Television Slut Report...well sort of..
Oct. 6th, 2017 08:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatI tend to watch most of the television shows on the weekends, because no real time during the week. Get home from work, exercise (or try to), call mother, make lunch for next day, dinner, scan email and dw, try to write, watch one television show during dinner, get things together to the next day, read, go to bed.
Sometimes laundry is in there, sometimes groceries, among other things. ( I keep wanting to write amongst, but this is apparently not a word except in my head. It should be a word -- it sounds better than among. I'm sorry, it does.)
1. Ten Days in the Valley - airs on Sunday nights, on ABC, and stars Kyra Sedwick. It's surprisingly good, albeit convoluted. Did not recommend to the parents, because I found it hard to follow in places and there's a lot going on. That said, also compelling.
The plot? It's about a television show-runner/producer whose kid is missing. The series takes place during the "ten" days that her kid is missing. It's a set up as a compact miniseries in a style similar to the Ryan Phillip/Juliette Lewis series that I can't remember the name of, along with various other series that have aired -- where you have a mystery (usually a murder, a kidnapping, or some horrific event involving the cops or FBI, and a lead protagonist who...is not necessarily likeable and a bit of an anti-hero). The mystery or arc lasts about ten episodes, and if the series continues, it moves onto the next mystery. Similar to Broadchurch actually, except more action and better pacing. Think - dark thriller mini-series.
These are very popular at the moment. I don't tend to like them for some reason. I don't know why. But I can never stick with them for very long. The longest was Broadchurch, and really only for one season. I think I tend to find them anxiety inducing or they make me angry...and frustrated..so I flip to something else?
The mystery here is who kidnapped the television writer/producer's daughter, why, and where the daughter is now. What makes this one more interesting than the others is it is commenting on the television industry. Usually the television writers are writing about businesses they don't know that much about...here, not so much.
There's a nifty twist here -- the television show writer aka Kyra Sedwick's Allie is running a hit cop show. And she's getting her content from a secret informant who works for the LAPD Vice Unit or Drug Unit. He's giving her the real stuff, she spins it into fictional scenarios using recorded interview notes. This is ruffling a few feathers on the police force, as you can well imagine. Particularly since her last project, a documentary on the San Diego Police Force, took down that entire department.
Add to this, the writer has long hours, little sleep, and often works midnight to 4am. The night her daughter is kidnapped from her home -- she's in her work shed hammering out a last minute script adjustment due at 4AM in the morning..because the studio couldn't get a permit to shoot in the alley and had to drastically change the script to fit a different local.
That's a teaser. We also have the never-do-well musician ex-husband with the thick Australian accent,
who has stolen the kid before. And isn't happy with the custody arrangement.
Along with a host of other characters and issues. Allie also does cocaine on occasion to focus. (A lot of Hollywood writers use cocaine -- although this seems a bit on the cliche side), and glass of wine to relax.
We get to see inside her working world...and its demands. What it means to be writing a television cop show. I actually think this is more realistic than the cop bits.
Regarding acting? Doesn't get much better than this. Want to see good actors? Watch this. These are the professionals. Also the direction is seamless for the most part.
But it is busy. And I feel as if I've seen it before. If it weren't for the television showrunner bit, I'd have given up on it halfway through. Since the whole kid gets kidnapped, dirty cops, drug intrigue...tends to frustrate and irritate me. But, I like the television show-runner twist. I like the fact that she's writing a show that all of sudden becomes analogous to her life. One of her writers even suggests having a lead character on their show kid get kidnapped to heighten interest.
Allie's reaction? That character doesn't have a kid. The writer? "We can create one, no problem. And we'll have the kid taken from her home while she's there, working on something." Which is exactly what happened to Allie. Stroke of brilliance, right there.
So, sticking with it until I get bored. Which I usually do with these sorts of the shows after a bit.
Mainly because they go nuts with the plot-twists. Oh we must have a plot-twist every week to keep our audience, we must be shocking!. Yeah, well, after a while the audience gets tired of the plot-twists and immune to the shocks and just wants some good character development. Constant plot-twists aren't always entertaining, sometimes they are exhausting.
