Breaking My Rule

I generally don't like to comment on topics that could be considered... controversial. My opinion on religion, politics, and other hot button issues are no one's business but my own. Plenty of people like to discuss, debate, create hostility, and just generally post that their opinion is the correct opinion and if you don't agree, well... insert nasty comment here and I refuse to spread that negativity around. And I'm breaking my one rule. But it's worth it.

It's the holiday season and in my mind, everyone should be friendly and cheerful and just being good human beings. It's the time of year where even your most hated enemy gives you a smile and wishes you a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Whatever Holiday Well-Wishes That You Don't Find Offensive. (Not in my case; my enemy has decided to just straight up ignore me. In the immortal words of RENT's Tom Collins, "Merry Christmas, b*tches!") But to my dismay and honestly distress, there is a cloud hanging above me on the eve my favorite holiday.

There have been many disturbing and unfortunate examples of intolerance and just general nastiness this whole year and in recent years. People have been brought under fire for numerous reasons, whether they be justified or not, and the reactions, or lack of a reaction, of those individuals above said people are also brought under fire. It's a never-ending cycle of hate and finger pointing.

In a world where we've seen great acts of humanity, awareness, and generosity, it's hard to believe there is still so much hate out there but we can't pretend that it's not present. With social marking making it an option for millions of people to express their opinions, opinions are just that; a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. But what happens to the world when you can't see past your own opinion to at least acknowledge another person's view?

I do not condone any negative comments said toward any faction of society. A person is allowed to have their own viewpoint but in today's world your viewpoint is instantly labeled right or wrong with no room for discussion. Instead I wonder what happened to people's general niceness and why we must all be so mean to each other. Who are we to condemn people for their lifestyle, religion, political affiliations, and any other subject that I've missed. The world is too bleak as it is to focus on the negative and yet that is a favorite past time for most of the world.

The recent comments by a certain reality star are disturbing for multiple reasons and there are many people to blame. It's also not the first time in the history of the entertainment industry that a person has made derogatory remarks and gotten punished for it. Regardless if you support the comments, you can't say them to a national magazine and not expect to get a reaction. I don't watch the personality's TV show nor am I included in a group of people that he offended in the article, yet I was offended on a human level. Why do we have to tear each other down?

When I see all the fighting that is directly or indirectly caused by these remarks I think of Pope Francis' recent words on the subject and I am filled with hope for our future. "If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?" The most important man in the Catholic Church has expressed what I've always said, 'Who am I to judge?'. We aren't God, or whatever other religious figure that you believe in. I don't believe that God will punish people for who they love and for wanting to be treated equally. And that's about all I have to say on the matter.

So during the final days of the Christmas season, can we please remember why it's supposed to be 'the most wonderful time of year'? As Linus famously quotes the Bible during A Charlie Brown Christmas, "And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

Key word: All people.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Best TV You Aren't Watching: Part 1 of 3

Readers, it's been said that this year we've witnessed some of television's finest and I would have to agree. Not with the collective choices of shows (Dexter, Breaking Bad, Mad Men) but with some shows that are newer but have all collectively hit their own creative hot streak.

The first show that I'd like to bring to your attention is sure to get no attention because it currently resides on a network generally dismissed as a weak channel that regularly exploits the marketing ploy of having gorgeous males shirtless, all the time. That's right, you guessed it: The CW. While some of these accusations are true that doesn't stop the network executives from getting solid shows on the air. Who are we to overlook quality television, story, and acting because actors are hot? Shame on you.

(I'm looking at you Hart of Dixie. But please don't ever ever EVER stop.)

 

I may have gotten a little zealous on that last point, but it's a stigma that The CW has been fighting for the last couple of years. With The Vampire Diaries success came a new kind of entertainment to the network that had been lacking since the days of ... well I can't honestly say that One Tree Hill was a "great" show nor will I ever speak badly about it. With the critical and (for The CW) ratings hit of The Vampire Diaries, the network was able to create one of the best shows in recent years, and it's only in Season Two currently so that's saying something.

