(no subject)
Nov. 14th, 2011 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oselleWhenever I think The Walking Dead can't get any better...it goes ahead and gets better.
I'll bet if you asked Sera Gamble why SPN isn't as good as TWD she'd...well she'd probably spout some trite crapola about how they're just two very different shows and how they each have their own story to tell and her job is to make sure she's telling SPN's story and not anyone else's and blah blah blah. If you really pressed her on it she'd be likely to start whining about how SPN could be as good as TWD if they only had the same budget and creative freedom and I'm sure that plenty of viewers would say the same thing, but if you really LOOK at TWD -- they aren't exactly busting the budget. Most of the action so far this season has taken place at an old farm and the countryside surrounding it, sets which I'm sure are plentiful in the Vancouver area. The special effects primarily consist of a lot of shambling actors in corpse-makeup and the occasional display of blood and guts. We're not talking Weta Digital sophistication here.
As for creative freedom, well -- who limits that? The CW may not exactly be big on creating groundbreaking television, but I doubt that they tell any of their showrunners to keep things as mediocre as possible. Yes, I know there are many cases of network execs putting forth some mandate that binds a showrunner's hands but ultimately it's up to the show's creative team to tell a great story no matter what the limitations...if they're capable of it. And if they want to work that hard.
Case in point: I was annoyed with TWD last week because the character of Herschel really pissed me off. One minute he's all folksy gospel wisdom and the next he's callously telling Rick that he expects him and his little band of survivors to be getting back on the road pretty soon because he has to look out for "his people."
Now, SPN has gotten me so accustomed to having contradictory, douchey behavior like this go unexplained that I was getting hot under the collar over how contradictory and douchey Herschel was. But then this week...OMG, Herschel has a terrible secret! I still don't know what it means but whoa...do you mean to tell me that there might be a REASON Herschel acts the way he does? It's not just that the writers can't see or can't be bothered to come up with a good explanation for why he's such a contradictory douchebag it's that...there's an actual STORY behind Herschel's behavior? Someone actually sat down and thought about this and wrote a STORY??
Imagine that.
I'll bet if you asked Sera Gamble why SPN isn't as good as TWD she'd...well she'd probably spout some trite crapola about how they're just two very different shows and how they each have their own story to tell and her job is to make sure she's telling SPN's story and not anyone else's and blah blah blah. If you really pressed her on it she'd be likely to start whining about how SPN could be as good as TWD if they only had the same budget and creative freedom and I'm sure that plenty of viewers would say the same thing, but if you really LOOK at TWD -- they aren't exactly busting the budget. Most of the action so far this season has taken place at an old farm and the countryside surrounding it, sets which I'm sure are plentiful in the Vancouver area. The special effects primarily consist of a lot of shambling actors in corpse-makeup and the occasional display of blood and guts. We're not talking Weta Digital sophistication here.
As for creative freedom, well -- who limits that? The CW may not exactly be big on creating groundbreaking television, but I doubt that they tell any of their showrunners to keep things as mediocre as possible. Yes, I know there are many cases of network execs putting forth some mandate that binds a showrunner's hands but ultimately it's up to the show's creative team to tell a great story no matter what the limitations...if they're capable of it. And if they want to work that hard.
Case in point: I was annoyed with TWD last week because the character of Herschel really pissed me off. One minute he's all folksy gospel wisdom and the next he's callously telling Rick that he expects him and his little band of survivors to be getting back on the road pretty soon because he has to look out for "his people."
Now, SPN has gotten me so accustomed to having contradictory, douchey behavior like this go unexplained that I was getting hot under the collar over how contradictory and douchey Herschel was. But then this week...OMG, Herschel has a terrible secret! I still don't know what it means but whoa...do you mean to tell me that there might be a REASON Herschel acts the way he does? It's not just that the writers can't see or can't be bothered to come up with a good explanation for why he's such a contradictory douchebag it's that...there's an actual STORY behind Herschel's behavior? Someone actually sat down and thought about this and wrote a STORY??
Imagine that.
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no subject
Date: 2011-11-15 03:52 am (UTC)They keep forcing some stupid storylines and 'special' guests down our throats ,and sending some offensif messages such as : fans are ugly people who need to stick to same appearance boyfriends... it's disgusting!
Sorry if I offended anyone it's just my point of view!!
no subject
Date: 2011-11-16 01:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-15 03:53 am (UTC)We're still seeing the grief from Otis's wife, the two teenagers who've had about one line each are apparently being prevented by Big Papa from hooking up, Lauren Cohan's character is expected to be some matron saint when she just wants to grab at any scrap of happiness she can. And the vibe in that entire house is fueled in some way by the secret in the barn.
BTW, I've read the comics and know about the barn. I'll only say the character motivation GETS EVEN BETTER. Layers and histories and secrets, oh my!
As for Lauren Cohan, an actress I was ready to dismiss based on Bella, all I can say is I stand corrected. She if anything is a prime example of how the difference between SPN and TWD is quality, and nothing else.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-16 01:20 am (UTC)This is the second time Lauren Cohan has pulled off an interesting character -- she had a brief part in The Vampire Diaries last year. The misery of Bela was never Cohan's fault. That character was poorly developed from the beginning and so out of place on the show that no one could have done anything with it. SPN has the weirdest habit of wasting good actors in thankless roles, and then casting mediocre actors (like Genevieve Cortese) in vital ones. They managed to get it right with Misha Collins and Castiel, and least for a while.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-15 02:01 pm (UTC)I've never read the books the show is based on, so seeing all those Walkers shambling around in the barn was a shock for me. I can't wait to see what's going on there.
And Kinkthatwinked is so right about Lauren Cohan. What a difference between Maggie and Bela.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-16 01:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-15 10:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-16 01:01 am (UTC)*grunts and shambles along beside you*
no subject
Date: 2011-11-16 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-16 01:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-16 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-17 11:59 pm (UTC)