shadowkat | TV...again...because..

Current Mood: bitchy

Entry tags:

nip-tuck,
vm

TV...again...because..

Saw Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, and Nip-Tuck last night. Can't really say that much about GG and Nip-Tuck, since I was using them as background noise. During Nip-Tuck, I was making plane reservations for Thanksgiving and Xmas, which was a pain and I really envy people who do not have to do this in order to be with their loved ones and families during the holidays. Yes, I get to go to nice place, but honestly, there are days I wish my parents had retired to New Jersey or upstate New York. The only thing I got from Nip-Tuck is they ret-conned Scean's background in order to make the character sympathetic and give him a reason for rushing his infant son's hand surgery. The ret-con didn't really work for me. Felt off somehow. Nor did the Julia/Marlow romance, although if I were Julia I'd fall for Marlowe. Peter Dinklater is adorable. I fell in love with him in The Station Agent. Yes, I know it would not work between us - he's 3 foot and I'm almost 6 foot. He comes to my knee.Awkward doesn't cover it. But hey, I don't plan on dating the guy, just watching him onscreen. He's reason number 2 for me watching the show this season - Peter Dinklater and Roma Maffia, with Julian MacHaun third. But I do not see what Marlowe sees in Julia. The woman is a passive-aggressive bitch. Run, run. Don't get me wrong, I sort of like Julia, or I did last season. If you're looking for an in-depth examination of Connor's surgical issues regarding the surgery, your prayers may or may not be answered by an upcoming episode in Nov, in which we may see an adult Connor struggling to deal with his past. Hmmm, appears I got more from the episode, than I thought.

[As an aside, my latest addiction is pomegrants. Been eating the things like crazy. Tough fruit to eat, you have to prye it apart, then pick out the kernels - which look like the kernels on corn, except they are bright red, filled with tart/sweet juice and stain everything in sight. Was getting pre-plucked kernels until I discovered that it's cheaper to do it myself. Reason for addiction?
Great cure for heartburn, indigestion and general edgyiness.]

Veronica Mars continues to entertain me more than most people. I like the college years. High school shows tend to bore me, maybe because I'm 39 and can't remember high-school that well and find teenagers generally speaking annoying as hell? Yeah, that would explain it. Doesn't help that the teens are usually played by 20 somethings and so close in age to the people playing their parents, that we start to wonder when the parents actually had them? In high school? That said, I think in some respects VM is doing college years better than other shows have, it is certainly more realistic than other shows. The only show that ever focused on college that I liked was The Paper Chase - which was one of those brilliant shows that got cancelled by the networks, only to be picked up by PBS. LOL! PBS did this twice, the other one was a series that took place in the 1960s during the civil rights movement starring Regina Taylor and Sam Waterson - also dealt with college. Anyhow back to VM.

I may be amongst the few, at least the few on my flist, that does not mind VM/Logan relationship.
I honestly don't care who she hooks up with, just as long as they have a middling amount of chemistry and not too many sex scenes. Sex scenes on tv tend to bore me. Sex? Let's face it, it is not meant to be a spectator sport. Also, most actors suck at doing them. The only actor I've seen who seems to do them well may be James Marsters, and from what I've read of his interviews, I get the impression he regrets that and is working very hard not to repeat that mistake in the future. LOL! Yes, it must suck to be a sex symbol, eh James? Guess we won't be getting a Playgirl spread to complement Mercedes (the gal who played Harmony on Buffy)'s Playboy spread any time soon. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Truth is? I miss Wallace, Mac and Weevil. Not sure if anyone else out there does. But I do. Can we have more Mac, Weevil, Wallace and less Parker, Piz, and Dick, please? Or at least a little of both? I haven't seen Wallace and Mac in two episodes now and I miss them. Also can I see more of Logan with Weevil and Wallace? Logan with Keith works, but not as much fun since no conflict. Actually found Keith & Weevil more fun. Logan is prettier, but Weevil is more fun.

