Television Meme, Part 7
Jun. 1st, 2019 08:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rogueslayer452This is the last part of the meme.
What do you think is a good amount of seasons for a TV show?
I truly believe that five seasons is where most shows should stop at, with probably a few exceptions of course. But in truth, I'll never understand why some believe the longer a show goes on the more successful it is, like this isn't a competition to see how long a show goes on for. Exceeding in quantity doesn't always result to the increase in quality. There are unfortunately so many examples of this, especially with shows that started out good but then declined in quality the longer it went on. Sometimes you just have to know when to stop. This is where I wish more creators/showrunners would know the story they want to tell, plan ahead for that in terms of where that beginning, middle, and end would be, but also plan their seasons to also have a beginning/middle/end as well in case the show gets abruptly cancelled before they get to finish the story. That way the show can still be satisfactory even if there was more planned for it.
Do you own any TV shows on DVD?
Of course. I'm someone who loves having physical copies of the media I consume. It's really disheartening when I see shows that will never be released onto DVD, even newer shows, either because it got cancelled too soon, they think that there won't be enough people to buy the DVDs so they don't even bother trying, or because they think digital is the only way to go, when that's not the case. I want my physical copy, please. Digital releases and DVDs can coexist, believe me.
Do you prefer to watch TV alone or with friends?
ALONE. Don't get me wrong, I will watch a show with other people, but if there is a show that I'm still watching and am personally invested in, I want to be able to watch it alone without anyone commenting on something that happens on the screen. I want to be able to watch/binge-watch at my leisure. Sometimes, you just got to have those moments by yourself and the majority of the shows that I watch I want to be able to absorb that information by myself without any interference.
Are there any shows you love but your friends aren’t interested in?
Oh, I'm sure there's plenty. Not everyone is going to be on the same wavelength when it comes to interests in shows. Some of the things I like others won't and vice versa.
Are there any shows your friends love but you aren’t interested in?
Same answer as above. Although for a specific answer, The Umbrella Academy. I think I've seen every gif in existence of that show at this point and based from that it just doesn't really interest or appeal to me, personally speaking. Also at the moment since it just premiered, Good Omens. I loved the book, but I don't like the casting and I'm just not really interested in watching it, tbh.
What’s one TV cliche you despise?
When it comes to cliches I despise in television, there are quite a number of them. So I'm going to list at least a few ones that bother me.
→ One of them that really irks me are shoehorned romances. You know, the kind of where obviously the characters have no chemistry or have any actual time to connect or naturally develop but the show has decided that they must shove them together in a romantic relationship and there is just....nothing there. Usually this is mostly heterosexual relationships, but this also happens with LGBT couples too because sometimes writers can't understand that just because a character is gay doesn't mean that they have to get with the only other gay character featured in the show. It's an ongoing issue though when it comes to proper representation in general, but it's still annoying nonetheless. I, of course, despise things like love triangles and most WTWT situations as I mentioned before, but there is something about forced romances that is tedious to watch unfold, because of oftentimes follows the "love at first sight" cliche that isn't really done well, and I hate that. You can have characters who are attracted to each other at first sight, but you have to build from it, not just shove them together in contrived cliched ways and hope that that's good enough.
→ Another one is misunderstandings and lacking communication. It truly grinds my gears whenever you have a situation that could easily be solved if the characters actually talked to each other. It seems like this is done to create ~drama and conflict, which is only understandable in certain instances in a story (ex: having a specific reason of keeping a secret or lying to someone) but at least with those there's usually consequences for such actions that make sense in the narrative. Otherwise, it's often not utilized well and just continues to be overused.
→ Cliffhangers that are so overdramatic when really whatever is happening gets resolved within, like, the first few minutes into the next season premiere. I know it's a tactic used to get audiences tuned in for the ratings for both the finale and season premiere, but it's a cliche I wish would just stop. First, there is that annoyance when a show gets cancelled and it ended with a very dramatic cliffhanger that now will never get resolved, so it leaves audiences unsatisfied. Secondly, season finales don't always have to end on a dire cliffhanger. It can just be a simple tease to get people intrigued with what is to happen next, that's it.
