(no subject)

[ebonlock]

You know it's really not fair that The Dresden Files just got interesting like midway through the season 'cause now I'm almost feeling reinvested in it. Yeah it's still ridiculously obvious how each episode is going to turn out about five minutes into it, but at least they're starting to get a little more coherent with the world, the characters in it and the rules of magic.

The problem is that it's so far off book that when the episode leaves huge holes that a little more fleshing out would have filled neatly I can't turn to the novels to fill them. What I need is some well written fanfic to round out each episode and give me the development I need to actually enjoy the show fully. I'd also like them to be a little less clumsy with the characters, in last night's ep you go from 12 year old Harry to 35 year old Harry in the span of a couple of flashback cuts and the audience isn't supposed to even blink. It was utterly jarring. And they had a beautiful opportunity to really flesh out the Bob character and they just chose not to. I can see why, I mean you've only got an hour and the main character is Harry. Fair enough, but there are deft ways to weave in a secondary character's development without taking away from the lead's face time. Sadly, "deft" doesn't seem like something this bunch of writers excells at.

I think I keep watching it (when I remember to) because I want it to succeed...because there is potential there. And because dammit I love Terrance Mann, and dude they hired the guy who used to play Jeffrey Spender on last week's ep and that just made me profoundly happy.

Comments

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Sadly, "deft" doesn't seem like something this bunch of writers excels at.

I find this comment...interesting, given that IMDB so far is only crediting two writers: both of whom came out of ST:DS9. (Hans Beimler and Robert Hewitt Wolfe)

Given their previous work, I'm more inclined to believe it's just first season start-upitis.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Yeah but the two shows are pretty profoundly different. I mean writing for Trek gives writers an established universe, they can short-hand a helluva lot because the viewers can fill in the blanks themselves. Also DS9 in particular was an ensemble show with an incredibly strong cast. Dresden is pretty much the exact opposite. So the writers might have flourished within one environment but are now helplessly being dragged along by the current in another.

[esmerel.livejournal.com]

Bob isn't even hugely fleshed out in most of the books. There are big dribs and drabs here and there, but there's giant gaps in 'what made Bob, Bob' =)

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Fair enough, but again if you're going to do an episode that is at least hyped as Bob-centric and then you do something monumental to the character (not sure if you've seen it yet and don't want to spoil it), then decide not to allow said character to react to it because you've got too much else going on...Well I'm going to be a bit disappointed.

The thing is the show's changed him sufficiently from the books such that I need them to develop him more. He's a spirit in the novels, something that's never been human but is fascinated by them. I can handle that being the sum total of the character and that he ends up usually just being a plot device. But on the show he's the ghost of a once mighty wizard who was apparently madly in love with a sorceress named Winnifred, brought her back to life, and was cursed to spend eternity in his own skull. The story potential there is incredible, I not only want to know more, I demand to.

Maybe I've just been an editor too long but I spend most of the time watching the show thinking, "Jeez, if you'd just cut out this pointless sequence and added in a little more time for character development you'd have a fine little show here." It's so close to being good that the wasted potential is frustrating as hell.

[ebongreen.livejournal.com]

Sounds like one of my objections to Heroes last fall - too many characters with too little time. Of course, I had many many more objections to that show than I do to DF, which I'm enjoying. One of the reasons I'm enjoying it is that I haven't read any of the books, so it's all pretty fresh to me. :-)

As much as I like the show, I'm not that fond of Valerie Cruz, the actress playing Murphy. I realize it may be part of the character, but she's ... not showing much range in affect. Though there is some nice chemistry with Paul, she's kinda boring to watch. I had much more fun watching Claudia Black a week ago - of course, Claudia is nice (5'9"!) eye candy too. ;-)

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I totally agree about Cruz who, again, might be an interesting character if we ever got to see more of her than this mildly annoyed expression and hints at a life outside her police work. I think the blame falls evenly between the writers not having a clue what to do with her and the actress simply not being that good.