Birdwings

I finally binged the last six episodes, and it was an excellent season of tv, taken as a whole. It didn't have the most ambitious narrative, as it stuck quite firmly to a case of the week format, but the character work was excellent and it had buckets of that 90s atmosphere I love. It even had a great "tune in next season" hook, which I did not expect, and which means I had better start shopping for a DVD set (because alas, the YT upload only covers season one).

Something I noticed early on was that Nick was mostly depicted in flashbacks seeking a cure or trying to help people. I concluded the writers or the network were uncomfortable with a former monster seeking redemption, and that Nick would not be portrayed doing evil after that first chick he chowed down on. However, I think they mostly just eased the viewer into it, letting you get a strong sense of why Nick might deserve salvation before trotting out Murder and Falling Off the Wagon and Stalkery Obsession and More Murder. Nick is not being dramatic when he rejects his vampiric superpowers as something born of evil. Or so I see it, anyway.

So that's fun. As is the general tone of the show, which is very human and warm. Some episodes leaned on the serious difficulties of being a cop, and others went for the supernatural craziness of vampire enforcers and ageless women hopped up on vampire blood, so there was a lot of variety in terms of the case of the week. I found it quite enjoyable, over all.

There were a couple episodes that didn't sit well with me, besides the evil stripper one (which was at least unintentionally funny), but with 22 episodes, that is affordable and rewatch value tends to improve such outings anyway because of small character elements I probably missed out on. The one I found most uncomfortable was the "murder at AA" episode. It struck me to be in questionable taste and wildly inaccurate to everything I have ever heard about how they operate.

Some unexpected guest stars also livened things throughout, and by the end of the season, I really felt the importance of Nick's choice of work. Unlike Angel, who chose to work as a PI, and could therefore cut himself off from humanity at the drop of a hat (and did so multiple times across the show, which is the first thing Doyle took him to task for), Nick is constantly surrounded by people who might or might not know his secret, but who are rooting for him to pull through. He's in the trenches, he has a boss, he can't fire his team. He's a lot closer to people every day. Whether or not that helps remains to be seen, but it is quite touching.

I'm also more invested in Nick and Natalie's relationship, which has a lot of underlying tensions that weren't clear to me at the beginning of the season. I do wish the brother thing had been acknowledged afterward, but otherwise it was quite compelling in a kind of sad way.

Janette occasionally mentions that vampires don't get to kill people anymore, because of the pesky bodies attracting attention, and I am hoping that gets elaborated on, along with Janette's own place on the show's moral axis, because I am super curious.

Also, flashback dates would be really nice.

Anyway, a strong season. Looking forward to what comes next!

Edit: Is it LaCroix or Lacroix? I have seen both spellings used.

There's a careful balance this show needs to maintain between the vampire/immortal aspect (as Nick works to reclaim his humanity and redeem himself) and the police procedural aspect (in which Nick sometimes saves the night by flying across Toronto's traffic, but is otherwise just a cop). It's impressive how well the writing manages. But I like it best when the writers throw police procedural caution to the wind and really lean into the premise.

'Dying for Fame' was a bonkers episode in which Nick gets carried away into delusions of MTV horror while over-identifying with a shambling, alcoholic wreck trapped by her own fame. Unlike Angel's later 'Eternity,' which adopted a deeply cynical tone, this is played for idealism. Nick can't free himself yet, but he can break the machine trapping Rebecca and release her into the wilds.

It's also a great snapshot of the era's musical moment, as this episode is absolutely wedded to hair metal controversy, and Schanke is mocked as over the hill for his fondness for BTO - and I'm laughing at the lot, because Nirvana is now a major thing and is killing the careers of almost every hair metal act standing. Rebecca got out just in time.

Then, and even better, 'Only the Lonely.' In which Natalie takes center stage, and I finally care about the Nick/Natalie ship, and I finally meet Natalie's darling cat! This one had a high level of suspense, and a high level of WTF. I actually like Natalie's coworker, but what kind of coworker gives lingerie as a present? That is the sole reserve of intimate partners! I full-body shuddered! And this episode has a crazy rapist-murderer running around!

