Post by Jester on Mar 31, 2013 15:17:45 GMT -5
Oh, hi Guys. So here we are, eh? I have reached a milestone I'm actually rather proud of; 100 RU Reviews. I try to review everything that is released. Granted, one or two things have slipped the net. (Orange Squash, I am aware a Sinners episode is out. Gimmie time)
The point is I've read so much work, listened to all your stories, laughed, cried and pondered. And there has been some real stand out moments for me, namely your characters. RU's rouge Galaxy of faces honestly leave me in a state of awe and wonder.
So here's to the fine men and women who you have all created. Here's to their witty one liners, emotional monologues, gorgeous development. Here's to the creations who live off the page for me and become old like old friends. Here's to you guys.
P.S. There will be one final surprise after I reveal who is my number 1 favourite character. Bets are on.
The point is I've read so much work, listened to all your stories, laughed, cried and pondered. And there has been some real stand out moments for me, namely your characters. RU's rouge Galaxy of faces honestly leave me in a state of awe and wonder.
So here's to the fine men and women who you have all created. Here's to their witty one liners, emotional monologues, gorgeous development. Here's to the creations who live off the page for me and become old like old friends. Here's to you guys.
P.S. There will be one final surprise after I reveal who is my number 1 favourite character. Bets are on.
Jester's Top Ten Characters...
10. Sufjan Didiksen of "Oddity"
Mother and Father; Collin Brown
The line, "Don't touch my drink, woman" hit me so hard that I often find myself using it in every day conversation before remembering where it came from. Although, Kenny was perhaps the funnier character of Oddity in was in fact Sufjan with that wonderfully crazy name, and equally wonderfully crazy personality that stood out. This is a kind of guy I'd love to hang around with. He was awkwardly funny and understated, and Collin wrote him with fine nuance. I miss Oddity
.
9. The Magician of "Real Fantasy"
Mother and Father; Dwain Walmsley
I didn't know how to take The Magician at first. I must be honest. He came waltzing in with his meta laced dialogue, pointing out every awkward beat in the atmosphere between characters and just generally being a pain in the ass. But then of course, Dwain Walmlslely (I've decided you have too many l's in your name) gave us the 9.5/10 wonder that was Real Fantasy 2.04 "The Magician". In this delightful self contained episode The Magician as a character just shone. But so did some of his inner desires, albeit without you ever having to say so. He just wants to be a hero. He just wants to be respected and loved. Later episodes explored the wonderfully dark relationship he has with his father. This is the man who killed his mother, but rather than turning his back on the man, who clearly has mental health issues, he does what any good son does and tries to look after the guy. It honestly brought a new found level of emotion, depth and respect to the character. I even shed a tear at his apparent death.
8. Henry of "Indefinitely Delayed"
Mother and Father; Dale Murrell
Henry has become someone I hold quite dear to my heart. I find it absolutely tragic that this man is finally becoming a good guy after his death. Henry lived the life of a hedonist. A life I admire and envy. But seeing how this has had an effect on the people around him brings the earth shattering reality that Henry's lifestyle made him a bad person. He's wonderfully smart and witty, someone again who I wouldn't be able to help myself and admire. But his darker deeper problems which are finally being to surface as he faces his death are pretty powerful. Slowly and masterfully Dale is showing us how Henry is working to become a better human being before he can have the chance to rest in the afterlife, and I personally find Henry's journey poignant and heart breaking.
