Category Archives: television

Am I Living It Right?

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Lately I’ve been watching a lot of Being Erica on Hulu.  I had started watching it last year, but then I got into Dexter and forgot about it.  I remembered it recently and began rewatching. It is a cute Canadian show about a woman whose therapist sends her back into her past so she can change all her biggest regrets.  It’s actually pretty good.  Yeah, you have to suspend your belief at some parts – mainly because the show insists on making the lead actress play a 15-year-old version of herself at times when she is clearly in her 30s, and only briefly touches on the consequences of changing a major event in the past…the butterfly effect is not explored in depth. (Also, one of the episodes, set in 1995, had the characters talking about seeing a Chumbawumba concert and used “Tubthumping” as background music, which was totally an ANACHRONISM because that song wasn’t released until 1997, when I was in eighth grade. I KNOW MY 90′s ONE HIT WONDERS.)

The main lesson of the show is while Erica is able to change some elements of her past, everything happens for a reason, and she is unable to change her biggest regrets (i.e. her brother’s death).  Or, despite her best efforts to change the past (like not getting her sister back together with her deadbeat boyfriend), she finds in the future that her sister is still together with the boyfriend.  She learns that she is not the only one who controls the events around her and thus cannot be responsible for changing them.

I’ve been thinking about that and wondering what I would do if I had that magical opportunity of going back and redoing my biggest regrets.  Sure, I have some regrets. I might do some things differently (like not go to grad school), or go back and undo the hurt I caused some people at various times in my life.  But really, would I change anything?  I don’t believe in fate, that our lives were predetermined before we were born. But I believe that everything happens for a reason.  If I had gone to a different school, if I had gone into a different major, I would have a different life and different friends now. I don’t think I like the idea of that.  And as painful as some events in my life were, they taught me valuable lessons and made me a stronger person.  I don’t think I would go back and change any of that.

I have a penchant for living in the past, but now I’m thinking about my future…am I living the life I should be leading?  I am happier now than I was even two years ago.  But it’s undeniable that I still need to mature in a lot of ways.  Will I get there soon?

All these questions.  I doubt an episode of “Being Jenny” would make for compelling television.

Fall TV

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I usually do not watch the new crop of shows premiering on TV.  Every time I try to get into a new show, it gets canceled. I prefer to wait a bit and let it establish itself before watching.  I did watch an episode of Mike and Molly yesterday.  It was not bad. It has potential, I suppose.  I got excited when I saw Melissa McCarthy onscreen because I remember her from Gilmore Girls.  And it has the feel of an old-school sitcom – you know, the “filmed in front of a live studio audience” sort that I like.  But they need to stop doing the “LOL FAT JOKE” every three minutes.  That is my biggest criticism.  Why can’t they just focus on two characters who happen to be overweight and reference it every once in awhile instead of all these repetitive, juvenile fat jokes?

Speaking of new television shows, My Generation got abysmal ratings and reviews.  So it’s looking like my debut as a “background actor may not even happen.” COME ON SHOW, LAST UNTIL THE FOURTH EPISODE.  ALL I WANT IS TO SEE MY PINKIE FINGER ON TV, DAMN IT.

The best part about fall TV?  All the scary shows and movies to prep for Halloween!

A Couple of Finales

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Yesterday I watched the finales for both True Blood and Californication (I’m all caught up!) and wanted to discuss them here.  I will keep this spoiler free, especially since several of my WP pals watch True Blood.

1. True Blood

I think this season was definitely more uneven than Season 2, and Russell just was never as compelling a villain as Mary Anne was.  Despite that, I enjoyed this season quite a bit, even if that puts me in a minority. I think it was jam-packed with some crazy stories.  The finale didn’t resolve a whole lot and lacked the craziness of something we expect from TB, but I think it left us with some juicy cliffhangers that I would be interested in seeing resolved.  I liked it better than Season 2′s finale.  There are a few storylines that I can do without (writers, take note).  The background of Sookie’s powers is kind of lame (even she said it once it was revealed to her), and I didn’t care for that storyline at all this season.  May I say that I’m officially tired of Tara?  Jason’s storyline is so-so.  I think Bill’s and Eric’s were the juiciest.  I really enjoyed seeing Bill this season because for once, he wasn’t a total pussy and was a lot darker. I get tired of seeing “Good Bill.” I like seeing Bill with his vampire duplicity. I like seeing Eric because, well, it’s freakin’ Eric.  Also, Alexander Skarsgard is one of the best actors on that show, NOT THAT I’M BIASED OR ANYTHING.

I don’t see how Sookie can keep resisting him.  If I were her, I’d have left Beel a long time ago.

Random embarrassing story that has nothing to do with the finale: last night I had a dream that I was still living with my parents, and that Alexander Skarsgard, for some inexplicable reason, was living with us too as a roommate or something (DON’T JUDGE ME). Don’t get the idea that it was a hot and steamy dream, because in it, I just avoided him the whole time because I was so shy. Which is probably what would happen if I saw him in real life.

In conclusion, it’s going to be a long 9 months to not have him on my TV screen. At this point, True Blood could convert into “The Eric Northman Hour” and I would be cool with that.

2. Californication

News alert – my crush on this man has not waned at all.

I really enjoyed Seasons 1 and 2 of this show.  Season 3 was decent but I think that the writing got a lot more slapstick and sitcom-y. I do not watch a show on Showtime or HBO for sitcom-type humor. For instance, I found Kathleen Turner’s character Collinni completely over-the-top and unbelievable.  Sometimes I wonder if the people on this show are actually like people in LA.  If so, then LA is fucked up, let me tell you.  I found Hank’s storyline as a teacher mildly entertaining but I got annoyed at all the women he was sleeping with and how they all showed up at his door for that one episode – I found that unbelievable too. I think that the lack of Karen had something to do with the balance being off in the episodes she was missing from. The chemistry between Hank and Karen is one of the best parts of the show and it’s like the writers didn’t know what to do with with the balance when she was gone.

Burning question – HOW DOES HANK NOT HAVE AN STD WITH ALL THE WOMEN HE SLEEPS WITH?

Also – I kind of hate Mia.

David Duchovny still does a great job as Hank (even though he’s probably playing himself, WHATEVER).  I found Becca’s character to be hella irritating this season but I guess if my parents were as fucked up as hers are, I’d be acting out too. I was unsure about the actress in the beginning but she has grown into a fine little actress, and I think she had some great scenes.

And I still covet Karen’s hair.  Is that still creepy?

Two Final Thoughts

1.  In between True Blood and Californication, I am no longer shocked or scandalized by any explicit sex scene. This is coming from a girl who has never willingly looked at porn in her life (I unwillingly caught a glimpse thanks to some computer viruses that had them popping up on my screen back in college).  But I think I have seen it all, thanks to these shows.  I hardly even blink now.

2.  DEXTER IS COMING BACK IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. Which means I get to watch Michael C. Hall’s pretty self back on my TV.

(Let’s ignore the fact that all the characters I have crushes on are profoundly fucked up. Not that this is supposed to say anything about me).