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Let's Talk TV
Still job searching. Still half-frustrated, half-depressed. So, once again, let's talk of pleasanter things.
Like TV. I haven't done a TV post in a while, but I've been watching some stuff lately and have some new shiny toys.
Yeah, that's what Leverage is. Shiny. It's definitely not great television, but it's fun and most of the time smart and has a sense of humor and I like the characters. Well, Timothy Hutton's character is insanely predictable (also--I only associate him with Ordinary People, I really don't think I've seen him in anything else, and so it's incredibly weird all of a sudden seeing him so much older than the way I imagine him. So. Weird.), but I like the rest of them. Christian Kane is always a good-looking guy (though he really, really needs a haircut. It looked better on every season of Angel) and he's good in this as the muscle. Sophie is fun--I love the idea of an actress who absolutely stinks onstage (those are the most fun parts of the show, watching her be horrifically awful as Lady Macbeth or whoever; I hope we see more of that next season) and who can pass for many nationalities (her fake Southern accent was awful. Really, really bad. But then, most fake Southern accents are).
I like Parker a lot. She's quirky and hopelessly incapable with dealing with people on a normal social level, but whenever she breaks free of that (in the jury episode or the rehab facility), she gets so much joy out of it. Plus her backstory works for her. But it's really Hardison I have a crush on. At first I didn't know how I felt about him; I hated the character (Voodoo Tatum) the actor Aldis Hodge played on Friday Night Lights, and I was unsure of his character on the episodes of Supernatural he was on. But that's the point. Those are the reactions he wants you to have. And on Leverage, I find him delightful. Power to the writers for recognizing that not all geeks are the stereotypical white guy; finally a POC geek who is simultaneously awesome! He's always making Doctor Who references or saying things like, "If you were a geek, you would be so turned on right now" while he's hacking into something. Plus, they don't push the geek thing too far--the most excited he gets is when he gets to watch all the football games at once on the TV he's rigged up. He also has far and away the best dialogue on the show. Far and away. He has me in stitches most of the time--Aldis Hodge can act, and he's a good-looking guy. Also, his crush on Parker that might not be so unrequited is the most adorable thing in the world. They should get together right. now. She needs a guy who appreciates her eccentricities.
I guess I should talk about the actual premise of the show (but the characters always come first with me); it's pretty standard, actually. A group of the world's best thieves--each best at what they do whether it's hacking or hitting or convincing someone to trust them--team up with a formerly honest man who has a quarrel with the powerful company he used to work for. It's supposed to be a one-time thing, but it doesn't quite work out that way. They end up doing it again and again and again: taking down some powerful corporation that the government won't touch, saving the day by giving justice to ordinary people who have been screwed over.
It also has that thing I'm obsessed with: a small-knit group of misfits who end up forming a family (see: Firefly, Buffy, etc.). They're all messed up people, but they really, genuinely care about each other. It's adorable. So yeah. I like it a lot. It isn't going to rock your world or challenge you, but I don't feel that I'm wasting my time watching it..
And then last night I finally got around to watching the pilot for Glee--also very shiny. TypeI can totally see why people are so excited about this show. Did I mention shiny? Pretty colors? Quirkiness? Lots of music? Look, I have an unironic love of musicals, though I'm picky about them (I hate you, Andrew Lloyd Webber), so I'm definitely part of the intended audience for this. If you hate musicals, you won't like it. Period. It's about a high school Glee Club, which is apparently like show choir but with more dancing. I guess it's like DCI without the instruments. And inside.
It's very trying-to-be-Election--but with music! It sometimes succeeds in that sort of dark, off-beat, quirky humor (for instance, the bit about Finn's family splurging on Emerald Grass or whatever is absolutely hysterical. I could not quit laughing) and sometimes tries too hard. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the characters. For instance, I think it's awesome that they make the main (student) character, Rachel the Wannabe Broadway Star actually pretty unlikable. If I knew her, I would find her horrifically annoying, but I think she really, really works as a character. And the fact that she's horrifically bullied at school makes you want to be on her side. But that's the problem. The girl who makes fun of her is of course the captain of the school's famous cheerleading squad and is about as one-dimensional of a character as you'll ever see. Flatter than paper.
