Preacher isn't the kind of television show I think I would've gotten into on my own. I'd heard about the comic and, given the nature of the manuscript I wrote, I was encouraged to check it out. I was interested, but still content only knowing that it existed without actually indulging in it. This changed when my friends at Smash Fiction asked me to jump in on an upcoming fight. I won't spoil it anymore than I have, but suffice it to say that I was motivated to binge all I could before the battle. Man. What a show.
Let me start by saying that I never read the comics and only had, at best, a passing knowledge of it. Couldn't name a character or a plot. But now, after watching season one, I'd like to reflect on it a bit. It was... not what I expected. The show is both hilarious and disturbing at the same time. I get the impression that it's very toned down compared to the comic, but what I've seen is still pretty intense. While not being slaughterhouse level of gory, the show still manages to impress me with the bluntness of the characters' words and actions. I love the characters. The main three are so great. Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy make this amazing little band. When they're not busy insulting each other, they're helping each other bury bodies. The interplay with these characters is what I live for. And speaking of death, I don't think the show can go more than an episode without someone getting off'd. And yet, it's (almost) never in a particularly graphic way. The show treats death like an annoyance, something that just happens and you have to deal with. Seriously, these people look at death like most people look at a flat tire. There's a lot going on in every episode, more than a single watching can do justice to. From the freakin' fight between the socially insensitive "Savage" mascot and the new Pedro the Prairie Dog mascot that decorates the background of nearly every episode to these strange little cutaways that take the whole season to pay off, there's always something going on in the background. It's only been one season, but I've really enjoyed Preacher. I can easily see it going off the rails and following Supernatural's path, but for now, I like it. I'm excited to finish season 2 and, if that pans out, to see where it goes from there. DFTBA
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So I'm currently watching WWE's Elimination Chamber PPV. I have a free month of the network and, being at least tangentially involved with pro wrestling, I of course have an interest in the product. I'm especially interested in this pay-per-view before of the historical connotations tonight has.
If you're not a wrestling fan, let me catch you up on a few things. Firstly, women have historically had a raw deal in pro wrestling. Aside from a few all-female leagues, they've rarely been given the spotlight. It doesn't help that WWE, the world's largest wrestling promotion, has always been wishy-washy about how they treat their women. It went in cycles for a while. They'd be legitimate competitors for a while, then eye-candy for a while. One year we have the first female competitor in the 30-Man Royal Rumble, the next we have women competing in bra and panty matches or even literal mud wrestling. Over the past couple years there's been a movement in wrestling to recognize the talent and skill of the female roster. They've been doing more intense and dangerous moves, things you might usually only expect from the men. They started giving them their own spotlight, organizing the first Women's Royal Rumble last year along with a very entertaining Mae Young Invitational tournament that let us see female talent from across the world (WWE has also historically ignored anyone that didn't belong to their roster.) Right now I'm watching only the second ever Elimination Chamber match involving women, a match that happens only once a year due to its brutality. Not only are the women competing, but they're doing so as teams to decide, for the first time ever, the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. This is a brand new title that has never existed in the company's history. They've had European titles, Intercontinental, Hardcore, Light Heavyweight, and more than a couple of Men's Tag Titles. What's happening tonight is the next big step in the "Women's Evolution" movement. This means WWE has the confidence in their female roster to hold the attention of their audience that they're willing to organize an entirely new division. That's a commitment of time, money, and talent. The women's roster has historically been rather slim, meaning they might get one match on a show, and oftentimes, the company scheduled that match as a "cool down" match (a match used just before the main event to let the crowd's excitement die down so as to make the main event seem even more exciting.) The fact that WWE is willing to create this division means they're likely going to invest in more women wrestlers to pad out their roster. If certain wrestlers become dedicated tag team wrestlers, someone has to replace them on the single's roster. As I write this, the match is being decided. I don't know who will take home the first ever women's tag gold, but I'm excited to find out. Because it doesn't stop here, you know? Women are main eventing, both regular shows and pay-per-views. In a limited capacity, they're even competing with men. It's so exciting. These women are talented. They're entertaining. And they're finally being treated with the consideration as the men. This doesn't just speak to the WWE's priorities, though; a company only sells products that people will buy. It speaks to the growing popularity and acceptance of women's wrestling. Becky Lynch is killing it on the mic and in the ring. Her twitter is constantly blowing up and I know her merch is selling out left and right. She is blazing a trail that feels like Stone Cold Steve Austin's heyday! I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I'm so happy to see the storytelling that is pro wrestling moving forward. I'm happy to see the crowds look at women's wrestling and not differentiate from the men's. Wrestling is wrestling. I've trained and wrestled against a few women and with my little promotion we made no differentiation. Our wrestlers were our wrestlers. It's just nice to see others see that talent is talent, regardless of gender. Be Excellent to Each Other Well first off, let me talk about some of the stuff I have up this week that I'd love to have more eyes on. Of course I'm quite happy with my Carmen Sandiego Review, which you can find Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE. If you haven't got a chance to read them, I think they're pretty decent reads and they're doing well for web traffic.
