seeing how pjotv showrunners handled seasons one and two—and the way fans talk about tlt and som versus ttc, botl, and tlo—makes me realize that not enough people appreciate the importance and nuance of introductions to stories. it's like how people gush about book two: earth and book three: fire without giving book one: water the credit it deserves for making the audience care enough about these characters in order for the rest of the story to have the impact that it does. imagine watching animated atla and starting with season two. would azula's introduction as an antagonist hold the same weight if there hadn't been an entire first season without her? would toph and zuko joining the gaang be as meaningful if the audience never got to know katara, sokka, and aang for an entire season first? i honestly don't think so.
and that's one of the many problems with pjotv. the showrunners and show fans don't seem to care about the lightning thief and the sea of monsters because they're just eager to "get to the good stuff." but tlt and som IS good stuff! so many people say som is their least favorite, but i adore that book. it's <300 pages but packs a punch with plenty of memorable scenes, which is commendable. many people say tlt is not as rereadable, but it kind of is? at least to me. i know there are moments when you're being told info that you already know (which, arguably, is the case for any book that you reread, not just first installments), but there's so much fun to be had, so many iconic moments, and it's paced well! the reason the titan's curse has the impact it does is because the previous two installments are lighter in tone. it's not the darker tone in a vacuum that makes an impact, it's the change in tone that you feel so deeply. if you only read thorough summaries of tlt and som before diving into ttc, it wouldn't have the same effect. if teen wolf started with void stiles, it wouldn't be as chilling as stiles, the comedic character, becoming void stiles.
people love to talk about "big" moments (e.g., character deaths, narrative shifts) and praise "perfect" finales/satisfying conclusions, and so do i (especially the latter, i love a good ending), but none of those would feel the way they do without proper introductions. and it seems like the pjotv showrunners don't understand this basic concept.
vaporwave
stormborns
romaincrisis
turnnoffyourmind
