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azziriaOK, so this was a much, much better episode for me. Still not back to where it needs to be, but at least on par with some of the less strong episodes from S1.
First the negatives (because that way I get to end on a positive note):
- Yes, we had lots more Steve and Danny, and we had a cargument, which was good, but where was the *fire* between them? Have Alex and Scott been ordered to tone down the bromance? Because I wasn't feeling that spark between them, and the show needs to sort that out. This was like two people acting Steve and Danny, instead of actually *being* Steve and Danny.
- Nobody mentioning Kono or asking after her. It wouldn't take much, so sort it, Show. And they're taking too long with this Kono storyline - the length of time would be fine if they were giving us substantial advancement every week, but they're not. It's as though they've parked Kono (no pun intended) so that they can give screen time to Lori to get us used to her being the girl on the team.
- And of course, Lori. What is the point of her, exactly? In 2.02 she was Danny, in 2.03 Chin, and this week she was Kono, all roles that are played better by other people. And when she was talking about how Danny should ask the museum girl out – sorry, no way would Steve have had that convo about Danny with her. And no way was it her place to offer that sort of personal advice to someone she's known for what, 3 weeks at the most? And storming the boat at the end with Steve? That's Danny's place, he's Steve's partner, and anyway she just looked wrong with a gun. Even though there was less of her this week, I'm still finding Barbie Girl and her perfectly-painted-on eyebrows superfluous to requirement. She needs to go.
What I did like:
- Lots more Steve and Danny :)
- Slightly less Joe, and what there was had a point. I didn't feel he was replacing Danny this week. At the start he's at the shrimp truck because Steve wants to ask him something, and then he's on the dive boat because he's a trained diver. Plus, I like this bit of moral ambiguity we've got coming in – is he trying to protect Steve, protect Steve's Dad's reputation, or protect himself?
- The way Steve is questioning Joe's actions. This week we didn't have Steve doing the unquestioning hero-worship of a father figure thing, and I preferred it.
- Shirtless Steve. Because that will never get old :)
- The museum girl, who showed more character in her acting in the, what, 3 minutes she was on screen than Lauren German has managed to show in three episodes.
- Max, who was a believable geek this week rather than a caricatured figure-of-fun like he was last week.
- Chin being supportive of Kono. And I like Fong, too, I could stand to see more of him.
- And finally, Steve and Catherine. I nearly cried when they said goodbye, I thought they knocked it out of the park, especially Alex. Both of them uptight, show-no-emotion military types who *clearly* wanted to say more to each other than they did. I got the feeling that they mean more to each other than we've seen (or that they would admit), even if it is in an 'old friends with benefits' way rather than a hearts-and-flowers romance way. I know Michelle Borth has another show to go to, so they had to move her out of the way somehow, but if they've done it this way to leave room for some sort of attempt at Steve and Lori flirting… well, just NO.
Those are my thoughts after the first watch, I'm sure I'll have more in due course.
First the negatives (because that way I get to end on a positive note):
- Yes, we had lots more Steve and Danny, and we had a cargument, which was good, but where was the *fire* between them? Have Alex and Scott been ordered to tone down the bromance? Because I wasn't feeling that spark between them, and the show needs to sort that out. This was like two people acting Steve and Danny, instead of actually *being* Steve and Danny.
- Nobody mentioning Kono or asking after her. It wouldn't take much, so sort it, Show. And they're taking too long with this Kono storyline - the length of time would be fine if they were giving us substantial advancement every week, but they're not. It's as though they've parked Kono (no pun intended) so that they can give screen time to Lori to get us used to her being the girl on the team.
- And of course, Lori. What is the point of her, exactly? In 2.02 she was Danny, in 2.03 Chin, and this week she was Kono, all roles that are played better by other people. And when she was talking about how Danny should ask the museum girl out – sorry, no way would Steve have had that convo about Danny with her. And no way was it her place to offer that sort of personal advice to someone she's known for what, 3 weeks at the most? And storming the boat at the end with Steve? That's Danny's place, he's Steve's partner, and anyway she just looked wrong with a gun. Even though there was less of her this week, I'm still finding Barbie Girl and her perfectly-painted-on eyebrows superfluous to requirement. She needs to go.
What I did like:
- Lots more Steve and Danny :)
- Slightly less Joe, and what there was had a point. I didn't feel he was replacing Danny this week. At the start he's at the shrimp truck because Steve wants to ask him something, and then he's on the dive boat because he's a trained diver. Plus, I like this bit of moral ambiguity we've got coming in – is he trying to protect Steve, protect Steve's Dad's reputation, or protect himself?
