From Sarah, With Joy

*Poet * Author * Wanderluster*

Friday, April 20, 2012

R is for Robert Carlyle & Rumpelstiltskin

So I'm not sure how many of you have heard of Robert Carlyle or watch the show Once Upon a Time.

He's basically brilliant.

Here's the thing. The show is pretty cool, the premise is intriguing and exciting. But really, it's not a fabulously well-done show. The writing sometimes gets pretty kitschy, honestly, and so does much of the acting. However, I am so totally emotionally invested enough in
to keep watching.

That's kind of what I want to talk about. We worry so much about having an interesting story and complex and well-executed sub-plots and brilliant settings and all that jazz, when really, all you need to bring in and hold a reader is a character they care about deeply. It's more than a given that I'll love anything with a pining lonely older man played by a fabulous actor, so there's Rumpelstiltskin for me. That's just my particular quirk, but any character the reader really cares about will keep them with you.

This isn't the first time this has happened. In fact, my experience with Once Upon a Time has some pretty strong correlations with my experience watching Lost. Very cool premise, but some pretty campy acting and even writing at some points. Lost is definitely the better show all around, in my opinion, but I still watched it for basically one reason. Rumpelstiltskin has become my new

Strangely, in a way I don't even understand myself and maybe you'll make fun of me for it, both very beautiful men.

Anyone else experienced something like this, not caring about the book/show in general but caring enough about one character you stick with it?

Sarah Allen

18 comments:

  1. He's a great actor! I liked him, especially, on Stargate Universe.

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  2. I AM EXACTLY LIKE THIS!!! In fact, it's a point of amusement for my friends that I fall in love with these sorts of characters because, they point out, I want more than anything for these characters to find love, yet I wouldn't love them like I do if they did, but at the same time I would be super happy that they did find love. Spider web of oddness :)

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  3. I've stopped watching Once Upon a Time because it did kind of fade for me. But I want to start watching again because I heard they have a Mad Hatter later in the show and I love Alice in Wonderland, so it's making me doubt my choice.

    Also, this is me and the Walking Dead with Glenn. He's awesome but I've been mad at the show since they got on the farm. I think next season will be better so he's to having my fingers crossed.

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  4. I am waiting until Season 1 of Once Upon a Time comes out on Netflix or on DVD since I missed the beginning of it. I suffered through Star Wars Episode 1 because of Liam Neeson's Qui Gon Jinn.

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  5. I usually dump a show if I can't care about an actor or two, but yeah some just stick out that make me want to keep watching, as does once upon a time.

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  6. yes, it was like the movie fireproof--i didn't particularly like it--although i thought it had a good message, but i love kirk cameron

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  7. Great R word. I love that show, but there have been days when it does seem a little 'out there'. I haven't been a able to figure out the Rumpelstiltskin character and how he translates into the Once Upon a Time character. I haven't decided if I like either of them or not...maybe that's they way he's supposed to be.
    Great post.I'm a new follower.
    Kathy at Oak Lawn Images

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  8. First, I LOVE Once Upon a Time. I'm a fairy tale nut so it was already a win for me. (Kinda of like Grimm too.)

    One show is Whitney. I missed the first couple episodes and I wasn't really liking Whitney or any of the characters at first but I instantly LOVED Alex. Now I adore the show and it definitely has gotten better as the first season went on, and my love for Alex is still like whoa.

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  9. I will watch House until the last episodes, even though the last few episodes have been a little weak in plot.

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  10. I know I have, but no examples of it are coming to mind. It's an interesting occurrence, at any rate. :)


    The Golden Eagle
    The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

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  11. My wife watches Once Upon A Time and loves it. We both watched Lost and at times she was really lost...but the last season we would let like 4 shows build up in the DVR (thank God there weren't any issues with the machine) and then we would take a Saturday night and watch them all in a row...why didn't we do that sooner! I was sad when that show ended though. But Ben went on to the Person Of Interest and now we watch that every week!

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  12. I just caught up on Lost via Netflix and I understand what you mean about that character. Even when he didn't always have the greatest dialogue, he was able to transcend that and make me have empathy for a truly unlikeable character. That takes skill!

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  13. Great post! He is definitely the most interesting character on the show,I was drawn to him right away. Then, last weekend my husband and watched half the first season of Stargate: Universe on Netflix. Glad to see he's been awesome in other shows.

    And Ben Linus pretty much made Lost worth watching. He held some of the weak mythology together by his continually unsettling behavior. I refused to feel sorry for him, even in those flashbacks to his life in Dharma Initiative!!

    Great blog :)

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  14. No, I've never seen this, but I know Robert Carlyle from his very early work - which I can't even remember now. He's played some really dark characters.

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  15. Rumpelstiltskin is a GREAT character!! I read a Q&A that Robert Carlisle did on Twitter once, and someone asked him if Mr Gold/Rumpelstiltskin was good or bad, that they couldn't figure him out.

    And his answer was something like "I think it's good that he's hard to figure it out. A good character needs lots of layers," and I really liked that.

    Jo
    In Which We Start Anew

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  16. i absolutely LOVE Once Upon A Time. I couldn't wait for it to start because I'm such a HUGE Fairy Tail nerd. I love anything with that premise. Comics, novels, shows, etc.
    But there are definitely times that the acting or storyline is just... off. I love watching it because i'm attached to most of the characters, even though i sort of find Mary Margaret & Emma's relationship slightly hard to swallow sometimes when you know the truth. lol i like their friendship, but its just hard to see them both about the same age and all.

    I do enjoy Regina, even though she is evil. THe actress that plays her does an amazing job and it keeps me coming back to see what else she has up her sleeve.

    But i definitely agree that Rumplestiltskin is one of my favorites in the show. I love that you don't know if he is good or bad, whose side he is really on, or what his true intentions are.

    I'm hopelessly addicted and can't wait to see how everything goes. :)

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  17. Did you see Once Upon a Time last night? It was all about Robert. So appropro that you posted when you did!
    :-)
    Kathy at Oak Lawn Images

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  18. So... now that there's a new Rumpelstiltskin episode released... how many times did YOU get angry at the writers? Because I was quite frustrated. But I was happy to see more Rumpel!

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