This week ushered in the end of the first season of "The Talented" , and I can finally make a complete evaluation of the show.
Back then, like many others, I was amazed by the good quality of the first episode, and happily complimented it ( new drama review! "The Talented" S1E1: not quite like the comic book "manga drama" " )... However, watching the drama is similar to the object of the relationship to a certain extent: no matter how good the first impression is, it is not everything .
There are indeed many advantages to the show, but there are also many shortcomings.
The power and beauty of the "X-Men" theme
Ignore the X-Men halo on the head of "The Talented", first of all, it is a work mainly based on superpowers, and at least it has a unique design that touches the audience. From this point of view, the show's " "Highlight Moments" appear frequently.
For example, after "Polaris" Lorna was arrested and imprisoned, she put on a collar, took off her clothes, and washed off her hair dye in the shower. The scene is full of seductive beauty inside and out .
In just a few seconds, Lorna took off her disguise and revealed her stubborn self, not to mention the benefits ... Absolutely worth it.
In addition, Lorna asked Marcus "the first thing to do for fun after discovering the ability ", which resulted in the aurora phenomenon of solar discharge in the magnetosphere, and the two kissed .
This is my favorite shot on the show (without one) because it's full of beauty and love that honors the human imagination.
In terms of action scenes, the play is also often eye-catching. For example, for the first time, Lauren and Andy combined their abilities to participate in the rescue operation, showing the charm of "fitness skills" .
And with the war between the super powers, and is the main selling point of the show's highlights.
This has been reflected in many missions, such as a scene in which Reed and others were supported to get rid of the siege, that is, Lorna and Lauren first carried the flying truck to rush through the blockade, and then Wes created an illusion to hide the route.
Wes is still a new character, and the ability to "learn and use now" is quite fresh.
In addition to escaping, the combined technique is also reflected in frontal combat. The scene where Marcus, Clarice and John join forces to subdue the spy Chloe is the most representative.
"Fighting", "Blink", and "Thunderbird" work together, and it will definitely remind you of the scenes in "X-Men: Days of Future Past".
At the same time, as the main setting of the show, Lauren and Andy join hands to release the powerful power of the Straker family heritage, which is also quite pleasing to the eye.
Whether it's slow motion, flowing hair, or full of highlights and beauty, in short, it can be seen that a lot of work has been done ...
Not to mention the Foster (Cuckoo) triplets, they were originally not bad looking, they looked the same but there were some differences. In addition, after the three played together, they still read minds, hinted and bewitched. , murder and other evil things, many people probably eat this set.
There are some similar settings and bridges, but not too many.
barely grasped main thread
In hindsight, the plot of "The Gifted" is not complicated. It can be called a straightforward narrative. After one problem is solved, the next problem follows... So it is not difficult to tell the story smoothly, but it is extremely difficult to tell the story well.
The Strucker family found the mutant underground organization to prepare to escape, but Caitlin and two children hid in the base, and Reed was arrested. The first big suspense was whether Reed would betray the mutants for his wife and children.
Of course, after looking at the world from a different perspective, Reed's value judgments became more ambiguous, and his "discovery of conscience" brought him an opportunity to be accepted later.
Contrary to Reed's morality, the mutant underground organization began to do whatever it took to rescue her companions -Sonia had John's heart, tampered with Clarice's consciousness to stimulate her to open the portal, and then a series of problems occurred. The main characters of the set clash.
Although the subsequent contradictions and conflicts are not very good, but fortunately there is no too bloody love triangle plot, which is not successful.
After Lorna and Reed were rescued, Lorna, who suffered from bipolar disorder and became pregnant, began to become more aggressive. In order to find out the truth of "Pulse" Gus being controlled, Lorna took the lead and kidnapped Agent Turner.
From this period, the hatred and conflict between the two sides continued to escalate. Sonia used her ability to force a confession but it was self-defeating, which made Turner taste the pain of losing her daughter again. Under the old hatred, he opened up to the long-planned Dr. Campbell. the door.
Campbell was originally engaged in research and manipulation experiments on mutants, and the cooperation with Turner can be said to be what they want.
And with the intervention of Campbell's Strucker Company, the mutant underground organization also noticed a historical problem, which led to Reed's trip to visit his father.
The meeting with Otto officially revealed the special genes of the ancestors of the Strucker family. Now, Lauren and Andy have inherited the abilities of their great-grandfathers.
Like an NPC, Otto sacrificed himself to cover Reed and John after explaining the information. On the other hand, the incident of the mutant underground group encountering spies made everyone have to focus on Campbell's laboratory and the "Hound Project" .
However, the target was heavily defended, and there were serious disagreements about whether to break through.
Under the repeated operation of Esmed, the group began to think of the laboratory, but their actions were caught off guard by the experienced Turner... Then, Campbell got the coveted Strucker brothers and sisters.