- The way Steve is questioning Joe's actions. This week we didn't have Steve doing the unquestioning hero-worship of a father figure thing, and I preferred it.
- Shirtless Steve. Because that will never get old :)
- The museum girl, who showed more character in her acting in the, what, 3 minutes she was on screen than Lauren German has managed to show in three episodes.
- Max, who was a believable geek this week rather than a caricatured figure-of-fun like he was last week.
- Chin being supportive of Kono. And I like Fong, too, I could stand to see more of him.
- And finally, Steve and Catherine. I nearly cried when they said goodbye, I thought they knocked it out of the park, especially Alex. Both of them uptight, show-no-emotion military types who *clearly* wanted to say more to each other than they did. I got the feeling that they mean more to each other than we've seen (or that they would admit), even if it is in an 'old friends with benefits' way rather than a hearts-and-flowers romance way. I know Michelle Borth has another show to go to, so they had to move her out of the way somehow, but if they've done it this way to leave room for some sort of attempt at Steve and Lori flirting… well, just NO.
Those are my thoughts after the first watch, I'm sure I'll have more in due course.
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no subject
Date: 2011-10-12 06:32 am (UTC)Personally I don't *want* to dislike Lori, I want to love everything about my show, but I'm not being given anything to work with here. The way the character is being written, I'm not seeing what is different and unique about her, what new thing she brings to the team, who she really is character-wise. And unfortunately from what I've seen so far the actress just isn't really that good at acting, even within the confines of what she's been given by the script so far.
I know that a lot of people are very unhappy about the Lori character, me included, but I really hope it doesn't end up turning into a witch hunt against the actress (because you know what fans can be like).
As for Danny, yes, I find it difficult to accept that he's asking someone else out so soon after finding out that the baby isn't his and Rachel dumping him *again*. However this is TPTB trying to distance themselves from the cock up they made with Danny and Rachel in the finale. It's hugely clumsy, but I think we're stuck with it.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-16 05:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-16 06:19 am (UTC)If you're going to shove somebody straight into the middle of an established and much-loved team, at least choose someone who's a really good actor.
I still think it would have been much, much better if they'd eased her in. This wham-bam-thank-you-m'am approach was always going to be high-risk, even with an absolutely stellar actor/actress. And giving her scenes that belong to other members of the team (such as the cargument) or popular lines from last season ("How long have you two been married?") to try and fast-track her to popularity has made things worse, not better.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-16 06:26 am (UTC)But there's really no getting around the fact that she's a bad actor. I've tried, but...she's just not up to the job, apparently. And seriously, whoever thought that giving her a cargument and shoving her between Steve and Danny like a shoehorn was a good idea needs to be smacked upside the head until they come to their senses.
I'm just about ready to start going on the theory that she was forced on them by the network and they're doing everything they can to make sure she fails and they can let her go. Kind of like the way the governor forced her on 5-0...hm...maybe they wrote it that way intentionally... *G*
no subject
Date: 2011-10-16 03:39 pm (UTC)I'm a little shocked, no kidding! That's kind of . . . awful.
So, you were there, LUCKY YOU, I can't believe the whole crowd was made up of slash fangirls?? Or do other fans also genuinely care whether they stuff a random female in between Steve and Danny?
My best friend, who has no interest in slash, nonetheless watches NCIS:LA "for the bromance." Are there are a lot more bromantics out there than I thought?
no subject
Date: 2011-10-16 03:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-16 04:37 pm (UTC)That sort of behaviour makes me ashamed to share a fandom with these people. And at that point we hadn't even met Lauren's character, so we didn't know how bad Lori was or how poor Lauren's acting. And even so, being rude to her face like that is unforgivable.
The sad thing is that it's all the network's fault for the 'female McGarrett' and 'potential love interest for Steve' thing (and Lauren herself has said that she auditioned as 'love interest', apparently). They set her up for a fall.
I'm pretty sure it's not just us slashers who don't want a love interest on the team for Steve. It would interfere with the Steve/Danny dynamic which even guys like. A romantic interest 'on the side' doesn't hurt it; someone in the team would. I've seen enough male posters complaining about Lori to be sure it's not just us perverted fangirls who want Lori gone.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-17 05:22 am (UTC)I think there may be more bromantics than you thought...