Love Meme, Day Thirteen
Aug. 18th, 2016 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianDay 13 - Your favorite television pairing?
-Doctor/Rose from Doctor Who. It was really just the way they worked together -- the humor they shared, the adventures they had together, the heartbreak, the redemptive elements to the Ninth Doctor era when all this was happening...it's just an awesome ship.
-Eric/Donna from That 70s Show. I haven't seen all of it, of course, but from the episodes I've seen, they're adorable together. They really are.
-Miniseries-wise, this is pretty obscure -- Harlan and Gina from the miniseries Golden Years. (It used to be on Netflix, and yes, it's Stephen King-related. I know; one could say I'm obsessed) For those who haven't seen Golden Years , the main character basically gets caught in an accident when he gets hit with radiation that makes him get younger. (Yeah, it's kind of Benjamin Button-ish. Kind of) From there, he and his wife are pursued by probably one of the most psychotic hitmen ever. Yeah, I know the plot sounds ridiculous, but the thing is...well, what makes King's romances work is his attention to character, and how he really makes you invested in the lovers. And considering how it's too easy to fuck up romance and make it feel artificial, King does a great job of making it feel organic. Like, a seriously good job. An amazing job, actually. And the main character, Harlan, and his wife, Gina (played by Frances Sternhagen, who was also in Misery. ) really work well together onscreen. Their quieter scenes, things like Gina's worry about what's happening to her husband, and what's going to happen to both of them, are really well-done, and both Frances Sternhagen and Keith Szarabajka...well, you can feel the depth of their love for one another, and their worry for one another. There's also a moment of them earlier in the miniseries (if I remember right) where he dances with her, and it's very understated and poignant. It was one of those pairings that kept me glued to my iPhone screen where I was watching it on Netflix, because I cared about what happened to them, and as I cared about them, not to mention their bond with their pursuer's former girlfriend (long story. And that character, Felicity Huffman, is another one of my favorite characters), I wondered, "Oh my God, how are they going to get away from that psychopath?" It's both a component of good romance and good characterization and storytelling in general: make us give a shit about your characters. Otherwise, it really is death on paper.
-Another Stephen King miniseries example: Mike/Molly from Storm of the Century. You have all this build-up between the two of them, showing how they're preparing for the storm and coping with it (Mike working at the butcher shop, Molly at the daycare, and the miniseries really does do a great job of conveying a sense of worry and business when it comes to a storm being about to hit), how close and loving their relationship is, their fears and worries and how they keep their separate factions together (Mike overseeing Linoge's incarceration, Molly helping out with the shelter during the snowstorm), and then there are the darker moments between them -- there's, obviously, Molly's betrayal (and I think it's made even more devastating because of the build-up, honestly), but there's a scene earlier where Molly suggests, as "that man is never going to see the inside of a courtroom", killing Linoge and making it look like an accident, which Mike doesn't go along with. Molly really is a fascinating character in that regard, someone with admirable traits (she can be calm under pressure, compassionate to others -- how she treats Sandy Beals and Kat Withers are good examples -- commanding in her way) but also with a definite streak of darkness in her. Stephen King said in the introduction to the script-in-book-form that he intended Mike to be a good man with a streak of darkness in him (basically), but the thing is, Mike doesn't really fit the bill. At least, his dark streak isn't played up much. There's one pretty disturbing (and well-done) scene where he wails on Linoge in the room that will be the latter's temporary holding cell (and thank God Hatch pulls him off Linoge), but that's honestly it. Mike really isn't that character with that dark streak in him -- Molly is. A woman with a lot of good and decent traits, but also with quite a bit of darkness in her, and Debrah Farentino does a wonderful job with it. ( Storm of the Century has a lot of wonderful performances, but Tim Daly, Colm Feore *, Debrah Farentino, Julianne Nicholson are my favorites. And Jeffrey DeMuun. Can't forget him) Thing about Debrah Farentino is that there's a sort of grace in her performance and dignity, and quite a bit of understatement (indeed, when Molly does lose control, it's startling and borders on the Not So Stoic side of things), which makes the poignant scenes poignant and stuff like the "make him have an accident" scene even spookier and more powerful. And then there's her scenes with Tim Daly, where they both play off one another really well and have a sort of warmth and likability before things go to hell.