→ And finally, "subverting expectations" for shock value. Basically, doing anything for shock value is a tired cliche and should just stop entirely, not just with television but in writing overall.
What’s one TV cliche you love?
The thing about having so many ones that I dislike is trying to think of ones that I actually really like. So while I'm sure there's definitely plenty cliches I do enjoy, here are at least two that I can think of at the moment:
→ When you have characters who are in their own separate storyline arcs and are clearly part of the main plot, but they only have one piece of the puzzle. So it's obvious that all these character's paths have to converge in order for them to put those pieces together, and have them work together to solve it. When done right, it can make for something beautiful, especially since you've been waiting for these characters to either cross paths eventually and to actually reveal the things that they kept secret for so long once realizing they're not alone. It's one of the reasons why the first season of Stranger Things worked so well for me, because it did exactly that.
→ This one falls in line with the "found family" trope, but when characters who don't get along in the beginning but slowly learn to build trust and respect each other over time and maintain it. Usually this can happen either with a specific episode where something happens that changes their outlook on the other, or just seeing them interacting more which gradual growing on each other. It gets me every single time, there's just something about having characters who constantly butt heads but through shared circumstances have a chance to actually bond and strengthen their loyalty to each other, and where they would fight and defend the other when before seemed impossible. This kind of character growth and companionship is what I love so much, no matter whether it's within an ensemble team or just two characters.
And now I'm finally done! This was an incredibly long meme, and I wanted to take my time doing it. I left some questions out that I felt I couldn't really answer, but for the most part I finished all of it. It took quite a while, but I'm glad I did because it was fun answering these. For anyone who missed the other days, you can go through the tag and see the rest of my answers.
What do you think is a good amount of seasons for a TV show?
I truly believe that five seasons is where most shows should stop at, with probably a few exceptions of course. But in truth, I'll never understand why some believe the longer a show goes on the more successful it is, like this isn't a competition to see how long a show goes on for. Exceeding in quantity doesn't always result to the increase in quality. There are unfortunately so many examples of this, especially with shows that started out good but then declined in quality the longer it went on. Sometimes you just have to know when to stop. This is where I wish more creators/showrunners would know the story they want to tell, plan ahead for that in terms of where that beginning, middle, and end would be, but also plan their seasons to also have a beginning/middle/end as well in case the show gets abruptly cancelled before they get to finish the story. That way the show can still be satisfactory even if there was more planned for it.
Do you own any TV shows on DVD?
Of course. I'm someone who loves having physical copies of the media I consume. It's really disheartening when I see shows that will never be released onto DVD, even newer shows, either because it got cancelled too soon, they think that there won't be enough people to buy the DVDs so they don't even bother trying, or because they think digital is the only way to go, when that's not the case. I want my physical copy, please. Digital releases and DVDs can coexist, believe me.
Do you prefer to watch TV alone or with friends?
ALONE. Don't get me wrong, I will watch a show with other people, but if there is a show that I'm still watching and am personally invested in, I want to be able to watch it alone without anyone commenting on something that happens on the screen. I want to be able to watch/binge-watch at my leisure. Sometimes, you just got to have those moments by yourself and the majority of the shows that I watch I want to be able to absorb that information by myself without any interference.
Are there any shows you love but your friends aren’t interested in?
Oh, I'm sure there's plenty. Not everyone is going to be on the same wavelength when it comes to interests in shows. Some of the things I like others won't and vice versa.
Are there any shows your friends love but you aren’t interested in?
Same answer as above. Although for a specific answer, The Umbrella Academy. I think I've seen every gif in existence of that show at this point and based from that it just doesn't really interest or appeal to me, personally speaking. Also at the moment since it just premiered, Good Omens. I loved the book, but I don't like the casting and I'm just not really interested in watching it, tbh.
What’s one TV cliche you despise?
When it comes to cliches I despise in television, there are quite a number of them. So I'm going to list at least a few ones that bother me.
