tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post5229088817922950263..comments2024-01-29T01:32:16.780-07:00Comments on 704 Houser Street: Sci-Fi or Soap? Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-62427314157942876422016-02-24T15:37:26.249-07:002016-02-24T15:37:26.249-07:00They only made six new X-Files episodes; the final...They only made six new X-Files episodes; the final one aired Monday, though I haven't had the time to watch it yet. I wasn't exactly impressed with them, and they completely changed one of the major plotlines. Disappointed, I guess is the best way to describe my reaction.WaterBoynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-59327439334092703172016-02-24T15:32:52.673-07:002016-02-24T15:32:52.673-07:00The case of Stargate SG-1 also brings up another a...The case of <i>Stargate SG-1</i> also brings up another aspect of the degradation of SF: the forced introduction of women <i>qua</i> women. The original <i>Stargate</i> movie did not have the Carter character in it at all -- she was added to the television series as a way to draw in female viewers. Not saying it was a bad choice, necessarily...just that it significantly changed the flavor of the original movie.WaterBoynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-40174645301553232372016-02-24T15:26:58.770-07:002016-02-24T15:26:58.770-07:00Both shows had 10 seasons. I guess X-files is sta...Both shows had 10 seasons. I guess X-files is starting to produce more shows, but I haven't seen them.<br /><br />You're right X-Files should be thought of as Sci-Fi and not just fiction or mystery. <br /><br />SG1 incorporated the relationship thing between Carter and O'Neil over a period of years. It was never made into a romance, just tension. Which is appropriate for a subplot. Res Ipsahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16433725505878267643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-81094384980836921112016-02-24T15:19:15.994-07:002016-02-24T15:19:15.994-07:00"Take SG1. It's probably the single most ...<b>"<i>Take SG1. It's probably the single most successful Sci-Fi franchise in recent memory. I'm not counting the X-files, since it was more paranormal drama.</i>"</b><br /><br />Didn't really get into the SG franchise past the first season, so I don't know what kind of relationship O'Niell and Carter developed. It would surprise me if it developed into anything beyond platonic friendship, though, given the nature of their military command structure. Anything like that develops in the open, and one or the other is gone.<br /><br />Also, <i>X-Files</i> was on Fox, so it doesn't count as a success for SyFy, anyway. But it does fall under SF; even though it incorporated the paranormal, it was founded on the idea of extraterrestrials and alien abductions, as with Mulder's sister.WaterBoynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-26974539774375875322016-02-24T15:16:56.059-07:002016-02-24T15:16:56.059-07:00At least Harry Potter was 12 years old. This guy ...At least Harry Potter was 12 years old. This guy is supposed to be Ivy League grad school material. He acts like he should be riding the short bus to school.Res Ipsahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16433725505878267643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-15328735456621145102016-02-24T15:05:40.518-07:002016-02-24T15:05:40.518-07:00" think the character of Quentin just rubs me...<b>"<i> think the character of Quentin just rubs me wrong too. There is something about the guy that makes me want to punch him. The main protagonist in a show shouldn't be a complete puss.</i>"</b><br /><br />Yes, that's it exactly. IIRC, Harry Potter started out the same way as a meek milquetoast who eventually grew into somewhat of a man. I hope Quentin grows into one, too...because if he stays this way I won't be watching it for much longer.<br /><br />And BTW...he checked <i>himself</i> into the mental hospital. Not exactly all there, either.WaterBoynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-33908091264508160882016-02-24T14:57:55.486-07:002016-02-24T14:57:55.486-07:00age and/or wisdom has opened your eyes
