Latest eps of Misfits, True Blood etc

[shapinglight]

Have to admit, this is a bit of a writing avoidance post. I should be revising my noel_of_spike story (you know, the one where I couldn't write the sex scene and then decided the sex scene was the only good bit?) but it's really hard to make myself get on with it. Still suffering from a bit of a long, dark night of the soul where writing's concerned, and currently don't know what will shake me out of it.

So anyway, I thought I would make a post about Thursday's ep of Misfits and Wednesday's of True Blood. Still on season 1 of the latter, btw, so please don't spoiler me for anything. And of course spoilers within.



Must admit, I like True Blood more and more with every episode. Okay, it's campy and gothic and OTT and Bill is a bit boring (though I like him more than I did), but it's still great fun, with terrific production values and a wonderful soundtrack (which would be my cue to cross my fingers and hope that the BBC won't ruin Being Human by sticking it with an OTT orchestral score the way they do DW and Torchwood). I really enjoyed the last episode I watched, which was the one where Jason and his creepy girlfriend kidnap Lafayette's V source and Sookie helps Eric and Pam (know who Pam is now, thanks to maharet83) to discover whose been stealing from them. There were some great moments in the ep, and lots of laugh out loud funny moments (my favourite being when the poor bewildered bloke at Merlotte's complimented Tara on her appearance only to get his head bitten off and to ask plaintively if he was being sexist). I think I've sort of fallen in love with this show. Even if it doesn't address any 'deep' issues, I just like it, and I like lots of the characters.

Then there's Misfits, which probably very few people on my flist have actually seen. Ep 3, though it didn't leave me feeling vaguely repulsed, as ep 2 did, still contained some very troubling material. This was all to do with Alisha and her so-called superpower, which is basically to make every man she touches desperate to have sex with her (or the power to get raped, as you could also see it). I'd been worried about where the show was going with this story right from the first episode, and now it's been dealt with (because I think ep 3 was the Alisha episode), I'm still not quite sure what to think. There are some very troubling elements to the storyline, obviously, in that in this ep, Alisha wanted Curtis, but the only way she could get him was by touching him. And when he came out from under her 'fluence and realised what he'd done, he was the one who felt violated. Of course, the show didn't ignore the other all too likely result of Alisha's power, when she was assaulted by both Curtis and the charity worker (let's call him Kumbaya Bloke) because she touched them by accident and only escaped by kicking Kumbaya Bloke in the head.

Thing is, Curtis is right, of course. Alisha does have problems. She seems to have a desperate need for validation of her attractiveness to men. However, it's almost as if her power is punishing her for this by showing her how empty it is, and unless the other Misfits' powers are treated in a similar way, it'll leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.

We'll see. It is still interesting, and I shall be watching till the end, if only because I like Kelly the chav so much.

Comments

[liliaeth]

Well I don't know, I'd say that the invisible kid's powers are also treated as if they come right from his personality (and for the love of God, I just can't remember his name right this second). Even Curtis' power is basically a part of his desire to turn back his mistake and make things right again.

Not sure yet how this works with Kelly though.

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're still enjoying True Blood. I love the soundtrack and even bought an album of CC Adcock which is brilliant.

[whichclothes.livejournal.com]

I agree-there's nothing deep about True Blood but it's a lot of fun. And HBO has put money into making it look (and sound) really good. Even my hubby likes it. :-)

[quinara]

unless the other Misfits' powers are treated in a similar way, it'll leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Mm. *nods* There have been brief touches of the others' powers being both good and bad, I think (though I can't remember entirely what Kelly's boyfriend was thinking) and the trailer for Curtis' episode seemed to imply his episode is going to be a bit like that too, but it's not really the same.

For me, that bit in the car seemed a lot like rape scenes can often come across in fic - weird and so out-of-the-blue that they don't really make sense. And that's possibly realistic, it just makes for a very odd plot point. Although, a lot of the Alisha/Curtis stuff seemed quite inorganic to me (at least in this episode), so I don't know.

Also really not sure about the Kelly/Nathan UST they seem to be trying to create.

[shapinglight]

(and for the love of God, I just can't remember his name right this second).

Neither can I, which is ironic, given that his power of invisibility seems to include making people forget he even exists when he's invisible.

I don't know how it works with Kelly yet either, though you're right that Curtis's power includes a big element of wish-fulfilment too. Can't think that's what's at the root of the whole power thing, though. I don't think the poor probation worker wanted to be a monster, and surely invisible boy would have wanted people to notice him more, not less.

Hmm.

[shapinglight]

CC Adcock? Is that the bloke who sings the title track?

I do like True Blood very much indeed. Can't wait to see season 2 (erm, not that I've seen all of season 1 yet).

[shapinglight]

And HBO has put money into making it look (and sound) really good.

They always do, of course, but it's not just that. The characters are engaging and the scripts are witty. Without that, it would just be a deep south version of Twilight. As it is, it seems more like an ironic commentary on Twilight in a way.

Also, I like that the vampires have a worked out society and that they really do seem like another species. That wasn't so in the Buffyverse, because for a start, Joss wasn't interested in the vampire characters, and when they did intrude, he had specific roles for them to fulfill and the ones who became characters rather than just disposable monsters just seemed like not terribly nice humans most of the time.

