We don't need no stinking TV!!

The writers strike.

mrr. They are already picketing at 30 Rock here in NYC.

The WGA (Writers Guild of America) is beginning their strike today. Which really, really sucks.

For example, I just got an e-mail from NBC saying that Heroes will end the season with a re-shot Episode 11 on Dec. 3rd - pending the strike doesn't go on too long. And Heroes: Origins? "Indefinitely Postponed" (a nice way of saying canceled).

For the record, the last strike in 1988 (which brought about the era of hour long news shows, btw) lasted 22 weeks.

After reading comments on various blogs, its clear that people are unsure why the writers are striking. Heres the gist of it all: Writers are first and foremost asking for more money on the residuals they get from DVD sales (they earn 4 cents/DVD now, they are asking for 8 cents). They got sold down the river on this issue when it was last discussed, back when VHS had just come out. Because, you know, who the hell thought that a little tape would be so popular in sales? Basically, they don't want to get screwed with their pants on again.

But more importantly for them, there is a serious question over revenue from "online content" - streaming videos, downloads, etc. Right now? The writers get nothing. And that is just blatantly wrong. So, sorry studios - i understand your argument that new shows need all the advertising and exposure they can get, which is what the cheap and easy internet gives them - but this is intellectual property we are talking about. People worked hard to give us this stuff, and deserve to be compensated for it.

I really don't know how long the strike will last. I am hoping not long...i want my Heroes. But heres an interesting thought - people under the age of 35 are the most targeted audience in TV advertising, and it is this demographic that is hit first by the strike (read: Colbert, The Daily Show, all other late night shows are immediately going into reruns). Its also the most fickle audience to get a hold of. If advertisers walk away to the -gasp- internet and find they can sell just as effectively (and cheaper) there, they won't go back to the studios, who are already having a hard enough time convincing advertisers that they need TV at all.

You watch TV? The LA times put up a good (if incomplete) list of how many episodes shows are expected to air.

Like i said, as much as i hate it, i'm with the writers on this one. ...Idiot studios. The economic cost of a 22-week strike? $1 billion. Because, lets face it, the ripple effect of Hollywood shutting down is that much of LA will shut down.

So I'm going to go off and yell at something, and then try and enjoy Heroes tonight. It may be one of the last till NEXT fall.

~M

Something I Love About Heroes

You know, even if you dislike or don't watch the show, you have to give NBC props for its outside the show, interactive projects. The network goes out of its way to get you involved in the story line, trying to solve the mysteries, so you might be a bit more informed than the average person who watches the show.

What do I mean?

Firstly, if you go on the Heroes website, you will find a link to the "novels," which are exactly what they sound like. They are on, like, graphic novel 54 or something like that. Its updated every Tuesday morning so far this season. The novels themselves give back-stories on characters, filling in a lot of gaps. Ever wonder what Molly's nightmare is about (what she is dreaming now in her coma)? Thats the latest novel.

Remember random Israeli (i think) internet girl? From season 1, who gave Ted and Parkman the info on the injection needles? If you read the novels, you find out waaay more about her, not to mention Linderman, Mr. Patrelli...and you learn that she and Micah have become friends, currently hacking into Linderman's computer systems.

Oh yes, and it gets better. Because its more than just the novels. Characters have freaking blogs! Claire has a MySpace! Nathan has a campaign website! In the first season, Hannah helped you hack into hidden files on the Primatech Paper website!

My favorite right now, and the one that takes the cake, is if you find the link to Linderman's Casino's website. Go in, and you get messages from Micah and Hannah (the wireless girl), you see conversations they are having, and you can start to follow their hacking into Linderman's systems.

Currently, Micah is trying to find more about Hannah's family, and runs across a family tree. He then leaves a message for you to figure out (its not hard, but still), and when you do a search for the right thing, you find in the image archive a letter...in spanish. The online communities you can go to have translated. And today, theres another search for you to do, which leads to three crayon drawings (with, of course, the Godsend Kanji all over them). But we are left with a wtf? feeling and want to know more.

Over the summer, they put up the Yamagato Foundation website, which is dedicated to heroes thru the ages...and started by Kaito Nakamura, Hiro's father. So during the summer, you could learn about Takezo Kensei and get a sneak peak at what was going to happen in season 2.

I really to enjoy the interactive nature of the online stuff. It keeps me involved and liking the show even when i feel it is flagging a bit, and it makes you feel a part of it all...which is exactly one of the shows themes (I swear, if i hear Parkman tell one more person "I think its all connected" i'm going to take his own gun and shoot him).

