Oh no, he's discovered the secret to every beloved intellectual property ever RUN FOR IT FELLOWS BEFORE HE DISCOVERS THE PURPOSE OF BUTTONS AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
I'm waiting for the jerk who calls out the pro-Chinese propaganda that show displayed. The characters frequently slipping into near fluent Mandarin (or whatever dialect it is) had to be a concern for the right-wing nuts.
Dear God, i never realized i didn't ACTUALLY care about them. I thought Firefly was a well written show/movie that balanced and fully developed every character. Clearly not.
@Toe Knee - Speaking as a right-wing nut: no, not really. Why should it? Given the backstory of the series, it was only reasonable that there would be a strong Chinese influence in that culture.
Hey hey hey, I was just making a funny little quip about it, dong ma? But clearly, you're not nutty enough, heh. Then again... Jon Huntsman is also fluent. But he's also last in the polls.
I still insist that somewhere out there, there is an alternate universe where we complain how horrible the 2+ seasons of Firefly got, while also being bitter that we only got one season of Heroes.
You know, pondering this comment, I think there are two kinds of drama (at least for the purpose of this discussion). Some give the characters room to breathe, let them act in a way that's true to the characters, and let the audience decide who they like and care about and who they don't, while others set everything up (including the all pervasive soundtrack) so that the audience has no choice. Spielberg does it routinely--also the Harry Potter films. Firefly always struck me as the first type. (Sorry to post such a long comment. But not all that sorry.)
See, it didn't trick me. I thought they were all obnoxious Whedonese-clucking modern stereotypes from the start. Character development depended on them pausing their stacatto quipping long enough to let us know how wangsty their mysterious pasts were.
Most people that don't like firefly, in my personal experience, came to it after it became popular (after it was canceled). Some people can't stand popular things, or things with a cult following that were produced in the last several years. There's also a very strong impetus to deny behaving this way, as though it was unreasonable somehow.
Personally liked firefly. Didn't love, but liked enough to buy.
Count me in the "doesn't jive with your theory" group. I tried it when it first aired, and was completely unimpressed with The Train Job. Then I watched the entire series twice through, in the proper order, and I'm still very meh about the entire thing, except for the bits that completely turn me off.
I'm never sure where this argument comes from. Anon 3:54 gave the series a fair try. The general complaint is that people knock on shows before seeing a show and instead, he gives it two shots, presumably to make sure he didn't miss any layered bits that add to the series.
For doing so, he gets questioned over what we wish folks would do? It's not a big deal, but I call shenanigans.
@ Anon 3:54, I disagree with your opinion, but you're certainly entitled to it. Internet handshake.
If I only watched one episode once, and said I didn't like it, then I would forever have to listen to Browncoats telling me that if I had only watched it in the correct order it would all be so wonderful my farts would turn into butterflies. So I watched every episode twice before deleting them from my DVR. Now I can truthfully claim to have given it more than a fair shot, and the only thing left for you guys to debate is whether I'm telling the truth about being unimpressed, or did I find it truly loathesome and I'm just being nice about it to spare your feelings (and maybe avoid being griefed about it).
I'm doing the same thing for nBSG right now, since they're running it on BBCA. So far it's been tolerable, but there's a distinct "stalling for time" feel to most of it.
Personally, I enjoyed the show and was an even bigger fan of the movie. It doesn't matter to me whether you were a fan or not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and their own personal tastes.
I thought the movie "Drive" was a laughable piece of crap, but I've had friends tell me they thought it was the best film of the year, and it's even made some critics' top ten lists. Whatever. I didn't like it, and I'm entitled to my opinion.
I just thought it was interesting that you watched it twice. Generally, I'll give something a one-time viewing. If I don't like it, I won't sit through it again. I guess you're more committed to giving stuff a fair chance.
Looks like someone's about to figure out step 1 of the principles of dramatic storytelling, and I think we have Whedon's occasionally meta-self-aware-writer's-writer kind of writing style to thank for it!
Welcome to the Whedonverse.
ReplyDeleteI guess he'd rather see Transformers than character development.
ReplyDeleteIncoming:rabid Firefly fans!
ReplyDeleteOh no, he's discovered the secret to every beloved intellectual property ever RUN FOR IT FELLOWS BEFORE HE DISCOVERS THE PURPOSE OF BUTTONS AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
ReplyDeleteI think you're wrong, Stephen. He's complimenting the show.
ReplyDeleteGuess I didn't fall for the trick. That show sucked.
ReplyDeleteI swear by my pretty floral bonnet I will end you, anon.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for the jerk who calls out the pro-Chinese propaganda that show displayed. The characters frequently slipping into near fluent Mandarin (or whatever dialect it is) had to be a concern for the right-wing nuts.
