Surprising revelations or perhaps not.
Mar. 18th, 2007 07:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
clo_againOh Jeremy. If you'd told me a year ago that I'd have a soft spot for Jeremy Clarkson, I'd have laughed at you. A lot. Jeremy Clarkson was someone I liked for the snark and the fact that he insulted absolutely everyone. I didn't get the urge to give him a hug very often, simply because I didn't think he needed one. When he was in a bad mood, I assumed his way of feeling better was simply to eat the person who irritated him. It was only when I read his books, where he talks about his pet donkeys and his terrible attempts at fishing among many other things, that I started to think underneath the bearlike attitude, he was a bit of a softie.
And, when I read the bit where he talks about punching Piers Morgan, I started to see why (because it'd always been something that stuck in my head: he actually punched someone? It didn't fit the softie image -- until I was reading his complaints about how much it hurt his hand and the way he's so frank about it.) But it was only when I watched the Comic Relief The Apprentice special this week and actually saw Piers Morgan for the first time, that I came down totally and utterly on Jeremy's side. Because Piers Morgan really is an obnoxious git who should, from what I've seen, be punched on a daily basis for the good of humanity.
So, good job Jeremy. You've been added to the list of people I will hug any time, any place, with the slightest justification or even none at all.
On a completely different topic, I feel up to talking about Primeval now I've seen the finale last night. It's in no way a perfect show; they mishandle character stuff sometimes, in favour of showy special effects -- like, I didn't really feel Connor's heartbreak over Tom because their relationship wasn't built up enough and his angst over the situation was given the bare minimum of screentime during the episode. They also desperately needed to cut away to a different scene for that conversation between Cutter and Connor about Connor wanting to quit because god, it's how it's done. There wasn't nearly the time and space given to let the impact of Tom's death sink in and it ruined that scene for me. I don't care how tight filming constraints were (and the behind the scenes thing I watched earlier said they were tight), everyone needed a scene switch to make that conversation matter more, instead of being a knee-jerk reaction from Connor. Things like that piss me off, because it would've been so utterly simple to solve, to even *think* of and they screwed up the impact of what should've been -- and was, up until that conversation -- a fantastic scene.
Not to mention Cutter/Claudia, because what the fuck? I'm sorry but no matter how much they wanted to set it up to give the final twist more impact, it was an unbelievable plotlone, given no back-up and totally out of character for the way I see Cutter. He's still half in love with a woman who's spent eight years living with dinosaurs and managed to not get eaten, who is independent and tough and smart. There is no way I buy him falling for a government employee who whines constantly and runs shrieking away from a pterodactyl. Cutter has more chemistry with bloody Connor (though if you ask me, it's Cutter/Stephen that's the canon. Not helped by SFX's observation that Stephen seems to be a male model Cutter pays to hang around and pretend to be useful. I'm only just resisting going in search of fic, if only because I'm afraid of the quality of it for a pre-watershed 'family' show.)
Speaking of Stephen, I really, really, really wanted him to go with Helen in last night's episode, when she 'revealed' the affair. Stephen's been a strange character since the beginning, withdrawn but quietly competent and I would've loved to see him go over to the 'other side' and get a chance to show a little more angst and emotion. It would've also cut the group down nicely along with Claudia's disappearance, since I think they've been juggling a few too many characters and the show's suffered for it. The only downside I can see is that it might've got him less screentime and he's my favourite character in the prettiness department. (I was vaguely disturbed to realise, at my mother saying she preferred Connor, that I'd gone for the 'older' man while she wanted the young student. Um. Yeah. What does that say?
... On second thoughts, don't answer that.)
I do love Stephen though, for the shallow reason that he is pretty and the less-shallow one that he's a pretty cool guy who can track animals, is a nifty shot with the trank gun and has Inner Torment in Interesting and Angstful Ways. It sucks that his most interesting character moment didn't come until the last episode. Especially when word on the next series suggests it won't be aired until next February. Christ, how am I supposed to wait that long? Six episodes is a sucky length for a series. Especially when they've bumped the second series to an oh-so-not-awesome *seven* episodes. God British tv. If it runs for another four series, we might even hit ten episodes. Shocking thought. If you'd given it a few more episodes, I might've been persuaded to like Cutter/Claudia more and Abby could've at least kissed Connor once. Hey, I wonder what Abby's reaction to Stephen's affair with Helen will be? Dammit. This is why waiting a year for another paltry few episodes is incredibly annoying.
But regardless, kudos to ITV for going with such a different series and, for the most part, pulling it off well. It got me looking forward to Saturdays and now to next February.
Oh and I do love Helen Cutter. She's selfish, snarky, manipulative and I'm inclined to think Claudia's disappearance might just be her fault. She's fantastic. I love Stephen for the pretty and quiet angst; I love Helen for the sheer beauty of her mysterious-semi-evilness. I sat up and paid attention every time she showed up onscreen. If she's killed -- directly or indirectly, as in by leaving a raw steak under her bed and pointing a t-rex in the right direction -- Claudia, my love for her as a character will reach new levels of high.
