The Hollowness of House of Cards

For the past two years I have written a continuous blog for House of Cards wherein I would add my thoughts and observations to an ongoing blog posts after finishing each episode. It seemed a sensible thing to do for a show released all at once. But after two seasons, I have come to realize I do not care much for House of Cards nor do I care much for dissecting every episode. Entertainment-wise, House of Cards gets me by. I'm always willing to watch the next installment, curious how things will unfold. But quality-wise the show is so incredibly uneven and frustratingly hollow. For every strong performance and impressive, meticulously blocked shot, there is something else completely inane or ridiculous happening. It is honestly an elegantly crafted show and I only wish the writing held up to its directing, performance, cinematography, costuming and stage dressings (for real...the furniture on this show is a freaking West Elm catalogue). Its incredibly unbalanced.

I find the writing so frustrating for a variety of reasons, but I think what I find so irritating is the hubris of the show. The show is convinced that what is unfolding on screen is so deep, artistic, and nuanced that its a wonder to behold. In actuality the show has never been as good as it presents itself. The plots have always been weak including Frank Underwood's rise to power. The characters too have been terribly written (minus Claire and Peter Russo). They do things so over the top you are often taken out of the moment of the show. Or they will have some new strange habit that you can tell the writers find interesting and different when in fact it almost never reveals any new depth to the character. It just reinforces what we already know or is just straight up strange, neither clever nor resonant. (And I have become even more convinced of this after reading the most pretentious and pompous interview I've ever laid eyes on with showrunner Beau Willimon. His responses and general attitude represent everything I find wrong with House of Cards).

Sometimes I feel I am overly harsh on this show. I mean, it's just a television show and Netflix's first attempt at prestige programming. I'm probably overly critical because I insisted on dissecting twenty-six separate episodes as some sort of writing exercise. Surely I would enjoy other shows like The Knick or Girls much less if I decided to do the same to them, right? So this year, for its third season, I decided not to do a continuous blog. I decided to just try to turn the inner critic off and enjoy the show at my leisure. But two episodes in I got so frustrated I couldn't help myself.

[Spoilers for the first two episodes of Season Three follow (which is all I have watched so far):]

My annoyance relates back to the issues I've already mentioned. Look, my problem with House of Cards is not that it tries too hard or is too ambitious--I happen to admire ambition (like Halt and Catch Fire is overly stylish and unsuccessfully ambitious but not gratingly so). What bothers me is that House of Cards is cocky and vacuous with nothing to support its self-aggrandizement. In Chapter Twenty-Seven, the third season premiere, we spent a good 30 minutes straight with Doug freaking Stamper. This guy was left for dead last season and I have to say I was incredibly disappointed to see him alive. Not because the character is a creep, but because he has never had an interesting story line. Nor do I have any desire to root for his rehabilitation and reintroduction into the main habitat of the show. And don't get me started on what this means about the never-ending Rachel subplot (a terribly gratuitous story line in every sense of the word that has been going on since Chapter One). We have moved on from much better characters and story-lines (Peter Russo or even Zoe Barnes), but why are we still plagued with Doug? What use is he? Doug Stamper is the herpes of House of Cards. And what is with the syringe of bourbon? Is that supposed to be some form of portion control to resist completely falling off the wagon? Because it's being presented as a weird character quirk that is supposed to be illuminating or intriguing but is neither of those things. Willimon and Co. are so bad at the "meaningful character quirks" thing it would almost be impressive if they weren't so asinine. Mad Men and Breaking Bad have had plenty of characters with weird quirks and predilections, but there has always been a real point to them. They were always successfully outrageous, ambiguous, revealing, and developed. This shit with the syringe or Claire's origami or Frank's Civil War dioramas, or Tusk's birds are all so heavy handed and ultimately pointless. I realize not every show can be Mad Men or Breaking Bad but not one of those quirks was successfully subtle or symbolic. They were all so overtly transparent only a baked high school student could possibly find them poignant.

Then in Chapter Twenty-Eight we get all this nonsense with egg symbolism without any real cohesion or ambiguity or poignant meaning. The black commemorative Easter Egg (literally) Claire carries to the press conference as if she's in mourning for her lost nomination (or perhaps her lost chances at having children? No of course not because if that was mentioned recently, the symbolism might not be transparent enough) and then passes it off to Frank who has an epiphany (?!) while trying to balance it. (Seriously). And then the episode ends with Claire cracking a couple of actual eggs into a frying pan. I get it. We all get it. The Underwoods spent the whole episode trying to crack their respective problems, trying to come up with ways to overcome their obstacles in such a way that all the King's horses and all the King's men can't put the obstructions back together again. And in the end, they have basically found solutions. Hence why Claire cracks two eggs and begins frying them. The episode ends before they're fully cooked (because that is what the rest of the season is for, people). And I am left with a mix of offense (at the condescension of this show) and awe (at the conceit of it).

