Binge Watching
I'm starting to wonder if I should just binge watch shows from now on - at least dramas. The last few dramas that I've binge watched - Teen Wolf, Pretty Little Liars, and The Vampire Diaries- I really, really loved when I was binge watching them on Netflix, but when I started watching the shows on a week to week basis I've found myself beyond frustrated with them. I think with TWD and PLL the frustrations did start before I finished binge watching them. With TW it didn't really start until late into season 3A.
It's not really that I can't deal with cliffhangers, but I think when I watch the shows as a whole season, it makes it easier to ignore some of the glaring plotholes, or what seem like plotholes, when you get to see the whole story and see the bigger picture, and being able to see where the story ended up makes it easier to forgive annoying details or filler episodes, especially shows like these that generally have season long arcs. When I watch on a week to week basis, and have time in between episodes to really sit and think about, and wonder, where the plot is going it makes it easier to get frustrated, and really have time to examine the writing and any defects.
Also, maybe I just need to go in with lower expectations. Like maybe I would enjoy Teen Wolf more if I turned off my brain and stopped worrying about lazy plotting and logical lunacy. That's hard for me to do, but I know I can do it, for the most part. I've been comparing TW a lot to Merlin lately, and I was able to do that with Merlin. But with Merlin I was basically watching for Merlin/Arthur. That relationship, and the characters as individuals I cared about so much that I was able to put up with a lot. TW doesn't really have that, it doesn't have a relationship that I'm that emotionally investes. The closest I had to that with TW was Scott/Isaac, and I'm pretty much resigning myself to Isaac dying on tonight's episode, so I probably won't have that. I really do love and adore Scott and Stiles' friendship, but it's not the same kind of investment I had in Merlin/Arthur.
Though I don't know if high expectations is the problem since I didn't have those with TVD or PLL. I pretty much knew going on that I would hate the triangle in TVD, and I was right. I was done with that early season 2. I had no real expectations or ideas about what the show would be, beyond that. With PLL, I was well aware that major questions like 'Who killed Allison' or 'Who is A' wouldn't get answered until the end, or close to it. Which is why I thought it was smart that they were building other mysteries besides those. But five years later and they're only now getting around to answering basic questions, while still pouring on new mysteries. It's like can you just deal with the bullshit you've already doled out, before heaping on some fresh crap.
I think TW has an edge on the other shows because while I'm really, really, really frustrated with it, that kind of frustration is born because I love the show and am just disappointed that it's not living up to its potential. It had such a great set-up from the end of last season to really do something with Scott, Allison, and Stiles' sacrifice and I was really expecting that trio to really be connected, and yet they barely interacted all season. It just squanders away amazing opportunities. While their numbers are slowly dying, I still have a lot of characters and relationships I care about that'll keep me sticking around. And yet, I can't remember the last time I was this much dreading a season finale, probably the last time was Merlin. I'm actually considering just not watching tonight, allowing myself to be spoiled and just catching it on Tuesday.
With TVD, I think it's best days are long since behind them. I have characters and relationships that I like. But so many of the characters are reprehensible and the morals on the show are really fucked up, and I don't think the writers really want to acknowledge that and truly deal with it, so it becomes hard to root for almost anyone, and hard to defend even the people you like. When you hate 2/3 of the leads, who take up probably 80% of the airtime, it's hard to stay enthused. And yet, TVD still entertains me for the most part, so I'll stick around. It hasn't committed the cardinal sin of being too boring. Which brings me to PLL...
I might seriously be done with the show. There have been so many times this season I could barely bring myself to watch an episode. I'd miss huge chunks of episodes and not even bother to go back. I'm basically still watching because I've invested five years in getting answers and I don't want to quit until I get them. But it's not like I really give a shit what happens to any of the characters. I'm not hugely invested in any of them anymore and the show bores me. The addition of Allison being out alive and being integrated into the group is slightly interesting, but I don't know if that'll be enough to keep me watching. I'll probably just read spoilers and catch the "big" episodes where things actually happen.
