...Michael will have it back now. In the most highly anticipated season of his career since he broke into the league in 2003 Lebron James has shown us what he truly is: a guy who just wants to be liked by all and make good looking video clips. He betrayed his hometown to go play with his buddies in a city known more for its night clubs than it's sports clubs (sorry Dolphins, your years of mediocrity have doomed you). He put himself squarely in the hot seat the moment he bragged how he, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh were going to win 10 championships together at what I assume was a KISS concert hijacked by two superstars and their awkward bird-looking friend. It is going to be hard for Lebron to re-define his legacy after the events of the last 12 months, even if they win the title this year or make good on his 10 ring promise.
The first flag was The Decision/The Celebration. The fallout was immediate. Charles Barkley put it best when he said that he, nor Michael, nor Magic, nor Bird, nor any of the pantheon greats would have sold out to go play on another superstar's team. America responded how it almost always does when a team brings in a bunch of superstars: disgust. Before the first ball was even tipped the Heat became the team everyone wanted to beat. Often the reigning champ is the one who gets everyone's best shot, which is why repeating is such a hard thing, but Miami put that bullseye on its back and didn't even have a ring to show for it.
Lebron has been called King James since he enter the national consciousness as a high school phenom. One would expect a king to respond to the pressure and criticism with a performance that made the world notice. If he was truly a pantheon great NBA player this season was the one to show it. He did not.
The first few weeks of the season he was genuinely rattled and confused at why everyone hated him. This did not surprise me at all. Despite growing up just outside of Cleveland Lebron was and still is a Yankees and Cowboys fan, teams that are known for paying for a bunch of stars and consequently teams most Americans do not like. What was surprising is how someone so image conscious could not see what was wrong with making an hour long prime time spectacle, or a fan introduction complete with laser lights, fog machine, and video displays. One thing was clear: Lebron was hurt that people did not like him any more and it affected his play. This is not the response of a great.
Even after the shaky start, his in-season performance was not that of one that put the world on notice. He was constantly deferring to Wade. He was the one you wanted to have the ball in the crunch, if you rooted for the opponent and it was a close game; he was horrendous in the big moments.
Lebron and the Heat eventually put it together and finished the year as the number two seed in the Eastern Conference. They had an easy first round of a 76ers team that is about two years away from really competing. Second round brought Lebron's long-time nemesis: the Celtics. He played great. It helped that Danny Ainge forgot that his team hadn't been beaten when everyone was healthy, they had an unshakable swagger, and that Shaq was all but finished and consequently traded Kendrick Perkins, the most underrated glue guy it would seem in history. It also helped the officials allowed Dwayne Wade to maul Rajon Rondo, someone the Heat could not guard, right out of the series.
Then came the Eastern Conference finals. Lebron was deadly. He was hitting all the big shots. Clutch threes, impossible twos, getting to the foul line. He finally looked like killer we always wanted him to be.
Enter the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. This is where he would finally be anointed. If Lebron is truly a great he will show it on the biggest stage. Game 1 looked pretty good, not great: 24 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists. The telling thing was the minutes: 45. That is not a very efficient game.
Then came Game 2. The Heat had a 15 point lead with seven and a half minutes left. He celebrated a Dwayne Wade three pointer. The Heat blew the lead and lost. What was much more alarming was how little impact Lebron had on the game. He scored 20, pulled in 8 and helped out on 4. Wade was the man in the game: 36-3-6. Lebron deferred to him. Lebron did nothing to stem the Mavs ferocious comeback. Since then it has been all downhill for the so called King.
Games 3 and 5 were statistically good, both scored 17 points and in Game 5 he piled on 10 rebounds and assists. Again that was in 45 minutes. The average NBA player scores close to 19 points in 45 minutes. If Lebron is to be a great player he has to better than just below average. Game 4 was an unmitigated disaster: 8 points and at times I wasn't even sure he was on the floor.
