You know I really liked Downton Abbey. Until I didn't. In fact, I didn't even bother to watch the final episode this year, although Ken still wants to and keeps asking (a little plaintively) when we're gonna finish up. (ANSWER: Probably never.) (But don't tell him. I hate it when I'm a hope-crusher.)
I've thought about why I fell out of love with the series and have come up with this answer: I was no longer willing to suspend my disbelief. When Lord Grantham made a lunge at the maid (why?! and why her?!) and Matthew leapt out of his wheelchair because he started tingling and so forth, I just went, "Okay, I'm done. I am not buying any of this any more."
It's a reminder of how important it is to keep your characters believable--they have to act like they would act and not because something might advance the plotline, you know?
What was the moment for you? The moment when you put a book down or turned off a TV series because you weren't willing to disbelieve any more?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
The Mentalist when the second season started. Lost, when 'the others' appeared...
Wow. I'm so with you on Downton Abby. I didn't even make it that far. I watched the first season and then the first episode of the second season. And then, for some reason, never watched another episode. I just never made the time for it, which made me believe that it just wasn't interesting for me anymore.
I do this ALL the time with books. Maybe too much. Especially since I started writing. If it's not holding my interest, I quit.
Having said that, I loved THE LOSER'S GUIDE TO LIFE AND LOVE and finished the WHOLE book.
So. There you go.
For me, it was the finale of the second season. Everything was wrapped up too nicely. I've heard that a 3rd season is in the works, but I'm no longer interested. All the intrigue is gone.
I give up on books all the time, but I am a diehard on movies and television. I watched *all* of Lost, despite the mounting evidence of crazy. I watched *all* of Downton Abbey--I actually can't believe you gave up on it! It is and always was nonsense, anyway. Plus Christmas! in the final episode! Christmas at the Abbey, with snow and everything. Oh, watch it. It's terrible and wonderful all at once.
I liked Ghost Whisperer up until Jim was killed off. They tried "to fix" that fatal error by bringing him back in someone else's body. Didn't work for me.
The second season was a big soap opera. I wish we could have watched it together, so we could have scoffed loudly at the absurd plot twists, all of them implausible.
The tingling toes: "Oh good, he's going to be able to have sex!"
The fact that the valet wasn't hanged. He would have been hanged. He must hang!
Shame on you, Julian Fellows
I didn't read the last book of The Hunger Games either. Just got bored.
I know, Season 2 was a bit ridiculous. But I just didn't care because, yo, they were wearing fancy gorgeous clothes. And Matthew's pretty good looking, and I have an inner Mary Crawley. Plus the architecture is amazing. Also where else would I rather escape to when I've had a long day of boogers-on-my-blouse, milk-on-my-jeans, baby-filled day?!
I love Downton and am eagerly awaiting season 3!
Ann, I agree entirely. At those same moments--and quite a few others--I gave up on the series as something to take seriously. I did finish it, though, and I'll watch another season. It's entertaining, and it's better than most of the stuff on TV.
I mostly hate books that are too amused with their own cleverness. So I read about 5 pages of that Calamity Physics book and about 50 pages of Swamplandia. I seriously wanted to hurt those narrators/writers.
Gilmore Girls. Although I would watch the occasional episode, after Rory slept with the now married Dean, I died a little. It did not seem consistent with the characters, and I thought it was just too sensational a plot device.
Post a Comment