The Wrath of the Whatever from High Atop the Thing

Boob Tube Round-Up, Week of January 8 – January 14

2012-01-16T00:24:00.000-05:00

Sunday

Downton Abbey: I can’t help but get caught up in the grandeur that is this series, even as I am starting to see that as one of the series’ biggest weaknesses. The visuals are both lovely and intense, especially down in the trenches, and the house still hums like a living organism. Yet the series feels too idealized in some ways to be relatable– the romances are too epic, the good souls of Sybil, Robert and William are too good.

The Good Wife: If Diane is getting all hot and bothered over an Aussie process server, I think its time we get her a real man in her life. The subtle overtures that Kalinda is making towards Alicia are nice, but I’m ready for Alicia to get over her anger with Kalinda and for them to get drunk together at bars again. Eli is becoming a bull in the china shop that is Lockhart Gardner, and its time that we got him back on the campaign trail somehow.

Monday

Padam Padam: As far as I know, this is a twenty-episode drama, and I wish it were only sixteen. Ji Na’s indecisiveness about Kang Chil is getting dragged out far too long, and her small turn around at the end of this episode might be too little too late. I just wish Kang Chil could get over her and we could move on with the other plots. But talk about a cliffhanger ending, especially after seeing Kook Soo’s vision!

Tuesday

Padam Padam: Something needs to be said about some of the songs on this show’s soundtrack. While the series is normally scored beautifully, there are a few k-pop songs that show up at least once an episode that make me want to shove a pencil into my ear. In this episode, in the scene in which Kook Soo directly chooses to support Kang Chil’s relationship and the possibly deadly consequences, the heartfelt emotions displayed were outright undermined and made completely cheesy by the horrid song selection. Can we just get rid of them entirely?

Parenthood: I was a little uncomfortable with the new turn in the relationship between Julia and her baby momma. At least the daddy has signed the adoption papers finally, so maybe this awkwardness can go away. Courtney Ford has a tendency to go over the top iwith the roles that I’ve seen her in (Dexter, True Blood), but she was actually believable as the ~~neurotic~~ perfectionist cellist. I love Sarah and Mark’s relationship, and I love how it’s possibly growing into a new family. And that magazine cover with Adam was absolutely adorkable.

Thursday

Parks and Recreation: Train Wreck Ben is the greatest thing since Train Wreck Anne. Nothing like watching a pretty level person have a complete mental breakdown on screen. But for the record? I’d eat at the ‘Low-Cal Calzone Zone.’ This week’s episode was a fun outing. I love how the campaign gets our team out of the office and into the public, especially since it is the world of Pawnee that makes this show so rich. That event at the ice skating rink was physically paining me it was so awkward, but I laughed throughout. And Champion? He’s no Lil’ Sebastian, but he’s still pretty cute.

Project Runway All-Stars: Kara Janx’s “off the cajones” is my new official catchphrase. As in, “This week’s Parks and Recreation was off the CAJONES!” While I anticipate that Blonde Barbie host is going to be as lifeless as she is now throughout the season, I like the new judges and Joanna Coles more. They may not be as funny as their predecessors, but their criticisms are spot on. But for a couture challenge, the designers needed way more than one day. I blame the lack of time and not the talent for the offenses against fashion on the runway this week.

30 Rock: A rather uneven outing for the season premiere. The pop culture satire was spot on (On Shayna, the pitchy but winning contestant on America’s Kidz Got Singing, Jack says: “Did you know both her mothers are serial killers? That’s America”), and I like what I saw of Jack and Jenna’s character. However, the Kenneth Rapture storyline was unoriginal and not all that funny, and Liz’s dance team past came out of nowhere. Still, I think I’m with this show for the season.

The Little Family Drama that Could: Parenthood’s “Road Trip”

2012-01-14T18:49:00.000-05:00

With all the grand spiritual narratives and cutting comedies on my television line-up, I often overlook the heartfelt slice-of-life drama Parenthood. Yet no series moves me so deeply and sincerely on such a regular basis. Last week’s episode “Road Trip” is a paradigm example of what the series does best, by setting our Bravermans adrift across the California landscape and strictly focusing on the intricate relationships amongst them.

As always, I have to start with how fantastic the visuals were in this episode. This episode was directed by the steady hand of Jessica Yu, director of two of my favorite West Wing episodes, “Somebody’s Going to Emergency, Somebody’s Going to Jail” and “The Supremes.” In this episode, our epicurean desires for visual splendor were sated, with both sweeping crane shots of the countryside…

… and intimate shots of our characters and their emotional states. Just look at Jabbar! That innocent excitement on his face is simply contagious. And poor Drew. Scarred for life.

Yet beyond that, Yu took advantage of the setting by stripping away the distractions in our characters’ lives and force them to confront each other. Throughout the episode, Yu continued to squeeze our characters into each others’ personal space physically and emotionally, and it helped the audience feel the tension between these characters in an episode rather light on plot.

Of course, it isn’t a Jason Katims series if the writing and acting isn’t equally as engaging and rich. This episode, penned by Katims and fellow Friday Night Lights scribe David Hudgins, was able to find that impossible balance of comedy and drama, lighthearted ephemera and more substantial conflicts.

I loved the tension brewing in Sarah’s car with her brood Drew and Amber. It isn’t all that revolutionary of a storyline, in which Drew walked in on Sarah and Mark making the beast with two backs and hours later gets stuck with Sarah and Amber in the car for the day. However, the dialogue and reveals were written so beautifully, or in this case, for maximal embarrassment and awkwardness, that it felt natural and fresh. I cringed as Sarah giggled with Mark on the phone about being “familiar with that position… in congress” and Drew looked as though he wanted to vomit. I laughed as Sarah leaned her seat back onto Drew and complained about her sore back and Drew glanced out of the window with an infinitely pained look on his face. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Lauren Graham has brilliant comedic timing and improves on any line she’s given.

Of course, this week was all about Zeek and his mommy issues. Again, the plot was not overly complex or unique: Zeek’s mother, who recently fell and hurt her hip, was turning 86, and Zeek wanted to gather up his family to go visit her. Yet we learned that Zeek has a troubled relationship with her, as she never supported his career choices or showed much affection to him. Yet why this worked so well was because we could see it written into every choice Zeek made throughout the trip and all over Craig T. Nelson’s face. This desire for approval and to be worthy of it infected his insistence on the safety of that chair, the timeliness of their travel, and the attendance of every family member. Craig T. Nelson poured this insecurity out through every tense muscle in his body.

All in all, this episode wasn’t groundbreaking, but there isn’t really a groundbreaking episode of Parenthood to be had. This episode shows us that what is so special that this series has to offer is flawed, caring, complex characters in an equally rich and very real world. And that is exactly what I look forward to each Tuesday night.

Boob Tube Round-Up, Week of January 1 - January 7

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

And we’re back in business! All hiatus and no new shows make TiaC a dull girl.

Monday

History of the Salaryman: I’m not sure what to make of this show yet (this being the first episode). The comedy was on point, both the broad and more satirical sorts - I watched the fight on the golf course a few times, it was just so beautifully/humorously constructed. However, I’m more than a little concerned with how one-dimensional many of the characters seem so far.

Padam Padam: I try to rationally justify Ji Na’s behavior by recognizing that it is consistent with her character, but still I find myself wanting to shake her for caring so much about how it would look if she dates Kang Chil, and I want to hit Kang Chil for giving way to her selfishness after everything he has been through. But the conflicts are unfolding and the secrets coming to light at a steady pace, so I’m satisfied overall.

Tuesday

History of the Salaryman: This episode wasn’t as funny as the last, and without all the humor, this series isn’t really all that special (except for the chicken. Whatever is done to a chicken is a priori hilarious). But I’m still interested, and that’s mainly because of the two female characters, the single-minded yet broken-hearted researcher Cha Woo Hee and especially the foul-mouthed and confrontational princess Baek Yeo Chi.

Padam Padam: Kook Soo gets his wings, and true to form, the show makes the scene electrifying and intense on the one hand, pulling out some flashy effects, and yet undercuts the melo with some very grounded humor. Well done. However, Ji Na’s character is not faring as well. She is becoming shrill and unjustly judgmental again, now that she knows about Kang Chil and her mother, and it is becoming harder to care for her or root for her ending up with Kang Chil.

Parenthood: The traditional road-trip-to-grandma’s-house plot serves as a solid foundation for a great episode. The photography was beautiful, highlighting California’s vast landscapes; the directors and actors kept the energy up and the tension simmering despite being restricted to a few cars for most of the episode; and the writers balanced the very real but small annoyances that plague car trips with the larger issues looming with our characters, especially Zeek. Kudos!

Thursday

Project Runway All-Stars: Pros – It’s a half hour shorter, so it doesn’t drag any more; MONDO, MONDO, MONDO!; Sweet P wasn’t eliminated first; Cons – The new host, judges, and Joanna Cole. Heidi, Nina, and Michael knew how to balance the humor with the bitchiness and sharp criticism, while the new panel is as challenging and as fun as a two-piece puzzle. What’s worse is the lack of Tim Gunn. That’s an automatic fail right there.

Breakdown: You're Beautiful, Episode 2

2012-01-06T04:30:00.001-05:00

Oh, if balls could talk, the things this one could say.

Time to dive into another rollercoaster of an episode! There’ll be some laughs, probably no tears yet, but definitely some hair pulling and swearing in a couple different languages. Shall we?

So Mi Nam wakes up from her angelic dream (fine, fine. I’ll stop, even if the drama won’t.) to discover that she is on the floor with a few half-naked idol boys strewn around her. Naturally. She looks in the mirror to find a cut on her lip, but as our aspiring nun has had her first experience with being black-out drunk, she can’t quite remember how she got it. Except…

Oh noes! When she fell last night, she landed on someone's mouth! (Gotta say, Mi Nam’s lucky she’s in a rom-com and not a melo, because “An aspiring nun loses her memories after a night out of heavy drinking with pop singers. But wait, there’s more…” is just begging for a Lifetime movie treatment)

But who was the (not-so-lucky) recipient of the inadvertent kiss? Was it Jeremy? Or perhaps Blank Face? No, no such luck for Mi Nam. No, the recipient was the one and only Tae Kyung, whose bidet she just f***ed with yesterday. But what makes the situation worse, but infinitely more enjoyable for us and less clichéd, was that the kiss was followed by vomit. That’s right. She vomited into his mouth.

On the scale of my all-time favorite vomit scenes (yes, that is a real thing), that puts this one just above Jack’s response to all of the excitement at his tenth birthday on the 30 Rock episode “Apollo Apollo,” but below that scene from The Meaning of Life, since it is physically impossible to top that amount of vomit.

But back to Mi Nam and the enemy she just made. Mi Nam decides that guys apologize to each other by giving each other tea with a candle and acting super cute, since that is how she approaches Tae Kyung. Tae Kyung, however, looks as though he has been violated, and screams at Mi Nam to get out. He then hops into the shower to reclaim his purity, but mutters that he could’ve been less harsh.

The following scene reveals that Mi Nam isn’t clumsy. Rather, she is incapable of functioning as a human person in the adult world. Her apologetic gesture leads to: spilling wax on floor à burning hand à stumbling into bookshelves à knocking everything off and activating fan à Tae Kyung’s sheet music almost getting burned by candle. I think even Lucy Ricardo would give this chick a stink eye.