The worst part about all of this is his attitude on the court. He can say in tweets and in front of the cameras about how it's now or never, and the team's back is against the wall, and it's the most important game of his career. His lips say that, his body says otherwise. He has no confidence. He doesn't want it to be his team. He has clearly given the reigns to Wade. Even in Game 5 when Wade went out hurt Lebron was passive. None of these are things a great will do. A great puts his body on the line for a championship. A great will bleed for the ring. A great does whatever it takes. There is only one great playing in Miami and that is Wade.
So, it is time for us to retire the nickname King James. These last 12 months we have learned that Lebron is not the great player we wanted him to be. He is not the second coming of His Airness. He is simply the most talented player ever who just wants to have fun, play with his friends, be loved by all, and be the subject of many highlight reel dunks and creative celebrations.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Amazing Turnaround
Many, many weeks ago I wrote about how bad The Office had gotten. It was disjointed, inconsistent, full of stories we didn't care about with characters in roles that didn't really interest or entertain. It got to the point where I doubted the show could survive without Steve Carell. That changed quickly.
The Michael Scott Farewell Tour ended with a bang. Almost as soon as Holly returned to Scranton (allowing the writers to drop the whole Andy/Gabe/Erin love triangle no one cared about) did the show not only dramatically increase in hilarity, but also it became more focused. The writers had to get from point A to point B which drove the main plot lines forward, often dragging all the secondary plots with them. As a result the comedy and overall feeling of satisfaction with each episode returned to levels we were used to.
What also helped was the use of secondary characters (i.e. the not Jim, Pam, Michael, Dwight). I already mentioned shoving the Andy/Erin/Gabe mess away. We got to see Andy in goofier bro-mode which, if you've seen the Hangover, Ed Helms shines in. We got to see much more of Daryl, Angela, Meredith, Creed, Ryan, and Kelly. We even got some great moments from Oscar, Erin, Stanley, and Phyllis. But I think it was Kevin and Creed who stole a lot of the great lines (it was as if the writers stumbled upon my post). Brian Baumgartner often had me laughing hysterically most notably in "PDA" where he delivered gems such as "Let me finish! I like it (Holly and Michael's PDA) because it makes me horny," and when Dwight has listed everyone who has had sex in the office and Kevin has added himself to the list someone asked him with whom his reply: "She goes to another school." Creed really shone the second half of the year, especially once he was made boss. It forced Pam back into her role of saboteur of the boss's ill-conceived plans, except this boss was even more clueless.
It was also really great to see Jim pull a long-con prank on Dwight that was in no way mean spirited, we haven't seen that in a while.
Finally, as sad as it was, Michael Scott's farewell to Scranton was really well done. The final episode especially highlighted just how deep and three dimensional the character really became. One minute he was totally aware of how stupid Oscar thinks he is, the next he was awkwardly telling Kevin to stop being fat. We got to see how the office really had become the family he never had, but now no longer needs. I can't praise the show enough for giving Michael the happy ending he deserved (even if it meant a horribly awkward, pointless, and distracting Will Ferrell extended cameo).
I hope the show can maintain the momentum it had leading up to the goodbye, or if the writers will fall back into a direction-less hit-or-miss style that took over the proceeding season and a half.
The Michael Scott Farewell Tour ended with a bang. Almost as soon as Holly returned to Scranton (allowing the writers to drop the whole Andy/Gabe/Erin love triangle no one cared about) did the show not only dramatically increase in hilarity, but also it became more focused. The writers had to get from point A to point B which drove the main plot lines forward, often dragging all the secondary plots with them. As a result the comedy and overall feeling of satisfaction with each episode returned to levels we were used to.
What also helped was the use of secondary characters (i.e. the not Jim, Pam, Michael, Dwight). I already mentioned shoving the Andy/Erin/Gabe mess away. We got to see Andy in goofier bro-mode which, if you've seen the Hangover, Ed Helms shines in. We got to see much more of Daryl, Angela, Meredith, Creed, Ryan, and Kelly. We even got some great moments from Oscar, Erin, Stanley, and Phyllis. But I think it was Kevin and Creed who stole a lot of the great lines (it was as if the writers stumbled upon my post). Brian Baumgartner often had me laughing hysterically most notably in "PDA" where he delivered gems such as "Let me finish! I like it (Holly and Michael's PDA) because it makes me horny," and when Dwight has listed everyone who has had sex in the office and Kevin has added himself to the list someone asked him with whom his reply: "She goes to another school." Creed really shone the second half of the year, especially once he was made boss. It forced Pam back into her role of saboteur of the boss's ill-conceived plans, except this boss was even more clueless.
