A little TV talk
Oct. 17th, 2006 11:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shipperxA few comments on a few tv shows:
Nip/Tuck. Dear god this is a show populated with the most horrible people! Sean was a match for Liz, but lied about it. He has no reaction for almost killing the babysitter he fucked, because that was last week and he forgot all about it. Christian went with hypocrisy saying to latest girlfriend that he wasn't a whore when just like week he screwed Rosie O'Donnel for money, and if that isn't selling yourself, nothing is. Then the mindtrick he played on Kimber was just awful. So of course Kimber has to go seduce Matt. Right now, plotwise, I mostly think that Nip/Tuck jumped the shark last season, but it does remain populated with amazingly fascinating (as in watching a train wreck) characters. They're reprehensible, but they're relatively true to their own selfish, shallow, neurotic natures. Only decent person on the show is Liz.
Heroes. Still not great, but greatly enjoyable. Mohinder is pretty, but he isn't the brightest bulb in the box. Any box. Hiro and Ando are great though. I died laughing when Ando started to convince Hiro that they could make money off his superpower by comparing Hiro to Peter Parker. I swear, I think Ando was momentarily possessed by the ghost of Anya. They used the exact same arguments! As far as Claire using her superpower of indestructability to kill the (singing Avalanche along with the Butthole Surfers) ever present football-player rapist. I don't think that the mentions of Spiderman were an accident. I think buried in all of this was a message that it's not the powers that make someone a hero, but the choices that they make, and some potential heroes are making poor choices at the moment.
Also, how cool was Ninja from the future Hiro?
The show has many flaws, but it also brings some laughs, and some squees while watching and thus remains quite entertaining. That's all I ask.
Friday Night Lights (aka the best damn show that no one is watching.) Another excellent episode. Every week this show has managed to mine genuine emotion from its situations and has done so in a way that doesn't feel cheap. You have the football hero, Street, who was awesome in the scene where he finally lost it with Lyla, telling her that her clinging to the deluded hope that his spine will heal was killing him.
And I felt terribly sorry for Lyla as she overheard her parents talking about how she'll grow bored with Street and her love will fade away. That scene worked on every level. I can totally buy that her parents believe that because, quite honestly, don't most of us believe exactly that? On the other hand, I can see how a lovestruck good girl feels betrayed by her parents believing that. It's almost like she's being accused of being shallow, when, I think it's more that she's young and this situation is so hard to take for anyone, much less two teens.
The booster who is recruiting a player? Dude, that happens all the time so, as a plot point it made total sense, and it will no doubt lead to some problem down the line for the coach because as the coach pointed out -- that's a rules violation.
Also feel sorry for the new quarterback Sarancen (sp?) That kid is under a hell of a lot of pressure as it's becoming clear that his grandmother isn't just odd, she's unwell. Does she have Alsheimer's or something? Add in his father in Iraq, and it breaks your heart that the booster isn't willing to even give Saracen a chance to be QB, but is out (illegally) recruiting a replacement for the poor kid who is trying so hard.
It seems I was also right when thinking last week when Street's best friend kept reviewing the play tape that the friend was blaming himself for Street's injury. The confrontation between the best friend and Lyla was well done. Her hurt and anger was very visceral. The little actress did a good job because as she screamed at the friend for not being there for Street, I bought it. And it was staged well, because the scene managed to combine both characters hurt, anger, pain... and give it some sexiness such that when the embrace turned to a kiss, again, totally bought that these two messed up, stressed out kids could end up in a clinch when all those emotions and hormones were running around. In many ways, it's completely predictable that this would happen, but like most things with the show, it also rings completely true. It's easy to see how these kids ended up in that emotional place, and it's going to be equally easy to believe the denial they're both going to go into about it. The best friend is actually developing into an interesting bad boy and Street is so heartbreaking himself. With Lyla so determined to be the 'good girl' and now believing that she's betrayed Street, there's a nice minefield of relationship issues to have to work through.
Anyway, the Lyla/BadBoyBestFriend scene got me. I actually teared up as she cried and screamed at him for letting Street down. It was a well executed scene... and kinda hot.
Nip/Tuck. Dear god this is a show populated with the most horrible people! Sean was a match for Liz, but lied about it. He has no reaction for almost killing the babysitter he fucked, because that was last week and he forgot all about it. Christian went with hypocrisy saying to latest girlfriend that he wasn't a whore when just like week he screwed Rosie O'Donnel for money, and if that isn't selling yourself, nothing is. Then the mindtrick he played on Kimber was just awful. So of course Kimber has to go seduce Matt. Right now, plotwise, I mostly think that Nip/Tuck jumped the shark last season, but it does remain populated with amazingly fascinating (as in watching a train wreck) characters. They're reprehensible, but they're relatively true to their own selfish, shallow, neurotic natures. Only decent person on the show is Liz.
Heroes. Still not great, but greatly enjoyable. Mohinder is pretty, but he isn't the brightest bulb in the box. Any box. Hiro and Ando are great though. I died laughing when Ando started to convince Hiro that they could make money off his superpower by comparing Hiro to Peter Parker. I swear, I think Ando was momentarily possessed by the ghost of Anya. They used the exact same arguments! As far as Claire using her superpower of indestructability to kill the (singing Avalanche along with the Butthole Surfers) ever present football-player rapist. I don't think that the mentions of Spiderman were an accident. I think buried in all of this was a message that it's not the powers that make someone a hero, but the choices that they make, and some potential heroes are making poor choices at the moment.
