Thursday, March 16, 2006
Death Becomes TV: The First Entry
I'm such a TV junkie. It's true. I always have been, ever since I was a little kid who took solace in the fantasy images that came through the little box on his nightstand. They were like little mini-movies that you didn't have to leave your house to see. People like to say that "TV is trash," but I beg to differ. There is GREAT TV to be found, and you can trust me to find it. And then talk about it here.
So I'm just going to jump right in and get this new blog of mine started with a rant about death! Seriously, what is up with TV these days? It seems that ever since Lost and Desperate Housewives made it common practice to kill off major characters, everybody has been jumping on the bandwagon!
Of course, it's not like those two shows were the first to ever knock off one of their biggest players. In its first season, 24 shocked viewers by killing off Jack's loving wife Terri (Leslie Hope), and Everwood took a bold gamble when they let Amy's boyfriend Colin die on the operating table on the second season premiere. Those shows helped to usher in the new dramaturgic device of keeping viewers on their toes--not to mention the edge of their seats--by always wondering which beloved character might be the next to meet the grim reaper.
Last night, I sat down to catch up on a lot of TV. Or, rather, TiVo. (I've been so busy lately that watching my favorite shows seems like a luxury instead of a right! And God knows I love my TV!) And, in addition to the death of a recurring character on one of my fave comedies, NBC's still-fantastic Scrubs, two other shows bid adieu to major characters.
THE L WORD
It began with The L Word (yes, I'm a gay man who's addicted to a show about lesbians). For much of this season, tennis star Dana (Erin Daniels) has been fighting breast cancer, and last night, she succumbed to it. Wow! I could not believe it. I honestly didn't think that the writers would kill off such a popular character, but they daggone did! The show was exceptionally directed by filmmaker Rose Troche (Go Fish, etc.), and there were some brilliant touches. I loved how they showed so much of Alice (Leisha Halley) walking around outside the hospital just staring at the sun and enjoying some "me time" away from Dana, only to go back and find that Dana had passed away. And the whole montage that depicted what all the other characters were doing while Dana was dying was brilliant! (Meanwhile, ongoing storylines involving Bette's escape from the silent retreat, Tina's affair with a man(!!), Helena's sexual harassment woes, and Shane and Carmen's up-and-down romance proved to be just as enthralling.)
I've been a huge fan of this show since day one. Coming on the heels of the often-ridiculous Queer as Folk (which far too often chose melodrama and stereotypes in favor of truth), it had a lot to live up to, and it's done a wonderful job of carving out its own niche. It doesn't pander to the gay community, nor does it cowtow to mainstream society. It tells it like it is, and that's what I think sets the show apart. With its daring storylines and its frank subject matter, The L Word is setting a standard for gay and lesbian entertainment that I think -- finally -- gives the community the respectful, honest treatment it deserves. Leave it to the lesbians to do it right. Season grade: A-. Last night's episode: A
ONE TREE HILL
Don't laugh at me. I like this show. True, it's yet another silly show about spoiled teenagers having sex and getting into fistfights over truly stupid things, but in and amongst all the high school histrionics is a show with a lot of heart and sometimes even depth. This season, we saw Hayley's mother (Sheryl Lee) succumb to cancer (hey, it this a pattern?), and just recently (or for me, last night) we got a surprisingly prescient reminder that it's hard out there for a teen when one social outcast showed up to school with a gun and held several fellow students -- including a few of his friends -- hostage in the tutor's center. The outcast didn't kill anyone else, but in the final minutes of the show he turned the gun on himself and took his own life. Though a lot of the dialogue was a bit too didactic and obvious (this show rarely scores points for subtlety, it must be said) and the references to The Breakfast Club a bit too treacly, the episode served as a slap upside the head that, even though Columbine may have happened quite a while back, teen rage and alienation are still very important topics that should be discussed and dealt with.
The big shocker on this particular episode, however, came in the last few seconds, when resident evil-doer Dan (Paul Johansson) picked up the misfit's gun and turned it on his own brother Keith (Craig Sheffer) -- then pulled the trigger! No way! The rivalry between these two has been ongoing for years, and Dan has always been the villain, but even I didn't see that one coming. What a plot twist. I wonder how Keith's death (I'm assuming he dies -- unless he lives and has amnesia and doesn't remember that it was Dan who shot him) will affect the residents of Tree Hill? It will be an interesting storyline to see played out, and I for one am very intrigued to see what they do with it. Season Grade: B; Episode: B+
Anyway, that's it for me right now, kids. I'll be back with more TV talk when I have a chance to catch up on some more TiVo! Take care!