It was also really great to see Jim pull a long-con prank on Dwight that was in no way mean spirited, we haven't seen that in a while.
Finally, as sad as it was, Michael Scott's farewell to Scranton was really well done. The final episode especially highlighted just how deep and three dimensional the character really became. One minute he was totally aware of how stupid Oscar thinks he is, the next he was awkwardly telling Kevin to stop being fat. We got to see how the office really had become the family he never had, but now no longer needs. I can't praise the show enough for giving Michael the happy ending he deserved (even if it meant a horribly awkward, pointless, and distracting Will Ferrell extended cameo).
I hope the show can maintain the momentum it had leading up to the goodbye, or if the writers will fall back into a direction-less hit-or-miss style that took over the proceeding season and a half.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Bad Guy
Tonight's How I Met Your Mother was like most college-based comedies: pretty funny start, but before you know it the it's almost over and you have barely laughed. In all the episode was not the worst they've ever done but certainly nowhere near the best.
I thought we were in for a good episode with the first scene after the credits. The great Peanuts reference with Barney only hear "wah-wah-wah" whenever a woman tells him she doesn't want drinks (or anyone giving him advice) was great use of Barney's more cartoonish side that NPH plays so well. And unlike a lot of the outlandish Barney gags they have used recently this one did not seem forced at all.
I also really like Wendy taking a shot at Ted's inability to tell a meeting story in a timely manner. However, it did draw my attention to the fact we don't seem to be much closer to meeting the mother and we're wasting our time with Zoey, a relationship that doesn't seem valuable in regards to advancing the plot of the show (even Victoria was relevant in that she made Robin realize she liked Ted). And since the chemistry between Josh Radnor and Jennifer Morrison just isn't there it also didn't sit well that they admitted that Zoey was not the mother, which we pretty much knew, and that we have a messy break-up coming up (which probably won't work because I was not too invested in the relationship from the start unlike the break-up with Robin or Stella).
After this great start all the only a few things we left that I really liked. The first was the Barney-Robin-Nora plot. The writers scripted, and NPH played, Barney's reaction to actually liking a girl perfectly. Like the "wah-wah's" the Barney's adamant denial and childish attempts to prove to Robin he doesn't like Nora were organic and entertaining. I also like how they are moving Barney back toward a relationship. Barney on the prowl is great (cue Predator sounds) but if Nora turns out to be a true girlfriend it will be a nice change of pace. I am very interested to see how Barney would handle a relationship that isn't with Robin, who is almost a female analogue.
Like the episode as a whole I thought the Captain-Ted plot started strongly. I loved the throwback joke of angry eyes, smiling mouth. I was also intrigued by the irony that he was so upset about Zoey leaving the Captain for the man the Captain was finding solace in. However I quickly was turned off by the whole good guy in Ted's version, bad guy in someone else's. They did that last season with the "Wedding Bride" episode.
The Marshall-Lilly plot was pretty weak. It was kind of funny that Lilly couldn't keep her hands off Marshall while he was on his diatribe in the bar, but the Lilly is a nympho joke can only be done so many times. I realize Marshall is at a very tough time in his life: he just lost his dad and he and Lilly are trying to have a baby, but his renewed interest in the NRDC seems out of nowhere. Only a few episodes ago he told Lilly he really liked working at GNB and wanted to work there for a long time. I can imagine that losing your dad suddenly and at a relatively young age can be earth-shattering, but the writers did not do a great job of conveying that being the underlying cause for the sudden 180. And also, the Marshall as the bad guy didn't work at all; it was forced in there to try to tie 2 of the 3 plots together.
Other thoughts:
- No idea why we had to see Wendy the Waitress in 10 years to get this story.
- It was really bizarre seeing the part of the bar where the camera usually is. I thought they gave up on that early on. They used it well if they were trying highlight that things weren't normal with Barney though. All in all, keep that to the minimum though, the show has an unusually large amount of sets for a sit-com so variety is there; don't mess with the stock scenes.
