The Secret

[oselle]

After last night's riveting season finale of The Walking Dead, I found myself wondering what is the secret to creating great entertainment in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre. I think it comes down to two things --

1) Taking the subject matter seriously.

2) Respecting the audience.

Which frankly, are interrelated. If you take your subject matter seriously, you'll respect the audience because you know they take it seriously too. In contrast, if you think your story is kind of silly, then you'll no doubt think your audience is silly for liking it so much. And because it's a vicious cycle, once you start thinking your audience is silly, you'll take your story even less seriously because its biggest fans are losers who probably have nothing better to do than watch your silly show. See how that works?

Comments

[salty-catfish.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't mean to spoil. Yes, and it's probably going to be more idiotic embarassing terrifying than ever. (...Do you even want to know?)

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Well, now you HAVE to tell me.

[salty-catfish.livejournal.com]

It is mentioned in that TV Guide article. I quote:
"And for a change of pace, there's a humor-heavy meta episode in which the Winchesters wake up as characters names Jared and Jensen on a TV show called Supernatural."

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Oh Christ. What is wrong with them?

Did the article mention when that episode would be airing? Because I'm definitely sitting it out. I was going to sit out The Real Ghostbusters and I didn't and I really wished that I had, so I'm going with my gut this time around. I just can't handle any more of that shit.

[salty-catfish.livejournal.com]

No, it's not mentioned. So far it looks like the episodes up 'til 6.14 are going to be something else, so I'm guessing middle of the second half of the season?
I have a lot of different issues with the meta eps, but the mention of the actors' real names is going to give me the worst case second hand embarassment ever, I know it. DNW.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Just reading that quote from TV Guide made me squirm. This is way beyond DNW. It's more like...I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING THERE.

[salty-catfish.livejournal.com]

I laughed at the part where Misha Collins advertised it with "this has never been seen before!" Some things aren't done because they are a bad idea.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Not to mention it HAS been seen before, more or less. Considering Misha Collins's sense of humor, I suspect he may have been being sarcastic.

[salty-catfish.livejournal.com]

News! There's speculation it's going to be 6x15 based on the title, which is (hold yourself) "The French Mistake". Yeah.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I don't even want to know why it's "French."

You know, I'm thinking that maybe I SHOULD watch this. Because if it's as bad as it sounds, it means I can write this show off once and for all instead of pathetically sticking around waiting for some good crumbs to fall from the table now and then. I think I'll record it and then watch it so that if things get particularly mortifying I can hit the ol' fast foward button toute suite.

[salty-catfish.livejournal.com]

You are right, you don't want to know. Feed that inner masochist. ;) And maybe it's unexpectedly brilliant!

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I doubt that any unexpected brilliance will be manifesting itself in a "high-humor meta" episode, but I'll admit I've made myself curious to see how far they'll go...and if they'll drag the fans into it the way they did the last time. Or will they just be making fun of themselves? This would still make for an annoying episode (I'd much rather they spend airtime on plot and character instead of goofing around), but at least it might not be outright insulting. Sadly, I don't think they'd bother writing a comedic "show-within-a-show" episode (about a "real" Jared and Jensen) if they don't use it as a vehicle to make fun of us. Making fun of us seems to be the goal of all the recent meta, I can't imagine they'd give it up now.

[twirlycurls.livejournal.com]

"And for a change of pace" -- LOL. And OMG. Are they fucking delusional? This isn't a change of pace, this crap is as overdone as "Sam has gone bad. Again. No, for reals this time."

*headdesk*

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I know right...what change of pace? This kind of shit has been a running joke for the past three years! Argh!!

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Oh FFS. It sounds like something they should be saying as a joke.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Part of me is hoping it IS a joke...but knowing this crew the way I do, I'm sure it's not.

Here's my question -- is there no one at the show with the brains/balls to stand up and say, "Hey guys, maybe we've done enough of these?"

[twirlycurls.livejournal.com]

I get the impression there's a lot of group-think going on with the show-runners and that no one is willing to stand up and point that plot A has been done a dozen times and plot B is stupid and makes no sense.

But considering that they've already had JP (awkwardly and clearly embarrassed) deliver a meta-clunker specifically naming "Supernatural" I hold out hope that this is misdirection. Misguided as this current set of writers seem to be, surely they must know that the only people who enjoy their meta eps are the people at TWoP who hate them and their show?

[oselle.livejournal.com]

But considering that they've already had JP (awkwardly and clearly embarrassed) deliver a meta-clunker specifically naming "Supernatural" I hold out hope that this is misdirection.

??? -- when did this happen?

Do you think the TV Guide quote may just be a joke?

[twirlycurls.livejournal.com]

??? -- when did this happen?

The episode in season four where JP introduces himself as a reporter from a magazine called "Supernatural." His delivery was way off and it was the first time where it was clear to me that one of the actors felt what he was saying was pretty silly.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Crikey, I don't even remember that.

Still, that was just one line. They didn't build a whole episode around it.

[twirlycurls.livejournal.com]

I'm quite certain that if you don't remember it then there's no chance in hell the writers or showrunners do. Guess we better just brace ourselves for the "hilarity" of another meta laugh-fest. Anyone wanna lay bets on the odds of J2 slash being mentioned?

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Anyone wanna lay bets on the odds of J2 slash being mentioned?

Considering their smirking fascination with Wincest, I'm sure they won't be able to resist -- slash in general seems to be another thing that they think is unique to SPN fandom and its crazy loser fans. I really need to find out what episode this will be. I don't even want to see the preview for it. I'm embarrassed just reading about it. Just knowing they sat down and wrote this.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It's like they might as well say they're not interested in their fictional universe anymore. Their attention keeps wandering off to the audience. But yeah, how many times are they going to make the joke of it being a show? And now it's yet another show within the show? If the only way you think the audience can be interested is if you hold up a big mirror, you should be stepping down.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

It's like they might as well say they're not interested in their fictional universe anymore.

I honestly don't think they are. I think they haven't been genuinely interested in it for quite a while.