Random Observation
May. 17th, 2006 09:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shipperxFor whatever reason, this morning I was flipping through channels and hit on the final scene of...er... can't remember the name of the Harmony centric AtS Season 5 episode. Anyway, I landed on the scene of Spike in the bar saying how he couldn't board the ship to find Buffy and where Harmony was complaining about not being important to anyone... and it struck me.
You know, Mercedes McKnab (or however it's spelled. I've forgotten) is a darn fine little actress. There was this moment where when Spike was talking about someone caring and Harm looked over at him... There was just such subtle longing. In fact her expression didn't change all that much, but it just sort of came from her aura. I was impressed that she didn't overplay it, it was't overt, and yet the message was subtly conveyed just from a look.
I suppose because Harm was such a broad character and such a two-dimensional one, that I never noticed that the actress was actually talented beyond broad comedy. Rewatching that little moment, I was impressed with how much she conveyed with how little change in expression.
It made me wonder what BtVS would have been if she actually had landed the part of Buffy (as she originally nearly did). It seems totally weird to think it because Harm was such a total ditz and vapid, but it seems to be that there's a distinct possibility that Mercedes is far more subtly expressive than SMG. There were times where it truly beat the hell out of me what Buffy was thinking because SMG when required to be subtle was often simply blank.
I'm impressed when someone can convey a thought and feeling with nothing but their eyes and in that one little beat in the Spike/Harm scene, MM did just that (and I'll sign off before I begin a critique on SMG "acting" in the latter seasons).
You know, Mercedes McKnab (or however it's spelled. I've forgotten) is a darn fine little actress. There was this moment where when Spike was talking about someone caring and Harm looked over at him... There was just such subtle longing. In fact her expression didn't change all that much, but it just sort of came from her aura. I was impressed that she didn't overplay it, it was't overt, and yet the message was subtly conveyed just from a look.
I suppose because Harm was such a broad character and such a two-dimensional one, that I never noticed that the actress was actually talented beyond broad comedy. Rewatching that little moment, I was impressed with how much she conveyed with how little change in expression.
It made me wonder what BtVS would have been if she actually had landed the part of Buffy (as she originally nearly did). It seems totally weird to think it because Harm was such a total ditz and vapid, but it seems to be that there's a distinct possibility that Mercedes is far more subtly expressive than SMG. There were times where it truly beat the hell out of me what Buffy was thinking because SMG when required to be subtle was often simply blank.
I'm impressed when someone can convey a thought and feeling with nothing but their eyes and in that one little beat in the Spike/Harm scene, MM did just that (and I'll sign off before I begin a critique on SMG "acting" in the latter seasons).
