Okay, while I have not written about Glee yet, most of the people in my life have heard how much this show bothers me.
So, I will start with the things I LIKE about this episode, and then I will go into my DISLIKE rant. Don't read the second half if you don't want to hear it.
Like
Emma took a long-overdue moment of empowerment to stand up to Will in front of others and let him know his actions were not as angelic as he thinks they always are.
He HAS been gallivanting around, having semi-intimate moments with other women and thinking that they are not that big a deal. And he thinks he deserves some credit for not having sex? He MIGHT get credit for that if he had actually told Emma. Instead he pursued and enjoyed attention from other women, patted himself on the back for not letting it get "serious," and kept Emma in the dark about it.
Emma has needed to assume a more powerful position in this relationship, and she finally has. (Although what's all this about her seeking counseling so that she can be with Will? Not for herself?)
I liked the touching moment between Will and Quinn. I'm not such a big fan of the fact the Quinn posted the list, but I like that Will is finally showing some understanding of a member of the Glee team who isn't named "Finn." I also liked that Will gave her some confidence. This might be a push in the right direction for Will. He NEEDS a push in the right direction.
I also liked Mercedes lampshading: "Why does everyone assume I'm angry all the time?" She's been very meta lately. Commenting on the fact that her place in the Glee club (and on the show) is strongly affected by her race.
I don't know if I should give Glee credit for this... maybe they're being sarcastic but there is an easier way: give Mercedes a prominent plot line and more chances to sing. And by prominent plot line I mean one that moves forward almost every episode (like the majority of the white characters' plot lines on the show) rather than giving her "special" episodes and then ignoring her for the next five weeks. Don't just laugh about how you don't give her a spotlight and then say "but we're not racist because we keep mentioning it." Not good enough.
And...I see we have now segued into my dislike section, so here we are:
Dislike
Glee loves to torture Rachel. I don't understand the writers' love-hate relationship with this character. It's like the writers genuinely hate her but have to keep her around because, uhm, she's the MAIN CHARACTER. (Kind of like how Will hates her but has to keep her around because she's the main singer.... parallels?)
Every other character in this episode experiments with their reputation. They all do ridiculous things in an attempt to get acknowledgment from the student body. Will is even encouraging them to attempt to turn around their reputation. But of course when Rachel tries her hand at it, she loses everything. Shocker.
And what does Rachel choose? She decides she wants to look promiscuous. Okay, fine. I can see the logic with the type of celebrity attention in our society lately. But I also think it's kind of a setup for disaster (because the writers hate her).
It's like they make her smart, capable, and talented. But when it comes to personal decisions she's like a horrible human being. (Really, what about Rachel's personality is redeemable? Other than that she's a sympathetic outcast/victim) I think if the writers could create one aspect of her personal life that isn't tinged with selfishness it would make her a more engaging character and a better female lead on the show.
Anyways, Rachel's choice ends in disaster. Her attempt at empowerment pushes away all the men in her life (interesting choice there, Glee).
You can argue that everyone left her because she was being selfish. But I feel like she's ALWAYS selfish. She never really gets a chance to find power in her identity without the writers giving her some fatal flaw that leads to her suffering the consequences. What kind of lesson can anyone take away from that? Your flaws will always get the best of you if you attempt to change the status quo? A girl shouldn't be SO focused on being successful, but instead should really examine the relationships in her life? There's not anything positive going on here.
But, the part that I found the MOST offensive about this, was Will's reaction. As the men on the Glee team ganged up on Rachel and accused her of selfishness in a way that clearly invoked the way she handles her sexual relationships, Will just sat there. He did nothing. And when they all walked out, he just looked at Rachel with a look like, "Well, that's what happens when you pull shit like this."
THAT is not proper behavior for a teacher. He shouldn't have let that abuse happen to her in that setting. She's a fifteen-year-old girl! Her after school activity should be a safe place, not a place for her to stand up in front of everyone and then get yelled at.
Will sticks up for other characters when Rachel is critical of them. But when Rachel is receiving the criticism he just sits back and watches. He is the worst teacher! And I don't get why he totally hates Rachel when she's his only chance to keep Glee club going. And then he's presented as a teacher who's doing the best with all Rachel's "drama" when really he's not appreciating an important member of his team.
