Sentinels, on-screen chemistry and why casting/writers ... ergh.

You know, For once I'd like to see it so that if the guest person of the week is female, they *don't* try to have the male lead interested in her. Because the Sentinel ep I just watched? Actress was pretty good, very convincing as the DA or whatever she was, but then they tried to have her and Jim to have a bit of interest. No. Chemistry. Whatosever. I was whimpering 'please, god, no'. Fortunately, they broke that off very quickly when she got pissed off with him for possibly screwing up the case due to him seeing things no jury would accept - 200 yards away and able to ID someone clearly. Plus the end bit where she said just friends and he said hopefully "But friends with potential, right?" you just shook your head sadly. Him and Blair have chemistry. So far it's just friends/exasperation chemistry, but it's conceivable. All I ask is that before trying to run with a romance/love interest storyline, could they please screen-test the actors together? Your average viewer can instantly tell if a couple has chemistry. Otherwise, just have the story go along sans romance without painful wincing from the viewers. Maybe you could even make a point of how there's no chemistry whatsoever. Because it'd be a better story and better to watch. If this means the lead character has no on-screen relationships for ages, so be it. Better to watch them concentrate on the story all season than some half-baked romance plot. Most of these shows are supposed to be action, not romance. If you're absolutely desparate to show your character has a sex life, a few lines will do. "How did that date with whatserface go?" "Was okay. Seeing her next week." or "Fuck, I had a date tonight. No chance now..." Lois and Clark - The New Adventures of Superman had a quite good thing going with Perry's wife Alice, where she was mentioned normally once an episode in a throwaway comment by Perry. Even showed him going through divorce without her ever showing up on screen.

Even actors that have chemistry with nearly every cast member and half the inanimate objects on screen (Michael Rosenbaum, please step forward) can have a barrier at times. Some actors have chemistry with the characters they're not supposed to and bugger all with the characters the writers want. Lana and Clark have no chemistry whatsoever. Lana and Whitney was understandable as a relationship, and it worked the way the writers wrote it. Lana and Chloe have chemistry. Sometimes a real-life couple can just fizzle with a damp squib on screen.

Okay, so maybe you can't always luck out and get characters/actors that have frightening chemistry all the time. They can't all be Ben Browder and Claudia Black, who you watch from a safe distance in case fires are started. But maybe we can explain to writers that it'd be just as satisfying to have, say, Wesley and Virginia's chemistry from Angel S2, where it was believable that they'd have sex and then start dating for a bit. All I ask is that you do a bit of casting to check that your intended characters work. If the person you've brought in for one ep doesn't work as love interest, drop the bloody love interest angle and come at the story a different way.

Oh, and the 50 cent interview they just had? I'm never going near that bloke. You hear all the rap lot trying to talk the talk, but this bloke just sounds like a hard bastard you never want to go near. Talking about violence, the fact he never takes off his bullet-proof vest due to several people who still don't like him... meep.

dolores is eviiiiillllllllll.

Okay, so dol, in a silly mood, (there's a big surprise) posted a list in his lj of things to do :

(4) Start letter-writing campaign to get Nathan Lane as a guest star on Angel as the Host's uncle.

I only meant to agree that this was a good idea. It kind of... mutated.

Beware. Several references to The Birdcage.

( Say hello to Uncle Nathan. )