A is for...

[selenak]

More letters and characters; futuresoon gave me an A.

So, A is for...

Amanda, of Highlander: The Series. I've been raving about how much I adore Amanda before. She was my original Catwoman long before I ever read a Batman comics or saw a film; thief, trickster and occasional heroine, a millennium old, a friend and lover of the guy in whose show she originally showed up but never his love interest (there is a difference), and just plain fun. Recently I found a clip of my favourite Amanda and Duncan sequence on Youtube, which is as good an illustration of why I love her and her relationship with him as any. From the season 3 finale. Back when I first watched this, I assumed it was done in studio, and it wasn't until I saw the outtakes at a convention that I realised they actually filmed this on the Eiffel Tower. Elizabeth Gracen (who plays Amanda) must have been freezing to death in that mini skirt, but it doesn't show at all.

Anakin Skywalker, of Star Wars. As opposed to the period between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, when Anakin was the most unpopular character in the 'verse other than Jar Jar, I'm not in quite as much a minority opinion as before when declaring my fondness, but at a guess, we're still outnumbered. Anyway, I've written the post and walked the walk, and nothing changed much since then: as Vader, he was the character I was most interested in in the original trilogy (the rest of you can keep your Han Solo; though I loved Leia, the emotional core of the OT to me was the Luke and Vader relationship), as Anakin, I downright loved him, messed up well intentioned boy sliding to hell that he was. Oh, and this reminds me: must write a short review of Clone Wars which I've enjoyed.


Angela Petrelli, of Heroes. I found her fascinating in the first season but tettered on the brink of affection, hoping the second season would give me more character scenes, which it did. Now Angela reigns along Livia in my list of ruthless manipulative matriarchs whom I wouldn't want to go near in real life but whom I loooooove watching on my tv screen. And love writing about, for that matter. (See fanfiction, mine.) Whether she was slapping Kaito, having completely dysfunctional intense scenes with Nathan, or interrogation scenes with Matt Parkman, Angela rocked my life in season 2, and I dearly hope she'll have scenes with Claire again in season 3 because their brief s1 interaction was fab.


Arvin Sloane, of Alias. Oh, Arvin. Back in season 1 of Alias, he started out as a villain I was just interested in, but then he had to mock Quentin Tarantino while the later was torturing him and sacrifice his finger for the lives of the heroine and her father, and be a loving and devoted husband to his cancer-ridden wife, and I couldn't help myself, my affections became engaged. In season 2, he out-manipulated good guys and bad guys alike and then, when he could have walked away and been happy with Emily, doomed himself by continuing to pursue his obsession with Rambaldi, because that's what Sloane does (brilliant when backed in a corner, fantastic in adversity, but let him win and get what he wants for a while, and he'll self-sabotage; see also, season 5) . In season 3, his scenes were my main reason for watching (the third season being less than stellar). Season 4, aka once more, with ambiguity, where Arvin S. was concerned, became my overall favourite Alias season. In season 5 he broke my heart. Still my favourite Alias character and together with Londo Mollari my favourite tv tragedy playing out.

Angel, of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel: The Series. As I recall, back when BTVS was first broadcast, during the first three seasons, the reactions to Angel were basically split into the Buffy/Angel'shipping part of fandom who loved him and the rest who wanted more screentime for the other characters and complained about David Boreanaz' acting. Then he got his spin-off, and reactions got far more complicated. As for myself, I never was a shipper, but I had no problem with Angel (or his actor) during the first three seasons, either. I was mildly fond, but there were several characters on BTVS I liked much more. I watched the AtS pilot mainly for Cordelia. However, said pilot already swayed me in Angel's favour, what with scenes like the one where he heroically jumps into the wrong BMW that allowed David Boreanaz to display his comic timing. My fondness for Angel grew, and by time the show finished, I pretty much loved the entire package, from his thing for Barry Manilow through his dysfunctional and intense relationships to Darla and Connor to his friendship with Cordelia pre-awful season 3 love interest phase and with Wesley, ups and downs and fallouts and reconciliations included; the pettiness (take most scenes with Spike, and I'm with Joss there, Angel being petty just cracks me up) as well as the heroism. The fact that he had a vicious streak a mile wide with his soul as well as without and wasn't a hero because but inspite of himself. And lastly? I love Angel for his utter inability to sing. This always makes me empathize.

