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quarter_to_fiveI always wonder how aware writers are of the tropes they're using, particularly the narrative/emotional/sympathy/etc aspect. Like, do you write that long coat wearing hero because that's how that gestated in your head and it just happens to fall on the cool square that a lot of us share? (Besides, if what was in your head wasn't shared by others in the same way, well, you might still be a writer but you probably won't have much of audience. Or you could be Terry Goodkind. Nevermind.) Or are you actively aware of it - yes, long coats are cool, this is a cultural norm, let me write a long coat here where I need the story to evoke coolness?
I kind of assume it's a mix of both, to some extent, but the one thing I don't expect is for someone - a character - to just come out and admit to what's going on, having a character identify with the audience this way. Whedon has quite a bit of this ("Do you always open both doors when you come into a room?") but it's usually more light hearted, with character insight on the side. Laura just goes, well, yes, of course I want to see you vulnerable. It's weirdly exhilarating, almost transgressive. Good god, are you allowed to just say that? On television?
Anyway, it's a wonderful conceit, an amnesiac with a secret identity. I'm surprised they didn't milk it further. And again theres that insight of how artificial "Remington Steele" is, in terms of always being a creation to some extent, all the layers of him, and pandering to Steele's vanity and sense-of-narrative of himself ("Such an exciting life! So young!"). Which ties into the movie obsession (is this the first time that gets a bit of biographical grounding?) and how everything is a story and an act anyway. Oh, show, you really don't have to be this smart - you could have gotten away with sheep and chase scenes ("What oil barrels?") and comedy and been fine, but no, you have layers. I love you so.
Theres also something half formed about class here again, the decidedly shabby Flannigan (who was, alright, a little broadly drawn, but darn if he wasn't witty) and the cinema and the other ties to the Secret-Past-of-Steele, vs the very distinctly upper class trappings of the mystery part of the episode, with the horse races and the nobs. And she was a great villain, and yet another person shameless carrying off a chynical, calculated performance of gender. (Also with Ireland itself as the setting and Steele's home? Theres a half-running gag about how backward the place is, but it never quite takes off. It almost feels like a couple jokes were edited out at some point. Ireland's GDP (per capita) was only about at third of the USA's in 1985 - it's about even today.)
And Laura. Laura is awesome. She gets to be snarky and brilliant and decisive and sensitive and she never bats an eyelash. And she doesn't even wear anything hideous this time.
I kind of assume it's a mix of both, to some extent, but the one thing I don't expect is for someone - a character - to just come out and admit to what's going on, having a character identify with the audience this way. Whedon has quite a bit of this ("Do you always open both doors when you come into a room?") but it's usually more light hearted, with character insight on the side. Laura just goes, well, yes, of course I want to see you vulnerable. It's weirdly exhilarating, almost transgressive. Good god, are you allowed to just say that? On television?
Anyway, it's a wonderful conceit, an amnesiac with a secret identity. I'm surprised they didn't milk it further. And again theres that insight of how artificial "Remington Steele" is, in terms of always being a creation to some extent, all the layers of him, and pandering to Steele's vanity and sense-of-narrative of himself ("Such an exciting life! So young!"). Which ties into the movie obsession (is this the first time that gets a bit of biographical grounding?) and how everything is a story and an act anyway. Oh, show, you really don't have to be this smart - you could have gotten away with sheep and chase scenes ("What oil barrels?") and comedy and been fine, but no, you have layers. I love you so.
Theres also something half formed about class here again, the decidedly shabby Flannigan (who was, alright, a little broadly drawn, but darn if he wasn't witty) and the cinema and the other ties to the Secret-Past-of-Steele, vs the very distinctly upper class trappings of the mystery part of the episode, with the horse races and the nobs. And she was a great villain, and yet another person shameless carrying off a chynical, calculated performance of gender. (Also with Ireland itself as the setting and Steele's home? Theres a half-running gag about how backward the place is, but it never quite takes off. It almost feels like a couple jokes were edited out at some point. Ireland's GDP (per capita) was only about at third of the USA's in 1985 - it's about even today.)
And Laura. Laura is awesome. She gets to be snarky and brilliant and decisive and sensitive and she never bats an eyelash. And she doesn't even wear anything hideous this time.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 11:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 10:08 am (UTC)I honestly don't think i've ever seen Brosnan in anything before (I never watched James Bond) but now I actually want to. I think he's really interesting here. Acting is a total black box to me, but even I can tell he's doing *something something* here, because this character could so easily be insufferable and yet he isn't.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 10:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 11:49 am (UTC)