season, but even at 85% strength, “Good Place” is still smarter and funnier than most shows on TV. Nailing an ending to a series that asks questions as big as this one does (what does it take to be a good person?) is always tricky, and most crucially the series is staying true to its delightful characters.

10. ‘Shrill’ (Hulu)

At last, “Saturday Night Live” standout Aidy Bryant has a starring role worthy of her talents in Hulu’s “Shrill.” The actress finds a quieter side of her comedy in this Portland, Oregon-set series based on writer and fat-acceptance activist Lindy West’s memoir. It marks the best portrayal of life as a plus-size woman on TV, neither patronizing nor unrealistic, and tells stories beyond its protagonist’s weight on a scale. With just six hilarious episodes, it’s one of the few TV series that would have excelled if it had expanded.

Merritt Weaver, left, and Toni Collette play detectives who initially butt heads but learn to work together in Netflix miniseries “Unbelievable.” (Photo: Beth Dubber/Netflix)

9. ‘Unbelievable’ (Netflix)

True-crime stories can be many things: seedy, enthralling, vindicating, angering or satisfying. Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning ProPublica article, “Unbelievable” is both infuriating and triumphant, highlighting the deep flaws in our criminal justice system while also celebrating the work of two genuinely heroic policewomen. With a stellar cast, “Unbelievable” tells the story of a rape victim (Kaitlyn Dever) who isn’t believed by police, and the two detectives (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) who bring her attacker to justice years later – after he raped several more women.

8. ‘Undone’ (Amazon)

As deeply emotional and affecting as it is unsettling, Amazon’s animated series gets under your skin, in a good way. The series’ rotoscoping technique, in which animation is drawn over live footage, provides an eerie edge as it tells a magic-realist story of a stagnant 20-something woman (Rosa Salazar) who can travel in time and communicate with her dead father. But for every psychedelic trip Alma takes, she also takes a more grounded one as she tries to repair damaged relationships and plot her next course.

7. ‘Dead to Me’ (Netflix)

Christina Applegate gives her best performance in Netflix’s black comedy about a widow who unknowingly befriends the woman (the great Linda Cardellini) who killed her husband. Twisty but not gimmicky, “Dead” is addictive. The series has an abundance of acting talent, including James Marsden, who finally gets a role that takes the sheen off his perfect smile.

6. ‘Watchmen’ (HBO)

Although it started off a bit unsurely, HBO’s very loose adaptation of the graphic novel has blossomed into one of creator Damon Lindelof’s best series, and from the man behind “Lost” and “The Leftovers,” that’s some achievement. The series has a superb cast – including Regina King, Jean Smart, Jeremy Irons and Tim Blake Nelson – that elevates smart scripts that get better as the season progresses. Lindelof and his writers find surprising ways to bring the superhero story from the 1980s into today’s culture, helping “Watchmen” upend the comic book formula once again.

Asante Blackk in “When They See Us,” Ava DuVernay’s retelling of the Central Park Five. (Photo: NETFLIX)

5. ‘When They See Us’ (Netflix)

Ava DuVernay’s striking miniseries gives voice to the so-called Central Park Five, a group of five black and Latino youths wrongly convicted of assault in one of the biggest trials of the 1980s. With an extremely talented group of young actors as the falsely accused adolescents – Asante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome and Marquis Rodriguez – the series brings the story to the screen as a brutal, unrelenting tragedy.

4. ‘Back to Life’ (Showtime)

This British tragicomedy, starring and created by Daisy Haggard (“Episodes”), focuses on Miri, a woman who returns to her small seaside village after spending 18 years in prison for a crime that’s explained as the series progresses. Although Miri has left iron bars and jumpsuits behind, her small town is a prison of its own, where she is hated by all but her parents, her new boss and her kindly neighbor. Touching on themes of forgiveness and deception, the series is breathtaking in its emotional scope, despite the small story it tells over just six episodes.

3. ‘Chernobyl’ (HBO)

The brilliance of this historical miniseries, which chronicles the 1986 nuclear disaster at a power plant in Soviet Ukraine, creeps up on you as you watch its five episodes. Despite portraying so much death and despair, “Chernobyl” is never crass or exploitative, but rather it simply, anger-inducingly explains the failures and hubris that led to the disaster, and the people who tried to mitigate its consequences.

2. ‘Leaving Neverland’ (HBO)

Among 2019’s many true crime documentaries that made viewers question established media narratives and powerful people, this one – about two men who accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse when they were children – stood out. Wade Robson and James Safechuck were given a platform to tell their harrowing stories, and director Dan Reed is unflinching as he captures the pain and suffering of the men and their families. Tough to watch, it’s also an eye-opening look at the lasting effects of abuse, and the way the media handles allegations against powerful men.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag in Amazon’s “Fleabag.” (Photo: Amazon)

1. ‘Fleabag’ (Amazon)

Could there be any other choice for No. 1? Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s dark comedy ran away with the 2019 Emmy Awards for good reason. Few series have ever been as emotionally affecting and brilliantly written as “Fleabag” in its second season. The story of a self-hating and self-destructive woman (Waller-Bridge) falling in love with a Catholic priest (Andrew Scott) was both a shocking sequel to the first and an exquisitely perfect ending to Fleabag’s tale. We’ll miss her dearly.

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whittlebaggett8 · 6 years ago

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14 of the most-hated series finales of all time, according to critics, Defence Online

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Critics despise the “Dexter” finale.

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Showtime

Critics devote their time to watching and reviewing shows, and sometimes the reviews are scathing.

Shows that could receive high praise for multiple seasons may fall apart at the end. Critics loved “Dexter” for years, but the series is one of the most despised in recent years. The “How I Met Your Mother” finale also disappointed critics and fans alike.

Here are 14 of the worst finales according to critics.

On “Dexter,” the serial killer’s end as a lumberjack with a new identity wasn’t favorable to many critics.

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The finale aired in 2013.

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Showtime

What critics said: “As the closing scene faded from my television screen, my reaction wasn’t shock or sadness. It was anger….It’s the kind of anger you feel after investing so much time into a show that you once loved, only to watch it fizzle out in the most unsatisfying of ways.” – Vulture

“It’s a feat for a finale to make you regret having watched a single moment of the series, but ‘Remember The Monsters’ made it look easy.” – AV Club

The polarizing “Seinfeld” finale ended with Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer in prison for being bad people.

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The finale aired in 1998.

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NBC

What critics said: “It was such a terrible letdown…Still, future scholars will be poring over this last episode like the Dead Sea Scrolls. But, for now, I’d just like to say: It goes to prove money isn’t everything in the writing of comedy.” – Newsday

“The hype before the ‘Seinfeld’ farewell was one event the country should never go through again. The sitcom had its weakest season this year and should have gone off the air a year ago.” – Orlando Sentinel

The “Lost” finale has been panned by fans and critics who felt that the flash-sideways plot took away from the island and the importance of the entire story.

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The finale aired in 2010.

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ABC

What critics said: “So the sound you heard ’round about 10 Sunday night was thousands of non-romantics wishing for a time slip that would give them those two and a half hours and possibly six seasons back.” – Los Angeles Times

“The ending felt contrived and disappointing, which was probably inevitable. After years of insane complication of plot and character, no ending could have ‘explained’ the show in a wholly satisfying way, and it might have been better not to try.” – New York Times

The “Weeds” finale jumped years into the future offering a glimpse of what the main characters were up to in later years, but critics were unimpressed.

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It aired in 2012.

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Showtime

What critics said: “Pour one out to Showtime’s ‘Weeds,’ y’all. But not the good stuff. The show no longer deserves it. However, as we reflect upon last night’s weak, bummer of a series finale, let’s remember the good times: The first three seasons. It was once a great show.” – Uproxx

“The Botwins – if we can still call them that – said farewell Sunday, with a ‘Weeds’ series finale that a stoner might describe as … ‘a total bummer, man.’” – TV Guide

“True Blood’s” finale season was not well-received from both fans and critics who thought the show became too convoluted and lost its focus.

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It aired in 2014.

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HBO

What critics said: “In the case of ‘True Blood’ at least, the thin-stretched and scattershot nature of its emotional threads have made it difficult to garner the sense of true satisfaction to any end, creating a prism of viewer expectation to interpret ‘Thank You’ every which way.” _ ScreenCrush

“‘Nothing’ was the final word spoken in ‘True Blood’s’ final episode. Maybe it was fitting: What did this deeply radical show ultimately stand for? Nothing. What did we spend seven seasons watching this show for? Nothing.” – Entertainment Weekly

The “How I Met Your Mother” finale introduced the mother and killed her shortly after, infuriating many people. It also took back character growth that had developed over the seasons and felt like a cop-out.

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It aired in 2014.

