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Jan. 25th, 2011 05:50 pmOh, television.
On one level, I find movies to be more satisfactory than television series: they're finite, and they rarely leave loose ends. "Miller's Crossing?" Is like a beautiful object d'art. Ditto "The Last Seduction." And, well, when the endings suck, I can mentally edit to make them a little better by pretending that the ending never happened ("Secretary" and Rene Russo remake of "The Thomas Crowne Affair," you are both officially ten to twenty minutes shorter in my head, I just want you to know that). I mean, would I like more (for example) "Princess Bride" goodness? A sequel to "Scaramouche?" Sure! But I don't need or expect it, because the writers are generally aware that they need to provide closure.
Closure is important.
And that, dear friends, brings us to "Firefly" and "Veronica Mars."
Now, on the one hand, because I never really bother watching actual television television, I'm usually spared the agony of tiny dribbles of entertainment, and the tenterhooks of wondering if my favorite show will be canceled: I know from the get-go just how much I'm going to be getting. That said, the two opposing models of how to handle a cancellation fascinate me immensely.
Joss Whedon managed to both provide a closed conclusion to the series, and to swing a movie (with the potential of an open-ended franchise, to boot), possibly on the logic that we're officially a series-minded society, and we'll follow our stories into whatever mediums will have them. "Veronica Mars," on the other hand? Is literally tantalizing, as in, going back to the dude who was condemned to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree, with the water receding when he attempted to quench his thirst, and the branches rising when he tried to sate his hunger. Least. Satisfying. Series. Conclusion. EVER. And, no, the various promises of spin-offs or movies do not make it better. (Hell, I can't even find the good fanfic! Though I did just come across the Season 4 promo teaser, which is what prompted this post.)
I know there's probably a complex theorem to explain the difference, based on fanbase likely to see the movie vs. how big the stars have hit and how much they'll need to be paid (hey, as much as I like Nathan Fillion, I'm pretty sure Kristen Bell earns a bigger base these days), but I cannot help but feel that Rob Thomas is just a sadist. Or that UPN is meaner than Fox with the rights. Or ... something.
On one level, I find movies to be more satisfactory than television series: they're finite, and they rarely leave loose ends. "Miller's Crossing?" Is like a beautiful object d'art. Ditto "The Last Seduction." And, well, when the endings suck, I can mentally edit to make them a little better by pretending that the ending never happened ("Secretary" and Rene Russo remake of "The Thomas Crowne Affair," you are both officially ten to twenty minutes shorter in my head, I just want you to know that). I mean, would I like more (for example) "Princess Bride" goodness? A sequel to "Scaramouche?" Sure! But I don't need or expect it, because the writers are generally aware that they need to provide closure.
Closure is important.
And that, dear friends, brings us to "Firefly" and "Veronica Mars."
Now, on the one hand, because I never really bother watching actual television television, I'm usually spared the agony of tiny dribbles of entertainment, and the tenterhooks of wondering if my favorite show will be canceled: I know from the get-go just how much I'm going to be getting. That said, the two opposing models of how to handle a cancellation fascinate me immensely.
Joss Whedon managed to both provide a closed conclusion to the series, and to swing a movie (with the potential of an open-ended franchise, to boot), possibly on the logic that we're officially a series-minded society, and we'll follow our stories into whatever mediums will have them. "Veronica Mars," on the other hand? Is literally tantalizing, as in, going back to the dude who was condemned to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree, with the water receding when he attempted to quench his thirst, and the branches rising when he tried to sate his hunger. Least. Satisfying. Series. Conclusion. EVER. And, no, the various promises of spin-offs or movies do not make it better. (Hell, I can't even find the good fanfic! Though I did just come across the Season 4 promo teaser, which is what prompted this post.)
I know there's probably a complex theorem to explain the difference, based on fanbase likely to see the movie vs. how big the stars have hit and how much they'll need to be paid (hey, as much as I like Nathan Fillion, I'm pretty sure Kristen Bell earns a bigger base these days), but I cannot help but feel that Rob Thomas is just a sadist. Or that UPN is meaner than Fox with the rights. Or ... something.
Anyway. Dissatisfied! I just wanted to share.
P.S. - Wanna recommend some good series that do not leave one hanging?