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Oh, and I had something else on my mind that's been bothering me this last week. Eddie McClintock did an interview promoting season 3 of Warehouse 13 recently and he said three things in it that bothers me.
Is Myka coming back? He says 'they don't tell us these things'. But considering they've been shooting for what, over a month now, doesn't that mean they're well into a 13-ep season by now? So then what, she's definitely not in the first... 5 episodes? That's half a season (that I won't be watching).
Then he goes on to refer to the new guy as 'her replacement'. Which, whatever, just rubs me the wrong way.
But the worst thing of all, he says "I trust the network." Which scares me more than anything. Because I don't trust SyFy with... you know, my half-dead cactus. I don't have a long past with SyFy, but I do know they pretty much ruined Sanctuary. Killing Ashley ruined the one main thing that set that show apart. The mother-daughter relationship made this show infinitely different and special from all the other shows I watched. Then they killed her, and now it's Amanda Tapping being hot and running around in leather, and it's a good fun show, but the heart of it died for me when they killed Ashley and I don't really have an emotional connection to it anymore. And I didn't even like Ashley that much! (Also, wasn't SciFi the network that cancelled Farscape??)
Now, I realized I might be petty and sensitive and over-reacting. I really really never wanted to be that fan that was too emotionally blinded to handle the big picture, but that's where I keep ending up. And isn't that what they want? They want us to be emotionally invested in their shows? What for? So they can screw us over? Damien Kindler was so smug on one of the commentaries, he talked about how he was so glad they killed Ashley because now the characters on the show are actually in real peril, as opposed to just fake peril. And maybe I'm not their target audience, then, because I don't like real peril. There's plenty of real peril in real life, I don't need it from my entertainment, and that means I'm gonna detach emotionally from the show so I don't get hurt again. Ilene Chaiken-level mind-fuckery.
I like peril, both physical and emotional and whatever, I love a well-excecuted dangerous action sequence that makes my heart race, and I love a good emotional torture storyline, but the heart of it I wanna wonder *how* they're gonna get out of stuff, not *if* - and if someone is leaving I wanna know about it well ahead so I have time to prepare. If I'm gonna endure a seriously long hiatus and be excited about the upcoming season, I want some kind of reassurance that it's gonna be worth it. Warehouse 13 had turned into my favourite current show, and Myka is my favourite character. Without her I won't watch the show. Easy as that. And a lot of people just seem completely relaxed and certain that she's coming back. But the fact that that's the cliffhanger they're playing up for the new season is just enough to make me doubt it, and I can't love a show that I don't trust. And now I'm working really hard to distance myself enough that I won't be hurt if she ends up not coming back.
But I also don't want artists to pander to their fans. I swear I don't. I believe in creating art for art's sake! But then it gets tricky, because shows like these are exist because they have fans, and they want fans, and they want their fans to be emotionally invested. *sigh* And I guess I'm just not the right fan for it... which makes me sad, because adventure and sci-fi and whatever are the kinds of shows I like. I guess what I really need to do is just stop watching any shows that are still on the air, and wait until I can read a full synopsis and buy the DVDs.
Frell. I guess at the root of it I'm just over-sensitive. And I guess TPTB is rubbing their hands saying they've succeeded, because controversy is good, and whatever. And I feel a little bit pathetic that I let it get to me like this. *sigh* I'll just be over here, watching Farscape. At least they won't let me down, I know how the series ends.
Is Myka coming back? He says 'they don't tell us these things'. But considering they've been shooting for what, over a month now, doesn't that mean they're well into a 13-ep season by now? So then what, she's definitely not in the first... 5 episodes? That's half a season (that I won't be watching).
Then he goes on to refer to the new guy as 'her replacement'. Which, whatever, just rubs me the wrong way.
But the worst thing of all, he says "I trust the network." Which scares me more than anything. Because I don't trust SyFy with... you know, my half-dead cactus. I don't have a long past with SyFy, but I do know they pretty much ruined Sanctuary. Killing Ashley ruined the one main thing that set that show apart. The mother-daughter relationship made this show infinitely different and special from all the other shows I watched. Then they killed her, and now it's Amanda Tapping being hot and running around in leather, and it's a good fun show, but the heart of it died for me when they killed Ashley and I don't really have an emotional connection to it anymore. And I didn't even like Ashley that much! (Also, wasn't SciFi the network that cancelled Farscape??)
