Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[truthaboutluv]

OK, I'll admit it:  Maura Tierney does nothing for me, nothing good anyway.  To me, she's always either dull dishwater or sad sack annoying. 

 

A month or so ago, I would have been giving this multiple likes. I actually put off getting into The Affair because I knew she was on it and I felt like she was constantly this ball of misery that just sucks any enjoyment I may have in a show.

 

But color me shocked, she ended up being one of my favorite parts of The Affair. Now maybe that's because I loathe Dominic West's character (who is her husband on the show) so much, that next to him she was awesome, but I thought she kicked ass on that show. Go figure...

Edited January 15, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[izabella]

I've been watching The Affair, too, and while she's more tolerable to me in that show than anywhere else I've seen her, I think it's because I so actively loather her husband and Allison and automatically have sympathy for the betrayed wife.   She's the only one who makes any sense or acts like normal people on that show.

 

I'd still prefer another actress than Maura in that role, though! 

[Jipijapa]

Speaking of The Affair, why does Joshua Jackson always get cast as the second male in these things?  Seriously does anyone think that anyone would cheat on him with Dominic West?  (and yes, I realize some people may say "Yes I do!" as a UO!)

[briochetwist]

My unpopular opinion is that Ruth Wilson isn't a great actress. I was shocked that she was nominated, and fucking flabbergasted when she won a Golden Globe.  I look at her and see Marge Simpson.  Sorry.

[izabella]

That's a popular opinion for me, briochetwist!  I cannot unsee Marge Simpson.

[mansonlamps]

My unpopular opinion is that Ruth Wilson isn't a great actress. I was shocked that she was nominated, and fucking flabbergasted when she won a Golden Globe. I look at her and see Marge Simpson. Sorry.

Haha I didn't see it before but now I too will be unable to not see Marge Simpson.

Edited January 15, 2015 by mansonlamps

[caci]

My UO - I never thought Betty White was all that funny.

[GreekGeek]

My UO - I never thought Betty White was all that funny.

I thought she was funny on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, because it was the first time she was cast against type as an oversexed bitch (with a sweetie-sweet TV persona). It was a smart move not to have her play Blanche on The Golden Girls. I've never seen Hot in Cleveland, so I don't know if she's funny there or not. The "She's a National Treasure" hype that's surrounded her since that Super Bowl commercial for Snickers is a bit much, though.

[Bastet]

The "She's a National Treasure" hype that's surrounded her since that Super Bowl commercial for Snickers is a bit much, though.

 

It is, but she's such a good egg - compassionate, generous, loyal, with a self-deprecating sense of humor - I tend to shrug it off. 

[Neurochick]

I didn't think Transparent was THAT great, and certainly not great enough to win any Golden Globes.  A large part of that show bored me.

[SmithW6079]

I agree about Betty White and the whole "national treasure" thing. She was funny as Sue Ann Nivens on "Mary Tyler Moore," and as Rose on "Golden Girls" (before they made Rose too stupid to breathe), but on "Hot in Cleveland"? The character is a nasty, oversexed nonagenarian.

 

"Galavant" is, to me, a silly little farce with enjoyable (i.e., not make your ears bleed) musical numbers and an amiable, likable cast, that is set in the not-historically accurate Middle Ages. I really do not understand the hatred the show has seemed to incite.

[ByTor]

Just last night I finished up the entire Six Feet Under series.  The reason I started watching was, after the Sons of Anarchy finale, so many people said that SFU had the best finale ever so I felt compelled to check it out.  I do admit to tearing up (darn onions!) during the last few minutes, but otherwise I thought the episode was not only not the best finale ever, but rather "meh", as were (in my other unpopular opinion) most other SFU episodes.  Since I mentioned Sons of Anarchy...I found pretty much every character in that show despicable, yet they were interesting enough that they made me want to continue to tune in, whereas in SFU I found pretty much every character despicable (not in the same way the SoA characters were; I don't recall any of the Fishers being murderers :)) but found myself saying "oh shut up bitch!" more often than not (the horrible, bitchy, shrill Ruth being the worst, IMO).  The so-so finale was in no way worth watching the IMO mediocre series.

