TV round-ups
Oct. 30th, 2007 02:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bop_radarSo Coach is back already. It feels a bit odd. The new Coach was such a one-dimensional villain figure that the whole thing felt very contrived, right down to him threatening revenge. But whatever, he's back. Hopefully that means the show will get back to normal. Oh, right, apart from the fact that Tyra and Landry are going to get busted for murder. *headdesk*
Despite these gripes, I loved the episode. How could I not love Jason and Tim in Mexico? They make my heart bleed. The karaoke scene instantly hit my 'favourite FNL scenes' list. Jason was so vulnerable and heartfelt in his drunken rambling and Tim's face looking on radiated love and fear for his friend. While I do think Tim can be a lousy friend sometimes (and I'd have wanted to kill him after the cop incident), in some ways I think he did the right thing to give Jason his moment of catharsis and then go behind his back to organise (hopefully) an intervention. I don't think Street will listen to reason right now because he needs to believe in the cure SO MUCH. That's what came through in the karaoke and my heart broke when he sang 'Dillon sucks' because that seems really true, and it also seems to be an added layer to his determination that he hasn't fully shared with Riggins. Tim may still be hanging on to the old 'Texas forever' dream but Jason needs a new start somewhere else. It's been the home of heartbreak and frustration for him and so walking isn't even 'just' walking: it symbolises the ability to pick up and leave the past behind. Oh, Jason!
The actor who plays Tim isn't always that great, but in some ways his limited acting style works for Tim's emotionally limited character, and I thought he did very well in these scenes. His appeal to Lyla was heartbreaking. I think he'd do anything for Jason but I'm sure he didn't want to have to turn to Lyla, especially as his most recent faux pas with her is so fresh. He was practically begging on the phone. He's always hated asking for help and admitting he really is alone without a support network. It will be interesting if it's Lyla that bails them out. It used to be Tyra who would come to Tim's rescue and I can imagine her going down there and dragging Jason back. But Lyla? That's going to be messy. Or perhaps she will bring his parents? I do want Lyla to respond: it would be unthinkably callous of her to ignore that appeal when she's so busy good samaritan-ing for someone she doesn't even know.
I was also moved by Julie's plot this week. She's such a typical teenage girl it's actually painful to watch. The driving lesson scenes were so true to life it made me squirm. I can remember bickering constantly with my mother through those. *winces* But wow, I wish I'd had a mum like Tami! The fact that she was able to talk honestly to her daughter about her own past was really admirable, I thought. And I think she's the only person that could ultimately have stopped Julie from pursuing the Swede any further. Friends of the same age would have either been glamoured by him as well or at the very least Julie would have feared looking emotionally weak for not wanting to get her heart broken. The signs of his disinterest in anything serious have been there from the start and Julie may kid herself that she could cope with something casual, but the truth is she was really crushing heavily on him and hasn't learnt to guard her heart. I thought it was interesting that they showed her discomfort with his lifestyle after Tami had shared her story--as if that opened Julie's eyes to see more clearly, which I think is exactly what it did do. She might still be mad at her mother now, but ultimately she'll be thankful she didn't get in too deep. Tami took the plunge and pushed past Julie's discomfort with her mother's disclosure--she risked being hated, which evidently is part of good parenting.
I'm dreading the impending Tyra/Landry fallout, but I want more Jason and Tim and Lyla and Matt and the Taylors, so there's no way I'm tuning out.
I'm really loving this season of Dexter, which surprises me since I thought they'd played their big plot in season one. But Dexter under investigation himself is proving to be very suspenseful television. I'm also hooked in for Deb's plot--she's a sweetheart and I always have my heart in my mouth when I'm watching her as she seems to always be right on the edge of a precipice. Her edginess this season is very well characterised and I'm enjoying seeing her with the older cop father-figure. I always wondered about Deb's relationship with her father: I'd love to know more about that, as it's obvious that he focussed a lot of attention on Dexter and yet she really loved him/didn't resent this?
So far I dislike Lyla but disliking her is proving really enjoyable. It's a completely irrational dislike--I find her showy, self-obsessed, superficial, pretentious, narcissistic and headstrong to the point of recklessness. She seems like such a potentially dangerous figure for Dexter to fall for, and yet she's proving helpful (maybe?) for him in his recovery. It's a strange tension and one I enjoy watching, which is what I mean when I say I'm enjoying disliking her. I keep thinking 'omg, don't say that!' and then watching Dexter respond in a way I don't anticipate. I'm sure this is because Dexter is completely opaque to me, despite the show positioning us in his point of view. Intellectually I can see that the two of them have really connected but I have no emotional bridge to them as characters so I can only watch what I fear will be a trainwreck (but I'm probably wrong) from a distance.