- As I said earlier: We've known Zoey isn't the mother, the writers have now made it official. Please stop teasing us with the real meeting: do it soon or put it out of our minds.
I thought we were in for a good episode with the first scene after the credits. The great Peanuts reference with Barney only hear "wah-wah-wah" whenever a woman tells him she doesn't want drinks (or anyone giving him advice) was great use of Barney's more cartoonish side that NPH plays so well. And unlike a lot of the outlandish Barney gags they have used recently this one did not seem forced at all.
I also really like Wendy taking a shot at Ted's inability to tell a meeting story in a timely manner. However, it did draw my attention to the fact we don't seem to be much closer to meeting the mother and we're wasting our time with Zoey, a relationship that doesn't seem valuable in regards to advancing the plot of the show (even Victoria was relevant in that she made Robin realize she liked Ted). And since the chemistry between Josh Radnor and Jennifer Morrison just isn't there it also didn't sit well that they admitted that Zoey was not the mother, which we pretty much knew, and that we have a messy break-up coming up (which probably won't work because I was not too invested in the relationship from the start unlike the break-up with Robin or Stella).
After this great start all the only a few things we left that I really liked. The first was the Barney-Robin-Nora plot. The writers scripted, and NPH played, Barney's reaction to actually liking a girl perfectly. Like the "wah-wah's" the Barney's adamant denial and childish attempts to prove to Robin he doesn't like Nora were organic and entertaining. I also like how they are moving Barney back toward a relationship. Barney on the prowl is great (cue Predator sounds) but if Nora turns out to be a true girlfriend it will be a nice change of pace. I am very interested to see how Barney would handle a relationship that isn't with Robin, who is almost a female analogue.
Like the episode as a whole I thought the Captain-Ted plot started strongly. I loved the throwback joke of angry eyes, smiling mouth. I was also intrigued by the irony that he was so upset about Zoey leaving the Captain for the man the Captain was finding solace in. However I quickly was turned off by the whole good guy in Ted's version, bad guy in someone else's. They did that last season with the "Wedding Bride" episode.
The Marshall-Lilly plot was pretty weak. It was kind of funny that Lilly couldn't keep her hands off Marshall while he was on his diatribe in the bar, but the Lilly is a nympho joke can only be done so many times. I realize Marshall is at a very tough time in his life: he just lost his dad and he and Lilly are trying to have a baby, but his renewed interest in the NRDC seems out of nowhere. Only a few episodes ago he told Lilly he really liked working at GNB and wanted to work there for a long time. I can imagine that losing your dad suddenly and at a relatively young age can be earth-shattering, but the writers did not do a great job of conveying that being the underlying cause for the sudden 180. And also, the Marshall as the bad guy didn't work at all; it was forced in there to try to tie 2 of the 3 plots together.
Other thoughts:
- No idea why we had to see Wendy the Waitress in 10 years to get this story.
- It was really bizarre seeing the part of the bar where the camera usually is. I thought they gave up on that early on. They used it well if they were trying highlight that things weren't normal with Barney though. All in all, keep that to the minimum though, the show has an unusually large amount of sets for a sit-com so variety is there; don't mess with the stock scenes.
- As I said earlier: We've known Zoey isn't the mother, the writers have now made it official. Please stop teasing us with the real meeting: do it soon or put it out of our minds.
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Bell Tolls for The...Office
I really lament writing this, but I think The Office is finally done. Maybe when Steve Carrell leaves at the end of this season there will be a sigh of relief and the show can find a new direction, but it doesn't look like it.
Last season had some highlights (see Date Mike and the parkour cold open), but overall if you missed it, you missed nothing. The funniest thing was Kelly's music video, which was never on TV. This season, more of the same. I laughed pretty hard at the what will Stanley notice cold open, and moderately at a few things here and there. The problem seems that they've run out of ideas. They have tried to revive Jim as a prankster, but only half-heartedly. They keep beating the Andy still loves Erin joke into the ground so that it just isn't funny. The Dwight-Angela sex contract is just awkward and doesn't work unless the tension with Dwight caring more about Pam's friend is there. Ryan is not funny. Period. Ditto Gabe, and Erin. I think the show needs more Creed, Daryl, Kelly, Oscar, Kevin and douche bag Andy.
