norwich36 | Smallville

So, season 9. I have to confess, I'm not entirely sure I'm going to be watching. This is not precisely due to the perceived direction of the season (I've read a few spoilers, though not that many); I think it's more a combination of (a) the show moving to Friday nights and (b) my sense of disconnection from the fandom.

Probably the Friday night factor is definitive. What little social life I have takes place on Friday nights, and I know from past experience I'm really *bad* about keeping up with shows I have to tape. (I'm about 4 episodes behind on Merlin, and 3 on Leverage, for example--and at a certain point I don't have a lot of motive to keep up, because the fannish conversation has moved on).

And it was the fannish conversation that kept me in SV long after the first great out-migration, and even after the second. Hell, I *became* active when everyone was leaving, back in season 4, and I have reviewed every single episode since season 5 on. But last year I noticed I was really out of step with a lot of my former SV conversation partners, and I was avoiding their reviews to stop myself from getting into stupid character wars or taking character criticisms personally (and I assume the reverse was also happening, since the comments on my own reviews went way down). So I just don't know what's going to happen this season. I'm not going to say I'm going to stop reviewing altogether. I know better to make that sort of grand pronouncement; it basically ensures I would renege on it a week later. But I know myself, and if I am avoiding people's reviews to avoid conflict, I'm not going to have an incentive to keep up with the show when I'm not watching it live, so I'm expecting a slow fade as the season progresses. Just FYI.

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Aw, that's too bad. I had some great conversations about the show with you last year, and I almost always agreed with everything you had to say, haha. I understand about fandom wars and Friday nights, though. I hope you'll find the incentive to get back into reviewing SV, because you'll have at least one person who loves them. :)

(And hey, since I'm going to be following SPN as it airs this year, at least we'll have that in common.)

Well, who knows. I might end up loving this season so much that I laugh that I ever posted this. But whether or not that happens, I'll definitely be writing about SPN. (I'm SO EXCITED about the premiere tomorrow).

You'll be a big loss to the SV fandom.

That's sweet of you to say! I won't be vanishing entirely; I suspect if anything it will be a slow fade.

I do love your SV reviews, but I understand why you might want to move on. I will be listening if you change your mind.

Thanks! As I was saying to someone above, you never know about these things--maybe I'll love s9 so much I won't be able to help but write about it. I'll certainly review the first episode or two, anyway.

Que sera and all that!

Awwww! *hugs* I do know what you mean and yeah, personally I stopped commenting in your journal a bit so as not to be disagreeing too much. I miss the days when you and I were back and forthing all the time on the show. (I blame the show not us, for drifting apart on perspective! :p) I will miss you around SV, I know, but I totally understand the need to be upfront on maybe not being able to keep up that watching routine as we used to. I'm unsure how I'm placed with S9. I was almost bailing on the show in S8 and yet now I'm all excited again (it's Tom, let's face it! I miss that man!). Cat and I were going to try saving up blocks of episodes rather than doing the week by week dance... but I don't know if I'll have the patience seeing as there's really no other TV I'm into now.

I miss it too--I think part of the problem was that although I enjoyed last season on a superficial level, I really wasn't feeling the desire to do much analysis. We should definitely blame the show (and possibly the loss of Almiles)for that.

I could, of course, get excited again (especially if they spend a lot of time on Clois); it's just this afternoon I thought about the upcoming season of Smallville and all of a sudden it seemed like a burdensome chore rather than something I was looking forward to. But I am largely unspoiled, and hopefully that will turn out to be wrong.

What few spoilers I have (shock!) have been good. But I put nothing past the creative team... they may well find new lows. :p I mourn the old days when there was visual metaphor. Sigh. The new team have no control of their visual universe. Since that was always the focus of my analysis I'm pretty low-key about it too... might have to flag that in a post myself really.

Yeah, that has been a change I definitely haven't enjoyed. (That's a great icon, btw!)

Maybe the key is low expectations--then I can only be pleasantly surprised if things are better than I anticipate?

I'm going to miss you -- I loved your SV reviews.

But I can take comfort that we can still squee about a whole load of other shows. :)

Thank you. And yes, there are definitely a lot of shows we can still bond over, even if we no longer have Smallville in common.

But last year I noticed I was really out of step with a lot of my former SV conversation partners, and I was avoiding their reviews to stop myself from getting into stupid character wars or taking character criticisms personally

I know what you mean...I'm still planning on following the show, but a lot of the time I feel like most of the people I started watching with have moved on to new shows, so I always end up feeling really out of place. I miss the days of Clex fandom when there were literally dozens of reviews I could read and nod along with *sighs*

Yeah. It's weird, because I read tons of reviews in SPN that make me gnash my teeth or think the reviewer just is completely misguided in their interpretation of a character or a plot point or whatever, but I don't take it *personally*--even though I do feel extremely invested in that show now--but similar criticism in SV just rubs me raw sometimes. Maybe it's just my extreme aversion to being drawn into character wars; I didn't even think it was possible, but the character wars in SV have become even *more* polarized in the last couple years, and it just makes me very tired. Like anything I say could inadvertantly become fuel for another round of "my favorite character is great, your favorite character sucks."

I didn't even think it was possible, but the character wars in SV have become even *more* polarized in the last couple years, and it just makes me very tired.

:nods: I ended up quite liking Lois after season 8, but of course that was the time when the Chloe hate got really extreme, so people are still being divided into loving one character and hating the other :/

And it's funny because I *love* SPN and have got really into the show lately, but I don't feel a part of that fandom at all. Buffy fandom was the first on-line fandom I was very involved with, then SV fandom. I just can't seem to find my niche in other fandoms in the same way...

Yeah, I don't really feel like I'm *in* SPN fandom; I just talk to people on my flist who happen to be into the show.

I only got into lj SV S7, but I've always enjoyed reading your ep reviews since, even if our views weren't necessarily always similar.

If the season does surprise you pleasantly though - I look forward to you sharing your thoughts on the show again. As you said, it could happen - after all, SV is rather unpredictable in this sense, heh.

Thank you. And you're right--many seasons I thought would completely suck turned out to be fabulous, so I probably shouldn't make predictions before the season starts.

i did that slow fade thing two seasons ago. sorry you're not finding as much pleasure in it as you used to.

Ah, well, it happens, right? You obviously survived, so I'm sure I will as well.

Smallville

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