Go forth and discuss! I'll come back with my thoughts later.
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| Heading to the sexy smouldering hospital in the sky. |
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Offspring: They Just Molly-ed Patrick Reid
Like Molly on A Country Practice, Shane on Home and Away and countless Aussie soaps, when all is going well - we must KILL CHARACTERS needlessly.
Go forth and discuss! I'll come back with my thoughts later.
Go forth and discuss! I'll come back with my thoughts later.
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Just finished watching on partial delay. I won't swear but that's what I want to do. Michael Lucas tweeted that his mother proclaims next week's episode is the best ever but I just can't imagine how. So cruel! All Matt Le Nevez's fault I'm sure...
ReplyDeleteOriginal idea though-hit by a car-oops sorry Downton Abbey & House Husbands!
ReplyDeleteEr what they killed off Patrick?! I need to watch the ep, if only for MLN. Everyone must be in meltdown mode.
ReplyDeleteOffspring jumped the shark for me this season so my viewing has been spotty. So I don't know that I will bother with S5, especially since it was only Patrick and Billie that kept me watching a few eps this season.
A death is a lazy plot device, I thought Offspring could do better(Lisym you forgot Rafters!). Mad Men is still running without any of its main cast dying. I feel like Offspring could have been a much deeper exploration of modern Australian lives but it seemed to lose its way at some point what with the script committed to tirelessly and joylessly delivering a certain amount of laugh/tears per ep and now it seems a ratings booster with a death...
PS: For MLN fans there is always Parer's War around the corner (though that would be the second time this year a character played by him dies, given the fate of Damien Parer).
SombreFilly-tried not to mention Packed to the Rafters or Winners and Losers! Don't know if I can deal with MLN dying twice in a year. Excuses given by the producers are just that-excuses blah, blah, blah
ReplyDeletelol I forgot W&L. I know no point in mentioning the long list of soaps with the same plot "twist"!
DeleteI agree just excuses. I guess with S5 locked in they felt free to alienate viewers. Pity.
I think your are onto something there sombrefilly. because they were assured the 5 th season they didn't care about keeping the audience happy and finishing on a high as they did with season 3
DeleteI do remember writing on this blog perhaps it should end in season 3 rather than torture Patrick and Nina further. and I think I was right
Nadene I agree, it should have ended at S3. They seem to have strayed away from the emphasis on ensemble (killing of Patrick is ostensibly for the next stage of Nina's "journey")and the original premise that it was to be a joyous antidote to cop and killer dramas.
DeleteI don't wanna say much except that I am no longer a fan of this show. Not going to watch anymore episodes; I just hope that lots of people do the same and Channel Ten realise that it was an extremely dumb move.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it must have been Matt Le Nevez that wanted out because there could not have been any other reason. Sigh.
No - it wasn't him. that's the most annoying things.
DeleteSee this article
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/08/offspring-why-we-killed-off-patrick.html
Oh my GOD now I'm even more frustrated. It's such a cop-out! If they were worried about MLN leaving eventually, better to just end the show the series this season then! No need to "keep the story going" just for the sake of it! Besides, even if Matt's involvement was certain, the show had to have stopped after season 5 anyway, surely they could ask him to sign a contract until then and finish it off!
DeleteI know I'm probably just repeating what everyone else is, but I honestly did not like this show until Patrick came in. Seeing Nina raising a baby single-handedly is not going to interest me enough.
Regardless of stories put out there is always the possibility of internal egos and politics given how popular the character was.....
DeleteI wonder if you're right. when you read articles it doesn't sound like he was thrilled to be written out.
DeleteI did wonder if they kept Kat Stewart in the show by providing her with more drama this season. because at times it was all about Billie
And MLN said in one article that he would like to see Nina and Patrick married...Perhaps it was an uphill battle with internal politics?
DeleteI am fairly sure there is a good deal of internal politics with any show and Offspring is no exception. This must play into who stays, who gets prominence etc. Grief and tragedy are great for actors left behind so of course killing folk off is a time honoured tradition:)
DeleteOutside of the Proudmans, Mick has been there from the beginning but he is kind of everyman. Zara and Patrick are outsiders with a bit of a dangerous edge who can outshine and upstage the Proudmans. Zara had barely anything to do this season, very surprising given S3 and given that Jane Harber is so good. And Patrick of course is no more.
