The Pleasure of Mainlining a Fictional Universe
Anyone who has been following this LJ knows I am a defender of seriality. I (in theory if not always in practice) wait until a work is finished to start posting but still serial post it anyway, and always use the same anecdote about my brother complaining about how shows on DVD are missing something without the commercials. It's an intellectual position designed to give the author as many tools in their toolbox as possible, because most of my flist are talented writers whom I trust to use those tools effectively. The anticipation, the frustration, the withdrawal: these emotions, while not always pleasant, are sometimes what we need even if they aren't what we want. (Yes, I will go to the grave defending Joss for that quote.)
But don't think for a moment that I'm immune to the pleasure of inhaling an entire chaptered fic or season on TV. There's something wonderful about being so caught up in a fictional universe that one loses track of the soi-disant "real world" (which makes me think about how it has been way too long since I've read a novel, especially a long one).
Of course, the simple truth is that for the most part, the only practical mechanism for producing such detailed worldbuilding and depth of story is a serial one. So we have a paradox; we must embrace seriality in order to eschew it.
Which is a (characteristically, for me) long-winded way of saying that I've spent the last week or so mainlining episodes of The 4400. I watched season 1 (such as it is) last Saturday, and watched season 2 (again, such as it is) Thursday and Friday.
The 4400, while excellently done science-fiction, isn't nearly will-to-powery enough (which is one of its strengths, actually) for it to earn the sort of love I have for Buffy or Veronica Mars. (When they start the spin-off series Tess of the 4400, on the other hand....) But I think it'll settle in comfortably with my other minor fandoms.
Summer Glau of course was awesome as always (and I made sure to catch "The Ballad of Kevin and Tess" on Sunday which was so OTP). Robert Picardo's appearance was an unexpected but pleasant surprise. Maia's age makes it difficult to find anyone to slash her with that isn't extremely squicky (but I keep trying), and I keep on trying to figure out how to come up with an excuse for, I don't know, Diana/April/Nina/Nikki/Lily/Tess/Liz/Devin/a couple others whose names I forget.
Was "The Fifth Page" intended to be a Tolkein reference? Or am I insane for interpreting it as such? (And if so, why? There didn't seem to be any thematic connection.)
But other than deciding that April/Nina has to happen, and wondering why no one else has Tess/Kevin in their user interests, I don't really have any developed thoughts 'shipwise. Except that I'm sad Barbara Yates was dropped after season 1 because Barbara/Dennis had some serious chemistry, and moral ambiguity is hot.
In other news, the shirt I am currently wearing is the most flaming bright orange I have ever seen, and is not fit to be worn by man or woman.
But don't think for a moment that I'm immune to the pleasure of inhaling an entire chaptered fic or season on TV. There's something wonderful about being so caught up in a fictional universe that one loses track of the soi-disant "real world" (which makes me think about how it has been way too long since I've read a novel, especially a long one).
Of course, the simple truth is that for the most part, the only practical mechanism for producing such detailed worldbuilding and depth of story is a serial one. So we have a paradox; we must embrace seriality in order to eschew it.
Which is a (characteristically, for me) long-winded way of saying that I've spent the last week or so mainlining episodes of The 4400. I watched season 1 (such as it is) last Saturday, and watched season 2 (again, such as it is) Thursday and Friday.
The 4400, while excellently done science-fiction, isn't nearly will-to-powery enough (which is one of its strengths, actually) for it to earn the sort of love I have for Buffy or Veronica Mars. (When they start the spin-off series Tess of the 4400, on the other hand....) But I think it'll settle in comfortably with my other minor fandoms.
Summer Glau of course was awesome as always (and I made sure to catch "The Ballad of Kevin and Tess" on Sunday which was so OTP). Robert Picardo's appearance was an unexpected but pleasant surprise. Maia's age makes it difficult to find anyone to slash her with that isn't extremely squicky (but I keep trying), and I keep on trying to figure out how to come up with an excuse for, I don't know, Diana/April/Nina/Nikki/Lily/Tess/Liz/Devin/a couple others whose names I forget.
Was "The Fifth Page" intended to be a Tolkein reference? Or am I insane for interpreting it as such? (And if so, why? There didn't seem to be any thematic connection.)
But other than deciding that April/Nina has to happen, and wondering why no one else has Tess/Kevin in their user interests, I don't really have any developed thoughts 'shipwise. Except that I'm sad Barbara Yates was dropped after season 1 because Barbara/Dennis had some serious chemistry, and moral ambiguity is hot.
In other news, the shirt I am currently wearing is the most flaming bright orange I have ever seen, and is not fit to be worn by man or woman.