I really hope Archer doesn't disappoint when I get done binge watching it. Though even for an animated show, I doubt it'll have the kind of logic lapses and insane plot holes these shows have had. And I don't seem them randomly killing off main characters because that's the limit to their writing creativity.
Stacey
It's not really that I can't deal with cliffhangers, but I think when I watch the shows as a whole season, it makes it easier to ignore some of the glaring plotholes, or what seem like plotholes, when you get to see the whole story and see the bigger picture, and being able to see where the story ended up makes it easier to forgive annoying details or filler episodes, especially shows like these that generally have season long arcs. When I watch on a week to week basis, and have time in between episodes to really sit and think about, and wonder, where the plot is going it makes it easier to get frustrated, and really have time to examine the writing and any defects.
Also, maybe I just need to go in with lower expectations. Like maybe I would enjoy Teen Wolf more if I turned off my brain and stopped worrying about lazy plotting and logical lunacy. That's hard for me to do, but I know I can do it, for the most part. I've been comparing TW a lot to Merlin lately, and I was able to do that with Merlin. But with Merlin I was basically watching for Merlin/Arthur. That relationship, and the characters as individuals I cared about so much that I was able to put up with a lot. TW doesn't really have that, it doesn't have a relationship that I'm that emotionally investes. The closest I had to that with TW was Scott/Isaac, and I'm pretty much resigning myself to Isaac dying on tonight's episode, so I probably won't have that. I really do love and adore Scott and Stiles' friendship, but it's not the same kind of investment I had in Merlin/Arthur.
Though I don't know if high expectations is the problem since I didn't have those with TVD or PLL. I pretty much knew going on that I would hate the triangle in TVD, and I was right. I was done with that early season 2. I had no real expectations or ideas about what the show would be, beyond that. With PLL, I was well aware that major questions like 'Who killed Allison' or 'Who is A' wouldn't get answered until the end, or close to it. Which is why I thought it was smart that they were building other mysteries besides those. But five years later and they're only now getting around to answering basic questions, while still pouring on new mysteries. It's like can you just deal with the bullshit you've already doled out, before heaping on some fresh crap.
I think TW has an edge on the other shows because while I'm really, really, really frustrated with it, that kind of frustration is born because I love the show and am just disappointed that it's not living up to its potential. It had such a great set-up from the end of last season to really do something with Scott, Allison, and Stiles' sacrifice and I was really expecting that trio to really be connected, and yet they barely interacted all season. It just squanders away amazing opportunities. While their numbers are slowly dying, I still have a lot of characters and relationships I care about that'll keep me sticking around. And yet, I can't remember the last time I was this much dreading a season finale, probably the last time was Merlin. I'm actually considering just not watching tonight, allowing myself to be spoiled and just catching it on Tuesday.
With TVD, I think it's best days are long since behind them. I have characters and relationships that I like. But so many of the characters are reprehensible and the morals on the show are really fucked up, and I don't think the writers really want to acknowledge that and truly deal with it, so it becomes hard to root for almost anyone, and hard to defend even the people you like. When you hate 2/3 of the leads, who take up probably 80% of the airtime, it's hard to stay enthused. And yet, TVD still entertains me for the most part, so I'll stick around. It hasn't committed the cardinal sin of being too boring. Which brings me to PLL...
I might seriously be done with the show. There have been so many times this season I could barely bring myself to watch an episode. I'd miss huge chunks of episodes and not even bother to go back. I'm basically still watching because I've invested five years in getting answers and I don't want to quit until I get them. But it's not like I really give a shit what happens to any of the characters. I'm not hugely invested in any of them anymore and the show bores me. The addition of Allison being out alive and being integrated into the group is slightly interesting, but I don't know if that'll be enough to keep me watching. I'll probably just read spoilers and catch the "big" episodes where things actually happen.
I really hope Archer doesn't disappoint when I get done binge watching it. Though even for an animated show, I doubt it'll have the kind of logic lapses and insane plot holes these shows have had. And I don't seem them randomly killing off main characters because that's the limit to their writing creativity.
Stacey