7. Ash of "Eden Rising"
Mother and Father; John Oddo
I still recall Ash's entrance as this inaccessible moody teenager wrapped around his girlfriend Becky (?). It's odd to think that a character I originally thought was poorly written rapidly developed into one of the top characters on the site. Ash's real selling point is he isn't overly emotional despite the huge losses he has suffered. The poor lad bottles his feelings up. Ash has a maturity which actually saddens me. There's no time to be a teenager for this lad, in a world full of bad folk and Zombies. He lost all his family and his flashback centric in season 1 remains one of the best character episodes I've ever read. Ash succeeds as a character because his loss has made him honest. He doesn't dress up his words. He has a good heart and a smart head on his shoulders and despite the horror that has been done to him, such as the General rape, he hasn't lost his soul. Perhaps he bordered on losing it. I recall the hollow Ash of the season 1 finale. But you then revealed something shocking about Ash which deepened him as a character; Ash believes in God. Wonderful reveal, wonderful moment, wonderfully tragic character. I wish him a happy ending.
6. Jordan of "Pulse"
Mother and Father; Dale Clarke
Jordan makes Pulse. I couldn't put it simpler. If you took this star of a character out of the show then I must admit I wouldn't enjoy it. What's interesting about Jordan however, is that as an audience we've gotten to know him at his weakest. Jordan isn't well, in fact more than once we've seen him close to death. But still his spirit and stubborn determination to protect the one's he loves shine through. He is a hero in every sense of the word. He takes a beating to protect the ones he loves. He defies The Centre. The moment which solidified him as a trooper for me was the two hander scenes of episode 5 (?). Jordan not only displayed his usual dry wit and burning passion, but also a lot of the arrogance I love him for. On top of that, he was frickin' smart! He presented a great complex moral argument with Xavier but it never once felt out of character. His usual smarmy wit and stubborn attitude functioned as a backbone to his debate and it was expertly written. Terrific character.
5. Matthew of "Goosebumps"
Mother and Father; Steven Herrera
To put it simply, Matthew melted my heart. Season one showed a boy, a simple boy, with a burning passion for all the wonderfully geeky things I could imagine. I think Matthew clicked so well with me because I see a lot of myself in him. Firstly, if I find an interest in something then I must know everything about it. It becomes a burning passion, so much so that thinking about said thing makes my eyes water. Matthew is the same. His passion for the things he loves is palpable. To this day I will never get over the fact that the most important thing in his life was getting the high score in a game. Just how amazing, right? Matthew captures everything that is right about preteen life. His character in season 1 sits just before he comes strolling into puberty and it's such an innocent time. Matthew is charming without realising it, and caring, oh so caring. The way he took Marlene under his arm- look, this is just a good kid. He's bloody stubborn too, in that kind of Harry Potter sense, only far less annoying. He stood up to evil, the weight of the world on this young man's shoulders, and he didn't disappoint. No, Matthew in fact matured in a lot of senses. I feel a great sadness to his character in season 2. It's almost as if he knows the best years of his life are being spent protecting people who will never even know he's there. Matthew is a born hero. He should be chasing girls, mucking around in the playground, playing an XBOX, learning guitar, but instead he's sacrificed it all to save the world.
4. Cassandra Tate of "Real Fantasy"
Mother and Father; Dwain Walmsley
Of all the big baddies on RU, this is the mother of em. If I'm perfectly honest, not many distinctive RU villains spring to mind. Originally this special was going to be a Heroes and Villains countdown, but I simply couldn't recall many villains who have had much of an impact on me. But then of course, there is Miss Cassandra Tate, the cherry of the Real Fantasy cake. What makes Cassandra so special is her growing ambiguity. The "is she/ isn't she" status she played for so long didn't just mind fuck the characters, but that of the audience too. And that is what was so important about her as a character; we never knew what side she was on. Her charming exterior, and her wonderfully referring to everyone as; "dear" hid who she really was. But a dark smirk here, or a questionable decision there (such as giving her own son to the mad Doctor for a time) hinted at something evil. However, her shining moment was her villainous reveal during the Real Fantasy musical episode. She stole the show with her solo number, recalling the classic witches of Disney. It was sublime. Cassandra is the queen of the baddies, and I'm so invested in seeing what she has in store for our Heroes come the finale. P.S- every time I sip on a cuppa tea, I think of her.
