wonderwoman
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Posts posted by wonderwoman
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Since fall finale encapsulated so much of what Parenthood could (and should:) have done over the years, I've cross-posted here.
Background: I wanted to like this show; I have tried to like this show. Others (many others, in fact :) have noted the flaws discussed below, but loved the show in spite of them. I guess I must have a lower threshold... But, what's made watching Parenthood such an exercise in frustration is that it's always been disconcertingly easy to see the show that it could have been -- the show it should have been.
The true pleasure of serial drama -- and yes, Parenthood is a serial drama -- lies less in the culmination of a story than in the anticipation leading up to the climax and the aftermath. But, with so many characters to service and a declining number of episodes each season, Parenthood has skipped from high point to high point, never exploring the valleys in between; always telling viewers when it was time to cry, never letting us get there on our own. (I really thought I was going to be the only person to make it through the entire series without shedding a tear. But during Joel's heartfelt plea to Julia in the restaurant, I finally teared up for the first time. Better late than never, I suppose. :)
The other source frustration is, of course, the Bravermans: insular; entitled, boarding on arrogant; self-absorbed, but incapable of self-reflection, self-examination or ever admitting that they might just be the one in the wrong. Yes, they may say the words when pressed (but really, has anyone ever truly called a Braverman on their shit and made it stick? I know, rhetorical question:). But with the exception of Camille and Joel (of course, neither a Braverman by birth :), they do not own their faults or learn from their missteps. And those missteps never, ever, result in real and lasting consequences. In the end, everything always works out for the Bravermans.
As Alan Sepinwall pointed out at HitFix, the financial constraints of this final season (which meant fewer characters per episode) provided a real opportunity to delve deeper into the characters and their relationships. Why Jason Kamins choose to squander this opportunity by focusing so much attention on Hank and his family is anybody's guess.
Here's my take on the fall finale:
Zeek's treatment of Drew
While Zeek's desire to surprise Camille with a trip to France was lovely, his treatment of Drew since his surgery has been unforgivable. And, no one's called him on it. Not Camille, the closest thing Parenthood has to a moral center. When Zeek told her about the trip, it would have been the perfect opportunity for her to hold his feet to the fire for the damage he's inflicted on his grandson.
Then there's Sarah
She's been so tied up with Hank and his family drama that she doesn't seem to know what's going on with her own children. Is she even aware that Amber was in the hospital? Does she know that both Zeek and Amber have been pulling Drew away from his studies, which in typical Braverman fashion, has had no consequences, at least not yet (and anyone holding out any hope for the final few episodes, raise your hand)? Thinking back, have Sarah and Drew even shared a scene this season? Less of Hank's family drama would have freed up time for the missing Sarah-Amber, Sarah-Drew, Sarah-Zeek, Sarah-Camille scenes
And finally, the Snowflake Academy:
This episode offered an opportunity (squandered, of course) to explore in the persons of Adam and Kristin much that is wrong with the Bravermans, while, at the same time, providing both anticipation and aftermath.
Their behavior toward Max has created so much damage, not just to Max, but to the school, where his obsessive attention toward Dylan is quite likely actionable. Why wouldn't parents watching the meltdown of Max and his parents start yanking their kids out of Chambers Academy, post haste, putting the school's future in serious peril?
That possibility could have led to some serious soul searching on the part of Adam and Kristina, and lead them to the painful realization that their inability to confront Max's behavior has not only undermined his growth, but brought them to the point of losing the school. Their conversation would have taken place before they talked to Max (anticipation); leading to a conversation that would have forced Max to realize that notwithstanding his intentions, that yes, he was harassing Dylan. The aftermath? Well, instead of dropping by unannounced, perhaps a proper meeting at the school that began with Adam and Kristina acknowledging the truth of Dylan's parent's observation that Adam and Kristina see the world only through the view of the son, and that ain't no way to run charter school.
If only... The saddest words in the English language...
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I've never watched telenovelas, but from the little I've seen, they always struck me as over-the-top melodramatic. Of course, since I don't speak Spanish, something may have gotten lost in translation (or the subtitles:). That said, I did love ABC's version of Ugly Betty.
So I don't know if this is the norm for Spanish language telenovelas, but one of the things I love most about this show is how it connects the past to the present in subtle ways that illuminate important aspects of characters, but don't necessarily move the plot.