[Sidebar: Okay, seriously? Can we get over this whole stereotype of people who are practicing abstinence? I'm sick of it. I'm planning on not having sex till I get married for a myriad of reasons, only some of which are religious. I don't make a big deal about it; I don't talk about it constantly. There are plenty of us like that who aren't hypocrites who "tease" guys (btw, that was not handled well, show. Way to set up the whole "she was asking for it" victim-blaming thing) and are obsessive participants in the Chastity Club. Okay. Sorry 'bout the digression.]
That's actually my main problem with the show. A lot of the characters are stereotypes and nothing more. For instance, the football player-turned-Glee Club-star is the Good Guy Who Gives Into Peer Pressure But Stands Up When It Really Counts. Also, I am so incredibly unimpressed by the actor playing him. His voice is good but not as outstanding as everyone says it is, and he seems to have no personality at all. Now, admittedly, he does really remind me of a lot of the guys I knew in high school who hadn't (yet) developed personalities (see that "yet" in parentheses? I'm being generous) and just sort of floated. But he doesn't make me believe he has a passion for anything, much less singing. I think he was miscast.
Then there's the sassy, curvy black girl with a voice like [fill in the blank with black diva here]. Admittedly, the actress is pretty great in that part, but for once, can't a black actress play some other role? And then, of course, there's the gay, fashion-obsessed kid (who is not nearly as fun as Ryan from HSM). And the kid in the wheelchair. Because, once again, the kid in the wheelchair has to be hopelessly geeky loser who is persecuted and whose main existence seems to be to allow the "good" characters moments of showing how kind they really are. Plus, instead of finding an actual handicapped actor, they once again cast someone who could walk and just put them in the wheelchair (that might have been necessary on FNL, but it totally isn't here. Plus, FNL handles Jason's struggles better than any show I've ever seen). I'm sensitive about this because my uncle is a quadrapalegic with partial use of his hands and I've seen his day-to-day life up close.
Anyways, the one break in the predictability of the character creation as far as the kids go is that they actually cast an Asian actress as the punk girl. Thank you! An Asian character who isn't in the math club or a dedicated classical musician! The long-suffering teach who wants to inspire the kids is a trope, too, but he's a good guy, so I'm not going to complain too much. And then there's the bit of casting that thrills me to death.
Y'all! Jayma Mayes! AKA Charlie from Heroes! Also known as the Most Adorable Person on the Planet! I loooved her from the first time I saw her in Red Eye, and I love her here. She's the too-sweet guidance counselor (I think) that's hopelessly in love with Inspirational Teacher Man (though he's married with a baby on the way; I don't know how they're going to handle that--do. not. make me hate him by having him cheat on his nag of a wife). She's also presented as having an obsession with cleanliness, which of course they call OCD, though they don't seem to have any idea that OCD is much more complex than that. Oh, and Jane Lynch is in it playing the Jane Lynch Character, and she's very funny.
Plus! Kristen Chenowith will be on it eventually! How can you resist?
The music's fun, some of the dialogue is funny, it's colorful and pretty to look at. I think it could end up being really good. I just hope they push themselves.
Though I wasn't sold on it until the last musical number. But it was awesome and goosebump-inducing and after it was over I knew I'd be coming back for more. Hurry up, September!.
For a much better (more nuanced and occasionally darker) view of high school life, I want to reccomend to everyone my latest obsession: Press Gang. I finished it several months ago, but I've never gotten around to writing about it; I thought this would be a good time.
The show is a British "children's show" (really more young adult than anything--the characters are around 15-18 for most of the series) from the late 80s/early 90s, and every episode is written by Steve Moffet, he of Doctor Who fame. SM wrote my favorite episode of that show--"Blink," of course--and has some other solid ones, but if you're hesitant on him, you should check out PG to see what he can do. I absolutely adore this show.
