Beyond Storybrooke

The Deeper Ramblings of a Hunter

[beyondstorybrooke]

In Defense of "Ravenswood"

Before I start, I want to issue a quick Spoiler Alert.  This post will contain spoilers for both "Ravenswood" and "Pretty Little Liars" through the currently aired episodes.  You have been warned.

Okay guys... Let's talk about this. It seems that so many fans of PLL either hate "Ravenswood" or simply refuse to watch it on principle. In my opinion, these fans are missing out. I really believe that.  I don't expect to change anyone's mind with this post, but maybe some fans will read it and at least consider the points I'm trying to make.

I think some fans are uninterested in, or turned off by, the premise of the series because it's so different from PLL. It is different... But that's a good thing. It isn't meant to be the same show. It has its own story and its own appeal... at least for those fans willing to embrace these differences.  That's not to say that the show is for everyone... but I do think more viewers would like it if they stopped trying to compare the two series.

I'm sure not everyone who dislikes the show has the same reasons for doing so.  However, the number one argument against the series seems to come from Haleb fans.  I'm a huge Haleb fan myself... So I get why  people are upset... I really do.  I also know, however, that a lot of the Haleb fans who are so angry haven't actually WATCHED "Ravenswood".  For those fans, and for any others who dislike the show on the grounds of supporting Caleb and Hanna's relationship, I'd like to offer up some thoughts that might help address some of your concerns.

The first point I'd like to make is that Hanna is the reason Caleb came to Ravenswood in the first place... and she's also the reason he initially stayed.  Neither of them wanted to leave Miranda alone. The fact is, though, Miranda isn't ultimately what made Caleb stay.  Neither is his promise to Hanna.  Seeing a gravestone with your name and face on it is going to make you either A) run far, far away or B) try to figure out what the hell is going on... And since when does Caleb Rivers run from anything? 

Then you have to consider the fact that Miranda... is dead. She's a ghost. So any chance there had been for romance between her and Caleb sank into the river along with Remy's car in the very first episode. Granted, part of me would still love to see her have a chance at love and happiness... But I have my own opinion of who that should be with... And it isn't Caleb.

What Caleb and Miranda have is special... it's unique... But I don't think it's love. They are bonded by their pasts, in more ways than one. Did anyone else notice that Miranda didn't really start showing a lot of attraction to Caleb until AFTER she died?  I believe that's because once she was in limbo, she was much more strongly connected to "Original Miranda"... and that Miranda was very much in love with her Caleb. That idea was reinforced when Caleb almost died in Episode 5. When he was near death was when he suddenly found that he had feelings for Miranda... Because he was channeling "Original Caleb" at that point.  So yes, it's true that Caleb and Miranda are soul mates, but that doesn't have to mean that they're in love.

I'm sure I'm completely dating myself here, but the best way I know to prove my point is to cite a show that's been off the air for over 10 years now. I can think of no better example of "soul mates vs love" than the story of Miss Josephine "Joey" Potter. Joey spent 6 seasons growing up, discovering who she was... and, ultimately, having to choose between her two best friends. To me, this particular story is, and will always be, one of the most compelling love stories in TV history. Many fans of the series have stated, and I whole-heartedly agree, that the smart and snarky girl from down the creek ultimately stole the focus of the show away from its title character.  There were fan wars, there were campaigns, there were many tears shed on both sides... But in the end, she made her choice.  I won't spoil the ending for anyone reading this who might actually want to watch the series (and who has somehow managed to escape 10 years worth of spoilers).  The short version, however, is she eventually comes to the realization that she loves both of these men, in different ways and for very different reasons.  One is the man she is in love with, the one she wants to spend her life with. The other... is her soul mate.

I believe that this is the case with Caleb... Miranda is his soul mate, his best friend, a part of him that he can never escape... But Hanna is the one he loves... and she is the one he will choose to be with in the end.

So for anyone who thinks that "Ravenswood" is horrible because Miranda is trying to take Caleb away from Hanna, please stop to consider that that isn't the only possibility for how things may play out.  And, honestly, after watching the most recent episode, I don't think even Miranda wants that. She was clearly upset that Caleb couldn't tell Hanna the truth about why he had to return to Ravenswood. She doesn't want to see them broken up.  She wants Caleb to be happy, and deep down I think she knows that Hanna is the key to that.

Some fans are upset that Caleb didn't tell Hanna the truth about the curse... But let's stop and think about that for a moment.  Hanna asked Caleb to stay in Ravenswood to look after their new friend... who died in a car accident just a couple of days later. That alone is a lot to explain. When you add the fact that their friend is now a ghost and that she and Caleb seem to hold the key to breaking a decades' old curse?  Of course he can't tell her that. She'd think he'd lost his mind. Hanna is still processing the fact that Ali is alive... She doesn't need more crazy things to keep her up at night. And of course, the biggest factor... Caleb doesn't want her to worry about him. He wants her in Rosewood, dealing with the devil they know. Or, rather, think they know.

So while it's still far too early to say what the future holds for Caleb, I believe all roads eventually lead back to Rosewood... and to Hanna. And I doubt he'll let some little thing like a curse keep that from happening.

As I said, I doubt that this post will do anything to change the minds of those readers who have decided that "Ravenswood" isn't worth their time. But maybe... just maybe... I've helped to calm a few of the haters out there.  If so, I'll take that as a win.