Will is my least favorite character. They could take all his plot lines and actions on the show, present them in a less favorable light, and make him the villain. Easily.
His wife fakes a pregnancy and when he finds out, he grabs her roughly and throws her out of the house. He tells his girlfriend to get mental help before they can be together. He then cheats on her while she's seeking mental help. He is constantly showing "annoyed" looks at Rachel when she puts her heart and soul into everything she does for the club. Then he shows Finn favoritism because they are so similar.
And the writers love him and present him like he walks on water. Ugh. I hate Will so much.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Family Guy: Extra-Large Medium
Was it just me or was today's episode of family guy a little more ADD than usual? And it seemed like they could have squeezed more humor out of their topics this week.
Down Syndrome
Chris goes out with a girl with Down syndrome named Ellen. She also turns out to be kind of a bitch, which was amusing but I don't really get the joke... is it just that girls are bitchy? Or is it supposed to be funny that Chris gets owned by someone who's special ed? All the "Chris do this" "Chris do that" were more annoying than funny, especially because the delivery was slower than usual do to Ellen's vocal characterization.
The only joke they really got out of Ellen was that she has a tight grip and may kill pets or loved ones she is trying to hug. And they said that joke like three times. Kind of lazy writing there.
And they made a Sarah Palin joke. Well, not really a joke. They just inserted the fact that she has a Down syndrome child. Funny.
OH AND THE SONG AND DANCE. that was JUST SO FUNNY. THANK YOU FAMILY GUY FOR THOSE THREE AND A HALF MINUTES I WILL NEVER GET BACK. And can I just say that cartoons tap dancing IS NOT A SHOWCASE OF TALENT IN ANY WAY. I am not impressed that Chris and Stewie illustrations are coordinated tap dancers. That is not impressive to me. It is a waste of airtime.
Psychic
Again I can't help but think Peter being psychic could have been funnier. It was entertaining at least. I think the episode would have been better overall if they had picked this plot line and spent more time fleshing it out and adding in more humor. Instead they just sort of squeezed it into the last third of the episode and didn't do that much with it.
Also they wasted airtime with Lois falling for a psychic and Brian explaining that psychics are frauds. bla bla bla how many times have we heard Brian say "You actually believe in ____? You know it's just a farce/lie/fake designed to make you ____!" They should have condensed that process down to one second and then made Peter a fake psychic for the whole episode.
Also Meg queefed in the tub and terrorized Stewie. Bla. Srsly Meg go to China.
Down Syndrome
Chris goes out with a girl with Down syndrome named Ellen. She also turns out to be kind of a bitch, which was amusing but I don't really get the joke... is it just that girls are bitchy? Or is it supposed to be funny that Chris gets owned by someone who's special ed? All the "Chris do this" "Chris do that" were more annoying than funny, especially because the delivery was slower than usual do to Ellen's vocal characterization.
The only joke they really got out of Ellen was that she has a tight grip and may kill pets or loved ones she is trying to hug. And they said that joke like three times. Kind of lazy writing there.
And they made a Sarah Palin joke. Well, not really a joke. They just inserted the fact that she has a Down syndrome child. Funny.
OH AND THE SONG AND DANCE. that was JUST SO FUNNY. THANK YOU FAMILY GUY FOR THOSE THREE AND A HALF MINUTES I WILL NEVER GET BACK. And can I just say that cartoons tap dancing IS NOT A SHOWCASE OF TALENT IN ANY WAY. I am not impressed that Chris and Stewie illustrations are coordinated tap dancers. That is not impressive to me. It is a waste of airtime.
Psychic
Again I can't help but think Peter being psychic could have been funnier. It was entertaining at least. I think the episode would have been better overall if they had picked this plot line and spent more time fleshing it out and adding in more humor. Instead they just sort of squeezed it into the last third of the episode and didn't do that much with it.
Also they wasted airtime with Lois falling for a psychic and Brian explaining that psychics are frauds. bla bla bla how many times have we heard Brian say "You actually believe in ____? You know it's just a farce/lie/fake designed to make you ____!" They should have condensed that process down to one second and then made Peter a fake psychic for the whole episode.
