A multitude of fandom thoughts, pt. 2

[snowystingray]

- I can't decide which one I love more, this Hornblower/Bush vid to "I Touch Myself" or this Sam/Gene vid that inspired it. Oh, internets, DON'T EVER CHANGE.

- There is quite a good deal of win to be found over at trek_crack, but the intro post especially is not to be missed. Unsurprisingly, the Spock/McCoy bits are my favourite (ohhh man, Bones' little 'yay medicine/boo engineering' shout bubble? LOVE).

-I've started watching The Prisoner (been meaning to for ages, and now it's all up on AMCTV.com! How convenient!). After one episode I am confused as hell and will probably have nightmares for days, which means that I like it and plan to watch more.

- ETA: I almost forgot! If you haven't already joined in years past, you should all go check out the lost_bookclub; how else are we to occupy the long, lonely Wednesday nights between now and February? Also, I'm leading the Philip K. Dick month so, y'know. Be there or be square and all that.

And now for the Robin Hood portion of our evening:

- ARMITAGE -- GOOD LORD -- THAT MAN SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. The show has been off for all of... three days, and already I miss having him in my weekly schedule.

- I think I may have unraveled a portion of my deep and abiding love for all things related to the Gisbornes (aside from the obvious bits where they are smouldering and lovely and act circles around the material they're given): namely, brother and sister both are so stuck in the 80s and totally should have ended the series by starting their own heavy metal/hair band.



Don't lie. You know you want it. I am actually contemplating a "Gizzy is Stuck in the 80s" playlist, but I don't know if I'll ever get around to it. Plus, man would it be hard to narrow that down. Maybe it'd be better to just hand out an instruction manual. 1. Put on Aerosmith/Van Halen/Def Leppard/Billy Idol/whatev. 2. Mope about until your simmering woobiness comes to a boil. 3. Angst to death.

- My great Robin Hood Rewatch continues! This is making up for the fact that I never posted about these episodes when I saw them for the first time:

1.06 - All of the "sparring" between Vaysey and the abbess is just an unparalleled delight to watch, hee! And once again with Gisborne being surprisingly religious -- I think this is swiftly becoming my new show-related obsession and some day I will have to do a proper write-up of my feelings on that. For now I find it interesting that on the one hand he can be so solemn and venerative in his attitude toward most church practices, and yet so completely derisive of Marian going to a convent. I suppose here it's more kneejerk anger, whereas in 2.08 it's more outright mocking (although I have to admit that I always join him on that when I watch the episode. Marian: "Okay, well, now that we're done having a jaw-droppingly hot make-out session, I think I'll just pop back into the convent." Guy: "Ummm, I don't think that's how nuns work. ...Have you been talking to Allan?"). Essentially, Guy is such an odd inconsistent bumbling idiot when it comes to omg pretty girl!!! Yeah, like that's news, but still. I know Armitage said of the first series that he wanted to make people's skin crawl during the Guy/Marian scenes, but mostly in this episode they just make me laugh at Guy's expense for being a GIANT AWKWARD CREEPER.

1.07 - Aaaand so Guy's wooing dumbness continues. "Curses! I need to get Marian another present but I didn't have time to go to the store. Well, this one looks nice; pity somebody else is already wearing it. ... Wait, who am I kidding, I'm mothereffing Guy of Gisborne and I'll take what I please and shoot sexy glances at passerbys as I do it." For the most part, though, this episode is far less about the awkward and far more about the epic angst and twisted attraction and betrayal potential and, oh dear, is this not what sold me on Guy/Marian from the start (because, yes, this was indeed the first episode of the show I ever saw)? Far more than my purely shallow thoughts along the lines of "oh dear they are so terribly attractive and to hell with the storyline let's just have the Richard & Lucy hour of hotness all the time," I was just so blown away by how well they feed off of each other as actors, how Marian's utter distaste for Guy begins to be eclipsed by her need to use him, how Guy's foundations are crumbled and rebuilt and crumbled again every time he encounters Marian anew. It's such a watershed moment for the two of them, when suddenly their relationship shifts from that of a relatively pedestrian match dictated by gender roles and societal conventions to that of a charged, inextricable political and ethical entanglement. The full gamut of emotions that the two of them run through in the proposal -- well, it's just as impressive to me now as it was during that fateful first viewing two years ago, when by the power of their sheer awesome they conspired to TRAP ME FOREVER AUGH (the "Feel it, it is real" line SLAYS ME EVERY TIME). And, shockingly enough, the bits of the episode that don't have to do with Guy/Marian are still interesting, too! Ah, yes, the good old days when the gang actually had relevant plots. The Allan/Djaq! And Will/Allan! And in fact just general Allan-ness of it all! Also, once more the Sheriff is so hugely badass here. How could I have missed the fact that he gives Guy an ass slap??! And then when he's busy goading Guy into taking his revenge on Marian -- yeesh. (Possible but doubtful significance to the fact that Vaysey refers to Marian as a "leper," given Guy's family history? I still sincerely doubt that the writers had any of that backstory in mind at this point in time, but at the very least it is one of those happy accidents of show canon.) I love how Keith Allen can be so alternately thrilling and chilling, especially during the hanging.

