Thinking About The No One Is Safe Cast

Today’s lifetrack, Cinderella Man: Turtle.

I actually have NO IDEA what this movie is about (something to do with boxing and obviously starring Russell Crowe since he’s on the cover), but I love the score by Thomas Newman.  It’s very Irish and energizing.  I could use some energizing as all I wanted to do was SLEEEEEEEP this morning.  I woke up, fed the dogs, and went back to bed.

I’m a bit behind on Revision Hell.  Didn’t get around to ANY yesterday as I got caught up in the last of Season 3 of Downton Abbey.  OMG.  CUT MY HEART OUT, why don’t you?  I still have the Christmas Special to go, and I am TERRIFIED of what they’re going to do because they have SO CLEARLY proven themselves to be a No One Is Safe cast (Episode 5: STABBITY STABBITY).

As a romance lover, I really freaking HATE stories told with a No One Is Safe cast.  This is, as the name implies, a cast wherein anybody can be killed off.  Master Joss is famous for them (I still haven’t forgiven you for Wash–:gives the evil eye:).  And certainly they can be immeasurably POWERFUL as a means of wringing emotion out of the reader/watcher.  I have…some tolerance for them.  Sidekicks, okay.  Mentors (hello Obiwan), okay.  But because of my deep rooted love of romance, there are two groups that should never be touched IMO.  You never ever kill off the love interest (GLARES AT JOSS AND NICHOLAS SPARKS) and you never kill the animal.  SCREW the greatest sacrifice for love.  They can be gravely wounded and shown in epilogue after major surgery recovering.  BUT YOU DON’T KILL THE DOG OR THE LOVE INTEREST.  I read for entertainment and for the happily ever after that doesn’t always happen in real life.  You take that away from me, and I get MAD.  Ergo, a lot of what’s on TV makes me angry these days.

After the disappointment of the end of Hell on Wheels Season 2, once I finish this, I am in need of some COMEDY.  I’m doing layout at work right now, so I usually have something up on my second monitor while I drag and tweak.  It’s one of the rare occasions when I watch stuff without hubby.  Trying to decide what else needs to get added to my list that he isn’t interested in.

Anyway, how do YOU feel about the No One Is Safe cast?  Is all fair in the name of story?  Or are you on my team and want your happy?

7 thoughts on “Thinking About The No One Is Safe Cast

  1. Kinda depends. I respect both methods, and sometimes I want one, sometimes the other.

    This is something I’m having to deal with now, because I’m writing book 3 in a series and just realized I’m dealing with a “No One Is Safe” cast. Kinda late for me to be realizing it—I killed a lot of people in the previous two—but it’s only now sinking in.

  2. To be honest I haven’t seen or read too much of No One Is Safe. Diana Gabaldon came very very close in Fiery Cross when I thought Roger had died.
    I am, however, envious of your closed door office. If I could watch stuff on my second monitor while working, I wouldn’t have such an insane list (150+ links at least) of interviews/webcasts/TED talks/etc to Watch Later.

  3. I won’t say that I like or don’t like the No One Is Safe cast. It certainly doesn’t carry the shock of “I can’t believe they killed off a main part of the cast!” like it used to. The only thing I care about, is how the death enhances story. Because if it changes nothing, THEN I get pissed.

    The other thing that goes through my head is the story being told is the one the writer feels most passionate about. I’m sure Joss could easily write stories where the romantic interests never die, but would it be as good? Maybe. The guy is super talented, but I kinda think the result would lack, at least some of, the emotional power his writing is known for. The amount of awesome stories he’s mined from Whedoning his characters is amazing. (The only one that made no sense to me was Xander/Anya. Even though it wasn’t a death, I didn’t get it.)

    Anyway, I guess my point is, I’d rather read/watch the story the writer most wants to tell rather than what I want to see. It’s the best possible chance of getting an awesome story even though losing characters I love hurts.

  4. I despise the no one is safe idea. The book/show/movie will have to be dang good to keep me going after a dirty move like this. It can be done well though. The character’s arch can shift and eventually I may even think it was worth it. However, usually it just seems like a cheap shock and awe tactic and I get disappointed. It seems like the writer took an easy way to build tension and conflict.

    I’ll be giving Downton Abbey one more chance, begrudgingly. 🙂

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