Second new show of the Season...
Sep. 20th, 2012 08:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
astri13Since all the cool kids are doing it...
I was apprehensive about watching because Kripke has certain storytelling habits that, mildly put, drive me up walls. And this Pilot reflected him a lot. However, the good thing is, I`m not invested in any of the characters so those certain pitfalls are easier to ignore.
The bad thing is...I`m not invested in any of the characters.
And while the basic premise and underlying plot were enough to carry through the Pilot without too much boredom, I can already tell that will play out in a few eps tops. When I start to question the logic and all that. I mean, everyone and their kitchen sinks is already sniggering over the clean, fashionable clothes, including low cut tops and stylish leather jackets.
I mean the new-old-new world is pretty to look at, what with nature having taken back a lot of turf. Though it seemed a bit much for 15 years.
From the "twist" at the end, I`d guess some kind of global (I saw a tiny glimmer of Europe going dark as well from the space view of it, yay, we exist :) dampening field was switched on and all technology would in theory still work but only with the new super-energy-sources in the form of the little amulet thingies. No idea why people didn`t implenent, oh I don`t know, steam engines. There was scientific progress before we discovered electricity, you know.
So yeah, the plot is okay for now. Which brings me back to the characters...
I can deal with the uncle because at least he kicks ass. With swords no less. Do know the actor from something as well but have a terrible time placing him right now. Same as his brother (probably scientist who invented the dampening field AND the new power source) who was killed. Totally a "hey, it`s that guy" guy.
Also, I lol`ed so hard when they "revealed" the main bad guy was the dude riding around with uncle Miles in the teaser. Because for some reason I called this the first time "Monroe" was mentioned. The militia leader? I don`t know, I thought they put it on a little too thick with the mmmmmennnnnaaaaaacccccce.
"Lover-boy" militia guy? What, did he fall in lurve in the 2.5 seconds he has known the female protagonist? Made no sense.
The google-millionaire was amusing for now but they`re probably going comedy sidekick road with him in some way and I have little faith he is going to end up more than one-note when all is said and done.
The doctor slash girlfriend was okay as well. I liked her when she put Brattie, oh I`m sorry, Charlie, in her place.
Even the captured son didn`t bug too much.
Of course, you notice me leaving out one important person: the - supposed - lead character. Who has two things going against her: the writing and the acting. Seriously, the writing was pretty bad because she was introduced as an annoying, whiny brat who, over the course of the Pilot, morphed into an annoying, whiny brat who showed potential in exactly nothing. Yippie. There wasn`t a second onscreen she didn`t annoy me.
Now maybe a great actress could have softened that, made the character still sparkle in some way. Unfortunately, the actress is pretty flat.
And IMO that`s where I see it all gonna fall flat on its face in a while. Kripke isn`t the guy for a longterm plot show - he admits himself he has a short attention span and is easily distracted by the new "kewl" things. He is the guy whose goofy show can still be heartwarming because its elevated by the characters. Yet he also isn`t the guy who can do longterm fantastic character writing, the occasional ep maybe but not over the course of the show. The early SPN treatments? In essence not too far from what the characters ended up being and if you had actors who could or did only play as written without an instinct for adding nuance? D.i.s.a.s.t.e.r.
So basically, I can`t see the actors here elevating this show in the way they will need to.
In essence: I wasn`t bored by it so I`ll give it a couple eps more but not expecting any miracles here.
I was apprehensive about watching because Kripke has certain storytelling habits that, mildly put, drive me up walls. And this Pilot reflected him a lot. However, the good thing is, I`m not invested in any of the characters so those certain pitfalls are easier to ignore.
The bad thing is...I`m not invested in any of the characters.
And while the basic premise and underlying plot were enough to carry through the Pilot without too much boredom, I can already tell that will play out in a few eps tops. When I start to question the logic and all that. I mean, everyone and their kitchen sinks is already sniggering over the clean, fashionable clothes, including low cut tops and stylish leather jackets.
I mean the new-old-new world is pretty to look at, what with nature having taken back a lot of turf. Though it seemed a bit much for 15 years.
From the "twist" at the end, I`d guess some kind of global (I saw a tiny glimmer of Europe going dark as well from the space view of it, yay, we exist :) dampening field was switched on and all technology would in theory still work but only with the new super-energy-sources in the form of the little amulet thingies. No idea why people didn`t implenent, oh I don`t know, steam engines. There was scientific progress before we discovered electricity, you know.
So yeah, the plot is okay for now. Which brings me back to the characters...
I can deal with the uncle because at least he kicks ass. With swords no less. Do know the actor from something as well but have a terrible time placing him right now. Same as his brother (probably scientist who invented the dampening field AND the new power source) who was killed. Totally a "hey, it`s that guy" guy.
Also, I lol`ed so hard when they "revealed" the main bad guy was the dude riding around with uncle Miles in the teaser. Because for some reason I called this the first time "Monroe" was mentioned. The militia leader? I don`t know, I thought they put it on a little too thick with the mmmmmennnnnaaaaaacccccce.
"Lover-boy" militia guy? What, did he fall in lurve in the 2.5 seconds he has known the female protagonist? Made no sense.
The google-millionaire was amusing for now but they`re probably going comedy sidekick road with him in some way and I have little faith he is going to end up more than one-note when all is said and done.
The doctor slash girlfriend was okay as well. I liked her when she put Brattie, oh I`m sorry, Charlie, in her place.
Even the captured son didn`t bug too much.
Of course, you notice me leaving out one important person: the - supposed - lead character. Who has two things going against her: the writing and the acting. Seriously, the writing was pretty bad because she was introduced as an annoying, whiny brat who, over the course of the Pilot, morphed into an annoying, whiny brat who showed potential in exactly nothing. Yippie. There wasn`t a second onscreen she didn`t annoy me.
Now maybe a great actress could have softened that, made the character still sparkle in some way. Unfortunately, the actress is pretty flat.
And IMO that`s where I see it all gonna fall flat on its face in a while. Kripke isn`t the guy for a longterm plot show - he admits himself he has a short attention span and is easily distracted by the new "kewl" things. He is the guy whose goofy show can still be heartwarming because its elevated by the characters. Yet he also isn`t the guy who can do longterm fantastic character writing, the occasional ep maybe but not over the course of the show. The early SPN treatments? In essence not too far from what the characters ended up being and if you had actors who could or did only play as written without an instinct for adding nuance? D.i.s.a.s.t.e.r.
So basically, I can`t see the actors here elevating this show in the way they will need to.
In essence: I wasn`t bored by it so I`ll give it a couple eps more but not expecting any miracles here.
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(no subject)
Date: 2012-09-21 06:42 am (UTC)Her brother is 19, but the same goes for him. He's not spoilt, but he seems way too innocent for the world he's living in.
Even if I believe their father spoilt and protected them all their live, what kind of father would be so stupid to spoil and protect them as much as he must have done, considering he knew Monroe would come after him sooner or later?
In any case, the children's behavior makes no sense to me at all.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-09-21 04:43 pm (UTC)I found the teens in Terra Nova better written (which is damning with faint praise as it is) and at least they were actual teens.
And don't get me started with that "I'm trusting EVERYBODY because I'm so sweet and innocent" thing...
Coupled with "of course, I will pretend I`m totally tough, capable and adventurous - though at the first sign of things not going as expected, I`ll simply flail around ineffectually."
Copper`s Annie would have her for dinner and she is ten. *shakes head*