Sigh. I tried. Episode four didn't seem quite so actively painful but it was just boring. And then when I realised the plot of episode five was about anti-depressant techniques that turn people into killing machines, I decided that was as good an excuse as any to break up with the show. I mean, honestly. It's already embarrassingly sexist, and now they contribute to the stigma against mental illness (and the meds/cures associated with it)? Sod off!
Well, I do watch it. It's my silly popcorn show. But I've decided that Betty really really annoys me. She and Henry are outdoing old-school Clana in creating obstacles where there aren't any. So much so that I don't even care that they got together at the end of this ep. Clearly they'll be in agony again next episode anyway. *throws hands up in despair* However, I did totally adore Mark's new bloke. How cute is he?! His speech to Mark about beauty + beauty not being a story was made of win. *draws hearts around them*
But question: since when is Justin not gay? I was waiting for him to sob on his mom's shoulder and reassure her that he'd never date girls again... only he didn't. *confused* Please don't be telling me that the show has caved to some kind of network pressure not to have an underage gay character? :(
Am still thinky re. an all-BSG-fandom ficathon. Follow up to follow when brain kicks in. :p
In personal news I suck. Or rather my vitamin levels still suck despite months of diligent effort. Since I've also failed to lose any weight during this time, I'm officially sulking. So little coffee, so little result?!?! *fake huffs*
Despite these gripes, I loved the episode. How could I not love Jason and Tim in Mexico? They make my heart bleed. The karaoke scene instantly hit my 'favourite FNL scenes' list. Jason was so vulnerable and heartfelt in his drunken rambling and Tim's face looking on radiated love and fear for his friend. While I do think Tim can be a lousy friend sometimes (and I'd have wanted to kill him after the cop incident), in some ways I think he did the right thing to give Jason his moment of catharsis and then go behind his back to organise (hopefully) an intervention. I don't think Street will listen to reason right now because he needs to believe in the cure SO MUCH. That's what came through in the karaoke and my heart broke when he sang 'Dillon sucks' because that seems really true, and it also seems to be an added layer to his determination that he hasn't fully shared with Riggins. Tim may still be hanging on to the old 'Texas forever' dream but Jason needs a new start somewhere else. It's been the home of heartbreak and frustration for him and so walking isn't even 'just' walking: it symbolises the ability to pick up and leave the past behind. Oh, Jason!
The actor who plays Tim isn't always that great, but in some ways his limited acting style works for Tim's emotionally limited character, and I thought he did very well in these scenes. His appeal to Lyla was heartbreaking. I think he'd do anything for Jason but I'm sure he didn't want to have to turn to Lyla, especially as his most recent faux pas with her is so fresh. He was practically begging on the phone. He's always hated asking for help and admitting he really is alone without a support network. It will be interesting if it's Lyla that bails them out. It used to be Tyra who would come to Tim's rescue and I can imagine her going down there and dragging Jason back. But Lyla? That's going to be messy. Or perhaps she will bring his parents? I do want Lyla to respond: it would be unthinkably callous of her to ignore that appeal when she's so busy good samaritan-ing for someone she doesn't even know.
I was also moved by Julie's plot this week. She's such a typical teenage girl it's actually painful to watch. The driving lesson scenes were so true to life it made me squirm. I can remember bickering constantly with my mother through those. *winces* But wow, I wish I'd had a mum like Tami! The fact that she was able to talk honestly to her daughter about her own past was really admirable, I thought. And I think she's the only person that could ultimately have stopped Julie from pursuing the Swede any further. Friends of the same age would have either been glamoured by him as well or at the very least Julie would have feared looking emotionally weak for not wanting to get her heart broken. The signs of his disinterest in anything serious have been there from the start and Julie may kid herself that she could cope with something casual, but the truth is she was really crushing heavily on him and hasn't learnt to guard her heart. I thought it was interesting that they showed her discomfort with his lifestyle after Tami had shared her story--as if that opened Julie's eyes to see more clearly, which I think is exactly what it did do. She might still be mad at her mother now, but ultimately she'll be thankful she didn't get in too deep. Tami took the plunge and pushed past Julie's discomfort with her mother's disclosure--she risked being hated, which evidently is part of good parenting.
