Taming the Shrew

I know that I tend to preface my blogs with some kind of story.  I am not justifying the strangeness that is my brain, but I'd like you to understand the "whys" of things.

I watch Raising Hope.  I have since the get-go. You may think badly of me for it, but I'm a sucker for a quirky comedy. Now for the why... I started watching because it seemed, at least, like a new take on the same old, tired, family drama.  I mean, boy hooks up with serial killer, serial killer gets pregnant then death penalty, boy raises their baby while still living with his parents. I KEPT watching because I found that the parents (or grandparents), Burt and Virginia (played by Garret Dillahunt and Martha Plimpton) were a wonderfully refreshing representation of a couple.

When it was announced that they were cancelling Hope, I was sad.  I'm not going to miss Jimmy and Sabrina (the young couple on the show).  I won't.  I love Burt and Virginia as a couple.  In the four seasons of the show, Burt and Virginia had only one disagreement. So that's nearly 90 episodes and ONE fight. Take that Everybody Loves Raymond.  I have to say that TV couples have gone downhill.  They portray the husband as a bumbling idiot and the wife as a nagging shrew.  If I wanted to hear a screeching harpie, well, I don't know where to find one of those... but I find it a shame that Dad's always the dummy and mom is always smugly correct.

Now, that said, Burt IS  an idiot.  Virginia is probably the "smart" one... but she never treats Burt like an idiot.  The man has made some really dumb moves, but Virginia just supports him or even joins in his antics.  When Burt bought a Delorian in hopes of being able to time travel, Virginia didn't make him feel stupid for wasting the little money they had, she took turns trying to get the heap up to 88mph!  Imagine that:  a representation of a couple working together and being in love!  It was a wonderful novelty.

So it's a damn shame that we lose out on the strongest relationship TV's had since the olden days.  It's too bad that FOX buried this hidden gem on Friday nights - because it missed its mark. 

I advise you to put it on your Netflix queue and have a good binge-watch.  Keep an open mind, ignore Sabrina and enjoy the giggles that Burt, Virginia and Maw Maw (Cloris Leachman) will provide.

Throwing in the Towel

I watch a lot of shows... I mean a LOT of shows.  When new shows come out, I try to squeeze in the ones that I'm giving a shot. Because of my work/sleep schedule, and sharing the television with my son (and by sharing, I mean, I sit through endless episodes of Jessie and SpongeBob until he goes to bed) I can actually only catch up on shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.  It does not leave much time for shows. 

My other "hitch" is that I'm very loyal to my stars (read: TV boyfriends).  Sometimes it forces me to try shows that I normally wouldn't try.  However, it's my view that I have to support the things that I like, and NOT support the things I dislike. I will never pay for a movie with Tom Cruise in it.  Sure, my $15 won't beggar the man, but I work hard for my money, I'm not going to let him have a penny of it. (I have very extreme opinions of Tom Cruise. I know this.  Don't hold it against me.)

So therein lies the problem:  How do you decide when it's time to let go of a show?

The easy answer is:  when it no longer makes you happy to watch. 

The slightly less easy, but still easy answer is: when it is more of a chore than a break.

We made it through the entire first season  and part of the second season of 2 Broke Girls... I couldn't take how pleased they were with their own jokes... and the cha-ching at the end that stopped even meaning anything.  I held out as long as I did because Ryan Hansen was cast into the second season... VM alumni = support.  I love Ryan.  I think he's wonderful.  I was very sad that Friends With Benefits didn't get picked up.  I would've gladly continued to tune in to that one. 

I made it through almost two full seasons of Hawaii Five-0. I was about four eps from the end and got busy with other things.  The third season premiered and because I was behind, I didn't start watching... tons of episodes were waiting on my DVR... I looked at the 13 eps or whatever I had and the thought of watching them all seemed SO DAUNTING, that I couldn't bear it. I deleted the lot and never looked back.  Now I feel a little badly about it because I was supporting Alex - who up to that series, had not had good luck with his CBS shows.

With those two decisions, it became easier to cast away nonsense.  I basically have given new shows a 3-episode chance to make me want to watch, and if they fail, they're out.  I also will sometimes give seasons a half-season headstart (i.e. Once Upon a Time in Wonderland) and if it looks like they'll be cancelled, I won't bother my butt about them.

But then there are the old standbys...

I am always very behind on Vampire Diaries (supporting Ian, read the books) because it wants to be a good show, and Damon without a shirt is always good... but UGH Bonnie's lip... and Alaric is gone... and I couldn't hate Elena more.  It doesn't make me excited to watch, but at this point, I've seen every ep (except the 8 I am behind on)... and when I am watching them (usually in binge format) I eagerly proceed to the next because I want to know what happens.  So as of now, I'm NOT deleting it from my repertoire... but I feel like they need to step up their game to keep me tuning in.

Then there is the show that started me on this tangent... Glee. Now, I stinking LOVE musicals. Love them.  I will watch Seven Brides until the cows come home... and don't get me started on Can Can... so it was inevitable that I would like a musical show.  I knew it.  I watched the pilot (it originally premiered after the Super Bowl, I think... some sport thing at any rate) but I watched it on Hulu the following day.  I was HOOOOOOKED.  I legitimately enjoyed the show.  How can you tell? I did not like one boy in the whole cast. Not one.  This is the second season where the cast has been split between the school and NYC... and they are just less enjoyable. I even started fast-forwarding Rachel's songs. WE GET IT - YOU SING.  There is talk (or maybe more official things) that this season, as well as the next (final?) season will be all NYC.  I am NOT on board with that.  I don't care that you're going to incorporate Sue Sylvester into the story.  If I wanted the Rachel Berry show, I'd ask. So thinking about that, sure, I've been there from the beginning, but it's time to cut the show loose if they're going in a direction I'm not on board with... but the conundrum is that it seems like they're going to pull in my favorite Ohio characters (Sam and Blaine).  So do I support the cast I love or do I cut ties with the cast I hate?  The bottom line is:  because of the length of time invested, I'll give it a chance.  I'll see how they do it... if it's too much Rachel, I'll tap out and hope that Darren Criss and Chord Overstreet find work elsewhere that I can support. 