On top of that, I was surprised to see that my Gotham mini review got so much attention, so if you want to see my thoughts on the DC show give it a read HERE. Lastly, I'm still waiting for votes to come in on my short story starters. Again, these aren't full stories, just beginning samples. Most are a page or two, with maybe one reaching longer than that. The idea is to just give a taste of what the full story could be. If you're interested, CLICK HERE to give them a read and vote in the poll. I'd really appreciate it. Beyond that, I'm going to relax a little bit on writing until next week. I've got some big stuff coming up and I can't wait to announce it formally. On top of that, I just got through recording a podcast episode with my friends over at Smash Fiction. Those guys are crazy! A big thanks to Miles for inviting me, Dan for convincing me to participate, MeganBob for being so entertaining, and Krista for being such a worthy foe. Keep your eyes here, folks, I've got big stuff coming up. DFTBA Last week I took a look at Netflix's Carmen Sandiego, looking into what they've done with the character and how I feel about the choices made. If you haven't read Part 1, CLICK HERE to do so! They've done a lot with Carmen, and for the most part I've been pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the show. The characters are good, the plot serviceable, and the aesthetics pleasing. But one of the biggest thing I think I brought up was that Carmen no longer feels like a thief, at least not like the thief they're making her out to be. As Agent Jules Argent points out, she's “a thief that only steals from other thieves.” And that's not something Carmen has ever been before. But she's far from the first to hold that moniker. Because before Carmen was stealing from thieves, the man in the red jacket was frustrating the plans of evil megalomaniacs for decades. I think a good way to appreciate what Netflix's Carmen Sandiego is trying to do is to compare it to my favorite thief of all time: Lupin III ACME vs Interpol While Chase and Jules do start out as Interpol agents, they quickly transition to ACME agents, a transition, I might note, that doesn't make any real difference to the plot. They get a few new gadgets, but Chase immediately deep sixes two of their cars, loses his key card, and has his fancy pen destroyed. No jetpacks, no “Carmen radars,” no grappling hooks... just a slightly fancier car. Really, if they had been ACME agents from episode one, nothing would have changed. On top of this, and more to the point of this section, lets look at what ACME actually does in the series. They... occasionally receive stolen goods that Carmen drops into their laps. Otherwise, they really don't do anything. They never catch Carmen. Heck, they never come close. They are barely a nuisance to her. Let's look at Interpol in contrast, specifically one Inspector Zenigata. Now this man comes off as a buffoon right off the bat, and it's understandable if you think that. Lupin III often makes him look the fool. But Lupin makes everyone look the fool. Zenigata, despite the fact that Lupin usually gets away, is far more effective at his job than Chase or Jules. He is the world's foremost authority on Lupin, and you know what? He's actually caught him more than once! Zenigata is a legitimate threat to Lupin. Sure, when it's one on one, Lupin gets away 90% of the time, but Lupin is forced to change his plans on a regular basis when Zenigata shows up. He'll be in the middle of a heist and BAM! Zenigata is on the other side of the vault door. Zenigata knows Lupin. The two begrudgingly respect one another. Heck! They've both helped the other out. The difference here is that when Zenigata shows up in an episode of Lupin III, I, as a viewer, know there's a chance that Zenigata will capture Lupin or at the very least foil his plans. When ACME shows up, I know Carmen might have to turn left instead of right. The Side Characters Carmen has three people on her side at any given time: Zack, Ivy, and Player. Player acts as her “Man in the Chair,” hacking into security systems, looking up information, and keeping her abreast of the situation. Zack and Ivy are... well... lackies. It's implied that they used to be criminals, possibly car thieves if Zack's excitement over driving a muscle car is to be believed. They're clearly not on Carmen's level, but they can reliably carry out grunt work, the most common of which seems