lirazel: An outdoor scene from the film Picnic at Hanging Rock ([tvd] kiddie pool)
lirazel ([personal profile] lirazel) wrote2010-07-29 06:33 pm

I have been doing nothing but watching TV for way too long now

So. I obeyed [livejournal.com profile] ava_leigh_fitz's demands and watched the show 10 Things I Hate About You. And yes, I enjoyed it very much. And not just because Ethan Peck is made of sex. I didn't watch it before because my reaction was pretty much that of the rest of the world--why did they need to make a TV show out of one of the few really, really good teen movies? WHY?

But! I trust Izi! And so I watched it! And it's actually really good! It's not the greatest show ever, but that is because it is a sitcom, and with the possible exception of Community and Designing Women, it's notoriously hard for sitcoms to become GREAT. But this is a sitcom that is funny and--best of all--doesn't offend my intelligence. YAY!

But it got canceled. Boo.

So here are some facts about it in case you want to check it out. Which you should.

Some things that are awesome:
1. Kat is feminist activist hilarious awesome. Yes, that's right: an avowed feminist on a TV show who isn't a cliche! Of course, she is something of a stock character (literally every character on this show is a stock character). But! There's enough layers to her that she isn't just a stock character but becomes really interesting and relatable. She's great.
2. ETHAN PECK IS GORGEOUS. And has the greatest voice ever. Literally my favorite thing about this show is the constant jokes the dad makes about "that disturbingly deep-voiced man-boy." YES.
3. Speaking of which, the dad is played by Larry Miller. WIN. He's one of those actors who makes everything more fun because he's involved.
4. The Kat&Bianca relationship reminds me so much of my relationship with my little sister. Except that I'm far less aggressive and my sister's far less shallow. But that sort of "we are so different that we pick at each other all the time, but we love each other more than anything and come through for each other when it counts" dynamic is so me and the little sis, and it's handled ridiculously well here.
5. JOEY IS THE FUNNIEST PERSON EVER. I adore him, and I want fic (suggested by someone in [livejournal.com profile] ava_leigh_fitz's journal) of him being BFFs with Jason Stackhouse and convincing Jason that he needs to be a model, too.
6. Chastity is hilarious and awesomely selfish and looks disturbingly like a younger Gabrielle Union. Which means she's adorable.
7. It's funny and doesn't insult my intelligence!
8. I actually ended up kind of shipping Bianca/Joey. Because they were just hilariously shallow and blonde together. I don't care a thing about Bianca/Cameron, though, because, um, he's not baby!Joseph Gordon-Levitt, so why should I care?
9. Blank is kind of hilarious.
10. The whole "Kat makes Ethan get tested before they have sex" thing is both (again) hilarious and awesome. And sooooo in character.

Some things that aren't so great:
1. Um, this Cameron kid is so not good enough to inherit baby!Joseph Gordon-Levitt's role. I mean, I feel bad for anyone who would try to live up to that, but he fails quite a lot. He's not a bad character, but....Eh. Bored.
2. He's also kind of a Nice Guy. I mean, he actually comes out and declares his feelings and then moves on, so he's not nearly as bad as he could be and so I don't hate him, but still. He is.
3. IT GOT CANCELED. FOR DIRTY LITTLE LIARS. NOT SINCE VERONICA MARS GOT REPLACED FOR THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS HAS THERE BEEN SUCH SEXIST FAIL SHENANIGANS RE: TV SCHEDULING.
4. Ethan Peck hasn't gotten cast in a different show since then. FIX THIS, CASTING DIRECTORS OF THE UNIVERSE.

Some things that are neutral:
1. The girl who plays Bianca reminds me so much of Adair Tishler. So much.
2. You can watch it very, very quickly. I think it was something like three days for me.

So yeah. I'm gonna go be sad that it got canceled. And I'm downloading Sherlock right now, so I'm excited to see what all the fuss is about! I'm pretty much on a love!Moffat kick right now, and I think this'll kick it into overdrive (I just used the word kick twice in a row for no good reason. Weird).

[identity profile] dollsome.livejournal.com 2010-07-30 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
I think one of my very favourite things about this show is how surprising it was to realize I shipped Bianca/Joey like crazy. FIVEHEAD!!! I like to imagine that, had it gone on, they would have otp'd through the seasons, because I can't quite reconcile myself to Bianca/Cameron when THAT is the alternative.

[identity profile] penny-lane-42.livejournal.com 2010-07-30 12:16 am (UTC)(link)
I KNOW I KNOW! It was so unexpected but they were so hilarious and adorable! And the Fivehead nickname is possibly my favorite thing ever.

because I can't quite reconcile myself to Bianca/Cameron when THAT is the alternative.

I know. I feel like they wanted us to ship Bianca/Cameron...but I didn't. I was ALL about Bianca/Joey!
next_to_normal: (Buffy OMG)

[personal profile] next_to_normal 2010-07-30 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
DAMN YOU STOP RECCING SO MUCH TV OR I WILL NEVER DO ANYTHING WITH MY LIFE!!!

[identity profile] penny-lane-42.livejournal.com 2010-07-30 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
I KNOW RIGHT?

JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOUR LIST IS GETTING SHORTER IT GETS LONG AGAIN! WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?
next_to_normal: (Buffy OMG)

[personal profile] next_to_normal 2010-07-30 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
OMG I added so many I had to reorganize my Netflix queue!

I BLAME YOU!!!

[identity profile] penny-lane-42.livejournal.com 2010-07-30 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
HAHAHA! I eagerly accept the blame!

[identity profile] ladyofthelog.livejournal.com 2010-07-30 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
I so don't even care about this show but Designing Women? FUCK YEAH THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT.

*needs a Delta Burke icon like whoa*

[identity profile] penny-lane-42.livejournal.com 2010-07-30 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
FAVORITE SITCOM EVER. I'm madly, madly obsessed with that show, and I can't decide if I'd rather be Julia or Mary Jo and I love Charlene and Suzanne so much it's ridiculous. And Anthony! And Bernice! SO MUCH LOVE.

I HAVE ICONS!

[identity profile] ladyofthelog.livejournal.com 2010-07-30 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
During middle school, I used to watch reruns every morning before I left to catch the bus. SO GOOD.

*loveslovesloves*

[identity profile] ava-leigh-fitz.livejournal.com 2010-07-30 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I AM SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT OH MY GOD, IT'S JUST WONDERFUL.

Also I absolutely ship Bianca/Joey, Bianca/Cameron does not work for me, and in a way I felt like the show gave in on that actually? Because Dawn/Cameron is beyond all manner of adorable. But no really, my favourite change is the change in Joey because he's just so shallow but he has dreams and he wants to make them happen and he's a good friend and, gah, he's just lovely.

AND LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE KAT. BECAUSE I LOVE KAT.

DO NOT EVEN TALK TO BE ABOUT IT'S CANCELLATION. I AM PISSED IN RETROSPECT.