That's...<b>age and/or wisdom has opened your eyes</b><br /><br />That's a good point. The fact that most of those older story lines had the romance as subplot rather than the main theme is probably part of it too.<br /><br />Take SG1. It's probably the single most successful Sci-Fi franchise in recent memory. I'm not counting the X-files, since it was more paranormal drama. Carter and O'Neil was a plot theme, so was Daniel and Vala. Even though that show had those relationship subplots, the main story lines were exploring other worlds, fighting the bad guys, and doing cool sci-fi stuff. Sure Carter was geeky cute. The focus of the character was her brains more than her boobs.<br /><br />Soaps set in space, or pretend schools of magic aren't as interesting as stories where the theme is intricately related to the setting.<br /><br />I think the character of Quentin just rubs me wrong too. There is something about the guy that makes me want to punch him. The main protagonist in a show shouldn't be a complete puss. Res Ipsahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16433725505878267643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-38524330280483509352016-02-24T14:21:49.739-07:002016-02-24T14:21:49.739-07:00Res Ipsa: "I'm seeing one long continuing...<b>Res Ipsa: "<i>I'm seeing one long continuing theme in these programs, in a word, "relationships".</i>"</b><br /><br />It's inevitable, for various reasons:<br /><br />1. SF is no longer a "Men Only" domain, and hasn't been for a long time. The relationship plotlines are mostly for the women...although some are for the indulgence of male fantasies, too. Take Mulder and Scully from <i>X-Files</i>, for example. They ended up shacking up apparently as much for male fannish wish fulfillment (which I really don't get; I never thought Scully was all that attractive) as for trying to pick up the female demographic.<br /><br />2. As noted above, transitive male ego wish fulfillment. This usually results in more sex than relationships, but make it both as with <i>The Magicians</i> and kill two birds with one stone.<br /><br />3. Dried-up storylines. When the Science really has nowhere else to go, the soap opera plotlines start popping up more frequently. Granted, that started right from the get-go with <i>The Magicians</i>, but that's because they were angling for the female fans from the start. Take something more hard-core like <i>The Expanse</i>, and you're going to start seeing more love story lines appearing there, too...and they've already had a few incidents pop up in the first season already.<br /><br />And it's not just a problem with SyFy, either; the series <i>Grimm</i> on NBC also plays the relationships angle, for one. And it's endemic in practically every single super-hero movie out there, from Batman to Spiderman to Iron Man to Green Lantern, <i>ad nauseum</i>.<br /><br />Now, all that being said...SyFy seems to have more of a problem with this specifically than the SF genre in general. Every SyFy series I've seen over the past couple of years like <i>Helix</i>, <i>The Strain</i>, <i>12 Monkeys</i>, <i>Dominion</i>, <i>The Magicians</i>, and so on, all have relationship storylines with more focus than the actual SF parts, for all the reasons stated.<br /><br /><b>"<i>Yeah I know, there was always speculation if Captain Kirk was going to bang the green alien. Somehow they still managed to fly the Enterprise around the galaxy and do space stuff.</i>"</b><br /><br /><i>Star Trek</i> was not immune to the relationship plotline, either. Kirk and Uhura shared that whole inter-racial kiss thing, while Spock was the target of Nurse Chapel's unrequited love throughout the series. Even Khan got into the act by seducing Lt McGivers, allowing him to learn how to take over the Enterprise.<br /> <br />And come on, <i>Star Wars</i> had the whole Luke-Leia-Han love triangle running throughout the entire first three movies; how much more "relationship" can you get? And that's not even counting the Anakin Skywalker/Padmé Amidala love story from the prequels as a major plotline.<br /><br />I wonder if age and/or wisdom has opened your eyes more to it now than your childhood innocence was capable of detecting back then. The fact that it's much more graphic and in-your-face now than before doesn't mean it wasn't there.WaterBoynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-45068187703153378852016-02-24T13:51:58.871-07:002016-02-24T13:51:58.871-07:00You've obviously put some thought into this.
...You've obviously put some thought into this.<br /><br />:)Res Ipsahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16433725505878267643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22583491.post-80288702105488771062016-02-24T09:46:06.085-07:002016-02-24T09:46:06.085-07:00Captain Kirk ALWAYS did the attractive aliens. Wh...Captain Kirk ALWAYS did the attractive aliens. Why do you think he swaggered and smirked like he did? <br /> It is just that it always happened off camera, due to the era the show was being televised in.<br /><br />He also had his "yeoman" to play with, who just happened to always be attractive women.<br /><br />Scotty and McCoy were the ones who weren't gettin' any.Susannoreply@blogger.com