Radiation by Fiona Rae

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Radiation: Geek, annoyed

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  • Amy Gale,

    Imagine reading a book where the ending hasn't been written and when you get to the end the author may not really bother writing one - would you read it?

    As in, the complete works of Neal Stephenson.

    So the answer turns out to be: yes, if the journey is good enough.

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Most stupid series I have ever had the misfortune of watching.

    You don't watch anywhere near enough television. That is all.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • David Ritchie,

    I enjoyed the real-life story but felt cheated by the flash sideways. Why was it Jack's arc when Desmond was driving so much of it?

    Don't know what I would have had instead, though. Perhaps following through with the alternate timelines somehow converging?

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    For anyone still looking for answers this forum post from a Bad Robot intern

    Found the time to read this. It was slightly ironic, IMO, that there was an advert for scientology.org at the bottom of the page when I finished. Or was it?

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Why was it Jack's arc when Desmond was driving so much of it?

    Because Jack isn't a very interesting character -- and he's always been more reactive than an active protagonist? Which does beg the question why the hell he's so often the center of attention, but that ends up happening more often than you think. One of my favourite television blogger is Maureen Ryan, the Chicago Tribune's answer to Fiona, and she's a fan of True Blood but still finds Sookie and Bill the most boring characters on the show. It's not because Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are bad actors, they're not. It's just that the writers seem more interested in everyone else; Sookie just whines a lot and almost gets herself killed, while Bill squints to convey mild irritation.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    while Bill squints to convey mild irritation.

    Or to attract cats?

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    nice threadmerge

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood,

    Because Jack isn't a very interesting character

    Indeed, and Galahad isn't a very interesting character in the Grail quest.

    To extend the metaphor, since I've been thinking about it, of the three knights that got to the Grail: Galahad achieved the Grail and went to Heaven; Percival (the most humane one) stayed in the land of the Grail as King, and Bors (most inclined to fight) returned from the land of the Grail.

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Indeed, and Galahad isn't a very interesting character in the Grail quest.

    Sure, but with Jack there's a rather interesting writing challenge involved. I'd have to borrow the season one DVDs, but Jack was very much the point of view character in the pilot -- the audience surrogate, in a sense -- and how the hell do you make an observer a protagonist? Not saying it can't be done, but it is a lot harder than it looks and I'm not so sure he ever really made the transition.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Jack was never intended to be a major character in the series. He was supposed to die relatively early in season 1 but in casting Fox and writing they decided that he was going to be a core character.

    (I read that somewhere a couple of years ago, can't remember where so presume it's true. Edit, Wikipedia. Originally they wanted Michael Keaton for the role to kill him in the premier, but he couldn't commit to the series so they re-wrote)

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • JP Hansen,

    I find that a bit hard to believe, especially considering the writers (say that they) knew the show would end with Jack's eye closing.

    Waitakere • Since Nov 2006 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • JP Hansen,

    Fair enough, but to say he was 'never intended to be a main character' is a stretch.

    'In the original outline of Lost', he wasn't, apparently. But that' pretty meaningless. A bunch of characters were added or rewritten after casting.

    The original outline of Lost may have been written years before the first script went into development. Pretty sure before the pilot episode was filmed, the writers knew Jack was going to be there until the end.

    Waitakere • Since Nov 2006 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Jack, knave, knight...

    as Bob says:

    He took whatever he wanted to
    and he laid it all to waste
    But his bodyguards and silver cane
    were no match for the Jack of Hearts.

    ...not just a deck hand then!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    Because when training an animal to perform a task that involves pulling a heavy weight on command, the polar bear is the natural choice.

    They weren’t merely training them, were they? I thought they were “experimenting” with them – i.e. engineering them in some way. What animal would have been “natural”, given the situation described to you?

    Indeed. It was like "all that stuff you thought was cool and relevant? It wasn't. We were just filling space with it."

    I wouldn't quite go that far. It was, basically a Grail Quest story, where the what could be seen as random encounters on the way draw out and refine the characters of the questers until one is fit to take the Grail (or two in this case). I'm surprised more people do not seem to have made this comparison.

    Nice way of putting it. That’s more or less my take, although I must say I’m still disappointed with the last season overall, and the final in particular. But even there some aspects, such as the final shot, were excellent.

