I wish this show had gone to air. It had SO MANY good things going for it. I did not watch The Munsters growing up; I was more of an Addam's Family gal. However, this show made such a good case for it. Portia and Eddie Izzard, center and center-right, for those who don't know, are actors that could convince me to watch just about anything after, well, everything they've done, and they don't disappoint here.
Everything was well-shot, well-acted, well-written, intriguing, and hilarious.
I completely understand why it was not picked up, as it was clearly a VERY expensive pilot, but I sincerely hope NBC reconsiders bringing it back someday, because it is worth it.
Unlike the Wonder Woman pilot, this was very tightly plotted, and every plot they attempted to lay down for the rest of the season did wonderfully, and really highlighted the characters we were going to be dealing with.
The boy has had his first werewolf transformation, but his parents don't want to tell him that he isn't as normal as Marilyn is, something that has clearly been very important to him. The grandfather, played by Izzard, thinks this is ridiculous, and eats a lion in front of the boy. Grandpa has other concerns, however, as Herman, the boy's father, and a frankenstein creation, has been having heart problems, but doesn't want a new heart. This concern of Herman's is completely understandable to the audience: he says it's the only part of him that is truly his anymore, and he's afraid that a new heart won't skip a beat when he sees his wife, symbolizing his fear of not feeling the same way about her.
Meanwhile, Marilyn is trying to temper Grandpa's behaviors, and trying to get him to accept her as part of the family.
Even though most of these plots are somewhat resolved by the end of the pilot, they set up a very intriguing cast of characters and problems to follow through on.
I said in a previous review that I was going to discuss the idea of surrounding the main character by caricatures via a show that did this on purpose. It works with this show, for a few reasons. The first being that the show is so deeply entrenched in Daria's mind that it's easy to buy the idea that the characters are actually more rounded than Daria gives them credit for. The second being simply: It's satire.
People tend not to take cartoons seriously. Between the Dora the Explorers and the Spongebob Square Pants, there is the idea that cartoons are aimed exclusively at children. Often the greatest praise someone will give a cartoon is that adults can enjoy it too. And while this is not aimed at adults, it's the sort of workplace satire where the workplace is High School.
Honestly, it's an idea I wish had been done more than once, because it brought out great jokes that everyone could relate to. I didn't know the angry, overworked, under-paid teacher, but I did know the sister who seemed to do everything right, and out-shined me without even trying. The kid with the guitar, who was nice enough, but never going to go anywhere. The sarcastic artist.
This show is darkly funny, and strangely relatable. It isn't afraid to speak its mind, or even make fun of itself.
Daria is finally coming out on DVD, but as usual, you can see it with Hulu+, and you can see the two movies using Amazon Instant.
I like to say that, as an author, it makes enjoying media difficult. Why? Because you think like an author. For example, when the show opens, with someone getting shot, and jumps back to 'six months ago,' as an author, I know the only way they're going to be able to properly pull it off is if they're pulling the wool way over our eyes.
And they were.
There aren't a lot of surprises for me in television, but I'm fully, and enthusiastically, willing to admit that Revenge does this to me on just about a daily basis. Even if it is starting to seem a bit trite that everything comes back to this single corporation, I am still very excited to see where it will go.
I like to watch shows full of characters smarter than me, and just about every character is smarter than me. Even the specified layman, Jack, is smarter than me. I couldn't pull off half these schemes they do, nor could I defend myself against them. Every character is a master of Xanatos Speed Chess, and that makes the twists and turns nearly impossible to predict.
Even if it starts off fairly formulaic, it gets significantly better as it grows into its own shoes. It, unlike a show I will soon review, raises and answers enough questions to remain intriguing, but satisfying.
A show like Revenge, I suspect, will become an Unintentional Period Piece because of the economical politics surrounding it. It was clearly made during the recession, and clearly takes place during it too. A young woman, screwed over by a corporation, going to take down a bunch of rich people?
Maybe I'm overthinking it.
