Nothing worth redeeming

Something different for today's post: Recently I sat down and watched Dragon Age Redemption - I didn't know much about this prior aside from the recommendations from a friend who didn't even like Dragon Age Origins. But if the game didn't work for him whereas a web-series did then it may be worth checking out, right?

Well...no. I watched the first five episodes and, to be honest, came away disappointed.
Now I could be nice and praise the script for maintaining an understanding of the Dragon Age world which is something many spin-offs of IP tend not to do. I could give credit to the makers of this series, whom were working with a low budget (that is at times painfully obvious), for doing the best they could with what they had. I may be even generous enough to ignore the fact that the fight scenes were downright dull....

But the deal breaker for me is laid squarely on the shoulders of Tallis. To put it mildly, I do not like this character. And it's a gunshot wound to the kneecap indeed when your main protagonist, the focal point to your story, isn't working.
So what's my beef with Tallis? Well she seems to be doing everything in her power to annoy me: She's a bitch, psychotic, greedy, a bitch, arrogant and devoid of any actual human emotions. Oh and did I mention she's a bitch? Some people may find such qualities in a fictional character fun to watch but not me: I'm finding at hard to connect to such a character. And when I find myself cheering for the baddies in the fight scenes, as opposed to the lead protagonist, then something has gone horribly wrong.

I think what bothers is that Tallis falls into that trap of being a strong female character. Now before you all get started, there is nothing wrong with being a strong female character - but there also exists the risk of becoming a caricature. You know what I mean: A caricature means a strong independent female character has to be a volatile, violently neurotic, have no conscience, must treat any emotions as a sign of weakness and must surround herself with males who can't do shit just for the sake of proving how awesome she is. Granted that may not have been the intention of the creators of Dragon Age Redemption but it certainly comes across that way.
Now there's nothing wrong with a bitchy/independent female just as long as the bitchiness is balanced out with some human emotions - by way of example, consider Jahiera from Baldur's Gate. Crabby in the first game, she does however gain some depth in the second game, with the death of her husband, her dealing with it and, if the player is willing, the potential romantic sub-plot. So if a balance of bitchiness and depth can be achieved then what's wrong with it?

So in the end, Tallis doesn't work for me. She comes across as being more of a caricature and I can't make any connection whatsoever with her as a member of the audience. She's being a bitch for the sake of being bitch and whilst I may crave for some actual depth to the character, hopes are looking slim with each passing episode. In fact, having watched up to episode five, I think Cairn is a more compelling character - so why couldn't the series be about him? He gets some actual depth but Tallis, the main protagonist, doesn't.

I'll leave it on that note.
Flame away my soon to be former friends