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

No, that's Jace Everett, but I have his album too, lol. CC Adcock you'll see actually perfoming in the show, but I don't remember if it is in season 1 or 2, but they also sung this on the soundtrack and I LOVE it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-4q6FMtwEU

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

The man who sings the True Blood "theme song" is Jace Everett .

I think I've sort of fallen in love with this show. Even if it doesn't address any 'deep' issues, I just like it, and I like lots of the characters.

I think you'll find Season Two even more fun although Eddie (the kidnapped vamp) will have some excellent scenes with Jason this Season.

[shapinglight]

There have been brief touches of the others' powers being both good and bad, I think (though I can't remember entirely what Kelly's boyfriend was thinking)

Heh! The thing I remember most about that scene is that Kelly's boyfriend's thoughts weren't that different from Kelly's dog's thoughts.

and the trailer for Curtis' episode seemed to imply his episode is going to be a bit like that too, but it's not really the same.

No, not really, though it could well end up with all the powers being examples of 'be careful what you wish for,' as lilaeth points out above. Though so far, Kelly doesn't seem to fit the pattern at all.

Although, a lot of the Alisha/Curtis stuff seemed quite inorganic to me (at least in this episode), so I don't know.

Do you mean the fact that he was attracted to her all the time and didn't say? Must admit, I thought he fancied her, but him admitting that she didn't need to use her powers on him because he was 'already there', which implies a lot more than physical attraction, did seem to come a bit out of nowhere. I did think the episode was interesting in the way it showed Curtis's reaction to discovering he'd been made to have sex against his will (sort of like reverse date rape), but since he and Kumbaya Bloke still had the physical strength in the relationship, it was only interesting as an idea.

It's one of those things where you wonder if the writers have really thought it through.

Also really not sure about the Kelly/Nathan UST they seem to be trying to create.

No, me neither, though Nathan has been nicer to everyone except Invisible Boy since he sorted things out with his mum.

[shapinglight]

although Eddie (the kidnapped vamp) will have some excellent scenes with Jason this Season.

That's good. Must admit, I've got quite fond of Jason. He's such an idiot that he brings out the mum in me.

And I must get some True Blood icons. This ep was the one where Bill comes home and finds Erik naked in his bath. Quite enjoyed that scene, I must say.

[deborahw37.livejournal.com]

I'm loving True Blood and have started reading the books which are really rather well written and very engaging.

[shapinglight]

Yes, there's been some great music, I agree. Maybe I should buy a soundtrack album? There probably is one. I have one for The Wire and I play it over and over.

[shapinglight]

I thought of picking one up in Smith's the other day, but then I remembered being told that certain aspects of the books have been changed in the show, and since I enjoy those changes so much, I decided against it.

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I highly rec the soundtrack album. It's got some fantastic songs on it!

[deborahw37.livejournal.com]

There are changes but nothing in the books that's jarringly out of synch with the show or vice versa

[shapinglight]

What I was referring to is that from what I was told, in the books Lafayette gets killed off quite early and that Tara is white. Since those two are my favourite characters I thought I would probably miss them if I read the books.

[shapinglight]

Yes, it has. I just had a look.

I added it to my Amazon wishlist.

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Not much left off season one then off True Blood. :-)

[deborahw37.livejournal.com]

Both true

But other characters replace Lafayette and the screen Tara is sort of a composite.

All I can say is that the screen version seems a pretty good adaptation , not a copy but an adaptation

[ex_peasant441]

I'm liking both shows. One of things I like about True Blood is the credit sequence which I think is great.

Misfits is an odd one. The rape stuff was presumably supposed to Mean something but I'm not quite sure what. Their superpowers clearly do come from their personalities - the shy boy becomes invisible like in that BTVS episode, the tart provokes any man who touches her, the runner can turn back time. Kelly is presumably because she pisses everyone off by not being understanding, so knowing what they are thinking is the reverse of that. The old woman became young again, the girl will hair loss makes folk bald etc. I'm trying to work out what Nathan's superpower must be. Presumably something to do with his gift of the gab.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

I must get some True Blood icons

Try here and here .

[quinara]

Must admit, I thought he fancied her, but him admitting that she didn't need to use her powers on him because he was 'already there', which implies a lot more than physical attraction, did seem to come a bit out of nowhere.

That was it, basically - he's clearly always fancied her, but he seemed to go from 'fancying her but wanting to keep away because she seemed like a bit of a maneater' to 'admiring the special messed-up-ness of her soul and wanting to make it work between them whatever'. It was a leap to say the least!

Nathan has been nicer to everyone except Invisible Boy since he sorted things out with his mum.

Ish. He still seems to take every opportunity to be abrasive and rude.

[shapinglight]

Thanks, Petzi. :)

[whichclothes.livejournal.com]

The characters are engaging and the scripts are witty. Without that, it would just be a deep south version of Twilight. As it is, it seems more like an ironic commentary on Twilight in a way.
True! I like the way it makes fun of the south and small towns without being too mean about it. S2 has some wonderful digs on religion and morality.

True Blood's vamp society is definitely more well-realized than in the Buffyverse, and without all the junk about souls being the key to vampire goodness.