(no subject)

[seriousfic]

So The Dresden Files gells a bit more on the second disk, although there's still plenty of head-scratching moments (for instance, Harry's amazing disappearing, reappearing girlfriend and a ZOMG! powerful dark wizard/necromancer who uses her power to... commit insurance fraud. Keep in mind, this is a woman we see able to brainwash people and BRING THEM BACK FROM THE DEAD. Insurance fraud. Yeah). I think I've figured out where the plainly idiotic "magic is secret, don't tell anyone you're a wizard Harry Dresden, Wizard For Hire" aspect comes from. In the books, an important part of the Harry's character is that he's a bit of a chauvinist, which comes out when dealing with tough-as-nails female cop Murphy. He's completely overprotective of her, which leads to him keeping her in the dark until he gets slapped in the face with her low-hangers (metaphorically speaking) to the point of realizing she's a badass and taking her along on his vamp-killing raids.

Now, this both makes Harry three-dimensional and flawed, so obviously it has to go because TV audiences don't go for characters with flaws. So in the TV series, the High Council doesn't allow him to tell anyone about magic, so it's not that he's sexist, he just can't tell Murphy about his job. This, unfortunately, makes him more boring, everyone else more stupid, and the entire affair more generic and interchangeable, like one of those syndicated Saturday afternoon fantasy shows that popped up in the wake of Xena and Hercules.

Speaking of which, anyone heard that they're making a TV series out of Terry "gang rape is democracy in action" Goodkind's books? Sam Raimi is adapting it. That sounds just cracktastic enough to be watchable.

Comments

[lurkslikefox.livejournal.com]

I think in the books he isn't supposed to tell anyone about magic either. I just think he ignores the White Council more because they don't actually show up with such regularity.

I do like the TV show, and I think it would have got even better given time. But it did irritate me a little that they white-washed Harry's 'tragic past' to such a great extent. I guess you haven't watched that far yet, so I won't spoil it.

[runa27.livejournal.com]

IIRC, the older wizards on the Council don't like the idea of wizards like Harry openly practicing in front of the mundanes since they traditionally hide, what with the not wanting to get burned at the stake and all, but they don't actually go out of their way to do much about Harry advertising in the phone book to make a living because really, most people have either A.) dealt with the supernatural anyway, thus making it pointless to hide THAT much from them, or B.) got a habit of thinking people like Harry are kooks/frauds/whathaveyou. ;)