-On a substantially lighter note, Wash/Zoe from Firefly. Gina Torres and Alan Tudyk really played off one another beautifully with their wit and warmth, and their time together really did make up some of my favorite moments (besides the ones with River, etc.) in the show. Joss Whedon once said that happy people make boring television, but the thing is (at the risk of sounding possibly hypocritical, but honestly, I like light and happy as much as the works that kind of go where others wouldn't normally go. As long as it's done well, that's my standard), he's wrong. Happiness really doesn't have a finish line. Unlike with fiction, there's really no "and that's it" moment until someone's dead. You can have a happy, well-adjusted couple and still throw obstacles and different changes in their path. In sci-fi/fantasy or horror, it's the matter of whatever threats they find themselves up against next, in historical stuff it can be the world around them and how it changes, in more contemporary stuff, anything from real life, and then there's stuff that isn't limited to genre: stuff like aging, the death of a friend or family member, an unexpected development in a job, the birth of a child, grandchild or niece or nephew, an unexpected family development, the texture of the world around them...the sky's the limit, honestly. You can write a happy couple, or even, on the nonromantic side, a happy person or group of people, without leaving out conflict. Happiness doesn't have to automatically mean lack of conflict. I'm sure even the happiest person on Earth has to deal with their share of bullshit. Happiness doesn't mean perfection; it's just taking a joy in life's treasures, big and small. (That's my definition of happiness, at least)
As for how that applies to Wash and Zoe, pre-movie, they definitely had their share of conflict. There was the matter of Wash feeling some jealousy towards Mal (which, hahahaha, Wash, you so didn't need to worry about that), there was the matter of the Alliance constantly being on their tail, having to save Mal from Niska, Jubal Early deciding to pay Serenity a visit, and then there's the matter of the different adventures they get up to in different episodes. So no, Mr. Whedon, happy people do not make boring television. In a way, you proved it yourself. (Incidentally, can we tell just about everyone in Hollywood that happy people aren't boring? And just about every writer out there? After all, like I said, you can have a happy couple and still have them face their share of obstacles. Happy doesn't mean "perfect" and "conflict-free". It just means having enthusiasm and joy towards life itself)
-Richard/Kahlan from Legend of the Seeker. I only saw Season One back when YouTube still had TV episodes of it on there, but goddamn, they were adorable together. Chris Horner and Bridget Regan played off one another amazingly well.
* And the thing about Colm Feore's performance is that it's very dignified and calm. Linoge is the sort of guy who's already won the moment he's set foot on the island, and Feore really plays that well. He can definitely go from rather jovial (he's not, say, Flagg or Gaunt or Pennywise, who are more obvious in the humor department, but he definitely has his moments. For example, firing off some rather sarcastic remarks during his...analyses of the townspeople -- for example, during his reveal of Mike's rather-minor-in-comparison secret, he makes a remark about telling it to Ralphie as a bedtime story, and when revealing something pretty awful about another character's father, he opens it up with "your day off from school would make quite the English paper, wouldn't it?" He's more subdued, but he also has drier tendencies) to barely suppressed anger (his monologue to Mike, for starters. And I'm thinking that even beneath said fake-joviality that there's a sort of rage and hatred towards the townspeople for being there, and having the sins and secrets they do) to a more affable persona towards Ralphie and the other kids (and those scenes really just have Adult Fear plastered all over them) to a calmer, more restrained persona during the climax...he's just good. He can be menacing without saying a word (such as a lot of his jail cell scenes), he can be fake-reasonable (such as, again, the climax), he can be wry, and while there are times he goes into hammy-ish territory, a lot of it is understated and cold.
Day 14 - What is your favorite book pairing?
Day 15 - What is your favorite real life pairing?
Day 16 - What is the absolute worst pairing?
Day 17 - A pairing you thought would never work out, but did?
Day 18 - What is the cutest pairing?
Day 19 - A pairing you’ve rooted for since the beginning?
Day 20 - The 'can't stand the sexual tension anymore' pairing?
Day 21 - A pairing you like and no one else understands why?
Day 22 - A pairing you hate and no one else understands why?
Day 23 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out great?
Day 24 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out badly?
Day 25 - A pairing that was/would-be adorable, but could never work out?
Day 26 - A pairing that you hated and ended up loving?
Day 27 - A pairing that you loved and ended up hating?
Day 28 - A pairing that you will never understand?
Day 29 - What ship had the best proposal?
Day 30 - Your favorite ship forever and ever and ever!
-Doctor/Rose from Doctor Who. It was really just the way they worked together -- the humor they shared, the adventures they had together, the heartbreak, the redemptive elements to the Ninth Doctor era when all this was happening...it's just an awesome ship.
-Eric/Donna from That 70s Show. I haven't seen all of it, of course, but from the episodes I've seen, they're adorable together. They really are.