And this is why I chose not to do an ongoing blog post throughout season three. Maybe I'll get frustrated enough to post an update here or there. Or heck, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised by how good it gets and come back to eat my words (which I would love, by the way). But for right now, I just don't like House of Cards enough to get into the minutiae (like Windows phones or Doug's preference for mediocre Oreos). I just need to sit back and enjoy House of Cards for what it is. Because visually it's great. The performances are strong. I'm a fan of the Fincher-esque mood of it. And Claire, HBIC, is always compelling. But the show, like Frank, is struggling to find its legacy (and if it wasn't for Claire Underwood, both would be a lot less interesting). I don't fault it for that. But I can continually wish that both the show and Frank actually had something of substance to say. That they weren't so hung up on trying to appear confident and poised and instead focused on some ideology or morality or philosophy. Because themes like those get the best responses out of me and out of a general audience. If House of Cards wants to be one of the best, it has got to actually say something. I keep eating what House of Cards is serving, but I'm continually left unsatisfied. There are only so many more empty calories I can stomach.

2014 Honorable Mentions

Since we are living in an era of so much superb television, I decided to once again make a companion post to my Best Of list. Some of the following shows didn't make the Best Of cut for various reasons, but if you ask me, they are all worth checking out:

Boardwalk Empire- A shortened final season of this show brought most of the characters' stories to a satisfying close without sacrificing quality or craft. The use of flashbacks could be tiresome, but were also powerful and crucial to the show's thematic finale. The quality of Boardwalk Empire got much better towards the end of its run and I for one will miss its impeccably tailored costumes and send up to Prohibition Era accents and culture.

The Comeback- Oh my goodness this season of The Comeback was so darn good that if I hadn't made my Best Of list before the final episode aired, it certainly would have been included. I loved everything about this nine-years-later second season. Like its first season, The Comeback manages to capture the television landscape of its time while commenting on the price of fame and the treatment of women in Hollywood in often poignant and distressing ways. The meta-ness of the show never ceases to surprise me and Lisa Kudrow is doing amazing work. Lisa Kudrow for all the awards!

Fargo- Fargo was all at once an homage to the Coen Brothers' filmography and something of its own entirely, toeing that line expertly with craft and quirk. And it did it all with a smirk on its face. I think what held it back was it's pacing as it took me a few episodes to actually get into the story. But once I did, I enjoyed it as much as the best shows on TV. A time-jump mid way through the season helped on every level. And the characters kept you guessing as they embraced the sometimes heightened reality of the world they lived in. I need someone to give Allison Tolman a new role ASAP.

Homeland- Oh, what to say about the see-saw that is Showtime's Homeland? It will never live up to its zany first season, but the reset of this most recent season was the best the show has been in a very long time (since the second season episode, "Q & A" if you ask me). Yes the show remains uneven: One second I'm thrilled to the edge of my seat and the next rolling my eyes at the improbability and 24-tinted plot points. But I very much enjoyed these most recent episodes, finger-guns and all.

The Mindy Project- The Mindy Project tends to get a lot of hate, especially from the males of the world (which I guess I can understand, although I do believe there's humor for everyone). The first season and a half of the show was okay, yet always comedic. But the later half of its second season and the first half of its third have been firing on all cylinders. The ensemble work is spot on while the one-liners and wordplay keep me laughing for days.

Orange is the New Black- I didn't love OITNB's second season as much as its first and I think it came down to the season's villain. Vee was just such a cartoon villain with no real motivation behind her lust for power/control and her subsequent manipulation over the entire social system. I guess later episodes made her out to simply be a psychopathic egomaniac, but that felt like a disservice to a show that normally has fantastic character work. Aside from Vee, I have no complaints about the season (except for Larry continuing to be The Worst).

Orphan Black- Orphan Black keeps so many balls in the air and while it could be more successful at it, its impressive all the same. But I'm just waiting for it all to fall apart. Tatiana Maslany carries the show on her shoulders by playing all the major characters with such nuance that you can always tell who she is (even when she's one character pretending to be another character). The science of the show can be wonky, but that is what sci-fi is all about. And the end of one episode in particular was so beautifully thrilling that I think I stopped breathing.

