Chuck
You know what I hate? That every time I praise a show because I think it’s cute, and sweet, and funny, and generally awesome, it goes and does something that pisses me off and makes me dislike it, along with its writers. This happened with Pushing Daisies, and now it’s happened with Chuck, and it makes me very grumpy.
The setup is a bachelor party, with “exotic entertainment” being handled by one of the stereotypical nerdy guys. So we get the characters standing in eager anticipation while stripper music plays, and there’s a puff of smoke, as the strippers strut through the lights…and…they’re fat.
I actually said “oh, really, you had to go there?” Out loud. I went from chortling with delight to dead silent in about .5 seconds, from sheer happiness to utter dismay. And it made me incredibly angry. Set aside the fact that only one of the strippers was truly fat, and that all three were fully sexy and confident. I wanted to look at the largest one as she sucked a lollipop and go “right on, sister,” but instead I was just miserable. I was miserable for myself, and for the character, and for the poor actress who had to take such a degrading, offensive role.
It would be one thing if the characters had been into it, because then I would have been able to congratulate the show for breaking a stereotype. But no. They were whooping and hollering and all worked up, and when the strippers finally became visible, they became totally silent and developed expressions of disgust and horror. Only later, after they are royally drunk, do we see them socializing and having fun with the fat strippers.
How utterly and completely fucking depressing. Chuck is one of those bright spots in my week because it’s just straight up silly and fun, because it doesn’t make me think about complex issues, because I genuinely like the characters and the story. And this has now been totally ruined for me, because the writers decided to take a cheap shot in a 30 second scene. Because they thought that it would be hi-larious! to make fun of fat strippers, to suggest that fat women are not sexually appealing, to make it very, very clear to viewers that we are supposed to see the strippers and go “ewwwwww! How disgusting!!!!!!”
Fuck you, Chuck. Seriously. Fuck. You. And my fat ass would like to send out a special skimpy-lingerie-wearing, lollipop-sucking, bootie-shaking fuck you to Allison Adler, the prejudiced, bigoted, fat-phobic woman who wrote this episode. Shame on you, Allison.
Lost
So, I think that Jack is missing the whole point of this “whatever happened, happened” thing. And I can’t help but wonder if he has directly created Evil Adult Ben by refusing to help injured Child Ben, thereby forcing the turn to Richard Alpert for help. Oh, or wait, maybe Jack really was not supposed to help him, so that he would turn evil, and Jack couldn’t have helped him, because whatever happened, happened. I think my brain just broke.
Also, I found Locke’s line very interesting. Evidently when you die and get resurrected, you get special powers or something. Because that “welcome back to the land of the living” line was very well placed and cleverly calculated. Bringing up the question, for me, of whose side Locke is on, because he’s theoretically involved with the Others. Are we to think that he would condone the Purge if he was present for it? Although, if it’s true that time can’t be altered, I guess that doesn’t make a big difference anyhow.
At any rate, it was interesting to know what happened to Aaron. But it was also very anticlimactic, and it regrettably fed into the trope that no Lady of Lost is complete without Her Man. All in all, I can’t say that I was really that enamored with this episode, except for the moment when Juliet said “but we didn’t want to be saved,” and Jack got the injured puppy look.
Was it really necessary for them to come back to the Island to stop the time traveling? Or was it merely necessary for Locke to turn the frozen donkey wheel? I’m beginning to think that they didn’t need to, but that Ben needed them to in order to make sure that whatever happened, happened. Of course, if everything we are seeing has already happened, our characters really have no freedom of choice, and all of their actions are predetermined, which raises the question of whether or not their actions in the future are predetermined too. The time travel situation has really added an element of confusion to the show that elevates it to a whole new level of confusion.
Is it possible to break the paradox? And what happens then? And where on the Island are the rest of the castaways (Bernard, Rose, etc.)? And what in the heck happened to Faraday?
Dollhouse
Ah, the awakening episode which is really a bait and switch! Brilliant.
One of the things that I found most telling about this episode was Boyd’s line “she wanted to free us all” from when he was talking to Dr. Saunders. The structure of that line seemed to suggest that he and she are also prisoners (as did Dr. Saunders’ presence in the crowd of “freed” Actives at the end), and it explains why he continues to participate in something which he finds morally reprehensible.
“Needs” also demonstrated the tremendous power and reach of the Dollhouse. I thought that what happened to Sierra was nothing short of horrific, if we got her story properly: a call girl says no, and her freedom is taken away? Others at leasst seem to volunteer, though there is coercion involved. I hope we get to see that slimeball getting a right sound spanking at some point, because, ew.
Dollhouse just keeps getting better and better. I have lots of things to chew over, not least of which is the currently dismal ratings. Sigh.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
“Well, that was fucking depressing as shit.”
“Adam Raised A Cain” was definitely an extremely intense episode. John is clearly being stripped of the people who surround him, one by one, which makes me worry very much for Cameron’s fate in the upcoming episode. I hate to bring everything back to Harry Potter, but this is totally the Dumbledore is dead and there is nothing left episode. It was good, really good, but, as I said above, intensely depressing.
I figured that our cast was safe, since I’m only heard about one character dying on the show, and that make Dereck’s death all the more upsetting. And pointless. And depressing. I actually said, “Dereck?! NO! YOU FUCKERS!” after that scene. I understand why it had to happen, but that didn’t change my strong dislike of it. I’ve always really liked his character, and the dynamic that he adds to the show.
Visually, this episode was very interesting. I loved the loop involving the paupr’s cemetery, which we see at the beginning of the episode and again at the end, with new meaning. And a whole new meaning to Dereck’s comment about it “not being so bad” to be buried there. I adored the use of glass, windows, reflections, and strange linear obstacles with the camera work, and I know that I’ve said this before, but I really think that Terminator has some of the most interesting, dynamic, and engaging cinematography on television. The camerawork is integral to the storytelling, and it’s part of what gives this show so much impact.
John Henry and Savannah singing “Donald, Where’s Yer Trousers” at the end? Awesome. Totally awesome. Again, I bow down in admiration to the way that the show uses music. Yes, maybe the intense song paired with slow mo thing gets used a little too much on Terminator, but they do it so darn well I can’t really complain too much.
The comedic highlight of the episode? Totally when the little girl gravely informs freaking SHIRLEY MANSON that she can’t sing. That’s like telling Rodin he can’t sculpt.
