![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoopbeckYou know, one of my greatest problems with TV shows is how predictable they can be. Agatha Christie's Miss Marple said that there were only a limited number of people in the world-- she'd demonstrate this by saying how much the butler reminded her of little Tommy Parker, and when it's revealed that the butler poisoned his master, she'd let you know that Tommy poisoned his sister. *GASP* Miss Marple! She's done it again!
Plotlines are the same way. It's pretty hard to be wowed by what I watch and read, because it's just so obvious. One of the reasons I watch Lost is because it's one of the few shows that's managed to throw me for a loop or two. I've gotten a good few of the main plot points before they're revealed [Locke's legs, Jack's dad, Kate's actions in the last episode] but every once in a while it shakes me up enough [the whole "Sawyer" thing! Charlie!] to leave me reeling.
And then there's the overall part of TV that I just can't stand. You can't find shows that are good in every single way. The filming's great on one show, but the dialogue is horrific; this show has a great cast but only three characters get any real screen time; there's a crappy cast but their sets are to die for... It's rare to find a show that isn't seriously lacking in some area.
STARGATE PLUG FOLLOWS--- BE FOREWARNED!
Last night, during my attempt to get through seasons five, six, and seven before eight starts back up, I finally got to "Meridian."
Wow. I'm not the kind of person who really cries during a movie [well, there was "Of Mice And Men," but I cried when I read the book, too] or tv show. It's just not me. But last night, I watched the Stargate SG-1 episode "Meridian." I had to fight so freaking hard not to sob all over my keyboard. After I had watched it, I sat at my desk, staring blankly into space. Why did it effect me so? I knew what was going to happen. I know that things happen later to make it better. And yet I still wanted to sob and cry and rant. Why? I have an answer. It's the show.
Rarely in film or tv does a production hit all the right elements. Some movies have it [Casablanca and Wizard of Oz, to name a few], the rare television show has it... and SG-1 DEFINITELY has it. This episode just served to amplify that fact. They knew just how much was too much and how much was enough. Case in point-- radiation poisoning. [Gah. I had some strange phobias as a child--one of which was dying from radiation poisoning. Phobia city, last night, I tell you what.] Just enough was shown to horrify [gah-- Janet wrapping his arms, I shall see that in my dreams I kid you not], not enough to be gore and blood for the sake of gore and blood. Or the camera angles. Not an episode goes by where I do not marvel at a spectacular shot or an amazing pan or how they got the colors just right in a particular scene. Or the incredible acting by all members of the cast. Or the music... oh, the music. Or the dialogue that, in this ep, made me scramble for a precautionary tissue. And then laugh ten seconds later. And then scramble again. I swear, I haven't been this moved by something I watched since Bambi's mother got the bullet.
So, thank you, Stargate SG-1. Thank you for being such an amazingly good show. My computer would thank you as well, but I'm still cleaning tears out of the keys.
Plotlines are the same way. It's pretty hard to be wowed by what I watch and read, because it's just so obvious. One of the reasons I watch Lost is because it's one of the few shows that's managed to throw me for a loop or two. I've gotten a good few of the main plot points before they're revealed [Locke's legs, Jack's dad, Kate's actions in the last episode] but every once in a while it shakes me up enough [the whole "Sawyer" thing! Charlie!] to leave me reeling.
And then there's the overall part of TV that I just can't stand. You can't find shows that are good in every single way. The filming's great on one show, but the dialogue is horrific; this show has a great cast but only three characters get any real screen time; there's a crappy cast but their sets are to die for... It's rare to find a show that isn't seriously lacking in some area.
STARGATE PLUG FOLLOWS--- BE FOREWARNED!
Last night, during my attempt to get through seasons five, six, and seven before eight starts back up, I finally got to "Meridian."
Wow. I'm not the kind of person who really cries during a movie [well, there was "Of Mice And Men," but I cried when I read the book, too] or tv show. It's just not me. But last night, I watched the Stargate SG-1 episode "Meridian." I had to fight so freaking hard not to sob all over my keyboard. After I had watched it, I sat at my desk, staring blankly into space. Why did it effect me so? I knew what was going to happen. I know that things happen later to make it better. And yet I still wanted to sob and cry and rant. Why? I have an answer. It's the show.
Rarely in film or tv does a production hit all the right elements. Some movies have it [Casablanca and Wizard of Oz, to name a few], the rare television show has it... and SG-1 DEFINITELY has it. This episode just served to amplify that fact. They knew just how much was too much and how much was enough. Case in point-- radiation poisoning. [Gah. I had some strange phobias as a child--one of which was dying from radiation poisoning. Phobia city, last night, I tell you what.] Just enough was shown to horrify [gah-- Janet wrapping his arms, I shall see that in my dreams I kid you not], not enough to be gore and blood for the sake of gore and blood. Or the camera angles. Not an episode goes by where I do not marvel at a spectacular shot or an amazing pan or how they got the colors just right in a particular scene. Or the incredible acting by all members of the cast. Or the music... oh, the music. Or the dialogue that, in this ep, made me scramble for a precautionary tissue. And then laugh ten seconds later. And then scramble again. I swear, I haven't been this moved by something I watched since Bambi's mother got the bullet.
So, thank you, Stargate SG-1. Thank you for being such an amazingly good show. My computer would thank you as well, but I'm still cleaning tears out of the keys.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-01-11 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-11 10:40 pm (UTC)*clings*
no subject
Date: 2005-01-11 11:28 pm (UTC)I still can't believe how everyone cries about this one but me. I feel so bad. I love Daniel. Really, I do. Yet I didn't cry.
Do you by any chance know Carnivale. I think it runs on HBO. It just started it's second Season I think on Sunday. It has brilliant actors, very interesting characters and the plot isn't that predictable either. Though it starts to get a little. But maybe I'm wrong.
It also has good directing and very beautiful landscape shots. /end of commerical
no subject
Date: 2005-01-12 06:41 am (UTC)And ooh! No, I haven't heard of Carnivale. HBO? I shall look into it!
*ogles icon* *sniffle*
*looks up Carnival*
no subject
Date: 2005-01-13 09:14 pm (UTC)::G::
Leah
no subject
Date: 2005-01-13 09:58 pm (UTC)