Matthew Sims

Firstly, I love the idea behind this article and it opens up a massive can of worms. I agree that social media distorts and/or refracts identity in an unprecedented way. Whether or not it is a bad thing is, most likely, yet to be seen, but it will have to be something we have to adapt to. I do not think there is a choice in a completely unrestricted sense. If one wants to succeed or even be seen in this ever-growing, both in terms of population and in terms of the voices and the multiple ways these voices can be “amplified”, they need to use social media and, I think, portray something which is not an identity, but an exaggerated version of themselves. However, inevitably, this creates an endless sort of loop where the person has to change their identity to better fit this persona. Hopefully, this does not narrow identities into the future, but instead allows more diversity. Once again, a brilliant article.

Thanks for commenting. The writers should come first, I agree.

Thank you very much for saying so.

I think a majority of twists are just cheap ploys, not to say that there is anything wrong with manipulation of one’s audience, just that it should be coherent to not discredit what came before it. I think that they really work and should only be used in exceptional cases, but should rarely be actively sought. Then, you are not telling a story, you are just selling a twist.

A lovely and well thought out article, Jessica. I think that time will treat both this series and how its final hours played out better than it was initially. While it is not as instantly likeable as other finales, it is meant to be seen as a part of the larger story, rather than the end most people want. Another integral part of its reading is the episode ‘The Time Travelers’, where Ted imagines asking Tracy for another 45 days, still a heart-breaking scene. Despite the fact that he knows they were not meant to be together, he still wants to make the most of the time he has got.

Thank you for commenting, mate. It will be a shame that Frank Silva will not be able to return.

I am glad I could make you re-evaluate the way in which you watch television. Thank you very much for commenting.

Somewhat agree with you, but that is part of the cookie-cutter system of television, I suppose.