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"The Middle," which -- wink-wink -- is set in Indiana (middle America), and which airs in the middle of the week on Wednesday nights, is about an average American suburban family where the parents are -- surprise! -- level-headed, normal, rational, and politically moderate. The show certainly doesn't lack an identity crisis, yet it is hardly a work of genius, beyond the decision to cast Eden Sher as Sue Heck, the (of course) middle child, likely for whom the show is named. Without Heck, even the pilot doesn't get picked up; with it, you have one of the most enjoyable shows in the history of primetime.
ABC could easily have resurrected The Brady Bunch, casting Sher as Jan, and accomplished the same result, but the original character of Sue Heck is like Jan Brady without the confines of The Brady Bunch's rich history. Jan was a relatively normal middle child, yet her angst never rang true. As I said somewhere else, Sue Heck makes Jan Brady look like Marcia Brady. I have never seen an actor so totally take over a character the way Sher has done with Sue; she makes each new episode of this otherwise-mediocre show and makes it Emmy-worthy. Sher's next stop is the film world, if she wants it, where fans will directly pay her salary, a much higher bar to clear than that of the sponsors, and why so many television actors fail in film.
Sue's siblings, Brick and Axl, are typical television tripe, terribly predictable, and not very enjoyable to watch. The alleged leads, Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton, will never rewrite any acting textbooks, but the same cannot be said of Eden Sher. Watching Sue Heck on screen each week is the highlight of my week, and to those who say I must have no life if that is the case, I would that anyone who doesn't mark their calendars to watch her is the one in need of better recreational activities.
Sue Heck is what you hope to find when a new series (or one you just started watching) debuts. I found "The Middle" because Hulu rotated it after the show I had intended to watch was finished. After a single episode, I was completely hooked on this incredibly deep, layered, nuanced character, played by an actress who leave writers wishing everyone could make them look so good. At some point, Sher will be called upon to prove that she didn't luck out with Sue, or just happen to be a perfect fit, but i suspect she'll be up to the task. She's truly brilliant.
ABC could easily have resurrected The Brady Bunch, casting Sher as Jan, and accomplished the same result, but the original character of Sue Heck is like Jan Brady without the confines of The Brady Bunch's rich history. Jan was a relatively normal middle child, yet her angst never rang true. As I said somewhere else, Sue Heck makes Jan Brady look like Marcia Brady. I have never seen an actor so totally take over a character the way Sher has done with Sue; she makes each new episode of this otherwise-mediocre show and makes it Emmy-worthy. Sher's next stop is the film world, if she wants it, where fans will directly pay her salary, a much higher bar to clear than that of the sponsors, and why so many television actors fail in film.
Sue's siblings, Brick and Axl, are typical television tripe, terribly predictable, and not very enjoyable to watch. The alleged leads, Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton, will never rewrite any acting textbooks, but the same cannot be said of Eden Sher. Watching Sue Heck on screen each week is the highlight of my week, and to those who say I must have no life if that is the case, I would that anyone who doesn't mark their calendars to watch her is the one in need of better recreational activities.
Sue Heck is what you hope to find when a new series (or one you just started watching) debuts. I found "The Middle" because Hulu rotated it after the show I had intended to watch was finished. After a single episode, I was completely hooked on this incredibly deep, layered, nuanced character, played by an actress who leave writers wishing everyone could make them look so good. At some point, Sher will be called upon to prove that she didn't luck out with Sue, or just happen to be a perfect fit, but i suspect she'll be up to the task. She's truly brilliant.
As a paralegal from the north who wound up working at a divorce, criminal-defense, and bankruptcy firm in Albany, GA for four months, I can relate to this show, which serves up a slice of upscale southern living in generous, stereotypical, yet delicious heaps.
The flash-mob scene from the second season (from which the title of this review is taken) is a microcosm of this series, a pelasant vehicle for capturing one of the most beautiful women who have ever lived, at her prime, in a show that takes great pains to play to its strenghts, while getting out of its own way. Hart of Dixie understands its purpose and mission, and always keeps to task. It's a great watch. The plot and actual show mean very little. In fact, if they eliminted the audio from a show, I bet the ratings would not fall.
The 9-star rating is for female lead Rachel Bison's incredible body and beauty. Many women think being thin and not deformed is enough to attract men, but women like Rachel Bison -- and Heidi Mueller, or Brittany Underwood, to name two others -- are just a cut above physically, and Bilson is a cut above every woman. Perfect body, perfect features, perfect skin, incredibly hypnotic eyes, and when her character is in heat, the network censors likely blush for a moment. The smartest thing the producers did was to put Rach3el and her body front and center, with generous camera shots, especially the closeups when she's in love with Wade or George.
As for the show, Dr. Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) is one of the most unconvincing characters in the history of television, but this can be excused because it's just a plot device. The true star of the show is Dixie itself, and what it is like for a "Yankee" to find themselves living and working among the rednecks. The characters are extremely authentic, and the show excellently conveys the social inclusion and toloerance of individual quirks I have never found in the north. I would say that real life has a few more Meatballs and fweer Wades and Georges, but that wouldn't maqke for as good a show.
With that said, the plot and episodes don't matter if you're male. You'll start watching, and awaken from your trance a half-hour later with the incredibly sexy essence of Rachel Bilson in your brain. Whoever figured out that just letting the cameras roll while trained on her as much as possible, with the best cinematography possible, was the key to a hit series, was an absolute genius. The woman is literally a walking work of art.
