What Is The Event?
Ah, that is the question. With the Pilot screening at Comic-Con over the weekend there’s been a flurry of opinion on whether NBC’s new serialized offering is all it’s cracked up to be.
Some people are pinning their hopes on the show being a success, while others seem to have already scrubbed it off their ‘must-watch-list’. With that said, let’s see what we can dissect from the wide-ranging opinions scurrying out of Comic-Con. Oh, and we’ve also got the new trailer.
According to producer Evan Kats, “everything is designed to answer questions so you’re not feeling frustrated, ripped off, like we don’t know what we’re doing”. Whether this is a sly dig at Lost is unclear (and would be unnecessary considering the success of the show), but it is clear that they want to remove some of the stigma that often gets attached to serialized shows. Without being judgemental, FlashForward made the same kind of statements this time last year.
In truth, I think that fans are not so much obsessed with answers (although some of us clearly are) – it’s more about receiving satisfying pay-offs to the mysteries that have been set-up. In other words: don’t create mystery for mystery’s sake. Then there’s the other side to it, which is that many fans feel reassured by knowing that the creators aren’t ‘winging it’. They don’t want their time wasted, even though it’s unrealistic to expect a show to remain on its original course all the way through. So it’s about finding that sweet-spot – that balance – at least in my opinion. Katz seems to get the idea: “we’re just trying to be smart and good to the fans in the audience and keep people guessing in kind of a fair way.”
As for when these answers will begin to pay-off, the producers seem to be placing a lot of emphasis on the second episode answering many of the questions raised in the first. According to producer Nick Wauters, ”There’s definitely an element of mystery and science-fiction to the show [..] I wanted to create something that had a bit of everything for everyone. The entire story doesn’t rest on it”. Since Seriable aims to cover the best (and worst) of serialized and genre shows, we’re glad that networks are still giving productions like The Event a chance. I just wonder whether in trying to please everyone – which it sounds like the producers might be trying to do – they’ll end up pleasing no-one? Again, this isn’t a statement on the show. I realize that the networks need to make the show as accessible as possible. That being said, Event clearly resembles a mystery show so hopefully that aspect wont be sacrificed too much.
Other bits worth mentioning:
- The Event has been described as a cross between Lost and 24. I figured as much after seeing the original promo several months back, but as I’ve already mentioned, I’d also throw in FlashForward because it just has that vibe.
- The nature of the actual event itself is unclear after the Pilot episode. While this is hardly surprising (I mean, who knew
whatwho Smokey was after Lost’s Pilot?), there has been some concern expressed over the lack of a central idea with the mystery and conspiracy elements dominating..events. I have no problem with good mystery shows – I love them. But they need to be supplemented with an idea or concept to serve as a gateway to the ultimate premise, a compelling narrative and characters that the audience can care about. It will be interesting to see how it all falls together.
On the show’s marketing. It’s certainly been decent, although I must admit, the whole “what is the Event?” promotion is dangerously close to FlashForward’s “What Did You See?” from last year. Of course the proof will be in the post-Pilot episodes – and I’m trying not to make any judgements until I’ve seen the Pilot for myself. But out of all the serialized show’s on our radar, this one is a mid-ranger. I hope it becomes much more than that. Here’s the new trailer:
[via]
I must admit, that trailer is kinda growing on me.
Fans can enter a contest to win a walk-on role on the show by logging on to nbc.com/fan-it. The Event premieres Monday’s this Fall on NBC.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
While I'm still somewhat skeptical about this show as a whole, I'll admit that I'm also intrigued by it. I don't plan on watching it right off the bat, but I will definitely be keeping an eye on it and will be paying attention to the kinds of reactions and reviews it receives. I think it certainly has potential. But it's also dangerously similar to shows like Flashforward and Dollhouse and could turn out to be a disappointment that fails to live up to all the hype.
You make a lot of good points. The thing with serial/mythology/mystery shows is that they have to be done just right or else they will quickly fail. We saw that from shows like Dollhouse and Flashforward… they had potential, but for various reasons, they just didn't deliver, and therefore, they didn't last long. But when they are done right, those are the kinds of shows that can turn into the biggest hits on TV (as shown with Lost and, in my opinion, Fringe).
