Assorted stuffs
Sep. 23rd, 2008 03:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
newnumber6So, didn't quite meet my writing quota. But I did write a story start to finish. IT was actually one I finished before but it really wasn't working for me at all so I decided to chuck it and start from scratch with the same concept but a different main character. I think it works better now... not perfect, maybe I could still do better with another start to finish revamp, but it's good enough that I'll edit it and see how it works for me.
Anyway, one of the major reasons I didn't get my full quota in... my grandmother fell and broke her kneecap. So she was taken to the hospital. I went to see her and of course have been a bit worried, but she's tough for 84 years old. It was a clean break, and she went into surgery the same day (see, Canadian health care's not _so_ bad!), and the surgery went well, but at the moment we're not sure whether she'll be able to go home or have to go to a rehab centre for a while or what. So if you have any spare good thoughts, well, they'd be appreciated.
Tvwise, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles was an improvement this week, but I still don't like Riley.
Watched Heroes and... I dunno, I think I was preparing myself for the worst, and maybe overprepared myself, because I kinda liked it. Oh, it had a fair share of stupidity in it like usual (I blame Loeb. LOOOOOOOOOEB!). But overall it was enjoyable, maybe in part because of the cheese factor. (More spoilery behind cut)
Didn't much care for Nathan's religious revelation, but liked the idea behind who shot him and the whole Future Peter staying in the past and playing around. They do need to watch the overpowering of characters, because you get to a certain point and it just becomes too dumb that they don't win. I mean seriously. Even if Sylar lost all his other powers but TK (which is odd on its own), his fight with Claire should not have lasted that long. They also need to cut down on the time travel and dark futures. And seriously, Future-Claire showing up to shoot him with a gun? Even without the timestop powers that's just dumb. Speaking of dumb, "Hi, you're a trained assassin who's worked with the Company all your life, but you've screwed up a few too many times, and so instead of just giving you another non-critical job where you can't screw up too much but can still be useful, we're just going to throw you out to do your own thing. Try not to become a supervillain or come back for revenge or something, okay? I mean, since you have violent powers, have killed for us before, know a lot of our secrets, and we've horribly abused you your whole life. It just wouldn't be nice. Maybe you can work at Burger King." I mean, hell, try to lock her up, have her escape, SOMETHING, but that was just weak + dumb.
There's also a strange disconnection, which I think is in part due to dropped plotlines. For example, I've heard that they dropped West and a couple other elements of S2... but even if you don't want the actors there, the characters deserve some kind of mention. And Mohinder's all "I don't think I can ever cure your abilities..." Uhm, wasn't the whole plot of S2 involving a virus that prevented Heroes from using their powers (without particularly hurting them?). I mean maybe you don't want to use it or don't know how to replicate it or have general concerns about it, but don't talk like it's impossible, like you've discovered nothing that even hints you _can_. LOEB! They also randomly ship Molly off to a mysterious 'elsewhere'. Hiro inherits control over his father's company and no mention of all about his sister who was supposed to be better at that things. T:SCC had this problem too, with Kansas-girl. Whatever happened to resolving plotlines, instead of just dropping them?
I don't think Whatsername is Nikki at all. Maybe she's Jessica, who wasn't actually killed but just moved/readopted. But since the episode takes place only days after the season 2 finale, it seems unlikely she could get herself established as an aide to a governer since the time she was helping Micah. Or the writers just made a mistake again. With Loeb involved, I can't rule it out.
Anyway, I don't like Mohinder's Power-Granting potion, _unless_ it's only a temporary thing - that is, he (or anyone else without natural powers) has to keep taking the drug to keep working. That would make sense and be cool (since they'd have to harvest power-using subjects adrenal glands for more material, leads to lots of plot complications). But if it's just one-shot injection and you get powers? DUMB AND DO NOT WANT. No way he should have been able to invent that so fast.
Also, way gratuitous product placement there with the "We don't get coverage here in Africa. Should have gone with Sprint." But it was a funny line.
I know I'm complaining a lot because I'm focusing on the bad, but I did quite like it, even if with a healthy use of the cheese factor. There were enough surprises that I was pleased all the way through. No outright painful performances this time around. I was right about Mother Petrelli's powers. And Sylar's parentage (even if it is a bit dumb). Also rather liked the Hiro plot with the speedster (who I suspect also has time manipulation abilities, just has expressed them differently, as 'super speed', much as flight is probably a different expression of telekinesis.) I think if they got rid of Loeb and got a few other good writers, the show could be really good, hold onto the promise of the first year.