Overall? On the fence, B+/A-
2. The Gifted
I wonder if it helps if you are an X-Men fan? Hard to say. I'm an X-men fan. They are my favorite superhero team. And really the only ones I followed across mediums for any extended period of time. I'm not really a fan of the Avengers or their off-shoots. Didn't follow them much at all in the comics except to the extent that they crossed over with the X-men and I had no choice. I followed them more in the movies...mainly because I like Robert Downy Jr and will watch that man read the phone book. But the X-men? Love. YMMV. Some folks prefer DC and superheroes, and there's those few, beleaguered few, that prefer the mutant freaks who are heroes in spite of themselves, treated horribly, outsiders, but manage to rise above it. The X-men are basically the mascots for anyone who was bullied in school and not popular.
All of this preamble for The Gifted, which is about people who are bullied, attacked, and disenfranchised for being different. Granted their differences tend to be rather dangerous and deadly.
The X-men and it's offshoots always delved into the uncomfortable quagmire of what it meant to have powers and the responsibility behind them -- particularly if you had nothing to do with it, and it was a mere accident of genetics or birth. What do you do if you are being bullied and can't contain the ability to crush those bullying you? And how do we react to something that appears to be a massive threat -- with fear, loathing, and cruelty, or compassion? And what if it isn't? What if what we are so scared of is in truth a frightened boy...being bullied?
The X-men don't show up here. Although various characters from their panatheon do -- Lorna Dane aka Polaris (who in the X-books was Alex Summers aka Havoc's love), Thunderbird (Dani Moonstar's brother, and one of the original new X-men), Blink (Clarice who was one of the New Mutants in latter years), and the Struckers...who appear as villains or partners with the Sentienal project in various books.
Here, they aren't villains. And there really aren't good guys and bad guys here -- it's not the campy black and white world of most comic superhero series. The bad guys, such as they are, are actually a Homeland Security Federal Organization aka The Sentinel Org, that keeps people safe by removing the mutants from the populace. Placing them in the Mutant Detention Facility. Their goal is to protect people from a race of superhumans who have insane powers that can cause massive damage. Strucker, portrayed by Stephen Meyer of Trueblood fame, is a State Prosecutor who works with the Project, but is not really inside it. He helps prosecute mutants. Amy Acker portrays his wife.
Things are going well for them until their children exhibit mutant abilities in a massive and public manner. While being bullied, their son's abilities explode, taking down most of the school as a result. His sister exposes herself by getting them both out of there...and forming a shield, which various people see.
So, while it might be cool to have superpowers that can defeat bullies..it's not so cool if you can't control them, and even less so...if you can knock down a school and get put in a cage for them.
So Strucker is forced to contact the Mutant Underground Network for assistance. And goes on the run with his family. In exchange for help, the MUN leader requires Strucker's help in freeing his girlfriend, Polaris, who has been captured. And things...well don't go exactly to plan.
It's set up as a serialized thriller - not an episodic oh lets kill the monster of the week, with a relationship back story aka Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, et al. This is more similar to Legion and Daredevil in tone and format...also production value and acting ability. In Meyer and Acker, we have some talent on board. Also there's a diversified casting...outside of the Strucker family.
The writing? Too soon to tell. It held my interest. But, I also felt frustrated and angry during it, which may turn me off eventually. The bad guys are annoying, if understandable. And the subject matter hits a bit close to home -- ie, the Immigration Ban and ICE, also the Patriot Act. I'm not entirely sure I like mutants with super-powers being equated with immigrants or racism. It's always been a stickler with the X-men verse. That said, I like what is saying about the topic and how it points out the Strucker's hypocrisy...both parents have no problem putting people away for being different and potentially dangerous, until it's their kid. And their kid is really dangerous.
I find this an interesting issue to explore and one that isn't explored enough in these series.How hypocritical people are and how self-interested. And how they justify it. This series really seems to want to examine that...but in a fun way and within the trappings of sci-fi fantasy, which takes off the sanctimonious edge that is all too obvious in series such as the Good Doctor.
Acting? One of the better ensembles. The mutants are a mixed bag. But overall better than most of the casts of these series. There's less camp. It's not campy at all. And the special effects are rather stellar. Well-produced and well-acted.
So, I give it a B+.
3. Grey's Anatomy S14. Episode 2
And yes, we are on Season 14. I think it beat ER.I'd have to check. I admittedly jumped in and out of ER.