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CBS

What critics said: “Recent seasons of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ have disappointed me. But it’s one thing when a show makes character choices or pacing decisions I don’t care for – and boy, ‘HIMYM’ has made a lot of those. It’s another thing, though, when a show makes a choice I don’t respect. Killing the mom is bad enough, but making this a Ted-and-Robin love story is bailing on the central conceit of the show. You might even call it a slap in the face.” – Vulture

“Stories change over nine years, characters do, people do. And people did over the course of ‘HIMYM’ – only to be wrenched back over the course of an hour, because that was the Plan. That show you followed since 2005, it turns out, was the longest retcon in the history of retcons.” – Time

The original “Roseanne” finale turned the entire season nine on its head by revealing Dan’s death and the fact that Roseanne had basically made up all of the events of the final season.

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It aired in 1997.

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ABC

What critics said: “The effect on the series of this mutation was to take it further and further from its heartland – the experience of those who live on the underlip of the American dream. Nothing, though – not the winning of the lottery, nor the arrival of terrorists – could have prepared you for the programme’s final episode, as bizarre a piece of television as I have wrestled with in many years.” – The Independent

“Even by the debased standards of the landmark sitcom’s ninth and final season, the series-ender was off-the-rails loopy.” – Time

The “Heroes” finale wasn’t meant to be a series finale, but it was, and ultimately critics found that it was good at being neither.

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It aired in 2010.

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NBC

What critics said: “Yet here we are anyways at the season, possibly series finale, with an episode so bad, it somehow made me feel retroactively like I wasted more time watching everything that preceded it.” – AV Club

“There was no suspense and no emotional attachment to anything going on. There was nothing especially awful about the hour, but nothing remotely season finale worthy, either.” – TV Fanatic

The conclusion to “Under the Dome,” adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name, was a let-down for critics and fans who stuck with the show from the first season. The dome came down and there was a time jump, but not enough questions were answered.

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It aired in 2015.

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CBS

What critics said: “So this is where we leave things. With a horrid episode filled with utter nonsense and awful dialogue. Like we were watching a parody of an action/adventure series from ‘SNL’ or some other late night comedy show.” – IGN

“Under the Dome Season 3 Episode 13 was indeed the series finale, and it didn’t quite have the closure you’d have expected. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that it was a slap in the face to us fans who have hung in there for three seasons for a conclusion to a show that should have ended after the first run.” – TV Fanatic

“Game of Thrones” finished its final season on a rotten note as many critics mourned the loss of character development and found the plot rushed.

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It aired in 2019.

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HBO

What critics said: “As a fan of the TV show, I felt battered into submission. This season has been the same story over and over again: a lot of tin-eared writing trying to justify some of the most drastic story developments imaginable, as quickly as possible.” – The Atlantic

“Had Game of Thrones given itself more time – an added season, perhaps, or even just a few more episodes – it might have worked its way to a similar place but laid its bread-crumb trail more effectively so that we could all follow along and the right kind of closure could be achieved. … But in this last season, there was too little surprise, too many high-dollar digital theatrics, and less drive to really drill down into the essence of what made Westeros a place where so many people wanted to spend their Sunday nights.” – Vulture

The final season of “The X-Files,” before it was revived years later, was panned by critics who felt the show had lost its touch.

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It aired in 2002.

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20th Century Fox Television

What critics said: “It’s safe to say I now actively dislike this once-great show, creator Chris Carter and the Fox network for the way they’re jerking viewers around. … There was a time I couldn’t wait to see what ‘The X-Files’ would come up with next. Now I’m praying for it to end.” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Season 9 was terrible. Really, really terrible. I hate to be so negative but this was honestly the only season of the show I found so bad as to be borderline unwatchable. Previous seasons have had their low points, but this one lacked even a few good standalone episodes to salvage it.” – The Mary Sue

“Scrubs” was supposed to end after season eight but went into a ninth. Critics felt the show should’ve ended a year earlier.

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It aired in 2010.

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Buena Vista Television

What critics said: “Networks, like doctors, need to know when to pull the plug. For ‘Scrubs’ that expiration date should have arrived last season … Yet, inexplicably, ABC is trying to reanimate the corpse, replacing most, yet not enough, of the cast and shifting the focus to med students. The result is a deadly, deal-driven mistake that takes a network that has made great sitcom strides forward one unfortunate step back.” – USA Today

“At this point, ‘Scrubs’ has turned its original style into a formula; the fantasy sequences are more predictable, the earnest denouements are automatic. It’s a good formula, but one that’s no longer vibrant. I still think ‘Scrubs’ should have stood behind last season’s series finale and gone off the air. But given that the show is back for a ninth go-round, things could be a whole lot worse.” – Boston Globe

“Two and a Half Men” came to an unfortunate end with critics saying it was offensive and unfortunate.

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It aired in 2015.

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Michael Yarish/CBS

What critics said: “The most egregious aspect of the finale was the ending itself, which, again, I reiterate was garbage. … I swear to God, I don’t think I could come up with a worse ending than a faceless Charlie Harper walking up to the front doorstep of Alan’s home, a grand piano falling on his head, and then a pull-out to Chuck Lorre sitting in his director’s chair and turning around to say, ‘Winning!’ – and then a grand piano falling on his head…” – IGN

“During this last season, the show went off the rails in terms of absurdity and offensiveness. … It became so unequivocally terrible that hardly any critics stuck around to watch it long enough and analyze how awful it was, instead checking in only periodically.” – Grantland

Not even Robin Wright could save the lackluster final season of “House of Cards.”

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It aired in 2018.

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Netflix

What critics said: “‘House of Cards’ didn’t need to scorn its own history in order to create a satisfying conclusion, but fans have a right to expect it to be fleeter-footed in giving them a tale worth caring about post-Frank, which would have called for meaningfully moving past him. In the moments when Claire is allowed not just the camera but the story, ‘House of Cards’ is a ride; when the past is relitigated and the specter of Frank rears up once more, it feels like that worst thing a binge-able drama can be: a trudge.” – Variety

“More than half the final season passes before ‘House of Cards’ feels like Claire Underwood’s (Robin Wright) story instead of his epilogue, and even when she starts to see her vision borne out, the lingering questions are all about Frank. Despite the hype, season six isn’t Claire’s show. It’s still Frank’s, which undercuts the season’s many attempts at women-first stories and keeps momentum stagnant.” – IndieWire

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#Evergreen story #Features #Freelancer #News #TV

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lynchgirl90 · 8 years ago

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Kyle MacLachlan and David Lynch excited to collaborate again in the return of 'Twin Peaks'

For Kyle MacLachlan, it was all about the suit.

More than a quarter of a century since “Twin Peaks” ended its brief but influential run on ABC, the actor is reprising his signature role as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, a man whose appreciation of cherry pie and a “damn fine” cup of coffee knows no bounds, in a long-anticipated revival premiering Sunday on Showtime.

MacLachlan has been through quite a lot since the early ’90s, when the mystery of who killed beauty queen Laura Palmer captivated viewers.

The 58-year-old, his hair graying ever so slightly at the temples, has endured wild career swings, gotten married, become a father, and even started a wine business.

Dressed in head-to-toe black, he's seated in an office at Showtime's headquarters in midtown. A dozen stories below, city buses bearing sepia-tone images of him as an older, but still dashing, Cooper chug down Broadway

Luckily the suit still fit.

“The suit pretty much sets it for me — my whole being starts to transform,” says MacLachlan, moving his hands as if grasping an invisible pole to suggest Cooper’s ramrod posture. “And also just David’s presence. When David’s there, I’m Cooper.”

That would be David Lynch, who co-created the original series with Mark Frost and co-wrote and directed all 18 episodes — or “parts,” as he prefers to call them — of the revival. Announced with much fanfare in October 2014, the limited series premieres Sunday and is shrouded in a layer of secrecy that makes the NSA look like amateurs. (Even seemingly benign details about Cooper’s suit were deemed too spoiler-y for print.)

The series marks the return of not only one of the most admired cult series in television history but also the creative partnership between Lynch and MacLachlan, whose most recent collaborations were the 1992 prequel film “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” and a series of “Twin Peaks”-themed Japanese coffee commercials from the same era.

Their relationship dates back to the mid-1980s when MacLachlan, then an unknown actor fresh out of the University of Washington, was plucked from regional-theater obscurity to play the lead in “Dune” (1984), Lynch’s first foray into big-budget Hollywood filmmaking. The adaptation was a notorious commercial and critical failure, but it marked the beginning of a dynamic period of collaboration between the actor and director.

“Blue Velvet” (1986), was the antithesis of “Dune” but a precursor to “Twin Peaks” in its warped view of small-town life and flashes of deadpan humor. MacLachlan starred as Jeffrey Beaumont, a college student whose discovery of a severed ear in the grass leads him on an adventure that plays like “The Hardy Boys” on bad acid.

Cooper was conceived as “a grown-up Jeffrey Beaumont,” says Lynch in a phone interview.