Edited January 16, 2015 by ByTor

[proserpina65]

Billie Piper was not attractive/sexy/talented enough to pull off the role of Belle in Secret Diary of a Call Girl.  She looked and acted like a little girl playing dress-up.  That said, I've watched the second episode at least a dozen times because I think the actor playing the author she met at the swingers' party is totally sex on legs, and if I'd been her, I so would've blown off the sister in labor to go home with him and his wife.

[MaryPatShelby]

I didn't enjoy Breaking Bad, I gave up after 3 episodes. Same with Friday Night Lights. Actually most shows the media hypes as the!best!thing!ever are not my cup of tea. Mad Men makes me sleepy, Good Wife stopped being entertaining a couple seasons ago and I would rather eat sand than watch Walking Dead. I gave up on Game of Thrones after they beheaded Sean Bean and have not looked back since.

I going to agree with you here about Good Wife.  I have the current season DVRed, but I can't make myself watch it.  And it's not because Josh Charles either. I just stopped enjoying it I guess......

[ganesh]

I'm really against shows writing in real-life pregnancies. Actually, I think it's stupid. I mean, I can suspend my disbelief that there's aliens, demons, magic, etc., I can pretend the pregnant lady isn't actually pregnant. I get that it limits what the actor can do, but still.

[selkie]

I didn't think Transparent was THAT great, and certainly not great enough to win any Golden Globes.  A large part of that show bored me.

 

I thought Transparent was a case of some very good actors elevating some scripts that would have otherwise been straight out of the After School Specials slush pile, save for lots of  sex.

[ByTor]

I'm really against shows writing in real-life pregnancies. Actually, I think it's stupid. I mean, I can suspend my disbelief that there's aliens, demons, magic, etc., I can pretend the pregnant lady isn't actually pregnant. I get that it limits what the actor can do, but still.

Not sure if this is unpopular, but I actually like the way pregnancies are hidden. The huge purses, standing behind a ginormous potted plant, etc. Not that I think it's clever by any means, I just think it's funny.

Edited January 17, 2015 by ByTor

[ganesh]

What's funny is I read posts like, "zomg she's so obviously showing", and I'm like, "showing what?" I'm unspoiled all the time so I never know. I tend to think people who read a lot of show media have a different viewing experience.

 

The XF actually didn't do too bad with GA's pregnancy.

[FormerMod-a1]

I, too, wish they wouldn't write pregnancies into storylines unless they already planned for the character to have a baby.  And even then only if the timing is not too far off from their plan.   So I also hate when I read or hear "Well, they had to give her a baby since the actress was pregnant"  or "Too bad the actress got pregnant and they had to write a pregnancy into the show".  No they don't!  Not ever!  It is not a "have to" or a "must" at all.  Heck, don't even hide the belly, like on The Nanny.  I can separate actress from character and understand the character isn't pregnant.  But even if they want to hide the belly or write a gains weight story, that's fine too (although I hated the gains weight story they did for Daphne on Frasier).  Just admit there is no need to write the pregnancy into the story or for the character.  That's lazy.

[ToxicUnicorn]

I think these are West Wing UOs: I didn't mind Joshua Malina's character and I really wasn't very impressed by Alan Alda.

[Misslindsey]

I like Riley on Girl Meets World, I prefer her over Maya. I thought it would be the opposite since I always enjoyed Shawn over Cory on Boy Meets World.

 

I never wanted Donna and Josh to get together on The West Wing. I always preferred Donna as a side character and not a main character. I also hated that when she left she was a campaign spokeswomen, got offered the job as deputy press secretary which she turned down to be the chief of staff to the first lady. Really show? Donna was no CJ Cregg or Amy Gardner.

[Bastet]

I never wanted Donna and Josh to get together on The West Wing. I always preferred Donna as a side character and not a main character.

 

I've been sitting at that table for years.  I stopped watching some time in season five, so I was spared actually seeing them get together (or Donna become Superwoman), but even during the first half of the series I got sick of Donna being involved in things an assistant would not be involved in, and found all moments of UST between her and Josh forced - and icky.  I liked them individually, and as a work duo, but not as a potential romance; this sounds odd, I know, but I thought each one wasn't good enough for the other.