Quick summary of the premise: a big-time newspaper editor moves back to his hometown and decides to sponsor a youth newspaper run by students at a nearby school. The editor is Lynda Day, a truly brilliant character. She's played by Julia Sawalha, who played Saffy on Ab Fab (it took me forever to figure out that she's also Lydia on the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice--she's unrecognizable there! That's what sold me on the fact that she is a magnificent actress; I literally did not realize they were the same person. She blows my mind, she is that good). She's bossy, bitchy, snarky, smart, and totally dedicated. I'd say that she's the Hermione Granger stereotype, except that she is not in the slightest bit interested in keeping the rules. She's called amoral on more than one occasion, and she totally deserves it. It's a brilliant inversion.
Supposedly, her conscience is her best friend and assistant editor, Kenny, aka the World's Nicest Guy (he really is the World's Nicest Guy, all without being annoying. I love him). But honestly, the show's (and Lynda's) moral compass is the last person you'd expect.
See there's this guy. Rebel, really, and he loves the ladies. Is never seen without a leather jacket. Falls head-over-heels for the strong woman who is pretty much his nemesis. Is played by an actor who is faking an accent.
And his name is Spike.
Oh, yes. That's right. Spike Thomson (whose real name is James, which I think is a nice touch, don't you?). He's played by Dexter Fletcher, who totally freaked me out in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels by having an actual British accent. In this he's playing the rebellious American who has to join the paper in order to avoid expulsion (ah, yes. That old plot device. But it works here). As I mentioned, he falls for Lynda at first sight, and much of the show's joy comes from their verbal sparring. This is some of the wittiest, most enjoyable, snarkiest banter ever. I could quote this show all day long. He's also, underneath it all, a really, really good guy who always does the right thing. I love that.
There are other characters, like Colin who is always, always purely a comedic character--until SM wants to present a very, very real problem and decides the way to get across its seriousness is having it explode into Colin's world (this is a genius move, by the way, on SM's part). And Gabrielle Anwar plays Sam, who's snarky and fabulous and totally in love with herself. I adore her.
The show deals with things like drug use and sexual abuse without ever being preachy (now that's impressive). It's also ridiculously funny on many occasions. It may also have a few too many On a Very Special Episode Of-like episodes, but it doesn't matter. This show is absolutely brilliantly written and acted. The kids act like (and are played by) kids. I cannot tell you how obsessed I am with it. All of you should hunt it down, because you will love it..
Wow, y'all. That was like the most teal deer thing ever. I apologize profusely. I doubt any of you will read all of that. Anyways!
I'm going to take care of a lot of replies I need to get to tonight. And for those of you who might be waiting for the next chapter of "Love and Blackmail," my apologies. I know exactly where I'm going with it, so it'll get finished and soon, but I'm having a hard time feeling motivated. I'm tired all the time and never really want to leave the house, and I can't make myself do anything constructive. Hopefully, I'll get over that soon.
Like TV. I haven't done a TV post in a while, but I've been watching some stuff lately and have some new shiny toys.
Yeah, that's what Leverage is. Shiny. It's definitely not great television, but it's fun and most of the time smart and has a sense of humor and I like the characters. Well, Timothy Hutton's character is insanely predictable (also--I only associate him with Ordinary People, I really don't think I've seen him in anything else, and so it's incredibly weird all of a sudden seeing him so much older than the way I imagine him. So. Weird.), but I like the rest of them. Christian Kane is always a good-looking guy (though he really, really needs a haircut. It looked better on every season of Angel) and he's good in this as the muscle. Sophie is fun--I love the idea of an actress who absolutely stinks onstage (those are the most fun parts of the show, watching her be horrifically awful as Lady Macbeth or whoever; I hope we see more of that next season) and who can pass for many nationalities (her fake Southern accent was awful. Really, really bad. But then, most fake Southern accents are).
