Most Clever

[kriadydragon]

So I've come to the realization that I'm a huge sucker for cleverness - stories and shows where the characters come up with clever ways to get the bad guys and/or save the day - because all the shows I absolutely adore have some form of cleverness. White Collar, The A Team (oh, gosh, movie, come out on DVD all ready! Please!), Dr. Who, SGA. I think it's why I've become so insistent, when making fic requests, that Sheppard is not portrayed as less than intelligent. As much as I love his dorky side I love his clever/intelligent side even more (try to talk me out of Math!Sheppard and there will be war. Oh yes, there will be war). And it irks me something fierce when someone tries to portray him as incompetent and bumbling not so much for humorous in-the-moment purposes but because they really think he's incompetent and bumbling.

I'm even starting to get into Leverage, because cleverness plus humor plus bad guys getting their comeuppance due to said cleverness is my happy place like nothing else.

Comments

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

My friend was here visiting and she is a huge fan of Leverage and talked me into watching an episode. I was mildly interested given the production company moved lock stock and barrel to Portland to shoot the series, even though it is suppose to be set in Boston ***go figure***
I really enjoyed it. I must confess my favorite character from that one episode was Eliot...........

Finally, you already know how I feel about Sheppard depicted as a dufus, incompetent, whatever demeans him.
I have known too many military pilots to ever believe that. They are quirky
and fun, but there is nothing dufus about them.....and it burns me up to see him depicted that way. He is not, nor will he ever be incompetent, dufus or stupid. It is either deliberate or it is because the writer hasn't a clue what it takes to be a military pilot........and I want to just say
"why not find out before you not only make a fool out of him, but yourself in writing such fiction, no pun intended.........??"

(Reply to this)

[tinypenny.livejournal.com]

My favorite character is Parker! Leverage is such a great show! I love how they don't show you everything until the very end.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I'm not really into Leverage just yet but it's growing on me. I love the hacker dude (still don't know everyone's names, yet).

I know team!Dork tends to be popular but sometimes it feels like that's all we get. I enjoy Sheppard's dorky side but not to the point where it feels like he's being written more as a bumbling idiot. I also think it's why I have a problem when someone writes McKay calling Sheppard idiot or moron. Number one because we never hear McKay actually call him that, ever, on the show. Why? IMO because McKay knows Sheppard is smart, respects that about him, and because he respects that about him knows better than to call Sheppard said names. Also, number two, because no way do I see Sheppard putting up with that. The man does have his limits.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

I don't like, nor will I ever like, that depiction especially where he is demeaned to make someone else look good.........
Sorry, it does not wash for me.
He is obviously fun loving, but that does not mean he is stupid, incompetent, or a dufus.
It does not compute for me.
You are entirely right about Sheppard drawing the line. He is that kind of person. We witnessed that in Trinity..........he drew the line when in the aftermath McKay just seemed to think that it was business as usual.
Ah, that would be a no, so why would he let anyone make him out to be
something less than he is.
As I stated before, like the pilots I knew, he is fun loving, but there is serious side to him and it does not involve mindless moron.

[tinypenny.livejournal.com]

May I also suggest Eureka and The Glades. Both are smart, funny, and a good watch. I adore White Collar (I can NOT believe the ending!), Doctor Who (David Tennant will always be my Doctor) and of course SGA.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I've watched both Eureka and the Glades but haven't been able to get into them. White Collar has become my "must see" show right up there with DW and SGA. It's rare for me to really get into a show the way I've gotten into the above mentioned. Second to them is The Mentalist and Psych. I'm also really getting into Haven (though more for the mystery aspect than the cleverness).

[tinypenny.livejournal.com]

I just started watching Psych and I love it! I love how Shawn gives Gus a new name just about every episode! I read the Stephen King book Haven is supposedly based on, and I don't see it...but I still like the show. I want to know more about Nathan!

[crashbarrier.livejournal.com]

Leverage is very good.. :) I have only seen on eepsiode so far i didn't like. And that was because their depiction of uk-london was inaccurate, tired, cliche'd and didn't do them any favours. But you can't have everything right:D...

have you seen "the Sting"? a brilliant con movie.. I am getting into Burn Notice of late because of the intelligent writing thing:D

I know how you feel about the "stupids" thing. It particularly annoys me when people are professionally stupid, i.e. they suddenly become incredibly ignorant of a situation they deal with on a professional basis. or even worse they just blatantly "forget" who they are to shoehorn plot..or in a series you just get something happenign which has no correllation to the established character. it's lazy writing.. and painful to watch/read :/

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

One of these days I will see The Sting. We actually have it but it's on video... somewhere, and our VCR doesn't work :/ Burn Notice is another I tried but couldn't get into. I like the concept, the action and how they are able to get the bad guys but... I don't know, it just can't seem to hold me.

[crashbarrier.livejournal.com]

I did skip the first Episode.. and sort of dived straight into the series so perhaps that helped a bit:)

Have you seen "Sherlock" yet? done by Moffat and Gatiss (Dr Who writer producers) for BBC. that is my next enthuse.