Edited January 18, 2015 by Bastet

[Neurochick]

My UO is that I don't have an issue with Gabby on Chicago Fire.  I really don't get her hate; I also don't get why some get upset if a character is too perfect.  I also don't need a character to be flawed.   I mean it's TV, I know it's not real, I don't find it necessary for a TV character to be flawed.  

[SmithW6079]

I like Juliette on "Grimm." I don't find her dull or wooden or boring or whatever else she's accused of being. She's as much a part of the group as any of the others. It's kind of nice that the hero of the show is grounded, instead of being angsty and emo.

[Enigma X]

 

I've been reading the Arrow forum again in all its trainwreck glory, so this is my UO: the ills of the world are not Katie Cassidy's fault.

To add to this (and I am not going to debate if the following characters/actors are the worse thing to happen to TV since Fonzie jumped the shark) here are a few other characters who can be blamed for the Ebola virus, recent terrorist attacks, and the fall of western civilization as we know it in their respective TV forums:

 

Doctor Who: Jenna Coleman/Clara Oswald

Agents of Shield: Chloe Bennet/Skye (Daisy Johnson)

Sleepy Hollow: Katia Winter/Katrina Crane

Grimm: Bitsie Tulloch/Juliette Silverton

 

I am sure that I am forgetting many characters, whether deservedly or undeservedly, where the hatred for the character just overtakes the forum in a very irrational way. The character and, eventually, the actress (usual it is an actress, although I could have named a few male characters/actors) just have to take the blame for absolutely all the word's ills. (Yes, I am being dramatic, but some of these forums get pretty dramatic about these whipping girls.) Oh! The UO is no matter if these characters/actors are really bad, boring, or whatever, their negative importance is overflated by the people who hate them.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Enigma X

[scarynikki12]

While I freely admit to being guilty of writing some of the inflamed rhetoric that gets applied to some of these polarizing characters, I do agree that it generally gets out of hand to the point where legit criticisms of the characters get dismissed after a point.  I know nothing about Sleepy Hollow but there are legit concerns surrounding the writing for Clara, the acting for Juliette and the writing and acting both for Laurel.  The legitimacy of these concerns get drowned out in a sea of overreaction and exaggeration and the result is that the producers of the three shows just ignore anyone who brings it up at this point.  Skye's different in that the producers seemed to wade through the overreactions to find the source, took those criticisms to heart*, and have clearly made an effort to address them without changing her path.  It's a shame that the rhetoric is so inflamed that these producers refuse to address the genuine issues at the source. 

 

*The only one I actually felt was legit was Coulson going overboard in his praise of her (with little foundation) because I felt that she was well written and acted otherwise.

[LeeLeePanda]

Oh! The UO is no matter if these characters/actors are really bad, boring, or whatever, their negative importance is overflated by the people who hate them.

I agree with you on this. I'm a fan of both Sleepy Hollow and Doctor Who. Im probably one of the few fans who loves Clara, though I can't say the same about Katrina. I find that I get tense when the characters are onscreen on their respective shows, because I know that the bitching and moaning will be abundant.

I'll take it even further, and say that I feel the hate wouldn't be as strong if they were male characters. it always seems like female characters are deemed the worst amongst fanboys and girls. The only exception I can think of right now is Blaine from Glee.

[kathyk24]

I think you can add JJ from Criminal Minds to the list of characters who get more criticism than they deserve. I like Juliette on Grimm but the writing for her is inconsistent. In certain episodes she's supportive of Nick in others she doesn't want him to be a Grimm.

[ABay]

I find that I get tense when the characters are onscreen on their respective shows, because I know that the bitching and moaning will be abundant.

Being able to talk about all aspects of a show make it more fun to watch but when the only place to talk about it becomes a one-topic hate-fest, it can hamper enjoyment of the show. I've stopped reading Sleepy Hollow, Grimm, Dr. Who, and a few others because, even when I agree with the dislike of a character, the inability of people to discuss anything else takes the fun out of discussing the show. The one time I think the PTV mindset of "let's start a new thread for every stray thought!" can actually be used to advantage is to siphon off some of the bile into a hate-thread.

[Neurochick]

Being able to talk about all aspects of a show make it more fun to watch but when the only place to talk about it becomes a one-topic hate-fest, it can hamper enjoyment of the show. I've stopped reading Sleepy Hollow, Grimm, Dr. Who, and a few others because, even when I agree with the dislike of a character, the inability of people to discuss anything else takes the fun out of discussing the show. The one time I think the PTV mindset of "let's start a new thread for every stray thought!" can actually be used to advantage is to siphon off some of the bile into a hate-thread.