- In conclusion, can you tell that I'm still unemployed? Geez. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with one of the ladies I used to work for over the past few summers, so we'll see if anything comes of that (except of course all of that was "unpaid non-profit community enrichment" and now I NEED MONEY, PEOPLE).

Comments

[ridiculii.livejournal.com]

THE PRISONER IS THE GREATEST SHOW EVAR.

...That's all.

[snowystingray.livejournal.com]

Ha, I was hoping you would comment! Right now I'm afraid I don't have any more coherent thoughts beyond "WHAT" and "UHHH... NO, REALLY, WHAT" and "OMGWTFBUBBLE" but I'm really looking forward to watching more. It's kind of weird, though, because even though it strikes me as the most intriguing of all the shows I'm watching at the moment, it's also the one I feel the least need to hurry up and marathon and watch everything right nowwww. I think I'm just having a Lostian reaction to it. I mean, I know there are people out there who would rather wait to watch a new season of Lost once it comes out on DVD so they can see episodes in quick succession and have more instant gratification on mysteries and plot developments, but even though I get grouchy about the wait between new episodes I kind of love it at the same time. For me part of the experience of the show is having the downtime between each hour of wtf-ery to soak it in and let it rattle around my brain and do some silent speculation before finally moving along to the next part. So I suspect that it might take me a while to get through the whole show just because I feel like I need processing time for it, too, but I'll be sure to keep you posted on what I think of it as I watch some more.

[ridiculii.livejournal.com]

I've been interrupted three times writing a response, lol.

Anyway, I was going to say that basically, taking the Prisoner at a slow pace is a good idea. There's only 17 episodes, and it's not a show that's especially arc-y, so there's no real need to hurry it along.

And as a heads up, "Free for All" is my favourite. It really illustrates what is up with the show.

[mneiai.livejournal.com]

ARGH. GUY HAS TO STOP BEING SO HOT.

[snowystingray.livejournal.com]

I KNOW. I MEAN. NOT THAT I WANT HIM TO CHANGE. BUT IF I CAN'T HAVE THAT ON MY TELLY EVERY WEEK THEN IT IS JUST SO GOSH DARNED UNFAAAAIR. IF I HAD A JILLION DOLLARS I HONESTLY THINK I WOULD DIVERT A HEFTY PORTION OF IT INTO CONTRACTING A NEW SHOW FOR RICHARD AND LUCY THAT IS NOTHING BUT THEM DRESSING UP AND LOOKING GORGEOUS AND OCCASIONALLY DRAMATIC-MONOLOGUE-ING AT EACH OTHER AND IT WOULD BE THE BEST SHOW EVER. SERIOUSLY, THOUGH, WATCHING THAT "I AM 'STIRRED' BY GUY" VIDEO IS BASICALLY LIKE WATCHING PORN, AND IT MAKES ME FEEL AWFUL THAT RH IS STILL PRETENDING TO BE A CHILDREN'S SERIES BECAUSE, HONESTLY, DO ANY OF US WATCH IT LIKE THAT??

[mneiai.livejournal.com]

THAT WOULD BE AN AWESOME SHOW

Srsly, do any kids watch it who aren't, like, mature and expecting it to be kinda adult? If it were an American show, it would definitely not be considered a kid show. Teen, maybe.

[yourmomroxxs.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I'll definitely have to check out trek_crack soon :) It looks delightful.

Also, is Robin Hood worth getting into? Once the bar is done, I'll have some free time and need a new show.

[snowystingray.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I always feel guilty babbling about Robin Hood all the time because on the one I hand I would love it if everybody was into the series and could share in one giant joint insanity... but on the other hand it is really truly such an awful show sometimes that I feel like I'd be being a bad friend if I knowingly recommended that other people watch it. XD It does have some great things working for it -- namely:

1. Lucy Griffiths!


2. Richard Armitage!



3. Richard Armitage and Lucy Griffiths!


...in my completely unbiased opinion. ;) And aside from the greatness that is Guy/Marian there are other good bits, too -- the gang gets to have fun wacky cracky exploits, the baddies alternate between delightfully campy and surprisingly empathetic, and there is lots of pretty to be had all around. The bad bit is, well... everything else? I don't know, I've completely lost the ability to objectively judge this show. I think the real turning point was when it suddenly unexpectedly descended into the most SOUL-CRUSHING TRAGEDY IN TELEVISION EXISTENCE somewhere around series two which is not what I anticipated at all for this anachronistic little nugget of action-adventure TV. Ultimately I think I've made my peace with how the show emotionally ruined me, but I'm not sure how much I'd recommend starting in on it now if you don't have any prior investment (that is, I was willing to sit through all of the nonsense of the last series because I was already so hugely entangled with these characters and needed at least a tiny bit of emotional payoff, but I don't know if it's worth getting in the show afresh just for that).