→ One of them that really irks me are shoehorned romances. You know, the kind of where obviously the characters have no chemistry or have any actual time to connect or naturally develop but the show has decided that they must shove them together in a romantic relationship and there is just....nothing there. Usually this is mostly heterosexual relationships, but this also happens with LGBT couples too because sometimes writers can't understand that just because a character is gay doesn't mean that they have to get with the only other gay character featured in the show. It's an ongoing issue though when it comes to proper representation in general, but it's still annoying nonetheless. I, of course, despise things like love triangles and most WTWT situations as I mentioned before, but there is something about forced romances that is tedious to watch unfold, because of oftentimes follows the "love at first sight" cliche that isn't really done well, and I hate that. You can have characters who are attracted to each other at first sight, but you have to build from it, not just shove them together in contrived cliched ways and hope that that's good enough.
→ Another one is misunderstandings and lacking communication. It truly grinds my gears whenever you have a situation that could easily be solved if the characters actually talked to each other. It seems like this is done to create ~drama and conflict, which is only understandable in certain instances in a story (ex: having a specific reason of keeping a secret or lying to someone) but at least with those there's usually consequences for such actions that make sense in the narrative. Otherwise, it's often not utilized well and just continues to be overused.
→ Cliffhangers that are so overdramatic when really whatever is happening gets resolved within, like, the first few minutes into the next season premiere. I know it's a tactic used to get audiences tuned in for the ratings for both the finale and season premiere, but it's a cliche I wish would just stop. First, there is that annoyance when a show gets cancelled and it ended with a very dramatic cliffhanger that now will never get resolved, so it leaves audiences unsatisfied. Secondly, season finales don't always have to end on a dire cliffhanger. It can just be a simple tease to get people intrigued with what is to happen next, that's it.
→ And finally, "subverting expectations" for shock value. Basically, doing anything for shock value is a tired cliche and should just stop entirely, not just with television but in writing overall.
What’s one TV cliche you love?
The thing about having so many ones that I dislike is trying to think of ones that I actually really like. So while I'm sure there's definitely plenty cliches I do enjoy, here are at least two that I can think of at the moment:
→ When you have characters who are in their own separate storyline arcs and are clearly part of the main plot, but they only have one piece of the puzzle. So it's obvious that all these character's paths have to converge in order for them to put those pieces together, and have them work together to solve it. When done right, it can make for something beautiful, especially since you've been waiting for these characters to either cross paths eventually and to actually reveal the things that they kept secret for so long once realizing they're not alone. It's one of the reasons why the first season of Stranger Things worked so well for me, because it did exactly that.
→ This one falls in line with the "found family" trope, but when characters who don't get along in the beginning but slowly learn to build trust and respect each other over time and maintain it. Usually this can happen either with a specific episode where something happens that changes their outlook on the other, or just seeing them interacting more which gradual growing on each other. It gets me every single time, there's just something about having characters who constantly butt heads but through shared circumstances have a chance to actually bond and strengthen their loyalty to each other, and where they would fight and defend the other when before seemed impossible. This kind of character growth and companionship is what I love so much, no matter whether it's within an ensemble team or just two characters.
And now I'm finally done! This was an incredibly long meme, and I wanted to take my time doing it. I left some questions out that I felt I couldn't really answer, but for the most part I finished all of it. It took quite a while, but I'm glad I did because it was fun answering these. For anyone who missed the other days, you can go through the tag and see the rest of my answers.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 04:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 09:23 am (UTC)Yay, someone else who likes to own physical copies! For me, that's a way to collect my shows which is a lot more satisfying than a streaming library. I remember the post on ONTD when The Orville's S1 DVD was announced and everyone was like "Who still buys shows on DVDs?!"
I also really like complete box sets. There's just something about having this one big box with five seasons on my shelf.
I completely agree with the cliches you hate, especially the cliffhangers. This year was pretty bad for some of the shows and I always wonder why it is necessary. If someone loved the first season, they will watch the second, no matter how the season ends. If someone wasn't into the show, they probably won't continue, even if the main character ~died in the finale.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 09:58 am (UTC)I remember the post on ONTD when The Orville's S1 DVD was announced and everyone was like "Who still buys shows on DVDs?!"