Parks and Recreation- Parks and Rec is a forever favorite of mine. The show hasn't gotten stale per say, but it has definitely plateaued in its humor, momentum, and general story. However, the final minutes of this year's season finale was a much needed shot of adrenaline and humor. Jumping ahead three years avoids bogging the show down with pregnancy (again) and other story lines the show has already explored. For the first time in a while, I'm very much looking forward to next season. Filling in the gaps between timelines will hopefully be hilariously fruitful.

Silicon Valley- I found the pilot of this new HBO comedy lukewarm, but as the show found its characters and general story, the show gained a lot of comedic momentum. It all lead to a season finale that happened to be one of the funniest episodes of television I've seen in a while. The show is smart, silly, and cutting. One character in particular, Peter Gregory, was a standout of amusing eccentricity, which only makes the passing of actor Christopher Evan Welch, that more tragic.

Veep- I simply love Veep. I think Julia Louis Dreyfus, Matt Walsh, Tony Hale, and Timothy Simons are all hilarious people. I'm a fan of politics. I'm a big fan of creative cursing. As long as this show is on, I'll be watching it. And like Parks and Rec, I suspect it will be a forever favorite.

House of Cards: Season Two

So this time last year, I decided to write a "Continuous Blog" of Netflix's premier dramatic series, House of Cards. At the time, Netflix's decision to release the entire season all at once for people to watch at their leisure was a novel idea. A year later I still think this a fun and interesting way to release a series. And because of the fact that it easily lends itself to binge watching, I had decided to update one long post with my thoughts after each episode. This way, anyone who wished to watch the show, could do so along with me. Since then we've gotten a few series from Netflix released the same way, and for which I didn't continuously blog  my thoughts about. It was a project I really enjoyed doing. So while the first season of House of Cards wasn't my favorite (I couldn't get over my issues with the writing) it definitely had its quality moments in acting, directing, and style. And because I enjoyed doing my blog so much last year, I figured why the hell not get at it again for the show's second season?

So click through, and below you will find my thoughts of each chapter of the second season. I will update as I go along so yes, there will be SPOILERS. I hope no matter where you are or when you're watching this show, you join me. This day in age, just because we can watch things at our own pace, doesn't mean we can't still do it together.

Top TV: Honorable Mentions

Yesterday I offered just the tip of my Top TV of the year, but because there was so much fantastic programming, I will now present you with my... Honorable Mentions!
(Believe me, these are all worth mentioning).

Veep- The second season of Veep was a hoot and it might just be my favorite comedy currently on television. Julia Louis-Dreyfus deserves all the recognition she gets for this show as she hilariously leads a superb comedic cast. (HBO)

The Returned- When I was discussing Sundance Channel in my Top TV post, I quickly mentioned that I am currently engrossed in this French show. If it wasn't for the fact that we're mid-season, there was a very good chance this would have made the list. I love the concept of this program and the melancholy feel it evokes. I went into it expecting a horror show, but got so much more than I could have bargained for. (Sundance)

Girls- We all know how much I love Girls. I had some issues with this past season, but there were also some inspired stand outs. "Bad Friend" in which Hannah raves in a mesh top was a delight. And "One Man's Trash" would easily be in my top five episodes of the past year. (HBO)

Orphan Black- Orphan Black is sci-fi in spades. And Tatiana Maslany IS Orphan Black. If it wasn't for her I don't know if this show would be nearly as good as it is. Playing up to four different characters in one episode (including characters impersonating other characters) is impressive enough, but doing it so convincingly that I straight up forget that it's the same actress and actually believe that these characters are all different people is a feat worthy of all the awards television has to offer. And lets not forget to mention the comedic beats, shocking turns, fun accents, and scientific mysteries we get along the way. (BBC America)

New Girl- If I had to give out a Most Improved Show Award I'd give it to New Girl. It found its groove in its second season and it was fun to see it work through the kinks, figure out its characters, and deliver a very funny program with its own brand of humor. Plus Coach is back! (Fox)

Broadchurch- I thoroughly enjoyed this British drama starring David Tennant in another series that does The Killing better than The Killing (the other being Top of the Lake). Broadchurch was beautifully shot, tragically plotted, truly engrossing, and expertly acted. Word on the street is that we will be getting an American version soon--also starring David Tennant (but with an American accent which will be bloody strange if you ask me)--and I fully intend on watching even if I already know who did it. (BBC America)

