1x08, "Refining Fire"

[dichroic]

People on this board kept saying that they trust the writers here. My problem reading through it was that I absolutely don't. That is, I trust them to write good stuff. I trust them to use the highest level of craftsmanship they can muster, and I trust that level to be very high indeed. I trust them to make the characters only act in ways that make internal sense, and not to leave holes in their logic.

But I *don't* trust them to give their people happy endings, especially given that two of the four authors have a particular penchant for torturing the characters they love best. And so the rescue, for me, was in doubt all the way to the last page.

Talk about your nailbiters....

[Carnadine]

There's always one character in a story series that I dislike.  In Criminal Minds it's Elle.  In Harry Potter it was Ron Weasley.  In Firefly it was Kaylee....

Cal hates all my favorites. *g*

Mine too.  How can anyone not like Kaylee? 

[Elizabeth Bear]

Mine too.  How can anyone not like Kaylee? 

Dude. I *am* Kaylee. Except not nearly so competent.

Drat it, digressing again. Um. Back on topic!

But I *don't* trust them to give their people happy endings, especially given that two of the four authors have a particular penchant for torturing the characters they love best. And so the rescue, for me, was in doubt all the way to the last page.

Attention is love, right? And writers pay attention by sticking pins in people... no, not literally.

Anyway, we totally promise not to kill anybody...

...over the hiatus.

[Carnadine]

Attention is love, right? And writers pay attention by sticking pins in people... no, not literally.

Anyway, we totally promise not to kill anybody...

...over the hiatus.

Well, that's a relief.   

At least you won't be doing a Harry Turtledove on us.  Killing off favorite characters in the gap between series is not nice.

[nebula]

I read the whole finale in one sitting this morning and read it fast for the plot. I will need to go back and read it slower for all the other stuff later - but for now, well done to all of you for creating this wonderful world.

I've liked Falkner from the start, but I love her even more now and I really did think Todd might not make it.

I don't often dream about fandom stuff (my only Criminal Minds dreams involved discussing my wallpaper with Spencer Reid and having Hotch mend my computer . . . ) but while I was away and the finale was unfolding, I had a couple of very vivid Shadow Unit dreams. I blame a combination of tricksy authors and Amaretto  . . . .

[Bunny M]

Killing off favorite characters in the gap between series is not nice.

Killing off characters in between books is much more than not nice. It's fundamentally disrespectful of the readers and the story, IMO.

But then again, I have, on occasion, been accused of notable forthrightness in my opinions. 

[Edit:] Of course, being a lifelong comic reader, I'm also exceedingly suspicions when a writer tells me a character is dead but didn't show the death. Didn't happen 'on-screen'? Didn't happen.

[ValMarie]

And Daphne posts on her own LJ...

Very non-descript...less info than showed up in response to Anne's LJ but that's understandable.

[CJ]

It'll be more of a relief when Chaz posts!  A friend of mine just posted a recipe (for pierogi) that made me think of Chaz.  It was less scientific, but still funny and very personal in the methodology, rather than a standard list of ingredients and simple instructions.  That style will always make me think of Chaz, now, especially his "failure modes". 

I know they can't realistically say much in the LJs, and Chaz wouldn't want details out in public, but darn it, I keep wanting to know how he's doing!  And the rest of the team, in the aftermath of all of that! 

[iblori58]

But I *don't* trust them to give their people happy endings

Yep, that's where I was, too.  But then if we all trusted them to give us happy endings, we wouldn't be in such a hurry to read the episodes, just in case.

Anyway, we totally promise not to kill anybody...
...over the hiatus.

Well, at least not in this series! LOL

[haycorn]

Cal hates all my favorites. *g*

Mine too.  How can anyone not like Kaylee? 

Phew, because that was the second Kaylee-hate mention I've seen here and I was starting to think that I was the only Kaylee-lover here!

There's just something about a girl who can be all sweetness and light and still talk about her vibrator.

(edited for spelling and because I should read all the comments before commenting myself)

[Joe Sherry]

People on this boar kept saying that they trust the writers here. My problem reading through it was that I absolutely don't. That is, I trust them to write good stuff. I trust them to use the highest level of craftsmanship they can muster, and I trust that level to be very high indeed. I trust them to make the characters only act in ways that make internal sense, and not to leave holes in their logic.

But I *don't* trust them to give their people happy endings, especially given that two of the four authors have a particular penchant for torturing the characters they love best. And so the rescue, for me, was in doubt all the way to the last page.

Talk about your nailbiters....

Me, too. 

When I started reading Shadow Unit it was because I trusted Bear (not having read the other authors).  Not to do nice by the characters, but to do exactly what you've said. 

But I don't *want* to trust the writers to make rainbows shoot out of Chaz's ass at the end of the story (actually....).  I want to trust the writers to tell the story they did, no matter how brutal. 


And I'm really confused by anyone hating Kaylee. 

[sleary]

I hated the way Kaylee was portrayed in the movie because all her layers were gone and she was just... horny. I didn't like feeling that she was just being played for laughs. But all that is because she was one of my favorite characters in the show.

Oh, yes, topic. Ahem. I soooooo do not trust the authors. Bear, in particular, has killed off my favorite character in two of her books now. *eyes Bear distrustfully*

[will shetterly]

There's always one character in a story series that I dislike.  In Criminal Minds it's Elle.  In Harry Potter it was Ron Weasley.  In Firefly it was Kaylee....

Cal hates all my favorites. *g*

Mine too.  How can anyone not like Kaylee? 

Sigh. Want more Firefly. Yes on the Kaylee-love.

I only read a few of the Harry Potter books, but I think my least favorite character there was Harry Potter. I would've much rather read about Ron and Hermione. (Hmm. We could do a thread on sidekicks and minor characters who are more interesting than the stars...)

[elsie]

And Daphne posts on her own LJ...

Very non-descript...less info than showed up in response to Anne's LJ but that's understandable.

You know, I keep thinking about how Chaz is in Johns Hopkins, and how that's just a few minutes away from where I live, and ...

THUNK!  Oh right, fourth wall.  How could I forget?   

[CJ]

And Daphne posts on her own LJ...

Very non-descript...less info than showed up in response to Anne's LJ but that's understandable.

You know, I keep thinking about how Chaz is in Johns Hopkins, and how that's just a few minutes away from where I live, and ...

THUNK!  Oh right, fourth wall.  How could I forget?   

I'm nowhere near there, or I'd be doing the same!  And I keep debating asking if funds are an issue.  Though I probably would be debating the same thing if it was any other internet friend in the hospital.  So confusing!