Still I wouldn't say its all bad for MLN. His character obviously grew in popularity over the seasons, perhaps more than any of the original cast (hooray for social media and this blog that this could be articulated and we could all participate!). And the death means that everything in the series is now well and truly dominated by the death of his character, especially given there is just one more season.
For me the problem is that by S3, Offspring had changed from a well written series to a patchily written one that was held together by its actors. I expected so much of S4 but it didn't go anywhere. I don't like being harsh on writers - it can be a thankless job - but to be honest the fact that Offspring became a successful franchise was not due to sharp writing but because the audience was heavily invested in the actors. And I was a bit disappointed by Asher this season so S5 hardly looks promising to me.
just as Wayne answered I am stunned that people able to earn $8377 in a few weeks on the internet. have you seen this web site...>>> WWW.CNN13.COM
ReplyDeletemy roomate's sister makes $77 hourly on the computer. She has been fired for .....8 months..... but last month her pay check was $21664 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more on this site...>>>>.>>> WWW.CNN13.COM
ReplyDeleteYou know, I would have preferred if they'd killed off Nina after their baby was born and left Patrick the single parent and star of the show.
ReplyDeleteWell the worst case senario happenned. I was hoping that it wasnt him that would die. However I think deep down I knew as Nina was "too happy". That things were going too well and the writers were wrapping the relationship into a neat little package only for them to blow it up.
ReplyDeleteThe most heart breaking moment for me was when Nina was sitting by him, laying her head on his chest and sort of silently sobbing.
I know I will watch the end of this season, but I am unsure how I will go next season.......
It was heart wrenching
Deletei'm still in shock they chose to do this. especially without letting him see the baby first. its really hard to think that next week could be the best episode ever in such a climate of sadness.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I can watch. somehow I seem to be feeling ripped off that they bothered with the pregnancy and the happy ending of season 3 if they were planning this awful end to the relationship before the baby was born.
I completely agree on the feeling of being ripped off. I feel like this has really ruined the whole show for me because I'm not going to be able to go and watch previous episodes without thinking of how it ends. A similar thing happened in the BBC's version of Robin Hood where they built up the romance between Robin and Lady Marion for 2 seasons, only to have her die in the last episode. Since she was my favourite character, I just could not watch the third season.
DeletePlus I feel really foolish for not anticipating it. I was so sure it wouldn't be him, and that I completely understood Channel Ten's promo style by now... In a way, it was obvious, because Patrick was there in the birth scene but then they put up his face as one of the people Nina would lose. Of COURSE Channel Ten was not so stupid as to reveal this, thereby eliminating him as being one of the deaths. It was a totally deliberate move to get some of us thinking that he was safe. And now I feel so irrationally angry about it! And so sad, because it means that that scene where Patrick is with Nina at the birth was just a Nina-fantasy.
I might watch the next episode, if I feel like it on the night but I can't see myself counting down the days like I used to. There's going to be no room for comedy next episode, and what I loved about Offspring is the comedy-drama balance.
P.S. If it is a boy and she names him Patrick I will DEFINITELY stop watching the show.
Well, that would be that. I think I've already mourned, and not just for Patrick, but the whole 'Offspring' experience. I sobbed when Molly died. Last night's 'Offspring' did not have the same effect.
ReplyDeleteAnd my one last consistency rant: the recap at the beginning that showed Kate and Joseph having the fight about moving in together. We never saw that in an 'Offspring' episode. They might have filmed it, but they never played it!
thanks jenny for bringing that up Kate and Joseph scene I thought I had missed this...you can't just add in a scene in the recap. I was totally confused
DeleteJenny, it was shown as a deleted scene on the Ten website last week. Not good enough -too many inconsistencies. Think complacency has well and truly set in.
ReplyDeleteI am so very angry with both Matt Le Nevez and the producers/writers of Offspring.
