lodessa | Jumping Right Back In

Fandom, Entitlement, and Creator Hate

Not so long ago, I was discussing with

sophia_helix how I've never really gotten creator hate. I mean sure I sometimes think that Ron D. Moore is utterly bonkers or just plain wrong and I think that Rob Thomas made some very poor choices and I hope he learned his lesson about fanservice, but that disappoints me in the show, it doesn't make he feel wrathful and betrayed. A lot of other people seem to take showrunner decisions (or even writer decisions that they blame on the showrunner) as a grave personal insult when they don't like them. They feel that Joss Whedon or Russell T. Davies or J.J Abrams owes them something and/or that their personal preferences and opinions actually effect writer decisions. Both these ideas seem so terribly entitled. Until you start personally financing a show, you don't have a right to demand anything from the show. And honestly, even if show runners are effected by what fandom as a whole is saying, it's unlikely they are reacting to you specifically and really I sort of wish they wouldn't react to fandom at all... because fanservice pretty much always turns out terribly (I'm looking at you Rob Thomas and Russell T. Davies). But really it comes down to this, sure I get upset about things that happen on shows. After all, I actually stopped watching The Office, mostly because of a minor character's plotline. But that's my choice and I can either decide to roll with the changes or stop watching the show, no one is making me be a fan. I'm not a yes woman. I look at my shows and texts critically, but I know my place in relation to these works is one of observer, not participant. It I want something done my way, I'd better do it myself.

The Doctor: Is the Doctor. I love how the fact that the Daleks keep resurfacing forces him to commit the same genocide that he is angsting about, over and over again. I love how he even tries to save Davros, because he's seen too much death. I love that in the end he is sad and alone, just like he was at the start of the season, talking to no one, all alone in the TARDIS.
Donna: Well the Doctor Donna was frankly awesome and Catherine Tate was spectacular and basically I loved the body of what happened with her and her total desire for Captain Jack. Obviously I didn't love the mindwipe, and had actually sort of been hoping she'd end up in the Alternate Universe with everyone, but it could have been worse. Donna is resilient and she makes the best of wherever she is. You see her and she's still herself and clearly still enjoying life, and the most problematic aspect of her life (her critical mother) has pretty much been sorted out (kind of like Rose's season 2 resolution got rid of the issue of poverty for the Tylers). Donna is plucky and clever and nothing they do changes that. We knew she was only going to last a season, and there are far worse ways to go. But my lack of real upset comes from two things: 1. It's Doctor Who, anyone can come back, anything can be undone, if Rose can come back from another dimension, the Master can survive the Time War and the Daleks can keep escaping certain extinction... they can get around this plot point should it ever serve them. 2. The fact that the Doctor was so worried about anything reminding her of him indicates that he couldn't really wipe her brain fully and that the Time Lord capacity is still there. Which means that, even without his memory, she is probably going to develop differently now that she would have otherwise. And possibly, the Time Lord aptitude isn't what was going to burn her up so much as the Doctor's memories and if she evolves with her own memories alone, she could still reach the awesome mental power. So unless she does show back up, that is what I am choosing to believe.

Harriet Jones: I was so happy to see her in this series. The character defamation that happened with her in season two has never sat well with me and I was seriously so glad to see her both be redeemed and stand her ground.
Jack: What's not to love? His boyfriend seemed less than thrilled about his running off to find the Doctor, but I was into it. Also I loved his interactions with everyone, including his hitting on Sarah Jane. I was sort of confused as to why Rose wasn't suprised he was alive, especially since they made a point of that fact that she didn't realize he was immortal. But i think the most interesting thing about Jack in the episode ends up being that fact that he basically seeks to re-gather companions for his own team. Martha and Mickey are awesome, but how much is it their connection to the Doctor that makes Jack want then near him?

Martha: I always love Martha. She is so competant and smart and driven. And I loved that she was willing to make the hard sacrifice and the fact that Martha and Jack are obviously in communication, possibly even hanging out, and seriously I am so thrilled by the idea of her on Torchwood that the show moved up like 5 spots on my to watch list. Martha never annoys me. As I pointed out to

utopia83 recently while discussing how she and Nine would get along, Martha would never wander off. She doesn't latch on to unreasonable ideas about what should be done, she accesses things clinically but in a way that is gracious and humanitarian at heart, and she does what needs to be done, not matter how hard it may be.