Honestly, this episode just made me feel so bad for Natalie (again; her last limelight episode was no picnic either). She does work too hard. Her days off get interrupted. The guy she has devoted what little spare time she has to curing barely notices her. Her coworkers are inappropriate. She barely has time to shop for cat food. And the one guy who shows an interest is a total psycho.

Nick and Natalie have great arguments where I can see both their perspectives and Natalie doesn't automatically come across as wrong. They should argue more. It's fun.

Also, highly appreciated the flashbacks to Natalie meeting Nick (where else but her examining table). He tried to put the mind whammy on her and it failed. She is too strong willed. There's also an implication that the victim must want to forget, so that's interesting. Really good episode.

Could have done without the trip and fall, though.

I hate leaving things unfinished, or partially done. I started Snowflake with the intention of doing every challenge, but I'm gonna have to bow out of Challenge #5, a wishlist venture. Asking for things? Nope. Sorry. Not happening. I am bad at that.

So, on to Challenge #6. Top 10 Challenge.



And I'm gonna have fun and talk about ten tropes I love. Which I guess could also count as a sneak wishlist, just without the actual request feature.

They're numbered but not ranked. I thought about giving canon or fanfic examples for each, but this post is long enough as is.

1. Conversations with dead people

An emotional trope. Things left unsaid, fears unspoken, last regrets to acknowledge. Literal ghost, or a dream sequence, or a hallucination. The question: Is it real or the character's subconscious? What does the visitation signify? The possibilities range from spooky to redemptive. It is a heady brew of emotion and mystery, breaking reality and showing facets a normal conversation never could.

2. Best friend with a death wish

Pure loyalty in every situation is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately for one half of this partnership, the other half is running pell-mell for the cliff. Cue angst. Cue anguish. Cue agony. This is a first rate shipping dynamic, when one half of the pairing is bent on self-destruction and the other half can only watch in dread. It's supposed to be ride or die, not ride and die. How do you save your partner from their own demons?

3. Redemption equals living

I hate the Redemption Equals Death trope. Hate it. It's a punitive narrative action that says redemption isn't actually possible, that all attempts will fail and the only real value to the reformed is to conveniently remove themselves from the picture, letting everyone else get on with their lives. It's why I love the Angel and Faith dynamic, where Angel spells it out clearly. Laying down and dying is easy, one big gesture and it's over. Living with your actions, that's the hard part. Getting up every day to fight the good fight, knowing it won't undo what was done. That's the bread and butter of a good character arc.

4. Hidden identities/spies

The perfect umbrella trope for all manner of exciting developments. Spy vs spy! Spy vs handler! Truths within lies and lies which contain truths! False lovers getting lost in character! Once you introduce spies, it is a delightful playground of difficult relationships, but I also love all the classic accessories: the hidden compartments, masquerade balls, secret codes and smiling facades. And thinking it over, I realize this is one of the reasons I am eternally fannish about Jeremiah: lots of double agents. My earliest fics centered on that topic. This is my JAM.

5. Token evil teammate

There's nothing better than the merciful heroes allowing a villain to live, from dire necessity against an existential threat or compassion as the antagonist falls on hard times. Then we get this trope, which I mostly call "villain in a cage." Literal or metaphorical, the important thing is they are momentarily captive. A good villain is a dark reflection of one or more good guys, a path not taken, a worst outcome. They sit there, unable to harm anyone physically, so they use truth as a weapon, they find every insecurity and push buttons just by being present. And since a good villain is highly competent, they are useful, the ultimate double edged sword. And maybe the heroes start rubbing off on them, by proximity, by humanity, by lack of other options, but there's always the question - is it all an act? Lots of great character work can result from this pressure cooker. Always a good time for me.

6. Amnesia

Total amnesia is fine, but it's more interesting when it's selective. The person is mostly the same, but there are missing pieces. Accidental or deliberate, the result is a great crisis of identity and free will. It can increase paranoia in the victim, or anguish in a loved one. It can cause questioning or reaffirmation. It can propel a mystery. It can unveil psychological horror, if it was deliberately caused. It is guaranteed to cause a whirlwind of angst.

