1. "Grey's Anatomy." Last week's flashback episode was a welcome change of pace, and aside from the bad hairdos, gave us a fun look inside some characters we hardly get to see. I loved Callie's stage fright, despite the fact that I didn't quite buy that Derek would make her do it when he knew she didn't want to. I liked, though, that we got to see a surgery that clearly happened off screen, but during the run of the show. I did like that Joe surfaced, though I still want to know whatever happened to the baby adoption storyline from season 3? 4? Whenever that was.
I do like Sarah Paulson, a whole lot, but I just didn't buy her as Ellis. She's too small and blonde, and looks nothing like a young Kate Burton.
2. "Life Unexpected." Yes, really. I love this show, despite it's increasing silliness. As if the pilot, with all of it's pretty orphans wasn't silly enough, it just manages to get sillier. But I'm really enjoying it.
3. "Being Erica." This show is also awesome. Erica Strange has a magical therapist, who is able to send her back in time so she can relive the past, knowing what she knows now. She uses this to not only change the trajectory of some her relationships, but also to learn from her mistakes and start fixing things in the present. It's the kind of magical power we all wish we had, and Erica is just relatable enough to strike a chord. For extra intrigue this season, she has found a kindred spirit in the local bartender, who also travels in time, but is unwilling to talk about it.
4. "American Idol." Normally, I hate this show. But I look in on it from time to time, and wanted to see whether Ellen would be any good or not. It turns out, this show still takes itself way too seriously, but that kid who sang "Heaven" was pretty damn good.
5. Speaking of which, why is a Bryan Adams power ballad suddenly turning up everywhere? Brandi Carlile and her band released a self produced EP for Valentine's Day, called XOBC. It includes 3 new songs, including one called "Love Songs," which she played at some her live shows a few years back, and I was glad to see it resurface. She also covers "All You Need is Love", where all four band members scream "LOVE!" into the mic at the same time. And yes, she covers "Heaven" as well. It's an acoustic cover of an 80's pop ballad, and it's very sweet. But I have to say, I liked it better when the twins and the Fighting Machinists covered it at their show at the Tractor, and kind of cranked it arena-rock style.
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Thursday, February 25, 2010
5 Things About the Olympics
I originally intended on live blogging much of the Olympics, but alas, I have not updated this blog since November, so the live blogging didn't so much happen. However, I figured I would consolidate some of my thoughts here, list-style.
1. The Opening Ceremony. This is arguably the best television event in any Olympic year. It's better than the Oscars and the Super Bowl combined, and trumps any Lifetime movie by far. The pageantry! The human interest stories! The choreography! (Was that a Mia Michaels routine I spotted??) The celebrities I never knew were Canadian! The geography lessons from Bob Costas! I love all of it. While the Beijing Opening Ceremonies were an exercise in patience, ADD and Busby Berkely-esque mega-choreography, Vancouver toned it down slightly without losing its awe-inspiring look. I loved the tap dancers and the modern routine which I never remembered to look up, but made me wonder if Mia Michaels had anything to do with it. KD Lang, Sarah McLachlan and Donald Sutherland all turned in sublime performances, though Bryan Adams was slightly underwhelming.
2. The NBC anchors, commentators, and broadcast in general. As has been said ad-nauseum, boo on the tape delaying. Of any kind. Vancouver is in the same time zone as a third of the United States, so there is no reason why everything shouldn't be shown live. If you want to package it all later for the working stiffs among us who can only watch in the evening, that's fine. But at least give us the option of also watching the event live, so that we don't have to find out who won by accidentally opening a web browser in the middle of the day.
However, yay for silly commentators and some awesome editing and B roll. Being an ex-TV-production-assistant, I can just imagine that it must take all 2 years in between Olympics to plan the production logistics of the next one. That is a lot of cameras, interviews, B roll, and editors. Admittedly, my favorite things about watching the Olympics are the silly human interest stories, the medal ceremonies, and Mary Carillo traipsing around with polar bears for no apparent reason other than burning NBC's money. I love it all.
The combination of the skiing crashes, the short track controversies, the figure skating eating disorders, the triumph over adversity through sport stories, and the celebratory nature of the Olympics adds up to more excitement than The Amazing Race, and more tears than Extreme Makeover Home Edition.
Plus, what would the world be without Bob Costas' bad hair and silly puns, Scott Hamilton's pure passion for figure skating, and Mary Carillo's riding boots (seriously, how many pairs of those does she have)?
3. Johnny Weir. I love Johnny Weir so much, I'm about to get on the internet and join his fan club, who call themselves Johnny's Angels. First of all, he's one of Kathy Griffin's gays. That should be enough to love him, but I'll go on. This guy is a true performer, and he loves figure skating for all the right reasons - the fashion, the showiness, the performance art, and the hearts and flowers he receives from his fans. Unfortunately, those aren't the reasons most of the competitors cite for loving figure skating, which puts Johnny usually at the bottom of the ranks. He should have been a Broadway star, where there are no judges who care how "flamboyant" you are, which seems to be, along with "eccentric," figure skating's code for "gay." The fact that a sport like figure skating even needs a code word for gay boggles me, but sure. What puzzles even more, though, is that this man has done nothing to deserve those descriptions, other than the sole fact that he is a figure skater. What sets him aside from the others, I really don't know.
He also has a reality show currently airing on the Sundance Channel called "Be Good Johnny Weir." It puts into words all of the puzzlement we all feel when we hear how the figure skating community treats Johnny. Check it out, it's awesome.
4. Ice Dancing. Admittedly, I started watching ice dancing going, "what the?" It looks nothing like figure skating, and nothing like dancing. And... ok, now they're just making up stuff. Twizzles? That's not a dance step! But, as the competition went on, and the Russians got tripped up in their Leiderhosen or whatever, and the Canadians soared toward the gold medal, I got more and more hooked. When Tracy Wilson first described the free dance as something that only required the skaters to, uh, have some steps and some rhythm, I thought, "oh, come on. Even So You Think You Can Dance has more requirements than that!" But again, the medal winners actually came through on some awesome choreography and engaging music, and by the end, I was totally on board. Plus, I love it when the Canadians win, and they were so proud and teary eyed... I only wished I had a Canadian TV feed so that I could hear Jamie Sale and David Pelletier's commentary. Also, Tessa Virtue is just about the best name ever.
5. Team Canada! I just love it when they win... they never won a gold on home turf, and now they have what? 7? 8? It's just so heartwarming, the Canadian anthem is so fun, and I know that somehow they can turn all of this into fodder for Robin on How I Met Your Mother.
Honorable mentions go to short track speed skating for how ridiculously unfair it is that people can win a gold simply because somebody else confused it for roller derby; the ridiculous attractiveness of the US ski team and the Australian snowboarders; skate-bot Evan Lysacek for choosing a talented publicist; and ski and snowboard cross for how much fun it is to watch people fall down.
Not so honorable mentions go to the Korean short track speed skaters for repeatedly mistaking their sport for roller derby and losing out on the gold medal; Evgeny Plushenko for choosing a terrible publicist; and Julia Mancuso for her poor sportsmanship and whininess when teammate Lindsey Vonn was visibly injured, causing Macuso to have to re-do her run.
1. The Opening Ceremony. This is arguably the best television event in any Olympic year. It's better than the Oscars and the Super Bowl combined, and trumps any Lifetime movie by far. The pageantry! The human interest stories! The choreography! (Was that a Mia Michaels routine I spotted??) The celebrities I never knew were Canadian! The geography lessons from Bob Costas! I love all of it. While the Beijing Opening Ceremonies were an exercise in patience, ADD and Busby Berkely-esque mega-choreography, Vancouver toned it down slightly without losing its awe-inspiring look. I loved the tap dancers and the modern routine which I never remembered to look up, but made me wonder if Mia Michaels had anything to do with it. KD Lang, Sarah McLachlan and Donald Sutherland all turned in sublime performances, though Bryan Adams was slightly underwhelming.
2. The NBC anchors, commentators, and broadcast in general. As has been said ad-nauseum, boo on the tape delaying. Of any kind. Vancouver is in the same time zone as a third of the United States, so there is no reason why everything shouldn't be shown live. If you want to package it all later for the working stiffs among us who can only watch in the evening, that's fine. But at least give us the option of also watching the event live, so that we don't have to find out who won by accidentally opening a web browser in the middle of the day.
However, yay for silly commentators and some awesome editing and B roll. Being an ex-TV-production-assistant, I can just imagine that it must take all 2 years in between Olympics to plan the production logistics of the next one. That is a lot of cameras, interviews, B roll, and editors. Admittedly, my favorite things about watching the Olympics are the silly human interest stories, the medal ceremonies, and Mary Carillo traipsing around with polar bears for no apparent reason other than burning NBC's money. I love it all.
The combination of the skiing crashes, the short track controversies, the figure skating eating disorders, the triumph over adversity through sport stories, and the celebratory nature of the Olympics adds up to more excitement than The Amazing Race, and more tears than Extreme Makeover Home Edition.
Plus, what would the world be without Bob Costas' bad hair and silly puns, Scott Hamilton's pure passion for figure skating, and Mary Carillo's riding boots (seriously, how many pairs of those does she have)?
3. Johnny Weir. I love Johnny Weir so much, I'm about to get on the internet and join his fan club, who call themselves Johnny's Angels. First of all, he's one of Kathy Griffin's gays. That should be enough to love him, but I'll go on. This guy is a true performer, and he loves figure skating for all the right reasons - the fashion, the showiness, the performance art, and the hearts and flowers he receives from his fans. Unfortunately, those aren't the reasons most of the competitors cite for loving figure skating, which puts Johnny usually at the bottom of the ranks. He should have been a Broadway star, where there are no judges who care how "flamboyant" you are, which seems to be, along with "eccentric," figure skating's code for "gay." The fact that a sport like figure skating even needs a code word for gay boggles me, but sure. What puzzles even more, though, is that this man has done nothing to deserve those descriptions, other than the sole fact that he is a figure skater. What sets him aside from the others, I really don't know.
He also has a reality show currently airing on the Sundance Channel called "Be Good Johnny Weir." It puts into words all of the puzzlement we all feel when we hear how the figure skating community treats Johnny. Check it out, it's awesome.