3. P.J. of "Eden Rising"
Mother and Father; John Oddo
Yes, another Eden character. P.J. stands out for one big reason; he's subtle. Johno hasn't always been the most subtle writer (he's working on it, I assure you) but this is one character he has simply aced. Much like Ash I wasn't sure how to take P.J. at first. But it's been P.J's character arc which has won me over. It's one of my favourite arcs on the show. P.J. was this little awkward boy who had lost the one thing he loved most in the world; his mother. Of course the real tragedy is he was the cause of his own mothers death, something he interesting buries deep within him. To top that off he had a distinct lack of a father figure in his life. I think this has made P.J. self dependant. His relationship with Manila started out as an uneasy alliance, but unspoken love has blossomed between them two, which I commend you for. P.J's loses have left him emotionally reserved, much like Ash, which I appreciate. He has really grown as a character, coming to accept and trust the friends/ family around him, and even his obvious growing feelings towards Darla. I think P.J. is so important because his arc feels completely subconscious. I don't think John actively set out to develop him this way, as P.J.s development is powerfully unstated and almost silent. But that's the magic of being a storyteller. I often think the power of the subconscious is equal to that of the conscious when you're a writer. Oh, and of course, he has that wonderful touch of the lucky sock.
2. Marlene of "Goosebumps"
Mother and Father; Steven Herrera
I look down at my notes for this special. Each character has a list of points I want to make. Marlene simply has a love heart under her name. To put it simply, this character featured the most beautiful character circle ever. Why a circle and not an Arc? Because ultimately Marlene couldn't change. There was something so powerful about Marlene that I had to paint my own happy ending for her in my head. She was beautiful. She rolls up into town as a badass little girl cursed with immortality, forever to remain a little girl. To me, she was the reverse of Matthew Barber, the other side of that coin (funny, because I feel Matthew is heading in the same direction as Marlene). She was a character dedicated to her sense of duty. Her father was less of a father and more of a boss. But then came along a boy. A kind curious boy who showed Marlene a different world; a kid's world. Suddenly the doom and gloom evaporated and Marlene started to giggle. Yes, giggle. This stone hard character was learning what it was like to be an average kid. And by God, it was beautiful. Her love triangle with Matthew and Zoebeth was beautifully written and bittersweet. We all knew Matthew and Zoebeth were destined. Poor Marlene; monster slayer by night yet so innocent in the realms of romance. In the end she lost her father and her mentor, and by God it hurt to see her having to be so brave. Ultimately, despite her new found friendships and love which had pulled her ribs apart and let the sun inside, Marlene had to leave. Ultimately, she did not fit in. Ultimately Sam, She was the most beautiful outcast I've ever known and I miss her dearly.
1. Wade of "The Canvas"
Mother and Father; Dale Murrell
So here we are. My number one favourite character on this site. To me, Wade is Dale's greatest Opus. He is a fully realised and fleshed out character, but also a deeply flawed person. Wade has an addictive personality. It's not something that's ever said in The Canvas but something we learn over the course of the book. As a little boy Wade saw something magical which changed him forever. He saw a wrestling match. We can all relate, right? I recall being six years of age and seeing Close Encounters of the Third Kind. That film changed my life. From that moment on I knew I had to be a storyteller. To Wade wrestling was something he had to do. But eventually it became an addiction taking over his life in such a drastic way that his own wife became the second most important thing in his life. Wrestling was his drive and passion, and his ultimate goal was to become number 1. The fact he achieved it actually made me cheer out loud (when I read that particular moment). You can't help but understand Wade. Maybe not wrestling, mind you, but we all have dreams, don't we? We all have something we wish to achieve in our life and we won't let anyone stand in our way. This is why Wade is so accessible, because even though we see how self destructive his passion can be we still want him to get it. Wade's dynamic with his family and friends just take him a step further in being such an engaging character. His parents, born of a romantically innocent generation have clearly rubbed off on the rather loyal Wade. Unlike his crude English best friend who enjoys abusing his status, Wade has a humble approach to the Art and a fiery loyalty to it's secrets. Wade is a good human man blinded by The Big Dream.