* Still don't like April and Arizona. Both are like nails on chalkboard, and far too into themselves for words. Although it was nice that April got shown that what she did to her fiance...was nasty, after telling the girl not to stand up a boy who went out of his way for her.
* I think Grey's writers are obsessed with sex. Just saying. Either someone isn't getting enough of it, or they are addicted to it. It's my main issue with Grey's, and why the series is so unrealistic in places. Actually my problem with most television series - specifically situation comedies. The only one who doesn't do it is the Good Place. (And I read romance novels with lots of sex in them.) No one in a hospital talks about sex that much. Or in a work-place. It's not appropriate.
* Meredith is awesome. This character once annoyed me, and now has completely grown on me. She's just awesome. Even grumpy, she's awesome. I loved what she said to Riggs. She's angry at him for blowing his chance with Megan. The love of his life returned, he proposes, she turns him down thinking he fell for Meredith, and Meredith is like fight for her, you nitwit. I'd give anything for that to be Derek. And here you have this amazing gift and you are blowing it. (Keep in mind they fell for each other because they got it. He wasn't trying to replace Derek because he knew what it was like to lose someone. But there's a difference between presumed dead and dead.)
*Hmmm...Megan is still here. Interesting. Wonder for how long? Can't be too long, the actress is the lead on NBC's Timeless which was renewed at the last minute (admittedly) for a second season. Grey's is on ABC. At least I think Timeless is on NBC, it's hard to keep track. Anyhow...I think there's a bigger problem between Megan and Riggs. He was having an affair when they were in Iraq and they were having issues. Also, she is in love with her son, Farouk, who is in Iraq, and wants to return there and possibly remain with her son. Riggs doesn't want to go back to Iraq and may not want the son.
I'm not sure the writers plan on writing him out with Megan.
* Amelia...I rather liked the tumor storyline. Mother reminded me that the Doctor who got brought in portrayed the Devil on Once Upon a Time. I think he was also on Private Practice -- not that we watched it, because neither of us liked the lead on that series. (Actually I didn't like anyone on that series except for Tye Diggs and Audra McDonald. Everyone else I wanted to smack upside the head. So I didn't watch, because seriously? Life is too short and there are too many shows to choose from, even back then. I have to like most of the characters to watch a tv show.)
I like Amelia better here than Private Practice. And I liked how they played out the storyline. That her judgement wasn't impaired with the surgeries so much as with her family and friends who needed to know.
There was a hilarious character moment between DeLuca and Pierce. They are doing a great job of developing Deluca's character this season. He's more interesting now that he's not moping after Jo Wilson. Deluca tries to tell Pierce, who is far too self-involved to pick up on it. He should have told her to come in for a consult...not to apologize, because she's too self-involved to get past that. Anyhow, Pierce who has this thing about not being told stuff, realizes after Ameila tells her first...that Deluca tried to tell her...but she was too stupid and self-involved to pick up on it. Her expression is priceless as is Deluca's.
This is why I love Grey's! Moments like that. The writers do a great job of building and evolving their characters in a realistic and gradual manner.
* Miranda and the Avery's. Grand-dad Avery dropping dead was funny. I was thinking or even stated before he did. Damn, this guy is over 70, he shouldn't be doing this, be nice if he just dropped dead --- and there he goes. Whoa. Wish that worked with certain politicians/leaders who shall remain nameless.
They covered it well. But Miranda has some problems. Ameila went to her with her tunor, but Miranda put her off and told her to talk to Webber, who would inform her later. He didn't. Because she was tied up with the funding issue. I'm wondering if this will be an issue next week? Shouldn't. But who knows.
Still 20 more hours of television to watch, assuming I do. I keep getting distracted. Today, I got distracted by the pretty day. I took the day off. Have Columbus Day off as well. I decided to take a long walk around Prospect Park Lake. Lovely walk. But a lot of litter, and it's caused a massive algae problem in the Lake. The culprit? The park has a smorgasbord or massive food court on the weekends nearby and not enough trash repositories for all the garbage that generates, along with its other functions. And people are slobs. People do not carry their waste with them home and deposit it there. Instead they deposit wherever it is convenient. I wish there was a way of figuring out who left the litter -- then waving it magically into the domain of its owner -- say their bed, living room, car or front yard. Karma...I wish for litter Karma.