I like Parker a lot. She's quirky and hopelessly incapable with dealing with people on a normal social level, but whenever she breaks free of that (in the jury episode or the rehab facility), she gets so much joy out of it. Plus her backstory works for her. But it's really Hardison I have a crush on. At first I didn't know how I felt about him; I hated the character (Voodoo Tatum) the actor Aldis Hodge played on Friday Night Lights, and I was unsure of his character on the episodes of Supernatural he was on. But that's the point. Those are the reactions he wants you to have. And on Leverage, I find him delightful. Power to the writers for recognizing that not all geeks are the stereotypical white guy; finally a POC geek who is simultaneously awesome! He's always making Doctor Who references or saying things like, "If you were a geek, you would be so turned on right now" while he's hacking into something. Plus, they don't push the geek thing too far--the most excited he gets is when he gets to watch all the football games at once on the TV he's rigged up. He also has far and away the best dialogue on the show. Far and away. He has me in stitches most of the time--Aldis Hodge can act, and he's a good-looking guy. Also, his crush on Parker that might not be so unrequited is the most adorable thing in the world. They should get together right. now. She needs a guy who appreciates her eccentricities.
I guess I should talk about the actual premise of the show (but the characters always come first with me); it's pretty standard, actually. A group of the world's best thieves--each best at what they do whether it's hacking or hitting or convincing someone to trust them--team up with a formerly honest man who has a quarrel with the powerful company he used to work for. It's supposed to be a one-time thing, but it doesn't quite work out that way. They end up doing it again and again and again: taking down some powerful corporation that the government won't touch, saving the day by giving justice to ordinary people who have been screwed over.
It also has that thing I'm obsessed with: a small-knit group of misfits who end up forming a family (see: Firefly, Buffy, etc.). They're all messed up people, but they really, genuinely care about each other. It's adorable. So yeah. I like it a lot. It isn't going to rock your world or challenge you, but I don't feel that I'm wasting my time watching it..
And then last night I finally got around to watching the pilot for Glee--also very shiny. TypeI can totally see why people are so excited about this show. Did I mention shiny? Pretty colors? Quirkiness? Lots of music? Look, I have an unironic love of musicals, though I'm picky about them (I hate you, Andrew Lloyd Webber), so I'm definitely part of the intended audience for this. If you hate musicals, you won't like it. Period. It's about a high school Glee Club, which is apparently like show choir but with more dancing. I guess it's like DCI without the instruments. And inside.
It's very trying-to-be-Election--but with music! It sometimes succeeds in that sort of dark, off-beat, quirky humor (for instance, the bit about Finn's family splurging on Emerald Grass or whatever is absolutely hysterical. I could not quit laughing) and sometimes tries too hard. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the characters. For instance, I think it's awesome that they make the main (student) character, Rachel the Wannabe Broadway Star actually pretty unlikable. If I knew her, I would find her horrifically annoying, but I think she really, really works as a character. And the fact that she's horrifically bullied at school makes you want to be on her side. But that's the problem. The girl who makes fun of her is of course the captain of the school's famous cheerleading squad and is about as one-dimensional of a character as you'll ever see. Flatter than paper.
[Sidebar: Okay, seriously? Can we get over this whole stereotype of people who are practicing abstinence? I'm sick of it. I'm planning on not having sex till I get married for a myriad of reasons, only some of which are religious. I don't make a big deal about it; I don't talk about it constantly. There are plenty of us like that who aren't hypocrites who "tease" guys (btw, that was not handled well, show. Way to set up the whole "she was asking for it" victim-blaming thing) and are obsessive participants in the Chastity Club. Okay. Sorry 'bout the digression.]
