The Vengeance of Rumina [ep22]

[Scratch]

I felt like watching this episode again during my one hour break before flash class. Here's some comments I need to get off my chest

-Why did Turok have his crown on him when his dead head rested on a pedestal? Last I checked, he was beheaded by Sinbad while not wearing his crown.

-I liked Rumina's outfit transition from a veiled woman who has completly given up on life, to a gothic dressed sorceress who is back on game and donned a lovely ruby accessory to wreck hell on the do-gooders. And Scratch's appearance was most amusing, namely the bickering between him and Turok, especially the "You don't have a leg to stand on" bit.

-Ever noticed that this is the only episode where Rumi and Scratch confronts Sinbad indirectly? When I first saw this many years ago, I was hoping for there to be a face to face confrontation, or at least Rumina using the big projection gimmick she used in "The Return of Sinbad Part 2", in order to taunt and belittle Sinbad and co. They didn't even get a chance to see her smashing new outfit .

-This episode, Double Trouble and the Village Vanishes shows the best chemistry between Maeve and Sinbad, IMO. From Sinbad being determined to kill Rumina for Maeve's sake to Maeve trusting Sinbad a bit more, it couldn't get any better . Shame that in the following failiure of an episode, the relationship was nixed.

-My favorite Dermott moment takes place in that episode too. I love how he bravely went through the harpy legions and how he outwitted them to the point of making them collide to one another. And despite me frowning over Rumina and co's. loss when the Griffin's egg landed, I at least liked how Dermott did it with some style.

-If Ed Naha wasn't going to bring Turok back in Season 2 or make any future seasons thenafter, he shouldn't have included the "Alive... Alive.... ALIVE!" epilogue of the sorcerer's. I really wished that Turok or Rumina made appearances in Season 2, but alas, they were apparantly nixed for being too "Disney-ish" as Ed Naha puts it. I wonder if Sinbad and co. even knows that Scratch was involved in their final battle. Speaking of Scratch, I'm glad my inner muse saved Season 2 from collapsing. Hell House was worth the watch too =D.

That ends my rant in this section. Feel free to discuss

[alex]

Well, first, Ed had already completed the script for the whole Season II before the producers wanted to get rid of the Disney-like feeling of Season I. So that script was thrown in the trash. Then Jackie left. So Ed had to change his whole original script and write a new one. Bryn/Mariah was not supposed to be there. She was just a replacement for Jackie. Ed probably wrote Turok in his original script, but had to get rid of the idea because of the current circumstances. Rumina/Julianne had also left. (actually the producers did not want to renew her contract ) And maybe they could not or would not get the same actor who played Turok. Nothing is more annoying to a watcher to see another actor playing the same role. However, this was the world of magic, so this could be justified (if they could find a good explanation). I don't think Ed wanted Jackie to become a demon hunter. Nor do I think Ed had this whole alien thing from the beginning. All were added to satisfy what the producers wanted.

The crown was a symbol of power. I think Rumina put it on Turok's head to honor him.

About the outfit, Sinbad had his eyes fixed on Maeve's outfit. You have to admit that it was quite revealing. ;D

And about Dermott, yeah I loved that part, too. I always was fascinated by dogfights.

[Scratch]

Yeah, I always wondered why Juan Chioran wouldn't reprise his role as Turok in S2. I already heard of Jackie and Juli's alibi, but Juan's departure still remains a mystery. :/

Maeves outfit is better than Bryn's stale yellow one. . And the honoring Turok bit makes sense.

I said it once and I'll say it again, the producers are money hungry cows. Hate hate hate em', but c'est la vie :/

[alex]

Well, I understand the producers thinking; the purpose is to make money. And with the success of Hercules and Xena, it is tempting to attempt to duplicate it. But Season I was somewhat successful. They got good reviews and good viewership, she why they changed their plot puzzles me. I think the producers made a mistake. The purpose TV/movie business is not to just make money. It is to entertain the public which would lead you to make money. If you disappoint the public and loose viewers, take a hike. That is how competitive the TV/movie business is. If the public doesn't like what they see, there is always an alternative.

If Bryn's outfit had more color contrast, than I think it would have looked better. I mean, come oh, if you are looking from far, her outfit kind of blends in with her skin and makes it seem like she isn't wearing anything. Another thing I think they just threw at Bryn/Mariah and said, "Here, wear this."

[Rongar]

Well, I seem to remember an article from a South African E-newspaper that interviewed Ed Naha and he said that he had to throw season two together within two weeks before producing season 2 episode 1. He hadn't even planned for the remote possibility that Jackie wouldn't be returning.

