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Why I love the shows I love.
I was just thinking about my favourite tv shows and the moment I first realised I was going to love them.
Surprisingly, they were actually all quite similar. Although... not.
The List
Firefly: when Mal kicked the evil guy through the ship's engine.
Frasier: the "flashback episode"... that turned out not to be a standard flashback episode, because modern-day Frasier and Niles were inside it, looking at early-years Frasier and Niles, and commenting on them.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: the moment Spike appeared and started talking about Woodstock.
NCIS: when they kidnapped a body from the FBI (by bluffing really well) so that they'd have jurisdiction over it.
Farscape: when the episode's teaser ended with "I demand... one of your Pilot's arms!" *dramatic music* - and I was sure the episode was going to be about the moral dilemma of do-we-cut-off-the-Pilot's-arm-or-not-hmm-we-must-think-about-this-deeply-and-moralise... but, two minutes later, they CUT HIS ARM OFF, and the rest of the episode was about something else.
I like many shows. For many reasons. But the thing that makes me grin and love them is when they start surprising me. When I can see the standard tv moment that's about to happen - and then something else happens instead. When a show about gothic, dramatic vampires turns out to be more interested in punk vampires who roll their eyes at the rules. When it's suddenly not what I thought it was, and I suddenly don't know everything.
I love that.
Surprisingly, they were actually all quite similar. Although... not.
The List
Firefly: when Mal kicked the evil guy through the ship's engine.
Frasier: the "flashback episode"... that turned out not to be a standard flashback episode, because modern-day Frasier and Niles were inside it, looking at early-years Frasier and Niles, and commenting on them.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: the moment Spike appeared and started talking about Woodstock.
NCIS: when they kidnapped a body from the FBI (by bluffing really well) so that they'd have jurisdiction over it.
Farscape: when the episode's teaser ended with "I demand... one of your Pilot's arms!" *dramatic music* - and I was sure the episode was going to be about the moral dilemma of do-we-cut-off-the-Pilot's-arm-or-not-hmm-we-must-think-about-this-deeply-and-moralise... but, two minutes later, they CUT HIS ARM OFF, and the rest of the episode was about something else.
I like many shows. For many reasons. But the thing that makes me grin and love them is when they start surprising me. When I can see the standard tv moment that's about to happen - and then something else happens instead. When a show about gothic, dramatic vampires turns out to be more interested in punk vampires who roll their eyes at the rules. When it's suddenly not what I thought it was, and I suddenly don't know everything.
I love that.
no subject
2) BUT the actor brings a sweetness to thir portrayal that makes you love them despite their outrageous behaviour AND
3) a depth of characterisation that indicates personal angst and pain and history and longing and irony that makes you understand what might cause their behaviour (and to which I usually strongly relate)
4) AND this brilliant characterisation means that the character gradually shapes the show around themselves because the writers enjoy exploring them and giving them growth and stuff
5) PLUS, there's always someone else with whom they have magnificent chemistry and those scenes are the best. It's usually arguments with a bit of flirting thrown in.
Oooh... Fascinating...
(Wesley from AtS would completely fit in with this definition. You have no idea.)
no subject
Jack Sparrow is right up there, too.
And it's why I love Ten and the Master and Ten/Donna, even though I'm not into DW so much (although not quite, because The Dr doesn't sound DREADFUL, exactly).
And I'll be soppy and note that Matt kinda fits this, too. Sorta. :)