“He’s a magical kind of detective,” explains the director, whose plainspoken quality somehow makes him more inscrutable. “He’s got way more energy than most people. He’s always wide awake and alert and he’s always happy.”

Though Cooper is first introduced a full half-hour into the pilot episode of “Twin Peaks,” he makes an immediate impression, enthusing about the local evergreen trees in the first of many tape-recorded messages to the never-seen Diane.

“That scene very much encapsulated the range of things Kyle can play,” says Showtime President David Nevins. “He’s stalwart and subversive at the same time, which is hard to do.”

MacLachlan still considers the pilot, which he rewatches from time to time, “an extraordinary piece of filmmaking.” It debuted in April 1990 to enormous ratings and ecstatic reviews, with critics praising the singular blend of horror, soapy melodrama and quirky humor. But once the central mystery was resolved, viewers fled. Despite organized protests from fans, ABC canceled the series after 29 episodes, immediately cementing its status as a cult classic.

The part earned MacLachlan two Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe Award and countless free cups of coffee from admirers over the years.

“‘Twin Peaks’ is still the [project] people respond to more than others,” he says, pausing for a beat, “certainly more than ‘The Doors.’” (In case you’d forgotten, he played keyboardist Ray Manzarek in the Oliver Stone film.)

“Twin Peaks” is a surreal puzzle of a show whose influence is evident in shows from “Stranger Things” to “True Detective.”

Wisely, though, few have attempted to imitate its eccentric yet pure-hearted protagonist. Cooper is, on one level, an old-fashioned Hollywood hero marked by boyish enthusiasm and unflagging moral rectitude, a point driven home in the series pilot when he’s mistakenly called Gary Cooper. This is a character who once proclaimed “I would very much like to make love to a beautiful woman who I had genuine affection for” while lying near death on the ground with a gunshot wound in his stomach.

And yet beneath the clean-cut G-Man exterior beats the heart of an oddball. Cooper relies on dreams and visions as much as physical evidence, communicates with dancing dwarfs from alternate dimensions and is drawn to Eastern spirituality. In the series’ second episode, he famously eliminated suspects by throwing stones at bottles from a distance of 60 feet — a technique inspired by his love of Tibet.

“He seems to be secretly listening to radio waves from the zodiac, through the fillings in his teeth,” wrote critic John Leonard in his New York Magazine review of “Twin Peaks.” “He’s a wonder, a puzzlement, a Boy Scout from Sirius the Dog Star.”

Between bites of a ham sandwich, MacLachlan puts it more simply. “You feel like he’s come through darkness, but he’s been able to keep it in place. It doesn’t drive him.”

The series concluded with one of the most heartbreaking series finales in TV history. After a harrowing journey through the mysterious Black Lodge — a.k.a. that room with the red curtains — Cooper was possessed by the malevolent spirit known as Bob. What’s happened to the agent since then — did he take to murdering young girls, like Bob-possessed Leland Palmer before him? — is easily the biggest question hanging over the revival.

MacLachlan hit a rough patch in the years that followed “Twin Peaks,” epitomized by a Razzie-nominated role in "Showgirls" that involved an unintentionally hilarious pool sex scene. But he eventually found a niche of sorts in parts that, like Agent Cooper, played in tension with his classic good looks. In “Sex and the City,” he portrayed Charlotte’s seemingly perfect first husband, Trey MacDougal, a WASPY cardiologist with deep-seated mommy issues and a pesky case of erectile dysfunction. And there was Orson Hodge, Bree’s lying, philandering, would-be plumber-murdering husband on “Desperate Housewives.”

What he didn’t do was return to work with Lynch, who made films with other dark and handsome types, like Justin Theroux (“Mulholland Drive”). MacLachlan has theories about why. “I’m Cooper for David,” he says. “That’s it. I’m Cooper and I live in Twin Peaks.” (Lynch gently disputes this: “If another role came along that he was right for, I would know it and I would be very happy for him. It just didn’t ever happen.”)

However, the pair did see each other regularly. MacLachlan has a home in the Hollywood Hills, just up the road from Lynch. When in town he’d often “just take the parking brake off the car and roll down the hill” for a cup of coffee — yes, coffee. Their conversations would inevitably turn to “Twin Peaks.”

Lynch would usually dismiss the idea of a revival, even though “it wasn’t ever dead,” he says. “The stories continue in one’s mind.”

Eventually, MacLachlan got an urgent phone call from Lynch: He had something to discuss but couldn’t talk about it on the phone. “I said, ‘I hope it’s nothing health-related,’” MacLachlan recalls.

It was not. In New York, Lynch pitched him the new “Twin Peaks” and asked if he’d be interested in reprising the role of Cooper. “I said, ‘I’ve never not been interested,’” says MacLachlan, who was “seduced by the challenge” of reviving “Twin Peaks.” The series arrives amid a wave of ’90s revivals taking over the small screen, including “Fuller House,” “The X Files” and “Will & Grace.”

But this continuation is not driven by nostalgia, insist those involved. If anything, Lynch, who was less involved in the show’s second, uneven season, seems motivated by a desire to course-correct and return to the vision laid out in the pilot. “In my mind the series drifted away from what I thought of as ‘Twin Peaks,’” he says. “It was tough to watch for me.”

Co-writing and directing 18 hours of television — after more than a decade away from full-time filmmaking — was a feat of stamina for Lynch, who also returns in a supporting role as Cooper’s boss, Gordon Cole. “I was a major stud before I started, and now I can barely walk,” he jokes.

For Showtime’s Nevins, Lynch and Frost’s hands-on involvement was essential. “I was only interested if I knew it was going to be the real thing,” he says. The executive describes the revival as Cooper’s “odyssey back to himself” and an exploration of relevant themes of national identity.

“I find Kyle such a quintessentially all-American actor, and I think that’s what David likes about him. It’s really interesting revisiting this character and this world in a moment in American history where we’re trying to figure out who we are, and what it means to ‘Make America great again.’”

MacLachlan is less inclined to elaborate, but does let it slip that — spoiler alert — his professional chemistry with Lynch returned instantly. “That’s something that came back like that,” MacLachlan says with a snap of his fingers. “We do a great dance together.”

link (TP)

#Twin Peaks #LA Times #Kyle MacLachlan #David Lynch

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wbwest · 8 years ago

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West Week Ever: Pop Culture In Review - 4/21/17

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Star Wars Celebration (I can’t say that without thinking of Dave Chappelle’s Rick James yelling “It’s a celebration, bitches!”) happened in Florida last weekend, and we got our first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Folks seemed to like it alright. I’ve never claimed to be the biggest Star Wars fan, but nothing about this really gave me a Force Boner or anything. That’s probably because Rogue One left such a bad taste in my mouth. Anyway, I’m sure I’ll see it, but it’s not really on my radar.

In other movie “news”, we got the track listing for Awesome Mix Vol 2 from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2., which comes out today. Is it just me, or is it weird that Mama Quill gave Peter mixtapes of all the songs that played while she was banging dudes in Camaros? Come on – she was totally that chick! Anyway, there are no real surprises here, as it seems to be in-line thematically with the first volume. Personally, I’m ecstatic that “Come A Little Bit Closer” will be introduced to a new generation, as I’m a huge fan of Jay and the Americans (check out “Cara Mia” if you’ve never heard it).

This rumor came out a few weeks ago, but it kinda floated under my radar: apparently Warner Bros wants to release 4 Batman-centered films in 2019 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Detective Comics. This slate would include Nightwing, Gotham City Sirens, the Joss Whedon Batgirl, and the oft-delayed The Batman. Nice idea, but there’s no way this happens. DC just doesn’t have its shit together enough to pull this off. Marvel could do it, but they would’ve been planning it since 2012. It’s already 2017 and they expect to crank out 4 movies in 2 years? Shit ain’t happening.

Bring on the teen angst train, as we’ve got two more comic-based series just dripping with it! First up is Cloak and Dagger on Freeform, which looks like the Freeformiest show that ever Freeformed. It’ll be right at home between the show about the deaf girl and the show about the foster kids. I’ve never been a huge Cloak and Dagger fan, but the series follows teen runaways Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, who were kidnapped and injected with an experimental drug. The drug left Tandy (Dagger) with “light daggers”, while Tyrone (Cloak) has a mystical cloak that transports people and things to a dark dimension. Oh, and there’s that sweet, sweet interracial love/Jungle Fever aspect to things. Based on the trailer, it’s gonna focus more on the love thing than the power thing, which is understandable since powers are expensive on a weekly TV budget. I haven’t heard if this is actually considered part of the MCU, but it’s nice to see the Roxxon sign at the end, so there are clear ties to the universe itself.

