Carnivale... thoughts, and Alias recs

[selenak]

You know, instead of a proper Carnivale review, which still eludes me for I know I will be unfair in writing one, I offer this summary of the two last episodes in not quite Jacobean blank verse:

Comments

[buffyannotater]

Selena, did you see the "Inside the Opening Credits" feature at http://www.hbo.com/carnivale yet? It's basically an annotated version of the credits sequence, with background information on the tarot symbolism and why each clip of historical footage was chosen, and juxtaposed with each card. It was very interesting.

P.S.

[buffyannotater]

I still have faith that Iris' plotline will make sense. I just hope we discover more about her motivations in the season finale rather than having to wait a year or more for Season 3. I'm not even thinking about the possibility that there won't be one.

Re: P.S.

[selenak]

Thanks for the link; no, I hadn't seen it, but am glad I have now.

My sole hope that we'll discover anyting about Iris' motivations is that Clancy Brown in that interview I linked for you some weeks ago said that while Iris' plotline and the change in the Justin/Iris relationship didn't make any sense to either Amy Maddigan or him and they complained to the higher-ups, they got a dialogue explaining something when it was "almost too late". Presumably he means in the finale. We'll see.

Re: P.S.

[buffyannotater]

My main theory now that it has something to do with Iris losing faith in Justin after he framed Tommy Dolan for burning down the ministry. She didn't seem pleased by his actions, and especially angered that she had knelt on broken glass, believing she was going to jail, when he hadn't planned on allowing her to be convicted all along.

I must tell thee exposition.

[janewt]

Drat! I got about halfway through and realized I was bumping into stuff from the next episode. :)

Sigh. I watched all of the first season and half of the second all in a clump, in the space of a thrilling and heady week or two. Then, when I catch up with the current episodes, the quality droops.

Oh dire fate!

[selenak]

I blame the loss of quality on the loss of Ron Moore, who was responsible for Justin's and Iris' storyarc in the first season and wrote some of the best eps, like Take a Number and the season 1 finale. Nowadays, he's heading his own show (BSG), and sadly, subtlety is not a Daniel Knauf forte.

speaking Russian makes you evil?

[likeadeuce]

Uh oh. I guess it's a good thing I'm not better at it.

Since I think it's unlikely I'll ever watch the second season of this show, I had to peek at your verse drama. Now THAT sounds like something I'd watch. Somehow Shakespeare could USUALLY pull off the blatant exposition more smoothly. . . though you do have, say, that scene in the Tempest where Prospero has to keep asking Miranda if she's listening, presumably to make sure the audience isn't falling asleep :)

it's a sure fire sign!

[selenak]

I thought that was Prospero's entire motivation in that scene.*g*

[smashsc]

NORMAN: I do, for Daniel Knauf says it was so,
and Daniel is an honorable man.
True, not two years ago I treasured
the two of you as my most precious children
and thought that Justin was a good and worthy man.
But Daniel says I knew he was a rapist,
and Daniel is an honorable man.

Hee! I haven't watched 11 yet and now I'm not sure I want to. I'm going to wait and watch 11 & 12 back-to-back in hopes that the finale will redeem a few missteps.

[selenak]

11 was better than 10, but as I said to Rob, I'm pinning my sole hope on Clancy Brown's statement in the interview that they gave Iris and Justin a dialogue "when it was almost too late" (i.e. presumably in the finale) that made a bit of sense of Iris' storyline and Justin's reactions and the switch in the relationship.

But alas, I fear we won't be able an "unhand her, villain" scene with Sofie, Ben and Justin.

Andraste just had an excellent idea: we need a neurochip with a Ron Moore clone to be installed in Daniel Knauf's head.*veg*