House of Cards- I may have had a lot of issues with the writing on House of Cards--which really is a deal breaker for me--but everything else about this show deserves a mention. The directing and acting are undeniable. David Fincher set an exquisite tone for the show and Kevin Spacey was amazing, as always. But the breakthrough performance from Corey Stoll was probably my favorite thing about the series (you could say he stoll the show). And I have to admit, the promos for the upcoming second season have me pretty pumped for a continuation of the story. Lets just hope they don't do anything stupid. Again. (Netflix)

Parks and Recreation- Do you guys seriously think I'd leave the most consistent comedy on television out of my year end recap? I love Parks and Rec. Yes it may be getting stale in its later seasons, but it still manages to move me and make me laugh. And for that, it will always get a shout out. (NBC)

Arrested Development- AD gets a nod for pure ambition alone. Overall I didn't love the season, but it sure had a lot of fun with its structure. (Netflix)

D's Top TV of 2013

Its about that time of year when you will see many Top Ten lists of The Best TV or Films or Books or Whatnot of the year. I am personally ambivalent when it comes to such lists. Maybe blame it on Buzzfeed fatigue but I just find ranking and comparing series that are so different from one another to be slightly arbitrary and meaningless. But I find value in dissecting what I've responded to in the past year, as it helps me to further understand my personal taste. And I like doing these year end recaps as a way to recommend programming to anyone who may trust my judgement or share my preferences.

So I'm not ranking these programs. I'm just spotlighting ones that I found to be the best of the year. But please take all of this with a grain of salt as I have clearly not watched everything on television. I gravitate towards certain types of programming and so it is from those heavenly bodies that I judge the landscape before me.

Enlightened (HBO)
I wrote about Enlightened earlier this year when its fate was still uncertain. Now we know that this excellent program was not picked up for another season. There is nothing else like Enlightened on television. It was earnest, existential, spiritually provocative, and refreshing in ways no other program is. I am beyond disappointed that such a fantastic program has been denied the chance to continue to grow and bloom. But I am grateful for the few beautiful episodes we were afforded this past year. And I hope creator Mike White is given the opportunity to run a similar show in the future.
Season Highlights: Episode 2.5 "The Ghost is Seen" was one of my favorite episodes of any show this past year. It opened with such melancholy and closed so quietly hopeful that you'd have to be heartless not to emotionally respond to such superb storytelling.

The Americans (FX)
I straight up loved the first season of this show. I don't know what I was expecting going into it, but The Americans ended up being the best freshman season of a program since Homeland. I don't understand how it could get overlooked by both the Emmys and the Golden Globes, but good riddance. As much as it deserves recognition, I don't need award pressure and blowback surrounding this program. I mentioned The Americans a couple of times this year but all you need to know is that the performances are great, the writing is great, the directing is great, the spy games are fun, the characters are dimensional and sympathetic, and the costumes/wigs are awesome. And above all, it easily has the best soundtrack on television. Forget Glee. Forget American Horror Story (as much as I love all the Fleetwood Mac this season). The Americans uses pop music like no other. Just ask The AV Club.
Season Highlights: ALL OF IT Episodes 1.3 and 1.10 "Gregory" and "Only You" are essentially companion episodes revolving around the introduction and fate of a compelling supporting character.

Top of the Lake (Sundance)
Before I get into Top of the Lake, may I mention how Sundance has been killing it? The Sundance Channel introduced its own scripted programming only this year and every single show has been right up my alley. Top of the Lake happens to be the first of these scripted programs to air and its quite a hard act to follow. Directed by Jane Campion, this miniseries was confident, beautifully shot, deliberately paced, fantastically acted, and reached Twin Peaks level of quirky. Elisabeth Moss led the cast and put in a spot-on performance. Keeping in mind her work on Mad Men along with her work on this miniseries (not to mention her fake New Zealand accent), its easy to recognize the immensity of Elisabeth Moss's talent. The rest of the cast also did top notch work as Top of the Lake delivered in all the ways AMC's The Killing never could. Sundance followed up Top of the Lake with Rectify and then the excellent French series The Returned (which I am currently engrossed in). Each show has the same feel proving that with only three series, Sundance Channel already has its own style of programming and I can't wait to see what else it has in store.
Season Highlights: As it is a miniseries it is hard to pin point one episode over another, but the final two installments are suspenseful, heartbreaking, and revelatory. Which essentially makes the whole series worth watching.