Comments

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

As opposed to the period between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith,

Oh, those were hard days indeed. Admitting that you liked the prequels for any reason other than Ewan McGregor's smile was bad enough, without being an Anakin fan on top of it. But he's still pretty much the archetype of what I look for in a character.

I love Angel for his utter inability to sing. This always makes me empathize.

His utter inability to dance isn't too shabby either. :D

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Oh, my fellow veteran in prequel-loving, we have some grizzly battle stories to tell. *nods head wisely*

Angel and dancing: true that. Though he bluffs it out in The Prom, but other than that...*g*

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

He's probably quite able at reels and other step dancing!

[12-12-12.livejournal.com]

Dorky dancing gets me every time. Though really, it's the facial expressions that make the scene. And the handclaps. Don't forget the handclaps.

[nomadicwriter]

I'm a brand new Alias fan and I have fallen hugely and unexpectedly head over heels in love with Arvin Sloane*. Unexpectedly mainly because while I was spoiled up the wazoo before watching, 90% of both fic and fandom in general seem to blackwash Sloane as as a one-note sociopath with no redeeming features. (While simultaneously whitewashing Irina - and to a lesser extent Jack too - and grafting all kinds of additional redeeming features onto Sark. White- and blackwashing in general annoys me - I want my shades of grey! - but it irks even more when the one villain who shows the most canonical desire and capacity for redemption gets the short end of the stick.)

I've just reached the end of season four now, and while everybody else seems to love the finale for the Jack/Irina/spyfamily united stuff - which I do enjoy myself - the majority of my squee is reserved the scene where Sydney goes to visit Sloane in the cell. Which is perfect on so many levels, from the fact that I can't believe she - never mind the writers! - actually went there, to the fact that Sloane himself is finally humbled to a point where he can't believe it either. I want to hug the entire Sloane-Nadia arc from s3 through to the s4 finale. It's the most beautifully consistent and compelling character journey that this show has ever done.

Now I'm just starting on the beginning of season 5, and have that horrible Londo Mollari feeling in the pit of my stomach where I know exactly where he's going but dammit, I still want to believe he doesn't have to end up there.


(*That's actually how I ended up finally friending you here, incidentally, though we've bumped shoulders occasionally in the Heroes and B5 fandoms. Every time I would mention to somebody in Alias fandom, "And I'm totally in love with Arvin Sloane-" there would be *instant pointing fingers* "That way!" Your reputation as his biggest fan is alive and well.)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Firstly, I'm always glad to meet a fellow Sloane fan, and oh, I'm so familiar with that sense of frustration! I became a fan in the hiatus between s3 and s4, catching up with the three seasons in one go, and then catching up with the fanfiction, and I was ever so frustrated about a) the relative lack of Arvin Sloane in fanfic and b) the fact that if he did show up, it was as a one dimensional villain. Then came season 4, which basically gave me all I ever hoped and wanted for, and gave me the chance to recruit andrastewhite into Alias fandom (she wrote some great Sloane fanfic as well - have you read it?).

Secondly: the Sydney and Sloane cell scene - oh yes, that was beautiful, and honestly earned. Also, of course in retrospect I wish they had ended the show there (despite liking some aspects of s5). You probably already found my reviews at the time and the Sloane meta I wrote via the alias tag?

Sark: honestly, I think it's age-ism and look-ism. Ron Rifkin is a god among actors, but he's never going to be anyone's poster boy, hence the Sark enthusiasm. With Irina, I think it was the desire and hope for a happy end for her and Jack. I will say that all my annoyance with Irina whitewashing in fanfic vanished in a haze when the s5 finale went to the other extreme, but that's another story.

