WARNING: Spoilers Ahead When Netflix's Carmen Sandiego came out, I was a little weary. The first thing they got across in the trailer was that she was "a thief that only steals from other thieves." Casting Carmen as the hero felt awkward and I wasn't sure how it would work out, but I gave the show a fair shake. And you know, they knew what they were doing. The show isn't without its faults, but it's certainly better than it could've been. Let's take a deeper look, shall we? Now I'm going to be breaking this review into two parts. For today, I'm going to explore Carmen Sandiego and give my basic impressions of the show and its constituent parts. Part two I'll be comparing it to another show with a fairly similar premise. But that's for later. Let's get into what this show is all about. Premise The trailers were pretty blunt about this. Carmen Sandiego is the hero in this Netflix adaptation. She still evades ACME, but now, instead of heading V.I.L.E., she actively fights against them. This turns the whole character of Carmen on her head as she's always been the one being chased, usually by us as the players. Found as a baby somewhere in Argentina, Carmen is raised by V.I.L.E., a criminal organization that, conveniently, also trains young, would-be villains in the art of thievery. Given the initial code name of Black Sheep, she learns from a slew of villainous experts, a child prodigy as she's been around the school her whole life, absorbing everything since early childhood. Eventually she flunks out after an unfair test administered by an instructor not fond of her, but despite this, she stows away with the rest of her class on their first big mission. There she comes to the remarkable realization that -gasp- crime hurts people. From there she dedicates her life and talents to stopping V.I.L.E., wherever they may rear their ugly heads. ACME - The Most Useless Detective Agency Now I mentioned before that prior to this, Carmen has always been the villain, always just out of grasp, yet so close that you couldn't give up. With her as the hero, things have been shifted around. This leaves ACME and Interpol as fairly useless agencies. We see in the very first episode that Carmen eludes Interpol agents Chase Devineaux and Jules Argent without so much as breaking a sweat. Even after the pair join up with ACME and get cooler toys, they're never even close to capturing Carmen. And since they only indirectly go after V.I.L.E., their purpose in the show seems vague at best. We know that Chase and Jules aren't going to catch her. And we know that only Carmen has the wits and skills to contend with V.I.L.E. So what is ACME's purpose? At best, Jules and Chase are there to offer a bit of exposition and maybe help shape the viewer's attitude toward Carmen. At worst, they're completely unnecessary. With all the love I can muster for these two characters (and the Chief!) I have to admit, if you removed them from most episodes, nothing would change. Sure, Carmen uses the pair to funnel stolen goods back to their rightful owners, but come on; Batman and Spider-Man leave thugs in neat little packages for nameless police, there's no reason Carmen couldn't drop things off with local authorities and get the same story by. ACME, for all the great throwbacks it has, really just has nothing to do. VILE I'm actually quite torn on V.I.L.E. The characters are deeper than any incarnation of henchmen yet, and as a "bad guy" organization, they serve the dual purpose of antagonizing Carmen as well as offering her the "high school" experience via flashbacks. The instructors are awesome and I even dig some of the agents that Carmen studied alongside. What really makes them stand out now, though, is their M.O. V.I.L.E. has always been an extension of Carmen's wishes, so they stole all the corn in Iowa or the Statue of Liberty or even the concept of zero. Here, as the show is much more ... I hate to say realistic... let's say down to earth... they tend to engage in more profitable crimes. They destroy a country's staple food supply so they're forced to purchase V.I.L.E. brand alternative, or sabotage a tech company so that they can sweep in and take over their contract. I... like that. They still globe trot and engage in some over-the-top shenanigans, but things are just on the cusp of believability. Geography Breaks It wouldn't be Carmen Sandiego if we didn't learn something. The show is quick to establish that Carmen developed a love of geography as a little girl trapped on V.I.L.E. Isle. This comes into play as every time the show changes location, Carmen and Player (more on him later) have a little back in forth. These "geography breaks" tend to bring the show to a halt in the earlier episodes, but get a little better as things progress. You get to learn a little bit about local currencies, customs, history, or other culturally relevant tidbits, and while these sections don't always have any real impact on the show, it's clear that this is one of the show's obligations; it wouldn't be Carmen Sandiego if you didn't learn about France's largest exports. Throwbacks Something that tickled me to no end was just how much this show pays homage to previous incarnations. One of the constant staples of Carmen Sandiego has been the naming conventions of her thugs. From Nosmo King to Justin Case, they all had stupidly corny names. This is referenced in Carmen's school days when a classmate named Graham declares that, because he's a former electrician who now wields a glorified taser, he will be called Graham Crackle. His classmates quickly berate him and tell him no one will ever take them seriously with dumb names. On a side note, fortunately, this warning doesn't extend to the greatest V.I.L.E. agent of all, Mime Bomb. Speaking of characters, this show pulls freely from older incarations. We have the previously mentioned ACME agents Chase Devineaux and Jules Argent, both characters taken from older games in the series, and their fearless leader known only as The Chief, a clear homage to Lynne Thigpen, the Chief from the old PBS game shows. Carmen has a "man in the chair" that helps her out