Game of Thrones (HBO)
Listen, I just love me some fantasy/sci-fi. And Game of Thrones is an epic fantasy whose grandiosity increasingly entertains as it continues. But what makes the show so good has nothing to do with its fantasy elements and everything to do with its ballsy, earned, and robust storytelling. This past season was the first time I watched the show after having already read the books and it certainly didn't take any of the enjoyment away. Yes, on some level I robbed myself of a doozy of a television experience, but knowing it was coming didn't diminish the shock in any way. (Just ask anyone who hasn't read the books but has rewatched the season). My only real criticism is probably the very cheesy, kind of racist, over-the-top scene that closed the season finale (but this amazing gif-set, which is cheesy in its own right, made it all better).
Season Highlights: Episode 3.9 "The Rains of Castamere," duh. It was quite possibly one of the most talked about television events in recent history and a huge game changer.

Mad Men (AMC)
When it comes to Mad Men, either you love it or you don't. The latest season definitely wasn't the best of the series, but when it comes to such a rich show, does that really even matter? This past June I wrote an impassioned post about Mad Men's most recent season and I honestly don't have much else to add except that regardless of season, Mad Men is one of the most engrossing and well-crafted series on television. Period.
Season Highlights: As I've said in the past, an entire season of Mad Men is like a good novel and so choosing a favorite episode is sometimes like choosing a favorite chapter of a book (which is kind of an awkward thing to do). It'd be easier to pick out various moments. But Episode 6.6 "For Immediate Release" was absolutely a highlight as it captured a sense of exhilaration reminiscent of the show's classic third season finale.

Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
Basically all summer all anyone talked about was this show, and with good reason. Because holy cow, what a fantastic program. As I mentioned in July, it was incredibly hard for me to shake Orange from my system (not that I wanted to). Something about Orange stuck with me. Beyond its tight structure, great writing, and celebrity directing (Jodie Foster, people!), it was the dimensional characters that made this show what it was. And I admire Orange for its large and diverse female cast, the likes of which we rarely seen on television--especially not in such an enriching format. I'm counting down the days until we get more.
Season Highlights: When you binge-watch a show, episodes tend to bleed together. But episode 1.5 "The Chickening" was a particular stand out in its zaniness. And the end of Episode 1.11 "Tall Men With Feelings" with its fantastic nod to NPR, the montage that it involves, and the circumstances after, is another favorite.

Breaking Bad (AMC)
What is there to say about Breaking Bad? I never wrote a post regarding this series last season as I found it hard to parse out my thoughts on the finale. Months later I find that the final episode doesn't necessarily hold up as well as I would like, but thats fine because everything that came before it was absolutely amazing and expertly executed on every single level. And as for the finale I can't fault it for tying things up so neatly after the explosive episodes we got before it. Walt basically moving like a ghost throughout the final episode, entering and leaving scenes without notice as he calmly tied up lose ends, offered a moment to catch our breaths right before the end. I loved the creepy aspect of Walt prowling about with such ease and confidence as compared to the clumsy fool we met years ago. And how we got there was a crazy wild journey, so far beyond anything else on television. I always said no one does intensity like Breaking Bad, and that was absolutely true from the get-go in this final half of season five. This was one of the best series of television to ever grace our screens. Every season somehow improved on the one before it leaving us with this gem of a final season.
Season Highlights: Forget everything I just said about the finale. Because that was the epilogue. Episode 5.14, the explosive "Ozymandias," was the true ending to this show. Not only was "Ozymandias" arguably the best episode of Breaking Bad, but it was one of the best episodes of television I have ever seen. Everything great about Breaking Bad was expertly exhibited in this one hour of television and everyone watching was left with their jaws on the floor, their hearts pounding, and their minds reeling. The emotion, the performances, the pace, the writing, the directing...every single thing was spot on. And its why Breaking Bad was arguably the best thing on television in 2013.


But wait! That not all....

New Favorite: Orange is the New Black

Netflix's newest series, Orange is the New Black, premiered on July 11th and by now I'm sure you've heard all about it. Maybe it's the people I pay attention to and the blogs I read, but I've been hearing about the series from nearly everyone. Whether it's special blog posts, or friends, or celebrities' tweets, or even Jake Fogelnest on my satellite radio mentioning his love of the show before cuing up its theme song (Regina Spektor's, "You've Got Time"), I can't get away from it. Not that I mind.

I started watching the series about five days after it was released and thank goodness I was sick at the time because I couldn't tear myself away. I was hooked. I watch a lot of television. And I love a lot of shows. But few manage to creep into my heart and consciousness as effectively as Orange did. And aside from the topnotch quality of the show, it was some of the little details that really kept me going. Like episodes directed by Jodie Foster and Andrew McCarthy, or fun little American Pie references made by Jason Bigg's character, Larry.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Anybody who has been paying attention knows that Netflix has been producing its own original series for about a year now. And I have to say that Orange is probably my favorite. I enjoyed House of Cards and wholly admired its incredible acting, directing, and general cinematic craftsmanship (all for which it was duly recognized at the Emmy's), but I found aspects of its writing majorly lacking. And everyone who knows me knows how much I love Arrested Development and how quickly I devoured its fourth season, but I had issues with the newest installment's structure. (Note: I realize there are other series as well, but those are the two I've recently reviewed).