[beyondstorybrooke]

On the Subject of "Permanent Death" in Video Games

This morning I was browsing IGN and on a whim I read their article regarding the concept of "permanent death" in a video game.  I found the article to be well-written and fairly interesting.  Given the subject matter, however, I found that there were a couple of games that went noticeably without mention.  Upon skimming the comments section, I found I was not alone in my thoughts.  The omitted game series most commonly mentioned was also the first that came to my mind as well: Fire Emblem.

The "Fire Emblem" series was the first I played that really implemented the idea of "permanent" character death.  While the death of certain main characters inevitably leads to a Game Over, all other playable characters you meet through the games are considered expendable. This was a new concept to me and indeed took me by surprise.  In my previous gaming experience all playable characters were either, essentially, untouchable... or they simply revived following the current battle scenario.  Not so with this series.

My first experience with actually sacrificing a character was in "Fire Emblem" for the GBA.  The character was Dorcas, an axe fighter. The battle had been a difficult one for me and I had already lost several times by that point. I was so relieved to be through it that I had to weigh the cost of reloading my game.  Dorcas wasn't a favorite character of mine, and while he was a strong fighter, he wasn't one whom I felt I would be lost without.  Ultimately, I made the decision to let him fall.   Due to the nature of his story, he doesn't actually die, but like all fallen characters, becomes unplayable for the remainder of the story.  This experience left me sort of indecisive about the choice to reload or let characters go.  That feeling changed when I played "Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance".

I found myself really liking the characters of FE: PoR, even more so than in the previous games I had played. I can't count how many times I reloaded because a favorite character was defeated in battle.  Probably the worst I saw, though, was Rolf. Just his young age, combined with the fact that you would be left with his two older brothers still in your party... that was pretty hard to take.

Beyond the "Fire Emblem" series, the next game that comes to mind when I think of permanent character death is "Valkyria Chronicles".  Some might argue that this series is less significant for the idea, in that most of the characters don't have detailed backstories, the way they do in FE.  Despite this, however, each character you recruit has a distinct personality and set of traits... one of the features I personally love about the game.  It truly is possible to feel the loss of a character once these traits have been discovered. Another aspect that makes VC stand out to me is the overall sense of tragedy that the game presents with a nation at war.  I will not go into details, so as not to spoil the game for anyone who has not played it... but there comes a point when a certain character's death occurs... and there is nothing you as a player can do to prevent it.  This moment is heartbreaking and tragic... and it can leave you wanting to ensure that none of your other comrades are lost.  This, to me, is what make "Valkyria Chronicles" so relevant to the topic at hand.

The last game I want to talk about here is one that takes this concept and skews it, presenting things from a somewhat different perspective.  In "Valkyrie Profile", you do not have to fear your characters dying... because each of them is already dead when they join Lenneth's group.  These deaths are spotlighted at each character's introduction... and some of them are quite sad.  Once the characters join Lenneth's Einherjar, "death" is inconsequential.  Any character not revived during a battle will simply remain in the group at 0 health until healed.  The challenge comes when it's time to choose which warriors to send to Asgard.  You spend time leveling your characters, you pour points into them to raise their Hero Value... only to send the best to Asgard to fight in Ragnarok.  This can be a very difficult decision to make, because once a character is sent, you no longer have them for the remainder of the game.  How your game ends depends, in large part, on the success of the Einherjar you choose to be your champions, so it is not a decision to be taken lightly.  Still, you may find yourself fighting between your personal attachment to a character and how they might benefit the "greater good". Then there comes the lingering question... what happens to the souls of those heroes you choose not to send?  The game does a good job of answering this, to some extent, but only with certain characters and only after the game has ended... and it is still enough to make you think.

There's some controversy in the video game world about the idea of reloading a game simply because you don't like an outcome.  Some people seem very against it... though, I must admit, I was not aware there was such a negative term for it prior to reading the aforementioned article.  I will readily admit that I am guilty of this habit.  Perhaps I simply get attached too easily.

Some may say it's silly to get attached to characters in a video game... and they may be right.  However, just like with any other media format: tv, books, movies... the characters can hold a special place in your heart.  At times, this feeling can be even stronger because, in many cases, you have actually played the character.  So, in a sense, you've been the character.

[beyondstorybrooke]

Hi and welcome to my new blog. I'm not entirely sure what has compelled me to create this blog, as I know I have very few followers on my main Tumblr and I may very well find myself writing to empty cyberspace. Nevertheless... The purpose of this blog is to share my thoughts on topics that may go beyond what I generally post under my "A Hunter in Storybrooke" page. I use my main Tumblr blog really for the purpose of my own amusement: reblogging fun posts or occasionally reviewing and/or venting about tv shows, movies, movie trailers, etc. Some of my posts on that blog may run a little long... I blame the writer in me for that habit... but I try not to let them go overboard.  This new page is for thoughts that are simply too in-depth or long-winded for my main. I don't mean to suggest that the subject matter presented here will necessarily be any deeper or more profound than on my original blog.  Indeed, the topics will likely all be related to some form of pop culture, whether tv, books, movies, or video games.  However, while the subject matter of this blog will generally not be much deeper, the level of discussion will be. So, whether this blog ends up generating followers, or whether I really am just talking to myself in type... Welcome to "Beyond Storybrooke".