I'm talking about Arrow. For those of you unfamiliar with the show here's a brief synopsis: a wealthy playboy named Oliver Queen (played brilliantly by Stephen Amell) gets shipwrecked on an island that holds unspeakable dangers for five years. His father sacrificed himself while drifting in the sea so that Oliver had a chance to survive but not before telling his son about a seedy and corrupt underworld back home in fictional Starling City where his mother, sister Thea, and now ex-girlfriend Laurel Lance believe him to be dead. After he is rescued, Oliver decides to devote his life to bringing those corrupt to justice as the vigilante The Hood with the help of his "body guard" John Diggle and the world's best updated "Girl Friday", Felicity Smoak.

Phew. But come on, doesn't that sound amazing??? That's what I thought... and then it was December and I was on vacation and I realized I had 9 episodes sitting on my DVR gathering dust. I was at the "must watch now or delete and give up" stage that I occasionally find myself. I know, a real Sophie's Choice. Luckily for me the day after Christmas I was bed ridden with a cold and migraine. What to do? I decided to give the show a chance and I thank the TV Gods for that migraine because I can't imagine my TV world without Arrow.

Now I know that none of that really means anything to you unless you take my word on TV and movies ver batim. In case you don't, which you should, I'm prepared to give you evidence:

The Acting:
There are few shows that I can say consistently get better with age and Arrow is definitely one of them. The show operates between the current day where Oliver is now working under the name "Arrow" to his life on the island. Initially the creators said they had a set time and ending in mind which gives each episode a definitive feeling. Stephen Amell has to play so many variations of his characters and he does so seamlessly. I can not say enough good things about his acting. He's displayed so many emotions you wonder how he's able to specifically channel each one when they change so fast in the script. And the rest of the cast isn't exactly chopped liver either. Perhaps the best example of this would be Emily Bett Rickards who plays Felicity Smoak. Initially supposed to be a quick one-off character in one script, she was almost immediately moved up to recurring status before finally (much to the joy of Arrow fans everywhere) given full series regular status. Rickards' Felicity has grown from a tech-savvy geek expressing inappropriate comments about Oliver's hotness to his own Girl Friday and in her own right an active part in his crime fighting. While still dropping inappropriate comments about his body.

The Writing:
The only other show successfully blowing through plot lines as fast as Arrow is the Shonda Rhimes hit Scandal. The writers on Arrow leave you breathless episode after episode and rarely do you have a slow hour of television. The dialogue is generally on point but it's really Amell, David Ramsey's Diggle, and Rickards who deliver the best interactions. The show also knows how to create fully dimensional characters and it doesn't feel the need to express lane those plots either. One of last season's more grating characters, Paul Blackthorne's Detective Lance aka Laurel's disapproving father, was just a bit too gruff and grumpy. But with a demotion this season forcing him into the field, he is one of the more fully fleshed out characters that I look forward to seeing on my screen. Other minor characters who have benefited from this slow and steady character development are Thea, played with a softness that her portrayer Willa Holland hasn't been able to use before, and her thug-turned-wannabe hero boyfriend Roy, played with perfect intensity by Colton Haynes. The show knows where to pack a punch, literally and metaphorically.

The Relationships:
Arrow boasts some of the best couplings/bromances/teams on television right now. There are almost too many to count. As mentioned above the core three (Olive/Diggle/Felicity) is the real treat and they share the screen 65% of the time and rightly so. From her first appearance, sparks flew between Oliver and Felicity and the writers knowing just how to torture fangirls everywhere, put their romance on slow burn. I mean, slowwwwwwwww burn. And boy, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been so satisfying watching the two of them actually get to know each other and the flaws that they hide from the world. His looks at her inappropriate comments are almost better than a full on kiss. Almost. Thea and Roy's relationship is also a fun addition to the show as well as Felicity's new alliance with Detective Lance.

Somehow I've managed to only allude to Oliver's hotness without listing it as a "reason" to watch the show. Well... the man is ripped. The show doesn't deny nor shy away from blatantly promoting his.. um... assets. And why not? Plus, he's not the only one. Diggle and Roy are definitely impressive and the ladies get to show off their attributes with killer dresses and heels. The great part is: it may be the reason you give the show a chance but it won't be the reason you come back. That credit is all the shows.