[nomadicwriter]

I was boggled to find there's less than a full page of stories under the Sloane filter at fanfiction.net. I mean, I already knew it would be too much to ask to find Sloane/Emily stories - nobody wants to write about established marriages, let alone happy ones - but where are all the fics about his relationships with Jack and Sydney? I'm bewildered that Sloane/Jack friendship fic, even one-sided stuff that paints Sloane as solely the evil betrayer, is virtually non-existent. It's the most interesting relationship on the show!

I have read andrastewhite's fic (best thing about getting into a fandom late is finding all the people who are on your flist already who've written fic for it!) and yes, I gleefully dug through all your old meta and episode reviews. There's a painful dearth of old-school show discussion that actually talks about Sloane instead of just booing and hissing everything he does. (That said, I'm finding the rewatch at the_retelling pleasantly Sloane-friendly for the most part.)

My annoyance at the Irina whitewashing, I think, is really more about the hypocrisy of how the two characters are viewed by fandom than anything else - I certainly didn't think she merited the horrible character assassination of the finale. I thought the season four finale was note perfect in the places it had all the characters end up emotionally, and it definitely would have been the more satisfying ending.

So, yeah, I have mixed feelings about approaching season five: on the one hand, I am pretty glad it exists, because hey, more episodes = more opportunities to watch Ron Rifkin being awesome, and I'm greatly anticipating the Grandpa Jack arc... but on the other hand, I know in advance it ends poorly and kills off the entire generation of characters that I'm most interested in. About the only consolation is that with Alias, when you're mentally plotting out the denial-fic where they all turn out to survive and have had good reasons for their actions, it doesn't feel so much like a cheap fix-it because you know they'd have done the same in canon given the chance.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

but where are all the fics about his relationships with Jack and Sydney? I'm bewildered that Sloane/Jack friendship fic, even one-sided stuff that paints Sloane as solely the evil betrayer, is virtually non-existent. It's the most interesting relationship on the show!

Agreed. And you can't tell me that if Sloane and Jack were played by younger actors, there wouldn't be fanfic galore. Ageism and shallowness on the part of fandom is really my only explanation.

(BTW, I take it you've read kangeiko's as well then?)

Denial fic, or rather fix it fic, is especially easy with everything this show has provided in terms of escape routes. There are canonical doppelgangers (who's to say Irina in the last two episodes was any more Irina than the one Jack killed back when was?), Jack when blowing himself up was in cave full of Rambaldi immortality juice, and as for Sloane, he had a canonical breakdown after Nadia's death (the writers, asked whether Nadia's ghost that Arvin sees is meant to be genuinenly supernatural, have said no, that's Sloane beating himself up), and given that plus all his other issues, one can certainly explain his actions and come up with a scenario that has him and Jack escaping from the caves.

[nomadicwriter]

Yes, I've read and enjoyed kangeiko's fic (especially the Sloane/Jack/Irina, which is possibly the most woefully underrepresented ship in the whole of Alias fandom). I basically went through the entire back archives of alias500 and chased down anybody who wrote anything vaguely Sloane related, so I did find a bit of fic that way. I'm now determinedly slogging through the depths of fanfiction.net in the hope of finding Sloane fic that predates the character filter, but so far, not much luck. Sigh. I'm gonna have to write all the stuff I want myself.

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

Can I have a letter, please?

[selenak.livejournal.com]

You get an S for socialism, of course.*g*

[elisi]

I liked Anakin and his journey, I just always felt that the story could have been told so much better, which makes me sad. So much potential wasted. Anyway, have you seen Leather by tartanshell? Excellent, excellent Anakin vid. (On youtube here if your computer doesn't like imeem.)

And right with you on your Angel-lovin'! :)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Yes, I know and love that vid, though it's been a while, and you gave me the excuse to rewatch, so thank you!

[handyhunter.livejournal.com]

I have similar views on Angel. Liked him well enough on Buffy, and more on his own show. His dorkiness and unheroic side are some of the best things about his character.

I'll take a letter (but not B).

[selenak.livejournal.com]

In that case, let's have X. *veg

*uses icon of some of Angel's best die brought out full force*

[handyhunter.livejournal.com]

*g* That's a cruel letter. Although, I did actually come up with 5, sort of. Now, to write about them...