You mentioned certain things that this kind of show needs in order to succeed — things like good story and characters you can relate to, as well as satisfying pay offs — and I agree with all those things. Might I also add that this type of show needs to have clear and compelling themes that stand out in the episodes. From what I've seen in Lost, there were numerous themes there, and Fringe seems to have mastered that as well. One of my favorite things about Fringe is the way they convey these themes through the story that is being told. Those themes are essential to giving a purpose to any given episode. They make it rewarding and satisfying. Without a good theme, the story falls short to me and has no significance.
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I agree mlj. When done right these are the type of shows that are the most enjoyable and the ones people remember. It's a shame they are so tough for networks and writers to get right, but I guess that's also what makes these type of shows so magical when they work.
You're totally right about the need for compelling themes. It's also fair to mention 'Lost' and 'Fringe' in that respect, since those two shows really do go the extra mile to develop narrative around themes that resonate. (May I also say that I'm glad you have stuck with Lost – it seems that you have?
).
It's really interesting to consider the relative importance of the different components that go into a series. I agree that strong 'themes' are important, and perhaps other serialized show's need to focus more on core themes and developing them rather than spreading themselves too thin, especially to begin with. Later on they can unfold – as we've seen with Fringe's technique of building themes on top of themes.
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Yes, I have indeed continued with watching Lost and I am currently in the middle of Season 4. I suppose I could write up a huge long comment discussing my opinion of it so far — you know how much I can write — but I'll try to keep it short and simple.
I don't know if I'll ever love Lost as much as you do. In fact, I'm pretty sure I won't. It is a great show that is high quality and fun to watch. I can see why you like the type of story telling and the continuity aspect of it and such. I loved seeing the various ways in which the characters had crossed paths prior to meeting on the island (though some of those scenarios admittedly felt a bit far fetched to me… the prime example being Ana Lucia and Jack's father… that felt way too contrived, in my opinion). There have been some wonderful developments, as well as some fantastic twists and turns and cliffhangers. I enjoy watching it and I find myself getting caught up in it and anxious to find out what will happen next.
That said, I'm no where near as invested in it as I am with Fringe. The over all concept of Fringe is much more intriguing and enjoyable, in my opinion. Also, I've found that, as the seasons have progressed, I just don't care about the characters in Lost. They feel somewhat shallow and I can't relate to any of them in the same way I do the Fringe characters. Some of them are downright obnoxious. It bothers me that their actions seem inconsistent. I feel like I can't ever get to know the characters because just when I think I understand them and how they will react in a certain situation, they go and do something completely different than what I would expect based on what I already know about them. I can see how you find certain characters like Locke and Ben to be intriguing, but as a general rule, I don't find the characters nearly as compelling as the Fringe characters, nor am I as invested in the things that are happening to them. I feel like the characters and the stories in general lack the emotional investment for me. In my opinion, if you remove that character and emotion from a show, it loses a lot of it's appeal for me.
Don't get me wrong… I'm not saying that I don't like Lost, nor am I trying to bash the show. I would never dream of doing such a thing. It's certainly an outstanding show that I have enjoyed watching, and I can see why so many people love it. The last episode I watched is “The Constant” and I agree whole-heartedly that that was one incredible episode. I agree that Fringe could benefit from implementing certain things that Lost did so well. I'm only saying that, in general, I feel like it has failed to live up to the exceptionally high level of praise and hype that surrounds it. It's good… I'm just not that convinced that it's THAT good.
Of course, now that I've seen several seasons of Lost, I'm very interested to hear more of your opinion. What is it, in your opinion, that makes Lost so wonderful? What is it about the show that causes you to have such a high opinion of it? What does it have (aside from the more serialized format) that Fringe lacks? What are your thoughts regarding the weaker aspects of it that I pointed out?
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Ah, it's great to see you giving the show a chance, mlj! I'm surprised you're already so deep into season 4 though! Great stuff.
