Having grown up within 50 miles of Sleepy Hollow, NY -- the only 'ranches' you find are ranch houses.

There was also an exceedingly wrong landscape shown in there somewhere.

(Of course, I also complained when in the Daniel Day-Lewis Last of the Mohicans they were scrambling through the forests of the Carolinas with their different plants and trees, not the ones you'd find in Connecticut, so I'm... picky.)

There was also an exceedingly wrong landscape shown in there somewhere.

YES, wow, that aerial bugged me so much. I don't know where it was, but it wasn't anywhere in the tri-state area.

The ethnic person you find is the ethnic person you need.

But surely EVERYONE with even a smidgeon of Native American heritage has a secret sweatlodge full of dream-tea and scorpions, just in case some non-Natives need to battle a dream spirit that you definitely still believe in? What's so offensive/implausible about that?

Ah well, it's not like Buffy did much better. And I could listen to Tom Mison babble anachronistically all day.

(unless they are super alien mice)

Hail!

The Middleman - The Crowd-Funded Franchise Resurrection.

Those were not teepees, they were tents.

I am referring to the word teepee that was used more than once in the episode. Also they had these [link] in the flashback scenes, but if you say they aren't teepees, I take your word for it. QI told me those structures were west too.

How did a woman who didn't believe in the supernatural two weeks ago know, without research or pausing to think about it, that the guy selling cars with a carefully maintained slick persona and a history of destroying the environment also had sleep tea and magic scorpions in back of his...his whatever?

it's not like Buffy did much better

No, Buffy was pretty bad at it. But at least they were doing a story that focussed on white people's reactions to events, which bothered me less. I did think of Wonderfalls, though, during this ep.

(Of course, I also complained when in the Daniel Day-Lewis Last of the Mohicans they were scrambling through the forests of the Carolinas with their different plants and trees, not the ones you'd find in Connecticut, so I'm... picky.)

I took my aged surrogate dad to see Last of the Mohicans thinking he would love it. He was an inveterate camper and scientist. He hated it and kept shouting things like "No long guns in the woods you idiots!"

He grumbled endlessly about the wrong landscape as well.

I'm amazed when people know stuff like that. I'm obviously the target, simple-minded audience who spends all my time focusing on the people.

Speaking of that, while I get, and am edified, by the argument about the offensive tropes mentioned here...does _any_ tv do it better?

If fictional characters don't stumble across the right people with the absurd props, how does the story advance?

The Middleman - The Crowd-Funded Franchise Resurrection.

I didn't realize it was going up so early! Thanks! I just bought the Ultimate Fan Appearance because why not have an Indian Homeland Security Agent in a comic book right.

If fictional characters don't stumble across the right people with the absurd props, how does the story advance?

Since what's offending me most right now is that the first ethnic person you find is the right ethnic person you need (implying we're all mystical and interchangeable), that's pretty easy to fix.

If you call what the Native Americans in the area lived in by the right names, you've gone another way to clearing up my irritation. Filming where you're filming is a long-time issue--what can you do about that? But if the Iroquois don't live in teepees (or tipis) then just do them the respect of putting them in the right structures!

That's not that complicated. It's not like the first white person you stumble across usually has the answer to your problem--either you research, or you investigate multiple white people. Why does that change when the culture changes?

Fair point.

I guess I am so lulled by the omnipotence of so many characters, I just expect...and not in a good way...that the 'oh of course you know everything the hero needs instantly' moment is inevitable.

Though this does bring me to a prompt for research that I really shouldn't indulge in right now...how often are the all-knowing, super-useful characters actually women?

Hm.

The issue of inadequate research has become so aggravating that I came to a point long ago where I expect everything to be wrong, on some level, all the time. I am not proud of that giving up.

the 'oh of course you know everything the hero needs instantly' moment is inevitable

But dead end interviews (with non-ethnic types) and research sessions are staples of the genre. However, if you nip into the nearest sushi restaurant, you can find a waiter to bless your sword for the spirit you need to defeat.