Shapeshifting 101
I have a topic for the gang to discuss.
Shapeshifters.
Personally, I'm growing very weary of the plot mechanic on TV. It was for me, what ruined Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, made Battlestar Galactica boring until they revealed all of the seven, and now they've brought one into Heroes. The big reason you see them on TV (and curiously, not so much in movies) is that it is a cheap way to produce a show. You still pay your same actors (Heroes and DS9), you don't require expensive special effects for your aliens (DS9 and BSG) and it helps placate said actors by given them different and often uncharacteristic things to do.
I find it especially troubling on Heroes now that you can no longer trust a single thing you see on screen. Any shocking action any character takes can always be explained away as the shapeshifter. The scene with Claire was very clumsy. I'm not even sure why it was there. Did anyone, even for a second believe that was really Claire? How could HRG trust anyone until he physically sees the shapeshifter perish?
Personally, I dislike the whole plot device. It just allows the story to become lazy. Does this bother anyone else but me?
Shapeshifters.
Personally, I'm growing very weary of the plot mechanic on TV. It was for me, what ruined Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, made Battlestar Galactica boring until they revealed all of the seven, and now they've brought one into Heroes. The big reason you see them on TV (and curiously, not so much in movies) is that it is a cheap way to produce a show. You still pay your same actors (Heroes and DS9), you don't require expensive special effects for your aliens (DS9 and BSG) and it helps placate said actors by given them different and often uncharacteristic things to do.
I find it especially troubling on Heroes now that you can no longer trust a single thing you see on screen. Any shocking action any character takes can always be explained away as the shapeshifter. The scene with Claire was very clumsy. I'm not even sure why it was there. Did anyone, even for a second believe that was really Claire? How could HRG trust anyone until he physically sees the shapeshifter perish?
Personally, I dislike the whole plot device. It just allows the story to become lazy. Does this bother anyone else but me?
posted by Mkae at
7:17 PM
2 Comments:
Heroes has been on my "should give it a go some time" list, but haven't got there.
I don't mind it when it is well worked into the whoel core of the show, i.e. BSG. Definitely didn't make it 'boring' for me!
It is painful when it's tossed in as a plot device, and then removed again, or conveniently forgotten.
But, as you stated, the reasons for the producer are pretty clear, but I think it has to be more smartly done these days (was Heroes smartly done?).
Now if only they woke up and it was all a dream...
By
Aussie-Askew, at 8:15 PM
If it is done right then cost saving measures that still fit in the story are fine. Let's time travel to save money on a new set, let's have a shape shifter. With Heroes' case I think they are just trying to get popular comic book powers into the show and shape shifting was due.
Cost saving doesn't always have to be bad. When you guys reuse a mold but name the Hulk fig Bruce Banner instead players still like it. Hell Galactus is the same mold as last time, why not get a new one! Your consumers still seem to love it, I'm sure some bitch about it not having a new sculpt but most probably love it.
Like Juz said, if it is done correctly then fine. If not then it doesn't matter how much they paid. The battle at the end of EP2 probably cost a ton but it looked like crap, 300 was bargin basement in special effects terms and looked great.
Trevor
By
TMac, at 12:18 PM
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