Love
I'm in love.
It's one of those loves that you don't expect. You don't see coming. And at first you don't even realize it's love. You think it's just mild interest. Then something happens and there's a slight spark.... Then the next thing you know…. You can't stop thinking about the next time you'll see it and you're driving to work with your brain completely fixating on what happened the night before and you rerun the whole thing over and over in your head and you realize your grinning - alone in your car like a total tool.
Yes, I am talking about a TV show.
It's fan-FREAKING-tastic. I heart it with every fiber of my being…. And I have no idea how that happened. I watched the pilot this summer (thanks to my preview tapes from the networks - a job perk). And I liked the pilot but I didn't love the pilot. We had a pool here where we bet on which new shows will make it and which ones won't and I think I even marked it for death. I just figured it would tank because I hadn't seen or heard much promo for it compared to Studio 60, Ugly Betty, the Nine and other new shows.
But then I was home on a random Tuesday and caught the 2nd episode. Then I caught the next episode. Then I found myself programming the VCR. Then I found myself leaving a comedy club early so I could watch a taped episode right away instead of waiting till the weekend when I usually watch my tapes.
This show is seriously amazing. It's filmed very differently from other TV dramas. It's like it's a reality show. The camera is much more of a "fly on the wall" than it is in any other TV drama. And the sets are REAL. Nothing looks like a set. I have a feeling they do all the indoor scenes in real houses, in a real school, etc. Nothing is pretty. Everything is stark and dirty and real. Even the actors - okay they are pretty, but not in a Hollywood way. They all make them unkempt and raw. It's fabulous. It's freaking beautiful to watch.
The film type or camera type must be different too because the quality of the broadcast seems different. And the dialogue is unique The actors talk over each other frequently which makes it gritty, rough and REAL. They talk like it's not scripted. Nothing they say is eloquent or purposefully witty. There are no long monologues - except for the coach lecturing the kids when they lose a game, but having been a cheerleader for 7 years, that's not a monologue that's real life.
And the characters. *sigh* I love each and every one of them.
I think I realized I was completely in love when Tim and Lilah randomly hooked up. That was so hot. And then when he shows up in her room, and is all like, "I can't Lilah… I can't… I can't stop thinking about you, Lilah." he said her name like a hundred times and it was… *shudder*. It's the other little details like the way he pushed away the laundry she was holding….
Or the way the coached kissed his wife at the dance recital. He puts his hands above her on the wall and then lets them slide down to hold her head….. Beautiful and so not Hollywood-looking. Just gritty and raw and real.
Great great great show. Seriously people, if you love football, love beautiful cinematography and enjoy smart, unique story-telling you have to check this out. It's a masterpiece.