Understandably, Tae Kyung cannot figure out what the hell this kid’s problem is, and he gets up in Mi Nam’s grill. However, one false fist slam against the bookshelf sends a rather heavy award from the top shelf flying, which lands on Mi Nam’s head and knocks her out. He picks the award up and checks to see if Mi Nam is all right, but unfortunately, Blank Face, Jeremy, and Manager Inappropriate all walk into the room right at that moment, to see this:

Manager Inappropriate makes the right decision for once, and an ambulance is called to bring Mi Nam to the hospital, since her head is now bleeding. Yet just as I am about to come up with a more-sympathetic nickname for him, Mi Nam wakes up and reminds him that the hospital will discover that she’s a girl, and he asks for the driver to stop. It’s not like a head wound is serious or anything. And it looks like Creeper Jerk is here for the long haul!

So Creeper Jerk patches her up at a playground while wearing a skeezy undershirt. That’s not weird at all. She gets a call from Tae Kyung, to find out if she still at the hospital, and we see that he is calling from the emergency room, trying to find her. The character of Tae Kyung is becoming more and more interesting as we see him. The chaebol-with-a-sensitive-side is nothing new in the K-drama landscape, yet in Tae Kyung’s case, it’s as if we’re seeing the sweet kid emerging from under a cynical idol facade.

Mi Nam and Creeper manage to get back to A.N.Jell’s office building, where a meddling reporter is attempting to dig up dirt on an internet rumor that Tae Kyung and Mi Nam don’t like each other. He sees Mi Nam’s bandaged forehead, and assumes the worst, as do A.N.Jell’s fangirls who read the report he’s filed.

No, Mi Nam, these girls probably aren’t interested in having a heart-to-heart with you on the reality of the situation. Instead, she decides that she should try again to repair her relationship with Tae Kyung. That is definitely a good idea, Mi Nam, especially considering how well it went last time. Amongst the music and movies that fell off the shelves are a few CDs and DVDs featuring Mo Hwa Ran. She figures he must just be a fan, even after she sees a picture of a boy like Tae Kyung with her. Tae Kyung realizes what she has seen, and brings her up to President Ahn, announcing that either Mi Nam leaves the house or he does.

Side Note: All right, Park Shin Hye. I get that Mi Nam is supposed to be cute and sweet and that even the other characters pick up on her more feminine characteristics, but the bobble-head doll half-walk-half-shuffle Mi Nam does is overkill. It is distracting, and it makes Mi Nam seem way more than innocently dim, but rather closer to idiotic and unable to control her motor functions.

Mi Nam starts feeling pretty down about how horribly her first day as her brother is going, and Creeper Jerk tries to comfort her by telling her that its safer and that he likes it better that that the other boys dislike her. If they don’t like her, they won’t get close to her and discover her secret. That’s cool, Jerk. So Mi Nam should be lonely and hated for the next couple months to keep your job safe. Why are even his attempts at comfort so odious?

But wait! It seems as though Creeper Jerk may have competition in the odious category. Someone claiming to be Mi Nam’s aunt chats casually with her girlfriends about the niece and nephew she abandoned shortly after their father died. And now that someone’s financial conditions have changed, she may now be in a position to reclaim these kids as her own. How generous.

Mo Hwa Ran alert! However, since she is in public, there’s no drink in her hand (TiaC sadly puts down her glass of… milk). She runs into Tae Kyung in the elevator of a hotel (where he now stays while Mi Nam is in the house), and we learn that Tae Kyung is her son that she kept hidden, since she used to be famous. Oh birth secrets. Really, show, really!?

President Ahn announces to his staff that Mi Nam will have his debut performance at an upcoming showcase, which makes Creeper Jerk and his stylist friend (who knows Mi Nam’s secret) nervous. Now Mi Nam has to actually… do stuff. And we all know how Mi Nam and being mobile are incompatible. Now Mi Nam has to pose for photos and learn to dance in addition to being able to sing. Forget bobble-head. She moves like a muppet that has been abandoned by its muppeteer for a better gig.

We learn that Blank Face may know more about Mi Nam than he has let on (or maybe he has tried to let on, but he is so lifeless there was no way we would know). Flashback! Turns out, Blank Face was the one to carry the passed-out Mi Nam back to their van during her night of drunken abandon, and a careful study of her face and a chance encounter with her chest helped him realize that there was a reason that this person fails at being a guy.

Miraculously, however, Mi Nam starts improving, and she might be able to pull off this whole boy band idol star… if it weren’t for that pesky lack of certain anatomical bits. The stylist helps her out with a pair of bouncy balls to hide in her pants. It works until one of them bounces out during her dance rehearsal, although luckily the stylist is the only one who notices.

Meanwhile, in the conference room near where Mi Nam is rehearsing, President Ahn is video chatting with Tae Kyung about the upcoming performance. President Ahn steps out to get a schedule for him, and the stylist and Mi Nam step into the empty room to readjust Mi Nam’s faux manhood. Thus, with the camera still rolling and Tae Kyung watching, they let slip that Mi Nam is a woman. He arrives at the rehearsal, and one hug shared between them confirms for him that there’s a reason that dude looks like a lady.

While Tae Kyung tries to figure out how to convince President Ahn to kick out Mi Nam, Mi Nam heads to an out of the way shower after rehearsal, hoping to avoid showering with the rest of the male dancers, Blank Face, and Jeremy. That plan fails when their shower has no water, and they head up after her.

So the following scene gets a big response from me, but not wholly in the way intended. It is both very funny yet incredibly frustrating. Mi Nam is able to finish her own shower in time, but gets stuck in the room with a bunch of hot, naked, twenty-something male dancers. This isn’t even a first world problem. This is a stupid girl’s problem. Because there is no problem, except Mi Nam sees this golden opportunity as one.

Anyways, since apparently nuns have no sexual instincts towards the opposite sex whatsoever, Mi Nam is forced to figure out a way out of the shower room without looking at their naked bodies. Fine, I’ll let it go. But then, the one time that the holy light of “Reverent Mother,” to whom she always prays, shines down on her, she instructs her to think of the boys like the cherubim in the paintings at the church, who were naked. She then turns around to see a bunch of naked babies running around the room instead.

So the fact that she has turned them all into naked babies in order to process this situation is cute. But REALLY show? The woman to whom she had turned for spiritual guidance is invoked in order to help her not look at naked men? It’s still bugging me how Mi Nam’s faith is merely being used as a way to excuse her innocence and nothing more. And the fact that the scene between Mi Nam and Reverend Mother is played visually as if Mi Nam were receiving a message from on high is completely frustrating. I could let all this go if there had been any evidence that Mi Nam or the show in general took her faith seriously and that this was one moment of levity, but the show seems to reduce her faith as only applicable to the ephemeral and superficial. Argh!

Whatever. So Mi Nam wanders through the nudie babies, and is getting along fine until Jeremy breaks her concentration. Suddenly, the towel around his waist is whipped up over his shoulder, and Mi Nam looks as though she ‘s been stabbed in the gut. But Blank Face comes to the rescue to place a towel over her head and push her out of the shower room. It’s too bad this guy is dead inside, because he’s the only one who is actually helping out Mi Nam and seems to be nice to her.

Alas, our Mi Nam does not get as easy of a break as she hopes. Once outside, Mr. Snarl walks up to Mi Nam and announces to her that he knows her secret. Oh snap.

Episode 2 Review

I promise, moving forward I will let the whole faith/aspiring nun thing go. So I’ll let the harping I’ve done already speak for itself.

I found this episode more enjoyable overall in comparison to the first, probably because this episode has a lot less to set up and is able to give us more insight into the characters (*caveat: this assessment is restricted to those characters that have anything under their skins to explore). Like I mentioned briefly, Tae Kyung is becoming much more three dimensional, a polished professional interested in music as art yet not oblivious to the power of image, ready to judge and judge harshly, yet a big ol’ softy when push comes to shove.

Shin-Woo, on the other hand, is good for about three facial expressions and then his hardware fries from overuse. I’m sorry, Jung Yong Hwa, but it’s not like you aren’t talented in other areas. Just stick to what you do well, namely singing, and leave the heavy lifting to your cast mates.

Mi Nam is starting to get on my nerves, much more so than she did in the last episode. She is putting absolutely NO effort in to appearing like a guy, physically, verbally, vocally, or emotionally. I’ll buy that she doesn’t know much about them, since she is so innocent/was an aspiring nun (I’m sorry, I’ll let it go), but there is no way that I’ll buy that she’s trying to be one. She assumed having her hair cut and throwing a couple rubber balls in her pants is all that is required of her.

Beyond that though, she acts like a damsel in distress most the time, with her doe eyes, her whiny voice, the utter clumsiness to the point of incapacity, and the passivity with which she accepts and merely reacts to situations presented to her. It’s almost as if someone, whether Park Shin Hye, the PD, or whoever behind the scenes, is afraid that the audience will forget that she’s a girl, so they create this fantasy world where everyone will buy that she’s a boy just because she says she is, but traditional gender dynamics of old-school rom-coms can be utilized and Mi Nam can act just like a “girl.” It’s a little disheartening.

I can’t help but compare Mi Nam to other gender bending ladies in k-dramas, who were not only better at disguising themselves as men, but were more interesting characters. Ko Eun Chan in Coffee Prince not only looked the part, but was brash, physically dominant, and self-reliant. And Kim Yoon Hee may have looked too pretty to be a guy, but she definitely made the effort to sound like a man and act like one, by participating in their sports as an equal, by distinguishing herself academically, and bonding bromantically with her roommates (especially her relationship with Goo Yong Ha, which definitely wasn’t romantic).

So what did we learn today, kiddies? Yes, that’s right. Don’t adjust your balls until the laptop lid before you is completely shut. Until next time, fellow YBers. Team YBs? A.N.Jellers? Fellows Jellin’ like Magellan? What do you think, Tae Kyung?

Never mind.

‘House of Lies’: Surprisingly On-The-Nose

2011-12-28T23:47:00.001-05:00

Today Showtime released the first episode of its upcoming new series ‘House of Lies,’ and I’m disappointed. This show has some exciting pedigree to recommend it, and yet the episode, currently available on Showtime’s website (ABSOLUTELY NSFW. Let me repeat that. This episode is NSFW!!!), left me cold. I won’t rule out a series simply based on a pilot, especially when a series can drastically change between a pilot and even the second episode, but there are some substantial improvements that need to be made if I’m going to keep it on my busy Spring TV schedule.

(The series will premiere on Showtime on January 8^th, 2012, and air on Sundays at 10 PM)

Suggested Improvements

1. Cut the narration

I get it. You have been fortunate enough to cast Don Cheadle for the lead role of your series, and you want to get as much mileage out of him as you can. Completely understandable. And I would listen to Don Cheadle read the Nutrition Facts on a Doritos bag, let alone describe to us how he’s going to deceive these corporate douches who have hired him, since he’s just so f***ing cool (see below).

Yet the narration needs to stop. There are certain situations in which narration is called for. Pushing Daisies used narration to great effect, since it contributed to the series’ fairytale-esque vibe. This series is using it like a crutch, didactically explaining who everyone is and what is being talked about. It seems to not think highly enough of its viewers, that they can catch on to what the relationships between the characters are and when exactly bulls*** is being spewed. It should take a page out of The West Wing’s book in this respect, by providing just enough context in order for the episode’s story to make sense, and assume that the viewer will catch on to the rest if he or she doesn’t know it already. It’s not like the concepts that the characters of House of Lies are throwing around are wholly foreign and esoteric, so there really isn’t any need for it.

