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GENERAL DISCUSSIONS
Investigating the Death of 'Agent Dubson'
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 7:13 AM
BYTEMITE
Quote:I don't see this as a "true Joss fan" thing. We just disagree. You think killing Wash didn't work. Others think it worked really well. What's left to discuss?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 7:20 AM
Quote:JK- it all comes down to the individual. I hate that Wash died, but I still love Serenity. I can see why those that wanted Wash to live, for emotional, or storytelling reasons have their opinions. And mostly, I respect them. But it's Joss' 'Verse.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 7:31 AM
CHRISISALL
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: Blah. Just bothers me, you see.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:00 AM
STORYMARK
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: I see people are going to continue trying to mischaracterize me as "trying to tell Joss what to do" rather than me just trying to have a discussion about the effectiveness of Wash's death.
Quote:Also that the battlelines are being drawn with the true Joss fans amassing to attack the evil heretic. I suppose it is definitely time to agree to disagree.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:04 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: It's just kind of a pet peeve trope of mine, you know, "Anyone Can Die! - under a series of conspired circumstances where they could in fact either live or die and which one or two of them dying probably won't have any effect on the outcome."
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:16 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: logically, they'd be lucky if ANY of them lived,
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:20 AM
ZEEK
Quote:Originally posted by two: Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: We are not discussing Joss Whedon's skill, he clearly has it, and I, at least, am not arguing that Joss Whedon should compromise his artistic vision and principles by being less angsty. I am discussing specifically whether Wash's death at this point was useful in terms of the storyline. Seeing as Joss Whedon has indirectly indicated he would like to keep writing stories where Wash is still around... *shrug* It doesn't seem like it to me. I've got to be rude about Joss' skill in setting a scene. Nobody noticed since we've never been shot by a firing squad, but Wash's death was random bullshit because Wash was looking straight out the window at the Reaver ship. He could see the projectile coming! The Reaver ship was big as a house and in his face! How could Wash not see!? Because Joss wouldn't let him look. In the mechanics of Wash's death, it's obvious Joss just did not think it through. Quick fix: turn Serenity sideways to the Reavers then Wash couldn't see death coming straight at his head. Serenity was computer graphics - Joss could do it, if he had planned ahead. I guess that Joss thinks it is sufficient to place the movie camera where only the audience can't see the Reavers.
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: We are not discussing Joss Whedon's skill, he clearly has it, and I, at least, am not arguing that Joss Whedon should compromise his artistic vision and principles by being less angsty. I am discussing specifically whether Wash's death at this point was useful in terms of the storyline. Seeing as Joss Whedon has indirectly indicated he would like to keep writing stories where Wash is still around... *shrug* It doesn't seem like it to me.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:29 AM
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:34 AM
TWO
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
Quote:Originally posted by Zeek: The Reavers were aiming at him and firing a projectile with no course correcting capabilities. It pretty much had to be a straight shot. If Wash couldn't see them then they couldn't see Wash and it would have been a random shot that just happened to hit the pilot dead in the chest. That seems much worse than just having Wash strapped in and unable to react in time. Basically I think by the time the shot was fired it was too late. I think he turned his head anyway IIRC. He probably didn't even see the shot.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:53 AM
Quote:Originally posted by two: Quote:Originally posted by Zeek: The Reavers were aiming at him and firing a projectile with no course correcting capabilities. It pretty much had to be a straight shot. If Wash couldn't see them then they couldn't see Wash and it would have been a random shot that just happened to hit the pilot dead in the chest. That seems much worse than just having Wash strapped in and unable to react in time. Basically I think by the time the shot was fired it was too late. I think he turned his head anyway IIRC. He probably didn't even see the shot. There was 3 pairs of eyes in the cockpit, all facing the Reavers. Wash not seeing? Okay, have it your way. Mal or Zoe could have seen the Reavers if only Joss hadn't made them blind to what was happening outside the window. If the Reaver's wooden projectile can get into the window then Zoe or Mal can see it coming. Unless you assume the projectile made a 90 degree turn in mid-air and seemed to come out of nowhere.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:55 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: Uh, there have been plenty of points made as to why people think it works, and very few have anything to do with telling Joss what to do. You seem a wee bit disingenuous there.
