[i don't do charm.]
Dec. 4th, 2013 10:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tellitslantMeme time again! (Even just a couple of days in, I am really enjoying this meme: my flist is so busy again! And journalling/commenting/writing has been so bound up with anxiety lately that it is nice to have clear-cut reasons to interact with people without feeling like a numpty. YAY. So I still have some slots free if anyone is interested. I'm also trying to comment on everyone who has asked for topics, so if I've missed you, please point me back to it?)
bell asked me to talk about The Good Wife s5. EXCELLENT TIMING. Spoilers behind the cut, but the one thing I will say first is: I'm so annoyed that they gave up on the episode naming conventions! All the s1 episodes had single-word names, the s2 eps had two-word names, and so on through s4, but s5 has weirdly gone back to three-word names. *fistshake* Breaking tradition!
Yes, believe it or not, there are things I dislike about s5. They are, though, mostly things I think the show is lacking rather than things I think it's doing wrong. I would like to see more Cary: now that he and Alicia have split off from LG, it feels like we have less of him rather than a renewed focus. If they're going for a parallel between Alicia-and-Cary and Diane-and-Will, we need to see more of all four corners.
I also, perhaps unsurprisingly, really want to see some resolution – or mention, or acknowledgement – of the Alicia/Kalinda elephant in the room. On the one hand, I think it's probably relatively realistic in terms of a professional working relationship, but oh my god I want them to TALK again. We've had a little bit of that with Kalinda's obvious (...obvious for Kalinda) distress over Alicia leaving the firm, but I really want to see them be important to each other again.
That said, and knowing that I can't have everything in a show even when it gets as close as TGW does... WOW, this is incredibly good television. This season has been damn near flawless; the main issues have been when some episodes don't reach the same heights as the previous ones, because they look bad in comparison when they're frankly still well at the top of the television hierarchy. Certainly there have been some plot moments I haven't loved – Grace's desire to 'be pretty' and Zach beating people up for her, or Marilyn as temptation for Peter, come to mind – but while I have issues with them, again, I feel like they're well done, realistic, and treated on the show in ways that frame the problematic aspects that I pick up on.
A lot of the brilliance of the show lies in its incredibly high production values: the sets, the music, the cinematography. The music in particular has played an important role this season. It's rarely too intrusive, but it has been scoring the action perfectly. I think they've used music well throughout the entire show, but it has been more organic this season, and it really adds that extra gloss. I also have to call out the direction and cinematography: there is rarely a flawed shot. The ways that the sex scenes between Will and Alicia are choreographed and shot when compared to those between Alicia and Peter stand as a particularly good example: they're both sexy and emotional, but the W/A flashback scenes have a dreamy, soft quality to them because of the camera movements and shot lengths while the A/P scenes are often shot with starker lighting, more and more rapid cuts, and faster movements on the parts of the actors. The attention that goes into every element of this show is evident.
The acting has always been flawless, but I think it has been bumped up a notch this season. Everyone is 100% on all the time. There isn't a single character whose motivations aren't clear, understandable, and relatable, which is an incredible feat. This is, of course, also due to the writing, about which I really can't say anything coherent except that I wish to worship at the feet of the Kings and possibly be a fly on the wall of their writers' room. The intricacy of their plots astounds.
I also have to call out how happy I have been to see the show give Diane so much to do this season. I mean, Christine Baranski stands out in this cast full of absolute geniuses, and she gets to play a woman who is aging visibly, who remains sexy and desirable and more importantly able to have desires of her own and act on them: she plays a woman who comes back to a relationship after putting her career first, but then doesn't have to abandon the career; she plays selfish and giving, ruthless and soft, and she does it all in some seriously good outfits (I forgot my hat tip to the wardrobe department up there). Guh.
Also, Julianna Margulies' Alicia this season is incredible. She has been able to build this character up from someone with a steel core but very little of an external shell in s1 to the glossy, polished, hard-as-diamonds sharpshooter we see in s5, while still giving her emotional depth and sincere attachments to almost everyone in her circuit. Alicia's interactions with Eli and Marilyn this season really point that out: both her laser focus and yet her compassion and sense of humour are on display in different ways in her interactions with both of them. She is formidable (both actor and character).
