I do this thing where I re-watch a show that I’ve already watched 5 times. I’m unsure why, but after the second watch, the movie/show gets exponentially more gratifying with each subsequent watch after that. I feel like it’s because by then I’ve become more comfortable with the plot, and when I can tell what’s going to happen, it’s less likely to make me anxious. This also works well because whilst I don’t watch a lot of media, I can fill in that time by revisiting the shows that make me happy until I can complete the characters’ lines. It’s also incredibly fun because with each watch, it feels like I’m peeling back layers of the onion and uncovering fresh insight into the story.
This month, I started my 7th re-watch of The Originals. Apart from the gore, which is more intense than I remember, I’ve found myself even more appreciative of Niklaus and all his complexity. I like him a lot more than I did on previous watches, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes him such an appealing character, even despite his flaws. There’s a part of me that thinks that it’s much easier for me to downplay his blemishes because I understand that he’s only acting, and his world is fictitious. In part, that could be correct, but I think that the stronger answer is that his standing as a protagonist gives me (as the audience) a greater platform to know him in his entirety.
The very best forms of media will always allow you to connect with them in a deep and powerful way. Songs, essays, videos and conversations have more meaning when the topic being discussed feels familiar and closer to home. Niklaus’ behaviour can feel familiar and rationalisable because the writers have only taken some part of the human experience and upped the frequency—we’re watching a person astonishingly worse than we are, yet alike in the fact that he also vindicates his shortcomings by surrounding it with circumstantial evidence. Experiencing his moral tussle with him helps us humanise him, and the writers do well to make us feel compassion towards him and his actions.
Watching this show and reflecting on these themes has made me wonder whether the only reason I have not extended sympathy or understanding to the people I dislike is because I don’t really know them intricately. It is so easy to see one too many zebras. There would always be so many variables to consider, and so much complexity to unpack when breaking down the reasons we do wrong. I’d like to explore a lot of that once I wrap up this show again. I’ve got a few readings on morality and behaviour lined up, and hopefully I come out of this with a stronger framework on evaluating behaviour choices.
I do this thing where I re-watch a show that I’ve already watched 5 times. I’m unsure why, but after the second watch, the movie/show gets exponentially more gratifying with each subsequent watch after that. I feel like it’s because by then I’ve become more comfortable with the plot, and when I can tell what’s going to happen, it’s less likely to make me anxious. This also works well because whilst I don’t watch a lot of media, I can fill in that time by revisiting the shows that make me happy until I can complete the characters’ lines. It’s also incredibly fun because with each watch, it feels like I’m peeling back layers of the onion and uncovering fresh insight into the story.
This month, I started my 7th re-watch of The Originals. Apart from the gore, which is more intense than I remember, I’ve found myself even more appreciative of Niklaus and all his complexity. I like him a lot more than I did on previous watches, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes him such an appealing character, even despite his flaws. There’s a part of me that thinks that it’s much easier for me to downplay his blemishes because I understand that he’s only acting, and his world is fictitious. In part, that could be correct, but I think that the stronger answer is that his standing as a protagonist gives me (as the audience) a greater platform to know him in his entirety.
The very best forms of media will always allow you to connect with them in a deep and powerful way. Songs, essays, videos and conversations have more meaning when the topic being discussed feels familiar and closer to home. Niklaus’ behaviour can feel familiar and rationalisable because the writers have only taken some part of the human experience and upped the frequency—we’re watching a person astonishingly worse than we are, yet alike in the fact that he also vindicates his shortcomings by surrounding it with circumstantial evidence. Experiencing his moral tussle with him helps us humanise him, and the writers do well to make us feel compassion towards him and his actions.
Watching this show and reflecting on these themes has made me wonder whether the only reason I have not extended sympathy or understanding to the people I dislike is because I don’t really know them intricately. It is so easy to see one too many zebras. There would always be so many variables to consider, and so much complexity to unpack when breaking down the reasons we do wrong. I’d like to explore a lot of that once I wrap up this show again. I’ve got a few readings on morality and behaviour lined up, and hopefully I come out of this with a stronger framework on evaluating behaviour choices.