Orange is the New Black, however, satisfied me on every level. And really the only thing I could criticize is its stupid title (which it shares with the memoir on which it's based, so I can't fault it too much). Nothing about the show felt bloated or superfluous. It felt consistent, tightly structured, and smartly plotted. And above all else it tells some fantastic stories. Created by Jenji Kohan, the creator of Weeds, the show has a similar absurdist humor to its Showtime predecessor, but it also manages to be dramatic and poignant in a way Weeds never really was. The show's protagonist, Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), is incredibly flawed -- she's narcissistic and always managing to piss off the wrong people -- but also sympathetic and relatable. Piper believed she was living her life "right" in her thirties and doing what was expected, but she's been sent to prison because in her twenties she naively conspired in some light drug smuggling (technically she only moved cash, and not drugs, but the damage was done). We encounter the prison world along with our protagonist. We learn its norms and power dynamics through the eyes of Piper, someone who committed a crime out of a youthful sense of adventure and for the love of her drug smuggling girlfriend, Alex Vause (Laure Prepon). So we meet the other inmates along with Piper and share in her feelings of fear and intimidation as she awkwardly navigates this new world. And together we encounter some of the most random and silly things one would ever hope to find in a correctional facility. The season takes an episode or two to properly establish its world and characters, but once everything is set up the show really takes off.

For only thirteen episodes, a lot of rich storytelling happens on Orange. The show utilizes Lost-like flashbacks to explore the backgrounds of various inmates. And like on Lost, this absolutely enriches the show and its cast of characters. It also lends itself to the show's heart as we now have a fuller understanding of who these women are, what went wrong in their lives, and where their sense of redemption is rooted. And once these women take form, we see that they are just as flawed and complex as Piper. And adding to that heart is the prisoners' sly camaraderie. Yes there are fights and breakups, misunderstandings and blatant cruelty, but through all of that, these women also know how to be kind to one another -- as demonstrated by various moments throughout the series.

The inmates segregate themselves by race. And if this were some other type of show I would half expect Piper to unite and blend the colors á la Sillyville. But Piper is no Sillywhim and that in no way happens. The white blonde woman isn't there to save anyone or to enlighten or educate the poor ignorant prison folk. Instead Piper keeps her head down and handles one reality check after the next as she struggles with finding her place within prison society. There are power dynamics already in play and Piper is just trying to keep her head above water.

We also learn quickly that none of these characters are purely good or bad. Yes they're all criminals so they all have a dark past and are processing lots of guilt and loss. But that's an unsaid commonality that manages to even the playing field. They're presented as not any better or worse than their correctional officers. Things get heavy on this show, but instead of everyone hashing out their emotional baggage, these women bring about an incredible sense of humor and lightness. (Which, according to an actual inmate, seems to more accurately portray prison-life than the gritty portrayals like Oz). We regularly see affective cracks in façades while certain character reveals are genuinely surprising (like Crazy Eyes' family). And the show is all the better for it. Through Piper's eyes we realize this is a prison full of sour patch kids: first they're sour...then they're sweet. And it leaves my heart just as gooey.

The show demonstrates a similarly deft hand at addressing things like race, class, gender, sexuality, and religion. I for one absolutely admire how the show presents the fluidity of female sexuality and even gender. Things that other shows struggle with portraying accurately, things they may ignore completely or use to stem conflict, are simply presented here without much fanfare. And it's incredibly refreshing. For example, the transexual character of Sophia (played by transexual actress Laverne Cox) for whom we get a backstory, but who also feels like an actual person with her own sets of values and troubles. She's more than a token trans character.

I also very much appreciate being presented with such a diverse cast of women. No other show has this large a cast of females let alone ones that are this richly drawn. And to put them in a prison in dull, ill-fitting outfits? That's nearly unheard of! (But by this point we should all know I'm all about girl power so I'll try not to gush too hard about womanhood).

I watch a lot of television. I binge watch just as much as I watch week-to-week. And there's much of it that I admire on both the technical side and creative side. But very few shows stick with me like Orange has. I'm not exactly sure when it hit me, but I finished the season on Sunday and it still hasn't left my system. There's something about it I can't quite shake and I'm not quite sure what it is. So I implore you all to watch it and figure it out with me. You'll surely thank me later.

