Soooo

[frenchani]

I've seen the three last episodes of State of Play, the finale of Life on Mars and the latest Lost !

State of Play didn't disappoint me. Good quality there. John Simm is definitely a talented actor but the whole cast was pretty amazing and I loved the characters of Cameron Foster(Nighie) and his son, Dan who was played by James McAvoy (they stole

Comments

[comava]

I was waiting to see what you had to say about Locke! I very much hope he lives also. I didn't know that Jacob was JJ Abrams' middle name, and considering the importance of names in the Lostverse, it makes sense that Jacob is the one who is pulling all the strings.

I find it a bit off putting, to be honest, that you think the writers aren't giving the series enough thought. It is their job, after all, and from the interviews I've seen with the writers and creators, they seem to have mapped it all out... though that may not come across very well in the episodes themselves. I am admittedly easy to please when it comes to Lost (sometimes it seems like everyone only wants answers, and aren't satisfied when they get them!) so maybe that's why I don't agree with you.

Either way, they've set a cancellation date for Lost which should help them plan and map out plots and episodes better. So hopefully it won't feel like the writers are floundering in the next two seasons.

[frenchani]

Well, as you know I'm not spoiled and I usually don't read interviews so my feeling is only based on what I see on screen. I don't think that the writers aren't given the series enough thoughts at all but I do think that they are often trying new stuff according to the inspiration of the moment (or the viewers' reaction) and have quite often changed directions since season 1, mostly "playing it by ear", and I think it shows in the writing. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not so much and it comes across as if they're floundering (your words not mine). The character of Ben is a good example of that and so was Dharma.

If I'm wrong and everything is really plotted and maped then it's worse because it means it's just a problem of writing quality and not an issue of writing process.

I don't particulary want answers ("Exposé" was one of my fav episodes yet it wasn't an answers-giving episode), I'm more interested with the characters' journey but I guess I've become hard to please when it comes to tv writing.

I blame Joss Whedon!

[comava]

Perhaps they are catering to the viewers taste a bit... I'm not sure Ana Lucia was really meant to be killed off, for instance, but in this particular case I admit I don't really care because I was just so glad to see her go!

I loved Exposé as well. Sure, it was filler but it was excellent filler! A lot of people disliked that episode precisely because it contributed nothing to the overall arc... but I believe the diamonds, or Nikki and Paolo will have some importance in future episodes, much like the foot statue we saw, surely it must tie into something! There would be no point in introducing it otherwise. Or perhaps I have too much faith in the writers!

I'm a lot more interested in the characters as well but I get the feeling we may be in a minority - on a certain message board I frequent it often seems like every character is more or less disliked and everyone is just watching to get answers, which isn't the right motivation to keep watching, IMO.

[frenchani]

"Exposé" was brilliant. I don't know who wrote it but it was really well done.

Juliet seems to be a character also showing a lot of flexibility in terms of writing.

I don't want to be spoiled but...Locke isn't dead, is he?

[moscow_watcher]

And Jacob represents the writers who made this out but feel helpless because they don't know what to write next and need the characters to find a way out.

After all Jacob is JJ Abrams' middle name!

And mr. Abrams' alter ego asked Locke to help him... :)))

[frenchani]

That...or his alter ego whispers in Locke's ear the line he had to say a few minutes later...

Flaubert said "I'm Madame Bovary", I think that JJ could say "I'm Locke"!

[sister_luck]

I agree with you about State of Play - good writing and a very strong ensemble. The quality of the acting and writing has definitely spoiled me so much that I find it difficult to watch German television, because it only very rarely comes close.

Life on Mars: I was a bit disappointed too. I didn't even want to think too much about the implications of the ending, because I just didn't care that much. It felt like the writers needed to wrap it up and they did it without conviction. I was thinking along the lines of a Stephenson Jekyll and Hyde connection, too. There's one book in the Ian Rankin's Rebus series, Hide and Seek which does this quite nicely.

Lost: John Locke can't be dead. I'm not going so far as to say I won't watch it anymore if he is, but I suspected that would be your reaction. I don't believe he's quite done yet. He's special and that will play a part.
I quite like your Jacob speculation, but as with Life on Mars I think they will go an easier route.

[frenchani]

I quite like your Jacob speculation, but as with Life on Mars I think they will go an easier route.

Probably.