The spoiler thing
Mar. 29th, 2011 07:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightI was thinking about spoilers today. It's a funny thing.
Spoilers within for the eps of SPN (season 1 ep3) and The Good Wife (latter third of season 1) I watched today, and please don't spoiler me for anything further.
Basically, I'm a spoilerphobe, unless I care so much about something that I need to know what happens in order to be able to keep watching.
So far, that's only happened to me once, which was during BtVS season 6. Once we got wind of the AR (which was way earlier in the season than you might think, perhaps when the last but one block of eps - the one that finishes with Normal Again was airing), I knew that from then on I would be spoilered. I hung on to every tiny tidbit that came our way (by our, I mean the Redemptionist side of the fandom), hoping to learn that there'd been a mistake, or Joss had changed his mind, or the person providing the spoilers had exaggerated - whatever. Then, when the AR happened and it was even worse than I feared (though still not as bad as it could have been), I became a full-blown spoilerwhore. Spent the summer once again desperate for spoilers - it was so important to me that Spike should have actively wanted a soul - and after that I had to know beforehand what was going to happen to him right till the end of NFA. Otherwise, I couldn't bring myself to watch.
So far, no other show - not even AtS when Spike wasn't in it - has made me feel that way. In fact, I don't like spoilers at all. They make me quite grumpy. For instance, I've now been so spoilered (inadvertently, but still) for the second season of Dollhouse that I feel like I can't be bothered actually watching it. I already know what all Joss's gotchas! are going to be, so basically what is the point?
One way I can tell whether I really like a show or not is how I feel about spoilers. The more I like it, the less I want them except in the very vaguest terms. Today, I made the mistake of reading the episode summaries on the DVD case for the remaining episodes of The Good Wife season 1- they're only summaries, I thought, the sort of thing you'd find in a TV programming book - only to find they were much, much more spoilery than I like. I feel quite cross now that I already know who is going to win the contest between the Sainted!Alicia and Cary. Buggerit!
As for SPN, I don't know as yet how I stand on that. I don't like it that much (yet), but I also don't want spoilers. That said, I did read the episode summaries on that DVD case and I'm glad I have. If some demon is going to leap out of a mirror and gouge people's eyes out, or someone is going to get their brain eaten by demon worms, I want to know about it, thank you very much, so I can look away now.
The ep I watched today was the one about the drowned boy in the lake, with Amy Acker guest starring. She didn't have much to do except get rescued, much like when she was Fred really. I didn't think it was a very good ep. The plot didn't make much sense to me, but oh well. Early days.
Spoilers within for the eps of SPN (season 1 ep3) and The Good Wife (latter third of season 1) I watched today, and please don't spoiler me for anything further.
Basically, I'm a spoilerphobe, unless I care so much about something that I need to know what happens in order to be able to keep watching.
So far, that's only happened to me once, which was during BtVS season 6. Once we got wind of the AR (which was way earlier in the season than you might think, perhaps when the last but one block of eps - the one that finishes with Normal Again was airing), I knew that from then on I would be spoilered. I hung on to every tiny tidbit that came our way (by our, I mean the Redemptionist side of the fandom), hoping to learn that there'd been a mistake, or Joss had changed his mind, or the person providing the spoilers had exaggerated - whatever. Then, when the AR happened and it was even worse than I feared (though still not as bad as it could have been), I became a full-blown spoilerwhore. Spent the summer once again desperate for spoilers - it was so important to me that Spike should have actively wanted a soul - and after that I had to know beforehand what was going to happen to him right till the end of NFA. Otherwise, I couldn't bring myself to watch.
So far, no other show - not even AtS when Spike wasn't in it - has made me feel that way. In fact, I don't like spoilers at all. They make me quite grumpy. For instance, I've now been so spoilered (inadvertently, but still) for the second season of Dollhouse that I feel like I can't be bothered actually watching it. I already know what all Joss's gotchas! are going to be, so basically what is the point?
One way I can tell whether I really like a show or not is how I feel about spoilers. The more I like it, the less I want them except in the very vaguest terms. Today, I made the mistake of reading the episode summaries on the DVD case for the remaining episodes of The Good Wife season 1- they're only summaries, I thought, the sort of thing you'd find in a TV programming book - only to find they were much, much more spoilery than I like. I feel quite cross now that I already know who is going to win the contest between the Sainted!Alicia and Cary. Buggerit!
