Atlantis (BBC)

You think so, Nicknacks? I'm curious to know what incited such a strong(-sounding) reaction.

To me, I'd describe it in the words of Douglas Adams re: Earth; "Mostly harmless." I feel I could at least watch it casually because it's got enough familiar faces and sense of atmosphere to enjoy and I got a fair amount of chuckles out of Mark Addy. It doesn't look very substantive, no, but I guess I just like shiny things painted to look like Classical Antiquity (or a passable approximation thereof).

edited 23rd Nov '13 8:58:13 PM by dreamshell

It's been a little while, but it was episode five I was talking about, I think? The one with the love potion.

It was just so fucking rapey, and the episode just didn't seem to realise it, or give her much chance to express much in her own terms. Hell, the male characters weren't upset too bad over the fact that he was chemically coercing her to love him, rather that the chemical had nasty side effects. And he's forgiven because they feel bad for him? Eugh.

Does hercules stay a Miles Gloriosus type? If so I think that's an interesting treatment of the character. It just ht here in America so I'm only up to the first episode.

Hmm, love potions are pretty tricky. I guess they seemed innocuous at one time, but now everybody sees too strong a parallel to date-rape drugs, sooo... don't know why they don't let that concept fade into the shadows. I mean, I could cite the fact this is all based (however loosely) on Ancient Greek mythology and, thus, perhaps an Ancient Greek mindset, but there's really no reason they can't update things.

I've only seen the premiere, so I can't really comment otherwise. Overall, though, I wouldn't say the show looks worth the build-up it was getting on TV. Kind of feels like it's going to be The Following all over again...

I know what you're saying, but I think you're working off the flawed assumption that working with historical setting or tropes or allusions means that someone's producing for an historical temperament. That went out the window when they decided to make the show in 2013, let alone have the protagonist be a modern contemporary scuba enthusiast lost in a freak diving bell accident.

Which I don't believe they've ever mentioned again, right?

Edit: Oh, you're watching this overseas, yeah?

edited 24th Nov '13 8:55:23 AM by Nicknacks

No, I know, it was just the only argument I could see being made about Atlanteans being cool with such morally skeevy goings-on. Greeks did that (and worse) all the time in the myths and RL.

And yup, I'm from the States.

I'd suggest that it's no different from what we do now.

I suppose? Those sorts of things usually just fluctuate in variance and particularity, they don't vanish. I think societies are probably always going to be less upright in of themselves than the individuals that comprise them can be.

"upright in themselves"?

In of themselves. Like, society-as-entity, considered on its own, not as what it actually is, merely a collection of xty people.

I was asking more about what you meant by upright, though my typo might have confused matters.

And yeah, I guess you could see things that way, but I'd maybe suggest that certain narratives are so ingrained through constant exposure, that they're not really been rejected by recent storytelling trends. Neither effectively overrides the other, since one is older and the other is — or at least I find it — a more persuasive argument.

I'm not even sure what we're talking about anymore. XD I meant morally upright, though (the definition thereof being an entirely different conversation).

Neither of what effectively overrides the other? Traditional, ingrained narratives vs. new storytelling trends? And what's the more pesuasive argument (and what argument)?

My apologies for throwing us so far into the abstract.

edited 24th Nov '13 10:45:20 AM by dreamshell

Uh...a love potion plot? Now I am glad that I gave up on the show just the episode beforehand...I am still scarred from Grimm's season two.

The only show I've seen that pulled off a love potion plot without making it creepy was Power Rangers. And that was because it was aimed at seven-year-olds, so they couldn't do any creepy undertones, and because the villains just used them mostly for lulz, rather than to get laid.

IIRC Rita did drug Lord Zedd but then, at least in the American version, it turned out he actually loved her anyway.

Yeah, but that show also made Zedd into a bumbling Henpecked Husband because originally he was a nightmare on legs.

But he was a more effective villain as an Al Bundy type. I mean, he spent most of the third season of Power Rangers WINNING for a change. Sure, he and Rita's monsters still fell down went boom all the time, but every plan went off almost without a hitch.

...Now I'm just imagining a skinless Al Bundy who wants to be emperor of the universe. o_O;

Then you'd also have to imagine Peg as an evil sorceress.

...Getting better...

Does anyone else get the feeling that the writers have kinda forgotten that Jason's supposed to be from the non-greek-mythical world?

In case anyone is still interested in the show, I have sad news for you if you are a fan.

http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/atlantis/33803/atlantis-cancelled-by-the-bbc

Yep. Killed. That makes the third high-profile fantasy/speculative fiction-audience focused project cancelled by the BBC this year, after Wizards Vs Aliens and In the Flesh.

Not surprised...I gave up onto it fairly quickly. It was kind of old-fashioned.

I've been watching the last few episodes of the show. I know the show ends on a cliffhanger, but I have heard there's also a part of the last episode, where Pasiphae is killed and Jason & Ariadne become the king & queen. Is it okay to end right there, or should I still watch the rest of it?