Homeland: Season Two

This is basically a quick post to express my excitement that Homeland's second season starts tomorrow. I may have just ripped the Emmys to shreds, but that was in terms of comedy. In drama, they often get it right. In my opinion, Claire Danes won that award a year ago in the season's penultimate episode. Her performance was so powerful that before the episode even ended I knew it was hers. And if that episode belonged to Danes, the finale belonged to Damian Lewis, no question.

The fact that Homeland won best drama and best writing is also very much deserved. I was pleasantly surprised by both wins. I was honestly expecting either Mad Men or Breaking Bad to take home an Emmy in either respective category (as well as Bryan Cranston or Jon Hamm for acting), but Homeland also earned recognition. It deserves to be held to the same standard and it very much belongs in the same breath. Since it aired, I've been talking about this show to anyone who will listen. So its nice to be validated.

And I'm so glad it won for its first season. I'm honestly not sure if they can keep the quality up further down the road, so I'm pleased it nabbed an award when it could. Some part of me wished it was a one season show that ended slightly differently than it did. (Especially because the show runners, who previously worked on 24, aren't necessarily the best at long-term suspense.) But any doubts I had were quickly forgotten when I saw the season two trailer. So lets get pumped, people!

The Emmy's Comedy Problem

I realize the Emmys were six days ago. And I realize that awards don't really matter (although, to paraphrase Ron Swanson, it would be pretty swell if they went to the right people). But there are some things I just need to get out of my system.

The Emmys have a huge, unbelievably awful comedy blindspot. There are dozens of hilarious, clever, quirky, heartwarming shows out there. We are at an unprecedented level of quality comedy. Yet many of them are not getting the recognition they deserve. Listen, I am infinitely glad Louis CK was awarded for his work on Louie. That show is amazing. Every episode is its own indie short film of amazingly well-crafted dark comedy. And he has some stellar guest stars to boot. I'm equally as glad that Girls was nominated in various categories. Same goes for many other shows and performances. Those are things the Emmys got right. But this Modern Family business has got to stop.

Yes, Modern Family is a funny show. It regularly gets laughs out of me. It is its own brand of layered humor, and never feels the need to condescend. And I'm so glad that it is a good show that families can enjoy together. It's better than a lot of other sitcoms out there. But in the wide spectrum of quality comedy, it falls somewhere in the middle. There are shows so far beyond Modern Family. We are now entering the show's fourth season. And I honestly can't name a single character that has developed whatsoever. Normally this would be an overly critical and elitist comment to make about a network comedy. But when I can rattle off a list of programs that believably develop their characters/plot while still making me laugh so hard I cry (or just make me cry in general), then that critique doesn't seem so harsh. Heck, even Friends had better character/plot development while still remaining funny and heartfelt. And that is what makes a show like Friends a classic.

The people voting at the Emmy's are really missing out on some quality humor out there. And amazing performances as well. Even Julia Louis-Dreyfus winning best actress for Veep (on which she is amazing and hilarious, don't get me wrong) felt like voters gave it to her because of her name and body of work rather than the performance itself. I adore JLD, especially on Veep. And I'm not upset she won. But that Emmy belonged to Amy Poehler and to argue otherwise is a real shame.

Basically filling up an entire supporting category with actors from Modern Family, year after year, is just plain excessive. This year there was amazing supporting work done by Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Nick Offerman, Adam Driver, Damon Wayans, Jr, Gary Walsh, and yes Max Greenfield and Bill Hader. All performances that could garner a nomination without backlash or disappointment. These people and the shows they work on deserve to be recognized so much more than the stale and stagnant Modern Family.

Modern Family's past Emmy's, particularly for its first season, were well deserved. But now it's just getting ridiculous. This show has gotten enough validation. Lets give another comedy and its cast the attention it deserves. Not that the Emmys, or really any award ceremony, matters very much. But please. I'm begging you.

Last Resort

I have mixed feelings regarding the pilot episode of ABC's Last Resort (cleverly entitled "Captain" rather than "Pilot).

I felt the episode itself was awfully paced, constantly throwing information at the viewer at breakneck speed. I understand the urgency in trying to set up a plot as tightly knotted as this into approximately 45 minutes (not to mention the network pressure to attain viewers and ratings), but I felt I had almost no time to absorb one thing before moving on to the next. I repeatedly had to shake my head and process information as more was thrown at me...and not in a good way. I don't mind working for my entertainment. I prefer taking a bite out of a smart, challenging program. But if that bite is underripe, it takes you out of the moment. It leaves a sour taste in your mouth. And you are going to question whether it is worth continuing or not.

That being said, I find myself admiring this pilot episode. Its felt as if the writers had so many ideas that they couldn't contain themselves. The ambition and set-up is enough to get a viewer excited. You understand the stakes and how they not only affect the main characters, but also the entire world in which the show exists. That is awfully hard to do well in under an hour. The attempt alone is admirable and exhilarating.

In terms of a general impression, I couldn't help but compare the show to Battlestar Galactica. For anyone who has seen BSG, this is a natural comparison to make. Genre aside, the two shows are cut from the same cloth. However, BSG did it with so much more confidence, grace, and restraint that Last Resort's effort seems cheap in comparison. But as the episode continued, I also found myself thinking of shows like Lost, Alias, 24, and even Homeland. And any pilot that can do THAT is definitely worth my time. I don't care if I have a sour taste in my mouth because I'm pretty sure I've tasted something like this before. And I'm pretty sure it has traces of awesome in it.

Ideally, I would have liked the episode to be longer only so we could have built more tension and suspense throughout. Because the potential here deserved a much more confident and nuanced coming-out. I'd hate to see it dumbed down (which is a very real, unfortunate, and likely possibility for a network program). I just hope they take a moment to breathe and gather themselves before trekking forward. I'd love to see this show do well. I'd love to see where it leads. And I'd also love to see them lose the cheesy action-staple cliches...because this could be a legitimate smart show about militarism, politics, strategy, and humanity.

Its probably the best new drama pilot I've seen on network television in quite some time (since Lone Star at least). For what its worth, I'm personally giving it another shot. And I'm looking forward to it.

Tabula Rasa

I have been trying to motivate myself to blog for quite some time now. There was always some new excuse.
That my computer was too old.
(But I bought a new one a year ago).
That I could not think of a proper blog title.
(Still cannot think of one, but these things aren't set in stone).
That no one cares about my opinions on television, film, or the like.
(Probably true).
That the timing wasn't right.
(This happens to be Emmy weekend).
That I have absolutely no qualifications to be offering my thoughts on media.
(Aside from my media degree....and the ton of television/movies I watch).

But then I got sick of holding myself back. Forget my insecurities. Forget whether anyone even cares or not. I'm really doing it for myself anyway (although readers/commenters would be greatly appreciated).

Basically, I don't want to regret never doing it, trying it out, seeing what develops, seeing if I even keep up with it. I am tired of telling people that "I want to start blogging" and then never following through (its like that tattoo I've been talking about for years). Eventually you have to bite the bullet and just do it.

And they say the hardest part is getting started. Staring at a blank page, agonizing over that first sentence, is daunting. Getting the train of thought to pull out of the station is slow-going. But once you gain some speed and start chugging along, you will get to where you want to be.

So please excuse this rambling post. It's really just me blowing the whistle and pulling out of the station. This train has been delayed long enough.