Dark Matter the whole rest of season one
Jan. 27th, 2017 06:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethI have watched the other two discs of season one, and I end as I began : it hasn't grabbed me, but I'll keep watching, cause it's pretty much okay.
It was a lot less twists and a lot more fair play clues than I figured, which leaves less to figure out, and somewhat removes tension at certain key moments. Also familiarity with certain other texts, as well as general genre savvy, let me guess episode thirteen pretty much from the get go, as in anticipate all the beats. At which point if it were a book I'd have checked on the last page, because the journey got boring.
... which shouldn't happen. Just knowing the plot shouldn't spoil watching the characters. But they're not that interesting to me.
I do like that the guys are kind of useless and wanky while the women get stuff done. I don't like that the gender balance is still skewed male, and the android is only intermittently involved even. I do like how the white guys get fixated on each other like it's some epic key to everything and then... well, I like how that goes with them so far.
I like that Two just sleeps with people because she wants to, I don't like One or Three enough to respect her taste in that.
I like Three's wardrobe, but maybe with Six's coat.
... I'm finding the worldbuilding and characterisation really thin, I'm not bothered with trying to figure out the tech level because it's clearly not going to matter, tech will do what they tell it to and will not be the point.
Given that they all wake up blanked and that memory transfer and partial additions to memory is plenty possible, what with the alternate travel method, we've got a Dollhouse problem, again. Exploring what would remain if all the episodic memory were gone, what blank would even mean if it's a person, nature and nurture, all that stuff. And of course a potential apocalypse and override on everyone. Again. Is TV obsessed with that lately or have I just hit a run of it?
I'm disatisfied with their answers though.
And some of the actions and reactions are plain irrational, especially a prince assuming he can take and hold a throne on oure genetics, with absolutely zero knowledge of his empire, let alone his subjects. I mean I'm not calling it implausible, but it's the kind of arrogant that ends empires, so, that won't go well for anyone.
It's also deeply annoying for alleged future science fictionworlds to stick with the Y chromosome of power. You know how you get wicked stepmothers? When you forget to put women in the big chair in their own right.
I mean you could use the current setup to show failure modes of the current methods of power, corporate and imperial. You've got hidden scions from both, you've got both sorts of politics impacting the crew. The problem is it's just all a bit straightforward and ho hum so far. And, also, sexist.
Put more women in charge, don't have the women's story always be that they're fighting for their autonomy and right of self identification. Because I've read textbooks all about this. They make her badass and then she spends it fighting to be her own self. Just hit shuffle on that, sometimes. We've got Portia and the Android with different angles on that, maybe, but mostly Portia Lin so far.
... super creepy to call her Rebecca given the context. Thanks a lot TV.
Also the most interesting corner, tech wise. The bit with the old looking guy talking via computer had layers of possibility.
... do I need to say again how annoying it is when disability only shows up on bad guys? Because it is annoying.
The whole thing suffers from me watching it right after Killjoys, which did grab me, gave me plenty of character in my characters, had a kick arse lady (once again fighting primarily for the right to have her own personality, what is with this, ugh), and did far more interesting things with tech and worldbuilding. Also used some of the same actors, locations, and corporate logos. And just made Dark Matter look limp. Sorry. It would probably have stood up better with even a week between them.
I like Dark Matter well enough, but, I don't love it, and the times it feels too much like an rpg where the players haven't read the worldbook are the times it least grabs me.
you're so busy finding things out a bit after they've happened that the tension gets weird, the significance comes in retrospect, it's... odd.
also there are several points where the crew or any one of the crew only survive because the bad guys are deeply stupid in the stay and gloat tradition. I mean, obviously there are people who will keep their enemies around so they can hurt them some more, but if that's what gives the crew enough loophole to live, it's kind of unsatisfying.
... I sound like I disliked it. I didn't dislike it, I just... wasn't enthralled.
It was a lot less twists and a lot more fair play clues than I figured, which leaves less to figure out, and somewhat removes tension at certain key moments. Also familiarity with certain other texts, as well as general genre savvy, let me guess episode thirteen pretty much from the get go, as in anticipate all the beats. At which point if it were a book I'd have checked on the last page, because the journey got boring.
... which shouldn't happen. Just knowing the plot shouldn't spoil watching the characters. But they're not that interesting to me.
I do like that the guys are kind of useless and wanky while the women get stuff done. I don't like that the gender balance is still skewed male, and the android is only intermittently involved even. I do like how the white guys get fixated on each other like it's some epic key to everything and then... well, I like how that goes with them so far.
I like that Two just sleeps with people because she wants to, I don't like One or Three enough to respect her taste in that.
I like Three's wardrobe, but maybe with Six's coat.
... I'm finding the worldbuilding and characterisation really thin, I'm not bothered with trying to figure out the tech level because it's clearly not going to matter, tech will do what they tell it to and will not be the point.
Given that they all wake up blanked and that memory transfer and partial additions to memory is plenty possible, what with the alternate travel method, we've got a Dollhouse problem, again. Exploring what would remain if all the episodic memory were gone, what blank would even mean if it's a person, nature and nurture, all that stuff. And of course a potential apocalypse and override on everyone. Again. Is TV obsessed with that lately or have I just hit a run of it?
I'm disatisfied with their answers though.
And some of the actions and reactions are plain irrational, especially a prince assuming he can take and hold a throne on oure genetics, with absolutely zero knowledge of his empire, let alone his subjects. I mean I'm not calling it implausible, but it's the kind of arrogant that ends empires, so, that won't go well for anyone.
It's also deeply annoying for alleged future science fictionworlds to stick with the Y chromosome of power. You know how you get wicked stepmothers? When you forget to put women in the big chair in their own right.
I mean you could use the current setup to show failure modes of the current methods of power, corporate and imperial. You've got hidden scions from both, you've got both sorts of politics impacting the crew. The problem is it's just all a bit straightforward and ho hum so far. And, also, sexist.
Put more women in charge, don't have the women's story always be that they're fighting for their autonomy and right of self identification. Because I've read textbooks all about this. They make her badass and then she spends it fighting to be her own self. Just hit shuffle on that, sometimes. We've got Portia and the Android with different angles on that, maybe, but mostly Portia Lin so far.
... super creepy to call her Rebecca given the context. Thanks a lot TV.
Also the most interesting corner, tech wise. The bit with the old looking guy talking via computer had layers of possibility.
... do I need to say again how annoying it is when disability only shows up on bad guys? Because it is annoying.
The whole thing suffers from me watching it right after Killjoys, which did grab me, gave me plenty of character in my characters, had a kick arse lady (once again fighting primarily for the right to have her own personality, what is with this, ugh), and did far more interesting things with tech and worldbuilding. Also used some of the same actors, locations, and corporate logos. And just made Dark Matter look limp. Sorry. It would probably have stood up better with even a week between them.
I like Dark Matter well enough, but, I don't love it, and the times it feels too much like an rpg where the players haven't read the worldbook are the times it least grabs me.
you're so busy finding things out a bit after they've happened that the tension gets weird, the significance comes in retrospect, it's... odd.
also there are several points where the crew or any one of the crew only survive because the bad guys are deeply stupid in the stay and gloat tradition. I mean, obviously there are people who will keep their enemies around so they can hurt them some more, but if that's what gives the crew enough loophole to live, it's kind of unsatisfying.
... I sound like I disliked it. I didn't dislike it, I just... wasn't enthralled.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-27 04:04 pm (UTC)