Carmen Sandiego (Netflix)

[Steve]

I haven't noticed a thread for this, so I figured I'd start one. The "Carmen Sandiego" reboot on Netflix is excellent and I enjoy the re-imagining and how all the various incarnations of the setting are used. It has a bit of a Kim Possible feel to it, and Carmen being recast as the "heroic thief" works for me.

For those who haven't heard of it, the trailer:

[GrosseAdmiralFox]

I've heard of it, and from what I've heard it's actually pretty good and that's talking from people who watched the game show AND the original cartoon.

[Agent Fisher]

I'll probably watch it, but I'm already put off by the 'heroic thief who steals from other thiefs' that the trailer implied. That's not the Carmen Sandiego I watched being chased around the world by ACME detectives!

[Steve]

I'm surprised to see so many people upset at that. Honestly I prefer this version over the "steal landmarks because I'm bored" characterization (plus the insanity of the landmark thefts... or magitech that steals artistic talent, as the 90s cartoon once did).

[FaxModem1]

Well, Carmen's original story(in the cartoon and some of the games) was that she was an ace ACME detective who eventually got bored because she could solve all the cases too easily, and decided to make cases for ACME detectives to solve as a challenge. It's an interesting backstory, but I can understand why that has to be waylaid in order to make Carmen the protagonist.

I rather enjoyed this show, as it felt as realistic an adaptation of Carmen Sandiego as you could do. My only real grief is that they have completely changed Zack and Ivy's personalities for no real reason. I miss the polyglot technophile Zach and tough as nails action girl Ivy.

[GrosseAdmiralFox]

Steve, how did you get the youtube embed working, so far I couldn't no matter what I do!

[Steve]

Steve, how did you get the youtube embed working, so far I couldn't no matter what I do!

You have to make the link http:// instead of https://. And it has to be the full length URL, not the short-cut youtu.be version.

[GrosseAdmiralFox]

Steve, how did you get the youtube embed working, so far I couldn't no matter what I do!

You have to make the link http:// instead of https://. And it has to be the full length URL, not the short-cut youtu.be version.

Thanks.

[bilateralrope]

Also be aware that the Youtube embedding does not work for people who are using Chrome and visiting the https version of the forum. Chrome simply refuses to display any unencrypted elements on a page, so all I get to see is the blank space where the embedded video is.

Which is why I post links to videos instead of embedding them.

[RogueIce]

I'll probably watch it, but I'm already put off by the 'heroic thief who steals from other thiefs' that the trailer implied. That's not the Carmen Sandiego I watched being chased around the world by ACME detectives!

This version makes sense, though.

SPOILERS: While growing up, she saw being a criminal as something exciting, interesting, what the "cool kids" were doing - it was all a game to her. Then, out in the real world, she saw the consequences. I think, to a degree, an abstract "stealing hurts people" may have been something she could overcome; but hurting people to steal was not. And that last part is completely consistent with her original characterization.

And having her worldview and the way she looks out her (former) friends and family shattered like that, well she kind of took a 180 and that makes plenty of sense. Also keep in mind it's not so much "steals from other thieves" as "steals to stop VILE" specifically. If/when VILE is defeated and/or reformed, Carmen could well go back to her more playful 'thievery as a game' thing; leaving the clues behind to challenger her pursuers while keeping her conscience (relatively) clean as she's not stealing things "permanently" after all.

[GrosseAdmiralFox]

This version makes sense, though.

SPOILERS: While growing up, she saw being a criminal as something exciting, interesting, what the "cool kids" were doing - it was all a game to her. Then, out in the real world, she saw the consequences. I think, to a degree, an abstract "stealing hurts people" may have been something she could overcome; but hurting people to steal was not. And that last part is completely consistent with her original characterization.

And having her worldview and the way she looks out her (former) friends and family shattered like that, well she kind of took a 180 and that makes plenty of sense. Also keep in mind it's not so much "steals from other thieves" as "steals to stop VILE" specifically. If/when VILE is defeated and/or reformed, Carmen could well go back to her more playful 'thievery as a game' thing; leaving the clues behind to challenger her pursuers while keeping her conscience (relatively) clean as she's not stealing things "permanently" after all.

Yeah, and there is pirated copies of the entire season out on youtube right now. I'm dead serious here. It also has (SPOILERS) Shadow-san as the man who brought Carmen (and now inside man as he left Carmen a VILE data drive to exploit) in and the one that has tried at every turn to keep her from becoming entangled with VILE's horror show... and what VILE does to anyone that says no, like poor Gray had (completely and utterly brain-wiped). Oh and ACME exists in this universe as well, and they're even more secretive than VILE. As in 'elements of Men in Black' grade secret.

Although, if I had to write a fic in this universe, with VILE's MO, well, let's just say a lot of dead folks would be squealing on VILE and point a character in the right direction.