I'm dreading the impending Tyra/Landry fallout, but I want more Jason and Tim and Lyla and Matt and the Taylors, so there's no way I'm tuning out.
I'm really loving this season of Dexter, which surprises me since I thought they'd played their big plot in season one. But Dexter under investigation himself is proving to be very suspenseful television. I'm also hooked in for Deb's plot--she's a sweetheart and I always have my heart in my mouth when I'm watching her as she seems to always be right on the edge of a precipice. Her edginess this season is very well characterised and I'm enjoying seeing her with the older cop father-figure. I always wondered about Deb's relationship with her father: I'd love to know more about that, as it's obvious that he focussed a lot of attention on Dexter and yet she really loved him/didn't resent this?
So far I dislike Lyla but disliking her is proving really enjoyable. It's a completely irrational dislike--I find her showy, self-obsessed, superficial, pretentious, narcissistic and headstrong to the point of recklessness. She seems like such a potentially dangerous figure for Dexter to fall for, and yet she's proving helpful (maybe?) for him in his recovery. It's a strange tension and one I enjoy watching, which is what I mean when I say I'm enjoying disliking her. I keep thinking 'omg, don't say that!' and then watching Dexter respond in a way I don't anticipate. I'm sure this is because Dexter is completely opaque to me, despite the show positioning us in his point of view. Intellectually I can see that the two of them have really connected but I have no emotional bridge to them as characters so I can only watch what I fear will be a trainwreck (but I'm probably wrong) from a distance.
Sigh. I tried. Episode four didn't seem quite so actively painful but it was just boring. And then when I realised the plot of episode five was about anti-depressant techniques that turn people into killing machines, I decided that was as good an excuse as any to break up with the show. I mean, honestly. It's already embarrassingly sexist, and now they contribute to the stigma against mental illness (and the meds/cures associated with it)? Sod off!
Well, I do watch it. It's my silly popcorn show. But I've decided that Betty really really annoys me. She and Henry are outdoing old-school Clana in creating obstacles where there aren't any. So much so that I don't even care that they got together at the end of this ep. Clearly they'll be in agony again next episode anyway. *throws hands up in despair* However, I did totally adore Mark's new bloke. How cute is he?! His speech to Mark about beauty + beauty not being a story was made of win. *draws hearts around them*
But question: since when is Justin not gay? I was waiting for him to sob on his mom's shoulder and reassure her that he'd never date girls again... only he didn't. *confused* Please don't be telling me that the show has caved to some kind of network pressure not to have an underage gay character? :(
Am still thinky re. an all-BSG-fandom ficathon. Follow up to follow when brain kicks in. :p
In personal news I suck. Or rather my vitamin levels still suck despite months of diligent effort. Since I've also failed to lose any weight during this time, I'm officially sulking. So little coffee, so little result?!?! *fake huffs*
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Date: 2007-10-30 05:14 am (UTC)Oh, I take that back, I still love my cheesy vampire show. And I'll probably continue watching Pushing Daisies for a while, if only to better understand your squee.
Sorry to hear about your vitamin woes!
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Date: 2007-10-30 05:22 am (UTC)And heee, Heroes I haven't even got round to watching last week's eppy... oops! *yawns* Although
The show that shall not be named? *coughs* Tsk tsk! I'm glad you have your cheesy vampire show though. :)
Perhaps I could just articulate my Pushing Daisies squee better and then you could dispense with it too? ;) I'm not sure I can except that the show resonates with me in some strange subliminal way.
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Date: 2007-10-30 05:34 am (UTC)Re: the show that will not be named: Umm. Haven't been talking about it much because I have no time, but...I have SO totally gone over to the dark side, there. Apparently cute guys who have sold their souls to save someone they love=my bulletproof kink. But I will spare you my crazy SPN love.
Is it safe for me to read your recent BSG post, btw? Is it spoilery for some extra feature-type thing that has been recently released? (I have only vaguely been keeping track of BSG since in my head it is on hiatus until April, but weren't there some extra-type things released, or was I imagining that?)
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Date: 2007-10-30 05:54 am (UTC)*lol* about SPN. You see when you sum it up like that: "cute guys who have sold their souls to save someone they love" it sounds SO my cup of tea. And yet no. But good for you in finding a new squee-thing.
