Note: Sorry folks! Between birthdays, staff meetings, gardening and consequently throwing out my back, I was unable to do this week's "Where to find online" post. I promise I'll do it for next week! In the meantime, the Bones pilot (after checking) can be found in the normal places: Amazon.com, Netflix Watch instantly, and iTunes. As always (it seems!), the pilot is not currently on Hulu. Enjoy this week's discussion!
Mike says that Bones proves that character development in the first episode is vital to a successful show. I felt that for the most part, all of the characters were very close to their current incarnations. Zack and Bones are both a little more socially skilled than usual but are within limits. In fact, I think character evolution on Bones is some of the best on television. All of the characters have grown and evolved but stayed fairly close to their beginnings.
As is common with pilots, the biggest change from pilot to show seems to be the set. While many of the common elements were there, the "Proto" lab was much brighter and happier compared to the current lab. The organization changes later, removing the director of the Jeffersonian. And, is it just me or does the holo-projector disappear after the first couple seasons?
Boreanaz as Booth is fantastic--though arrogant. But I think this is more an element of character growth rather than of later reworking. The chemistry between Booth and Bones is also fantastic-- almost too good. While I love the long drawn out love story as much as everyone else, it is frustrating to know that the producers are going to stretch the relationship as far as they can for as long as they can.
All in all, I think this is a great episode and start to the series. And the show does well from here. I'm also always a sucker for implied continuity, so having this be a follow-up case (rather than their first) is great.
Lanae says that the biggest difference between Bones and X-Files is the time taken to explore and develop the characters. Where Mulder and Scully jump into the investigation and tell us little about themselves, Booth and Bones are opened up to us pretty wide. We learn their methods, their beliefs, and their motivations.
I think the characters were pretty spot on, though Booth and Zack were a bit less awkward than normal. Overall, it's a good episode and a great start to the show. It is kind of a normal episode, but the exploration and introduction to the characters is really great.
Kate says Bones is one of my favorite shows. Like with Scully in X-Files, I thought the character of Bones (Dr. Brennan) was a little rough in the pilot. She seems so cheerful! Zach is also extremely cheerful. My guess: Hollywood really doesn't know how to portray scientists or extroverts (the fact that McGee from NCIS is characterized as an introvert is an example of what I'm talking about. Does Bellasario even know any introverts?). However, Bones' character is stabilized within a few episodes, and there isn't as much dissonance as with Scully. (My favorite line from the episode: "You stalk me, Oliver, and I will kick your ass.")
Booth is completely on-target. Surprisingly so. I don't know if this is Boreanaz, the script, or the director. I suspect it is a combination. I've said it before, I'll say it again, Boreanaz has excellent comedic timing (since I knew about Boreanaz back when he was, you know, a vampire, I have these "ain't that adorable" feelings about his career. Look at that: he made it to the big time! This is a much better feeling than watching has-beens on Dancing with the Stars. I realize they need money, but wouldn't it be more dignified to, I don't know, get a job at Walmart?).
Like X-Files as well, the pilot of Bones isn't very pilot-y. It's just an episode. The characters are introduced, more or less, as well as the rapid fire dialog (hey, if you can't have Powell and Loy, you might as well watch Bones and Booth). Has it become more customary for shows to simply start? I'm used to 2-part Star Trek pilots which SET THE STAGE. Are audiences more sophisticated now? It's an interesting concept that studios may have done away with "background" pilots in favor of "dump you in the middle of the action" pilots. Since I prefer the latter to the former when I read, I guess I should prefer it when I watch television.
Hmmm. Not sure.
That said, Bones is close enough to today in time for me to remember that the pilot kept me watching. I like forensic-based shows anyway, but unlike many shows (where I become a fan after watching later episodes), Bones got me from Day 1. Of course, now, I'm an season behind, but I'm still watching!
Friday, June 25, 2010
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4 comments:
You know Kate, growing up on star trek, I'm very much the same way- I expect a pilot to be this epic event, to the point of a movie, introducing us to the world and the rules.
When I think about it though, this is something sci-fi and fantasy almost needs to do, as the "rules" of their universe vary from show to show.
With procedural shows, as the usually take place in normal reality, there's not much of a learning curve. And, as most are episode to episode rather than serialized (I guess bones did have the cannibal guy), there's no big story arc to introduce. It's like "Here are the characters, they'll usually do this type of stuff, and, oh yeah, here's some romantic tension!" And the show is set!
Can't find a copy online, so I'll go with memory. I do recall thinking that Boreanaz seemed uncomfortable in the roll. I also found many of the characters a little too cliche and knew I would tire of some of them. (My kids like Zach, I found him tiresome.)
What I do find very interesting about this series is how much they changed the show since its inception and for the better! That's unusual.
Another thing I find interesting about the show is that it appears to have two distinct sets of writers; those who write the Booth/Brennan story and a group that writes for everyone else. I've also been impressed that with a few exceptions, some rather unfortunate, they've kept the show focused on the stars. (I find the Angela stories annoying and the Zach stories were beyond annoying, to the point where I almost stopped watching [and so did America, which is why they rebooted the show after than fiasco. Again, that they succeeded is pretty amazing.])
I do need to add that one interesting thing about season 5 is that Boreanaz has definitely hit middle age physically. (Made all the more fun when you watch the first episode of Buffy--he was 30 at the time, but looks like a teenager by comparison!)
I agree that Booth and Brennan must have their own writing team. It's almost like there's someone who does the murder/plotting, etc. (which varies from interesting to kind of lame). And then this other team goes in and fleshes it out with awesome Booth/Brennan/sometimes Sweets dialog (and this team obviously fully understands the characters). I know that I watch Bones more for the dialog than for the mystery (unlike CSI which I watched more for the mystery and Columbo which I watch for Peter Falk).
I think you're right, Mike, BIG pilots are more of a sci-fi/fantasy thing. For instance, even though I couldn't get past Season 1 of Battlestar (you know me and serial episodes), I really enjoy the pilot? movie? that set off the series. I watch it over and over. (And it has its own internal pay-offs, so I can watch it and be satisfied with the ending.)
But this does brings up that whole problem of how to get a sci-fi/fantasy world properly set up without spending too much time discussing background. I think this is easier in some ways for television sci-fi/fantasy writers (who can hint at stuff that will pay off in later seasons) than movie sci-fi/fantasy writers (who have only 90 to 120 minutes to give background and plot) and novel sci-fi/fantasy writers who don't want to bog everyone down with exposition but kind of have to anyway.
For example, of the shows so far, X-Files didn't do all that great a job introducing background (I'm not sure Chris Carter knew what his mythology was in the pilot) but ended up with 9 seasons to explore the background with anyway. Buffy did a better job although Whedon tweaked things as he went along. And Firefly was fairly amazing on this score. Luckily--since Whedon only got one season!
It'll be interesting to see what Roswell (next Friday) does. This will be the first pilot I haven't seen before, so I'll be able to judge it without knowing where it is supposed to go!
Hope your back feels better, Mike :)
Thanks, Kate. I tried my hand at gardening this week, and ran a chainsaw, lawn mower, weed eater, and rototiller all within a period of about an hour. I'm slowly feeling better though!
I tried watching the battle star mini-series that started it all, and I got maybe 20 minutes in, just to the point where sexy-robot-chick breaks a baby's neck out of curiosity. I lost all interest and had to turn it off! An overreaction in all likelihood, but it was a really disturbing scene.
I think the big tv series movie premier event is slowly disappearing. I think most people like shows they can watch in between other things. which is too bad in some ways.
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