One Tree Hill: how do I love the shallowness that is you?
I continue to be amazed with the emptiness of One Tree Hill. While I find teen shows like Buffy or Veronica Mars be truthful to the pain or joy of its characters even if the situations are far-fetched (fighting monsters or being a P.I. are hardly normal, every day activities), OTH is situated in an Alternate Universe that does not feel lifelike in the least. These are not real, funny, complex, hurting people. These are lovely Teen People cut-outs.
OTOH, considering I've watched 9 episodes so far (slowly but surely) and will probably eventually work my way through Season 1, I suppose the producers know what they are doing. There is a certain comfort and steadiness in its utter mediocrity. You definitely know what you are getting.
I laughed my head off at the scene where two of the "teen" characters needed fake IDs. Because seriously, they would never be carded. The houses are immaculate and the city does not look lived in. Chad Michael Murray, though undoubtedly hot, is beginning to get on my nerves, as he only has one-and-a-half expression. Which is still one-and-a-half expression more than what the actress playing Peyton possesses. She has to be the most annoying character ever (when it's gotten to the point where I cheer when something bad happens to her, you know the authors lost me).
I think the difference between OTH and Veronica Mars can be summed up by the way the approach the putative rape of their heroine. Veronica's night is agony to watch and it wrecks her. Peyton? The guy who drugs her (and of course it's very clear cut here, unlike the mess it is in VM), is someone she was going to sleep with anyway. She gets rescued before anything bad happens and she is not freaked. In fact, the whole plot is to show her wannabe boyfriend Lucas is a saint.
I must admit I find Nathan/Hailey romance rather cute. If I were 10, I'd think it was the sweetest thing ever. As it is, it's a lovely guilty pleasure: Nathan: I was so scared. I’m still terrified. Then I saw you. I promised myself that if I could just get up, and walk over to you, and tell you how much I need you, and how much I want you, that nothing else matters. Heeee. For someone who's just escaped from the hospital, he's pretty coherent. Awww, my inner 10 year old loves it anyway. Of course, Nathan's lightning-quick redemption makes no sense (unless I do severely painful fanwanking), but hey, no complex characters here.
OTOH, considering I've watched 9 episodes so far (slowly but surely) and will probably eventually work my way through Season 1, I suppose the producers know what they are doing. There is a certain comfort and steadiness in its utter mediocrity. You definitely know what you are getting.
I laughed my head off at the scene where two of the "teen" characters needed fake IDs. Because seriously, they would never be carded. The houses are immaculate and the city does not look lived in. Chad Michael Murray, though undoubtedly hot, is beginning to get on my nerves, as he only has one-and-a-half expression. Which is still one-and-a-half expression more than what the actress playing Peyton possesses. She has to be the most annoying character ever (when it's gotten to the point where I cheer when something bad happens to her, you know the authors lost me).
I think the difference between OTH and Veronica Mars can be summed up by the way the approach the putative rape of their heroine. Veronica's night is agony to watch and it wrecks her. Peyton? The guy who drugs her (and of course it's very clear cut here, unlike the mess it is in VM), is someone she was going to sleep with anyway. She gets rescued before anything bad happens and she is not freaked. In fact, the whole plot is to show her wannabe boyfriend Lucas is a saint.
I must admit I find Nathan/Hailey romance rather cute. If I were 10, I'd think it was the sweetest thing ever. As it is, it's a lovely guilty pleasure: Nathan: I was so scared. I’m still terrified. Then I saw you. I promised myself that if I could just get up, and walk over to you, and tell you how much I need you, and how much I want you, that nothing else matters. Heeee. For someone who's just escaped from the hospital, he's pretty coherent. Awww, my inner 10 year old loves it anyway. Of course, Nathan's lightning-quick redemption makes no sense (unless I do severely painful fanwanking), but hey, no complex characters here.