What’s worse is that the narration literally cuts into the flow of the episode. The rest of the characters and action in the scene freeze so that Don Cheadle’s Marty Kaan can speak directly to the audience. The narration actually cuts into the story without adding much to it, and it happens frequently throughout the pilot. What I find strange is that the director of this episode is one of the directors of 24, and the emmy-nominated director of its pilot episode (Stephen Hopkins). Say what you will about 24, but you cannot say that it wasn’t gripping or well-paced. Time for him to recapture some of that intensity and energy for this series.

2. Get some new writers

There. I said it. I was going to try and beat around the bush, suggesting that the show should dig deeper into its characters or spend more time writing more original dialogue, but in the end it seems more efficient to just get new writers, considering how rocky this episode was in terms of its story, characters, and dialogue. Matthew Carnahan, a writer and executive producer on Dirt, wrote this episode. Dirt may have been cheeky fun, but I certainly don’t remember it for its cutting social satire.

Let’s start with the story. Big banks suck! They gleefully steal from poor people! And they spin crap in order for people to keep buying what they’re selling! Yeah! Or as Showtime says, “Armed with sharp suits, quick wit and a remarkable skill for persuasion, Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell are twisting the facts, spinning the numbers and playing corporate America for everything they’ve got in the outrageous new comedy series, HOUSE OF LIES.”

Oh come on. Why not just give the corporate executives big black mustaches that they can twist between their fingers as they tie fainting damsels to train tracks? It’s just such an obvious approach to an easy target. Not to keep bringing up The West Wing (*cough I love bringing up The West Wing cough*), but it would have been so easy to cast the federal government in an antagonistic light. Instead, Aaron Sorkin chose to portray it with more subtlety and fairness, appropriately balancing cynicism with hope, bulls*** with earnestness. Right now, someone needs to take a step back and reexamine their approach with this show if they want it to be compelling from episode to episode, instead of a mere weekly "F*** You!" to corporate America.

Furthermore, someone needs to insert some fresh jokes, less on-the-nose dialogue, and more interesting relationships into the script. We already have the nerd who name-drops his Harvard education into conversations inappropriately that everyone finds annoying. That is definitely clever and original, except for every other character ever that has ever fictionally attended Harvard. We also have the guy who flirts to get his way around but has no game. Hot damn, show, how did you think of such a character? What’s worse is you give this guy Clyde to the awesome Ben Schwartz (see below), who plays Jean Ralphio on Parks and Recreation, and you are just begging for disappointment by comparison.

Some of the relationships have potential. I'm excited by the dynamic between Marty and his drugged-up ex-wife/biggest competition, especially when the opening scene shows us just how complicated their relationship still is. Yet I was already groaning when I saw Marty needling Kristen Bell’s Jeannie about how probable it is that they will sleep together (87% likelihood). I’m surprised that Marty didn’t turn to the camera and directly state “We have mad sexual chemistry. I am absolutely going to have sex with her. At some point. When it will happen depends upon how many seasons Showtime gives us.” Great. Very exciting stuff. Nothing like watching two snarky, self-important people pretend not to be attracted to each other for a couple years before they have secret sex and break up painfully, since that is clearly where they are headed (aka the Jeff/Britta game, before the writers of Community discovered that theirs was the least interesting relationship within the study group and split them up to be with other people and to greater effect).

In short: A complete re-write might do the trick. Or keep it simple and bring in some fresh blood to the writers room. (Could I suggest Rob Thomas? Aaron Sorkin is a little busy working on his own show, but otherwise he would be better, too.)

BUT WAIT!

I am not prepared to abandon this show entirely just yet. Mostly because of the affection that I have for the actors in the series, both the leads and the guest stars. First off: DON F***ING CHEADLE. He’s just so cool. Even if his character wasn’t written terribly well (he’s pretty confident in the conference room and in the bedroom, but watch out! He’s got mother’s-suicide issues!), Don Cheadle plays him in such a chill way without forcing it. Next is my girl Kristen Bell, of two of my all-time favorite shows, Veronica Mars and Party Down. She can do snarky, vulnerable, prickly, cute, and bad-ass, all in the same scene. And Ben Schwartz is just so charming, I know he could make his character much more engaging than he did in the pilot. Anna Camp? She can do no wrong. She was actually able to wring a laugh out of me when she jumped on and slept with the stripper in the bathroom.

Well, it seems as though there is work to be done, but I’m hoping that the show runners are just using this episode as a chance to experiment. Though if this episode indicates the future of the show, then I think it’s going to be in trouble.

Riding on the BiPolar Express: An In Time With You Finale Review

2011-12-23T23:41:00.047-05:00

Few finales have been so frustrating and yet ultimately satisfying as that of In Time With You. Some scenes and character beats made me want to grab my old field hockey stick and club my laptop to death for showing me such drivel, and yet for the last half hour of this episode I found myself grinning like an idiot as I giggled into my pillow. While I don’t think that this episode resolved all of the problems plaguing this drama, ultimately it succeeds in leaving me with fond memories of my time with it (oh me and my puns!).

I think this should be fairly obvious, but just in case, SPOILER ALERT!

The last few episodes had left me worried about the finale. I don’t mean that I absolutely NEEDED the OTP to get together, to get married, pop out a couple of chubby yet completely adorable children, and ride off into the sunset on a gallant steed. What I actually worried about was that the two leads would simply remain in the holding pattern that they were in when they started. I would be have been fine if they had given a relationship a try but it doesn’t work out, or they discovered that they actually are better off as friends (although that is highly unlikely in their case, given all their emotional baggage). But the characters simply hadn’t shown enough growth or courage to change their status quo, and I feared that the finale wouldn’t push our characters far enough.

Chen You Ching, even though she had finally been confronted with her own selfishness and ignorance, was still wrapped up with the black hole of a man who is Ding Li Wei. Even worse, however, was that Li Da Ren, who was fully aware of his feelings for You Ching and the fact that Ding Li Wei was not right for her, just kept hanging back with that omnipresent hangdog look on his face. In episode 12, Maggie had even told You Ching about Da Ren’s feelings, and told Da Ren that You Ching knew, and he still couldn’t confess to her. The extent of his courage is to run in the rain to her bachelorette party (to do what exactly is still unclear), but at the slightest obstacle, the belief that she had already left the party, he gives up.

This brings us to the beginning of episode 13, when TiaC is ready to throw her precious laptop on the ground and stomp on it a few times for good measure. Da Ren goes from You Ching’s party to her house and leaves her a f***ing note. All he writes is that he hopes that she’s happy and won’t be able to attend her wedding.

Let’s process this for a minute. The viewers have already been robbed of the pleasure of seeing Da Ren finally muster his courage to be honest with You Ching and confess his feelings because his ex-girlfriend was getting to frustrated with his passivity and told her for him, and now this?! Let alone stopping her from getting married, from pursuing the person for whom he has held a torch for well over ten years, Da Ren cannot even muster up the courage to speak to her in person now that he knows that she knows his feelings for her. OC Koala had some very interesting thoughts on how the drama was progressing at the midway point of the series, and at the time, I agreed with her on You Ching’s selfishness as the major problem plaguing the show. But the drama addressed this to some degree in episode 11, thankfully. And as You Ching’s character became more and more tolerable, what became more apparent was that Da Ren’s character was too submissive and unassertive, and the series never addressed this. Rather, he was often portrayed as being the perfect friend and potential husband for having such patience. The problem with his passivity is that whatever good or ill befalls him ultimately will not be as meaningful to the narrative or satisfying to the audience, because Da Ren has not in instigated the important actions or changes himself.

You Ching, on the other hand, started off on the episode in a more satisfying way. Upon hearing Da Ren’s song from high school about her, she finally wakes up to the situation, and realizes that she has to call off her wedding. You go, girl. And even more satisfying with respect to her growth as a character, she immediately goes over to Li Wei’s house to inform him of her decision, on her own, in person. ‘Bout damn time that someone in this show grew some balls and confronted her situation directly.

Then the drama felt the need to undermine her action, first by deflating the conflict, by taking away the chance for her to face the repercussions of her decision, then by resorting to a completely ridiculous and pointless cliché. She arrives at Li Wei’s house to own up to her feelings for Da Ren and break up with him again, and she finds Li Wei in bed, waiting for another woman to come out of the shower. She then faints, and the drama cuts away as if this relationship is now completely over and resolved.

No, this development didn’t come out of nowhere, since another affair on his part ended their relationship the first time around. But the way this was used removed the dramatic conflict of You Ching’s bravery. It was as if his cheating was a counterweight for her lack of love for him and love for someone else, and therefore nothing needs to be addressed anymore. Not only are these two separate issues, issues that need to be each addressed individually, but is unfair of the drama to rob You Ching of this chance to take a stand for what she wants in life. The show even had the opportunity to address the issue later, when the pair runs into each other at an airport. Li Wei tries to apologize, but You Ching brushes it off, saying that it’s fine, since everything worked out for the best. She may be showing greater maturity by not attacking him as she would have before, but she still needed to recognize that he wasn’t the only non-innocent in that situation and that she had something to come clean about to him, too.

And the faint. Wall, meet TiaC’s fist. There was absolutely no point to that. Yes, she was out in the rain for a while, and she never did dry off before going to Li Wei’s house. But other than the fact that it is apparently a rule in dramas that whenever females get rained on for any amount of time they must either faint or get sick, there was no reason whatsoever for her to faint. She just does. We know that it is pointless because the show cuts from her fainting to You Ching’s little weekly “signs of aging” lesson and her round the world trip. I suppose it is one way to end a scene that has sucked out one of the last remaining substantial conflicts of the show, even if it is completely arbitrary and meaningless.

At this point, I was ready to stop watching the episode. Maybe the drama gods were starting to sense that all the good will that had been built up to this point, the good will I had for the stunning visuals and the creative ways that the director had showed the bond between You Ching and Da Ren, was rapidly disintegrating; because the episode took a sharp turn for the better, and this drama Grinch found that her little heart that had shrunk to a miniscule size over the past few episodes was growing three sizes and was about to burst out.

It all starts with You Ching’s personality replacement – oops, I mean her healing eight month sightseeing trip around the world. (*Sidenote: for a show that has been so strong with how it tells stories visually, and how beautiful the cinematography has been, it was disheartening to see that they planted Ariel Lin in front of a green screen and threw up a bunch of overused landmarks behind her to show her trip. Why not just keep her local and instead spend the money capturing better footage?) Suddenly, You Ching is more grounded, less bitter, the inexplicable chip on her shoulder has disappeared, and she is smiling more in this episode than in the rest of the series combined. I could harp on the fact that this drama would have been even more pleasing had this newfound self-confidence and patience been reached a little earlier in the show, but at this point I am just happy that someone has grown up and is enjoying herself. It doesn’t hurt Ariel Lin’s smile is simply infectious.

Next comes the sweet moments for everyone else in the show. We see Da Ren’s new work friends step closer in their relationship, Da Ren’s mother and her boyfriend get married, and a reminder of how adorable You Ching’s parents are. What’s nice about these moments is that while we get a bit of closure on some stories, none of them seem as though they are forcefully wrapped up with a big red bow on top simply because it is the last episode. The wedding was sweet, but more importantly it was the next step in the natural progression of Da Ren’s Mom and Uncle Bai’s relationship. Without forcing confessions down their throats, and while masking it with misleading dialogue, we see Ping An’s crush making subconscious overtures towards her that steps beyond those of a typical friendship. The audience is allowed to see that their relationship is developing, but it is handled with subtlety in a timely fashion.