For example, Jane's mother, Xiomara, allowed her to believe that she considered terminating the pregnancy, but her very Catholic mother, Alba, disapproved. However, it turns out that Xo wanted to keep the baby all along, and it was Alba who pushed for an abortion. When Jane finds out, nothing really happened. But, the revelation adds multiple layers of complexity to characters we (and Jane) thought already we knew well.
Same with Jane's father and the car. Rogelio's admission that he hadn't been able to own a car until he was in his 30s provided a rich context for his seemingly extravagant gesture --although, to be fair, it was a Mini Cooper, not an Escalade. While it might seem as though giving cars to his former step-daughters was simply in response to their selfish complaining, there's also an innate fairness in his generosity.
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"Maybe the writers can repair some of the damage they've done to the show's reputation by addressing the major flaws that have been evident this season. Maybe not though. "
Well, I, for one, ain't holding my breath...
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"Those two. JJ and HP are two of the strongest actors on the show, and the most subtle in their choices, and it pays off every time they are together"
Both of whom got their start on soaps, JJ, of course, on General Hospital; and HP on Guiding Light and One Life to Live.
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Just saw a promo for a Christmas special for early December, either the 8th or 9th.
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When ABC cancelled two of my favorite shows, Eli Stone and Dirty, Sexy Money, a few years ago, they burned off the unaired episodes over a few weeks late in the season. So, there may be some hope. And, really, since there's no reason for them not to show those episodes on the ABC app or website. Since the episodes are already in the can, it's not as though it's going to cost them anything .
Any thoughts on how we might "encourage" them?
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Alan Sepinwall posed the following question (which I'm guessing is rhetorical, since clearly it's the former:) at the end of his review of the episode:
"With only five episodes to go — and potential births, deaths, divorces, etc. to deal with — will "Parenthood" go with implausible but uplifting happy endings, in which the Luncheonette somehow survives, Joel and Julia reconcile, Zeek lives to hold his great-grandchild, Drew wins the lottery, Max gets a girlfriend, and on and on? Or are we heading for some tough endings for whichever characters are budgeted to appear in these concluding chapters?"
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"I hope we see some consequences for Max's, and Kristina's, behavior. Otherwise that may just be the most absurd story the show has done. There has to be fallout from either Dylan's or Aaron's parents, right"
Surely thou jests...
Seriously, if I had to pick the one thing that bugs me the most (and it's a long, long list:), it's that actions, never, ever, have real consequences.
Over at TVClub, Carrie Raisler has a little chat with Kristina:
http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/parenthood-aaron-brownstein-must-be-stopped-211860
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" The state department on this show is being run by about 8 people. Not a single under- or deputy secretary of any country or region."
And where, pray tell, is the secretary of defense, whom, one might expect, to be consulted before ground troops are committed? Another thing that drives me nuts: how Elizabeth seems to plunge ahead on pure emotion. No matter how dire the situation, even a modicum of research would have revealed the priest's issues. Of course, then the episode would have been over in 10 minutes -- or, things could have gotten really interesting.
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"And is it a judges place to tell the prosecutor to recuse herself? If the defense attorney thought there was a conflict he could bring it up and ask the judge to suggest it, right? I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV, so if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me."
I'm not a lawyer either. However, while it may not be the judge's place, in real life (or even on Law & Order:), Erin's boss, the district attorney, would have immediately recognized the conflict of her prosecuting a case involving her brothers. Or, Erin would have recognized the conflict and recused herself. Of course, not in the rarified world the show's writers have created for the Regan's.
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I've always felt that the death of Bryant was a major factor in how disconnected ATWT's storytelling became in the final years. He and Jennifer were related by blood or marriage to virtually every other character: Lucinda was his grandmother, his aunts were Lily and Margo, who was married to Tom, whose stepmother, Kim, was Jennifer's aunt. Had TPTB kept the two together (or at least as the end game), the Hughes, Walsh's and Snyder's would have been connected through Bryant and Jen, and the show would have been the better for it.
My other quarrel with Bryant's death was that there was no long term payoff: Yes, Craig had that great monologue, and Barbara had the burn story. But nothing that reverberated over time.
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"The Honorable Bruce Van Exel from Judging Amy"
Yes! His voice was so familar; comfirmed with IMDB. Nice bit of ironic casting.
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This episode illustrated everything I've always found so frustrating about this show in general and Danny in particular: aside from the one anger management class he deigned to attend last season, there have never been any consequences for the countless times he's brutalized suspects and run roughshod over the 4th amendment (I wait in vain for a charges to be dismissed, or a conviction reversed, which happened all the time on L&O). This fact that this time he followed the rules provided an opportunity to explore the ironies of how his past bad (illegal) behavior finally came back to bite him in the ass, but no...
