The Weekly TV Slut Report...
May. 7th, 2011 06:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatShould make dinner soon. Have several things taping via DVR tonight...amongst them, yes, The Lady Gaga Monster Ball Concert in Madison Square Garden on HBO - it should be noted that the only other concert I taped and watched in recent memory was Madonna's Truth or Dare. Okay maybe not the only one. There's been other's I'm sure. Not a huge fan of going to concerts - find them noisy, overly crowded and not conducive to hearing let alone appreciating the actual music. There are exceptions. The best concert that I've ever been to - was in Wembley Stadium outside London, England in 1987, with Peter Gabriel - we had to stay seated, that is until surprise, surprise, out of the blue Kate Bush appeared and sang the last five numbers with Gabriel as an encore duet. Everyone stood up in unison, roared and light matches and Gabriel threw himself into the crowd and they caught him. Was quite the moment. Far and away better than the Pink Floyd reunion tour in 1988 at Denver Stadium. Or Aimee Mann's concert in NY. I wish I saw U2 at Red Rocks in 1986, but oh well. I like live music, I am just allergic to huge crowds, cheap beer (literally unless gluten free - I think Rolling Rock (which was all the rage, because we hated Coors) may have done me in), stadium food (see beer), and smoke.. and background noise and bad stereo feedback. This may explain why I hate fan conventions and avoid them like the plague.
But enuf of that. To the interesting stuff, before I race off to make myself something to eat. Sigh, I feel like I'm always eating. This would explain the expanding waistline, wouldn't it?
1. Glee - sigh. Hmmm...apparently they can only create one great episode a month or maybe every two months? This week's was sloppily written. On all counts. Bad bad episode. The plot wandered and the whole bit about Sam wasn't really built up to at all, and we saw all of it through the wrong pov. The Rumormucker started by Sue - wasn't believable - no school would allow it. Too over-the-top. Satire needs to be a little more subtle than that. There wasn't anything redeemable about this, okay maybe Sue Sylvestrie dressing up as David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust phase, no not even that. It made little sense that she was wandering about the school in various get-ups. The adults in this series are rapidly becoming little more than charicatures of themselves and somewhat creepy ones at that. Side note to Murphy and company regarding musical performances (which to be honest is the reason most of us still watch this show - yes, we are hopeless musical fanatics, we admit it), in the future please stay away from any song written or sung by Stevie Nicks and/or Fleetwood Mac. Turns out that they really aren't that universally singable after all. I know. Who knew?
Rating: F
2. Grey's Anatomy - somewhat better this week. We had the only same-sex wedding between two women that I've ever seen on network television. And it was handled beautifully. Complete with moving speech about how getting married was about love and it did not matter where or who married you, only that you were willing to stand up in front of God and everyone to commit to another person out of love. Rather liked that speech. And it moved the plot forward. Finally. Plus I got some good Cristina scenes. And we had more debate on the whole contest for Chief Resident. Or rather I debated it...and I've decided nasty Doctor is right - April is the best candidate. Cristina would be horrific, Teddy's right - Cristina has tunnel vision and is dangerous right now. Meredith - has already done something extreemly unethical to save a patient. She ruined her husband's entire trial and may have cost the hospital it's research status in one fell swoop - assuming anyone finds out. Alex is an ass to everyone but the kids. Great pediatrician, lousy chief. Avery not an issue. Lexie also not a contender. So, yes, the best bet is far and away April. Who does care about the whole patient, is able to get along with her fellow attendings, and is a little less self-absorbed. Even if I agree with Cristina and the idea of April getting it grates on a whole new level.
3. Community - I admittedly only laughed at the very end. But it did give me a twenty minute giggle fit, so...there is that. We've discussed my inability to find most situation comedies and American humor in general funny before. I loved Josh Halloway's guest appearance.
There was an interview with him recently - where he was asked why he wasn't doing more roles - the reason, he didn't want to play a cop, and for some reason he was getting a lot of cop roles offered to him. Or something like that. I'm thinking, Dude, can you really afford to be that picky?
I thought the same thing when Marsters stated he was turning down roles similar to Spike. Hello, hate to break it to you, but you aren't Dustin Hoffman or even Keifer Sutherland for that matter.
The Paintball game this round is a lovely send-up of Spaghetti Westerns and Space Operas. Complete with the man with no name and the panchos that Clint Eastwood always wore. But it wasn't until the talking snow cone told her stormtroopers that they must stop anyone at the school from winning the prize money no matter what that I burst out in a fit of giggles. The asburdity was just off the scales. Community excels at absurd humor. But it also has a tendency to dip a bit too far into pop culture parody, much like the Simpsons and South Park do, and parody doesn't tend to do a lot for me - it gets old fast. Here, at least, we had the nice twist of the snow cone. Oh and the Dean also made me laugh - when he said what kind of ice cream company does something like this! I was trying to avoid a repeat of last year. We have to stop them before the school gets wrecked again. Jeff and company to Dean: Uh, hate to break this to you, but the school is already wrecked. That I admittedly giggled to first - so it was basically a sustained build-up of giggling. Big Bang got the shaft, because Community's description was more entertaining and well I can't miss Vamp Diaries.