In the tenth episode before the winter break, the plot finally ushered in a wave of climax. The landmark event was that Campbell shot Sonya in order to coerce Lauren and Andy to shake hands.
Previously, Campbell was almost killed by Otto. At this moment, he murdered in public to achieve his goal, which further pushed the relationship between the two sides to a bloody confrontation.
Through the study of the Struckers, Campbell found a way to combine the abilities of the mutants.
Therefore, when Turner came to him to ask for someone later, Campbell would easily let them go-this behavior just led to the reunion of the three sisters, Esme, Sophie, and Phoebe, and they started to kill.
Dozens of people were killed and injured, and Turner, who had just been transformed, re-entered Campbell's arms, and saw the infinite possibilities of combining mutant abilities through actual combat.
In fact, only a few people, such as Dr. Campbell and the three Foster sisters, have the perpetual hatred between ordinary humans and mutants; Turner and the mutant underground organization and many more people have always been antagonistic and always at the same time. keep the bottom line...
But under the conspiracy and coercion of the former, the cracks in which the latter could seek common ground while reserving differences are getting deeper and deeper.
As a result, the unbearable Lorna killed Campbell, Montez and everyone on the plane, and Turner officially got rid of the constraints of the Sentinel Secret Service.
In fact, after the advent of new technology, the murder of the doctor who developed the technology and the racially biased senator will not change the situation, it will only add fuel to the fire... So Lorna's behavior is not so much a "fix for the sheep", it is better to say It's the "Declaration of War".
By the end, the mutants were officially split into two camps: one is the hawks who have gathered some powerful mutants and are ready to absorb more of the same kind to form the "Hellfire Club"; the other is the mutant underground. A loose group dominated by the organization, a dovish group that wants to behave in a different way.
Lorna and Marcus are separated, and Andy is separated from his family.
And no matter how many "deliberate" elements are in the final split, this ending finally brings the story to an end, retains enough suspense, and completes the basic task.
A mess of branches
Compared with movies, the biggest advantages of episodes are the duration and capacity, which can greatly improve the level and richness of narrative expression in the story. "The Gifted" exemplifies (part of) this strength, but it doesn't avoid some of the show's woes.
Take "the daily life of the mutant underground organization" as an example, to put it bluntly, they are just a charity organization that walks into a gray area and spontaneously organizes humanitarian assistance to the persecuted mutants. Except for a few core members who gather mutants, they Normal life is actually quite...boring.
It is still necessary to properly show this kind of life, but the episodes have a little more space in this regard, which will cause a feeling of "boring" to the audience and reduce the fun of watching.
In other words, when the play tells the main story, there are too many wonderful side plots and additional small actions. The part where Marcus goes to help his old friend Carmen to save Lorna is a typical part. Endless design.
We know that this episode is meant to show Marcos' hesitation and struggle, but he fought with Lorna at the head of the bed, and Carmen asked him for help twice before letting go "generously". "Trash time".
There is also Caitlin's part. She suddenly changed from a law-abiding ordinary person to a fugitive. The changes and choices before and after should have been interesting, but more of the time she just played a good wife and mother, nurse and teacher.
As a member of the protagonist's family, Caitlin's image and role are a little weaker than the other three ... and this relatively simple role is also a bit of a waste of "Sister Gen".
In addition, Lorna's swaying and hesitating before and after are also three points behind - in fact, the amount of space spent on this character is already very large, but the special character of "North Star" is destined for her to take on more of this drama. value, responsibility.
Therefore, Lorna's final performance is still a little confusing. This leads to the next question.
"Flat" characters
Frankly speaking, it is more difficult to make the characters very full in the comics (the Punisher a while ago was considered an anomaly) , after all, there are other gimmicks in the setting, this kind of bonus item that tests the basic skills is not Strengths.
It can be seen that "Unusually Talented" still wants to work hard in this area, but the results are still not ideal.
Take Marcos as an example, he is a very typical "prodigal son" in the play. He used to be a thug in the drug cartel. He was a cynical person. He didn't reinvent himself until he joined the mutant underground organization, and even did a little bit of violation. Everything is extra cautious.
To a certain extent, he is the hard-working "nanny" in this organization.
What is commendable is that after so many things, Marcus can still maintain the original intention of "correcting when he knows his mistakes", making his character as radiant as his ability.
When the Struckers felt ostracized and distrusted and prepared to leave, Marcus was the only mutant who made it clear he wanted them to stay.
Invisibly, Marcus has turned into a bridge between mutants and ordinary humans. This kind of atmosphere and sincere mind is the basis for great things.
At a time when other leaders are increasingly inclined to radical choices, it is Marcos who is constantly reminding everyone of the importance of the bottom line of principles.
