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Islands, Doors and Trains
Jul. 4th, 2014 03:50 pmLost
My rewatch of season 1 of Lost has reached the halfway point ("Hearts and Minds"). The big plot arcs are starting to unfold: Sayid had an encounter with Danielle, who first tells him about the Others; Locke and Boone discover the mysterious hatch; Ethan is unmasked as an Other (things really kick into gear in that moment when Hurley tells Jack that Ethan "wasn't on the plane", cutting to Ethan staring down Charlie and Claire. It's one of those seminal Lost moments that stands out for years to come), and he almost kills Charlie and kidnaps Claire, kicking off the plotline around infertility on the Island.
It also, unfortunately, begins the tired love-triangle of Jack-Kate-Sawyer, which is one of the weakest plot arcs the show dedicates itself to, and which unfortunately has the worst impact on Kate's characterisation over the years. She's a great character, even though the writers dropped the ball on giving her past the coherence and drive it needed at times, but Evangeline Lily seems to have the misfortune of playing interesting female characters shoehorned into tedious romantic subplots that don't lend much - if anything - to her character. One of the weaker points of the generally excellent first season, especially in this first half, is the show's tendency to push characters into relationship developments to serve the plot, but aren't sustained by the characterisation - Jack and Kate being pushed into being the central romance (with a side of tension with Sawyer), and Sayid's torture of Sawyer being two big examples. Sometimes things happen very tidily in this show, and it can be handwaved as a bit of Island mysticism (the Island as a debateably conscious entity that engineers situations in order to test its Candidates), but then there are times when it's clearly forced by the writers in order to make the plot happen the way they want it to, rather than taking the characters to a place where the events might unfold more naturally.
What these early episodes of Lost do so well - and which some of the later episodes begin to fail at, particularly in season 2 and early season 3, when the writers hadn't been given a definite end point for the show - is telling short stories within the larger narrative. I love a good Lost mystery, but the draw of the show is the characters and their intertwining lives and the way we learn about them. The way each episode gives us larger island plot lines but intersects that with a short story allows the characters and the story room to breathe and grow, and the show can do so many different things with them. The strength of Lost is often how it manages these short stories: in a few minutes of episode time it can tell us the story of Charlie's rise to fame and descent into drug abuse; it can give us the domestic drama of Sun and Jin's relationship; it can turn Sawyer from a typical bad boy into a complex figure with a tragic past... and it can tell us so much with so little - Jin holding the flower at Sydney airport tells us more about the love and loss and heartbreak in the Kwon's relationship than any long, emotional speech. The Island is the enduring mystery, and watching these characters deal with their new lives is one of the draws of the show, but the short character stories are what make it stand out.
Tickets were released today for the Night Vale Europe tour, and I managed to snag tickets to the London show. I had the chance to spend half an hour talking to Cecil Baldwin after the New York Neo-Futurists show I saw in November (he is, for the record, an absolute gem - kind, generous, funny, interesting and interested, and he seemed even more excited to talk Night Vale than I was) and I asked if there was a chance of them coming to Europe. He said, "I'm not technically allowed to tell you this, so promise not to tell anyone. But 2014 is a big year for Night Vale On Tour". Since then, every time one of the writers has mentioned a "big announcement" I've crossed my fingers for a Europe tour - and here it is at last! Bring on October!
My rewatch of season 1 of Lost has reached the halfway point ("Hearts and Minds"). The big plot arcs are starting to unfold: Sayid had an encounter with Danielle, who first tells him about the Others; Locke and Boone discover the mysterious hatch; Ethan is unmasked as an Other (things really kick into gear in that moment when Hurley tells Jack that Ethan "wasn't on the plane", cutting to Ethan staring down Charlie and Claire. It's one of those seminal Lost moments that stands out for years to come), and he almost kills Charlie and kidnaps Claire, kicking off the plotline around infertility on the Island.
It also, unfortunately, begins the tired love-triangle of Jack-Kate-Sawyer, which is one of the weakest plot arcs the show dedicates itself to, and which unfortunately has the worst impact on Kate's characterisation over the years. She's a great character, even though the writers dropped the ball on giving her past the coherence and drive it needed at times, but Evangeline Lily seems to have the misfortune of playing interesting female characters shoehorned into tedious romantic subplots that don't lend much - if anything - to her character. One of the weaker points of the generally excellent first season, especially in this first half, is the show's tendency to push characters into relationship developments to serve the plot, but aren't sustained by the characterisation - Jack and Kate being pushed into being the central romance (with a side of tension with Sawyer), and Sayid's torture of Sawyer being two big examples. Sometimes things happen very tidily in this show, and it can be handwaved as a bit of Island mysticism (the Island as a debateably conscious entity that engineers situations in order to test its Candidates), but then there are times when it's clearly forced by the writers in order to make the plot happen the way they want it to, rather than taking the characters to a place where the events might unfold more naturally.
What these early episodes of Lost do so well - and which some of the later episodes begin to fail at, particularly in season 2 and early season 3, when the writers hadn't been given a definite end point for the show - is telling short stories within the larger narrative. I love a good Lost mystery, but the draw of the show is the characters and their intertwining lives and the way we learn about them. The way each episode gives us larger island plot lines but intersects that with a short story allows the characters and the story room to breathe and grow, and the show can do so many different things with them. The strength of Lost is often how it manages these short stories: in a few minutes of episode time it can tell us the story of Charlie's rise to fame and descent into drug abuse; it can give us the domestic drama of Sun and Jin's relationship; it can turn Sawyer from a typical bad boy into a complex figure with a tragic past... and it can tell us so much with so little - Jin holding the flower at Sydney airport tells us more about the love and loss and heartbreak in the Kwon's relationship than any long, emotional speech. The Island is the enduring mystery, and watching these characters deal with their new lives is one of the draws of the show, but the short character stories are what make it stand out.
