Vids! Comics! Songs!

[selenak]

Still watching all the great new vids in various fandoms, so:

Alias:

In these shoes: captures Sydney, Nadia and fifth season character Rachel being fabulous, together and apart. You know, much as I always joke you could get the impression Alias was The Arvin Sloane Show from my fanfic in that fandom, and while Sloane is undoubtedly my favourite character in that 'verse, I do love Sydney and her sister Nadia, and one of the reasons why I can't resent s5 in its entirety is the way they made Sydney assume the mentor position with Rachel. Which brought things to a full circle, along with her pregnancy. Alias is one of the few shows where they really dealt well with their female main character's pregnancy and where it fit in the overall mythos, what with Alias being twisted family romance. It's also a show where women have, gasp, interesting and strong emotional relationships with each other, not just with the male characters. And though it's been a loooong while since I've read fanfic and a longer one that I've written it, it's good to be reminded of the many, many things I enjoy about the spy show of yore.

Buffy:

Creep. I went into watching this warily. Oh no, thought I, not another vid lamenting how that mean/self-rightous/heartless/etc. main character doesn't love our woobies as (s)he should and doesn't deserve their devotion. Well, I was wrong, and am really glad I watched it despite my wariness and weariness with this motif in many a fandom. While Creep centres around Faith's and Spike's arcs in regards to their feelings for Buffy, it does something truly innovative and amazing: after the first two sections give us Spike's and Faith's povs, complete with putting Buffy on a pedestal and feeling themselves rejected etc., it switches to Buffy's pov in the third, which is a strong rejection of the first two perspectives and of the image the other two have of her, speaking in her own voice. To me, this third section really made the vid (almost into a mini-Rashomon), and it's definitely the one with the strongest punch. (Bad pun, as it starts with Buffy digging herself out of her grave.)

Doctor Who:

...and then there are comics. And nice people doing something for those of us who do no thave access to them that easily due to geographical positions. There is a Doctor Who comic which has just started and will present all ten Doctors, using for its framing narration a Ten and Martha adventure. Someone kindly put up the core of it, which is the Doctor flashing back to when he was One and travelling with Susan, Barbara and Ian, at scans_daily... and the flashback is even in black and white, which cracks me up in the best way. Characterisation-wise, this is early, early One, which means he makes Gregory House look positively nice and thoughtful when it comes to his interactions with Ian and Barbara. Much as I love the a bit later period where the bonding has started (but he's still having these great arguments with Barbara a la The Aztecs), I must confess it made me grin. And wish for a duelling of the cranky, cane-wielding Doctors, yes. (Bonus: back in Ten's day, Martha asks him what became of Susan. His reply to that one is typical for the Doctor in all regenerations, and Martha's reaction is perfect.) So, go, read:

Doctor Who: The Forgotten 1

Some months ago, I reviewed Doctor Who and the Pirates (aka The One Where The Sixth Doctor And Evelyn Do Gilbert And Sullivan), which I was very fond of, so I was delighted Big Finish put up a free making-of-podcast. Complete with cut lyrics for that monumental song, I am the very model of a Gallifreyan Buccaneer. Now some of you might still not be inclined to check out the audio adventures, so I faithfully transcribed the verses that didn't make the final version, which were:

I know our mythic history from Omega to Rassilon
some say I am the Other but that notion's usually frowned upon

Clearly, someone doesn't like The Cartmel Master Plan. But never fear, it's Rusty's turn next:

My friendships with companions never slip into carnality
for that would be cathartic in its spurious morality

Clearly, this was dropped in order not to crush the shippers of every faction.

Colin Baker's favourite verses that were dropped were these:

I've battled mighty foes in every planetary vicinity
and handsome Captain Maxil shot me in Arc of Infinity

Footnote for those of us, including me, who still have gaps in their Whovian lore: In the Fifth Doctor adventure Arc of Infinity, Colin Baker played Maxil, which makes him the only actor to play the Doctor who did in fact appear on screen in the program during a previous Doctor's reign. (David Tennant did several Big Finish audios before he became the Tenth Doctor, but that's not the same thing.)

Comments

[counteragent.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the rec! So glad when an Alias fan I admire likes my vids. :D

[selenak.livejournal.com]

It was a joy to watch, from start to finish!

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

Doctor Who: The Forgotten Issue One is so far my favorite single issue of anything this year. So, so, so much fun, it shouldn't be legal.

Meanwhile, I also finally caught up on Captain Britain. I'm sort of rooting for a return from the dead for John the Skrull as Fazia seems to be able to bring people back from near-death. (Fazia, btw, is a totally awesome character.)

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

Also: as of last week, talking about sympathetic Skrulls? While there don't seem to be any in the main story arcs, there's always Xavin of Runaways and Hulkling of Young Avengers, currently starring in a Runaways/YA crossover books.

