Galavant

[osprey_archer]

Did anyone else watch the premiere of Galavant last night? I thought it was funny (particularly Timothy Omundson), and I am always in favor of more musical shows on TV... but I also didn't think they put enough meat on the characters to make any of them feel like people. Certainly I can see why they cut it down from a prospective long-running TV show to a four-episode serial, because I can't see any of these characters sustaining particularly long arcs. It's very much a poor man's A Knight's Tale or Men in Tights.

I seem to be undergoing on TV drought since catching up with Agents of SHIELD... Oh! But I am all caught up on that. I can't believe I haven't posted about it yet. I was not particularly impressed by the death, because it seemed random, and not in a "We know not the day or the hour" kind of way. More of a "We need someone to die to underscore that this is a serious show with high stakes" kind of way, and when you can actually see the narrative straining to make that point, it generally just ends up making the death look artificial and silly.

I find this particularly irritating because they actually had a character in peril whose death would have felt natural - super depressing, but natural - and would have made the point they wanted it to make, so I don't know why they went with last minute silly surprise death instead.

In other news, I am bored to death of Ward; I have in a few episodes gone from "Well, I suppose a redemption arc might be interesting" to "No. No, it really is not." I did like the moment when Skye got to punch him in the face, though.

Also sad: Bobbi has not worn her Evil Hydra Coat of Evil since she stopped being an undercover agent. This makes total sense, and yet I feel it is a tragic missed opportunity, because that coat was amazing and Bobbi should clearly wear it all the time.

Comments

[evelyn-b.livejournal.com]

The death was. . . not well-done, but not the worst it could be. I think the actor has a job on another show, which doesn't make me any happier about what happened, but does mitigate things a little from a writing POV.

Ward is the worst. I do think he gets a lot more interesting after his heel turn, but for me, it's just adding a couple dashes of cayenne pepper to the stew of how much I want him off my screen immediately. I actually think some of his character stuff in the second season is interesting, I just never particularly want any more of it ever. If Ward gets put on a bus to Alaska in the next episode and we never see him again, I'll be happy.

Bobbi's Evil Coat of Evil is awesome and should be worn frequently in evil and non-evil contexts alike. I may like Bobbi a little too much for my own good.

Are you looking forward to more AoS? I am UPSET but I definitely still want to see where this is going.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've heard that the actor has a job on another show. Although honestly that makes me less inclined to cut the AoS writers slack, on an artistic level: they must have known that they needed to write the character out for a while, so they could have done a better job.

I actually thought Ward was okay in season one, both before and after Hydra reveal: not my favorite, but not terrible. But in season two his characterization has been all about how much he looooves Skye, and I just don't buy it. There was pretty much no indication that he loved her until it became narratively convenient for him to do so.

Also "taking responsibility for your actions" does not mean "slaughtering everyone who you consider to be actually responsible for your actions," Ward, these things are not alike at all.

I'll probably continue watching AoS (if only in hope that we'll see more of the Evil Coat of Evil!) once it comes back. I'm hoping that the death isn't an indication that they don't want to go all dark, man, dark, because I don't think their strengths lie in that direction.

[evelyn-b.livejournal.com]

See, I don't believe for a second that Ward looooves Skye. I can believe that he thinks he does, because I think his ability to convince himself is what makes him such a good liar. I think he's very good at committing totally to whatever his next cover story is while keeping a couple of backup plans humming quietly away in the dark, unacknowledged until the present truth becomes untenable and he needs something else to be The Real True Story All Along.

I don't know to what extent it's supported in the show, but that's how Ward make sense to me. If it turns out that he's Totes Redeemed By Love I'm going to be very disappointed.

Yeah, I don't think dark is their strength, either. I'd rather AoS seemed to be going in a slightly different direction, but at the same time, I'm pretty hooked. I'm not sure what it would take to make me stop watching, though I'm sure something would.

Well, Agent Carter airs tomorrow! That means I'll probably get to see it sometime in the next two weeks (I'm on Hulu delay).

ETA Maybe it doesn't air until next week? I'm getting two different dates from The Internet. Well, I'll see it eventually, either way.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Josh Whedon seems to think random deaths take the place of good character development.

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

I was underwhelmed by Galavant, despite Omnomnomundson. There's a lot of raunch in it to try & set it apart from ~other~ fairy tale stuff, and it comes across as trying way too hard, and it just grosses me out instead of amuses me. I am super into the flip-flop of Madalena becoming vicious and cruel, though. :D

I... think reports of said character's death have been greatly exaggerated. There have been reports of said actor being on the Avengers: Age of Ultron set. Of course, that could just be a foiler, but this is Marvel, man. No one is ever REALLY dead.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I like your theory about Ward's feelings, but I think it is perhaps more subtle than the producers will end up going for. But we'll see! As long as his redemption is only partly about how much he loves Skye I will probably resist the urge to through things at the screen.

Agent Carter airs tomorrow! I am having a get-together with a couple friends to see it. PLEASE BE GOOD, SHOW.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I am super into awful Madalena, and I'm kind of hoping that she and King Richard will overcome their differences and, like, the kidnapping, and become an Evil Duo of Evil.

Galavant and his crew, I care about less. Maybe Sid and the princess with the long name will ride off into the sunset together?

I would not be surprised at all if the supposedly dead character (man, I should have just spoiler-cut the entry, this is getting ridic) showed up in half a dozen episodes. Possibly with disturbing powers as a result of being, you know, turned into dust by an evil alien labyrinth. I still think they totally wasted a lot of dramatic potential with Mack becoming guardian of the labyrinth, and then suddenly being...cured by Skye and Reina putting the obelisk in the right place? But maybe they'll do something with it in the second half of season 2.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

My knowledge of Whedon shows is not extensive, but what I've seen gives me the feeling that he thinks sudden random character depth imparts thematic depth. Even the character deaths that are really pretty cheap shots.

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

LOL, it seems Richard has learned his lesson about the kidnapping, at least! XD

I hope there are disturbing powers! Disturbing powers all around, I say! :D