-Miniseries-wise, this is pretty obscure -- Harlan and Gina from the miniseries Golden Years. (It used to be on Netflix, and yes, it's Stephen King-related. I know; one could say I'm obsessed) For those who haven't seen Golden Years , the main character basically gets caught in an accident when he gets hit with radiation that makes him get younger. (Yeah, it's kind of Benjamin Button-ish. Kind of) From there, he and his wife are pursued by probably one of the most psychotic hitmen ever. Yeah, I know the plot sounds ridiculous, but the thing is...well, what makes King's romances work is his attention to character, and how he really makes you invested in the lovers. And considering how it's too easy to fuck up romance and make it feel artificial, King does a great job of making it feel organic. Like, a seriously good job. An amazing job, actually. And the main character, Harlan, and his wife, Gina (played by Frances Sternhagen, who was also in Misery. ) really work well together onscreen. Their quieter scenes, things like Gina's worry about what's happening to her husband, and what's going to happen to both of them, are really well-done, and both Frances Sternhagen and Keith Szarabajka...well, you can feel the depth of their love for one another, and their worry for one another. There's also a moment of them earlier in the miniseries (if I remember right) where he dances with her, and it's very understated and poignant. It was one of those pairings that kept me glued to my iPhone screen where I was watching it on Netflix, because I cared about what happened to them, and as I cared about them, not to mention their bond with their pursuer's former girlfriend (long story. And that character, Felicity Huffman, is another one of my favorite characters), I wondered, "Oh my God, how are they going to get away from that psychopath?" It's both a component of good romance and good characterization and storytelling in general: make us give a shit about your characters. Otherwise, it really is death on paper.
-Another Stephen King miniseries example: Mike/Molly from Storm of the Century. You have all this build-up between the two of them, showing how they're preparing for the storm and coping with it (Mike working at the butcher shop, Molly at the daycare, and the miniseries really does do a great job of conveying a sense of worry and business when it comes to a storm being about to hit), how close and loving their relationship is, their fears and worries and how they keep their separate factions together (Mike overseeing Linoge's incarceration, Molly helping out with the shelter during the snowstorm), and then there are the darker moments between them -- there's, obviously, Molly's betrayal (and I think it's made even more devastating because of the build-up, honestly), but there's a scene earlier where Molly suggests, as "that man is never going to see the inside of a courtroom", killing Linoge and making it look like an accident, which Mike doesn't go along with. Molly really is a fascinating character in that regard, someone with admirable traits (she can be calm under pressure, compassionate to others -- how she treats Sandy Beals and Kat Withers are good examples -- commanding in her way) but also with a definite streak of darkness in her. Stephen King said in the introduction to the script-in-book-form that he intended Mike to be a good man with a streak of darkness in him (basically), but the thing is, Mike doesn't really fit the bill. At least, his dark streak isn't played up much. There's one pretty disturbing (and well-done) scene where he wails on Linoge in the room that will be the latter's temporary holding cell (and thank God Hatch pulls him off Linoge), but that's honestly it. Mike really isn't that character with that dark streak in him -- Molly is. A woman with a lot of good and decent traits, but also with quite a bit of darkness in her, and Debrah Farentino does a wonderful job with it. ( Storm of the Century has a lot of wonderful performances, but Tim Daly, Colm Feore *, Debrah Farentino, Julianne Nicholson are my favorites. And Jeffrey DeMuun. Can't forget him) Thing about Debrah Farentino is that there's a sort of grace in her performance and dignity, and quite a bit of understatement (indeed, when Molly does lose control, it's startling and borders on the Not So Stoic side of things), which makes the poignant scenes poignant and stuff like the "make him have an accident" scene even spookier and more powerful. And then there's her scenes with Tim Daly, where they both play off one another really well and have a sort of warmth and likability before things go to hell.