That's actually my main problem with the show. A lot of the characters are stereotypes and nothing more. For instance, the football player-turned-Glee Club-star is the Good Guy Who Gives Into Peer Pressure But Stands Up When It Really Counts. Also, I am so incredibly unimpressed by the actor playing him. His voice is good but not as outstanding as everyone says it is, and he seems to have no personality at all. Now, admittedly, he does really remind me of a lot of the guys I knew in high school who hadn't (yet) developed personalities (see that "yet" in parentheses? I'm being generous) and just sort of floated. But he doesn't make me believe he has a passion for anything, much less singing. I think he was miscast.
Then there's the sassy, curvy black girl with a voice like [fill in the blank with black diva here]. Admittedly, the actress is pretty great in that part, but for once, can't a black actress play some other role? And then, of course, there's the gay, fashion-obsessed kid (who is not nearly as fun as Ryan from HSM). And the kid in the wheelchair. Because, once again, the kid in the wheelchair has to be hopelessly geeky loser who is persecuted and whose main existence seems to be to allow the "good" characters moments of showing how kind they really are. Plus, instead of finding an actual handicapped actor, they once again cast someone who could walk and just put them in the wheelchair (that might have been necessary on FNL, but it totally isn't here. Plus, FNL handles Jason's struggles better than any show I've ever seen). I'm sensitive about this because my uncle is a quadrapalegic with partial use of his hands and I've seen his day-to-day life up close.
Anyways, the one break in the predictability of the character creation as far as the kids go is that they actually cast an Asian actress as the punk girl. Thank you! An Asian character who isn't in the math club or a dedicated classical musician! The long-suffering teach who wants to inspire the kids is a trope, too, but he's a good guy, so I'm not going to complain too much. And then there's the bit of casting that thrills me to death.
Y'all! Jayma Mayes! AKA Charlie from Heroes! Also known as the Most Adorable Person on the Planet! I loooved her from the first time I saw her in Red Eye, and I love her here. She's the too-sweet guidance counselor (I think) that's hopelessly in love with Inspirational Teacher Man (though he's married with a baby on the way; I don't know how they're going to handle that--do. not. make me hate him by having him cheat on his nag of a wife). She's also presented as having an obsession with cleanliness, which of course they call OCD, though they don't seem to have any idea that OCD is much more complex than that. Oh, and Jane Lynch is in it playing the Jane Lynch Character, and she's very funny.
Plus! Kristen Chenowith will be on it eventually! How can you resist?
The music's fun, some of the dialogue is funny, it's colorful and pretty to look at. I think it could end up being really good. I just hope they push themselves.
Though I wasn't sold on it until the last musical number. But it was awesome and goosebump-inducing and after it was over I knew I'd be coming back for more. Hurry up, September!.
For a much better (more nuanced and occasionally darker) view of high school life, I want to reccomend to everyone my latest obsession: Press Gang. I finished it several months ago, but I've never gotten around to writing about it; I thought this would be a good time.
The show is a British "children's show" (really more young adult than anything--the characters are around 15-18 for most of the series) from the late 80s/early 90s, and every episode is written by Steve Moffet, he of Doctor Who fame. SM wrote my favorite episode of that show--"Blink," of course--and has some other solid ones, but if you're hesitant on him, you should check out PG to see what he can do. I absolutely adore this show.
Quick summary of the premise: a big-time newspaper editor moves back to his hometown and decides to sponsor a youth newspaper run by students at a nearby school. The editor is Lynda Day, a truly brilliant character. She's played by Julia Sawalha, who played Saffy on Ab Fab (it took me forever to figure out that she's also Lydia on the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice--she's unrecognizable there! That's what sold me on the fact that she is a magnificent actress; I literally did not realize they were the same person. She blows my mind, she is that good). She's bossy, bitchy, snarky, smart, and totally dedicated. I'd say that she's the Hermione Granger stereotype, except that she is not in the slightest bit interested in keeping the rules. She's called amoral on more than one occasion, and she totally deserves it. It's a brilliant inversion.
Supposedly, her conscience is her best friend and assistant editor, Kenny, aka the World's Nicest Guy (he really is the World's Nicest Guy, all without being annoying. I love him). But honestly, the show's (and Lynda's) moral compass is the last person you'd expect.
