To stear this away from political drivel: I can't wait to se how long it will take before Paul gets the Wesley-manuvere. Sure, he's "broken" like all of them, but he's the nicest.

Okay, now that you mention it, I do seem to recall that Pamie hated WF.

I didn't so much mind her hating it—I never showed an episode to my mom because she would loathe it with a burning hatred matched only by that she feels for Mary Poppins—it was that Pamie's recaps read like commentary for the blind in Ben Stein's voice. Even when Strega and Demian hate shows, they tend to bust on them entertainingly rather than opting for the "misery loves company" approach of trying to bore their readers to death.

But WF wasn't universally hated by TwoP posters. The only hard numbers I can quote are from the cancellation reaction poll, where 17% of 3158 respondents chose "Bummer." and 63% chose "Nooooooo!"

I am just putting together screen caps (only 4, don't batter me copyright people) and I've noticed something interesting frame by frame skipping bits of the episode. Ice cream man, amongst other things, has single frame inserts.

ETA: Example: [link]

I've always thought that the problem with TWoP was the obvious bitterness of many of it's recappers. I got the impression that so many of them really wanted to be writing TV, but they weren't, so they decided to bash the hell out of it instead.

I stayed home sick and had a Niagara-fest. I realized part-way through tho, that I hated the purported best friend and got the vague feeling the cast and crew weren't crazy about her either.

Perhaps you had a higher fever than you realized. Seriously, though, I thought Mahandra was a great character ("That is not the Janet I want to be" is one of my favorite lines) and that Tracie Thoms did a super job. I don't remember the documentary, but everyone had good things to say about her in the commentaries. She & Lee Pace went to acting school together or something like that. She was a last-minute hire; maybe that accounts for her relative absence in the doc.

"Gore is a magnificent bastard" is my suggestion.

Gore, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!

I've never known two people to agree on exactly what the dividing line is on recaps. I know not to read the recaps of shows I honestly like, because I spend the whole time going, "No! But you missed the... that's not the... dude, that was a joke! You're missing the whole point!" On the other hand, reading, say, the ER recaps was often a non-stop laughfest for me. And I don't think it's the recapper (although I'll grant that there are some I liked better than others) -- it's the show and how I feel about it that determines whether I think the recap is funny or bitter and missing the point.

Which I'm sure has been said fifteen hundred times by other people. But my rule of thumb is, if I like the show I should stay the hell away from the recap.

Well, that and MBTV is a better acronym than TWOP, dammit! Those are my two rules of thumb. Rule of thumbs. That, and always dress in layers. Three! Three rules of...

Well, that and MBTV is a better acronym than TWOP, dammit!

Heh. I disagree. I like TWoP cause it makes a word. TWoP TWoP TWoP! Rhymes with "hop."

On the other hand, reading, say, the ER recaps was often a non-stop laughfest for me.

I started reading the Alias recaps recently and thought they were flipping hilarious.

I got the impression that so many of them really wanted to be writing TV, but they weren't, so they decided to bash the hell out of it instead.

Eh. I don't know that my career aspirations really influenced my FF columns. Though I'm pretty sure I got accused of that one, too. But I just didn't like the show. It happens.

ETA: Not that I ever wrote for TWOP.

I like what I've read of the Veronica Mars recaps at TwoP, because they seem to be affection with snark, a la Boils and Blinding Torment (which all of this talk of TwoP drove me to visit, and I'm so glad. Gotta love Boils and Blinding Torment.). I was hoping to see The Inside recaps. Then, if I didn't like them, I wouldn't read them anymore, but if I did, they might be fun.

Kristen, I think, and maybe this is only how my mind works and no one else's, that the knowledge of your level of interest in one or some of the people actually working on Firefly (Tim leaps to mind) would suggest that any criticism you had was based on the show itself and not at all on frustrated aspirations to screenwriterdom. What I mean is, because I know you supported at least one member of that show's production team, I can't imagine you would say mean things about it just to be saying mean things (which is what I think especially bitter-sounding recaps are). So if you said anything that seemed to be not-praise, it was based firmly in your genuine sentiments about the show, rather than any resentment of the people involved in making it.

But I have been known to have crackpot ideas, and to assume everyone thinks the same way as I do.

On a more Inside-y note... did anyone else think it is nice to know that Paul is not setting himself up as Rebecca's defender because he wants to get in her pants? I mean, with the baby thing. I suppose he could still want to get in her pants but that would be totally inconsistent with everything we've seen about his character, if he actually pursued it. I myself was relieved. I like it when a show is UST-free.

Oh yeah! You're right. I didn't think about that fact.

I like it when a show is UST-free.

I don't know. Danny and Mel could get it on at any time.