Atherton: Half the men in this room wish you were on their arm, tonight. Inara: Only half. I must be losing my indefinable allure.

'Shindig'


The Minearverse 5: Closer to the Earth, Further from the Ax  

[NAFDA] "There will be an occasional happy, so that it might be crushed under the boot of the writer." From Zorro to Angel (including Wonderfalls, The Inside and Drive), this is where Buffistas come to anoint themselves in the bloodbath.


Topic!Cindy - Jan 12, 2007 11:33:32 am PST #3182 of 10001
What is even happening?

So, it's Crimes Against Hairy Gay Men now?
You mean all gay men don't wax? The media has misled me. I feel so...much the same as I did a moment ago.

Some of the characters and stories were on the too dark side for me, for a TV show. In a movie, I'd be fine with it. Why? Not sure off hand.

I know what you mean, Kevin. I'm the same way, maybe because a movie is more finite.

Was it written by John Irving?
Did he write Grisly Addams?


Polter-Cow - Jan 12, 2007 11:35:24 am PST #3183 of 10001
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

What I loved about The Inside was that it was very rarely a whodunit. The show frequently showed us who the Bad Guy was, and the episode was more about understanding the villain and why they did what they did than trying to solve the crime. I think there are other shows that do and have done this, but it's rare among procedurals.


Burrell - Jan 12, 2007 11:38:21 am PST #3184 of 10001
Why did Darth Vader cross the road? To get to the Dark Side!

I'd say that the darkness of The Inside was both the kinds of murders--always serial murder (which is very upsetting already) and always with an extra nasty psychological twist--and the fact that the two main characters were not easy to identify with. In fact, with Coyote's character, we were continually wary of him. So there was no safe place for the viewer.

Now I've not seen that new serial murderer show, Dexter or whatever it's called, so I can't compare them.


Topic!Cindy - Jan 12, 2007 11:39:56 am PST #3185 of 10001
What is even happening?

If shows like L&O-SVU where the victim gets raped and mutilated every episode isn't "too dark" for the average viewer, what is?
I only meant my comments to apply to my own experience. I can't figure out why people do like half the stuff they do.

I watched the SVU pilot. That was enough for me. When L&O-SVU comes up in conversation (in real life), I try to work in Allyson's pet name for it.

But they don't want to explore the inside of dangerous, crazy people.
This is the case with me. If I had the channel that carries Dexter, I wouldn't watch it, even though I now understand some more about the premise of that show (thanks to Polter-Cow), enough to make its appeal somewhat understandable to me, now.


Polter-Cow - Jan 12, 2007 11:41:53 am PST #3186 of 10001
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

Dexter puts the viewer in an even more unsafe place because Dexter is rather likable. But he isn't killing innocent people, so there's that. His narration, however, allows him to connect with the viewer.


tiggy - Jan 12, 2007 11:42:14 am PST #3187 of 10001
I do believe in killing the messenger, you know why? Because it sends a message. ~ Damon Salvatore

Now I've not seen that new serial murderer show, Dexter or whatever it's called, so I can't compare them.

The Inside was sometimes hard to watch, but it wasn't unwatchable to me. Dexter makes me physically uncomfortable. i've tried watching two different eps and it just really squicks me.


Polter-Cow - Jan 12, 2007 11:44:31 am PST #3188 of 10001
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

Dexter makes me physically uncomfortable.

I did get the shudders at the end of the pilot.


Kevin - Jan 12, 2007 11:49:07 am PST #3189 of 10001
Never fall in love with somebody you actually love.

I *love* Dexter, maybe even the character -- which, yes, does worry me. Many of the characters in that are lovable in their own way. Personally, the only thing which really creeps me out about it is the title sequence. Which isn't graphic at all. But it still creeps me the fuck out.

To me, many of the qualities of The Inside -- the fact it was different to what people expect from shows of that nature, the characters are different, more layered and explored, the fact the characters were often front and center of the story instead of being purely exposition chess pieces (CSI! CSI!) most of the time -- those are the things which, in my mind, may have effected ratings. I may be wrong about that. I also think that applies to Firefly.

In a way, my world view is sad. I don't want to think many viewers are thick and fed the same shit on TV everyday, lapping it up -- but in some respects, I do.


aurelia - Jan 12, 2007 11:49:46 am PST #3190 of 10001
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.

I just have a higher tolerance for dark. Things like Saw, for example? Over the bar, for me.

Me too, Zenkitty.

I've been told I'd love Dexter.

I just ran across this Tim quote:

There's something nice about being able to go from a hard drinking space western to a hard drinking whimsical comedy to a hard drinking abyss peering noir.

So drive will be a hard drinking fill-in-the-blank?


Topic!Cindy - Jan 12, 2007 11:51:21 am PST #3191 of 10001
What is even happening?

Drunk driver?