to be dressing up as Carmen. With a few minor exceptions about not liking fish and being from Boston, the siblings get very little character development. Granted, the show's only one season in, but their impression at the beginning of the season was identical to that at the end. And the Player... I mean... honestly, he could disappear and Carmen would be fine. I don't hate him, but I don't see a lot of the point in his character. He occasionally acts as a sounding board for Carmen's thoughts, but since he's so far removed (literally) from the action, it's hard to feel like he's part of the team. Let's look at Lupin's gang now. Daisuke Jigen, Goemon Ishikawa XIII, and occasionally the unforgettable Fujiko Mine. To be fair, let's just use the first season of Lupin's “red jacket” series (he's had multiple shows and movies over several decades). In just that first season, we get to learn a lot about the gunman Jigen, the swordsman Goemon, and the femme fatale Fujiko. Episode one is a reunion of the four characters after a significant time apart. Each one enters in a matter that makes their personality and talents clear. Jigen shows off his cynacism and dead-eye aim with a revolver. Goemon demonstrates both his stoicism and prowess with the blade by immediately slicing Jigen's pipe in half. And of course, we find that Fujiko has several lovers/marks set up to fleece, with Lupin being almost an afterthought. Each on gets episodes dedicated to them and each of them interacts with Lupin in a unique capacity. Fujiko twists him around her finger and usually backstabs him, hovering between ally and rival. Jigen, almost a bodyguard for Lupin, is there to be the voice of reason, to try to bring his head out of the clouds, even though he will eventually go with whatever his friend and boss demands. And Goemon drifts, always loyal, but willing to draw his blade against the thief if he feels Lupin has crossed a line. They actively plan and carry out heists with Lupin, partaking fully in the success or failure. And despite their specialties, each one is capable of just about anything the others are, with disguises being at the top. The difference here is the impact these side characters have. I can see having any one of Lupin's gang as your favorite, but Zack and Ivy... they're interchangeable. The only difference in the twins is that Zack is more of a numbskull than his sister. Each one of Lupin's gang is an individual with compelling back stories. Carmen's gang is largely unnecessary. The Villains Now on this one, I will give Carmen some credit. I actually really like the villains from the Netflix series, especially the heads of V.I.L.E. The instructors, while slightly single-note characters, are still intensely likable and engaging. The actual students/agents are hit or miss, with Mime Bomb being the obviously best character in the show, but the instructors are pretty great across the board. Shadowsan, Dr. Maelstrom, Countess Cleo, Sarah Bellum, and of course, Coach Brunt. I had to randomize them because I can't tell you which one is my favorite. You get to see into the minds of the faculty, and to a lesser extent, the agents. They're brought back over and over, allowing some interesting stories with Carmen to play out. The relationships between her and the various elements of V.I.L.E. unravel over the course of the season in a very satisfying, if somewhat surprising, story. Lupin on the other hand rarely deals with the same villain twice. Sure, he has Zenigata there as a constant threat, but Lupin is either lifting precious treasures from under the noses of local law enforcement, or stealing a score from a rival thief of some sort. There's usually a theme of being a descendant of a more famous criminal or hero (Lupin himself is, of course, the grandson of Arsene Lupin, gentleman thief), but beyond that, we rarely see into the histories of these villains. Lupin globe trots, but instead of meeting the same villains at every turn, he matches wits against the locals. Could be a billionaire tycoon in Monte Carlo or a military despot in the Middle East. I have to say that Carmen's villains allow me to really get invested with the story, as Lupin, based on a series of manga, is more of your “villain of the week” style of story telling. This week he'll be treasure hunting in Cairo, next week stealing a submarine from the Russian navy. There may or may not be a “villain” in each episode, but he's always squaring