Series: Xena: Warrior Princess (1995 - 2001, six seasons) Network: Syndicated Created By: John Schulian and Robert Tapert Episode: Been There, Done That (Season 3, Episode 2) Written By: Hilary J. Bader Directed By: Andrew Merrifield Original airdate: October 6, 1997
This episode of Xena is a classic. It's like Xena does Groundhog Day: she wakes up over and over again, doomed to replay the day over and over again until she solves the feud between two families. Every day, Xena wakes up. Joxer gets horseshoes dropped on his head and Gabrielle announces that she rises, but she refuses to shine. It takes some time for Xena to figure out what the riddle is in order to solve it. With the day repeating itself, Joxer dies, then Gabrielle dies, then Xena goes crazy and wakes up killing Joxer with her chakrum (major LOLs). As it turns out, the town is home to two feuding families (very Capulet/Montague). Of course, a fellow from one family has fallen in love with a girl from the other, and the girl kills herself with poison. The boy prays to Cupid. Cupid's magic makes the day replay over and over so that the girl will never die, until of course a hero (Xena) comes along to solve the problem. Xena, finally, ends up saving the girl's life and the day is over. This episode is pure fun episodic Xena. It's not as depressing as some other episodes, and it has plenty of the campy (but not too campy) LOLz that the show was famous for in the first place.
So it was that time again: the Emmys last night.(Click here for a list of winners.) I cannot make myself in any way invested in Hollywood awards shows. I think they are ridiculous three ringed circuses where already successful and beautiful people sit around and fap on about how wonderful they all are. I think it's unfortunate that so much weight is given to the results.
Last night's grand prize - the Emmy for best drama. It was epic lame. I will preface this with saying that I enjoy Mad Men. I think it's a great show. I found the hype for The Sopranos insanely irritating, and it is still better than Mad Men. Watching Mad Men is occassionally is like watching paint dry. The fact that it has locked down this category for the past few years is just ridiculous to me. I think a big part of this show's success lies in some bizarre American 1960s nostalgia. I had two reactions to hearing that it won (yawn) again.
The first of which is that Lost should have been recognized for its last hurrah. I know some people didn't like the last season, but I have no interest in beginning a downward spiralling Lost fanwank-fest here. Lost broke so many rules and changed television forever in a way that Mad Men never will. Lost essentially breaks rules where Mad Men is only really good at following them.
My second reaction, which is perhaps makes even more sense, is that Dexter season four was on fire. The Trinity storyline was amazing. Dexter has surprised me so much in its bounce back from the uneven third season. I was completely enthralled every second of this season, and I can't say the same for the last season of Mad Men. Dexter is such a rich and morally complicated show. It probes some murky waters and asks some really daring questions.
Maybe I'm predestined to despise Mad Men's overhype: I am a genre nerd. And really, that is what these awards are about, I suppose. (We tend to priviledge certain genres, while debasing others. It's called taste heirarchy. But more of this some other day.)
I am not in any way invested in awards shows, I suppose, especially since I never watch them. But thank god the internet is here so I can say "YOU SUCK! Awards shows!" from the safety of my blog.
Series: The Decorating Adventures of Ambrose Price (2008 - present, one season) Network: HGTV
On a recent trip to China via San Francisco, my friend Michael (a Canadaphile) informed me of this fellow. (As a sidenote, it was in a very similar situation years ago in Michael's very same apartment that he proceeded to confuse me by popping in DVDs of Jem. Michael apparently is making a habit of showing me stuff that shortcircuits my brain.) We watched it on his DVR and I cannot comprehend this dude's bizarre accent. He is from Newfoundland, but also has a bit of the fey homosexual thing on top of that. He sounds vaguely Scottish, vaguely Canadian, and vaguely Martian. No American shall ever snicker at the Canadian raising that shows up on two or three words in my vocabulary ever again. Listen to his man! I dare your brain NOT to explode! My brain explodes just thinking about it. Weirdest.accent.EVAR.
Series: True Blood (2008 – Present, three seasons) Network: HBO Created By: Alan Ball Episode: Everything is Broken (Season 3, Episode 9) Written By: Alexander Woo Directed By: Scott Winant Original airdate: August 15, 2009
Here's to True Blood for thus far having a great and amazing season that so clearly captures the sense of excitement and suspense of its inaugural season. It's been fantastic! Please observe the above scene, the cliffhanger ending of a recent episode. It is so awesome I actually shrieked with glee. Above, the villain of the season, Russell Edgington, decides to throw a wrench in the vampires attempts to gain legal rights. He shows up as a news anchor is discussing the Vampire Rights Amendment, and pulls out his spine. He continues with a long diatribe which climaxes when he announces "We will eat you! After we eat your children!" (Fast forward to 2:30.) This scene is made of so much win I can barely even look at it.
Joshua Jackson (of Fringe and of course formerly, Dawson's Creek) decided to hold PaceyCon this year in San Diego. This convention, dedicated to (according to Jackson) the single greatest television character EVER, was unintentionally held at the same time as some other convention you may have heard of (San Diego ComicCon? What's that?) Jackson acknowledges that his role as Peter on Fringe is actually only to fund his passion for writing Pacey fanfiction. He does readings outside of Pacey fanfiction for Pacey fans.
I really kind of love him a little bit for this. Awesome. Can't wait for more Fringe.
