Revisit, rewatch.

[rogueslayer452]

++ I've come to realize that I've only ever liked the first season of Stranger Things. It was a fresh new show that had a nice mixture of 80s references and nostalgia, having that 80s horror/scifi mood and tone, the story was intriguing and I liked how all the pieces came together in the end. But after that, I don't know, the show kind of lost its charm imho, or that it bought into its own hype, or was overhyped by everyone else. idk, I'm not saying it's a bad show, I'm just saying that, for me, I enjoyed the first season more than the rest of it.

++ Apparently Gossip Girl is getting rebooted, in a way, by the original creators of the show. And that's...certainly a choice. I watched only, like, the first three seasons of that show and the first season is probably the only good season out of the entire thing. And how the series ended has always been remembered as the worst thing ever. So, I don't understand the need for this, outside of it contributing to the whole reboot/spin-off culture we live in now.

++ When it comes to shows that I have been revisiting, outside of Ocean Girl which was a nice trip down memory lane, I randomly decided to do a sporadic rewatch of Pretty Little Liars, just skipping around to watch certain episodes in certain seasons. I had briefly forgotten how enjoyable the show was in the beginning, before it got so convoluted and cluttered with ridiculous "twists" that didn't really matter in the end. I still maintain that the show should have been cut in half though, because there are so many subplots and storylines that were only there to be red-herrings and went absolutely nowhere, and were completely forgotten about by the next episode, not to mention all the retconning and continuity errors that occurred. It could have easily been a nice self-contained three-to-four season show without all the misdirection and failed promises to the audience. Also, upon rewatching, the dialogue could also be incredibly cringey, like attempting to be witty with one-liners but never quite landing correctly, obviously written by people who don't know how teenagers speak or communicate with each other. But underneath all that ridiculous mess, I have to admit it was entertaining for what it was and had potential of being a fascinating teen drama/mystery. Had, y'know, they actually had a plan from the start instead of making it up as they went along, which I think definitely hurt the show the longer it went on.

Speaking of, I haven't yet watched Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, which is the spin-off from the show, despite my love for Mona and Alison. I'm kind of putting it off for now. Also, unpopular opinion, but I'm still bitter that Ravenswood was cancelled after only one season. I was never in the PLL fandom so I was shocked to discover that many hated it. I thought it was really good, and it had potential of just being its own thing instead of a direct spin-off, even though I liked Caleb's involvement and his story intertwining with everything. There was only one downside that I understood why some fans got mad at, which I wasn't happy with it either, but I felt like that could have been rectified rather quickly once things got figured out. But yeah, I'm disappointed that the show was just forgotten about and nothing was ever resolved. I was intrigued and curious about that story, about that town, the characters. It had a more supernatural/horror element that I liked, and I wanted more, dammit.

Comments

[tellshannon815.livejournal.com]

I miss Ravenswood! I binge watched that a few months after it was cancelled, rather than when it was airing, so I didn't realise at the time people had hated it!

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize either! I knew that some fans weren't going to watch it because it wasn't specifically linked to the main mystery of PLL, other than Caleb being the only connecting character, but I didn't know how many actually hated it. I think there was also some fandom pettiness or something, but then again I was never involved with the fandom anyway.

But whatever, I really liked Ravenswood, and I wished it had continued. I liked the cast, and I liked how well Caleb integrated with the rest of them. I wanted his character to be further expanded than how he was in PLL.

[sidleypkhermit.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I was barely into even the first season of Stranger Things. I watched it through because the cast is so terrific, but... a lot of the time I felt like I was watching better genre shows from the nineties stacked on top of each other wearing a trench coat. (They even called that one episode "The Body"!)

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

That's one thing I liked about the first season, though, was how the focus on the different character storylines felt like a different genre, but it somehow worked especially once they came together in the end with their piece of the puzzle and working with each other to solve it. It just worked for me, imho.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I didn't enjoy season 2 of Stranger Things. Season 3 was better, but only a little. You're right, it bought in to it's own hype. Each season has homaged something from the 80s but the characters just became grating.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

It's almost like they care more about the 80s references than developing the characters, which is a shame. I liked them in the first season and hoped for more progression, but sadly it doesn't seem like anything like that is happening. I also don't think they write women that well, either, which is another unfortunate issue.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

They clearly thought that Joyce and Hopper screaming at each other was "endearing" but it just made me really dislike them. And both Tim and I were really annoyed with the way Eleven and Mike were behaving around Hopper. Yeah, teens are gonna teen, but you don't do it with the Dad in the next room and you don't blatantly mock him when he is sitting on front of you. Blah.

