![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatHad no hot water this morning, because 2nd floor neighbor had a gas leak yesterday and National Grid forgot to turn the pilot light back on under the boiler, after shutting it off. Asked the Brits on the first floor what was going on. They gave me the scoop, and said the Gas Company would be back between 4pm-Midnight. (I'm not kidding). Luckily they showed up around 7 or 8, or the poor family downstairs would have had issues. They have two little girls. Can you imagine - having to stay up til Midnight and bring the gas man in with two little girls? I have an international apartment. My landlords are Chinese-American (one by way of Canada), the 2nd floor neighbor is Turkish (and his family basically speaks it, by way of upstate NY - they still have a place in Ankara, Turkey), and downstairs neighbors are British, complete with accent and citizen documents in the mail. At any rate, I washed my hair with freezing cold water...thank you 2nd floor neighbor.
The Good Wife was excellent tonight. It is amongst the most realistic and consistently..well written television series that I've seen in ten years. Oh, and here's another first - it features strong and diverse female lead characters.
But mainly? Last night's episode was realistic. I've literally experienced the dilemma Alicia was in last night. The misplaced legal document - that you swore you've seen, know you filed, and is crucial, but you can't find it. And you lose sleep over because you can't find it. Been there done that. Too many times to count. No show depicts the American legal system or business world better than this one.
Also, the guest-stars? How do they keep getting such high-calibre guest stars? Bryan Brown as the hunky process server? Edward Herman and F. Murray Abraham as lawyers? Amazing. The best character actors on the planet get on this series.
Violence-A-Meter? Guess what? No deaths. No blood. I think the most we got was 6o something Bryan Brown defending himself against a scrawny and inept twenty-something attorney. But no one was injured. And yes, like Diane, I was turned on too. I adore Diane. I actually have the same haircut.
But no facelift. Both Alicia and Diane looked like they had botox or facelifts recently. Could be wrong about that, but their faces were almost too tight. Wait, does that count as violence? No.
Diane has the best taste in men. Gary Cole. Now Bryan Brown. Much rather be Diane than Alicia.
Diane's men are hotter. A little on the old side, but go rent The Thorn Birds or some old Australian movies, Man From Snowy River comes to mind - with Bryan Brown.
I should write a meta on this I know. But brain is dead tired. So you're just going to get impressions.
* Elizabeth Tosciana - portrayed by the brilliant Carrie Preston (who is married in real life to the equally brilliant character actor who played Ben on LOST and now plays the Billionaire on Person of Interest) - pops up again as Will's lawyer. And I can't stop laughing. Watching her go up against Wendy Scott Carr is going to be fun! And she does give Wendy a bit of hell. As well as gets what she told Will they needed to go for - a Grand Jury Indictment. We have to push the special prosecutor to do it now. Put some pressure on them. We? Says Will. No, Me, says Elizabeth.
How? asks Will. Oh, I'm not sure yet. Smiles happily. Oh wait. I am. Name the three most honest and non-corruptible and upstanding judges that you know. Will does. The phone goes off, which she can't find, due to the painters who have covered her office. I think that's the other line. She kicks at the floor in the direction that the ringing is coming from. LOL.
I love her. And I love how the show does the mislead. She seems powerless and incapable, but is in reality brilliant. She uses people's tendency not to take her seriously to - well get the better of them. Very effectively, I might add.
* Diane, oh, Diane. She manages everyone in this episode. Including the frustrating Eli. He hasn't had as much to do of late. But watching he go head to head with equally arrogant and snippish David Lee is a treat. They are like two peacocks batting eyelashes at each other and pounding their feathers.
* And the Alicia/Carey scene is quite wonderful as well. Alicia - I don't get it. Carey - Wow. Laughs. Things change. Alicia - So they do. Carey - I like working with your husband. Alicia - He likes working with you. Carey no longer has a bone to pick with Alicia nor does he want to take her down. Or so it would seem. I'm starting to really like Carey. Actually I don't think there's a character in this show right now that I don't like a great deal. This is rare folks.
*Oh and we get more Alicia/Kalinda - its tense, but it works. The whole story works. It refers to an earlier case in the first season. Which I vaguely remember. This show makes me want to own the DVDs, so that I can see how it plays out and re-watch previous episodes. It actually references previous cases and revisits them. And brings back characters. That's hard to do well.
My favorite tv shows are all coming back. So happy. I missed them.
The Good Wife was excellent tonight. It is amongst the most realistic and consistently..well written television series that I've seen in ten years. Oh, and here's another first - it features strong and diverse female lead characters.
