stop saying "explode," you're killing me!

[thehefner]

So Mom and I just finished the first season of HEROES. God, what a gloriously, magnificently horrible show.

This show has almost zero sense of irony. Everything is so serious and earnest, that when bad actors spout lines like the following, with dead-serious Oscar-baiting brooding intensity:

"Yes, as long as I let this city become a nuclear wasteland." (stands up, turns, and looks out the window) And let my brother explode."

Look, every single time someone said "explode" with a straight face, it was comedy gold. It's hard to imagine Daniel Day-Lewis making that writing work, and they're saddling dialogue like that on that cast... but that single line, complete with the dramatic pause and the cliched "turn and look out the window"... Mom and I were hyperventilating with laughter.

Seriously, this shit was straight out of GARTH MARENGHI'S DARKPLACE*: "I have never exploded. But I know what it would be like. Don't ask me how. I just know. I've always just known." "Now I don't know whether someone close to Garth had exploded - whether it was a colleague or a pet - but you could tell that scene meant a lot to him. There were tears on set. Not from Garth. He was strong for the crew. But I wept. I'm not ashamed of that."

CHUD.com observed that great bad b-movies just don't exist anymore, because all b-movies know that they're B-movies, so try as they might, the tongue is always in cheek. But HEROES takes itself so utterly seriously that it's completely oblivious to how terribly written and acted it so often is, and combined with the actual quality elements of the show, the result is something that's magnificently compelling and entertaining.

I'm afraid to watch season two, though, as I understand it goes from "wonderfully bad" to "just plain bad." I think I'd be better off finally watching DEADWOOD, LOST, and BATTLESTAR GALACTACA.



*God, how I love DARKPLACE. Why are there only six episodes?! WHY? As Ridgaway put it, "Hefner, I cannot believe you haven't made this show already."

Comments

[fragmentedsky.livejournal.com]

It kinda did in second season, yeah. Except at like...the VERY end, when it went back to first-season vibe.

LOST is so much better. SO much better. You should also check out Wonderfalls.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I will, totally. Eventually. I need to see a few more things on my Netflix queue first, as I've maxed out yet again.

I forget, have you seen TWIN PEAKS yet?

[fragmentedsky.livejournal.com]

Someday I will catch up with the world and get Netflix, as opposed to watching everything on illegal streaming sites.

And I haven't. I don't even know what it's about.

[entropicalia.livejournal.com]

I've been wondering why everyone sweats that show so much. I couldn't even get through one episode, is how damn overbearing and phony the earnestness is.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

What gets to me is kinda what I felt about the world's obsession with THE MATRIX a few years back. It seems to be that many people find it new and innovative and exciting, and meanwhile, we comic geeks are like, "Yeah, we've seen all this long ago, what?"

Comic Geeks: In On It Before It's Cool, While Never Being Cool Ourselves.

yes, watch LOST, please watch LOST, you can come over to my place and watch it ...

[findingjuliet.livejournal.com]

Stephen King just named it the best show of the year saying, ". LOST
Still the best. I rewatched the entire third season to make sure, and — yes — still the best. Heroes just doesn't have its mythic grandeur. People are reaching for the stars here. And maybe beyond. Really, there's never been anything like it."

Season One of Heroes was trying to emulate LOST and never got over it's bad writing, bad acting, and (as you said) lack of irony to get there. Season Two (so far) doesn't even try ....

Re: yes, watch LOST, please watch LOST, you can come over to my place and watch it ...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Yes, but Stephen King is also a cranky old man with a dubious yet entertaining ranting column in Entertainment Weekly. I love the man's work, but I always take him with many grains of salt.

But yes. Yes, I will absolutely watch LOST. Also, I need to see THE WIRE and THE SHIELD, as I hear those are downright fantastic.

Re: yes, watch LOST, please watch LOST, you can come over to my place and watch it ...

[findingjuliet.livejournal.com]

Can't vouch for The Shield, but the Wire is flippin' fantastic. The acting is soooooo juicy good :)

And yeah, I know Stephen King is a bit of a crazy old geezer, but he's onto something with his appreciation for LOST. I'll just let you watch it :)

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

HI! HELLO! LET ME FLAIL AT YOU EXTENSIVELY ABOUT GARTH MARENGHI'S DARKPLACE! There needs to be more of this show in my life, so SO badly. It's like every television show I love rolled in to one sweet package of low-budget goodness! The Twilight Zone meets Behind The Music meets All of Stephen King's Shitty Miniseries Events meets The Might Boosh! XD!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

THANK GOD.

