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Post by lizap on Feb 17, 2009 17:15:49 GMT
Regarding the humor, and speaking in terms of my own preferences regardless of how legitimate it might be, I'm really glad that they seem to have gone for a light kind of humor. I don't care for any of the other Bruckheimer shows because to me they all seem so self-consciously 'heavy' and dark of tone that I find them oppressive. I don't see Jacob Hood as a dark character. Yes, he has the sorrow in his background that gives his character depth and poignancy, but it seems to me that it hasn't overcome him so that it constantly pervades his outlook and interactions or compromises his appreciation of life. I've enjoyed the funny moments in the show very much -- like the scene at the bar in the first episode, or when they played honeymooners at the vineyard, etc. I think these work, because I think Hood is a character who still has a capacity for joy (as opposed to some of the other brooding TV heroes who seem genuinely damaged). I don't think it means he can't be complex. Complex doesn't necessarily mean dark. again, jacob hood is no a policeman. he is a sadly widowed scientist, fighting evil. not much room there for humour. then again, there was humour even in x-files, but if rufus really wants humour in EH, i would prefer a darkest sort of it. which would not fit with his candid, almost childlike rendering of jacob. I very much agree that the dark sort of humor you describe would not fit with his candid, almost childlike rendering of Jacob. I think what they've created with him is a fairly unique persona, or perhaps part of a new trend away from the dark, as I think about it. Damian Lewis' detective character is rather light and quirky in spite of some dark occurrences in his background, as is Simon Baker's. Those shows have to do with homicide -- not a cheerful subject either -- but the humour in those shows works very well within the darker context (and I don't think it's black humor). hence my question. it always seems to me that more "humorous" scenes somehow do not "fit" for that reason. we still dont know how jacob feels about his past, i would be so much more interested in that. there seems to be so much efforts put into making the show "lighter", i hope they dont forget how "dark" it should be... I think maybe this is the key difference in our perception. I don't think they intended for the show to be dark. The context (of the mysteries) is darkish, but I'd call the show light in tone overall because of the person Jacob Hood is, so perhaps that's why I don't perceive the humorous bits as not fitting.
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Post by tipou on Feb 17, 2009 17:51:27 GMT
Complex doesn't necessarily mean dark. hmmmm. so true. i bow before good sense. anyway, its not like i have a say in the matter LOL
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Post by rueful on Feb 17, 2009 19:37:09 GMT
There's a first time for everything. (Oh, come on, I had to say it! ) I second Lizap's emotions! I like that Jacob is sad without being mopey. You get the sense that he was a normal, well-adjusted, happy person before his wife died, and he has the potential to be so again, in time.
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Post by tipou on Feb 17, 2009 19:55:11 GMT
There's a first time for everything. (Oh, come on, I had to say it! ) i love you anyway. ;D
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Post by lizap on Feb 17, 2009 21:46:06 GMT
anyway, its not like i have a say in the matter LOL Ah, too true, for all of us. I suppose it's for the best, as we wouldn't be able to agree where to take the show if they put us in charge. ;D
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Post by tipou on Feb 17, 2009 21:46:54 GMT
yeah. everyone's a screenwriter!!!
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Post by peach on Feb 18, 2009 1:15:29 GMT
I think of humor as a defense mechanism, I find myself doing it all the time. In his line of work I think a bit of brevity is an absolute must. If you are in a constant state of high emotion with everything that he's seen and the passing of his wife, it's the only thing that keeps you sane. Without it you'd run the risk of going completely mad. And being a genius as he is, that's not even an option.
If the humor is done smartly and subtlely, then it's a good thing, and if it pertains to the scene then I say yes keep the humor coming, it is after all how the character was described. But if the humor is introduced in a scene gratuitously then no, leave it out. There have been several instances where it has surfaced and in a completely believable way. The "Miracle" episode comes to mind immediately, when he knocks on her door and she answers in a mens shirt, it was the total lack of emotion that works in that scene, funny and believable at the same time, he was the true absentminded professor.
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Post by rueful on Feb 18, 2009 2:07:30 GMT
Good point, Peach. I'm reminded of a quote from the character John Munch (the great Richard Belzer), I think from his Law & Order: SVU incarnation. A shrink asks him, "Do you always deflect a question with humor?" and he replies "Do you always deflect humor with a question?" So if Hood is feeling uneasy or stressed, he is likely to make a joke rather than to display what he might consider private or uncomfortable emotions. For example, he's out of his element in the shooting range, so first he cracks the joke about the bad guy silhouette and then when he shoots badly he makes a joke about poodles. But I still think he's basically a good-humored person (who's currently in a state of mourning, but coming out of it a bit). Even absent-minded professor types can be funny, when they focus. Also agreed that the elements of humor must fit in naturally or there's no point to them. How could you not? I'm always so nice to you.
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Post by ambra on Feb 18, 2009 2:12:17 GMT
Personally, I like the humor for the most part. If the character was moody and sullen all the time, it would get old really quick. Humor makes him more three-dimensional and human. The biggest problem I have is lines the writers meant to be humorous but are just stupid, like the "wild and crazy scientist" line in H20.
The humor also comes across in some of the facial expressions that Rufus uses. In "Miracle" the look on his face when Rachel says it's her weekend "free of all things Hood" cracks me up everytime as does the expression when Isabelle locks him and Rachel in the freezer in "Eternal".
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Post by peach on Feb 18, 2009 2:22:27 GMT
His emotions thus far have been true to me, it's been a slow progression and has lent an air of realism to who Hood is. I think if they had rushed things it wouldn't seem as realistic as it appears. I really hope that they keep this show on for a while yet, I'm looking forward to finding out more about Rachel and Jacob. I would love for them to introduce more of the people he has put away. The Gepetto arc makes me long for more story lines like that. Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope that the suits renew the show.
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Post by rueful on Feb 18, 2009 2:22:33 GMT
Yes! That "wild and crazy" line had me cringe, as did the "fungus among us."
I like the more ironic humor. Like the scene in the freezer you mentioned, ambra, where they make jokes that real people might make in that situation, deflecting the seriousness of the situation they're in by mocking themselves ("Good news is, we know who the bad guy is.") That is just the kind of humor people in my family and most of my friends would use, even in pretty dire situations.
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Post by tipou on Feb 18, 2009 2:32:45 GMT
I like the more ironic humor. Like the scene in the freezer you mentioned, ambra, where they make jokes that real people might make in that situation, deflecting the seriousness of the situation they're in by mocking themselves ("Good news is, we know who the bad guy is.") That is just the kind of humor people in my family and most of my friends would use, even in pretty dire situations. i absolutely loved the sequence in the freezer, although i think it was good more because of how the actors played it, than because of the screenplay itself - except for the mcgiver joke, which was a gem in itself.
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Post by peach on Feb 18, 2009 2:40:40 GMT
Yes that was a good scene too, the glances she gives him have been priceless. She's gotten in some zingers too, and the banter between them has vastly improved. She's getting used to his little quirks and they look like they're having fun.
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Post by rueful on Feb 18, 2009 2:47:52 GMT
Agreed, the writers have been getting the benefit of better actors than they deserve. In addition to the obvious Rufus talents, Marley can give an eye roll or exasperated sigh with the best of them.
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Post by tipou on Feb 18, 2009 3:02:33 GMT
im telling you, even if i once said that perhaps she was not the ideal cast for the role, i always said that she could carry it... and she is proving me right. she is definitely taking her place, and with a better treatment of her character by the writers, she is getting so much stronger too. i'm really proud of her. she did not have it easy in the beginning.
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