It's ridiculous that those people would be baffled, which shows how out of touch they seem to be. While digital sales have become more of a norm, DVD sales are still a huge deal in the market (including Bluray and now 4K) so anyone who acts surprised that people are still buying physical copies of television/movies are bullshitting. Not everyone only goes digital with the media they purchase, and it's ignorant (and kinda elitist? classist?) to think otherwise. I mean, I still buy CDs of music/artists I really like as well, so yeah. Also vinyl made a huge comeback for the younger generation, so y'know, idk why it's such an outrageous concept for these things to still exist or why they can't coexist.
It's like that ridiculous argument that physical books will disappear due to the rise of ebooks/ereader. Just because something has a digital form doesn't mean the physical copy of said thing will become obsolete.
I also really like complete box sets. There's just something about having this one big box with five seasons on my shelf.
Same here! I really need to replace some shows because season boxsets used to be quite bulky when you would buy them many years back, and now that they've gotten wiser with being more compact I want to be able to make more space on my DVD shelf for my shows with complete series boxsets.
If someone loved the first season, they will watch the second, no matter how the season ends.
This is true, though I do wonder who makes these kinds of calls, the network or the creators. Because I know the method in itself is done mostly for ratings, which that is what networks care about most, the numbers, so even if a show has a large dedicated following that will still watch regardless of whether a finale has a cliffhanger or not, if the numbers don't hold up for the finale it might not matter. But still, it's kind of ridiculous how this has become kind of standard for television to do these bombastic cliffhangers. I think overall they need to take a step back and just, not do that as often. Not every show needs it, and not every show benefits from it. Especially when it's done over and over again, people will get tired and bored from it.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 10:34 am (UTC)I also still buy CDs. Again, I like having them on my shelf and the majority of albums still have pretty cover artwork and booklets.
My guess is also networks, but cliffhangers have become such a standard thing, I wouldn't be surprised if creators just have them as default endings now. Then again, Elementary did have a nice ending for S6 which was probably the creator's decision and it worked just fine to still get another season.
The Blacklist could have easily ended this season and the cliffhanger felt a little tacked on. I actually don't mind that. Adding one after a renewal at least makes sense in a way.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 08:55 pm (UTC)I just really wish shows would treat each season like it was their last, y'know? Don't do cliffhangers that leave more questions than answers, don't try to fake everyone out with something, just have a self-contained season and a small little teaser for what's to come in the future. So even if the show gets cancelled, while sad, it doesn't leave everyone hanging.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-03 05:22 pm (UTC)It's one of the reasons I love BrainDead so much. Yes, I would have loved more, but the one season is completely self-contained and the finale hints at what could potentially happen next.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-05 12:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 10:03 am (UTC)Are there any shows your friends love but you aren’t interested in?
Same answer as above. Although for a specific answer, The Umbrella Academy. I think I've seen every gif in existence of that show at this point and based from that it just doesn't really interest or appeal to me, personally speaking. Also at the moment since it just premiered, Good Omens.
100% agreeing with you!!!
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 11:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 10:31 am (UTC)Yes, agreed.
→ One of them that really irks me are shoehorned romances...
Pretty much agree with everything you stated here. I also think that romance can be done just for the sake of romance, and... it's okay for characters to be single, or for the couple to exist as individuals as well.
Although some shows will go the other extreme, and once a couple is established, barely portray them as one. I actually love seeing couples do couple things on shows, I just don't like it forced, and I don't think romance has to be the only important relationship. Meanwhile, it's very weird if an established couple acts so casual, if I were watching for the first time I'd assume they were just friends or something.
Another trope I've noticed is that you don't always see couples interacting in groups. The couple will interact, then the characters will do their own thing. I guess some of that's probably due to screen time and actor availability, but it just seems odd to me when doing things with other people as a couple is a huge part of being a couple.
Otherwise, it's often not utilized well and just continues to be overused.
