Why TV Shows Should Quit While They're Ahead

I do a lot of Lessons from Anime on this blog, because I watch a lot of anime. However, funny enough, I don’t watch a ton of American TV. I never watched much TV growing up and I never got into the habit. I certainly have my few shows, Game of Thrones, Avatar the Last Airbender and So You Think You Can Dance included. But they are few and far between.

And then there’s Once Upon a Time.

Once Upon a Time is, I think, a great example of why I don’t watch a lot of American television. Because this show has been going on for so long with so many plot threads and characters that the writers don’t know what to do anymore. They just don’t. Writing gets lazy, character arcs get screwed and the show just gets old as viewers start to realize that the creators have no more tricks in the bag.

Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t animes that go on for an eternity. See Naruto, Bleach and Once Piece for that. But many animes do not. Most of my favorite animes are 13 or 26 episodes and many of them have a satisfying ending.

And that’s the key word: Endings. The shows that I like have an end goal when they begin. When they have an end goal, it’s much easier to establish characters and bring their arcs to a satisfying conclusion. It’s easier to write a tight plot that keeps the viewer’s interest. It’s easier to end the show without jumping the shark.

The reason I can watch Game of Thrones is that there has always been an end goal, and books to follow, so that the characters keep to their arcs and don’t fall flat. Of course, depending on your opinion, some characters may be better than others, but at least they all have an arc.

Once Upon a Time just… feels like it’s never going to end. But it could have. The end of season 3 could have wrapped things up if you just cut a few plot twists at the very end. It brought most of the arcs to a satisfying conclusion and it hadn’t overloaded itself with so many characters that half of them were left waiting in the wings with nothing to do.

Like, what were Henry and the Charmings even doing in the Frozen extravaganza of the first half of Season 4? Assumidly sitting off to the side somwhere like:

But what happened? The studio probably said “audiences love the show! So keep airing it! Air it until it dies”. Sometimes I’m almost glad for shows that get canceled because at least they were good until the end!

What resulted was the absolute destruction of Rumpelstiltskin’s arc, Henry’s ultimate uselessness and most of the characters falling off the face of the map in favor of Frozen characters and other newbies that the show didn’t need.

Unless the show can pull something out of its hat, I’m going to pretend that only the first three seasons exist. But I think Once Upon a Time’s hat is just about empty.

I don’t understand fans who want a show they like to go on forever. Wouldn’t you rather look back on an amazing whole show than a show that got terrible somewhere in the fourth season? Wouldn’t you rather the story reach a satisfying conclusion? I love endings. I love how bitter sweet they are. But most of all, I love how poignant they can be.

A good ending can make me love a show. No ending? And I’m just left unsatisfied. 

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

I love fairy tales of every shape and shade of dark. From Disney to the tales of Brothers Grimm to the even darker fair that comes out of Russia (seriously, they’ve got some creepy fairytales from there) I just eat them up. So when I saw this little gem in my school’s library, I snatched it up because I wanted to get back to reading MG novels. So did this fairy tale have a happy ending? Let’s take a look.

Plot Summary- In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after. (Plot summary according to Goodreads)

The Characters- The characters in this book are charming. In fact nearly everything in this book is charming, but especially the characters. I love Hansel and Gretel’s strength and cleverness. I love to see them get in and out of situations, and the characters around them, who often only make brief cameos in their stories, make a memorable, visceral impression. This is a story of vignettes though it does have a larger plot, and I really like the form. Its all tied together by a narrator who might as well be a character himself. He’s witty and frank. Its hard to pull of the Lemony Snicket effect with any degree of success, but Gidwitz definitely succeeds here. Also, shout out to the three ravens. I love the three ravens.

The Good Points- This book is charming. Have I mentioned that before? Because it is. Through all the gory and scary moments it just oozes charm. Its as dark as the original fairy tales but it never takes itself to seriously. It read really quickly and presented its characters with a variety of unique situations, taking some lesser known Grimm fairy tales and bringing them into the spotlight. My personal favorites vignettes were the Three Golden Hairs, where Hansel has to trick the devil to escape eternal torture in hell, and the blood red smile, where Gretel finds herself taken with a young man who might not be what he seems. They gave me the shivers and the chuckles and were all around great fun to read.