The angst doesn’t end there, though, kids! We also got a trailer for Syfy’s Krypton series (which has since been yanked down) – ya know, the one that nobody asked for. It’s hard for me to get excited about Krypton when very little about that planet has ever seemed appealing. It’s most recently been painted as a cold, stoic, science-based society. And since they don’t have our sun, it means they’re powerless. Here’s what I don’t get about the trailer: the show takes place approximately 200 years prior to Man of Steel (I guess making it the first series to be an official part of the DCEU), but the monologue is of Kal El’s grandfather leaving a message for him. Um, how does he KNOW his grandson’s name is Kal El if he hasn’t been born yet? Anyway, it’s about Grandpa El, who happens to be a sexy, CW-ish twenty something, trying to restore honor to the disgraced House of El. The effects look nice (AKA expensive), but nothing about this show makes me want to see it.

There’s some laughter coming from a different comic-based series, however, in the form of Freeform’s New Warriors. I mentioned it a few weeks ago, but it’s been confirmed that Kevin Biegel of Enlisted/Cougar Town will be the showrunner, and we got a confirmation of the roster. Led by Squirrel Girl (who has never been a New Warrior in the comics, but I won’t harp on that), the team is comprised of Speedball, Night Thrasher, Microbe, Mister Immortal, and Debrii. I’m familiar with career Warriors Speedball and Night Thrasher, but I don’t know anything about the others. Considering Mr. Immortal and Squirrel Girl are Great Lakes Avengers characters, this is something of a hybrid team.

I’m the furthest thing from a foodie, but I love a good dairy-based gimmick drink, and this week featured TWO of them! First up, I’d read online that Burger King had been testing a Froot Loops Shake at certain East Coast locations, with plans to roll it out nationally today. Well, I traveled around until I found one that had it early (well, I didn’t travel too far – it was down the street from my apartment), as I had to see what the fuss was all about. I had heard it described as made from vanilla soft serve, with Froot Loops pieces, topped off with a sweet, syrupy drizzle. Sounds exotic, right? WRONG. Whoever thought of this probably got a bonus for the idea, but it lacks in the execution. It’s basically a vanilla shake with edible confetti in it. From Loops don’t really have a strong fruity flavor to them, so it’s not like it’s rubbing off into the soft serve. And when you do get some Froot Loop chunks through the straw, they just taste like flavorless corn cereal. I didn’t taste any kind of drizzle, and I kept waiting for the WOW to kick in. It never did. I drank this so that you don’t have to and, trust me, you really don’t have to.

Next up was the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino. I hadn’t even heard of the thing until Wednesday morning, when everyone and their mom was talking about it. Looking at it, I was reminded of the Birthday Cake Frappuccino that comes out in March (I remember this because it was out at the time Evie was born). I LIVED on those things for the two weeks or so that they were in stores, so I was expecting this to be more of the same. I wasn’t sure what flavor this one was supposed to be, but there were certainly visual similarities. Anyway, after dinner Wednesday night, I snuck off to the corner Starbucks to try it out. You’ve heard of a Butterface, right? Well, this is a Buttertaste. It looks cool and everything, but the taste…THE TASTE! Its marketing emphasizes that it magically changes flavors while you drink it, but I could never really nail down what those flavors were supposed to be. There was a pervasive muskiness to it, making me feel like I’d basically sucked off a real unicorn. Of course, that would be silly – everyone knows you’ve got to buy a unicorn dinner before it lets you do that! Then, near the end, the muskiness gives way to a hyper berry taste, reminiscent of the Blue Raspberry that candy scientists seemed to have discovered in 1992. At no point in the drink was it what I would call “enjoyable”, and even the whipped cream on top was disappointing. As far as I’m concerned, this drink can fuck off back to Narnia where it came from.

Things You Might Have Missed This Week

Bill O’Reilly was fired from Fox News following sexual harassment allegations. See, if he’d told Billy Bush he only grabbed ‘em by the pussy, he’d be President by now!

Nintendo officially ended production on the NES Classic, followed by rumors that an SNES Classic is coming later this year

Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were announced as the directors for Captain Marvel. I’ve never seen anything they’ve done (Half Nelson, episodes of Billions, and The Affair), so I’ve got no real opinion right now

Speaking of Marvel films, Black Panther wrapped production this week, as Hollywood braces for the return of every living Black actor

Will Smith is in talks to take on the classic Robin Williams role of The Genie in Guy Ritchie’s live action Aladdin adaptation. Obviously, Jaden Smith will probably get the role of Aladdin.

Stranger Things co-star Shannon Purser came out as bisexual on Twitter. Well, she’s bisexual in real life. She just used Twitter to announce it.

Director James Gunn announced that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 would be the final iteration of this lineup of the team

Black-ish was sold into off-network syndication, launching in Fall 2018

Jane The Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez will voice Carmen Sandiego in a new animated series coming to Netflix

Steve Harvey will host a revival of Showtime At the Apollo for Fox

Fate of the Furious debuted to $532 million internationally, beating the record-setting $529 million earned by Star Wars: The Force Awakens

With its original pilot rejected by Fox a few years ago, Joe Hill’s comic Locke & Key will have a new pilot filmed for Hulu

The X-Files has been renewed for a 10-episode 11th season. I couldn’t even make it through the last 6-episode batch they gave us, so I think this is a pass for me.

For the past 6 seasons, I have pretty much hate-watched HBO’s Girls. I hated Lena Dunham’s dumpy, Play-Doh body which was constantly on nude display. I hated all of her character Hannah’s “problems”. I hated her boyfriend Adam. I had convinced myself that I was really just watching, hoping that the characters would eventually be hit by a truck or something. Then, this season came along. Even through all my hate, I had to admit that this was a pretty strong season. From Hannah’s odd interaction with a bestselling author to Marnie finally realizing she sucks at life, there were some great episodes of television to be found in this season of the show. I was also forced to admit things about myself.

First off, I always knew I liked Shoshana because she had enough sense to know that she deserved better than the friends with which she’d found herself. And I definitely missed her once she decided to finally distance herself from them. I also realized there was much more to the Ray character and, while they didn’t exactly put a bow on it, I’m glad they led us to believe that he had found a happy ending. Even a character as originally unlikable as Elijah had some strong development this season, and he was truly missed in the finale, even though this chapter of his story had come to a close. As I already admitted in my Get Out review, I had to come to terms with my crush on Allison Williams and, by extension, Marnie Michaels. Yeah, she sucked at life, but she seemed like the one out of the four who had Tony Starked her way into that situation; she was the cause of her own problems. Once she began to realize that, the character held more promise. And I realized I hated Jessa because she reminded me too much of girls I’d hooked up with in college: damaged, tattooed, pseudo-junkies who are lucky to still be alive. And I guess Hannah reminded me of girls I’d hooked up with post college. Yeah, I hated a lot about Girls because, I guess, I hated a lot about myself.

This Sunday saw the series finale of the show, and I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for it. After a season that had given us a pregnant Hannah, but also showcased the dissolution of the group’s friendship, I didn’t really know how they could “end” the story. I was further distraught when I read an article last week saying that Jessa and Shosh’s final appearances had been in the penultimate episode that had just aired. While I would miss them in the final half hour, I had to admit that their chapters had also come to a close.

When we get to the finale, there’s a five-month time jump, where Marnie and Hannah are living in a remote house upstate, raising Hannah’s baby, Grover. Yes, that’s what she named him. Anyway, it was 30 minutes about what it means to be happy, but also what it means to be an adult and a parent. I like to think that Hannah finally grew up once she realized that Grover wasn’t another problem that she could simply run away from. The entire episode, she’s freaking out because Grover won’t breastfeed, but in the final seconds he finally takes to her breast. The look on her face is a mix of relief and maturity. It was then that I realized the show had to end at that point, as Hannah was no longer a girl. The entire series had been about millennial drama, as they skirted adulthood, but those times were over. The title Girls no longer applied to Hannah because she was now a Woman, with all the responsibilities that entailed. I used to worry about Hannah, and I sure as Hell worried about Grover when we learned she was pregnant. After Sunday’s finale, though, I think they’re gonna be OK. It was a finale that I had to give some thought to, but it didn’t leave me unfulfilled like Don Draper creating a Coke jingle only to end up hocking tax prep software six months later. For this reason, Girls had the West Week Ever.

#Batman #Comics #DC #Indie #Marvel #Movies #Music #Politics #Race #Relationships #Star Wars #Syndication #Television #Video Games #West Week Ever

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ethanalter · 8 years ago

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5 Shows We Don’t Want to See Revived

(Photo Credit: NBC)

2016 was a banner year for TV revivals, as such beloved series as Full House, Gilmore Girls, and The X-Files climbed out of the cancellation graveyard to once more consume their fans’ brains and eyeballs. Don’t expect that trend to slow down during the next calendar year; mere weeks into 2017, NBC has already announced the next big TV resurrection: Will and Grace, the Debra Messing/Eric McCormack sitcom that ran for eight lucrative years between 1998 and 2003. The 10-episode revival will reunite the entire original cast, including Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally, along with legendary director, James Burrows. It’s hard not to be tickled at the thought of catching up with Will and Grace after 17 years, in the same way that spending time with Mulder and Scully and Lorelei and Rory tickled the nostalgia bone. Even so, there are some shows we hope remain untouched by this wave of revivals. Here are five series that deserve to remain undisturbed, as well as the worst-case scenario for each should they return.