Instead, the situation is politicized and racialized (don't know if that's a real word, but what the hell:) By portraying the Reverend Potter as nothing more than an opportunist willing to play fast and loose with the law to advance his agenda, the show implicitly dismisses why African-Americans in NYC (and too many communities across the country) feel justifiably threatened when police come into their neighborhoods.
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Todd VanDerWerff over at VOX has some interesting thoughts about the political diversity of Jane the Virgin.
http://www.vox.com/2014/10/14/6973331/jane-the-virgin-pro-life-premiere-recap
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I thought I'd check out three episodes, but I'm out after two. As I said last week, given than Barbara Hall created both Joan of Arcadia and Judging Amy, I expected complex, layered characters. Didn't see it in these first two episodes, and from the previews, the third doesn't look much better. So, I'm gone.
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"It's amazing how the person who did such a good job depicting high school in Friday Night Lights managed to create such a half-assed plot."
I've been asking that same question as I've hate-watched every episode. And I just don't mean Jason Katims' Asperger agenda; from the beginning, I felt that he never delved as deeply into the emotional underpinnings of the characters as he did in Friday Night Lights. I think part of it is too many characters to go deep. But, I also wonder how much influence NBC imposed.
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"all Morgan has to do is speak in that voice of his and say 'watch this show' and some folks will watch the show."
Well... Instead of "discussing/propping" the show so more people will watch the show, Barbara Hall needs to make the show better. The question is, can she?
Barbara Hall knows how to write complex, layered characters navigating life's ambiguities ("Joan of Arcadia," "Judging Amy"). So does Ron Lurie, who previously made the film, "The Contender," and created "Line of Fire" before "Commander in Chief." I wonder if network interference is the real problem?
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This is not encouraging: according to Todd Van Der Werff at VOX, the pilot was the best of the three episodes CBS sent out to critics.
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"I also love Zeljko Ivanek, he always plays such a good bad guy."
The simplistic characters remind me of everything i hated about Geena Davis's "Commander in Chief" from a few years back:
A high-minded female political neophyte is thrust into a highly politicized position.
Rather than recognizing that her staff is there to help, she assumes they're political hacks, and ignores or rejects, out-of-hand, every piece of potentially useful advice they offer.
Anyone who takes an opposing position will always be proved wrong, while she will always be right.
"Commander in Chief" squandered an opportunity to show a woman navigating the ambiguity of power. I'm hoping down the road "Madam Secretary" won't make the same mistake. But, after seeing the pilot, I'm not holding out much hope.
I expected so much more from Barbara Hall, who created such beautifully complex characters on the much-missed, "Joan of Arcadia."
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"I so wish they would use instrumental music for 'In Memoriam'. "
In most cases, I'd agree. But it's a beautiful song, and the director make sure that whoever was singing (any one?) didn't detract from the moment.
Though very time I hear that song, I think of Michael Jacjson's funeral. About an hour in, Brooke Shields tells a lovely story about how "Smile" was MJ's favorite song. As his brother, Jermaine, sings it, I'm thinking "Perfect! The minister offers a prayer, cue the children's choir for "We are the World," and that's wrap.
Damn thing went on for another hour! And that was with Quincy Jones running the show.
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"Also, how is Elementary still on? She and JLM are so unexpressive."
Them's fighting words my friend: I love that show, and the two of them together. Pissed that I have to wait until the end of October for it to return because CBS scheduled one more night of NFL for Thursday nights. Apparently screwing with The Good Wife on Sundays wasn't enough.
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"Not gonna lie. I'm here just to see Billy Crystal's tribute to Robin."
Me too! Two weeks ago, I had planned to skipped the whole thing, but here I sit.
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Thanks Mitz and wonderwoman. The intriguing song was indeed "I'm not In Love" . I listened on You Tube to verify.
Here's looking forward to season 3.
Yes! And who would have guess that Celia was a 10cc fan. I LOLed when she said, "Oh, I like this tune."
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One was Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You." Can't remember the one before that, and I already deleted the episode. So, if anyone else remembers... I do remember noticing that the producers paid the royalties for recognizable versions of the songs, rather than a no-name cover.
I, too, loved Celia's wedding coat and dress; hated Caroline's jacket, and the collar was just weird.