He had been under the assumption, Jackie and Zen too as was revealed, that the producers would let Jackie have her 6 weeks to spend with her son.

He had it all planned out...she was going to stay in Basra with Caipra to have more in depth study as Caipra was to reveal that Turok, Scratch, and Rumina had joined forces....and against only Maeve...she needed more study and tutoring to get stronger.

When it was revealed that they WOULDN'T let the show go on without a leading lady they fired her and demanded another one IE Mariah/Bryn.

And then when they wouldn't rehire Rumina/Julianne and Juan Chioran/Turok because of money and the disney-like feel of the show, he had to scramble...which might help explain the disjointed and chaotic season 2.

As for Bryn's dress, it actually had meaning....it was supposed to show how bland her personality/memory was.

Ed had planned to change it as she grew in the following season 3 with the slow return of her memories. But season 3 didn't happen since their ratings s*cked, they were low on money, and the producers cancelled it IE the low ratings Ect....ect...ect...

Apparantly, the viewers, if they had actually WATCHED the viewer ratings would have seen that the largest portion of their viewers were teenage girls who LIKED the assertive Maeve and Rumina, who LIKED the easy going Sinbad and crew, and who LIKED the magical aspect of the show.

The fan base, back in 96'97'98 wasn't adult minded and wasn't ready for the adult "themes" of season two. Never minding the fact, that they left many holes in season two with Maeve's promise to return in some way, Dermott was still a member of the crew, and Bryn's past connected her to season ONE characters....


It was handled very badly all around so it sadly didn't last long...

[alex]

And that is why I say for producers to DO THEIR JOB, NOT THE WRITER'S JOB. THE WRITER COMES UP WITH THE SCRIPT. THE PRODUCER JUST PROVIDES THE FUNDING. IF THE PRODUCER WANTS HIS WAY IN THE SCRIPT, HE SHOULD WRITE IT HIMSELF. And remember, what the producer thinks doesn't matter. It is all what the viewers want. Ed warned them. They did not listen. They deserved to fail.

[Rongar]

I totally understand Bryn, I do! I was 12/13/14 when all this happened, and I nearly cried myself into exhaustion when I realized that Maeve and season one continued into season 2 wasn't going to happen.

I'll admit, I didn't like Bryn to much as she was a replacement and didn't seem to have any true background personality at all, but I grew to like her with other authors and reading what Ed had planned.

Like season one, all the characters were kind-of flat with certain hints about their pasts that would have been explained in more depth in season 2, Bryn was destinyed to grow too if the show hadn't been cancelled.

[alex]

Well, I'm glad it was, because I do not like what Ed had planned for Bryn. I mean, come on.

*Bryn helps a dizzy, confused Maeve get better*
Maeve: Thank you. I own you.

That is the last thing I expected to hear from Maeve.

And Bryn turned out to be the almighty savior of the white forces. Talk about drama.

[Scratch]

Maeve OWNING Bryn? I always pictured Maeve to be the dominant one if MaeveXBryn shipping were to ensue, regardless if Bryn was amnesiac or not. But yeah, there must be tension and skepticism when Maeve meets Bryn for the first few times.

And just because she's the good sister of Rumina, doesn't mean that Bryn is the almighty saviour of the entire story

[alex]

Sept 21, 2009 21:06:34 GMT -5 Scratch said:

Maeve OWNING Bryn? I always pictured Maeve to be the dominant one if MaeveXBryn shipping were to ensue, regardless if Bryn was amnesiac or not. ... And just because she's the good sister of Rumina, doesn't mean that Bryn is the almighty saviour of the entire story

I know. And as Bryn, I personally feel for Bryn who would have had to take that terrible story line. Why can't they be equals?

[Rongar]

I always thought that they were equal in magic, but a lot of people seem to think Maeve's the weaker one since she has less magical training (in numerical years not power). Maybe she would have, maybe not but I never saw it that way.

Maybe it was the belief that she had black and white magic running through her veins that made many people believe that Bryn was the end all or save all in the "good/evil" war?

Well, I never paid it any such mind, but I had always thought that Maeve would be the more dominate one what with her personality what with Bryn having no memory.

I mean, Maeve had the guys cowed after an episode or two! LOL

[alex]

You mean Sinbad was Maeve's slave. ;D

[Rongar]

True!! ;D

[alex]

Oh, to frighten with threats, violence. I can do that. I have a very nagging PMS. ;D

[Rongar]

A very nagging PMS eh? Interesting...