It's very tempting to go looking for (or even write) fic but I have a dissertation to write that I've done no work on this weekend. Must. Resist. Even if Pandora is playing me inspiring songs.
Snow did not stick = sadness. Back in Lancaster tomorrow = awesome.
edit: Scratch that. Reverse it. Just looked out the window for the first time in a few hours... and it's snowing again. And sticking.
:D
And, when I read the bit where he talks about punching Piers Morgan, I started to see why (because it'd always been something that stuck in my head: he actually punched someone? It didn't fit the softie image -- until I was reading his complaints about how much it hurt his hand and the way he's so frank about it.) But it was only when I watched the Comic Relief The Apprentice special this week and actually saw Piers Morgan for the first time, that I came down totally and utterly on Jeremy's side. Because Piers Morgan really is an obnoxious git who should, from what I've seen, be punched on a daily basis for the good of humanity.
So, good job Jeremy. You've been added to the list of people I will hug any time, any place, with the slightest justification or even none at all.
On a completely different topic, I feel up to talking about Primeval now I've seen the finale last night. It's in no way a perfect show; they mishandle character stuff sometimes, in favour of showy special effects -- like, I didn't really feel Connor's heartbreak over Tom because their relationship wasn't built up enough and his angst over the situation was given the bare minimum of screentime during the episode. They also desperately needed to cut away to a different scene for that conversation between Cutter and Connor about Connor wanting to quit because god, it's how it's done. There wasn't nearly the time and space given to let the impact of Tom's death sink in and it ruined that scene for me. I don't care how tight filming constraints were (and the behind the scenes thing I watched earlier said they were tight), everyone needed a scene switch to make that conversation matter more, instead of being a knee-jerk reaction from Connor. Things like that piss me off, because it would've been so utterly simple to solve, to even *think* of and they screwed up the impact of what should've been -- and was, up until that conversation -- a fantastic scene.
Not to mention Cutter/Claudia, because what the fuck? I'm sorry but no matter how much they wanted to set it up to give the final twist more impact, it was an unbelievable plotlone, given no back-up and totally out of character for the way I see Cutter. He's still half in love with a woman who's spent eight years living with dinosaurs and managed to not get eaten, who is independent and tough and smart. There is no way I buy him falling for a government employee who whines constantly and runs shrieking away from a pterodactyl. Cutter has more chemistry with bloody Connor (though if you ask me, it's Cutter/Stephen that's the canon. Not helped by SFX's observation that Stephen seems to be a male model Cutter pays to hang around and pretend to be useful. I'm only just resisting going in search of fic, if only because I'm afraid of the quality of it for a pre-watershed 'family' show.)
Speaking of Stephen, I really, really, really wanted him to go with Helen in last night's episode, when she 'revealed' the affair. Stephen's been a strange character since the beginning, withdrawn but quietly competent and I would've loved to see him go over to the 'other side' and get a chance to show a little more angst and emotion. It would've also cut the group down nicely along with Claudia's disappearance, since I think they've been juggling a few too many characters and the show's suffered for it. The only downside I can see is that it might've got him less screentime and he's my favourite character in the prettiness department. (I was vaguely disturbed to realise, at my mother saying she preferred Connor, that I'd gone for the 'older' man while she wanted the young student. Um. Yeah. What does that say?
... On second thoughts, don't answer that.)
I do love Stephen though, for the shallow reason that he is pretty and the less-shallow one that he's a pretty cool guy who can track animals, is a nifty shot with the trank gun and has Inner Torment in Interesting and Angstful Ways. It sucks that his most interesting character moment didn't come until the last episode. Especially when word on the next series suggests it won't be aired until next February. Christ, how am I supposed to wait that long? Six episodes is a sucky length for a series. Especially when they've bumped the second series to an oh-so-not-awesome *seven* episodes. God British tv. If it runs for another four series, we might even hit ten episodes. Shocking thought. If you'd given it a few more episodes, I might've been persuaded to like Cutter/Claudia more and Abby could've at least kissed Connor once. Hey, I wonder what Abby's reaction to Stephen's affair with Helen will be? Dammit. This is why waiting a year for another paltry few episodes is incredibly annoying.
But regardless, kudos to ITV for going with such a different series and, for the most part, pulling it off well. It got me looking forward to Saturdays and now to next February.
Oh and I do love Helen Cutter. She's selfish, snarky, manipulative and I'm inclined to think Claudia's disappearance might just be her fault. She's fantastic. I love Stephen for the pretty and quiet angst; I love Helen for the sheer beauty of her mysterious-semi-evilness. I sat up and paid attention every time she showed up onscreen. If she's killed -- directly or indirectly, as in by leaving a raw steak under her bed and pointing a t-rex in the right direction -- Claudia, my love for her as a character will reach new levels of high.
It's very tempting to go looking for (or even write) fic but I have a dissertation to write that I've done no work on this weekend. Must. Resist. Even if Pandora is playing me inspiring songs.
Snow did not stick = sadness. Back in Lancaster tomorrow = awesome.
edit: Scratch that. Reverse it. Just looked out the window for the first time in a few hours... and it's snowing again. And sticking.
:D
