Saturday, July 27, 2013
PUT A DOME ON IT! We haven't talked about Under The Dome at all here, despite the fact that it's the clear ratings sensation of summer, in part because I've tended to watch it on substantial delay. The show's got a lot of problems--most notably, pretty much every character seems to be defined in the broadest possible strokes--like NPC's in a roleplaying game--Julia is a Plucky (d8) and Intrepid (d6) Reporter, Barbie is a Tough (d8) Shady (d6) Military Vet, etc. That said, I thought this week's episode was the strongest they've done, in part because for the first time, we got some substantial idea of how the dome is affecting not just Chester's Mill, but the larger world. In addition, we got some striking imagery (the monarch butterflies swarming on the dome, the view outside of the dome after the bomb went off), and the excellent use of Skeeter Davis' "The End Of The World" to score a montage sequence. If the show can have more moments like that and less teen angst, I'll keep watching.
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I'm intrigued mostly by the potential for Outside-the-Dome stories — I forget whether King actually ever explained the Dome's origin or not (his endings generally wash past me — the adults fight a giant spider?!?), but if he feels like painting a broader stroke, that could give the show a lot more life.
ReplyDeleteEvery time that kid does a Harry Connick Jr impression to symbolize coolness, I want him to get punched. Not by anybody, just for solid air to punch him if possible. Like, if the effect of the dome were to affect a sort of douchebag-jar treatment for the whole town.
I haven't read the book, but according to summary, yes, there was an explanation in the book (aliens did it as kind of a human ant-farm sort of thing), and the TV folks have said "we're going someplace different."
ReplyDeleteI'll also note that you conveniently omitted the ickiest part of the ending of It.
Oh you mean the part where he rescues Audra from her spiderweb prison of grossness?
ReplyDeleteblech.
Have you ever read Dreamcatcher? It's like a marathon of King endings, one following the next.
"I'll also note that you conveniently omitted the ickiest part of the ending of It."
ReplyDeleteHarry Anderson's acting?
Ah yes, Dreamcatcher - the book that was pretty much entirely about something called "sh*tweasels." Not his best work.
ReplyDeleteI'm sort of along for the ride so far - I liked the book (hated the ending, but getting there was great) so I'm interested to see what they do with it. I'm glad they told us up front that they aren't sticking with King's ending, or I'd probably have quit by now - the endless march toward that would have been awful. I agree that this week was a great improvement (heck, just getting Angie out of that basement was a big improvement) but if this weren't summer TV with nothing else on, I'd have ditched this around ep 3.
ReplyDeleteOddly, I fine Joe and Norrie's story to be the one that is catching me most. Not sure why. But the filming-themselves thing last week is one of the most effective (and creepy) things the show has done so far.
I was going to give up on the show until I read this post and decided to give it another shot. I finally caught up with it yesterday, while looking for something to watch after "Orange Is the New Black." I didn't read the book and am not a King fan at all, but the commercials during the spring reeled me in.
ReplyDeleteI like where it's going now, but I'd like a little more perspective on the adults who aren't the plucky reporter or Hank from "Breaking Bad." I'm happy Angie's finally out of the basement--that was a painfully stupid, 90s soap opera plot. And it's always nice to see Samantha Mathis--I've loved her since "Pump Up the Volume."
I watched the first two episodes and was so bored that the next three have piled up on my DVR. I also found the lack of a realistic response to the dome frustrating - only one person has tried to tunnel under it? No one has tried to take a chainsaw to it? There's no shortages of food or runs on the grocery store? And the girl-chained-in-the-bomb-shelter plot was ridiculous. I find that there's so many other options now to solve the "there's nothing on in the summer" syndrome (I just finished watching all of "Friday Night Lights," now I'm starting "Orange is the New Black") that I don't need to watch this.
ReplyDelete