The X-Files
Feb. 19th, 2016 10:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightSo, I've been watching the new series of The X-Files, and mostly enjoying it. Older, careworn Mulder and Scully quite appeal to me, and I like the new dynamic between them. It's also somewhat of a marvel that Mitch Pileggi, as Skinner, doesn't seem to have aged at all.
However, I watched episode 5 last night, and I didn't like it. Didn't like it one bit. I don't know what they were trying to do there, and it's not as if sections of the plot weren't, sadly, quite plausible, but the whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth.
In fact, yeurch!
Spoilers for ep 5 behind cut.
My dislike is founded on the all-too often repeated TV cliche about how, okay not all Muslims are terrorists, but the ones who aren't don't make good telly, so let's just show the ones who want to blow us up and kill us (who everyone in the TV/movie industry (hell, maybe not?) might even agree are only a minority, but showing the others would just be boring, so let's just reinforce everyone's prejudices yet again, shall we?).
I don't have an answer to how you present a more balanced view in such a context, btw. Events have shown us that there are plenty of people willing to do what the actual and would-be suicide bombers do in this episode, but there's no subtlety (because no, I don't call bringing in some woman in a headscarf who didn't even look to be from the same ethnic background as her supposed repentant terrorist son to weep and wail over him and say he was such a good boy, balance. I ended up finding the episode almost unwatchable, just like Homeland rapidly became unwatchable for me. It's just all so hamfisted.
Yeurch again.
However, I watched episode 5 last night, and I didn't like it. Didn't like it one bit. I don't know what they were trying to do there, and it's not as if sections of the plot weren't, sadly, quite plausible, but the whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth.
In fact, yeurch!
Spoilers for ep 5 behind cut.
My dislike is founded on the all-too often repeated TV cliche about how, okay not all Muslims are terrorists, but the ones who aren't don't make good telly, so let's just show the ones who want to blow us up and kill us (who everyone in the TV/movie industry (hell, maybe not?) might even agree are only a minority, but showing the others would just be boring, so let's just reinforce everyone's prejudices yet again, shall we?).
I don't have an answer to how you present a more balanced view in such a context, btw. Events have shown us that there are plenty of people willing to do what the actual and would-be suicide bombers do in this episode, but there's no subtlety (because no, I don't call bringing in some woman in a headscarf who didn't even look to be from the same ethnic background as her supposed repentant terrorist son to weep and wail over him and say he was such a good boy, balance. I ended up finding the episode almost unwatchable, just like Homeland rapidly became unwatchable for me. It's just all so hamfisted.
Yeurch again.
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Date: 2016-02-19 12:45 pm (UTC)Sorry, LJ decided to post this for me long before I was finished. *rolls eyes*
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Date: 2016-02-19 03:01 pm (UTC)I daresay the program makers would claim their take on Muslims was balanced by the racist nurse who tried to kill the dying terrorist, but I don't agree. It was a mess. They should be ashamed of themselves - especially as the whole episode was full of ridiculous comedy - the younger versions of Mulder and Scully, the magic mushroom trip that wasn't etc, etc.
Meh! And yeurch! again.