ReplyDeleteI’ve read the articles this morning, that we should be “grateful” we had as much of him as we did – well what the hell. They created the character for HIM, the least he could do was stick around and complete the job. Yes we all know he lives in LA, US career opportunities, girlfriend Michelle, blah blah blah. But either the producers should have cast someone else from the start (there must be other 30-something hot Australian actors out there who could generate on-screen chemistry with Asher), or got him in an iron-clad contract he’d stick around for. When he got stroppy about S5 they could have thrown more money at him, everyone has a price, or offered a more sympathetic filming schedule with regular breaks for him to travel back to LA to see Michelle. Offered more creative input into his storylines (I read something he wanted to see Patrick on a motorcycle). Whatever it took! MLN has tweeted how proud he is of Asher and Kate’s performances, and quoted in an article saying he’ll miss Patrick and how proud he was of the role and of the show, well not proud enough to finish the job, and that pride he feels in no way comforts the devastated fans who wanted to see a happy ending (apparently an impossibility on tv). Asher is quoted as saying something about being proud of where the writers dare to take the show, but this kind of doom and gloom is not what the fans want!
I’m so angry this was the way they did it, if they absolutely had to. To keep Nina and Patrick apart for so much of season 3, instead of them having some happiness then. Yes there were increasing happy times in season 4 but now we know why – because apparently the TV Law dictates no one can stay happy on tv and as soon as nearly enough happiness is achieved, one must die. And this storyline is getting so unoriginal – Downtown Abbey – Matthew died driving home from hospital after meeting his newborn baby. Winners and Losers – Blair’s character dies with wife & new baby at home. Now Patrick. And I am furious about the timing – that he doesn’t get to meet his new baby, after loosing Gus, the horror of it, its just too too unfair that Nina should go from funeral to delivery room, and I feel sick thinking about it. I could cope, maybe, just maybe, if he had died after the baby arrived. I really really really wanted to see Patrick showing Nina the contents of the garage he had been working on (now presumably Kate has to show Nina in their grief), and I really really really wanted to see them happy curled up in bed together with their new baby.
I can see me rewriting this in my head again, just like I rewrote the ending of S3 in my head. I will really struggle to watch next episode and I absolutely do not plan to come back for S5. I cannot imagine Nina staying single for a whole season, the show is meant to be about her messy love-life and family, but I absolutely cannot watch her date or start seeing someone new, even if they had a year or so between seasons.
I realise I shouldn’t be so invested in fictional characters, but from what I see in the media today, its not just me. Are the producers/writers/MLN happy so many people are so distraught, loosing sleep, I'm not at work today but I wouldn't be productive if I was? The show is a comedy/drama, I did not sign up for this!! If I want to watch something depressing or dark, there is plenty of other choices available, I look to Offspring for drama yes, but happiness and not this.
Off to rewatch A Place To Call Home and get stuck into Time Of Our Lives I think!
exactly Lou. I feel like crap today and didn't sleep well so your not the only one over invested.
Deletethis is a drama comedy - not a drama.
The time of our lives in good for my money too. the style is clearer
Lou, I couldn't have put it better myself. I shouldn't be reading this at work. Your post made the tears fall again!
DeleteThe comments from the actors and writers about being proud of the tough decision they made to kill off Patrick are incredibly galling.
I also suspect I'll watch next week's episode, but unless they do magically retract it all and bring Patrick back, I probably won't watch next season. I've been hooked on this show since the first episode of season 1 - no, since the promos for the telemovie! - but since mid season 3, it's mainly been Patrick that has kept me watching! I love the rest of the cast but the warm and fuzzy bits come from Nina and Patrick together. When I really think about it, my least favourite parts of the show involve Nina unless she's interacting with Patrick! I much prefer to see scenes involving anyone else.
On the bright side, maybe it'll be the perfect opportunity to give up TV all together! It's the only show I watch apart from Grey's Anatomy, and I always come across that one mid season because I don't realize it's on! I should just buy the DVD next time.
As always ladies loved reading all your thoughtful comments, my like button is pressed!
