Lugia Disclaimer: This is sort of set up like a blog, and consists solely of discussions I had with the other Hos over the past few months. Newest posts are on top. Reading this, you will realize that I tend to digress, and that I've probably been attached to too many TV ships over the years. ;) I'd like to apologize for all the conjecture and putting words in J.J. mouth -- but these are rants. Please don't take them too literally.

[12.13.03]
[In response to Souris' statement that the "inability to accept long-term relationships is EXACTLY the mindset that is omnipresent among critics (::cough::MattRoush::cough::) and viewers."]

That critics are of that mindset is shocking and frustrating. But that *viewers* feel the same way, just makes me question the universe. I'm not sure, but we could be looking at a 50/50 percentage Noromo/Shipper here. Some are more vocal than others. What I love is when the shipper groups don't care about nay-sayers. That speaks for emotional maturity and integrity. What I hate is when shipper groups get intimidated by the Noromos and almost convinced that shipping is childish (producers accusing them of being teenagers with crushes or -- God forbid -- romantic persons that don't have a life, doesn't help either).

It's a great concern. I know of cases where TV execs were convinced by Noromo groups to kill their potential long-term ship, even if it was going *great*. It's all about the ratings, and though IMO they would *jump* if a couple got together, execs tend to listen to the Noromos. Now what's that saying about them? They have no problem dissing the shipper groups either. That sure won't hook new viewers.

[12.05.03]
[In reply to Souris being thankful that Chris Carter never had Scully & Mulder hooking up with UGLIs all over the place.]

I think JJ just got fed up, made a choice to resolve the UST, and now has to deal with the repercussions. He couldn't stand drawing out the UST between S/V, so he got them together. Got Will/Francie together as well. Now he's just following through on that and has people sleeping all over the place. He is too impatient for UST or consistent ship-development! Probably the only reason he can justify it between S/V now is because Vaughn's married and JJ deep down KNOWS that that will never change, so he's *already* resolved the issue.

I always find this topic fascinating: Why doesn't a couple, who knows that they can never be together, NEVER date anybody else? For years? I mean, that's a dead give-away, isn't it? I always loved that about The X-Files, too. And Stargate. And Farscape. Even Buffy. There may have been an occasional distraction, usually for storyline purposes, but the status quo never got frelled with too much. I know it's fence-sitting, throwing both the noromos and shippers a bone, but I MUCH prefer that to UGLIs. Even if they make a point to have the UGLI pale in comparison, and have even the characters know how wrong it is, there's no going back from that. The true relationship is tainted. I completely lost interest when that happened on JAG.

[12.02.03]
[Discussing "Remnants" spoilers, and how Syd and Will's emotions don't get played after they've had sex.]

Which makes it worthless. This would obviously be my perfect scenario as well... just get it over with and move on. It fits the situation, they're both needing it, it won't mean anything.

On a creative standpoint, though, isn't that *exactly* what a TV producer should avoid like the plague? Isn't a series all about repercussions, creating major events to *move the plot along*? So playing their emotions as a result of this and fucking with the triangle even more, should make *sense*! I don't think JJ will go there either, and for that I'm *glad*, but IMO it would be better storytelling if he would!

A show or movie is all about getting sucked in, emotional investment. Once you stop caring because the characters don't show raw, honest and consistent emotions anymore or even too many (Scully), the train goes off the tracks.

You don't need a bazillion of standalone storylines that get never resolved and "don't mean anything". Just deal with what you've set up and use it to further the storyline and characters!

[Remembering the original Syd/Vaughn/Will triangle.]

I'm feeling nostalgic about it. I want that ONE triangle back! Syd/Vaughn/Will or even Syd/Danny/Will. The No!Augh, Jenny and Alice distractions were bad enough, but this is just getting ridiculous!

[Continuing with the discussion that the characters don't address or own up to their feelings.]