Night Vale
Night Vale wrapped its second anniversary show this week, and with it its first attempt at a longer plot arc. It will be interesting to see where the show chooses to go next - I imagine it will go back to more self-contained episodes for a while before trying to introduce another big, all-encompassing storyline. Not that the self-contained episodes would not have arcs - the first year of the show was mostly stand-alone episodes, but within those episodes were ongoing stories and character arcs that informed the direction of the show.
I think the next few weeks or months of Night Vale are going to follow the rebuilding of Night Vale, as well as exploring ideas of identity, belonging and purpose with the characters. With Strex gone, the question about Night Vale's identity may well arise. I can see this playing out amongst a few characters: Carlos, of course, now that the universe has decided that he doesn't 'belong' in Night Vale, will almost certainly have a character arc about what his place is, what it is to belong somewhere, and whether he can 'make a home' in Night Vale (themes of home and belonging have already played a part in his and Cecil's relationship).
Dana has now been elected mayor, and I can see this coming up with her too - Dana has always questioned her identity (she is uncertain as to whether she is the original Dana, or her double; she identified herself as an intern, only she wasn't an intern any more; she became "Dana, with a question mark") and now she has returned to her home she has a new role to negotiate - what will this do for her character arc, and how will it affect Night Vale.
Tamika Flynn, too, can now return to Night Vale. She has been an outcast, a rebel, and a fighter. She is not a child, but not quite an adult. What will her place be in rebuilding Night Vale? Will she be able to settle back in, after all she has done?
Cecil... is different. Cecil is a constant. No matter what has happened, no matter what has changed, Cecil is sure of his role in Night Vale. There are questions around his past, of course, but Cecil is someone who seems to be secure in his place. Whilst changes are coming to Night Vale, there is also a return of the familiar - Station Management is back. The angels are back. Josie is back. I wonder what the balance will be, between the old, familiar Night Vale, and the new, future Night Vale?
Railsea
"This is the story of a bloodstained boy." I was pretty much hooked on this book from that opening line. China Miéville is a magnificent world-builder, and this ocean of railroads, at once familiar and unfamiliar, is a gorgeous melding of sci-fi and fantasy and age-of-sail, a monstrous reworking of seafaring adventures. It's magnificent already and I cannot wait to get my teeth into it.
Other Stuff
Tomorrow I am going to see the Monty Python reunion show ("Monty Python: Mostly Live", tagline "One Down, Five To Go") with my little brother. I was raised on a diet of old British comedy and Monty Python were a strong influence, so I am very excited to see them!
Night Vale wrapped its second anniversary show this week, and with it its first attempt at a longer plot arc. It will be interesting to see where the show chooses to go next - I imagine it will go back to more self-contained episodes for a while before trying to introduce another big, all-encompassing storyline. Not that the self-contained episodes would not have arcs - the first year of the show was mostly stand-alone episodes, but within those episodes were ongoing stories and character arcs that informed the direction of the show.
I think the next few weeks or months of Night Vale are going to follow the rebuilding of Night Vale, as well as exploring ideas of identity, belonging and purpose with the characters. With Strex gone, the question about Night Vale's identity may well arise. I can see this playing out amongst a few characters: Carlos, of course, now that the universe has decided that he doesn't 'belong' in Night Vale, will almost certainly have a character arc about what his place is, what it is to belong somewhere, and whether he can 'make a home' in Night Vale (themes of home and belonging have already played a part in his and Cecil's relationship).
Dana has now been elected mayor, and I can see this coming up with her too - Dana has always questioned her identity (she is uncertain as to whether she is the original Dana, or her double; she identified herself as an intern, only she wasn't an intern any more; she became "Dana, with a question mark") and now she has returned to her home she has a new role to negotiate - what will this do for her character arc, and how will it affect Night Vale.
Tamika Flynn, too, can now return to Night Vale. She has been an outcast, a rebel, and a fighter. She is not a child, but not quite an adult. What will her place be in rebuilding Night Vale? Will she be able to settle back in, after all she has done?
Cecil... is different. Cecil is a constant. No matter what has happened, no matter what has changed, Cecil is sure of his role in Night Vale. There are questions around his past, of course, but Cecil is someone who seems to be secure in his place. Whilst changes are coming to Night Vale, there is also a return of the familiar - Station Management is back. The angels are back. Josie is back. I wonder what the balance will be, between the old, familiar Night Vale, and the new, future Night Vale?
Railsea
"This is the story of a bloodstained boy." I was pretty much hooked on this book from that opening line. China Miéville is a magnificent world-builder, and this ocean of railroads, at once familiar and unfamiliar, is a gorgeous melding of sci-fi and fantasy and age-of-sail, a monstrous reworking of seafaring adventures. It's magnificent already and I cannot wait to get my teeth into it.
Other Stuff
Tomorrow I am going to see the Monty Python reunion show ("Monty Python: Mostly Live", tagline "One Down, Five To Go") with my little brother. I was raised on a diet of old British comedy and Monty Python were a strong influence, so I am very excited to see them!
Tickets were released today for the Night Vale Europe tour, and I managed to snag tickets to the London show. I had the chance to spend half an hour talking to Cecil Baldwin after the New York Neo-Futurists show I saw in November (he is, for the record, an absolute gem - kind, generous, funny, interesting and interested, and he seemed even more excited to talk Night Vale than I was) and I asked if there was a chance of them coming to Europe. He said, "I'm not technically allowed to tell you this, so promise not to tell anyone. But 2014 is a big year for Night Vale On Tour". Since then, every time one of the writers has mentioned a "big announcement" I've crossed my fingers for a Europe tour - and here it is at last! Bring on October!
