30 Days of Angel - Day Eleven

[samsom]

I stayed home today to power clean because my mother-in-law is coming to visit from NY tomorrow. She does this about twice a year for the last ten or so years, so the urgent need to have a sparlking domecile has long since faded, but I bought cleaning supplies, and I want to use them!

But right now I'm watching History's Mysteries about King Arthur and debating on whether I should steal two or so hours and go see Inception. Or Salt. I can't decide. Salt has an ass-kicking woman at the heart of the story rather than being a satellite to the main hero. But Inception has Tom-that-mouth-Hardy, and some other square-jawed men in kink-creating crisp white shirts, vests, and well fitting dress pants.

What to do? *frets*

Meme, of course.



Hate is a strong word. I don’t hate today’s choices, I just didn’t like them.

The introduction of ‘comic book’ characters such as Illyria and Gwen Raden to AtS.

Now, I’m not much of a meta person and I don’t pretend to understand all the different ways to read the show but I do know that Angel inhabits a supernatural world, even though the themes are mythological. It’s a world of Slayers, vampires, werewolves, demons, witches, mages and other assorted non-corporeal creepy crawlies. Illyria and Gwen Raden are comic book superhero-ish characters – Gwen’s very X-Men type super power, Illyria’s costume and blue skin/hair – and they were out of place, imo, amongst the blood drinkers and Evil Inc.

Illyria's origins as a forgotten god are interesting enough (if it hadn't been handled in a way that discredits Joss' "I'm a feminist" scree) and even squatting in Fred's body (if only he didn't feel the need to totally destroy the woman already in there) would have been good storytelling, but Illyria's appearance makes her look like an X-Men who got lost on the way to Xavier's school for mutants.

Gwen Raden is a straight up Rogue rip off down to the white streak in her hair.

I’m aware of Whedon’s comic book career and I know that most writers tend to stick with what they like and know, but I didn't like the way Gwen and Illyria were shoehorned into a supernatural universe just because Joss wanted to show how cool they were.

And I'm adding an honorable mention for Joss' other annoying habit - stunt casting Firefly actors and shoehorning them into AtS and BtVS. Whatever I might have felt about Jasmine and Caleb was colored by Firefly's cancellation and the casting of Nathan Fillion, Gina Torre and hottie Mchotterson Adam Baldwin. Whether justified or not, I got the impression I was supposed to think their characters were the most awesome, the most threatening. Caleb kicks the shit out of Buffy more than once, Hamilton's first appearance is a violent explosion onto the scene, with some ass-kicking (if my resentful memory serves) mixed in, and Jasmine...well, we know what Jasmine did, don't we?

It's amazing to me sometimes how much I can love these shows -and trust me, I love them wholly and completely - and hate what Whedon did to them at one time or another.



I hope tomorrow is more positive. I hate to feel like I'm complaining.

Comments

[eleusis-walks.livejournal.com]

The Firefly stunt casting annoys me to no end -- especially when Nathan Fillion gets a Special Guest Star credit and -David Boreanaz- doesn't, what the fucking fuck Joss -- but Adam Baldwin and Gina Torres are at least fantastic in their random-ass roles.

Gwen is totally an awkward X-Men character, I agree with you there, but I love love love Illyria to pieces. Her costuming is a little too sci-fi but I like the way AtS straddles genres sometimes so I can forgive it. At the very least it looks alien.

[damnskippytoo.livejournal.com]

Just wanna "amen, sistah" you with this. Gwen...ugh. Illyria - more interesting than Fred, but still hated the way it happened and what a big ta-do was made of Fred because of it. Get thee to a nunnery, Fred, and lock the door!

Re the stunt casting, was Summer Glau in WiTW pre-Firefly or during? I can't be bothered to look up the dates. *hee* I guess the shows didn't last long enough to get Wash, Simon and Caley(?) roles. Oh,and the Preacher. Too bad, because I kinda have always liked that guy. :)

[angryscientist.livejournal.com]

As an artist/designer, I ADORE Illyria's design. It's bloody brilliant it is. Then you have the character who I get on an intellectual level but can never give half a crap for.

Gwen - she is miss-matched for the show. She is the worst representation of females in comics - tight pleather, lame puns. Macking on the main character within 5 minutes of her introduction. Skank-tron as "Cordelia" calls her, with run of the mill superpowers. Heh. Hate her too.