Also Meg queefed in the tub and terrorized Stewie. Bla. Srsly Meg go to China.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Family Guy "Dial Meg for Murder"
Today's episode of Family Guy was pretty entertaining. There were no long fight scenes, no drawn-out song and dance sequences, and most of the jokes were short and snappy.
The Long Jokes
I like that Family Guy plays with the timing of jokes. The writers like the push the envelope, which is admirable. In the past, the long jokes have been less effective. They drag on too long, people get bored, the show comes off as lazy or eating up air time.
Today's joke about the fly, however, was an example of this style being used effectively. We've all spent time watching a fly try to get out the window. We want it to fly out, sometimes we've even OPENED the window for it, and yet it is still too dumb too leave.
Family Guy evokes our feelings of frustration by dragging out the viewer's time focused on the fly. Even though this joke is long (but still not very long by Family Guy standards), the fly is continuously talking, bringing up new dialog, and Peter is talking back to/over the fly. The fly gives up and goes upstairs, making the last 25 seconds just a waste of time. This effectively annoys the viewer without being boring.
The Sex Jokes
Rape was the joke of the half-hour. The bull rapes Peter, Meg rapes Peter with a loofah, Luke makes the obligatory prison rape joke, the bull implicitly rapes Peter again, and old pedophile neighbor buys roofies from the drug store. Family Guy has never been known for having good taste, but maybe spread the jokes out a little? Again we have the writers push push pushing the envelope.
Meg is a Badass
Good for her. She ain't taking no shit. That was hella amusing until the end of the episode, when she reverts back to "whipping girl" Meg. Meg episodes always depress me a little bit. I wonder if the show would be better if she DID go somewhere faraway like China.
-Rachel
The Long Jokes
I like that Family Guy plays with the timing of jokes. The writers like the push the envelope, which is admirable. In the past, the long jokes have been less effective. They drag on too long, people get bored, the show comes off as lazy or eating up air time.
Today's joke about the fly, however, was an example of this style being used effectively. We've all spent time watching a fly try to get out the window. We want it to fly out, sometimes we've even OPENED the window for it, and yet it is still too dumb too leave.
Family Guy evokes our feelings of frustration by dragging out the viewer's time focused on the fly. Even though this joke is long (but still not very long by Family Guy standards), the fly is continuously talking, bringing up new dialog, and Peter is talking back to/over the fly. The fly gives up and goes upstairs, making the last 25 seconds just a waste of time. This effectively annoys the viewer without being boring.
The Sex Jokes
Rape was the joke of the half-hour. The bull rapes Peter, Meg rapes Peter with a loofah, Luke makes the obligatory prison rape joke, the bull implicitly rapes Peter again, and old pedophile neighbor buys roofies from the drug store. Family Guy has never been known for having good taste, but maybe spread the jokes out a little? Again we have the writers push push pushing the envelope.
Meg is a Badass
Good for her. She ain't taking no shit. That was hella amusing until the end of the episode, when she reverts back to "whipping girl" Meg. Meg episodes always depress me a little bit. I wonder if the show would be better if she DID go somewhere faraway like China.
-Rachel
Monday, February 1, 2010
Desperate Housewives "The Glamorous Life"
Robin with the Heart of Gold
I kind of loved Julie Benz when she was Darla on Angel. And here she is in this episode of Desperate Housewives as Robin, a stripper who likes to read and wants to change. And apparently she's going to be a regular because Susan asked her to move in.
I'm excited to see where this plot line takes us. It seems that Robin has already showed some signs of being irresponsible. The predictable thing for the writers to do is have Robin end up being too low-class/uneducated/childish to be "salvageable". Someone who the optimistic Susan took a chance on who wasn't worth it. I'd be disappointed if that ended up happening.
I had some outrage about Robin being fired for her past as a stripper. Talk about sexism... the man who frequents strip clubs has the financial power to prevent his previous eye-candy from getting out of the business and finding a less objectifying career. Also, I'm pretty sure the principal's remarks about how she can "break a five by shaking out her underwear" are grounds for a lawsuit, just saying.
