Lost Girl: Episode 1 & 2
So, I accidentally stumbled over the first episode of the new Canadian Fantasy/Sci Fi series, Lost Girl. Super short Summery: A girl learns she's a Succubus Fae and ends up angering the rest of the underground Fae community by saying she's not joining them. Then, strange stuff happens. No, I didn't cut anything out, that's it. Seriously, I have no freaking clue what this show is about or what they're trying to go for...
I'm not sure what to start with so i'll start with the most glaring problem: There was absolutely NO character development. Nothing is told/said/seen to make us know what makes the main character, Bo, do what she does. She feels entirely disconnected from the audience.
Now, i'm not saying that the first episode, you're supposed to put all your cards down. On the contrary, you want to keep some mysteries alive throughout your series. However, when you literally have absolutely nothing as a character trait, there's a major problem.
Let me compare it to another Canadian show, The Listener, which has kind of the same idea as Lost Girl. In the first episode, we're told Toby Logan can hear minds. But he would rather turn it off. He's ashamed to let people know because he doesn't want to be considered a freak. However, despite this, he can't help by try to save people. After all, he's a paramedic, saving people without his gifts to begin with. And, he's holding onto a somewhat one sided relationship.
That's just the first 10 minutes.
From the first episode of Lost Girl, we're told Bo moved a lot. We're told she has to eat the life out of people and she can't control it. And we're shown she can kick butt. However, these feel more like plot devices and less like character development. She doesn't even have a personality. And there's my main problem. There's no connection to the audience. She's just there.
My second problem was the gratuitous amount of nudity in this show. The close ups of Bo dressing and undressing are one thing. But there's a part where she's entirely nude. And she has absolutely no problem with it. She's kidnapped and told to take her clothing off and she's totally fine? Are you kidding me?!
Third, the love interest. One mine he was ready to kill her and the next he was willing to give some of his life away to save her. And, no, that's not the worst part of it. No, no.. That was to come in Episode 2.
Moving onto episode 2, it felt totally out of place. EVERYTHING did. First of all, it starts with some guy asking Bo for help. How was it established that she would help anyone? The last episode, she was killing people! And the comic relief of the "Will o the Wisp" farting green flames. That would work in a show like Merlin. In a show which previously was trying to seem edgy, dark and mature, it's pathetic. I skimmed the entire episode. We learn next to nothing about Bo or the world she's in. Instead we get fart jokes and nonsensical rules. Oh, and implied rape. FOUR TIMES. That's lovely. That's what a show like this needs.
Speaking of stuff this show needs (like a hole in the head), the end. THE FRICKEN END. WTF?! Maybe it's because I wasn't listening through most of the episode but.. This is how it ends: She calls over the detective guy to have sex with him so she can "feed".
No, you did not read that wrong. She just invited a guy she hardly knows, over to have sex with her so she can feed on his life force. And he totally agrees and they do it.
I don't even have the words to explain how idiotic this is.
First of all, didn't we establish earlier that she merely needs to kiss them to feed? And didn't we establish that by kissing this detective guy she would only be able to share his strength for a small amount of time NOT be able to feed on his life force because he was the same as her? So, why?
WHY SHOW WHY?! EXPLAIIIIN!
They have a unique plot line with a sort-of gothic, sort-of Buffy feel to it. Instead, we're subject to nonsensical plots, non-expressive characters and an overwhelming amount of nudity and sex.
THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE GOOD THINGS.
I'm not sure what to start with so i'll start with the most glaring problem: There was absolutely NO character development. Nothing is told/said/seen to make us know what makes the main character, Bo, do what she does. She feels entirely disconnected from the audience.
Now, i'm not saying that the first episode, you're supposed to put all your cards down. On the contrary, you want to keep some mysteries alive throughout your series. However, when you literally have absolutely nothing as a character trait, there's a major problem.
Let me compare it to another Canadian show, The Listener, which has kind of the same idea as Lost Girl. In the first episode, we're told Toby Logan can hear minds. But he would rather turn it off. He's ashamed to let people know because he doesn't want to be considered a freak. However, despite this, he can't help by try to save people. After all, he's a paramedic, saving people without his gifts to begin with. And, he's holding onto a somewhat one sided relationship.
That's just the first 10 minutes.
From the first episode of Lost Girl, we're told Bo moved a lot. We're told she has to eat the life out of people and she can't control it. And we're shown she can kick butt. However, these feel more like plot devices and less like character development. She doesn't even have a personality. And there's my main problem. There's no connection to the audience. She's just there.
My second problem was the gratuitous amount of nudity in this show. The close ups of Bo dressing and undressing are one thing. But there's a part where she's entirely nude. And she has absolutely no problem with it. She's kidnapped and told to take her clothing off and she's totally fine? Are you kidding me?!
Third, the love interest. One mine he was ready to kill her and the next he was willing to give some of his life away to save her. And, no, that's not the worst part of it. No, no.. That was to come in Episode 2.
Moving onto episode 2, it felt totally out of place. EVERYTHING did. First of all, it starts with some guy asking Bo for help. How was it established that she would help anyone? The last episode, she was killing people! And the comic relief of the "Will o the Wisp" farting green flames. That would work in a show like Merlin. In a show which previously was trying to seem edgy, dark and mature, it's pathetic. I skimmed the entire episode. We learn next to nothing about Bo or the world she's in. Instead we get fart jokes and nonsensical rules. Oh, and implied rape. FOUR TIMES. That's lovely. That's what a show like this needs.
Speaking of stuff this show needs (like a hole in the head), the end. THE FRICKEN END. WTF?! Maybe it's because I wasn't listening through most of the episode but.. This is how it ends: She calls over the detective guy to have sex with him so she can "feed".
No, you did not read that wrong. She just invited a guy she hardly knows, over to have sex with her so she can feed on his life force. And he totally agrees and they do it.
I don't even have the words to explain how idiotic this is.
First of all, didn't we establish earlier that she merely needs to kiss them to feed? And didn't we establish that by kissing this detective guy she would only be able to share his strength for a small amount of time NOT be able to feed on his life force because he was the same as her? So, why?
WHY SHOW WHY?! EXPLAIIIIN!
They have a unique plot line with a sort-of gothic, sort-of Buffy feel to it. Instead, we're subject to nonsensical plots, non-expressive characters and an overwhelming amount of nudity and sex.
THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE GOOD THINGS.