carnivale shmarnivale
Feb. 28th, 2005 04:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
progWhat a disappointing episode.
Justin: What does this mean?!
Dude with Beard: A, B, and C are coming to pass, as foretold!!
Meanwhile,
Samson: Why'd you do that?!
Ben: Z, Y, and X are coming to pass, as foretold!!
This sort of thing is not interesting to me.
Also Ben can just do arbitrary shit now, including radar-sense and creating entire (if temporary) illusionary buildings? I understand that he's been imbued with Management's knowledge and essence or whatnot (as well as his knife... which I like, I have a soft spot for storied magic weapons, especially if they're ordinarily weenie weapons like that knife) but if he's now nigh-omnipotent my interest in his character lessens significantly.
What most concerns me is that he can apparently use these new powers without cost. I definitely prefer depictions of "magic systems", especially ones that are supposed to exist in the real world (or an alternate history), as very expensive and draining to use -- a handy explanation of why the world isn't overrun with wizards flying around casting magic missle on anyone they don't like, but leaving plenty of room for hermetic types to lurk in the background, patiently trying to out-besubtle each other. See the works of Tim Powers for good examples.
Carnivale did this with Ben's healing ability, which even post-Management seems to use zero-sum game rules, which I really like. So long as he doesn't turn into Superman I'll be OK with it.
Also, was it just me, or were there scenes missing from this episode? Ben's sputtering comments about Management "ascending" seemed a total non sequitur.
And half the episode was taken up with whats-their-names' domestic disputes which makes me say zzzz. When Sophie was there she at least vaguely tied them in with the main plot, but with her gone they're just a hard-to-watch diversion.
Blah blah blah.
Justin: What does this mean?!
Dude with Beard: A, B, and C are coming to pass, as foretold!!
Meanwhile,
Samson: Why'd you do that?!
Ben: Z, Y, and X are coming to pass, as foretold!!
This sort of thing is not interesting to me.
Also Ben can just do arbitrary shit now, including radar-sense and creating entire (if temporary) illusionary buildings? I understand that he's been imbued with Management's knowledge and essence or whatnot (as well as his knife... which I like, I have a soft spot for storied magic weapons, especially if they're ordinarily weenie weapons like that knife) but if he's now nigh-omnipotent my interest in his character lessens significantly.
What most concerns me is that he can apparently use these new powers without cost. I definitely prefer depictions of "magic systems", especially ones that are supposed to exist in the real world (or an alternate history), as very expensive and draining to use -- a handy explanation of why the world isn't overrun with wizards flying around casting magic missle on anyone they don't like, but leaving plenty of room for hermetic types to lurk in the background, patiently trying to out-besubtle each other. See the works of Tim Powers for good examples.
Carnivale did this with Ben's healing ability, which even post-Management seems to use zero-sum game rules, which I really like. So long as he doesn't turn into Superman I'll be OK with it.
Also, was it just me, or were there scenes missing from this episode? Ben's sputtering comments about Management "ascending" seemed a total non sequitur.
And half the episode was taken up with whats-their-names' domestic disputes which makes me say zzzz. When Sophie was there she at least vaguely tied them in with the main plot, but with her gone they're just a hard-to-watch diversion.
Blah blah blah.
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no subject
Date: 2005-02-28 09:53 pm (UTC)Also, did I miss something or did the conjoined twins and the lizard-skin guy just quietly disappear in between seasons? I had forgotten about them until the Daly Bros refugees showed up (lobster woman, he/she guy, rubber boy).
no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 07:00 pm (UTC)I was confused about keeping the Carnivale on Stroud's track too. Maybe it was foretold. Or necessary if they didn't want to rename the show "Ben", or maybe "The Stand: The Prequel".
Also, did Management take the customary 3 days to ascend?
no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 07:09 pm (UTC)My best explanation for the contunuing necessity of the Carnivale is that Ben is too dumb to even realize that he could strike out on his own. Kind of weak.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 07:14 pm (UTC)The more recent "Last Call" (tarot-based weirdness in a modern setting) and "Declare" (Cold War spy novel with djinn mixed in) are also pretty good.