My BSG post is only very mildly spoilery for the webisodes, it's only really a reaction spoiler. They're flashback webisodes--set in the first Cylon war with a young Bill Adama. They're still coming out weekly--I think there's three or four more,.
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Date: 2007-10-30 06:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 06:04 am (UTC)And yeah, I like them better than the Occupation ones, I think. The actor they got to play Bill is really an uncannily good mimic of both Adamas.
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Date: 2007-10-30 05:33 am (UTC)And about Justin ... he's just really into things that are stereotypically considered gay but not into guys yet??
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Date: 2007-10-30 06:00 am (UTC)But yeah, I didn't mean to stereotype Justin. He could possibly be straight, but I had thought the show was going towards gay mainly because the way they paralleled him and Mark. It seems surprising given that he's so confident in the rest of his tastes (show tunes, fashion, etc) that he wouldn't have confronted the sexual orientation issue, if only because kids at school would have teased him.
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Date: 2007-10-30 09:28 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2007-10-30 05:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 07:23 am (UTC)Yay to an all BSG fandom ficathon!!
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Date: 2007-10-30 09:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 09:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 09:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 09:57 am (UTC)I guess it's a case of so much for hopes that DE would be able to revive another old franchise and turn it into something with the same sort of cutting edge and quality that BSG had. I'm still glad I'm not watching this - I know I watch hardly any tv as it is, but just what I've hard about BW and the responses I've seen from people on my f-list who watch it have been giving me all sorts of misgivings across a whole range of issues. It does sound as if Katee will come out of it looking pretty good - perhaps she'll be the one actor from BSG who visibly goes on to bigger and better things post BSG? EJO and MM are already pretty much guaranteed as much work as they want when they want it, but nobody else from the cast has really had a sniff of anything by way of major new work/performances/roles post BSG.
In personal news I suck. Or rather my vitamin levels still suck despite months of diligent effort. Since I've also failed to lose any weight during this time, I'm officially sulking. So little coffee, so little result?!?! *fake huffs*
Hmm. That is a little odd - is your doc doing any tests to see if there's perhaps some metabolic problem resulting in you not actually absorbing or producing vitamins in the right quantity?
I wouldn't worry about the weight thing - I think it's most likely that with all the effort you've been putting in, you've been burning fat and adding muscle. If you wanted to be really, really sure, you could start getting your BMI breakdown measured (that'll tell you your makeup in percentages for water, fat and muscle/bone) but that can be kind of depressing at times. However, if you keep saying you suck, I will officially set ranty Lee on you. Nobody who sends me Tim Tams is allowed to suck. It's a rule.
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Date: 2007-10-30 10:41 am (UTC)Re. medical tests, the answer's no not yet. He started muttering about iron injections and I ran away. ;) He says to give it until February on my new extra-big dose of vitamins and eating plan and then if still not improving have tests.
Weight is very very odd. I'm not too worried about it as I think I'm reasonably fit and have improved muscle tone in my arms and legs, but I'm more just frustrated that despite my efforts I still don't fit in the healthy weight range for my height. And while I'm griping, it's very annoying that you can't choose where you lose weight from, dammit! I seem to keep losing it from my legs and they are skinny already, yo! While my poor tummy never gets any smaller and my breasts keep getting bigger. (DON'T LAUGH! It's really annoying as it makes yoga hard and I keep needing to buy new underwear.) Although my waist-hip ratio has improved without actually losing kilograms, since I've lost centimetres from my waist but nowhere else. I have no clue why my body's decided to redistribute my weight in this way but I just wish I had more say over it. **control freak**
if you keep saying you suck, I will officially set ranty Lee on you
Seee... not that much of a threat. If you set Kara Thrace in a foul mood on me I'd be much more scared. ;)
Nobody who sends me Tim Tams is allowed to suck. It's a rule.
Aww. Ok, I'll try not to. :p
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Date: 2007-10-30 10:26 am (UTC)Tim blew me away. He looked very beautiful in this episode and his love and concern for Jason is just so moving.
I stopped watching Dexter. I gave it two episodes and realised that I couldn't really be bothered with it anymore and that the *thought* of it made me feel somewhat queasy (I don't handle gruesome well). But I did end up really liking last season. Should I catch up?
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Date: 2007-10-30 10:50 am (UTC)I know! *heart thumps* So beautiful--their friendship is gorgeous. I want them to be friends forever!
