Every night there are specific TV shows I like to watch. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday each have one show, Friday is two and Tuesday is a full schedule. If certain ones of those shows were to be cancelled for one reason or another, I'd get over it before long. Other shows make a more lasting impression. I enjoy the weekly plots, but I admit...I'm more character oriented than action.
I looooove Person of Interest. That's one show that doesn't need sex or graphic violence to succeed. Granted, HR is a bunch of really nasty guys but what they do to others is 'off camera'. You don't have to see it to know what's happened. Hand-to-hand combat is more honorable, when you have to face your opponent, when you realized he was real and felt the same things you did. It gave a different perspective, as opposed to fighting an unseen enemy.
The POI characters are pretty much down-to-earth (except for Root who is in another world) Finch, the computer genius pretty much directs everything while Reese takes care of business. Have you noticed how Reese has never raised his voice for any reason? Has never become angry? He must be a strong believer in 'Don't get mad--get even." Carter and Zoe give the story class. Unemotional Shaw hasn't figured out how to be classy but her attempts can be amusing. (the episode where the three ladies were out to trap a serial killer). It was also fun watching partners Fusco and Carter try to keep the other from knowing he/she worked with Finch and Reese.
At the beginning of the season, there was speculation that Reese might have a love interest. I figured it might be Zoe. She's a lot like Reese in the way she approaches problems to be solved and there is a bit of chemistry there. (It started showing (as well as their dry wit) when they went undercover as a married couple.) But there was something about Carter. She grew to respect Reese, even if she didn't necessarily approve the way he got the job done. Then respect became something more akin to friendship where they worried about each other as fellow team members.
This week's episode, everybody expected Fusco to bite the dust. After all he was the one captured and about to die. He managed to get free. The scene switched to Carter leaving the police station with Reese. They talked for a moment then there was gunfire. I stared at the screen. "Tell me they didn't do that. They didn't kill Carter." Sure enough. They did. Since that episode aired it seems everyone has been talking about it. Few if anyone saw it coming.
And that's the whole point. You can get to know characters on TV, in the movies, in books and somewhere along the line certain ones become favorites. There's just something about them that resonates with the viewer/reader, something they can relate to. When that character is eliminated, for whatever reason, you have a strong reaction for good or bad. And talking about it draws more interest. It's a cycle that gives the creator a direction to go in based on response and keeps viewers/readers coming back. Response is what makes the whole industry tick.
As long as there are writers may they always keep in mind the value of surprise.
Here's to the unexpected twist. May it always keep us coming back for more.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
What Language Do You Speak?
Language is fascinating. There are hundreds of languages and dialects around the world, each one with their nuances and little quirks. In some cases there are lots of similarities. For example, if you speak Spanish, it would be rather easy to pick up Portuguese. Many of the words are alike but then, once upon a time, Portugal was part of Spain.
Gaelic is another example. It goes back hundreds of years and at one time when some of the Picts decided to go off on their own, their version of the language changed until today when we have Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic. There are lots they share but each also has its differences. Personally, I love to listen to the Scottish Gaelic. I may not understand any of it but I like the sound of it. With the English ruling the country, the Gaelic, for the most part has been allowed to die out. The language hasn't been passed down to each new generation. There is a group of people, though, who have been working to bring back it back. I hope they succeed.
No matter where you go in the world, I think the most asked question is "Do you speak English?" More than three quarters of the world's population know at least a smattering of the language, enough to get by on while the majority of us speak it fairly well. English is considered to be the hardest language to learn, as a second language. There are a ton of rules to learn and every one of them has its exceptions. Some of those exceptions probably have their own exceptions as well. Not a wonder people have such a hard time learning English.
If you weren't born learning English, then I can understand the frustration. I'm one of those people who doesn't learn languages easily, the secret being that you have to think in that language, not translate in your head. I just couldn't get the hang of that concept and kept trying to mentally translate the words. It certainly slowed down my learning process. (Not a wonder I couldn't get through Spanish in college) If I were to try again to learn a language, I think I'd do much better now than I did twenty years ago. (Didn't help either that other students in the class already had Portuguese, although they often confused the two.. That put them way ahead of me.)
I love the little quirks. In Britain, the boot is the trunk of the car, the bonnet is the hood, boots are wellies, umbrellas are brollies, a baby carriage is a pram and what we call soccer, they call football. Actually, that one makes a lot of sense, the rest...not so much. But that's language for you. Which brings me to a final point.
If those terms are part of the English language, then why don't we use them here? I don't know what anyone else might suggest but I have a simple answer...
I speak AMERICAN!
Gaelic is another example. It goes back hundreds of years and at one time when some of the Picts decided to go off on their own, their version of the language changed until today when we have Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic. There are lots they share but each also has its differences. Personally, I love to listen to the Scottish Gaelic. I may not understand any of it but I like the sound of it. With the English ruling the country, the Gaelic, for the most part has been allowed to die out. The language hasn't been passed down to each new generation. There is a group of people, though, who have been working to bring back it back. I hope they succeed.
No matter where you go in the world, I think the most asked question is "Do you speak English?" More than three quarters of the world's population know at least a smattering of the language, enough to get by on while the majority of us speak it fairly well. English is considered to be the hardest language to learn, as a second language. There are a ton of rules to learn and every one of them has its exceptions. Some of those exceptions probably have their own exceptions as well. Not a wonder people have such a hard time learning English.
If you weren't born learning English, then I can understand the frustration. I'm one of those people who doesn't learn languages easily, the secret being that you have to think in that language, not translate in your head. I just couldn't get the hang of that concept and kept trying to mentally translate the words. It certainly slowed down my learning process. (Not a wonder I couldn't get through Spanish in college) If I were to try again to learn a language, I think I'd do much better now than I did twenty years ago. (Didn't help either that other students in the class already had Portuguese, although they often confused the two.. That put them way ahead of me.)
I love the little quirks. In Britain, the boot is the trunk of the car, the bonnet is the hood, boots are wellies, umbrellas are brollies, a baby carriage is a pram and what we call soccer, they call football. Actually, that one makes a lot of sense, the rest...not so much. But that's language for you. Which brings me to a final point.
If those terms are part of the English language, then why don't we use them here? I don't know what anyone else might suggest but I have a simple answer...
I speak AMERICAN!
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