Cinerant

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!

posted by cinegod @ 11:10 AM