TV Time + "In Treatment"

I'm obsessed... again. This time the object of my affection is HBO's 30-minute drama, In Treatment. The show centers around Gabriel Byrne as psychotherapist Dr. Paul Weston and the sessions he has with his patients and his own therapist.

Funny thing, I'd never heard of the show before Howard Stern mentioned it on his show. And I only checked it out based on a recommendation from a friend who took up Howard on his recommendation. I probably wouldn't have caught up with the show otherwise. More often than not I think my opinions and taste are aligned with Howard's but for some reason I just had a bad feeling about In Treatment. Boy was I wrong. It actually frightens me to think of how close I came to missing out on the show entirely.

So what's to love? Well if you're like me you love a good chat. You love good conversation and well written dialogue in film and television that give the feel of that experience. That's one of the greatest strengths of the show. It's perfectly produced. It feels real. It is real. Real in the sense that... well I have this idea in my mind whenever a great performance transcends the norm: I think of shamans. Shamans are conduits of the divine. They are men. But when they perform within the context of a ritual they don't act as the divine, they are the divine. When an artist is truly in a role, truly in character, they become the character. There's a breakthrough that happens with truly great storytelling. It becomes and is. I've the impression that these people are real, that they've lived and I'm witness to something genuine and true. There's a rawness and reality about the show that doesn't exist in most. It's very special.

Maybe I've gone ahead of myself so let me step back. The show's an easy pick up because of the way it's structured. As I've said, it's a show about a doctor and his patients. But that dynamic doesn't play out in the usual way you see those stories unfold. It's very simple and direct. Each show averages around 23 minutes, which is something I love and hate. I loved it at the outset because it meant it required very little commitment on my part to engage in it. But once engaged, I was utterly consumed and 23 minutes never felt like enough. I wanted more and more. But in reality, those 23 minutes are more than enough because the content is so intense. Those few minutes really pack a punch and leave a lasting impression.

Each show corresponds with one session, with one patient on one day of the week. It's a very simple formula and I love it. There are five sessions throughout the week. One for each weekday, for each patient. That's it. There are never any new characters. There are no new settings. It's just these wonderfully flawed people locked up in a room digging and diving for 23 minutes straight. It's very direct. It's also perfect. Perfect because I get the impression that the show would be ruined if it cut in between different sessions with different patients. The sessions build in intensity throughout the the course of those 23 minutes. But you need every second of those 23 minutes to get to that point. Trying to juggle more than one person's story in that time would be a mess. I love the compartmentalization of the structure. It gives the audience a break. It's a good thing that there's more than one patient to follow. I couldn't imagine having the mental and emotional fortitude to stick with one person's story show after show. Breaking the shows up as weekdays was genius.

Gee, I didn't realize I'd gone on so long... I didn't mean to. I just really want to get across my love for the show because I think it's something a lot of people could love too if they gave it a chance. I think the thing I love most is how it engages the audience in introspection. The characters of the show are beautiful people. They're diverse and familiar. Flawed. It's near impossible not to empathize with them. There have been more than a few episodes where I found it hard to follow because I was lost in my own thoughts. Thinking I can see parts of myself in the stories that are unfolding on screen. If nothing else, the show is thought-provoking. It's deep that way. A lot of it, the superficial, is simple... but the core of the show is so complex. And I love complexity.

Anyway, check out the show!!! Please, at least watch the first five episodes. The first five cover the first week and introduce each patient of the week. Those five shows are more than enough to hook you or turn you off. You can get the first 15 episodes free at the iTunes Store, though you should be warned that they're censored. Then again, the show's not exactly filthy so you won't be missing out on much, just a curse word here and there. But I love to experience things in their most pure form, so you might want to torrent the show to get the full experience. ;)


DS333, in love.



p.s. The Friday shows (episode 5, 10, 15...) are the episodes I live and die for!!! :D

TV Time + "Biggest Loser Rant"