Several people just do not like it. I don't quite get why! I suppose there has to be a certain... appreciation for that kind of humor.

God, I love Sanch. He carries two guns in case one turns on him. Brilliant!

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

See, I got into it because of my deep abiding love of The Mighty Boosh and really ridiculously ridiculous shit. I enjoy things that possibly should not be enjoyed without aid of recreational drugs, without aid of recreational drugs (90% of the time). It's kind of why I like British humor; it's either bitting and witty, or slap-stick and silly.

DUDE. Dean Learner. His delivery consistently makes my face ache from laughing so hard.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Do you watch FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS? Kiwi humo(u)r is not too far removed either.

Dean isn't acting, remember! He's just being.

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

I've only seen clips of the songs on YouTube. But! Kristen Schaal was on Never Mind the Buzzcocks with Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh, and they were awesome together. I'm totally gonna watch it now.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

She's marvelous, and FotC is just one of my favorite shows out right now anyway. Each new episode is a mini-event for our household.

And I have such a bizarre crush on Kristen Schaal now because of that show. Bizarre for SO many reasons, least of which is how wonderfully creepy she is on FotC.

By the way: http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

YESSSSSS! Sunday!

[lairdofdarkness.livejournal.com]

Ok picture this
Kirsten Schall with her hair al platered to her head and dyed black.
Dead Ringer for Betty Boop
No lie!

She was AWESOME on Never mind the buzzcocks by the way, her and Feildning definately had some flirting going on.

Also when the world gets me down and I start thinking everything is going to hell, it does glkadden my heart that something so essentially British a comedy gets the recognition from my brothers and sisters over in the US and A.
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is genius in a shiny DVD (which you should definatley buy for the pure Thrill Power contained within - get a multi region player if need be, between this and Spaced, you will never regret it!!)
Man to Man with Dean Learner is a almost follow up and is patchy but just about worth it when they have the interview with Garth.
Plus they show you this!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCYatdlV2QQ

Fried Gold

[findingjuliet.livejournal.com]

oh and oh ... don't you just love Mohinder? Stupidest geneticist ever ...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I think it was you who first said that, right? Because I KEEP SAYING THAT EVERY TIME HE APPEARS. God, shut up, Mohinder! Hehehe.

ahh, tv geekiness, my true genre...

[plasticity.livejournal.com]

hahahahaha. ALL TRUE.

I did love the first season tons, but there's absolutely no way it's "one of the best shows on television." it's a cracktastic guilty pleasure. And yes, skip the second season, lest whatever feelings of goodwill you have towards the show dissipate in a cloud of amnesiac-Peter-emo. We've spent the entirety of it yelling things at the screen, mostly along the lines of "SHUT UP MOHINDER" or "Peter, you dumbass!"

although there are like two good actors on the show: Adrian Pasdar is pretty good, and Cristine Rose, who plays Mrs Petrelli, is awesome. And the kid who plays Micah. But the writing, you have correctly noticed, is completely ridiculous.

now, if you want me to talk some more about the brilliance of The Wire, or Battlestar Galactica, do let me know, as I can go on at length. Both are gearing up for their final seasons. Battlestar is a little spottier and less consistently brilliant but the whole run is worth it for the plot and character payoffs that emerge - every single person on the show is a person, and there's a strong emphasis on actual relationship, and I'm not talking the kind of relationships regularly angsted over on the CW. And Ron Moore actually addresses humanity's necessity for spirituality/religion/mythology, which is great after far too much utopian-agnostic-future-scape scifi.

As for The Wire... it is the best modern American novel that's not. It has no villains and no heroes. And it has no easy answers. But it's imperative and human, and it sets a new bar for television in general. Sheer brilliance.

I watched the entire first season of Lost after it aired and it never grabbed me, though. Which is weird, as I adored JJ Abrams' Alias (well, the first two seasons), and am totally up for heady serialized TV. I just didn't find it at all compelling. *shrugs*

Re: ahh, tv geekiness, my true genre...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

We've spent the entirety of it yelling things at the screen, mostly along the lines of "SHUT UP MOHINDER" or "Peter, you dumbass!"

