I shamelessly love the new Beauty and the Beast.
"I like it, but I hold no illusions that it's any better than any of the other dreck CW serves up. Kristen Kreuk is trying but she just has nothing to work with. Seriously."
Was it only three months ago that I said that? Aha, aha, ahahahahahahaha.
I'm so into the new BatB now it's embarassing. I was streaming it on the CW website and around episode five I started really getting sucked in. So of course I have to analyze why.
Most criticisms of the show in the big ol internets are based on the pilot and they are, sad to say, deserved --it was wooden, sloppy, too rushed, too much exposition, the case they were investigation was boring, etc. I think everyone was trying to find their footing and get into the story they were telling, both the actors and the staff. You want to pay homage to your sources but you want to also make something that is your own. It seemed to take them a couple of episodes to find that sweet spot. In light of later episodes, I say that getting the backstory out of the way quickly helped the show because then they could spend time with character development and the pace of the romance without also needing to work in backstory revelations.
Anyway, the main problem many of these reviewers had can be boiled down to a single statement: "Waah, this show isn't enough like the fairy tale, waahhhh."
Can someone point me to where it says that if your creation shares a title with another work it has to keep all the same elements?
Screw that. Title or no title, a story has to be taken on its own merits.
These reviewers seem to be missing a very obvious point even as they joke about comparing Vincent Keller to the Hulk. I am confident that this show was designed from the beginning not as a spin on the fairy tale but as a superhero story...where everyone hates the superhero. Like Batman in the beginning of TDKR. When viewed in that light, the ridiculous "supersoldier" premise, the Lego genetics and the shadowy men in black type villians all work just fine. If you can watch the Avengers without overthinking the character's backstories, then you can watch this. But the best thing is that this superhero story is told from the perspective of the love interest, who is "normal," has a life of her own and her own skill set and interests.
How great is that?
More than that BatB is a subtle deconstruction and subversion both of superhero tropes and the theme of the original tale. Vincent's powers do nothing to help him and get him into deeper and deeper trouble. In trying to protect him, Catherine lies to her friends and family, damages her sister's trust in her, destroys evidence, and comes this close to losing her partner and her job. When Vincent pulls creepy stalker stuff or screws up, he's called on his shit; Catherine isn't cut any slack when she gets caught in her growing web of lies. Yet they are presented as two realistic, good-hearted people who have been dealt a severely bad hand. Instead of me wanting to write them off, I am invested in the tragedy of their romance. I am captivated because unlike the fairy tale, I cannot see how this could possibly end well...and yet I still want it to.
And they talk like adults to each other! And to their friends! They're honest about their feelings! And the show passes the Bechdel test at least once per episode! And Catherine, Tess, Joe and Heather are all POCs!
Just need a fairly portrayed LGBTQ person and we've got gold.
I have to mention just how fantastc the supporting cast is. Strong, funny, dynamic. While I like the main couple's chemistry and think they're working what they got as best they can, I admit they have their limitations and they are buoyed up by having such great actors around them.
It's not all roses and rainbows. I hate the procedural framework. When team of crime solving super sleuths who have the hots for each other is the point of the show, then case of the week is fine. Though, honestly, I'm tired of those kind of shows and that's why I have trouble getting into Castle despite my Fillion love and I'm struggling to find the motivation to watch Elementary. Here, where it's not the point, it's just aggravating. Everyone they're investigating are cardboard people with boring motivations for one-dimensional murders. Snore. I guess that helps us not hate Vincent when he ends up carving their guts out with his claws. They stopped depending on "case of the week" as a device about halfway through the season, thank goodness. Now the policework is more directly involved with the main storyline and it's coming together nicely.
The Muirfield story is shit. They keep waffling on what exactly it is. The best I can piece together is that it's like Halliburton with a Men in Black division. It's like they want Jason Bourne without that pesky "criticizing the U.S. government" part. That could be a deal breaker for some, but honestly, it's like AIM from Iron Man or Lexcorp, you just kinda go with the "big bad corporation" thing without questioning it too much. What really bugs the shit out of me that the first agent after Vincent pieced together Catherine's involvement in two episodes, but the infiltrator using the cover of "Claire" has been dicking around for ten. I mean, it would take two minutes of googling to figure out that Catherine is an ex-employee's daughter and that's she's been involved in every case where evidence of "the creature" has turned up. Obviously she knows something. Why the clandestine undercover crap? Just kidnap Heather and threaten to cut off her fingers or something if Catherine doesn't talk. Their evil is flat, boring, and stupid.
But then there wouldn't be a show, so I just shrug my shoulders. Maybe there's an explanation forthcoming for the backassward way the Muirfield agents are going about this. Like a lot of debut shows this seems to be written in batches, where they don't get going with the real meat of the story until they have a full season, then they write the season as if it's going to be the last one because they aren't sure it will be picked up for a second.
I'm cautious about the ultimate direction they decide to go with Vincent. The more he continues to involve himself in the outside world the more damage he does. Certainly he saves people's lives, but only by killing their attackers. There's no disarming or calling the police or giving them a chance to run away. He either does nothing or rips them apart. Yeah, the Muirfield people are cardboard villians, but boy do they have a point about him needing to be locked away. Now the police are after him and for very good reason. I'm afraid that the writers have written themselves into a corner and will pull some hand wavy cop out that somehow makes everything magically okay. If that happens I will be so mad.