Family Ties (NBC, 1982-1989)

(Photo Credit: NBCU Photo Bank)

Why We Love the Original: While the oh-so-‘80s clothes, hairstyles, and attitudes make Family Ties seem as much of a period piece as Downton Abbey these days, the Keaton clan remains the portrait-perfect model of a sitcom family. Even when they couldn’t stand each other, their mutual admiration and affection gave us all something to aspire to. What would we do baby, without them? (Sha la la la.)

Worst Case Scenario for the Revival: Twenty-five years after securing his first Wall Street gig, Alex P. Keaton is one of Tom Wolfe’s Masters of the Universe. But his single-minded pursuit of wealth has routinely short-circuited any attempts at starting a family like the one he grew up in. One divorce and a string of exes later, there’s a knock at his door: One of his girlfriends gave birth to a daughter sixteen years ago, and now she’s come to get to know her father. And we know she’s a chip off the old Keaton block, because she’s already a political dynamo… but for the left. While that thrills her hippie grandparents, who drop by on a recurring basis, it completely flummoxes Alex — still a staunch Republican after all these years and presidential administrations. As her Bernie Sanders merchandise competes with his Reagan memorabilia for wall space, father and daughter have to find common ground. Wait for the Very Special Episode that tackles both the Occupy movement and teenage sexting.

Cheers (NBC, 1982-1993)

(Photo Credit: Everett Collection)

Why We Love the Original: Watching Cheers gave us all the pleasures of hanging out at our local watering hole — joshing around with the regulars, bantering with the staff — without having to leave the couch. We still miss our weekly visits to the place where everybody knows your name.

Worst Case Scenario for the Revival: Unable to keep up with steadily escalating Boston rents, Sam Malone sold Cheers to ESPN in the late ‘90s and the homespun bar was transformed into a gleaming ESPN Zone. Looking to appeal to a younger clientele, the lifers were strongly encouraged to find other places to congregate, although Norm and Cliff kept coming back even as their usual place at the bar was replaced by a bank of televisions. When the Zone franchise went under, Coach’s grandson, Eli (David Walton) — a minor league washout — used his inheritance to acquire the property and bring it back to its roots. But as a former Brooklynite and recently AA-approved teetotaler, Eli decides that the new, improved Cheers can’t be your average, ordinary sports bar. It’s gotta be an artisanal coffee shop with an organic, gluten-free brunch menu. And if you thought Carla was cranky before, just wait until you see her serving granola waffles to whiny hipsters.

Murphy Brown (CBS, 1988-1998)

(Photo Credit: Everett Collection)

Why We Love the Original: An ahead-of-its-time portrait of an ambitious woman in the workplace, Murphy Brown mixed topical humor with terrific characters. Even a noticeable dip in quality towards the end of the show’s lifespan couldn’t diminish the title character’s pop culture relevance. Here’s how you know Murphy Brown mattered: Murphy’s decision to be a single mother had real-world consequences, when Vice President Dan Quayle took the tone deaf step of condemning a fictional character.

Worst Case Scenario for the Revival: Having survived a breast cancer scare in the final season, Murphy made the decision to add to her one-child brood by adopting a daughter. Following their strong-willed mom into the broadcasting game, the grown-up Avery (Hayley Joel Osment, reprising his role) and Eliza Brown (Meagan Good) co-anchor a “He Said, She Said” opinion show on a struggling 24-hour cable news channel. Network president Miles Silverberg plays the role of neurotic father figure in the executive’s office, while the ghost of Jim Dial regularly appears in their dressing rooms, offering pointers and rolling his eyes at what passes for “news” these days.

Fraggle Rock (HBO, 1983-1987)

(Photo Credit: HBO)

Why We Love the Original: Jim Henson’s flair of fantasy was given free reign in this nostalgic favorite, which imagined an underground universe teeming with fun-loving Fraggles, dogged Doozers, and giant Gorgs. It was the perfect series for kids who were a little too old for Sesame Street and a little too freaked out by The Dark Crystal.

Worst Case Scenario for the Revival: Three letters: CGI! Since live action puppetry is often a time-consuming, labor-intensive process, Fraggle Rock is transformed into a digital playground courtesy of high-powered computers. Naturally, all the characters get modern makeovers, too. Gobo (voiced by Justin Bieber) sings pop songs while popping wheelies on his skateboard, while Wembley (Josh Gad) finds solace from his crippling anxiety in EDM DJing and Red (Kylie Jenner) is a literally underground vlogger who posts her videos on FraggleTube. As for the Gorg family, they’ve stopped growing radishes and are now all about kale.

My So-Called Life (ABC, 1994-1995)

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Why We Love the Original: The TV equivalent of revisiting our old high school poetry, My So-Called Life perfectly captures that awkward period of adolescence when you and your love life (or lack thereof) are the center of a very, very unfair universe.

Worst Case Scenario for the Revival: After painfully pining for Angela all through high school, geek-turned-hottie Brian Krakow leapt at the chance to become Mr. Angela Chase after they reconnected after college. With his wife’s demanding job requiring frequent travel, stay-at-home dad Brian raises their 14-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son with help from Uncle Rickie. Heading into her freshman year at Liberty High, who should Jordanna Krakow immediately lock eyes with but Zach Catalano, estranged son of Angela’s one-time flame. Everyone but Zach can read the writing on the wall because, you know, Catalanos can’t read. (Midseason spoiler alert! That illiteracy is due to an ancient family curse, as Three Rivers happens to be over another Hellmouth.)

#fraggle rock #_revsp:wp.yahoo.tv.us #murphy brown #my so called life #_author:Ethan Alter #family ties #_uuid:2b498b97-829c-384c-baa4-c71281bb2fd7 #will and grace #cheers #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT

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gossipnetwork-blog · 7 years ago

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Must-Watch TV Series in First Half of 2018 (Part 1 of 2)

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Must-Watch TV Series in First Half of 2018 (Part 1 of 2)

As we welcome 2018, a bunch of new and returning series are coming to accompany you on your free nights. Ranging from sci-fi to comedy, there are a lot options that may give you a hard time to choose. But worry not, since AceShowbiz has presented a quick guide to help shorten your list. The article is divided into two parts based on their genres.

In this first part, we will discuss about fan-favorite genres of all time, superhero and sci-fi, as well as revival and returning shows. For those who love DC Comics superheroes, you are free to take an extra dose since more DC-related series such as “”, Superman prequel “” and and “” returning to the small screen.

RETURNING SERIES

THE X-FILES Premiere Date: January 3, 2018

Who is excited for a brand new season of “”? The new season of the popular sci-fi series will once again see and reprising their roles as agents Mulder and Scully respectively in more thrilling adventures, which may be the last time for Anderson playing Scully as the actress once hinted so.

The 6-episode season 11, which arrives after the successful 2016 revival, is promised to feature surprising twists, including Cigarette Smoking Man’s (William B. Davis) backstory, and his apparent family ties to Mulder. Still written by the original “X-Files” writers, including James Wong, Glen Morgan, Darin Morgan and creator Chris Carter, the new season is set to have a big time jump. Mulder and Scully’s son William, whom she gave up for adoption 15 years ago, plays a big part in the new season as the twosome tries to find the missing boy.

THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY Premiere Date: January 17, 2018

Following Emmy winner “People v. O.J. Simpson”, the next installment of Ryan Murphy’s popular anthology series “” is finally coming very soon. Titled “The Assassination of Gianni Versace”, the sophomore season tackles the murder of famed fashion designer Gianni Versace in Miami in July 1997. The new season follows the story before and after the main murder, something which viewers didn’t get to see in the first season of “American Crime Story”.

“Versace” nabs %Edgar to play Gianni Versace , to star as his partner Antonio D’Amico, and Oscar-winning actress to portray Gianni’s sister Donatella Versace. “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” marks Cruz’s first TV regular role, further raising the anticipation for the upcoming series. Also starring on the series is , who has been tapped to play Gianni’s killer Andrew Cunanan.

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE ALL STAR 3 Premiere Date: January 25, 2018

Fan-favorite queens are returning for the third season of ” All Star”. Just like the previous seasons, the new season of the spin-off of Emmy-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will see Mama giving a second change to ladies who failed to win previous seasons of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” to earn their place in the Drag Race Hall of Fame”.