Angie: Recycla-Nazi
It is revealed that Angie's dark and sinister past is somehow related to her outrage over environmental negligence. Gotta say, kind of a let down. We've known for a while she accidentally got someone killed in an act of terrorism for some cause. Our next big reveal is that her "cause" is loving the Earth? That's one scary villain.
Also I love her "Stay away from my kid" warnings while threatening violence. She's done it at least twice already, but each time its so badass I can't get too annoyed at the repetitive writing.
Gaby and Ana have the Sex Talk
And by that I mean, Gaby bribes Ana to not do it with an unsigned check. My, do they understand each other.
Orson's Suicide
Does not come to pass. How much better would the episode had been if he'd taken that plunge into the pool? Imagine:
As Bree watches the happily married couple celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, she realizes she perhaps can access her old feelings for Orson. She watches them dance, her eyes softening with hope for a future like that with him. Meanwhile, Orson hears Bree's words in his head. The"I care deeply for you" and her unsaid "but I do not love you" echo in his head as he contemplates the pool. With resolve on his face, he takes that final roll and falls in. We hear the soft music drifting out through the patio doors as we watch the bubbles stop coming up from his drowning body. The camera goes back to Bree, the look of hope still plain on her face. We watch her, knowing she will never fulfill that dream.
Now that would have been worth watching. Instead Bree comes out in the nick of time, mushy bla bla bla and I'm bored.
But if Orson had died, then Bree would be a widow again, and haven't we done that already? It's already kind of macabre thinking about what happens to her lovers. Rex is dead, George is dead, Karl is dead, and Orson is considering suicide. So bleak.
Overall, I was entertained but not blown away. The Angie plot line seems to be puttering down predictable lane, so hopefully the writers will spice that up a bit before the finale.
I kind of loved Julie Benz when she was Darla on Angel. And here she is in this episode of Desperate Housewives as Robin, a stripper who likes to read and wants to change. And apparently she's going to be a regular because Susan asked her to move in.
I'm excited to see where this plot line takes us. It seems that Robin has already showed some signs of being irresponsible. The predictable thing for the writers to do is have Robin end up being too low-class/uneducated/childish to be "salvageable". Someone who the optimistic Susan took a chance on who wasn't worth it. I'd be disappointed if that ended up happening.
I had some outrage about Robin being fired for her past as a stripper. Talk about sexism... the man who frequents strip clubs has the financial power to prevent his previous eye-candy from getting out of the business and finding a less objectifying career. Also, I'm pretty sure the principal's remarks about how she can "break a five by shaking out her underwear" are grounds for a lawsuit, just saying.
Angie: Recycla-Nazi
It is revealed that Angie's dark and sinister past is somehow related to her outrage over environmental negligence. Gotta say, kind of a let down. We've known for a while she accidentally got someone killed in an act of terrorism for some cause. Our next big reveal is that her "cause" is loving the Earth? That's one scary villain.
Also I love her "Stay away from my kid" warnings while threatening violence. She's done it at least twice already, but each time its so badass I can't get too annoyed at the repetitive writing.
Gaby and Ana have the Sex Talk
And by that I mean, Gaby bribes Ana to not do it with an unsigned check. My, do they understand each other.
Orson's Suicide
Does not come to pass. How much better would the episode had been if he'd taken that plunge into the pool? Imagine:
As Bree watches the happily married couple celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, she realizes she perhaps can access her old feelings for Orson. She watches them dance, her eyes softening with hope for a future like that with him. Meanwhile, Orson hears Bree's words in his head. The"I care deeply for you" and her unsaid "but I do not love you" echo in his head as he contemplates the pool. With resolve on his face, he takes that final roll and falls in. We hear the soft music drifting out through the patio doors as we watch the bubbles stop coming up from his drowning body. The camera goes back to Bree, the look of hope still plain on her face. We watch her, knowing she will never fulfill that dream.
Now that would have been worth watching. Instead Bree comes out in the nick of time, mushy bla bla bla and I'm bored.
But if Orson had died, then Bree would be a widow again, and haven't we done that already? It's already kind of macabre thinking about what happens to her lovers. Rex is dead, George is dead, Karl is dead, and Orson is considering suicide. So bleak.