DeleteLou,
Deleteyou are so wrong. Matt did not want to leave the show, he wanted to stay for season 5. See Nadene's referral to article above. But as someone who works in the industry I understand why he says he supported it. These producers are involved in a lot of TV and he will need jobs in the future and that will not happen if he is critical of their decisions. So far he has not cracked it in the US (second many times) and at the moment he has been in Australia for several months shooting Parer's War for the ABC, a wonderful story in which alas he is again killed before his baby is born (but this time its real).
I think a lot of the motivation for getting rid of Matt in such a final ways lies with Asher and some of the other original cast who resented just how popular Patrick had become. It also gave a ratings boost, but I believe that will be temporary and people will turn off the show even more next season.
Pam, I think that you may have just hit the nail on the head! Whenever Asher is shown in behind the scenes footage, I always get the feeling that it didn't quite sit well with her having to share the limelight with MLN, in fact outside of the eps, they were never interviewed together. And as previously mentioned he was quite keen to see them move on to marriage, perhaps A did not like that idea?
Deleteyes I think there could be something in that too - his popularity as a problem that is. the audience was so focussed on Patrick -I know I started to prefer Patrick to Nina and cared more about his storyline and happiness than hers and I had almost no interest in any other proudman's in this series. that could be problematic from a writing/ production point of view.
DeleteYes Lisym I too think there was some discomfort between the leads. The other scenes e.g. Patrick with Kate, Patrick and the family, Clegg were often better.
DeleteNadene, I agree Nina was in danger of becoming a secondary character to Patrick. And his character stayed interesting - like you said below, seeing him with a baby would have been more interesting than Nina - because how would a man who had lost a baby and was tortured by it react to a new baby and new beginnings? By all accounts he did nail the part as far as that storyline of dealing with a stillborn child was concerned so it is a lost opportunity.
Re Nina, its hardly MLN's fault that he is popular. Its the fault of the writers and the actress that Nina hasn't been a strong part - the rap song was promoted like hell but honestly the things Nina did this season were painful to watch. Maybe Nina in grief is expected to get out Asher's acting chops. But I can't quite put my finger on why the part is no longer right except to diehard fans, e.g. other parts like Clegg, Kim still stay interesting.
Of all the actors in the series, Kat is the most brilliant. Billie can be completely hateful but Kat handles the part so skilfully. I think MLN has his average moments and then a moment that is just perfection. And the part was possibly just right for him-whatever it is to his credit that he turned out around what was possibly just a fill in for a season or two and inverted the First Boy Wins trope 9though First Boy may return now). I don't think its merely because he is "hot", the part touched a chord.
I am a little amused that the Offspring page has a few plants obviously defending the writers choices. Surely the Offspring fandom is intelligent enough to cope with a tragedy and surely the producers can do better than thinking they are reacting with irrational emotions. The reasons for the discontent go far deeper than killing off Patrick and leaving no one to "perve" on. They can listen up or, given S5 is the last, not care v much.
As many folk have written, owning a S1-5 DVD is no longer interesting.
I spotted those plants on the fb page - very amusing. especially like the comments like "surely you can't blame channel 10" etc.
DeleteI also think its the role and how it was written that made him so popular. I've now checked out MLN in a few things and didn't find him that great and in some I lost interest and didn't finish watching. I find in Offspring's his expressions are great but his voice sometimes lacks.
Some of the key moments where the got it completely wrong this season: Nina's excessive arm flapping, the staff circle with CLegg on his return and also when they did the baby's not moving storyline. given Patrick's history they could have come up with another type of obstetric drama other than possible stillbirth - and then in the way it was brushed over like all is well now just lacked authenticity. it was finally brought up in counselling at the last session but it was far too late
oh and of course killing off Patrick should also be added to the where they got it completely wrong
DeleteAgree too many wrong moments in the eps I watched. The lesbian storyline, the strange Darcy send off, early Clegg moments, Nina's OTT neuroses. Not to speak of sidelining Jimmy and Zara, the escalated levels of Geraldine bitchiness, the continuity problems. Bar the boots, even Nina fashion seemed to be dull.
DeleteAh well, looks like Patrick's death has given Ten a ratings boost not to speak of the dozen or so articles that have been quickly hosted on news sites. I am sure the launch of S5 can be milked for this moment and by then the fans would have perhaps returned.