The Secret Surprise...
Ok, so now I bet you're all wondering why I demanded your attention here, right? Well, it's because I'm proud of you all. I've reached my 100th review, guys. I've read all your stories and tales. They've delighted me, made me think, made me cry. And to say thank you to you Giants of Storytelling, I came up with a little thing. It's not perfect, but it is what it is.
Thank you for all the reviews this week, let's keep em up, boys. Here's to you guys!---
10. Sufjan Didiksen of "Oddity"
Mother and Father; Collin Brown
The line, "Don't touch my drink, woman" hit me so hard that I often find myself using it in every day conversation before remembering where it came from. Although, Kenny was perhaps the funnier character of Oddity in was in fact Sufjan with that wonderfully crazy name, and equally wonderfully crazy personality that stood out. This is a kind of guy I'd love to hang around with. He was awkwardly funny and understated, and Collin wrote him with fine nuance. I miss Oddity
.9. The Magician of "Real Fantasy"
Mother and Father; Dwain Walmsley
I didn't know how to take The Magician at first. I must be honest. He came waltzing in with his meta laced dialogue, pointing out every awkward beat in the atmosphere between characters and just generally being a pain in the ass. But then of course, Dwain Walmlslely (I've decided you have too many l's in your name) gave us the 9.5/10 wonder that was Real Fantasy 2.04 "The Magician". In this delightful self contained episode The Magician as a character just shone. But so did some of his inner desires, albeit without you ever having to say so. He just wants to be a hero. He just wants to be respected and loved.
Later episodes explored the wonderfully dark relationship he has with his father. This is the man who killed his mother, but rather than turning his back on the man, who clearly has mental health issues, he does what any good son does and tries to look after the guy. It honestly brought a new found level of emotion, depth and respect to the character. I even shed a tear at his apparent death. 8. Henry of "Indefinitely Delayed"
Mother and Father; Dale Murrell
Henry has become someone I hold quite dear to my heart. I find it absolutely tragic that this man is finally becoming a good guy after his death. Henry lived the life of a hedonist. A life I admire and envy. But seeing how this has had an effect on the people around him brings the earth shattering reality that Henry's lifestyle made him a bad person. He's wonderfully smart and witty, someone again who I wouldn't be able to help myself and admire. But his darker deeper problems which are finally being to surface as he faces his death are pretty powerful. Slowly and masterfully Dale is showing us how Henry is working to become a better human being before he can have the chance to rest in the afterlife, and I personally find Henry's journey poignant and heart breaking.
7. Ash of "Eden Rising"
Mother and Father; John Oddo
I still recall Ash's entrance as this inaccessible moody teenager wrapped around his girlfriend Becky (?). It's odd to think that a character I originally thought was poorly written rapidly developed into one of the top characters on the site. Ash's real selling point is he isn't overly emotional despite the huge losses he has suffered. The poor lad bottles his feelings up. Ash has a maturity which actually saddens me. There's no time to be a teenager for this lad, in a world full of bad folk and Zombies. He lost all his family and his flashback centric in season 1 remains one of the best character episodes I've ever read. Ash succeeds as a character because his loss has made him honest. He doesn't dress up his words. He has a good heart and a smart head on his shoulders and despite the horror that has been done to him, such as the General rape, he hasn't lost his soul. Perhaps he bordered on losing it. I recall the hollow Ash of the season 1 finale. But you then revealed something shocking about Ash which deepened him as a character; Ash believes in God. Wonderful reveal, wonderful moment, wonderfully tragic character. I wish him a happy ending.
