Top 10 Worst Post-Crisis Retcons

Only fair to celebrate Crisis on Infinite Earths with the 40th anniversary approaching. The massive story made many changes to the DC universe. Some were subtle, for example Green Lantern books continued on with a new status quo (and a few tweaks to Hal Jordan’s origin) but basically no dramatic changes to canon. Others were convoluted, like the various attempts to reintroduce Huntress into continuity since she could no longer be the daughter of Earth 2 Batman.

These reboots caused entire swaths of history to be changed. Invalidating some really good stories. Here are ten retcons that came about after Crisis that hurt more than they helped. This list is arranged from the ones that were almost well done and seamless to the ones…that weren’t. 

Five Comic Book Retcons That Stuck

Oh how DC Comics loves their retcons. Of course, Marvel does also but I’m a DC guy so I can’t comment on them. Many times a character will get a retcon, and given enough time that retcon will kind of disappear, be reversed or just become insignificant. But once in awhile a retcon comes in the form of a new or improved character. And if lucky, the change works well enough that it sticks around and helps to give us a new character who truly rocks.




Oh and it should be noted these are all the old versions of the characters, pre-New 52.





Supergirl

Going waayy back for this one. Back in the olden days, it was decided to give Superman a counterpart. So we were introduced to Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl. How could this be when Krypton exploded leaving Kal-El the sole survivor? Weell, let’s just say the backstory in the original story is real lame. Though the basic idea lasted, that Argo City was somehow spared the destruction and then Kara’s father sent her to Earth the same as Kal’s. The story even served as the basis for the Supergirl movie and current TV show (in altered forms). This little retcon gave a great new character, so great that even after being killed off in 1985 DC kept trying to find ways to reinvent her. Some better than others.

Random Thoughts-Will & Grace & Roseanne Reboots

So this year we got two 90’s shows brought back to life in the form of Roseanne and Will & Grace. Word is next year we’ll get Murphy Brown as well. So, the big question is how were these reboot’s?


Here are my thought real quick :




And yes I know Roseanne is still halfway through it’s very mini season but I’ve seen enough episodes to comment on it. And honestly, it doesn’t feel like the same show. It feels more like someone trying to copy the show. Yes the characters are there and recognizable but it doesn’t have that “real” feeling either. It feels like if Roseanne made a new show for today and just had the same cast in there. They are also trying too hard to be topical. The Trump love in the first episode, Roseanne’s over the top punishment of her granddaughter in the second episode, Darlene’s son wearing dress feels painfully forced and not realistic, Becky’s surrogacy makes no sense and is dropped before it even begins, and while it was great to see Johnny Galecki reprise his David character did they have to make him such a dead beat dad that Dan wont even allow him in the house? And why the heck has DJ hardly had two lines? There were some funny gags and I laughed at times but the feel is just not there. I don’t mind the retcon that keeps Dan alive but it just feels, off. The laughter even felt forced, like a terrible laugh track. There are four more episodes so maybe I will change my mind but so far the show feels off the mark.




Unlike Will & Grace which nails it. Maybe because the creative team is basically the same right down to director Jim Burrows. As I noted elsewhere they did a big retcon basically eliminating the final season of the regular run. And since that season (especially that last episode) sucked, it’s no big loss. It does feel like the same show, ok maybe not Season 1 when it was new but certainly not as old and stale as it got. It’s not perfect, the Trump stuff is a little much especially in the first episode which was almost worst than on Roseanne, and some of the guest spots from the old days were basically there to wink at the audience and offer very little. The worst was Alec Baldwin who comes onto the scene as if he’d been there all along. Sure. Some of the stories got icky like Will and Grace having sex with the same guy and another where it turned out Grace had sex with three generations of the same family, but that’s what Will & Grace did. The characters felt the same with Grace being Slothen, Will being alone, Jack being man hungry and Karen the rich socialite. But while the same it was clear their lives had evolved since the original run. They did a nice tribute when they killed off Rosario (the actress didn’t want to return) and their Christmas episode was…..interesting. So overall, I liked it. Was every episode perfect? No I got bored a few times. But it wasn’t awful and I look forward to its return.



IMDB kind of summed up my feelings as it had Will & Grace’s new episodes added as if it was just another season while Roseanne’s was under a totally different show as if it weren’t the same show that we loved in the 90’s.


That’s it for now, agree or disagree? Comment and let me know.

Another Look at Retcons in Sitcoms (and Trek)

Four years ago I did a short list of some of my favorite sitcom retcons. You can see that article here:
http://nostalgiarush.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-look-at-retcons-in-sitcoms.html


Retcons of course is when established continuity is disregarded or even changed to further the current story line. They often piss people off, but I find them fascinating. The way a show will so blatantly disregard something that has been established in the past like we’re supposed to forget it. Sometimes they work, let’s be honest isn’t forgetting “The Brady Bunch Variety Show” ever happened a good thing?, and other times they can be aggravating like the Everybody Loves Raymond episode that brought up the fact Ray and Debra had a maid when they were first married, a fact which was never mentioned before and make no sense in context with the series.