Now, I realized I might be petty and sensitive and over-reacting. I really really never wanted to be that fan that was too emotionally blinded to handle the big picture, but that's where I keep ending up. And isn't that what they want? They want us to be emotionally invested in their shows? What for? So they can screw us over? Damien Kindler was so smug on one of the commentaries, he talked about how he was so glad they killed Ashley because now the characters on the show are actually in real peril, as opposed to just fake peril. And maybe I'm not their target audience, then, because I don't like real peril. There's plenty of real peril in real life, I don't need it from my entertainment, and that means I'm gonna detach emotionally from the show so I don't get hurt again. Ilene Chaiken-level mind-fuckery.
I like peril, both physical and emotional and whatever, I love a well-excecuted dangerous action sequence that makes my heart race, and I love a good emotional torture storyline, but the heart of it I wanna wonder *how* they're gonna get out of stuff, not *if* - and if someone is leaving I wanna know about it well ahead so I have time to prepare. If I'm gonna endure a seriously long hiatus and be excited about the upcoming season, I want some kind of reassurance that it's gonna be worth it. Warehouse 13 had turned into my favourite current show, and Myka is my favourite character. Without her I won't watch the show. Easy as that. And a lot of people just seem completely relaxed and certain that she's coming back. But the fact that that's the cliffhanger they're playing up for the new season is just enough to make me doubt it, and I can't love a show that I don't trust. And now I'm working really hard to distance myself enough that I won't be hurt if she ends up not coming back.
But I also don't want artists to pander to their fans. I swear I don't. I believe in creating art for art's sake! But then it gets tricky, because shows like these are exist because they have fans, and they want fans, and they want their fans to be emotionally invested. *sigh* And I guess I'm just not the right fan for it... which makes me sad, because adventure and sci-fi and whatever are the kinds of shows I like. I guess what I really need to do is just stop watching any shows that are still on the air, and wait until I can read a full synopsis and buy the DVDs.
Frell. I guess at the root of it I'm just over-sensitive. And I guess TPTB is rubbing their hands saying they've succeeded, because controversy is good, and whatever. And I feel a little bit pathetic that I let it get to me like this. *sigh* I'll just be over here, watching Farscape. At least they won't let me down, I know how the series ends.
aggravated
nothing to see here
But now I'm worried about Warehouse 14. They couldn't possibly lose Myka, right? She's the best thing in it!
Damien Kindler was so smug on one of the commentaries, he talked about how he was so glad they killed Ashley because now the characters on the show are actually in real peril,
I find this freaking attitude SO insulting. The whole killing Ashley for drama thing really put me off the show - and I didn't even care about Ashley all that much. But this idea that writers seem to have that we are too complacent in our viewing - firstly, it insults our imagination, and secondly, it shows that they're really ignorant writers because if they watched a little more television they'd know that suspense is created by mood - not a belief in actual peril. And i don't know that it's *ever* been done without coming off as horribly contrived and manipulative.
So yeah, stick with Farscape. It's awesome.
nothing to see here
I have one episode to go with Farscape, and then the PK Wars. *sigh* On the one hand; please be over soon, because there will be nothing left of my emotional nails! But on the other; Nooooo, don't be over! *weeps*
"But this idea that writers seem to have that we are too complacent in our viewing - firstly, it insults our imagination, and secondly, it shows that they're really ignorant writers because if they watched a little more television they'd know that suspense is created by mood - not a belief in actual peril."
THANK YOU for putting that into words so well. It's a good proper real argument, and not just being emotional like I was. You are compeletely correct.
I wasn't worried about Myka until he said that thing about trusting the network. She was in the Christmas ep which aired after she'd left, even if it was supposed to be set long before, but still, it felt like she was back... but I DON'T trust the network, and also, I'd kinda hoped there'd have been spoilers out of Toronto by now about her filming season 3, and there aren't... which... gah. I'm fretting too much about this, but I'd really really grown to like this show, and without Myka it's just... it's nothing.