Why I'm refusing to watch Being Human.

[amanuensis1]

In a new entry of "Amy is shallow" confessions:



...I don't want to watch this show because they made her the ghost.

G'wan, tell me it's awesome and that she kicks ass all the same and I shouldn't turn my back on it for that silly reason. I'm ready.

Comments

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

You're thinking she should have been the vampire, am I right?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Or the werewolf! Either! Not the PASSIVE one.

(Like I say, I'm perfectly ready for someone to tell me she's not at all passive and that I shouldn't have judged.)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

She starts off soft and passive, but this changes very quickly and thoroughly over the course of the first season. By the end of it, she is the most self-determined of the three. And they are all passive in one way or another: George the victim of the moon, Mitchell made inert by the battle between his conscience and nature. I really enjoyed it on the whole, even with a few mis-steps along the way.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Cool, thank you for enlightening me! I'm still not sure I will watch it but I wanted to hear that there are some redeeming factors in it.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I like how you put it! The other two are, especially... something I shouldn't mention because it'll be spoilery. The thing with George, that becomes a big issue in the house. That was pretty darned passive.

I really, really loved the British version of the show. I haven't gotten a chance to see the American one yet, though by the promos they're following the plotline closely.

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

I didn't watch it because they changed her AND the vampire, from the pilot. I liked the wan, whiny, um, bloodless vampire . . . I just could NOT see this guy *points up* as the person who can't function in undeath because he's tortured by his conscience. And they replaced the very ordinary looking and also wan ghost girl with MEGAHOTBABE. I'm not sure why that bothered me, it just did. Does even a ghost have to be a MEGAHOTBABE? I guess on tv, everybody has to be.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Really? Wait, you mean they changed the actors? Then I'm not hallucinating! I thought some of them looked different from pictures I'd seen before.

[elizardbits.livejournal.com]

It is a perfectly ghastly remake and I am beyond disappointed, but really I was not expecting much to begin with. SIGH.


DERP DERP ignore my mad ramblings, I thought you were talking about the terrible US remake, not the delightful original series. (which, admittedly, I have only ever seen at the gym, with the sound off. nevertheless. delightful!)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Wait, I think I am talking about the US version! You mean it's a remake of something?

[freed-wings.livejournal.com]

Word. I'm watching the original right now, it actually kind of kicks ass.

[persephone-blue.livejournal.com]

It's the same reason I'm not watching, either.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Ah, someone with similar outrages! *embraces*

[drgaellon]

David and I turned it off 20 minutes in, because it was dreadful.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I have now been enlightened that there are two versions: UK and US. Which version did you see?

[amorettea.livejournal.com]

That picture is from the very wonderful British version. I have no idea what the U.S. version is going to be like because I loathe remakes like that. And believe me, in the British version, the ghost is, in many ways, the strongest character. It is wonderful, angst-ridden and, at times, utterly hilarious. I love it!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

(I didn't even know there were two versions!) I'm glad to know it turned out to be a decent show anyway! It just raises my hackles, to see them refuse to buck convention and to give the female the least dangerous of the three curses.

[pushdragon.livejournal.com]

I loved the BBC version, liked all the characters, but if you're hoping for a character who kicks arse in the Buffy/Xena kind of way, she is not it. Then again, there's not much fight action in it, even for the boys. The drama is more the conflict between their ordinary lives and their supernatural ones.

If you do give it a go, make sure to give us a review!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Neh, I don't want arse-kicking so much as I expect the vampire to have to go out and attack people for their blood, and the werewolf to have to lock himself away once a month so he doesn't hurt people, but what does the ghost do? Is she dangerous at all? It ticks me off.

(I didn't even know there was a BBC version before these comments! So confuzzled.)

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

They're all pretty passive and pathetic at first, and she actually sorts herself out much quicker than the other two. George (the werewolf) whines so much I wanted to throttle him for most of the first and second seasons. However, the people above are right - the picture you posted is the BBC Being Human, which is into the third season, and is a pretty awesome show. I have some quibbles, but sexism isn't one of them. There's another incredible awesome woman later on, who's now my favourite character.

The US version, I haven't seen but expect horrible things.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thanks to you and everyone for enlightening me about the different versions, I had no idea! I just get pinged badly to see the female character assigned the non-dangerous curse. Unless you tell me she sucks life force outta people, or something?

[alice_montrose]

I think you should watch anyway. And don't let her character fool you in the first episodes: she evolves in a lovely way over the span of the series.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Now that I know there are two versions (which I didn't before all these comments!), which version are you recommending? I'm assuming the UK?

[doctorjonesy.livejournal.com]

**Although I haven't given any of what I'd consider to be direct spoilers, some of what I've written here might make certain plot points more obvious than some people would like. I've tried not to talk too specifically about anything, though.**


I don't know about the US version, but the UK version is very good. Without going into too much detail, through the ghost character the show gets to deal with quite a few issues - one of which is violence against women. It seems (to me) like it was a conscious choice to have the ghost character be a woman. She starts off seeming weak - hardly able to have an effect on anything around her - but over time she discovers and hones her power. Her initial "weakness" is not a metaphor for womanhood, though; rather, it's a result of outside oppression.

Not only does she become "not weak", but as the story goes on it becomes obvious that she is not a regular ghost, that she has more power than a regular ghost, and that she is pretty much the complete opposite of passive. Added to that, her role never feels "tacked on". Her story and her issues are just as important as those of the other two - not just to her and to the viewers, but also to the other two main characters.

Also, there is later another excellent female character who more closely fits the traditional "dangerous" description. And by the looks of things, it seems like she is going to be a permanent member of the cast.

I can't really comment on the US version because even though it seems to be following the initial plot closely, I just can't be certain that it will have the same focus or awareness as the other one. But I definitely recommend the BBC version. A lot. Lenora Crichlow, the woman who plays the ghost, is awesome.

**Quick edit for clarity: When I say that the show deals with certain issues, I don't mean that it's an obvious moral-of-the-story type of thing. It's more that, in the course of the plot, those issues naturally arise.... If that makes any kind of sense.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the spoiler warning! (I agree with you, though, nothin' too spoilery there.) What you have to say about the deliberate choice to have the ghost a female as emphasis of that very issue--women and empowerment--is quite interesting, and I'd like to think that it was indeed a conscious choice.

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

I saw the UK version, haven't been interested in the remake. If you can Netflix or find a way to borrow the original, it is really good. As others have said, the ghost starts out less empowered but becomes very strong and proactive and has a neat wrap up to her first season storyline.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Netflix is a lifesaver! But not a timesaver. ^_^ I'll see if I decide to make time.

[schemingreader.livejournal.com]

In the UK version, she does kick ass. She is a dynamic character and we get to see a lot of her. She has powers and she is interesting, plus the actress has such a great face to watch.

I think you're right, that the female character should have been scarier, but the werewolf isn't exactly the toughest customer, either. It's still worth a look.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to see people saying the show has merit! It renews my faith in television. ^_^

[pgmoonshine.livejournal.com]

My personal opinion is one of agreement - it was probably a knee jerk sexist decision, because I saw no particular thought delved into in the writing. She's still a pretty cool character, very charming, the actress plays her well and if they had to deny her active powers at least most people can't touch her if she doesn't allow it. Because we have a really gross, misogynistic spoiler coming up in episode two (which I'll refrain from describing without permission) which would have been 10x worse if she had been corporeal.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Okay, that's just spoilery enough to intrigue! :D