4. Ice Dancing. Admittedly, I started watching ice dancing going, "what the?" It looks nothing like figure skating, and nothing like dancing. And... ok, now they're just making up stuff. Twizzles? That's not a dance step! But, as the competition went on, and the Russians got tripped up in their Leiderhosen or whatever, and the Canadians soared toward the gold medal, I got more and more hooked. When Tracy Wilson first described the free dance as something that only required the skaters to, uh, have some steps and some rhythm, I thought, "oh, come on. Even So You Think You Can Dance has more requirements than that!" But again, the medal winners actually came through on some awesome choreography and engaging music, and by the end, I was totally on board. Plus, I love it when the Canadians win, and they were so proud and teary eyed... I only wished I had a Canadian TV feed so that I could hear Jamie Sale and David Pelletier's commentary. Also, Tessa Virtue is just about the best name ever.
5. Team Canada! I just love it when they win... they never won a gold on home turf, and now they have what? 7? 8? It's just so heartwarming, the Canadian anthem is so fun, and I know that somehow they can turn all of this into fodder for Robin on How I Met Your Mother.
Honorable mentions go to short track speed skating for how ridiculously unfair it is that people can win a gold simply because somebody else confused it for roller derby; the ridiculous attractiveness of the US ski team and the Australian snowboarders; skate-bot Evan Lysacek for choosing a talented publicist; and ski and snowboard cross for how much fun it is to watch people fall down.
Not so honorable mentions go to the Korean short track speed skaters for repeatedly mistaking their sport for roller derby and losing out on the gold medal; Evgeny Plushenko for choosing a terrible publicist; and Julia Mancuso for her poor sportsmanship and whininess when teammate Lindsey Vonn was visibly injured, causing Macuso to have to re-do her run.
Friday, October 30, 2009
This week's TV rundown
You'd think I could come up with some kind of consistency for this blog, like doing a TV rundown every Friday and a music review every Saturday. Maybe one day, I'll remember to do that. For now, though here are my thoughts on the multiple shows I caught up on at the end of this week.
1. "So You Think You Can Dance": First of all, this screwy schedule with baseball is really confusing. Wait, it's on a Monday? And there is no results show? Wha? Otherwise, though, I liked Monday's performance show, and I actually thought it was a good idea to introduce us to all of the contestants. Of course, by Tuesday, I had already forgotten who was who, but at least they tried. I love all the tappers, especially... oh crap I forgot her name already - the girl one. I have to say, though, I have no idea what happened with Mia or where she went, but her absence is definitely noticeable. As annoying as she is, she really made the show fun to watch, in that yelling at the TV screen sort of way, and her choreography was a standout - it's absence makes the show lack something.
I would love to talk about the individual routines, but either I was trying too hard to finish homework while I was watching it, or nothing really stood out for me. I loved the tap routine. As far as dancers are concerned, I was taken with Billy, but I guess his stint was short lived... I kind of like that annoyingly perky Mollee - she reminds me a little of Allison from the second season.
By the time I got to Tuesday's elimination show, I was already weary from trying to keep track of everybody. I'm sure I will forget all about the people who were eliminated by the end of the season. I've always said that maybe this show could benefit from not having the results show, which I usually fast forward my way through. But this week's one-two punch of "dance, dance some solos, and... you're done" was just a little too much for me to follow.
2. Comedies: "Modern Family" and "30 Rock": I'm really beginning to like "Modern Family." It's funny, and it has heart, but not too much. Also, I'm a sucker for Julie Bowen - I've loved to watch her ever since she started guest starring everywhere, and her role as Carol on "Ed" will always stick out in my mind. I find her irresistible no matter who she's playing. I'm also consistently impressed that Cameron and Mitchell get their own storyline, even if their childcare antics are ripped off from "Friends" and every other TV show ever. (I couldn't help but go "Monica bang!" when they bumped the kid's head on the ceiling the exact same way that Monica did with Ben during the second season of "Friends".) As for "30 Rock," it's always funny. I love how well the writers know their characters - in Liz's argument with Jack about what makes an American, they always said exactly what you would expect them to. (I'm still laughing about Jack calling the President "Comrade Obama" from like, 3 weeks ago.)
3. "Grey's Anatomy": I liked watching Derek's thought process, even though this episode was total filler/time killer until the ladies come back from their movies and maternity leaves. I'm also glad they gave Derek something to do, and I'm glad we got to see him being a doctor again. I feel like this show so often gets caught up in it's own navel gazing that we sometimes forget that these people are doctors, and that they probably spend all day doing what Derek did last night, and not fighting with their fathers who just dropped in to the hospital. I fell in love with Derek (not in a McDreamy way, in a "he's an interesting character" way) in the first season because he seemed like such a talented, charismatic doctor. I'm glad we got to see him doctoring again. And that bit towards the end where the others were all sitting in the "peanut gallery", Cristina narrating on the phone to Meredith and Arizona hiding her eyes was really cute.
By the way, though... who the hell is Isaac?
I'm interested to see how they're going to get themselves out of this Izzie thing. We know she's coming back, so where on earth could she be that would make it plausible for her to come back? And while we're on the subject, the Chief firing everyone is getting old. Chief, if you fire everyone, no one is going to take you seriously anymore. See? Even Derek knows you don't mean it. I liked Arizona successfully guarding the door, too - she finally has a modicum of personality. (And no, I don't count her story about where she got her name from as "personality." We get it, you have a weird name. Who cares?)
Re: the new people. I still think they need to stop adding characters to this show and just be nicer to the old ones. But, I kind of like Lainie (or whatever her name is on this show) from Everwood, despite the fact that she's kind of a better version of Lexie (who I still can't stand). And, does it bother anyone else that the new guy, the one who got the surgery over Lexie, looks kind of like Alex? Speaking of Alex, he totally is a douche. But I still love him. Last thought - I really never want Cristina being my doctor. She has become completely one-note too. We know from previous seasons that she really does care about more than winning the competitions and getting the best surgeries. I'm sick of her insensitivity, it's like whoever's writing this keeps referring to the pilot script and going, "Oh yeah, Cristina is the competitive one," as if they forgot who their characters are.
4. No Wednesday TV this week. Stupid baseball.
1. "So You Think You Can Dance": First of all, this screwy schedule with baseball is really confusing. Wait, it's on a Monday? And there is no results show? Wha? Otherwise, though, I liked Monday's performance show, and I actually thought it was a good idea to introduce us to all of the contestants. Of course, by Tuesday, I had already forgotten who was who, but at least they tried. I love all the tappers, especially... oh crap I forgot her name already - the girl one. I have to say, though, I have no idea what happened with Mia or where she went, but her absence is definitely noticeable. As annoying as she is, she really made the show fun to watch, in that yelling at the TV screen sort of way, and her choreography was a standout - it's absence makes the show lack something.
I would love to talk about the individual routines, but either I was trying too hard to finish homework while I was watching it, or nothing really stood out for me. I loved the tap routine. As far as dancers are concerned, I was taken with Billy, but I guess his stint was short lived... I kind of like that annoyingly perky Mollee - she reminds me a little of Allison from the second season.
By the time I got to Tuesday's elimination show, I was already weary from trying to keep track of everybody. I'm sure I will forget all about the people who were eliminated by the end of the season. I've always said that maybe this show could benefit from not having the results show, which I usually fast forward my way through. But this week's one-two punch of "dance, dance some solos, and... you're done" was just a little too much for me to follow.
2. Comedies: "Modern Family" and "30 Rock": I'm really beginning to like "Modern Family." It's funny, and it has heart, but not too much. Also, I'm a sucker for Julie Bowen - I've loved to watch her ever since she started guest starring everywhere, and her role as Carol on "Ed" will always stick out in my mind. I find her irresistible no matter who she's playing. I'm also consistently impressed that Cameron and Mitchell get their own storyline, even if their childcare antics are ripped off from "Friends" and every other TV show ever. (I couldn't help but go "Monica bang!" when they bumped the kid's head on the ceiling the exact same way that Monica did with Ben during the second season of "Friends".) As for "30 Rock," it's always funny. I love how well the writers know their characters - in Liz's argument with Jack about what makes an American, they always said exactly what you would expect them to. (I'm still laughing about Jack calling the President "Comrade Obama" from like, 3 weeks ago.)
3. "Grey's Anatomy": I liked watching Derek's thought process, even though this episode was total filler/time killer until the ladies come back from their movies and maternity leaves. I'm also glad they gave Derek something to do, and I'm glad we got to see him being a doctor again. I feel like this show so often gets caught up in it's own navel gazing that we sometimes forget that these people are doctors, and that they probably spend all day doing what Derek did last night, and not fighting with their fathers who just dropped in to the hospital. I fell in love with Derek (not in a McDreamy way, in a "he's an interesting character" way) in the first season because he seemed like such a talented, charismatic doctor. I'm glad we got to see him doctoring again. And that bit towards the end where the others were all sitting in the "peanut gallery", Cristina narrating on the phone to Meredith and Arizona hiding her eyes was really cute.
By the way, though... who the hell is Isaac?
I'm interested to see how they're going to get themselves out of this Izzie thing. We know she's coming back, so where on earth could she be that would make it plausible for her to come back? And while we're on the subject, the Chief firing everyone is getting old. Chief, if you fire everyone, no one is going to take you seriously anymore. See? Even Derek knows you don't mean it. I liked Arizona successfully guarding the door, too - she finally has a modicum of personality. (And no, I don't count her story about where she got her name from as "personality." We get it, you have a weird name. Who cares?)
Re: the new people. I still think they need to stop adding characters to this show and just be nicer to the old ones. But, I kind of like Lainie (or whatever her name is on this show) from Everwood, despite the fact that she's kind of a better version of Lexie (who I still can't stand). And, does it bother anyone else that the new guy, the one who got the surgery over Lexie, looks kind of like Alex? Speaking of Alex, he totally is a douche. But I still love him. Last thought - I really never want Cristina being my doctor. She has become completely one-note too. We know from previous seasons that she really does care about more than winning the competitions and getting the best surgeries. I'm sick of her insensitivity, it's like whoever's writing this keeps referring to the pilot script and going, "Oh yeah, Cristina is the competitive one," as if they forgot who their characters are.
4. No Wednesday TV this week. Stupid baseball.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Grey's Anatomy Season 6: March of the guest stars
In list form again, because I'm too lazy for sentences.