But other than that? Lovely walk. Saw swans, turtles, geese, squirrels (well always see them), ducks, and dogs, who kept coming up to me to greet me. No, doggie, I can't take you home with me. I work for a living and you would get lonely.
Sometimes laundry is in there, sometimes groceries, among other things. ( I keep wanting to write amongst, but this is apparently not a word except in my head. It should be a word -- it sounds better than among. I'm sorry, it does.)
1. Ten Days in the Valley - airs on Sunday nights, on ABC, and stars Kyra Sedwick. It's surprisingly good, albeit convoluted. Did not recommend to the parents, because I found it hard to follow in places and there's a lot going on. That said, also compelling.
The plot? It's about a television show-runner/producer whose kid is missing. The series takes place during the "ten" days that her kid is missing. It's a set up as a compact miniseries in a style similar to the Ryan Phillip/Juliette Lewis series that I can't remember the name of, along with various other series that have aired -- where you have a mystery (usually a murder, a kidnapping, or some horrific event involving the cops or FBI, and a lead protagonist who...is not necessarily likeable and a bit of an anti-hero). The mystery or arc lasts about ten episodes, and if the series continues, it moves onto the next mystery. Similar to Broadchurch actually, except more action and better pacing. Think - dark thriller mini-series.
These are very popular at the moment. I don't tend to like them for some reason. I don't know why. But I can never stick with them for very long. The longest was Broadchurch, and really only for one season. I think I tend to find them anxiety inducing or they make me angry...and frustrated..so I flip to something else?
The mystery here is who kidnapped the television writer/producer's daughter, why, and where the daughter is now. What makes this one more interesting than the others is it is commenting on the television industry. Usually the television writers are writing about businesses they don't know that much about...here, not so much.
There's a nifty twist here -- the television show writer aka Kyra Sedwick's Allie is running a hit cop show. And she's getting her content from a secret informant who works for the LAPD Vice Unit or Drug Unit. He's giving her the real stuff, she spins it into fictional scenarios using recorded interview notes. This is ruffling a few feathers on the police force, as you can well imagine. Particularly since her last project, a documentary on the San Diego Police Force, took down that entire department.
Add to this, the writer has long hours, little sleep, and often works midnight to 4am. The night her daughter is kidnapped from her home -- she's in her work shed hammering out a last minute script adjustment due at 4AM in the morning..because the studio couldn't get a permit to shoot in the alley and had to drastically change the script to fit a different local.
That's a teaser. We also have the never-do-well musician ex-husband with the thick Australian accent,
who has stolen the kid before. And isn't happy with the custody arrangement.
Along with a host of other characters and issues. Allie also does cocaine on occasion to focus. (A lot of Hollywood writers use cocaine -- although this seems a bit on the cliche side), and glass of wine to relax.
We get to see inside her working world...and its demands. What it means to be writing a television cop show. I actually think this is more realistic than the cop bits.
Regarding acting? Doesn't get much better than this. Want to see good actors? Watch this. These are the professionals. Also the direction is seamless for the most part.
But it is busy. And I feel as if I've seen it before. If it weren't for the television showrunner bit, I'd have given up on it halfway through. Since the whole kid gets kidnapped, dirty cops, drug intrigue...tends to frustrate and irritate me. But, I like the television show-runner twist. I like the fact that she's writing a show that all of sudden becomes analogous to her life. One of her writers even suggests having a lead character on their show kid get kidnapped to heighten interest.
Allie's reaction? That character doesn't have a kid. The writer? "We can create one, no problem. And we'll have the kid taken from her home while she's there, working on something." Which is exactly what happened to Allie. Stroke of brilliance, right there.
So, sticking with it until I get bored. Which I usually do with these sorts of the shows after a bit.
Mainly because they go nuts with the plot-twists. Oh we must have a plot-twist every week to keep our audience, we must be shocking!. Yeah, well, after a while the audience gets tired of the plot-twists and immune to the shocks and just wants some good character development. Constant plot-twists aren't always entertaining, sometimes they are exhausting.