I was there for Steve's hair. My favorite character.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I do ship Joyce/Hopper, but I hate how the show has gone about their characters. It seemed rather outdated, even for a show based in the 80s. They could've done a better job with that, along with the whole Mike and Eleven relationship. It's sad because I did enjoy the characters in the first season. :/

[haebin.livejournal.com]

Stranger Things is on my to-watch-list as well. But I am a little bit reserved because I fear the series it too hyped. :o

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that is understandable. I watched the first season before the hype got real big, so perhaps that's why I liked it so much since I was able to actually enjoy it without outside influence of everyone telling me how it's "the best thing on television" or whatever. If you want to wait a bit until the hype cools down, that's totally fine.

[elizalavelle.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen season three of Stranger Things yet but I agree that season 1 just had something new about it than the second season didn't have. I still liked season two but not in the same obsessive way. Still excited to see what they do with the new season though :)

Why does Gossip Girl need a reboot? It's not so dated yet that the modernization would really make that much of a change to the plot. Weird choice.

I'm with you on Ravenswood. It was a bit of a mess but also had some interesting plots and a great soundtrack. I would have wanted to see what else they did with a show like that when they didn't have to be as "realistic" as PLL is. As in they could do a bit more supernatural stuff not that PLL is actually realistic ;)

I read the first book of The Perfectionists series and it was not good. But the series looks totally different so I may give it a go soon.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I tend to think a lot of shows are like that, though. Sometimes a first season can be a little rough but still decent while the rest of a show can improve, but other times a show can actually reach its peak during its first season while the following seasons don't even compare. I think Stranger Things fits into the latter.

It's been said that this will more or less be a spin-off, it's going to be a new set of characters just with the same kind of plot, supposedly. But either way, idk, it's just a weird choice.

I would have wanted to see what else they did with a show like that when they didn't have to be as "realistic" as PLL is. As in they could do a bit more supernatural stuff not that PLL is actually realistic ;)

I agree. Although Pretty Little Liars did try to do the whole mysterious/supernatural aspect here and there at times, but mostly to throw people off with it being misdirection. It never quite knew what it wanted to be at times, and it showed in those moments. Ravenswood, however, had an interesting concept and story that could have absolutely fit into that category of going in that direction and it would've worked for the tone of the show. It totally could have just stood on its own as a separate show, and I'm saddened that we never got anything else after those ten episodes.

I read the first book of The Perfectionists series and it was not good. But the series looks totally different so I may give it a go soon.

Heh, I had the same reaction when I tried to read PLL when I first started watching the show. Though I'm not really the demographic for those books anyway, while the show managed to at least be somewhat appealing with the way it was made.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I didn’t get a chance to see Ravenswood as I don’t think it was ever shown outside of America, I just remember finding the episodes that included it on PLL a bit frustrating! There was the Halloween episode that had a whole subplot of Caleb leaving with someone that he had just met on the bus, and then his return where he was acting really strangely for a bit, before the episode with him trying to explain it all to Hanna (bus girl died and he never saw her again?! That made NO sense to me, I thought she was a new character for the spin-off) that ended with millions of fireflies outside of the window...

And I think the first three seasons of PLL were all fairly good, but then yeah there were way too fillers and red herrings after that, it was a bit ridiculous how the writers again and again expected us to buy the most random people as possible A suspects

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is why crossovers that don't really include a lot of information from another show makes it frustrating for those who have no idea what's going on. Those who weren't watching Ravenswood had no clue of what was really going on, and that can be confusing and irritating to deal with. And I don't think the show ever got a DVD release or had the episodes released with the PLL DVDs anyway, which makes it equally as frustrating (esp since, even though it was cancelled, it was still part of the universe and should have at least been available for people to understand and connect those dots with those episodes).

And I'm assuming you don't know what happened in Ravenswood and are still confused? Or have you already read about it?

it was a bit ridiculous how the writers again and again expected us to buy the most random people as possible A suspects

Yeah, that got old real fast. It was like anyone who could possibly be a suspect was automatically labeled as "A", and it was really frustrating to see the girls constantly go to that conclusion time and time again. They honestly needed better writers for that show, I mean yeah it was a teen show so it wasn't really that ~deep, but c'mon, it got rather tedious with the girls accusing certain people with the smallest bit of information before them getting the full picture. It made them look stupid.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

I've never watched PLL or any related shows, but when I heard about Ravenswood I thought it was interesting they were having a supernatural spinoff (always a good thing in my opinion; I preferred Port Charles to General Hospital when I was a teen), and I was disappointed when I heard it was cancelled after one season.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I liked how it incorporated certain aspects of what I liked about PLL (the suspense and mystery) into the supernatural factor of Ravenswood, it actually worked very well. I think it even worked better because of that paranormal angle, it would've allowed them to go into interesting places that wouldn't have necessarily worked on PLL. While it wasn't perfect it still held a lot of potential storywise, so it was disappointing that it was cancelled after only ten episodes.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

That's what I like about shows where the supernatural is real; they're less constrained.

