Mr. Wicked
01-25-2005, 10:12 PM
(This is not a question but a viewpoint I'd like to share with you, although I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on it.)
I'm a sucker for a good storyline. Not just a good story , but an ongoing through line that makes everything that happens actually worth something. To me it is a better reflection of life, my daily dramas don't wrap up nice and neatly, and I don't think a complex character 's day should either.
But the problem with Action/Thriller/Genre televisions shows is that they rely on our favorite hero's and villains being put in peril- where lives will supposedly hang in the balance.
But we know that they really don't.
The viewers are too smart for this stuff nowadays.We know our Hero will prevail - defeat the villain and escape death by the skin of his/her teeth. There is no real threat, no real challenge.
Because a person has to overlook this fact the only thing that can hold the viewer is the STORYLINE itself.
Some shows have been known to kill off major "second - string" characters :
Buffy/Angel - killed of quite a few including her mom. When they happened, I hadn't seen it coming and was convinced that show still had some teeth.
24- Jacks Bauer's wife is killed in the last episode of season 1 A valiant effort to show that "anyone is expendable". but we still know that he'll never be in real danger be cause its HIS SHOW. He's the lead- same with Buffy or Tony Soprano... everyone around them might die but the only time we think it's even remotely possible they might bite the dust is during a SERIES finale.
But LOST is an ensamble cast and storyline driven show. There are supposedly 40 plus people on the island and we've seen only half of them. There is no one true main character. Many would say Jack is the lead, but I just see him as the "Hero Arctype" just as Sawyer is the "Jerk Arctype".
But they are expendable. There are others on the island waiting for some screen time. and the flashback concept is really damn good ... but will eventually need new blood to keep it fresh.
Does the writing/production crew have it in them to off a main "fan favorite" hero?
When Charlie "died By Hanging" it was a great scene that said alot about his sacrifice, Jacks internal struggle, and it said that this show was going to be different. That people would die and you would feel it because you had come to care about them.
I was in a tizzy! I knew this show was SMART , and UNIQUE, but now it was BALLSY!!
I was in love with TV again.
But then ... Jack brought him back. My heart sank abit, not because I wanted charlie to die- I didn't, and I still don't . It was just ...you see this tragic scene was built up , teeming with tension and inner turmoil only to be for it to be pulled away.
I felt a loss of story line potential, Jack would have carried his death with him for a long time and Charlies absence would have been a constant reminder to the viewer and the castaways of the danger that exists on this island.
After this episode Shannon was "eaten" by the monster thing.... and instantly I figured it was a dreams/ acid trip for Boone. Because where I once thought anything would happen i figured Deaths were just not in the forseeable future.
There is some rumor mongering that a main character will die by seasons end - and that would be a good thing in my mind. This show should off people now and then to keep every one on their toes. Not just for sweeps, not for the season finale, not because an actor wants to move onto other projects. People should die because that's what happens in real life. People should die because you guys have created a island where anything is possible - but not death ? Is that one of the islands secrets? I doubt it... but If so, that's an easy out and I know you guys are more talented than that.
My vote is for Jack . I might be wrong, but so far he's a stereotype of scruffy doctor types and his story isn't that juicy (yet?). Been there done that. Imagine the Island without a doctor/goodie-goodie. Claire's baby is gone....he's expendable now. Loche the boy scout seems to know survival stuff that can keep them alive. If he can mix up a hallucinogen from scratch I'm sure he can save lives if need be.
When main characters die, it pulls the viewer out of that comfort zone of predictability. And this show is all about not being predictable......so maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Kate will get hit on the head by a falling coconut next week and fall face first onto a urchin.
I'm a sucker for a good storyline. Not just a good story , but an ongoing through line that makes everything that happens actually worth something. To me it is a better reflection of life, my daily dramas don't wrap up nice and neatly, and I don't think a complex character 's day should either.
But the problem with Action/Thriller/Genre televisions shows is that they rely on our favorite hero's and villains being put in peril- where lives will supposedly hang in the balance.
But we know that they really don't.
The viewers are too smart for this stuff nowadays.We know our Hero will prevail - defeat the villain and escape death by the skin of his/her teeth. There is no real threat, no real challenge.
Because a person has to overlook this fact the only thing that can hold the viewer is the STORYLINE itself.
Some shows have been known to kill off major "second - string" characters :
Buffy/Angel - killed of quite a few including her mom. When they happened, I hadn't seen it coming and was convinced that show still had some teeth.
24- Jacks Bauer's wife is killed in the last episode of season 1 A valiant effort to show that "anyone is expendable". but we still know that he'll never be in real danger be cause its HIS SHOW. He's the lead- same with Buffy or Tony Soprano... everyone around them might die but the only time we think it's even remotely possible they might bite the dust is during a SERIES finale.
But LOST is an ensamble cast and storyline driven show. There are supposedly 40 plus people on the island and we've seen only half of them. There is no one true main character. Many would say Jack is the lead, but I just see him as the "Hero Arctype" just as Sawyer is the "Jerk Arctype".
But they are expendable. There are others on the island waiting for some screen time. and the flashback concept is really damn good ... but will eventually need new blood to keep it fresh.
Does the writing/production crew have it in them to off a main "fan favorite" hero?
When Charlie "died By Hanging" it was a great scene that said alot about his sacrifice, Jacks internal struggle, and it said that this show was going to be different. That people would die and you would feel it because you had come to care about them.
I was in a tizzy! I knew this show was SMART , and UNIQUE, but now it was BALLSY!!
I was in love with TV again.
But then ... Jack brought him back. My heart sank abit, not because I wanted charlie to die- I didn't, and I still don't . It was just ...you see this tragic scene was built up , teeming with tension and inner turmoil only to be for it to be pulled away.
I felt a loss of story line potential, Jack would have carried his death with him for a long time and Charlies absence would have been a constant reminder to the viewer and the castaways of the danger that exists on this island.
After this episode Shannon was "eaten" by the monster thing.... and instantly I figured it was a dreams/ acid trip for Boone. Because where I once thought anything would happen i figured Deaths were just not in the forseeable future.
There is some rumor mongering that a main character will die by seasons end - and that would be a good thing in my mind. This show should off people now and then to keep every one on their toes. Not just for sweeps, not for the season finale, not because an actor wants to move onto other projects. People should die because that's what happens in real life. People should die because you guys have created a island where anything is possible - but not death ? Is that one of the islands secrets? I doubt it... but If so, that's an easy out and I know you guys are more talented than that.
My vote is for Jack . I might be wrong, but so far he's a stereotype of scruffy doctor types and his story isn't that juicy (yet?). Been there done that. Imagine the Island without a doctor/goodie-goodie. Claire's baby is gone....he's expendable now. Loche the boy scout seems to know survival stuff that can keep them alive. If he can mix up a hallucinogen from scratch I'm sure he can save lives if need be.
When main characters die, it pulls the viewer out of that comfort zone of predictability. And this show is all about not being predictable......so maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Kate will get hit on the head by a falling coconut next week and fall face first onto a urchin.