The Strike Update, Brothers & Sisters, Heroes

It's been a long time since I've written a new post. This is partially because thinking about television right now makes me really sad. The strike carries on with no end in sight. If productive negotiating from both sides doesn't begin soon, then this spring will be dismally bare of new episodes of anything good. My idea of the apocalypse has come to life: a commercial for another reality show haunts me every time I turn on my tv, with no Heroes or The Office to turn to. And thanks to the little promise I made when the strike started (the one where I don't watch any episodes from the free online streaming on the networks' websites, even though ABC.com now has every episode of LOST in HD- imagine how beautiful that is...), I have missed a few episodes of some crucial stuff (e.g. Bradford's death and its aftermath on Ugly Betty, HRG's death and subsequent resurrection on Heroes). This may sound a little crazy, but when I am not up-to-date and invested in all of my shows, it feels like part of me is missing. I don't know how the stories have evolved, so I just feel kind of lost (cue obligatory LOST pun).

I am so incredibly grateful that I have LOST to look forward to for 8 weeks starting January 31st, and Battlestar Galactica returns for its fourth and final season in April. Frakkin' awesome. Also pretty exciting: I have a couple of new shows to try that are mid-season starters. One of these is Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Kristen’s description of this show: Half action-adventure, half family drama, Chronicles tells the tale of Sarah (Lena Headey), John (Thomas Dekker) and a pretty cyborg from 2027 (Summer Glau- rock on, Firefly people!) sent back to help fight the future and bring down SkyNet—before it kills 3 billion people. The other new prospect is Eli Stone from Greg Berlanti (writer-producer of Everwood, Brothers & Sisters, Dirty Sexy Money). It's a legal drama is about a young attorney who experiences a series of hallucinations. The visions lead him to believe he's a prophet of God, causing him to change his life.

Now on to the Brothers & Sisters wedding episode. To quote Robert, in his vows to Kitty: "To say I love you seems inadequate because I cannot imagine my life without you." That is how I have come to regard this show. Every episode makes me laugh and cry, takes me from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other, because my heart feels so much for these characters. It's as if the story were actually happening, with me right in the middle of it. In this episode, the ninth of Season 2, Danny Glover, Chevy Chase, and Garry Marshall guest-starred. The funniest scene had all the boys locked in a room by the Secret Service- Kevin for threatening the Senator's life, Stan (Chevy Chase) for smoking pot, Justin and Tommy, I think for fighting, but I can't remember because I haven't been able to go back and watch it online... Me and my stupid promises to stand up for a cause. I'm just kidding (sorta), I love the writers. Anyways, this episode also had me crying like a baby when 1) Nora walked Kitty down the aisle, and 2) Kitty said her vows to Robert: "You are so many things to me… you’re this brilliant poised diplomat, and then you're this really crazy romantic that just takes my breath away. And when you’re tired and when you’re stressed, you get really grumpy. Then I can feel your head on my shoulder at night and I know you’re asleep and you’re so peaceful. I love all those parts so much that I want to have you as my partner for the rest of my life... As long as I’m with you I will be complete and that’s it." Excuse me while I go find a tissue and my stuffed animal monkey, Schwartzy, to hug. Okay, done. Also important about this episode- the arrival of the man named David from Holly Hunter's past (played by Patricia Wettig's real-life husband, and king of awesome, Ken Olin). Now, I know that some people have been saying all season that they thought Rebecca wasn't really William Walker's child. I think some people only said that because of the strange vibe of attraction coming from Justin and Rebecca, which would be sick if they were really half-brother and -sister. Regardless of how many "called it," I still like the storyline they're going down that Holly might have had an affair with this man in the middle of her other affair, and that Rebecca might have to find a new way to fit into the Walker clan if she's not part of the family.

Conclusion of Volume 2 of Heroes, "Generations." Great end to a not-so-great volume. For a long time, I could not bring myself to say that Season 2 wasn't very good. My need to be loyal kept me from admitting that Heroes, like many shows before it, fell to the dreaded "Sophomore Slump." Until Tim Kring himself, the show's creator, said that they had made some mistakes this year, from Hiro spending too much time in ancient Japan, to the hasty introduction of Maya and Alejandro. The past few episodes brought a real return to the quality of Season 1. Kristen Bell added some very cool depth to her lightening-wielding character, Elle. Sylar became his badass, evil self again. Hiro saved the world again and buried Adam Monroe/Tazeko Kensei. Peter and Nathan were reunited, only to have NATHAN GET SHOT DOWN. Oooohh, he better not be dead, or I'm gonna be very angry with Tim Kring. Come on, Claire- you gave your adopted daddy, HRG, your blood to save his life. Now it's time to share the love with your real daddy, Flying Man (whoosh!).