I have a question for any readers out there who have seen Revenge. Do you think Emily is faking all semi-balance of emotion? Does she truly love Aiden? Or does she just know he'll be a great alibi? I personally, have no idea if Emily's a very, very talented psychopath, or just a very screwed up, angry, smart girl.
My sister has Aspergers, which is actually an improvement from when she was a child. It's something I don't talk about much, because as far as I'm concerned, it's her business to tell. One thing to note about Aspies is they think differently from us Neurotypicals. (Ok, I guess I should say /you/ Neurotypicals, because with my myriad of health issues, mental issues are well-represented.) I've been keeping an eye on shows that feature those on the spectrum, or shows that could do some good in help bridging the gap between Aspies and Neurotypicals, on both sides.
I have, or will, cover all these shows sooner or later, but I want to make a case as for why Aspies, or those who know an Aspie, should watch these shows.
Community
A good case could be made for Abed being on the spectrum. He dislikes change, he doesn't get along well with people, and he uses TV as a short-hand for people he will never understand. When he meets Toby, another fan of Inspector Spacetime, Toby even refers to everyone but Abed and him as "Neurotypicals" which is a typical Aspie shorthand for 'person-not-on-the-spectrum.'
The best example in the entire series, could very well be this clip.
It isn't the first time Abed has a meltdown like this too. The following video shows what happens when Abed's space is re-arranged.
Both of these really struck me, having an Aspie sister. I've seen meltdowns like this. It isn't just the meltdowns though. He consistently misinterprets unspoken social mores.
That second clip? That's from the very first episode. It isn't that they created a character to lampshade everything, realized he was on the spectrum, and began to hint at it:
For those who don't have the patience to listen to this (frankly awesome) rap, the pertinent line here is: "Connoisseur of Christmas. On the spectrum? None of your business!"
That's when they're not outright lampshading it:
They clearly intended to have a character with Aspergers from day one.
Bottom-line: For any Aspie that's been feeling maligned and like they'll never make friends, this show can be a walking Crowning Moment of Heartwarming. This is especially with the Heterosexual Life Partners relationship of Troy and Abed. For friends and family of Aspies, seeing what sets Abed off can be a good basic guideline for what not to do. Not specifically, as not every Aspie will get upset if you mix up Star Trek and Star Wars, but in general, like going in and messing with their bedroom without their knowledge or permission.
So, that was quite a start. I'm afraid I don't have such strong follow-ups, but here goes.
Lie to Me
It doesn't nearly have such a strong fan-base as Community, so finding clips to prove my point won't be as easy, but the intro does a lot of the work for me:
If you're an Aspie, pause that video and take notes. The biggest difference between Neurotypicals and Aspies is that Neurotypicals tend to pick up body language unconsciously. It took me a while to consciously realize that when my father's jaw tensed, sometimes so hard it popped out-of-place, that it was a sign of suppressed anger. However, I definitely realized it unconsciously. Every time I saw that subtle movement, I subconsciously reacted.
Aspies don't get that. If an Aspie wants to learn body language, they'd almost have to take a class. This TV show is the most entertaining body-language class I've seen. Clips with pictures such as this:
Show up frequently.
Finally, two weak cases, so I'll be brief.
Sherlock: Sherlock is a very intelligent, not-very-functioning Aspie, who believes he is a Sociopath. If you were to read books like "Look Me in the Eye" you would see this can be a common mistake. He doesn't pick up that Molly adores him, is often downright cruel just through being blunt, and, most notably, carries on conversations with Watson when Watson isn't even there, simply because he hasn't noticed Watson left.
Daria: A show my sister thoroughly enjoys, good for any maligned teen.
If there's any of the mystery-suspense-tv-shows I have reviewed today I was disappointed in, it was this one. I very much enjoyed Buffy, and I like Sarah Michelle Gellar. I was excited to see this, as one of the great tests of acting is playing two distinct characters. Gellar does alright, but she's swimming in material that is dull at best, ludicrous at worst.