Quote: Um.... okay. I'd say you are imagining things, but whatever.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:59 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: Actually, twice now people have reminded me that "it's Joss' story." Really. I don't need the reminder, and I'm fine with Joss doing what he wants to. Thanks for the disingenuous comment, though. It's remarkably illustrative.
Quote: Yeah, because calling me disingenuous over a conversation about the use of death in literature and film is entirely deserved.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:01 AM
THESOMNAMBULIST
Quote:Originally posted by chrisisall: Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: logically, they'd be lucky if ANY of them lived, Well, Jayne might have...
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:09 AM
Quote:I still don't see how it's any more than emotional. You didn't want him to die, cool. but his dying did serve a story purpose, even if you didn't care for it. His living, would have served no direct story purpose, other than to not make some folks sad.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:10 AM
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:13 AM
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:14 AM
Quote:I didn't say NO ONE made that point, just that there had been plenty of others made, which you want to ignore and attribute it all to one, simply dismissed point.
Quote:It is, when you pretend that it is the only point that's been made, and dismiss the others.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:28 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: Wash dying did not have a story purpose, it did not further the story line in any way,
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:29 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: Quote:I didn't say NO ONE made that point, just that there had been plenty of others made, which you want to ignore and attribute it all to one, simply dismissed point. I never made it about that one point! YOU DID!
Quote:I've been responding to everyone's arguments here, responses which you've been ignoring, all while dismissing MY points with repeated accusations of me being childish and immature. Don't you think I realize what you're really saying when you suggest that I just don't appreciate an in-story death because I want a happy ending? I do get the gorramn implication.
Quote: I DIDN'T. :( You write a short post snarking at me, in response to a post that WASN'T directed at you (but was also snark - Sorry Chris), and then when I address the points in that post (while I've been addressing other points elsewhere) you accuse me of this? Bad form.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:31 AM
Quote:Agreed, however, I don't think the movie Serenity was the story he wanted to tell. He wanted to tell a 7-year series, where secrets about Wash and Book would have come out before they died (and they would have, I have enough faith in Joss to acknowledge he probably did plan to kill them). Compressed into the time frame of the movie, Joss didn't get to tell us things about the characters he wanted to. He was trying to wrap things up, and in the end he did something that it now seems like he regrets, but can't admit he regrets because of artistic integrity.
Quote:The movie was just not the most optimal setting to tell the story Joss wanted to tell.
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: (but was also snark - Sorry Chris)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:35 AM
Quote:Originally posted by TheSomnambulist: At one point I honestly thought they might all die!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:36 AM
Quote:I made it all about one point.... by pointing out there were others.
Quote:As I've said, I see nothing that doesn't boil down to "I didn't want him to die".
Quote:My dislike of the use of the Anyone Can Die trope is broader than this one case, but in this case I have two specific objections. 1) It seems like Joss Whedon is having trouble writing more Firefly because he now regrets killing Wash off. Wash living has a direct storytelling result in that Joss Whedon still has an Author Avatar character and would want to keep writing Firefly. 2) Wash dying did not have a story purpose, it did not further the story line in any way, as it wasn't part of any sort of plot development. It did potentially have an effect on the MOOD OF THE SCENE, but at the possible detriment of the further storyline (see #1 above). The effect on the mood for some people (myself) however, was minimal, which made the sacrifice of further storylines not worth it. Arguably, even if the mood had been sufficiently affected, the sacrifice would STILL not be worth it.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:38 AM
Quote:I wasn't a fan of bringing him back myself. In my mind, Mal ended him with that shot.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:39 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: Just rewatched the scene to check, not only are none of them facing the window/Reavers as you say (Wash looking downward, then behind, Mal and Zoe looking at each other and Wash - none of them looking out the window), they are IN THE DARK. They were inside that larger hanger, with no lights on. So, not only was no one paying attention, it was hard to see. And the log comes in, a wee bit fast. And the log/spike/whatever comes in from a distinctly UPWARD angle, thus indicating that the Reaver ship was above, and not directly in front as some want to claim. So sure, they could have maybe seen it, if they hadn't been slightly distracted by almost crashing to death, had better lighting, knew exactly when to look, where to look, and had the Reaver ship had running lights (because as we know, they're all about safety).
