- Random Saul plotline that seemed to serve as nothing more than a PSA that "older gay men should get HIV testing." (Though it gave Rifkin a fine, largely wordless, moment at the end of the episode.)
- Amazing appearing/disappearing characters--Tommy and Luke both disappear intermittently without explanation (as do Sarah's kids)--it's just lazy writing.
- Leaving major plot threads not cliffhanging, but just dangling--the nature of Robert's "secret business" remains utterly unclear, for instance, as does exactly what EvilSchemingManWhoseNameICan'tRemember knew about the magic of "Narrow Lake," and I'm still unclear on how exactly Ojai Foods managed to fail so quickly.
- Dei Ex Machinae galore--The entire family (though coming from different places and going to different places) winds up in a car accident on the same stretch of highway? The ludicrous resolution to the "Narrow Lake" plotline?
Monday, May 17, 2010
NOW LET ME EXPOUND ON MY OVERCOMPLICATED, SEEMINGLY PERFECT, BUT INEVITABLY FLAWED PLAN: I haven't watched Survivor in eons, but I wanted to offer a couple of thoughts on other programming from last night. The presence of Sideshow Bob usually bodes well for The Simpsons, and last night was no exception, with some genuinely funny "housing bubble" material, a lot of solid throwaway jokes ("No Pepper," for instance) and Sideshow Bob's latest diabolical plan to kill Bart ringing of a crim law final exam hypothetical. In contrast, I haven't been as annoyed by a season finale in a long time as I was by the Brothers & Sisters finale. Part of that may have been because the "which Walker isn't coming back!" plot point was spoiled long ago, but I was still annoyed by (among other things):
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I'm so glad you wrote about Brothers and Sisters--besides watching Bravo, I can count on half a hand the shows I watch regularly, but this is one of them. All I could say to myself at the end was, "Wow...that was depressing." I too wonder how Sarah manages to spend so much time without her children. Suddenly the handsome, sexy French man is stay-at-home dad. By the way, his new haircut does nothing for him.
ReplyDeleteAgreed that Saul's plotline was very PSA, which is somewhat suprising because Kevin and Scotty's relationship and struggles as a gay couple have always flowed more seamlessly into the plotline. Do you think the writers new that Saul's revelation would occur on the same day at the AIDS walk in NYC (there I go again, thinking NY is the center of the universe).
Anxiously awaiting Grey's Anatomy season finale (the OTHER show I watch regularly), and then it's back to Bravo and maybe onto summer reading.
"knew not new" AND "as the AIDS walk...". Trust me, I'm not an idiot.
ReplyDeleteKCN, funny you should mention Grey's. I stopped watching it at the beginning of this season because I just couldn't summon any interest in the Izzie-centric stories. This weekend, however, in my quest to avoid writing a paper, I watched all the eps that are available online. While there were some parts that were a little slow, I feel like it got good again! I got completely reinvested in the characters. I am looking forward to Thursday night... promos: Bailey getting pulled out from under the bed - noooooo!
ReplyDeleteUmmm seriously on the Grey's finale. I have stuck with it after a brief hiatus when I didn't have a tv and had super slow internet made it need to be really REALLY worth it coinciding with a period of plot that was SO not worth. BUT I CANNOT HANDLE THE PROMOS I CANNOT HANDLE THEM!!!! I am super anxious.
ReplyDeleteMy mom suckered me into watching B&S this past season, and the more I watch it, the more annoyed I get with the disappearing characters and the writing, too. They string out the whole Dennis/Ojai/Narrow Lake thing forever, only to discover that the whole thing was because Dennis might reveal the teen fight/accident? Seriously?! I can't believe Nora was trying to talk everyone into giving Dennis the company over THAT. And hello, did Dennis just walk away after they stole his car, never to be heard from again?
ReplyDeleteAlso? Really annoyed with the whole Justin/Sara job vs. Haiti thing. Can't they just let these kids stay happily married and together for awhile? Even sex gets interrupted by their mothers.
Urgh. Why am I watching this show?
