random TV musings
Big Love
I recently signed up for Netflix, which is awesome, by the way, and one of the first things I rented was Big Love. And I just couldn't get into it. The acting is great (I particularly love Jean Tripplehorn and Ginnifer Goodwin), I love the wardrobes and the writing is really good, but it's so far from the familiar that it feels actively alienating. I worry that this means that I am much less open-minded than I like to think. (I'm sure that I am, but I hate having it pointed out to me.)
So much of the situational comedy that's supposed to leaven the seriousness actually seems kind of horrible to me. Like the infighting among the wives, or when Bill's father sits outside the mother's house with a gun. I don't laugh, because I find the situation so repellent.
I don't have moral objections to polygamy. If that works for someone, that's fine with me. But it's not a situation that I can ever imagine myself in. And to me, that's one of the things I look for in a story, is being able to place myself in the action. And I guess that this kind of marriage is so different than what I would want, that I can't imagine myself as one of the characters.
Plus, I think what disturbs me more, actually, is that I really like Barb (Jean Tripplehorn's character), and I identify with her a lot, and so when I watch her what I really want is for her to escape from the marriage. Because she doesn't seem happy, and I want her to get out.
Hmm. It's too bad, because it seems like a good show. I really want to enjoy it, but I don't think I can get over the premise.
Californication (the return of Mulder)
Holy crap it was awful. Why, David Duchovny, why? He always picks the worst, most ill-conceived projects imaginable.
The acting wasn't so bad, nor was the writing, but it didn't come together at all, and the characters were not terribly sympathetic. I realize that this is the first episode, so maybe it needs some time, but I really didn't like it at all, and I was really rooting for DD, and thus prepared to ignore as much bad stuff as I possibly could. Turns out there was too much.
I think the editing was really poorly done, and possibly what ultimately ruined the episode. The scenes didn't transition well, the pacing was off, and I wish they had told the story a different way. I don't know if that makes sense, but I'm having a hard time hearing myself think over the death throes of DD's career. I was on your side, Mulder, and you threw it all away.
I recently signed up for Netflix, which is awesome, by the way, and one of the first things I rented was Big Love. And I just couldn't get into it. The acting is great (I particularly love Jean Tripplehorn and Ginnifer Goodwin), I love the wardrobes and the writing is really good, but it's so far from the familiar that it feels actively alienating. I worry that this means that I am much less open-minded than I like to think. (I'm sure that I am, but I hate having it pointed out to me.)
So much of the situational comedy that's supposed to leaven the seriousness actually seems kind of horrible to me. Like the infighting among the wives, or when Bill's father sits outside the mother's house with a gun. I don't laugh, because I find the situation so repellent.
I don't have moral objections to polygamy. If that works for someone, that's fine with me. But it's not a situation that I can ever imagine myself in. And to me, that's one of the things I look for in a story, is being able to place myself in the action. And I guess that this kind of marriage is so different than what I would want, that I can't imagine myself as one of the characters.
Plus, I think what disturbs me more, actually, is that I really like Barb (Jean Tripplehorn's character), and I identify with her a lot, and so when I watch her what I really want is for her to escape from the marriage. Because she doesn't seem happy, and I want her to get out.
Hmm. It's too bad, because it seems like a good show. I really want to enjoy it, but I don't think I can get over the premise.
Californication (the return of Mulder)
Holy crap it was awful. Why, David Duchovny, why? He always picks the worst, most ill-conceived projects imaginable.
The acting wasn't so bad, nor was the writing, but it didn't come together at all, and the characters were not terribly sympathetic. I realize that this is the first episode, so maybe it needs some time, but I really didn't like it at all, and I was really rooting for DD, and thus prepared to ignore as much bad stuff as I possibly could. Turns out there was too much.
I think the editing was really poorly done, and possibly what ultimately ruined the episode. The scenes didn't transition well, the pacing was off, and I wish they had told the story a different way. I don't know if that makes sense, but I'm having a hard time hearing myself think over the death throes of DD's career. I was on your side, Mulder, and you threw it all away.