Monday, July 11, 2005

Taking it on faith AKA believing characters when they're forced to do the unbelievable

Long title, eh? *laughing*

I was watching "The Dead Zone" on USA last night. LOVE it. SO happy that someone is playing new episodes of something I watch. It's great on so many levels, and I LOVE the psychic angle. And Anthony Michael Hall? That boy has grown up since his teenage flicks. Ahem...but I digress.

There was a moment in time when Johnny helped himself to a document that he needed to break a case and find a missing woman. When the document was later brought up to press a key player for what he knew...the man didn't raise hell and wonder how Johnny got the document. Nope. Didn't ask. Didn't have a lawyer. Nada. He simply gave up the information.
Now. I looked at the clock. It was about a quarter til. That meant they had to wrap the story up at a rapid rate of speed for it to end on the hour.
I realize that a TV show must take shortcuts sometimes for these things to happen. I know that. It's really only 40-45 minutes of show and 15-20 minutes of commercials.
But there are times when I look at moments like this and want to pull my hair out. Because to me, it's passed over from "real" to a "device." I don't like the glitches. Seamless, man. Seamless.

It's when Phoebe of "Charmed" fame gets a new boyfriend every so many episodes so she can go through the "It's so hard being a witch, I'll never find a man" syndrome. And in this vein, I ask: WHY oh WHY did they kill off Billy Zane? He is yummy. Bet he had a movie to make or something. SIGH
It's when a character off of ANY detective/crime drama finally steps forward with evidence that was needed. Their guilt or conscience (i.e. the writers or producers) made them do it. And then the day is saved.

Sometimes I don't need the "packaged" ending. I want the messy one. And if the ending is "packaged" then I want all the events leading up to it to make sense and be cohesive.
Because when characters of any sort pull this, I tend to listen to them less and less. Their credibility is SHOT.
Grins*

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

For what it's worth, it isn't always the writers' fault. I know someone who's done TV writing for several years and it's amazing how often it's the Network I/D/I/O/T/S Executives who force them to make stupid, nonsensical changes that leave the audience going "Huh?????"

And there goes any chance I have of ever doing television...... LOL.

Crystal* said...

Kel: Oh yes! I lurve it!
Tori: Hm. I didn't know which idiot(s) was/were pulling the switches. I simply knew they were occuring. Someone needs to get a CLUE! ACK!
Grins*