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Apr. 4th, 2011 12:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsIn a combined binge from last weekend and this one, we zoomed through seasons 3-5 of Press Gang (to be fair, they are only six episodes each; 18 episodes over two weekends is not all that ridiculous, right?) and now I am done!
I do think that season two was the high point of the show; the longer season allowed them to do more with the characters, while parts of the later seasons feel a bit like they return to circle the same issues without moving on from them. (I think the low point was the end of season four, just because I am not a fan of the "Spike and Lynda are identical to Spike's parents" plot point. Similar, yes, that could be interesting to work with, but it's too on-the-nose, and also I do think it's a bit of creepy when the same person plays a character's love interests AND HIS FLASHBACK MOM.
That being said, I want all the fanfic for Future!Sarah and her five almost-dead besotted journalist fiances. ALL OF IT. RIGHT NOW.)
I also think that the show suffers a bit from actor attrition in the later seasons - and not just because I love Kenny, although obviously I do and I think the dynamic is gets very unbalanced without him. But from the end of season two on there is also almost nothing of Tiddler, Billy, or any of the adult supporting cast members; there's no Sam or Julie in season 3, Kenny's gone in season 4, Julie comes back into full prominence in season 5 but by that point Sarah's leaving and she's carrying the narrative weight of Kenny AND Sarah AND Tiddler AND Sam, and as a whole the show just feels much less like an ensemble piece and more like a show about Lynda, Lynda/Spike, and Occasionally Colin. And I love Lynda, and I love Lynda and Spike, and I love Colin too, though I don't love all of the insecurity they dumped on him in later seasons because I think irrepressible confidence works for him much better, but - they're All Dramatics All the Time, and you need foils. You need the newsroom ensemble.
(And I am sorry, Spike, I love you, but Kenny did a much better job as Lynda's voice of conscience.)
Which is not to say I didn't enjoy the later seasons! Because I did, and there are some truly brilliant moments, and I loved every single time Lynda and/or the newsroom was in VERY DRAMATIC DANGER (the gunman episode! Predictable and yet SO WONDERFUL) and also I want all the Fraz-centric episodes ever. But season 2 is what I'll rewatch.
Other thoughts: we have decided that season 3 makes perfect sense if you fanwank a few very simple things:
1. In this universe, America is basically right across the Channel from England. It's a thirty-dollar half-hour flight to get there, or you can take the Chunnel!
2. In this universe, getting a passport is really easy. It's like popping around to the store to pick up some milk.
3. In this universe, Ireland is in Australia. Or possibly the other way around.
I do think that season two was the high point of the show; the longer season allowed them to do more with the characters, while parts of the later seasons feel a bit like they return to circle the same issues without moving on from them. (I think the low point was the end of season four, just because I am not a fan of the "Spike and Lynda are identical to Spike's parents" plot point. Similar, yes, that could be interesting to work with, but it's too on-the-nose, and also I do think it's a bit of creepy when the same person plays a character's love interests AND HIS FLASHBACK MOM.
That being said, I want all the fanfic for Future!Sarah and her five almost-dead besotted journalist fiances. ALL OF IT. RIGHT NOW.)
I also think that the show suffers a bit from actor attrition in the later seasons - and not just because I love Kenny, although obviously I do and I think the dynamic is gets very unbalanced without him. But from the end of season two on there is also almost nothing of Tiddler, Billy, or any of the adult supporting cast members; there's no Sam or Julie in season 3, Kenny's gone in season 4, Julie comes back into full prominence in season 5 but by that point Sarah's leaving and she's carrying the narrative weight of Kenny AND Sarah AND Tiddler AND Sam, and as a whole the show just feels much less like an ensemble piece and more like a show about Lynda, Lynda/Spike, and Occasionally Colin. And I love Lynda, and I love Lynda and Spike, and I love Colin too, though I don't love all of the insecurity they dumped on him in later seasons because I think irrepressible confidence works for him much better, but - they're All Dramatics All the Time, and you need foils. You need the newsroom ensemble.
(And I am sorry, Spike, I love you, but Kenny did a much better job as Lynda's voice of conscience.)
Which is not to say I didn't enjoy the later seasons! Because I did, and there are some truly brilliant moments, and I loved every single time Lynda and/or the newsroom was in VERY DRAMATIC DANGER (the gunman episode! Predictable and yet SO WONDERFUL) and also I want all the Fraz-centric episodes ever. But season 2 is what I'll rewatch.
Other thoughts: we have decided that season 3 makes perfect sense if you fanwank a few very simple things:
1. In this universe, America is basically right across the Channel from England. It's a thirty-dollar half-hour flight to get there, or you can take the Chunnel!
2. In this universe, getting a passport is really easy. It's like popping around to the store to pick up some milk.
3. In this universe, Ireland is in Australia. Or possibly the other way around.
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Date: 2011-04-05 08:10 pm (UTC)I found the whole Spike-is-dating-his-mom angle fairly hilarious, truth be told. Indeed, I think it calls for a certain DW icon. *points*
The Colonel X episode is even better for me now that I've seen Doctor Who, since it's pretty much the Moff working out his own fanboy embarrassment. (Between that ep and the portrayal of Amy Pond, I think Moff is very rare as a scriptwriter in that he actually makes the fan someone to identify with.) But my favourite later-seasons ep is still Bad News, for that beautiful initial smackdown. Lynda smackdowns (smacksdown?) like no one else. <3 4-ever.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-05 08:40 pm (UTC)I think it hit the whole thing too hard, for me - I'd be okay with it as a one-off joke or something, but as a whole episode belaboring how they are identical, it was too much! Lulziness of terrible wigs or not.
Not only is the Colonel X episode wonderfully geeky, but it's Fraz-centric! You can never have too much Fraz. "Bad News" is ALSO hilarious. (But again I miss Kenny's face. KENNY. Your reaction would have been so hilarious!)
no subject
Date: 2011-04-06 05:52 pm (UTC)I didn't enjoy the flashback scene all that much, but I loved the scene where Lynda and Katherine are both insulting people on the phone. Though possibly, that may just be because I love insults. :-)
And yeah, there's a pretty noticeable Kenny-shaped hole in the later seasons, though I love that it's at least acknowledged.
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Date: 2011-04-06 05:59 pm (UTC)I am also EXTRA DISAPPOINTED that we never see Kenny's future in the guardian angel episode.
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Date: 2011-04-06 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-06 06:09 pm (UTC). . . Jane as a Slayer is a concept of INFINITE BEAUTY oh man. *____* Is there a link to this?
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Date: 2011-04-06 06:21 pm (UTC)As for my multicrossover... Um. It's quite old, and only up on ff.net these days, where the formatting is a bit wonky. So, you know, not up to my usual standard. Still, it's here: Four Horsemen for Seven Slayers (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1922382/1/Four_Horsemen_for_Seven_Slayers)
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Date: 2011-04-06 06:23 pm (UTC)I will read it tonight! I AM EXCITE.
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Date: 2011-04-06 06:30 pm (UTC)And oh dear... :-)
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Date: 2011-04-06 06:41 pm (UTC)