nordlisr

A (perhaps) unpopular take on the 2nd m/f lead relationship…

A lot’s been written about the plot and the leads that I agree with, and I wasn’t going to write a review but look, I finished this show last night. I am now working and out of nowhere, tears sprang to my eyes because one scene in particular popped into my head: 2FL drops her head back, fighting back tears, after she opens 2ML’s fist to find a piece of candy.

Sorry, guys, but the relationship between 2FL and 2ML may not be the storybook prettiest, but it is definitely the most REAL. It happens like that, sometimes the guy ends up with the backup girl, sometimes they find comfort in each other, and sometimes that winds up being the best thing for both of them. Sometimes it ends badly.

In the end, I can honestly say that their story, even over the main leads’, is what moved me. As much for its realness as for it being cut short before either of them had an opportunity to figure it all out together.

Read More

Sometimes it’s important to remember…

… that unless a show is labeled a documentary, real-life accuracy isn’t guaranteed and shouldn’t necessarily be required as a measurement of value.

I get it, there were things about the show that we can’t relate to because we wouldn’t necessarily have reacted the same way. Perhaps in real life, there’s no way it would have ended up the same way (or perhaps they would; I’ve seen more than my share of head-scratcher outcomes in “real life” - especially in the corporate world.

For me, I look at the characters: was I emotionally invested in their circumstances? Did they make me feel something with their interactions and decisions? In this case: yes! The leads were great, visually and in their chemistry together. They, along with their supporting cast, made me laugh, smile and blush. Perhaps a tad less influential with the heavier parts of the plot, but overall they did their job of pulling me in to caring about what they were doing on screen.

What about the story? Does it evolve from start to finish with a clearly defined origin through different plot points that span across a variety or situations that show some kind of growth/development in the characters to a destination that included a full “conclusion”? Again, in this case: yes! They weren’t curing cancer or trying to avert a nuclear disaster, they were developing a video game, navigating common themes of dating snafus, navigating the friend zone, backstabbing colleagues, and what happens if a game character becomes self-aware. And honestly the whole thing wraps up about like you’d expect if you’re not expecting it to be utterly and completely “realistic”. Basically everything works out for the best with a little teaser to keep the audience happily daydreaming about what happened to the characters “after the credits”.

So, if you like your fiction to be more like real life, the base premise of this show (her consciousness was sucked out of her body and into a video game) should probably kill the appeal for you, regardless of how well it was written/acted/etc. But if you’re looking to be entertained, for some of the best visuals and kissing scenes, for some laughably cringe dating faux pas, all with a warm fuzzy conclusion, you won’t be disappointed.

Read More