Television frenzy
After months of the TV-drought that is the US hiatus, I am suddenly spoiled rotten with good television! This week was so brilliant for so many shows I don't know where to start.
Mad Men
Well, let me rephrase that: Mad Men has a very strong Betty-centric plot at the moment, which means I'm hypnotised. The actress is wonderful. I'm so proud of Betty for facing the truth about her marriage and I want that smug bastard to get what's coming to him. Which won't happen because he's the hero of the show, but while I can still hope, I'm enjoying it... and the parallels with my parents' marriage continue to freak me out so I won't talk much more about that. Ahem.
I wanted Joan to read TV scripts and be smart! And I felt sorry for Freddie. Pete is such a little weed.
See, I really do not have anything very much to say about MM!
True Blood
I still hate Jason but found him a little more bearable this week because he became so comedic. My problem with his character is that while he didn't actually kill Maudette he could have and he thought he did. And did nothing. That's unforgiveable in my book and all this chatter about 'he's a good person underneath' shits me to tears. Good people don't just run off and deny everything when they think they've killed something. He is very very dim at best. And damn lucky to have such a loving sister protecting him, and Tara watching out for him.
Speaking of which, she was awesome as always! I could watch this show for her alone. Yes, I was kind of screaming at her not to perjure herself for Jason Stackhouse, but at the same time loving her misguided toughness, and she had some very funny lines. 'School is just for white people looking for other white people to read to' was pretty hilarious. I love that she's learnt everything from books and then applies that knowledge in the real world. It sends up all the hicks around her so well because it shows that it wouldn't take much for them to be a bit more clued up.
I'm glad they wrote in the story about Jason protecting her when she was little. That was terribly cute and helps explain her attraction to him and her inability to fight it. Rationally I think she knows Jason's an idiot, but her heart's another matter. I can live with that. And I like that she got a little kick out of reciprocating the protection. Also, wee!Jason was kind of great. I mean stupid and rash and full of ego still, but all of that was applied in such a good way. It helped me with a plot I'd otherwise find hard to swallow.
Bill achieved a new level of hotness in my eyes in this ep. While I've seen his charisma in the past, I haven't really felt it before because he's not really my type. But I found him very sexy taking Sookie on the non-date to the vamp bar, and he was funny as well. I liked him all tense and anxious around Eric and then so rashly serving it to the cop.
The vamp bar was kind of wonderful in its badness. Bad arm-wavey goth dancing! *lol* And Sookie was kind of fabulous in that environment. Her combination of naivety, bravery and determination played really well against all the hardcore jaded club types. I guess we have an answer about whether she can read other vampires' minds or not: it seems not, since she only managed to read other humans in the bar.
I'm not sure what I think of Eric yet except that he was ridiculously melodramatic and potentially adds a lot of interest to the cast and plot. I'm also intrigued by the vampire politics and look forward to finding out more.
And Sam... hm... It seemed to me they were setting us up to think Sam was the murderer. And he could be. After all, Sookie doesn't read his mind because he's her boss, and he believes that vampires and humans shouldn't mix. And that writhing around in the bed where she died was pretty freaky--I guess there is a past between them, which could give him another reason for being angry she went with a vamp. I don't want Sam to be the murderer, but I better brace myself for the possibility he might be.
Gossip Girl
Because I sure as hell don't! Aaaaaaghhhhhh! Dan Humphrey, I hate you! You are the most annoyingly uppity shit new writer ever conceived. I have tried to ignore it, but this episode shoved 'Dan the hot new young writer' in my face and I tipped over from dislike into rage. OMG, the advice they were giving him was so Writing 101! It stretches all laws of believability that he ever got published at all. And he took the advice so literally.
Dear Dan
There is a little thing called IMAGINATION. Aided by empathy (oh, right, you have none) and talent (ditto). Please stop making me like Jenny better than you! It stings!
Bop
PS. Did you just fuck over Chuck Bass? BWAHAHAHAHAHAAH. You are even dumber than I thought. I can't wait to see you sink further.
Poor Blair got stomped on in this episode but I look forward to seeing her return to form in due course. I have faith. I'm loving the 'rise of Serena' and seeing these two get serious with each other. It's amazing that Blair can be believable as both the mistress of her empire and a petty little girl. Last week, she trumped the Duchess, this week she looked like a five year old throwing a tantrum. But I still love her. I love Serena too though, and agree that she shouldn't hide herself because of Blair (or Dan, or anyone) so the tension is delicious. Where will this new Serena lead?
TSCC
Wow. Summer Glau is amazing. That episode was spine-tingly and fascinating and her performance was incredible. I was blown away. I'm still processing all we've learnt about Cameron but I'm glad to have delved into her origins. How chilling was it when she snapped Alison's neck? I was also horrified by the cages of people yelling at her to escape. Loved the tiger too. And when the net came around her when she jumped off the ship, I was so sad for her.
It's interesting that they've given Cameron's 'human' aspect a specific identity. Clearly Cameron has managed to absorb Allison's persona at a deep level, but what does that mean? I think there will be lots of interesting meta out of this.
