Quote of the Moment

   "Do you love me?"
   "If I could stop, I would."
   --Jackson & Tara, Sons of Anarchy
...

You don't always get to choose who you love. 

Arrested on The Fringe

Due to season finales and breaks, we've moved from those other series on to this one.  As Malcolm explained "I could get three seasons of this show all at once!"  Good enough reason for me.  It's been keeping us busy.

While each episode leaves you wanting for more, it's not the cliffhanger gimmick like the other episodes.  The plots are fun, but each episode wraps itself up nicely so that if you need to go off to bed before watching the next installment, you can do so without having to toss and turn wondering if our heroine is going to make it out alive.

What's also been keeping me busy is something that I really should have done (and completed) a long time ago.

Brodder bought me all 3 seasons a while ago, but I never cracked it open until now.  

"There's always money in the banana stand."

Hunting a River Destination

My last post was inspired by the latest cliffhanger series we were watching, but of course I FORGOT to write about it.  FYI, that show would be The River starring Bruce Greenwood (Captain Pike, from the latest Star Trek Movie).

It's like watching Ghost Hunters mashed up with Destination Truth except that THINGS HAPPEN!!!  We pummeled through the entire first season in 2.5 nights.  But then again, I think it was just a half season.  C'mon season 2!!!

Hanging off the cliff

I can't seem to recall TV shows being so addictive.  They used to be about whatever they were about, and then they'd finish telling their story by the end of their time limit--be it half an hour or a full hour--and you were good until next week.  Yet somewhere along the way, someone (brilliant) re-invented the cliffhanger.

Sure I was told to tune in next time at the same Bat-time, to the same Bat-channel, and sure I did, but it wasn't because I needed to know whether Batman survived or not (because I already knew by that age that he always did) but because there really wasn't anything else on.  Now when I watch any show that's not reality--not that I watch reality--at the end of the hour, it does its best to sink its hooks into me to leave me wanting for more...and more often than not, it's successful.  

Cases in point?

The Walking Dead

Irresistible to Malcolm (he loves his zombies), he began the download of this series after he discovered a synopsis of it online.  While the plotline isn't that complicated (world apocalypse due to zombie infestation, few survivors that have issues with each other, everyone stays together anyway trying to find some rumoured about safe haven), every episode leaves you with the knowledge that someone is about to let their guard down when a zombie is just around the corner.  

That or Carl is just never in the fucking house.  

Alcatraz

Already the mystery of the show intrigues me as I have never in my handful of times to San Francisco been able to get my ass over to Alcatraz to check it out.  This show claims that Alcatraz never really closed in 1963 as history officially says it did--everyone disappeared en masse instead and are now mysteriously reappearing one by one, guards and in-mates alike.  The job of Det. Rebecca Madsen and Hurley Hugo Dr. Diego Soto is to find them before they cause any trouble and try to figure out where they came from, though their boss, Agent Emerson Hauser doesn't exactly make it easy for them.

(At the end of every episode, I expect them to stamp the logo of "LOST" across the screen--don't ask me why...)

The Firm

Shot in Toronto, half the allure of this show is trying to figure out the locations of the shots, and whether or not I recognize any of the BG actors from the set of Still Seas.  Even Dad's been cast a few times to be BG for this show.  The gimmick of this series is to do the flashback/flash-forward a couple of times to show you what's up next without actually telling you how you got there.  Damn them.  And double damn them for getting cancelled...I really love watching Juliette Lewis in trashy kind of roles like this.  Even better was when she was a weed dealer in Due Date.  I digress.

It's unfortunate that The Firm is the one of the three that's slated to be axed because of the three, I enjoyed its mash-up of characters the most.  The Walking Dead, while it had its shockers of killed-off characters, has left too many characters with predictably annoying traits alive--enough that I spend more time guessing the moments one of them will do something predictable than paying attention to the plotline.  Oh, and ZERO chemistry between the Asian dude and the White chick--it was nice that they tried, but it was awful.  Alcatraz isn't that bad, but I just can't get over Hugo being Diego half the time.  But then, I love Hugo/Hurley, so it's not something that's completely a bad thing.

It could also be that now, instead of watching things one episode at a time on TV, since we don't have cable and download everything, we have the option of vegging out for days at a time on the couch, delving deep into a single season or an entire series.  It could be that rather than get up off the couch to rejoin reality, I'd much rather laze about and live in someone else's world a little longer.

Or, it's just damned good TV.

It's official...