Overall? On the fence, B+/A-
2. The Gifted
I wonder if it helps if you are an X-Men fan? Hard to say. I'm an X-men fan. They are my favorite superhero team. And really the only ones I followed across mediums for any extended period of time. I'm not really a fan of the Avengers or their off-shoots. Didn't follow them much at all in the comics except to the extent that they crossed over with the X-men and I had no choice. I followed them more in the movies...mainly because I like Robert Downy Jr and will watch that man read the phone book. But the X-men? Love. YMMV. Some folks prefer DC and superheroes, and there's those few, beleaguered few, that prefer the mutant freaks who are heroes in spite of themselves, treated horribly, outsiders, but manage to rise above it. The X-men are basically the mascots for anyone who was bullied in school and not popular.
All of this preamble for The Gifted, which is about people who are bullied, attacked, and disenfranchised for being different. Granted their differences tend to be rather dangerous and deadly.
The X-men and it's offshoots always delved into the uncomfortable quagmire of what it meant to have powers and the responsibility behind them -- particularly if you had nothing to do with it, and it was a mere accident of genetics or birth. What do you do if you are being bullied and can't contain the ability to crush those bullying you? And how do we react to something that appears to be a massive threat -- with fear, loathing, and cruelty, or compassion? And what if it isn't? What if what we are so scared of is in truth a frightened boy...being bullied?
The X-men don't show up here. Although various characters from their panatheon do -- Lorna Dane aka Polaris (who in the X-books was Alex Summers aka Havoc's love), Thunderbird (Dani Moonstar's brother, and one of the original new X-men), Blink (Clarice who was one of the New Mutants in latter years), and the Struckers...who appear as villains or partners with the Sentienal project in various books.
Here, they aren't villains. And there really aren't good guys and bad guys here -- it's not the campy black and white world of most comic superhero series. The bad guys, such as they are, are actually a Homeland Security Federal Organization aka The Sentinel Org, that keeps people safe by removing the mutants from the populace. Placing them in the Mutant Detention Facility. Their goal is to protect people from a race of superhumans who have insane powers that can cause massive damage. Strucker, portrayed by Stephen Meyer of Trueblood fame, is a State Prosecutor who works with the Project, but is not really inside it. He helps prosecute mutants. Amy Acker portrays his wife.
Things are going well for them until their children exhibit mutant abilities in a massive and public manner. While being bullied, their son's abilities explode, taking down most of the school as a result. His sister exposes herself by getting them both out of there...and forming a shield, which various people see.
So, while it might be cool to have superpowers that can defeat bullies..it's not so cool if you can't control them, and even less so...if you can knock down a school and get put in a cage for them.
So Strucker is forced to contact the Mutant Underground Network for assistance. And goes on the run with his family. In exchange for help, the MUN leader requires Strucker's help in freeing his girlfriend, Polaris, who has been captured. And things...well don't go exactly to plan.
It's set up as a serialized thriller - not an episodic oh lets kill the monster of the week, with a relationship back story aka Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, et al. This is more similar to Legion and Daredevil in tone and format...also production value and acting ability. In Meyer and Acker, we have some talent on board. Also there's a diversified casting...outside of the Strucker family.
The writing? Too soon to tell. It held my interest. But, I also felt frustrated and angry during it, which may turn me off eventually. The bad guys are annoying, if understandable. And the subject matter hits a bit close to home -- ie, the Immigration Ban and ICE, also the Patriot Act. I'm not entirely sure I like mutants with super-powers being equated with immigrants or racism. It's always been a stickler with the X-men verse. That said, I like what is saying about the topic and how it points out the Strucker's hypocrisy...both parents have no problem putting people away for being different and potentially dangerous, until it's their kid. And their kid is really dangerous.
I find this an interesting issue to explore and one that isn't explored enough in these series.How hypocritical people are and how self-interested. And how they justify it. This series really seems to want to examine that...but in a fun way and within the trappings of sci-fi fantasy, which takes off the sanctimonious edge that is all too obvious in series such as the Good Doctor.
Acting? One of the better ensembles. The mutants are a mixed bag. But overall better than most of the casts of these series. There's less camp. It's not campy at all. And the special effects are rather stellar. Well-produced and well-acted.
So, I give it a B+.
3. Grey's Anatomy S14. Episode 2
And yes, we are on Season 14. I think it beat ER.I'd have to check. I admittedly jumped in and out of ER.
* Still don't like April and Arizona. Both are like nails on chalkboard, and far too into themselves for words. Although it was nice that April got shown that what she did to her fiance...was nasty, after telling the girl not to stand up a boy who went out of his way for her.