The Bad Points- There aren’t many bad points but if you have a hard time with narrators who address the audiences or stories that stress character and vignettes more than plot, this might not be your bag. And you have to like fairytales because this is a fairy tail from start to finish. Its not the most ambitious story, but it does its job well for what it is so I can’t find many things to criticize.

Over all a journey through the dark forest oozing with thrills, laughter and, yes, even charm. I highly recommend it to any and all lovers of the old Grimm tales and to anyone who likes a touch of darkness in their whimsy.

Final Rating- 4/5

Book Reviews: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Sometime after getting my agent, I was looking through my local Barnes and Noble for books that could possibly work as comp titles for my novel. Because what better way to excuse buying a bunch of books than putting together a book proposal? (On a side note, proposals are evil, but that’s a topic for another time) While scanning for steampunk titles, I stumbled across Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I had heard about it and it had been in the back of my mind for a long time. Might as well pick it up and see how I like it, right?

Thank you book proposal requirements.

The Plot: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Characters- As someone who was never a big fan of Cinderella from the original fairy tale or her portrayal and most of the updates and remakes, I really appreciate Cinder. She’s resourceful and empathetic. She keeps all of the original character’s good qualities while adding on and becoming her own person. Prince Kai is slightly less interesting, but at least he has a very understandable conflict. The original prince in Cinderella was such a nothing character he almost didn’t exist. Kai deals well with the struggles of his kingdom so I enjoyed reading about him too. Shout out to the crazy, mind-control villain, Lavinia, because I love mind control and villains. So many possibilities.

The Good Points- Obviously I love the characters, but besides this, I love the set up and the world. I love steampunk and fairy tale retellings, so I'm surprised I didn't pick this book up sooner. The set up this world and the aesthetics of it is unique. I thought the changes made to the source material were very clever (particularly the part with the foot. Those who have read the book know what I mean). The story wasn't afraid to throw in a few emotional blows for Cinder that I didn't expect. Really, this book took me to lots of unexpected places.

The Bad Points- Unexpected places, except for the major twist. The major twist is a good twist I just wished it had been disguised a bit better and I think there was an easy way to do that. I guessed the twist as soon as the first clue was revealed so that took away from the final punch. But sometimes the best books come from the journey and not the final destination.

I loved Cinder, and I love the other two books in the series, which I may review at a later date once Winter comes out. The easily guessed twist could have been played better, but over all this was an enjoyable read. I recommend it to any fans of fairy tale retellings or steampunk fantasy. This one is definitely worth it!

Final Rating- 4.5/5

Book Review: Charming by Krystal Wade

After officially signing with Curiosity Quills, I of course ran straight to their website to find out what books they had published. I read the summary of Charming and bought it a few minutes later on kindle. I read it soon after. Did my impulse buy pay off? Well let’s see.

Plot- They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that's great . . . as long as you don't die.

Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.

Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.

Little do they know someone's determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.

Characters- This is a smaller story, so it doesn’t have a huge cast, but it fleshes out the people who matter. Haley is sympathetic. She has a backbone but she loves her family. You want her to stick up for herself but you know why she plays it safe. Child abuse stories are always really difficult to pull off, but Wade makes a great main character out of Haley. Chris Charming is not quite as brimming with personality, but he is likable and I was invested in his relationship with Haley. I also enjoyed the culprit behind these murders and Haley’s sister.

The Good Points- Effectively suspenseful and heart wrenching in all the right parts, Charming was a quick read full of thrills and moments that made me hold my breath. The conversations between Haley and the mystery psycho intrigued me quite a bit and kept me wanting to know who was behind this. And, of course, it’s a retelling of Cinderella. I’ve never liked the story of Cinderella very much, so giving it a psychological thriller makeover was a great idea. Love the idea and the concept.

The Bad Points- If I had to give it critique I'd say it took a little long to get into the meat of the story. I think some of the intro could have been cut down and more focus put on the mystery and suspense, which is where the story really shined. I also thought the back story could have been better woven in. It wasn't too distracting, but I think it could have been a bit smoother.

All and all, the good points outweigh the bad and the story served well as a suspenseful diversion from the classic Cinderella. Sometimes I like my retellings psychologically gripping and full of twists and turns, and Charming is just that.

Final Rating- 4/5 stars