4. Smallville - okay it's not this week's Smallville, I'm behind. About six episodes behind. I made it up to Clark visiting the mirror world again, and rescuing everyone from his doppleganger from the mirror world in this world, again. Except I liked the resolution and writing of this episode better than the previous one. Will give Smallville a great deal of credit in one department - it writes fantastic female character arcs. The female characters in this show actually have better arcs than they did in Whedon's series (Whedon was a bit too into the victimized girl heroine trope for his own good) or in other genre shows. Tess Mercer has an arc that Lex Luther would have killed for. She's more complicated and interesting than he ever was.
As is for that matter, Chloe, who makes Oliver Queen look relatively flat in comparison.
And Lois...one of the best female heroines on tv - no powers, tough, sexy, and never victimized.
This show provides strong female characters that really aren't and never have been victims and are in no real need of saving. They often save Clark Kent/Superman as much as he saves them.
Amazing. Probably the only super-hero series I've seen that has done that. And yes, I include Misfits in that category. No, it's not that well written (Smallville not Misfits, Misfits is brilliantly written as anyone who has watched it already knows by now), and it is often on the campy side of the fence. But it does do some things remarkably well. And unlike its compatriots on the CW - is actually the only series that doesn't make me wince when I attempt to analyze it. Also it is oddly innovative. It takes the whole Superman tale in a new direction and plays with many of the themes, legends, and history of Superman - providing its own unique twist on the story. Could the acting be better? Definitely. It's a bit wooden at times. And the writing is well, it's not high quality. But it's not bad either. I've watched badly written tv shows (*cough*thisweeksGlee*cough* per example). This is not badly written. It's not brilliant either and it won't get any critical awards, but for what it is? It's actually fairly good and quite entertaining. They do a riff on the Hangover that is quite fun and a lot better than The Hangover. (Okay I have no way of knowing that for certain.) The plot did admittedly lose me for a bit, but they wrapped it around again.
5. In Plain Sight - not what I expected. Quite good actually. I continue to identify a great deal with the lead character. I loved the exchange with Marshall - who tells her that she keeps picking men, deliberately picking men, who think she is their type because they believe all women will eventually default to wanting a picket fence, a home, and 2.5 kids. But Mary definitely doesn't want any of that. Which is why she broke up with the hot ball player, and sent the FBI agent after a nice vacation back to his ex-wife and kids. As shocking as this is to people, not all women do want this. I never did. But Mary's also lonely...and struggling with change. It feels, to Mary, at least, as if everyone and everything is changing around her but well Mary. Another thing I identify with. She's extraordinarily good at her job, but struggles with it as well. A fascinating character who continues to evolve and be explored along with those around here. Also amongst the few shows of this particular trope that employs a lot of female characters and stays in a female pov, and changes over time.
Okay this a truncated TV Slut report, because I haven't watched that much. Still haven't seen Justified, Friday Night Lights, MAsterpiece Classic - South Riding, Raising Hope, Supernatural,
Nikita, House, Inkheart (the movie), The Town (movie)...amongst others. Too many tv shows, not enough time.
Making dinner now. Moderately productive day, far more than last Saturday. Go me.
But enuf of that. To the interesting stuff, before I race off to make myself something to eat. Sigh, I feel like I'm always eating. This would explain the expanding waistline, wouldn't it?
1. Glee - sigh. Hmmm...apparently they can only create one great episode a month or maybe every two months? This week's was sloppily written. On all counts. Bad bad episode. The plot wandered and the whole bit about Sam wasn't really built up to at all, and we saw all of it through the wrong pov. The Rumormucker started by Sue - wasn't believable - no school would allow it. Too over-the-top. Satire needs to be a little more subtle than that. There wasn't anything redeemable about this, okay maybe Sue Sylvestrie dressing up as David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust phase, no not even that. It made little sense that she was wandering about the school in various get-ups. The adults in this series are rapidly becoming little more than charicatures of themselves and somewhat creepy ones at that. Side note to Murphy and company regarding musical performances (which to be honest is the reason most of us still watch this show - yes, we are hopeless musical fanatics, we admit it), in the future please stay away from any song written or sung by Stevie Nicks and/or Fleetwood Mac. Turns out that they really aren't that universally singable after all. I know. Who knew?
Rating: F
2. Grey's Anatomy - somewhat better this week. We had the only same-sex wedding between two women that I've ever seen on network television. And it was handled beautifully. Complete with moving speech about how getting married was about love and it did not matter where or who married you, only that you were willing to stand up in front of God and everyone to commit to another person out of love. Rather liked that speech. And it moved the plot forward. Finally. Plus I got some good Cristina scenes. And we had more debate on the whole contest for Chief Resident. Or rather I debated it...and I've decided nasty Doctor is right - April is the best candidate. Cristina would be horrific, Teddy's right - Cristina has tunnel vision and is dangerous right now. Meredith - has already done something extreemly unethical to save a patient. She ruined her husband's entire trial and may have cost the hospital it's research status in one fell swoop - assuming anyone finds out. Alex is an ass to everyone but the kids. Great pediatrician, lousy chief. Avery not an issue. Lexie also not a contender. So, yes, the best bet is far and away April. Who does care about the whole patient, is able to get along with her fellow attendings, and is a little less self-absorbed. Even if I agree with Cristina and the idea of April getting it grates on a whole new level.