[mmneely932.livejournal.com]

Leverage, The Glades, Burn Notice, Dark Blue, I love them all. I used to watch Psych, but it got kind of silly I thought.
I'm with you on taking characters and dumbing them down. One of my favorite shows has done with a character that was at one time a good "bad guy". The Closer has made the commander, sorry I can't remember his name, but he's the black commander, an almost comedic figure. Early on in the series he was an interesting antagonist for Brenda, now he's sad.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Psych has been getting a bit too silly. This season as been pretty funny, but Shawn doesn't seem quite as clever as he used to be. If anything it seems like he's less mature than how he used to be in season one. I still love the show, though :D

Yeah, Nathan is interesting. I can't wait to see where their going with him.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes to cleverness. Give me tricksy characters, I will give you my heart. I love it when characters think things out and come up with plans and are competent and intelligent.

Leverage is cool, though I can't quite get into it. Mostly because I like tension, and the team never actually gets stuck... for the most part, it's all part of the plan, and we rarely see them at an actual loss and trying to figure things out. I don't mind when part of the trick in on me as viewer, but it gets a mite formulaic after a while. Also, Nate rubs me the wrong way. I continue because Elliot, Hardison, and Parker are so much fun. Don't get me wrong, I like the show, and it fits my tastes better by a long shot than much of what is on television, but it's not a must-see for me.

I think I might have to start a personal campaign for intelligent dorks. Put to one extreme or another, I feel alienated from the character, but a mix of the two is wonderful. It's what I liked about canonical characterizations in SGA, because all of them had a dorky side, and everyone had a really awesome, intelligent, capable side. I think it's far more realistic that way. Direct contradiction of canon is one of my pet peeves – outside of Alternate Universes, obviously – and incompetent and bumbling is at the top of the list. It seems to me that a lot of the times a character's traits get exaggerated, not only in fan-created works but over time in some series... this being one of the things that is throwing me off about Psych lately.

Sorry if I am a bit disjointed and rambling; it's quite late here.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Leverage is cool, though I can't quite get into it. Mostly because I like tension, and the team never actually gets stuck... for the most part, it's all part of the plan, and we rarely see them at an actual loss and trying to figure things out.

That could be why it hasn't completely grabbed me, yet. I like it as a fun show, but like you prefer a mix if fun with a touch of tension. That's what I like about White Collar, it's overall fun, but there are moments when they end up backed into a corner and you don't know what will happen next. Not everything goes quite according to plan, which keeps things from getting predictable. Oh, and mustn't forget the angst, just the right amount to keep my angst!love satisfied without going ridiculously overboard :D

Really, it's all about balance, and the shows I love I also love because they have good balance - not too much of one thing, not to much of the other.

SGA, I think, really kicked butte in creating a great balance of intelligence and dorky/geeky-ness. What I absolutely adore about the show is that Sheppard isn't the typical, stoic, perfect hero who relies more on brawn that brains. He has a geek side, a nerd side, and he uses it. In fat, he ends up solving more problems using his head than he does using just a gun or a few Kung Fu moves.

And ditto on character traits getting exaggerated. It what bugs me about fic, sometimes, when certain character traits end up so favored above all the others that it's all we get. Sheppard downplaying his injuries to the point of escaping the infirmary because he's bored, yet is still so injured he can hardly move, for example. I used to tolerate the trope but now can't stand it.

this being one of the things that is throwing me off about Psych lately.

Yeah, I've been noticing this as well and it's starting to bother me. I still love the show, but I wish they would stop pushing Sean's immaturity as it's making him too much of a bumbler. The guy's supposed to be smarter than that, dang it!

[(Anonymous)]

White Collar is good, precisely because it does appeal to me with its mix of humor and drama. That mix seems to be the deciding factor about which shows I really enjoy.

Stargate did flub it a couple of times (nothing's perfect...) but they did do a great job with characterization that was mostly subtle and interesting. I remember how much my respect for the show climbed when I realized that Ronon was by far the most tactile of the characters, much more willing to give hugs than the rest – that the tough guy was not testosterone-soaked and butch all the time, but rather a genuine person who thought about more than fighting. Same goes for Sheppard being intelligent and socially awkward, really, but I remember the Ronon thing striking me. I like it when characters go against type. Clichés (not to be redundant) get so tired, so it's fun to see them shaken up, and I think it creates much more engaging character dynamics. Also, geeks and nerds are really cool.

I agree completely about the hospital-escape trope. Mostly because it always bothers me when characters downplay weaknesses, especially when it inadvertently endangers everyone with them or relying on them, with no good explanation given. If there's a reason, then sure, but if it's just to avoid showing weakness...? It gets taken to an illogical extreme.

Poor Psych. I started watching it when it was in its third season and I was so proud because it actually seemed to be giving Shawn character development (oh so rare in straight comedies, and one of the reasons I don't usually enjoy them as much as mixy shows) by making him slowly mature and yet still be funny. Lately, though, I think you can actually see when it's a different writer on an episode, because Shawn's cleverness and maturity both vary greatly. Everything seems to have slid backwards in this season. I still have hope. The show has surprised me by not falling into the expected traps before, and I have my fingers crossed that it will continue to do so.

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

Leverage, Lie to Me, Chuck, Castle, White Collar, Memphis Beat (latest oddball cast :D) love them all!