remotely, referred to only as "Player." Even her friends/lackies, Zack and Ivy are a reference to the brother and sister duo dedicated to capturing her in the animated cartoon, Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?. Speaking of that iconic series, if you pay close attention during the elevator ride in one of the early episodes, you might notice a familiar theme playing as Carmen and Cookie Booker ride in awkward silence. Yes, that's the theme from Where on Earth. Even better, the voice of Cookie Booker just so happens to be Rita Moreno, the voice of Carmen from that same series. I don't think it's a coincidence that the show has Carmen steal her signature coat and hat from Cookie, a clear passing of the torch from one generation to the next. Carmen the Spy Lastly, today, I want to talk about Carmen herself. Now, what I'm about to say is going to sound like nonsense, but stay with me. Carmen isn't a thief. Sure, she steals things, but so does James Bond. No one short of Mr. Blofeld calls him a thief when he breaks into volcano lairs to steal back precious diamonds. No. Carmen is a spy. A secret agent. Carmen, initially, comes off very much like a Mary Sue. That's fine if you're the villain, but as the hero, it kills all the suspense. Neither V.I.L.E. nor the ACME agents come close to catching her in the early episodes. Fortunately this is remedied by the middle of the season with the introduction of characters who actually present a challenge. Still, Carmen doesn't lose. On top of this, Carmen is a philanthropist. This isn't a bad character quality, but it's a bit of a curve ball. Throughout the years, Carmen's attitude has always been one of self-confidence and maybe a little bit of smugness. Her main concern was the thrill of the hunt in capturing the uncapturable, and the thrill of the chase in evading ACME. Netflix Carmen is... nice. To steal a phrase from screenplays, she saves the cat early. And often. All the funds she steals from V.I.L.E. go to charity. All of them. They make a big deal about children's charities every time money comes up in the show. It makes me wonder how Carmen can afford her gadgets, hats, and of course, travel expenses when she claims every penny is going to charities. Maybe it's just me, and maybe I'm over analyzing a children's cartoon, but I like my thieves to be just a little selfish. And you know, I think that's a good segue into part two, because I'm bringing in another "hero" thief to compare and contrast. I hope you look forward to it. Be Excellent to Each Other
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My Carmen review is coming along nicely. At this rate I might actually break it into two parts. It kinda makes me sad that I'm not a good place to record video anymore as this would a pretty decent YouTube video for my terribly neglected channel.
Yeah. I have a YouTube channel, too. Don't worry, there's nothing terribly great on there, just some Let's Plays I did with my friend a few years back. But, putting that aside, I want to focus on the idea of actually doing other reviews. If my Carmen one is well enough received, I might consider doing others. My first choice would likely be She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, but who knows? But, speaking of reviews, I want to end today by promoting my latest game review over on Geek Nifty. I played Salt and Sanctuary, which if you haven't played, it's basically Dark Souls in 2D. Not my usual cup of tea and, frankly, I died A LOT. But I have to save some things for the actual review, so head on over by clicking this handy little link right... wait for it... here! Be Excellent to Each Other A few weeks back I shared a metal cover of The Bells of Notre Dame, but anyone that's watched Hunchback knows that there's more than one amazing song to cover from that movie. You always know when Jonathan Young covers something it's going to be good, but Hellfire has a special place in my heart. It's deep, it's powerful, it's moving. Oh, and it's frickin' metal as all get out. I really can't talk this one up enough, so just give it a watch/listen. DFTBA Finished off a couple of game reviews, stuff that usually isn't my bag. I like this reviewing gig as it helps me expand my tastes. Hopefully I have the links up later this week for the official reviews on the respective websites.
With those off my chest, I of course rushed to fill it immediately. Got contacted by a friend from Smash Fiction, so expect in the next month or so to here me step up to the mic once more and try to flex my debating muscles. I'm not that great at it (apparently), but I can't resist the chance to A) hang out with those weirdos and 2) step up to a hot mic. But what's on the horizon? Well, I have my review of the Netflix Carmen Sandiego coming up, which I'm excited to share. I also have a set of short story starters I'd love to get some eyes on. I haven't gotten nearly the response I did for the initial vote, so if you're looking for something to entertain you for a bit, why not click this big ol' link right HERE to go read them and vote on the one(s) you think should be made into a full story. Keep in mind, these ARE NOT FULL SHORT STORIES. They're just a quick taste, something to whet the appetite. The real things will be fleshed out into full 15-20,000 word stories. Well, beyond a project I still can't speak about (but that might be coming to a head this month!) I only have a few side projects I'm working on that may or may not see the light of day. Either way, I have a full plate that I'm excited to get back to work on. DFTBA When making your characters there are a lot of little tricks I've heard can flesh them out, things that will help you see more details and depth in their personality. Some writers love to make playlists for each of their character, either as a pseudo-soundtrack to help them get in the proper headspace or, in a more literal sense, they create playlists they think their characters would enjoy. I've heard others set up Pinterest accounts for their characters. I've even heard that some like to envision what a first date with a character might be like.