S06.E09: Lean In
in Parenthood [V]
· Edited by wonderwoman
Since this episode encapsulated so much of what Parenthood could (and should:) have done over the years, I'm going to cross-post on the What Parenthood Should Have Done Better In Six Seasons.
Background: I wanted to like this show; I have tried to like this show. Others (many others, in fact :) have noted the flaws discussed below, but loved the show in spite of them. I guess I must have a lower threshold... But, what's made watching Parenthood such an exercise in frustration is that it's always been disconcertingly easy to see the show that it could have been -- the show it should have been.
The true pleasure of serial drama -- and yes, Parenthood is a serial drama -- lies less in seeing the culmination of a story than in the anticipation leading up to the climax and the aftermath. But, with so many characters to service and a declining number of episodes each season, Parenthood has skipped from high point to high point, never exploring the valleys in between; always telling viewers when it was time to cry, never letting us get there on our own. (I really thought I was going to be the only person to make it through the entire series without shedding a tear. But during Joel's heartfelt plea to Julia in the restaurant, I finally teared up for the first time. Better late than never, I suppose. :)
The other source frustration is, of course, the Bravermans: insular; entitled, boarding on arrogant; self-absorbed, but incapable of self-reflection, self-examination or ever admitting that they might just be the one in the wrong. Yes, they may say the words when pressed (but really, has anyone ever truly called a Braverman on their shit and made it stick? I know, rhetorical question:). But with the exception of Camille and Joel (of course, neither a Braverman by birth :), they do not own their faults or learn from their missteps. And those missteps never, ever, result in real and lasting consequences. In the end, everything always works out for the Bravermans.
As Alan Sepinwall pointed out at HitFix, the financial constraints of this final season (which meant fewer characters per episode) provided a real opportunity to delve deeper into the characters and their relationships. Why Jason Kamins choose to squander this opportunity by focusing so much attention on Hank and his family is anybody's guess.
Here's my take on the fall finale:
Zeek's treatment of Drew
While Zeek's desire to surprise Camille with a trip to France was lovely, his treatment of Drew since his surgery has been unforgivable. And, no one's called him on it. Certainly not Camille, the closest thing Parenthood has to a moral center. When Zeek told her about the trip, she had the perfect opportunity for her to hold his feet to the fire for the emotional damage he's inflicted on his grandson, not to mention disrupting his classes.
Then there's Sarah
She's been so tied up with Hank and his family drama that she doesn't seem to know what's going on with her own children. Is she even aware that Amber was in the hospital? Does she know that both Zeek and Amber have been pulling Drew away from his studies, which in typical Braverman fashion, has had no consequences, at least not yet (and anyone holding out any hope for the final few episodes, raise your hand... That's what I thought.)? Thinking back, have Sarah and Drew even shared a scene this season? Less of Hank's family drama would have freed up time for the missing Sarah-Amber, Sarah-Drew, Sarah-Zeek, Sarah-Camille scenes
And finally, the Snowflake Academy:
This episode offered an opportunity (squandered, of course) to explore in the persons of Adam and Kristin much that is wrong with the Bravermans, while, at the same time, providing both anticipation and aftermath.
Their behavior toward Max has created so much damage, not just to Max, but to the school, where his obsessive attention toward Dylan is quite likely actionable. Why wouldn't parents watching the meltdown of Max and his parents start yanking their kids out of Chambers Academy, post haste, putting the school's future in serious peril?
That possibility could have led to some serious soul searching on the part of Adam and Kristina, and lead them to the painful realization that their inability to confront Max's behavior has not only undermined his growth, but brought them to the point of losing the school. Their conversation would have taken place before they talked to Max (anticipation); leading to a conversation that would have forced Max to realize that notwithstanding his intentions, that yes, he was harassing Dylan. The aftermath? Well, instead of dropping by unannounced, perhaps a proper meeting at the school that began with Adam and Kristina acknowledging the truth of Dylan's parent's observation that Adam and Kristina see the world only through the view of the son, and that ain't no way to run a railroad, or a charter school.
If only... The saddest words in the English language...
ETA:
While I've never been fond of Sarah and Hank's relationship, I do think his interactions with Max were useful. Having Hank teach at the Snowflake Academy would have kept the character (and Ray Romano) on the canvas in an organic and integrated way.
(Truth be told, Sarah's been on my last nerve since the first season, though I'm not sure how I would have felt about the character if Maura Tierney had continued in the role. I could never get past the reality that LG's Sarah would also suffer by comparison with Lorelei -- not fair, I know, but there it is.