off against some kind of antagonist. The episodic content is certainly fun, but I will say that Carmen's villains allow for a deeper story that can be told over the course of a whole season. The things that happen in one Lupin episode rarely have an effect on subsequent episodes. That's largely a product of the time that Lupin came from, but still, you can watch that show out of order with little consequence and that means I have to appreciate Carmen's villains a little bit more. The Thief in the Red Jacket Okay, let's get down to the main event: Carmen vs. Lupin. Now, I'm not here to say that one is better than the other, I just want to use Lupin as a way to contrast the decisions made about Carmen. With that firmly in mind, let's do this. Carmen, as I've said before, does not feel like a thief. She has gadgets, she's mysterious, and she foils bad guys. She's a secret agent, like James Bond or Jason Bourne. She fights. She quips. She embarrasses the bad guys and returns their loot. Whether she steals or not, she's not a thief. Most of all, she's... well... a bit too good for my tastes. I'm not talking about her abilities or talents. I'm not talking about her parkour skills or encyclopedic knowledge of obscure countries. I mean, she's too selfless. The top thing that bothered me about her being a “thief” wasn't that she returned the goods, but that she donates all the money she steals from V.I.L.E. to charity. All of it. They make a note of it twice in the show that all the money goes to children's charities (and others) which makes me wonder: how does she afford everything? Plane tickets. Train tickets. New gadgets. Hell, all those new hats and jackets! She's so completely selfless that it's a little annoying. Don't get me wrong. When they're not talking about that, she's awesome. She's an accomplished fighter, hacker, thief (sorta), and so much more. She's a great character. But man... I just can't identify with someone so angelic. She's too good for this world. Lupin on the other hand is a thief first and foremost. When he steals from other villains it's not to return the treasure to the people (usually), it's because he wants it for himself. He plans heists for his own gain. He may occasionally save the world from a madman or be charitable, but he's not a saint. The few times he gives away an entire haul is usually because he's been tricked into it by a lovely pair of … eyes. Lupin, at least to me, is more identifiable. He's flawed. Though he can certainly hold his own in most fights, he is far more likely to run than attack. Running, disappearing, blending in, those are Lupin's go-to skills. While he's usually merciful to his foes, he's certainly not above sending a foe to their doom in a way that would make Nathan Fillion proud. Has he showered entire cities with cash? Yes. Has he let his haul end up in a charity's bank account? Once or twice. But you will never, ever, find Lupin doing any job for free. He's got bills, man! Conclusion
I can say with full confidence that both Lupin and Carmen are great characters and great shows. This new iteration of Carmen, however, is so different and fresh as to be a fundamentally different person than her previous incarnations. As such, I think that her character has a lot of room to grow and mature. They're not shackling her to the expectations set down by previous shows; she could end up anywhere. This is a good thing, as the show, for all it's merits, still has a lot of room for improvement. Carmen herself could use some work. I understand that she's intended for young audience and therefore must exhibit certain moral characteristics, and I understand that Lupin was intended for a decidedly not young audience that wanted sex, action, and ostentatious displays, but that doesn't mean that the former can't learn a few things from the latter. Lupin III is celebrating his 50th anniversary this year. Fifty years of manga, multiple shows, almost yearly movies, video games, stage plays, and this year at Universal Studios Japan, a freakin' ride! That level of success doesn't come by accident. Carmen, likewise, has a history, but with this new show that is, more or less, out the window. She's starting fresh. She has a lot of potential to be something truly amazing and while I don't want her to emulate Lupin choice for choice, I think some of the decisions that show made could help craft this new Carmen's path toward a long lasting success. I don't want