However, the success of this episode hangs on how our OTP finally gets together, and it is at this point when I hug my laptop, apologize for the misdirected abuse, and pull out a pillow to muffle my schoolgirl giggling. As much as I hate how stubborn and passive our lead pairing has been as far as admitting that they are more than mere friends, I love how naturally their relationship starts. They are in an Ikea showroom where You Ching now works, a perfect way for You Ching and Da Ren to test the waters of a potential real-world romance, one that isn’t groundbreaking or grandiose but substantial and comfortable. I was moved by how natural they were together as a faux-married couple in this potential living room and kitchen, as if you could see that this is exactly how they would be for the next fifty years now that all the extraneous bulls**t keeping them apart has fallen away. Their kiss was awkward at first, as a kiss between friends would be, but once they let themselves be in the moment, it felt natural and right.

And the hits just keep on coming. What made this latter half of the finale so wonderful to watch was that it showed us glimpses of Da Ren and You Ching’s future, both big and small. Luckily the writer was smart enough to know that the audience needed to see the couple get married, and it was exactly what it needed to be, warm and fun, slightly off kilter but grounded in two loving families and all their friends. But we also got to see the details that made their world so rich in the beginning. We see You Ching and Da Ren bonding over a couple of beers and food at the local noodle stand, just as they always have, but now missing that last barrier that separated them has been removed, and they freely hug and kiss. We see the return of smiley, adorkable Da Ren as he sings his song to You Ching on the plane after their honeymoon, just because he can. And we see Da Ren and You Ching get into a fight as a married couple, but resolve it by talking to each other over the phone as each other’s best friend.

Of course, these moments would have been all the more meaningful if the grounds on which they built this relationship had been fought for and won as opposed to being handed to them by the people around them. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment with my joy when Da Ren said to You Ching on the plane that he couldn’t live in a city without her, or that no matter what fights they get into he will always keep her by his side. Those words felt empty when Da Ren hadn’t earned the right to say them by taking a stand in the moments when they counted.

My feelings about this last episode are a fairly accurate representation of my feelings for the entire series. As often as I was excited by the plot advancements and the visual elements, I was frustrated by the lack of character growth. Yet I must admit that this series did have me firmly in its grasp each week. I was engaged by the characters and by the overall story of the struggle of two best friends when faced with their attraction beyond mere friendship. I may not immediately jump back into this series, but once my emotional equilibrium has been restored, I think I could easily re-watch it, especially knowing how everything plays out ultimately.

Boob Tube Round-Up: Week of December 10 – December 16

2011-12-19T02:40:00.000-05:00

Sunday, December 11

The Good Wife: Team Kalisha FTW! Or is it Team Alinda? Whatever it is, I’m excited to see my favorite girls inching back towards each other. And I may not be Peter’s biggest fan, (get it? Biggest – Mr. Big? It’s a pun! Yeah, I fail) but I must admit that seeing him throw his influence around so blatantly was fun to watch, even if his opponent was just a private school principal.

In Time With You: I’m in the process of writing a series review, but my response to the last episode can be summed up by what I kept screaming at my lap top as I watched: “WHAT THE HELL TOOK YOU SO LONG!”

Monday, December 12

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop: Where did my sleep-anywhere bean pole go? And my spike-to-the-face Eun Bi? Everyone seems to be overwhelmed by this love triangle without any idea of how to move forward. What does Eun Bi want from her life now? Even though it can be funny, this drama is getting frustrating.

Padam Padam: Kang Chil and his mom reuniting and rebuilding their relationship is so sweet. The metaphor that he is literally rebuilding her home may be a bit obvious, but visually the shots are so artful that I don’t mind. And Kook Soo and Kang Chil’s mom are adorable together! Although I am a bit concerned about how Kang Chil’s illness will play out.

Tuesday, December 13

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop: I actually like the conflict/cliff hanger going into the final episodes next week, Kang Hyuk’s standing by Chi Soo or the ramen shop, but for once I actually wish that there was a bit more tension behind it. I want Chi Soo to take a strong stance for Eun Bi, and vice versa, and for our flower boys + Eun Bi to make a strong stance together against Cha Sung.

New Girl: Great to see the trapped-in-a-small-space and accidental-confession-of-friend’s-secret clichés used in a new way with such great effect. I am bummed, though, that I won’t be seeing Paul anymore, since he and Jess were so sweet together. Winston finding a job at the Christmas party felt pretty forced and unnatural – wasn’t it just two episodes that he was undermining high school bell ringers, and now he’s the child whisperer?

Padam Padam: Every so often, I catch Kim Bum acting, especially in the scenes that call for intense emotions, but for the most part he has definitely improved. On the Ji Na front, I like her character even more than in the last episode. We are beginning to see her nurturing spirit emerge from under her tough façade as she bonds with Kang Chil, and therefore the scenes between them are becoming more engrossing.

And that's it for this week, as Parks and Rec and Community are on a break, and The Musical is officially dead to me.

The Olympiad Commandeth: Check Out Padam Padam

2011-12-12T01:17:00.002-05:00

(Padam Padam is a Monday-Tuesday drama that premiered on December 5^th in South Korea on the new cable channel jTBC and is being subtitled in English by Dramafever. It is scheduled to air for twenty episodes).

I can say, in all earnestness, that Padam Padam epitomizes why I am so passionately devoted to the medium of television. It may seem a bit hasty to throw such praise around for a series that has just aired its first two episodes this past week, but when the directing, cinematography, writing, and acting is firing on all cylinders the way it has so far, I can’t help but get excited.

The set-up: Yang Kang Chil has been in prison for sixteen of his thirty-five years for a murder he did not commit. In his last month inside, Kang Chil receives the opportunity to change the course of his life for the better, in part because of his ever-supportive friend/self-described guardian angel Lee Kook Soo. Kang Chil is informed that all such opportunities come in threes, and so he should experience two more now that he is released. Meanwhile, Kang Chil’s fate is quickly being entangled with that of the prickly veternarian Jung Ji Na, and figures prominent in his arrest and set-up sixteen years ago are reentering his life in unclear and dubious ways.

*CAVEAT: While this synopsis may seem at first glance to add up to no more than your average action narrative or melodrama, this drama is so much more than it’s plot, so don’t pass it up simply if that doesn’t seem all that compelling.

If nothing else, watch the first two episodes for the aesthetics:

I felt myself smiling throughout this fairly tense episode primarily because the art and the music were just that beautiful. But more than that, the visuals and the score enhanced the emotions of the episodes. I could feel the grit and the anger in the prison walls because the lighting was handled so expertly, and because the music was intense without being overbearing. Once Kang Chil is released, the landscape shots were so lovingly staged that I could understand his desire to be outside of prison despite his having nowhere to go, and I could feel his excitement to be in the world again.

As I have already established in other posts, I am particularly sensitive to how religion and spirituality are utilized and alluded to on television, and am therefore either totally turned off or fully engrossed by it, depending on the writer and director. The description of Kang Chil’s friend Kook Soo as a “guardian angel” is not merely metaphorical: this show has directly and indirectly invoked spirituality in ways that shape its characters and the world they live in. Thankfully, writer Noh Hee Kyung and director Kim Kyu Tae so far have folded it into this drama seamlessly and seriously. How they have used the character of Kook Soo so far reminds me of how Baltar’s Six was used on Battlestar Galactica. Both are mysterious figures, the nature of their existences and essences not entirely known to their charges or to the audience. But neither of them is reduced to a static, all-knowing manifestations of the Almighty. Each of them is flawed and interesting in and of themselves. Kook Soo calls himself an angel who’s looking out for Kang Chil, acting like an overeager dongsaeng trying to protect and latch onto his hyung. Yet there have been hints that beneath this puppy-like bromantic façade is the work of a greater force determined to protect and guide Kang Chil.

Furthermore, how this supernatural involvement in our characters’ world is shown has been skillfully handled without being overindulgent. The few on-the-nose visual cues that the show has indulged in (the glistening of the angel statue Kook Soo gave to Kang Chil for strength, the shadow of the angel’s wing appearing on the prison ground from above), have been beautifully crafted and have been given the appropriate context by setting up high stakes and paying them off. Kang Chil is presented with the opportunity to rewrite his history that leads to an untimely death, and Kook Soo is able to give his friend perspective on his situation, but like all classic Biblical moral quandaries, Kang Chil is ultimately responsible for willing his own fate. And it is Kang Chil’s own choice that turns his life towards the better in the second episode, even with the assistance, worldly or otherwise, from Kook Soo.

Side Note: See, You’re Beautiful? I’m not just being ornery. There is a sophisticated and substantial way to use angels in a narrative.

As I mentioned in my twitter-sized review yesterday, I do have one narrative gripe, and it’s not insignificant. I find Kang Chil’s development wholly engrossing: I’m excited to see how he adjusts to life on the outside of the prison walls after sixteen years. I also find his personal relationship with Kook Soo endearing. Yet when the focus of the series shifted during the second episode towards his developing relationship with Jung Ji Na (played by Han Ji Min), I was less intrigued. Their meet-cute moments are less original and are handled more like the elements of a typical melodrama or rom-com than the murder set-up and moral redemption are. And whenever the two characters are not together and the audience is just left with Jung Ji Na, the narrative tends to slow to a halt, and we are left with a self-centered and judgmental princess. It’s refreshing that the lead female is not a plucky heroine who’s down on her luck but always has a smile, but she’s going to need some redeeming herself if she’s going to be someone the audience cares about and ultimately roots for. She saves dogs, though, so at least she’s got that going for her.

I must therefore especially note the efforts of Jung Woo Sung and Kim Bum, who play Kang Chil and Kook Soo respectively. These characters wouldn’t be half as appealing were they not portrayed so passionately. Kang Chil is extreme in every action and reaction. When he’s sweet, as he is with Ji Na, the first woman he’s talked with in years, he’s vulnerable and sympathetic, but when he’s angry, he’s a force of nature. Jung Woo Sung feels every betrayal, every insecurity, every hope that Kang Chil has, and he brings it out in every glance and syllable. And Kim Bum? I name him most improved actor this year. As much as I love his character Ha Min Jae from The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry (2010), Kim Bum’s charm (or dyed gray hair) couldn’t cover his stilted delivery. Yet he has become a man, and this performance shows it. I don’t mean physically (although… No. No squeeing. Not today). He has really learned to live and breathe a character, and the natural cuteness he possesses has been harnessed in a way that makes Kook Soo relatable. Furthermore, I actually buy that his character could have ended up in prison and could be a spiritual advisor, which took me by surprise.

Is this drama perfect? No. There is no form of the Perfect Drama that Plato or I or any k-drama fan would find acceptable. My snarky response aside, there is some room for improvement (to make the romance as compelling as the other aspects of this drama). But right now there is no television series that has excited me as much as this series has, and I have already carved out the time each week for this series, even if it has to come at the expense of others. So folks, it’s time to open up a new tab on your web browser and give this drama a try. I dare you to try walking away unmoved.

Boob Tube Round Up: Week of December 3 – December 9, 2011

2011-12-11T20:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday, December 4

The Good Wife: Eli Gold is being underused. Time to get Peter back on the campaign trails so Eli stops spinning his wheels at Lockhart Gardner. And Kalinda is being misused. Time to make Alicia forgive Kalinda (which is what the previews suggest may happen, so yay!), so that they can be friends and she stops being so one-note.

