I just realised what bugged me about New Order

[woodface]

I don't see Jack anymore. Maybe it's because I have seen too much behind-the-scenes but I think it's more than that. The first time this accured was in Space Race. RDA likes to play Jack dense sometimes and lately he goes over the top.

In NO it happens when Jack is a hologram. The "talk amongst yourself" remark is Jack, the hand gesture is RDA. That's again why the ep felt off to me. It got better near the end when they were all together with Sam but I don't know.

RDA recovered after Space Race and actually it was the same in Fallen/Homecoming. Too much RDA in Jack and it bugs me too no end. Jack doesn't make quirky hand gestures. He makes them but not *that* way or in that situation. Maybe it will get better in the next few eps. Maybe I just got used to it in S7. Or maybe I'm just looking into it too much.

Comments

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

This is why avoid finding out things about actors at all costs.

[woodface]

I do too, except being in fandom opens up some things.

[mylittleredgirl.livejournal.com]

Yep, ditto. That, plus laziness.

That, plus if I paid attention to the actors as realactualpeople I'd feel slightly more wooked out reading and writing ficpr0n.

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

But I think that Jack has always been a lot of RDA. As the show has progressed, the personalities of the actors have started to show more, and Sam's recent changes in terms of being less conservative and less serious are really because more of AT is showing in the character. But with Jack, RDA has pretty much always been in the character, and is what makes the character to a certain extent.

Has there really been that much change? Or are you just noticing the RDA more because of watching stuff like "Lowdown"?

[woodface]

I think it's changed. I don't really agree either. Yes, a lot of RDA is in Jack but not that much. Maybe it is just me, I don't know. Or maybe the reduced air time for him as made him act more stereotypical. Or I just don't like it when RDA makes a parody of Jack.

I think the changes in Sam are due to more air time for AT. She has a lot more oppurtunity to put down a more open character.

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

I think it may be partly due to the reduced air time, but I think that you were right in that because you've seen more of RDA off screen thanks to the Lowdowns, you know more of what is RDA and are seeing that in Jack. I have to say that personally I hadn't noticed all that much in the way of change, but then I haven't watched the most recent Lowdown either.

[woodface]

Well neither have I *g*

[surreallis.livejournal.com]

I actually have to agree with you. I've found myself occasionally thinking the exact same thing, that RDA is almost relaxing TOO much while playing Jack. In all the commentaries on the eps, you see all these little Jack bits where the directors say "Oh! Rick is JUST like that too! He's exactly like the way he's playing Jack right there."

And I've been noticing that those little bits are getting bigger and bigger. I tend to like him a bit silly so it's not really irritating me too much, but I do raise an eyebrow when he plays something really over the top. Maybe because I sometimes feel they let him do the 'silly line' over having him utter something more profound or shippy or more integral to the plot.

I was thinking today though that in NO, they really had to do a lot of talking and re-stating of the mythology to draw in new viewers. Maybe they concentrated on more humor because of that. I mean, it worked. I have a few friends who never watched it before, but they watched NO and liked it so much that they're gonna buy season 1 now on DVD.

[woodface]

Well I'm relieved that I'm not the only one noticing this. I think it clashes a bit with my view of Jack. I don't think he's as dense as RDA likes to play him sometimes. And while this is a part of the character ,it tends to go over the top occasionaly.

I guess it really does influence how much I like an ep and when Jack feels off to me, so does the rest of the episode. So I think that influenced my view of NO.