The Shrine

SPOILERS. Stop reading now if you haven't seen up to ep#8 of season 1.

I'm done up to episode #8. Honestly, I'm getting a little sick of the background stories on each of the characters. They're not overly interesting IMO and sometimes get lame (the moth thing with the bassist was powerfully lame and I still don't buy Locke's miraculous recovery, although I'm sure they'll work it into the person sabatoging the recovery since he really has no reason to return). Honestly, I don't care about any of the characters enough to have an entire 40 minute background story on each, especially when they're foregoing plot development. I mean, there was those creatures in the first couple of episodes, they shot the polar bear, and it's been what, 8 days (in the show) since we're heard ANYTHING? And they've gone out on enough missions so they can't be that lucky. Every once in a while they rustle some bushes to drum up some excitement, but that ain't workin' worth a damn. It just reminds you how slow it's moving along.

I'm just venting on the pace of the show and the 2D characters they're trying to make 3D. Six Feet Under this is not, so stop boring me with the character "development" and just move the plot along. Basically, they need to try and be 24 not Six Feet.

I'm going to keep going until I see where the main plot is going and hopefully - like Naruto - it takes off after that

Zeus wrote:I'm done up to episode #8. Honestly, I'm getting a little sick of the background stories on each of the characters. They're not overly interesting IMO and sometimes get lame (the moth thing with the bassist was powerfully lame and I still don't buy Locke's miraculous recovery, although I'm sure they'll work it into the person sabatoging the recovery since he really has no reason to return). Honestly, I don't care about any of the characters enough to have an entire 40 minute background story on each, especially when they're foregoing plot development.

Wow. And I thought your opinion on movies was the only thing that didn't make sense.

Seriously, you might want to just stop watching the show now. The character development is the show. The story of what is actually happening on the island is interesting but it's the backstory of how each of these people got to be on that plane that makes it fun to watch.

Their backstories ARE the plot. And I am in total disagreement on their backstories being boring. I was never bored watching, not once.

Zeus wrote:I mean, there was those creatures in the first couple of episodes, they shot the polar bear, and it's been what, 8 days (in the show) since we're heard ANYTHING? And they've gone out on enough missions so they can't be that lucky. Every once in a while they rustle some bushes to drum up some excitement, but that ain't workin' worth a damn. It just reminds you how slow it's moving along.

I really think you're watching this show with the wrong expectations. This show is not about fighting polar bears and monsters. It's about the people on the island.

Zeus wrote:I'm just venting on the pace of the show and the 2D characters they're trying to make 3D. Six Feet Under this is not, so stop boring me with the character "development" and just move the plot along. Basically, they need to try and be 24 not Six Feet.

I have no idea how you came up with 2D characters. Seriously, dude, stop watching the show because you really don't know what the point of it is. You're just going to be disapointed.

Ugh, that doesn't sound good. You're trying to tell me they made this show into a tropical soap opera? The one thing I don't like about the vast majority of network shows is their lame characters. I guess I shouldn't have expected much different out of Abrams.

My expectations were of a good action and drama (ie. character development with some lame soap opera elements, a necessary evil for network TV) show with a hint of thriller thrown in. That's the impression the first 3 eps gave me when I watched them back when. I expected the background stories - I'd be surprised if they weren't there - but I didn't expect them to be the focal point. More like the background stories in 24 or Naruto where they're there to give depth, not be the show. They have an interested premise and basis for a plot and that's what I expected the show to be about. And really, by looking at the elements the show has, it would be the best direction for it to go, IMO.

But I'm going to keep going for a little while; I promised my wife I'd try so we could watch the show together. She likes formulaic drudge, I like different stuff, so we don't actually watch anything together. She has to drag me to most of the movies she wants to see 'cause I"m often not interested (she likes sci-fi fantasy the most and that's where we see mostly eye-to-eye, but she likes the formulaic crap like Soldier). I like character development.....if the characters are good. Six Feet is one of my fav shows of all time and that's all that show's about. The ones in Lost are stereotypical and not very interesting.

I'm downloading up to episode 16 right now. If I don't see anything I like by then, I'm stopping.

The show does have a lot of action and drama and it does have some thriller thrown in but it also has a lot of character development via the flashbacks. The point is to relate why these characters are the way they are to what is happening presently on the island.

I have no clue how you can say these characters are stereotypical. I really don't. Perhaps you feel that way because they haven't fleshed them out enough by episode 8. It's hard for me to remember since I've seen them all.

Each time they show backstory, it just explains more and more why the characters are the way they are and the characters always stay true to their personalities.

Personally, I think all of the characters are very interesting. They each have unique backgrounds and none of them are as easy to figure out as you'd think by watching the first couple of episodes. Maybe you just haven't seen enough to realize that the characters aren't as 2-D as you claim they are.

