Dark Angel - Schmaltz or smarts??

POSTED BY: Zoot
UPDATED: Thursday, August 18, 2005 23:10
VIEWED: 15427
PAGE 7 of 9

PREV PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 NEXT PAGE

ZOOT

Monday, July 4, 2005 8:31 AM

Hmm! Well ….

Ok … let me order my thoughts …. Oh yes ….

I LOVED IT TO GORRAM BITS!!!

I agree with you that the two series develop nicely … while I was watching the 2nd series, I sorta hankered for the first, when it was just simple “run from Lydecker, get it on with Logan” stuff … but now am re-watching the first series and find myself longing for a less than holy, less righteous and let’s face it bloody funny comment from Alec to break it all up a bit – think Alec was the best bit about series 2 – great character and just what the show needed ….

I may not watch it as many times as Firefly, but am likely to watch it a whole lot more than Buffy and that’s saying something ….

Re-watching the first series, I think I’m enjoying it more for the following reasons:

· I appreciate the Jam Pony gang a lot LOT more – especially Normal – think he’s fab!! And, of course, Original Cindy …
· Have been appreciating the fight scenes and what I assume is some computer wizardry more – especially like the fight scenes and Max and Zack’s cool walk to the car in “Cold Comfort” …

Have been thinking in my own perverted way more about when Jessica and Michael got their freak on and now can conclusively state my theory that they were together by “411 on the DL” and possibly even in C.R.E.A.M. … I know you reckon its later but the “spin round the park” scene in 411 – just the way they look at each other … well … their either very good actors or ….

Also have to say they are definitely together by Art Attack – the exchange in the last scene: “It’s a large life.”, “Yes. It is.” - looks almost out of character the way they look at each other …. Not that I’ve been thinking about this a lot or anything …

I think I appreciated the humour more the second time around and I like the over all story arcs a lot - they aren't so constrictive that they stop nice individual single episode story lines, but each episode has just a little bit to move the main plot along - especially in the first series...

I still think though that they try too hard to keep Max and Logan from kissing in the first series - all the will-they-won't-they stuff feels a little contrived by the end .... The worst one from that point of view is The Kidz are Aiight where you just cannot believe they don't kiss - although I do get it that they're both scared - as spelt out by Max at the end of Rising ....

Bizarrely, I didn't think the second series -even with its huge virus maguffin - was half as bad in terms of the Max Logan thing - it oddly, I know, just felt more believable ....

***************************************

Okay, I'm lost, I'm angry, and I'm
armed.

CHRISISALL

Monday, July 4, 2005 1:31 PM

One of my favourite lines from the first series:
"In this short, brutal life you've got to take every opportunity to celebrate..."
You're right, the will-they, won't-they in the first doesn't provoke any real emotion, like the second does. But the first had these tight little intimate stories like 'Haven'.
In my list of good shows I leave out the eps with heavy snakeage 'cause I can't figure out how snakes fit into a breeding a superior race of people.
Any feelings pro or con about the White's son story (two shows I also left off my list)?
Also: watched 'Borrowed Time' last night, it was Star Wars 7 that they stole from Fox, LOL, I didn't notice before!!

What a dope Chrisisall

ZOOT

Monday, July 4, 2005 1:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:

Also: watched 'Borrowed Time' last night, it was Star Wars 7 that they stole from Fox, LOL, I didn't notice before!!

What a dope Chrisisall

ha ha!! Can't believe you missed that - I remember laughing quite a lot the first time - that was the one episode where I did actually laugh out loud more than once - laughed at the Alec comment in the cupboard about how he can't believe he's stuck there just so Max can have a sex life and then can't believe she's doing this for something which she doesn't know is any good! Also always laugh at the "why consummate two years of unbridled passion, when you can have pasta" line - ah Alec!!

But on re-watching season 1, Logan is a lot funnier than I remember - lines like:

"SUNG: What did you find out last night at the airstrip?

LOGAN: When some girls don't eat dinner they get real cranky."

As for the White's son story - I sort of didn't mind it but didn't think it was inspired - it does progress the story arc but it never really goes anywhere - wondered whether they had further plans for it in season 3 - same goes for the Zack storyline ... can't really believe they just set him up with a new identity and that's that ...

I also agree with you about the snake thing ... Although I have a feeling it was just a reference to ancient culture that they then got carried away with ... If you look at early Greek statues, especially Minoan (Crete), you often get the bare breasted goddess with two writhing snakes – I thought of that image immediately when I first saw the snake ritual at the school – the priestess’ gold costume was very reminiscent … Think they were trying to suggest at great antiquity for the cult – snakes being connected with ancient female earth rituals and the cult of the Eleusinian Mysteries … but now I’m getting carried away!!
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/snakegoddess/snakesegypt.html

Suffice it to say, I think this was a good image to use because snakes were connected with birth and women’s mysteries, Egypt and the darker side of Dionysus ….