The writers also seem to lack direction. So many plots the past two season start, then kind of just sit in idle. I'm not sure what they were trying to do with the baptism episode: there was nothing entertaining about the Jim/Pam plot and the Michael filled with the Holy Spirit plot was wholly predictable and didn't do anything. When I watch I keep feeling like there is about to be some funny twist, but there just isn't.
At this point the show literally feels like we are watching an office, not The Office. Yeah there are a few chuckles here and there, but no more ill-timed that's-what-she-saids, no more inventive pranks on Dwight or Andy, no more zany misinterpretation of social norms. It's becoming too much work to watch a show that just seems like a normal day at work. I hope that this is more a product of the Michael Scott farewell tour need to wrap things up for the character, but since last season was almost as bad I highly doubt it. The cast and crew seem like every American worker at about 1:15 on a Friday, tired of being there and just waiting to get out.
Last season had some highlights (see Date Mike and the parkour cold open), but overall if you missed it, you missed nothing. The funniest thing was Kelly's music video, which was never on TV. This season, more of the same. I laughed pretty hard at the what will Stanley notice cold open, and moderately at a few things here and there. The problem seems that they've run out of ideas. They have tried to revive Jim as a prankster, but only half-heartedly. They keep beating the Andy still loves Erin joke into the ground so that it just isn't funny. The Dwight-Angela sex contract is just awkward and doesn't work unless the tension with Dwight caring more about Pam's friend is there. Ryan is not funny. Period. Ditto Gabe, and Erin. I think the show needs more Creed, Daryl, Kelly, Oscar, Kevin and douche bag Andy.
The writers also seem to lack direction. So many plots the past two season start, then kind of just sit in idle. I'm not sure what they were trying to do with the baptism episode: there was nothing entertaining about the Jim/Pam plot and the Michael filled with the Holy Spirit plot was wholly predictable and didn't do anything. When I watch I keep feeling like there is about to be some funny twist, but there just isn't.
At this point the show literally feels like we are watching an office, not The Office. Yeah there are a few chuckles here and there, but no more ill-timed that's-what-she-saids, no more inventive pranks on Dwight or Andy, no more zany misinterpretation of social norms. It's becoming too much work to watch a show that just seems like a normal day at work. I hope that this is more a product of the Michael Scott farewell tour need to wrap things up for the character, but since last season was almost as bad I highly doubt it. The cast and crew seem like every American worker at about 1:15 on a Friday, tired of being there and just waiting to get out.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
A Fool and His Money Soon Parted
NFL players are dumb. Why is there such an outrage that the league is going to strictly enforce rules already in place that are designed to protect everyone on the field? On Tuesday the league announced it was coming down hard on players who use their helmets as weapons. This is not a new rule; it has been in the books for eons. The NFL is just taking steps in light of some recent harsh criticism for their lack of action on a disturbing problem in the NFL: neurological damage.
A recent study has shown that multiple concussions is related to Lou Gherig's disease. If you don't understand how terrible it is to loose all control of your body slowly, ready Tuesdays With Maury. Now it's a new study so it isn't definitive, but there are also countless other studies showing that repeated hits to the head aren't good for you. There's also real life (see: Muhammad Ali, and countless other former professional boxers and NFL players.)
Of course, this means that players will have to change how they play the game. Heaven forbid. James Harrison is throwing such a fit about this he is threatening to retire. Talk about an immature brat. These are the same players who complain that they are not getting enough health benefits from the union after they retire. The league is now taking active steps to try to reduce long-term health of these people. The stink the players are making show that they are arrogant fools who have no concept of anything beyond themselves at that present moment. If Mr. Harrison leads with his helmet this weekend and damages a vertebra (heaven forbid) his career is over, his contract is void (because the NFL doesn't guarantee contracts) and he will have health bills for the rest of his life that will eat up a lot of whatever he has saved. This is the classic case of a kid playing with matches because dad told him not to.
