Rare Opinions

[eighthcrow]

Or rather, opinions that seem to be rare to me, seeing as I've either not seen them expressed often, or see see their opposite consistently.



General Fandom

• Slash is not a genre. It does not define the mood or direction of a story, it doesn't even have to be the focus. It is simply a term for a particular kind of relationship between two people, and God knows how varied that can be.



• OTPs are improbable and narrow-minded when taken literally, especially when they involve very old characters who've known quite a lot of people.


• 'Mary Sue' is a term often abused. A strong female character does not automatically equal an MS, and even if she does have Sueish qualities that doesn't make her a bad character.


• Original characters can be very interesting and add great depth to a story. Just because they aren't often done well doesn't mean they can't be.


• Angst =/= wangst.


• Just because people write about a certain situation in a fanfic doesn't mean they want to see it happen in canon, or that they think it's currently happening in canon.

BtVS/AtS

• Kate/Angel>Buffy/Angel. He's far older than both of them, but Kate's at least an adult. She's seen more of the world, and some thing have aged her beyond her years. She doesn't need to be fulfilled by Angel, which would prevent any relationship from being codependant. She won't be blinded by her devotion of him if it ever develops. They can work together as equals, not afraid to call eachother on things. There would be arguments, and clashes, and grudges, but they could help eachother. They would be painful and awkward and funny and maybe they'd never love eachother, but there would be true affection and they would care and they would be real.


• Darla/Angel and Spike/Angel are also better, but that preferance seems more widely held. I'm not sure how common it is to like both equally, though.


• Connor is one of the best characters to ever come out of either show. He was so, so fucked up, and it was blatant and unapologetic and heartbreaking. I'm glad that he got a happy ending, and that he can deal with who he was and remain who he is. I've no doubt he has nightmares and doubts and insecurities, but Angel's given him the strength to move past them.


• Darla rocked right from the beginning. What other vampire had the sense to just pull a gun on the Slayer? TWO no less. Also, I think she did love Angel, and Angelus, because I maintain that you don't need a soul to love. Which brings me to my next bullet point.


• Spike is not special. He just got proper insights and developements because he became popular. James and Elisabeth loved eachother madly, and people call it obsessive and unhealthy--but what the hell would you call Spike's kind of love pre-soul, and post to a certain extent? I don't think vampires have what humans would call stable relationships, but I don't think they're worth any less because of that.


• Angelus was capable of love, he just wasn't selfless about it. He also knew that Darla was quite capable of handling herself, being two hundred years his senior and quite clever too. You also have to keep in mind that in the flashback we saw in Heartthrob he's still quite young--perhaps his feelings change over time. I think Angel isn't willing to admit to his feelings sans soul because he wants to distance himself as much as possible. Which is understandable but perhaps not entirely healthy.

This does not mean I don't think he was a selfish, sadistic, arrogant, manipulative, psychotic son of a bitch.


• Angel is Angelus with a conscience. It's easier for him to separate those 'demonic' urges and memories into a different identity, and over the years that's what they've become, though the line is certainly blurry. I think it would be much better for him to reconcile that side of himself and become truly whole. I like to think that eventually, he did, if he ever got out of that alley.
  
  
• Dawn is wonderful. She is complex and interesting and fun, her good qualities outweighing the bad, and she did not scream or whine that much.


• I like season two Wesley the best.


• He was not entirely to blame for Faith; in fact, I'd say he should take the least, not that he ever would. He reacted as he was trained to, and thus as he thought was right--it wasn't spiteful or malicious, in his own eyes he was being a proper Watcher and honestly, who could fault him for that? Perhaps if Faith had had other stabilising influences he wouldn't have had to make that call. If Giles knew so much better how to treat her, maybe he should have, you know, done that.


• Faith became more interesting on Angel just as Wesley did, just as Cordy did (ignoring her later character massacre), because Angel was the better show.


• Wes/Fred was sweet and lovely and charming even if it would never have worked. I also never thought Amy Acker was a bad actress--Illyria just completely sold it to me, particularly TGIQ.


• Willow was more interesting when she was breaking down, even if it was handled badly.



• Kennedy was what Willow needed--a light, happy relationship that would introduce her to romance again, and remind her that it isn't all about guilt and loss and pain. Not to say that I particularly liked it, but I think it helped her.

Doctor Who

• I admit to not have seeing most of the serials. I admit to only seeing clips of certain Doctors, or only reading books or listening to audio, or only researching and reading fanfic, but so far I love each and every one of them. Yes, even Six.


• Sarah Jane was not the best companion ever period, or the most useful, or the one the Doctor cared most far. She was pretty damn cool, and her relationship with Four was lovely, but it's not the objective best because nothing is. Personally I prefer Romana.


• I rather like both Turlough and Tegan so far. I think I'd like Nyssa more if she was acted more capably.


• Ten worked better with Jackie than with Rose. Fuck, Ten worked better with scenery than with Rose.



• I don't want the half-human thing to be canon--I want the Doctor to choose to be different, not be born that way--but I do find it interesting. It explains some things, and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it played with unofficially. Or playing with it myself, for that matter. Granted, I don't mind much of anything being played with.


• I am very zen about my personal canon. If I like it and think it fits, then it's in, whether it's an audio or a book or even a fanfic. (Granted, all I'd like to take from the TV movie is Paul McGann. Grace can fuck off because she KILLED THE DOCTOR WTF.)


• Doctor/Doctor is awesome, no matter take it is or which Doctors they are.


• On the shallow end, Christopher Eccleston is hotter than David Tennant, and Freema Agyeman is prettier than Rose.


• After Doomsday *twitch* Rose got on with her life, became very good at her job, and had many fulfilling relationships. She'll never forget the Doctor, but she won't pine either.


• I'm all for alien planets, but I think I'd like historical stories just as much. ...Is it possible for historical Who to be bad? I'm not sure. (From what I've gathered, dull yes, bad no.)


Yes, I've rambled quite enough for one morning, haven't I? I might add to this later, because I'm sure there are more I've forgotten, especially considering I've only covered two specific fandoms. (Also, despite how long this is I can certainly expand on some points. I'd say I need a hobby but I rather like this one.)

For the record, LJ really needs to be nicer to British spelling.