|
Post by MelMac on Jun 21, 2011 22:33:51 GMT -5
Well.... I had no problems with Ralph flirting with other women - it made the character human. Had Ralph been hopelessly devoted to Pam, he'd been basically a cookie cutter character.
Then again - Pam sure showed a lot of restraint with Ralph anyway - she never once slaps him when he has a wandering eye or flirts.
Also, based on Connie's appearance, I think "The Hit Car" was filmed a little bit later on during the first season. She does start to show a bit weight wise in regard to her pregnancy. It wasn't really until the later stories though that you can really tell with her flowing jackets.
I don't know when SJC had considered Pam a permanent character in the show - except possibly shortly after fliming the pilot. Connie mentioned that shortly after the pilot aired she found out she was pregnant and told SJC so if he wanted to he could recast her. He said no, because he felt that if he sold it with that cast it should stay that case, and they worked around it.
|
|
|
Post by herald7 on Jun 21, 2011 23:00:40 GMT -5
Well.... I had no problems with Ralph flirting with other women - it made the character human. Had Ralph been hopelessly devoted to Pam, he'd been basically a cookie cutter character. Well I do know what you mean. It makes his character more human and I support that completely. If you're going to have a character that "wrestles with himself to do the right thing," then you have to have him actually struggling with himself and occasionally losing that battle. You can't be afraid to show that. Now I personally did think they crossed the boundaries a little too much with the flirting occasionally, lol. But mainly my problem with it is that nothing is every made of it one way or the other. It's something that occasionally gets stuck into a storyline, even seems important for awhile, but then is quickly dropped like it didn't happen. Which makes you wonder why it was even brought up in the first place. Now I guess that could mean that it was never a big deal to begin with. But it's just that in a story if you're going to write something, there should be something of a follow through or explanation as to why it's there. Oh true, I'd forgotten that!
|
|
|
Post by MelMac on Jun 22, 2011 1:49:14 GMT -5
Now I personally did think they crossed the boundaries a little too much with the flirting occasionally, lol. But mainly my problem with it is that nothing is every made of it one way or the other. It's something that occasionally gets stuck into a storyline, even seems important for awhile, but then is quickly dropped like it didn't happen. Which makes you wonder why it was even brought up in the first place. Now I guess that could mean that it was never a big deal to begin with. But it's just that in a story if you're going to write something, there should be something of a follow through or explanation as to why it's there. It was better handled I think in the episode where Ralph asks Pam to marry her out of both, if only because of that particular scenario and what nearly happened to Ralph. I loved "The Newlywed Game's" jealousy banter because it was on both and both acted like a couple in the gameshow of a similar name. "Hit Car" was probably the rare time when Jealousy angles were dropped without at least some minimal reaction to Ralph's wandering eye. It just was fun to see a variety of reactions in all three characters throughout the series - especially since a lot of shows that era IMHO could be a bit sappy of melodramatic.
|
|
|
Post by herald7 on Jun 22, 2011 6:33:19 GMT -5
It was better handled I think in the episode where Ralph asks Pam to marry her out of both, if only because of that particular scenario and what nearly happened to Ralph. I loved "The Newlywed Game's" jealousy banter because it was on both and both acted like a couple in the gameshow of a similar name. You're right, those are examples of when the jealousy angle did work because the reactions of the characters were fleshed out and actually dealt with. Yeah I mean I guess it's partially because it's an early episode and they were still trying to find their way. I think they were trying to imply everything was alright in the end because Ralph was the one to figure out the gangster's girlfriend was a phony. Which is fine, perfectly valid. But it would have been clearer if they'd spelled it out more, like in the last scene Ralph and Pam have together. Sometimes exposition is your friend. Oh how true that is, lol. Sort of those typical counterfeit Television emotions. It is rather freshing to occasionally see the unexpected from GAH.