ReplyDeleteAnon 12.10 nailed it.
ReplyDeleteDear God, i never realized i didn't ACTUALLY care about them. I thought Firefly was a well written show/movie that balanced and fully developed every character. Clearly not.
ReplyDelete@Toe Knee - Speaking as a right-wing nut: no, not really. Why should it? Given the backstory of the series, it was only reasonable that there would be a strong Chinese influence in that culture.
ReplyDeleteHey hey hey, I was just making a funny little quip about it, dong ma? But clearly, you're not nutty enough, heh. Then again... Jon Huntsman is also fluent. But he's also last in the polls.
ReplyDelete/politirant
People cared about the characters? Is that why it got cancelled so quickly?
ReplyDeleteSo, Fox did us a favor by canceling it because caring about others is...bad? Thank you Fox.
ReplyDeleteI still insist that somewhere out there, there is an alternate universe where we complain how horrible the 2+ seasons of Firefly got, while also being bitter that we only got one season of Heroes.
ReplyDeleteYou know, pondering this comment, I think there are two kinds of drama (at least for the purpose of this discussion). Some give the characters room to breathe, let them act in a way that's true to the characters, and let the audience decide who they like and care about and who they don't, while others set everything up (including the all pervasive soundtrack) so that the audience has no choice. Spielberg does it routinely--also the Harry Potter films. Firefly always struck me as the first type. (Sorry to post such a long comment. But not all that sorry.)
ReplyDeleteSee, it didn't trick me. I thought they were all obnoxious Whedonese-clucking modern stereotypes from the start. Character development depended on them pausing their stacatto quipping long enough to let us know how wangsty their mysterious pasts were.
ReplyDeleteMost people that don't like firefly, in my personal experience, came to it after it became popular (after it was canceled). Some people can't stand popular things, or things with a cult following that were produced in the last several years. There's also a very strong impetus to deny behaving this way, as though it was unreasonable somehow.
ReplyDeletePersonally liked firefly. Didn't love, but liked enough to buy.
Anonymous 2:30 P.M.: Generally I agree about Whedon. But I liked Firefly.
ReplyDelete@Anon 3:54
ReplyDeleteCount me in the "doesn't jive with your theory" group. I tried it when it first aired, and was completely unimpressed with The Train Job. Then I watched the entire series twice through, in the proper order, and I'm still very meh about the entire thing, except for the bits that completely turn me off.
@Anonymous 3:40
ReplyDeleteYou were so unimpressed and "meh" about it that you watched the entire series twice?
I'm never sure where this argument comes from. Anon 3:54 gave the series a fair try. The general complaint is that people knock on shows before seeing a show and instead, he gives it two shots, presumably to make sure he didn't miss any layered bits that add to the series.
ReplyDeleteFor doing so, he gets questioned over what we wish folks would do? It's not a big deal, but I call shenanigans.
@ Anon 3:54, I disagree with your opinion, but you're certainly entitled to it. Internet handshake.
Sounds like someone has a man crush.
ReplyDelete@Anon 3:48
ReplyDeleteIf I only watched one episode once, and said I didn't like it, then I would forever have to listen to Browncoats telling me that if I had only watched it in the correct order it would all be so wonderful my farts would turn into butterflies. So I watched every episode twice before deleting them from my DVR. Now I can truthfully claim to have given it more than a fair shot, and the only thing left for you guys to debate is whether I'm telling the truth about being unimpressed, or did I find it truly loathesome and I'm just being nice about it to spare your feelings (and maybe avoid being griefed about it).
I'm doing the same thing for nBSG right now, since they're running it on BBCA. So far it's been tolerable, but there's a distinct "stalling for time" feel to most of it.
@Anon 5:24
ReplyDeletePersonally, I enjoyed the show and was an even bigger fan of the movie. It doesn't matter to me whether you were a fan or not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and their own personal tastes.
I thought the movie "Drive" was a laughable piece of crap, but I've had friends tell me they thought it was the best film of the year, and it's even made some critics' top ten lists. Whatever. I didn't like it, and I'm entitled to my opinion.
I just thought it was interesting that you watched it twice. Generally, I'll give something a one-time viewing. If I don't like it, I won't sit through it again. I guess you're more committed to giving stuff a fair chance.
Yeah, I totally prefer my TV shows when I don't give a fuck about what happens to the characters. That emotional engagement shit is totally gay, yo.
ReplyDeleteLooks like someone's about to figure out step 1 of the principles of dramatic storytelling, and I think we have Whedon's occasionally meta-self-aware-writer's-writer kind of writing style to thank for it!
ReplyDelete