3. Community - I admittedly only laughed at the very end. But it did give me a twenty minute giggle fit, so...there is that. We've discussed my inability to find most situation comedies and American humor in general funny before. I loved Josh Halloway's guest appearance.
There was an interview with him recently - where he was asked why he wasn't doing more roles - the reason, he didn't want to play a cop, and for some reason he was getting a lot of cop roles offered to him. Or something like that. I'm thinking, Dude, can you really afford to be that picky?
I thought the same thing when Marsters stated he was turning down roles similar to Spike. Hello, hate to break it to you, but you aren't Dustin Hoffman or even Keifer Sutherland for that matter.
The Paintball game this round is a lovely send-up of Spaghetti Westerns and Space Operas. Complete with the man with no name and the panchos that Clint Eastwood always wore. But it wasn't until the talking snow cone told her stormtroopers that they must stop anyone at the school from winning the prize money no matter what that I burst out in a fit of giggles. The asburdity was just off the scales. Community excels at absurd humor. But it also has a tendency to dip a bit too far into pop culture parody, much like the Simpsons and South Park do, and parody doesn't tend to do a lot for me - it gets old fast. Here, at least, we had the nice twist of the snow cone. Oh and the Dean also made me laugh - when he said what kind of ice cream company does something like this! I was trying to avoid a repeat of last year. We have to stop them before the school gets wrecked again. Jeff and company to Dean: Uh, hate to break this to you, but the school is already wrecked. That I admittedly giggled to first - so it was basically a sustained build-up of giggling. Big Bang got the shaft, because Community's description was more entertaining and well I can't miss Vamp Diaries.
4. Smallville - okay it's not this week's Smallville, I'm behind. About six episodes behind. I made it up to Clark visiting the mirror world again, and rescuing everyone from his doppleganger from the mirror world in this world, again. Except I liked the resolution and writing of this episode better than the previous one. Will give Smallville a great deal of credit in one department - it writes fantastic female character arcs. The female characters in this show actually have better arcs than they did in Whedon's series (Whedon was a bit too into the victimized girl heroine trope for his own good) or in other genre shows. Tess Mercer has an arc that Lex Luther would have killed for. She's more complicated and interesting than he ever was.
As is for that matter, Chloe, who makes Oliver Queen look relatively flat in comparison.
And Lois...one of the best female heroines on tv - no powers, tough, sexy, and never victimized.
This show provides strong female characters that really aren't and never have been victims and are in no real need of saving. They often save Clark Kent/Superman as much as he saves them.
Amazing. Probably the only super-hero series I've seen that has done that. And yes, I include Misfits in that category. No, it's not that well written (Smallville not Misfits, Misfits is brilliantly written as anyone who has watched it already knows by now), and it is often on the campy side of the fence. But it does do some things remarkably well. And unlike its compatriots on the CW - is actually the only series that doesn't make me wince when I attempt to analyze it. Also it is oddly innovative. It takes the whole Superman tale in a new direction and plays with many of the themes, legends, and history of Superman - providing its own unique twist on the story. Could the acting be better? Definitely. It's a bit wooden at times. And the writing is well, it's not high quality. But it's not bad either. I've watched badly written tv shows (*cough*thisweeksGlee*cough* per example). This is not badly written. It's not brilliant either and it won't get any critical awards, but for what it is? It's actually fairly good and quite entertaining. They do a riff on the Hangover that is quite fun and a lot better than The Hangover. (Okay I have no way of knowing that for certain.) The plot did admittedly lose me for a bit, but they wrapped it around again.
5. In Plain Sight - not what I expected. Quite good actually. I continue to identify a great deal with the lead character. I loved the exchange with Marshall - who tells her that she keeps picking men, deliberately picking men, who think she is their type because they believe all women will eventually default to wanting a picket fence, a home, and 2.5 kids. But Mary definitely doesn't want any of that. Which is why she broke up with the hot ball player, and sent the FBI agent after a nice vacation back to his ex-wife and kids. As shocking as this is to people, not all women do want this. I never did. But Mary's also lonely...and struggling with change. It feels, to Mary, at least, as if everyone and everything is changing around her but well Mary. Another thing I identify with. She's extraordinarily good at her job, but struggles with it as well. A fascinating character who continues to evolve and be explored along with those around here. Also amongst the few shows of this particular trope that employs a lot of female characters and stays in a female pov, and changes over time.
Okay this a truncated TV Slut report, because I haven't watched that much. Still haven't seen Justified, Friday Night Lights, MAsterpiece Classic - South Riding, Raising Hope, Supernatural,
Nikita, House, Inkheart (the movie), The Town (movie)...amongst others. Too many tv shows, not enough time.
Making dinner now. Moderately productive day, far more than last Saturday. Go me.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-05-08 04:05 pm (UTC)