Yeah, and that's the thing. Or when the reasons for not talking are so dumb. I realize IRL misunderstandings happen, and I do think that's an okay trope to utilize, but... I made up an example once, a complete hypothetical, where Alice knows Bob had a reason for waiting to buy milk and eggs that day, but she sulks around sadly while holding the truth back causes Mary, Bob's wife, to leave him, and someone to burn Bob's house down. All because Bob made her pinky promise not to tell anyone. Why would Bob let his wife leave him and have his house burned down all to avoid talking about something so simple, and why wouldn't Alice see through that nonsense?
It's fine in doses, and it's even fine if it makes sense for the characters and gets called out. But if characters who have no reason to hide anything do it, or if it's a constant trope throughout, then it just gets old.
Cliffhangers that are so overdramatic when really whatever is happening gets resolved within, like, the first few minutes into the next season premiere.
I won't watch shows that rely on constant cliffhangers unless I still feel there's a resolution. The Good Place arguably is cliffhanger heavy, but I feel it's done in a way that at least doesn't completely throw everything off every episode. If that makes sense.
And of course fake death scares. WE KNOW THE TITLE CHARACTER ISN'T DEAD GUYS. The only time I'll forgive it is Buffy, since they thought that might be a series finale. And even then, can you imagine what a downer of a series finale that would have been? On a lighter level, it's the same if a major character quits a firm that's essential to the storyline, or leaves their significant other, or whatever else. The exceptions to this are when it's not done for shock value as much as really showing how things are going to come back into place. That I can get behind. Maybe. It depends.
When you have characters who are in their own separate storyline arcs and are clearly part of the main plot, but they only have one piece of the puzzle. So it's obvious that all these character's paths have to converge in order for them to put those pieces together, and have them work together to solve it.
Yeah, I like that. It also makes for strong storytelling on the whole, since you learn about those characters.
This one falls in line with the "found family" trope, but when characters who don't get along in the beginning but slowly learn to build trust and respect each other over time and maintain it.
I think the last part is especially true. A lot of shows will have character loyalty waver back and forth; I like it when while waters may be tested (which, let's face it, is perfectly normal), the characters in question are clearly in to stay.
I think I'm going to answer these last two questions as well. :)
no subject
Date: 2019-06-03 01:01 am (UTC)It's astounding that writers are dumbfounded by this concept. Not all characters need to be in a relationship, and not every couple in a show needs to revolve only around that relationship. They can have friends, they can interact with other people. I mostly suspect it's because the majority of writers don't know how to write romance realistically, and also don't know how to write characters who are their own person outside of a relationship.
It's fine in doses, and it's even fine if it makes sense for the characters and gets called out. But if characters who have no reason to hide anything do it, or if it's a constant trope throughout, then it just gets old.
Precisely. I can take moments like that where it's relevant to the plot and if there are consequences for those actions, but most of the time it's just a filler cliche to add unnecessary drama. It's a one trick pony for many writers and it's just so tediously boring and aggravating to watch.
I won't watch shows that rely on constant cliffhangers unless I still feel there's a resolution.
It's why I wait on some shows before watching, even if it means waiting until the show actually finishes its run before getting into it so I'll be prepared.
And of course fake death scares. WE KNOW THE TITLE CHARACTER ISN'T DEAD GUYS.
This one is hilarious to me, because there's no way they'll fool anyone that their title character is going to die. In great peril, probably, but not die. Granted, killing off main characters for pointless shock value has unfortunately become a trend for some shows, but title characters? Nah, they are very safe. You can't fool us.
A lot of shows will have character loyalty waver back and forth; I like it when while waters may be tested (which, let's face it, is perfectly normal), the characters in question are clearly in to stay.
That wavering thing really bothers me, because it's like, well, what side are you on today? Characters that change their loyalty constantly is not something I enjoy watching, and it's clear it's written by people who don't understand that character dynamic because you see the OOC holes and the discrepancies episode by episode. I'm not about that.