1. Hey! Those people from Mercy West look awfully familiar... oh look, that's Lainie, Colin's sister from Everwood. And hey - there's Hannah from Everwood! And Liz Danes is in this episode too. It's like I'm reliving the days of The WB via Shonda Rhimes. When is Keri Russell guest starring?
2. Really, can't they think of something better for Callie and Arizona to do? I can think of a few things. I mean, can't we ever have some lesbians on network TV whose entire storyline isn't about them being lesbians? I've never liked Arizona because I've always felt like she has 3 personality traits: a) she's blonde, b) she's a lesbian, and c) she has a weird name. This episode did not help with that. Also, the coming out to Dad thing? NOBODY CARES. It's been done on every TV show ever. Callie has so many issues in relationships, there are so many other things they could do with this. Like, we could start with the fact that she's gone ahead and fallen in love with someone who has no personality.
3. I know Izzie is not a popular character, but the entire time I've been watching this show, I've really been rooting for Izzie and Alex to make it. Please don't break them up again.
4. Speaking of which, how many times have they fired Izzie already? And now she's going to miraculously come back after Heigl is done with her maternity leave, or filming her movie, or whatever it is she's doing? Yeah, cause that's not obvious.
5. I heart Sarah Drew.
6. I really can't deal with Callie's tranny makeup anymore. She's a dyke, not a drag queen, people.
7. Sorry to be back on this topic again, but as if Callie being a doormat wasn't already annoying, now she has no personality either outside of "I'm a lesbian." I mean, didn't she just lose her job, get a new one, and then get a new one again? How come we barely saw that?
8. Meredith and Cristina were true to form tonight, and I totally love the two of them together. I'm really digging Meredith now that she's not obsessing over Derek anymore.
9. We barely saw Derek this episode! What a nice change of pace.
10. I have nothing else to say on this matter, but I needed a number 10. Hmmm... is saying "I still miss Erica Hahn" just annoying at this point? What, at least she and Callie actually got to have sex.
1. Hey! Those people from Mercy West look awfully familiar... oh look, that's Lainie, Colin's sister from Everwood. And hey - there's Hannah from Everwood! And Liz Danes is in this episode too. It's like I'm reliving the days of The WB via Shonda Rhimes. When is Keri Russell guest starring?
2. Really, can't they think of something better for Callie and Arizona to do? I can think of a few things. I mean, can't we ever have some lesbians on network TV whose entire storyline isn't about them being lesbians? I've never liked Arizona because I've always felt like she has 3 personality traits: a) she's blonde, b) she's a lesbian, and c) she has a weird name. This episode did not help with that. Also, the coming out to Dad thing? NOBODY CARES. It's been done on every TV show ever. Callie has so many issues in relationships, there are so many other things they could do with this. Like, we could start with the fact that she's gone ahead and fallen in love with someone who has no personality.
3. I know Izzie is not a popular character, but the entire time I've been watching this show, I've really been rooting for Izzie and Alex to make it. Please don't break them up again.
4. Speaking of which, how many times have they fired Izzie already? And now she's going to miraculously come back after Heigl is done with her maternity leave, or filming her movie, or whatever it is she's doing? Yeah, cause that's not obvious.
5. I heart Sarah Drew.
6. I really can't deal with Callie's tranny makeup anymore. She's a dyke, not a drag queen, people.
7. Sorry to be back on this topic again, but as if Callie being a doormat wasn't already annoying, now she has no personality either outside of "I'm a lesbian." I mean, didn't she just lose her job, get a new one, and then get a new one again? How come we barely saw that?
8. Meredith and Cristina were true to form tonight, and I totally love the two of them together. I'm really digging Meredith now that she's not obsessing over Derek anymore.
9. We barely saw Derek this episode! What a nice change of pace.
10. I have nothing else to say on this matter, but I needed a number 10. Hmmm... is saying "I still miss Erica Hahn" just annoying at this point? What, at least she and Callie actually got to have sex.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Grey's Anatomy, Season 6. Yawn.
OK, no beating around the bush here. Here are my thoughts on last night's 2 hour season premiere of my beloved show, in list format. That's right. The show was so boring, and I'm still so deafened by Heigl's scenery chomping, that I can't even be bothered to write in complete paragraphs.
1. I'm so sick of this "Ohh, isn't it ironic when the doctor becomes the patient" bullshit. Enough already. Izzie as a cancer patient is worse than a Tori Spelling Lifetime movie. I just don't care.
2. Hasn't ER done enough with melodramatically killing off its doctors? Brain tumor on a beach, crushed by a helicopter, died saving people in a fire, stabbed in the ER, blown up in Iraq... thrown in front of a bus. Oh wait, wrong show. It's so easy to get confused these days.
3. Really? George was hit by a bus? Right before he joined the army? Come on. And nice use of the passage of time, by the way, so that by the second episode, we can pretend like George never existed. And is checking his freckles and such really the only they have to ID him?
4. RIP, George O'Malley. May you live on in TV heaven among the likes of Mark Greene, Dana Fairbanks, and oh, those are the only ones I can come up with right now, but every other TV character who died before their time.
5. Bad acting. Just plain bad acting, across the board. Poor Justin Chambers did the best he could to keep up with Heigl's scenery chomping, but he was helpless.
6. Note to network drama writers: please don't use curse words when you know you're not allowed to use them. "Freakin'" is really not a word people actually use, unless they're in one of those sitcoms with a token African American character or something. You're writers! Find another word that's more powerful, so that I don't have to listen to Katherine Heigl say "freakin" like a freakin white girl every two seconds.
7. How pregnant was Ellen Pompeo? Sheesh.
8. I'm really confused by the living arrangements on this show now. Does Arizona live with Callie now? Didn't Mark already have an apartment? What happened to the apartment Lexie shared with George? Are Izzie and Alex really going to live in the trailer?
9. OK, OK, I'll talk about actual content. Sorry, I don't remember there being any.
10. All that said, I will continue to watch this show. Because once upon a time, I got attached to these characters, and I want to know what happens to them, for better or worse. I still think Meredith Grey would be excellent as my doctor, and Alex is my broody boyfriend. I would never date Callie, but I wouldn't mind having a drink with her. Don't let her anywhere near me if I'm in the hospital, though. She, and especially her drag queen makeup, would make me cry.
10.5. I know I live in the past, but I still miss Erica Hahn. And Addison.
1. I'm so sick of this "Ohh, isn't it ironic when the doctor becomes the patient" bullshit. Enough already. Izzie as a cancer patient is worse than a Tori Spelling Lifetime movie. I just don't care.
2. Hasn't ER done enough with melodramatically killing off its doctors? Brain tumor on a beach, crushed by a helicopter, died saving people in a fire, stabbed in the ER, blown up in Iraq... thrown in front of a bus. Oh wait, wrong show. It's so easy to get confused these days.
3. Really? George was hit by a bus? Right before he joined the army? Come on. And nice use of the passage of time, by the way, so that by the second episode, we can pretend like George never existed. And is checking his freckles and such really the only they have to ID him?
4. RIP, George O'Malley. May you live on in TV heaven among the likes of Mark Greene, Dana Fairbanks, and oh, those are the only ones I can come up with right now, but every other TV character who died before their time.
5. Bad acting. Just plain bad acting, across the board. Poor Justin Chambers did the best he could to keep up with Heigl's scenery chomping, but he was helpless.
6. Note to network drama writers: please don't use curse words when you know you're not allowed to use them. "Freakin'" is really not a word people actually use, unless they're in one of those sitcoms with a token African American character or something. You're writers! Find another word that's more powerful, so that I don't have to listen to Katherine Heigl say "freakin" like a freakin white girl every two seconds.
7. How pregnant was Ellen Pompeo? Sheesh.
8. I'm really confused by the living arrangements on this show now. Does Arizona live with Callie now? Didn't Mark already have an apartment? What happened to the apartment Lexie shared with George? Are Izzie and Alex really going to live in the trailer?
9. OK, OK, I'll talk about actual content. Sorry, I don't remember there being any.
10. All that said, I will continue to watch this show. Because once upon a time, I got attached to these characters, and I want to know what happens to them, for better or worse. I still think Meredith Grey would be excellent as my doctor, and Alex is my broody boyfriend. I would never date Callie, but I wouldn't mind having a drink with her. Don't let her anywhere near me if I'm in the hospital, though. She, and especially her drag queen makeup, would make me cry.
10.5. I know I live in the past, but I still miss Erica Hahn. And Addison.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
“I loved you once…”
I know that judging from that one line, one would be tempted to write this week's Grey's Anatomy off as just another of their ill-conceived feats of soap operatic melodrama. However, despite the fact that Izzie has a fatal disease of the "woe is me" variety, which makes her hallucinate sex with her long-dead fiancé; and despite the fact that George never has any lines; and despite the fact that Callie's new love interest is neither loving nor interesting… this episode was actually quite moving. Just in time for the end of sweeps, Grey's was almost back to true form tonight, and this episode served as the payoff for many, many storylines that seemed to be going nowhere this season. The dialogue was (mostly) sharp (we'll get back to that line in the title later), everybody acted in character, and I actually cared about what happened to the gang again.
The best part of this episode was the way that, as contrived as it was, Izzie's debilitating disease served as a jumping off point for emotional explorations and breakthroughs for everybody except Izzie. How ironic and awesome that after all of Katharine Heigl's alleged complaining about not being given juicy material, she finally got some – but it only served to showcase the talents of her frequently underused costars. Izzie's impending brain surgery forced Derek to face his demons and put his medical career back on track, not to mention his long-awaited proposal to Meredith, in the only way befitting of this couple: in the elevator, surrounded by brain scan images. For once, Grey's it couple were able to get past all the phony smarminess disguised as charm, and in result they were, well, charming. It also inspired some much needed soul searching from Callie, who apologized to the universe for wishing Izzie dead.
Perhaps the most moving performances came from Izzie's friends, the original ensemble of this show, which is exactly the way it should be. Meredith, Cristina, George and Alex were all too afraid to go visit Izzie before her surgery, each with their own neurotic hang-ups. This led to some awesome motherly bonding between Izzie and Bailey, reminding the audience who the true adults are at Seattle Grace. Most importantly though, Izzie's condition led to the Karev breakdown we've all been holding our breath for, and fittingly, it was Alex who also provided the weekly "introspective" voice over in this episode.
