I don't intend to blog about Glee every week, but it just might happen. I know TV shows don't get reviewed every time there's a new episode, but Broadway shows get reviewed every time a new one comes out -- and each episode of Glee is kind of like a new mini-Broadway show. Which is why the 98% of the American population that realizes the brilliance of good musical theater loves Glee. Lucky for the other 2%, last night's episode featured an oldie, a song from the Police, and good ol' Bill Withers. If at least one of those three doesn't win you over, there's a problem.
Let's just take a moment or a paragraph to talk about the many perfections of Finn. First of all, have you ever seen a 27-year-old who's supposed to be a 17-year-old look so damn good in a suit? And as if the suit and his tear-jerking rendition of the Pretenders (I know all you Dawson's Creek fans out there were loving that moment) weren't glorious enough, he cries while his (awesome) mom comforts him, making him not only hot and talented, but vulnerable, too. (And by the way, for those three other people in the world who love "I'll Stand by You" as much as I do, you can hear Finn sing the whole thing here.)
Speaking of actors being way older than the characters they're portraying (it's not as extreme here as it is on FNL, but still) - most of Mr. Schu's students are only a few years younger than him in real life. That makes the Rachel-Schu ballad awkwardness a little less awkward, but still brilliantly awkward. For anyone who was fighting against a crush on Mr. Schuster, stubbornly insisting that Finn was their #1 (read: me) this episode's mash-up definitely made you think again. Luckily, People magazine doesn't make us choose.
And one more quick note: Though I did tear up three times during the episode (in order to save face a little, I will not reveal which three moments did it), I absolutely could not find it in myself to feel bad for Quinn when her parents were chewing her out. Yes, that situation sucks in every way, but she will get absolutely no sympathy from me until she comes clean to Finn. Sigh.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Episode 318
Why does everyone love Ellen? Seriously, everyone loves Ellen. I do and you do and I would bet money that the person sitting next to you does, too.
I have never met someone who had an adverse reaction to Ellen. I'm not sure where this unbridled love of a talk-show host comes from -- but I do know that her show is one of few (if not the only) daytime programs that does not leave the viewer depressed about the fact that they are sitting on their butt watching television at three o'clock in the afternoon (think Family Feud, any soap opera, A Baby Story, Maury...I'll stop before you need to go take your meds).
One of my favorite Ellen moments is Dennis Quaid's Starbucks appearance. This is just the tip of the iceberg of proof that Ellen can get anyone to do anything. On top of that, Ellen is not only an Emmy-winning talk show host who can get any guest she wants, she's also a Cover Girl and on the cover of O magazine.
All of this makes her an interesting choice to replace Paula Abdul on American Idol. Yes, she'll easily mimic Paula's constant and unconditional praise of the contestants, but other than that, there is not one similarity between these two women. Maybe that's the idea? At least we can assume -- though you never know -- that there won't be tabloid drama about her and Simon getting it on.
I have never met someone who had an adverse reaction to Ellen. I'm not sure where this unbridled love of a talk-show host comes from -- but I do know that her show is one of few (if not the only) daytime programs that does not leave the viewer depressed about the fact that they are sitting on their butt watching television at three o'clock in the afternoon (think Family Feud, any soap opera, A Baby Story, Maury...I'll stop before you need to go take your meds).
One of my favorite Ellen moments is Dennis Quaid's Starbucks appearance. This is just the tip of the iceberg of proof that Ellen can get anyone to do anything. On top of that, Ellen is not only an Emmy-winning talk show host who can get any guest she wants, she's also a Cover Girl and on the cover of O magazine.
All of this makes her an interesting choice to replace Paula Abdul on American Idol. Yes, she'll easily mimic Paula's constant and unconditional praise of the contestants, but other than that, there is not one similarity between these two women. Maybe that's the idea? At least we can assume -- though you never know -- that there won't be tabloid drama about her and Simon getting it on.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Episode 317
Last night's Glee was definitely the "game-changer" it was hyped up to be. What's fantastic about this show is that it can turn what on any other show would be the sappy volume up to full blast and yet it never becomes cheesy. The whole show -- though dealing with a rather realistic situation -- seems to be steeped in an aura of fantasy. It might have something to do with the fact that the characters just break out into choreographed and well-lit song without anyone around them blinking an eye (don't we all wish that's what life was really like?). But no matter what the reason, there is some sort of glowing bubble surrounding Glee, and this bubble allows the show to do whatever it pleases without any protest from fans.
So when Sue reveals that she, like other normal people, has normal-people things to deal with, we are moved instead of groaning and mumbling about how "Sue would never be like that." Sue can be like whatever she wants to be like, just like Artie can sing an early 80s song while wheel-dancing through the hallways and all we can do is tap our foot to the beat.