Hahahaha.

Do we get any more Christopher Eccleston? I got a fever, and the only perscription is more Ugly Ralph Fiennes!

Well, I'll get to these shows in due time. Actually, I just realized, I still have the final season of OZ to watch! Must find out how the Itchy-and-Scratchy relationship of Schillinger and Beecher finally concludes!

Re: ahh, tv geekiness, my true genre...

[plasticity.livejournal.com]

no more Eccleston. he is pretty infamous for making shows 918924 times better and then running from them, lest he become typecast. Nor has there been hint of Malcolm McDowell or Eric Roberts. We did get a healthy dose of David Anders' patented moral charcoal, but even that wasn't enough.

Re: ahh, tv geekiness, my true genre...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Yes, well, at least those two have good reasons for not coming back. I mean, besides the fact that McDowell is now a big [adult swim] recurring star and Eric Roberts is going to throw acid into Aaron Eckhart's face.

I don't mind Eccleston's flaky fear of typecasting, just as long as he stays active and keeps doing awesome stuff! You left Dr. Who, fine, but you'd better make it count!

[tazira.livejournal.com]

Okay, NOW I actually kind of want to watch Heroes. Up until this shining moment, it had been totally Browncoated for me.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

CHUD.com said it's like an Ed Wood movie, and while I won't go that far, I will say again that it's thoroughly entertaining and compelling, and as horrible as it is, you somehow never ask yourself "Why am I watching this?" At least, not in that "I feel dirty" kinda way that I feel when I watch DRAWN TOGETHER.

[findingjuliet.livejournal.com]

oh you have to watch it -- it's glorious in it's cheesy soundtrack, indian-brit narrative voice, teenage angst, bad catch phrases and dorktastic special effects. actually, now that i'm deep into season 2, i want to re-watch season 1 just for its badness.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Seriously, Claire works that "forlorn" face more often than Frodo!

[findingjuliet.livejournal.com]

wait till she gets a boyfriend ...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

UGH.

God, look at that icon! I need an icon of Elijah Wood's big soulful doleful eyes to duel with it! All I have is Sutherland.

[holli.livejournal.com]

I decided that what Heroes really needs is some Silver Age wacky shit. Nothing would amuse me more than the characters continuing to angst and squabble and try to bring down the Company while a giant robot rampages by in the background.

Also: Claire is Season One Buffy. Discuss.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. Absolutely.

Someone wrote a wonderful summation of all that was bad and wonderful about the Silver Age, and what needs to be embraced. I should post that here.

Also, 'fraid I can't discuss, I didn't watch BUFFY till "Fool For Love" and the musical episode, and even then, I only very grudgingly watched it for my love of Spike, and even then only because he was basically John Constantine, only more prone to outright evil.

[fragmentedsky.livejournal.com]

Whoa and wait a minute here. You watch for Spike and you watch the later seasons? There is no logic there. The earlier the eviler with Spike. He shows up in season 2 and spends most of it baiting Angel (in both good and evil form) for being a melodramatic twit.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm a sucker for the whole "villains teaming up with the heroes and slowly gaining redemption" stories. See also Harvey Dent and Parallax. Not when they're just evil period, so I'd have less interest in season 2 Spike anyway.

[fragmentedsky.livejournal.com]

Well, they do team up in Becoming II, although less for redemption and more for...[goes to find quote] "I lost a friend tonight! And I may lose more! The whole earth may be sucked into Hell and you want my help 'cause your girlfriend's a big ho?"

I'm a sucker for redemption too, but Spike is still Spike, early on. Less evil ambition, more posture and wit.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

"But HEROES takes itself so utterly seriously that it's completely oblivious to how terribly written and acted it so often is..."

AMEN to that, brother.

[gore-whore-5.livejournal.com]

I vote you watch Lost first. The first season is the best, but if you take it that you'll never understand anything and have fun coming up with theories to try and explain all of the secrets (ooooh), you'll be fine. It's quite enjoyable, actually.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I'm a fan of TWIN PEAKS and X-FILES. All this is an old game to me, one in which I am well-versed. I'm prepared.