Shangela, who stole people’s attention in the third season of the flagship series by making it to the top 5, is one of the returning queens. There is also Aja, who comes fresh off last season 9 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” after nabbing the ninth place. The cast includes BenDeLaCreme, Chi Chi DeVayne, Kennedy Davenport, Milk, Morgan McMichaels, Thorgy Thor and Trixie Mattel. Season 9 was dubbed the show’s most-watched season ever. Thus, it’s no wonder that the expectation for the spin-off’s new season is increasing.

LUKE CAGE Premiere Date: TBA

After the critically-acclaimed first season, “” is set to return for a sophomore season in 2018. The Netflix series, which serves as the third Marvel Cinematic Universe-related show on the streaming service, follows former convict Luke Cage (), who possesses superhuman strength and unbreakable skin, fighting crime and corruption. The new season will see the return of the Los-Angeles street hero after previously joining forces with Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist on “”.

The freshman season of “Luke Cage” was praised for its immersive, socially conscious narrative and not to mention Colter’s stellar performance in portraying the character. Continuing the success, the second season is set to be an ambitious follow-up by featuring a slew of new characters, including John McIver and Tilda Johnson, who will definitely bring something to the table. And ‘ Iron Fist is set to make an appearance in the upcoming second season to boot!

ROSEANNE Premiere Date: March 27, 2018

One of the long-awaited revivals is “”. Offering a realistic portrayal of the average American family, the Golden Globe-winning series, which aired from 1988 to 1997, are loved by many, so when ABC announced its plan to revive the comedy, fans can’t wait to see the Conners back on the small screen.

“Roseanne” revolves around the Conner family, an Illinois working-class family. The reboot is poised to bring back the series’ signature way to tackle today’s issues through the relatable, hilarious and honest lens of the Conner household. The show brings back familiar faces, with Roseanne Barr reprising her award-winning role of Roseanne Conner, returning as the Conner patriarch, Dan Conner, as well as , Sarah Gilbert and Alicia Goranson (a.k.a. Lecy Goranson) in their respective roles. , who took over the role of Becky when Lecy exited, will also be featured on the upcoming series in an interesting role.

NEW SERIES: SUPERHERO & SCI-FI

BLACK LIGHTNING Premiere Date: January 16, 2018

The CW further solidifies its status as the home of DC Comics-related shows by having this new superhero series. In midseason, viewers will be introduced to Jefferson Pierce a.k.a. Black Lightning, who becomes a high school principal by day and fights bad guys by night. Cress Williams (“”, “”) portrays Black Lightning on the series. Retiring as the vigilante years ago, Jefferson Pierce has to don his suit again to save not only his family, but also the soul of his community as crime and corruption spread like wildfire.

The CW attempts to add diversity to its superheroes series. Although black superheroes are already featured on “”, “”, “Arrow” and “”, “Black which hails from “” creators Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil, marks the first black superhero-focused show on The CW’s Arrowverse. So far, fans are excited for the new series, praising “Black Lightning” for bringing “Arrow”-ish vibe yet also promising some fun like “The Flash” and “Supergirl”.

ALTERED CARBON Premiere Date: February 8, 2018

Netflix is diving into sci-fi world with a new series titled “”. The 10-episode series is based on Phillip K. Dick Award-winning novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan. The streaming giant has put everything at stake with this project, which reportedly costs $6 to $7 million per episode, making it Netflix’s most expensive genre show to date. Considering the budget, it’s no wonder that the company only wants to put it in the best hands in the field, tapping “” co-writer Laeta Kalogridis as writer and executive producer for the upcoming series.

Set 300 years in the future, “Altered Carbon” follows a dead soldier named Takeshi Kovacs, who is brought back to life through a new body, centuries after his mind was imprisoned “on ice.” Earth’s wealthiest man Laurens Bancroft puts him on a mission to solve a murder case of Bancroft himself. He wants Kovacs to find someone who murdered his previous body. As the investigation progresses, Kovacs comes to learn that his past isn’t nearly as buried as he thought. “” actor is set to play Kovacs, with ” portraying Bancroft.

TITANS Premiere Date: TBA

While Batman teams up with other superheroes in “”, his sidekick Dick Grayson a.k.a. Robin will form his own band of vigilantes on a live-action adaptation of “”. Set on an unnamed DC Comics digital service, “Titans” follows Dick () as he embarks on a journey to become the leader of the Titans in his quest to step out from the Caped Crusader’s shadow. The soon-to-be superheroes include Hawk, Dove, Starfire and Raven that come from every corner of the DC Universe.

Created by Greg Berlanti, the mastermind behind The CW’s Arrowverse, “Titans” has been garnering attention following the release of first-look photos of Grayson, Hawk and Dove. These superheroes look dope in their costumes created by Laura Jean Shannon, whose credits include “” and “”. Though it’s only a glimpse of the upcoming series, it could be an indication that it’s heading into the right direction.

KRYPTON Premiere Date: TBA

2018 may be one of the best years for DC Comics fans. In addition to “Black Lightning” and “Titans”, another DC-related TV series is coming. Syfy brings House of El in an upcoming series titled “”. The series will explore the lives of Seg-El, Superman’s grandfather, in the planet before the destruction.

While Superman story has been adapted into many forms, the highly-anticipated Syfy series arguably marks the first series to center on the legendary Man of Steel’s ancestors and homeworld prior to the doom. The new series seemingly will give a darker twist to its tone which distinguishes itself from other DC-related shows on TV right now such as The CW’s “” and “”, making it one of the must-watch series next year.

STARGATE: ORIGINS Premiere Date: February 15, 2018

Gaters, get ready for a new unexpected journey with “! Serves as the prequel of Saturn Award-winning “Stargate SG-1”, it follows Catherine Langford, daughter of archaeologist Paul Langford, who occasionally appeared on previous “Stargate” TV shows. Through the Stargate, which is ann alien Einstein-Rosen device which enables nearly instantaneous travel across the cosmos, Catherine is set to solve the mystery which lies ahead the Stargate in order to save Earth from an unimaginable darknesss.

The prequel series has “” actor Connor Trinneer reprising his role as professor Paul Langford. Meanwhile, Ellie Gal stars as his daughter, Catherine. The 10-episode series is written by Mark Ilvedson and Justin Michael Terry, who also has a starring role on the series.

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lynchgirl90 · 8 years ago

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How #TwinPeaks inspired #Lost and #TheLeftovers

Damon Lindelof tells EW why ‘The Leftovers’ would not be possible without David Lynch’s classic series

JEFF JENSEN@EWDOCJENSEN

Let us be first to remind you for the millionth time that Twin Peaks, the short-lived sensation created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, inspired much of the television that has obsessed us over the past 20 years. To name just a few that hold the cult classic’s peculiar dark spark: Chris Carter’s The X-Files, David Chase’s The Sopranos, Matthew Weiner’s Mad Men, Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad, Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal, Damon Lindelof’s The Leftovers, Sam Esmail’s Mr. Robot, and Donald Glover’s Atlanta. Since Twin Peaks also shaped modern TV tastes and watching — capturing the imagination for serialized mystery, supernatural fantasy, and cool irony; setting an early standard for internet-based conversation and theorizing — we can say Twin Peaks even influenced you. Especially if you’re a person of a certain age.

Of course, Twin Peaks doesn’t completely explain the vibrant state of TV. The radical transformation of the media business — the emergence of demo-driven networks that turned cult TV into a business plan — deserves more credit. There’s probably no X-Files without a network like Fox. There’s certainly no Buffy The Vampire Slayer without The WB. In his essential book The Revolution Was Televised, critic Alan Sepinwall identifies a critical turning point when TV went next level: 1997, when HBO, seeking to ramp up original programming, empowered the likes of Tom Fontana and David Chase — veteran scribes frustrated by the limits of broadcast TV — to pursue bolder vision with decidedly adult storytelling. The buzzy nerve of Oz and even more so The Sopranos spurred broadcast competitors to take more chances and basic cable to get into the game, and now, here we are, with “television” streaming out of every media orifice possible. That, kids, is from where TV babies come, in a terribly reductive nutshell.

Twin Peaks contains a version of this creation myth in its DNA, too. In 1989, ABC, looking for new hits, took a chance on a risky marriage with an avant-garde filmmaker (Lynch) and an accomplished TV writer (Frost) who wanted to make a splash by reinventing the prime-time soap with sophisticated edge and ostentatious quirkiness. Think of Twin Peaks as a kinky bridal dress: something old, something new, something borrowed, something Blue Velvet. The relationship didn’t last long. ABC ditched Twin Peaks after a year, the fast fade partly due to a broadcast network in flux that really had no clue how to manage Team Lynch or the wild, weird, FrankenGenre creature they had made. Yet can’t you see Twin Peaks thriving in today’s mediaverse? Maybe, say, on Showtime?

Mark Frost certainly could. In 2012, the Twin Peaks co-creator beheld the exciting things happening in TV and thought, I want to do that, too. He had the perfect creative vehicle for it, too, one with something TV networks love: a recognizable and marketable brand name. But he couldn’t do it alone. Wouldn’t dream of it, either. So Frost called Lynch and put forth a proposal: How about making more Twin Peaks?

