Because it's that time of the year again


( a) The one in which you post the first sentence of the first story you posted each month this year: )


Moving on to

( b) The other year in fic meme: )

I'm answering this from the ideal assumption I could resurrect some of these directly after they were cancelled, i.e. with the same writers/actors/producers available instead of bound by other commitments, aged or died.

1) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Because it was, hands down, the best show in the last two years, smart, with complex characters and relationships, developing arcs, and a superb use of its medium. (By which I mean it used visuals and music as well as dialogue for storytelling, which fewer tv shows do than you'd think.)

2) Deadwood. Because I want my characters cursing in iambic pentameters back, damn it, instead of seeing their story just cut off by cancellation. Again, great ensemble show, complex characters of both genders, and it manages to avoid incredibly easy traps of horrible gender clichés. (For example: Trixie and Al.)

3) Crusade. Not as great as the first two, but it had promise (especially if seen with the episodes in the right order), I liked most of the characters enormously (i.e. everyone except for Galen), I'm still frustrated thinking of the unfilmed scripts that I've read (one of which was a great Bester episode which incidentally would have made my favourite B5 books character, Sandoval Bey, tv canon, and the other would have been one of the jawdropping OMG NOW I UNDERSTAND revelation episodes JMS excels at that would actually have justified the existence of Galen the irritating to me), and also, the Excalibur is the Liberator with better GCI and I loved watching it.

4) American Gothic. This one found out it would get cancelled just early enough so that the s1 finale also works as a show finale, and a good one, but you know, it should never have been cancelled to begin with. It was great and subversive, and it probably influences me against Supernatural to this day because I can't help but comparing its first and only season to SPN's first season (which is all I've seen of the later) and wonder how the second one survived when the former was ever so much better as a take on supernatural mysteries of the week connected through ongoing arcs and an ensemble of characters. And as twisted family relationships with possible devils, definite angels and potential antichrists go, give me Lucas Buck, Caleb Temple and Merlyn over the Winchester boys any time. Footnote: and it even got screwed on the DVD release because for some benighted reason they put the four episodes not broadcast in the US at the end instead of putting them where they were in the European broadcast, which is at various places in the first third, middle, and last third of the show. Where, you know, they included crucial character development. Grrr. Argh.

5) The Order. Because the question did not specify "tv series", and the cancellation of this comics series by Matt Fraction after just two trade volumes continues to grieve me. Yes, he can and has brought characters from it back in his other titles, but that's not the same as the freedom to develop them and their stories in their own title. Again, great ensemble story, great twist on the Marvelverse and its established storylines, and oh, great, great use of location. (I.e. Los Angeles). I want it back!

Watchmen/X-Men:

Remember those hilarious Batman versus Iron Man "I'm a DC, I'm a Marvel" vids? Now someone genius has made one featuring Rorschach versus Wolverine, here. (Meanwhile, likeadeuce has kindly informed me what the Marvelverse book club (consisting of Jean Grey, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Henry Hellrung and Wolverine) really thinks about the Watchmen, and yes, I can see all these reactions.*veg*

Still in the Marvelverse:

The Order/Iron Man:

As mentioned earlier a couple of times, one of the great things about the Marvelverse is that there is really nothing so outlandish in fanfiction that canon doesn't on occasion come up with as well. (My favourite example of this is still Joe Quesada's story with Tony Stark's armour becoming sentient and his abusive boyfriend. No, really.) And for all that canon occasionally screws beloved characters over in a non-fun way, it also comes up with great new characters (and retcons that are inspired instead of infuriating). One such was ex-actor-turned-superhero Henry Hellrung, whom Matt Fraction invented for The Order and retconned into Iron Man continuity. Henry's backstory (played Tony Stark on tv, became real life pal of same, reportedly had an affair with him, which he never denied, quit alcohol before Tony did and later became his sponsor in AA) is given just in a few panels at the start of The Order and is such a rich minefield for fanfiction that it's surprising relatively few authors have used it so far. So I was thrilled to find a new story which did, and also used Kate Kildare (who later becomes the Order's go-to woman):

Method Acting


***


Hilarious (and true) in any universe: penknife gives us:

The Evil Overlord's Girlfriend's/Boyfriend's Checklist. Well, someone has to have the brains in these relationships!

Firstly, if you're not all averse to reading comics: resolute on Matt Fraction's recently nominated The Order, and why you should read it. What she said. Especially if certain recent movies have induced you to check out the Marvelverse.

Secondly, speaking of good writing: Neil Gaiman interviews Terry Prattchet.

Thirdly, a link to a Battlestar Galactica story, set after Revelations and impossible to describe without spoiling that episode: Daybreak. It's an ensemble story, with the pairings the ones the show offers.

***

I might not be able to post tomorrow due to real life stuff, so, some (unspoiled) thoughts in advance on what I expect and hope from tonight's Doctor Who episode, Turn Left:

( To wit... )