Television – Page 2 – bigtallwords

Dec 7, 2013Apr 13, 2015

“Be not afraid of greatness.” An Analysis of the Third Season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” These lines are from Twelfth Night, one of Shakespeare’s comedies, which features a subplot where a narcissistic Puritan servant is fooled by a fake letter from his mistress that confesses her deep love for him. Oddly, … Continue reading “Be not afraid of greatness.” An Analysis of the Third Season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Aug 6, 2013Apr 13, 2015

Why Firefly Should be a Videogame

[Originally posted on PopMatters] Now that the summer’s triple A releases have come and gone, it is a good time to reflect on the last few months of big budget games. While Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite, Remember Me, and The Last of Us have all hogged just about every homepage for the last four months—PopMatters’s Moving … Continue reading Why Firefly Should be a Videogame

Jul 24, 2012Apr 13, 2015

Forced Failure and the Undignified Hero

[Originally posted on PopMatters] Games are about agency. They also blur the line between character experience and audience experience. The audience is the main character in a game, and the events of the story impact the audience directly. All that holds immense narrative potential, of course. In a game, then, the hero’s victory is the … Continue reading Forced Failure and the Undignified Hero

Jul 19, 2012Apr 19, 2015

The Dark Ages and the Unromance of Game of Thrones

I have mixed feelings on Game of Thrones. After watching the first season I wavered back and forth before ultimately deciding I liked it. The book was about 600 pages too long and it lacks the flow and coherence of the show, but what George R.R. Martin couldn’t do on his own, HBO managed to … Continue reading The Dark Ages and the Unromance of Game of Thrones

Jul 17, 2012Apr 19, 2015

Cable TV of Thrones: Why Game of Thrones Does Not Work as a Game

[Originally posted on PopMatters] After two seasons on the air, Game of Thrones has captured the hearts of everyone on the internet. The books may have been popular, but it was HBO’s series that made it into the phenomenon that it is. Since the adaptation hit the airwaves it has been ripe for gamification. Games … Continue reading Cable TV of Thrones: Why Game of Thrones Does Not Work as a Game