When Lorna's temperament changed, John was shaken, and Clarice was speechless, Marcus was the safety switch that prevented the mutant underground from getting out of control.
Even so, Marcus couldn't stop his lover from leaving...
Personally, I think Marcus is one of the few characters in the show who shows pure quality - but he still has an awkward "stained time" with Carmen.
Another character with twists and turns and repeated transformations is Turner, who lost his daughter Grace in the "7.15 Incident" and is obsessed with hunting down mutants.
Due to the unforgettable pain once again experienced by the disturbed consciousness, Turner's hatred for mutants began to develop from "dedicated" to "infatuation".
Therefore, it is reasonable for Turner to act in disregard of the law and to anger his boss.
Because the content of "private hatred" has been further improved and purified .
The next change was triggered by the threats and persuasion of the Reed couple. Turner didn't want to pay attention to the other party, but his wife's questioning aroused the remaining kindness in his heart.
The irony is that these series of changes were carefully designed and guided by Esme, which resulted in a large number of casualties. Turner's kindness that returned to the light instead contributed to the "evil" in his eyes.
When things got out of control in the end, the leaders were eager to find a scapegoat... All kinds of encounters convinced Turner to leave the shackled bureaucracy and pursue a freer hunt.
I think the above two characters are the most successful in shaping the image in the play, but it is still difficult to get rid of the taste of masking and labeling, and other characters can be imagined.
For such a drama that actually doesn't have many "plus points", it's a little regrettable.
Key clues for the future
As an American drama with the theme of "X-Men Multiverse", "Unusually Talented" is still remarkable in the burying and use of clues.
It is basically certain that the predecessor of the "mutant underground organization" was the X-Men . Thunderbirds, Jiaoshi and others all inherited the concept of " fighting with integrity for the equal rights of mutants " of the first-generation X-Men .
It is a pity that they lacked a plan for a long-term struggle and a program to fundamentally change their own situation, and they were reduced to soft persimmons who were bullied by others.
On the other side, after the "terrorist organizations" such as the Mutant Brotherhood and the Mutant Liberation Front were active, a group of stronger and more self-contained mutants set out to rebuild the "Hellfire Club".
Compared with their mild-mannered counterparts, they appear to be too radical and arrogant. Sooner or later, the "freedom and equality" in their mouths will become "mutant supremacy", and then further degenerate into "valuable mutant supremacy", and finally completely out of control .
In addition to the different ideas and confrontations between the two camps, the play has a more important main line: the "purifying serum" developed by Otto Strucker.
This thing that can "solve the problem" once and for all was forgotten for a while in the middle and late stages (a big or small mistake), and it was not mentioned again until the end . Madeleine Reisman , who was close to Otto, became The only clue is the main suspense of the second season .
The ultimate question: how to choose?
In the play, the two brothers and sisters of Strucker show different ideas and pursuits: sister Lauren tends to the mutant underground organization, thinking that they should restrain their desires and carry out conservative and gentle struggles, while younger brother Andy is more and more The more I lean towards the radicals, I feel that mutants should recognize themselves and reality, and their rights must be fought through strength.
Interestingly, when they discovered the supreme power contained in the family genes, the two showed diametrically opposite attitudes towards this power .
After being besieged by the Sentinel Secret Service, the handshake release ability became their only hope of escape. Lauren was still intoxicated by the power shock and proposed to use the fit technique;
Andy, who should have been eager to try, refused his sister's request. He was afraid of this power, and if he really wanted to make a difference, the whole power station would be dead.
Afterwards, the two were arrested, and Lauren "woke up" and agreed that his brother's choice was right, but Andy regretted it and claimed that he should not be indecisive- both of them were shaken for a while, and they strengthened their original beliefs.
This divergence is further amplified in later stories, so Andy's eventual departure is not unexpected.
In fact, the ideas of the two and even the ideas of the two factions have their limitations: the former is too timid, and does not fully understand the truth of "to gain respect from others, we must first respect ourselves", and their series of "stop loss" behaviors are just to promote The soup stops boiling and lacks the courage to draw wages from the bottom of the pot; the latter is too egotistical, and easily loses himself in the pleasure of doing whatever he wants. In the end, he will not only live forever with human beings, but also cannot live in peace with other people of the same kind.
This is very similar to the paradox between "equality and freedom" . Too much emphasis on equality will lose the motivation for reform and progress, and too much emphasis on freedom will infringe and corrode everyone's rights...
As for how to choose? It has been hinted in the play for a long time-Lauren and Andy can achieve a qualitative leap in strength together, and the hand-in-hand progress of the two concepts is the way out for mutants.
Being neither humble nor arrogant is easier said than done, but a great cause is never something that can be accomplished overnight.
To sum up, "The Talented" has the potential to become a masterpiece, but the performance of the first season can only be said to be so-so, I hope the next season can make some progress~
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