6. Jordan of "Pulse"
Mother and Father; Dale Clarke
Jordan makes Pulse. I couldn't put it simpler. If you took this star of a character out of the show then I must admit I wouldn't enjoy it. What's interesting about Jordan however, is that as an audience we've gotten to know him at his weakest. Jordan isn't well, in fact more than once we've seen him close to death. But still his spirit and stubborn determination to protect the one's he loves shine through. He is a hero in every sense of the word. He takes a beating to protect the ones he loves. He defies The Centre. The moment which solidified him as a trooper for me was the two hander scenes of episode 5 (?). Jordan not only displayed his usual dry wit and burning passion, but also a lot of the arrogance I love him for. On top of that, he was frickin' smart! He presented a great complex moral argument with Xavier but it never once felt out of character. His usual smarmy wit and stubborn attitude functioned as a backbone to his debate and it was expertly written. Terrific character.
5. Matthew of "Goosebumps"
Mother and Father; Steven Herrera
To put it simply, Matthew melted my heart. Season one showed a boy, a simple boy, with a burning passion for all the wonderfully geeky things I could imagine. I think Matthew clicked so well with me because I see a lot of myself in him. Firstly, if I find an interest in something then I must know everything about it. It becomes a burning passion, so much so that thinking about said thing makes my eyes water. Matthew is the same. His passion for the things he loves is palpable. To this day I will never get over the fact that the most important thing in his life was getting the high score in a game. Just how amazing, right? Matthew captures everything that is right about preteen life. His character in season 1 sits just before he comes strolling into puberty and it's such an innocent time. Matthew is charming without realising it, and caring, oh so caring. The way he took Marlene under his arm- look, this is just a good kid. He's bloody stubborn too, in that kind of Harry Potter sense, only far less annoying. He stood up to evil, the weight of the world on this young man's shoulders, and he didn't disappoint. No, Matthew in fact matured in a lot of senses. I feel a great sadness to his character in season 2. It's almost as if he knows the best years of his life are being spent protecting people who will never even know he's there. Matthew is a born hero. He should be chasing girls, mucking around in the playground, playing an XBOX, learning guitar, but instead he's sacrificed it all to save the world.
4. Cassandra Tate of "Real Fantasy"
Mother and Father; Dwain Walmsley
Of all the big baddies on RU, this is the mother of em. If I'm perfectly honest, not many distinctive RU villains spring to mind. Originally this special was going to be a Heroes and Villains countdown, but I simply couldn't recall many villains who have had much of an impact on me. But then of course, there is Miss Cassandra Tate, the cherry of the Real Fantasy cake. What makes Cassandra so special is her growing ambiguity. The "is she/ isn't she" status she played for so long didn't just mind fuck the characters, but that of the audience too. And that is what was so important about her as a character; we never knew what side she was on. Her charming exterior, and her wonderfully referring to everyone as; "dear" hid who she really was. But a dark smirk here, or a questionable decision there (such as giving her own son to the mad Doctor for a time) hinted at something evil. However, her shining moment was her villainous reveal during the Real Fantasy musical episode. She stole the show with her solo number, recalling the classic witches of Disney. It was sublime. Cassandra is the queen of the baddies, and I'm so invested in seeing what she has in store for our Heroes come the finale. P.S- every time I sip on a cuppa tea, I think of her.
3. P.J. of "Eden Rising"
Mother and Father; John Oddo
Yes, another Eden character. P.J. stands out for one big reason; he's subtle. Johno hasn't always been the most subtle writer (he's working on it, I assure you) but this is one character he has simply aced. Much like Ash I wasn't sure how to take P.J. at first. But it's been P.J's character arc which has won me over. It's one of my favourite arcs on the show. P.J. was this little awkward boy who had lost the one thing he loved most in the world; his mother. Of course the real tragedy is he was the cause of his own mothers death, something he interesting buries deep within him. To top that off he had a distinct lack of a father figure in his life. I think this has made P.J. self dependant. His relationship with Manila started out as an uneasy alliance, but unspoken love has blossomed between them two, which I commend you for. P.J's loses have left him emotionally reserved, much like Ash, which I appreciate. He has really grown as a character, coming to accept and trust the friends/ family around him, and even his obvious growing feelings towards Darla. I think P.J. is so important because his arc feels completely subconscious. I don't think John actively set out to develop him this way, as P.J.s development is powerfully unstated and almost silent. But that's the magic of being a storyteller. I often think the power of the subconscious is equal to that of the conscious when you're a writer. Oh, and of course, he has that wonderful touch of the lucky sock.
