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

[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.