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Do crime dramas always rely on contrivances?

posted 8 years ago by BiffGG (662)
18 replies | jump to latest

I never was into Breaking Bad but I watched the final few episodes yesterday. Three members of a drug gang enter Skylar's house without being detected by the myriad of law enforcement members waiting outside. Especially, when it is mentioned that Skylar can not so much as fart without the fart being detected. Walt takes his money to NH and his "relocator" does not give so much as a single thought to back stabbing him or turning him in for what would have to be a huge award.

Sons of Anarchy. Female leader of a major biker club with criminal undertones? Major shootouts with nobody able to hit the broadside of a barn.

Animal Kingdom. Cody boys seem to be infrequent visitors to the crowbar hotel given the stuff they are into. Yet to be seen but sure to happen is Cody boy who was on yacht will miraculously fall through law enforcement screening when the search for suspects and connections to the robbers takes place. Camp Pendleton was shaken down like it was the school for the blind.

[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

Already on page 2. Sheesh.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 8 years ago

I think so. It's easier that way.

[–] Frogarama (12942) 8 years ago

Because real crime doesn't usually make the best entertainment, most likely.

[–] db20db (17730) 8 years ago

Yeah, that's why they've dominated in movies and tv shows for decades, not to mention all the reality shows like Cops, 48 Hrs., Crime Watch Daily, To Catch a Predator, Homicide Hunter...etc. 🙄

[–] Frogarama (12942) 8 years ago

Good point.

I think the reason I didn't even consider the kind of stuff you mentioned (even though my Mom is addicted to those kinds of shows) is that I feel there is a certain "need for justice" that drives people to watching that kind of stuff, the same reason people are so happy to believe that evil people get punished, and good people rewarded, by a god after death.

Entertainment is a pretty wide-ranging term, though, and feeding a need like that certainly would provide entertainment. I, for one, have always enjoyed Cops, which is the only show on your list that I thought of when I made the reply, and for some reason I didn't think beyond it. (Although to be fair, with Cops at least, it's not the crime that provides entertainment, it's watching criminals be dumb, as the crime had usually already transpired when the cops get there)

Thanks for correcting my flub! I guess I should have thought about it more and said something that honed in on what I was really thinking about, like perhaps that real crime isn't all that "creative" when it comes to writing fiction, so writers have to come up with new ideas that often end up contrived and forced.

=)

[–] db20db (17730) 8 years ago

Not a problem. Another old favorite is America's Dumbest Criminals, which kind of reinforces your point. The most recent variation of Cops, as far as I can tell, is the show Live PD. If you can actually capture a current program, it is interesting, giving you a unique, interactive perspective.

[–] Frogarama (12942) 8 years ago

I'll check that out. I watched a bit of Bait Car for a minute too, but that gets SO repetitive SO quickly. Funny though, like a lame version of To Catch A Predator.

[–] db20db (17730) 8 years ago

Yeah, I watched a few episodes of that. Really funny at times but I see more of a similarity to America's Dumbest Criminals.

[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

I don't know about that when you look at movies such as Goodfellas. Even the Lufthansa Heist was mundane in terms of implementing the caper. They did not have to shoot their way in or out. You have to give an audience unique characters to get them into a show and Walter White while not perfect was an example. But some of the action around him sort of takes away from what he brings. The problem is the value of showing most crime drama characters only extends perhaps to a few hours and not tens of hours each season.

[–] napsdufroid (2077) 8 years ago

Yet another question: Do contrivances always rely on crime dramas?

[–] actionkamen (23176) 8 years ago

Also: Do relying on contrivances always dramatises crimes?

[–] Frogarama (12942) 8 years ago

Do criminals always dramatize their contrivances?

[–] actionkamen (23176) 8 years ago

You missed the "rely" part.

[–] Frogarama (12942) 8 years ago

Crap. I guess "rely on dramatizing" then.

[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

No, they rely on science fiction and other domains as well. Probably why All in the Family is one of my favorite shows as that is pretty much real life. I like Star Trek and perhaps I give that show more license to stray from reality than I should.

[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

Some shows I give a pass to if there is an obvious alternate reality angle in play. The 1960's Batman as well but I don't stomach that nearly as well as when I was much younger. MASH drives me crazy over contrivances. You want to do a show with the antics that MASH had? Fine, but show it with consequences for the things that are really out there.

[–] napsdufroid (2077) 8 years ago

Yeah, Batman, admittedly, hasn't aged well. Now it's pretty much something to laugh at; still enjoyable in that aspect, though. Let's face it; most shows have contrivances of one sort or another.

[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

I kind of let things go in terms of live and let live but when someone starts talking smack then I don't let things go. Alan Alda used to talk about how much MASH was close to real life and a lot of other stuff (Star Trek) was pretty much nonsense. Yeah, an officer who is pretty much insubordinate around the clock is real life. Richard Hooker's book talked about the laxity in terms of roll call, uniform, and so forth. Yes, doctors even in the OR were not going by the book but MASH had deviated substantially from the source material by the late 1970's. Rant over.