Subj : Re: Rome
To   : alt.tv.farscape
From : Ken McElhaney
Date : Fri Oct 14 2005 09:01:05

From Newsgroup: alt.tv.farscape


rstapp wrote:
> Ken McElhaney wrote:
>
> >
> > I have cut the series some slack with these two characters for the most
> > part, but having them meet an almost doomed Pompey in the manner they
> > did was not only stretching credulity, it was completely unnecessary.
> > Pompey is a well-established character and we need no "common soldier"
> > point of view of him at this time.  This contrivance was simply a way
> > of giving our two hard-luck soldiers something to do.  Also, it acts as
> > filler which helps to stretch (or bloat) out the series to meet the 10
> > episode order.
> >
> My understanding (as Sir Humphrey Appleby would say) is the season is 12
> episodes.

My mistake then, I must've heard 10 and stuck with it.

> http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|97444|1|,00.html
>
> Personally, I had no problems with the scene.  I didn't think it was
> primarily about Pompey at all, but about Vorenus and his nuanced
> responses to duty and family that have developed over multiple episodes.
>   When you say well-established character about Pompey I don't know
> quite what you mean, because so are Vorenus and Pullo at this point.  In
> fact, I'm thinking they are more established since I feel like I know a
> lot more about them than I do Pompey Magnus.

It was an unnecessary scene, adding nothing to the story or my
understanding of each of the characters.  We know who Pompey is, we
know his predicament, we don't need Vorenus or Pullo to have an
additional scene with Pompey just so he can wax ripsodic about the
times he's missed.

> Anyway, for me, the scene was a great way to show the reaction of a man
> who had formerly revered Pompey realizing the great man was fallen and
> utterly broken, reacting not purely out of duty, but as another family
> man who had only recently really connected with his wife and children
> (or so he thinks but that's another plot-line entirely).

Again, I felt it was unnecessary and the contrivance of having our two
fave Roman soldiers somehow wash ashore right next to Pompey just so
they could have this scene was way too much to believe.

> It was also a
> good way to explain to the audience how Pompey lost the battle since
> what showed on the screen was pitiful and would probably have been
> better if it hadn't shown anything at all.

Ah, budget limitations. Still, Pompey's situation needed no further
explaination. He was abandoned by his compatriots, no further "digging"
was needed.

Ken

.