Last but not least, I was gutpunched by my unexpected Will feelings last ep. I did not expect that! It is wonderful to see him crumble, especially as we're seeing Alicia hold firm against the same memories. I really have no idea whether I ship him and Alicia, or Alicia and Peter, or Alicia and competency, and I have no idea where the show is going, but I am loving that the repercussions of their relationship are playing out in an unexpected way and a way that has thus far had more of an impact on Will, professionally speaking.
This is one show where I almost never know what's coming next. I rarely even try to seriously predict what's going to happen. It's rebuilding a lot of the trust that wavered during some of last season and I cannot wait to do a full rewatch of it at some point soon.
In conclusion, more Kalinda sleeping with girls pls.
bell asked me to talk about The Good Wife s5. EXCELLENT TIMING. Spoilers behind the cut, but the one thing I will say first is: I'm so annoyed that they gave up on the episode naming conventions! All the s1 episodes had single-word names, the s2 eps had two-word names, and so on through s4, but s5 has weirdly gone back to three-word names. *fistshake* Breaking tradition!Yes, believe it or not, there are things I dislike about s5. They are, though, mostly things I think the show is lacking rather than things I think it's doing wrong. I would like to see more Cary: now that he and Alicia have split off from LG, it feels like we have less of him rather than a renewed focus. If they're going for a parallel between Alicia-and-Cary and Diane-and-Will, we need to see more of all four corners.
I also, perhaps unsurprisingly, really want to see some resolution – or mention, or acknowledgement – of the Alicia/Kalinda elephant in the room. On the one hand, I think it's probably relatively realistic in terms of a professional working relationship, but oh my god I want them to TALK again. We've had a little bit of that with Kalinda's obvious (...obvious for Kalinda) distress over Alicia leaving the firm, but I really want to see them be important to each other again.
That said, and knowing that I can't have everything in a show even when it gets as close as TGW does... WOW, this is incredibly good television. This season has been damn near flawless; the main issues have been when some episodes don't reach the same heights as the previous ones, because they look bad in comparison when they're frankly still well at the top of the television hierarchy. Certainly there have been some plot moments I haven't loved – Grace's desire to 'be pretty' and Zach beating people up for her, or Marilyn as temptation for Peter, come to mind – but while I have issues with them, again, I feel like they're well done, realistic, and treated on the show in ways that frame the problematic aspects that I pick up on.
A lot of the brilliance of the show lies in its incredibly high production values: the sets, the music, the cinematography. The music in particular has played an important role this season. It's rarely too intrusive, but it has been scoring the action perfectly. I think they've used music well throughout the entire show, but it has been more organic this season, and it really adds that extra gloss. I also have to call out the direction and cinematography: there is rarely a flawed shot. The ways that the sex scenes between Will and Alicia are choreographed and shot when compared to those between Alicia and Peter stand as a particularly good example: they're both sexy and emotional, but the W/A flashback scenes have a dreamy, soft quality to them because of the camera movements and shot lengths while the A/P scenes are often shot with starker lighting, more and more rapid cuts, and faster movements on the parts of the actors. The attention that goes into every element of this show is evident.
The acting has always been flawless, but I think it has been bumped up a notch this season. Everyone is 100% on all the time. There isn't a single character whose motivations aren't clear, understandable, and relatable, which is an incredible feat. This is, of course, also due to the writing, about which I really can't say anything coherent except that I wish to worship at the feet of the Kings and possibly be a fly on the wall of their writers' room. The intricacy of their plots astounds.
I also have to call out how happy I have been to see the show give Diane so much to do this season. I mean, Christine Baranski stands out in this cast full of absolute geniuses, and she gets to play a woman who is aging visibly, who remains sexy and desirable and more importantly able to have desires of her own and act on them: she plays a woman who comes back to a relationship after putting her career first, but then doesn't have to abandon the career; she plays selfish and giving, ruthless and soft, and she does it all in some seriously good outfits (I forgot my hat tip to the wardrobe department up there). Guh.