Anyways, if you like the show and are bored waiting for the next episode, you really, really should read the stuff online.

http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/evolutions/

~M

And i swore i was going to keep it to one post today...

Please note, this post is about last night's episode of Heroes. If you have seen it or don't care that you haven't, go right ahead.

le sigh. Another set up episode. I said was going to give this show 4 or 5 episodes to get going again. I mean, with a mammoth cast and untold number of plot lines, the fact that they came to a conclusion at the end of last season poses a very real problem for the show: it has to lay new groundwork. New plots, new characters, new baddies, new alliances, new powers, just new stuff. And that takes a while to do, when you've halted the train. Inertia, people, inertia.

But heres the thing...last night was episode 4. And while next week seems to plunge characters into actual action, tonight was...another episode of characters talking about doing things they are going to do later.

Bad news? No Hiro. Good news? No Peter! (please tell me they are fixing that amnesia thing...soon. Just turn him into the next power-obsessed person like Sylar and be done with it)

break it down!

Claire/West/Noah/Mr. Muggles

I don't so much mind where Claire's storyline is headed atm. take out the muy quesoso diologue ("i know you can heal, Claire, but i don't want to hurt you") and you have a very interesting plot: extraordinary people acting very ordinary and trying to protect one another by withholding information. Noah doesn't want to worry Claire by the fact that he might die/is doing the company thing again. Claire wants the boy and her dad, so is keeping them separate since they know each other.

Personally, i think West will end up being evil. He has that look about him, and i think it would be awesome. And personally, i liked that they went to the Hollywood sign. =)

The mcPatrelli Clan
Did i ever mention that Angela Patrelli is one of my favorite characters on this show? Seriously. Wonderful actress in a wonderful part. You know who i dislike? Parkman. And the fact that i have to rewind every time he "hears" something, because i can never understand it!!! And thank God Nathan got rid of the beard.

I am fairly certain he is being "haunted" by what he imagines Peter looked like after blowing up (ie the thing in the mirror) but thats just my guess.

I have two dads!
Ok, seriously. I don't like this storyline, at all. Even if Molly goes all schitzo every so often about the Nightmare Man, aka Mr. Parkman Snr. And the effect of the Godsend kanji on her eyes? Silly. But i do like that she is now trapped inside her own head by Parkman's father (read as: meaning he actually has to go do something!). I also liked them actually showing Molly's power in action.

On a Parkman/Patrelli cross over, the photo! I thought it was pretty awesome to get to see all the founding board members of the company for the first time. Even if Mr. Blurry Patrelli was there.

Wondertwin powers, activate! form of...nothing interesting!
Alejandro will die, Sylar will take his powers to keep Maya in check, the end. Oh, and random dude from mexico? Thats what you get for stealing Claire's car, you mofo!

From wondertwins to Wonderchild
Why exactly were we hit over the head to bluntly with Katrinia? Had it been a bit more subtle, it might have been nice. Whatevs...Monica's power is cool and fairly original. She needs to like, watch a few episodes of Walker Texas Ranger, then she could go Chuck Norris on everyone's ass. And, once again, Micah is too nice for his own good, but we love him anyways.

O'Hura? your acting ass got pwned by Sulu. Granted, its not like you've had much to do, but still...

Pet theories and things to yell about

• There is no concrete proof that the same power is hereditary. Just 'cuz two characters can fly, doesn't mean they are related, even if Nathan gets around. In fact, we have only seen 3 parents/children have powers: The Sanders, Claire and Mommy, and now Parkman. Of those, only Parkman and dad seem to have vaugely similar powers (Parkman reads minds, and i'm guessing from what papa Parkman did to Angela and Molly, his powers are mind based as well)
• Being a board member of the Company doesn't mean you have a power. Patrelli Snr. didn't (we're pretty sure, for all his blurriness), and its likely that Charles Deuvaulle didn't either (since his Simone, his daughter, didn't, and i would think it would be a dominant trait)
• So Parkman divorced his wife because she was carrying another man's child. Then why did he care about them in the 5 years gone episode from season 1? yay plot holes!
• Sylar's powers are back, since the cockroaches is, and its a symbol intrinsically tied to him
• Parkman is going to get his ass kicked by his dad.
• Bob's powers are more attuned to Alchemy than the Midas Touch.
• Is anyone other than Peter ever going to have an active power?
• New Orleans Granny has a power.

eh, there was more. Maybe when i watch it again i'll remember them =P

till then,
~M