In Time With You: Da Ren’s breakdown is uncomfortably raw and hard to watch, but perfect for his state of mind at the time. Kudos. But I’m getting worried that there is too much to wrap up in the finale next week, and I predict that it is not going to end well for our OTP.

Monday, December 5

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop: I thought you were above birth secrets, show! Booooooo! But all the sizzling bromance is sure helping to make up for it.

Padam Padam: Holy crap. I was sold on this drama within thirty seconds, and it kept surprising me from there. From the moving score to the beautiful, intimate shots, this has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing dramas ever. And that doesn’t even begin to cover how well-acted and –written it is.

Tuesday, December 6

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop: Finally, forward momentum! While the plot is still spinning its wheels, as it has since the ramyun shop reopened, at least Chi Soo is finally accepting his feelings (aka the fifth stage since being diagnosed with the “disease” of feelings), and gasps cares about Eun Bi and her fears!

New Girl: I maintain that this show still needs to better define who Winston and Nick are. Schmidt is starting to grow on me, definitely more likeable than in the first couple episodes. But Jess is still what draws me back to the show, and damn if that attempted-sex scene wasn’t fantastically funny.

Padam Padam: While the first episode was a smidge more compelling, the second episode confirmed that the quality of the first was not a fluke, and that this show is really going to be this skillfully made. My only gripe is that the romance is less interesting than the Kang Chil/Kook Soo relationship and the spiritual elements being explored.

Thursday, December 8

Community: A sweet episode with some fun holiday feel-goodery, but in some ways problematic. Although the criticism of trying too hard to make Christmas magical undermines its magic is appropriate and was well-handled, they seemed to be making fun of Glee simply to make fun of Glee, which isn't very interesting. And while the songs were funny, they weren't all that memorable.

Parks and Recreation: I’m glad that the raised stakes from last week’s episode weren’t lowered, that Leslie still felt the consequences of her actions. And it also brought out the lovely B-stories, of the Parks and Rec Department all coming together to support Leslie in more ways than one. And Leslie shouting “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!” = Pure win.

Friday, December 9, 2011

The Musical: I don’t know what to say. The plot is unrecognizable from the earliest episodes, half of the episode was flashbacks from previous episodes, an inexplicable medical miracle took place before a completely predictable death, and only a few passing references were made to the titular musical. The first few episodes of this drama were such a tease compared to the recent mediocrity.

“The Trial of Leslie Knope,” the Heart and Soul of Parks and Recreation

2011-12-05T00:13:00.001-05:00

I realized that a mere Twitter sized love-fest for this week’s Parks and Recreation, “The Trial of Leslie Knope,” is an insult to the greatness that was this episode. Parks and Rec is already one of my all time favorite sitcoms, but this episode stands apart from the rest, and deserves proper recognition. NOTE: This post is all kinds of spoilery, so avert your eyes, those faint hearted amongst you!

So why the bleeding heart over this episode?

Surprisingly, the answer is not because of the humor. Not that this episode wasn’t funny. It was. Probably not as funny as some of my all-time favorites like “The Hunting Trip,” “Flu Season,” or “The Fight,” but it had a few surprises. My favorite was probably Leslie showing the iMovie she sent to Anne the day after she and Ben hooked up the first time.

But for the most part, the comedy in this episode was less original and not very exciting. Most of the jokes fell along the lines of: Tom fancies himself Tommy Timberlake; Ron prizes personal freedom above all else and hates the hell beast that is Tammy 2; Chris is perky; Jerry fails; Andy is dumb but sweet; Lil’ Sebastian > everything ever; Pawnee is…unique. Again, they were funny, but most of these jokes have been told on the show before with different words.

Rather, I will probably remember this episode in particular, written by the fantastic EP Michael Schur and writer of some of my favorite episodes Daniel J. Goor, for two other reasons:

1. For the development of the Leslie-Ben relationship.

Let me just get all the squeeing out of the way, because they have one of the sweetest, nicest, dorkiest, earnest, most adult relationships on television, and they deserve every happiness. As long as it includes their being together forever with children and grandchildren.

What is even better than seeing them together is how and why they are now able to be to be together. Once Chris announced that it had been discovered that Leslie and Ben bribed a city worker in order to keep a kiss between them quiet, it looked as though Leslie’s job was on the line and her campaign would be over. But our beloved Ben took the fall by himself and resigned, and Leslie’s job was spared. They kiss, and we all swoon.

I love that this is how events transpired. Ben’s gesture is grand, noble, and romantic, without being outdated or unnecessarily idiotic. He loves her, and he wants her to fulfill her dreams. But more than that, I love how well his act fits with their characters and their ambitions. Ben is the pragmatist, Leslie the dreamer. Ben is spreadsheets and budgets, which Leslie can do too, but essentially Leslie is the Harvest Festival and a new park on Lot 48. Even though his directly stated reason for taking the blame is because he loves Leslie and wants to make this sacrifice for her, he must have realized that it is ultimately more important that Leslie keep her job than for him to keep his. As much as we all love Ben (I want my own Ben, please, for Christmas), we all see that Leslie is special. She is a noble and just advocate for the people that can shake up City Hall for the better, and Mr. Ben Knope will make a handsome and kind first gentleman.

2. For not being afraid to raise the stakes

The first season of Parks and Rec had a similar tone to The Office, in that it was a dark comedy about an innocent yet ignorant lead who had unrealistic expectations of grandeur in spite of his or her incredibly small world. The UK version, and the US version but to a lesser extent, played off the awareness that no matter how seriously the characters take their problems, the problems still concern office drones in a middling paper company. Despite all the romantic and comedic trappings, there is still a nihilistic outlook that very little here really matters aside from the momentary connections made between characters.

Yet this show found its footing in the second season, when it abandoned this cynical tone in favor of a lighter one about a quirky city and the equally quirky yet good-willed government employees who serve it. The writers allowed for government to do good, and to be of consequence in peoples’ lives. Leslie went from the self-important and oblivious city employee with delusions of the White House to an intelligent, just, and ambitious city employee who could, and probably should, aspire to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Therefore, while it is often the case that the problems that Leslie and the other Pawnee city employees face are smaller and more ridiculous, which is almost always the case for a generic office, sometimes the problems are more meaningful and can profoundly impact citizens or the state.

That brings us to “The Trial of Leslie Knope.” In this episode, the writers may soften the intensity by including visual gags and jokes (Chris’s bag full of medications to prevent himself from getting depressed by this whole trial; the Parks and Rec department and Tammy 2 as character witnesses), but they fulfilled the potential of the un-cynical, earnest tone the show has taken up by giving their characters a substantial moral quandary and having them address it seriously and personally. It matters that there may be bribery and fraud within the government due to a personal affair, and it matters that people stand up for and defend themselves when they believe they are being wrongly accused. Chris, ever Mr. Passive when it comes to discomfort and confrontation, immediately announces the need for this trial upon hearing about Ben and Leslie’s relationship, and declares that he will see it through down to the last detail. More importantly, he does so because he believes that it is his duty to maintain a just city government. Leslie does not back down in the face of Chris’s investigation, because she believes that she has lived honorably and that her actions have not warranted his investigation. In the end, Ben and Leslie both are held accountable for their error in judgment, the latter less so due to Ben’s nobility.

What the audience received from this episode was a hearty meal. It may have been light on the sweets, but it was nutritious and delicious all the same, and absolutely worth savoring.

Breakdown of a trendy: You’re Beautiful (미남이시네요), Episode 1

2011-12-04T00:58:00.001-05:00

For most trendies, there is a fine line between awesome and awful, and there is no drama that epitomizes this better than You’re Beautiful. From one perspective, the Hong Sisters have written a meta-humored rom-com with a beating heart set in the k-pop industry, and from another this drama is one plagued by passive characters and a wasted/cheap premise. Thus, when I thought I’d try recapping a drama, I thought I’d select a drama I’ve had such a complicated relationship with and give it a serious second look (with a hefty dose of snark and sarcasm).

Without further ado, I present Episode 1 of You’re Beautiful!

We open on a church service, choirs echoing in the background. The lead habit Mother Superior notes that Gemma hasn’t arrived yet, and another sister whispers that she’s probably running. Oh, that little rascal!

Cut to: Our little firecracker, Go Mi Nyeo (Park Shin Hye), darting through the courtyard to the soundtrack of Gladiator.

Mi Nyeo manages to make it into the church without raising too much attention, but when some Little S**t with a video player of some kind (technology, what’s that?) ignores Mi Nyeo’s requests for her to turn it off, Mi Nyeo and Little S**t get into quite the tussle. Winner? Little S**t – Mi Nyeo ends up in the middle of the aisle as the video player blares k-pop.

Wow, that k-pop song is pretty catchy. I wonder who the artist could be?

Thanks drama! We get some power shots of a boy band A.N.Jell, composed of Hwang Tae Kyung (Jang Geun Seok), Kang Shin Woo (Jung Yong Hwa), and Jeremy (Lee Hong Ki).

After the performance, the boys’ company president Ahn, chastises Tae Kyung for singing despite the doctor’s recommendation otherwise. He informs them that he intends to hire a new singer for the group, and we can tell by Tae Kyung’s snarling lip, Jeremy’s raised eyebrows, and Shin Woo’s… blank stare (?) that this is not welcome news.

Mi Nyeo has been sentenced to clean the statues in the garden, apparently not an uncommon occurrence. Awww, it’s cute that she has to cover the David statue from the waist down with a towel before she cleans it up (but she’s fine scrubbing bird poo off his naked ass? To each her own, I guess).

From the distance, a man watches her. Because that’s definitely acceptable behavior towards an apprentice nun.

Once done with the marble ass-scrubbing, Mi Nyeo takes off on her motorbike to pick up her plane ticket to Rome. On the way, however, the creeper forces her to pull over and gets all up in her business, comparing her innocent visage to the identical one in his photo, belonging to one Go Mi Nam.

What do you know! He is the same Go Mi Nam that is the new voice President Ahn wants to sign! Small world.

Mi Nyeo, picking up on the same creeper vibes I’m getting, screams at the top of her lungs, kicks him in the sensitive area of his pants, belts him with her helmet, and takes off on her scooter. Not that you can really take off on a scooter, but I appreciate her efforts.

Creeper tries to get her to pull over by shouting at her over a loud speaker – wait, what? Why does he have a loud speaker attached to his car? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

But the news that Go Mi Nam, Go Mi Nyeo’s twin brother, is in trouble catches her attention. Creeper, Mi Nam’s manager Ma Hoon Yi, informs Mi Nyeo of her brother’s impending pop superstardom, and asks her to save him by becoming him! Mwoh? Uh-oh, I smell impending twins-switching-places-hijinks! (“Let’s get together, yeah-yeah-yeah! Two is twice as nice as one!”)

So she gets into Creeper’s car and he takes her to his office to sign a contract with the agency for her brother… Again, I have to say, huh? Yes, the whole towel-over-the-statues’-privates shows us that Mi Nyeo’s innocent. But isn’t it common sense not to get into the car with a Creeper (he hasn’t proved himself otherwise to me yet), let alone sign some mysterious contract without legal help for a distant and heretofore unseen brother? Oh dear.

As she approaches the office, still in her innocent nun garb, she sees the band for the first time from a crowd of fangirls. The sweet music and slow motion tell us that this is supposed to be the fated first meeting of our OTP and the coming together of our new little family unit, but all I can think is how unfortunate Tae Kyung’s hair is. And his outfit. And his eyeliner.

