Challenge 11: Character Entrances
The Challenge:
Pick five character entrances you like, the scenes have to be the first time you saw that character as a viewer rather than a flashback to the character's past. Describe the scene, pick a quote which symbolise the scene you picked and how you react/ed to the entrance. To make it interesting we had to try and pick different characters to our usual choices so the selection reflects diversity over 'absolute favourite'. I've tried to pick character intros I remember over characters I love; I've also tried to pick a range of character entrances, both funny and dramatic (the majority are dramatic since they seem to be the ones which stick in my mind)
Here goes...Enjoy 
------------------------------------------
The Dramatic Entrance:
Claire Bennett (Heroes)
Season 1:Episode 1 - Genesis
The Scene: shaky handheld camera, girl in a cheerleader outfit runs up some steps of a derelict structure, hangs off the edge, screams, Thud, gets up, pops arm back in socket, stares at camera
"This is Claire Bennett. That was attempt number six"
Ok 'ew ew ew' is the big reaction, of course, to the horrible arm crunching but I remember literally yelping when she jumped because it really shocked me. I think I was expecting her to fly or something rather than sort of 'Jump-Scream-THUD'. I liked that they put her in a cheerleading outfit - not in that way - but it just created an odd combination of images. The scene also sets the character of Claire up quickly and easily; she's popular but holds a dark secret. I kind of always liked Claire in the first season because she was never really helpless and this scene shows that perfectly. Very dramatic entrance to a show
------------------------------------------
The "Oh my god" Entrance:
Irina Derevko (Alias)
Season 1, Episode 22 - "Almost Thirty Years"
The Scene: Sydney strapped to a chair, sitting with "The Man", guy tells her he isnt "The Man", gets up, silhouette of a woman walks into the room, cut to Sydney's face, shock
"Mom?"
You don't even see her face, only her shadowed figure and voice before panning to Sydney's face and her reaction - that's what makes this scene so cool. The scene wasn't about the viewer and how we would react when we saw her, it was about Sydney and her reaction. It wasn't a scene I particularly remembered well for any sort of drama or over the top craziness just the perfectly tense cliffhanger. I always just remember Sydney's reaction before quickly jamming Disc 1 of season two into my DVD player - tense stuff!
------------------------------------------
The Funny Entrance:
Angela Montenegro (Bones)
(As you can see, I've cut my screenshot to give the girl her dignity)
Season 1, Epsiode 1 - Pilot
The Scene: Woman walks up to arrivals board, board broken, tries to catch people's attention, walks up to attendant, attendant silences her, tries to talk, attendant silences her again, woman rolls eyes, flashes bra
"Was Guatemala awful? Was it horribly backward?"
I remember this one because I think it really suits her character; you look back at the first episode of many shows and you can see how much the writers have 'tweeked' characters over time. But I still think Angela's entrance fits her personality - off the wall, weird and abrupt. It always makes me chuckle when I see it
------------------------------------------
The Perfect Entrance:
Clark Kent (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman)
Season 1, Episode 1 - Pilot (1)
The Scene: Bus pulls up, man steps out, puts down case (C.K.), looks around, cut to bus skidding down the road out of control, man looks over, people walking across the road oblivious, bus halts just in front of old lady, man looks around and runs off, old lady points at bus, hand print.
When you're introducing Superman/Clark Kent you have to do it right because it has the potential to be awesome. I think this one does a pretty good job; yes its quite cheesy (two nuns, a lady with a pram, some children and an old lady all happen to be walking across the road as a bus hurtles uncontrollably down the street - cue, Clark Kent!) but it has two signature moments for me, seeing the 'C.K.' on Clark's case and seeing the handprint on the bus. I can't remember Clark's entrance in Smallville but I don't think it was as perfect as this one. Plus, Dean Cain - dreamy!
------------------------------------------
The 'rip your heart out and hand it back to you' Entrance:
Illyria (Angel)
Season 5, Episode 15 - A Hole in the World
The Scene: Fred lying in Weasley's arms, dead, Weasley hugs her, her eyes turn blue, body starts to shake, Weasley is thrown backwards, camera pans away from Fred's body, Illyria stands up, looks at her new body, looks up
"This will do"
It took me a while to decide on this, my fifth and final pick; I'll admit Angel was the last place I wanted to look as it's been so long since I've seen it. But I can't think of many other character entrances which are as heart-wrenching as this one. Just as I was sobbing my little heart out at the death of my beloved Fred there's an evil looking Smurfette on my screen - "Hang on a sec..." -Fade to Black-
Dramatic. Marvellous.
------------------------------------------
I hope you enjoyed reading. Let me know some of your choices?