This is one of the shows I watch regularly, but it's on the bubble for me for next season. I may give it a few episodes but then drop it if the writing doesn't improve. At this point I'm really only watching for Kevin, Scotty, and Sarah. Sick of Justin and the constant whining from his Fred Flintstone mouth. Sick of Rebecca (and I'm a big Emily VanCamp fan from Everwood). Sick of Kitty (since like, the 3rd episode, season 1). Sick of Saul and Nora and absolutely beyond a doubt sick of Holly. It's not the acting, it's the writing. (Well, when it comes to Calista Flockhart it might be the acting - is there a less likable actress in prime time right now?) The storylines used to have a bit of humor that made them seem more true-to-life and now it's all just so completely melodramatic and unrealistic that I barely even care. Add to that the abandoned storylines after they've been built up for weeks and yeah, I agree that it's pretty annoying.
ReplyDeleteBut I am irked that Rob Lowe is leaving. He's so nice to look at. Didn't he do this with The West Wing? Leave a show where he was part of an ensemble cast because he felt like he wasn't being used enough? I guess it makes more sense this time around seeing as how B&S is sucking more and more each week.
Where did you read about the flash forward for next season? I'll have to Google that. (And I hope it means an end to all of the Kitty campaigning stuff. BORING!)
We burned through the last three episodes tonight, and I honestly thought there was an episode missing between the third-to-last and penultimate. Seriously. Suddenly Ojai is closed? Suddenly Tommy appears? And then, Tommy is gone in the finale? Ugh. I like it when Sarah pouts, but the show has basically devolved into the same rhythm -- bubbling conflict --> enormous crisis where numerous siblings are crying/screaming over Nora/Scotty's cooking/wine --> warm resolution with life lessons learned. Now that I'm on to Parenthood, B&S is indeed on the bubble for me because I don't know how many four-sibling soap operas I can carry in the fall.
ReplyDeleteYes, Parenthood is doing what Brothers and Sisters used to do, and doing it more interestingly (in no small part because they've got better kid actors).
ReplyDeleteYes, Parenthood is doing what Brothers and Sisters used to do, and doing it more interestingly (in no small part because they've got better kid actors).
ReplyDeleteI had that same reaction to Ojai's closing a week ago. And Tommy was popping in and out of episodes so randomly that, even though I knew Rob Lowe was leaving the show, I figured they might try to pull a shocker in the finale by having Tommy die and merely sending Lowe's character to D.C. (with Kitty presumably following him after the election). Then Tommy never even showed up in the finale, so there went that idea.
ReplyDeleteI'm the "guest." And I agree with Matt on Parenthood. Tuesday's turning into my favorite TV night, with Glee, Parenthood and The Good Wife making up for the disappointing Idol season. And of course they all have to air tonight at the same time my beloved Magic are playing.
ReplyDeleteThat should obviously be Justin and Rebecca - not Sara or Sarah, or however they spell it on the show.
ReplyDeletethe family was all coming from the same place, the ojai cabin. the combination of people in the cars was odd to me--they seem to have lost some cars between coming for the tasting, going out to narrow lake, coming back to the cabin, and getting in cars to leave--but they were all coming from the cabin.
ReplyDeleteWife and I have been fans of the show since the beginning and definitely have noticed the deterioration in the quality. Also, no one since Tupac has had a more successful business career after death than William Walker. That's two land deals that totally paid off long after he did. And the big secret about Narrow Lake being... water? I know it's pretty scarce out west but boooring. Agree with everything said about Rebecca and Justin. Just let them have a nice little marriage for a while. A colleague of mine said he stopped watching because every episode was basically Sally Field lamenting "Why doesn't anybody TELL me anything?" Finally, agree with Matt about Saul's scene at the end... "You can't TOUCH me." Turned what I thought was just a random PSA into a potentially good storyline. I'll keep watching next season, if for no other reason than I find it tough to give up on a show (except for you, 24).
ReplyDeleteI thought my wife was the only person on earth who watched Brothers & Sisters, but apparently not. I find it insufferable; I can't even stand to be in the room while she's watching it.
ReplyDelete