See, that's exactly what I'm complaining about! The do have a world of ideas set up. If JJ would just chose to follow through on them -- or ONE. Mine the feelings, let the characters explain their reasons, let them grow, DEAL WITH IT and move on.

Yet he's just setting up more stuff without a pay-off -- plot-wise and emotional. He might HINT at what Vaughn's feeling or what Syd's going through, but they don't address and resolve it. It's just sittin' there. It's VERY tiresome. The fans only care to fill in the blanks for so long. You have to throw them something tangible eventually or they'll just leave.

And this is not about dragging something out. It's about *adding* millions of new storylines in the hopes that we'll forget about the important things, which are now buried under a huge pile of crap! Or if not that, adding things for the sake of moving forward, which is just creating a maze nobody will ever find the way out of again!

[12.02.03]
[In response to the apparently omnipresent support of the Syd/Will relationship on message boards.]

I was *almost* one of them. I really caught myself thinking earlier in the season that even Will wasn't bad compared to the Lauren stuff, and that I'd much rather see Syd with Will than with Sark, Simon, or Weiss. Good thing I soon remembered just HOW annoyed I always was with Will and that triangle.

Now I don't even care anymore. Sydney could sleep with the Pope and you'd only get a "whatever" out of me.

It has nothing to do with the character. I still like her. I'm also still a Syd/Vaughn shipper. But I've come to expect nothing less from JJ and TPTB.

[11.30.03]
[Discussing "Remnants" spoilers.]

What I hate the most is that this is only another delay tactic that won't have any repercussions. It may influence the storyline for two or three eps, but then I'm sure it's like this never even happened. There's zero continuity! They might as well call this show Melrose Place!

But maybe our standards are too high. I seriously judge it on the basis of my recent TV experiences, X-Files, Farscape, Buffy etc. Were I to judge it with an 80s perspective (A-Team, MacGyver), it would be more enjoyable. Alias and MacGyver are extremely alike, actually! Lots of gadgets and missions, one central super spy, some organisations, some character stuff, some inadequate ships, almost no continuity, both ABC shows... Thing is these times are over, and Alias was concepted as a character show. I think JJ is trying too hard to pay homage to the shows, movies and actors he loves. He should stop incorporating everything he *wants* and just work with his original concept and vision.

[10.10.03]
[Discussing "Reunion" spoilers, where Lauren confesses to Vaughn that she's hating Sydney.]

Wow, is this written badly or what? Lauren is the one who's entirely hateable. But that whole exchange is just weird. I mean, she sort of has a point about Syd's behavior, and yet, she's guilty of the same things.

I take back what I've written a few weeks ago, because a triangle is damaging for all participants whether it's balanced or not. There's no such thing as a good triangle. It gets really muddled by default and can't ever be resolved again or taken back. All characters suffer to the point they are unrecognizable. :(

It's *worse* than ambiguity. J.J. has just one-upped CC! My, oh, my...

[09.27.03]
I'm still reeling from that KO comment about "having to move forward," too. Like I said, they rush things! They are way too fast where CC was too slow. There's no logical development, just leaps and gotchas. Plus character assassination.

[09.17.03]
And here we WANTED them to hurry up and not drag this out forever. But there still have to be development and pacing that makes sense, not contrived, "out of the blue" gimmicks. In a way, J.J. is the other extreme [compared to X-Files creator Chris Carter]. TOO fast.

[09.14.03]
[In relation to unresolved storylines in season 2.]

They only scratched the surface. They started exploring some issues (like Irina), but even Syd & Jack lacked any tension from season 1. Aside from Sloane's story, the storytelling felt lazy to me. I always waited for the good stuff to start. There was NO need to frell with the timeline. They've got LESS to explore now. They'll need to *explain,* not explore, which I'm sure is what they wanted all along. Gives them easy stuff to keep busy with.

I'm just not very fond of having the story explained to me instead of shown, and having silly plot twists and action instead of character development and arcs.

