Just plain cheap thrills

[Taig]

done. you have my word

[curiousGeorge]

done. you have my word

Concur. I'm sure the Handmaiden will behave also (unless provoked). She and her Key have been know to have some very civil and interesting discussions given the right venue...

OK, if we are to assume the pairings are not appropriate I guess that begs the question of why the writers have included them in the storyline. My cynical nature leads me to believe this is to shore up ratings in advance of the impended KM launch by catering to the LCD.

I think the phorumites here, especially the ace puzzle solvers, have more intelligence than to be fooled into this old ploy. But the thing is, I don't think the LG audience IS the LCD, By and large, most of the phans are bright and deserve better than this.

[robtomorrow]

OK, if we are to assume the pairings are not appropriate I guess that begs the question of why the writers have included them in the storyline. My cynical nature leads me to believe this is to shore up ratings in advance of the impended KM launch by catering to the LCD.

I think the phorumites here, especially the ace puzzle solvers, have more intelligence than to be fooled into this old ploy. But the thing is, I don't think the LG audience IS the LCD, By and large, most of the phans are bright and deserve better than this.

I have given up any attempt to find any logic at all in the developments of the story, including as you suggested CG "to shore up ratings in advance of the impended KM launch by catering to the LCD".

My own opinion is that it is just a extension of the formula that they have been employing of seeding the videos with pink herrings that fuel speculation on the forum, the old tricks weren't working any more, so what better way to fuel speculation on the forum that sex. And at least the first time with Jonas and Bree it worked, they played their Ace and won the hand, the second time with Daniel and Sarah it fell flat. Why? Because they had already played their Ace.

[trainer101]

Leave it to Dani to put so eloquently what so many of us "old folks" could not get into a descriptive sentence much less a few good paragraphs. Maybe our reaction goes deeper though...

Speaking for myself, part of the issue is a certain loss of innocence. Not just Bree and her cohorts - but for us as well. We came to expect the good guys to act one way and the bad guys to act another. The good guys were innocent and maybe a little naive in their actions. The bad guys were dark and mysterious.

Dark vs. Light used to be clear. Innocence vs. Iniquity was sharply defined.

First it was Bree/CiW - we could enjoy being a part of both. With Bree we experienced the light frivolity of innocence. With CiW we ventured into the Dark Side.

Then came OpAphid - the internalizations were very similar and we could separate them in our individual psyches.

Now the line has been blurred - the innocence is gone. Puppylove has been replaced by overt sexuality. The good guys and the bad guys have virtually exchanged personas in relation to how we originally perceived our characters.

Or maybe I just over analyze everything.

[curiousGeorge]

A very thoughtful post giving your (canon admittedly) current door status Trainer. I'm also glad you were able to contribute instead of just having to keep an keen mod eye on the usual suspects.

I think what hits home the most in her post was the suddenness of this thematic change to the characters. I could see Bree and Joan falling in lust and having a teen angst driven torrid affair, but instead these implications (and I still believe this to be the right term) of their hooking up was just too out of left-field.

I love complex and dynamic characters, but here we have neither. I don't buy the brainwashed deal either, I felt it was just as out of character for Joan to do this as it was for Bree.

Innocence lost is OK, but it should be a little (no, a lot) more developed than it has been.

[trainer101]

No doubt. Sleeping with Jonas seems so far removed from the kind of action our Bree would take - regardless of the situation. What strikes me is the sharp decline in the number of posts in the recent video threads compared with the turnout for a good vs. evil dramatization or the old school silly Bree vids. Are folks just speechless at the recent stream of blatant sexuality?

[Danielle]

No doubt. Sleeping with Jonas seems so far removed from the kind of action our Bree would take - regardless of the situation. What strikes me is the sharp decline in the number of posts in the recent video threads compared with the turnout for a good vs. evil dramatization or the old school silly Bree vids. Are folks just speechless at the recent stream of blatant sexuality?

Bree is the kind of girl that would think she wanted sex, but when she started to act upon it... it would fall apart. They'd kiss, she'd start crying, things would get weird, etc. etc.

But sleeping with Jonas? And it was kind of, anticlimactic in the end. I've decided the purity bond must have been for control, all the same Bree did not understand this concept! Why was there not a blog from Bree, thinking that she had escaped them? Then continuing one from Jonas, feeling quite used. Instead, Bree peaces and Jonas gets picked on for losing his virginity? That's it?

Okay, so in the world of the teenage virginity seems like a huge deal up until it's gone. There should have been more discussion about it, if they were to take the story in such a direction. Why was Bree not confused about why the stars didn't move and the earth didn't shift? Why was Jonas so freaking angry and not a little bit bashful, and dare I say proud? None of this makes sense.

They threw away an event that could have been used for much greater story conflicts. They wasted the vcard, a regret tooooo many young ladies and gents have.

The whole character of Daniel is hard to even reflect on these days, I'm so lost with this guy. Bashful swooning young teenager to confident and swaggering young man? Awkward adolescent to alcoholic? That whole storyline pissed me off too. I'm sorry, but since when does getting drunk 2 or 3 times qualify you for alcoholism? So he got sharpied, happens to the best of teens. My fondest prom memory was sharpying my best friend's valedictorian ass. Daniel was a more believable character when he was less wordly and more suburban dork.