Other than this Sue-has-a-heart moment (the second one this season), the other standout of the evening was the Kurt v. Rachel audition storyline. Everyone will be raving -- justly -- about Kurt's emotional rendition of Defying Gravity (definitely worth a viewing or 10), but what truly makes that moment all the more moving -- especially in hindsight if you watch to the end of the episode -- is a surprising post-scene performance by Mike O'Malley. Who knew that the king of the Agro Crag and inspiring host of Get the Picture could put on an inspiring performance (and yes, I'm considering everything he's done since his time on Nick)? Actually, his character, along with his acting, was a surprise from the very beginning -- I don't think anyone was expecting a supportive dad out of this guy. But once again, on Glee, anything's possible.
So when Sue reveals that she, like other normal people, has normal-people things to deal with, we are moved instead of groaning and mumbling about how "Sue would never be like that." Sue can be like whatever she wants to be like, just like Artie can sing an early 80s song while wheel-dancing through the hallways and all we can do is tap our foot to the beat.
Other than this Sue-has-a-heart moment (the second one this season), the other standout of the evening was the Kurt v. Rachel audition storyline. Everyone will be raving -- justly -- about Kurt's emotional rendition of Defying Gravity (definitely worth a viewing or 10), but what truly makes that moment all the more moving -- especially in hindsight if you watch to the end of the episode -- is a surprising post-scene performance by Mike O'Malley. Who knew that the king of the Agro Crag and inspiring host of Get the Picture could put on an inspiring performance (and yes, I'm considering everything he's done since his time on Nick)? Actually, his character, along with his acting, was a surprise from the very beginning -- I don't think anyone was expecting a supportive dad out of this guy. But once again, on Glee, anything's possible.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Episode 316
As someone who attempts to write about television on a regular basis, I massively appreciate it when I read a great article about a TV show. I'm not talking about semi-witty yet bantering, superficial analyses on Joe Schmoe's blog (ahem), I am talking about real, insightful, and moving TV writing.
People Magazine's weekly mini-blurbs about upcoming new sitcoms or important series finales keep me entertained for sure. But writing about TV -- and doing it well -- is hard. It's just easier and much more fun to watch television than it is to read. So why would someone read about their favorite show when they could just sit down and decide for themselves? The only way to draw people into TV in writing is by being...perfect.
A recent article in Time magazine, passed on to me by my non-FNL watching sister, is the definition of this perfect television writing. James Poniewozik (please don't google him or you will find his TV blog which is incredibly more interesting than mine) brings the emotion of Friday Night Lights to the written word. Through pithy yet dead-on analyses of the complex characters and comparisons to other television, current and past, he shows why Friday Night Lights can turn any viewer into a fan of heroes without tragic flaws, a fan of high school dramas, and even a fan of football.
People Magazine's weekly mini-blurbs about upcoming new sitcoms or important series finales keep me entertained for sure. But writing about TV -- and doing it well -- is hard. It's just easier and much more fun to watch television than it is to read. So why would someone read about their favorite show when they could just sit down and decide for themselves? The only way to draw people into TV in writing is by being...perfect.
A recent article in Time magazine, passed on to me by my non-FNL watching sister, is the definition of this perfect television writing. James Poniewozik (please don't google him or you will find his TV blog which is incredibly more interesting than mine) brings the emotion of Friday Night Lights to the written word. Through pithy yet dead-on analyses of the complex characters and comparisons to other television, current and past, he shows why Friday Night Lights can turn any viewer into a fan of heroes without tragic flaws, a fan of high school dramas, and even a fan of football.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Episode 315
A favorite word among grad students is "intertextuality". One work never influences another work, there is just a strong presence of intertextuality. Well, it turns out that literature and academic scholarship do have have something in common with television (gasp!).
Intertextuality in TV has been all over my screen recently. Having finally started Mad Men (more to come on that later, I'm sure) who do I see in the first few episodes, but Pam's New York friend on The Office. And then last night, I noticed the guidance counselor from Glee as a possible love interest for Ted on How I Met Your Mother. This is not to mention more extended roles like Julie from Friday Night Lights' appearance on the new 90210.
And talk about TV casts taking on other roles: basically the entire gang (dead and alive) from LOST can be found in new dramas on ABC. And then there's the ubiquitous Freaks and Geeks/ Undeclared crowd that somehow find their way into nearly every episode of every sitcom ever produced, for good reason.
What's fantastic about this is that we all -- without a doubt -- enjoy watching a new character on a beloved TV show much more when we already know that actor from somewhere else. How many times have you said, "Hey, that's __________ from __________!" instead of being either completely indifferent or annoyed that they're introducing new characters?
Case in point: The other day, when I received this link, instead of thinking "why is my Vermonter friend sending me videos of horse racing?", I exclaimed "Hey, that's....what she said!"
Intertextuality in TV has been all over my screen recently. Having finally started Mad Men (more to come on that later, I'm sure) who do I see in the first few episodes, but Pam's New York friend on The Office. And then last night, I noticed the guidance counselor from Glee as a possible love interest for Ted on How I Met Your Mother. This is not to mention more extended roles like Julie from Friday Night Lights' appearance on the new 90210.
