Interesting Josh Friedman (TSCC Showrunner) Interview.

[beccatoria]

http://io9.com/5347563/the-questions-you-shouldnt-answer-and-the-answers-you-cant-let-go-of

It's pretty short and a nice read. It goes into the balance of specificity and answers with larger, unanswered, half-suggested, mysterious motifs. And the importance of giant messy mysteries but how if you're not careful, that's pretty much indistinguishable from laziness.

It kind of sums up why I miss this show terribly but also am...okay with where they left it, if it had to end.

Creating a beautiful unanswered question can be a complete work of art - just ask Schrödinger and his cat.

Just know that some day somebody will open that box and, dead or alive, there better be a fucking awesome kitty in there.

Also, I kind of want to write this bit on a postcard and send it to Ron Moore:

Bad writing is a demon that takes all forms and often finds a warm and inviting host with writers who confuse the arbitrary with the mysterious.

Comments

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

I never watched Lost, though I heard it got better in later seasons again. I completely agree that TXF collapsed under the weight of its own tangled mythology but I'm not sure it was an example of mistaking arbitrary with mysterious. If anything they tried to be too specific while also being vague but they didn't really try to pull the arbitrary/mysterious card, I don't think. They pulled the arbitrary card, but even PRETENDING it was mysterious was a bit beyond them by the end, I think. Their problem was constantly conflicting specific information, I think.

RTD's ego is just insane, though. And yeah he TOTALLY falls into this category. And after Bad Wolf none of them were even GOOD payoffs, you know? I haven't read it but a friend read his book - "The Writer's Tale" - and apparently his ego in that is unbelievable and essentially he reduces the opinion of anyone who doesn't like his writing by calling them "ming mongs" who don't get it. ::eyeroll::

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

I watched most of the first season of Lost, but my basic problem was I didn't like any of the characters.

It was a real shame what happened to TXF, for the first half of its run, the mythology stories were the best, but then towards the end, it was monster of the week episodes that made it worth watching. I was surprised nobody ever sat down and wrote a two-parter that *fixed* the ongoing mythology storylines. And yes, still bitter that the finale and movies didn't fix it.

And yes, I quite agree, the payoffs in the finales after bad Wolf were all pretty lame. Particularly the season with Martha and the DoctorJesusTinkerbelle. I mean... yeah, its a classic example of a writer/showrunner whose ego gets out of control and has nobody around with enough power and influence who can tell him when his ideas stink.

... in fact every Who season finale since that first season has been pretty lame. Though I suppose the second season with the daleks vs Cybermen finale was fun.