Last visit was: It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 1:49 pm


All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 28 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:59 am 
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:34 am
Posts: 960
Location: Southwestern Ohio
Thanks Henry!

_________________
Michael T. Hebert

Haakon val'Ishi, Beltinian Exorcist 2.7 [Divine]
Ursula val'Holryn, Grand Master of the Tralian Hammer 2.2 [Martial]
Arun of Tultipet, Holy Champion of Neroth 1.10 [Expert]
Rikitsa val'Holryn, Psion 1.9 [Arcane]


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:00 am 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:25 am
Posts: 573
Location: Dallas, TX
Yeah, Increase Mather is a beast on that show. Stephan Lang does a great job considering the quality of the material they give him sometimes. If all the other "villains" were as good as he was, it would be a much better show. Alas...

Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad show. It just doesn't stand up to a lot of ongoing serials in the same genre (Supernatural, for instance). If, as I've read, WGN is trying to position itself as the next the FX/TMC, they have a LONG way to go. But they are committed to the show, and its sophmore season may pick up.

And since we're talking about Cotton and Increase, one of my issues with the show is that there isn't a man of God with any real conviction on the show. You have Cotton, who is a waste of a human being on a good day, and Increase, a sadist in black robes. On the flip side, you have John Alden who is basically agnostic/skeptic/hollywood-realist without a shred of religious conviction. I find that dichotomy really one sided (and typical of pretty much all popular entertainment these days). I think these characters and the show would both be better with an evangelical, yet oppositional character. Not necessarily preachy (Book from Firefly is a good example here). "All Christians/Puritans are hypocritical and evil" doesn't give me much reason to root against the witches. And John Alden, the "noble skeptic caught in the cross fire with demons in his past" isn't really enough to get me to care beyond, "how can I use that in my game?"

Tom

_________________
...and a Brace of Pistols
a blog dedicated to swashbuckling, fantasy and horror gaming

Witch Hunter: The Invisible World Unofficial Home on Google+


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:31 am 
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:34 am
Posts: 960
Location: Southwestern Ohio
Sometimes we have to remember (as I have pointed out in character in the Arcanis campaign) the Inquisition exists for a reason; there really are bad things out there that mean us harm. So having some real 'holy men/women' would make the series better based on what I'm hearing here. Having good guys, bad guys, and shades of gray in between are what makes for good drama in my opinion. Making all the so called good guys a bunch of hypocrites is a cop out in my opinion. Actually the best stories are where a character goes through an arc, like Londo and G'Kar in Babylon 5. Way better story that way.

_________________
Michael T. Hebert

Haakon val'Ishi, Beltinian Exorcist 2.7 [Divine]
Ursula val'Holryn, Grand Master of the Tralian Hammer 2.2 [Martial]
Arun of Tultipet, Holy Champion of Neroth 1.10 [Expert]
Rikitsa val'Holryn, Psion 1.9 [Arcane]


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:40 am 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:25 am
Posts: 573
Location: Dallas, TX
It's not that all the good guys are vile hypocrites. It's that pretty much everyone the good guys (all two of them, John and Isaac–three if you include the Hale girl) are trying to save are pretty much wastes of space. It's like watching an Eli Roth movie. As bad as they are, you kinda have to root for the witches because the other side isn't offering much to redeem itself.

But hey, second season. Maybe the writers have gotten a better grasp on things.

It looks like this weekend and up to the second season premier (next Sunday), WGN is running a special behind the scenes episode called "Witch War" where they go into all the stuff that they are using to shape the series. Before you give up 12 hours of your life to Netflix, you should check that out. It may spoil season 1 for you, but unless you are a diehard fan of Shane West or Seth Gable, you can afford to have it spoiled. :) Like Henry said, Increase Mather's introduction to the show is worth every minute and show be required viewing for every witch hunter player and GM. (Hmmm...I wonder if YouTube has an excerpt?)

Tom

_________________
...and a Brace of Pistols
a blog dedicated to swashbuckling, fantasy and horror gaming

Witch Hunter: The Invisible World Unofficial Home on Google+


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:53 am 

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:08 am
Posts: 1473
Hello,

Blusponge wrote:
(Hmmm...I wonder if YouTube has an excerpt?)


As a matter of fact, there is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOXL7UVzXIU

_________________
Best,

Henry Lopez
President
PCI


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:53 am 
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:34 am
Posts: 960
Location: Southwestern Ohio
Which episode introduces Increase Mather? Episode 1 of Season 1 I assume? I'd like to check that out later today when I get off work at 3pm.

_________________
Michael T. Hebert

Haakon val'Ishi, Beltinian Exorcist 2.7 [Divine]
Ursula val'Holryn, Grand Master of the Tralian Hammer 2.2 [Martial]
Arun of Tultipet, Holy Champion of Neroth 1.10 [Expert]
Rikitsa val'Holryn, Psion 1.9 [Arcane]


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:55 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:25 am
Posts: 573
Location: Dallas, TX
Henry: Badass.

Mike: According to wikipedia and iMDB, episode 7: Our Own Private America.

_________________
...and a Brace of Pistols
a blog dedicated to swashbuckling, fantasy and horror gaming

Witch Hunter: The Invisible World Unofficial Home on Google+


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:59 pm 

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:10 pm
Posts: 201
I think Salem has been in the minds of everyone who has written for Witch Hunter in some form or another.


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 1:16 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:34 am
Posts: 960
Location: Southwestern Ohio
Just watched the youtube clip from the link Henry posted. Absolutely spot on for Witch Hunter! I will definitely take a look at this when I get home. Thanks all.

_________________
Michael T. Hebert

Haakon val'Ishi, Beltinian Exorcist 2.7 [Divine]
Ursula val'Holryn, Grand Master of the Tralian Hammer 2.2 [Martial]
Arun of Tultipet, Holy Champion of Neroth 1.10 [Expert]
Rikitsa val'Holryn, Psion 1.9 [Arcane]


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Historian On Salem (TV series)
PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 8:53 am 
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:34 am
Posts: 960
Location: Southwestern Ohio
Watched the first episode of Salem last night. Pretty darn good, not the best, but definitely worth watching. And pretty spot on for Witch Hunter. I would recommend players watch it, I'm sure you can get some ideas from this series. Plan on watching the rest of the first season,

_________________
Michael T. Hebert

Haakon val'Ishi, Beltinian Exorcist 2.7 [Divine]
Ursula val'Holryn, Grand Master of the Tralian Hammer 2.2 [Martial]
Arun of Tultipet, Holy Champion of Neroth 1.10 [Expert]
Rikitsa val'Holryn, Psion 1.9 [Arcane]


Top
Offline Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 28 posts ]  Moderators: james.zwiers, PCI Eric Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Theme created StylerBB.net & kodeki