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Why the Seven?
Jul. 8th, 2008 10:48 pmI'm here to pimp a new (old) fandom: The Magnificent Seven, the TV show.
The Show
Mag7 was based on the movie of the same name, and the premise is similar. Seven very different men are hired to protect a town, and in doing so, they form a strong friendship with each other and begin, for some of them, to find a kind of salvation for themselves.
It's set in the Old West, so there's plenty of guns, horses, shooting, gambling and drinking. There's laugh-out-loud humour, and action, and plenty of shoot'em up moments. There have been scenes, too, which made made me cry, and there are scenes where the line between right and wrong is left for you to decide for yourself. It's a fun show to watch, but I was always continually surprised, especially towards the end of the second season, how deeply the writing delved.
It's almost a cop show - the Seven protect the town, help the innocent and occasionally, solve crime. But what it is for me, first and foremost, is a story about relationships and characters.
The characters are what make the show (and the fandom) for me.
The boys
There's Chris Larabee, the unofficial leader of the group.
Chris has a Dark Past. His wife and son were killed a few years earlier, and Chris has been obsessed with finding their killer ever since. He's a hard man, but (usually) a fair one. He's cynical, determined, resilient, angry, intelligent and tortured. He blames himself for not being there when his family died, and when we first meet him, we get the sense that this is the first time he's begun to really live again since their deaths. Oh, and he's also just about the fastest draw in the county, and the 'bad element' besides.
Vin Tanner: bounty hunter, sniper, tracker, wanted man.
Vin's a survivor. He's been there and done that with so little fuss and fanfare that you'd never even know about it. He's calm and laid back, polite to the women and deadly with his rifle. Behind his easy-going demeanour is a man with a decidedly dark streak in him, although it's usually hidden away. While he's portrayed as somewhat uneasy around people (Vin's a nature boy), he's got strong morals and he's not shy in stepping in and taking the lead when the situation calls for it. There's an instant connection between him and Chris, and the connection continues through the show.
Buck Wilmington, Casanova of the Old West.
Buck loves the ladies, and the ladies love Buck. Far from being a sleazy womanizer, though, Buck truly loves and respects all women. Buck is big-hearted, loyal, good-natured and easy-going - as long as you don't rouse his anger by offending or hurting a woman. He'd do just about anything to help a woman in trouble, and he's gotten into a lot of trouble doing so. He's also stuck by Chris during the dark time after Chris' family was killed, and he's loyal to this day. He's also taken JD (the youngest of the group) under his wing and their friendship is a strong point throughout the series.
JD Dunne: naive, idealistic, trusting - just don't call him a kid.
JD came West with a head full of dreams and heart full of good intentions. He's young and innocent, but has enough exuberance and determination to make up for it. (Also, experience is an unavoidable part of life... as JD goes on to learn.) He's very passionate and very earnest, and apt to make the kind of mistakes than any greenhorn out west would. But he's also a loyal friend and dedicated to his job. His relationship with Casey (his kind of girlfriend) is just about the sweetest thing ever, and of course, he's the other half to the Buck'n'JD combo.
Josiah Sanchez: a man of faith (but an undecided faith)
Josiah was once a priest, but there's a lot between him and God that's yet to be sorted out. It seems that there's currently an uneasy truce, and Josiah's gone on to learn about all faiths and cultures and has picked up bits and pieces from all of them. and Josiah is usually patient, wise and dependable, but he has his dark side, too. He's prone to dark rages and is not immune from the lure of alcohol. He's immensely strong, and even he's not sure what he's capable of doing, especially when he's drunk and/or angry. On the other hand, he has a wry sense of humour and a huge range of experience of the world (from China to India to "everything about women"!).
Nathan Jackson, healer
Nathan was once a slave and, now free, has found his passion in healing. He refuses to call himself a doctor, but nevertheless, it's what he does. He is kind and gentle, and dedicates a large part of his life to healing the sick. He also has a quick temper and very fiercely held morals, which can cause some conflicts. Despite what was probably a very traumatic early life, Nathan is a good and caring man.
