I liked that girl on "That 70s Show." But in this show, she acts just like herself. She has Chelsea Handler's flat tone down (because it's her own tone as well) but it's like she's trying to be so cool and hard. She doesn't exhibit any of Handler's happy-go-lucky, chuckling, self-deprecating crassness. I'm watching this week's episode (01x08). She just said, "Wiggling, my friend. Wiggling." The real Chelsea would totally say that, but not the way that girl did. Sorry I don't know her name. This could be a lot better if she had the character down a little better. I dunno, it's just disappointing when we love the real Chelsea so much.
Reviews
3 Reviews
Boston Legal
(2004–2008)
Changing my review after watching ALL 5 seasons...
6 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
My ORIGINAL REVIEW: This is becoming one of my favorite shows of all time, I can't believe I never watched it while it was still on TV.
The character acting is brilliant for the most part. The sexual tension between Bowen and Valley, between Spader and Bergen, holy cow. And the guest characters who endure for a span of 5 or 10 episodes like the "pee pee" peeping Tom, Bethany the spunky little person who Denny falls in love with, all the unique judges, the adorable romance between Claire and Clarence... For me this show is unforgettable. And more than any of these, Shatner as Denny Crane is full of brilliant one-liners and unstoppable charisma.
But what makes this show ten times better than any of the other impressive character dramas on TV is the writing. When Brad finds out that Denise's pregnancy is his child, his immediate response is "Have you thought about schools?" Almost every episode this show takes us somewhere I never would have expected. We hear passionate defenses from every end of the political spectrum, conservative, liberal, Republican, Democrat, gay, white supremacist, foreigners, gun rights, abortion, homelessness, tons of cross-dressing, fetishism, throughout all the insanity the resounding theme is not who's right or what should be legal but "This is the human condition." There is some political pandering and point-making (Spader delivered one too many lines beginning, "Have we become a country of...?") but this show really endures several years off the air now. We see Denny Crane objectifying women and saying some of the most offensive things I've ever seen on TV and the script's written so well that we don't object to them. We see Denise wrap men around her little finger yet we somehow resist the urge to stop wanting the best for her. There's a hook here to catch anybody who happens to catch an episode and frankly I'm surprised it only lasted 5 seasons, though I guess every show realistically has its limits. This has become one of my favorites.
UPDATES: When I wrote the above, I was midway through season 3. Season 4 and Season 5 really took things downhill into leftwing political pontificating. I'm a liberal myself and it was unwatchable to even me. And what I absolutely HATED was that Jerry and Katie got together in the end. All throughout season 4 I was happy that there was a potential coupling but the writers resisted the urge to exploit it, and instead took it as an opportunity to examine a friendship between two coworkers of the opposite sex. Their friendship was beautiful in season 4. In the end, Katie decides to give Jerry a chance at romance, even though she's clearly never been attracted to him.
My opinion of the seasons, from best to worst: Season 3, 2, 1, 4, 5 (worst).
The character acting is brilliant for the most part. The sexual tension between Bowen and Valley, between Spader and Bergen, holy cow. And the guest characters who endure for a span of 5 or 10 episodes like the "pee pee" peeping Tom, Bethany the spunky little person who Denny falls in love with, all the unique judges, the adorable romance between Claire and Clarence... For me this show is unforgettable. And more than any of these, Shatner as Denny Crane is full of brilliant one-liners and unstoppable charisma.
But what makes this show ten times better than any of the other impressive character dramas on TV is the writing. When Brad finds out that Denise's pregnancy is his child, his immediate response is "Have you thought about schools?" Almost every episode this show takes us somewhere I never would have expected. We hear passionate defenses from every end of the political spectrum, conservative, liberal, Republican, Democrat, gay, white supremacist, foreigners, gun rights, abortion, homelessness, tons of cross-dressing, fetishism, throughout all the insanity the resounding theme is not who's right or what should be legal but "This is the human condition." There is some political pandering and point-making (Spader delivered one too many lines beginning, "Have we become a country of...?") but this show really endures several years off the air now. We see Denny Crane objectifying women and saying some of the most offensive things I've ever seen on TV and the script's written so well that we don't object to them. We see Denise wrap men around her little finger yet we somehow resist the urge to stop wanting the best for her. There's a hook here to catch anybody who happens to catch an episode and frankly I'm surprised it only lasted 5 seasons, though I guess every show realistically has its limits. This has become one of my favorites.
