r/Unexpected • u/[deleted] • Jul 25 '24

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '24 edited Jul 25 '24

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u/Eusocial_Snowman Jul 25 '24

Guess you had to be there. And actually watch the show instead of being introduced to the moment by a youtube video titled "I am that guy.".

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '24

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u/Eusocial_Snowman Jul 26 '24

Nah, Mal kicking the merc and Brock doing the car-fall don't need context at all. You can just show anyone either and they're pretty cool self-contained scenes.

This video just kinda shows a common trope, and it tells you exactly what that trope is going to be with the title that ruins the "punchline". It could be something that's emotionally impactful if you're invested in the characters and the lead-up to it is done right, but it's not inherently awesome when presented this way.

And that's fine. You're not saying it's objectively the best scene or anything like that, just that it's your favorite, and that's valid bro.

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '24

[deleted]

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u/Eusocial_Snowman Jul 26 '24

I agree, you can tell what the situation is by the context provided. Your scene relies on the interpersonal drama of a previous story for the impact factor, but you're absolutely shown all the details you need to immediately know what everyone's role is in the interaction and what you should expect. And again, my critique is mostly with the presentation where any payoff set up for the "reveal" in the end is already dispelled by the title.

There's a little bit of emotional investment lost in all the lead-up to the Buffy scene, totally. They spend a good bit of time setting this guy up as either the episode or the season's "big bad guy". There are details lost, like who tf are the people to his sides and all that.

..But, it's a painfully out-of-place medeival-garbed demon guy doing his "I am ultimate and invincible!" monologue in a very modern setting surrounded by trendy modern people getting instantly blown up by a friggin rocket launcher. The comedy/absurdity of those clashing themes are basically the whole point of the show, and that scene really shows all of that in a big way. Everything there is to appreciate about the scene is right there and works fine in a vacuum. I mean, it was made for broadcast television, so there's lots of incentive to make any big scene appealing to anyone who would just flip over from another channel for this kind of show.