Sharp Objects HBO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who liked this book best out of all the other Gillian Flynn books? I really enjoyed the Southern gothic, almost VC Andrews-like feel.

I liked Dark Places best and Sharp Objects second best, but they're very close. Funny how her books all have different settings and feels in terms of class and status. Though I guess the two heroines in those books are fairly similar - hard edged drinkers. But I don't think most people who write southern gothic also write mid western bleak and poor, know what I mean? Southern gothic tends to stick to southern gothic.

Sharp Objects get so southern gothic - there are so many tropes and just crazy crazy things that happen it's almost like a parody. But that made it a fun, creepy read.

[Anonymous]

The sound was so muffled. I had to turn the volume way up to understands what they were saying in a lot of scenes—not that way on Amy other channels/shows.

It was a pretty slow opener. So many flashbacks —too many IMO. I hope it picks up.

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised it's 8 episodes. Big Little Lies is about the same length book and did a great job with 6. I think they are teaching it out a little too much - hence the slow pace. A lot happens in the book, but in thinking about it, almost all of what happens is in the last few chapters - the rest is slow build and gradual reveal. If they put all the action into the last ep, that's a lot of filler in the next 6 to get through.

So actually there's the big reveal of what's been happening at the end, with lots of action. But then there's a final chapter that is short-ish, where you get an additional layer of reveal. I wonder if they will put that final chapter as ep 8? But it's a fairly tight, short chapter so there would be lots of filter there, too. Big action in ep 7, and then you go into ep 8 thinking most things are resolved and you're just figuring out the new normal and then bam, last 15 minutes are the second layer of reveal.

I'm interested in story telling and how you structure a story, in case you can't tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised it's 8 episodes. Big Little Lies is about the same length book and did a great job with 6. I think they are teaching it out a little too much - hence the slow pace. A lot happens in the book, but in thinking about it, almost all of what happens is in the last few chapters - the rest is slow build and gradual reveal. If they put all the action into the last ep, that's a lot of filler in the next 6 to get through.

So actually there's the big reveal of what's been happening at the end, with lots of action. But then there's a final chapter that is short-ish, where you get an additional layer of reveal. I wonder if they will put that final chapter as ep 8? But it's a fairly tight, short chapter so there would be lots of filter there, too. Big action in ep 7, and then you go into ep 8 thinking most things are resolved and you're just figuring out the new normal and then bam, last 15 minutes are the second layer of reveal.

I'm interested in story telling and how you structure a story, in case you can't tell.

Omg shoot me now.

[Anonymous]

I really liked the book (my ranking of Gillian Flynn books is GG, SO, DP) and the show didn't feel slow to me. Guess I'm in the minority here.

[Anonymous]

I actually am liking the show more than the book so far. It's shot really well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really liked the book (my ranking of Gillian Flynn books is GG, SO, DP) and the show didn't feel slow to me. Guess I'm in the minority here.

+1 something wrong with people's attention spans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really liked the book (my ranking of Gillian Flynn books is GG, SO, DP) and the show didn't feel slow to me. Guess I'm in the minority here.

+1 something wrong with people's attention spans.

It's not an attention span issue. It's a writing and plot issue. This episode consisted of little more than the main character (I can't even remember her name) wandering around town and people shrieking "Hey girl!" Amidst a few creepy flashbacks. Is this supposed to hold my interest? And this is a ridiculous conception of what a reporter does, like a novelist believing that a lawyer spends all day shouting "I object!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really liked the book (my ranking of Gillian Flynn books is GG, SO, DP) and the show didn't feel slow to me. Guess I'm in the minority here.

+1 something wrong with people's attention spans.

It's not an attention span issue. It's a writing and plot issue. This episode consisted of little more than the main character (I can't even remember her name) wandering around town and people shrieking "Hey girl!" Amidst a few creepy flashbacks. Is this supposed to hold my interest? And this is a ridiculous conception of what a reporter does, like a novelist believing that a lawyer spends all day shouting "I object!"

It’s called world building. The first episode introduced us to the characters and the world of the show, and some of the inciting conflict. The question of the show isn’t necessarily “what’s going to happen next?” but “how will it happen, in this space with these people?” Character-driven, not plot-driven.

This kind of show isn’t for everyone, but it is for me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really liked the book (my ranking of Gillian Flynn books is GG, SO, DP) and the show didn't feel slow to me. Guess I'm in the minority here.

+1 something wrong with people's attention spans.

It's not an attention span issue. It's a writing and plot issue. This episode consisted of little more than the main character (I can't even remember her name) wandering around town and people shrieking "Hey girl!" Amidst a few creepy flashbacks. Is this supposed to hold my interest? And this is a ridiculous conception of what a reporter does, like a novelist believing that a lawyer spends all day shouting "I object!"

It’s called world building. The first episode introduced us to the characters and the world of the show, and some of the inciting conflict. The question of the show isn’t necessarily “what’s going to happen next?” but “how will it happen, in this space with these people?” Character-driven, not plot-driven.

This kind of show isn’t for everyone, but it is for me!

If you say so.

[Anonymous]

Just finished the second episode. I'm perplexed as to what you're all talking about that occurs at the end of the first episode. She's in the bath… and? I must have missed something huge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished the second episode. I'm perplexed as to what you're all talking about that occurs at the end of the first episode. She's in the bath… and? I must have missed something huge.

At the end of the first episode, she gets into the bath and we see her self-harm scars for the first time. Up till then, she’d been wearing long sleeves and long pants, so we hadn’t even had a hint of them. One of the scars spelled “VANISH.”

[Anonymous]

I am about to give up and just read a plot summary/spoiler alert. Its super creepy, all the characters are unlikeable. needs to be a lot fewer episdoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just finished the second episode. I'm perplexed as to what you're all talking about that occurs at the end of the first episode. She's in the bath… and? I must have missed something huge.

At the end of the first episode, she gets into the bath and we see her self-harm scars for the first time. Up till then, she’d been wearing long sleeves and long pants, so we hadn’t even had a hint of them. One of the scars spelled “VANISH.”

I did see "VANISH," but didn't see any other scars. Hmm. I'll have to go back and review that scene!

[Anonymous]

Vulture does good post episode write ups and hihglights a lot of random things you might miss while watching the show.