Creeper hands her a bag, containing a wig and some boy clothes. She changes, and gets dragged into the signing with President Ahn. Hey, show: why doesn’t the aspiring nun question the ethics behind fraudulently signing someone else’s name and deceiving the company?

Oops, no time for that: Tae Kyung has just made a dramatic entrance! He gets right up in Mi Nyeo’s grill, investigates her face (for hidden secrets? Pimples? Who knows!), and wrist-grabs her, throwing her out of the room and into his studio. It is Mi Nyeo/Nam’s time to prove herself! No one is going to join Tae Kyung’s team without his consent! Sing, bitch!

Mi Nyeo freezes. Tae Kyung suggests that she can’t sing, and moves to tear up her contract. And here Creeper turns into Jerk – he “reminds” Mi Nyeo how much Mi Nam has been working for this and how she can’t give it up now, so “Mi Nam” should sing. Just keep in mind, Jerk, that you just guilted a nun into committing fraud. I hope you don’t believe in heaven!

Prepare to eat your words, Tae Kyung! Turns out our Mi Nyeo has the voice of an angel. Get it? Angel? A.N.Jell? And to really sell this point, doves fly out behind the window and Mi Nyeo gets back-lit by the heavens.

Success! Tae Kyung accepts Mi Nyeo/Nam as a member, and all’s well that ends well. But wait! Turns out that our Jerk has more in store for Mi Nyeo: Mi Nam is recuperating in the US after a botched eye surgery, and has to stay there for a month. How about Mi Nyeo just live one month as Mi Nam, A.N.Jell singer, dancer, and… man. Mi Nyeo’s response: “That’s nonsense.” True, but that hasn’t really stopped you this far, so why fight it?

That night, Mi Nyeo informs her Mother Superior that she is definitely off to Rome in order to join a convent, and that this is God’s will. Mother Superior wonders if being a nun is really the right path for her. A perfectly valid question, until you realize the other option being presented to Mi Nyeo is joining a boy band. Is Mother Superior really okay with Mi Nyeo jumping into the entertainment industry, with no support system, AND AS A MAN?! Or is she just advising Mi Nyeo to do this without any information regarding her potential situation? Does Mi Nyeo have ANY responsible adults in her life? Sheesh!

Mi Nyeo arrives at the airport for her flight to Rome. And guess who is at the airport at the exact same time? Our fabulous A.N.Jell boys, off to Japan for interviews! (For whatever reason, their designer has saddled Tae Kyung with the world’s largest cowl-neck sweater and Shin Woo with a feather brooch. No need to point this out, but I felt their sacrifices should be appreciated.)

Damn that fickle Fate! Mi Nyeo and Tae Kyung accidentally run into each other, and while she picks up his dropped mp3 player, he picks up her plane ticket. Oh crap. Mi Nyeo realizes that he may recognize her face (since he randomly felt the need to explore it in detail the day of the signing), so she runs away before she realizes that she no longer has her ticket. Tae Kyung may be prickly with most people, but respects the habit and tries to track down the young nun whose ticket he has (thank goodness someone in this drama appreciates what it means that she’s an aspiring nun!). He recruits Shin Woo and Jeremy to help him, and suddenly she finds herself running away from three pop stars. As we all do, from time to time.

At one point, she passes Tae Kyung without being seen by hiding herself amongst some Muslim women wearing their hijabs. Knowing that the Hong sisters have a penchant for subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) social commentary, I have to wonder if they are making a point about religion in general, that a Catholic nun can hide amongst Muslim women since they are all dressed so similarly, but it’s late and that thought train makes my brain hurty.

Stay focused! Our girl is Rome bound, and she’s gotta get that ticket back! With Tae Kyung in her sights, she imagines herself leaping through the air with the grace of a gazelle, snagging her ticket, and dashing past with her antagonist none the wiser. “Eye of the Tiger” playing in her mind, Mi Nyeo reties her shoe, adjusts her habit, and runs towards her target… who is suddenly surrounded by his crew, and she is forced to abandon ship. Epic fail, Mi Nyeo, epic fail. Her plane takes off for Rome without her, and the boys leave for Japan.

She consoles herself by listening to Tae Kyung’s mp3 player, and discovers a mournful demo song he recorded. She then flashes back to Creeper Jerk telling her that the reason her brother wanted to become a singer was so that he could find their mother, also a singer,* and to a memory of their orphanage days, when her brother vowed to become a singer so that their mother would find them (their father has already died).

*Oh, Creeper Jerk. Now you’re playing off of a nun’s missing mother in order to save your hide over your client’s botched plastic surgery? Maybe it’s time to rethink your life choices.

So our Mi Nyeo decides to become Mi Nam. She puts the habit away and takes up the angelic white suit of her band mates (Oi with the angels already! WE GET IT!). Cut to the introductory press conference. President Ahn gives a very dramatic welcome to the newest member, and when Mi Nyeo/Nam* doesn’t immediately enter, Tae Kyung looks smug, Jeremy looks confused, and Shin Woo looks… empty inside. I honestly have no idea with him. But the doors slide open to reveal Mi Nam.

*From now on, I’ll refer to Mi Nyeo as her brother Mi Nam.

The only thing that really makes her look like a boy is the short haircut, and it’s honestly not really that boyish. But fine, the press falls for him, and we get our moment of comeuppance as Tae Kyung scowls at his arrival. The scowl may be a bit exaggerated, but it’s fun to watch. Much more interesting than Blank Face McGee/Shin Woo, who couldn’t seem to find an emotional expression if one hit him in the face.

We pull out to see one particularly dubious person watching the press conference on TV. Dear readers, I interrupt our delightful recap to propose to those of us over 21 (or whatever the legal drinking age in your respective countries, I don’t discriminate) a drinking game: take a shot every time we see this woman, Mo Hwa Ran (Kim Sung Ryung), drinking. In the ten seconds we see her in this first episode, she drinks twice. Ready? Go! (TiaC downs two shots of, ahem, milk, and continues). Just remember, folks: don’t watch Mo Hwa Ran and drive. Thus endeth PSA.

Mi Nam takes a tour of the house she will be sharing with the band, and it looks like one of the houses featured on The Real World. (This is the true story of three guys and one cross-dresser, picked to live in a house, and have their lives taped, to find out what happens when people stop being polite, and start getting real…ly makjang. The Real World: K-drama). She remembers that she still has Tae Kyung’s mp3 player, so steals away into his room to try to hide it. But alas, he comes in at the same time, and she tries to hide in his bathroom. What transpires is probably the most ridiculous scene of the episode, but also the cutest, by just pressing the wrong button:

Way to score points as the new kid, Mi Nam. The best part is Tae Kyung’s response after she leaves: he touches his fingers to his lips, and says, “The bidet is more dangerous than I thought. I have to be more careful.”

The band decides to celebrate the successful introduction at a club. Mi Nam attends her first Pah-tay, replete with glasses of champagne and affection from all the ladies interested in the young pretty boy thing. Keep in mind: Until today, she was a nun. This is wrong on so many levels. Creeper Jerk gains some points and becomes merely Manager Inappropriate by looking after drunk Mi Nam, but not a lot, given that Mi Nam ends up stumbling onto the roof.


We've all been there, honey.

Of course, Mr. Scowley-face himself is alone on the roof of the club, staring at the night sky while everyone else is having fun. Because he’s clearly too artistic to have fun. Tae Kyung catches Mi Nam with a case of the voms, and offers her a string of objects to catch it (how does he think anyone could vomit into a water bottle? That would take impressive skill, and probably one that a drunk person doesn’t possess). He finally holds out a flower pot for her, and looks as though he’s about to get sick himself. Our hero has saved the day!

Just then, Jeremy and Blank Face arrive. Mi Nam starts to peer over the ledge of the building while standing on a bench, and the boys run to her rescue. As she’s about to fall onto them, Mi Nam imagines a conversation with Mother Superior. She says something about being in heaven, yadda yadda yadda, but all that’s really computing are these shots:

Oi with the F***ING angels already!

Episode 1 Review

So my general snarkiness aside, I think there is some good fun here, and I think there are significant problems here. I’m really having a hard time looking past the whole nun/Catholic issue. I get it, this show is a trendy rom-com, and I can’t go into it with the same expectations and criticisms as I would have regarding a drama or a show that was about religion. I also get that Mi Nam has been pursuing this path mostly out of comfort and lack of awareness about the outside world. But the writers went there. They made her a Catholic, and more importantly they made her a nun, and she has exhibited her faith and her values to some extent already. But that seems to fall almost immediately by the wayside as soon as she joins A.N.Jell. All that seems to be left of her past is her innocence. If you are going to make Mi Nam a nun, then make her a nun. There are other ways to make her innocent if that is what is necessary for the story.

But the cute is pretty damn cute, even if it doesn’t neutralize the more substantial problems. Jang Geun Seok is fantastic as Tae Kyung. Setting aside the somewhat distracting snarl, his eyes say so much. Even as Tae Kyung tries to sell his indifference with his body language, his eyes often give his real emotions away, and he is compelling to watch. Park Shin Hye is… cute. And that sounds like an anti-PC/anti-feminist way of saying well, even if she can’t be great, at least she’s cute. Which I don’t mean. Mi Nam’s appeal is her cuteness, and Park Shin Hye’s got that in spades. Although like Jang Geun Seok, she borders on TOO cute, which means that she borders on annoying, and unbelievable as a man. Lee Hong Ki as Jeremy is fun to watch, but not exactly remarkable.

Then we come to Jung Yong Hwa as Shin Woo. Sigh. Boy needs some direction, and to learn that just because you don’t have a line to say doesn’t mean that you don’t have to be in character.

Stay tuned for the next episode, coming when my computer decides that it isn’t going to poop out on me! Until then, dear readers, join me and Mo Hwa Ran for a celebratory drink (although I think her drink is more of a self-pitying drink, but I think she’d drink whatever the occasion), and feel free to vom in whatever receptacle is close by. If you’re feeling lucky, try the water bottle!

Boob Tube Round-up, Week of November 26 – December 2

2011-12-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

Where I dissect the currently airing shows I follow into Twitter-size bites

Sunday, November 27

The Walking Dead: The mid season finale packed a little less punch than I was hoping, and the previews for the new episodes in February hint that we are getting more of this black hole of a plot, namely life on the farm. It’s weird to say this, but there’s not enough dramatic conflict in this zombie show.

In Time With You: Li Da Ren, only two episodes left. Stop pouting and make your move! Thank you, writers, for taking Chen You Qing down a peg. She really needed it. And thank you, DP, for the gorgeous Singapore shots!

The Good Wife: DAMN YOU FOOTBALL! I missed my weekly cynical Kalinda fix.

Monday, November 28

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop: Cha Chi Soo’s oblivious-to-human-emotions thing is starting to get a little tired now that we’ve past the halfway mark. Even Dokko Jin had a better understanding of his emotions than this guy, and he relied on a heart monitor to tell him he was in love!

Tuesday, November 29

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop: Yeeeeaaaahhh boy!

Parenthood: Trust Katims and co. to turn a borderline ridiculous plot point (Julia adopts the coffee girl’s baby) into an opportunity to reveal Julia’s strength and develop an unexpected relationship with a coworker.

New Girl: So the cute is starting to wear thin, and I’m a little less interested. Jess may have a fully developed personality, but I still don’t know the guys beyond the superficial. Making two of them listless thirty-somethings doesn’t excuse underdeveloped characterization.

Thursday, December 1

Community: Annie imitates Christian Bale and Foosball goes anime. Enough said.