|
|
|
Post by greenguy on Jun 22, 2011 14:33:51 GMT -5
Also, based on Connie's appearance, I think "The Hit Car" was filmed a little bit later on during the first season. She does start to show a bit weight wise in regard to her pregnancy. Not to be a pooper Mel, but The Hit Car was the first episode shot after the pilot. The production order for the hour long 1st season episodes: The Hit Car #9601 Here's Looking at You, Kid #9602 Saturday on Sunset BLVD. #9603 Fire Man #9605 Reseda Rose #9606 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys #9607 The Best Desk Scenaro #9610 So...one asks the question: what about productions numbers 9604, 9608, and 9609? Well, the episode assigned 9609 is Robert Culp's unproduced script for The Long Fall at Ten, Two, and Four. I can confirm that from the copy I have. I can only assume 9604 and 9608 are also unproduced scripts.
|
|
|
Post by herald7 on Jun 22, 2011 16:16:31 GMT -5
Not to be a pooper Mel, but The Hit Car was the first episode shot after the pilot. Ah ok. Hmm, yeah I do wonder if Pam was even supposed to be in it originally.
|
|
|
Post by MelMac on Jun 22, 2011 16:45:02 GMT -5
Greenguy - you're not a "pooper." ( ) I didn't know, so I hazarded a guess based on the way she looked throughout the first season due to her pregnancy. It's also kinda how some here base how some of season two's order was filmed based on Connie's appearance post-pregnancy.
|
|
|
Post by prometheus74 on Jun 22, 2011 19:46:41 GMT -5
In a story if you're going to write something, there should be something of a follow through or explanation as to why it's there. That's a very good point, Herald7. As Edgar Allan Poe once commented on writing a good short story: if you're describing the contents and atmosphere of a room early in the story, and you mention that in that room is a loaded rifle hanging on the wall, then you need to have that rifle be fired by someone by the end of your story, or the story isn't quite finished. In other words, what Poe means, is that any plot element in a story, or anything that seems to be an important point, should be further developped in order for that story to be satisfying to the reader (or viewer, in this case).
|
|
|
Post by greenguy on Jun 23, 2011 7:13:56 GMT -5
Not to be a pooper Mel, but The Hit Car was the first episode shot after the pilot. Ah ok. Hmm, yeah I do wonder if Pam was even supposed to be in it originally. That is a good question. Most scripts go through more than one draft, and it would be interesting to see if the first draft of The Hit Car included Pam. Although I'm going to assume it does, because it's always seemed to me that Cannell decided to keep Pam in the series before the pilot was aired.
|
|
|
Post by herald7 on Jun 23, 2011 23:43:32 GMT -5
That's a very good point, Herald7. As Edgar Allan Poe once commented on writing a good short story: if you're describing the contents and atmosphere of a room early in the story, and you mention that in that room is a loaded rifle hanging on the wall, then you need to have that rifle be fired by someone by the end of your story, or the story isn't quite finished. Oh yeah good analogy, I love Poe! And exactly, it sounds very cool to mention there's a loaded rifle in the room, but if there's not some kind of pay off, there might as well be no gun, lol. Though just to clarify, I don't want to sound prudish or anything, I do get what MelMac is saying. Grown ups can flirt with each other and it can be perfectly harmless, lol.
|
|
|
Post by prometheus74 on Jun 25, 2011 20:13:54 GMT -5
I've been a fan of Poe since my teenage years. One of the greatest American writers, IMHO. He's actually even more respected and acclaimed in France than in the United States, if you can believe that! ;D
|
|
|
Post by herald7 on Jun 26, 2011 3:23:31 GMT -5
Wow, actually I wouldn't have thought that no, lol. But cool! Yeah I pretty much discovered Poe in High School as well. Definitely ahead of his time!
|
|
|
Post by herald7 on Jul 22, 2011 7:53:17 GMT -5
OK on to Day 2 of the Marathon! You know when Beck suggests that not having the instruction book was Ralph's saving grace, that his power would be minimized etc, can you think of anyone else in the world besides Ralph who would have just cheerfully said, "You know that's a good point!" Lol
|
|
|
Post by herald7 on Oct 26, 2011 10:31:20 GMT -5
You know after our previous conversation I felt like checking out this episode again, lol, particularly the last scene with Ralph and Bill in the school parking lot. For me, what's amazing about Ralph is how he can tell us how good he's feeling at making a difference in the world, and it doesn't feel corny or annoying, you just completely believe it.
And I still don't understand how he does it. Because as we saw with "Heroine," it can so easily become cringe worthy. But Ralph just inspires you to want to be the same way.
|
|