08-20-2014, 01:02 PM
The thing is, I'm not opposed to romance per se; it's just that not EVERYTHING has to be about romance. If I want romance and relationships, I'd rather read a novel or watch an hour-long drama like Downton Abbey, not a sitcom.
And shows CAN incorporate themes of romance/dating/relationships without letting it take over everything. Frasier Crane had a different girlfriend in practically every episode, it seems like, but the most important relationship on that show was between the two brothers, or between the brothers and their father. (I'm not big on Niles/Daphne becoming an actual thing, but that's another conversation.)
I'm not always opposed to the addition of new characters, either, although I tend to be very skeptical of it. It's fine that Ed Helms was added to the cast of The Office in the third season, for example. New characters should fit seamlessly; they shouldn't disrupt the show's whole premise and format.
A character whose sole purpose is to come into an established group and "shake things up" is a textbook Mary Sue. A and B are textbook Mary Sues.
Anyway, I'm rambling...
What's hardest to swallow about the newer episodes is the inconsistency of tone:
poop joke..."serious" moment with everyone crying and hugging...poop joke.
It's jarring.
And shows CAN incorporate themes of romance/dating/relationships without letting it take over everything. Frasier Crane had a different girlfriend in practically every episode, it seems like, but the most important relationship on that show was between the two brothers, or between the brothers and their father. (I'm not big on Niles/Daphne becoming an actual thing, but that's another conversation.)
I'm not always opposed to the addition of new characters, either, although I tend to be very skeptical of it. It's fine that Ed Helms was added to the cast of The Office in the third season, for example. New characters should fit seamlessly; they shouldn't disrupt the show's whole premise and format.
A character whose sole purpose is to come into an established group and "shake things up" is a textbook Mary Sue. A and B are textbook Mary Sues.
Anyway, I'm rambling...
What's hardest to swallow about the newer episodes is the inconsistency of tone:
poop joke..."serious" moment with everyone crying and hugging...poop joke.
It's jarring.