Parks and Recreation: What a fantastic episode. Still very funny (“Anne! Ben and I hooked up last night! And I learned how to use iMovie!”), but what made it so great was that the writers recognized that small government isn’t just quaint and sweet but sometimes needs to be taken seriously.

Friday, December 2

The Musical: Call me when they get back to Chumdamdong Gumiho. Until then, I’m outie.

The Olympiad Commandeth: Watch The Comeback (2005)

2011-11-24T17:33:00.007-05:00

“Time to focus on what’s really important: me.” –Valerie Cherish

Since my friends find it super annoying when I spend hours on end talking about amazing shows that no one has ever heard of, I thought that I would vent my frustration/push my TV crack here. Today’s drug of choice? HBO’s The Comeback, from executive producers and writers Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City, 2 Broke Girls) and Lisa Kudrow (from a little show called Friends).

So why the commandment from atop the thing? Check it out:

Quick plot summary: Our “heroine” is one Valerie Cherish (played fantastically by Kudrow), a former 90’s sitcom star who struggles to regain her spotlight on a new sitcom and her own reality show, The Comeback. What the audience sees is the “raw footage” that the reality show crew tapes as they follow her around at home and at her sitcom.

What first drew me in to this show was that it is one of the only shows that has used the “mocumentary” format to its fullest potential. As much as I love (the early seasons of) The Office (US), Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family, I have always had a problem with the fact that there is never any mention of or allusion to the documentary nature of the programs. Who is watching this footage? What is it being used for? And more importantly, how do these projects affect the characters? Not answering these questions seems like wasted opportunities to me. The Comeback, however, not only shows how and why this footage is being compiled, but folds this very reality structure into the overall conflict of the show. Valerie is always aware of the fact that cameras are not only following her, but that there are editors and producers out there who want to use her for their own story, and she is determined to maintain strict control of how she presents herself to her audience.

I should warn you: this is one of the darkest comedies I’ve watched, and is a paradigm of the cringe-comedy genre. It is a lot like Extras, which premiered the same year, in that both strive for and definitely earn big laughs, but oftentimes those laughs come at the expense of the mental and spiritual well-being of their protagonists and rarely bring their audiences to catharsis at the ends of the episode. Both shows are grounded in central characters who are aware of the cynical and often soul-crushing nature of commercial filmmaking but still dive in anyways in order to sate their obsession with fame. Valerie Cherish has been through the experience of being on top of the world as a television starlet and quickly taken down due to cancellation, yet she still willingly and knowingly jumps back into another sitcom.

What keeps me watching is how well-written and -acted it is. Lisa Kudrow lives and breathes Valerie. She never lets Valerie get boxed into one stereotype, when it could be so easy to do so. Kudrow is able to express the vulnerability and insecurity Valerie feels as the oldest member of her cast on Room and Bored, her new sitcom, without turning her into a victim. With a single glance and shrug at one of the writers on her sitcom, Kudrow shows that Valerie can actually read the tension and brewing troubles that plague their show, but is able to flip it within seconds by having Valerie directly point out her “wisdom” to her reality show/audience. Valerie may be addicted to fame, but Kudrow never lets her strictly defined by it.

The same applies to the other characters in her world, and for this I credit the writers. It would be easy to surround Valerie with competitive self-obsessed twenty-something actors and a hostile reality crew. Instead, the star of Room and Bored, Juna (Malin Akerman, who I actually think does a good job here), looks up to Valerie earnestly as a mentor and takes her side on the show. The other cast members may not necessarily like Valerie at first, but they quickly come around and take her in as one of her own. Even the producer of her reality show, Jane, comes to care about Valerie despite having her own agenda.

The villain of the show is the odious Paulie G. (Lance Barber), one of the writers on the sitcom. What is compelling about him is because we can understand why he is such an ass towards Valerie, but his responses are so far out of line and cruel. He and the other head writer, Tom (Robert Bagnell), are often the characters who encounter and have to deal with Valerie when she is being particularly aggressive and pretentious, and yet Tom is at least considerate enough, or maybe just professional enough, to at least pretend to consider or care about Valerie’s suggestions or comments. Paulie G., however, at his nicest, is wholly indifferent, and openly mocks and tears down not just her efforts but her as a person. And the result is a character that is wholly human and is relatable in theory but is just easily and eagerly despised by the audience, exactly what a villain should be. And I give major kudos to the writers, for finally giving Valerie her well-deserved and -executed revenge in the penultimate episode, but also for quickly undercutting it with a double-vomit. ‘Cuz you gotta have a double-vomit.

I got the DVDs for this show a couple weeks ago and fully intended to marathon the entire series over a couple of days. I ended up only watching one episode each day, not only because one episode was about all my embarrassment quotient can handle, but because I wanted to savor all of those small details that make this show so great. I have already started re-watching it, and am picking up on moments and lines that I missed the first time. I think that speaks volumes about this show. It may be a tough show tonally at times, but it is crafted with such care and heart that it is absolutely worth looking up and watching.

Ricky and the Globes: A Primer

2011-11-17T01:45:00.000-05:00

So the news is out that Ricky "Karl's Friend" Gervais is hosting the Golden Globes again in 2012. And as much as I love the man (he's the only comedian I would spend $70 on for a ticket at Madison Square Garden), I am almost disappointed by his decision to host again. Don't get me wrong, his jokes were painfully funny at this last ceremony, but they weren't as subtle or ambitious in the way that his other works are, and that is what distinguishes him as a writer and a performer. Not that Kate Winslet pantomiming licking her tit while having phone sex is subtle, but it is quite the comic achievement. He has taken down Hollywood so elegantly and with such devastation elsewhere (see Extras), so at this event his jokes almost felt... too easy.

For any Ricky n00bs out there, here's a list of some of my favorite material written by/starring my man, material which I think shows why I'd rather see Ricky's efforts used elsewhere.

1. The Office (UK): Ten years ago this year, Ricky and his frequent collaborator Stephen Merchant developed a carefully studied character, David Brent, and a new style of sitcom based on the works of Christopher Guest, the mockumentary. Before the American version exploded the scope of this show, it was an incisive look at the dreary but often absurd reality of office life and the heart that can be found there when you really dig into it.

On Youtube, find David Brent's dance. It will fill the void in your soul with its awesomeness.

2. Extras: Again with Stephen Merchant, Ricky created a show about the ridiculata that is celebrity and show business from the inside. At times it is almost too painful to watch, but the celebrity self-destructive cameos provide a nice balance of humor to tragedy.

On Youtube, find any of the cameos on the show. The ones by Daniel Radcliffe and Kate Winslet are particularly awesome. Also, a little behind the scenes featurette called "Finding Leo" is good for a laugh. Yeah, I am "havin' a laugh!"

3. Ricky Gervais Show podcasts: I could just tell you to watch the TV show, but there is nothing like listening to the ramblings of Ricky and Steve and their friend/producer/idiot savant Karl Pilkington and trying to imagine what the hell is being described. While the podcasts may not be as ambitious in concept and vision as his scripted shows, hidden in the directionless ramblings are little gems that express the creative imagination of a man with a head like a f***ing orange who hates holidays and... well... anything that isn't sweets, washing dishes, or Suzanne.

I cannot even begin to list recommendations for the podcast, because they are all genius. For some reason, what's sticking out in my mind right now is the story of Karl's brother, who had enrolled in the military, taking out a tank to the local store to buy a pack of cigarettes and screwing his superior officer's wife. And laughs are guaranteed with any segment of "Monkey news," "Karl's Diary," or "Educating Ricky."

4. Ricky's stand-up. I was lucky enough to see him in New York for his "Out of England" tour, and he was fantastic. He picks very broad subjects for his stand up, but he dissects them so carefully, maintaining a perfect balance of social and cultural critique with biting humor. For about thirty minutes, he read to his audience a children's book telling the story of Noah's Arc and was able to keep the entire audience laughing the whole time.

So I'll probably still tune in anyways, but I'd rather catch up on his other works, like An Idiot Abroad and the upcoming Life's Too Short. It's the first time in years that I'm honestly excited to see Johnny Depp (yeah, I'm that snob).

Why Noona-Dongsaeng Relationships Kill Me Every F***ing Time

2011-11-12T03:41:00.000-05:00

Who knows what time it is? K-drama time! That’s right. Time to trek over to Seoul, eat some kimbap, sing in a noraebang, and hate on those second lead ladies trying to steal our girls’ men!

But today I’m going to set aside my usual burning hatred for those second leads. Instead, I want to reflect on why I am such a sucker for the Noona-Dongsaeng setup in rom-coms, when our heroines are love-lorn-yet-strong 30-somethings and our heroes eager-to-please 20-somethings.

1. All my (interesting) single ladies

I have nothing against idealistic, romantic young girls trying to find love. You do your thing, girlfriend! *TiaC fumbles around, attempting 3 snaps in a z-formation, sighs, and moves on.*

What I mean is that I just find rom-coms more engaging when the leading ladies have experienced a bit of the world and know that s**t ain’t easy. But the reason why those in noona-dongsaeng relationships (which I will now abbreviate as ‘n-d’) are even more interesting, is that even if they are more realistic and grounded, they are still open to adventure and finding happiness their own ways.

One of my favorite noonas (or should I call them unnis?): Lee Shin-Young of The Woman who Still Wants to Marry. Gaah! She’s awesome! She’s fun and confident, with two of the greatest gal pals in the world – who else would go for an exorcism in the name of friendship? She’s ambitious and doesn’t take crap from her colleagues. And she doesn’t put up with anyone telling her that she doesn’t deserve or shouldn’t hope for something just because she isn’t a young woman anymore (since obviously life ends at 33). Yet she’s flawed in significant and interesting ways. Paired with her ambition is a hefty dose of oblivious selfishness, sending in others blindly into unknown situations in the name of journalism. She isn’t above petty revenge on her ex boyfriend (not that I’m not, or anyone should be for that matter). My point is that she is a fascinating character to follow, even aside from her sexy fun times with Min-Jae.

2. Let’s Hear It for the (confident) Boys!

I cannot just praise my gals, because the other half of the OTP’s are just as appealing as a viewer. And by that, I don’t just mean that they are SUPER cute. Which they are. REALLY cute. Dare I say, some are even handsome. Let’s take a break and enjoy some of my favorites.

Yes. Yes please. (Bae Sung Hyun, I Need Romance)

SQUEEEEEEEEE! (Park Chul-Soo, What's Up Fox?)

And then... (Kang Tae Bong, Dal Ja's Spring)

Oi with the cuteness already! (Ha Min Jae, The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry)

His smile made the gods cry (Park Tae-In, Biscuit Teacher Star Candy)

No special effects used. He's just THAT beautiful (Cha Chi-Soo, Flower Boy Ramyun Shop)

*Sigh*

Where was I? Oh yes. They aren’t just appealing visually. The reason why I love them is because these men are just so… confident. Not in the ginormous ego way. Many of them deserve to be taken down a peg or two in this respect. But I love them because they are comfortable with themselves enough to not only take on their usually neurotic and self-conscious noonas but the social stigmas and pressures of dating women who are significantly older than they are. As annoying as pretty boys usually are, there is nothing like seeing them brush off the judgment of onlookers and stand by their ladies as men.

Let’s talk about Bae Sung Hyun for a minute from I Need Romance.