Series: Six Feet Under (2001 - 2005, five seasons) Network: HBO Created By: Alan Ball Episode: The New Person (Season 1, Episode 10) Written By: Bruce Eric Kaplan Directed By: Kathy Bates Original airdate: August 5, 2001
While we are on the topic of Six Feet Under's fantasy sequences, can we please talk about this one? Doesn't it freak you out to see Dexter singing and dancing? I can't look at it. It makes my brain hurt.
Series: Six Feet Under (2001 - 2005, five seasons) Network: HBO Created By: Alan Ball Episode: The Rainbow of Her Reasons (Season 5, Episode 6) Written By: Jill Soloway Directed By: Mary Harron Original airdate: July 10, 2005
Six Feet Under is known for its breaks with reality... there are humourous dream sequences which take you out of the "real" situation and into the minds of the characters. Here is one of my favourites: Claire, at her new desk job, sings about how much it sucks to wear pantyhose. And that is indeed the real singing voice of Lauren Ambrose, who is a classically trained opera singer.
Series: House (2004 - present, six seasons) Network: Fox Created By: David Shore Character: Dr. Allison Cameron Portrayed By: Jennifer Morrison
House has undergone some cast changes over the years. I think my favourite are the originals: Chase, Cameron and Foreman. I love early Cameron. She was the perfect foil for House: young, naive, idealistic and optimistic (although not annoyingly so). It was always interesting to have Cameron make moral arguments that challenge House's overbearing cynicism. But then she dyed her hair blond and was written off the main cast and basically became shrill and annoying. I feel like they hit a brick wall with her: life experience (being spurned by House, and the breakup of her and Chase' marriage) kind of put an end to all that was likable about this character. It's a true shame. And then she was written off the show! I am sure she will be back at some point. In the meantime, Thirteen is way more badass and awesome than Cameron ever was, so we can settle with that.
Here is a different type of post for today: I feel it for this blog to be most effective, I would like to explore television in all of its facets. This includes the internet and the role of fan communities. I suppose this isn't exactly easy for me since to be honest, the only fan community I am active in is the Tori Amos fan community. But I suppose you could consider me a bit of an observer, and I have been known to lurk on various message boards. My favourite of which is, of course, the legendary board Survivor Sucks. This is the #1 Survivor board and I lurk there obsessively when I am really enjoying a good season. It has it all: accurate spoilers (not that I read them), info on upcoming seasons, post-boot interviews, videos and all of it with at times hilarious (and harsh) commentary. And did I mention that there are more than a few fans who post there? (Including the infamous Jonny Fairplay.) And also, some members have managed to get onto the show itself (such as Survivor: China winner Todd Herzog). Survivor Sucks is quintessential reading for the Survivor fan. However, I would never post there, since the combative tone of discussion is not my thing. I will still enjoy my lurking, however.
Series: Dexter (2006 - present, four seasons) Network: Showtime Created By: James Manos, Jr. (Based on the Darkly Dreaming Dexter novels, by Jeff Lindsay)
In 2006, Dexter premier on Showtime. To date, it is that network's most-watched series. The show focuses on the misadventures of Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department. You see, Dexter witnessed a horrendous crime (the bloody murder of his mother) as a very young child and as a result, he was left with a lust to kill. His late adopted father Harry (who was a Miami Metro police officer) knew about Dexter's bloodlust, and helped Dexter channel his energy by training him to only kill serial killers. Armed with an adept knowledge of crime scenes, Dexter is able to fully cover his tracks. He finds his targets through his work at the Miami Metro, and only goes after those who fall through the cracks of the system.
Dexter's strength as a series, in my opinion, lies largely in its extremely tight plotting. These seasons are only twelve episodes long. There is simply no time for in depth character studies which distract from the main story (looking at you, Lost). Dexter is a remarkably fast watch. I would also describe it as exhilarating, or television crack. Each season focuses on a different main storyline, mostly involving the hunt for other serial killers (season one's ice truck killer, or season three's Trinity killer). I could describe to you how Dexter is awesome, but that is subjective anyways... Let me turn the topic over to the resistance I have at times encountered in praising/recommending this show to others. Some people, understandably so, have qualms about being asked to identify with a serial killer.
It is perhaps easy to write off the show based entirely on its premise. Yet when one decomes know Dexter intimitely, we know that he is not merely a cold-blooded killer. Part of why Dexter as a show works is because it actually explores his humanity. While it is always taken in as a given in the writing that Dexter is in fact an animal (since he seems to refer to other humans as if he is not one of them), it is the cracks in his serial killer identity that make him an interesting and morally complicated character. Part of how Dexter is able to thrive in society without anyone noticing his killer instincts is via his relations with other people. Harry taught Dexter how to wear the mask. Dexter has a wife, Rita (played by Julie Benz, a Buffy/Angel alum), and plays step-father to her two children Astor and Cody, and later father to his own child with Rita. Dexter says he is not capable of emotion, but his actions dictate that he loves Rita and his sister Deb. At various points in the series, he goes to great lengths to protect those in his life (such as saving Deb from the Ice Truck Killer in season one). By the end of season four, Dexter finds himself a full-fledged family man who struggles with his "dark passenger" and his murderous extracurricular activities. I would argue that we have an almost Donnie Brasco effect: Dexter becomes his mask. It is this humanity in Dexter, at times however small it may be, that gives the character his charisma. In my opinion, it is Dexter's long and difficult road towards humanity that is the true over-arching narrative of this show.