...I'm a Gleek.  Big time.  I'm on episode 13 of season 1.  Two sittings, about six hours each.  And I can't stop.  I don't want to stop.  Who doesn't want to cheer for the underdog?  Underdogs?

Gawd Rachel's skirts are deceivingly short.  

Boobing

I have been glued to the tube these past few days. I don't know what it is. It's not like there's anything in particular that I can't rip myself away from, but I just can't seem to stop watching. I'm usually WAY more productive than this, but yet, here I am, STILL in front of the TV. :p

I think I just want to learn something.

Textbook reading is so boring. And how am I going to KNOW what I want to read? Internet reading is resourceful and far-reaching, but it's tough to read off the screen (no, not a subtle cry for an e-reader). And what about the stimulating conversation? The intellectual bantering and debate?

Hmphf.

I'm not frustrated or anything, I'm just looking for a thrilling challenge (oh god, I think I'm the only one who finds learning a "thrilling challenge"...)

She don't 'ave the Power!

    "I can't go on."
    "Don't say that, baby, you can! You can do it."
    "No, I can't, I'm too tired. Just...just go on without me."
    "Honey, I won't leave you behind--we'll stop, I'll wait for you."
    "No, just keep going. Don't worry, I'll catch up...I will."
    "Are you sure?"
    "Yes."
    "I love you."
    "I love you too."
    "Okay, just one more episode..."
...

Jack is killing us. And we love it.

Jack Bauer is ruining our lives

I am exhausted. From work? No. Volleyball? Sadly, no. Lack of sleep? Yes.

But why am I lacking sleep, you ask? Jack Bauer is the answer.

Thursday night I was out playing volleyball. When I came back, I found Malcolm 5 episodes deep into the first season of 24. Having vaguely recalled watching the first few episodes myself a long while ago with MBA while he was on his "24 hours of 24 binges, I sat down to rest my weary bones and watched.

We have barely moved since.

We were supposed to clean house on Saturday. Didn't happen.

We were supposed to make dinner for ourselves. Didn't happen.

We were supposed to go to Yorkdale Mall to spend some gift certificates on ourselves. Didn't happen.

So what happened? The conversation I had with MBA over BBM most aptly explains our predicament.

mel - Jack Bauer is taking over our lives!
MBA - You're fucked. It's over. Get food, TP, 'cause you're never leaving the house again.
MBA - You should be socializing with friends, but you've only got one thing on your mind...
mel - Bauer! The power of Jack Bauer!
MBA - Can you hear the countdown in your head?
mel - *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep*
mel - We just spent 3 hours eating and playing at Dave and Busters, and the most exciting part of our night?
mel - Getting to go home to Jack.
MBA - Consider your life destroyed by 24.
MBA - Get eye drops
MBA - Put a toilet bowl by the TV
mel - Shut up! We're trying to watch 24!

And thus, I find myself exhausted. We finished the first season last night--very much against our own wills, actually. The smart thing would to be stop now while we've got a clean break.

But will we?

*beep* *beep* *beep* *beep*

Where I was

I was at a friend's house--one of the volleyball girls' boyfriend's house. Most the team was there with a spattering of guys too. There was pizza, wings, pop, and a belated birthday cake. There was Smartfood too--damn you, yummy Smartfood...

The game started quite promptly at 3:15pm as scheduled, and we'd all secured ourselves seats around the room to watch. We cheered at 1-0, we whooped and were on our feet at 2-0. At 2-1 we booed but were still confident--at 2-2 we were deflated but still held on to hope.

After the third intermission, we were all riveted to the screen. Whenever our opponents had possession, the French Teacher was on the edge of her seat, cursing him ("fuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufuckyou")--much to the strained amusement of all the rest of us. Strained, because we were all intensely focused on the game, but amused because we were all silently cursing the same blue streak.

7 minutes and 40 seconds later, it happened: Canada scored.

We were all on our feet, cheering and screaming--the French Teacher of course being the loudest. My boyfriend swept me into his arms for a celebratory, bone-crushing squeeze. Moments later he swept another girl into his arms to sandwich me between the two of them to the point of lacking oxygen. I didn't care. It felt good.

When we'd finally calmed down, the boyfriend and I made a mad dash out of the house and scooted downtown to catch a show in the theatre district. Thinking we were late, we parked the car as quickly and closely as possible, and sprinted down the street towards the theatre.

With the crazy celebrations that gripped the city in the wake of Canada's golden goal, throngs of people were swarming the streets to pledge their national pride. Having worn my Canada jacket that day in honour of the game, I found myself running through the crowd meeting high-fives being thrown my way at random. It was delightful.

That's where I was. Where were you?