So I've mentioned before that I'm a huge fanatic of The Biggest Loser. I think the current season is one of the best to ever hit the airwaves. I actually had some other ideas for today's post but I was watching the show yesterday and I thought I would strike while the iron was hot. I had all these thoughts buzzing about that I was afraid I would forget. Most of them were rant-worthy posts all their own, but it seemed better to clump them together here. So bear with me as I randomly rant on about the show. ;)

• First up is the man tits. It's funny how these things come in threes. I've had man tits on the brain quite a lot lately. First because of the show itself. Secondly, I was watching a program a few weeks ago on the Discovery Health channel that featured a story of a boy who had breasts and consequently, corrective surgery. Finally, Howard Stern's been promoting a contest for the past month or so on his show called The Biggest Man Boob. I've always been fascinated by this phenomenon. I've often wondered what effect having them has on the psyches of these men. I have to imagine that it's traumatic. Arresting in the same way that transsexuals challenge the basic conventions of sexuality and body image. It's not masculine and I have to believe that's damaging in some way? At the very least, very embarrassing. It's because of this that I've so enjoyed the tradition of the show to have the men remove their shirts at the weigh-ins. There seems to be no other reason than to exploit their shame for our sheer entertainment. It's cruel. And I find it funny that something like that exists within a show that desperately tries to shake the ghost of the prototypical, seedy reality t.v. show.
• There's a person on the show, Jay, who has an objectively dopey look. If you've seen his face you'd agree. If you haven't, you would. There was a thread here I wanted to pick up on. This idea of biology affecting personality. Just given his look you could almost write out his history. I'm sure he was picked on incessantly his entire life. He has the look of someone who's had to endure in some way, more so than the rest of us. It's as though he's had no choice to live any other way. It just is. People treat you a certain way based on your looks, which is obvious, but there's a reason why he brought this home for me...
• I've been troubled by the relationship that Jay has with his older brother Mark. I can tell it's an abusive one. For the most part it's not overt, the abuse, nor is the dynamic obvious but it's there. I imagine the meat of it is passive-aggressive. That the roles have been carefully chiseled over time. So that idea of people's behavior being dependent upon our looks is at the forefront of my mind because I've wondered about how the relationship between this one brother has developed with his elder and the rest of his family over time. By virtue of being inside this body I feel as though he's been piled upon. That he's had to accept abuse. That he knows no other way of being. And that because he's lived with it (his body and all that that means) all his life, his mind and the relationships he's developed in every sphere of his life have been structured in such a way that this all seems normal. I find it sad and infuriating. People locking others in cages and prisoners accepting their confinement. When I see this dynamic between the two I feel an anger underlying it, it's something totally unlike a simple sibling rivalry... it's a dance between the abused and the abuser.
• The show is ultimately flawed because in the end it pits men against women in a field that's not equal. This is a physical competition in a lot of ways and women can't compete with men in certain respects. I've seen far too many challenges that favor those with greater upper body strength and it drives me insane. It's unfair. But it's the arrogance of men that really gets to me. It's as though they're not aware of their own physiology and how that impacts the competition. They're not working harder. They don't want it more. They've science in their corner, plain and simple. On an equal playing field I'm sure the women could kick their asses... and they have before. I find their hubris disgusting.
• * Spoiler * I'm so glad that Dan's gone. I could NOT stand his fucking head-cocking anymore. His whole way of being was so affected and contrived. It drove me insane to see his face. It drove me up the wall to hear him speak. He became such a douche bag throughout the course of the show. I believe it was a combination of the weight loss and being apart of something, i.e. a boy's club. (I'd never call them men) I think it's a tricky thing maintaining an identity when you go through such a drastic shift. Or at least, it's hard to moderate and hold onto certain aspects of your character. It all comes down to pride and arrogance. It's like giving a boy a gun. Having not had something and then getting it... if you're not careful, it can turn you into an ugly person. It can warp your view and even who you are, or at least parts of who you are. I pray people keep the safety on.
• About the aforementioned boy's club. Why do straight men turn gay when locked into groups? Of course I don't mean literally, but there is this weird homoerotic vibe you can sense when you witness this camaraderie. It's disturbing. It even makes me uncomfortable. :P And this whole Pride chant the boys have going on isn't helping matters. It's just weird. Men are a mystery.
• The crying. I can't stand the crying!!! Re-fuckin'-lax! Being voted off the show doesn't mean you're off to the gas chamber. I don't understand how anyone can get that emotional. And I realize I'm a bit biased, being somewhat of a robot when it comes to emotional response, but I think by anyone's standards it would seem ridiculous how upset these people get, certain people anyway. It's uncalled for.
• Along the lines of my last rant... whether it's this show or any other reality show that groups people together for a certain amount of time, I can not understand how these strangers supposedly develop connections with one another. I hear people toss around the words brother and sister and it drives me mad. Worse yet is hearing someone say I love you. What the fuck!? I don't believe I alienate myself, because people manage to do a better job of it for me. When I witness things like this, these proclamations, I question myself. Is there something wrong with me? Am I wired different? etc. It's a momentary insanity and then I return with the conclusion that these people are just fucked up. Or at least very needy. I think it's actually sad because it trivializes the relationships they have with their friends and family, people worthy of the titles brother & sister and worthy of their love. I could never throw around such words so lightly, so freely, so carelessly.
• The last is an oldie but a goodie. Good ol' contrivance in the form of pre-taped bits. I hate the way the show crowbars ads into itself and tries to pass them off as natural happenings in their everyday lives. Yesterday I witnessed the worst yet. It was so incongruous that it was insulting. If you're gonna sell me something, just sell it. You'll be the better for it for at least having my respect instead of my disdain. We're not morons, we know the score. Don't be fake kids. ;) And if you are gonna fake it, put some effort into it.
  