When the Chief suggested that Karev donate his sperm in order to fertilize Izzie's harvested eggs, we began to see him unravel. After many awkward conversations and fun plays on words with the Chief, it was Meredith who finally got Alex to talk. I've always appreciated the relationship between Meredith and Alex, even though it's usually developed in hardly noticeable subtext. They seem to have an unspoken understanding about the fact that they're both so messed up that they are unwitting kindred spirits. Alex began to break down, tears forming in his eyes, and he uttered one of the best lines of the episode (I'm paraphrasing, because I don't have the advantage of Tivo this week): "She said she was seeing ghosts… I'm so used to all the freaky chicks I date, I didn't even think about it. And I'm a doctor." It was a rare moment of vulnerability for Alex, an inspired performance from Justin Chambers, and a great combination of humor and sadness from the writers. Better yet, the entire incident paid off wonderfully at the end of the episode when Alex finally got over his fear and got into bed with a recovering Izzie, and in true Alex form, said, "I spooged into a cup for you today," to which she replied, "Thanks?"
Meanwhile, over in subplot land, Owen's PTSD finally hit a breaking point for Cristina, when she awoke to Owen's hands around her neck during one of his nightmares. Callie called Meredith in shrieking terror, who dutifully came over and locked herself in the bathroom with Cristina. Imagine Meredith's horror when Cristina let Owen in to the bathroom fortress, and instead of breaking up with him, gave him a hug. Another powerful scene in this episode came when Meredith and Callie spotted Owen approaching Cristina from down the hall, and both of them jumped in front of her as a human shield. We already know that Meredith is Cristina's person, but it's moments like this that shed light on friendships like the one between Callie and Cristina – we know it's there, but thanks to the writers' sly layering, we're not really sure how it happened. Despite the warnings from both Meredith and Callie, Cristina tried her hardest to stay with Owen, until she too hit her breaking point, when she was too afraid to fall asleep with him next to her. And in another serendipitous Grey's moment, Meredith got engaged at the exact same moment as Cristina ended a relationship.
Despite all of the great moments in this episode, the show does still have some ground to cover before it's completely back on track. There were definitely some moments still reminiscent of the mid-season slump this show seemed to have gone through. I loved the fact that Izzie's near death experience provided some closure for Callie and George, but when their conversation devolved into Callie saying things like, "I loved you once…" I started to cringe. I know that was only a small part of a much larger scene, but it's catch phrases like that, the ones that sound like Celine Dion song titles, which make me tune out and wonder what the heck happened to people like Erica Hahn. Speaking of which, how can the writers/network execs/whomever claim that Erica had to go because she was boring, and then replace her with this other chick whose name I can't even remember that's how boring she is. I get that Callie's relationship with Arizona (really, with that name?) is kind of doing that slow burn in the background thing (as is typical/necessary for most TV lesbians), but the scenes with the two of them dancing in the living room and waxing philosophical in the hospital chapel just did not ring true for me. From the little that we know about Arizona, it seems as though she's meant to be the complete opposite of Erica, personality-wise. Yet Callie seems to have exactly the same type of relationship with her. It's frustrating that in a season which started out with Callie exploring the, um, ins and outs of her feelings towards women, what we're left with at the end of it is that she apparently likes blondes. This show has gone through so many extra characters and guest stars this season, without finding ones that stick, that it just adds to the feeling that the stories are going nowhere. (What was the deal with the bitchy oncologist taking care of Izzie, anyway?)
I would expect nothing less than over-the-top from Shonda and co. to cap off the season, but let's hope that the remaining episodes stay within the realm of "quotable", and don't devolve back into "forgettable" again.
In other medical show news, tonight's episode of ER was completely useless. Why waste that hour when you only have 3 left? This show baffles me. I also still don't understand how Ray is walking, since, to the best of my recollection, the last time we saw him, he had no legs.
And yes, I am capable of watching and writing about TV on days other than Thursday. Stay tuned.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday night TV: Old school style.
Previously on ER: Nobody watched it for ten years.
Carter needs a kidney transplant. Some chick needs a heart transplant. She has a cute moppet daughter. Neela and Sam go to Seattle (convenient) to pick up this heart, and whaddayaknow, it resides inside a little boy in Doug Ross's... clinic? hospital? it's unclear (or I'm not paying attention... who knows). Carol Hathaway works there too, but in some kind of admin capacity. She wears suits and a name badge instead of scrubs, that's how we know she's not a doctor. Or at least I don't think she is.
Also conveniently, there's a kidney there too that's also going to, surprise, Chicago, so Neela and Sam pick that up as well. They know it's going to Northwestern in Chicago, but somehow no one figures out that it's going to Carter. The little boy's grandmother is played by Susan Sarandon, but no one knows why. So the kid dies, and Clooney and Hathaway convince Sarandon to donate the heart. She cries, they cry, it's all very boring. This takes about 45 minutes of the episode. Nobody cares.
Meanwhile, Carter is in a hospital bed with skinny legs and no pants, and is inexplicably lying on top of the blanket, but complaining that he's cold. In walks one Peter Benton, who is now on staff at Northwestern, but has somehow just discovered that Carter is there, even though he's been there for what is presumably a few days. Also, Carter has been supposedly tooling around Chicago for a few weeks now, and somehow these two haven't run into each other yet. They chat it up for a while, Carter vaguely tells us that he and Kem are some kind of separated, because apparently Thandie Newton is too good for the er now, even though I'm not really sure what she's actually done since she was on ER. Benton is apparently still married to? dating? the annoying actress with the curly hair, and Reese is 13. (And the Doug/Carol kids have a spelling test. But more on that in a few.)
Back in Seattle, Ross wanders into the waiting area thingy where Neela and Sam are hanging out, and asks them where they work. The three of them have a really boring, awkward exchange that goes something like this:
Ross: I did my residency at County.
Neela: Oh.
Ross: Does Kerry Weaver still work there?
Neela: No, she left a few years ago. (See, now a fun Kerry Weaver anecdote would have been well placed here)
Ross: How about Susan Lewis?
Sam shakes her head.
Ross: how about Peter Benton?
Sam shakes her head.
Neela: Do you know Abby Lockhart?
Clooney shakes his head. (And actually, he would have a connection to Abby because she delivered the twins. But whatever.)
And so on. Seriously, this was the actual dialogue. How could they possibly not have even been able to come up with fun stories to tell about the old doctors? All they could think of was to name people? Moving on. He bumps into Carol in the hallway, where they chat about Sarandon, and then Carol tells him that the kids have a spelling test, and that the casting department was too lazy and cheap to cast 2 ten year old girls, so they are therefore invisible.
Sam and Neela miss their plane (I don't know) and end up on a tour plane with a reggae band. I don't know.
Back at the ranch, some doctors rush into Carter's room and start putting him on a stretcher. They found him a kidney and it's on its way. Benton follows the surgeons into the OR. How come the OR's on this show look nothing like the OR's on Grey's Anatomy? Benton acts obnoxious and dad-like, hovering over the surgery and annoying the surgical team. Carter gets a new kidney, which we get to look at way too many times, and the chick with the cute kid gets a new heart. Both surgeries are directed in such a slow pace that I start to be confused about which show I'm watching. I half expect a Brandi Carlile song to start playing while George Clooney waxes poetic about gooey organs.
Carter's in recovery. He wakes up and is immediately alert enough to push the medication button and have a whole conversation with Benton, who's still hovering. They chat about their wives or some shit. Carter is also alert and lucid enough to call Kem on his cell phone, which he's using in the ICU or wherever he is that has a bunch of monitors that are definitely not, like, affected by cell phone usage or anything.
Carol and Doug are in bed. Her phone rings. She picks it up. I'm not kidding. It's Anthony Edwards. He wants to know why some dude named Denny keeps asking him about his brain tumor, and how to get cheap flights to Hawaii. That time, I was kidding. It's someone from the hospital? clinic? wherever it is they work, telling her that the heart transplant went well. Oh, and the kidney went to... some doctor. They profess their love for each other, and we fade to black.
"Some doctor"? Really, ER? Nowhere in there could you have worked in that Doug and Carol knew that Carter was sick? In all of that name dropping business, his name didn't come up? For serious? Come on. What is the point of bringing back old characters if they're not all going to interact with each other? Yes, I'm looking at you too, L Word. (Hey! Is that Marina I see on that TV screen??) Sorry, got distracted there for a minute.
And what was the point of bringing on a high profile movie star like Sarandon, just to give her a random storyline that no one cares about? Why create new, one off stories for old characters who are just visiting, when we all know full well that the audience cares much more about reminiscing?
Next week, Neela leaves to go... somewhere, it's also unclear. But, hey! That was Maura Tierney in the preview! Now, wouldn't it have been fun if Tierney and Margulies AND Luka were in the SAME episode?? Also, if everybody dies/leaves/disappears/reappears now, what's going to happen in the series finale? Rory Gilmore is going to be the only character left (no, seriously, Alexis Bledel is guest starring), and she's not even supposed to be on this show.
Carter needs a kidney transplant. Some chick needs a heart transplant. She has a cute moppet daughter. Neela and Sam go to Seattle (convenient) to pick up this heart, and whaddayaknow, it resides inside a little boy in Doug Ross's... clinic? hospital? it's unclear (or I'm not paying attention... who knows). Carol Hathaway works there too, but in some kind of admin capacity. She wears suits and a name badge instead of scrubs, that's how we know she's not a doctor. Or at least I don't think she is.
Also conveniently, there's a kidney there too that's also going to, surprise, Chicago, so Neela and Sam pick that up as well. They know it's going to Northwestern in Chicago, but somehow no one figures out that it's going to Carter. The little boy's grandmother is played by Susan Sarandon, but no one knows why. So the kid dies, and Clooney and Hathaway convince Sarandon to donate the heart. She cries, they cry, it's all very boring. This takes about 45 minutes of the episode. Nobody cares.