What is working? Keith and Lara San Giacomo - whose character has a very interesting name if you were paying attention and a Buffy/Angel fan. She's named Harmony Chase. Now in the show it was I believe Harmony Kendall and Cordelia Chase - two highschool cheerleaders who became demons or femme fatales in Angel. Charisma Plays Kendall. And Lara San now plays Harmony Chase. Hee. I also like the chemistry between Enrico an Lara - I should, that's one of the reasons I watched Just Shoot Me.
The story they were involved with though was a tad dull even though it thematically fit the episode - which is about believing the worst about someone. Both Keith and Veronica discover that what they thought was true isn't. Keith thinks the hubby is cheating on the wife and fantasizes about doing her, while Veronica believes Logan's half-brother is cheating him - when he really wasn't. The episode was all about the mislead. Or rather wishing someone was in the wrong, when they weren't.
Veronica sums it all up quite well when she tells Parker - do you just want to pin it on anyone, see someone you hate take the fall for the crime - or catch the real person and find the truth?
Noir is about how nasty the truth is, to the point that after it is found, the hero sort of wishes they'd left things alone, but the noir hero can't do that and it is their downfall. Yes, I know some people think Veronica always wins or comes out on top when she gets to the bottom of her mysteries, but I disagree. She uncovered the truth about Duncan's child and lost Duncan. She uncovered the truth about Lily's murder and destroyed Logan's family and Duncan's. She uncovered the truth about Beaver and destroyed Mac, Dick, and Beaver. If Logan hadn't shown up when he did, herself. The truth doesn't make her happy, smug, maybe, but not happy. And lately it's been wearing on her. She even states at the end of this week's episode, I'm sorry Logan, maybe I should have left things alone.
If you think Veronica is coming out on top or winning, we ain't watching the same show. Granted she's not paying in a melodramatic manner either - but I'm sort of pleased about that. Melodrama is overrated.

Regarding the rape cases? Sigh. Wish I cared. Don't really. I'm waiting for them to make me care.
Don't know what it is with these girl-hero dramas, but for some bizarre reason, rape and sexual violence always seem to pop up their ugly heads. I know it's a fact of life. It's just a subject matter I'm growing weary of. Seen it done one too many times now. Surely these writers can think of something else? I mean seriously, how many cult tv shows aimed at a cult audience feature rapes?
Heroes, Buffy, Angel, BSG, and now VM, not once but twice. What's with that? At any rate, I think the culprit is the RA. He makes the most logical sense. OR it's someone that took that social psych class with the RA.

Okay tired now. Going to bed.

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I always liked Logan and Veronica together but less so now. The problem with the relationship with Logan is that in the previous two seasons the scripts and the actor really kept you guessing as to how much of a bad guy Logan really is. Now, he seems a little neutered.

I thought the dinner with Dad was cartoonish. It's not like Keith and Logan haven't spent time together. Some of it pretty intense time in fact, for example after Logan has acquired some tapes from evidence. I too like Weevel working for Mars I. as it gave Keith a foil and honestly, isn't it time for some good things to happen to Weevel. Instead they work it so he is conveniently on campus, like Xander doing construction.

Agreed that they are going for the rape plot out of a lack of creativity and they haven't made me care much either. Last year had a School bus full of kids being murdered for Frell's sake!

You watch The Wire? If not I strongly encourage it. Know, though that the only way to watch that is in order, ideally on dvd beginning with season one

Haven't been able to catch The Wire - no premium pay-cable (ie. HBO/Showtime) - which admittedly have the better shows. I'm hoping to catch it via DVD netflix eventually.

Agree with your assessment of Veronica Mars. The problem with the Logan/VM relationship is it worked when Logan came across as a possible "fatale", now we know he isn't. Had exactly the same response.

Also agree on Weevil - he's also been neutered. It's almost as if they didn't know what to do with the character - how to get him on campus. I thought having him be Keith Mars' gal Friday sort of worked and provided lots of opportunities for humor. Weevel is most interesting when he's conning someone.

And exactly - on the rape storyline. Part of the problem with it is it really doesn't affect anyone in our cast outside of Veronica peripherially and Mac. Logan, Wallace, Keith, and Weevil aren't involved. Dick could be the rapist, sure, but please - he wasn't on campus last year, and been there done that with Beaver. I honestly see Dick as this season's misunderstood male fatale, which was Logan and Weevil last season. Wallace? Doesn't track. And again, been there done that with Beaver.
It just doesn't take us anywhere interesting characterwise. It feels like lazy writing to me.