Netflix's Carmen Sandiego to be the next Lupin III. Heck, I don't even want it to be the old Carmen. I love this show and I want it to be the best Carmen Sandiego it can be. Be Excellent to Each Other. Ah, yes. February 14th. The day the whole country, and arguably the world, celebrates the entry of Arizona into the Union as a state with the giving of chocolates and lots of Arizona hearts. But not everyone is lucky enough to live in the Copper State, so let's talk about something else. Like the fact that I just finished recording an episode with Smash Fiction! Man, I love those crazy characters. A big thank you to Miles for extending the invitation and to Dan for convincing me that I should participate despite knowing less than nothing about either character. I had a blast. But onto blog news, I should (fingers crossed) be able to get out the Netflix Carmen Sandiego Review pt 2 by tomorrow. Nothing like a hard deadline to kick one's ass into high gear, right? So since it's not up today, why not take the opportunity to check out the first part of the review right here? I worked really hard and had a lot of fun with that review, so I hope you'll take a look and enjoy tomorrow's part 2 as well. On that note, I think I might try more show reviews. I've really enjoyed reviewing games, so I figure I might as well share my thoughts on some of the shows that have come across my plate. My mini Gotham review did far better than expected (read it here) so why not? I'm considering a few more from the Netflix lineup, like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Voltron: The Legendary Defender. Of course, I could also try a few of the other series and movies, too. I'm already digging Hilda and I was pleasantly surprised by Big Mouth. I have a terrible curiosity about Next Gen, the Godzilla miniseries, and ... -sigh - Hardcore Henry. What do you think? Would you care to see a few more reviews? Well, let's see how the Carmen part 2 goes and I might give it a go. Until then... DFTBA PS. I'm still looking for feedback on my short story first chapters. If you want to read a set of diverse story openers, I'm looking to get some feed back on which one(s) should be fleshed out into a full short story. I promise they're all short reads.
Click and Vote Here So there's this little show called Gotham. I've been watching it since the beginning and it's what I called a Sunken Cost show. See, I really enjoyed it when it first started. I though the take was fresh and the focus on Jim Gordon was interesting.
It was a police procedural in a world that was only slightly more fantastic than our own. There were hints of the Batman universe, tastes here and there, but it was essentially about a normal man trying to keep order in city that had given up on justice. It was a city - a world - that didn't need Batman. All it needed was someone willing to do the right thing. But then the show began to run out of ideas. It continued on by gently turning the regular characters (predictably) into the villains we know and love. There weren't any surprises, aside from maybe the fact that the kid who played Bruce Wayne wasn't totally annoying. But then... something changed. There are no consequences in Gotham. Death is merely a temporary condition and characters are brought back from the grave over and over. When someone shows a modicum of character growth, it's time to change them again into something completely unrecognizable. This isn't a critique of the show, so much as a reflection on the fact that I'm sitting here watching it. I can honestly say I don't enjoy it anymore, but I'm suckered in by the idea that I've come this far. I've invested so much time in watching it that I need to see how it ends. And, honestly, I'm not excited. The show is like a twitchy rabbit, swerving back and forth with every rustle of the bushes. Today's villains is tomorrow's hero. Today Gordon is an unwavering pillar of justice, tomorrow he's a crooked cop just like the rest. Today Bruce is set upon saving everyone, tomorrow he hates everything. I don't like this show. I once did, but now, it's an obligation. I scan my Hulu listings, watching as each episodes warns me that it's expiring, calculating just how long I can put off watching the episodes until I have no choice. And you know? Part of me wants to forget. To accidentally miss an episode. Then I'd have an excuse to stop watching. I mean, I can't keep watching if I don't know what happened