MovieChat Forums > The Whispers (2015) Discussion > Awful storytelling, Purposely cheats the...

Awful storytelling, Purposely cheats the viewer

posted 9 years ago by comedyfish
7 replies | jump to latest

Putting aside the incredibly slow first half of the season, it was heading somewhere failry interesting. Albeit in a slow, clumsy way.

Episode 12 was some of the worst TV I have ever seen, almost insulting. And its all because of Minx (not the actor, its not her fault), how she was written and expecially directed.

The 'twist' that Drill was the President's daughter was stupid. Not only because it was faily obvious but becuase the show deliberatly tricked you into thinking it was Minx. Good twists don't do that. They drop hints, let you make a conclusion (on your own) then change what you think you know so when you go back you tihnk ahh that's clever. Now that bit makes sense etc.

You go back knowing what you know to episode 12 and its TV for the sake of outright lying to you.

Minx is played far too intense and knowing and evil. She should be written/directed as scared and unsure herself if she is Drill, so we don't know. Is Minx tricking us too, she seems like she can't be Drill... maybe she is. Everything she says and does is totally unnatural, and alien

The worst was when Her dad leaves the cell (after her not knowing Twinkle twinkle little Star (whuch was also very clumsily done) and she looks at the door. With such intensity. That is an outright lie implying she is Drill. She would br crying, scared. Her dad doesn't believe her. She is so in control and calculating.

There is no one in the room, that shot is for us the viewer.

She wouldn't touch Claire, why? the only explanation are: She thinks she might be drill (which would be good) or the show wants you to think she will be burned if she does.

oh.. and the main characters who work for the government don't know Orion is the President's daughter's codename - utterly ridiculous.

This show had a great concept - ruined. As it was far too concered with the twist.

If they had removed the burn plot they could have ramped up the tension with Minx almost being killed (and no offence America but that was never going to happen on a US TV show) simply by allowing her to be scared and us the viewer not sure of who Drill was.

Minx being totally in control and calucating, acting and doing things no child would do simply to make you tihnk she is alien is sloppy and simply bad storytelling

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[–] elo-640-409775 9 years ago

She wouldn't touch Claire, why? the only explanation are: She thinks she might be drill (which would be good) or the show wants you to think she will be burned if she does.

because she still doesn't trust Claire. Claire was the homewrecker who caused Minx to be psychologically unbalanced enough to accept Drill as her only dependable friend

[–] comedyfish 9 years ago

Makes sense. Only that's not how the episode was directed (which is my point)

She takes off minx's gloves
She holds her hands out... Minx almost touches her then says "I don't want to do this"

Let's take that at face value:

A child who wants nothing more to be released could prove she isn't drill by touching someone doesn't want to because she doesn't like Claire?

It's directed to produce ambiguity, in fact no. It's not ambiguous . The only logical explanation is she doesn't want to touch Claire cause she will burn her. A lie to the audience.

Minx knew she wasn't Drill as she chastises claire's son later for not believing her.

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[–] elo-640-409775 9 years ago

She holds her hands out... Minx almost touches her then says "I don't want to do this"

Then she accuses Claire of "Wanting her to be Drill" "Because if she was Drill then Claire gets everything(refering to her Father's past relationship with Claire). Wes then facepalmed knowing his guilt

I think the writers were trying to impress upon us multiple possible explanations. but yes Minx was however clearly sane enough to know she may be killed by the government when she pleaded for Henry's help so thats a little problem I had too

[–] elo-640-409775 9 years ago

oh.. and the main characters who work for the government don't know Orion is the President's daughter's codename - utterly ridiculous.

this is also the weakest part of episode 11. what should have happened is 3 hours after Harper mentions Orion The FBI should have figured it was the preident's daughter

[–] cosmic_surveyor 9 years ago

Only the Secret Service securing the movement of its charges would know their codenames. To suggest the FBI knows is to suggest a breach in security.

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Est modus in rebus sunt certi denique fines quos ultra citraque nequit consistere rectum Goldilocks

[–] comedyfish 9 years ago

Oh right, must be why that guy was telling everyone about Oberon etc in that office :D

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[–] moisan4 9 years ago

Thank you, I really hate it when directors and writers force misdirection by making characters say and do things that logically don't make sense. It's cheap and lazy, and really insulting to the viewer's intelligence. I took a point off my IMDB rating for this show after episode 12 because of this issue.