Ah, but I'm probably wasting my time. Nobody's interested in my passionate defense of this show because everyone's watching Person of Interest. Sigh. This entry was originally posted at http://amyraine.dreamwidth.org/2280.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Was it only three months ago that I said that? Aha, aha, ahahahahahahaha.
I'm so into the new BatB now it's embarassing. I was streaming it on the CW website and around episode five I started really getting sucked in. So of course I have to analyze why.
Most criticisms of the show in the big ol internets are based on the pilot and they are, sad to say, deserved --it was wooden, sloppy, too rushed, too much exposition, the case they were investigation was boring, etc. I think everyone was trying to find their footing and get into the story they were telling, both the actors and the staff. You want to pay homage to your sources but you want to also make something that is your own. It seemed to take them a couple of episodes to find that sweet spot. In light of later episodes, I say that getting the backstory out of the way quickly helped the show because then they could spend time with character development and the pace of the romance without also needing to work in backstory revelations.
Anyway, the main problem many of these reviewers had can be boiled down to a single statement: "Waah, this show isn't enough like the fairy tale, waahhhh."
Can someone point me to where it says that if your creation shares a title with another work it has to keep all the same elements?
Screw that. Title or no title, a story has to be taken on its own merits.
These reviewers seem to be missing a very obvious point even as they joke about comparing Vincent Keller to the Hulk. I am confident that this show was designed from the beginning not as a spin on the fairy tale but as a superhero story...where everyone hates the superhero. Like Batman in the beginning of TDKR. When viewed in that light, the ridiculous "supersoldier" premise, the Lego genetics and the shadowy men in black type villians all work just fine. If you can watch the Avengers without overthinking the character's backstories, then you can watch this. But the best thing is that this superhero story is told from the perspective of the love interest, who is "normal," has a life of her own and her own skill set and interests.
How great is that?
More than that BatB is a subtle deconstruction and subversion both of superhero tropes and the theme of the original tale. Vincent's powers do nothing to help him and get him into deeper and deeper trouble. In trying to protect him, Catherine lies to her friends and family, damages her sister's trust in her, destroys evidence, and comes this close to losing her partner and her job. When Vincent pulls creepy stalker stuff or screws up, he's called on his shit; Catherine isn't cut any slack when she gets caught in her growing web of lies. Yet they are presented as two realistic, good-hearted people who have been dealt a severely bad hand. Instead of me wanting to write them off, I am invested in the tragedy of their romance. I am captivated because unlike the fairy tale, I cannot see how this could possibly end well...and yet I still want it to.
And they talk like adults to each other! And to their friends! They're honest about their feelings! And the show passes the Bechdel test at least once per episode! And Catherine, Tess, Joe and Heather are all POCs!
Just need a fairly portrayed LGBTQ person and we've got gold.
I have to mention just how fantastc the supporting cast is. Strong, funny, dynamic. While I like the main couple's chemistry and think they're working what they got as best they can, I admit they have their limitations and they are buoyed up by having such great actors around them.
It's not all roses and rainbows. I hate the procedural framework. When team of crime solving super sleuths who have the hots for each other is the point of the show, then case of the week is fine. Though, honestly, I'm tired of those kind of shows and that's why I have trouble getting into Castle despite my Fillion love and I'm struggling to find the motivation to watch Elementary. Here, where it's not the point, it's just aggravating. Everyone they're investigating are cardboard people with boring motivations for one-dimensional murders. Snore. I guess that helps us not hate Vincent when he ends up carving their guts out with his claws. They stopped depending on "case of the week" as a device about halfway through the season, thank goodness. Now the policework is more directly involved with the main storyline and it's coming together nicely.
The Muirfield story is shit. They keep waffling on what exactly it is. The best I can piece together is that it's like Halliburton with a Men in Black division. It's like they want Jason Bourne without that pesky "criticizing the U.S. government" part. That could be a deal breaker for some, but honestly, it's like AIM from Iron Man or Lexcorp, you just kinda go with the "big bad corporation" thing without questioning it too much. What really bugs the shit out of me that the first agent after Vincent pieced together Catherine's involvement in two episodes, but the infiltrator using the cover of "Claire" has been dicking around for ten. I mean, it would take two minutes of googling to figure out that Catherine is an ex-employee's daughter and that's she's been involved in every case where evidence of "the creature" has turned up. Obviously she knows something. Why the clandestine undercover crap? Just kidnap Heather and threaten to cut off her fingers or something if Catherine doesn't talk. Their evil is flat, boring, and stupid.
But then there wouldn't be a show, so I just shrug my shoulders. Maybe there's an explanation forthcoming for the backassward way the Muirfield agents are going about this. Like a lot of debut shows this seems to be written in batches, where they don't get going with the real meat of the story until they have a full season, then they write the season as if it's going to be the last one because they aren't sure it will be picked up for a second.
I'm cautious about the ultimate direction they decide to go with Vincent. The more he continues to involve himself in the outside world the more damage he does. Certainly he saves people's lives, but only by killing their attackers. There's no disarming or calling the police or giving them a chance to run away. He either does nothing or rips them apart. Yeah, the Muirfield people are cardboard villians, but boy do they have a point about him needing to be locked away. Now the police are after him and for very good reason. I'm afraid that the writers have written themselves into a corner and will pull some hand wavy cop out that somehow makes everything magically okay. If that happens I will be so mad.
Ah, but I'm probably wasting my time. Nobody's interested in my passionate defense of this show because everyone's watching Person of Interest. Sigh. This entry was originally posted at http://amyraine.dreamwidth.org/2280.html. Please comment there using OpenID.