S01.E01: Dana

[Meredith Quill]

Quote

TBA

[AnimeMania]

S01.E01: Dana

Dana comes to town expecting a warm welcome from family, but she's met with the opposite; some comfort arrives in the form of a new friend.

Premiere Date: December 13, 2022       FX on Hulu

[Avaleigh]

I read the book years ago so it isn't super fresh for me but I remember finding the story to be very intense and engaging. I'm glad it finally got an adaptation. It was long overdue. 

Some initial thoughts:

I like the actors and think the actress playing Dana is doing a great job so far. The aunt is an interesting addition. She isn't fooling anyone--she's 100% jealous that her niece got the house.

I think it was a smart decision to have the mother be stuck in the past. It really raises the stakes because now it isn't just about Dana trying to rescue herself. 

I'm less sure about the decision to make Dana's modern relationship so new. I mean, they just met and now she's disappearing and having what sound like hallucinations. I just feel like the average person would run or call the police or even think that *they* were the ones sleepwalking or hallucinating. I feel like if they'd had a more established relationship it would make more sense why he isn't running out of the front door.

Regarding the scene with the mother (Olivia?), I get that she's in shock, I just feel like Dana should have had more questions at that point. I'd have so many! At least Olivia was asking the right questions. Do you remember me? What happened to your dad? Who raised you? How'd you find me? And, most important--Can you show me how to get the hell out of here?

I wonder if there's some significance to the showrunners choosing for this to be set in 2016? 

[charmed1]

21 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

I'm less sure about the decision to make Dana's modern relationship so new. I mean, they just met and now she's disappearing and having what sound like hallucinations. I just feel like the average person would run or call the police or even think that *they* were the ones sleepwalking or hallucinating. I feel like if they'd had a more established relationship it would make more sense why he isn't running out of the front door.

Yeah I’m curious why they went this way. In the book, Kevin was Dana’s husband, not some guy she just hooked up with the day before. And I guess that officially makes me one of those people I loathe. The “actually, in the book,” poster. Gah! I will try not to do that, but Octavia Butler holds a special place in my heart. I don’t want to see any of her work not get it’s just due. The actors are doing a fantastic job though.

[Spartan Girl]

17 minutes ago, charmed1 said:

Yeah I’m curious why they went this way. In the book, Kevin was Dana’s husband, not some guy she just hooked up with the day before. And I guess that officially makes me one of those people I loathe. The “actually, in the book,” poster. Gah! I will try not to do that, but Octavia Butler holds a special place in my heart. I don’t want to see any of her work not get it’s just due. The actors are doing a fantastic job though.

I happen to be an “actually, in the book” person, but in fairness I love the book. These changes definitely put a new spin on things, and I don’t necessarily mind them, especially if this time we are going to find out WHY Dana can time travel. Having it inherit it from her mom is a good twist.

[charmed1]

Ha! Come sit with me on our high horses made of books! No, I really don’t hate most of the book readers. Just the ones who have problems with there being Black elves and Targaryens. Science fiction is a genre that I didn’t even like until I cracked Kindred open so many years ago, so I’m super defensive about Ms. Butler!

Edited December 14, 2022 by charmed1

[Quickbeam]

Ohhhh, I’m a Butler fan and was hoping this would be set in the time it was written. I’m not getting my wish (cell phones, texting, laptops….)  but I’m staying for the ride. Loved episode one despite the differences from the text. We have too few properties that star people of color. 

[Meedis]

The premise is pretty interesting.  I never read the book so coming into this blind just happening to see it pop up on my Hulu feed.  Took me a minute to recognize Jason Stackhouse, I mean Ryan Kwanten.   But his voice eventually gave him away.   

I would be freaked out being the new guy in Dana's life.   I would've been out the door after the first episode he saw.   I'm enjoying it so far.  

Edited December 15, 2022 by Meedis

[BetyBee]

I read the book years ago too and I think I like the idea of setting it in the present (well, part of the time anyway!). I kind of don't like Dana as she's been introduced. I agreed with the aunt that she was doing impulsive things with her inheritance. If I had never read the book, I'd have thought that the time traveling was related to the new house. I love that they tied in her mother, stuck in the past. I was surprised mother and daughter didn't hug though. Even if you thought you were dreaming, wouldn't you take the opportunity to hug your long dead mother or that the mother would hug her trapped in time daughter? The scenes in the past were terrifying. 

[bettername2come]

On 12/14/2022 at 9:46 AM, charmed1 said:

Yeah I’m curious why they went this way. In the book, Kevin was Dana’s husband, not some guy she just hooked up with the day before. And I guess that officially makes me one of those people I loathe. The “actually, in the book,” poster.

Thanks for this info. When I saw the trailers, I assumed he was her husband. Him being her husband would make sense, but the whole "I just met this person and now I'm dragged into this insane adventure" is such a frequent trope in fiction that that also makes sense for an adaptation, even if it is an unnecessary change. 

[Anela]

I haven't read the book, but I have the comic book version, that I bought when I mis-remembered a book riot challenge. It didn't fit, but it does fit one this year, and I still want to read it.

I just remembered this was on hulu, and started watching this afternoon. 

On 12/20/2022 at 11:15 AM, BetyBee said:

I read the book years ago too and I think I like the idea of setting it in the present (well, part of the time anyway!). I kind of don't like Dana as she's been introduced. I agreed with the aunt that she was doing impulsive things with her inheritance. If I had never read the book, I'd have thought that the time traveling was related to the new house. I love that they tied in her mother, stuck in the past. I was surprised mother and daughter didn't hug though. Even if you thought you were dreaming, wouldn't you take the opportunity to hug your long dead mother or that the mother would hug her trapped in time daughter? The scenes in the past were terrifying. 

Yes, after the initial shock of seeing her, I know we would both be hugging and crying.