[ SECRET POST #2625 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2625 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 040 secrets from Secret Submission Post #375.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 2 - posted twice ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Ehhhh. I can't stand Moffat's DW, either, but it's not so much the writing (dialogue's mostly OK); it is his sheer ADHD-roadrunner-on-amphetamines-plotting (or startling lack thereof) that really drives me bonkers.

I mean. It's a solid hour of "...AND THIS HAPPENS!" with zero coherence, no engagement with the characters (such as they are), or any remotely intriguing follow-through on the bazillion and one ideas that litter the episode like roadkill all the way through.

Story structure! His writing needs structure, scaffolding to hold up the cloud castles! Somebody needs to beat Moffat over the head with a clue-by-four while screaming, "Beginning! Middle! End!"

[silverr]

Yeah I think that happens too. More than once I felt an episode had lots of cool bits, cool ideas, cool moments, but as you say, overall far too many eps feel less like a narrative and more like a conveyer belt.

[(Anonymous)]

Got it in one. Though I suppose that's what Moffat thinks everyone wants, these days. Bits they can GIF and stick up on Tumblr. Pandering to the stupidest common denominator, ugh. :-(

[silverr]

I'm not quite that cynical about DW (I also think that sort of pandering takes a lot of work *side-eyes Sherlock*). ~ My guess is that for whatever reason, there's a lot more in his head about those DW eps than ever reaches the screen — and a hefty chunk of what never makes it out of the braincells is probably good.

[(Anonymous)]

That's an interesting theory. Though I don't hold out much hope that it is at all representative of reality. Sadly enough.

[silverr]

Granted, I'm projecting my own experiences as a writer onto the situation, but to me that's the universal struggle: the sort of outline that has a solid opening, a kickass ending, and a middle represented by the note "[[In the middle cool things happen. I don't know what they are yet, I can't describe them, but there should be something.]]")

That and I can't imagine working constantly under a deadline where you have to "hurry up and be creative!"

[(Anonymous)]

So what you're suggesting as a theory might be that the bad writing, lack of plot, lots-of-handwaving is really Moffat going through years and years of writer's block? Admittedly, this theory makes Moffat out to be a more sympathetic character. But, given his MO on, for instance, Sherlock, *spits* and his willingness to chase after wherever he thinks the money/adulation is, to the point of saying whatever it is he thinks the fans want to hear (resulting in him changing his tune from one interview to the next), yeah, I'm cynical.

[silverr]

I ... guess?

(It's not that I don't find other aspects problematic (e.g. characterization, and characterization, and oh yes, characterfuckingization), but I was focusing on The Plot Thing. Maybe it might be good if Moff was more General Idea Guy and then handed off the filling in of the narrative to someone else. I don't know: I should really STFU, as I lost interest in DW around the time Clara came in.

[(Anonymous)]

AYRT

Maybe it might be good if Moff was more General Idea Guy and then handed off the filling in of the narrative to someone else.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that essentially what his job description is? There was only ever one J. Michael Straczynski. And Steven Moffat is definitely no J. Michael Straczynski.

[silverr]

I wouldnt think if correcting yo, because I have no idea. From the way some people talk, I've got the impression that Moff is ... whatever the TV production equivalent of "micromanaging the scripts" would be.

[inevitableentresol]

This is sad but true and it also explains a lot about Family Guy.

[lotesse]

ehy now, don't pin blame on fanbrats that needs to be aimed at showrunners; the n00biest are usually pretty powerless, and also more likely to grow out of it.

[waterfall8484]

Warning: Personal opinion ahead!

I usually say that there's two things Moffat does well, timey wimey stuff and epic movie-type stories. Which is probably why the anniversary special was quite good despite my doubts, while most of his other stuff is too rushed with very little character development. (He really can't do character interaction or development, which for me always has been an important part of DW - Edge of Destruction, anyone?)

It's funny how RTD and Moffat come across as opposites for me; RTD was better at the character stuff while Moffat does epic action better. Problem is without engaging characters the action becomes sort of meaningless because I don't care as much.

[(Anonymous)]

His writing on DW baffles me, because he was just so damn good on Press Gang.

Look at Lynda fucking Day. One of the best role models for women on TV and this was in the early 90s.