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Why Can't People Figure out that David is the Hulk?

posted 9 years ago by AutoexecBatman
52 replies | jump to latest

It is really annoying to me the way that on this show, no one seems to understand that David is the Hulk, even when he transforms right in front of them, for example in 747 when he tells the others to leave the cockpit when he knew he was going to transform, then the kid comes back a few minutes later and asks 'where is David? How are you?' Come on, how hard is it to figure out that he IS David? This happens a lot in the series, where David is being attacked by thugs, and transforms during the fight and the bad guys so often respond 'where did this monster come from, where the guy we were just beating up go to?' Come on, is it that hard to figure out?

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

It was 70's television, they feared if people put two and two together everything was gonna take a turn for the worst.

[–] YankeeDoodleDan 8 years ago

With a show like this, your suspension of disbelief simply HAS to extend beyond just the Hulk existing. You also have to accept the scenario of how a world would react to such a creature. The show had more "realism" than the comic, but you could simply go wild putting it under a microscope:

1) Why didn't the Hulk ever cause elderly people to die from heart attacks?

2) Why didn't Banner grow a beard and mustache (Before Trial of The Incredible Hulk) or try to dye his hair?

3) Why did Jack McGee just happen to miss seeing David on so many occasions?

Etc., etc.

The point is that the premise was good and the plots were excellent.

Also, if you notice, after McGee found out that it was a "man who changed into the Hulk," people were able to figurer out that David was in fact that man, during a change. It's just that no one ever put it all together with his true identity.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

It was the same episode over and over type show, set up a premise from the start that never changes, always cheat the hero out of too many problems, nowadays it's more complicated plots and certain things that last a few seasons.

The realism of the show was initially interesting but maybe gotten nonsensical later on.

Couldn't do a Hulk show like this now because of the trends like the world of facebook and twitter, also how hard would it be for The Hulk to remain hidden.

[–] YankeeDoodleDan 8 years ago

Better than the Hulk movie garbage that's being made today.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Who to say the TV show is the way to go with all adaptations you moron?

[–] YankeeDoodleDan 8 years ago

I say it, you idiot.

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] AutoexecBatman 8 years ago

Well, you're wrong. While it is not as cheesy as the old Batman and Robin serials from the 40's, or the Superman live action series from the 50's, this TV series from the 70's is pretty bad overall. There are some episodes that are better than others, but overall, the ratio of bad episodes to good ones is pretty high, and there are tons of really absurd plot holes. The biggest problem with this show is that every episode is the same thing, over and over again, and the plot never really advances. It's fairly typical of TV shows of the period where there was a basic premise that never changed and the characters never experience any growth or development.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

If it was done now it would be in a long arc format and fighting gamma mutants and more complex plots. And would have people doing something about The Hulk not just a reporter doing it and would have more supporting characters and subplots. The show was also rooted in a cops and robbers type formula wish has gone the way of the dinosaur in modern comic book shows.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

It was made at a time where the Hulk and other Marvel characters weren't that well known. Unfortunately what happens when you have something like the TV show were are constantly calling it definitive you get every other adaptation spat up on, but it wouldn't work in this era because it was a very 70's type of show.

[–] YankeeDoodleDan 8 years ago

Obviously, most people don't see it that way because it lasted 5 seasons and is still highly popular today. Much better than that modern movie garbage.

[–] AutoexecBatman 8 years ago

Yeah, this TV series is far more popular and profitable than the movie franchise that has earned more than $5 billion worldwide, absolutely true.  Get real. Even the least profitable Marvel movie has made more than 10 times what this TV series has earned in 40 years.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Think everyone has been perhaps overly influenced by the show like with Superman in movies, which is bit of a problem the more you pander to nostalgia the more likely it is people would become overly familiar with it and would just breed contempt, that happened with Batman and again Superman.

[–] AaronCapenBanner 8 years ago

I haven't seen any MCU films, and am not going to pass judgment on them, but the media landscape has changed a great deal since this series first aired, so this is not a fair comparison. Back then, the network was concerned with episode ratings and subsequent ad revenue, then further syndication profits and some merchandising, but that's it. Home media was not a factor then, but considering the entire series was released as season sets on DVD, must have sold well, though whether it will ever receive a complete Blu-ray release is unknown.