2. Marlene of "Goosebumps"
Mother and Father; Steven Herrera
I look down at my notes for this special. Each character has a list of points I want to make. Marlene simply has a love heart under her name. To put it simply, this character featured the most beautiful character circle ever. Why a circle and not an Arc? Because ultimately Marlene couldn't change. There was something so powerful about Marlene that I had to paint my own happy ending for her in my head. She was beautiful. She rolls up into town as a badass little girl cursed with immortality, forever to remain a little girl. To me, she was the reverse of Matthew Barber, the other side of that coin (funny, because I feel Matthew is heading in the same direction as Marlene). She was a character dedicated to her sense of duty. Her father was less of a father and more of a boss. But then came along a boy. A kind curious boy who showed Marlene a different world; a kid's world. Suddenly the doom and gloom evaporated and Marlene started to giggle. Yes, giggle. This stone hard character was learning what it was like to be an average kid. And by God, it was beautiful. Her love triangle with Matthew and Zoebeth was beautifully written and bittersweet. We all knew Matthew and Zoebeth were destined. Poor Marlene; monster slayer by night yet so innocent in the realms of romance. In the end she lost her father and her mentor, and by God it hurt to see her having to be so brave. Ultimately, despite her new found friendships and love which had pulled her ribs apart and let the sun inside, Marlene had to leave. Ultimately, she did not fit in. Ultimately Sam, She was the most beautiful outcast I've ever known and I miss her dearly.
1. Wade of "The Canvas"
Mother and Father; Dale Murrell
So here we are. My number one favourite character on this site. To me, Wade is Dale's greatest Opus. He is a fully realised and fleshed out character, but also a deeply flawed person. Wade has an addictive personality. It's not something that's ever said in The Canvas but something we learn over the course of the book. As a little boy Wade saw something magical which changed him forever. He saw a wrestling match. We can all relate, right? I recall being six years of age and seeing Close Encounters of the Third Kind. That film changed my life. From that moment on I knew I had to be a storyteller. To Wade wrestling was something he had to do. But eventually it became an addiction taking over his life in such a drastic way that his own wife became the second most important thing in his life. Wrestling was his drive and passion, and his ultimate goal was to become number 1. The fact he achieved it actually made me cheer out loud (when I read that particular moment). You can't help but understand Wade. Maybe not wrestling, mind you, but we all have dreams, don't we? We all have something we wish to achieve in our life and we won't let anyone stand in our way. This is why Wade is so accessible, because even though we see how self destructive his passion can be we still want him to get it. Wade's dynamic with his family and friends just take him a step further in being such an engaging character. His parents, born of a romantically innocent generation have clearly rubbed off on the rather loyal Wade. Unlike his crude English best friend who enjoys abusing his status, Wade has a humble approach to the Art and a fiery loyalty to it's secrets. Wade is a good human man blinded by The Big Dream.
The Secret Surprise...
Ok, so now I bet you're all wondering why I demanded your attention here, right? Well, it's because I'm proud of you all. I've reached my 100th review, guys. I've read all your stories and tales. They've delighted me, made me think, made me cry. And to say thank you to you Giants of Storytelling, I came up with a little thing. It's not perfect, but it is what it is.
Thank you for all the reviews this week, let's keep em up, boys. Here's to you guys!---
OH, I DON'T KNOWWW
But! Why does it say "Mother and Father; Dale Clark" I dunno what that means? :/