Meanwhile, Carter is in a hospital bed with skinny legs and no pants, and is inexplicably lying on top of the blanket, but complaining that he's cold. In walks one Peter Benton, who is now on staff at Northwestern, but has somehow just discovered that Carter is there, even though he's been there for what is presumably a few days. Also, Carter has been supposedly tooling around Chicago for a few weeks now, and somehow these two haven't run into each other yet. They chat it up for a while, Carter vaguely tells us that he and Kem are some kind of separated, because apparently Thandie Newton is too good for the er now, even though I'm not really sure what she's actually done since she was on ER. Benton is apparently still married to? dating? the annoying actress with the curly hair, and Reese is 13. (And the Doug/Carol kids have a spelling test. But more on that in a few.)
Back in Seattle, Ross wanders into the waiting area thingy where Neela and Sam are hanging out, and asks them where they work. The three of them have a really boring, awkward exchange that goes something like this:
Ross: I did my residency at County.
Neela: Oh.
Ross: Does Kerry Weaver still work there?
Neela: No, she left a few years ago. (See, now a fun Kerry Weaver anecdote would have been well placed here)
Ross: How about Susan Lewis?
Sam shakes her head.
Ross: how about Peter Benton?
Sam shakes her head.
Neela: Do you know Abby Lockhart?
Clooney shakes his head. (And actually, he would have a connection to Abby because she delivered the twins. But whatever.)
And so on. Seriously, this was the actual dialogue. How could they possibly not have even been able to come up with fun stories to tell about the old doctors? All they could think of was to name people? Moving on. He bumps into Carol in the hallway, where they chat about Sarandon, and then Carol tells him that the kids have a spelling test, and that the casting department was too lazy and cheap to cast 2 ten year old girls, so they are therefore invisible.
Sam and Neela miss their plane (I don't know) and end up on a tour plane with a reggae band. I don't know.
Back at the ranch, some doctors rush into Carter's room and start putting him on a stretcher. They found him a kidney and it's on its way. Benton follows the surgeons into the OR. How come the OR's on this show look nothing like the OR's on Grey's Anatomy? Benton acts obnoxious and dad-like, hovering over the surgery and annoying the surgical team. Carter gets a new kidney, which we get to look at way too many times, and the chick with the cute kid gets a new heart. Both surgeries are directed in such a slow pace that I start to be confused about which show I'm watching. I half expect a Brandi Carlile song to start playing while George Clooney waxes poetic about gooey organs.
Carter's in recovery. He wakes up and is immediately alert enough to push the medication button and have a whole conversation with Benton, who's still hovering. They chat about their wives or some shit. Carter is also alert and lucid enough to call Kem on his cell phone, which he's using in the ICU or wherever he is that has a bunch of monitors that are definitely not, like, affected by cell phone usage or anything.
Carol and Doug are in bed. Her phone rings. She picks it up. I'm not kidding. It's Anthony Edwards. He wants to know why some dude named Denny keeps asking him about his brain tumor, and how to get cheap flights to Hawaii. That time, I was kidding. It's someone from the hospital? clinic? wherever it is they work, telling her that the heart transplant went well. Oh, and the kidney went to... some doctor. They profess their love for each other, and we fade to black.
"Some doctor"? Really, ER? Nowhere in there could you have worked in that Doug and Carol knew that Carter was sick? In all of that name dropping business, his name didn't come up? For serious? Come on. What is the point of bringing back old characters if they're not all going to interact with each other? Yes, I'm looking at you too, L Word. (Hey! Is that Marina I see on that TV screen??) Sorry, got distracted there for a minute.
And what was the point of bringing on a high profile movie star like Sarandon, just to give her a random storyline that no one cares about? Why create new, one off stories for old characters who are just visiting, when we all know full well that the audience cares much more about reminiscing?
Next week, Neela leaves to go... somewhere, it's also unclear. But, hey! That was Maura Tierney in the preview! Now, wouldn't it have been fun if Tierney and Margulies AND Luka were in the SAME episode?? Also, if everybody dies/leaves/disappears/reappears now, what's going to happen in the series finale? Rory Gilmore is going to be the only character left (no, seriously, Alexis Bledel is guest starring), and she's not even supposed to be on this show.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
On "Grey's Anatomy" and its disappearing characters
According to Michael Ausiello in his EW column, Katherine Heigl and TR Knight are both trying to get out of their contracts at the end of the season.
This made me think about what has gone wrong over there at Grey's, and this is what I've come up with: stop rotating around the cast members! In it's inception, Grey's was an ensemble drama, and without a doubt, the best part (and the entire point) of the first season was the friendship between the five interns. Addison was a welcome addition, and Callie provided a semi interesting foil for George. Otherwise... stop adding cast members! Once they messed with that ensemble is when the show really started to go downhill and veer off its course. And now, two of the original cast members are so disappointed with the fact that they're being ignored, that they want to quit.
Perhaps the solution to their problem of original cast members leaving and new ones not lasting is that they need to stop trying to add new ones, especially "quirky" ones. Give the show back its heart, and then you can give the characters love interests, if you must.
This made me think about what has gone wrong over there at Grey's, and this is what I've come up with: stop rotating around the cast members! In it's inception, Grey's was an ensemble drama, and without a doubt, the best part (and the entire point) of the first season was the friendship between the five interns. Addison was a welcome addition, and Callie provided a semi interesting foil for George. Otherwise... stop adding cast members! Once they messed with that ensemble is when the show really started to go downhill and veer off its course. And now, two of the original cast members are so disappointed with the fact that they're being ignored, that they want to quit.
Perhaps the solution to their problem of original cast members leaving and new ones not lasting is that they need to stop trying to add new ones, especially "quirky" ones. Give the show back its heart, and then you can give the characters love interests, if you must.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Bye, network TV lesbians... we'll miss you!
Here's an article from the LA Times which sums up perfectly how I feel about this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-greys8-2008nov08,0,2268544.story
It's so disheartening that on the very same day that California voted to ban gay marriage, a sympathetic, beautiful, and interesting lesbian character was inexplicable written off of a highly rated, beloved network TV show. I'm worried about where our culture is going in terms of pop culture visibility for gays and lesbians, and whether or not we're again going to see the kind of ad-pulling and backlash that happened when Ellen came out.
As the writer of this article says, it seems as though "Will & Grace" had ushered in a new era for television sitcoms and dramas, perhaps opening doors to a television world where gay people actually exist. And though that worked for a while, it only worked in one episode doses, and what we were left with was pay-cable soaps like "Queer as Folk" and "The L Word." I'll venture to say that isn't enough, especially since my idea of a quality television drama doesn't usually involve soft-core porn.
As more and more interviews with Smith herself as well as the producers of the show come in, it seems increasingly clear that this decisions really did come from ABC, and not Rhimes. I was hoping that we'd find out (not that it's really our business, but hey, what the hell) that Smith was indeed fired for forgetting her lines or something, because at least that would give me some hope for the future of TV lesbians, and for the future of Callie on my beloved show.
Rhimes' statement that they still have Callie as the resident lesbian on the show doesn't help, because if ABC won't let them show a realistic sexual relationships between two women, then Callie will just become even more sad than she already is. In further discouraging news, "Ugly Betty"'s resident tranny is gone due to Rebecca Romijn's pregnancy (which isn't really ABC's doing, but we'll see if she comes back), and they also aired an episode of "Brothers and Sisters" with a Prop 8 storyline a week AFTER election day.
I've loved Grey's since the beginning, because I love these characters. I grasped onto it even more this season, because Callie and Erica's relationship not only revived a flailing show, but it also introduced a fun new character, and provided something new for me to relate to. Perhaps Erica wasn't the most popular new character, but for me, she was a refreshing addition to the show, and it was made all the better when she became the woman to bring some honesty to her relationship with Callie.
I'll keep watching Grey's Anatomy, because once I'm loyal to a show, I don't give up so easily. I loved the show before they had lesbian characters, and I will love it after - it doesn't make or break the show, in all honesty. But I may just be a little sadder every time I see Callie the lonely, confused, newly out bisexual.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-greys8-2008nov08,0,2268544.story
It's so disheartening that on the very same day that California voted to ban gay marriage, a sympathetic, beautiful, and interesting lesbian character was inexplicable written off of a highly rated, beloved network TV show. I'm worried about where our culture is going in terms of pop culture visibility for gays and lesbians, and whether or not we're again going to see the kind of ad-pulling and backlash that happened when Ellen came out.
As the writer of this article says, it seems as though "Will & Grace" had ushered in a new era for television sitcoms and dramas, perhaps opening doors to a television world where gay people actually exist. And though that worked for a while, it only worked in one episode doses, and what we were left with was pay-cable soaps like "Queer as Folk" and "The L Word." I'll venture to say that isn't enough, especially since my idea of a quality television drama doesn't usually involve soft-core porn.
As more and more interviews with Smith herself as well as the producers of the show come in, it seems increasingly clear that this decisions really did come from ABC, and not Rhimes. I was hoping that we'd find out (not that it's really our business, but hey, what the hell) that Smith was indeed fired for forgetting her lines or something, because at least that would give me some hope for the future of TV lesbians, and for the future of Callie on my beloved show.
Rhimes' statement that they still have Callie as the resident lesbian on the show doesn't help, because if ABC won't let them show a realistic sexual relationships between two women, then Callie will just become even more sad than she already is. In further discouraging news, "Ugly Betty"'s resident tranny is gone due to Rebecca Romijn's pregnancy (which isn't really ABC's doing, but we'll see if she comes back), and they also aired an episode of "Brothers and Sisters" with a Prop 8 storyline a week AFTER election day.
I've loved Grey's since the beginning, because I love these characters. I grasped onto it even more this season, because Callie and Erica's relationship not only revived a flailing show, but it also introduced a fun new character, and provided something new for me to relate to. Perhaps Erica wasn't the most popular new character, but for me, she was a refreshing addition to the show, and it was made all the better when she became the woman to bring some honesty to her relationship with Callie.
I'll keep watching Grey's Anatomy, because once I'm loyal to a show, I don't give up so easily. I loved the show before they had lesbian characters, and I will love it after - it doesn't make or break the show, in all honesty. But I may just be a little sadder every time I see Callie the lonely, confused, newly out bisexual.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Abby Lockhart saves the world on her last day in the "ER"!
A few weeks ago, my mom was very graciously helping me get through my wisdom teeth surgery, and I forced her to sit through several episodes of "Grey's Anatomy." About an hour into our marathon, she said, in complete sincerity, "What's the difference between this and ER?"