I did see the 2003 film Hulk, which was considered a disappointment by most, and inferior to the TV series. Indeed, as Kenneth Johnson noted in an interview on one of the DVDs, the highlight for most(including me!) was the final scene in the jungle with Bruce Banner's familiar line of "Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!", which was a creation of the series, which many fans, especially me, still think fondly of.

Besides, from what I understand, the MCU Hulk is only a part of a greater cast of characters, where the TV series was its own self-contained, Hulk/David centered thing, with Bill Bixby's indelible, heartfelt portrayal and poignant "Lonely Man" piano theme still resonating today, regardless of any advancements in storytelling or CGI.

Something to consider, even if this series isn't for you...

[–] YankeeDoodleDan 8 years ago

The modern Hulk movies were pathetically trying to capitalize on the TV show and comic book. They paid honor to neither.

[–] AutoexecBatman 8 years ago

I like the show, that's why I'm here, but I'm not going to pretend that it is the definitive Hulk, or that it is greater than any other version, including the comics, or that it's the most popular version of the Hulk, because none of that is true, and it's not just true, it's silly to claim any of that.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

People constantly calling it the definitive version can it tiring and nonsensical, it's what happens when you create an adaptation that is special, it can ruin subsequent versions in the process, which happened with Superman and Batman.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Think some of it had to do some codes at the time were people can never know his secret, everyone had to turn away or throw him behind something so they won't see him change, that's probably what's been dictated in the show.

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] AutoexecBatman 8 years ago

YOU know but most people in that universe think the hulk is a tabloid myth,

And this is another plot point that makes absolutely no sense at all. The Hulk shows up in the middle of a boxing match, shows up in the middle of an NFL playoff game, shows up in the middle of a rodeo, walks right down Times Square in broad daylight, shows up on stage in the middle of a rock concert, and probably a dozen other public events I can't remember in which he is seen by thousands of people, including several events at which journalists with cameras simply HAD TO BE present, and yet, despite being seen by thousands of people and no doubt being photographed at the boxing match and broadcast on live TV at the NFL game, somehow no one believes that he exists and no one has ever taken a picture of him? I call BS on that.

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Only X Files type people would take it seriously. Other than no camera phones there these codes at the time that he had to remain anonymous so he can easily escape and bullies throwing him behind something or turning away had to do with a old cliche nobody can see him change and wouldn't have to deal with the issue of people knowing.

[–] AutoexecBatman 8 years ago

The video showed is of an NFL game, and it doesn't matter anyway, because it was clearly a playoff game, and was broadcast on live TV because we heard the commentators. The argument that 'it was a hoax by the Register' is asinine, anyone watching the football game on TV who would conclude that it was all a hoax is a paranoid conspiracy theorist who just simply cannot be convinced by evidence no matter how strong it might be. Someone who would do that is little better than one of those people who think the moon landing was faked on a Hollywood sound stage.

The suggestion that something like The Hulk's appearance in the middle of a football game viewed on live TV by millions could be a hoax reminds me of an old joke:

A man is convinced he is dead. His wife and kids are exasperated. They keep telling him he's not dead. But he continues to insist he's dead.

They try telling him, "Look, you're not dead; you're walking and talking and breathing; how can you be dead?" But he continues to insist he is dead.

The family finally takes him to a doctor. The doctor pulls out some medical books to demonstrate to the man that dead men do not bleed. After some time, the man admits that dead men do not bleed.

The doctor then takes the man's hand and a needle and pokes the end of his finger. The man starts bleeding. He looks at his finger and says, "What do you know? DEAD MEN DO BLEED!"

When someone so convinced that he is willing to dismiss the evidence of his own eyes, he's gone, he's lost, it's hopeless for him.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

In the comics Banner being the Hulk is widely known mostly to his pursuers. If it were done now all the secrecy would last a few episodes or one season.

[–] MickyMac (3208) 8 years ago

Feels too much of a stretch to have people not know Banner is The Hulk, in the comics since Tales To Astonish everybody knows.

[–] MickyMac (3208) 7 years ago

If it was made today people would know he's The Hulk.

[–] MickyMac (3208) 7 years ago

Probably done that way so they wouldn't have to get into Frankenstein like mob situations.

[–] MickyMac (3208) 7 years ago

Just an excuse for a bit of on screen tension.