Well, well, well.
I hadn't checked in on Shipper forum for a while, and I see I've missed some chances at comradery!
EJ and Sami?!
Michael and Nikita?
Game ON! I am big fan of both, darlings.
I kind of wish they hadn't broached the coersion-rape of Sami,
1- because of her past as a teenager with more clear cut date rape,
and 2- the way the scenes were written handling the rape in the car and EJ's subsequent attitude as one of a cat playing with a cornered mouse - he was laughing and so cavalier about it that it was hard to reshape his actual motivations and misgivings on the act later on,
when the writers (probably different ones!) then desired to go back to Sami being attracted to EJ.
Putting that aside,
LOVE it.
Allyson Sweeney has really gotten into her comfort zone with acting overall, and her character's self preservation core (and enjoyment in defeating her enemies) barely being contained, specifically.
Which makes for her "protest too much" scenes with EJ just terrific.
Reminds me of Chris Manheim saying Xena is digging a kiss with Ares then slaps herself into reality ("I'm not that kind of girl anymore".)
It's interesting to me that I used to really dig the bad boy/bad girl tension between Sami and Lucas, but that once they became a "family" for a good long while, that sexual chemistry flew clear out the window, utterly. It was soooo weird to me,
but that's what I came to realize one day, waiting for the next scene with them - I was like: I'm not enjoying this couple any more!
Big part of the problem I suspect is how they chose to write Lucas. What a disappointment. The only spine they left him with is this relentless defense mechanism for FAMILY... family, shmamily - I'm sick of it. (Other characters, including Sami, are broken records on that too, but it wore paper thin with Lucas, to me.)
OK - back to EJ and Sami being similar to Ares and Xena -
Less now, as EJ has been largely defanged by his ostracization by his father and John,
but when he was a card-carrying Dimera, ho boy - Shipper out the wazoo, yep!
His power, and how he chose to weild it, had an Olympian disregard for mortals vibe, absolutely (the exception in appeal for me being the rape-toying thing).
The best villians, it has been said, are ones that for all intents and purposes, deep down DO believe their actions are for the best of the world, the other person, the family, the community, what-have-you... they don't think they're evil.
EJ's love for his father and the Dimera empire I think reflected that.
With his disillusionment came a serious writing problem, because, then what - how do you maintain the tension between he and Sami?
Sami's disgust for him was precisely because he bought into Stephano's philosphy and brand of Love, and that it was all wrapped up in a personality soooo much like her own (go after what you want);
now that he's disowned that, the only reason to hate him is because he forced himself on her, not because there is a nagging voice inside her saying this man is what the part of me that I put to sleep still WANTS.
And all his talk about how he not only accepted Sami's darker leanings, he admired her for them - that's right out of Ares' mouth.
Giving up John's where-abouts, with a simple nod covering the monumental ramifications such a betrayal held for him?
Exactly out of the playbook of Ares giving up his godhood to save Xena.
As a matter of fact, I'd love to see a comparison video of Sami's look across the room to EJ (and his face) after he gives up the info,
with Ares nodding to Xena's Thank You scene. Yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Michael and Nikita -
Yep, that was moi.
Michael is not Ares, in tone or in motivation. Certainly.
Generally, yes I'd say since it was forbidden love, largely, and that a defiant woman (fighting evil with violence that gets muddied, being mentored, pushed and pulled by a love interest, etc... ) was struggling to resist the urge to succumb -
the difference was that the male in this scenerio was ALSO resisting said urge.
And again, Michael was the quiet leader that ruled like a cobra staunchly observing from a basket. Ares was always showboating and grinning.
I'm one of the odd ducks that think Roy Dupuis played it spot on. The minimalist thing worked like it did way back in the '80's for Edward James Olmos' commanding character in Miami Vice.
You let your underlings rant and rave, allow a pregnant pause, then give a quietly delivered order.
They follow it to the letter, knowing somehow it's the wisest course even though you haven't explained yourself. You garner respect with results, not speeches.
Dupuis' Michael received a lot of criticism for being milquetoast, but I think it was needed to contrast him to the other strong male Paul/"Operations" as well as the nervous Birkoff and chatty '60's throw-away Walter.
I think Dupois wanted us to get that for Michael it wasn't that he drank the Kool Aid of moral relativity around him, or that he felt he had to squelch his true humanity;
it was that he believed, until Nikita came along, that he literally did NOT have a soul, that it was lost in his acceptance to join and kill for an organization that caught him terror bombing for "a cause". The irony of the two situations being on opposite ends of the spectrum, yet built on the very same premise of acceptable losses ... it sh!t-canned his heart.
Fascinating stuff.
Anyway - Ares' only lament about violence is that while mortal, it physically became a bit of a chore.
BTW - agree with folks upthread who feel LFN's later writing did a disservice to the grey areas of their mission statement.
To make their cold attitudes so over-the-top, it lost credibility and appeal/interest.
OK -
for the newer shippers here, I'll add the shipper relationship I've long given as a comparable example:
the short lived series: Witchblade had Ian Nottingham and Sara Pezzini.
Actually, you don't have to have seen the TV show, the comic book also has the 'ship, though written much darker,
and the character of Ian is not a virgin.
Sara also has two other very brief passionate relationships on the series, one with Cartophilus (the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus' side and was doomed to immortality) and one with Conchobar, present day Irish singer but her mentor in previous incarnations.
Both had the doomed love story angle I think A/X possess, as well as a tinge of "birds of a feather flock together",
rather than the "opposites attract" cliche,
which is cool.
But Cartophilus regretted his dark past, and was really suicidal in the final analysis, and Conchobar truly wore a white hat, so ...
I hadn't checked in on Shipper forum for a while, and I see I've missed some chances at comradery!