 

That's why I don't bother with Chicago Fire threads.  People have this bizarre hatred of Gabby; and it makes me uncomfortable, because I sense that some of it has to do with her being a Latina woman who the men are attracted to, as if any woman who isn't white shouldn't be so adored.  

[kassygreene]

I've stopped reading the Arrow forum for that same reason - I only read the fanfic thread for recs, the rest is just overrun with sputtering rage, in spite of the moderators' best efforts (take a moment to send positive vibes to those poor mods).  

 

I've been on the internet reading forums since before the internet was the Internet, and before forums were bulletin boards, when everything in mailing lists, often with untrimmed quotes and quotes of quotes.  If you can't keep up with a thread even when you have Olympic-class skimming power, it's time to give up the thread.

[ribboninthesky1]

I've been on the internet reading forums since before the internet was the Internet, and before forums were bulletin boards, when everything in mailing lists, often with untrimmed quotes and quotes of quotes.  If you can't keep up with a thread even when you have Olympic-class skimming power, it's time to give up the thread.

 

Ha! Truer words are rarely spoken, kassygreene.

 

I'll take it even further, and say that I feel the hate wouldn't be as strong if they were male characters. it always seems like female characters are deemed the worst amongst fanboys and girls. The only exception I can think of right now is Blaine from Glee.

 

Yep, though I think a significant part of the problem is that, because most TV writers are male, they have NOOOOOOO idea how to write women as rounded human beings.  So it's sexism and misogyny on both sides.

[Minneapple]

I don't think I've ever seen hate for a male character even come close to what I see for Laurel and Katrina. Maybe Spike, but then there were so many Spike fangirls that it balanced out the hate.

I know nothing about Sleepy Hollow but there are legit concerns surrounding the writing for Clara, the acting for Juliette and the writing and acting both for Laurel. The legitimacy of these concerns get drowned out in a sea of overreaction and exaggeration and the result is that the producers of the three shows just ignore anyone who brings it up at this point.

Yup, there are serious issues with the way Laurel and Katrina are written. But that doesn't mean EVERYTHING about the characters (and their actresses) is horrible. And it doesn't mean they're to blame for everything that's wrong with a show.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I think you can add JJ from Criminal Minds to the list of characters who get more criticism than they deserve.

 

I'll be glad to field this one, because I feel like I can address it sanely.

 

Had the actress who plays JJ not been fired, and then the character gotten a complete overhaul when she returned, the equivalent of a match would not have been dropped. Yes, characters should be allowed to grow and change, but the speculation is that the actress pushed for big changes upon her return in order to make her character more bad-ass. Thus she was transformed from the communications liaison to a Sydney Bristow knockoff who was captured in Afghanistan and tortured, but showed nary a sign of being bothered by it. Now the writers have decided that she's actually wrecked by what happened to her, despite the fact that in this season's premiere, they had her basically make a joke out of her experience. Add in that for a couple of seasons she over-shadowed a new character played by (IMO) a better actress due to what's strongly speculated to be showrunner bias, and I think a fair amount of the criticism has plenty of merit.

[DittyDotDot]

For me, its not that I don't think criticism is warranted or not since its all based on personal opinion and tastes anyway--love the one you love and hate the ones you hate, I really don't care. Its when the hate/love for one character overtakes an entire forum--not just one thread--and you can't have any other discussion about the show anymore is when I usually bail on a forum. I'll keep watching the show, but reading the same thing from the same people nine hundred, fifty two thousand and two times daily, kinda takes the fun out of discussing the show.

[ribboninthesky1]

Its when the hate/love for one character overtakes an entire forum--not just one thread--and you can't have any other discussion about the show anymore is when I usually bail on a forum. I'll keep watching the show, but reading the same thing from the same people nine hundred, fifty two thousand and two times daily, kinda takes the fun out of discussing the show.

 

I'm glad you mentioned love as well as hate - the latter gets more attention, but the former is just as annoying. 

[supposebly]

 

But that doesn't mean EVERYTHING about the characters (and their actresses) is horrible. And it doesn't mean they're to blame for everything that's wrong with a show.