It is pretty well proven that leading with the helmet causes injuries. What I cannot understand is why these players want to hurt each other. The intimidation excuse is not viable. You can hit someone just as hard without having to concuss yourself or your fellow player. Aren't we always told the NFL is a brotherhood? I don't think a lawyer goes into a courtroom hoping to do permanent brain damage to the opposing counsel, why is it OK for an NFL player to do the same? It's not.
The other reason the players are being selfish is because they don't realize the message they send when they act like concussion seeking missiles. America watches football. America loves football. America plays football. Guess what age group has the most football players? Kids under 18 years old. They watch every Sunday and see these idiots leading with their helmets, hitting defenseless receivers, trying to hurt each other. Those kids then go out and whether they consciously do it or not, they try to imitate the pros. These overgrown babies playing in the NFL can try to say they don't mean to be role models, but they are. Children under 18 exposed to head injuries while the brain is still developing are really at a huge risk of horrible long term damage. The players may not like it, but they owe it to the kids (as corny as that sounds).
So in short NFL players, stop being selfish, spoiled, jerks. You get to play a sport for a living. The NFL is taking steps to not only protect you, but those who aspire to be you. They are protecting your livelihood not only so you can keep doing it, but so America doesn't turn on a sport that was threatening to become too barbaric to play. It is for your own good your helmet can't be a battering ram. So sure keep on leading with your helmet. I just don't want to hear it when you have to sit out. Then I don't want to hear it when you have to retire early. I especially don't want to hear it ten years from now when you finally feel the effects of the damage you willingly and brashly inflicted on your body.
A recent study has shown that multiple concussions is related to Lou Gherig's disease. If you don't understand how terrible it is to loose all control of your body slowly, ready Tuesdays With Maury. Now it's a new study so it isn't definitive, but there are also countless other studies showing that repeated hits to the head aren't good for you. There's also real life (see: Muhammad Ali, and countless other former professional boxers and NFL players.)
Of course, this means that players will have to change how they play the game. Heaven forbid. James Harrison is throwing such a fit about this he is threatening to retire. Talk about an immature brat. These are the same players who complain that they are not getting enough health benefits from the union after they retire. The league is now taking active steps to try to reduce long-term health of these people. The stink the players are making show that they are arrogant fools who have no concept of anything beyond themselves at that present moment. If Mr. Harrison leads with his helmet this weekend and damages a vertebra (heaven forbid) his career is over, his contract is void (because the NFL doesn't guarantee contracts) and he will have health bills for the rest of his life that will eat up a lot of whatever he has saved. This is the classic case of a kid playing with matches because dad told him not to.
It is pretty well proven that leading with the helmet causes injuries. What I cannot understand is why these players want to hurt each other. The intimidation excuse is not viable. You can hit someone just as hard without having to concuss yourself or your fellow player. Aren't we always told the NFL is a brotherhood? I don't think a lawyer goes into a courtroom hoping to do permanent brain damage to the opposing counsel, why is it OK for an NFL player to do the same? It's not.
The other reason the players are being selfish is because they don't realize the message they send when they act like concussion seeking missiles. America watches football. America loves football. America plays football. Guess what age group has the most football players? Kids under 18 years old. They watch every Sunday and see these idiots leading with their helmets, hitting defenseless receivers, trying to hurt each other. Those kids then go out and whether they consciously do it or not, they try to imitate the pros. These overgrown babies playing in the NFL can try to say they don't mean to be role models, but they are. Children under 18 exposed to head injuries while the brain is still developing are really at a huge risk of horrible long term damage. The players may not like it, but they owe it to the kids (as corny as that sounds).
So in short NFL players, stop being selfish, spoiled, jerks. You get to play a sport for a living. The NFL is taking steps to not only protect you, but those who aspire to be you. They are protecting your livelihood not only so you can keep doing it, but so America doesn't turn on a sport that was threatening to become too barbaric to play. It is for your own good your helmet can't be a battering ram. So sure keep on leading with your helmet. I just don't want to hear it when you have to sit out. Then I don't want to hear it when you have to retire early. I especially don't want to hear it ten years from now when you finally feel the effects of the damage you willingly and brashly inflicted on your body.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Did What I think Just Happen Happen?