XOXO,
Hollywood Ken
So I'm just going to jump right in and get this new blog of mine started with a rant about death! Seriously, what is up with TV these days? It seems that ever since Lost and Desperate Housewives made it common practice to kill off major characters, everybody has been jumping on the bandwagon!
Of course, it's not like those two shows were the first to ever knock off one of their biggest players. In its first season, 24 shocked viewers by killing off Jack's loving wife Terri (Leslie Hope), and Everwood took a bold gamble when they let Amy's boyfriend Colin die on the operating table on the second season premiere. Those shows helped to usher in the new dramaturgic device of keeping viewers on their toes--not to mention the edge of their seats--by always wondering which beloved character might be the next to meet the grim reaper.
Last night, I sat down to catch up on a lot of TV. Or, rather, TiVo. (I've been so busy lately that watching my favorite shows seems like a luxury instead of a right! And God knows I love my TV!) And, in addition to the death of a recurring character on one of my fave comedies, NBC's still-fantastic Scrubs, two other shows bid adieu to major characters.
THE L WORD
It began with The L Word (yes, I'm a gay man who's addicted to a show about lesbians). For much of this season, tennis star Dana (Erin Daniels) has been fighting breast cancer, and last night, she succumbed to it. Wow! I could not believe it. I honestly didn't think that the writers would kill off such a popular character, but they daggone did! The show was exceptionally directed by filmmaker Rose Troche (Go Fish, etc.), and there were some brilliant touches. I loved how they showed so much of Alice (Leisha Halley) walking around outside the hospital just staring at the sun and enjoying some "me time" away from Dana, only to go back and find that Dana had passed away. And the whole montage that depicted what all the other characters were doing while Dana was dying was brilliant! (Meanwhile, ongoing storylines involving Bette's escape from the silent retreat, Tina's affair with a man(!!), Helena's sexual harassment woes, and Shane and Carmen's up-and-down romance proved to be just as enthralling.)
I've been a huge fan of this show since day one. Coming on the heels of the often-ridiculous Queer as Folk (which far too often chose melodrama and stereotypes in favor of truth), it had a lot to live up to, and it's done a wonderful job of carving out its own niche. It doesn't pander to the gay community, nor does it cowtow to mainstream society. It tells it like it is, and that's what I think sets the show apart. With its daring storylines and its frank subject matter, The L Word is setting a standard for gay and lesbian entertainment that I think -- finally -- gives the community the respectful, honest treatment it deserves. Leave it to the lesbians to do it right. Season grade: A-. Last night's episode: AONE TREE HILL
Don't laugh at me. I like this show. True, it's yet another silly show about spoiled teenagers having sex and getting into fistfights over truly stupid things, but in and amongst all the high school histrionics is a show with a lot of heart and sometimes even depth. This season, we saw Hayley's mother (Sheryl Lee) succumb to cancer (hey, it this a pattern?), and just recently (or for me, last night) we got a surprisingly prescient reminder that it's hard out there for a teen when one social outcast showed up to school with a gun and held several fellow students -- including a few of his friends -- hostage in the tutor's center. The outcast didn't kill anyone else, but in the final minutes of the show he turned the gun on himself and took his own life. Though a lot of the dialogue was a bit too didactic and obvious (this show rarely scores points for subtlety, it must be said) and the references to The Breakfast Club a bit too treacly, the episode served as a slap upside the head that, even though Columbine may have happened quite a while back, teen rage and alienation are still very important topics that should be discussed and dealt with. 
The big shocker on this particular episode, however, came in the last few seconds, when resident evil-doer Dan (Paul Johansson) picked up the misfit's gun and turned it on his own brother Keith (Craig Sheffer) -- then pulled the trigger! No way! The rivalry between these two has been ongoing for years, and Dan has always been the villain, but even I didn't see that one coming. What a plot twist. I wonder how Keith's death (I'm assuming he dies -- unless he lives and has amnesia and doesn't remember that it was Dan who shot him) will affect the residents of Tree Hill? It will be an interesting storyline to see played out, and I for one am very intrigued to see what they do with it. Season Grade: B; Episode: B+Anyway, that's it for me right now, kids. I'll be back with more TV talk when I have a chance to catch up on some more TiVo! Take care!
XOXO,
Hollywood Ken