Ezra Standish: conman, gambler, Southern gentleman
I have to admit, I saved my favourite for last. Ezra Standish is an unabashed conman and gambler. He might cheat at cards, but he's probably good enough that he never has to. He loves his money and creature comforts, and one of his most quoted quotes is: "A gentleman does not debase himself by engaging in menial labour." He's always impeccably dressed, speaks as if he were writing an essay (and does it in a delicious Southern accent, no less) and enjoys the finer things of life. The thing about Ezra that makes me love him so is: he hasn't been brought up to be a "good" person. It's almost against his natural inclination to do something unless there's some gain in it for him. And so he'd happily stand by and watch an old woman be evicted from her house, or a young lady being sold for opium without giving it a second thought. But on the other hand, he's great with children and he'd risk danger and death for his friends, and quite often does. He's a flawed character with a whole lot of potential for growth (and goodness), which is why he's so attractive to me. He's a curious mix of self-absorbed and loyal, cocky and unsure, and quintessential bad boy trying very hard to be good.
The fandom
Mag7 was huge in its heyday, I think, because the amount of fic out there is just incredible. And when I say there's something for everyone, I mean it. There's an abundance of long, plotty gen fic, and there's also a plethora of slash fic. I can't comment firsthand on the slash, because this is one fandom where I'm squarely in the gen section, but if the gen is anything to go by, the slash would also be fantastic.
Mag 7 has spawned countless AUs, so you don't even need to play in the Old West if you don't want to. The most famous AU is the ATF AU (the boys are ATF agents in the present). There are also fantasy AUs, a myriad of other modern day AUs, and even a bunch of AUs (both Old West and modern day) where some or all of the Seven are children. The reason AUs work so well in this fandom is the strength of the characters and their relationships to each other. At the end of the day, this is a story about friendship, and that translates into just about any setting you could come up with.
The re-watch
There's a Mag7 re-watch starting in a few days at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
7men1destiny, so this is the perfect time to join the fandom *g* The community is made up of a mix of people who've been there from the start, people who've only recently discovered the fandom, and people who are going to be watching the show and entering the fandom for the very first time. We're doing one episode a week, so it's easy to keep pace with and it will let you discuss (and squee) with other fans as you watch, as though it were airing on TV. Seriously, grab a copy of the first season from Netflix or something - it's a great show and there's an amazing fandom behind it.
(screencaps from Blackraptor, which is where you'll also find the largest collection of Mag7 fic)
ETA: Magnificent Seven 101, an introduction to M7 post by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kayim
The Show
Mag7 was based on the movie of the same name, and the premise is similar. Seven very different men are hired to protect a town, and in doing so, they form a strong friendship with each other and begin, for some of them, to find a kind of salvation for themselves.
It's set in the Old West, so there's plenty of guns, horses, shooting, gambling and drinking. There's laugh-out-loud humour, and action, and plenty of shoot'em up moments. There have been scenes, too, which made made me cry, and there are scenes where the line between right and wrong is left for you to decide for yourself. It's a fun show to watch, but I was always continually surprised, especially towards the end of the second season, how deeply the writing delved.
It's almost a cop show - the Seven protect the town, help the innocent and occasionally, solve crime. But what it is for me, first and foremost, is a story about relationships and characters.
The characters are what make the show (and the fandom) for me.
The boys
There's Chris Larabee, the unofficial leader of the group.
Chris has a Dark Past. His wife and son were killed a few years earlier, and Chris has been obsessed with finding their killer ever since. He's a hard man, but (usually) a fair one. He's cynical, determined, resilient, angry, intelligent and tortured. He blames himself for not being there when his family died, and when we first meet him, we get the sense that this is the first time he's begun to really live again since their deaths. Oh, and he's also just about the fastest draw in the county, and the 'bad element' besides.
Vin Tanner: bounty hunter, sniper, tracker, wanted man.
Vin's a survivor. He's been there and done that with so little fuss and fanfare that you'd never even know about it. He's calm and laid back, polite to the women and deadly with his rifle. Behind his easy-going demeanour is a man with a decidedly dark streak in him, although it's usually hidden away. While he's portrayed as somewhat uneasy around people (Vin's a nature boy), he's got strong morals and he's not shy in stepping in and taking the lead when the situation calls for it. There's an instant connection between him and Chris, and the connection continues through the show.
Buck Wilmington, Casanova of the Old West.