To be honest, I thought you'd like the show a bit more than it seems that you do. Although, I did anticipate that you would still come out of it preferring Fringe. I can 'kinda' see why you have a problem with the 'crossed paths' scenarios, although I actually have no problem with it as far as Lost is concerned because it's one of the underlying conceits of the show. It's one of Lost's main mysteries, as opposed to being something they just throw in to suit a particular storyline or convenience.
I agree with you that the characters in Fringe are, on the whole, better drawn out. Although, it's worth pointing out that Lost has such a large and expansive cast. But there's no doubt in my mind that Fringe is more of a 'character show' than Lost.
For me, Lost is the pinnacle because of its mystery and mythology. It has inspirational and flawed characters who are interconnected. The story has ambiguity and evokes the audience to ask questions about the characters, their circumstances and apply that to our understanding of humanity, if we so wish. I personally love the themes, the spirituality, the science, the score, and the sense of being on a journey with the characters through time and space. In many ways, Lost is a melting pot. It's difficult to describe exactly what it is that makes is work – but along with some exceptional acting performances (Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson, in particular), there direction is consistently strong, the visuals are wonderful, the narrative is addictive and clever (at times), and the scope of the story is impressive. Oh, and Hawaii is beautiful!
Another thing I would say about Lost that made it 'ground-breaking', was the ability for the audience to participate in the show through various viral and 'out-of'show' material.
I do wonder if your opinion on Lost and Fringe would change slightly if you could watch the entire series of Fringe without having to wait for the next episode. I know it's not the case for all shows, but another factor I appreciated about Lost was the waiting for the next episode or season – discussing the mysteries, character motivations and general happenings with other fans.
That said, this doesn't hold true for everyone, and only you would know whether or not that is a possible factor. To be honest, I still think you'd prefer Fringe (for the reasons you cited), and I can't argue with that.
As for the weaker aspects of Lost – I'd say there are quite a few. The constant focus, or re-focus, on the love triangles (Jack, Kate, Sawyer, etc). The inability to write strong female characters. Too many 'filler' episodes. The six-episode pod at the beginning of Season 3. The inability to fully utilize those few strong female characters who they did manage to bring into the story (I wont mention any names, since I don't want to spoil it for you). The inability to maintain the strong multicultural diversity that they established in the first season. Inconsistencies (as you mentioned) in characters, their motivations, and story-arcs. A season full of contrivances (I wont say which season I'm referring to at this point!). The inability to give great characters from past seasons satisfactory arcs or endings. Too many mysteries left unexplained – an over-reliance on 'smoke and mirrors'; creating mysteries for the sake of creating mysteries, without any desire to actually answer those mysteries. K@te. I could go on, but I think that's enough for now!
While I love Lost, I don't believe that the show is beyond criticism. In many ways, being able to see the flaws in Lost has helped me to further appreciate Fringe and the things it does better than it's cousin.
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“I can 'kinda' see why you have a problem with the 'crossed paths' scenarios, although I actually have no problem with it as far as Lost is concerned because it's one of the underlying conceits of the show.”
Don't get me wrong… as I said, I'm fine with it most of the time. In fact, for all of the first season, I quite enjoyed it and thought it was brilliant. I had a lot of fun looking to see them cross paths in some subtle way and I was constantly baffled and amazed by how that was orchestrated and carried out. It definitely added a lot to the whole show for me. But there were just a few of them that left me feeling like they were carrying the concept a bit too far. Some of them just felt a bit forced.
“I do wonder if your opinion on Lost and Fringe would change slightly if you could watch the entire series of Fringe without having to wait for the next episode.”
That is certainly a valid point, and one I have considered on several occasions as I've been going through Lost. And I suspect to a certain extent I would enjoy Lost more if I were forced to endure the element of suspense, and to attempt to figure out the mysteries along the way by speculating and theorizing, instead of just being able to move on to the next episode and find out how things unfold. However, I should also point out that I didn't discover Fringe until the Season 1 finale. At that point, I was in no hurry to get hooked on another show, but I was intrigued by what took place in the finale. Consequently, I began looking for the rest of the episodes so I could figure out exactly what was going on. I watched the whole first season in about a week and I think it took me five or six episodes before I acknowledged and admitted that I was hooked. Seriously hooked. So I essentially watched the first season of Fringe in the same way I have been watching Lost. After I finished the first season of Lost, I tried comparing my feelings towards Lost to my initial impression of Fringe. The fact of the matter is that, while I was intrigued by Lost, and there were definitely things I liked about it, I was nowhere near as invested in it as I was in Fringe at that point. So while I think the way I'm watching Lost definitely influences the enjoyment I get out of it, I still think that, ultimately, my opinion wouldn't change by a whole lot if I had watched it live, or if I was able to watch Fringe all at once.