Anyway, one of the major reasons I didn't get my full quota in... my grandmother fell and broke her kneecap. So she was taken to the hospital. I went to see her and of course have been a bit worried, but she's tough for 84 years old. It was a clean break, and she went into surgery the same day (see, Canadian health care's not _so_ bad!), and the surgery went well, but at the moment we're not sure whether she'll be able to go home or have to go to a rehab centre for a while or what. So if you have any spare good thoughts, well, they'd be appreciated.
Tvwise, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles was an improvement this week, but I still don't like Riley.
Watched Heroes and... I dunno, I think I was preparing myself for the worst, and maybe overprepared myself, because I kinda liked it. Oh, it had a fair share of stupidity in it like usual (I blame Loeb. LOOOOOOOOOEB!). But overall it was enjoyable, maybe in part because of the cheese factor. (More spoilery behind cut)
Didn't much care for Nathan's religious revelation, but liked the idea behind who shot him and the whole Future Peter staying in the past and playing around. They do need to watch the overpowering of characters, because you get to a certain point and it just becomes too dumb that they don't win. I mean seriously. Even if Sylar lost all his other powers but TK (which is odd on its own), his fight with Claire should not have lasted that long. They also need to cut down on the time travel and dark futures. And seriously, Future-Claire showing up to shoot him with a gun? Even without the timestop powers that's just dumb. Speaking of dumb, "Hi, you're a trained assassin who's worked with the Company all your life, but you've screwed up a few too many times, and so instead of just giving you another non-critical job where you can't screw up too much but can still be useful, we're just going to throw you out to do your own thing. Try not to become a supervillain or come back for revenge or something, okay? I mean, since you have violent powers, have killed for us before, know a lot of our secrets, and we've horribly abused you your whole life. It just wouldn't be nice. Maybe you can work at Burger King." I mean, hell, try to lock her up, have her escape, SOMETHING, but that was just weak + dumb.
There's also a strange disconnection, which I think is in part due to dropped plotlines. For example, I've heard that they dropped West and a couple other elements of S2... but even if you don't want the actors there, the characters deserve some kind of mention. And Mohinder's all "I don't think I can ever cure your abilities..." Uhm, wasn't the whole plot of S2 involving a virus that prevented Heroes from using their powers (without particularly hurting them?). I mean maybe you don't want to use it or don't know how to replicate it or have general concerns about it, but don't talk like it's impossible, like you've discovered nothing that even hints you _can_. LOEB! They also randomly ship Molly off to a mysterious 'elsewhere'. Hiro inherits control over his father's company and no mention of all about his sister who was supposed to be better at that things. T:SCC had this problem too, with Kansas-girl. Whatever happened to resolving plotlines, instead of just dropping them?
I don't think Whatsername is Nikki at all. Maybe she's Jessica, who wasn't actually killed but just moved/readopted. But since the episode takes place only days after the season 2 finale, it seems unlikely she could get herself established as an aide to a governer since the time she was helping Micah. Or the writers just made a mistake again. With Loeb involved, I can't rule it out.
Anyway, I don't like Mohinder's Power-Granting potion, _unless_ it's only a temporary thing - that is, he (or anyone else without natural powers) has to keep taking the drug to keep working. That would make sense and be cool (since they'd have to harvest power-using subjects adrenal glands for more material, leads to lots of plot complications). But if it's just one-shot injection and you get powers? DUMB AND DO NOT WANT. No way he should have been able to invent that so fast.
Also, way gratuitous product placement there with the "We don't get coverage here in Africa. Should have gone with Sprint." But it was a funny line.
I know I'm complaining a lot because I'm focusing on the bad, but I did quite like it, even if with a healthy use of the cheese factor. There were enough surprises that I was pleased all the way through. No outright painful performances this time around. I was right about Mother Petrelli's powers. And Sylar's parentage (even if it is a bit dumb). Also rather liked the Hiro plot with the speedster (who I suspect also has time manipulation abilities, just has expressed them differently, as 'super speed', much as flight is probably a different expression of telekinesis.) I think if they got rid of Loeb and got a few other good writers, the show could be really good, hold onto the promise of the first year.