-On a substantially lighter note, Wash/Zoe from Firefly. Gina Torres and Alan Tudyk really played off one another beautifully with their wit and warmth, and their time together really did make up some of my favorite moments (besides the ones with River, etc.) in the show. Joss Whedon once said that happy people make boring television, but the thing is (at the risk of sounding possibly hypocritical, but honestly, I like light and happy as much as the works that kind of go where others wouldn't normally go. As long as it's done well, that's my standard), he's wrong. Happiness really doesn't have a finish line. Unlike with fiction, there's really no "and that's it" moment until someone's dead. You can have a happy, well-adjusted couple and still throw obstacles and different changes in their path. In sci-fi/fantasy or horror, it's the matter of whatever threats they find themselves up against next, in historical stuff it can be the world around them and how it changes, in more contemporary stuff, anything from real life, and then there's stuff that isn't limited to genre: stuff like aging, the death of a friend or family member, an unexpected development in a job, the birth of a child, grandchild or niece or nephew, an unexpected family development, the texture of the world around them...the sky's the limit, honestly. You can write a happy couple, or even, on the nonromantic side, a happy person or group of people, without leaving out conflict. Happiness doesn't have to automatically mean lack of conflict. I'm sure even the happiest person on Earth has to deal with their share of bullshit. Happiness doesn't mean perfection; it's just taking a joy in life's treasures, big and small. (That's my definition of happiness, at least)
As for how that applies to Wash and Zoe, pre-movie, they definitely had their share of conflict. There was the matter of Wash feeling some jealousy towards Mal (which, hahahaha, Wash, you so didn't need to worry about that), there was the matter of the Alliance constantly being on their tail, having to save Mal from Niska, Jubal Early deciding to pay Serenity a visit, and then there's the matter of the different adventures they get up to in different episodes. So no, Mr. Whedon, happy people do not make boring television. In a way, you proved it yourself. (Incidentally, can we tell just about everyone in Hollywood that happy people aren't boring? And just about every writer out there? After all, like I said, you can have a happy couple and still have them face their share of obstacles. Happy doesn't mean "perfect" and "conflict-free". It just means having enthusiasm and joy towards life itself)
-Richard/Kahlan from Legend of the Seeker. I only saw Season One back when YouTube still had TV episodes of it on there, but goddamn, they were adorable together. Chris Horner and Bridget Regan played off one another amazingly well.
* And the thing about Colm Feore's performance is that it's very dignified and calm. Linoge is the sort of guy who's already won the moment he's set foot on the island, and Feore really plays that well. He can definitely go from rather jovial (he's not, say, Flagg or Gaunt or Pennywise, who are more obvious in the humor department, but he definitely has his moments. For example, firing off some rather sarcastic remarks during his...analyses of the townspeople -- for example, during his reveal of Mike's rather-minor-in-comparison secret, he makes a remark about telling it to Ralphie as a bedtime story, and when revealing something pretty awful about another character's father, he opens it up with "your day off from school would make quite the English paper, wouldn't it?" He's more subdued, but he also has drier tendencies) to barely suppressed anger (his monologue to Mike, for starters. And I'm thinking that even beneath said fake-joviality that there's a sort of rage and hatred towards the townspeople for being there, and having the sins and secrets they do) to a more affable persona towards Ralphie and the other kids (and those scenes really just have Adult Fear plastered all over them) to a calmer, more restrained persona during the climax...he's just good. He can be menacing without saying a word (such as a lot of his jail cell scenes), he can be fake-reasonable (such as, again, the climax), he can be wry, and while there are times he goes into hammy-ish territory, a lot of it is understated and cold.
Day 14 - What is your favorite book pairing?
Day 15 - What is your favorite real life pairing?
Day 16 - What is the absolute worst pairing?
Day 17 - A pairing you thought would never work out, but did?
Day 18 - What is the cutest pairing?
Day 19 - A pairing you’ve rooted for since the beginning?
Day 20 - The 'can't stand the sexual tension anymore' pairing?
Day 21 - A pairing you like and no one else understands why?
Day 22 - A pairing you hate and no one else understands why?
Day 23 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out great?
Day 24 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out badly?
Day 25 - A pairing that was/would-be adorable, but could never work out?
Day 26 - A pairing that you hated and ended up loving?
Day 27 - A pairing that you loved and ended up hating?
Day 28 - A pairing that you will never understand?
Day 29 - What ship had the best proposal?
Day 30 - Your favorite ship forever and ever and ever!
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no subject
Date: 2016-08-21 03:19 pm (UTC)That was actually something I liked about the Batman vs. Superman movie. We were spared the usual antics of Lois trying to figure out who Superman was while Clark tried to dodge her snooping. Instead, she KNOWS who he is. And it works out fine. She helps out as best she can and they get to cuddle together in a bathtub after.
Not action or superhero-related, but the manga series "A Bride's Story" also exemplifies this by largely being a slice of life story about married couple Amira and Karluk. There's some action (most notably, thus far, several invasions trying to forcibly take Amira to marry someone else), but even then it's about the two happily married and looking out for one another. It's VERY sweet! (Also GORGEOUS artwork!)
no subject
Date: 2016-08-21 03:45 pm (UTC)