Did Entourage just grow a pair after 5 years of sucking? Sunday's season finale was somewhere between their usual happy ending and nuclear fallout. But it could have been worse, Turtle could have been whacked and Vince could have pulled a Dirk Diggler and started performing sex acts for blow. Sadly, I think it is too little too late; there's only one season and possibly a movie left (a movie about a movie star?). We've had one season end in total failure before, the Medellin season, and granted the following season was all about rehabbing Vince's image. Yeah it was far fetched that one movie would totally destroy a career and much more believable that getting arrested for fighting Kevin Love, Jordan Farmar, Eminem, and bodyguards, and drug possession is harder to come back from. But guess what? Robert Downey Jr. did it. I just have a feeling this is going to be like the post-Medellin plot where it seems like no one wants Vince anymore and then some big name director decides he does; the show loves easy fixes.
Yes, I am interested in the show I have been begrudgingly watching for a while now. But trying to make Vince an interesting character is a tall task with Adrian Grenier's limited acting abilities. The only reason I knew he was upset was because everyone kept saying he wasn't OK and then he was doing lines by himself with a bottle of whiskey like he was a member of an 80's metal band.
Turtle's plot this year: boring. I could care less about a tequila company or the girl they were trying to pass off as hot. Even with that it was one episode she hates Turtle the next they're dating (easy fix again). She and Sasha Grey just annoyed me.
But hey, at least Sasha made Grenier look like a decent actor with her flat, emotionless lines. She couldn't even convince me she was mad at coked out Vince trying to tell her what to do. The only good part about that relationship was the irony that Vince was the one who wanted a serious relationship while the love interest was having sex with a lot of people.
E's plot was completely stupid. I don't want to watch him take over his boss's firm. Ari did that last year.
I want to see more Johnny's Bananas. Why was there not at least a scene from that? And yes please for more of E's secretary. Hot and British? I'll take it.
This brings me to the Ari plot. Did things need to go against him? Unquestionably yes. Did his life need to completely unravel? Unquestionably no. The one character that has made the last few seasons bearable is Ari Gold. He was good for entertainment, good for depth of character, good for quality acting. If this impending divorce, and loss of respect in the biz cuts Ari's balls off I will be very upset. He may not be the nicest person, but he got the job done, he made lives better (look at Lloyd, the man is a damn good agent because even though Ari yelled at him a lot, he was able to distill the message). If Ari can no longer be Ari, Entourage can no longer be Entourage.
Yes, I am interested in the show I have been begrudgingly watching for a while now. But trying to make Vince an interesting character is a tall task with Adrian Grenier's limited acting abilities. The only reason I knew he was upset was because everyone kept saying he wasn't OK and then he was doing lines by himself with a bottle of whiskey like he was a member of an 80's metal band.
Turtle's plot this year: boring. I could care less about a tequila company or the girl they were trying to pass off as hot. Even with that it was one episode she hates Turtle the next they're dating (easy fix again). She and Sasha Grey just annoyed me.
But hey, at least Sasha made Grenier look like a decent actor with her flat, emotionless lines. She couldn't even convince me she was mad at coked out Vince trying to tell her what to do. The only good part about that relationship was the irony that Vince was the one who wanted a serious relationship while the love interest was having sex with a lot of people.
E's plot was completely stupid. I don't want to watch him take over his boss's firm. Ari did that last year.
I want to see more Johnny's Bananas. Why was there not at least a scene from that? And yes please for more of E's secretary. Hot and British? I'll take it.
