Remedial Chaos Theory (#1.11)

I apologize for my absence.  Thanksgiving has come and gone and I haven't said anything since that opinionated post about Modern Family.  For the record, episodes since that post have only confirmed my beliefs and even prompted me to think about what other shows might be above Modern Family on that list as of late - How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy, Suburgatory, and most definitely Happy Endings would move up.  But I am still holding out hope that MF will return to the greatness it once knew.

On a separate note, I realized this weekend that Eliza Coupe was the actress behind the Secret Service agent in Community that has the will-they, won't-they vibe with Abed in "Intro to Political Science."  Strange to think that when I saw this episode the first time around, I had not yet seen Scrubs or Happy Endings.  Now that I realize this connection, I think it makes me like Community and Ms. Coupe all the more.  I love it when shows and actors/actresses intersect in fun combinations.

Speaking of Community, I am incredibly disheartened that NBC will be taking it off the air for an undecided amount of time.  It's one of the few shows I have to watch the same night it airs and I think my life will be a little worse without it.  Still, I know this is a business that runs on viewership, so I can understand where they are coming from there.  It's just that Community is so strong creatively, I wish it were equally potent where viewers are concerned.  Although, isn't that frequently the case?  Seems like no one watches the really creative and original stuff.


Also, what is up with ABC cutting back their order on Cougar Town?  You may be aware that my sister is an intern for that show.  I don't have any inside information because of that connection, but I can promise that this is the worse-titled show on television and that it is really quite funny (actually, throw it up there above MF, too).

If you know nothing about this show, know that it has the same creator as Scrubs (the great Bill Lawrence).  And every week, Courteney Cox and Busy Phillips will make you baffle at how they've never been nominated for an Emmy.  If you do know the show, but don't watch, PLEASE give it a chance!  I know a lot of people reject it for its title.  Since when is it cool to judge a book by its cover?  Seriously though, it has nothing to do with cougars and more to do with some friends who hang out and drink wine.  And that is the entire premise.  If you know the show and like it, be patient - Cougar Town will return sometime in February or March and definitely be worth the wait!


P.S. The unique relationship between Community and Cougar Town is awesome and adorable.

Continuing my randoms thoughts on TV, I haven't talked too much about dramas in this blog.  It's not from a lack of watching them, I certainly love watching a great drama as much as the next guy.  I think my hesitation to critique them comes from the fact that I feel much more comfortable picking apart comedies.  But, there is never a better time than the present to tackle something new, so here are some thoughts on the dramas I have been into lately...


Violence.  Seems like a lot of cable and pay-cable dramas have been taking advantage of their more relaxed censors and diving head-first into portraying and adding violence beyond imagination.  Shows like The Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire, and American Horror Story have been taking every opportunity for gore, blood, and guts.  On The Walking Dead, the decaying of the zombies is likely the least disgusting thing that may be seen during an episode.  Boardwalk Empire slits more throats than anyone could count and American Horror Story aims for that special breed of mutilation mixed with sensuality.  I only saw the first episode of AMC's Hell on Wheels and the number of scalpings was beyond cringe-worthy.

WARNING: Some viewers might not be cool with this video, so beware!

Now, these things may gross me out, but I am not necessarily saying they're bad or inappropriate for these shows.  Sometimes violence is an important part of the time period or story.  Sometimes violence is needed to convey the extreme of emotion.  It's weird to imagine a time when committing multiple murders didn't really mean a whole lot unless someone saw you do it.  It's hard to picture a world in which one of your friends or family might come back from the dead in such a way that you'd be forced to shoot them through the head.  And ghosts that could easily take your life at any moment?  That's something I don't want to imagine.

This is more gross than violent.

Sometimes, it can get gratuitous.  In some cases, there is more gore than is needed to get a point across.  But I choose to trust the writers, directors, and showrunners to show me what they think is necessary in a given situation.  Although, of course, there is the theory that you shouldn't believe someone is dead until they are actually seen dead on screen - like when Charlie "shot" Gemma last week in Ringer.  Two scenes after he supposedly put a bullet in her, she hits him from behind with a crowbar.  This theory is sort of torn apart in American Horror Story, where anyone may be dead or alive at almost any moment.

I think I'm losing track of my point - dramas are becoming more violent, but I'm not entirely sure what that means.  Maybe it's for shock value.  Maybe it's pertinent for the stories we're telling today.


More random thoughts on dramas...


I miss Fringe when it's not on.  I can't wait for the return of Game of Thrones.  And I am super excited to watch Mad Men on TV for the first time (I caught up via Netflix).

As much as I love the holiday season, it usually means time for TV to take a break and I am not so excited about that.  The good news is that I will have more time for watching The West Wing and other shows I haven't seen before.  I just started Workaholics this weekend and it is pretty funny so far.


Seems like there are always more great shows to watch, old and new.  If you have any suggestions for what I should add to my list next, I'd love to hear them!  I am always game for more good TV.


Thanks for sticking with me through this odd mix of stuff!  Until next time...