As for SPN, I don't know as yet how I stand on that. I don't like it that much (yet), but I also don't want spoilers. That said, I did read the episode summaries on that DVD case and I'm glad I have. If some demon is going to leap out of a mirror and gouge people's eyes out, or someone is going to get their brain eaten by demon worms, I want to know about it, thank you very much, so I can look away now.
The ep I watched today was the one about the drowned boy in the lake, with Amy Acker guest starring. She didn't have much to do except get rescued, much like when she was Fred really. I didn't think it was a very good ep. The plot didn't make much sense to me, but oh well. Early days.
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no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 07:18 pm (UTC)I make exceptions for shows such as Chuck, Castle, and Murdoch Mysteries, because I don't see the major 'plot twists' (such as they are) as really being the point of the show.
Dr Who used to annoy me because their marketing dept seemed to think the public needed to be forewarned about upcoming spoilers in case we were surprised. What's the point in sitting through a 40 minute episode in which the big surprise is that 'the daleks are behind it all! oh noes!', if the TV Times prints a big photo of them on this week's cover?
Supernatural - well. I've been good and spoiled for most of it. But then, I'm not watching it for the plot twists ;-D
no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 08:15 pm (UTC)Heh. I think it means that if a show is really fantastic, it can't be ruined by spoilers. Good stories should work EVERY time, not just the first time. If it's not compelling enough without the shock factor, then it's probably not a great story to begin with, and the shocking twist is an attempt to disguise lackluster character development or emotional resonance.
I don't mind knowing the plot twists, but I do prefer not to be spoiled, mostly so I don't have any preconceptions about whether the plot twist is good or bad. A lot of times, it depends on the execution, and I'd rather go into it with an open mind than be thinking, "Oh, man, this is gonna suck."
no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 04:17 pm (UTC)Well, in my case, I'm only inclined to rewatch if I've really enjoyed something. If that's the case, I'm not too bothered if I know what happens. I derive my enjoyment from other aspects of the show.
I know what you mean about Doctor Who - a bad case of think of the children! there, I fear. And the Radio Times is particularly bad about spoilers.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 07:26 pm (UTC)I think my spoiler-whoring for "Buffy" really ruined my enjoyment of the show (although I did meet some fabulous fans thanks to it!) and I avoided them for "Angel" but then someone on my f-list spoiled me for Wesley's fate. I was pretty upset about that, but just knowing the actual spoiler didn't change how much I loved the episode. Then there's re-watching which I tend to do quite often, so if something's really good, I guess it stands up to my knowing the plot. (And now I'm about to see "Game of Thrones" where I know the plot really well, so it will ALL be about how they transferred it to screen, so I don't know whether I'm spoiled or not, really :P)
ETA: I just had an essay published that mentions Spike, so I thought you might be interested: http://bit.ly/fuj5IT
no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 04:09 pm (UTC)I used to do that. These days I try very hard to resist doing it.
Then there's re-watching which I tend to do quite often, so if something's really good, I guess it stands up to my knowing the plot.
I agree. If you've seen something once and really enjoyed it, it won't matter if you know what happens. You'll still want to re-watch it.
Thank you for the link to your essay. I will read it soon.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 08:24 pm (UTC)My suggestion for SPN is that if you aren't much grabbed by the early episodes, skip ahead to Home and watch through Faith (Julie Benz guests), then skip to Something Wicked and watch to the end of S1. If you like where they left the season, go back and watch the other episodes. If you still don't care, don't waste your time.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 04:12 pm (UTC)That's how I feel too, with the one exception of BtVS, which I explained above. Special circumstances, which possibly only arose because it was my first time in online fandom and everything was so intense.
I would love to take your advice re SPN, but unfortunately I'm so anal that I have to begin at the beginning and watch everything, even if it's bad or I don't really like it. :( I watched Skin today, which was the worst episode yet. So bad, in fact, that I think I shan't say anything more about SPN until I can find something positive to say.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 10:31 pm (UTC)I do try not to give too much away myself, though. Have I said too much?
no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 04:14 pm (UTC)I called myself a spoilerwhore back in my BtVS days. Now I seem to have swung the other way completely. And don't worry about what you've said about The Good Wife (which I adore more and more every day), you haven't said anything really spoilery. I'm just glad to know there are other people on my flist who like it as much as I do.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 04:52 pm (UTC)I was trying to encourage you to keep watching without giving too much away!
no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 05:40 pm (UTC)