I mean, the most zen character, Yoga Jones, is played by the voice of Patti Mayonnaise. If that doesn't get you to watch this show, I don't know what will.

Arrested Development: Season Four

It's been about a month since Arrested Development's entire fourth season premiered on Netflix, and therefore sufficient time to not only mull over and discuss the episodes, but give others the opportunity to do the same, I have finally decided to post some quick thoughts about the season (which, keep in mind, I have only watched the one time).

I had mixed emotions going into AD's fourth season. The original run happened so long ago and was so finely shaped by the times it existed in, that I was concerned how an Obama administration, a decimated and recovering housing market, a lack of Iraq war, and the existence of silly new technology would affect the feel of a show I truly love. The fact that these serious societal concerns can even be applied to a comedy goes to show how truly genius Arrested Development is and I was simply concerned that the same level of genius couldn't be repeated.

And the conclusion I have come to in regards to that concern probably best resembles a blurry gray area with some points. The fourth season itself has some incredibly funny moments and small little wry/clever jokes that only Arrested Development could deliver. Upon marathoning the season I found myself concerned that the show wasn't as funny as its original run. At first I found the character centric premise to be somewhat tiresome and grating while the individual episodes felt bloated and strange. But as the season continued, the episodes got better and better until we finally got to Maeby's truly hilarious and explanatory episode. And Maeby's episode led into George-Michael's which brought conclusion, cliff-hanger, and hilarity as well. So in the end, comedically, I'd have to say the season was overall a success. However, it took me some time to come to that conclusion.

I have to say that I did not laugh much during the first few episodes of season four. Don't get me wrong, I was having a good time and a couple of jokes here and there really tickled me, but it wasn't until probably Tobias' first episode that I felt the show finally found its footing. And thankfully, by Gob's episodes, I was fully on board (I'll go on the record as saying Gob and Maeby probably centered my favorite episodes). The recurring gags and jokes were working well and each episode managed to build on the humor and become funnier and funnier. However, I was still having issues up until the very end. And I immediately realized that the issues had more to do with the structure than anything else.

Now, going into the season, Mitchell Hurwitz and the cast did their best to set up the premise: that episodes were to be character-centric, that plot points were happening out of sequence, that it was all happening simultaneously and non-linearly, and we would have to piece it all together as we went along. We all knew this going in. And it was incredibly ambitious and at times quite successful. But as much as I admire it, I didn't love it. I found the constant revisiting of Cinco de Quatro (among other things) to be tiresome. I was getting antsy. At some points I honestly didn't even care anymore to piece it all together--I was just sick of spinning my wheels in the same settings and seeing the same things without moving forward. There's something to be said for thoroughness, but there's also something to be said for momentum. Yes the jokes and pieces coming together were quite clever, but I was eager for more. I was eager to move past all this. I felt the show was concerning itself too much with its clever little premise than about progressing. It was chasing its own tail and it felt as tiring as it looked. And for all that I have to blame Netflix.

Seeing as that Netflix is not an actual television channel and does not have commercials or time slots, each episode could be as long as Hurwitz and Co. wanted. And I think it was a detriment to the season. Some episodes felt too long. And jokes were left in that, honestly, weren't very funny. What made Arrested Development's original run so genius was partially due to its time constraint. Twenty-two minutes to tell a cohesive story. And they did it. They did it hilariously. And it built on itself in a refreshing way. Instead of digging a hole by spinning in the same place, the old Arrested Development solidly rose higher and higher before our very eyes and it was amazing. Every single joke was a keeper, and it was probably because the weaker ones were left on the editing room floor. The fact that little Easter eggs, foreshadowing, and self references also managed to make the cut further cemented its comedic genius by ultimately elevating the show. Yet this time around, those contraints didn't exist. Hurwitz instead tried creating his own constraints, which led to humor and were smart and impressive at times, but were also the weakest aspect of the newest season. It didn't build toward anything much, in my opinion. It was just held up against a wall. Knowing that this is the first third of a longer story possibly leading into another season/movie didn't comfort me. There are too many "ifs" and those deals simply haven't been made. So we were left with this rutted, incomplete story.