For more thinky thoughts, I defer for now to norwich36's post because I really should be vidding. (Eeek! Deadlines suck!) But I may post thoughts later when I've processed some more.
Mad Men
Well, let me rephrase that: Mad Men has a very strong Betty-centric plot at the moment, which means I'm hypnotised. The actress is wonderful. I'm so proud of Betty for facing the truth about her marriage and I want that smug bastard to get what's coming to him. Which won't happen because he's the hero of the show, but while I can still hope, I'm enjoying it... and the parallels with my parents' marriage continue to freak me out so I won't talk much more about that. Ahem.
I wanted Joan to read TV scripts and be smart! And I felt sorry for Freddie. Pete is such a little weed.
See, I really do not have anything very much to say about MM!
True Blood
I still hate Jason but found him a little more bearable this week because he became so comedic. My problem with his character is that while he didn't actually kill Maudette he could have and he thought he did. And did nothing. That's unforgiveable in my book and all this chatter about 'he's a good person underneath' shits me to tears. Good people don't just run off and deny everything when they think they've killed something. He is very very dim at best. And damn lucky to have such a loving sister protecting him, and Tara watching out for him.
Speaking of which, she was awesome as always! I could watch this show for her alone. Yes, I was kind of screaming at her not to perjure herself for Jason Stackhouse, but at the same time loving her misguided toughness, and she had some very funny lines. 'School is just for white people looking for other white people to read to' was pretty hilarious. I love that she's learnt everything from books and then applies that knowledge in the real world. It sends up all the hicks around her so well because it shows that it wouldn't take much for them to be a bit more clued up.
I'm glad they wrote in the story about Jason protecting her when she was little. That was terribly cute and helps explain her attraction to him and her inability to fight it. Rationally I think she knows Jason's an idiot, but her heart's another matter. I can live with that. And I like that she got a little kick out of reciprocating the protection. Also, wee!Jason was kind of great. I mean stupid and rash and full of ego still, but all of that was applied in such a good way. It helped me with a plot I'd otherwise find hard to swallow.
Bill achieved a new level of hotness in my eyes in this ep. While I've seen his charisma in the past, I haven't really felt it before because he's not really my type. But I found him very sexy taking Sookie on the non-date to the vamp bar, and he was funny as well. I liked him all tense and anxious around Eric and then so rashly serving it to the cop.
The vamp bar was kind of wonderful in its badness. Bad arm-wavey goth dancing! *lol* And Sookie was kind of fabulous in that environment. Her combination of naivety, bravery and determination played really well against all the hardcore jaded club types. I guess we have an answer about whether she can read other vampires' minds or not: it seems not, since she only managed to read other humans in the bar.
I'm not sure what I think of Eric yet except that he was ridiculously melodramatic and potentially adds a lot of interest to the cast and plot. I'm also intrigued by the vampire politics and look forward to finding out more.
And Sam... hm... It seemed to me they were setting us up to think Sam was the murderer. And he could be. After all, Sookie doesn't read his mind because he's her boss, and he believes that vampires and humans shouldn't mix. And that writhing around in the bed where she died was pretty freaky--I guess there is a past between them, which could give him another reason for being angry she went with a vamp. I don't want Sam to be the murderer, but I better brace myself for the possibility he might be.
Gossip Girl
Because I sure as hell don't! Aaaaaaghhhhhh! Dan Humphrey, I hate you! You are the most annoyingly uppity shit new writer ever conceived. I have tried to ignore it, but this episode shoved 'Dan the hot new young writer' in my face and I tipped over from dislike into rage. OMG, the advice they were giving him was so Writing 101! It stretches all laws of believability that he ever got published at all. And he took the advice so literally.
Dear Dan
There is a little thing called IMAGINATION. Aided by empathy (oh, right, you have none) and talent (ditto). Please stop making me like Jenny better than you! It stings!
Bop
PS. Did you just fuck over Chuck Bass? BWAHAHAHAHAHAAH. You are even dumber than I thought. I can't wait to see you sink further.
Poor Blair got stomped on in this episode but I look forward to seeing her return to form in due course. I have faith. I'm loving the 'rise of Serena' and seeing these two get serious with each other. It's amazing that Blair can be believable as both the mistress of her empire and a petty little girl. Last week, she trumped the Duchess, this week she looked like a five year old throwing a tantrum. But I still love her. I love Serena too though, and agree that she shouldn't hide herself because of Blair (or Dan, or anyone) so the tension is delicious. Where will this new Serena lead?
TSCC
Wow. Summer Glau is amazing. That episode was spine-tingly and fascinating and her performance was incredible. I was blown away. I'm still processing all we've learnt about Cameron but I'm glad to have delved into her origins. How chilling was it when she snapped Alison's neck? I was also horrified by the cages of people yelling at her to escape. Loved the tiger too. And when the net came around her when she jumped off the ship, I was so sad for her.
It's interesting that they've given Cameron's 'human' aspect a specific identity. Clearly Cameron has managed to absorb Allison's persona at a deep level, but what does that mean? I think there will be lots of interesting meta out of this.
For more thinky thoughts, I defer for now to norwich36's post because I really should be vidding. (Eeek! Deadlines suck!) But I may post thoughts later when I've processed some more.