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:41 AM
Quote:I'm not ashamed to say I had a couple of tears running down my face feeling like it was the end for all of them...*sniff* Except, y'know, Jayne.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:45 AM
Quote:Originally posted by chrisisall: Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: (but was also snark - Sorry Chris)No, I'M sorry, my post was a little full of itself. I apologize.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 10:11 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: I expected getting piled on from the start here. And if I wanted to get out of the argument with a agree to disagree, I could have been less inflammatory about doing so. Frustration of the moment.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 10:14 AM
Quote:Originally posted by two: After the crash, Mal and Zoe are acting like they have been in a fender bender on Hollywood Blvd. Keep your seat belt on, check your hair, adjust your clothes. Real soldiers would be yelling, “Where are the Reavers!!! Where are they!!!” Real soldiers would be hyper-alert to what is going on around them. Who knows? They might even look out the window because Reavers are trying to kill them NOW. And then the Reavers do kill Wash. But making Zoe and Mal act like real soldiers would make it impossible to hear Wash say, "I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch . . ." Maybe Joss wanted to show that Zoe and Mal had lost their alertness/edge and got fat and placid like Oklahomans who have a traffic accident while gawking at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blve.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 10:18 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: But far be it from me to question your expertise when it comes to the behavior of space soldiers after sucha common crash.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 10:25 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: As I've said, I see nothing that doesn't boil down to "I didn't want him to die".
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 10:27 AM
Quote:Originally posted by chrisisall: Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: I expected getting piled on from the start here. And if I wanted to get out of the argument with a agree to disagree, I could have been less inflammatory about doing so. Frustration of the moment.I don't know about anyone else here, but Serenity is my favourite movie of ALL TIME. That can make some folks a little twitchy when that view is put in question. Me- I try to realize that when in a discussion... lest I'm trying to get a firey rise out of peeps, which I do admit to attempting now & then... The laughing Chrisisall
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 10:30 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: I can learn to hold my tongue.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 10:32 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: it was done in an attempt to build tension and maintain a specific tone - both of which are tools of storytelling - the "telling" half of the equation, which includes far more than just plot points.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 10:33 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: Or... maybe they were just in a huge spaceship crash.... But far be it from me to question your expertise when it comes to the behavior of space soldiers after sucha common crash.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 10:38 AM
Quote:Just to clarify - I'm not trying to be a jerk, though realize I can come off as overly aggressive in these discussions.
Quote:But I take story and storytelling seriously.
Quote:However, he can publish what stories he likes, and the fact is that he has not chosen to do any post-Serenity stories showing him alive, and has indeed published one that re-enforces his not being alive. Which to me seems a clear indication that he really is dead.
Quote:2) I don't think anyone said it advanced the plot. Everyone keeps saying it was a device to enhance the mood. Now, this may not have been the case for yu, but I think it's fair to say you are in the minority. And the fact that you are so vehemently opposed to the event, I even question if the impact was as insignifigant as you claim.
Quote:And you keep saying it's not worth it. Even when conceding that it does massively efect the mood for others, you maintain this. So, once again, it seems to come down to a personal, emotional response.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 11:29 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: True. But that story was also still very Wash centric, when there's a bunch of other storylines to be exploring in this verse. I take that as he's still grieving for the character. The fact that Book ALSO died, and the next comic book is a pre-series look at his life tells me something very similar there, as well. Though as I've said, in Book's case, there was an applicable storytelling reason, and I give it a pass.