I hope neither of them get dead. (Or if they do, it's Hulkling, because I heart Xavin.)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Xavin must live, definitely. The problem with John the Skrull returning now is that Pete did a Wanda and spoke the "no more Skrulls" words when the demons/hell creatures/whatever asked him to voice one wish, and presumably that holds as long as their power holds. Read: as long as the Invasion storyline goes in the Marvel main verse. At least that would be my guess. Afterwards, there might be hope, though presumably there will be some catch for Faiza's power (otherwise readers would ever need to worry about anyone again)...

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

I thought that, but the 'no more...' whatever has NEVER been infallible, has it? I'm not sure how the whole Hank-investigates-X-gene-breeding storyline resolved, but Scott sure seems to think that there's a mutant future to defend as of the last issue.

It's comics. He's a loved character (because basically every scene he's in is on scans_daily), so... I can hold out hope.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the Messiah arc, but I think it ended with the first mutant baby since Wanda's curse being given by Scott to Cable for safety. (*insert appalled looks by everyone else as "Cable" and "safety"....) But they waited two years for that, which is all I was getting at - if John gets resurrected, it won't be now, but after some time has passed.

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

Right. And isn't the baby Jean? So yeah, I can be patient...

[futuresoon.livejournal.com]

Oh that is an awesome comic. Are they actually selling these in the US? ...because I love Pia Guerra to bits and she is much better at drawing the characters than any of the "realistic" comic artists you see with most of the TV adaptations, and also because even I, lacking-in-One as I am, can tell that the writing for him and the gang is spot-on. asdfg, man. asdfg.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

It's sold in the US but not the UK, for some bizarre licensing reason!

[futuresoon.livejournal.com]

Then I shall be sure to enjoy it extra, just for you. (And perhaps scan it if scans_daily doesn't.)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

You're a generous soul and get my hugging icon, which for some reason is B5 not DW.

[futuresoon.livejournal.com]

I am sure B5 hugs are just as good as DW hugs! If, perhaps, a bit balder.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Only if a Minbari is involved. The Centauri manage to combine baldness and distinct hair styles. And they are very much into hugging:

[futuresoon.livejournal.com]

That certainly is a lot of hugging! (Though your first and third images are the same. That, or the actors were very fond of the pose and tried to duplicate it as closely as possible whenever the action was required.)

I got your email about Cromwell--v. interesting. I think the only history class I took that mentioned him never said very much at all about his involvement in Ireland, but then, it didn't say very much about him period. High school history classes are not known for their in-depth analysis.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Curses, one of the links didn't work then. Here's the correct other hug:



Londo: very tactile person. Well, unless he dislikes you, in which case, things can get... interesting.

As for Cromwell, I'm not that much of an expert myself, but as it came up with you and W. recently, I wanted to share the review when I saw it. But I got my info about him not from school at all, but from my general interest in history. We do in-depth history at school, but not of English history. With the exception of the Tudors, the Victorians and the English side of things in WWII. Zilch on the English Civil War and Oliver C., though. I encountered him the first time when he was Richard Harris making eyes at Alec Guinness. Just kidding. Cromwell and Charles I. hardly have any shared scens in that movie. But seriously, Cromwell and the Stuarts were first made familiar to me via various novels and films set during the period, and then I tackled a Charles II biography when I was well into my 20s.

But have some sympathy for German history classes, because we have to cover the 30-years-war during the same period as Cromwell was up and about, and the 30 years war makes the English Civil War plus Ireland look like harmless snenanigans. It was the most devastating war on continental Europe until the 20th century, and reduced the population to a third of what it was before.

Rare moment of Henry Kissinger revealing his inner emigrated German: when commenting on Bush's pre-emptive strike doctrine "destroying the principles for modern warfare established by the Westfalian peace". I bet hardly anyone knew what the hell he was talking about. The Westfalian peace accord was what ended the 30-years-war.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I loved both those vids, thank you!!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome.

[kathyh]

Thanks for the link to The Forgotten, which annoyingly appears to be unavailable in the UK due to rights issues. Cantakerous One's verbal sparring with Ian was pure joy and I loved the little reference to Sutekh being an alien. Good stuff.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Cantakerous One is Cantakerous, in LOLcat speak.*g* The Sutekh reference cracked me up, too. Lovely comic.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

Pia Guerra was definitely the thing I liked most about Y- The Last Man, it's nice to see something else done by her.

