The Waiting is Over
At last we have Richard Armitage back on our TV screens in Robin Hood. When I first saw pictures of him with the greasy long hair and new costume I wasn't too sure but the more I looked at them the more I liked them and when it was finally broadcast on Saturday I was drooling along with everyone else and I think he really has a Richard III look
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I have felt since season 1 that Jonas' ego is so huge that he forgets that this is an ensemble cast, and not the Jonas Show.
In this first episode Jonas only had to pull off grief, vengence and anger. The only thing I saw was more whining.
Richard however, with minimal screen time, managed to pull off; grief, torment , guilt, anger, dispair, vengence, a reckless regard for his own life and deep agony.
As for writing, I try to remind myself that its a kids show. If it was intended for adults, Jonas would have been recast after episode 2. One of the things I think the show also suffers from is editing. That was proven today with Angela's video. Amazing that she captured the gamit of Guy's emotions in a 2 minute clip; when the actual editing of the episode seemed too shallow and cut off some scenes or angles that would have helped carry an emotion on to the next clip. Well except in the case of Jonas, whats the point, he doesn't deliver anyway.
Marry Gisborne??/ Marry, live in sin, one night stand ... I'll take him anyway he is willing to have me. :D
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But Guy & RH get me going and Jonas ticks me off. This kid has had golden opportunities and squandered them. Worked with RA for one year (at this point in the series, if you count filming S1 & 2 alone) in essentially what others would consider a Master Class in Acting (and How to Be a Better, Kinder Person) and apparently learned nothing. NOTHING! Grrrrr. Hell, I am learning just by watching RA work. And Jonas was PAID. WELL! (That and the fact that I keep mistyping his name "Joans." HA!) And Gisborne as a whole? Come 'ere, honey. You're in need of some serious huggin' and even more serious lovin'! (From US ALL, I'm sure, right folks? heh.)
Re: Jonas -- The thing is, from friends who are actors, and from acting workshops I've taken, teachers, etc. I have learned the following: "Anger" is easy. Anger is a fallback/basic emotion/0-60 mph, spewing-possible. Beware of anger because it is too simple. Keep pushing past it. What is causing it? Play THAT instead, especially as it is quite often (as in life) fear-based. (Something apparently no one ever told Jonas). So, what is causing the fear->to->anger? Loss? Guilt? So, Jonas made it all the way to Step 1. Gee. Wow. Sigh. Honestly, I didn't even get that much genuine grief from him... more pride-related/"my-woman" stuff. I thought he had more grief in the Marian-is-dead-in-the-cave S1-death. (Though Harry Lloyd's silent tears had me going far more there too. Just me?) Well, maybe a tad in the S3 "she was my wife!" line, but that had anger and possession and outrage mixed together, as well as grief, so....
Anger with shading & background, however, i.e. WHY the anger is there, and - as you pointed out - with guilt, agony, torment, self-loathing and self-destruction evident (i.e. what Richard was able to manifest in a 10-second scene!!!) are what its about! And why he's the superior actor. And why I anticipate (even taking into account the various levels of writing) that all of their scenes together will be unbalanced...and Robin supremely uninteresting -- UNLESS Richard, who is beyond professional, performs the thankless task of walking an insanely tight-line of being true to his character, making it real, and not overshadowing Arrow Boy, simultaneously. Thank God he has Keith. And now David. How is this man not completely exhausted? No wonder he has such a fun and a humourous time on the set of SPOOKS/MI-5, with "experienced players," (RA quote) despite the seriousness of the show! Who wouldn't?? (Just my op.& reading between the lines of interviews.) Any professional actors out there care to weigh in on the above? Please correct me if you feel I am off-base.
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I loved Angela's video too, and you have an excellent point about the editing. And you're absolutely right about it being a Kids Show. HOWEVER, it is one of the BBC's Top 5 exported shows, i.e. they make serious money off of selling it abroad. It's one of their cash cows, along with DOCTOR WHO. Which is why they HAD to win the ratings battle with ITV's PRIMEVAL...so that they could document HOW popular it is on paper to international buyers. And while they have to keep it simple, it doesn't have to be stupid. SPOOKS/MI-5 is in that top 5 too. Just a thought. Not something the Beeb would admit to, but clearly true by their actions in the past 2 weeks.
If anyone is interested, as I have I have just started posting myself (shorter than this! HA! sorry, again) and have no idea how to share, so am probably writing in a vacuum (tags?) ;-) If remotely interested, you can go to my Journal where I've written one post about my prediction for the S3 & S4 Guy story arcs, call out Dom Mingella on his absurd audio comentaries, as well as (briefly- yes, really!) the BBC vs ITV business.
Also, just passing on some hilarity - if you haven't already, you may wish to check out hulamoth's "The Times article: Friar Tuck not historically accurate" and look at the comments. They had me howling. Always love to share the laughter. Thanks for listening and sharing everyone, and for the community!! Disagree at will. No, not that Will... Oh, never mind... Cheers, ;-)
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