See there's this guy. Rebel, really, and he loves the ladies. Is never seen without a leather jacket. Falls head-over-heels for the strong woman who is pretty much his nemesis. Is played by an actor who is faking an accent.
And his name is Spike.
Oh, yes. That's right. Spike Thomson (whose real name is James, which I think is a nice touch, don't you?). He's played by Dexter Fletcher, who totally freaked me out in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels by having an actual British accent. In this he's playing the rebellious American who has to join the paper in order to avoid expulsion (ah, yes. That old plot device. But it works here). As I mentioned, he falls for Lynda at first sight, and much of the show's joy comes from their verbal sparring. This is some of the wittiest, most enjoyable, snarkiest banter ever. I could quote this show all day long. He's also, underneath it all, a really, really good guy who always does the right thing. I love that.
There are other characters, like Colin who is always, always purely a comedic character--until SM wants to present a very, very real problem and decides the way to get across its seriousness is having it explode into Colin's world (this is a genius move, by the way, on SM's part). And Gabrielle Anwar plays Sam, who's snarky and fabulous and totally in love with herself. I adore her.
The show deals with things like drug use and sexual abuse without ever being preachy (now that's impressive). It's also ridiculously funny on many occasions. It may also have a few too many On a Very Special Episode Of-like episodes, but it doesn't matter. This show is absolutely brilliantly written and acted. The kids act like (and are played by) kids. I cannot tell you how obsessed I am with it. All of you should hunt it down, because you will love it..
Wow, y'all. That was like the most teal deer thing ever. I apologize profusely. I doubt any of you will read all of that. Anyways!
I'm going to take care of a lot of replies I need to get to tonight. And for those of you who might be waiting for the next chapter of "Love and Blackmail," my apologies. I know exactly where I'm going with it, so it'll get finished and soon, but I'm having a hard time feeling motivated. I'm tired all the time and never really want to leave the house, and I can't make myself do anything constructive. Hopefully, I'll get over that soon.
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I think what they're trying to do with the whole stereotype thing is to prove the gym teacher's point about high school hierarchy. I hope the kids will branch out more, or there will be additions to the group.
Also, my guess for how they'll handle the inevitable romance between Shoester and the guidance counselor is that his wife is lying to him about being pregnant. She wanted him to quit his job to be an accountant, and I think she figured that the way to get him to do it was by faking a pregnancy. I just get that "ick" vibe from her. I think either Shoester or the wife will end things before too long.
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On the other hand, I adored their version of "Don't Stop Believing," but then, I've always adored that song.
I think what they're trying to do with the whole stereotype thing is to prove the gym teacher's point about high school hierarchy. I know that's what it is. It's purposefully embracing those tropes. It's just that...they're so old. Stale. We see them in every movie/show ever. It'll only be really subversive if they actually subvert them, you know?
I hope she ends it. Because I don't like her at all (though I love the actress. She's great). I think you're right about her lying to manipulate him. She's awful. If they end it, okay; I just will really hate things if he cheats.
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Also: Yay Jayma Mayes! She is just too adorable for words. :) (And I totally agree with you on the OCD thing. I get into an argument with my mother about it all the time, who likes to say that if she didn't have kids she would be OCD. I told her that didn't make sense and being OCD means much more than being "clean." *rolls eyes*)
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Yeah, I always got my perceptions of OCD from Monk, but recently I've had a little bit more insight into it via a friend who actually has it and it has a much darker side and much more of an impact on your life than the portrayals of it.
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Yeah, a friend of mine has it as well, and we did this whole study on it in my psych class in college. Shows like Monk, as fun as they are, really do make light of it.
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...kristen chenoweth? will be on glee? be still my heart.
also, yeah, gay guy is no ryan (yet), but i live in hope. ; )
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I know! I adore Kristen Chenoweth, and she will be totally awesome and kickass on such a show.
Yeah, I hope he gets Ryan-level awesome, too!