7. Enemies to lovers

As I said, a villain should be a reflection. That means commonalities. A subconscious ability to relate. A worthy opponent deserving respect. But with lines crossed and bad histories, every single interaction is a battlefield which facilitates character growth and ethical debates (hell yeah). Also, part of what makes villains villains is that they WANT things, and won't stop till they get them, so seeing that hunger turn toward someone they can't acquire by normal methods tends to bend them out of shape in a delightful way - and can be exceptionally cathartic if the character they covet is generally overlooked by the rest of Team Good. There is no more powerful depiction of the transformative power of human connection.

8. Slow burn

I can't tell you how many times I'm reading a shipping fic and they arrive at the whole "shut up and kiss" moment, and I'm sitting there going "no, hang on, go back, that conversation was interesting! It wasn't finished!" The best romances take forever. Skilled writers can actually do what feels like a slow burn in a brisk twenty thousand words, so it's less about the time spent reading for me and more about giving the yearning and pining and fighting of the inevitable its proper due. Don't skip to the good stuff when what you're skipping is the good stuff!

9. Dramatic declarations of love

This can be romantic or platonic love, but moments of peril and high stakes where love is unequivocally declared, preferentially through action, are great. Lifesaving! Emptying an entire clip into the enemy who dared threaten the object of affection (yes, my favorite hostage scene of all time is Wesley on the roof with dear old dad in 'Lineage'). Rescue missions! Thousand to one odds are no object. Those are the obvious ones, but it can be tailored to different characters and their wants. Meaningful action, synergy, sacrifice, all that good stuff. I gravitate to it because... Well, a lot of my favorite characters aren't the sort who are likely to say "I love you" easily, but could channel it into action without hesitation.

10. Found family

We'll end with a gimme. I mean, who doesn't love found family? Is this even a trope? It feels ubiquitous. Great though, isn't it?

I was gonna hide this post entirely. Then I decided I'll just hide it with a cut tag, since it's about my emotional state, as regards tv, and that way it can be skipped as needed. ( Read more... )

So I watched 'Sunday.' It took me a while to figure out my thoughts on it and put them into words. Best summed up in the phrase "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" because this was actually close to being great, except for all the rampant stupidity and something vaguely akin to sadism with Carson being so nice to everybody who refuse to go fishing with him. So, this made me angry but since I like to lead with the positives...

Various old show spoilers and some degree of profanity behind the cut. ( Read more... )

This was supposed to be a short sales pitch, but I haven't had anyone to talk to about this show, so I kind of went nuts.

American Gothic was a short-lived attempt at an HBO style supernatural horror show, with an ensemble cast, pitch dark humor, philosophical depth, religious themes, depraved villains, questionable heroes, kinky sex and a slowly advancing epic plot centered on the battle of good and evil... airing on CBS. In 1995.

Honestly, the shock isn't its cancellation after a 22 episode run, but the fact that it made it that far. American Gothic is amazing, and I fell in love with it very quickly, mainlining it in two weeks. It sits in my top five, right alongside Buffy/Angel, Highlander, Jeremiah and 12 Monkeys and I'll be singing its praises in as vague a fashion as I can in this post, but I'll also directly cover some of the stuff making it a tricky show for me to recommend. ( Read more... )

We've just finished watching Better Call Saul, which I was never invested in to the extent of needing to write about the experience. It was, of course, of inarguable quality once we got past the first season or so, but I don't think I've struggled so much with a show in a long time, partly for personal reasons (the entire Chuck storyline was hellish). I was hoping the ending would turn it around for me the way it happened with Breaking Bad, but it didn't. The finale, though low-key and thematically fitting, really didn't do anything to lessen the pain and discomfort of six seasons of toxic relationships, bad life choices, petty cruelty and cringe-inducing cons.

Anyway, since this one didn't pull a rabbit out of a hat and Breaking Bad oddly enough did - transforming my experience of the entire show which came before - I got to thinking which other shows actually pulled such eleventh hour victories and went ahead and made a spoilery list of the endings which have most impressed me for one reason or another.

( Read more... )

A nearly perfect storm of concepts I love, the effect being spoiled by a pair of ugly scenes in the middle. ( Read more... )

I'm mashing these two eps together because the first is a mixed bag and the second is a major downer. ( Read more... )

The Xander Berkeley two parter arrives. My man in the Booth! (I realize I am possibly the only human being fannish about The Booth at the End). ( Read more... )