The flash-mob scene from the second season (from which the title of this review is taken) is a microcosm of this series, a pelasant vehicle for capturing one of the most beautiful women who have ever lived, at her prime, in a show that takes great pains to play to its strenghts, while getting out of its own way. Hart of Dixie understands its purpose and mission, and always keeps to task. It's a great watch. The plot and actual show mean very little. In fact, if they eliminted the audio from a show, I bet the ratings would not fall.
The 9-star rating is for female lead Rachel Bison's incredible body and beauty. Many women think being thin and not deformed is enough to attract men, but women like Rachel Bison -- and Heidi Mueller, or Brittany Underwood, to name two others -- are just a cut above physically, and Bilson is a cut above every woman. Perfect body, perfect features, perfect skin, incredibly hypnotic eyes, and when her character is in heat, the network censors likely blush for a moment. The smartest thing the producers did was to put Rach3el and her body front and center, with generous camera shots, especially the closeups when she's in love with Wade or George.
As for the show, Dr. Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) is one of the most unconvincing characters in the history of television, but this can be excused because it's just a plot device. The true star of the show is Dixie itself, and what it is like for a "Yankee" to find themselves living and working among the rednecks. The characters are extremely authentic, and the show excellently conveys the social inclusion and toloerance of individual quirks I have never found in the north. I would say that real life has a few more Meatballs and fweer Wades and Georges, but that wouldn't maqke for as good a show.
With that said, the plot and episodes don't matter if you're male. You'll start watching, and awaken from your trance a half-hour later with the incredibly sexy essence of Rachel Bilson in your brain. Whoever figured out that just letting the cameras roll while trained on her as much as possible, with the best cinematography possible, was the key to a hit series, was an absolute genius. The woman is literally a walking work of art.
In 2012, Skylar Neese was murdered by two of her friends; in 2014, her story was murdered by Hollywood. Some films are so bad they are good; this one is so bad it gives Below Utopia a run for its money.
My ongoing prayer that Lexi Ainsworth won't make me look stupid by making my prediction of an Oscar for her within a decade or so just took a slight hit, but through no fault of her own. The fate of her character in the film appears a metaphor for the actress's true opinion of the material. Given absolutely atrocious writing, and a nearly-as-atrocious supporting cast, she did her best to save it, but the patient died anyway. In this film, Lexi is like the slow kid stuck at the doorbell after her friends rang it and ran way, leaving her to account for the sins of her peers.
Sara Cowan (Lexi), Jade (Brittany Underwood), and new-girl Ashley (Tiina Ivle) form the titular clique, with one meeting the titular fate. The unattractive Ivlev chews the scenery as if she'd smoked six joints on an empty stomach on her way to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Her impact on the film is that of a nuclear weapon. The exceptionally hot Brittany Underwood reveals that she is a much stronger television actress who comes much more into her own with a long-term role. Her take on Jade seems to be that of "submissive lesbian stoner." As Sara, Lexi mails it in, but does so with first-class postage for a script she could easily have performed in her sleep. The best she could give is what she gave: an absence of even minor mistakes. Having seen both Underwood and Lexi on soaps for years, I know what each are capable of. The emotional range she displayed in the scene she turned in on GH when Mac killed Warren could have won film awards. With compelling material, and a competent cast, she'll shine, but this film has neither.
Ideally, a world-class actress should be able to sit and wait for that killer script, but in the real world the bills have to be paid, and films like this have their place in the profitable true-crime niche, where the confines of the story tend to suffocate an actor's ability to take over a film. Rarely has this been made more apparent to me than here.
My ongoing prayer that Lexi Ainsworth won't make me look stupid by making my prediction of an Oscar for her within a decade or so just took a slight hit, but through no fault of her own. The fate of her character in the film appears a metaphor for the actress's true opinion of the material. Given absolutely atrocious writing, and a nearly-as-atrocious supporting cast, she did her best to save it, but the patient died anyway. In this film, Lexi is like the slow kid stuck at the doorbell after her friends rang it and ran way, leaving her to account for the sins of her peers.
Sara Cowan (Lexi), Jade (Brittany Underwood), and new-girl Ashley (Tiina Ivle) form the titular clique, with one meeting the titular fate. The unattractive Ivlev chews the scenery as if she'd smoked six joints on an empty stomach on her way to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Her impact on the film is that of a nuclear weapon. The exceptionally hot Brittany Underwood reveals that she is a much stronger television actress who comes much more into her own with a long-term role. Her take on Jade seems to be that of "submissive lesbian stoner." As Sara, Lexi mails it in, but does so with first-class postage for a script she could easily have performed in her sleep. The best she could give is what she gave: an absence of even minor mistakes. Having seen both Underwood and Lexi on soaps for years, I know what each are capable of. The emotional range she displayed in the scene she turned in on GH when Mac killed Warren could have won film awards. With compelling material, and a competent cast, she'll shine, but this film has neither.
Ideally, a world-class actress should be able to sit and wait for that killer script, but in the real world the bills have to be paid, and films like this have their place in the profitable true-crime niche, where the confines of the story tend to suffocate an actor's ability to take over a film. Rarely has this been made more apparent to me than here.