EJ and Sami?!
Michael and Nikita?
Game ON! I am big fan of both, darlings.
I kind of wish they hadn't broached the coersion-rape of Sami,
1- because of her past as a teenager with more clear cut date rape,
and 2- the way the scenes were written handling the rape in the car and EJ's subsequent attitude as one of a cat playing with a cornered mouse - he was laughing and so cavalier about it that it was hard to reshape his actual motivations and misgivings on the act later on,
when the writers (probably different ones!) then desired to go back to Sami being attracted to EJ.
Putting that aside,
LOVE it.
Allyson Sweeney has really gotten into her comfort zone with acting overall, and her character's self preservation core (and enjoyment in defeating her enemies) barely being contained, specifically.
Which makes for her "protest too much" scenes with EJ just terrific.
Reminds me of Chris Manheim saying Xena is digging a kiss with Ares then slaps herself into reality ("I'm not that kind of girl anymore".)
It's interesting to me that I used to really dig the bad boy/bad girl tension between Sami and Lucas, but that once they became a "family" for a good long while, that sexual chemistry flew clear out the window, utterly. It was soooo weird to me,
but that's what I came to realize one day, waiting for the next scene with them - I was like: I'm not enjoying this couple any more!
Big part of the problem I suspect is how they chose to write Lucas. What a disappointment. The only spine they left him with is this relentless defense mechanism for FAMILY... family, shmamily - I'm sick of it. (Other characters, including Sami, are broken records on that too, but it wore paper thin with Lucas, to me.)
OK - back to EJ and Sami being similar to Ares and Xena -
Less now, as EJ has been largely defanged by his ostracization by his father and John,
but when he was a card-carrying Dimera, ho boy - Shipper out the wazoo, yep!
His power, and how he chose to weild it, had an Olympian disregard for mortals vibe, absolutely (the exception in appeal for me being the rape-toying thing).
The best villians, it has been said, are ones that for all intents and purposes, deep down DO believe their actions are for the best of the world, the other person, the family, the community, what-have-you... they don't think they're evil.
EJ's love for his father and the Dimera empire I think reflected that.
With his disillusionment came a serious writing problem, because, then what - how do you maintain the tension between he and Sami?
Sami's disgust for him was precisely because he bought into Stephano's philosphy and brand of Love, and that it was all wrapped up in a personality soooo much like her own (go after what you want);
now that he's disowned that, the only reason to hate him is because he forced himself on her, not because there is a nagging voice inside her saying this man is what the part of me that I put to sleep still WANTS.
And all his talk about how he not only accepted Sami's darker leanings, he admired her for them - that's right out of Ares' mouth.
Giving up John's where-abouts, with a simple nod covering the monumental ramifications such a betrayal held for him?
Exactly out of the playbook of Ares giving up his godhood to save Xena.
As a matter of fact, I'd love to see a comparison video of Sami's look across the room to EJ (and his face) after he gives up the info,
with Ares nodding to Xena's Thank You scene. Yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Michael and Nikita -
Yep, that was moi.
Michael is not Ares, in tone or in motivation. Certainly.
Generally, yes I'd say since it was forbidden love, largely, and that a defiant woman (fighting evil with violence that gets muddied, being mentored, pushed and pulled by a love interest, etc... ) was struggling to resist the urge to succumb -
the difference was that the male in this scenerio was ALSO resisting said urge.
And again, Michael was the quiet leader that ruled like a cobra staunchly observing from a basket. Ares was always showboating and grinning.
I'm one of the odd ducks that think Roy Dupuis played it spot on. The minimalist thing worked like it did way back in the '80's for Edward James Olmos' commanding character in Miami Vice.
You let your underlings rant and rave, allow a pregnant pause, then give a quietly delivered order.
They follow it to the letter, knowing somehow it's the wisest course even though you haven't explained yourself. You garner respect with results, not speeches.
Dupuis' Michael received a lot of criticism for being milquetoast, but I think it was needed to contrast him to the other strong male Paul/"Operations" as well as the nervous Birkoff and chatty '60's throw-away Walter.
I think Dupois wanted us to get that for Michael it wasn't that he drank the Kool Aid of moral relativity around him, or that he felt he had to squelch his true humanity;
it was that he believed, until Nikita came along, that he literally did NOT have a soul, that it was lost in his acceptance to join and kill for an organization that caught him terror bombing for "a cause". The irony of the two situations being on opposite ends of the spectrum, yet built on the very same premise of acceptable losses ... it sh!t-canned his heart.
Fascinating stuff.
Anyway - Ares' only lament about violence is that while mortal, it physically became a bit of a chore.
BTW - agree with folks upthread who feel LFN's later writing did a disservice to the grey areas of their mission statement.
To make their cold attitudes so over-the-top, it lost credibility and appeal/interest.
OK -
for the newer shippers here, I'll add the shipper relationship I've long given as a comparable example:
the short lived series: Witchblade had Ian Nottingham and Sara Pezzini.
Actually, you don't have to have seen the TV show, the comic book also has the 'ship, though written much darker,
and the character of Ian is not a virgin.
Sara also has two other very brief passionate relationships on the series, one with Cartophilus (the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus' side and was doomed to immortality) and one with Conchobar, present day Irish singer but her mentor in previous incarnations.
Both had the doomed love story angle I think A/X possess, as well as a tinge of "birds of a feather flock together",
rather than the "opposites attract" cliche,
which is cool.
But Cartophilus regretted his dark past, and was really suicidal in the final analysis, and Conchobar truly wore a white hat, so ...
Cookies! What the...? 
OMGs!!! What was THAT???? I'm gonna have nightmares tonight, I know I am...