What I am here for are characters who start off indifferent or tentative at first, only for their connection to blossom and grow and their eventual loyalty never falters. Like you said, there can be questioning and testing waters, but they know where they stand with each other. I like it when characters, even when there is conflict, still love and care about the other person and show that through their actions. It remains true to who they are and what that particular dynamic is.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-03 10:33 am (UTC)I think that's often true. I also think writers find writing other relationships harder, even though sometimes their relationship writing is also lacking, as you point out. Maybe that's the problem, they figure they can just go for a romance formula when audiences want more than that, especially nowadays.
but most of the time it's just a filler cliche to add unnecessary drama.
Exactly.
This one is hilarious to me, because there's no way they'll fool anyone that their title character is going to die. In great peril, probably, but not die. Granted, killing off main characters for pointless shock value has unfortunately become a trend for some shows, but title characters?
Yeah, it's like, we all know what is/isn't going to happen. This is so common that when a show DID kill off a title character for real, I kept laughing because assumed he was going to turn back up, especially given that his death was amusing (it was a comedy so they couldn't go too dark). He actually was killed off for real, because the actor had to leave the show. But it's become so common to just pretend a character has died. Or again, in milder versions, Quit For Good. Come on.
That wavering thing really bothers me, because it's like, well, what side are you on today? Characters that change their loyalty constantly is not something I enjoy watching, and it's clear it's written by people who don't understand that character dynamic because you see the OOC holes and the discrepancies episode by episode. I'm not about that.
Exactly. It gets tiresome quick, and it's also hard to sympathize.
What I am here for are characters who start off indifferent or tentative at first, only for their connection to blossom and grow and their eventual loyalty never falters.
Yes. I LOVE that. And keep it that way. Or if they briefly fall, make it believable.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 02:20 pm (UTC)This meme is one giant meme, wow, I think if I snagged it (I might just snag it? when I'm finished with the meme I'm doing now) it would take me much longer to finish. But the slowness in getting back to posting is kinda exactly what I enjoy right now, so I'm good with it.
I also want to say that I missed reading your posts and I'm happy you're still around when I came back. :) I've always loved how detailed and thought-out they are.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 11:26 pm (UTC)Exactly. Also, I like being able to guess where the story is going and being satisfied that I was on the right track, because it shows that I understood and was picking up on the foreshadowing and clues sprinkled in the story. It makes the outcome even more earned. That's how good storytelling should be, allowing your audience to figure it out. Doing shock value for the sake of it, or worse, changing things on a whim because you're worried people are getting "too close" to figuring it all out, is insulting the intelligence of the audience. Good writing should be wanting to tell a good story first without devolving into cheap tricks like that.
This meme is one giant meme, wow
lol, I know. It's why I divided the questions up into separate posts so I could take my time with it. But it was fun! I like doing memes like this, especially fandom memes.
I also want to say that I missed reading your posts and I'm happy you're still around when I came back. :) I've always loved how detailed and thought-out they are.
Awww, thank you so much! ❤ I'm glad that you're back, as well. :D
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 06:50 pm (UTC)This one falls in line with the "found family" trope, but when characters who don't get along in the beginning but slowly learn to build trust and respect each other over time and maintain it.
YESSSSSS! Teams that are like family is my favorite thing in the whole world. I hate it when shows either just tease it and keep characters seperate for too long (Teen Wolf for example) or have a group of people who can't stand each other and don't grow closer at all over time (Community) or have a group that comes together and gets over their differences and everything is nice...just to fuck it all up over and over again to create ~drama (Avengers)
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 09:44 pm (UTC)I'm a huge fan of any and all variations of the found family trope, that when you just tease it but there is no growth or trust between any of them down the line or any sense of a team whatsoever it just makes me both sad and frustrated. I mean, sure, there can be tension and questioning in the beginning, but once that bond is created it's pretty much unbreakable, so not following through with it just defeats the purpose entirely. I want to see a group of dysfunctional people work together and learn to love and accept each other as family, not treat each other like strangers. Like, what's the point of that?