Frell - ahhh, a Farscape fan! Are you by any chance a BSG fan too??

I miss Wallace, Mac and Weevil. Not sure if anyone else out there does. But I do. Can we have more Mac, Weevil, Wallace and less Parker, Piz, and Dick, please? Ditto, although Dick is amusing in a horrible kind of way.
But the rape case, the feminists vs. the frat boys is getting really old fast and I'm not happy about that.
And btw, pomegranate juice is available as just juice, POM being the most well known brand. I have a little bit every morning with breakfast.

Yeah, I know. Was drinking it for a while until I realized the fruit is *much* cheaper. It cost's $1.99 as opposed to $5 for a small little bottle. Plus I like eating the little kernels, makes for nice munchies.

The rape case/feminists vs. frat boys is unfortunately more aggravating than interesting. Yeah, it's part of every college experience. Mine had it more or less. Date Rape. Feminist Activits.
Fraternities. Sororities. Sort of sad. What I liked about BTVS is they sort of skipped quickly over all of that instead of focusing too much on it. Thomas is wasting far too much story on the date rape, feminist vs. frat debate - particularly when he has other possibilities out there to play with - such as the *ruthless* college journalists, the criminology prof and his assistant, and the social psych class. Instead he picks the one that well has been *done* to death. It's frustrating.

I read an article the other day that Mac won't be back for another few episodes, because the actress was allowed time off for a bunch of weeks in order to shoot her role in Big Love.

Ah. Wonder if that's the case with Wallace as well? Is he doing something else? Because he's been gone longer than Mac has.

the other one was a series that took place in the 1960s during the civil rights movement starring Regina Taylor and Sam Waterson

"I'll Fly Away" I remember that show--I really loved it when it was on. Regina Taylor had such dignity and presence, she was fascinating to watch.

;o)

I miss Mac, Weevil and especially Wallace. (Finally saw "Napoleon Dynamite" recently, and fell in love with Tina Majorina all over again.)

I have to disagree with you about Veronica's "victories." She's paid a price for all of them, but she has no regrets, and I don't think she's suffered the fate of a truly "noir" heroine. She's still on her feet, in college, and fighting harder than ever. She's still smug. She has her dad and Logan. I doubt she'd do anything different if she had the chance. (Beaver and Aaron were psychos, and Mac and Logan would both probably be dead if she didn't interfere. Duncan had to acknowledge his baby no matter what Veronica did, and she helped him get a fresh start with baby Lily...)

I do agree that she's wearing down a little, and I'm waiting for Veronica to tackle a major case where her sense of absolute truth and justice smashes up against the desire to just leave everything alone. She's bailed out of minor cases when it looked like the truth would hurt someone; but what happens when a murderer is on the loose, and the facts of the case would more than likely destroy Logan...or her Dad? Love or justice?

ETA: Don't want to continually bash Season 2 in praise of Season 1, but the reveal of Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas as both the bus bomber AND Veronica's rapist burned me. "A Trip to the Dentist" (1.21) was one of the most perfect examples of noir I'd ever seen on TV: everybody was responsible for Veronica's violation, and yet nobody was responsible. It all came about due to Veronica entering the morally bankrupt world of the oh-niners. The episode was effing PERFECT. And then, one year later, Rob Thomas ruins it by turning Beaver into an eeeeevil mastermind who is thwarted by the heroine and her love interest, and who meets his well-deserved grisly end. Justic is served.

Well, buffyannatator explained Mac's absence above, apparently she got a role on Big Love and needed some time off to finish filming it. Wallace on the other hand - what the heck? Have we seen him since the social pysch experiment?

I think Tina Majorino, Francis Capra and Percy Daggs are all on "limited episode" quotas due to budget cuts. They'll probably be in the story when it's important that they be in the story.

I dunno....looking at my previous post, maybe I'm interpreting "noir" too narrowly. After all, Sam Spade came out of "The Maltese Falcon" in decent shape: he solved the case, avenged his partner, and dodged multiple murder attempts. Sure, he didn't get paid and he had to hand over the only woman he ever loved to the cops for murder, but maybe he was waiting for Bridget when she got out in 1975 or so....