You know it must be so difficult to write consistently good episodes of a show - and I feel badly criticizing (no, I couldn't do better), but my time is valuable too, so put your best foot forward, TV shows. Mama needs to be entertained. Dance, monkeys, dance!

An Old Doctor and the Ensuing Uproar

Okay Whovians (and non-Whovians), I’m chiming in.

I haven’t seen many of the “old” series episodes.  My dad used to watch them on PBS, and back then, I wasn’t a fan. As far as watching the oldies now, it’s not as easy as all that.  It’s my understanding that they taped over a lot of them.  But in watching them NOW, maybe I need to keep trying, but the first few Doctors were pretty snooze-tastic.

Now, I’m not saying that because they were old, they were crappy.  I’m saying that the new “series” is more my speed.  I know that it’s nearly sacrilege to admit a thing like that – like I’m not quite fan enough.  My love for the Doctor is true, though.  I love to have a “hero” who values individuals and abhors violence – and avoids weapons, but uses a screwdriver for everything he can.

I’m coming out of the phone box, though, and saying that I was really disappointed with the selection of the new Doctor.  I don’t want another old Doctor.  I don’t care how sweary Peter Capaldi is, I think that in having him for a Doctor, we’re going to lose out on something.  I will not stop watching.  I don’t just like the show because David Tennant is hot – because I would’ve just not watched Matt either.  I worry that even though the Doctor is over 1,000 years old, having an older portrayer will make him act “older” – I’m sorry. I like his exuberance – and I thought that David and Matt did a fantastic job in giving him childlike wonder.  I also feel like we’re going to miss out on the silliness we’ve grown accustomed to.  I don’t see Peter doing the whole “Fezzes are cool” thing.  We’ll get a more serious and more “angry” Doctor.  The Doctor’s anger is something to behold – and should be witnessed sparingly.  When Matt gets up on the henge and gives his little speech to all of his enemies, it’s awesome.  He’s fricking pissed – this silly, funny guy is MAD!  We don’t see it too much from him, so when we do see it, it invokes the correct emotion!  If Oldie McGee keeps a serious tone, the show will become less fun – for me at least.

So the “don’t let the door hit ya” Whovians can boot me off the mailing list or whatever, but I hope he only lasts for one season and then we get another spritely youth in his stead.

Stephanie Plum

I'm in the throes of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.  Now I try to keep on top of things in Goodreads - what I've finished, when I finished, what's up next... Last night, when I was marking 17 as done and swapping 18 from "Want to Read" to "Currently Reading," I noticed that people had some unsavory comments.

The ones, though, that are driving me to write today were the ones that carried on about how redundant the series is.

I thought about that - and I actually see it and understand it... but I STILL find it to be off.  I have a book and a half before I catch up - and we've been making a real go on these (listening to the audios, not reading the books) so you can take it as you want to.  Maybe it's different when you read them - maybe it's different if you've waited a year or whatever to read a new one (though I'd assume that wouldn't be the case).

I know what they mean.  When Stephanie and Lula go to pick up a skip, you KNOW that some kind of hi jinks will happen.  Even knowing that, I still want to know.  I mean, any time that Lula yells "FEET DON'T FAIL ME!" I crack up. You also know that Grandma Mazur is good for a laugh.  She's a "pip."  Stephanie also seems to wind up with a bizarre posse in these books: the stoner, the little person, the psychic stalker - and they are always entertaining. When Stephanie answers Morelli's often asked "What did you do today." It never stops giving me the giggles. The no-nonsense delivery of her antics just strikes me as funny.

So I guess my point is:  Why not take them for what they are?  You don't read them for a new experience, you read them because you liked them. It's hard to write ONE book, let alone twenty.  Appreciate the differences between the books and don't go in thinking you're going to get 20 different experiences.  (Yes, I know that 20 doesn't come out until November - but I'm assuming that it's written already.)

Maybe they're redundant to you, but I've found myself sliding from my firm standing on Team Morelli to be in support of Team Ranger.  I can't help but think that a stagnating story would have kept me at Team Morelli.

I read a lot of reviews on Goodreads, though.  I read a lot of books - and I don't like my time to be wasted on a stinker... a book has to be really bad for me to abandon it.  I've only abandoned two in recent memory.  Sometimes I use the reviews to decide whether or not I can be bothered.  In my perusal, I've decided that I must stink at reviews - because I don't like to say mean things about books.  I have a book I've been writing for ages - and I can appreciate the work that goes into writing a book.  I also appreciate how much of themselves authors put into their creations.  Imagine someone walking up to your child and saying: "Well, she has a cute nose, but her eyes are too far apart, she is not funny and wearing green is just the worst idea ever.  You should really consider not having any more children because your genetic makeup seems to be off." Their works are being picked apart.

I'm not saying I don't give unfavorable reviews. I do... but before I do, I make sure that I'm being as fair as I can.  If I paid 99 cents for a book on Amazon, and it comes with typos, I just roll with it (and by roll with it, I mean I don't mention it... it DOES bother me, but I figure if I needed perfectly punctuated books, I'd have to pay a lot more for them.) but people cite that in their reasons for disliking a book.  I mean, aren't you there for the story?