Quote:Uh... Wait. When did I say it wasn't worth it?
Quote:Arguably, even if the mood had been sufficiently affected, the sacrifice would STILL not be worth it.
Quote:I hate this trope and feel very strongly it needs to start going discredited. In places not Serenity, Anyone Can Die causes all sorts of ridiculous plot holes to kill off characters for shock and angst. I used to think it created a plot hole in Serenity, with River, but then I realized that River is the Morrigan, her precognitive abilities are the Can't Fight Fate kind.
Quote:And then you come back with that old accusation, validation for proof You Win? Come on. We just had a nice moment there. Let's not go spoiling it.
Quote:I'll quit, though, Chris and you made a point there about it upsetting people.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 11:49 AM
Quote:Now, if you choose to see that as proof that he wishes he hadn't killed the characters, that's your call I guess. But it doesn't really stand up logically.
Quote:Right here: "Arguably, even if the mood had been sufficiently affected, the sacrifice would STILL not be worth it."
Quote:Sorry, but I don't care about your crusade to kill the trope - I am discussing how it was utilized in Serenity - period.
Quote:And now that you've made it clear that this is part of a greater campaign to eradicate the notion of "anyone can die" in storytelling (an idea I disagree with, but that's not really pertinent to this discussion)
Quote:the fact remains, he has a venue for bringing Wash back if he so chose. And instead, he has chosen to not do so, and even go so far as publish a comic dedicated to eulogizing him.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:03 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: So that brings up a new topic, and probably just in time! Do you think Joss is going to have psychic River seeing and talking to Ghost Wash and Book? Maybe they can still stick around! After all, there might be something implied in Bushwhacked ("Ghosts.") and on Miranda ("I can hear them and they're all saying NOTHING!") that River might be able to do something like this. And we'll never know if it's her powers or if she's just crazy. I think that would be great.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:05 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: I'm not upset at all.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:24 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Zeek: Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: So that brings up a new topic, and probably just in time! Do you think Joss is going to have psychic River seeing and talking to Ghost Wash and Book? Maybe they can still stick around! After all, there might be something implied in Bushwhacked ("Ghosts.") and on Miranda ("I can hear them and they're all saying NOTHING!") that River might be able to do something like this. And we'll never know if it's her powers or if she's just crazy. I think that would be great. Personally I really hope not. I think that would basically only be fan service. It's also a plot hole nightmare because you can't have every actor who ever played a fan favorite character live on in River's head. I mean when does it stop?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:31 PM
Quote: EXT. LANDING STRIP - CONTINUING And Serenity HITS the ground, moving forward in what would be a perfect 747 landing if, like a 747, this ship had wheels. As it is, it's insanely jolting -- the landing gear folds and snaps under the weight -- the ship keeps going, now inside the hanger, heading towards the entrance to the facility, slowing, sparks shooting out behind it, slowing, fishtailing and coming about a full one eighty as it stops a very few feet from the wall. INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING There is a moment of quiet. WASH: I am a leaf in the wind. Watch -- And the ROAR and light of the Hunter setting down at the entrance shuts him up. EXT. LANDING STRIP - CONTINUING We see the ship about to touch down, engines folding in like an egret's wings. A second Reaver vessel enters frame from above, about to land next to it. EXT. INT. SERENITY - MOMENTS LATER The inner doors open and the entire crew piles out, all heavily bedecked with weapons.