My immediate impression of the season in early June was clouded by these structural issues. It didn't feel like Arrested Development. It was impressive and funny, but it wasn't the same. Michael wasn't acting like Michael, but was instead too much of a Bluth. Some jokes were too obviously set up. There was way too much Ron Howard on both the screen and in voiceovers. There wasn't enough ensemble work. Etc. But the clouds lifted and as time went on, I found myself referencing the new jokes in every day conversation. I was working quotes into my speech much like I did with the original run. Certain gags stayed with me over time and I thoroughly realized how very funny they were. The contentious ending was something I actually really liked. The cameos were over the top and over-relied upon, yes, but they were also constant highlights of the episodes. The songs were all hilarious. The successful use of running gags from the show's original run with new ones they created were impressive and a joy. The confusing set ups and little details of the earlier episodes in the season made much more sense to me. And all these actors and writers and crew actually all came back to create it. It actually exists for our entertainment. And it WAS entertaining. And it is way better than almost any other sitcom on actual television.

So overall, like it's structure, my thoughts on Arrested Developmen't's fourth season was very much like a puzzle I had to piece together. I had to work for this conclusion, which really makes me appreciate it. There were incredibly hilarious high points and some questionable low points. But when you place them all next to each other, and step back to look at the bigger picture, you realize how ambitious, funny, and clever the season really was. I'm still not completely in love with it--its no early Arrested Development--but I enjoyed myself immensely. What more can you ask for? I was entertained and impressed and it made me think and my commitment paid off. Those are all things I love in my television shows. It grew on me. And I'm so glad it did. Because I can't wait to sit down and watch it all again.

House of Cards Continuous Blog

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm slowly making my way through Netflix's House of Cards. Netflix released all thirteen episodes in one day, which essentially means they want us to devour House of Cards as quickly as possible. When diving into a show and taking it all in at once, nuances in pace, detail, writing, and performance become so much more clear and appreciated than watching week to week. Normally when I marathon a show, it means I'm either playing catch-up as I have not yet seen the season/series, or I'm rewatching a show I very much admire. In either case, it means wanting to present my opinions as the story unfolds seems untimely, repetitive  and ultimately frivolous. But given that House of Cards is brand new and presented in such a way as to encourage binge-watching, I'm taking the opportunity to simply post my observations as I make my way through the season chapter by chapter.

Click through for some of those stray observations:

House of Cards

House of Cards, Netflix's stab at original television, "premiered" at midnight on February 1st. Netflix released the entire season, all thirteen episodes, at once allowing for the type of marathon viewing today's TV audiences have grown used to.

The show is based on a book, and a BBC series of the same name, but adapted to US audiences and situations. It stars Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood, the House Majority Whip, a democrat hungry for power and all too willing to get his hands dirty. As someone personally interested in politics, this is already something I am interested in. But the names attached to this show have me really hoping for quality programming with powerful performances and a cinematic flair. These are actual movie stars and directors working on this thing, so excuse me if my expectations are higher than normal.

Thus far I have only watched the pilot episode. But I figured it might be a fun project to update with my thoughts and first impressions as I make my way through the show. It also works to essentially outline a final post on my feelings of the overall season (two birds!). Keep in mind that I have neither read the book nor am I familiar with the BBC series. So that being said, lets get to it shall we?

Episode One:

• Directed by David Fincher, the episode has his cinematic style all over it. As a pretty big fan of Fincher's work in film, I'm looking forward to an entire television series shaped around his tone, mood, and vision.
• I am loving the cast and the on screen chemistry between many of the actors, particularly Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. The power dynamic of this married couple might be the strongest thing about the pilot episode. 
• This is neither good nor bad, but the episode felt very much like a play. Francis Underwood breaking the fourth wall and regularly addressing the camera provides much needed exposition--and Kevin Spacey, with his character's southern accent, pulls you right in. But a lot of it feels like soliloquy or asides to the audience as the story progresses and I'm worried it might get grating, unnecessary, or excessive. But so far, I'm enjoying this creative decision as I think its adding dimension to Kevin Spacey's performance and character.
• The dialogue as well feels almost play-like. The rhythm at least feels very distinct and different than any other show.
• I keep getting flashes of Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo whenever Kate Mara is on screen, especially when she's hovering over a computer. It's actually sort of fascinating to compare her performance with her sister, Rooney Mara's, under the same director. I realize the characters are quite different, but so far I find their strength, isolation, bluntness, and ingenuity easily comparable. 
• Clearly the pilot episode is setting up the story, giving us the lay of the land and the foundation on which we can start building. We're still placing cards and working on a strong base, but I'm already looking forward to seeing the house teeter above us. I can't wait for the tense moments where I have to hold my breath as we wait for the house to either hold itself together or collapse gloriously in the blink of an eye. (At the very least, I hope the collapse thrills me as much as the end of an online game of solitaire). 

If you wish to continue following along with me, I will be blogging the rest of the season in a separate post here.