or have a group that comes together and gets over their differences and everything is nice...just to fuck it all up over and over again to create ~drama (Avengers)
This is why I was never that into the MCU. I did watch and enjoyed The Avengers, but I wasn't that interested in watching the rest of the movies, and when it became apparent that they weren't really writing these characters like a team then it kind of defeats the purpose of bringing them together in the first place. When we never see the characters bond, never see them being a camaraderie, it makes whatever happens in a battle kind of shallow because it lessens the impact that should have been more powerful and heartbreaking. Then again, I was never huge on the MCU to begin with, but I hear from MCU fans all the time that it could have been more esp when their comic counterparts do have that kind of dynamic, but the movies never gave into that potential. And that makes me sad when even I see what could have been. :/
It's also why I prefer Marvel shows, because at least there's time to develop and grow these characters and their bonds with each other and showing their dynamic that strengthens over time.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 10:50 pm (UTC)They do have scenes like that in Age of Ultron and other later movies.
One scene in Endgame shows them doing that right after the battle in The Avengers.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 11:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-02 10:00 pm (UTC)Like JMS did with Babylon 5. He had to adjust some things along the way for various real life reasons, but ultimately he had a five-year story in mind and he pulled it off.
It's really disheartening when I see shows that will never be released onto DVD, even newer shows, either because it got cancelled too soon, they think that there won't be enough people to buy the DVDs so they don't even bother trying, or because they think digital is the only way to go, when that's not the case. I want my physical copy, please. Digital releases and DVDs can coexist, believe me.
Exactly. And now that the Marvel Netflix shows have been cancelled, it looks like we won't be getting Iron Fist Season 1 on disc outside of the UK and won't be getting the remaining ones on disc at all.
I, of course, despise things like love triangles
Many of the love triangles I've seen could be solved by simple polyamory.
It truly grinds my gears whenever you have a situation that could easily be solved if the characters actually talked to each other.
Not to mention when they're interrupted by something and don't go back to their previous discussion at a later time even when they have no reason not to.
Secondly, season finales don't always have to end on a dire cliffhanger. It can just be a simple tease to get people intrigued with what is to happen next, that's it.
Case in point, Buffy and Angel's season finales.
t's one of the reasons why the first season of Stranger Things worked so well for me, because it did exactly that.
I also liked that it didn't have Jonathan thinking Joyce was delusional for too long, because I hate it when that happens.
but when characters who don't get along in the beginning but slowly learn to build trust and respect each other over time and maintain it.
Which reminds me of one of the many things I hated about Season 8 of Game of Thrones; that Sansa started out with an irrational dislike of Dany, which was believable enough to start with, but Sansa never evolved out of it (and was even rewarded for it). It was like all the characters became flatter, one-note versions of themselves this season instead of developing.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-03 02:49 am (UTC)I really don't understand why, though. If they released the DVDs before, why not now? I mean, they cancelled them so it's on Netflix for that decision, but it just makes no sense why they wouldn't continue to release DVDs for the shows if they are still successful. Although I don't understand why Netflix in general is so selective of which original shows they want to release onto DVD. I still want Sense8 on DVD, dammit.
Many of the love triangles I've seen could be solved by simple polyamory.
For real, though. It's honestly a shame that more shows don't try to exercise this option more. I know that not every character is poly or going to be okay with being poly, but there have been some shows where it would have made sense and I'm still bitter that the showrunners never gave it much thought.
It was like all the characters became flatter, one-note versions of themselves this season instead of developing.
I think the last season of Game of Thrones is a prime example of how not to write characters. Or just now not to write anything like what they did, period.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-03 06:42 pm (UTC)'Cause they've lost their feeling of investment in the franchise and don't want anything to do with it anymore, even if that attitude doesn't quite make sense.
I still want Sense8 on DVD, dammit.
I keep checking Bluray.com for it to finally come out. At least Stranger Things gets released as special sets that look like VHS tapes at Target.
but there have been some shows where it would have made sense
Deadly Class, for one.
I think the last season of Game of Thrones is a prime example of how not to write characters. Or just now not to write anything like what they did, period.
Word. As one Youtube video put it, the only good thing about it is that it serves as an example to future writers of how not to write.