Overall, I was entertained but not blown away. The Angie plot line seems to be puttering down predictable lane, so hopefully the writers will spice that up a bit before the finale.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Grey's Anatomy Season 6: "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked"
Spoiler Alert: This whole entry is full of spoilers.
Now that that's out of the way, let's review. In this installment of Grey's Anatomy, The Chief finally, finally, gets kicked out of his job. Izzie comes back, Karev dumps her, she leaves again. Christina and Owen continue to struggle but stay together through adversity, which may be the only thing keeping me clinging to this show. That and boredom. And Lexie and Sloan reveal their mutual semi-infidelity, which makes Sloan hurt and sad and sexier than ever.
First, The Chief. Can I just say, I have been done with him for quite a while. I know the show is trying to present him as the cause of a mire of conflicting emotions to the characters around him. The typical case for the alcoholic: "We love him, he's nice, we don't want to force him to face the consequences of his actions. But we need to give tough love. It's best for him and for everyone around him."
I get it, except for the fact that lately, he has simply not been all that lovable. The writers didn't do a good job of making a strong case FOR liking The Chief. He selfishly did the merger when his job was on the line, saving his own ass and screwing everybody else over. Like, why was everyone not super pissed about THAT? Instead they get all sad that he's not doing surgery and missing Bailey's big chemo presentation. They selectively neglect his responsibility in the biggest plot event of the whole season... poor writing, anyone?
Sorry, I've been disgusted with The Chief for a long time now. And all his inspiring "It's a bad economy and it's out of my hands" speeches have been making me even more sick to watch him on the show. His "impossible" choice was do the merger, or the let the board takeover and give his job to Derek. Being a leader is just so hard nowadays.
Owen and Christina are continuing to stay together despite various hits to their relationship, which may seem sappy but I'm totally eating it up. He messes up their first date, chokes her, has a lingering fiance, and has a romantic history with her boss. She has trouble opening up in therapy, is generally impossible, and then stands by choosing "her gift" over him.
Yet at the end of the day, he comes home (after drinking for hours and maybe wandering? who knows...) and tells her she's flawed but she cannot avoid the truth that their relationship matters, and they kiss passionately. Honestly the only reason they are together is sheer will at this point (and you know, love). But I don't care, I think it's awesome. More "Owen being intense" scenes, please!
And on a final note: is anyone else getting really sick of the Grey's Anatomy formula for dramatic character breakthroughs? "I am repeating this line over and over because it is important" ZZZ. Today's installment:
Christina: So you get it. You didn't have to do that. But you did. You get it.
Teddy: What are you talking about?
Christina: I choose surgery over a guy. I'm not going to apologize for it, especially to you. You didn't have to save his lung. The right thing would have been to remove it. But the patient was clear that he didn't want to live without his gift, and you get that. I choose my gift. I wanna be great, and I want to learn from you. I choose my gift.
So.. the main point is "I choose my gift." and "You get it." What a moving piece of dialog that is... especially when we consider that we never hear Christina repeat things over and over and over and over....
Summary: this episode was satisfying to me in that The Chief got booted. It was annoying in the ways Grey's Anatomy usually annoys me.
-Rachel
Now that that's out of the way, let's review. In this installment of Grey's Anatomy, The Chief finally, finally, gets kicked out of his job. Izzie comes back, Karev dumps her, she leaves again. Christina and Owen continue to struggle but stay together through adversity, which may be the only thing keeping me clinging to this show. That and boredom. And Lexie and Sloan reveal their mutual semi-infidelity, which makes Sloan hurt and sad and sexier than ever.
First, The Chief. Can I just say, I have been done with him for quite a while. I know the show is trying to present him as the cause of a mire of conflicting emotions to the characters around him. The typical case for the alcoholic: "We love him, he's nice, we don't want to force him to face the consequences of his actions. But we need to give tough love. It's best for him and for everyone around him."
I get it, except for the fact that lately, he has simply not been all that lovable. The writers didn't do a good job of making a strong case FOR liking The Chief. He selfishly did the merger when his job was on the line, saving his own ass and screwing everybody else over. Like, why was everyone not super pissed about THAT? Instead they get all sad that he's not doing surgery and missing Bailey's big chemo presentation. They selectively neglect his responsibility in the biggest plot event of the whole season... poor writing, anyone?