This brings me to the Ari plot. Did things need to go against him? Unquestionably yes. Did his life need to completely unravel? Unquestionably no. The one character that has made the last few seasons bearable is Ari Gold. He was good for entertainment, good for depth of character, good for quality acting. If this impending divorce, and loss of respect in the biz cuts Ari's balls off I will be very upset. He may not be the nicest person, but he got the job done, he made lives better (look at Lloyd, the man is a damn good agent because even though Ari yelled at him a lot, he was able to distill the message). If Ari can no longer be Ari, Entourage can no longer be Entourage.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Streak Broken
No, Brett Favre started tonight. I'm referring to my month plus hiatus from updating. I blame it partially on the start of law school; I guess torts and property and contract law really use up a lot of thinking power so I don't have the neural juice to crank out a post every week. I also really want to write about AMC's new show Rubicon, but it's all so up in the veiled that I can't really figure it out yet. I will say this, James Badge Dale is a phenomenal actor. His two roles (HBO's Pacific) this year where he did so much acting without saying a word have really swung me firmly in his camp. Also, last week's bottle episode of API on lock-down trying to find a leak was the best yet. The parallels of Will's team taking lie detectors and Will trying to figure out the lies he was living/working under was fascinating.
Rubicon is good, but I have to say a few words on Mad Men. If Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss don't win Emmy's for their performances on this week's "The Suitcase," I don't know if they ever will (especially since fellow AMC show Breaking Bad won't be eligible for next year's awards). The full range of emotions and interplay between Peggy and Don is some of the best work of the series. Like the lead in show, this was more or less a bottle episode, so the plot of the episode was really driven by the actions and emotions of Peggy and Don, alone, in the office.
There are two really important strands I pulled out of this episode that I think are really worth mentioning. The first is Peggy is clearly now Don's new Anna. Anna was so pivotal to Don because she knew Don as Dick, who he really was. Peggy, although she doesn't know his real name, does know Don as more than just the creative genius that drinks, carouses, and wows Madison Avenue. They kept bringing up Peggy's baby because that seemingly meaningless moment at the end of season one, where Don showed up to visit Peggy in the hospital (her only visitor not related to her) he showed the caring, thoughtful, sympathetic man at his core. Through this episode Don and Peggy realized what they always knew: they are kindred spirits. They are both trying to make a life they never seemed destined to have, yet still fit into the boxes society wants for them. Because of this their work is their only real joy. Now hopefully Peggy can do what Anna did in season 2 and bring Don out of his funk.
The other strand that seems insignificant right now, but has been touched on a few times this season. Don does not believe in self-promotion. We have seen this in episode 1 where he flops in the trade magazine interview and then in last week's where he bashes Muhammad Ali for being a braggart. This could cause some problems pretty soon. Very soon we will begin to see just how important being your own spokesman is to our society. The question is can Don adjust or will he be passed by? I don't think he'll let that happen, he's too strong, too much of a survivor. But this will bring up an interesting conflict within him. Can a man who is not really who he says he is, who doesn't want his past to be know, who wants his face to be his work, really become comfortable in the spotlight?
Courtesy of chicago-now.com
There are two really important strands I pulled out of this episode that I think are really worth mentioning. The first is Peggy is clearly now Don's new Anna. Anna was so pivotal to Don because she knew Don as Dick, who he really was. Peggy, although she doesn't know his real name, does know Don as more than just the creative genius that drinks, carouses, and wows Madison Avenue. They kept bringing up Peggy's baby because that seemingly meaningless moment at the end of season one, where Don showed up to visit Peggy in the hospital (her only visitor not related to her) he showed the caring, thoughtful, sympathetic man at his core. Through this episode Don and Peggy realized what they always knew: they are kindred spirits. They are both trying to make a life they never seemed destined to have, yet still fit into the boxes society wants for them. Because of this their work is their only real joy. Now hopefully Peggy can do what Anna did in season 2 and bring Don out of his funk.
Courtesy of amc.com
The other strand that seems insignificant right now, but has been touched on a few times this season. Don does not believe in self-promotion. We have seen this in episode 1 where he flops in the trade magazine interview and then in last week's where he bashes Muhammad Ali for being a braggart. This could cause some problems pretty soon. Very soon we will begin to see just how important being your own spokesman is to our society. The question is can Don adjust or will he be passed by? I don't think he'll let that happen, he's too strong, too much of a survivor. But this will bring up an interesting conflict within him. Can a man who is not really who he says he is, who doesn't want his past to be know, who wants his face to be his work, really become comfortable in the spotlight?
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