*Spoiler Alert: Okay, so I admit that I didn’t hate that In Young ended up with Sung Soo, and that I understand her reasons for breaking up with Sung Hyun. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t LOVE when our n-d got together (episode 11, you know the scene) for the first time and the time they spent dating. I just wish all that chaebol nonsense hadn’t wormed its way into their sweet romance. At least both were able to eventually face the reality of their situation without inane melodrama. End Spoiler Alert*

Sung Hyun: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Firstly, he is a gentleman. Just look at his suits! But hidden beneath his Adonis-like physique is a lightweight man-boy with boundless puppy-like energy and an endearing crush on his noona/sunbae. From that first sweet glance in the first episode as he is forced to listen to In Young’s relationship drama, to his cheeky pursuit of kisses and more as her boyfriend, Sung Hyun emanates a sexy sweetness that no woman, regardless of age, could resist. He knows what he wants, and follows through, cleaning up whatever nonsense gets in his way. And a little jealous streak in a man never hurts. No, the boy isn’t perfect, but who wants that? Sometimes a girl just needs a little romance in her life.

3. Cuz We’re just Ordinary People (…with real world problems)

I’ve certainly indulged in my fair share of dramas with… bats**t crazy premises and conflicts. In the name of OTP cuteness, I’ve endured “So my friends sold my house to a pop star with a distracting wardrobe and unfortunate hair, and now I’m his live-in maid, wife, and Three-Bears dancer in hopes of getting it back eventually” (Full House) and “My dad married me off to a chaebol with rich boy PTSD whose dad was in love with my mom back in the day so I’m going to pretend to marry a hipster rocker who’s prettier than me in order to find romance for myself” (Mary Stayed Out All Night). And while the characters and the romance may be fun to watch in spite of their plots, they are rarely engaging in any significant way (or in any way that doesn’t collapse under any degree of scrutiny).

In the case of n-d based plots? The conflicts are a priori relatable, because the stakes and consequences of such relationships have real-world significance. In What’s Up Fox, Byung-Hee falls for Chul-Soo, who is not only nine years younger, but is also her best friend’s younger brother – she herself grew up with him. She wants to secure her own future, but if she chooses Chul-Soo over the successful doctor who likes her, she has to provide for Chul-Soo as he tries to land a career, on top of waiting for him to serve his two-year mandatory military service. It is also unsurprising that his sister is… less than accepting of their relationship (it wouldn’t be a K-drama without at least a little screaming and kicking), since Byung-Hee helped babysit for Chul-Soo. Merely by being this far apart in age and dealing with different challenges that comes with different stages in life a priori challenges the couple without forcing absurd plot twists down the audience’s throat just to make us feel for them. This drama is so natural, and yet so rife with conflict that I immediately feel for the struggle towards OTP happiness.

So what do I take away from all this? I can’t wait to be a confident but slightly psychotic thirty something who has an adorable man-child following her around. Because as we all know from Aristotle, K-drama is an imitation of life.

And here's one final gift for the road:

You're welcome.

Community’s “Advanced Gay” and the Season 1 Problem

2011-11-05T04:04:00.001-04:00

Heart attack or clever way to get out of this episode?

After two stellar episodes from Community, “Advanced Gay” pales in comparison. “Remedial Chaos Theory” and “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps” exemplified what was best about the show, a comedy that is not afraid to push the boundaries of how stories are told on television without sacrificing the status and growth of its characters. Yet “Advanced Gay” seemed to fall back on the tired, unimaginative threads of Pierce’s conservative social views, Jeff’s Daddy Issues (still left unresolved in any way), and Britta’s ill-informed overreaching. But most disappointing is the resuscitation of the “Look! Community college students! They take their studies so seriously. Aren’t they quaint?” approach to plotlines, which I was hoping the writers had gotten over by the end of season 1.

For some context, let’s take a look back.

“Remedial Chaos Theory”, aired on 10/13/11

Always count on a fedora to classy up the joint.

This episode epitomizes what has made this comedy one of the best for the past couple years, starting with “Modern Warfare” at the end of the first season. This episode is carefully constructed, with each iteration of the die roll telling its own story with its unique repercussions, but ultimately coming together to form a whole episode that is revealing about each of the characters and their relationships with each other and to give a simple, sweet message. This is how the Sideways worlds could have (and probably should have) been utilized in Lost, instead of trying to pull some heaven-we’re all dead-religious harmony bull out of its a**.

It almost seems like a throw-away line from Abed at the end to not let chaos rule their lives and have the group choose to send Jeff to get the pizza as a simple way to resolve the episode. Yet I can’t help but read into his pronouncement a Stoic moral, that the only control we have over our lives is how we face what happens to us, and facing it with courage and the support and caring of each other is how we find happiness. It’s sweet that such a positive sentiment can be expressed on a normally cynical sitcom without being ironic.

This episode is also one of my favorites because of how this episode plays off of the ambiguity regarding what constitutes a person’s identity and how, and how fragile those identities can be when exposed to different stimuli. Pierce managed to tell his Eartha Kitt story in every timeline (my favorite telling? “You know who got it in the long run? Eartha Kitt when I nailed her in the airplane bathroom“), showing his omnipresent desire to be popular in the group. Yet what I thought was even more revealing was that as the frequent antagonist for the group, and the member most likely to offend in whatever way possible, it was primarily external circumstances that determined whether he would give that troll to Troy. In the worlds in which he learned that his friend was actually grateful to him and cared for him, Pierce thought of his friend’s well-being and hid the damn fire-starter. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pierce as the group’s foil, but it’s moments like this when he seems most human and interesting in and of himself.

I also just want to not that this episode was written by Chris McKenna, who also wrote the likewise fantastic episodes, “Paradigms of Human Memory” (by which I laughed more in that 21 minutes than by anything else I had seen that season on any show) and “Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking” (which made a shout-out to “Firefly,” and that automatically puts that episode in the WIN column).

Let’s be real: that doll would scare the sh*t out of me too if it sat outside my bedroom and stared at me at night

“Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps”, aired on 10/27/11

While not quite as high concept as the last episode, still “Horror” is a well-made episode that was an actually funny Halloween-themed episode. Each character is given the opportunity to tell a horror story, and thus the writers are able to both satire pop-horror staples and further draw out their characters. Annie’s story parodied Twilight-esque vampire romance, but in keeping with her ambitions, independence, and self-motivation (on the flip side, read: repressed aggression), Annie turns into a were-wolf and devours the vampire. Of course, she also had to teach him to read before she killed him.

Featuring a cameo by Annie's boobs. But alas, not Annie's Boobs.

It’s the details that gave this episode its richness. Each parody was actually made into a short film, and we got to actually see hints and clues at new aspects of these characters without them being thrown into our faces. Shirley may be a loud and proud warrior for Christ with a sweet voice, and a divorcee with three children, but I never actually thought about how innocent she still is, which is why seeing her literally hell-bent drug addict Britta dumping a container of pot leaves on her chest and getting high from it was particularly funny. Or that Abed may be signs of showing that he is a real boy, casting himself as the romantic lead opposite Britta in his own slasher flick.

In the same way that Pierce was humanized in “Chaos,” I likewise found Britta to be a bit more human in this episode. It is easy for her to be a screechy, pretentious yet ill-informed, unfeeling liberal stereotype if she is not treated carefully, but in this episode, she was able to be a bit dim and over-reach but still be caring and at least agreeable. It’s actually cute in this episode, that she has NPR podcasts on her iTunes but still mispronounces “macabre.”

Is Coolio back? Can I un-ironically pull out my Gangsta's Paradise now?

And then “Advanced Gay” happened.

“Advanced Gay”, aired on November 3, 2011

Suddenly, our characters seem to flatten and lose dimensions. Pierce and Shirley are older than the show’s target audience, and therefore must both be homophobic, and in Pierce’s case, racist! Time to throw in some ironic homophobic jokes! And since the show is self-aware and left-leaning, it is okay to throw in stereotypical depictions of gay men, naturally. Besides, gay mouthful jokes are only funny coming from Tobias Funke (“You, sir, are a mouthful.")

The B-story this week was about the seduction of Troy towards the career fields of plumbing and air-conditioning, which saw the revival of the Good Will Hunting parody of Troy as a genius repairman. This plot just feels cheap, that the genius that community college students can aspire to is in repair work. This thread was one that I had hoped the show had abandoned, this attitude of mocking community college as opposed to… “real” college, I guess, as if the writers had some sort of superiority complex. This show works best when they cast Greendale as existing in some hyper-reality, home of the sweet but occasionally dim and extremely odd, who could point out the absurdities of the real world. It’s a similar to the successful move that Parks and Recreation made at the end of its first season when it abandoned its premise as the government version of The Office. (And sidenote, if you are going to cast John Goodman as a bad-ass assistant dean, come up with something more clever for him to partake in than a flat movie parody that you already made on the same show!)

Britta was back to her overreaching, screetchy, holier-than-thou attitude and I started tuning out. Britta: “In my psych class I’m learning about this thing called the Oedipal complex …” TiaC: “F**k me, wake me up when Parks and Rec starts.” She immediately starts diagnosing Pierce and Jeff with daddy issues, and while she may not be wrong, the writers need to be more careful with how far they take her character. I'm also becoming concerned that the writers don't know that if they continuously refer to Jeff’s strained relationship with his father, it they need to actually pull the trigger and SHOW him. It has been clearly stated, many, many times that Jeff and his father have issues to work out. Now it’s time to show the audience what it’s all about, or let it go.

Even God hates Britta

Final thoughts? I’m going to hope that this week’s episode was an anomaly, because this season has been consistently well-made. The biggest problem with this episode is that it just wasn't funny. Set aside lack of character development or insight, I didn't laugh once. No, wait- I laughed once, when the Reverend at the funeral said to Britta, "You're the worst," which I think is telling for how excessively-written she was this week. But I trust that the show will be back to form next week.

And because I am a glass half-full kind of girl, I am going to end on my favorite exchange from "Horror", courtesy of slasher flick Abed and Britta:

Britta: “I’m turned on by how logical you are”

Abed: “I’m comforted by your shiny hair and facial symmetry.”

New Blog! Woot!

2011-11-03T01:34:00.001-04:00

Well, welcome dear reader(s)!

So I am sure everyone has been waiting for the day that TiaC would start her own blog to catalog her thoughts on her favorite television shows, past and present. I felt that it was time to step up and live up to your expectations.

Welcome to The Wrath of the Whatever from High Atop the Thing! If you aren't sure of the reference, go look it up on Youtube. Right now! Then go scold yourself in the mirror for not having understood the reference immediately. And make yourself cry if you've never seen that show before. Once your your self-esteem has been restored, time to sit down and marathon all seven seasons for the next few days. Then you'll find out how CJ wound up with two turkeys in her office (their names are Eric and Troy, by the way, and Troy doesn't like to be touched).

But really, I chose that title not just because of my love for Aaron Sorkin, but because I take television SERIOUSLY. When a show is well-written, carefully directed, artfully shot, and acted with conviction, I am its bitch forever. I will follow a show through thick and thin as long as the individuals involved are committed to producing quality entertainment. But the moment that a show loses its drive, its direction, or becomes self-indulgent, I have no problem calling bulls*** and ripping it apart from the safety of my armchair (I'm looking at you, Glee!).

What I hope to do with this blog is recap, analyze, criticize, and compare episodes from my favorite shows, foreign and domestic, as they strike my fancy. I may jump from a comparison of the whimsy of 30 Rock, Pushing Daisies, and Greatest Love to a more studied dissection of how religion is treated on television (but that would probably be a series of posts, as each show in and of itself could take up a few).

Time to get started up in here! So say we all! Hwaiting!

Yeah, I'm kind of a dork