Dresden Files

[semperfiona]

I thought this week's episode (which we just watched last night--Hurray for the new DVR box!) captured the feel of the books somewhat better than the first one. Maybe because I've gotten more used to the changes (No basement apartment? No Blue Beetle? Constanza Murphy? Bob with a corporeal aspect? Harry sleeping with a diner waitress?) and was not being constantly shocked by a new change. Maybe because Murphy was far more involved in this story. Maybe because the idea of a mysterious magical artifact and body-jumping spirits is consistent with happenings in the books. Maybe because the first episode was too scattered, trying to stuff too much into 42 minutes.

Comments

[ona-tangent.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to see this week's episode. I was dissappointed with the characterization changes. Harry seemed more like an egocentric bumbling womanizer with a heart of muck than how I envisioned him from the books. I liked Bob, though. It's a little easier to grok him as a spirit than as a talking skull.

Lurve!

[ona-tangent.livejournal.com]

I mean character changes, not characterization changes. I bet you knew that. :P

[reannon.livejournal.com]

Tivo missed it, trying again. But just for YOU. :)

[scottak.livejournal.com]

I didn't get to see all of this weeks Dresden, but with what I did see I'm starting to assemble the following pros and cons:

Con - Regardless of all of the other changes, why oh why couldn't they keep the duster? When Harry smokes the big bad baddy, and walks through the inevitable cloud of smoke he NEEDS to have the duster flapping at his heels for maximum effect. Otherwise, he's just some dork in a leather jacket who can pull bunnies out of the Nevernever.

Pro - I loved the Columbo impression he did during this weeks interrogation of the big bad guy. "Oh yeah, one more question..." This was priceless. The writing shows much potential.

Con - Why does each weeks story have to end when the credits roll? So far these two episodes have been suffering from a lack of depth. Nice neat packages that are wound up in 42 minutes, with everyone smiling and happy at the end while Harry delivers the moral of the story via voice over. I know, it's the first two episodes, but they could do so much more.

Con - Where the hell is the magic? I wanna see Harry go fuego on some big baddies ass. I want summonings. I want spells. I want HELLFIRE!!! So far, Harry hasn't done much to earn the title of wizard outside of be in the know about certain types of magical beasties. Sure, cops aren't going to know about, let alone believe in, creatures that can skin a person and wear their skin as a disguise. Harry had the advantage there. But everything else Harry just found out by being observant and lucky.

Pro - The actors are good. Aside from the fact that his hair is way too nice, I think the guy playing Harry has him down. Bob, besides having a physical body, is spot on in his snotty flippant attitude (yet disturbingly not very obsessed with sex). Murphy is still a bit of the "tough woman cop" caricature, but hopefully with a little character development...

[mcurry.livejournal.com]

The second ep was indeed better than the first, which wasn't too hard since all they had to do was avoid the use of pace-killing flashbacks. It still felt like a middle of the season episode though, with too much of the world setup left unexplained.

And yes, I am still peeved that the very good pilot episode I was lucky enough to see a rough cut of wasn't the one they showed first. It better explained who everyone was, had a good plot (a condensed version of STORM FRONT), and just generally set up the series a lot better than the "Harry remembers his childhood" ep they decided to show instead. Echoes of Firefly, really, with some network exec deciding to screw with the order of the eps for no worthwhile reason.

[scottak.livejournal.com]

This was especially upsetting since the description for the first episode on SciFi's web page (prior to the showing of the first ep) was a condensed synopsis of Storm Front. That was kind of silly...

[jilly-bear.livejournal.com]

I didn't see it - frankly I forgot about it after the first episode left me disapointed. Perhaps I'll catch it on a re-run. Was this the Storm Front pilot that everyone is talking about?

[semperfiona]

Was this the Storm Front pilot that everyone is talking about?

No, unfortunately. See mcurry's comment above.

[lightning-rose.livejournal.com]

I've never read the books, but I've enjoyed the first 2 episodes, and I seldom care for SciFi channel productions.

[(Anonymous)]

we haven't read the books (although i've seen them) but we are watching the show and we like it.

[needlegrrl]

we haven't read the books (although i've seen them) but we are watching the show and we like it.

(let's try that again, but logged in. :P )