In that spirit, I want to share something I think might be an interesting little experiment with writers still getting to know their characters. If you've done personality quizzes as them, written up dating profiles, and explored their tastes in movies, why not consider how they act at parties? I'm sure not all your potential worlds would have office parties or what have you, but you're all imaginative: pretend it does. Look at your characters. Who's the social butterfly? Who's at the snack table? Who's off by themselves trying to stay out of the way? Parties are a great social event that allows a myriad of interactions. From eating to socializing to flirting, the gamut of human interactions are available for your characters to choose and engage with. A party is a great way to determine what's most important to your character. Is it booze? Interacting with others? Learning about the other party goers? There's a great deal of information to be gathered about someone from people watching, so watching your characters act and wander about should be just as rewarding. Be Excellent to Each Other I wonder if there's a proper way to reconcile entertainment with realism. There's a lot of media out there that portrays things incorrectly, not (I believe) for any malevolent reasons, but simply because the truth is rather boring. This is a staple of court room drama (watch Legal Eagle!) where things are rarely presented in a realistic light. I don't have a ton of experience with the trial system (and would thus never want to write it), but I did film several times during my stint in Las Vegas. Court procedures were very dry and seemed almost rehearsed. No one ever appeared to be surprised to hear anything and it was almost like the entire affair was really just a formality. Everyone knew their role and things rarely, if ever, seemed to have hiccups. No one even shouted "objection!," which as a fan of the Ace Attorney series was quite disappointing. This happens a lot with medical and police procedurals as well. I've personally watched CSI units come out to crime scenes, take a few photos, then leave. They're quite boring to be honest. And don't get me started on anything with hacking involved. So where do we draw the line? Do we as writers and creators have a responsibility to represent things in an accurate, if somewhat boring, light? What do we risk if the public image of something as determined by what they read and watch is inaccurate? And what if that inaccuracy leads to real-world harm?
If you're familiar with the "CSI Effect" (citation), it's the idea that a lot of people, specifically juries, were overestimating the efficacy and uses of forensic science. After CSI and the rest of the shows in that same vein became popular, people started thinking that DNA tests and other forensics were miracle tests and they, apparently, started discrediting more traditional forms of evidence. So... where do we draw that line? I'm not sure that I know the answer. I can only say that when I write, I try to research as much as I can. I try to make the story not as reliant on flashy elements. I try to make the things that aren't blatantly fantasy elements (I do write Urban Fantasy) as close to the real thing as I can manage. Sometimes that means researching common and mediocre practices that I usually take for granted. Do I believe that if I get something wrong in my novel I'll contribute to the downfall of Western society? No. But if I don't have to contribute to people drawing incorrect conclusions, I won't. I guess that's where I fall. What about you? Do you think the media (not talking news) has a responsibility to portray things accurately? Even at the cost of entertainment? DFTBA I've decided to branch out with my writing since I have a little time that I can't work on the short stories. I've been doing game reviews for almost a year now and I've been spouting off my opinions on shows on Twitter for about as long, so... why not add it as a feature here on the site? These reviews are going to be longer than the game reviews I do. Those are restricted in length by my editors, which means I can't always dive into all the nooks and crannies of the games (and is why I use my blog here to supplement those reviews.) Since I have no restrictions on my own website, I think this is a good opportunity to branch out and try something new. I like to complain about realism, continuity, character believability, and so many other pedantic things that it only makes sense that turn those mini-rants into fully fleshed, well worded, engaging rants. So, as a little teaser for the script I'm working on, I want to share this image. Enjoy it and consider the possibilities. Or complain that I'm about to ruin two series at the same time. Your call. Be Excellent to Each Other. Also, I'm still holding a poll to decide which short story I should finish up. Please click here to check out five short story starters (they're a quick read) and let me know which one you like! There's a poll at the bottom of the page. Thanks!
CLICK HERE TO READ AND VOTE Well, with my short story starters written and three, count 'em, three game reviews on my plate at the moment, I don't have a lot of time to work on anything creative. I've got a special project that I think is nearly ready to reveal and a few other things swirling around, but I need a little time off from writing to finish these games. In the mean time, I'd love it if you gave those stories a quick read! They're not too long, most only take a few minutes to read (Fallen is a little long, but Lilly and the Vixen is super short so that sort of makes up for it... maybe?) so if you have a spare half hour, you can could knock them all out. Really, I just want to see what kind of stuff you guys are interested in as well as what stuff I managed to write well. I'm starting to get some votes in on the poll but I really need more. So if you haven't read my short story starters , click the link below to check them out. I have them all on one page in Scribd readers for ease and convenience and right below that is a poll. Feel free to vote for whichever story(ies) you think short get a full write up. Thanks again and remember... Be Excellent to Each Other. Click here to read and vote! |
Matias TautimezKeep your eyes open for my debut novel, The Paladin. Archives
January 2023
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