And talk about TV casts taking on other roles: basically the entire gang (dead and alive) from LOST can be found in new dramas on ABC. And then there's the ubiquitous Freaks and Geeks/ Undeclared crowd that somehow find their way into nearly every episode of every sitcom ever produced, for good reason.
What's fantastic about this is that we all -- without a doubt -- enjoy watching a new character on a beloved TV show much more when we already know that actor from somewhere else. How many times have you said, "Hey, that's __________ from __________!" instead of being either completely indifferent or annoyed that they're introducing new characters?
Case in point: The other day, when I received this link, instead of thinking "why is my Vermonter friend sending me videos of horse racing?", I exclaimed "Hey, that's....what she said!"
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Episode 314
There are a lot of things that happen on television that don't happen in real life (no need to list every single thing Michael Scott has ever done). But there is one thing that is so prevalent on TV and so seemingly natural on screen that it is spiraling out of control: on television, when someone has to tell someone something -- anything -- person one just goes to person two's house.
Exhibit A: Have you ever seen Coach Taylor on FNL pick up the phone when he has to whip Tim Riggins into shape or apologize to an angry parent? No, he just marches right on over to that person's house, sweet talks them with his sexy accent and then asks, "You u'erstand me?" Done and done, no need to use semi-modern technology.
It becomes even more ridiculous when it requires more than simply getting in the car and driving five minutes across town in order to complete these visits. Think about Joey and Dawson. Every time Joey climbed up that ladder, she had to have paddled all the way down the creek in her little canoe first. She very well could have just sent Dawson an e-mail (although this would have foiled her apparent plan to be as obnoxious as possible) but she chose to go straight over to his house and pull the old Clarissa Explains it All.
And finally, the most recent, and perhaps the most exaggerated house visit of all, is on Gossip Girl. How many times has Serena gone all the way from the Upper East Side to Brooklyn to tell Dan about something really unimportant? And then he gives her 'tude and she says "you know, nevermind, I shouldn't have even come..." and leaves. Um, 1) Duh. You could have just texted, we know you know how; 2) You're seriously going to come all the way to Brooklyn and then just turn around because some guy in a skinny tie gives you lip?
Now I know that Coach Taylor is a southern gentleman, and that Joey lives on the wrong side of the creek, and that Brooklyn is so much more rockin' than Manhattan (you just wouldn't understand), but come on people, welcome to the 21st century.
Exhibit A: Have you ever seen Coach Taylor on FNL pick up the phone when he has to whip Tim Riggins into shape or apologize to an angry parent? No, he just marches right on over to that person's house, sweet talks them with his sexy accent and then asks, "You u'erstand me?" Done and done, no need to use semi-modern technology.
It becomes even more ridiculous when it requires more than simply getting in the car and driving five minutes across town in order to complete these visits. Think about Joey and Dawson. Every time Joey climbed up that ladder, she had to have paddled all the way down the creek in her little canoe first. She very well could have just sent Dawson an e-mail (although this would have foiled her apparent plan to be as obnoxious as possible) but she chose to go straight over to his house and pull the old Clarissa Explains it All.
And finally, the most recent, and perhaps the most exaggerated house visit of all, is on Gossip Girl. How many times has Serena gone all the way from the Upper East Side to Brooklyn to tell Dan about something really unimportant? And then he gives her 'tude and she says "you know, nevermind, I shouldn't have even come..." and leaves. Um, 1) Duh. You could have just texted, we know you know how; 2) You're seriously going to come all the way to Brooklyn and then just turn around because some guy in a skinny tie gives you lip?
Now I know that Coach Taylor is a southern gentleman, and that Joey lives on the wrong side of the creek, and that Brooklyn is so much more rockin' than Manhattan (you just wouldn't understand), but come on people, welcome to the 21st century.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Episode 313
I am well aware that the majority of people watching the new 90210 were not old enough, or even alive enough, to watch the original. But what I learned last night was that I am officially not of the same generation of the new West Bev gang. Dixon, a high schooler, is dating a girl, Sasha, who is a few years out of college, like yours truly. He's upset that he always has to go to her place and she responds that she doesn't want to go in public or people will talk, and she won't go to his parents' place because, and I quote, "I am not sneaking in the window, Katie Holmes-style". Dixon then proceeds to completely NOT get the reference.
Does this mean that, while it would be semi-acceptable to date a seventeen-year-old guy, I would absolutely not be able to watch the same television shows as him? Maybe. More importantly, what this means is that the people writing for the new 90210 are of the Dawson's Creek generation. This is somewhere between totally awesome and really depressing. I write a blog about television and people my age actually write that same television. Although, people my age also have 14 Olympic gold medals.
Does this mean that, while it would be semi-acceptable to date a seventeen-year-old guy, I would absolutely not be able to watch the same television shows as him? Maybe. More importantly, what this means is that the people writing for the new 90210 are of the Dawson's Creek generation. This is somewhere between totally awesome and really depressing. I write a blog about television and people my age actually write that same television. Although, people my age also have 14 Olympic gold medals.
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