[krissasaur]

I only ever watched the first season of Stranger Things. I have this issue where if I feel a show ends on a perfect ending note, I get too scared to watch any more of the seasons, because what if it soils the whole show for me? Not to mention that as the kids grow up IRL some of them don't seem as cute or as intelligent as I had initially thought. I remember when season one came out I was super impressed with those kids and how they handled themselves, but I have a feeling a few of them are going to grow up to be not-so-great people. A shame.

Hmmmmmmmmm. I loved loved loved Gossip Girl, but I feel like a reboot will be bad. SORRY IF YOU LIKE THESE SHOWS< but I feel like a reboot would end up feeling too preteen like Sabrina or Riverdale, or even Pretty Little Liars. There was something about Gossip Girl that just felt more like a show for older people. I don't know if that makes sense or not.

I will live for them remaking it and not having Chuck be a rapey bastard though. I loved Chuck because I have a thing for redemption arcs, but I had to work really hard to retcon and head canon parts of his plot into non-existence to enjoy his later season plot lines.

Oh, you mentioned Pretty Little Liars.. Is it obvious I comment as I read hahahaha. But I agree. the show was never /good/ and personally I hated everything Aria, but I would die for Spencer, and HANNAHS EYES. UHG. I COULD GET LOST IN THEM FOREVER. Emily was great too. It was such a guilty pleasure show, but I never got past season 5? I think? It just got to kid shock value for me.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I remember when season one came out I was super impressed with those kids and how they handled themselves, but I have a feeling a few of them are going to grow up to be not-so-great people. A shame.

I've been mostly concerned about Millie Bobby Brown, because while she had the standout performance as Eleven, it also placed her in this spotlight that made her grow up far too fast in the eyes of the media, not really allowing her to be or dress like a kid which is rather disconcerting. Plus, her parents are apparently stage parents which isn't really a good sign. I just hope someone is looking out for her, because I know that kid actors aren't always protected from the dangers of Hollywood.

There was something about Gossip Girl that just felt more like a show for older people. I don't know if that makes sense or not.

It does, in a way. It was very much still a teen show, but probably targeted towards older teens and those entering their early twenties. The show prided itself to be more "risque" in its content and really relished in how trashy it was perceived. Shows like Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, however, try too hard to be ~deep when in reality they're just juvenile teen shows and it truly shows in the writing. Not that Gossip Girl was any better since it did have cringey moments and bad writing as well, but at least they were unabashed about it and it was part of the promotional aspect of the show (I remember during the promos for S2 they even placed criticisms of the show as part of their adverts, which regardless of one's opinion of the show it was a smart advertising move).

It was such a guilty pleasure show, but I never got past season 5? I think? It just got to kid shock value for me.

I stuck with the show until sometime during mid-S6, I think, when they did that five year time jump after they finally graduated high school. Before then I was content with sticking with it regardless of how ridiculous and convoluted the plot got, but the show then ended up messing with character relationships and that's when I decided to stop. That was the one thing that I appreciated about PLL was how there was no messing with the romantic relationships, no love triangles, nothing, but nope they messed that up during the last season or so and yeah I was done after that.

The show had good aspects to it though, it absolutely was a "guilty pleasure" because it was so addictive, and I did stick with it for as long as I did because of the characters (Spencer, Hanna, Mona, Alison, Caleb, Emily, specifically) and because I wanted to know the outcome of their situations, but I think many fans could tell they had no idea where the story was heading. It got frustrating as the seasons went on that we got no real answers, just more questions with pointless twists and reveals that led nowhere and everything got too convoluted. I'll never forget how fans played detective to call out the inconsistencies of certain "reveals" towards the end, like yeah everything got too cluttered to keep track but never underestimate the power of fandom to sort through all that crap to call out writers for their lazy writing.

This is what happens when a show goes on longer than it needs to without any real plan. I still stand that PLL should have been cut in half to save us all the nonsensical stuff that amounted to nothing in the end.

[krissasaur]

Oh yea, Millie I just feel sorry for tbh. That all on top of the Drake stuff... I am convinced hes a creep.

I stopped PLL around when Mona was revealed to be in some hooded cult thing that was connected to everything and wasn't Toby as well or something icr but I was like LOL NOPE THIS IS DUMB.

Yeah, this is pretty much why I am over TV. I feel like most shows should be 3 seasons max. Anything longer just feels like its being milked and loses what I fell in love with.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

He most likely is. :/

Well, Mona being revealed to be the first "A" was at the end of the second season (which kept true to the books, as far as I know), and Toby being recruited by Mona for the other "A" was during the fourth season. But it was revealed then that it was mostly a ruse because Toby did that to keep Spencer safe and figure things out, which Spencer also temporarily joined the "A" Team to figure things out about Toby. It's not really dumb in terms of how it all played out, but looking back they really kept on playing that card several times, characters joining the "A" Team secretly to learn something or protect someone, or the girls suspecting everyone of being "A" for minuscule things. It kind of got old fast.

