Travesty on Alias Season 2 (1 Viewer)

[JohnRice]

I have to say, even if you have seen the entire season, putting the whole year of twists on an opening trailer still isn't very smart. How many things might have you forgotten in that time, not to mention, why did you buy the set in the first place?!?

 

[Scott Kimball]

That's outrageous!

There is absolutely no reason for a promotional trailer to auto-play before the program... I mean - you've already bought the set!

stupid... stupid... stupid!

Maybe we should all e-mail [email protected] and express our incredulity.

It's as bad as the cover for the original Planet of the Apes, which exposes the "reveal" in the final scene.

-Scott

 

[Scott_F_S]

I want to pitch in ... this is truly outrageous. It's one thing to do it as a special feature that you can select to view. It's another thing to run it automatically at the beginning (I know it's not "forced" because you can circumvent it if you want to, but you shouldn't be forced to have to turn it off.)

These people are idiots. What possible benefit is it for them to do this? It's not like it's going to make you want to buy the thing ... since you've already made that decision.

While on the subject, it also irks me that on so many TV season sets -- Buffy, Angel, Alias, several others -- you cannot listen to the commentaries because the speakers usually always give away plot points for future seasons. I can forgive a slip because you want those things to be somewhat spontaneous, but most of them are fairly gratuitous. Even Joss Whedon, who does great commentary, is guilty of this. Just in the commentary for Restless on the Buffy 4 set, he reveals that in season 5, Buffy's sister Dawn appears
and Joyce is killed off
. The cast commentary on the finale of Alias Season 1 let a couple of things slip, but at least Jennifer Garner made a point a couple of times of cutting somebody off before they gave a spoiler.

Maybe this is the result of this being an industry still in its infancy, and maybe the marketers and everyone else involved haven't figured out yet that people do buy these things without ever having seen them before. Maybe they just assume that everyone who buys the set is already a fan and knows all this stuff already -- and they only think to cater to old fans. Hopefully, they'll figure it out pretty soon that a substantial number of sales of these sets come from new fans, too, and will start also serving their new audience.

 

[Michael Alex]

On a somewhat similar note, the revelation of plot points regarding later episodes is quite prominent on the extra features of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine sets. Apparently the dvd producers' assumption was that those buying the sets have already watched the series right to the end. I was particularly stunned when the Odo profile on the Season 3 set revealed the character's final scene in the series:frowning:
But this is, of course, even worse... Talk about incomprehensible decisions

 

[John Simon]

Scott,

I have to slightly disagree with you regarding spoilers in audio commentaries. I know when I was collection the X-Files seasons, I actually hoped to hear the commentaries discuss how certain episodes were setting up things for future seasons. While I can understand why those who'd never seen the show would want those spoilers in the commentary, I think it's almost essential for previous fans. Perhaps a fix to that problem would be a warning before commentaries that contain spoilers? And it still isn't anywhere near as bad as what this Alias preview has done.

 

[Doug_B]

you cannot listen to the commentaries because the speakers usually always give away plot points for future seasons.

This seems to be heading towards a rule rather than an exception. As I just finished Season 2 of Deep Space 9 (yes, I am slow), there are references to characters that don't show up until later seasons and film clips of events many seasons down the road. As I missed a lot of DS9 episodes in the middle seasons, it didn't make me very happy (but not very damaging, as I know the main events).

They also have spoilers on the Highlander series DVDs. If you haven't watched Highlander before buying these DVDs, do not read the character bios that appear with each episode until you've watched all the seasons.

Doug

 

[Steeve Bergeron]

I'm an Alias virgin myself, and I need to avoid that crap!!!

Same here! I guess I'll hit that menu button right away then.

 

[MartinTeller]

Sorry, commentaries are for fans. If you're a newbie, you'll just have to catch up before listening. I don't want anyone holding back on important and interesting comments, just for the sake of the people who didn't bother to watch the show when it originally aired.

 

[JohnRice]

I don't want anyone holding back on important and interesting comments, just for the sake of the people who didn't bother to watch the show when it originally aired.

While I see Scott's point, I kind of have to side with Martin, if it has to be one way or another. Still, revealing things in future seasons is probably not cool. At least that way a person who hasn't seen the entire series has the opportunity to watch that season before listening to the commentary.

 

[Scott_F_S]

I don't want anyone holding back on important and interesting comments, just for the sake of the people who didn't bother to watch the show when it originally aired.

Those are the kinds of things that irk me.

 

[JohnRice]

Two good examples, Scott. They reinforce what I mean about not giving away twists in future seasons. I don't think there is anything wrong with making comments based on the assumption that the viewer has watched all of that season, but not that they have seen what is being revealed in a future season.

 

[MartinTeller]

As an opposing example, the commentary for "Restless" would be terribly crippled if Whedon couldn't talk about how it relates to season 5.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

I have to slightly disagree with you regarding spoilers in audio commentaries. I know when I was collection the X-Files seasons, I actually hoped to hear the commentaries discuss how certain episodes were setting up things for future seasons. While I can understand why those who'd never seen the show would want those spoilers in the commentary, I think it's almost essential for previous fans.

I'm watching Babylon 5 on DVD for the first time and don't watch any of the special features or listen to the commentaries because I want to avoid spoilers. In the case of B5 it is essential to have spoilers in the commentaries because JMS used events in one episode to set up situations for future seasons, and it would be worthless as a commentary if he were prevented from talking about that.

I do think a spoiler warning would be valuable, though.

And if you're revealing future plot details, make sure they're relevant. If you're setting something up, talk about it. If you're just making revelations for the hell of it (as in Scott's examples), DON'T!

 

[JohnRice]

As an opposing example, the commentary for "Restless" would be terribly crippled if Whedon couldn't talk about how it relates to season 5.

Then maybe they could have a warning at the beginning when that is the case. I think the real point is that this stuff is just blurted out with no warning. Just like the DVD cover spoilers being discussed in some other threads. There doesn't seem to be much, if any, thought put into whether or not it should actually be done, or how it should be done.

 

[TerryW]

I just put a dvd in with the sound off, go take a piss, come back and hit the play button.

 

[Ray_Gootz]

I have to say that after the infamous Superbowl episode Alias does drop off in quality. I'm into the Christan Slater epsiodes and the show is almost becoming a mature audinces version of G.I. Joe or even Get Smart. Hopefully it gets back on track by disc 5.

 

[John Berggren]

TVShowsonDVD is reporting that this trailer appears on other BVHE releases as well. Does anyone know which?

 

[R. Kay]

When I saw Jennifer Garner standing in front of the Statue of Liberty during the promo ...

Boy, that really set me off!

 

[Christian Preischl]

John,

TVShowsonDVD is reporting that this trailer appears on other BVHE releases as well. Does anyone know which?

You misread. What they said was "...could also be found on other BVHE DVDs, so watch out!"

Chris

 

[Chad A Wright]

Thanks for the heads up. I normally don't mind trailers before a film, but I don't want to see ones that give anything away.

And, I agree, the Hidalgo trailer is awesome.