Give it a go through episode 16 and maybe you'll see what I'm talking about.

Stop.

Watching.

Now.

I thank you in advance for your cooperation.

In all seriousness, Zeus, while they start to tackle some of the mysteries and absurdities of the island, it's not the main focus.

The main focus is character drama. Plain and simple.

They introduced the polar bear and the monster early on so that they wouldn't later on come out from left field, not because every week is focused on them.

If you don't like the current balance between character backstory/interaction, daily island living, and Weird Mystery, then the rest of the season isn't going to do a ton to change your mind.

I had the opposite reaction when I FINALLY downloaded the first season 2 weeks ago. I watched them all over the course of the weekend. Totally hooked.

Excellent writing, direction and the character developement is very very good. Zeus.. well he's entitled to his opinion but he definately doesn't have the same one as the majority.

the Gray wrote:I had the opposite reaction when I FINALLY downloaded the first season 2 weeks ago. I watched them all over the course of the weekend. Totally hooked.

Excellent writing, direction and the character developement is very very good. Zeus.. well he's entitled to his opinion but he definately doesn't have the same one as the majority.

Well, I'm glad ya like it, Gray. Did you watch the first episode from Season 2?

the Gray wrote:I had the opposite reaction when I FINALLY downloaded the first season 2 weeks ago. I watched them all over the course of the weekend. Totally hooked.

Excellent writing, direction and the character developement is very very good. Zeus.. well he's entitled to his opinion but he definately doesn't have the same one as the majority.

After 16 eps, there was just enough real story to keep me going to the end. I'm up to 22 now and still the same frustrations. Nothing's changed. Too bad. They're already up to the 3rd background stories for the main characters for cryin' out loud. Now, IMO, this works when you actually have plot movement and use the background to give it depth (see Nartuo), but it grates at my sanity when it IS the show.

I want to see where they're going and there's nothing else for me to watch right now (already burned through all my DVD box sets), so this somewhat fills the void. But if there was anything else on right now, I would have given up. Maybe I'll just try and play an RPG instead....

"Same as majority" is not necessarily a good thing. The "majority" of people loved Titanic, as did I, yet it's vilified here and by most nerds. The "majority" of people watch Crapias, Shitvivor, CShitI, and The Assprentice, but that doesn't make them good shows.

Tort was right, the show didn't change my mind at all. It's basically an adult Lord of the Flies, a book I was equally as disappointed in. This show was quite obviously designed to appeal to women since they are the force that drives network TV (trust me on this one). I just have nothing better to do with 2 hours a night right now. Jays are out of contention, football is only once a week, hockey hasn't started yet, Naruto is only 20 minutes a week and is in filler that's getting old quick, I'm too tired to read or play games (getting used to the commute and waking up early again after 2 months off to study), and my wife watches about 85 shows a week, so she's always busy from about 8-11pm basically every night of the week.

Sadly, this is what I have left, watching a show that is clearly disappointing just to kill time. One of these days I'm might edit down the first season into about 4 hours, I think it would work out beautifully that way and would be a much better show.

God, I need to move work closer to home so I have a life again......

Zeus wrote:This show was quite obviously designed to appeal to women since they are the force that drives network TV (trust me on this one).

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Yes. The women drive network TV. That's why the networks fall all over themselves to grab the male 18-34 demographic.

I suppose, though, that a show that actually focuses on character depth is for women, though.

Man. Too damn funny. Thanks for the laughs.

Tortolia wrote:

Zeus wrote:This show was quite obviously designed to appeal to women since they are the force that drives network TV (trust me on this one).

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Yes. The women drive network TV. That's why the networks fall all over themselves to grab the male 18-34 demographic.

I suppose, though, that a show that actually focuses on character depth is for women, though.

Man. Too damn funny. Thanks for the laughs.

Look at every show in the top 20 on TV, ALL of them, aside from football, appeal to women. There are more women than men that watch drudge like CSI and Lost. And every single sitcom is directed towards women, aside from the occasional odd one on Fox (like Married With Children or Arrested Development).

Yeah, I guess you're right. I DESPISE all character depth shows, which explains my love for a lot of HBO dramas. Sorry, my mistake.

The networks are TRYING to regain the male 18-34 demographic. YOu're thinking of movies, where men are the driving force, mostly the teens to late 20's demographic. For TV, it's women all the way. They lost a great deal of them to cable TV and videogames. Shows that directly appeal to them can do well, but rarely crack the top 20. I believe 24 cracked it last year and even though I love that show and it's geared more towards men, I"m sure there are just as many women that watch it.

Glad I gave you a good laugh, even if the reasons were erroneous

Worst. Taste. Ever.

Black Lotus wrote:Worst. Taste. Ever.

If we all listed our fav shows/movies/games, most of you would have at least 80% similarities with me. Period.