And I'm actually quite fond of Alias Season 5. It obviously has huge flaws (bringing Gina Torres back just to kill her off? Dumb, dumb, dumb.) and the plot(s) are sort of stupid - on the other hand, really, who ever watched Alias for the plot, and I really liked what they did with Rachel, and I loved Peyton. I also agree that Syd's pregnancy was fabulously handled, and although it's mean, I didn't mind Vaughn being off the screen for most of the season. *g*(Of course, I also never believed he was actually dead...)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I hoped Vaughn was dead, but I suppose deep down I knew better. And yes, Peyton was another great thing about s5. I just can't get over my First Generation Spies mistreatment at the end, the de-greying of all three - Jack was whitened and the other two bereft of any ambiguity. I can fanwank the Sloane stuff, even him just wanting immortality out of Rambaldi which completely clashes with the s4 episode where he loses it rather memorably at the end and, err, rejects the suggestion (since he's alone with someone he kills in that scene, he can't be faking it for a third party's benefit), because him going back to Rambaldi after finally reaching what he wanted for so long - Sydney and Jack trusting him (sort of, but Sydney was able to look at him and smile without irony in welcome) and Nadia out of her coma, because it makes psychological sense, Sloane is the type for self destructive behaviour like that) but Irina threatening Washington and L.A. with missiles is just too stupid for words. Also, the lack of interaction between them is just grr, arggh.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

I just can't get over my First Generation Spies mistreatment at the end, the de-greying of all three

You definitely have a point, I really think it's mostly a matter of perspective. The First Gen Spies, though fascinating, were not really my focus point - that would have been Will and to a certain degree Marshall, and I guess now you know why I'm less emotionally attached to later seasons - and although I respect and admire Irina as a (mostly) well-written older female character, I never really liked her or saw her as morally grey. The reason for the former is once again an overzealous fandom, I'm afraid, the latter hinges on the way she was introduced - someone who tests a virus that disintegrates cell structure and causes people to bleed to death on her own employees isn't ambiguous to me.

I am a lot more ambivalent on Jack - I like him, yet I do agree that the show has a certain tendency to white-wash him, much like it had a tendency to drag him out as a red herring for evil who in the end always turned out to having it all done for Sydney. I was okay with him getting more mellow through Isabelle when I watched it, but for me that was mostly the good guy who did bad things getting a grandfather side. His relationship with Sydney at that point was just great, because he finally respected her as an adult - which before he often seemed to have difficulty to do, being a little, er, controlling - and he was able to finally relax into it a little. And of course the fact that he dies colours all of this a lot.

At the same time, I wish they had left Irina's feelings towards Sydney alone, because they've never hinted before that she didn't love her. Probably in her own, not too conventional way, but this black and white idea, that you either go all mushy over your kid at once or you're unable to develop feelings for it at all - which of course makes you evil - didn't seem to fit the character at all. I have to admit that annoyed me more than her sudden desire to blow up Washington and LA (although I fully count that under "plots too stupid to live.").

As for Sloane: I very vividly remember that episode in 4! I really wonder if the writers ever knew where they wanted to go with Rambaldi, or if they simply made it up as they went along. It certainly seems like the latter. I admit, in contrast to you, I couldn't reconcile these two very contradicting storylines, but I usually tend to go the Doylist way when that happens - in this case, coming up with the wonder mushrooms growing behind JJ Abrams' home (presumably right next to where the remains of his evil father/father-in-law are buried). I'm sure they are delicious!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Re: Irina, I quite agree she never was characterized as the misunderstood woman with a heart of gold that fandom tried to make her into pre-s5 finale, and what she did to her own people influenced my own view of her, too, but her plans also used to be smart, which the missile-on-Washington thing just was't. But the big one is really her relationship with Sydney. What you said, basically.

(Speaking of Irina and perception, each time Sydney in s2 said "you are/were a traitor to this country" I wanted someone to point out the US never was Irina's country, the USSR was, and the spying was actually in no way morally worse than what Jack and Sydney did for a living. What Irina did AFTER, her existence as an international crimelord, that was the thing Sydney should have objected to. (Though it made psychological sense she'd focus on the personal betrayal.)

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

(Though it made psychological sense she'd focus on the personal betrayal.)

It does, and at the same time, concentrating on Laura/Irina the double agent ostensibly allows her to distance herself from the personal betrayal - except it never works of course. Which is certainly one of the better drawn psychological aspects of Sydney - no matter how hard she tries to translate her justified anger on a professional sphere, she never really manages to relate to Irina as anything other than the mother who abandoned her and Jack, and whom she wants desperately back despite all the pain she caused. This back and forth in her relationship to her parents (and substitute parents) is one of the facets that actually make Syd interesting to me; apart from that and her work-related relationships (Dixon especially, partly Marshall and Sark and Anna, who are basically the same character) I always found her a little bland. Not in a bad way, though.

[midnightsjane.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link to that awesome vid. I'm just discovering how many amazing vids there are out there; they help feed my craving for new stuff from old fandoms, so thanks!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

*beams* You're very welcome.

[rivrea.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the BtVS vid recommendation! I loved it for exactly the reason you mention -- the clever switch between viewpoints that makes us understand why exactly the relationships between Buffy and her foils/shadow shelves are so screwed.

[aralias.livejournal.com]

why have i not listened to doctor who and the pirates yet? it sounds like everything that is good in life in one audio adventure!

so sad this was cut ---> My friendships with companions never slip into carnality
for that would be cathartic in its spurious morality

how wonderful.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

It's a blast to listen to. Not as brilliant as some other audios, but great, great fun.