Also, Julianna Margulies' Alicia this season is incredible. She has been able to build this character up from someone with a steel core but very little of an external shell in s1 to the glossy, polished, hard-as-diamonds sharpshooter we see in s5, while still giving her emotional depth and sincere attachments to almost everyone in her circuit. Alicia's interactions with Eli and Marilyn this season really point that out: both her laser focus and yet her compassion and sense of humour are on display in different ways in her interactions with both of them. She is formidable (both actor and character).
Last but not least, I was gutpunched by my unexpected Will feelings last ep. I did not expect that! It is wonderful to see him crumble, especially as we're seeing Alicia hold firm against the same memories. I really have no idea whether I ship him and Alicia, or Alicia and Peter, or Alicia and competency, and I have no idea where the show is going, but I am loving that the repercussions of their relationship are playing out in an unexpected way and a way that has thus far had more of an impact on Will, professionally speaking.
This is one show where I almost never know what's coming next. I rarely even try to seriously predict what's going to happen. It's rebuilding a lot of the trust that wavered during some of last season and I cannot wait to do a full rewatch of it at some point soon.
In conclusion, more Kalinda sleeping with girls pls.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-05 12:09 pm (UTC)and yes especially to all the wants about Kalinda and Kalinda and Alicia TALKING!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-08 08:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-05 12:47 pm (UTC)And yeah, Will. I am totally and entirely on Alicia's side on that one, but last ep really got into his head (literally!) and made me feel awful for him. He just wanted to hear her say she loved him! I almost wanted to apologise for loving the fact that Alicia is rapidly flying way, way out of his orbit.
Do you think Will's plans for "LG" are going to crash and burn?
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-09 12:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-05 02:26 pm (UTC)I don't know how this works for you, but my own sadness for Will over the whole Alicia leaving thing isn't about thinking he doesn't deserve this relatively minor betrayal (in the scheme of things) or whatever, but entirely about not seeing a way for him to ever get over it. Diane will get over not being made a judge, Alicia will get over Will's anger and probably Will too, but Will will not get over Alicia.
-J
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-05 04:33 pm (UTC)Yes, I love that the whole Will/Alicia history is neither forgotten nor definitive.
This morning I was hearing some story on the radio about whether our premier gave a law contract to her ex husband when she was the minister of justice or something, and I was like, wait, did I hear that properly? That is such a TGW plot! Then I started thinking, if Alberta is TGW-land, then what is Toronto? And I concluded that it would be some kind of fiction that I'd never watch.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-06 02:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-07 04:48 pm (UTC)TRUTH >:D
You know, I'm not one to usually clamour for more Cary, but now that you've pointed out how the parallels aren't working as well as they could be, I do! I don't know how he's taking the changes, just that he's... trying?
I also, perhaps unsurprisingly, really want to see some resolution – or mention, or acknowledgement – of the Alicia/Kalinda elephant in the room. On the one hand, I think it's probably relatively realistic in terms of a professional working relationship, but oh my god I want them to TALK again. We've had a little bit of that with Kalinda's obvious (...obvious for Kalinda) distress over Alicia leaving the firm, but I really want to see them be important to each other again.
I have pretty much given up on this ever happening. Given that it was what I most loved about the show for the first season and I spent, what, four years?, yelling at the screen to give them more actual scenes together, I think for whatever reason they're not going to deliver on that front. It's a shame! And they are wasting goldmine material! But I prefer to be resigned than disappointed /o\
I had noticed there'd been different music set to the opening credits, but hadn't realized the music changing much/so effectively! I'm going to keep an extra ear out to hear what's new and better :3 I've always been in awe of their warddrobe and the cinematography has always been top-notch.
I also have to call out how happy I have been to see the show give Diane so much to do this season. I mean, Christine Baranski stands out in this cast full of absolute geniuses, and she gets to play a woman who is aging visibly, who remains sexy and desirable and more importantly able to have desires of her own and act on them: she plays a woman who comes back to a relationship after putting her career first, but then doesn't have to abandon the career; she plays selfish and giving, ruthless and soft, and she does it all in some seriously good outfits
YES. EXACTLY. Diane ♥ ♥