Some things that happened on that show were absolutely ridiculous and stupid, while others I actually liked. I really liked the storyline with the dollhouse and the girls being trapped there for about a month, that was creepy and well-done especially showing their massive PTSD afterward. I also liked how Alison's character developed. Sasha Pieterse really shined as a growing actress which I appreciated. So the show had it's really good moments, but it also had not-so-good moments too which unfortunately overshadowed the better aspects of the show, especially later on as it became evident the show didn't know where it was going.

Yeah, this is pretty much why I am over TV. I feel like most shows should be 3 seasons max. Anything longer just feels like its being milked and loses what I fell in love with.

At least three seasons, five at the maximum for me, with a ten or thirteen episode order. Some shows only need a few seasons while others do have a longer kind of arc that needs more time to tell and complete a story. Just as long as the creators know how the story is to end, and where they want to end it. But having shows go on longer than they need to, going past their expiration date due to network pressures or giving into fan demand is what kills a lot of shows, imho.

(Unless you're Game of Thrones, where it should have gone on a little bit longer to fit certain things in and give a proper conclusion to arcs and storylines but instead was super rushed in, like, four episodes for things that should have taken two more seasons to develop, which is what killed any enthusiasm anyone ever had for that show in the end, lol.)

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

(Unless you're Game of Thrones, where it should have gone on a little bit longer to fit certain things in and give a proper conclusion to arcs and storylines but instead was super rushed in, like, four episodes for things that should have taken two more seasons to develop, which is what killed any enthusiasm anyone ever had for that show in the end, lol.)

Quoted for truth.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

I'll never forget how fans played detective to call out the inconsistencies of certain "reveals" towards the end, like yeah everything got too cluttered to keep track but never underestimate the power of fandom to sort through all that crap to call out writers for their lazy writing.

Yeah, and my philosophy is, if we can do it so can they.

[sictransits.livejournal.com]

There's so need to reboot Gossip Girl. The writers totally butchered the final season. I try to pretend the show ended somewhere in season 5 instead. I tend to be into reboots if either A. I've never seen the original version of the show or B. The original cast is involved somehow. Otherwise, I'll pass.

PLL was so good in the beginning. It's on my list to rewatch at some point. The Perfectionist is good, not as good as PLL once was but it kept my interest enough.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

The reboot is reportedly going to be a spin-off, so they claim, with different characters and not redoing the same characters from the first. But still, it makes me wonder why this is even necessary. In theory it would be interesting, with the same creators doing it, but they also screwed up the show royally. I mean, it was already declining after the first season, but the final season really was poorly done and poorly received by fans. So idk what's going to be done with this.

I've heard that The Perfectionists is somewhat decent, which I may try out at some point. I think this rewatch might be preparing me to do just that eventually.

[captandor.livejournal.com]

I loved GG so I have to admit I'm ridiculously excited for a reboot, lol. Can you imagine GG with snapchat?!

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Considering there are more social media outlets now than there were when Gossip Girl premiered, the whole concept could be interesting for another angle.

[captandor.livejournal.com]

I think this is what I'm most excited about. And the potential of seeing a GG without an attempted rapist as a lead romantic character (Chuck, ugh).

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I would hope that they're smarter now to not include that especially given the current climate we're in, but since these are the same people behind it sadly idk if I can trust them that much.

[silverusagi]

Gossip Girl--that show just happened! But, sure, whatever. Reboot it, spin it off, whatever.

Stranger Things--I like all of it, but S1 was definitely the best one, and the hook. It just had so much going for it. I had some issues with S2 and S3, which I never got around to posting about. It was... fine, but it wasn't this amazing thing anymore.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

It just seems like a weird decision, but in our culture now obsessed with revivals/reboots/remakes it's like, well, just do what you will I guess. We can't stop it as much as we'd like to.

I definitely think the problem with Stranger Things is the hype surrounding it. When the show first started it was worthy of the attention it was getting, but then it overflowed into pop culture and it's almost like the hype killed this amazing thing that it could have been. Also, Netflix overpromotes it like crazy while underpromoting their other shows (which they then end up cancelling because "nobody is watching", smh). And just, idk. The things I liked about ST initially aren't getting enough exploration or development which sucks, and it's why the magic that S1 had is no longer there, imho.

[silverusagi]

I think what was so interesting about S1 was the mystery, the suspense, the intrigue. But once the Upside Down is figured out, then the show began to rely more heavily on straight up horror. S2 did feel like a followup to S1 (what with stuff still going on with Will and the mystery of that), but S3 was more gross and jump scares than anything.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I mean I do like horror, but I definitely prefer the mystery and suspense of the first season especially with how they did the Upside Down, which was brilliantly executed. I was properly intrigued by that upon first watching it.