* I think Grey's writers are obsessed with sex. Just saying. Either someone isn't getting enough of it, or they are addicted to it. It's my main issue with Grey's, and why the series is so unrealistic in places. Actually my problem with most television series - specifically situation comedies. The only one who doesn't do it is the Good Place. (And I read romance novels with lots of sex in them.) No one in a hospital talks about sex that much. Or in a work-place. It's not appropriate.
* Meredith is awesome. This character once annoyed me, and now has completely grown on me. She's just awesome. Even grumpy, she's awesome. I loved what she said to Riggs. She's angry at him for blowing his chance with Megan. The love of his life returned, he proposes, she turns him down thinking he fell for Meredith, and Meredith is like fight for her, you nitwit. I'd give anything for that to be Derek. And here you have this amazing gift and you are blowing it. (Keep in mind they fell for each other because they got it. He wasn't trying to replace Derek because he knew what it was like to lose someone. But there's a difference between presumed dead and dead.)
*Hmmm...Megan is still here. Interesting. Wonder for how long? Can't be too long, the actress is the lead on NBC's Timeless which was renewed at the last minute (admittedly) for a second season. Grey's is on ABC. At least I think Timeless is on NBC, it's hard to keep track. Anyhow...I think there's a bigger problem between Megan and Riggs. He was having an affair when they were in Iraq and they were having issues. Also, she is in love with her son, Farouk, who is in Iraq, and wants to return there and possibly remain with her son. Riggs doesn't want to go back to Iraq and may not want the son.
I'm not sure the writers plan on writing him out with Megan.
* Amelia...I rather liked the tumor storyline. Mother reminded me that the Doctor who got brought in portrayed the Devil on Once Upon a Time. I think he was also on Private Practice -- not that we watched it, because neither of us liked the lead on that series. (Actually I didn't like anyone on that series except for Tye Diggs and Audra McDonald. Everyone else I wanted to smack upside the head. So I didn't watch, because seriously? Life is too short and there are too many shows to choose from, even back then. I have to like most of the characters to watch a tv show.)
I like Amelia better here than Private Practice. And I liked how they played out the storyline. That her judgement wasn't impaired with the surgeries so much as with her family and friends who needed to know.
There was a hilarious character moment between DeLuca and Pierce. They are doing a great job of developing Deluca's character this season. He's more interesting now that he's not moping after Jo Wilson. Deluca tries to tell Pierce, who is far too self-involved to pick up on it. He should have told her to come in for a consult...not to apologize, because she's too self-involved to get past that. Anyhow, Pierce who has this thing about not being told stuff, realizes after Ameila tells her first...that Deluca tried to tell her...but she was too stupid and self-involved to pick up on it. Her expression is priceless as is Deluca's.
This is why I love Grey's! Moments like that. The writers do a great job of building and evolving their characters in a realistic and gradual manner.
* Miranda and the Avery's. Grand-dad Avery dropping dead was funny. I was thinking or even stated before he did. Damn, this guy is over 70, he shouldn't be doing this, be nice if he just dropped dead --- and there he goes. Whoa. Wish that worked with certain politicians/leaders who shall remain nameless.
They covered it well. But Miranda has some problems. Ameila went to her with her tunor, but Miranda put her off and told her to talk to Webber, who would inform her later. He didn't. Because she was tied up with the funding issue. I'm wondering if this will be an issue next week? Shouldn't. But who knows.
Still 20 more hours of television to watch, assuming I do. I keep getting distracted. Today, I got distracted by the pretty day. I took the day off. Have Columbus Day off as well. I decided to take a long walk around Prospect Park Lake. Lovely walk. But a lot of litter, and it's caused a massive algae problem in the Lake. The culprit? The park has a smorgasbord or massive food court on the weekends nearby and not enough trash repositories for all the garbage that generates, along with its other functions. And people are slobs. People do not carry their waste with them home and deposit it there. Instead they deposit wherever it is convenient. I wish there was a way of figuring out who left the litter -- then waving it magically into the domain of its owner -- say their bed, living room, car or front yard. Karma...I wish for litter Karma.
But other than that? Lovely walk. Saw swans, turtles, geese, squirrels (well always see them), ducks, and dogs, who kept coming up to me to greet me. No, doggie, I can't take you home with me. I work for a living and you would get lonely.