Spade navigated the moral sewer of Hammett's world and survived with his skin and his code of ethics intact, just like Veronica. It's not like "Out of the Past" and other post-war noirs where the hero is doomed from the start, no matter what he does. There's still some sense of justice in the world, even if it's not the type rubber stamped by American society. I can't deny that Duncan's hit on Aaron in "Not Pictured" was deeply, DEEPLY satisfying.

And yet, and yet...I can't help but feel that true noir is beyond VM's reach because it's a weekly TV show. Maybe Rob Thomas has to show the bad guys getting theirs and Veronica winning (however painfully), because she the hero, and we have to come back every week to see her and the other supporting characters we love. If she had to turn Logan over to the cops for murder--for real--that would probably be the end of the series.

Ah. That's probably it. Saving money. Damn. They only have 13 episodes. Although it is doing better than some of the other CW shows, so it might get picked up. Who knows?

Yeah, hate to say it, but you aren't going to see the true black film of the 1930s on network television any time soon. I'm not even sure you can find it in the movie theaters for that matter, although I think The Prestige came quite close. People want emotional satisifaction. Think about how Angel ended, which is about as close to the true blue noir as we're going to get on network TV.

Part of it is a timing thing, the other is audience. You got to get the audience to come back each week. And you have to get them to buy the DVDs. Noir, true, depressing, Out of the Past, noir is actually pretty rare. Most of it is more like Chinatown - where the detective is more or less happy with the result. I think Rob Thomas is shooting for Chinatown and Sam Spade over say the darker films such as Double Indemnity and the Third Man, and Lady from Shanghai.

I agree w/not caring about the rape case, but then I couldn't bring myself to care about the bus crash either...the one person we cared about who was on the bus miraculously survived, and everyone who was killed were nameless drones (the red shirts of Star Trek).
I am also REALLY missing Wallace & Mac, I hope their roles are increased soon. I loved that Weavil returned, except that he looked terrible, it made me really uncomfortable...but that may turn out to be a good thing...(I hope).
I have to confess that for the first time ever I enjoyed Dick in this last episode, I loved his 'Eddie Haskell' impression when he went to Veronica's home and met her Dad. And frankly I don't think that ATM photo is conclusive proof of anything (I think the rapist was standing up next to the girl holding her up...not waiting politely behind her making sure he isn't crowding her, like the Asian guy in the photo).

so pomegrants are good for heartburn? Maybe I'd better get me some!

Yep. And while the POM juice is easier, the seeds work better for some reason. Don't know why. But they seem to make my stomach feel better. Seeds are also much cheaper.

I agree with your assessment. And to be honest, Dick is entertaining me more lately than most of the cast.

No, I think the Asian guy in the photo was a mislead. I'm convinced the rapist is either Mr. RA guy or someone associated with him. And like you, didn't care that much about the bus crash either. The mystery that was intriguing me last season was the one Weevil and Logan were embroiled in. I was more interested in their investigations than Veronicas, mostly because they had more at stake.

Yeah, there were lots of pomegranates at the Farmers' Market this morning, although I may pick up some POM at the store next time, I used to like to add a little of that to some gingerale (makes it less expensive than drinking it straight).
" I was more interested in their investigations than Veronicas, mostly because they had more at stake."
That is really the important thing, how much is at stake, the first season the thing w/Lily, her Mother, and her own rape were so personal to Veronica. In the second season Veronica feared that the bus crash was because of her (trying to kill her so she couldn't tesitfy) but there was always some distance to it....
And unfortunately there is too much distance in the rape scenerio too.

You are right, it would have been fun to have Weevil working for Keith, I think they might have gotten some interesting chemistry going, but I'm hoping that Weevil will start learning a lot about the under-belly of the college, so maybe this year's arc needed him closer to Veronica. I agree that he appears to have been neutered, and I'm hoping they address that, that it might be part of an arc for him...what happened to him in jail or something.

Basically though, I need Wallace & Mac back, and I want something more personal for Veronica... I do like to see Veronica in pain and miserable!

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TV...again...because..

we watch too much the same tv.

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