DS333, exorcised.

TV Time + "The Amazing Race S12E11"

The Amazing Race - The Final Push (*Spoiler* Link)
Air date: January 20th, 2008 on CBS

Still sick. Not in the mood right now. :P The most I can do is watch and absorb. ;)

So the season finale of The Amazing Race is about to air here on the west coast in less than 20 minutes and I'm so excited about it. It's the first time in a long time (or maybe ever) that the final three teams are all people I'd be happy to see win. That last episode was a godsend. Not having an enemy in the midst of this race means there won't be quite the same tension as before, but I can deal with that just fine. It's more annoying than anything to see someone in the running who you feel doesn't deserve to be there. So this time around, it should be quite an enjoyable experience... more so than usual I mean. Y'know, I'm so out of it right now that I can't conjure up any images of the final three teams save for one, otherwise I'd make some predictions right now. But like I said, I like them all so much that I almost don't care who wins. So maybe predictions are a waste of time. But y'know...

Anyway, the show's about to begin and I gotta prep... munchies and such. ;) Have a good one folks.


DS333, *cough*

TV Time + "Project Runway S04E08"

Project Runway - En Garde!
Air date: January 16th, 2008 on Bravo

Like the next few posts I have coming down the pike, I'm gonna make this one short. I'm still sick and the last thing I want to do is blog. :P It's enough of a trial standing up. I can push myself to read, but I'm in no condition to formulate half-way coherent sentences. :P

*Spoilers*

Is the fix in? I'm by no means naive. I get that most reality programming is scripted. I can accept it. So when my sister brought up the idea that the producers of Project Runway were the one thing keeping Ricky in the show, I shouldn't have been shocked or appalled. But I was! I guess I've always held the show up to a higher standard. And I still do. I can't and don't want to believe that he's still in the running solely for his story and drama. She brought this up a couple of weeks ago. Given what's gone down in the last episode I have to wonder though... What if the fix is in? Are they keeping Ricky in longer than he deserves to be?

I don't buy it. I don't think the producers have that amount of pull. Like I said, I'm not naive so I know that last sentence must sound insane, if not, certainly stupid. But I just don't believe it. I think, more than anything, the show is a fair-and-square competition. They wouldn't compromise the integrity of that competition. And taking that stance, I can certainly see how Ricky could still be in. But it's still amazing and perplexing to some extent. The guy's got an angel on his side that's for sure. He's really pimping out lady luck. He should be gone. I want him to be gone. He has to be gone. If he's not cut from the running in the next episode I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. The only reason he's still in, I guess, is because he wasn't the head designer this time around. Otherwise he would have been gone.