But mainly? Last night's episode was realistic. I've literally experienced the dilemma Alicia was in last night. The misplaced legal document - that you swore you've seen, know you filed, and is crucial, but you can't find it. And you lose sleep over because you can't find it. Been there done that. Too many times to count. No show depicts the American legal system or business world better than this one.
Also, the guest-stars? How do they keep getting such high-calibre guest stars? Bryan Brown as the hunky process server? Edward Herman and F. Murray Abraham as lawyers? Amazing. The best character actors on the planet get on this series.
Violence-A-Meter? Guess what? No deaths. No blood. I think the most we got was 6o something Bryan Brown defending himself against a scrawny and inept twenty-something attorney. But no one was injured. And yes, like Diane, I was turned on too. I adore Diane. I actually have the same haircut.
But no facelift. Both Alicia and Diane looked like they had botox or facelifts recently. Could be wrong about that, but their faces were almost too tight. Wait, does that count as violence? No.
Diane has the best taste in men. Gary Cole. Now Bryan Brown. Much rather be Diane than Alicia.
Diane's men are hotter. A little on the old side, but go rent The Thorn Birds or some old Australian movies, Man From Snowy River comes to mind - with Bryan Brown.
I should write a meta on this I know. But brain is dead tired. So you're just going to get impressions.
* Elizabeth Tosciana - portrayed by the brilliant Carrie Preston (who is married in real life to the equally brilliant character actor who played Ben on LOST and now plays the Billionaire on Person of Interest) - pops up again as Will's lawyer. And I can't stop laughing. Watching her go up against Wendy Scott Carr is going to be fun! And she does give Wendy a bit of hell. As well as gets what she told Will they needed to go for - a Grand Jury Indictment. We have to push the special prosecutor to do it now. Put some pressure on them. We? Says Will. No, Me, says Elizabeth.
How? asks Will. Oh, I'm not sure yet. Smiles happily. Oh wait. I am. Name the three most honest and non-corruptible and upstanding judges that you know. Will does. The phone goes off, which she can't find, due to the painters who have covered her office. I think that's the other line. She kicks at the floor in the direction that the ringing is coming from. LOL.
I love her. And I love how the show does the mislead. She seems powerless and incapable, but is in reality brilliant. She uses people's tendency not to take her seriously to - well get the better of them. Very effectively, I might add.
* Diane, oh, Diane. She manages everyone in this episode. Including the frustrating Eli. He hasn't had as much to do of late. But watching he go head to head with equally arrogant and snippish David Lee is a treat. They are like two peacocks batting eyelashes at each other and pounding their feathers.
* And the Alicia/Carey scene is quite wonderful as well. Alicia - I don't get it. Carey - Wow. Laughs. Things change. Alicia - So they do. Carey - I like working with your husband. Alicia - He likes working with you. Carey no longer has a bone to pick with Alicia nor does he want to take her down. Or so it would seem. I'm starting to really like Carey. Actually I don't think there's a character in this show right now that I don't like a great deal. This is rare folks.
*Oh and we get more Alicia/Kalinda - its tense, but it works. The whole story works. It refers to an earlier case in the first season. Which I vaguely remember. This show makes me want to own the DVDs, so that I can see how it plays out and re-watch previous episodes. It actually references previous cases and revisits them. And brings back characters. That's hard to do well.
My favorite tv shows are all coming back. So happy. I missed them.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-01-10 04:34 pm (UTC)In addition to everything else, I thought this particular episode was ridiculously funny. They have a deep bench of characters and do a great job finding humor (both low and high) without trivializing or undermining the seriousness of the show. (unlike David E. Kelley.)
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 02:08 am (UTC)Especially...
I thought this particular episode was ridiculously funny. They have a deep bench of characters and do a great job finding humor (both low and high) without trivializing or undermining the seriousness of the show. (unlike David E. Kelley.)
Kelley's humor reminds me of Aaron Sorkin and to a degree Whedon in later years, there's a self-righteous condescending attitude. Ryan Murphy has a similar problem. Too much rage.
You feel almost as if the writer is attacking the viewer or sneering down his nose at them.
The Kings, and the Scott's in direct contrast respect their viewer's intelligence and perspective, as well as their story and characters, and put telling the tale first. They don't get caught up in standing on a soap box or making fun. We don't fall into parody or sharp biting and obvious satire, it's far more subtle. Also I don't sense that the writer is either laughing at the audience or the characters, but inviting both to laugh with them.
There's respect for character, story, and viewer in The Good Wife - that is lacking in Kelley's later work.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-10 05:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-12 12:43 am (UTC)