immortal1's lg15:TSIY top 5 pilot review

From Anchor Cove: http://forum.anchorcove.net/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=1850&p=12241#p12241

by immortal1 on Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:13 pm

So as someone who was among the first, as well as one of the most prolific creators of lg15 "UCG" I've been watching TSIY pilots with particular interest. I'd thought I'd share my opinion and some feedback.

First my rules:
-I won't comment negatively on any of the pilots. What I'm going to try and offer is constructive criticism.
-Everyone should be commended for trying. As the great Rocky Balboa once said, "The difference between winners and losers is that winners Go For It!"
-Not commenting on acting or production values. To me a good story can overcome that stuff.
-My personal criteria are: 1) something that expands the mythology, 2) something that grabs me right away, 3) something that avoids the copycat tricks and cliches.
-I won't comment at all on the Misfits. I know people involved and that would just be biased.

In no particular order:

LG15:Origins, The Thousand Year Fight- "The last trait positive male. Who was he? Where was he from? Why don't you ask him?" Hook. Line. Sinker. I really identified with this guy. The creator, not the character. I just really got this strong sense that his concept was bigger than his means to execute it and I can identify with that. Yeah he should have another character and he probably shouldn't be in his house. My guess is this cat already knows that. Anyway IMO the trait positive dude should have just escaped and been introduced to us by an attractive female who found and is harboring him. That would add a couple of extra layers 1) a character whose eyes we see through as she discovers this world for the first time and 2) a great fish out of water character to play with as this guy who has no knowledge of the modern world tries to live in it. That's more input than feedback isn't it? LOL

Bonjour Canada!- This is the kind of character intro I normally have trouble sitting through but there was something about this girl, she had Bree-ness. Is this really her? A character based on her? Or a completely scripted character? I'm intrigued. But it's just a set up-will we get anything new that we haven't seen before? It does come from the perspective of a girl who knows nothing of the Order so the potential is there. Plus Canada, that's different. But it's the character that is the draw in this one.

Stepping In- It grabbed me right away. Yeah you have to have a character intro but nowadays you have to motivate people to want to meet new characters. The escape was a great lead in. It makes perfect sense that the Order would have tried previously to breed trait positive males and females. She seems to suggest though that something more resulted from her creation, something that might make the Order fearful. That's a great hook.

LG15:The Final Request- I thought this was executed pretty well. I was left not knowing if the story would expand the mythology or fall back on what we've already seen. I found myself wanting that hook. If they only could have discovered something in the notes, something new with great impact, even if it was vague it would have hooked me. The set up is there.

May Flower- Again another great set up but at 1:37 comes in light. There was plenty of time for the hook. She makes a great analogy by telling the Mayan story and I felt like if the hook was the same quality as the set up it would be worth it. It just never came.

LG15: Clones- This was something I could see looking awesome on paper. Stylistically though I think it might not look enough like a lg15 show. I liked the scale of it. Go big or go home. It's certainly ambitious.

Just my $.02.