So, while the next few months may not contain the magic of Pushing Daisies or the Jim-and-Pam-ness of The Office, the lovable Chuck-ness of Chuck or the Tim-Riggins-being-hot-and-Coach-Taylor-being-awesome of Friday Night Lights, there is still a bright light on the horizon. And that light is called “Sawyer coming back to me.” You know, I have a t-shirt that says ‘I’d get LOST with Sawyer.’ People always think the picture on that shirt is Jesus. And I say, “No, that’s not Jesus, that’s Sawyer. He’s the next best thing, really.”

My Guide to Surviving the Strike

As the new episodes are running out and the abyss of the strike is looming before us, I have to be prepared for the worst case scenario, in which the spring will be void of anything except reality television. It could be almost a year before some of our beloved shows return to us. All I can say is- Thank God for LOST. Those 8 episodes starting in February might be the only way that I keep my sanity next semester.

In light of all these things, I have started to think about what I can use this time to do in terms of reconnecting with old favorite shows and finding new ones. I enjoy my little television marathons a lot. Oh sure, when I'm done and finally emerge from my dark cave (I'm referring to my bed, which is the most comfortable place on Earth. It's on the bottom bunk, and my roommate's comforter hangs down over the side so that I literally crawl into it with my laptop and shut myself off from the outside world), it feels strange to go outside and see all the 3-dimensional people. But these marathons are like an amazing, all-consuming trip into another world. Since I started college, I have had marathons for Alias, The Sopranos, Battlestar Galactica, Friday Night Lights, Brothers & Sisters, Dexter, Heroes, and Firefly. A season takes me about week because I do actually have to go to class and eat a couple meals, not to mention taking time out at night to watch my shows when they come on tv, but I can watch probably 6 hours of something on a weekday, 10-12 hrs. on a Saturday. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: it is pretty awesome.

Here's my list so far of things that I want to watch:
--Seasons 1-3 of LOST- this is first on my list because there's no better way to get excited about Season 4 than starting from the beginning again
--early seasons (1-5 ish) of ER- used to watch this show until all the good people left/died, but it's been awhile since I saw an episode (oh, how I miss that Dr. Ross)
--Rome, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, House, The Wire, Band of Brothers, Oz, Wonderfalls, Deadwood, The Tudors, Prison Break, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, Coupling (UK version), The Office (UK version), Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Veronica Mars

That should keep me occupied for a little while...But I welcome any suggestions!

The Strike

I am not a writer. I am a mere college student who loves television, to the extent that I call Wednesday "LOST-day" (even when it's not currently airing, which tends to confuse people...). Thursday is "Office-day," Monday is "Heroes-day." My shows give me something to look forward to, something to get my mind off whatever else is going on. If this strike continues, then Wednesday will just be Wednesday, and all I will have to look forward to is Mexican Lasagna day in my school's cafeteria. All this to say- my life is affected by the strike, and I support the WGA for as long as they need to negotiate to get what they deserve. I know that what I do has no affect on the networks, but for my part I have personally sworn not to download any episodes from iTunes and not to watch anything off the streaming players on ABC.com, NBC.com, etc. This may not be much, but it's what I can do for those who have given me so much. And I don't mean the network execs.

I have come to realize that the biggest problem here is not that there may not be any new episodes of The Office for a while, or that one of my new favorite shows, Chuck, might not get picked up for a full season because of this. The problem is that the entertainment industry is swiftly moving in a new direction. The internet has become a major medium for people to view television. That is a source of revenue for the networks because of the advertisements that play on their websites when people are watching, as well as the money earned from people buying the shows off of iTunes or Amazon. None of the writers are getting compensated for their work. It just isn't right. Networks don't make great television. Writers make great television. I mean, as inspiring as that little peacock logo or the abc-circle thing in the bottom corner of my tv is, I don't care what channel I'm watching. I'm there to hear Damon and Carlton's story about the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. Or to see what else Dwight and Michael can do that makes me laugh so hard it hurts.

This situation needs to be worked out, however long it takes.

From what I've read, the last writers' strike was about 20 years ago. It lasted 22 months. If that happens again...Well, I guess I'll be forced to start doing all my homework.

Stay strong.