I think I am done with it S1-3 was good enough for me.
Exactly what Lou said.
ReplyDeleteI was so excited for S4 to start - Nina & Patrick were my favourite TV couple. I've hung in there through the ridiculous S4 hospital scenes and misery of Billie's demise just to watch N&P finally have their baby together. But now, like everyone, I feel ripped off, sad (I was so emotionally invested in them) and that the reasons as given in the article mentioned above were a cop-out.
I'll watch next weeks episode but not S5 - I no longer have the emotional investment in the series and I don't want to watch Nina without Patrick - what's the point?
this article
ReplyDelete10 reasons why they picked the wrong guy sums it up for me
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/why-did-channel-10-have-to-kill-patrick-reid-an-offspring-favourite/story-e6frfmyi-1226693111763
I was six when Molly Jones died, as she watched her husband and daughter playing in the field overlooking Wandin Valley. And I cried sitting beside my mum in front of the TV. I clearly remember that I did.
ReplyDeleteI've watched Offspring from the very beginning and loved the coupling of Nina and Patrick from the start. The love hate relationship. Nina coming to the revelation there was clearly more to Patrick than she had originally been willing to admit. They’re shared happiness listening to their baby’s heartbeat for the first time. But last night I didn't shed a tear. It was predictable and completely unnecessary.
Offspring has put the nails in the proverbial coffin with the death of Patrick as far as I'm concerned. I get that this is essentially a drama with the really humourous bits of life added into the mix, something this show has always balanced pretty well.
I understand that lots of tragic things can happen to people and they are obviously trying to portray such realism in a show all about life. I'm imagining Matt LeNevez may have been sick of playing the heartthrob and wanted to grow as an actor and take on other roles.
But in a show that prides itself on being refreshing and quirky and original by focusing on the messy love life of its central protagonist, an obstetrician, they've wiped out the premise of the entire show by killing off Patrick, as if his character wasn’t tragic enough already.
There has been so much left unresolved with his back-story. We never found out about what happened to his mother, or more than sketchy details of the time in his life that lead to his downward spiral into drug abuse and the breakdown of his relationship with Jodie. These things could have made for some thought provoking television. And now I'm presuming these really interesting plot lines will never be resolved that his character is dead.
Nina cannot possibly be an obstetrician anymore as a single mother of a young baby. It would be insensitive to have her finding love again so soon after her partner and father of her child has died. So I'm wondering where the show can possibly go from here, it's seemingly reached a point that will be difficult to develop from.
I'm skeptical if even the stellar Asher Keddie and the phenomenal ensemble cast like Kat Stewart and Lachy Hulme can pull this off and keep me and the rest of Australia watching what has up until now been a shining light in local television production for the last few years.
On a happier note, why do you think Patrick Reid (and MLN's interpretation) caught everyone's imagination? There are plenty of hunky Australian actors around and perhaps even better looking ones but obviously none like MLN/Patrick. Also is his appeal uniquely Australian - for e.g. do Americans prefer more pretty and the Brits the toff kind of actor?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was because we are either shown very masculine, hunky characters or sensitive characters or urbane, polished city characters. Australian actors often fall into the first category - or are Hamish Blake :) Its rare to find a character (and actor) who combines both that sense of masculinity and underlying complexity and tenderness I think-that's my take.
For me I think it was the struggle within that was portrayed in Season 2. The reason for his decline into drug addiction, difficulties coping with a stillborn son, was also unique. At the heart of it you could see that Patrick was principled and even though his "I'm ending this to protect you from me" was frustrating for the viewer it came from a place of consideration/ concern for others.
Deleteso I think people got on side with him. wanting him to forgive himself from the past and to get back into life - to love etc.
DeleteThanks Nadene, that makes sense.
Deleteactually - maybe that was a problem for the show from the producers point of view. that the audience identified more with Patrick than Nina. When I think about it I was more interested in seeing him getting to be a Dad to a live baby than anything Nina was doing. what do you think?