Mickey: I'll admit I was more excited to see him than Rose, and I am probably halfway to being as excited about him being on Torchwood as Martha (which is quite a lot since she's my favorite). However,

utopia83 brought up the valid issue of: what about Jake? To which I flippantly replied, "Obviously they broke up" and then added in a less light tone "possibly he died tragically". Which sort of would make sense. Before he stayed in the alternate universe because his grandma was still alive there. Even if she is dead, what makes this world any less empty for him? So maybe he's hoping to find Jake in this world.

Rose: When the AU episode ended and Bad Wolf was written everywhere it was awesome. For the first time since I found out almost a year ago that Rose was coming back I was sort of excited about it. But then she did nothing interesting and they certainly didn't follow up on the Bad Wolf thing and basically there was so reason for her to be back really. I was as sad as anyone when Season 2 ended but it was both too late to bring her back and the actual revival was so uninspired that it didn't seen worthwhile. And I didn't hate her having the Human Doctor by any means, but it was just such pure fanservice that I couldn't really feel behind it. I mean... I don't even read Doctor/Rose fic and I swear I've seen that fic before.

Sarah Jane: Is awesome. Period.

So maybe I've been playing quite a bit of Dungeons and Dragons since 4th Edition came out and I cut myself off from World of Warcraft and livejournal for a month and a half.

So all in all I really like 4th Edition. It's much more easily comprehensible than previous editions and simpler to play. It would definitely be a good time to bring in someone who has never played before. The customizable nature of the classes, while reeking a little of WoW influence, makes you feel more in control of your destiny. I also enjoy that, while a cleric is really nice to have, you don't actually need one.

Verthandi the Tiefling Fighter - I really wanted to try playing a brute force character as opposed to my usual caster (although I did play a Monk once in 3.5) and I've really enjoyed my hulk smash character. Admittedly, Tieflings are more intended to be rogues and such, but it doesn't seem to be hurting me too badly and I really wanted to play one. Mainly it is fun to run in and hit everything hard.

Teeyannah the Elven Ranger - I made this character on a whim, mostly to show my brother (who always plays a rogue or dual wielding prestige class) that the dual wielding melee Ranger was awesome. Honestly, she plays fairly similar to my Fighter. I ended up running both characters when

sophia_helix and

actoplasm couldn't make some of the sessions, and she developed more of a personality than the fighter. While the Fighter just wants to kill shit, the Ranger is at heart and elitist racist, who is committed to wiping out lesser beings. She's working with dwarves and a tielfling right now but if we were to succeed in getting rid of the kobolds and goblins she would turn on them too. She even chased down a traitorous elf that was supposed to be involved in the plot later on and kicked her ass for defiling the name of the race.

Also in our group (cycling in and out in some cases, for instance my elf never plays when the half elf is around) if you want to ask questions about how they play: Dwarven Paladin (Davis), Dwarven Wizard (Robert), Dwarven Cleric(Davis), Dwarven Ranger(Kyle-my brother), Human Warlock(

actoplasm), and Half-Elf Warlord(

sophia_helix.

My main complaint so far is a minor one that does not effect the mechanics of gameplay. It is about the new alignment system. You can no longer be lawful evil or chaotic good. Which makes me really sad. I miss chaotic neutral less as only dicks played that.

Ps. Yes, I'm back

Current Mood: chipper

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

novin-ha.livejournal.com

I agree with you on Doctor Who, except for my absolute hatred of what they did to Rose and the utter lameness of her reappearance. I can't be stoical about it, I think it was terribly bad. And the idea that she civilizes the Doctor2 just reminds me of the sexist trope of how women civilize men and I'm very much blah about the whole thing.

You know, I sort of do hate Moore for what he wanted to do with the show and was thankfully stopped from doing. It's not because he's not fulfilling my wishes - I don't feel entitled or whatever - but I do get angry when certain things happen...

I was excited most about Harriet Jones on Doctor Who. That was the only moment in the episode when I had tears in my eyes, actually...

OMG you're back!!! So happy to see you! ♥ How are you?!

From:

erratic is just another way of saying not male

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