Here are some more I just love. Some small and others a little more problematic:




Will & Grace

Gee, I wonder what brought this idea up? Yeah Will & Grace returned to network TV the other week but there was one little problem. The show had a firm final episode which closed the book on Will & Grace’s lives. How do you get around it? Make it a dream of course! Well a drug induced one that Karen had anyway. Final episode basically never happened in fact they also retconned Grace being pregnant so basically that whole final season never happened.


This wasn’t the only retcon for Will & Grace. Besides the others I mentioned in the other article we also had Karen’s mother. Karen commented a couple time she’d had her mother committed and when we finally met her she said “she was only joking” about that. Also Jack had said he made a vow to his mother when he came out that he would never deny who he really was. Which was a lie when we find out he never told his mother he was gay in one memorable episode.

Ten DC Comics Character Changes…for the Worst!

I’ve talked a lot about how great DC Comics can be, but that doesn’t mean all of their ideas were hits. Very often in an attempt to change the status quo they take existing established characters or teams and decide to tinker with them…and while it can work it usually ends up hurting them in the process.  For example I already discussed the awful Electric Blue Superman. And I mentioned how they screwed Batman up when they made Jean Paul Valley in that stupid armor.

It didn’t take long for either of these to be returned to the status quo.  But that isn’t the only time DC took one of their big heroes or teams and screwed them over in the name of improving them. Here are ten more, in no particular order..





10.Wonder Woman Without Powers

At about the same time Superman was being de-powered, the same thing was happening over in Wonder Woman. This was the idea of Denny O’Neil who has admitted it was a mistake. And it was really stupid. She basically lost her powers and her costume and became a regular working woman. Yeah that sounds exciting. This was supposed to reflect women’s lib but all it did was water down the character. It didn’t last long but is a fascinating era in the character’s history.

500th Blog Special:TV Cliffhangers I Loved–and Hated!

500 blogs. Forgive the self indulgence for a second but that amazes me considering three and a half years ago I started these almost as a joke. I just wanted to see my name in the list of blogs on the TGWTG home page. But I kept coming up with ideas, and of course made friends that carried over here when I began posting on Manic Expression (three years ago to the day on Wednesday!!). This has become a fun hobby and nice diversion from the bad things that have happened these last few years.



I wasn’t sure what to talk about for this, and then remembered an idea I had been holding off on for awhile now. TV Cliffhangers! Oh you know that feeling, when you’re into the show and all of a sudden those three little words appear – TO BE CONTINUED. But I am not talking about two partners resolved the next week. No to be continued’s are even worst when you get a huge surprise and you’re dying to know what will happen next.,,,,and have to wait until next September to find out.



But while some cliffhangers were so good that they remain good to this day, some are not. They are lame or forced…or when the show returns for part 2 the cliffhanger is ruined when the show literally retcons it away to reestablish the status quo. Don’t tease us with a big change and then not deliver! Some are so silly that they are famous for how silly they are! Then there is one thing even worst–when there is no resolution at all!!!!!


Now to limit this I am only discussing season ending cliffhangers, and of shows I have actually watched (with one or two exceptions). My focus will be mostly sitcoms but I will mention some other shows.

A Look at Retcons in Sitcoms

Retcons suck! Well, sometimes they do. Retcons are a way for writers to overlook established facts about a character if it serves the interest of the current story. The problem is that when you're a serious fan, such a casual disregard for continuity can be annoying. Especially when it comes out of nowhere and makes little to no sense.

When people say retcons, they think comic books or maybe sci fi. But even sitcoms have been known to rewrite their own history for no good reason. Once in awhile it is ok. Like when The Huxtables went from four children to five. Or on Will & Grace when Karen's maid suddenly went from not understanding a word of English to speaking it fluently. Sometimes these changes are ignored, other times they are acknowledged with one simple line of dialogue. Here now are five examples of when a show changed established continuity for no good reason.

The Golden Girls

This isn't a huge one but is worth noting. On this series Rose had a long term relationship with a man named Miles. He was a teacher and appeared several times. Then at one point, for some reason, the writers decided to mix things up. It was suddenly revealed that Miles was actually an informant for the FBI, currently living under the witness protection program. When Miles has to flee, this causes a crisis for Rose. A crisis that only lasts a few episodes when Miles returns and the mobster after him is captured. This was obviously a cheesy way to shake up Rose's story for a season, and the whole thing is quietly forgotten the next year. What makes it even worst is an earlier episode involving Miles overprotective daughter. A daughter who is of course never mentioned when the whole informant stuff comes up.