***************************************

Okay, I'm lost, I'm angry, and I'm
armed.

CHRISISALL

Monday, July 4, 2005 11:07 PM

The only thing I had a REAL issue with was in 'Exposed', when Max was gettin' beat on by the kid with the telekinetic ability, I didn't see how any amount of genetic manipulation not done in a laboratory could result in a 'power' like that. If it was at all possible, wouldn't Sandeman have given an ability like that to Max?
And the first time I heard 'Star Wars 7', I thought she was referring to what we now know as 'Revenge of the Sith', I'm so bad at numbers, it's inconcievable! That would be 3, with 'Jedi' being 6. So funny, though.
Here's another observation: Logan was the name of the main character in the movie 'Logan's Run', in which he was a 'Sandman'(!). Coincidence? I think not. Fans always work their favourite stuff in somewhere.
Happy fourth! (OOPs, wrong side of the pond for that, huh?)
"From this day foward, Independence Day will no longer be thought of as an American holiday!"
I love that line from the movie.

Chrisisall, who resembles Alec (in his dreams...)

ZOOT

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 12:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
The only thing I had a REAL issue with was in 'Exposed', when Max was gettin' beat on by the kid with the telekinetic ability, I didn't see how any amount of genetic manipulation not done in a laboratory could result in a 'power' like that.

Chrisisall, who resembles Alec (in his dreams...)

I agree - I have always had a problem with the breeding cult managing to breed such powerful people without the aid of a lab anyhow ... Funnily enough I had a similar problem with Mia in Fugggedaboutit - couldn't see how messing wiht someone's genes coudl make them a mind reader/ manipulator ... but then I like her line to Sketchy:
"Gosh, imagine what would be involved. Manipulating brain wave patterns, interfering with short-term memory formation...just seems a little hard to believe."
Which I reckon is the writer doing a little special pleading and aknowledging Mia's skill is kinda hard to stomach ....

4th of July scares me somewhat 'cos - with our colonial past - we're not too crazy about nationalistic holidays here in the UK - but have a good one!!

***************************************

Okay, I'm lost, I'm angry, and I'm
armed.

CYBERSNARK

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 1:08 PM

I didn't have much of a problem with those powers, given that (if you're inclined to believe [or just not disbelieve] it) they've been demonstrated in weaker forms by otherwise normal humans for centuries.

'Sides, the US military's interest in psychic "remote viewing" is a matter of record. Makes sense that they'd look into refining the "technology."

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

ZOOT

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 1:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cybersnark:
I didn't have much of a problem with those powers, given that (if you're inclined to believe [or just not disbelieve] it) they've been demonstrated in weaker forms by otherwise normal humans for centuries.

'Sides, the US military's interest in psychic "remote viewing" is a matter of record. Makes sense that they'd look into refining the "technology."

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

Oh I suppose you're right - Mr-Rational-Argument but I still found it one of the less believable episodes...

Also would have liked to know the reason for breeding some of the transgenics like Mole, Dix and Luke cos it seemed to me that they were falling into the traditional trap reserved for Star Treck aliens where their only distinctive feature is the bumpy skin ... would have liked to see more freakish abilities as well as freakish looks ...

***************************************

Okay, I'm lost, I'm angry, and I'm
armed.

ZOOT

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 2:01 PM

One last point I would make is this - and never let it be said that Zoot does not own up to her mistakes - look at the long way I’ve come since my initial post on this subject all those, oh, 15 days ago or so ...

Then I was all like “urgh! Dark Angel, not as good as Buffy, no humour, too many maguffins, too much sexual tension blah blah blah…” and now I’m all over DA like a bad case of the clap ….

A singularly impressive turnaround I’m sure you’ll agree!!

And I certainly think Mr Chrisisall deserves a bit of the credit – since I’d never have watched it if he hadn’t gone on about it so damn much it ain’t funny!! So congrats, you’ve turned me!!

***************************************

Okay, I'm lost, I'm angry, and I'm
armed.

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 2:32 PM

Glad to be of service.
I've turned around a little myself. My initial list of good 2nd season shows was like, 6 or 7 episodes long. Now I've come to really love most of the season!
When you get the books, let me know what you think.

This is where we wanna be, in the light Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 2:38 PM

Manipulatin' thoughts is one thing, but punching someone with some kind of mental 'force'? Why, you'd have to be loaded with meta-clorieans or sumpin' to do that....

Yeah, yeah, well I can't spell what I think is stupid, anyway Chrisisall

PREV PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 NEXT PAGE