Somehow, I couldn't really explain why or how they're different. I mean, they're both medical dramas. They both feature young, good looking casts who have inordinate amounts of time for social lives. They both involve lots of sex on hospital beds, and lots of coworkers dating each other. The best answer I could come up with for my mom was, "Well, they just... are." If she couldn't tell by watching both shows, then there was no way to explain it.
This story is related to nothing, really, except that I thought of it tonight when I was watching my Thursday TV block. Usually, I Tivo everything and then watch it... whenever. I hardly ever sit down and watch shows in the order that they come on. But there was actually something thought-provoking about watching those two shows back to back. Perhaps it's the placement of an up and coming, youthful show next to the aging old sage; or perhaps it's the disturbing notion that "ER" is starting to steal from "Grey's", rather than the reverse, thus showing it's age. Either way, I feel appropriately dramatically horrified and satisfied, all at the same time.
First of all, on the "Grey's Anatomy" front, ew, ew, ew, ew. I'm traumatized and horrified by that conversation between Callie and Bailey with all those terrible metaphors and cutesy language. Now, I know all you Callie/Erica shippers think this scene was adorable, and afterellen thinks it's adorable, and I think the IDEA of it is kind of adorable, but... thinly veiled metaphors and cutesy euphemisms for sex, sex acts, and sex organs really, really creep me out, OK? Use the actual words, or don't talk about it at all. Now, I know that Callie is supposed to be all uncomfortable with her newfound sexuality or whatever, and Bailey doesn't like to talk about sex or her personal life (which, total aside, I find adorable because she's so begrudging about it, but you know she secretly loves it when she's regarded as a girlfriend and not just the hardass surgeon), but "va-jay-jay" is creepy, OK? And so was the rest of that metaphor, which I stopped listening to, but I think it included the word "spongy." I'm not sure, but it may have also included the word "moist." Ew, ew, ew. I mean, if you're gonna put it that way, no wonder Callie is freaking out!
I kept wondering if Shonda thought she was being clever and thinking to herself, "It's just like The L Word! Or Sex and the City!" Except, Shonda, those shows are on pay cable, which means they get to use the actual words. Or maybe it's because their characters don't act like children. Whichever it is, it's far less creepy. Also, I know Callie is supposed to have a big mouth and not be able to stop herself from trying to be everyone's BFF and stuff, but who talks like that to someone they work with and don't know that well?
OK, rant over. I like Callie and Erica, I really do. But I like them better when they're together, instead of saying dumb shit about each other to other people. I liked the scene at the restaurant, when they were on the date. I loved when Erica was all, "What the hell are you talking about?" Tell me again why she wasn't just a lesbian right from the beginning?
On to "ER," at the beginning of this episode, I was all, "I don't get it. Why did they let Maura Tierney get away with this? Why has she been on the show for two seasons without Luka? Why did they let her be in two episodes and then skip out on the last season of the show? This is dumb."
But by the end, I was all happy and weepy that she got to ride off into the sunset with Luka. I saw Goran Visnjic's name in the opening credits, so I knew he was going to show up (not quite as dashing as George Clooney at the end of whatever season that was, but still), but I didn't quite believe it until I saw it. I kind of wish we had gotten to see Abby and Luka setting up their new life in the bright daylight, a la Doug and Carol, but whatever. (Also, I thought Luka was in Croatia?)
Ever since the beginning of season... 7? was it? when she and Luka shared that first, angst-ridden kiss (to refresh your memory, they had gone on a date, and some guy was about to mug them and was harrassing Abby, so Luka bludgeoned him. I think he died), all I wanted for this show was for the two of them to ride off into the sunset together. I waited through Sally Field's scenery chewing, Abby and Carter's ill-fated, monkey pox induced romance, Abby's frequent bouts with alcoholism, Luka's penchant for hookers and waitresses, Luka's weird tendency to beat people up in the name of chivalry, Luka's bad chemistry with Sam, and even Abby's drunken transgression with Stanley Tucci. I sat through Mark Greene dying in Hawaii, Carter playing his ipod in Africa, Romano being killed by a falling helicopter, and most recently, Pratt dying for no apparent reason whatsoever. I participated in countless awesome conversations on the old TwoP message boards, the very boards which fueled my addiction to that website. In short, I have paid my dues to this show, and have been a Luka/Abby 'shipper since they had an annoying acronym on the internet, all to finally see that one moment of Abby and Luka's eminent happiness.
Not to mention, of course, how proud we are of our little Abby... she went from occasional OB nurse, to ER nurse, to med school, and now she's an attending who can save teenagers from suicide, old ladies from their pets, and Sam from being fired. All in one day! And I did like that bit with the signs from the lockers on the wall. If there's one thing this show does well, it's acknowledging old characters that they mercilessly murdered.
Now that she's gone though, I simply have no reason for watching this show. I neither recognize or care about any of the residents of County General Hospital anymore, so I think I will say goodbye until the series finale. Which, now that I'm thinking about it, probably doesn't contain either Maura Tierney or Goran Visnjic, and if the press is to be believed, it certainly doesn't contain George Clooney. So perhaps this will, indeed, be my final visit to County General. I hope they fare well over there, and maybe some of those fresh faced med students will graduate the ghetto and find themselves over at Seattle Grace. That's where the real action is these days.
Somehow, I couldn't really explain why or how they're different. I mean, they're both medical dramas. They both feature young, good looking casts who have inordinate amounts of time for social lives. They both involve lots of sex on hospital beds, and lots of coworkers dating each other. The best answer I could come up with for my mom was, "Well, they just... are." If she couldn't tell by watching both shows, then there was no way to explain it.
This story is related to nothing, really, except that I thought of it tonight when I was watching my Thursday TV block. Usually, I Tivo everything and then watch it... whenever. I hardly ever sit down and watch shows in the order that they come on. But there was actually something thought-provoking about watching those two shows back to back. Perhaps it's the placement of an up and coming, youthful show next to the aging old sage; or perhaps it's the disturbing notion that "ER" is starting to steal from "Grey's", rather than the reverse, thus showing it's age. Either way, I feel appropriately dramatically horrified and satisfied, all at the same time.
First of all, on the "Grey's Anatomy" front, ew, ew, ew, ew. I'm traumatized and horrified by that conversation between Callie and Bailey with all those terrible metaphors and cutesy language. Now, I know all you Callie/Erica shippers think this scene was adorable, and afterellen thinks it's adorable, and I think the IDEA of it is kind of adorable, but... thinly veiled metaphors and cutesy euphemisms for sex, sex acts, and sex organs really, really creep me out, OK? Use the actual words, or don't talk about it at all. Now, I know that Callie is supposed to be all uncomfortable with her newfound sexuality or whatever, and Bailey doesn't like to talk about sex or her personal life (which, total aside, I find adorable because she's so begrudging about it, but you know she secretly loves it when she's regarded as a girlfriend and not just the hardass surgeon), but "va-jay-jay" is creepy, OK? And so was the rest of that metaphor, which I stopped listening to, but I think it included the word "spongy." I'm not sure, but it may have also included the word "moist." Ew, ew, ew. I mean, if you're gonna put it that way, no wonder Callie is freaking out!
I kept wondering if Shonda thought she was being clever and thinking to herself, "It's just like The L Word! Or Sex and the City!" Except, Shonda, those shows are on pay cable, which means they get to use the actual words. Or maybe it's because their characters don't act like children. Whichever it is, it's far less creepy. Also, I know Callie is supposed to have a big mouth and not be able to stop herself from trying to be everyone's BFF and stuff, but who talks like that to someone they work with and don't know that well?
OK, rant over. I like Callie and Erica, I really do. But I like them better when they're together, instead of saying dumb shit about each other to other people. I liked the scene at the restaurant, when they were on the date. I loved when Erica was all, "What the hell are you talking about?" Tell me again why she wasn't just a lesbian right from the beginning?
On to "ER," at the beginning of this episode, I was all, "I don't get it. Why did they let Maura Tierney get away with this? Why has she been on the show for two seasons without Luka? Why did they let her be in two episodes and then skip out on the last season of the show? This is dumb."
But by the end, I was all happy and weepy that she got to ride off into the sunset with Luka. I saw Goran Visnjic's name in the opening credits, so I knew he was going to show up (not quite as dashing as George Clooney at the end of whatever season that was, but still), but I didn't quite believe it until I saw it. I kind of wish we had gotten to see Abby and Luka setting up their new life in the bright daylight, a la Doug and Carol, but whatever. (Also, I thought Luka was in Croatia?)
Ever since the beginning of season... 7? was it? when she and Luka shared that first, angst-ridden kiss (to refresh your memory, they had gone on a date, and some guy was about to mug them and was harrassing Abby, so Luka bludgeoned him. I think he died), all I wanted for this show was for the two of them to ride off into the sunset together. I waited through Sally Field's scenery chewing, Abby and Carter's ill-fated, monkey pox induced romance, Abby's frequent bouts with alcoholism, Luka's penchant for hookers and waitresses, Luka's weird tendency to beat people up in the name of chivalry, Luka's bad chemistry with Sam, and even Abby's drunken transgression with Stanley Tucci. I sat through Mark Greene dying in Hawaii, Carter playing his ipod in Africa, Romano being killed by a falling helicopter, and most recently, Pratt dying for no apparent reason whatsoever. I participated in countless awesome conversations on the old TwoP message boards, the very boards which fueled my addiction to that website. In short, I have paid my dues to this show, and have been a Luka/Abby 'shipper since they had an annoying acronym on the internet, all to finally see that one moment of Abby and Luka's eminent happiness.
Not to mention, of course, how proud we are of our little Abby... she went from occasional OB nurse, to ER nurse, to med school, and now she's an attending who can save teenagers from suicide, old ladies from their pets, and Sam from being fired. All in one day! And I did like that bit with the signs from the lockers on the wall. If there's one thing this show does well, it's acknowledging old characters that they mercilessly murdered.
Now that she's gone though, I simply have no reason for watching this show. I neither recognize or care about any of the residents of County General Hospital anymore, so I think I will say goodbye until the series finale. Which, now that I'm thinking about it, probably doesn't contain either Maura Tierney or Goran Visnjic, and if the press is to be believed, it certainly doesn't contain George Clooney. So perhaps this will, indeed, be my final visit to County General. I hope they fare well over there, and maybe some of those fresh faced med students will graduate the ghetto and find themselves over at Seattle Grace. That's where the real action is these days.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
"Grey's Anatomy" is back... with lesbians!