Also, how cool was Ninja from the future Hiro?
The show has many flaws, but it also brings some laughs, and some squees while watching and thus remains quite entertaining. That's all I ask.
Friday Night Lights (aka the best damn show that no one is watching.) Another excellent episode. Every week this show has managed to mine genuine emotion from its situations and has done so in a way that doesn't feel cheap. You have the football hero, Street, who was awesome in the scene where he finally lost it with Lyla, telling her that her clinging to the deluded hope that his spine will heal was killing him.
And I felt terribly sorry for Lyla as she overheard her parents talking about how she'll grow bored with Street and her love will fade away. That scene worked on every level. I can totally buy that her parents believe that because, quite honestly, don't most of us believe exactly that? On the other hand, I can see how a lovestruck good girl feels betrayed by her parents believing that. It's almost like she's being accused of being shallow, when, I think it's more that she's young and this situation is so hard to take for anyone, much less two teens.
The booster who is recruiting a player? Dude, that happens all the time so, as a plot point it made total sense, and it will no doubt lead to some problem down the line for the coach because as the coach pointed out -- that's a rules violation.
Also feel sorry for the new quarterback Sarancen (sp?) That kid is under a hell of a lot of pressure as it's becoming clear that his grandmother isn't just odd, she's unwell. Does she have Alsheimer's or something? Add in his father in Iraq, and it breaks your heart that the booster isn't willing to even give Saracen a chance to be QB, but is out (illegally) recruiting a replacement for the poor kid who is trying so hard.
It seems I was also right when thinking last week when Street's best friend kept reviewing the play tape that the friend was blaming himself for Street's injury. The confrontation between the best friend and Lyla was well done. Her hurt and anger was very visceral. The little actress did a good job because as she screamed at the friend for not being there for Street, I bought it. And it was staged well, because the scene managed to combine both characters hurt, anger, pain... and give it some sexiness such that when the embrace turned to a kiss, again, totally bought that these two messed up, stressed out kids could end up in a clinch when all those emotions and hormones were running around. In many ways, it's completely predictable that this would happen, but like most things with the show, it also rings completely true. It's easy to see how these kids ended up in that emotional place, and it's going to be equally easy to believe the denial they're both going to go into about it. The best friend is actually developing into an interesting bad boy and Street is so heartbreaking himself. With Lyla so determined to be the 'good girl' and now believing that she's betrayed Street, there's a nice minefield of relationship issues to have to work through.
Anyway, the Lyla/BadBoyBestFriend scene got me. I actually teared up as she cried and screamed at him for letting Street down. It was a well executed scene... and kinda hot.
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no subject
Date: 2006-10-18 04:43 am (UTC)Such good stuff. They really do mine the emotions so well from the situations.
I also thought the breakup scene between Tim and Tyra was really well-done and emotional. And, of course, when Jason went off on Lyla. And the scene between Tim and Jason's mom was a nice, unexpected moment.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-18 04:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-18 04:46 am (UTC)I had to give up on Nip/Tuck this season. I've just... had enough. It used to be delightfully soapy. This season just seemed like it was out to get the most naked man ass per hour outside of HBO. Yawn.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-18 04:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-18 02:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-18 02:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-18 03:02 pm (UTC)I grew up in one of those tiny towns in the rural South where everyone went to the game on Friday nights (I think I missed a sum and total of three games from the time I was born until I graduated high school.) We weren't a football obsessed town because... well... we got beaten far too often for that. But it was a town that was so small, what else were you going to do on Friday nights?
I was a cheerleader throughout Junior High and High School. We served Gatorade after the practices (and we'd have to sit there well after dark to hand it out). I have wonderful memories of pep-rallies, parades, and nail-biting football games. I remember the game where it rained so hard that I that I could wring my uniform out like a sodden towel after it was over. These are all really good memories for me so in many ways, it's a nostalgia trip for me.
Plus, I live in a state where EVERYTHING closes down for the Iron Bowl (the Alabama/Auburn football game). I still go to college football games every Saturday. I laughed one game when I realized that it was my sister and myself teaching my small neice the rules of the game (my Dad and B.I.L. usually have radios on and binoculars), but the thing was, we grew up with all of this and here we are teaching the next generation the same rules. Heck, we rushed home from attending the Alabama v. Old Miss game this weekend (which sucked. We sucked.) to see the Auburn v. Florida game (where I had to warn my B.I.L. that I would be rooting for Auburn... who won, yay.)
I've screamed myself hoarse for more games than I can count (that cheerleader thing), and I still have such wonderful fan memories of being at the Superdome in 1992 when we beat Miami and won the national championship. That was just a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.
I suppose, again, that it brings up many pleasant memories and associations for me, so it doesn't make me uncomfortable. There's a darker side. There always is. And I enjoy seeing that depicted as well (why is it the booster running amok behind this team reminds me of the booster who got UofA on probation for many years?)
But, I think positive associations make it quite enjoyable for me (not that I have much hope of the show surviving. Its ratings suck.)
no subject
Date: 2006-10-19 05:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-19 02:25 pm (UTC)