12-07-2014, 04:18 PM
(12-07-2014, 01:57 PM)busyizzy Wrote: I watched S4Ep7 a second time, and while I liked it (not loved it) the first go 'round, it was better during the second go. A lot happened during this episode. Almost all the story arcs moved a bit except for Adalind, but I think many of us were so tired of her brownie fantasies, we didn't miss her.
As I didn't watch and I am sure as hell not going to so I cannot judge about any gain or drop in quality. As Adalind is one of my favourite characters I would like to see more of her, but ... well, let's talk about that later.
Quote:I've been thinking a lot about the TRubel character. I am in the minority in that I didn't care for her, although she grew on me during the last two episodes. I didn't want her to die a ghastly death or anything as @Djinn and Tonic suggested (in the S4Ep7 episode thread) some viewers did with other female characters, but I didn't think she added anything. My real problem with her presence on Grimm was and is with ADHD writing.
Actually you are not the minority. You are the minority here, that's true, but not when you look into the fandom as a whole. Actually you are in the majority with disliking Trubel. The only thing is, the most don't talk about their dislike freely, but when you are in contact, especially with the long-time Grimmsters, there are TONS of Grimmsters disliking or hating Trubel.
Quote:When writers get a block or don't have a clear way forward with their story arcs, they seem to always add characters. Most of the time, this is a really bad idea IMHO and here is why:
Well, that would be quite a writers-block then as the trouble with the writing started during 3.02 ...
I'm sorry to correct you here but fact is that the main-writers changed after season 2, the team including Spiro Skentzos, Akela Cooper (now The100), Richard Hatem (went off to OuaT: Wonderland, was in charge at last for Witches of East End) and David Simkins left, the remaining writers in the office were Dan Fezman, Alan diFiore (both also in charge for HGN) and Jim Kouf's very own daughter Brenna (who joined the team during season 2). I don't know how much I can count Nick Peet into this as he was the one behind the first three webseries.
New added to the team were Michael Golamco and Kyle McVey (who was behind the Grimm comics together with Marc Gaffen). And here is where the trouble began - at least if you ask me.
McVey is ... well, he has imagination, that's a good thing for being a writer but I think he might be better off with graphic novels than with screen writing. He's too much focused on typical comic book styles. It can fit in but for me his storytelling is too much of comic book if you get what I mean.
Golamco ... *sigh* ... Michael comes from comedy, he's an avid fan of several sitcoms but he never worked on a crime and/or horror show before. As he's in charge of pitching the characters when the writers are developing the storylines he's mostly the problem I see on the show (besides this ridicolous dead end which was Trubel).
The most complaints I get and I have myself is that Grimm lost it's dimensions in season 3. That has nothing to do with splitting the storylines but a lot with the team behind who are in charge to bring those characters and storylines to life. The most feedback I get from other Grimmsters is the change of humour which turns the characters.
We remember all the wordplays between Nick/Monroe, Nick/Hank, partly Juliette/Nick during season 1 and 2. We remember that Monroe wasn't only an awkward clown but also had a darker side which sometimes slipped through the surface. We remember Monroe complaining about the Grimm who's permanently showing up at his porch and slowly becomes his friend, gains his trust. What did we see about this friendship in season 3? There were a lot of talks about how big of buddies they are, did we see this? Besides Monroe jumping to Nick's side in 3.13 there was nothing with any depth.
Wu is another example. Wu still is an interesting character, sadly to say that Monroe lost a lot of positive feelings for me personally during season 3, and they are really lucky that they have Reggie who is permanently working on his character. But at least also Wu was reduced to his sarcasm during season 3.
Nick lost his humour completely, same for Juliette and Hank. I thought during season 3 it was VERY visible everytime a guest-writer showed up who had worked on the first seasons or Dan or Alan wrote an episode. Because out of the sudden the characters gained a bit of their former dimensions back. They weren't pale shadows of themselves anymore.
I still have Silas' statement from SDCC in my ear, because this comment hit me pretty hard as someone who was at Ringcon 2013 and got the chance to meet Silas there. Ya, season 2 is over, and the fans know that. Are the fans satisfied with how season 3 (and now 4) turned out? No. When I go to AO3 or ff.net I barely see any fanfics regarding Trubel or Viktor, actually there aren't much new fanfics anymore these days. And I, as a writer, see the creative work, no matter if fanfic or fanart, as a sign of the health of a fandom/franchise. During season 3 this creative base were dying, and when I see the Grimm Secret Santa barely used this year or that the DailyGrimm is not really daily anymore due to lack of creative posts, then something IS wrong.
From my experience with the current writers ... I don't expect anything from them anymore. Because they don't care. I was following the Writers-account for a while on Twitter (until I got sick about their stupid Spoilerz), I asked them a lot of questions (true, I got a lot of answers until they stated their infamous "don't like, don't watch" to me). And from what I read and hear from interviews, they simply don't care. They have their masterplan, coming from Kouf and Greenwalt. I thought it was also VERY visible during season 3.