It seems as though Ms. Rhimes and her cohorts have finally run out of combinations of people who can sleep together on "Grey's Anatomy", leaving themselves with no choice but to resort to – gasp – lesbianism! For those of you out of the loop, or even those of you who prefer to watch Tina Fey over Patrick Dempsey on Thursday nights, I’ll fill you in. It seems our girl Callie, who is recently divorced from George (after he cheated on her with Izzie), has unwittingly fallen for her new colleague – heart surgeon extraordinaire and Cristina’s alias nemesis, Erica Hahn. The two have been seen gal-paling around the hospital, sharing drinks at Joe’s, and polishing off intimate bottles of wine in Cristina's living room. The catch is Callie doesn’t seem to know she’s fallen for Erica, and doesn’t want to know. Addison, in all of her 
special guest star wisdom, points this out to us by asking Callie about Hahn, which causes her to collapse in a fit of giggles and to continually stammer the word “penis.” Later, Callie attempts to further prove her heterosexuality by going home from Joe’s with Sloane, which unfailingly makes Erica jealous. You got all that? Good, now we can talk about it.
Undoubtedly, this episode will raise many questions among fans, critics, and many others who overanalyze television. If some of the forum posters on Television Without Pity are to be believed, Grey’s does indeed have a political agenda, and is using this storyline as a soapbox to preach about gay rights. Others on the forums are convinced that the writers are turning Hahn into a manipulative bitch, because she is seducing a woman who claims to be heterosexual. Critics for publications such as Entertainment Weekly are a bit disgruntled about the fact that Grey’s is following a trend started by many other TV shows and movies, by using “late on set lesbianism” as a “plot device.”
However, I’m going to go out on a limb here and presume that the crafty folks over in the Grey’s Anatomy writers’ room are doing none of the above. Grey’s has always included its share of gay, lesbian and transgendered characters, mostly in the form of patients at the hospital. It’s perfectly plausible that a character like Callie could find herself falling for a close friend like Erica – especially on a show where romantic entanglements are the name of the game. Remember, this is the same girl who rushed into a shotgun marriage with George,
and then fought like hell to keep him around, even though she knew deep down that they weren’t right for each other. She even managed to completely mess up her job as chief resident in the process. She doesn’t strike me as someone who is completely sure what she wants in life OR love. As for Hahn, well, all we know about her is that she does heart surgeries and likes to torture Cristina.
It seems as though this storyline may be just what this show needs to get back to the top of its game. Let’s face it – recent plot developments, as well as all of the rotating cast members have rendered Grey’s downright lame in the past few months. Addison’s departure, the death of Meredith’s mother, Joe’s mysterious disappearance, and the addition of Meredith’s boring sister have certainly not helped things. A new romance between two characters who have never tried to date before (as opposed to Derek and Meredith getting back together for the 47th time) is just what this show needs. It certainly helps, too, that Sara Ramirez and Brooke Smith have more chemistry in one scene together than Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo have had in four years of scenes together.
Besides all of the giggly, squee-worthiness of a developing lesbian relationship with good chemistry (and hot women), what is most remarkable about this storyline is how unremarkable it is – at least in its own fictional world. In the grand scheme of television, including a happy lesbian couple formed out of two regular, semi-lead characters on a prime time, network, top ten drama is HUGE. Sure, thanks to the legacy of Will & Grace, gay men are popping up in more places than ever before (at least, they are on ABC) - places like Brothers and Sisters, Ugly Betty, and Desperate Housewives. The only place we usually see lesbians are in the form of guest stars during sweeps, and on cable reality shows. However, in the fictional world of Seattle Grace, one more new romance, whatever form it’s going to take, is just a part of everyday life. Nobody even gave it a second thought when Joe introduced us to his boyfriend, and I suspect that if Callie and Erica become an item, the only person who will think it’s extraordinary is Callie herself – which is exactly the way it should be.
I can only hope that I’m right in my predictions, and that the writers actually are leading us to the climax (no pun intended) this developing story arc suggests. Hopefully, this time will be different from all of the other times network television has attempted to realistically portray lesbian characters, and they won’t drop this storyline once all of the sweeps dust settles. Despite my recent apathy towards this show, I’m once again putting my faith in Shonda and co., and I hope they come up with something great.
special guest star wisdom, points this out to us by asking Callie about Hahn, which causes her to collapse in a fit of giggles and to continually stammer the word “penis.” Later, Callie attempts to further prove her heterosexuality by going home from Joe’s with Sloane, which unfailingly makes Erica jealous. You got all that? Good, now we can talk about it.Undoubtedly, this episode will raise many questions among fans, critics, and many others who overanalyze television. If some of the forum posters on Television Without Pity are to be believed, Grey’s does indeed have a political agenda, and is using this storyline as a soapbox to preach about gay rights. Others on the forums are convinced that the writers are turning Hahn into a manipulative bitch, because she is seducing a woman who claims to be heterosexual. Critics for publications such as Entertainment Weekly are a bit disgruntled about the fact that Grey’s is following a trend started by many other TV shows and movies, by using “late on set lesbianism” as a “plot device.”
However, I’m going to go out on a limb here and presume that the crafty folks over in the Grey’s Anatomy writers’ room are doing none of the above. Grey’s has always included its share of gay, lesbian and transgendered characters, mostly in the form of patients at the hospital. It’s perfectly plausible that a character like Callie could find herself falling for a close friend like Erica – especially on a show where romantic entanglements are the name of the game. Remember, this is the same girl who rushed into a shotgun marriage with George,
and then fought like hell to keep him around, even though she knew deep down that they weren’t right for each other. She even managed to completely mess up her job as chief resident in the process. She doesn’t strike me as someone who is completely sure what she wants in life OR love. As for Hahn, well, all we know about her is that she does heart surgeries and likes to torture Cristina.It seems as though this storyline may be just what this show needs to get back to the top of its game. Let’s face it – recent plot developments, as well as all of the rotating cast members have rendered Grey’s downright lame in the past few months. Addison’s departure, the death of Meredith’s mother, Joe’s mysterious disappearance, and the addition of Meredith’s boring sister have certainly not helped things. A new romance between two characters who have never tried to date before (as opposed to Derek and Meredith getting back together for the 47th time) is just what this show needs. It certainly helps, too, that Sara Ramirez and Brooke Smith have more chemistry in one scene together than Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo have had in four years of scenes together.
Besides all of the giggly, squee-worthiness of a developing lesbian relationship with good chemistry (and hot women), what is most remarkable about this storyline is how unremarkable it is – at least in its own fictional world. In the grand scheme of television, including a happy lesbian couple formed out of two regular, semi-lead characters on a prime time, network, top ten drama is HUGE. Sure, thanks to the legacy of Will & Grace, gay men are popping up in more places than ever before (at least, they are on ABC) - places like Brothers and Sisters, Ugly Betty, and Desperate Housewives. The only place we usually see lesbians are in the form of guest stars during sweeps, and on cable reality shows. However, in the fictional world of Seattle Grace, one more new romance, whatever form it’s going to take, is just a part of everyday life. Nobody even gave it a second thought when Joe introduced us to his boyfriend, and I suspect that if Callie and Erica become an item, the only person who will think it’s extraordinary is Callie herself – which is exactly the way it should be.
I can only hope that I’m right in my predictions, and that the writers actually are leading us to the climax (no pun intended) this developing story arc suggests. Hopefully, this time will be different from all of the other times network television has attempted to realistically portray lesbian characters, and they won’t drop this storyline once all of the sweeps dust settles. Despite my recent apathy towards this show, I’m once again putting my faith in Shonda and co., and I hope they come up with something great.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Betrayed by my "Friends"
I love Friends. But last night, when I sat down for my nightly dose of a syndicated pick-me-up, I was severely disappointed. It was like being betrayed by my usually loyal best friend. It was unexpected and a little bit traumatic. In the late-in-the-series 9th season episode that aired in syndication the other day, titled "The One with Phoebe's Rats," my beloved Friends resorted to a joke that not only have they used before, but that they are most definitely above.
Amidst all of the other chaos in the episode, which includes Phoebe keeping rats as pets and Rachel having a birthday party, Ross manages to hire a new nanny for Emma. The girls are immediately threatened when the guys start fawning over how hot she is, and and Joey immediately hits on her. Wackiness involving Joey ensues, and for 23 minutes, we have to listen to Ross whine about what will happen if Joey sleeps with his new nanny. The payoff for that already brilliant setup? The nanny is actually a lesbian! Just in case you don't understand the joke, let me explain. This is funny to sitcom writers because a) now Joey can't hit on her anymore! b) all of that drama between Ross and Joey was unnecessary! and c) lesbians can't be pretty! Are you kidding me with this? The oldest, most boring of lesbian stereotypes and sitcom jokes in the book was just uttered by people who were supposed to be my Friends.
As I looked at the clock, and realized that my beloved TV show had just spent most of the episode setting up that "joke," I couldn't help but shout "seriously?!" in true Meredith Grey fashion. Really, Marta and David? Is that the best you could do? Not only has that joke been done before, but it's been done by you! And the first version was better, too (see video below). The one that had three dimensional characters, an actual developing lesbian relationship, and went on for about five seasons, until Carol and Susan disappeared into some kind of sitcom graveyard. (They're buried next to Paul's sister from Mad About You, Ellen Morgan, and Jessie and Katie from Once and Again).
I find it hard to believe that the show that came up with Carol and Susan is now resorting to the "hot girl is really a lesbian" joke. Perhaps that wise TV sage Emily Gilmore was right when she said "there's nothing funny about being a lesbian," because, well, just being a lesbian isn't particularly funny. The problem with the punchline on this particular Friends episode is that it's the type of joke frequently used in sitcoms and in recent romantic comedies - one that doesn't require the writer the know their character's personality at all. It's the type of joke which singles people out and ostracizes them for being who they are, which is a strange thing coming from the show which usually touts acceptance by welcoming us into it's characters' living rooms every day. Worst of all, though, it's old, it's boring and it's ordinary. And frankly, I expect a lot more than "ordinary" from my Friends.
