Series 5 Appreciation Week
Posted: 07 Feb 2015, 16:53
CHAT, INNIT
Series 5 creates conflicting feelings for me as it's the first series I have memories of watching from the original CITV run. I didn't even know that there was no Lord Fear until I saw the Sci-Fi repeats. I also remember saying at one point that it was my least favourite series. I'm not quite sure why I said that.
Series 5 to me seems a lot like Series 4 with the kinks ironed out and a pilot for Series 6 thrown into a blender. It's a good "starting point" for the Lord Fear era and actually has some brilliant moments. Thankfully, it's not at all repetitive like Series 4 and doesn't have the over-difficulty of 3 or the clunky exposition of 1 or 2.
High points for me include:
* Lord Fear. He doesn't have as much to do this series as you think, and isn't too much of a threat even, but you know how good he's going to be and that still gives me chills.
* Pickle. He's at his best this series and with the new personification of wickedness, the emphasis is on more of a fight against evil. Pickle is keen to join that fight.
* Aesandre. Sexy and deadly.
* Ben's winning quest - one of the best quests ever, IMHO. Very tense, excellent final encounter, and a most fantastic nailbiter at the end with the unique causeway back through to Knightmare Castle. Brilliant all the way.
* Brother Mace, especially his banter with Brother Silence near the beginning of the series!
* Sylvester Hands - although he's not quite the villain we know he'll turn out to be, he's still a great character.
* The Descendor. It gets a bit grating later on but has many uses, and some good clues like "it's winter in Level 3".
Despite all this, I do think that Series 5 has something of a "Series 1" feel to it - it's the "start" of something new and it's still finding its feet. It feels more similar to Series 4 than it does to, say, 6 or 7 - although it's done away with the weeping doors and the psychedelic purple trees, thank Glod.
So yeah, good series but with some issues that aren't quite resolved due to the fact that this is Broadsword apologising for Series 4.
Add your thoughts below or come along to chat tomorrow night and discuss it there! Or best of all - BOTH!
Series 5 creates conflicting feelings for me as it's the first series I have memories of watching from the original CITV run. I didn't even know that there was no Lord Fear until I saw the Sci-Fi repeats. I also remember saying at one point that it was my least favourite series. I'm not quite sure why I said that.
Series 5 to me seems a lot like Series 4 with the kinks ironed out and a pilot for Series 6 thrown into a blender. It's a good "starting point" for the Lord Fear era and actually has some brilliant moments. Thankfully, it's not at all repetitive like Series 4 and doesn't have the over-difficulty of 3 or the clunky exposition of 1 or 2.
High points for me include:
* Lord Fear. He doesn't have as much to do this series as you think, and isn't too much of a threat even, but you know how good he's going to be and that still gives me chills.
* Pickle. He's at his best this series and with the new personification of wickedness, the emphasis is on more of a fight against evil. Pickle is keen to join that fight.
* Aesandre. Sexy and deadly.
* Ben's winning quest - one of the best quests ever, IMHO. Very tense, excellent final encounter, and a most fantastic nailbiter at the end with the unique causeway back through to Knightmare Castle. Brilliant all the way.
* Brother Mace, especially his banter with Brother Silence near the beginning of the series!
* Sylvester Hands - although he's not quite the villain we know he'll turn out to be, he's still a great character.
* The Descendor. It gets a bit grating later on but has many uses, and some good clues like "it's winter in Level 3".
Despite all this, I do think that Series 5 has something of a "Series 1" feel to it - it's the "start" of something new and it's still finding its feet. It feels more similar to Series 4 than it does to, say, 6 or 7 - although it's done away with the weeping doors and the psychedelic purple trees, thank Glod.
So yeah, good series but with some issues that aren't quite resolved due to the fact that this is Broadsword apologising for Series 4.
Add your thoughts below or come along to chat tomorrow night and discuss it there! Or best of all - BOTH!