“I could go on, but I think that's enough for now! While I love Lost, I don't believe that the show is beyond criticism.”
I must say, I expected you would be able to point out some criticisms of Lost, but I didn't expect you to go on and on like you did. It just strikes me as somewhat odd that you clearly adore the show, but you're still able and willing to admit that there are many things — some of them pretty big things — that you didn't like about it. For the most part, the things you mentioned are all things I have picked up on as well. And yet you still have a very high opinion of Lost. Is the mythology aspect and the other things you mentioned so great that you are able to look past these shortcomings and still think of Lost as the standard for what great TV should be?
Again, don't misunderstand me… I fully acknowledge that Lost is a fantastic show, well written, high quality, intriguing, etc. and in certain areas, it deserves the high amount of praise it has received. It's a very unique show that broke away from your average TV show. And I know that even the best shows have shortcomings… as you said, no show is really beyond criticism. But it just seems to me with all those criticisms, it would be enough to cause it to be considered more of an average, successful show. I just can't figure out why so many people consider Lost to be a huge phenomenon and one of the greatest shows ever done. As I said, I think it's good… I just don't see how it's that good. I see and acknowledge that there are good things, but I don't think they are so great that they outweigh the negative things by such a huge margin to make it one of the best shows ever.
“K@te.”
Ooh… Roco, is Kate the Lost equivalent of Rachel? Here's a question for you: Which do you prefer: Kate or Rachel?
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“But there were just a few of them that left me feeling like they were carrying the concept a bit too far. Some of them just felt a bit forced.”
Ah, I see what you mean. I'm glad that you don't find it too overbearing. I can understand why some people would find it a bit contrived, especially after a while.
“That is certainly a valid point, and one I have considered on several occasions as I've been going through Lost. And I suspect to a certain extent I would enjoy Lost more if I were forced to endure the element of suspense, and to attempt to figure out the mysteries along the way by speculating and theorizing, instead of just being able to move on to the next episode and find out how things unfold. However, I should also point out that I didn't discover Fringe until the Season 1 finale. At that point, I was in no hurry to get hooked on another show, but I was intrigued by what took place in the finale.”
That's a fair point, mlj. I keep forgetting that you didn't follow Fringe from the start, since you are so well informed on the show. In that case, I think you answered my question pretty well!
“Is the mythology aspect and the other things you mentioned so great that you are able to look past these shortcomings and still think of Lost as the standard for what great TV should be?”
I would say that I'm able to watch Lost from a very critical viewpoint, but also from an appreciative stance. The mythology, sense of mystery and wonder and all those other things do indeed outweigh the show's flaws, as far as I'm concerned. I think that when a show – or any piece of art – evokes strong emotions and feelings in you, you will always hold it in very high regard. Lost also set a legacy that other shows, including Fringe, now use as the barometer. I think this also sets it as the standard bearer.
“I just can't figure out why so many people consider Lost to be a huge phenomenon and one of the greatest shows ever done. As I said, I think it's good… I just don't see how it's that good. I see and acknowledge that there are good things, but I don't think they are so great that they outweigh the negative things by such a huge margin to make it one of the best shows ever.”
I think it also comes down to personal taste. For me and many others, Lost will always be the pinnacle – at least until something knocks it from its perch. But for others, including yourself, it isn't quite as appealing. I think this mixture in tastes and preference is interesting, because just look at how we can both enjoy Fringe to the extent that we do, yet disagree quite markedly on the ultimate value of Lost.
“Ooh… Roco, is Kate the Lost equivalent of Rachel? Here's a question for you: Which do you prefer: Kate or Rachel?”
Ooh, now that's a tough one! I'd have to say K@te, because at least she's done..stuff.
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