Amidst all of the other chaos in the episode, which includes Phoebe keeping rats as pets and Rachel having a birthday party, Ross manages to hire a new nanny for Emma. The girls are immediately threatened when the guys start fawning over how hot she is, and and Joey immediately hits on her. Wackiness involving Joey ensues, and for 23 minutes, we have to listen to Ross whine about what will happen if Joey sleeps with his new nanny. The payoff for that already brilliant setup? The nanny is actually a lesbian! Just in case you don't understand the joke, let me explain. This is funny to sitcom writers because a) now Joey can't hit on her anymore! b) all of that drama between Ross and Joey was unnecessary! and c) lesbians can't be pretty! Are you kidding me with this? The oldest, most boring of lesbian stereotypes and sitcom jokes in the book was just uttered by people who were supposed to be my Friends.
As I looked at the clock, and realized that my beloved TV show had just spent most of the episode setting up that "joke," I couldn't help but shout "seriously?!" in true Meredith Grey fashion. Really, Marta and David? Is that the best you could do? Not only has that joke been done before, but it's been done by you! And the first version was better, too (see video below). The one that had three dimensional characters, an actual developing lesbian relationship, and went on for about five seasons, until Carol and Susan disappeared into some kind of sitcom graveyard. (They're buried next to Paul's sister from Mad About You, Ellen Morgan, and Jessie and Katie from Once and Again).
I find it hard to believe that the show that came up with Carol and Susan is now resorting to the "hot girl is really a lesbian" joke. Perhaps that wise TV sage Emily Gilmore was right when she said "there's nothing funny about being a lesbian," because, well, just being a lesbian isn't particularly funny. The problem with the punchline on this particular Friends episode is that it's the type of joke frequently used in sitcoms and in recent romantic comedies - one that doesn't require the writer the know their character's personality at all. It's the type of joke which singles people out and ostracizes them for being who they are, which is a strange thing coming from the show which usually touts acceptance by welcoming us into it's characters' living rooms every day. Worst of all, though, it's old, it's boring and it's ordinary. And frankly, I expect a lot more than "ordinary" from my Friends.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Ode to "South of Nowhere"
Since I don't write poetry, I guess this isn't really an ode. It's more like an essay, or just me rambling. But ode sounded better.
South of Nowhere returns April 11! I know that's still a month and a half away, but The N is already marathoning the first two seasons and first half of the third season, and I'm already giddy with excitement.
Wait, you've never heard of South of Nowhere? That's probably because it airs on a teeny-tiny digital cable network called The N - an offshoot of Nickelodeon aimed at teenagers. If you have a cable box, you probably get this channel - now is the time to check it out! (Psst - they also have Saved by the Bell reruns. Not that I watch those or anything.)
South of Nowhere tells the story of the Carlin family - a beautiful, blond, Christian Midwestern family who moves to Los Angeles in search of a better career for Paula, the matriarch. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, they find all kinds of things they were never exposed to in the third world country of Ohio: gay people, black people, drugs, sex, West Hollywood, rich kids, children of celebrities, racism, gang violence, and diners owned by guys named Nat. OK, that last part isn't true, but you see where I'm going with this.
The premise was never original in any sense of the word. The brilliance of the show came when the writers took the time honored formula invented by Aaron Spelling and turned it around a bit, by making daughter Spencer's homosexuality the most shocking thing to happen to this family. In the pilot, amidst all of the chaos of her new surroundings, Spencer met Ashley, the school wild child and resident bisexual. It wasn't long before Spencer and Ashley were playing hooky at the beach, debating about the virtues of dating girls instead of boys.
During the first two seasons, when ex-sitcom writer Nancylee Myatt ran the show, South of Nowhere was an honest-to-goodness teen soap opera which, despite it's hyperbolic TV tendencies, dealt with what it's like to be a gay teenager. It was refreshing to watch, if only to marvel at the fact that a show about teenagers exists where the central on again, off again love story revolves around a lesbian relationship. Granted, the other characters were ordinary teen soap archetypes - Glenn, the drug addicted older brother; Clay, the adopted kid searching for his birth mom; Aiden, the confused ex boyfriend. Even so, the show was hugely addictive, and teen soap opera lovers such as myself could revel in all of the debauchery, while still shaking our heads in amazement when Spencer chose Ashley over Aiden.
However, in season three, once Ms. Myatt exited the scene, it seems as though the powers that be over at The N hired some ex-90210 writers to take over and turn the show into... 90210. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, it's just... ordinary. When watching the current third season compared with the first two, the behind the scenes writing coup is obvious. Gone are Myatt's subtle commentaries on teenage culture, not to mention three dimensional characters and teenagers who actually act like teenagers. The beginning of the third season saw changes that make it look more and more like it's predecessor: Clay is gone (he died in a gang shooting), but his ex girlfriend is now pregnant with his baby while lusting after Glenn. Ashley and her long lost half sister Kyla now have 25 million dollars of inheritance money, and no longer attend school. Aiden has now slept with every single girl on the show, and is in therapy for PTSD following the gang shooting. Madison is a cheerleader and annoys everybody with her scenery chewing.
But surprisingly, despite the insipidities of the rest of the characters, and despite television's usual tendency to only turn characters gay for one episode, the new regime has managed to keep one thing intact: Spencer is, in fact, still gay, and despite her sometimes bad judgment when it comes to dating, she remains a watchable and relatable teenager struggling with her sexuality. A particularly moving and insightful moment came right before the season 3 hiatus, when Spencer, with the help of then ex-girlfriend Ashley, took both of her parents with her to Pride. Including her homophobic mother. Moments and storyline like that are what keep me watching this show.
The first half of season 3 aired during the summer of 2007, and I have no idea what's in store for the second half. Will Ashley finally settle down and stay true to Spencer, despite her lingering feelings for Aidan? Will Spencer finally come to her senses and find a girlfriend who's actually gay? Will Madison get killed in some kind of freak accident (hopefully)? Will Spencer and Ashley actually get to kiss for more than a split second before the scene fades out? I can't wait to find out!
My new strategy for watching South of Nowhere involves Tivo-ing the episode, and then fast forwarding through anything that doesn't involve Spencer or her parents. This usually reduces the episodes to about 10 minutes... but that's OK. It gives me more time to watch The L Word, or Coyote Ugly for the 417th time on basic cable.
South of Nowhere returns April 11! I know that's still a month and a half away, but The N is already marathoning the first two seasons and first half of the third season, and I'm already giddy with excitement.
Wait, you've never heard of South of Nowhere? That's probably because it airs on a teeny-tiny digital cable network called The N - an offshoot of Nickelodeon aimed at teenagers. If you have a cable box, you probably get this channel - now is the time to check it out! (Psst - they also have Saved by the Bell reruns. Not that I watch those or anything.)
South of Nowhere tells the story of the Carlin family - a beautiful, blond, Christian Midwestern family who moves to Los Angeles in search of a better career for Paula, the matriarch. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, they find all kinds of things they were never exposed to in the third world country of Ohio: gay people, black people, drugs, sex, West Hollywood, rich kids, children of celebrities, racism, gang violence, and diners owned by guys named Nat. OK, that last part isn't true, but you see where I'm going with this.
The premise was never original in any sense of the word. The brilliance of the show came when the writers took the time honored formula invented by Aaron Spelling and turned it around a bit, by making daughter Spencer's homosexuality the most shocking thing to happen to this family. In the pilot, amidst all of the chaos of her new surroundings, Spencer met Ashley, the school wild child and resident bisexual. It wasn't long before Spencer and Ashley were playing hooky at the beach, debating about the virtues of dating girls instead of boys.
During the first two seasons, when ex-sitcom writer Nancylee Myatt ran the show, South of Nowhere was an honest-to-goodness teen soap opera which, despite it's hyperbolic TV tendencies, dealt with what it's like to be a gay teenager. It was refreshing to watch, if only to marvel at the fact that a show about teenagers exists where the central on again, off again love story revolves around a lesbian relationship. Granted, the other characters were ordinary teen soap archetypes - Glenn, the drug addicted older brother; Clay, the adopted kid searching for his birth mom; Aiden, the confused ex boyfriend. Even so, the show was hugely addictive, and teen soap opera lovers such as myself could revel in all of the debauchery, while still shaking our heads in amazement when Spencer chose Ashley over Aiden.However, in season three, once Ms. Myatt exited the scene, it seems as though the powers that be over at The N hired some ex-90210 writers to take over and turn the show into... 90210. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, it's just... ordinary. When watching the current third season compared with the first two, the behind the scenes writing coup is obvious. Gone are Myatt's subtle commentaries on teenage culture, not to mention three dimensional characters and teenagers who actually act like teenagers. The beginning of the third season saw changes that make it look more and more like it's predecessor: Clay is gone (he died in a gang shooting), but his ex girlfriend is now pregnant with his baby while lusting after Glenn. Ashley and her long lost half sister Kyla now have 25 million dollars of inheritance money, and no longer attend school. Aiden has now slept with every single girl on the show, and is in therapy for PTSD following the gang shooting. Madison is a cheerleader and annoys everybody with her scenery chewing.
But surprisingly, despite the insipidities of the rest of the characters, and despite television's usual tendency to only turn characters gay for one episode, the new regime has managed to keep one thing intact: Spencer is, in fact, still gay, and despite her sometimes bad judgment when it comes to dating, she remains a watchable and relatable teenager struggling with her sexuality. A particularly moving and insightful moment came right before the season 3 hiatus, when Spencer, with the help of then ex-girlfriend Ashley, took both of her parents with her to Pride. Including her homophobic mother. Moments and storyline like that are what keep me watching this show.
The first half of season 3 aired during the summer of 2007, and I have no idea what's in store for the second half. Will Ashley finally settle down and stay true to Spencer, despite her lingering feelings for Aidan? Will Spencer finally come to her senses and find a girlfriend who's actually gay? Will Madison get killed in some kind of freak accident (hopefully)? Will Spencer and Ashley actually get to kiss for more than a split second before the scene fades out? I can't wait to find out!My new strategy for watching South of Nowhere involves Tivo-ing the episode, and then fast forwarding through anything that doesn't involve Spencer or her parents. This usually reduces the episodes to about 10 minutes... but that's OK. It gives me more time to watch The L Word, or Coyote Ugly for the 417th time on basic cable.
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