Sarah is still believable to me however, but she's a shallow character. I'm bored now.

Taylor, it seems, the Creators have no idea what to do with. Is she Bree 2.0 or not? Lets go with not. The troll video was visually entertaining, but from a storyline point of view... it made me go "wtf is Taylor bipolar?"

All I'm saying is, Spencer Gilman better be sooooo real at this point.

[uber_cast]

actually the sex talk hasn't annoyed me at all. In fact I hardly pay that much attention to. Okay the whole Sarah and Danile thing is kind of annoying but I honestly don't think there is that much of an over kill on it. As a teenager I see more drama (relationship wise) in the five minute passing periods between classes then I do on LG15. It seemed like only a matter of time for me.

[ApotheosisAZ]

Sarah's character seems like the type who would shout "FFFFFIIIIIRRRRRSSSSSTTTTT!!!!!!!"

Bree seems a probable candidate for a simple, quiet "meep."

I am assuming Jonas can truly hang in there for the TKO, and that Daniel is actually some sort of beast.

[curiousGeorge]

My own opinion is that it is just a extension of the formula that they have been employing of seeding the videos with pink herrings that fuel speculation on the forum, the old tricks weren't working any more, so what better way to fuel speculation on the forum that sex. And at least the first time with Jonas and Bree it worked, they played their Ace and won the hand, the second time with Daniel and Sarah it fell flat. Why? Because they had already played their Ace.

Spot on Rob. I think this also supports Trainer's observations that phorum comments are down. I'm overtly suspicious of the YT ratings systems, but would like to seem some kind of data as to how these recent vids are performing there. It would not surprise me at all if the most salacious ones have higher view counts, but is this sustainable?

As to why they might be down, I think it is simple. This kind of overt sexuality based drama can be had on just about every satellite TV channel out there. It' not new, it's not exciting, it doesn't even come close to the much ballyhooed "new art form". It's trite and boring and plus just doesn't make any sense.

Some were attracted to this thing by the characterizations (that would be me), some for the puzzles and ARG, but I doubt that many were first attracted because they wanted to see the same old cliched storylines.

Again, the meta seems to wreak havoc with the plot and the characters.

[Lola]

Suggestion....

Hire Danielle as writer/creative consultant.

[curiousGeorge]

Suggestion....

Hire Danielle as writer/creative consultant.

I am encouraged by the latest offering, Mesh directed it and I am hoping he can try and bring back some of the nuance to the storyline that Taig's original post addresses. More engaging characters, less gratuitous sex.

Jackson has turned into a pretty good actor, but poor Yousef appears to have had to portray nine different characters. As for Jess and what they have done to Bree, grrrrr.

The average phorumite deserves better.

[Opladybug]

Real quick MHO: the characters can have all the sex they want as long as I don't get a 2 minute vlog about it in place of real plot development.

[tigerlilylynn]

Suggestion....

Hire Danielle as writer/creative consultant.

I second the motion. Let's put it to a vote!

I'm not bothered by the sexuality. The way they are manhandeling it however...

As per usual, what you scribble onto an outline does not equal a completed script. This show is the anti-Lost. On Lost they have a clear endpoint and know, at least roughly, how they plan on getting there. This show has a no idea where it's going or when it's ending. I'm guessing it's when the cashcow collapses under its own weight.

"But why are you watching?" Same reason I sat thru seasons 6 and 7 of Buffy. Joss Whedon's dialog was excellent even if he and Marti took storytelling to new lows. Not to mention Marti's character assassination of Willow...still bitter. (which reminds me. Sarah = Faith, with a side of Bree turning into Dawn. Discuss.)

[Danielle]

Suggestion....

Hire Danielle as writer/creative consultant.

I thank you with many 'lol's and ":D"s for that.

As to what curiousGeorge said about what elements attracted what, I'm the first to admit that Bree made me want to punch her in the face when I first started watching. Not because she was fake, but because I am that girl that would have pulled her hair and accused her of sleeping with the science teacher. What brought me her was the publicity, what kept me here was the mystery and now... what?

I've accepted that the ARG content is never going to be as strong as when LG15 & OpAphid were one entity. But I will also say that I do throughly enjoy charactization and this story telling medium. LG15 the world is watching you. LG15 represents this new medium and sets the standards, its a difficult thing but it is the reality. The best vlogs was when there still was the awkwardness of talking to a webcam, vblogging with natural and not overkilled edits, and believable relationship and personal development.

My favourite side of Bree was the side that the majority of the forums hated... the mean, grieving, confused and angry Bree that was shown to us shortly after her father passed. Many were geinuinly upset at Bree's actions and temper, calling to bring back old Bree. But thats the thing, the change actually made people emotionally respond to it. Not because it felt awkward or abnormal, but because we were watching a friend deal with pain in a destructive and hurtful manner. We were actually concerned for her.

Now what? Bree has sex with Jonas and the community is more so confused than outraged. Bree's disregard for Jonas' feelings in this case doesn't make us mad at Bree's character, but mad at her writers. Too much assumptious writing has taken place, and I'm not just saying recently. I just think that now the months of sloppy charactization is now finally starting to be glaringly apparent.