the_prodigal (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
the_prodigal) wrote2008-03-09 12:46 pm
the_prodigal) wrote2008-03-09 12:46 pm
Entry tags:
Acrotomophilia
I just saw the last episode in season one of Dexter. Seeing how good that was, and how neatly everything in that season is wrapped up - yes, yes, like the limbs of the serial killer's victims, guffaw, guffaw - perhaps I ought to just give season two a miss. It's been a long time since I felt a show really paid off on all its set-ups; seems a shame to spoil that with a second season that can only be disappointing in comparison. Still, I know I'll end up giving in to my curiosity. :-)
For now, though, I think I'll just enjoy feeling genuine admiration a little while longer. What I initially took to be a bit of a sensationalist touch - making the story about a serial killer - made absolute sense in the end. The final minute was pretty chilling, the way an accusing finger was pointed at the viewers. All the little couch vigilantes... And I can't tell you how relieved I am that they didn't cast the usual model-cum-mediocre actress in the role of Debra Morgan. Choosing Jennifer Carpenter was just so classy. The girl is made entirely out of talent.
And hey - I even learnt a new word: acrotomophilia! Clever show! I wonder if that term applies to Mulder, now? I know I became a bit of an SAE devotee after that unfortunate incident...
ETA: You know what? The more I think about it, the more impressed I am that here, finally, there's a show that seemingly calculated with fewer seasons than it was in fact allowed to run for! When did that ever happen before? Dexter gives the audience the pleasure of having all questions answered after one season. If you can name me one other quality show that actually follows through on its promises, tell me - PLEASE - and I'll go watch it immediately.
Twin Peaks was certainly high quality, but it aimed for something other than coherent plot. In fact, if Lynch had had his way, the identity of the murderer of Laura Palmer would have never been discovered. And that's all right, because the murder mystery was not what the show was about. It was about a can of worms that - incidentally - it took a murder to open. The secrets that all these people had... you were supposed to get sidetracked from the murder inquiry, following their strange fates.
Carnivàle - well, that show felt like it might have had a thread running through the whole thing. It may have revealed very little at a time, but it never contradicted itself, at least not in the episodes I've watched so far. I have yet to see the last ten episodes, but I'm buying that shit on dvd, if only for the SUPERB cinematography, mise-en-scene, and post-production. We'll never know if the plot made as much sense as it promised to do, however, since it was cancelled halfway through.
But there was definitely a different feel to Carnivàle from such ridiculous plots as that of Lost or The X-Files. I could tell after watching a few episodes of those that they would lack all cohesion. And they did; shame on them. How are you going to tie everything together in the end if you contradict yourself along the way? And how do you justify not tying together the plot when your show is all about narrative desire? A nonsensical story is something you cannot afford unless you have something alternative to offer the audience. Lost or The X-Files did not. There was no deep character study; no technical originality. Good craftsmanship, but nothing beyond that. So they were disappointing, if not insulting.
In conclusion, I can think of precious few quality shows that actually resolve the plot of their story. Could anyone point me in the direction of one? And please, f-listies, whatever you do, don't say Supernatural. Believe me, I like watching those boys as much as the next person, but it's just not a quality show. It has its moments, but again, we are talking about good craftsmanship; there's nothing original in it. Everything is lifted off something else; Star Wars for the characterization, Heroes for the chosen children - and this is assuming that the people behind SPN do not know that Heroes owes its idea to the Swedish show De Drabbade. Which was in almost every way superior to it. Plus, SPN is cast like a porn, which is always a bad sign. Sorry.
For now, though, I think I'll just enjoy feeling genuine admiration a little while longer. What I initially took to be a bit of a sensationalist touch - making the story about a serial killer - made absolute sense in the end. The final minute was pretty chilling, the way an accusing finger was pointed at the viewers. All the little couch vigilantes... And I can't tell you how relieved I am that they didn't cast the usual model-cum-mediocre actress in the role of Debra Morgan. Choosing Jennifer Carpenter was just so classy. The girl is made entirely out of talent.
And hey - I even learnt a new word: acrotomophilia! Clever show! I wonder if that term applies to Mulder, now? I know I became a bit of an SAE devotee after that unfortunate incident...
ETA: You know what? The more I think about it, the more impressed I am that here, finally, there's a show that seemingly calculated with fewer seasons than it was in fact allowed to run for! When did that ever happen before? Dexter gives the audience the pleasure of having all questions answered after one season. If you can name me one other quality show that actually follows through on its promises, tell me - PLEASE - and I'll go watch it immediately.
Twin Peaks was certainly high quality, but it aimed for something other than coherent plot. In fact, if Lynch had had his way, the identity of the murderer of Laura Palmer would have never been discovered. And that's all right, because the murder mystery was not what the show was about. It was about a can of worms that - incidentally - it took a murder to open. The secrets that all these people had... you were supposed to get sidetracked from the murder inquiry, following their strange fates.
Carnivàle - well, that show felt like it might have had a thread running through the whole thing. It may have revealed very little at a time, but it never contradicted itself, at least not in the episodes I've watched so far. I have yet to see the last ten episodes, but I'm buying that shit on dvd, if only for the SUPERB cinematography, mise-en-scene, and post-production. We'll never know if the plot made as much sense as it promised to do, however, since it was cancelled halfway through.
But there was definitely a different feel to Carnivàle from such ridiculous plots as that of Lost or The X-Files. I could tell after watching a few episodes of those that they would lack all cohesion. And they did; shame on them. How are you going to tie everything together in the end if you contradict yourself along the way? And how do you justify not tying together the plot when your show is all about narrative desire? A nonsensical story is something you cannot afford unless you have something alternative to offer the audience. Lost or The X-Files did not. There was no deep character study; no technical originality. Good craftsmanship, but nothing beyond that. So they were disappointing, if not insulting.
In conclusion, I can think of precious few quality shows that actually resolve the plot of their story. Could anyone point me in the direction of one? And please, f-listies, whatever you do, don't say Supernatural. Believe me, I like watching those boys as much as the next person, but it's just not a quality show. It has its moments, but again, we are talking about good craftsmanship; there's nothing original in it. Everything is lifted off something else; Star Wars for the characterization, Heroes for the chosen children - and this is assuming that the people behind SPN do not know that Heroes owes its idea to the Swedish show De Drabbade. Which was in almost every way superior to it. Plus, SPN is cast like a porn, which is always a bad sign. Sorry.