What I don't understand is when the character or the actor is blamed. The character does what the writers write and the actors say the lines (more or less well) what the writers write for them.

The overreaction often seems to come with an inability to separate these things. Even worse, when actors get blamed for the writing. Or praised to high heavens.

[ganesh]

Its when the hate/love for one character overtakes an entire forum--not just one thread--and you can't have any other discussion about the show anymore is when I usually bail on a forum.

 

That's the ship on The Mentalist. I can't stand it. I actually don't even care that the main characters were shipped in the final season, but the overwhelming discussion of that sours me. 

[supposebly]

 

I find that I get tense when the characters are onscreen on their respective shows, because I know that the bitching and moaning will be abundant.

 

I used to feel like that watching Supernatural. Every time Sam would be in a scene, I would think about how the bitching and moaning about him would commence and even worse, would start thinking about counter arguments. It got so bad that I rewatched an episode for the sole purpose to find arguments against how terrible Sam was to Dean this time. Good thing was, I mostly restrained myself to actually posting about the episode only and stopped reading the rest. Which is a shame because there were and here are wonderful posters who CAN post without getting into a brother against brother argument. But it did affect my enjoyment of the show considerably for a while and I found that rewatching a whole season in the summer was the way to go.

 

Hm. I guess that has bothered me for quite a while.

Edited January 20, 2015 by supposebly

[DearEvette]

I think on Sleepy Hollow, in my observation, that while a lot of the criticism is on the character of Katrina .. and to lesser extent the male character of Hawley, the lion's share of the blame is rightly apportioned to the showrunner and the writers.

 

I think the dislike of Katrina at this point is like long-bottled up frustration over the character spilling over into an unreconstructed spew.  In the beginning people were fine with her.  In fact, I would characterize the fan's relationship with the Katrina character like the 7 stages of grief but only in reverse.

 

At first there was Acceptance & Hope.  She had a place in the ensemble, and yes it was ephemeral, but it was fine.  There were hints she had a larger part of play.   But as the season went on the writing for her got worse and worse the fans began to fan wank and write better scenarios for her (Reconstruction & working Through).  After the reveal about Henry, there was a renewed interest in what her role would be (The upward Turn) but as S2 progressed, she became the focus of a lot of bad tropes.  So we are at the Anger & Depression stage. 

 

And it doesn't help that there are meta issues at play as well -- again mainly directed to the showrunner.  There is a clear perception that the raising of her profile (and Hawley's) coupled with the near disappearance of two characters of color feels like a usurpation of their roles and Abbie's (which was somewhat groundbreaking in genre as a WOC in a lead role).

 

So I guess my UO is that sometimes the dislike of a character isn't just hating for hating sake.  At least in the case of Katrina there is a clear provenance to the point where the fans are. 

[Enigma X]

 

So I guess my UO is that sometimes the dislike of a character isn't just hating for hating sake.

 

 

I guess my original point was not whether or not people were "hating for hating sake," but that the overabundance showing of hate (or love) overpowers all conversation on the show, episode, thread, or what have you.

[supposebly]

Overall, I think it's good policy as a poster to think about whether one has made that particular point five times already. Or answered to a particular argument five times times already. If the answer is yes, it's time to slowly back away from the keyboard. And stop replying to something that one has read 5 times already.

 

It might make for more varied discussions in the long run.

[Chaos Theory]

I'll be glad to field this one, because I feel like I can address it sanely.

Had the actress who plays JJ not been fired, and then the character gotten a complete overhaul when she returned, the equivalent of a match would not have been dropped. Yes, characters should be allowed to grow and change, but the speculation is that the actress pushed for big changes upon her return in order to make her character more bad-ass. Thus she was transformed from the communications liaison to a Sydney Bristow knockoff who was captured in Afghanistan and tortured, but showed nary a sign of being bothered by it. Now the writers have decided that she's actually wrecked by what happened to her, despite the fact that in this season's premiere, they had her basically make a joke out of her experience. Add in that for a couple of seasons she over-shadowed a new character played by (IMO) a better actress due to what's strongly speculated to be showrunner bias, and I think a fair amount of the criticism has plenty of merit.