Um. Sorry. That was probably the weirdest pseudo-pimp post ever. Err?? If you do decide to check it out I'd be more than happy to head your thoughts on the show. If you're looking for a fun revisionist costume drama, though, you might want to try out a few episodes of Merlin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPxq3myiQF0), which is generally more consistent and well-written and has an all-around awesome production. It's airing on NBC right now and I think episodes should be up on Hulu for a while (not for long, though, as I think they're only contracted to have five episodes up at a time so they should be circling out the old ones starting this week).

[yourmomroxxs.livejournal.com]

I totally enjoyed the pic spam. I know what you mean too about wanting to get people involved and then feeling guilty (because it's basically delicious bad for you crack ;)).

I also come bearing bad news. I guess they cancelled it (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/02/bbc-axes-robin-hood).

I may check out Merlin too at some point. I had another friend say she enjoyed that.

[snowystingray.livejournal.com]

Yes, I did see the news about it being canceled! I don't know why I should be so bummed out about this because, seriously, given the past few episodes the show was basically over anyway, BUT STILL. Sigh. Somehow, though, the fact that it is officially over actually makes me feel much more comfortable recc'ing it because, uhh, I guess it means you're only in it for a finite amount of headdesking? And much as I will continue to harbor major epic issues with the show til death do us part, I do actually think the series ended on a rather satisfying note, all things considered.

[ladykate63.livejournal.com]

So, I stumbled on this old post while looking at your Guy/Marian entries ...

An awful show? what are you talking about? Embrace your RH fannishness and wear your fan badge with pride! :D Sure, the plots were usually kinda dumb and riddled with holes and some of it was pretty cracky, but so what. The characters were great and emotionally involving (Guy and Marian are my favs but I really love 'em all except Kate), lots of great acting and dialogue, awesome mix of drama and humor ... what's not to like? In the 4 months since I became a fan I've already gotten at least 8 people into it and they love it. I'd recommend it to anyone, except for people who have a stick up their rear end about historical accuracy. :-D (They can go watch the History Channel.)

Aaaanyhow, I love your rewatch reviews!!! Are you going to do more?

[snowystingray.livejournal.com]

See, though, I watch so much bad television that usually for me to call a show 'awful' is kind of a backhanded praised because it means that I also love it dearly. When a show is purely well made, well produced, well acted... well! Sigh. Not gonna lie, I tend to get bored. (Probably the closest I get to watching a straightforward good show is Lost, and even then the plots are so off the wall that it compensates.) Of course the only trouble is that then I start to have difficulties distinguishing when I like aspects of the show because they are actually good, and when I like them because they are terrible but irresistible. Or is it the badness itself that makes it good? At least Robin Hood remained frequently unpredictable and took things to a level I wouldn't always have anticipated (see: my constant see-sawing on the FINALE OF DOOOOOM. I mean, on the whole I still hate it more than anything, but there are things I begrudgingly like about the drama of it all).

I'm surprised that you've gotten other people into the show! That's awesome! Sometimes I try and have my family watch it but they're usually, like, half-heartedly forced to sit on the couch with me and then they wander off after twenty minutes or so. How sad. Either that or I scared everybody off from it when I spent weeks ranting about how horrible 2.13 was. "AUGH GUYS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS WHOLE THING JUST COMPLETELY STABBED MY SOUL AND CUT IT INTO THIRTY TINY PIECES. ...Wanna watch?" ...Clearly my friends are smarter than I give them credit for, haha.

Ack, I did fall off on my rewatch reviews, didn't I? I blame that on capslock_hood (oh, whatever, EVERYTHING is their fault) -- I started rewatching on my own but then joined Capslocklsey just as they were kicking off with Saturday capschats so I ended up venting the rest of my thoughts during chats instead of in my own journal. I'm sure I'll probably blab about the show more in future, but it may or may not be in such an organized (if you call this organized, that is!) fashion. Also, true story, it is kind of impossible for me to fully rewatch 1.10 and 1.11, remember what those episodes were about, or distinguish them from one another. I have no idea why that has become cemented in my brain, but those eps are just one giant mush of something-about-Little-John, something-about-ninjas, something-about-flirting-over-apples.

[ladykate63.livejournal.com]

LOL I see what you mean about awful. I'm actually the same way, the last show I was really into was Xena: Warrior Princess (still am actually -- I co-mod a Xena board -- but right now I'm in a major RH obsession).

I actually think that some of the "bad" shows tend to be more inventive and creative .... their "badness" is the messiness that is life. LOL. It reminds me a bit of how in the 17th and 18th Centuries Shakespeare was considered too "vulgar" and inferior to classicist drama because he broke was were supposed to be the "rules" of good theater at the time. Like not mixing tragedy and comedy in the same play, or prose and poetry. Well, today he's the one that is remembered!

And I hear you about 1.10 and 1.11! :D feel free to skip.

Btw, if you're so inclined check out my fairly new RH board on Yuku. We have several people who are new to the show (my recruits, lol) as well as other long time fans. It's just taking off and getting more active. We actually have ep discussions threads for most of S1 right now -- could be a good place for you to chime in with some brief thoughts instead of an "organized" review. A Yuku account is very easy to set up.

Oh and check out the new "secrets" thread on capslock_hood, we've been having this great discussion of Guy! :D