Deletefurther to all of this my husband pointed out that Patrick needed to die in order for Nina to return to work earlier in S5 assuming she would need to return to work for financial reasons now that Patrick is gone. otherwise she would be at home on maternity leave for a significant period of time and according to him this would be boring viewing.
ReplyDeletesomehow this is a more palatable reason to me than killing Patrick off in order for Nina to have a new love interest.
Nadene,
Deletemaybe Patrick could have become the stay at home dad- I would have loved that storyline
Pam - I agree. I think they could have kept him alive for sure. for some reason they chose not too.
DeleteI guess they could have skipped a few months. Quite a few women return to work because they want to and are invested in their jobs. My aunt and uncle are doctors and she returned to work pretty quickly after her baby. Its common enough in our time and material for exploration?
DeleteHowever Offspring is rarely in that kind of territory. For that matter there is a streak of misogyny that runs through it given its main female characters. It would be great if they left Nina a single mother but I am fairly sure S5 will have a new love interest who will be promoted in usual Ch 10 fashion!
My comment is directed to the discussion that took place a bit higher up:
ReplyDeleteGod, your reasoning is dubious and completely unfounded. Pretty sure Asher and the rest of the cast had nothing to do with the producers' decision to kill Patrick. In TV Week, Asher said she was completely shocked by the idea. And Imogen Banks said that both Matt and Asher got really emotional when they found out.
I don't think Asher is overly concerned about her popularity, especially given the fact that she already has a gold logie under her belt. I think Asher’s body of work shows that she is capable of humbly playing second fiddle characters whilst still giving incredible and moving performances. She has said in several interviews that when she was younger she aspired to receive 'outstanding' awards, and so it's taken her a while to understand the significance of 'popularity' awards (in her first logie win she said, "You have no idea how happy I am that I'm the most loved, the most popular, that's so cool, who cares whether I'm any good or not?" which pretty much shows that popularity is not the be-all and end-all for her). Also, I have read/listened to half a dozen interviews where Matt talks about how much he loved working with Asher - why would he go out of his way to say that if they didn't get on or if she didn't like 'sharing the limelight'. Most of the behind the scenes videos for Offspring only interview one cast member at a time anyway. I have heard a few radio interviews with Asher and Matt together and they seem to get on well. I just think it's a low blow to blame Asher and the rest of the casts' supposed egocentricity for Patrick's death.
I think Patrick's popularity soared even more this season, and that was after the producers had already decided to kill him. While Patrick was indeed exceptionally likable this season, it would be silly not to see that as a deliberate choice made by the writers (i.e. they may have thought, “If he's going to die, he should go out on a high”). Yes, he's always been a very popular character (for good reason!). But no, I don't think that played a role in his death. If anything, I think his popularity made the producers and writers question their decision - I think either Imogen or Michael Lucas said something to that effect ... about being scared/hesitant (can't be bothered to look it up).
I don't know whether politics or something underhanded was involved in the decision, or whether the producers really did pre-empt Matt not being able to commit to the full shooting schedule of season 5. Maybe they did genuinely want to make his commitment flexible so there would be no rifts if he wanted/needed to leave. I don't know! There is so much we don't know. Maybe they thought that they were playing an end-game unless they did something radical with the storyline and Matt's US agent is the scapegoat. We don't know. I agree that Matt is not at fault so I feel bad about the way some media outlets have spun the story and how many viewers are pointing the finger at him.
Hi Gracie, to clarify no one knows the internal story but the explanations have been smelly. Hence the comments.
DeleteCasts do have ego issues and politics. Like any other workplace. And to promote a series, folk do have to do interviews, be polite etc. that's being professional. But we have to take this lightly - its a PR exercise and we shouldn't think that this in any way tells us viewers the reality of making a TV drama or the personalities of the actors. That's all the comments are about, not attacking a cast member.
Almost no major well written US drama - including an Offspring forerunner like SATC - uses a death to "open" up a storyline hence the comments on lazy scripting and whether there was behind the scenes drama to have a ratings boost or whatever. If it couldn't be sustained, they could as well as stopped at S3 and said that's it we are done like Love My Way. Viewers are entitled to hold such an opinion.