I could go on. But like I said I wanna make this one short. I don't know that I care to go into my wild theorizing about the voting logistics this time around. :P It's too crazy and pathetic. ;) I just know that I'll be an unhappy man if Ricky is still on the show the following week. Too many talented artists have gone ahead of him.


DS333, loopy.

TV Time + "Losers, Daisies And Gladiators"

Until a few days ago I'd totally forgotten about this feature. D'oh! But I do remember that at the time of it's creation I was dying to talk about something I'd just watched. But it was bad timing given the WGA strike and the fact that the TV season was more or less winding down. Anyway, just thought I'd throw something out there so I wouldn't feel like I've abandoned this thing. Oh yeah, if I didn't mention it before this will probably be spoilerific. Beware! ;)

I missed the premiere of this seasons The Biggest Loser. It's the fifth season and at the end of the fourth, while they were promoting the current season, I was put off by the fact that it was going to be a Couples season. I remember the first Couples season, which might've been the second or third, and hating it. I only watched one episode I think. So I was wary about this new one. But what the fuck, there's nothing on this season and I figured, What the hell? I might as well. So I torrented the first two episodes and I'm in loooove!!! :D It's by far the greatest season of The Biggest Loser, and it's because of the fact that it's Couples. I've never seen a season so emotionally charged. It's the greatest thing ever. Seeing people break down is, for me, mostly fascinating and amusing. People break down on the show and there is that, but it's also poignant, more so than anything else. It's such an... enriching experience. I'm curious as to why The Amazing Race continues to dominate the Reality category at the Emmy's. I love that show too, but it's got nothing on a show like this. The third episode is headed this way on Tuesday at 8pm on NBC, so it's not too late to get on the bandwagon. ;) Check it out!

I haven't watched the last episode of Pushing Daisies yet. I don't mean the last of the series, as far as I know it's a success. But the WGA strike struck again. It was a short season and they weren't able to pump out a full one before the writers could get everything in place, at least that's my understanding. So I guess I don't want to watch the final episode because... well in my heart it's not the last episode of the season and since there won't be a true season finale coming along after it I know I'm gonna feel anxious about having no resolution. It's like an unnatural cliffhanger. I don't relish that feeling. But I might get around to it soon. I don't want to have it ruined for me, and I just love that show so why not? And the episode before really dropped the bomb and I'm dying to see what happens in the last episode! Dilemma, dilemma...

Along with The Biggest Loser I was also played catch up with the revamped version of American Gladiators. I was actually under the impression that it was underway some weeks back, so I thought it would be a bitch to catch up and just gave up on ever watching the show. But then I heard the buzz again recently and learned that it was just starting up so I got torrent happy again. Ah! I love this show. It's great! It's a whole lotta camp and nostalgia. I used to love this show as a kid so it was a real trip to see the same events again but in this new setting. I think they pulled it off really well. I'm sticking with this one. And man, is it fucking intense. I don't remember it being so rough and tumble as a youth. I'm just waiting for the day when someone snaps their neck or incurs a compound fracture. It's wicked! And man, that season premiere was so kick ass. So yeah, the third episode is coming up... tomorrow I believe, Mondays at 8pm on NBC. My only complaint so far is that they haven't showcased that awesome Human Hamster Ball challenge. :P I loved that thing as a kid. ;)


DS333, in tune.

Explained, "TV Time"

This feature has been a long time coming. Actually, I'm surprised I've gone this long without it. And maybe I'm getting to it a bit late given that the current TV season is winding down and the next one won't be starting up for quite a while since we're in the middle of a WGA strike. Nonetheless, I've been craving a little corner of this blog to dedicate to my love and hatred for television. So I hereby claim this little corner as TV Time! :P ;)

We'll see how this goes. I might rant on about a TV show as a whole or maybe just an individual episode. I might even use this an a rundown of all the highlights and lowlights for the entire week. Who knows? Like I said, "We'll see how [it] goes." ;) At the very least I now have a proper soapbox to shout from. I've been dying to talk about TV. :D

DS333, pent-up.