Lynch had convinced himself over the years that there was no interest in Twin Peaks. “I felt that the thing had drifted away,” says Lynch, “so part of me kind of shut down about the possibility of going back.” He was wrong. Twin Peaks actually lingered like a ghost, and it was slowly gaining power. Twin Peaks was steeped in the creative fabric of television, as evidenced by many series. There were people who identified as Twin Peaks fans — cultists who could read about Twin Peaks forever and ever in books, websites, and fanzines like the legendary Wrapped In Plastic, plus many more who considered the show a generational marker. Twin Peaks was also starting to make new fans via DVD (the complete series wasn’t available on disc until 2007) and streaming services like Netflix.

Frost presented Lynch with several arguments for reviving Twin Peaks right here, right now. They had a story to tell — Twin Peaks ended with several unresolved cliffhangers — and their infamously bonkers series finale included a curious, memorable line that offered an irresistible hook. “I’ll see you again in 25 years,” the specter of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) tells FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan). “Meanwhile…” And then she struck a pose and froze, as if a statue, or suddenly frozen in time. Frost — confident, ambitious, and maybe a little competitive — also argued that they had a chance to make some bold art, without compromise, in a new TV universe that allowed for greater creative freedom than existed 22 years earlier.

“What I saw was that the TV landscape had shifted dramatically and people were obviously hungry for storytelling that has broken out of the box over the last 10 years,” says Frost. “I felt it was time to take a kind of evolutionary leap forward and that we should be a part of that. David readily agreed. But we went in knowing we couldn’t just do what we did in the past — we’ve got to raise the bar. So that was our admonition to ourselves. This is a chance to keep pace with that evolving landscape, to contribute something new, to move the ball forward even more. And we had some unfinished business.”

And so it goes that the return of the show that inspired today’s TV was inspired by the products of its own legacy. Fun Fact! Lynch doesn’t watch much TV, but he cites Mad Men and Breaking Bad as two shows of recent times that he loved. Their hotly anticipated contribution to our Peak TV moment — an 18-hour limited series described by Lynch as an 18-part feature film — premieres on Showtime on May 21.

We recently asked several leading TV producers to share how Twin Peaks influenced them. Over the next couple weeks, we’ll be sharing with you EW’s conversations with them. We begin with Damon Lindelof, who co-created Lost with J.J. Abrams and The Leftovers with Tom Perrotta, now airing its final season on HBO.

Lindelof’s tale of Twin Peaks fandom takes us back to a time when TV watching was a family time activity, not a solitary, everyone-on-their-own-screen free-for-all. His very personal testimonial also shows how Twin Peaks was part of larger moment in which David Lynch was virtually atmospheric — beginning with his neo-noir masterpiece Blue Velvet in 1986 and including the hyper-pop nihilism of Wild at Heart, released at the apex of the Twin Peaks phenomenon — and saturated the public imagination. Here, Lindelof reveals how Twin Peaks influenced Lost, how Twin Peaks informed his approach to surrealism in The Leftovers, and how the legacy of Twin Peaks nearly cost Lost its legendary monster.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When did you first watch Twin Peaks? DAMON LINDELOF: When it first aired. I watched it at my dad’s place. It was on his radar; he was very excited about Twin Peaks because of David Lynch. We had seen Eraserhead together, and I had loved it, and I remember him saying, “The guy who made Eraserhead has a new TV show and I think it’s going to be very good.” So we watched the pilot together, and once it was over, we watched it again, because he had recorded it.

This evolved into a ritual. Because I was with my dad every other week, there were some weeks I would watch it by myself, but the weeks I was with him, we would watch two episodes: that week’s new episode and the previous week’s episode again on VHS. He would do live commentary and we began to formulate theories. This was my first experience, in the pre-internet era, of theorizing about TV.

So you liked Twin Peaks. I loved Twin Peaks.

What did you love about it? The mystery. The music. The pacing. It was also my first exposure to soap operas. There was just this complex web of affairs that was delicious. Within the first couple of episodes of Twin Peaks, you understood that James and Laura had been together, but James and Donna were actually sort of secretly in love with each other. Laura was also dating Bobby, but he was also seeing Shelly, but Shelly was two-timing her abusive husband, Leo, who also had something going on with Laura and was dealing drugs to Bobby. Meanwhile, Josie Packard is having a secret affair with Sheriff Truman, except she’s also involved with Benjamin Horne, who was married, but also having an affair with Pete’s wife and Josie’s rival, Catherine, and also apparently messed around with Laura. The sexual intrigue was bonkers! And for me, a kid, it was new and exciting, particularly as it related to Laura, this teenage girl who was mixed up in some really bad, traumatic, dark stuff. That was really interesting and felt very fresh at the time.

And then there Agent Cooper. What an amazing character. His entrance in that pilot is a classic TV moment. I loved his quirkiness. He had these obsessions with coffee and pastry. The fact that he seemed to really be enjoying having just a grand old time investigating Laura’s rather horrific murder was provocative and entertaining.

The show had this very distinctive sense of humor. Deadpan and odd. The Log Lady! People remember her as weird, but I just thought she was really funny. And Ben and Jerry Horne, the brothers, their names are funny because of the ice cream, of course, but that scene where those two guys are eating these huge sandwiches and relishing the sensual experience of eating those huge sandwiches — just the fundamental bizarreness of it was hilarious.

One other thing that I loved about Twin Peaks was that it was scary. Cooper’s dream at the end of the third episode, when he’s in the old age makeup and we see Laura and The Man From The Other Place talking backwards — that creeped me out. I slept with the lights on after that episode.

I go on and on like this, because one of the ways that Twin Peaks impacted me was that it showed me that a TV show can be so many things at once — funny, scary, strange, sexy, melodramatic. It was the definition of unique. I had never seen anything like it, before or since. And then — when did Wild at Heart come out?

August of 1990, between the first and second seasons of Twin Peaks. I loved Wild at Heart. It was just so gonzo. Looking back on it, I can’t say I became a fan of David Lynch because of Twin Peaks. I was just a fan of Twin Peaks. But after Wild at Heart, I was just all the way in on Lynch. By the way, this is not to take anything away from Mark Frost, who is a big part of Twin Peaks. But again, my dad turned me on to the show particularly because of Lynch, and then with everything that followed, including Wild at Heart, it became about Lynch, and everything that came with him. The music! That Angelo Badalamenti score! I played the Twin Peaks soundtrack all the time when I was a junior in high school. I didn’t own many CDs — I had to buy them with my own money, and they were expensive — but I owned that one.

What did you make of the supernatural aspect? It became more important to the storytelling as the series progressed. We came to find out that Twin Peaks was a hotspot of uncanny and spectral activity because it was located near a portal into a mystical realm, not unlike the Hellmouth in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or, of course, The Island on Lost. Did you enjoy that part of the show? That was interesting to watch unfold. From the start, you had Cooper’s dreams and you had his fascination with Tibet and a kind of mysticism that he associated with Tibet. That scene in the third episode of season 1, where he’s winnowing down a list of suspects through an intuitive process that involves throwing rocks at a bottle — that was funny and quirky, but it also suggested the supernatural, and obviously, the show became more and more supernatural as it went on.

But I didn’t see it coming. As my father and I were theorizing about Laura Palmer’s murderer, a supernatural possibility was not part of our speculations! But then we move into season 2, and you get the introduction of The Giant, and you have Major Briggs revealing that he’s been monitoring extraterrestrial communications in episode 2. Here, the show is openly declaring that everything is up for grabs. And I do remember loving that and being very excited by that stuff. But I experienced it as an escalation. The show didn’t start supernatural. It became progressively so.

When the show declared this supernatural aspect in season 2, a lot of people I knew who loved the show bailed. They wanted a naturalistic explanation. It reminds me that 25 years ago, TV was rather cool toward sci-fi/fantasy, although it was about to warm up to it. That want for a naturalistic explanation might have had something to do with the fact that Twin Peaks intersected with another trend of the time, serial killer pop. I don’t know exactly when The Silence of the Lambs came out, but my memory of it is that it came out before or during Twin Peaks. [The film version of The Silence of the Lambs starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins was released Feb. 14, 1991, during the middle of the second season of Twin Peaks. The novel by Thomas Harris was published in 1988.] When you watch the pilot of Twin Peaks, you immediately think it’s a serial killer story because of the clues and how they’re found, like when Agent Cooper knows how to examine Laura Palmer’s fingernails and look for these pieces of paper the killer has been leaving behind with his victims. So I can understand why an audience expected a naturalist resolution, because serial killer stories resolve naturalistically.

