Sometimes you just need to pack up and make the break clean
Confession time: I'm kind of a hypocrite when it comes to being a 'good' fan. Yes, for all of my cheerleading and determinedly positive approach towards SPN, I too have been guilty of the following:
- Ignoring canon backstory
- Knowingly rewriting characters to fit my personal preference
- Willfully sidelining a main character because I'm just not that interested in them
- Completely ignoring later show canon
- Not sure I've ever actually said it, but I've certainly thought very loudly that the writers don't seem to care very much about the story they're telling. Or even really have one to tell
- Being silently derogatory towards the show's production values
...Well, except that's all true of Stargate: Atlantis. Which is probably why it bugs me so much when I see these sorts of things directed towards SPN--because a) SPN so consistently blows SGA out of the water on every front that it's almost laughable, and b) even at my most bitter moments as a fangirl, I tried not to rain on anyone else's parade. I suspect I did at some point (I was younger and more foolish then), but if I knew I'd injured someone else's ability to enjoy the show, I would've felt pretty bad about it. Mostly I just withdrew from that fandom and tried to apply the "AU" tag wherever appropriate. Even now, I will cheerfully disclaim that at this point I have no idea how much of a resemblance my version of John Sheppard has with his canonical counterpart, because I have no interest in rewatching the show to find out.
Is SGA terrible TV? No. If you enjoy a bit of banter and wacky SF hijinks, it's entertaining enough. If, like me, you have a very limited ability to suspend your disbelief when it comes to Marine combat-readiness and--well, let's just say there's a decided lack of even a gesture towards consistent security measures, especially towards the end of the run. Which is absolutely inexcusable when the whole premise is that this is a small expedition in the middle of a galaxy full of aliens that want to find the expedition and force them to give up the location of the Earth--so they can come here and chow down on the inhabitants.
(Argh. Sorry, everyone--apparently I'm still not over "Midway". *shakes tiny fist* Curse my inability to follow MST3K's advice and "simply just relax"!)
I feel like I ought to have a point here, but I can't really think of one. "We've all been there, so be kind to one another"? "Sometimes it really is best to just walk away"? "Everyone has different criteria for enjoying media and you should probably try to avoid imposing yours on someone else"? "Brat is apparently a McRanty-pants today"?
Probably that last one.
- Ignoring canon backstory
- Knowingly rewriting characters to fit my personal preference
- Willfully sidelining a main character because I'm just not that interested in them
- Completely ignoring later show canon
- Not sure I've ever actually said it, but I've certainly thought very loudly that the writers don't seem to care very much about the story they're telling. Or even really have one to tell
- Being silently derogatory towards the show's production values
...Well, except that's all true of Stargate: Atlantis. Which is probably why it bugs me so much when I see these sorts of things directed towards SPN--because a) SPN so consistently blows SGA out of the water on every front that it's almost laughable, and b) even at my most bitter moments as a fangirl, I tried not to rain on anyone else's parade. I suspect I did at some point (I was younger and more foolish then), but if I knew I'd injured someone else's ability to enjoy the show, I would've felt pretty bad about it. Mostly I just withdrew from that fandom and tried to apply the "AU" tag wherever appropriate. Even now, I will cheerfully disclaim that at this point I have no idea how much of a resemblance my version of John Sheppard has with his canonical counterpart, because I have no interest in rewatching the show to find out.
Is SGA terrible TV? No. If you enjoy a bit of banter and wacky SF hijinks, it's entertaining enough. If, like me, you have a very limited ability to suspend your disbelief when it comes to Marine combat-readiness and--well, let's just say there's a decided lack of even a gesture towards consistent security measures, especially towards the end of the run. Which is absolutely inexcusable when the whole premise is that this is a small expedition in the middle of a galaxy full of aliens that want to find the expedition and force them to give up the location of the Earth--so they can come here and chow down on the inhabitants.
(Argh. Sorry, everyone--apparently I'm still not over "Midway". *shakes tiny fist* Curse my inability to follow MST3K's advice and "simply just relax"!)
I feel like I ought to have a point here, but I can't really think of one. "We've all been there, so be kind to one another"? "Sometimes it really is best to just walk away"? "Everyone has different criteria for enjoying media and you should probably try to avoid imposing yours on someone else"? "Brat is apparently a McRanty-pants today"?
Probably that last one.
Yeah, I'm there with you. I think that my personal approach when getting frustrated with canon is the same as with internet arguments: just walk away. One memorable example of frustration is when, swayed by hockey!tumblr, which for some reason has a lot of overlap with Teen Wolf fandom, I started watching the show. I was captured by the intriguing characters and world building, but was consistently disappointed by the plot choices that kept being made by the writers/director. I left halfway through season 3 and never looked back. But it's still running, which means that it is a satisfying experience for a lot of people, and that I can't begrudge. It simply means that the kind of show I was envisioning (more Buffy than Vampire Diaries) was not the show that it ended up being. YMMV is the lesson I guess.
That's what I like about fanon - it takes stories and twists them into new and interesting shapes. Whether or not they're better than canon isn't really the point - they're better for someone, and that's enough. Even if, when I come across the "willfully AU" versions of the shows I like, I might cock my metaphorical head and wonder why the author thought they needed to change so much. They're not betraying the spirit of the show - they're making it suit their needs, and I should be okay with that, even if it's not my cup of tea.
But maybe some of it is the need for validation--we talk about how much and why we dislike something in hopes that someone will agree with us, perhaps--giving us justification to keep complaining about how the show's been run into the ground by the latest showrunner.
I've looked at TW a couple of times, but figured it would almost certainly be too soap-opera-y for my taste. Also, teenagers. I've yet to meet a TV teenager I didn't want to smack.
Edited at 2016-07-20 02:56 am (UTC)
Just unexpectedly had one happen last night on Tumblr--cementing my decision to move the screen cap blog over to Wordpress.
While Andromeda Ascendant seemed to have the problem of not knowing where the heck it was going with their story lines. Not to mention that they left so much unanswered, plus kept erasing everything they accomplished in previous seasons.
I may have had a falling out with SPN (not for any particular reason, just lost interest. But then I've pretty much lost interest in TV shows altogether save for a few) but that show is a masterpiece compared to the above two.
I know what you mean too about simply losing interest--not because the show is bad, but just because it doesn't fit your interests, or something catches your interest more closely.
I still watch SPN and I like it. I also still watch SGA on my DVD's
I miss Farscape and Total Recall 2070 had great potential! I miss these shows and I miss SGA!
Total Recall 2070 had huge potential--that cliffhanger ending was one of my biggest disappointments as a TV viewer. Even if they'd only had 1 more season, that still would have been enough for them to turn it into a really strong extended story, a la Life.
I also enjoyed Babylon 5 Crusade. They had great potential too but they got canceled in the first season.
Perfect Gif
Re: Perfect Gif
BTW--email (or message) me your mailing address? I'm trying to start sending postcards again, but only have your old address.