Dexter's always made me queasy but I pushed through first season ok. This season I'm actually enjoying it more--it's less gruesome and the characters I like (Deb and Doakes) are getting more screentime. Also, there's an interesting new character that bonds with Dexter--I'm kind of love-hate about her at the moment but it's very suspenseful. Plus this episode was all about superheroes and comics. :D So maybe?
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Date: 2007-10-30 01:02 pm (UTC)I like Lyla as I really liked this actress from "Hustle" days and I often get drawn to this type of people. I think her and Dexter's relationship is going to be a jungle fire but at the same time this fire will leave "the land" clean.. He really needs someone now that he is realizing what a number Harry did on him.
I also like agent Lundy and Deborah. And Maria and Doakes..
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Date: 2007-10-31 01:06 am (UTC)Agent Lundy is proving good value. And I've always been fond of Doakes--his vigilante watch on Dexter was priceless.
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Date: 2007-10-30 01:08 pm (UTC)Now, I don't like to think that Julie gave her virginity to the Swede but I think it's a plausible interpretation of what we saw. I keep trying to scrub it out of my brain but I can't quite manage it.
I'm really surprised by Dexter too, I didn't anticipate the follow up season to be so strong. I love these flashes of memory Dexter's getting and I'm curious what exactly it means that in his memories his brother isn't there.
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Date: 2007-10-31 01:11 am (UTC)Ohhh, I hadn't thought of that reading. Though you're right that there's a tragic spin on it that Julie was trying to escape becoming her mother when she broke up with Matt and she's ended up following in her footsteps. I think it's a really interesting plot to explore because I do think a lot of girls go through these issues--I know I did. We know Julie thinks she's ready for a sexual relationship but she's very young emotionally still.
I love these flashes of memory Dexter's getting and I'm curious what exactly it means that in his memories his brother isn't there.
Yes, that's fascinating. I think they work well in that now that Dexter is more conscious of his origins, he's starting to question the way Harry brought him up. But does the absence of his brother maybe mean he's tried to bury that memory? There was that scene where he tried to (literally) drown him and his brother reached back up to grab him again. *shudders*
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Date: 2007-10-31 12:38 pm (UTC)I love when TV can make me think about it and wonder where it's going days after I've watched it.
::draws hearts::
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Date: 2007-10-31 10:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 01:23 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2007-10-31 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 05:01 pm (UTC)I am amazed you made it this long with Bionic Woman - I gave up with it after episode two.
As for Ugly Betty - I got the sense that Justin's moment with Hilda is the first step in bringing him back to his old self. I sensed that it will take a bit more healing. However, I don't think the network has been pressuring them to change him at all.
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Date: 2007-10-31 12:46 am (UTC)Right! Very scarring. ;) I'm glad I wasn't alone in my wincing.
It's great to hear that you've found the Tim and Jason scene so strong despite being new to the show. I think that's a great credit to the performances. This show excels and those raw emotional moments when the characters expose themselves emotionally in the way Jason did.
Justin's moment with Hilda is the first step in bringing him back to his old self. I sensed that it will take a bit more healing.
That's what I hope. You're probably right.
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Date: 2007-10-30 05:42 pm (UTC)Yaay Coach! And I'm hoping against hope that Tyra and Landry aren't going to get caught, because it seems like it's all movie of the week from there on out if they do, and it might be more interesting and realistic if they just have to live with it. I'm not holding out much hope, though.
The actor who plays Tim isn't always that great, but in some ways his limited acting style works for Tim's emotionally limited character,
Oh, I think that's spot on. When I first started watching I went on TWoP and read all these raves about his acting and I kept thinking No... but yes. heh.
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Date: 2007-10-31 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-31 03:09 am (UTC)Re: Ugly Betty - Betty annoyed the hell out of me last week. I use to think she and Henry were cute together, but now they are either acting like twelve year olds or selfish adults choosing to ignore that Henry has a baby on the way. And while I can buy Justin's rebelling (cutting class, stealing a car, lying, mouthing off), the playing at heterosexual was something I found hard to believe. I've actually found the renewed friendship between Daniel and Alexis and Amanda's search for her father (with Halston's help ;) the most interesting stories.
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Date: 2007-10-31 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-31 05:03 am (UTC)I want my Three hours back. The only good news is that I downloaded it and didn't watch the commercials.
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Date: 2007-10-31 05:10 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2007-11-06 11:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 03:36 am (UTC)Huh?? *scratches head and frowns*. Err not really sure about that one. Been a black coffee drinker, no sugar girl for many years and I sure haven't wasted away.