UPDATES: When I wrote the above, I was midway through season 3. Season 4 and Season 5 really took things downhill into leftwing political pontificating. I'm a liberal myself and it was unwatchable to even me. And what I absolutely HATED was that Jerry and Katie got together in the end. All throughout season 4 I was happy that there was a potential coupling but the writers resisted the urge to exploit it, and instead took it as an opportunity to examine a friendship between two coworkers of the opposite sex. Their friendship was beautiful in season 4. In the end, Katie decides to give Jerry a chance at romance, even though she's clearly never been attracted to him.
My opinion of the seasons, from best to worst: Season 3, 2, 1, 4, 5 (worst).
This episode nearly made me cry.
30 October 2011
I mean first of all, the "gotcha" investigations regarding the links to Ron Coronado and other pro-violence PETA members was hugely entertaining.
I have a few "friends" who are PETA members. These people are actually extremely difficult to get along with, they once invited me to hang out in the park with them. When I got there, they had a ouija board and forced me to play with them. After doing a "seance," they were like "So are you convinced it's real?" and then when I said no, they got all accusatory like, "Are you calling us LIARS?!" basically saying I'm not their friend if I don't tell them I believe in their spiritual beliefs. And I'm like, "You guys hate Christianity for forcing their religion on other people, then you do the same thing to me." Anyway that's a different episode of BS altogether, isn't it! The reason I'm talking about them is because I think it takes that kind of personality to be a member of PETA. These "friends" really do value the lives of animals above those of humans-they-don't-like. Careful, they place their OWN life above animals' lives. But anyone who doesn't agree with them deserves to be mauled by their own livestock.
The things this episode revealed about the cult personality and "following" attitude that many PETA volunteers have was very eye-opening, and the most devastating moment came when we saw that guy, I forget his name, but he was preaching in middle schools and high schools about the ALF and promoting "any means necessary" to end anything he views as animal cruelty.
And when they showed how PETA euthanized more animals than it could keep alive, but then they protested and even threatened that city councilman for being in the EXACT SAME situation. Oh, man, this episode was really emotional to watch. One of the best B.S.'s that I've seen.
The thing I love most about B.S. is it gives me the tools I need to take these idgits to task over their beliefs when I see them in person next time.
I have a few "friends" who are PETA members. These people are actually extremely difficult to get along with, they once invited me to hang out in the park with them. When I got there, they had a ouija board and forced me to play with them. After doing a "seance," they were like "So are you convinced it's real?" and then when I said no, they got all accusatory like, "Are you calling us LIARS?!" basically saying I'm not their friend if I don't tell them I believe in their spiritual beliefs. And I'm like, "You guys hate Christianity for forcing their religion on other people, then you do the same thing to me." Anyway that's a different episode of BS altogether, isn't it! The reason I'm talking about them is because I think it takes that kind of personality to be a member of PETA. These "friends" really do value the lives of animals above those of humans-they-don't-like. Careful, they place their OWN life above animals' lives. But anyone who doesn't agree with them deserves to be mauled by their own livestock.
The things this episode revealed about the cult personality and "following" attitude that many PETA volunteers have was very eye-opening, and the most devastating moment came when we saw that guy, I forget his name, but he was preaching in middle schools and high schools about the ALF and promoting "any means necessary" to end anything he views as animal cruelty.
And when they showed how PETA euthanized more animals than it could keep alive, but then they protested and even threatened that city councilman for being in the EXACT SAME situation. Oh, man, this episode was really emotional to watch. One of the best B.S.'s that I've seen.
The thing I love most about B.S. is it gives me the tools I need to take these idgits to task over their beliefs when I see them in person next time.
Tell Your Friends