in a previous episode, right? That'd be nuts. But no. I keep watching. I watch the expiration days tick away until I have no choice but to begrudgingly watch. To see who Jim Gordon is going to have sex with. To see whether Riddler is a good guy or bad guy this week. To see which character we definitely saw get shot in the head will come back to life. This doesn't happen with other shows. Star Trek: Discovery I've more or less given up on, but that's because I wasn't enjoying it from episode one. Arrow I jumped into, but only one season before Oliver bedding every female that he isn't related to got to me. But only one season. Gotham, though... it died slowly, withering without me noticing. Now, without any warning, I'm clutching the husk of a once great show, trying to figure out exactly where it became terrible, trying to convince myself to give it just "one more episode." But I know it's just lip service paid to myself. I will finish Gotham, so long as I don't legitimately miss an episode. I've sunk too much into it. I need to see how it ends, whether that means a redemption or a whimpering death. Be Excellent to Each Other Whew! It's good to be back. I loved seeing my friends and taking a quick trip by the Arizona Renaissance Festival, but it's always good to be home. Time to get back on to work and, trust me, I have tons of work to catch up. I'm taping for my friends over at Smash Fiction in just a couple days and, to be terribly honest, I know next to nothing about both characters involved in this.
Dan, if you read this, I'm sorry you got stuck with me. I'll try to make it as entertaining as possible because I'm lost on this one. Anyway, I'm hoping to get the Carmen Sandiego review part 2 up soon, but tomorrow is going to be hella busy. I've got Smash to study for, groceries to buy, a lunch to have with my old professor, and a DnD session to run. And that's just the stuff that's due tomorrow. But since the Carmen isn't coming today, why not scratch that itch for interesting stuff I've written with PART 1 of the Carmen review or a few first chapters of some short stories which can be found HERE. You can not only read five different first chapters, but you can vote on which one you think should get a finished story! So for now, I'm going to crash for a bit, then binge study a couple of fictional characters while trying to troubleshoot my microphone. This oughta be fun. Be Excellent to Each Other. Well, I’m still out and about. Been visiting with friends and dropping off belated Christmas presents as I mentioned yesterday. That means I probably won’t get to the second Carmen review until Thursday or Friday. But if you haven’t read the first one, well then this is a good chance for you to catch up.
I put a lot of work into this review and I’m really proud of it, so why not swing over and give it a read. The mobile editor for my website is a little lacking, but you can either scroll back a few days or check out the awkward link I’ll put at the end of this sentence. Until I get back to my desktop, please enjoy a few more pictures of my wifey at the festival we attended. DFTBA Hey guys. Finally down in Phoenix and had a great time today and that was some good friends, dropped off some late Christmas gifts or tune, got some authentic Mexican food, and got to see my god daughter.
I’ve got ugly pictures to your mother cast for the day, otherwise no normal writing stuff. DFTBA Hey all! I'm headed out on a trip to visit some friends, so I won't be putting up part two of my Carmen Sandiego review quite yet. It may be a couple of days as I've got a lot on my plate, but it is coming.
In the meantime, if you haven't read the review, why not swing over to that page and give it a read? I was really intrigued by the Netflix adaptation of Carmen so I gave this one my all. To be honest, I'm pretty happy with the results and I think you'll like it to! So just click HERE to read that Carmen review. If you looking for even MORE things to read, why not swing by my short story starters? I've got first starters there, all quick reads, and I'm looking for feedback and which one(s) I should flesh out into actual short stories. There's a poll on the page and all the stories are conveniently laid out, so why not give it read, too? READ AND VOTE HERE. Until tomorrow, DFTBA! |
Matias TautimezKeep your eyes open for my debut novel, The Paladin. Archives
January 2023
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