How did you feel about the way Twin Peaks ended? During the second season, I remember feeling at times, “This is not the show I fell in love with.” And then something would happen that would make me fall in love with it all over again. There was a storyline where Donna resumes Laura’s Meals on Wheels job and she comes into contact with this weirdo who grows orchids and is in possession of Laura’s secret diary. And I remember not liking that. But then Lynch would show up playing [FBI regional director] Gordon Cole, and I’d love that, or David Duchovny would show up playing DEA agent Denise Bryson, and I’d be like, “This is the greatest thing ever!”

Still, I was alternately in and out. The turning point came after all the big reveals with Laura’s murder, that it was Leland who was responsible for killing Laura, that he was inhabited by this evil spirit named BOB. Now, what is the show? Now, what’s the mystery we’re supposed to solve? It never quite locked into anything new that was as compelling as Laura Palmer.

By the time the show ended, my father and I were no longer watching it together, and it didn’t feel like it was appointment TV. I was still watching, but I wasn’t loving it… and then we got the series 2 finale. Wow. The sequence in The Red Room. Cooper getting possessed by BOB. Ending on him looking in the mirror and ramming his face into it. I remember thinking, ‘This is going to be cool! I’m back in!’ And then the show was canceled.

Did you see the prequel movie? Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me? Yeah. That was a year later, right?

Right, summer of 1992. I remember kinda liking the movie and still considering myself a Twin Peaks fan, but also sort of resigning myself to the fact that there wasn’t going to be any more Twin Peaks that resolved those cliffhangers and being kind of bummed about that. Still, I only had positive feelings about Twin Peaks. Even in college, in the mid-’90s, when my friends and I would talk about our favorite TV shows, Twin Peaks was always on our lists, even though it was only on for a brief time and even though it disappointed.

Why is that? Because it was a cultural moment for people, and especially for kids of that era. We were the age of Bobby and James, Laura and Donna and Maddy. Even though they were all clearly played by actors in their 20s, there was an identification with them. The perception was, even if the show strayed from the path and went off the rails a little bit, Twin Peaks was cool, and it was a shared, zeitgeisty thing. But more importantly, in our pretentious NYU film school heads, Twin Peaks was important because it was “cinema.” It was an auteur-driven story in a way a lot of TV wasn’t, but was about to be. And, of course, it felt like cinema because it was Lynch, and we were all obsessed with Lynch in film school.

Did Twin Peaks influence your storytelling? I’m thinking specifically of the phenomenal “International Assassin” episode of The Leftovers, in which Kevin enters a surreal realm that might be pure imagination, might be some kind afterlife, or might be something else altogether. There is no Leftovers without Twin Peaks, full stop. That said, when we tried to “do” Lynch — for example, Kevin’s dreams in season 1, where dogs are growling in mailboxes — we fell way short of the mark. It wasn’t until we embraced the absurd — like Patti pooping in a paper bag and labeling it “Neil,” or Nora simulating sex with a life-sized replica of a salesman while he watched, both aroused and disturbed — that we realized we were finally scraping the essence of Twin Peaks: weird and disturbing and spiritual all rolled into one. And yes, of course, the episode “International Assassin.” No way does that happen in a world where Twin Peaks never aired.

And Lost would never have happened if Twin Peaks hadn’t occurred, either. First off, the idea of mystery as the central premise of a television show came from Twin Peaks. Up until Twin Peaks, at least through my lens, a mystery show was, like, Murder, She Wrote. A procedural. Every episode, there’s a mystery, it gets solved. But the idea of a serialized mystery show, taking place over many, many episodes, was completely and totally revolutionary.

Now, there are downsides with mystery. You’re playing with fire. The minute you resolve the mystery, the show is over. Twin Peaks became a cautionary tale for that. Whether it’s true or not, fair or not, the perception is that once they revealed who killed Laura Palmer, there was no reason to watch the show anymore. I don’t agree with that premise, but I do think if you’re going to do a long-form mystery show, you have to have a plan for what to do once you resolve the central mystery. And the answer has to be, there just has to be multiple, multiple, multiple mysteries, so every time you knock one off, there’s still two unresolved ones in its wake, and you see how long you can play that game. This can become even more complex when the mysteries of your show are supernatural in nature or just plain weird. Which brings me to a story about Lost.

My memory might be faulty. I’m sure about some things in this story and less sure about others. But what I’m sure about is that, after J.J. and I wrote the treatment, ABC really only had two areas of concern. No. 1, which we have talked about ad nauseam before, was the idea that Jack, who would present as the main character, would die at the end of the pilot.

But the main area of concern was the idea that there was this monster on the island. In that meeting, present were Lloyd Braun and Susan Lyne, who were the co-presidents of ABC. Before I go on, let me just say, if Lloyd hadn’t been the president of ABC, there’d be no Lost, because he believed in this thing from the word go. It was his idea to do a plane crash on an island show, et cetera.

But I don’t think he wanted the monster. So in this meeting, he says, “I think this outline is dynamite, but I don’t think that there should be a monster in the pilot. If you guys want to work your way up to some of that weird stuff, it’s a conversation for another day. But definitely not in the pilot. It’s too weird. We don’t want to do a Twin Peaks.” I remember Lloyd very specifically saying, “I don’t want to do a Twin Peaks.”

This wasn’t good. All the things that J.J. and I were starting to get super-excited about were the weird things on the island. The monster is representative of the idea that if they’re just on a normal island, the show isn’t going to be very interesting. But if the island’s weird and supernatural and, more importantly, has a long history and mythology behind it — well, that was the stuff that was turning us on. If we had to take the monster out of the pilot, that would have meant that we’d have to take all the weird things that we had already been sort of talking about. So I was having this bad feeling in the meeting: “Oh, no, what’s going to happen now?”

And then J.J. jumped in and said some version of this: “It’s 2004. Twin Peaks has been off the air for 13 years and you’re still using it as a cautionary tale. But even if it is a cautionary tale, we should be so lucky if this show gets to be like Twin Peaks, because how many television shows get remembered the way Twin Peaks is remembered? Twin Peaks was amazing and maybe it didn’t end well, but we can learn from its mistakes. We should be so lucky to be compared to Twin Peaks! We should aspire to Twin Peaks!”

And Lloyd said, “Okay, do your monster.”

At this point in your working relationship with J.J., you had only known him —

A week!

Did you guys discuss Twin Peaks in your brainstorming? I don’t think so. We talked a lot about The Twilight Zone. We talked a lot about Dickens, in terms of how we would do coincidence and how that would be a big part of the show. But Twin Peaks influenced a lot of Lost. Easter eggs. Characters having secret motivations. A massive ensemble. These were not revolutionary ideas. Certainly not for soap opera. But when Lost came along, there weren’t really any shows on the air that were doing 14 series regulars. I think that the last time ABC had an hour-long drama with 14 series regulars was probably Twin Peaks.

I remember very specifically — although I don’t remember which season it was in — that we contemplated putting some Twin Peaks Easter eggs into Lost and then decided against it.

Why? I don’t know if you know this, Jeff, but back in the days of Lost, there were these people on the internet who were fervently theorizing about Lost to such an extent that, if you made, say, a, reference to The Black Lodge from Twin Peaks, just as a joke, the people who were analyzing the show beat by beat, would be like, “Is the Black Lodge on the island? Is it possible that Agent Cooper exists in the world of Lost?”

That would have been my greatest favorite thing ever. It would have.

What was thinking behind the idea? Why even make that joke? It could have been something like Sawyer making a pop culture wisecrack. Shannon would be walking out of the woods with some firewood and he’d say, “Hey there, Log Lady!” … My knee-jerk impulse memory is that it related to our awareness that the audience was trying to solve mysteries and that there would be some kind of wink-wink at that. Along the lines of, say, a character saying that trying to figure out where the polar bears come from is like trying to figure out who killed Laura Palmer. It was for the best we abandoned the idea. Lost making a reference to Twin Peaks as it related to the frustration of supernatural mystery? That’s radioactive. We couldn’t be that self-aware without eating a tremendous amount of s—. … But in all seriousness, you are literally playing with fire if you invoke Twin Peaks on a show like Lost. The shows shared similar issues, and in some ways now, similar legacies. Echoing what J.J. said in that first meeting with Lloyd, to be compared to Twin Peaks makes me very, very happy, whether the comparison is positive or negative.

I’ll tell you this much, though. We had three years to build up to our ending, and we got to do the ending that we wanted. Frost and Lynch did not get to do that. Now, they are. And that’s the other reason I’m super psyched for Twin Peaks coming back. I don’t know whether this is a season of Twin Peaks that will lead to more seasons of Twin Peaks, or whether it is the final chapter of Twin Peaks. Either way, I feel like it was a story that ended in media res, and now, the very same people who told the first chapters of that story are coming back to tell a new chapter. That’s exciting.

link (TP)

#Twin Peaks #LOST #Damon Lindelof #David Lynch #Mark Frost #TheLeftovers

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