After today's show I started to think about how different shows appeal to different people. I'm going to be honest, I really did not like Firefly. I found myself sitting there constantly checking the clock and hoping that time would pass by a little faster. I'm not sure what I didn't like about it, but it just did not work for me. I didn't find any of the characters interesting and the story line was just weird. So far there was no substance to the characters and their lives that really struck me, but instead they are just worried about their ship and other ships. Likewise, they constantly talked about the ship and the commands, and I am just not into that. Firefly reminded me a lot of Star Trek but with a bizarre Chinese factor which I am still trying to figure out. The country music that randomly played in between scenes was also just out of place. Now, maybe Firefly is just not for everyone or maybe I am just not giving it a chance, but after watching it today I definitely miss Buffy and Angel. I can understand though how some people would enjoy it, I'm just not a sci-fi kind of girl.
(I know there are a lot of fans in the class so please don't take offence, it's just not for me.)
9 comments:
I find I didn't like Firefly for the same reason I don't like a lot of science fiction. The macho guy character is just entirely too masculine to a point where it is just silly.
It seemed like the writers were doing a good job showing who the character were... then they'd bother describing traits frequently.
One of the worst examples of this was when the preacher was explaining the captain to the whore as "mysterious" then explained exactly the captain's characteristics.
Conversations about likes and dislikes are always worth having as *starting places*, but they shouldn't end there. Once you've acknowledged/described your own opinion, try to get beyond that, perhaps considering why others might respond the way they do, etc.
To add to my comment above: Holly's comment about the conversation between Inara and Book is a helpful one for keeping conversation going. I agree with her that that's a rather clunky piece of dialogue.
I know Dr. H, it was just all that was on my mind about the show. It was a starting place, and I am still trying to have an open mind about this new one.
I agree with Holly about the main character being too masculine. Everything from the way he walked, to him punching people in the face, to him cutting others ideas down made him seem silly and too manly.
I don't think that the characters were well described though. I really didn't get a sense of who they were. I think it was easier with *Buffy* and *Angel* because I knew about them before I saw the show. Even though this was the first show, I still don't know theses people like I did *Angel* in *City Of.*
Mal APPEARS to be a highly masculine figure, yes. But is that who he truly is? No. He does what he has to do in order to remain the "captain" of the ship, but his character is much, much more dynamic than throwing punches and making snide asides.
The pilot doesn't make this very clear .. but hey, it's a pilot.
Your comment about the pilot made me think about what goes into a pilot episode. I don't think this one told me a lot or really made me want to keep watching the show, but what I'm reading online makes me think I could like it. I wonder if this episode just isn't revealing enough. Maybe if I knew more, and more was explained, I would have a differnt feeling than I did yesterday afternoon. I know that the purpose of a pilot is to draw people in, but I was left with too many questions and there wasn't much action taking place.
Some good conversation going on this thread! Michelle--I hope I didn't sound too harsh in my initial comment. Clearly you are exercising a good, critical mind-set! And, of course, if your ultimate decision is, "This isn't for me," there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Mal does come across as the unfeeling tough guy that stomps on everyone that gets in his way. I can definitely agree with you there, Michelle. However, if you watch later episodes of the show or the movie, Serenity, you come to understand (at least I did) that Mal's harsh exterior is what holds his crew together in a tough world. Serenity's crew goes through a huge amount of life or death situations over the course of the show and Mal's "tough" leadership is what gets them through. Plus, practically everyone on Serenity is a "main" character, so if Mal continues to get on your nerves, there are plenty of other characters to attach yourself to.
Michelle- since a lot of these shows were new to you, you should blog about what makes a pilot good, the kind of characteristics that draw you in etc, how much character development is req'd, how much is too much etc.
Since these shows are all new to you, I think you're opinion would be really valuable and unbiased!
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