Buck loves the ladies, and the ladies love Buck. Far from being a sleazy womanizer, though, Buck truly loves and respects all women. Buck is big-hearted, loyal, good-natured and easy-going - as long as you don't rouse his anger by offending or hurting a woman. He'd do just about anything to help a woman in trouble, and he's gotten into a lot of trouble doing so. He's also stuck by Chris during the dark time after Chris' family was killed, and he's loyal to this day. He's also taken JD (the youngest of the group) under his wing and their friendship is a strong point throughout the series.
JD Dunne: naive, idealistic, trusting - just don't call him a kid.
JD came West with a head full of dreams and heart full of good intentions. He's young and innocent, but has enough exuberance and determination to make up for it. (Also, experience is an unavoidable part of life... as JD goes on to learn.) He's very passionate and very earnest, and apt to make the kind of mistakes than any greenhorn out west would. But he's also a loyal friend and dedicated to his job. His relationship with Casey (his kind of girlfriend) is just about the sweetest thing ever, and of course, he's the other half to the Buck'n'JD combo.
Josiah Sanchez: a man of faith (but an undecided faith)
Josiah was once a priest, but there's a lot between him and God that's yet to be sorted out. It seems that there's currently an uneasy truce, and Josiah's gone on to learn about all faiths and cultures and has picked up bits and pieces from all of them. and Josiah is usually patient, wise and dependable, but he has his dark side, too. He's prone to dark rages and is not immune from the lure of alcohol. He's immensely strong, and even he's not sure what he's capable of doing, especially when he's drunk and/or angry. On the other hand, he has a wry sense of humour and a huge range of experience of the world (from China to India to "everything about women"!).
Nathan Jackson, healer
Nathan was once a slave and, now free, has found his passion in healing. He refuses to call himself a doctor, but nevertheless, it's what he does. He is kind and gentle, and dedicates a large part of his life to healing the sick. He also has a quick temper and very fiercely held morals, which can cause some conflicts. Despite what was probably a very traumatic early life, Nathan is a good and caring man.
Ezra Standish: conman, gambler, Southern gentleman
I have to admit, I saved my favourite for last. Ezra Standish is an unabashed conman and gambler. He might cheat at cards, but he's probably good enough that he never has to. He loves his money and creature comforts, and one of his most quoted quotes is: "A gentleman does not debase himself by engaging in menial labour." He's always impeccably dressed, speaks as if he were writing an essay (and does it in a delicious Southern accent, no less) and enjoys the finer things of life. The thing about Ezra that makes me love him so is: he hasn't been brought up to be a "good" person. It's almost against his natural inclination to do something unless there's some gain in it for him. And so he'd happily stand by and watch an old woman be evicted from her house, or a young lady being sold for opium without giving it a second thought. But on the other hand, he's great with children and he'd risk danger and death for his friends, and quite often does. He's a flawed character with a whole lot of potential for growth (and goodness), which is why he's so attractive to me. He's a curious mix of self-absorbed and loyal, cocky and unsure, and quintessential bad boy trying very hard to be good.
The fandom
Mag7 was huge in its heyday, I think, because the amount of fic out there is just incredible. And when I say there's something for everyone, I mean it. There's an abundance of long, plotty gen fic, and there's also a plethora of slash fic. I can't comment firsthand on the slash, because this is one fandom where I'm squarely in the gen section, but if the gen is anything to go by, the slash would also be fantastic.
Mag 7 has spawned countless AUs, so you don't even need to play in the Old West if you don't want to. The most famous AU is the ATF AU (the boys are ATF agents in the present). There are also fantasy AUs, a myriad of other modern day AUs, and even a bunch of AUs (both Old West and modern day) where some or all of the Seven are children. The reason AUs work so well in this fandom is the strength of the characters and their relationships to each other. At the end of the day, this is a story about friendship, and that translates into just about any setting you could come up with.
The re-watch
There's a Mag7 re-watch starting in a few days at
7men1destiny, so this is the perfect time to join the fandom *g* The community is made up of a mix of people who've been there from the start, people who've only recently discovered the fandom, and people who are going to be watching the show and entering the fandom for the very first time. We're doing one episode a week, so it's easy to keep pace with and it will let you discuss (and squee) with other fans as you watch, as though it were airing on TV. Seriously, grab a copy of the first season from Netflix or something - it's a great show and there's an amazing fandom behind it.(screencaps from Blackraptor, which is where you'll also find the largest collection of Mag7 fic)
ETA: Magnificent Seven 101, an introduction to M7 post by
kayim