They try the same set-up with The Lying Game, two twins switch places, one is 'evil' one is 'good,' and the good one, upon taking the evil one's place, improves the lives of those around her, and doesn't want to leave. But in the end, she's just a place-holder.
It had a good start to it. Evil-Twin fakes a suicide, and the best thing for the Good-Twin to do, for herself and Evil-Twin, is to take Evil-Twin's place. Good-Twin starts improving Evil-Twin's life, just by being better and nicer. Everyone notices the difference, but attributes it to something else. But then it's shown Evil-Twin faked her suicide, and just wanted not to be collateral damage when she took her husband down.
There really isn't much to say. The show is very dull, and it has been done better. It was done better in the same TV Show season, even, with The Lying Game.
This show very frequently gets compared to my last post, Pretty Little Liars. It makes sense to an extent, the poster does encourage you to compare them by saying it was from the creator. Both of the series are based on secrets and lies, they're the same genre, they focus on teens, and they were both made from a book series. (The book series, from what I understand, is more supernatural, as one of the twins is dead.)
This show is now into its second season, and has been happy to hand over answers a lot faster than Pretty Little Liars was. By the second season, both characters know who their birth mother and father is, and the show has it stacked so we know who the 'villains' are of the piece.
And boy, do we have some great villains. They're all Chessmasters with good motivation, and good points to them. One guy killed a person, but absolutely adores his daughter. One woman is trying to break up a family because she wants the majority of that family to be her family. One woman is a bit of a Ritch Bitch in a tough spot, but has been noted and proven to have good spots and points.
You can feel for each of them, and hate each of them. Often, these Chessmasters turn on each-other too, making for great entertainment.
At the heart of it, are three people who are considered the protagonists 100% of the time. We're always supposed to feel for these people, and we do. They're the collateral damage in the Chessmasters's games, and if they don't shape up and join the fight, they'll lose what they've fought so hard for. It's great entertainment.
Today I'm going after the soapy-suspense-tv-shows, starting with Pretty Little Liars. This show is deep in the middle of its third season, which is usually at the point where the soapy-suspense-tv-shows start to have problems.
After all, it opens with a grand secret or question. In this case: who killed Allison? Then, it adds a second one: Who is this "A" harassing us?
These two questions can definitely fuel a season. It can fuel two seasons. But eventually, the audience is going to get tired of hitting a wall when they go looking for answers. Therefore, the show had to start giving the audience some answers. So far, Pretty Little Liars has been doing this well, by revealing that "A" is a bunch of people, which makes sense. With all of the things that "A" has done to them, it had to be more than one person. "A" knows all their secrets, seems to have eyes everywhere, yet is nowhere to be seen. It had to be supernatural, which was a viable option throughout the first season, or a bunch of people.
And now, with A being a bunch of people, the show can start revealing the faces of A, without losing the entire mystery. Giving the audience some answers. This way, the show doesn't feel like its treading on water.
A lot of the biggest issues in the first season, one of the characters dating an older guy, and one of the characters being gay, for starters, have been fully resolved by the latest season. Forward-motion is good!
One of the biggest problems people have been having with the show, however, is how relentlessly depressing it is. If this was happening in real life, these girls would need years of therapy at this point. No spoilers, (by saying who it is), but by this point:
1 girl: Has had two of her best friends be faces of A, and been hit by a car.
1 girl: Had a stalker try to kill her and her lover. Then, she killed the stalker.
1 girl: Was drugged and kidnapped.
1 girl: Found out her lover was a face of A, and is now a version of Break the Haughty (or Break the Cutie depending on your opinion of her.)
Now the only question is, who in the lives of the two girls who have not yet had a friend/lover be a face of A, will have a friend/lover be a face of A? Their torment has hardly been even, and each girl handles it a different way, which makes the show fairly interesting for those who are fans of psychology.
For those who are fans of answers, however, either wait a few years for the show to wrap itself up and read the wikipedia, or just read the book series the show was based off of. (The books don't give the answers to the TV show, note. They split ways two seasons ago.)