Sorry, I've been disgusted with The Chief for a long time now. And all his inspiring "It's a bad economy and it's out of my hands" speeches have been making me even more sick to watch him on the show. His "impossible" choice was do the merger, or the let the board takeover and give his job to Derek. Being a leader is just so hard nowadays.
Owen and Christina are continuing to stay together despite various hits to their relationship, which may seem sappy but I'm totally eating it up. He messes up their first date, chokes her, has a lingering fiance, and has a romantic history with her boss. She has trouble opening up in therapy, is generally impossible, and then stands by choosing "her gift" over him.
Yet at the end of the day, he comes home (after drinking for hours and maybe wandering? who knows...) and tells her she's flawed but she cannot avoid the truth that their relationship matters, and they kiss passionately. Honestly the only reason they are together is sheer will at this point (and you know, love). But I don't care, I think it's awesome. More "Owen being intense" scenes, please!
And on a final note: is anyone else getting really sick of the Grey's Anatomy formula for dramatic character breakthroughs? "I am repeating this line over and over because it is important" ZZZ. Today's installment:
Christina: So you get it. You didn't have to do that. But you did. You get it.
Teddy: What are you talking about?
Christina: I choose surgery over a guy. I'm not going to apologize for it, especially to you. You didn't have to save his lung. The right thing would have been to remove it. But the patient was clear that he didn't want to live without his gift, and you get that. I choose my gift. I wanna be great, and I want to learn from you. I choose my gift.
So.. the main point is "I choose my gift." and "You get it." What a moving piece of dialog that is... especially when we consider that we never hear Christina repeat things over and over and over and over....
Summary: this episode was satisfying to me in that The Chief got booted. It was annoying in the ways Grey's Anatomy usually annoys me.
-Rachel
Friday, January 29, 2010
First Post
I created this blog so that I have a place to express my reviews/opinions about current episodes of TV shows I watch. I mainly watch TV for entertainment, but sometimes a situation arises in which an episode moves/angers/upsets/impresses me. And as I've slowly become more interested in the pop culture TV scene, I've watched great shows get canceled, flawed shows gain popularity, and even favorite shows give up on any kind of planned-out plot or significant writing. I've realized that quality writing/acting/art in TV is sometimes undermined, and sexist/racist/destructive stereotypes are frustratingly played out over and over again. I think about it, get angry, complain to my friends who are sick of hearing about it, and then think more about it. And I've come to the conclusion that sometimes these thoughts are actually important, and need to be said. So here I am, creating this blog, so that I have a place where I can criticize or praise the creative cultural art that I believe TV can be. Hopefully through this process I can have some tiny impact on creating a more informed TV audience and participate in raising the standards of TV. (Even if I only end up with 5 or 6 readers....)
Since I'm just getting started, my first goal is to keep up with current episodes and update as I watch. In the background, if I have extra time on my hands I will try and rewatch old episodes and write some in-depth critiques on the classics of some of my favorite series. Also, so you know what kind of tastes I have, what follows is a list of my favorite TV series, past and present. The order is not really significant:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Veronica Mars
Arrested Development
Stargate SG1
The Office
Dollhouse
Rome
Angel
Bones
30 Rock
The Colbert Report
Heroes (Season 1)
That's just off the top of my head. Anyways, stay, enjoy, read. If I say something that makes you mad, please comment. I learn more from open discourse than just blogging my first impressions.
-Rachel
Since I'm just getting started, my first goal is to keep up with current episodes and update as I watch. In the background, if I have extra time on my hands I will try and rewatch old episodes and write some in-depth critiques on the classics of some of my favorite series. Also, so you know what kind of tastes I have, what follows is a list of my favorite TV series, past and present. The order is not really significant:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Veronica Mars
Arrested Development
Stargate SG1
The Office
Dollhouse
Rome
Angel
Bones
30 Rock
The Colbert Report
Heroes (Season 1)
That's just off the top of my head. Anyways, stay, enjoy, read. If I say something that makes you mad, please comment. I learn more from open discourse than just blogging my first impressions.
-Rachel