Quote:EXT./INT. LANDING STRIP/HANGER - CONTINUING And Serenity HITS the ground -- the landing gear folds and snaps under the weight -- the ship keeps going, now inside the hanger, heading towards the entrance to the facility, slowing, fishtailing and coming about a full one eighty -- it goes beyond the strip and crashes down into the pedestrian area, so that the nose is sticking back out at the runway but the body of the ship is hidden from it. INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING There is a moment of quiet. WASH: I am a leaf on the wind. Watch -- A massive harpoon CRASHES through the windshield and impales him to his chair. It's as thick around as a telephone pole. Wash has time to open his mouth in surprise before he is dead. ZOE: WASH! (She moves to him) –Wash baby baby no, come on, you gotta move you gotta move baby please -- Mal rips her away and to the floor as another projectile slams through the window into the wall above them. EXT. LANDING STRIP - CONTINUING We see the ship that has fired the harpoons as Reavers start out of it. A second Reaver vessel enters frame from above, about to land next to it. EXT. SERENITY - MOMENTS LATER The cargo bay door opens -- just the little door housed inside the ramp -- and Jayne comes out with his biggest gun. He looks up, toward the edge of the runway, but no Reavers have arrived yet. JAYNE: Go! The entire crew piles out, all heavily bedecked with weapons.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:35 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: Well, it's an assumption, I grant you, but assumptions aren't necessarily illogical. Not if there's reasons to back them up. You even agree that Joss seems to be mourning his characters still. This could be a perfectly valid inference of how mourning is affecting Joss and writing after the movie. It might not be RIGHT, but that's not necessarily a domain of logic. In any case, it seems like a reasonable assessment to me.
Quote: ...That wasn't remotely the context of that comment. The sacrifice I was referring to was the possibility of no more Firefly. Wash didn't really sacrifice himself, per se, as his death didn't accomplish anything besides dramatic tension.
Quote: See, and that's the thing. I'm totally okay with stories that kill off a lot of characters, like a war film. Even the important, named characters. What I'm specifically looking at is the trope where a character death is used seemingly ONLY to ramp up dramatic tension. As a storytelling method, it seems like a waste, and not as effective as it could be. It almost feels like resorting to a trick when the situation should be scary enough as it is. It feels... untrue or unfaithful, somehow, in a storytelling sense.
Quote:It's almost better to have a death scene that's thoroughly apathetic about it, than it is to just shock people. Real life doesn't go "Surprise! Now one of you dies so the audience is more worried" for most people.
Quote:So that brings up a new topic, and probably just in time! Do you think Joss is going to have psychic River seeing and talking to Ghost Wash and Book? Maybe they can still stick around! After all, there might be something implied in Bushwhacked ("Ghosts.") and on Miranda ("I can hear them and they're all saying NOTHING!") that River might be able to do something like this. And we'll never know if it's her powers or if she's just crazy. I think that would be great.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:37 PM
Quote:Originally posted by two: For the record, because nobody will download the screenplay.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:48 PM
Quote:See, it's stuff like this that makes it hard to believe you're looking at this as objectively as you claim. Its not about being upset that he killed beloved character.... but golly gee, wouldn't it be nice if he could bring them back? It stuff like that that makes it seem like you're really arguing from a purely emotional perspective.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:49 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: The idea that characters can get into so many tight situations without ever having do face death strikes me as total BS, and removes me from the story. I'm not interested in a static status quo.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:58 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: Christ. Maybe I'm NOT lying my ass off and disingenuous about my feelings, okay? It's really insulting that you keep going here.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 1:03 PM
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 1:20 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: Fine. Whatever. I don't know my own feelings.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 2:16 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Bytemite: You ever think there might be people who WERE affected by Wash dying,
Quote:and maybe I'm trying to be nice to them? What I suggested I thought maybe could be the best of both worlds. Wash is still dead, who even knows if it's real, but Alan Tudyk fans are appeased. It's a possible way for Joss to write Wash, if that's something he still wants to do. Maybe it's not. Maybe he's tired of this whole damn thing and cheering up us nerds with false hope.
Quote:Christ. And maybe I'm NOT lying my ass off and disingenuous about my feelings, okay? It's really insulting that you keep going here. What have I done to warrant so much freaking mistrust?
Quote:Do I have to tap dance on Wash's grave? Distribute sharpened pencils or something?
Quote:Seriously. You don't see me questioning your intentions, do you? Yeah, make me feel bad about offending people, but you don't care about the other side.
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