And to have Arya parrot everything Sansa says when it makes even less sense for her to dislike Daenerys. Much less. It depresses me to see women who should be natural allies at each other's throats because the writers force them to be. Do they honestly imagine we enjoy watching 'the Mean Girls of Winterfell'? Or maybe they thought the viewers would accept their not-supported-by-what-has-actually-happened-on-the-show recharacterization of Dany if they put the words in our poor Arya's mouth. It's telling that none of the episodes this season were written by women.
.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-06 01:43 am (UTC)Seriously, it pisses me off that we couldn't have gotten so much more. They didn't even need to be best friends, but they could have set their differences aside and realize that they have similar goals and become allies. Instead, it was just all ignored and reduced to unnecessary petty cattiness because, lol, women can't be friends with each other, according to the showrunners/writers.
All the women from this show got screwed over by incredibly sexist writing, and I'll forever be angry about it.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-06 01:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-03 12:22 am (UTC)The found family trope is my all-time favorite. I love watching relationships bloom into something real and meaningful, and the characters become fiercely loyal. This is a big reason I enjoyed Teen Wolf.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-03 01:40 am (UTC)I can only tolerate cliffhangers if it's done well, but consistently doing dire cliffhangers becomes uninteresting. It's why I sometimes wait for some shows to finish before I start them, so I don't continually get frustrated with the stupid cliffhangers.
I just love the found family trope so much. ❤
no subject
Date: 2019-06-03 04:57 am (UTC)Also I totally agree with you regarding: subverting expectations for shock value. This has been a big topic of conversation lately with Game of Thrones and the writers basically admitting that they just wanna pull the rug out from under viewers' feet whether it makes sense or not. They've demonstrated several times that they are more concerned with shock value than with delivering a well-plotted narrative.
And found families! <3 I'm kind of getting this vibe from Lucifer, which I'm bingeing right now.
(also, hi, hello, I know I disappeared for over a year but I'm trying to be back now, hopefully)
no subject
Date: 2019-06-03 06:38 am (UTC)I used to watch Supernatural, many many years ago. I quit after the sixth season, mostly because I wasn't happy with the direction of the show and wasn't enjoying it anymore, and also how toxic the fandom was at that time. I still maintain that it should have stopped at season five. Hearing that it's finally ending did surprise me a little, simply because I thought the network was going to milk the entire thing dry until, like, twenty seasons or so, heh. But I know it was the decision of the actors to end it, so at least they actually get a say in that.
They've demonstrated several times that they are more concerned with shock value than with delivering a well-plotted narrative.
Yep, that's been an ongoing thing over the course of the entire show that many have complained about time and time again, but I guess it took the final season for the majority of the audience to truly realize just how bad it really was. I mean, Game of Thrones was also a show I stopped watching seasons ago for this exact reason. Part of me is enjoying its downfall, but another part of me is just disappointed because there was potential for the show to have been good, and yet it wasn't.
Lucifer has been on my "to watch list" for a while now. I've heard good things about it, especially after it was saved from cancellation.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-04 03:59 pm (UTC)Agreed! I’ve read that physical copies have really fallen out of favour in America, and it makes me sad that there seems to be no effort made with them any more. I don’t care as much about individual season releases, but I used to love buying the complete series boxset when it was deluxe and packed with extra features, and sadly hardly any shows seem to bother with that these days.
I’ve noticed that especially with some recent favourite shows of mine like Big Little Lies, Sharp Objects, and The Handmaids Tale, the DVDs only extras basically just consist of the same brief two minute featurettes that were on the iTunes release, and it makes me wonder what happened to the commentaries and lengthy documentaries going behind the scenes that you used to get as a matter of course with those sorts of releases. And frustratingly the movies on iTunes still seem to come as packed with extras as ever, but for some reason it’s really slim pickings for most tv shows now ever since the move to digital
no subject
Date: 2019-06-06 12:04 am (UTC)I truly do hate that they separate the extras, though. Before it was on DVD and Bluray, then it was just on Bluray, and now it seems to be a combination of Bluray and digital. It's kind of shitty to do that when not everyone can afford it. Like, I get it, it's a marketing strategy to get people to pay for something, but it still sucks.