On the edge of Wonderfalls

[butterfly]

"So," I asked myself just recently, "Why is it that Wonderfalls isn't leaping out at you?"

Then I read stakebait's post about why she's not watching past the first episode and realized that some of my problems are the same as hers. I want the 'whys'. I want an internally consistent world. Now, it may be a bit much to expect that in the first episode, but it feels arbitrary. Whereas in Buffy, she was Called because there were vampires. We learned so much more about it later on, but there was a reason for her strength, speed, etc. in the first episode.

So, why is Jaye special? For my own amusement, I've now decided that she's a precog that can't deal with her newly activated powers and is thus manifesting her abilities in the form of randomness. Because, yes, that does make more sense to me.

Because we have no reason to accept the things as being right except that they are. And how in the world do they know? Like Jaye, I ask -- God? Satan? Skip in the timeline? Blip in the matrix? A bunch of men raped her with the soul of a demon? Huh? Should the polarity be reversed? Would it make more sense if she shifted dimensions?

Also, there's the Surrender to Destiny theme which just annoys me. I'm a Buffy-girl, which for me means that I think that questioning authority and destiny is never a bad thing. Doesn't mean that some things aren't inevitable, but that's almost always because of the people and the situations that they've set up -- it's a matter of not being able to change the cause before the effect has caught up with you.

The Wonderfalls world doesn't feel real. It doesn't feel internally consistent. I don't feel as if I could wake up in Wonderfalls.

I'm going to watch the new episode tonight, see how it shakes out, but I'm definitely wobbling toward not picking up Wonderfalls.

Comments

Thank you...

[deifire]

I couldn't figure out just exactly what was "not quite" about this show, but I think you nailed a lot of it.

It's Surrender to Destiny bit that bugs me most. Not only because I don't really care for it as a concept, but also because Jaye seems written as too strong a character to do it--at least not without putting up much more of a fight than she was giving in Episode 1.

Then again, I won't get to see the second episode until tomorrow, after which I might have a whole different opinion.

Re: Thank you...

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It's Surrender to Destiny bit that bugs me most. Not only because I don't really care for it as a concept, but also because Jaye seems written as too strong a character to do it--at least not without putting up much more of a fight than she was giving in Episode 1.

Right. It just seems like she gives up too easily.

[livinglaurel.livejournal.com]

Now, it may be a bit much to expect that in the first episode, but it feels arbitrary. Whereas in Buffy, she was Called because there were vampires

I hadn't thought about this over in Mer's thread, but it's exactly right. Even Joan of Arcadia has a framework -- there is a god, she has to follow that higher authority, &c. With Jaye (I gave in and watched most of the first ep anyway) there's no worldbuilding, so far, to let us know what's going on....It sort of feels like real-world Buffy, i.e. Buffy with all the supernatural bits left out....I'm not making sense there, but yes, it feels v arbitrary.

moi

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Right -- it's the problem of the green sun (Tolkien talked about this). You can't just have a green sun, you have to have a world into which a green sun is natural.

[livinglaurel.livejournal.com]

((squints)) Is that, er, "On Fairy-Stories"? Or am I misremembering?

moi

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It is, I believe.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I hope it goes Seinfeldian - i.e. - there's no real hugging or learning, and the animals are neither God nor Satan - justp bored and bugging her for their own amusement with no greater agenda in mind.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

But where do the animals' powers (or Jaye's) come from? I'm fine with them being neither good nor evil, but I want to have something more... Why did they start talking now?

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm just looking to be easily amused. Because I don't feel like looking for depth in WonderFalls, and thus - have no need to no why. I just want a chuckle.

[theamyrlin.livejournal.com]

I find that this is more true-to-life than most shows I watch. The reality is what intrigues me. Most of the time, in life, we don't know WHY things happen. We are just wandering around trying to find some type of peace of mind. This is exactly what happens with Jaye. "Surrender to Destiny" does not represent the failure to question authority, but represents the reckless inevitability the main character feels about her life.

The "visions" might not even be spiritually induced. Perhaps, our main character is just schizophrenic, and it all turned out for the best out of sheer coincidence. Not everything has to make sense. The main character does not feel that she has some "special gift" but rather feels like she is going crazy. I think that this is a unique aspect, that most shows have not explored. There doesn't always have to be a chosen one, a one true hero. This time, it's about a girl who might really be hallucinating.

I don't think that anyone can ever really question destiny. I mean, in the sense, that you can actually change it. Destiny is one of those things that you can't change, because if you were to "change" it, then it wouldn't have been your destiny. You can change yourself from present to future, but if something is destined, there is no changing it, because it then it wouldn't have been destined. I don't know if I'm making sense. Feel free to ignore everything I said. ;-)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, our main character is just schizophrenic, and it all turned out for the best out of sheer coincidence.

I would love the show if that turned out to be the case. But I'm not sure I have the patience to stick around and find out.

You can change yourself from present to future, but if something is destined, there is no changing it, because it then it wouldn't have been destined.

Fighting against destiny often brings it about -- ex. Opedius, it was in trying not to sleep with his (adoptive) mom and not kill his (adoptive) dad that he ended up fulfilling the prophecy.

Giving into destiny allows the option of transcending it -- ex. pretty much all of Buffy. Destiny doesn't have to be the end. Personally, I advocate neither blindly fighting nor giving in without reason. I fall on the Buffy side of things, most definitely.