Muppet!Angel is about the cutest thing ever. I couldn't believe it when they had him vamp out. Hee.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

They who do not love Muppet!Angel have no SOUL, I tell you. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to your five Xes.

[handyhunter.livejournal.com]

Posted! (http://handyhunter.livejournal.com/124095.html) :D

[misachan.livejournal.com]

I'm thirding the love for Angel's terrible dancing, although if you really want to see David Boreanaz dance like an utter doof check out Bones. Watching him rock out to Journey had me on the floor.

Can I have a letter too? (boring work is boring:)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

E for entertainment then.*g*

I've watched the first three episodes of Bones, which were fun enough, but didn't have time to watch more yet.

[shelled-avenger.livejournal.com]

Angela Petrelli, of Heroes.

I'll be honest and say she MAKES the series for me (with some help from a few other characters). *Skips off to rent S2*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

She doesn't make it for me, but she's quintessential to my enjoyment of it, that's for sure!

[ulkis.livejournal.com]

I watched the AtS pilot mainly for Cordelia. However, said pilot already swayed me in Angel's favour, what with scenes like the one where he heroically jumps into the wrong BMW that allowed David Boreanaz to display his comic timing.

I remember wondering how they were going to develop a whole series around Angel. I liked him well enough, but I didn't think he could carry a show on his own. I was pleasantly surprised that they expanded his character without changing him dramatically. (I was afraid they might try to give him Spike-like quips or make him less awkward and quiet.)

Oh, and this reminds me: must write a short review of Clone Wars which I've enjoyed.

Oh, I'm so glad to see someone say that. It seems to me many people haven't even seen the movie, let alone like it. But I thought it was very cute and enjoyable.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I think that were it not for the fact I have a few SW fans on my flist, it would have passed me by as well. And I adored the Ahsoka-Anakin relationship.

Angel: yes, exactly. Textbook example of how to expand a character without rewriting him into someone else.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

the emotional core of the OT to me was the Luke and Vader relationship

ABSOLUTELY!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

The Force is strong in you today.*g* (Incidentally, should you feel up for it, you get an R.)

[shezan.livejournal.com]

... R????

[mimesh.livejournal.com]

As opposed to the period between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, when Anakin was the most unpopular character in the 'verse other than Jar Jar, I'm not in quite as much a minority opinion as before when declaring my fondness, but at a guess, we're still outnumbered.

It has practically become a pop cultural law to hate the prequels and most of all Anakin although my impression is that more of the hate is directed at Hayden than towards the character per se. I'll be honest though, I only really love ROTS out of the prequels but there is no question about my favourite character. :D

Also word on the Angela paragraph. I'm so glad she finally gets to play center stage and I can't wait for more family interaction although I would also love to see her meeting Adam after all those years.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Re: Hayden or Anakin - nah, I remember the bile directed at child!Anakin too well. (Where one had the impression yelling "yipee!" was a sin punishable by death in the eyes of moviegoers, considering all the rants about it...)

The Angela and Adam meeting better be epic!

[12-12-12.livejournal.com]

What I loved and still love about Angel is that everyone involved, from the writers to the directors to Boreanaz himself, almost always saw him clearly and uncompromisingly and were honest with themselves about who he was, what kind of a character he was, and what his good and bad points were. As a result, I never felt that he was being shoved down my throat as a woobie, and I never felt that they were taking him too seriously--quite the opposite, in fact. They mocked him mercilessly, but with love. This meant that we saw him at his worst, again and again, and I believed it--we saw him at his best, and again, I believed it. Unlike a lot of other characters, in this and other fandoms, I never felt that TPTB were forcing a reaction from me, or manipulating me into feeling a certain way about him. They just let him be. As someone who's generally very wary of woobification, I really loved that.

wandered over here from universe_today and started exploring :P

[prettybird.livejournal.com]

(the rest of you can keep your Han Solo; though I loved Leia, the emotional core of the OT to me was the Luke and Vader relationship)

A thousand times *this*, including the bit about Han. I remember being maybe 8-9 years old and watching the end of 'Empire' for the first time...I was completely floored. I'd somehow managed to miss hearing about that revelation, even with my sci-fi geek of a Dad.