How do you watch yours?

General discussion about the nineteen episodes of "My So-Called Life". Note: Our episode guide can be found here.

How do you watch your set?

Poll ended at Dec 8th 2002, 6:03 pm

All at once - marathon session
3
20%
One or two episodes at a time a few days apart
12
80%
One episode a week as per the original schedule
0
No votes
Don't know, don't care, stupid question
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 15

cm
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How do you watch yours?

Post by cm » Dec 1st 2002, 6:03 pm

Hi, I'm adding this in here as the DVD forum is more oriented to the receipt of DVDs and it may kind of annoy those still waiting for theirs for me to ask this question.

Just wondering really if people tend towards the marathon approach to viewing the series or spreading it out over a period of time. I've got about halfway through the series in a fairly short period of time and find that tiredness and lack of concentration causes it to lose some impact, and will probably try and stretch the rest of the episodes across a week or two.

At the end of the day it was maddening and more than a little upsetting when the original series was cut short in its prime, and the quicker I get through them the closer I come to repeating the experience.

When they cancelled the original series the characters we had come to know and love were killed off with the series, and I can feel the same 'connection' to them developing already. Theological question hidden in there - Where do fictional characters go when they die?

Any the poll above is just to get an idea of how you are going to view the set when you get it.

Ta

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Post by Megs » Dec 1st 2002, 7:13 pm

I watched one or two episodes a night until I finished the entire series. It was too much to do a marathon, and I really wanted to appreciate every single thing. I re-watched my favorite episodes a few times already (Self Esteem, In Dreams Begin Responsibilities, and of course, Life of Brian). I really wanted to do a marathon with my sister this past holiday weekend, but we had too much to do, so we just watched the classics. :lol:
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Re: How do you watch yours?

Post by Megs » Dec 1st 2002, 7:15 pm

cm wrote:Theological question hidden in there - Where do fictional characters go when they die?
I like to believe that they live on in my heart and in my imagination. Corny, huh? :oops:
"I have all these dreams where I know exactly what to say. And you tell me, you know, that you forgive me."

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Post by cm » Dec 1st 2002, 7:37 pm

Certain points of view suggest that's the best real people can hope for.

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Re: How do you watch yours?

Post by NIGHTJESSI » Dec 4th 2002, 9:45 am

I've always been a marathon kind of girl and often do that with some of my favorite shows, especially those airing in reruns now throughout the week. I'm famous for watching blocks of five episodes on the weekend to catch up with weekday viewings.

A marathon of my MSCL homemade videotapes from the MTV marathon is what brought me to this board originally, and when I got the DVDs, I had to wait a few days but I was able to do a marathon over two days. Still, I would like to watch the episodes again, maybe one a week and discuss it with all of you. Anyone up for scheduling a regular viewing where we could delve into discussion afterwards?
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Dec 4th 2002, 2:25 pm

I used to do two day marathons with my sister at least once a year (usually summer or Christmas vacation), and I thought I would do the same once I got the DVDs but I surprised myself. Partially due to someone's statement in the DVD forum about savoring each episode rather than plowing through in a short amount of time and partially due to the fact that I am no longer a student and hence no longer have a summer or Christmas vacation when I can stay up until 4am watching MSCL, I have been doing mini marathons squeezed into my Netflix rentals and the rest of my life.

I confess that the first weekend I had the DVDs, I started with Life of Brian because it makes me feel happy. Then I watched the Zit because it's the only episode I didn't have on tape. Those two episodes were viewed on a Friday night, and the next day I started with the Pilot, intending to only watch one episode, but I ended up watching the entire 1st DVD.

Since then I have watched the episodes (in order) sporadically a few episodes at a time up to So-Called Angels. I didn't watch any MSCL over Thanksgiving weekend and I'm not sure why. Maybe because from here on, it's a downward spiral both thematically and emotionally. The storylines get serious and I always get that bitter feeling of dread knowing that the last episode is approaching, partly because the final episode is ambiguous and bittersweet, partly because it means I have come to the end of a journey, partly because I still get angry every time I watch the last episode knowing that it's the last episode due to the stupidity of television executives.

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Post by cm » Dec 4th 2002, 3:57 pm

I'm dreading that last one myself

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Post by K-man » Dec 4th 2002, 4:57 pm

That is a dread approaching #19. :cry: But; I think it's such a great episode I always watch it. As somebody wrote elsewhere here in this forum......"At the end of 'In Dreams' we are all left with Brian under that streetlamp wondering what was to be."
I also like NightJessie's suggestion of setting up times for us to watch specific ep's. so we can sync. our conversations/discussions for each episode. Great Idea!
Last edited by K-man on Dec 5th 2002, 6:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by glitter_punk » Dec 4th 2002, 6:27 pm

That's a really good idea about viewing the episodes one per week and having an indepth discussion :) I wouldn't have thought of that :) I'm all for it!
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Dec 4th 2002, 8:11 pm

We should wait another week or so until the rest of the AU customers get their shipments. It's bad enough they were screwed by AU, so we don't want them to feel left out of the discussion too.

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Re: Watching the show once a week

Post by NIGHTJESSI » Dec 5th 2002, 4:54 am

ITA that we should wait until at least the majority of fans here have their DVDs. I just wanted to get a feel for how many people would be interested in regular viewings followed by discussions. I know many of us are in different locations with very different time zones, but hopefully we can come up with something that will work for a large core of those who'd like to do regular discussions.

I'll start a poll on this after those still waiting for the Another Universe second wave indicate that they have received their discs. Then we can get a better feel for what works best timewise. This is going to be a lot of fun. :)
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Post by Nostradamus » Dec 10th 2002, 6:08 am

Real life permitting, count me in for NIGHTJESSI's plan. You know, there are so many of us on this site at different times that it might be possible to have one looong chat session, with people coming and going throughout the day so that there would almost always be two or three online at any moment. Then again, the board has its advantages, like subdividing the discussion for each episode and keeping a permanent record for everyone to read.

Those of us who have dvd drives on our computers can also try simultaneous episode viewing and chatting/posting. Essentially it'd be the same as the live ply-by-play analysis of televised sports. All we need now is the greasepaint pencils to circle key players and point to the big moves.

OK, now keep your eye on Rayanne, she's going to come out of the backfield here :arrow: on Angela's blind side and intercept Jordan here :arrow: ... Ooooh! That's gotta hurt! Lets see that again in slow motion...

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Post by Rickie Love » Dec 10th 2002, 6:09 pm

Hey man good idea - I'm in too :D Now: how do we decide which ep to play? Do we just start from the begining...vote...or...?
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Dec 10th 2002, 6:36 pm

My vote is start at the beginning. Why? Well mostly because I'm anal that way. In a broader (and less OCD) sense, I think starting at the beginning will be better because we will be able to watch the characters evolve and grow, as well as recognize recurring themes that develop as the season goes on.
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Post by Rickie Love » Dec 10th 2002, 7:52 pm

Candygirl, you kill me! :D You sound so very 'scholorly' about this whole show - and I AM NOT taking the piss, quite the opposite. I'm so glad people other than myself take this show seriously, and to heart. If I were to try and explain how I feel about the characters and the events and all the different themes and meanings in this show to anyone besides the folks in here...well, let's just say I'd be accused of having WAYYY too much time on my hands. Which is another topic altogether... 8)

Anyway, in my humble and equally anal opinion, start with the first one, let's see it all unfold... :wink:
"Oh, just say the word and she's a footnote in history. I'll make it look like a painful accident..."

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