[09.07.03]
[In reply to Souris describing the "Reunion" trailer as follows: "You see Sydney dressed in a formal red dress, watching them with an expression on her face that's more, 'enjoy it while you can, sister,' than 'kill me now.'"]

Hee! That I could get behind. To say it with Roxy's words on "Dead Like Me": "Sir, I'm going to say this as politely as possible. I will fuck you up."

I just wonder how her new BoyTool with figure into that. She surely can't give up that quickly! I mean, come on, *we* certainly don't have any problems to undermine SpyBitchFromHell, so SuperSpySydney should have it easy to get her man back!

[09.06.03]
I was just checking into if it would be worth watching JAG again, but it SO isn't. Look at what their creator said:

Donald P. Bellisario has said from the beginning he would not put Harm and Mac together until the show ended...and maybe not even then. From EW: Even more improbably, there are die-hard fans of the military drama who call themselves Shippers. (You thought Trekkies were weird.) Apparently what the Shippers are dying to know is when are Harm and Mac going to get it on? "I've been putting off the romantic connection between them for eight years, and I'll continue to put it off," says Bellisario. "Maybe at the end of the show, I'll just let them go their separate ways. That'll really infuriate the Shippers." Then the ship will truly hit the fan.

I'm so glad I quit [watching] 4 years ago!

[09.04.03]
I'm not sure why, but *whenever* one of my ships is in trouble, I get so protective of my "other" ships. Sometimes ships I haven't thought about in years. [...] One thing I realized is that pretty much all of these ships have one thing in common. It's about "blood screaming inside you to work its will" like Spike said. There HAS to be a reason why shippers are so obsessed, thrilled, and protective. They just feel the chemistry. And they won't take "no" for an answer. It's simple, really.

I don't get how any producer could even TRY to struggle against that. It's USELESS. I don't care about fate or sex, some things just *work*. Characters click, situations develop. Those relationships HAVE to be persued. It's inevitable. Otherwise a series will become a hollow shell and just completely ludicrous. You can't script something and then deny it. Or have something fall into your lap, and not realize it. Shippers won't quit. EVER. They don't understand the concept of white flags. They either grow bitter and quit watching, or harrass you until they've got their will (à la X-Files). That's my rabid opinion and I'm sticking to it. Brought on by two Stargate-producer comments, by the way, which I read this evening and which really sum it up nicely for me:

Joe Mallozzi

1) Q: How do you think Jack would react if Sam got a boyfriend?
JM: I think Jack would be professional enough to let her make up her own mind, secure in the knowledge that he is the better man and they'll eventually end up together.

2) "Maybe Sam will find a nice guy she can connect with and develop just such a relationship that will last - up to season's end when she dumps the unsatisfactory chump like a sack of potatoes and gets together with Jack."

UNSATISFACTORY. I wish J.J. would get a clue. You can't fight the inevitable and look good doing it.

[09.01.03]
[In reply to Mel TM comparing the "Alias" triangle with "Ally McBeal."]

OK, this is one of my all-time favorite Spike quotes (from "Lover's Walk"). It still holds true.

Spike (faces them): "You're *not* friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. (points at his temple) Love isn't brains, children, it's blood... (clasps his chest) blood screaming inside you to work its will."

:shrugs: Maybe not perfectly fitting the SVR, but the "unlikely friends" theme really is horrible, and that's why.

[06.26.03]
[In relation to writers bringing in new characters for specific purposes, i.e. love interests, and trying to convince the audience that they will love them.]

In my humble experience that has never worked out. The most interesting characters were even sometimes guest stars that just rocked so much that they were added as regulars over time -- like Sark (or Angel or Spike).

Anybody that was *deliberately* brought in to be a love interest or new hot guy, usually failed miserably (Riley on "Buffy," Doggett on "The X-Files"). The greatest ships were those that weren't even supposed to happen/be so strong -- like Syd/Vaughn (Buffy/Angel, Buffy/Spike).

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