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DeleteSombreFilly, thanks for such a considered reply. I definitely see where you are coming from. I agree that the explanations offered up by the producers have been dodgy and seem to be at most a partial version of the real story. I just think egos and personality clashes seem less plausible causes than others. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a ratings boost thing or a "we're running out of ideas" thing. If that's the case, it's pretty mean of them to displace some of the responsibility onto Matt and his career in the US/unhappy US agent.
DeleteDidn't Love My Way use Lou's death as a way to open up storylines? I guess the difference is that was their vision for the show from the beginning but the death did facilitate the storylines that followed. Going back to the substance of what you were saying, I agree that they shouldn't just throw in the death because the show had reached its natural end. I'm trying to be optimistic after initially being angry and upset, so I want don't want to lambast the show for going beyond season 3 ... yet. I'm very torn.
Hi Gracie, I guess everyone is taken aback by the episode and thoroughly confused and feel cheated hence the various explanations, each as valid as the other! We are all in the same boat - the only difference being in whether or not we clamber abroad the S5 ship!
DeleteLove my Way was quite different. If they had followed that template, they wouldn't have been scared at all about persisting with Patrick's drug problem and keeping the relationship thorny. He would have relapsed and Nina would have stayed. But your point is valid, that its the way you handle the death.
I agree Sombrefilly. Love my Way was quite different and I think now a much superior series. The death of Lou was planned - my good I still get emotional when I think about that scene - and also Love My Way had a dark edge to it. it was complicated, had deeply flawed characters from the beginning and was not shy to explore this in fact it almost seemed to be the purpose. Remember Frankie's mother having a relaiotnship with a man whose wife was dying of cancer and how that was handled - both characters perspective were shown without judgement. it didn't aim for humour and lightness in the way Offspring does.
DeleteNadene, yes LMW was very different. And your post reminded me that I loved Gillian Jones as Frankie's mother (it wasn't a one note character like Geraldine).
DeleteThe death has to make sense within the context of the series so Offspring is not like LMW. Or GoT.
The producers made the decision, so any 'blame' lies with them. I am really upset about Patrick's death, and am still spontaneously bursting into tears every few hours, but I must acknowledge that the decision was very brave and does open up a minefield of opportunities that the writers can explore. The Proudmans are going to have to reorient themselves in order to be a help rather than a hindrances to Nina. And I personally want to go on Nina's journey and see how it all unfolds. I want to see how it affects everyone! The writers planned season 4 and 5 at the same time, so I think they must have had a pretty solid plan for season 5. I don’t believe they are now sitting there thinking, “Okay he’s dead. Oh fuck, what are we going to do now?” It's going to be depressing stuff, but ultimately I think it will be rewarding and I can only see Nina growing as a character. I would also support the inclusion of Patrick fantasy scenes (not too many but a reasonable amount) in season 5 to add a little bit of sweetness tightly alloyed with pain. Because I’m not ready for Patrick to disappear in all forms, and I don’t think Nina is either.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I hope I'm not crucified for offering up this perspective. Ultimately, I still am left wondering 'why?' deep inside. I oscillate between wishing the show tied itself up in a nice neat bow and finished at the end of season 3, and wanting to see more unfold in season 5 with a vague promiseland in sight.
DeleteGracie - its interesting to read your perspective. and I think for those who choose to continue that is the perspective that they will need to take. to trust the producer/ writers and to see this as an opportunity for Nina's growth. Part of me wonders whether I have outgrown Nina and the Proudman's given my previous comments. initially the dysfunction seemed fun and backed up by deep love but this season the family dysfucntion seemed sad and selfish to me.
DeleteWe will see next season I guess.
Gracie,
DeleteI think you are being a little naive . Asher is virtually a producer of the show and does have a lot of creative control.
Also please do not believe everything you read in tv week!
That said I think the reason fans feel so cheated and angry is the
producers have not given a credible explanation for killing off Patrick. Even if MLN did not want to commit to an entire season 5 ( which I am sure is not the case) there were plenty of other ways this could have been stealth with , see Felicity's excellent views above. We want to know why such a heartless stroryline was used and I think it's mainly about ratings but also bruised egos.
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