Themes and Metaphors in TV and Roleplaying
Just when I thought I'd never watch Heroes again after the major fiasco that was the end of Season 2, something in me decides it's about time I gave it another chance. Partially because I've ran out of new things of a supernatural style to watch with Forge, partially because I have fond memories of Season 1 and I wish it could be the same again.
I'd heard vauge reports of Season 3 along the lines of "I just lost interest in the plot." I decided to get the DVD anyway. Yesterday I watched the first episode and I have to say I thought it was brillient. The way things seemed to slot into place and get you interested in the characters again was great. I think the key thing is that they have brought back the theme of Fate, Destiny and Interconnection, which was missing heavily from Season 2, which just lacks direction of plot. I realise that this is the most importent theme of the series and that's why I didn't like season 2. It just didn't fit. They were trying for a Destiny theme, but didn't quite get it.
I love Hiro so much. I love the idea of the geeky kid who has read way too many comic books and filled his head with ideas of Destiny and Heroism, but never lernt to function in the real world, suddenly being given power over the space/time continum. He's really developing into a wonderful character, who's starting to discover his way and his place in the grand plan.
They finally seem be addressing the issue of Suresh's obsession with finding out how everything works and his belief that he can fix everything and change the world. He's starting to sound more like Syler every episode.
Anyway, I think it seems like it's worth giving the rest of the series a chance.
I've also been watching Dead Like Me, which is just too brillient to discribein words. You just have to watch it. But I think it's general theme can be described as issues of life being worked out by death.
I've been big into series with themes and metaphors lately.
I think one of the reasons I like Supernatural so much is the constant theme of the struggle with evil done so well.
It's not just about the literal battles with demons, but more about the fact that the characters don't really notice the fact that despite their constant desire to protect the innocent and destroy evil in the rest of the world, on the inside there is a big struggle of theie own personal morality. It takes them a long time to address it, but I think they have finnally started to realise it in the most recent series. They are really starting to find out who they are. Dean is the one who on the surface is a womanising junk food addict with a great taste in music, who underneath it doubts the fact that he is a good person, but I think when it comes down to it he has an unshakable moral core. Sam on the other hand thinks he has perfect morals and ideals on the outside, but inside he's driven by a selfish desire to be a hero for the sake of being a hero, for the world to see him as a good person. He's embodies the idea of the road to hell being paved with good intentions.
I had a brief read of the Hunter: the Vigel rule book and I think the style and themes match up perfectly with Supernatural. I really want to give it a go at some point. I think when I've had the time to read the book properly I might try and run a game.
I think over the weekend when I was at the Isles of Darkness event in Scotland I started thinking about my characters a lot in depth and started to get a better grasp of the themes of the World of Darkness games. I've noticed that the themes match up pretty well with other stuff I love.
I think Heroes at it's best has the style Mage: the Awakening should when done right. Every Awakened character should slowly come to grasp with their place in the universe and see how it all makes sense, just as the Heroes do as they come to understand their power. They also have to realise that the power that they have over the world is a gift that needs to be used to protect it.
I can't really think of anything with the style of Vampire: the Requiem that is really brillent or that I'm that into, but the Blade TV series isn't too bad. They got the whole undead conflict and the fruitless struggle the vampires have to keep hold of their mortal selves, which always ends in succumbing to their inner monster sooner or later. I think that Vampires were all basicly selfish people during life, who thought the world owed them in one way or another and now in death they just want to drain the world of everything that they can not have.
Plus politics. There is a lot of politics there.
I think maybe if I could find a TV series that fits the themes of Changeling: the Lost I could get into it a bit more. I think the Fey are covered really well in literiture, but Changelings are different. I understand that the vauge themes of the game are supposed to be detachment from reality. Not knowing weather to give in and slip away back to Arcadia or fight to gain a grasp on the real world. I guess they are all the people who could never fit in to begin with. Anyway, parhaps actually the TV series Lost is actually closest in style. It always leaves me asking "what the hell?", because as time goes on it gets further removed from reality and yet I still keep going back to it because it keeps drawing me in for some enigmatic unknown reason. I haven't watched it since Paul left for London and yet I still have the urge too.
Must... Watch... Lost...
Edit: Additional point, I think that The Dresdon Files books by Jim Butcher have a similar style to the WoD setting as a whole. I would diffinately reccomend them to anyone who likes playing WoD. (Plus people who don't.)