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San Francisco, 10:27 AM
Sun Nov 8
10 posts in the last 24 hours
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08/06/09
08/06/09
1) "It's NOT Superheroes, HONEST!" Heroes was able to get away with this to some extent (before it went south) because of the solid set-up. NBC is clearly balking at the feared perception of being SF/comicy...which is a pretty odd reaction, considering current movie trends. But just as publishers don't want 'The Road' to be listed as SF (see Margaret Atwood, etc.), NBC clearly fears that this won't have widespread appeal if it's too transparently SF or superheroes.
2) The 'autism' angle screams of lazy shorthand writing. This is a sore point with me since my son has Aspergers...and I know what a generally terrible job Hollywood does in general on this point. 'He's smarter than a computer...but he has the mind of a child!' The very fact that they call him a high-functioning autistic on one hand and they describe him as child-like in another says to me: lazy shorthand. All of the characters have one-note identifiers: Orthodox Jew (?), Beautiful woman, FBI agent, high functioning autistic, marine sharpshooter.
3) I'm not seeing a lot of consistency between the characters powers. Unless these guys have specialized telekinesis, they don't make a lot of sense. Also: the negatives: let's compare: autistic, danger of harming others just by communicating, anger issues (I would assume they mean 'unable to fully control his power'...otherwise wha?) and....not being able to feel close to people? Seriously? She's sexy and young...but when men do as she asks...are they really doing it because she's controlling their minds? Oh, the HORROR.
4) Ohhh, a 'greater conspiracy'! Run by absolute idiots, no doubt. The same caliber as Heroes conspirators, no doubt. This isn't a tired, worn cliche at ALL.
Could this be good? Maybe. But this summary makes it sound so hackneyed. One of the problems is that comics themselves have covered this kind of territory FOR DECADES. So it's really annoying when a TV shows up on the scene and tries to act like they're peddling something New and Revolutionary. Heroes suffered from this in the beginning, too...but at least it had good execution and a few real comic writers on staff (though Jeph Loeb's star has flamed out since then).
08/06/09
08/06/09
Also, could the name be any more generic? Section 9 is already a show they air about a crack team of whatever, Section 1 was the name of the organization in la Femme Nikita, and as previously mentioned, this plot is identical to Painkiller Jane, which sucked no matter how much I love 6 foot tall Norwegian women(Which is a lot).
At best, this could be a 4th string comic book story. Maybe they'll make it, and maybe I'll be wrong and it will be watchable, or even good. The facts, the basic ingredients given, do not support that outcome.
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
Answer: No.
And thus concludes another installment of Do You Really Need to Ask?
08/05/09
Instead of making the folks with the superpower MOSTLY good, let them exercise their inner ID--aka with super powers comes super doucheyness. The heroes would be the ordinary folk who have to take these guys down using whatever means they have at their disposal. Some episodes would be one offs. Some episodes would be interconnected and involve chasing a particularly nasty or gang of super douchebags with superpowers.
What do you mean that sucks? What do you mean that most folks who watch shows about superpowers identify with those that have superpowers? Oh well that's just fucking great...
*goes down to the basement to smack the 10 million monkeys chained to 10 million typewriters for producing this shit.
08/05/09
You pretty much just described the entire premise to Garth Ennis's comic series "The Boys".
Except you left out a lot of the rape, bestiality, and dildo gags...
08/05/09
Shit, we are out of plots. Damn.
How about one about a talking pie?
08/05/09
08/05/09
Well, not on network TV at any rate.
08/05/09
Mind you, if the SyFy execs actually had the balls to greenlight a show about the disturbing misadventures of Sixpack, Bueno Excellente, Dog Welder, The Defenestrator, Jean de Baton-Baton, Flemgem, Friendly Fire and Shakes, then you can bet I'd tune in every week! (if for no other reason, than to thoroughly piss off PETA)
08/06/09
It's not to make money, just for the sake of originality
08/06/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
Just because a screenwriter's name is in the credits doesn't mean he's the one responsible for the final product.
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
So is this apart of the "new" Syfy's rebranding?
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
Yeah, I know. That's what I'm congratulating you for. Give the facts.
08/05/09
08/05/09