eleganceandthickcurtains wrote:A few years too late on this topic, but...
I have trouble getting through the Gale years. Bought a couple of VHS tapes from Lumiere back in the 90's and remember that I really enjoyed "Mr. Teddy Bear". I've owned the new and remastered Gale DVD set for quite some time now but can't get started... What am I doing wrong? Am I alone having this problem? I wish they could have added subtitles because a lot of dialogue is very hard to hear. Perhaps that's the trouble... I can't heard what they're saying.
You are doing nothing wrong. You are me roughly ten years ago. The first Cathy episode I ever watched was
The Grandeur that was Rome. It was so boring, it's a wonder that I was able to ever watch another. If you come to the Gale era from the Emmas, Taras, or even TNA, it's a tough transition to make. I like to watch the Avengers as a way to kick back and relax, and the Gale era is not easy viewing. It's hard to hear what people are saying. It's hard to see what's going on--sometimes there would be another blonde character, and I'd spend the whole episode saying "Is that Cathy? Is
that Cathy? Are either of these women Cathy? Is Cathy even in this episode?" The plots can be slow and plodding. Steed's kind of a jerk at this point--not particularly likeable. He and Cathy seemed to argue and yell at each other
all the time, which gave me a bit of a headache after awhile. So I can understand why you're having problems getting into it. It's not the show you love in a lot of ways.
But don't give up on it just yet.
First, the new Optimum DVDs are a godsend. The image is cleaned up 1000%. I watched season 2, and the difference was night and day--literally. I could see what was going on. I could hear what was going on. Suddenly, following the plot didn't involve cranking the volume up to 100. If I was going to tell someone to only invest in one era of DVDs, I would recommend the Cathys. They really make the viewing experience so much more enjoyable. Pop your DVDs in. You'll be amazed.
Next, go and seek out some good top tens, and watch the recommended episodes. Don't try to watch it in production order if you're already struggling with it. There are lots of really, really brilliant Cathy episodes out there that you'll miss out on if you never give them a shot. There are also quite a few that would make good insomnia cures. If you see the former first, you'll be more likely to forgive the latter.
Also, be sure to have a look at the Dr. King/Venus episodes, which can be a bit a of relief when the Cathy/Steed dynamic gets a bit intense. You may like them, or you may not, but Cathy's not the only partner in season 2, and you owe it yourself to give all the partners a shot.
I really hope you'll give the Cathys a shot. It's not my favourite era, I confess, but I'm glad I persevered and watched them all, because there's something to love in every Avengers episode. Good luck!