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12_12_12 has extremely interesting thoughts on Orphan Black. Spoilers for the whole first season at the link. In related news, I successfully convinced the brother to watch the show (Space, the Canadian channel which shows it, has all eps up on its website, although only available to Canadian URLs). He watched 1.01 last night, then burned through 1.02 through 1.04 today (he didn't have to go to work today), and he loves it. Just goes to show, not every TV show or movie has to be all about the menz. Guys will still watch it even if it's got icky girl germs everywhere.

I am thrilled, partly because I now have someone offline to squee with, and partly just the delight of sharing something I enjoyed and having someone else enjoy it as well. Plus, the last female-centred show I tried to introduce him to was Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. He watched the pilot and just didn't care for it. Maybe because the pilot was fairly weak, compared with the rest of the show. I also thought Orphan Black's pilot ep was fairly weak compared with what came next, so I was a little worried it would be a repeat of what happened with T:SCC, but no, he loved the pilot. I think part of why the pilot felt weak to me was (cutting for spoilers):( Read more... )

I am reminded of Captive Prince, the original fic novel by freece, in which the first five or so chapters are not that interesting, comparatively speaking. freece's viewpoint character is Damen, and everything we learn is what Damen sees for himself and interprets for himself. That tight POV comes in really handy in later parts of the story, and makes for fabulously complex prose. Freece writes like a detective novelist, writing not only what her viewpoint character observes, but also scattering in little clues in conversation that Damen doesn't pick up on but the reader does.

But in the earliest chapters, Damen's POV is much more limited (necessarily so), and the reader has to plough through some bog-standard plot stuff in order to get to the fabulous stuff later on. But it's tough to convince someone to read a fic (or watch a show) if they need to plough through. People (and I include myself here) like things to snap right from the first scene. I always find it awkward reccing something and having to say, "But the pilot ep's not that good. You need to keep watching," or, "But the first few chapters aren't that good. You need to keep reading." People are busy. Which is not to say that either freece or Orphan Black are hurting for readers/viewers. But it's interesting all the same.

I suspect part of my discomfort with reccing something that doesn't POP right from the start is because I'm putting my reputation on the line when I rec something. If someone clicks through and reads/watches because of my rec, and doesn't like it, they're probably less likely to click through the next time I rec something. Eeek! RESPONSIBILITY! Or that could just be me.