Examples:
In season 1 "Game Ogre" Monroe enters the trailer for the first time with the words: "Dad, I swear to God I'm doing the right thing". I might be mistaken but I would use such a phrase because my father is gone and not only living on the other side of the US.
During seasons 1 and 2 it was stated that Reed was at home when Marie got Nick from Kelly. In season 3 Kelly was suddenly alone, yeah, she seemed to be a single-Mom to me. I asked the writers back then about Reed, they didn't even remember who he was.
Season 1 and 2.01/2.02 Hexenbiests are using spells and drugs, in season 3 Adalind out of the sudden grows telekinesis and everyone around her shrugs that off like it would be normal.
Season 1 and 2 Kelly - oh my neverending story! Kelly how she was introduced was vicious, dangerous and unpredictable. We remember, during 2.01 and 2.02 she could surprise Nick EVERY SINGLE time she showed up. She is ready to do what it takes, doesn't question this. What happened to her after she left Portland? I don't know, but someone has brainwashed her and put too much softener into it. And again, her very dark and dry humour was suddenly turned into something I would expect from a sitcom. No, it wasn't funny that she couldn't remember that it was she who killed Catherine.
Adalind, heck this girl could be such an evil baddie! But instead she becomes SuperMama because .. what exactly? Diana never needed her, that baby took care for herself since she was born. Plus why they put up all this stuff with the contract signed in her blood, the whole Stefania storyline - only to get rid of the language-coach or what?
Rosalee, she was such a clever woman with a troubled past. I fell for Rosalee the very first moment Bree showed up in 1.15! And I adored the awkwardness between her and Monroe. What did she become during season 3? Seriously, a quickie on the backseat of Monroe's beetle? Ya, I know that these cars had the nickname "Knutschkugel" (Kiss/Loveball) over here but that ... that is NOT the Rosalee I loved so much.
I could go on with the rest of the characters but I think you got the impression (and I have to go to bed, RL is hitting tomorrow in the morning) .
I don't think the problem is a writers block. I've watched shows where the writers stocked and began to repeat themselves over and over again (Stargate anyone?). That looks different. I think the problem is plain and simple the current writers team at all. I've told that on different threads here and elsewhere and I can repeat that over and over again without getting tired.
About Trubel, about whom I had to think a lot myself:
Still, Trubel is a Mary Sue. She is perfect, she can handle everything so much better than anyone else, everyone loves her (Bud? Seriously? Bud Wurstner? That guy is the last one I've expected to fall for her. The one thing Bud has proofed several times is he has the instinct to survive. He wouldn't come anywhere near that massmurder-kiddo! Not in a million years and if someone would pay him for that!). Trubel is the perfect example of a self insert, mostly used by young fangirlies. What makes me wonder and I think I have to do some research about the age of the most of the Trubel-fans).
For me the first straw was how Trubel was introduced and the last straw was when she ran of Hank's car during 3.20. That girl deserved the electric chair after what she'd done!
It's risky if you are introducing a good character as a murderer, and that is exactly where the writers failed on Trubel (at least for me). While I could somehow ... recall why Trubel killed the two bullies on the street during 3.19, the problem is how she went on from that. We were supposed to see a desolate character on her breaking point. We saw her later all crying and collapsing while taking a shower. But at first she killed two Wesen (true, they were after her and God knows what they had done to her - tempting idea, btw) but then she had enough control over herself that she a) searched those bodies for money, keys and papers, b) drove to the next drive in to get food, c) has enough control about herself to find the apartment of one of her victims and d) not only eats and drinks there, no, she sleeps in the bed of one of the men she just killed. That was the point where Trubel lost for me, and her behaviour later ... nope, nothing better. She killed when it wasn't necessary. She had mental breakdowns just in time to get help while she was perfectly functioning otherwise. During 3.20 her oh so damaged and fragile mental constitution heals within felt splitseconds - of course only to get a bed at Nicks and Juliettes. Later Nick was reduced to a dumb cop, barely able to eat his fries while it was Trubel who did all the detective work - and was at least heroine of the day! (and of couse killed again). What I said after 3.22: Adalind only took Nick's ability to see Wesen, everything else was pretty much gone the moment Trubel hit Portland.
What went wrong with the character? Everything from the very beginning, at least for me. But I wasn't the main target. Trubel was obviously meant to lure some youngsters into the show after Grimm lost (and that IS the truth, I can show you the numbers) a lot of fans due to the writers-change. Looking at the numbers now I still think Trubel did more damage than helped. Time and ratings will tell us now if I am right, but I guess I am. It was pretty obvious that Grimm gained audience the moment the rumour hit the viewers that Nick would get his powers back during 3.05, while 3.06 dropped again.
So, you are not alone, there are others out there disliking (or in my case hating) Trubel. With one thing you are damn right: she didn't add anything to the show, not that I would have heard of (as I will start to watch again next week. I've got enough info to rejoin without watching Little Miss Perfect).