    On the debate over ‘character story’ verses ‘moving plot forward’ I disagree with the view of most here that Lost should principally be seen as about the latter. One of the strengths of the series was that it integrated the character arc and ‘soap’ aspects and the plot/intrigue perfectly with the themes and philosophical aspects. Character interactions and thematic development were two sides of the same coin. Looked at that way, it is easy to see how it could be a very impressive tv saga with a disappointing denouement. If you watched it purely in ‘whodunnit’ terms, then yeah, it was rubbish.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Jake Pollock,

    What animal would have been “natural”, given the situation described to you?

    Here's a good starting place for choosing a suitable beast of burden.

    Seeing as Ben could survive in the cold for as long as it took to turn the wheel, it doesn't seem like much of a problem for, say, horses wearing coats.

    Vicious, solitary, territorial animals with sharp teeth, big claws and no history of domestication, not so much.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    Hence the engineering, as opposed to merely training. What would have been the point of experimenting on them, if they only needed to be trained?

    If your concern in such a series is over tightly realistic explanations, then it's a fair enough grip, I guess.* For me, I don't particularly care why the Dharma Initiative experimented on bears as opposed to whatever other odd animal. The problem is that the Dharma stuff itself wasn't satisfactorily resolved, despite being a huge part of three or four seasons.

    (*In hindsight, I can't believe I'm arguing with someone over whether it makes more sense for genetically modified polar bears, reindeer or horses with coats on to turn a wheal on a magic Island.)

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    err...'gripe', I meant.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    (*In hindsight, I can't believe I'm arguing with someone over whether it makes more sense for genetically modified polar bears, reindeer or horses with coats on to turn a wheal on a magic Island.)

    Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown. :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan,

    (*In hindsight, I can't believe I'm arguing with someone over whether it makes more sense for genetically modified polar bears, reindeer or horses with coats on to turn a wheal on a magic Island.)

    I remember, back in the halcyon days, when we were all saying "what the *&^%? I don't understand, but I love it", rather than "WTF? Worst finale EVER" having a fight with a friend about Kate's hair.

    She felt that it was unrealistic Kate's hair could be so shiny and soft-looking. I felt that being willing to suspend belief that there'd been a polar bear on a tropical island, but not that someone on the plane had a secret cache of conditioner, was slightly ridiculous.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    She felt that it was unrealistic Kate's hair could be so shiny and soft-looking. I felt that being willing to suspend belief that there'd been a polar bear on a tropical island, but not that someone on the plane had a secret cache of conditioner, was slightly ridiculous.

    I remember seeing a retrospective documentary about Survivors, where one of the producers says the question he's always asked is how everyone managed to keep so well-groomed and clean after the apocalypse. His tediously prosaic response was "Continuity is a big issue on television and we didn't have the time or money to be wasting hours every day on cosmetic dirt and 'realistically' ratty wigs."

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan,

    "Continuity is a big issue on television and we didn't have the time or money to be wasting hours every day on cosmetic dirt and 'realistically' ratty wigs."

    Having said that, Claire's crazy hair this last season: Awesome. (I'd have gone nuts too, if my hair looked like that.)

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Having said that, Claire's crazy hair this last season: Awesome. (I'd have gone nuts too, if my hair looked like that.)

    Point granted, but I have a feeling anyone working for the BBC in the 70's would have bolted for Rio with the kind of money ABC must have spent on Lost. Basing a show with a large ensemble cast and enormous amount of location shooting in Hawaii for six years can't have been done on the cheap...

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan,

    Well, I don't imagine they were all staying in 5 star resorts, but no, it wouldn't have been cheap.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Seeing as Ben could survive in the cold for as long as it took to turn the wheel, it doesn't seem like much of a problem for, say, horses wearing coats.

    I don't buy any argument that says animals were supposed to turn the wheel. Half the wheel was stuck through the wall. Animals tend to turn wheels where they can constantly walk forward around the wheel for long periods of time. Training an animal to turn the wheel a bit, then go back to the other side, then turn it a bit, then go back to the other side?

    Well, I don't imagine they were all staying in 5 star resorts, but no, it wouldn't have been cheap.

    When filming they hand-delivered daily rushes overnight to Los Angeles. That's one guy whose job is to travel daily between LA and Hawai'i, with daily return plane tickets on top.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

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