Wheelchair Night
Last night must have been the night when all the network execs on television thought they'd put people in wheelchairs.
And you know what? It was great?
Ok, it really wasn't putting everybody in wheelchairs. In fact, "Friday Night Lights" and "Lost" have had characters in chairs almost since their respective beginnings. But for some reason, both characters--Locke and Street--found new purpose in their lives, and both instances had as much to do with being in a wheelchair as not.
First, on
Friday Night Lights, Jason Street got cut from the national quad rugby team. As Herc, his wheelchair bound, rabble rousing friend explained, "You're still not comfortable in the chair." It didn't matter that Street was the best athlete there. He still wants to feel sorry for himself and out of place because of his injury. He sees what he has to offer as second rate. He tells Herc that he needed the chance to to move forward. Of course, what the characters think they need on this show and what they actually need are usually two entirely different things. After the frighteningly delicate tattoo chick puts the moves on him--despite the chair--he realizes that the chair doesn't define him. He's Jason Street. Not some guy in a wheelchair. So he gets into a classic moment pity party with Smash, Saracen, and Tim on the fifty yard line of the football field. They get drunk and Jason finds his purpose--to be a quarterback coach. Those who can't do--teach. While I hate that dismissive mantra, in this case, it's obvious. And it should've been all season, but none of my friends who watch the show had even suggested that as an option.
Maybe that just means more of you need to be watching it.Yet, over on
Lost, John Locke refused to accept his destiny, because he still felt defined by the wheelchair. In fact, he was so opposed to the idea of being in a wheelchair that he wanted to destroy any way of ever getting off the island. He knows that the moment he leaves the island, he's forced to resume his inferior, mortal, wheelchair-bound coil. And moreover, at the end of the episode, we discover that it was Locke's father (or pretend daddy--I'm still not clear which it is) that put Locke in the wheelchair. And guses who's conveniently tied up in Ben's basement?
I didn't think that this was as riveting as the Juliet episode this season (partially because I thought it was just such a fascinating backstory she has), but it's still really good and I'm very excited to see where next week goes!
It's Wednesday--and you know what that means
It's time for a
Friday Night Lights plug!
Here's a
phenomenal series of interviews, along with a primary article from today's
Chicago Tribune about
Friday Night Lights. It almost makes me want to blow off seeing
Greg Laswell in concert tonight and run straight home and watch the show instead of watching it after the concert. I won't, but boy am I tempted.
Tonight starts the final four episodes of the series. Don't wait till later to start watching it. This is the most intimate drama to come on television since
Once & Again. Don't miss it.
Signatures
I'm sitting here trying to sign 150 letters. (Can I get carpal tunnels syndrome from this?)
I'd ask if this is what my life has come to, but clearly it has and I don't even know what that means. I am officially declaring my quarter-life crisis over. I'm now moving into an existential funk.
What's the difference? Semantics.
What does that mean? It means if/when I ever go into therapy there's just more for me to discuss.
Does anybody read this thing anymore? Probably not. I don't and I write it.
Battlestar Brilliance
Great Googalimoogaily!
Who knew that Rosslyn had cancer again? I gotta say I never saw that coming. The first part of two episodes that will end out the third season of Battlestar Galactica was close to brilliant. While I don’t buy for a second that anybody would let Apollo serve as the defendant’s co-counsel when he was a member of the military and his dad is one of the judges, having him resign from the army is a great twist that I didn’t see coming. It sets up a really interesting conundrum for the fourth season as the rift between Apollo and his dad becomes incredibly pronounced, in addition to the fact that he’ll have to deal with the fact that he will be as a private citizen. It was a great move. And seeing Tigh come apart on the stand was a scene that was long overdue. Who would’ve thunk he’d confess to killing his wife!
“The weather’s changing. There’s a storm coming” Those were Helo’s words. Why not just ask the Cylons to blow them to smithereens? I mean, seriously. It’s going to be ugly all over the place.
And I have to wait a frakkin’ week to see how it turns out? GRRRR!
Friday and Saturday Night Lights
In case you have been lax about getting into the best show on television this season,
Broadcasting & Cable reports: "As part of a continuing effort to keep two of its highly acclaimed but low-rated rookies alive, NBC Universal will air episodes of NBC's
Friday Night Lights every Friday and Saturday on cable outlet Bravo through April 13. Beginning this weekend, Bravo will air one episode of
Lights at 7pmET each Friday, and then air three episodes on Saturdays beginning at 2pmET. The show's season finale on NBC is Wednesday, April 11, at 8pm."
WATCH IT!
I'm not sure
...but I think I got hit on last night by the creator of one of the biggest shows on cable last night. At least one of the stars of the show reprimanded him (the creator) for flirting with me.
First of all, why can't I get hit on by a girl?
Second, if a guy is gonna hit on me, then why can't it be an attractive one?
Sigh.