I might have agreed with your points until you said a better actress. You did have your criticism points but the actress is one of the better ones on the show in my opinion. AJ Cook does fine work with the material she is given. It is the writing not the acting.

[ribboninthesky1]

I used to feel like that watching Supernatural. Every time Sam would be in a scene, I would think about how the bitching and moaning about him would commence and even worse, would start thinking about counter arguments. It got so bad that I rewatched an episode for the sole purpose to find arguments against how terrible Sam was to Dean this time. Good thing was, I mostly restrained myself to actually posting about the episode only and stopped reading the rest. Which is a shame because there were and here are wonderful posters who CAN post without getting into a brother against brother argument. But it did affect my enjoyment of the show considerably for a while and I found that rewatching a whole season in the summer was the way to go.

 

Hm. I guess that has bothered me for quite a while.

 

I've never watched Supernatural, but I relate to this.  I've come up with counterpoints for a certain character just on watching an episode because I can guess what the feedback will be (and this can be overly negative or positive).  My pet peeve about this is, in my observation, the love or hate for a character often distorts perception of what actually happens in an episode.  I cannot express how much it annoys me when there is a discussion about something that never happened or wasn't said.  I mean, if we're spinning our own level of fiction, what is the point of watching a show?  In any case, I've taken such thoughts as an indicator that it's time to take my leave from a discussion, heh.         

[galax-arena]

the actress is one of the better ones on the show in my opinion. AJ Cook does fine work with the material she is given. It is the writing not the acting.

I thought she was great on Higher Ground. That was also the show that told me that Hayden Christensen is indeed capable of emoting.

 

Man, mentioning that show takes me back....

[Chaos Theory]

I thought she was great on Higher Ground. That was also the show that told me that Hayden Christensen is indeed capable of emoting.

Man, mentioning that show takes me back....

Higher Ground is on my list of shows before its time. It would fit nicely now on ABC Family.

[Mulva]

Being able to talk about all aspects of a show make it more fun to watch but when the only place to talk about it becomes a one-topic hate-fest, it can hamper enjoyment of the show. I've stopped reading Sleepy Hollow, Grimm, Dr. Who, and a few others because, even when I agree with the dislike of a character, the inability of people to discuss anything else takes the fun out of discussing the show. The one time I think the PTV mindset of "let's start a new thread for every stray thought!" can actually be used to advantage is to siphon off some of the bile into a hate-thread.

That's a perfect description of the TWOP Supernatural forum. It started out well, but ended with a group of Dean-obsessed fans driving all the fans of the other characters off the board, and posting endless screeds about how Sam/Jared Padelecki was THE WORST PERSON EVAH11!!11!, and Dean/Jensen Ackles is THE BEST PERSON EVER AND HE SHOULD BE A MOVIE STAR IF HE WEREN'T FORCED TO CONTINUE SPN. With additional hate towards Bobby because he occasionally gave Dean mild criticism.

Worse yet, apparently the show's PTB followed the bb and believed them when they ranted about Bobby, which led to Bobby being killed off.

Back to the topic: My UO - I like Clara on Dr. Who.

Another UO:

I don't like live TV productions. The undercurrent of nervous tension sucks all the enjoyment out of the show for me. I'd rather see relaxed actors giving their best performance, than actors obviously terrified they'll make a mistake on live TV.

Edited January 20, 2015 by Mulva

[Chaos Theory]

I don't know I guess my UO is that it often feels like people (and not just here) watch television and movies like they are writing a college term paper. Compare and contrast.::: I go onto a site thinking "hey I really enjoyed that." Only to see everyone else nitpicking character arcs, clothing choices and Tropes etc.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I might have agreed with your points until you said a better actress. You did have your criticism points but the actress is one of the better ones on the show in my opinion. AJ Cook does fine work with the material she is given. It is the writing not the acting.

 

Fair enough, but what I said was that in my opinion, Jeanne Tripplehorn is a better actress than AJ Cook. It probably is the writing that's the issue, but that doesn't affect my opinion of Cook as an actress. I think she's okay, but I think she could also have improved after ten years in the same role. Maybe that's what makes my opinion unpopular. :-)

[briochetwist]

 

Maybe that's what makes my opinion unpopular. :-)

 

Not unpopular with me, I can't stand her, she's the main reason I stopped watching the show.