You know when you are eating a delicious meal? Are you the sort of person who eats the good stuff first, or saves it til the end? or do you eat a bit at a time? I feel like that when a new episode of The Good Wife is on my viewing list. (I usually save it til last!)
A new episode this week and just so much to enjoy. The characterisations are just so great on this show. Sadly, so often on tv and film, women are in the supporting roles. “yes dear” “Let’s get in on” “leave me alone” etc. They are an adjunct to the male character. Something that especially annoyed me about the hugely over praised Boardwalk Empire.
On The Good Wife, ALL the characters, male and female have their own worth, their own storytelling value. It makes the show so rich to watch and the best drama on tv in my opinion.
This week the focus was on Cary and the district attourney’s office. We got to know the staff there as they prosecuted an inmate who stabbed another to death. Was it for the use of the ‘N’ word? Was down to previous guest star, drug kingpin and ridiculously beautiful Mr Bishop? Throw in Glen Childs – the always excellent Titus Welliver with a strange hair dye jobbie, and the case was compelling. Of course there is always more with this show. Yes more intrigue around Kalinda and her nemesis Blake , and the return of Wendy Scott-Carr, the excellent Anika Noni Rose as she and Alicia shared a tense scene about campaign tactics involving their children. We also got to see more of Will and Diane vs Derek Bond. I just adore seeing Will and Diane friends again. It is also so great that they can pretty much ignore the Will/Alicia tension 12 episodes into the second season and you just don’t miss it. The Good Wife is so rich, it is far more than just a will they/won’t they about Will and Alicia. Love, love, love it!!
Now onto my more guilty pleasures! Hellcats is just pure unadulterated froth, but a really likeable show, largely thanks to Ashley Tisdale as Christian cheerleader Savannah. I never watched High School Musical, but it says a lot about her that I am considering searching them out because she is just so adorable! Her family dramas increased this week as stern and scary mom, SG1’s Janet, Teryl Rothry (also excellent on the lacklustre Caprica) found out that Savannah’s little sister is pregnant. I’ll admit, I was a fan of Bring It On, and so I quite enjoy the gymnastic cheerleader routines, but this week it was mainly flashing their bodies as the Hellcats tried to raise money with a calendar. Cue skimpy oufits! Meanwhile Marti (who I still struggle with at times due to her pole dancer fashion sense) went investigating into the ongoing legal case she has been on. A funny moment when she and her dorky co-investigator are re-named Nancy Drew and Harry Potter by their professor. So true! Hellcats is pure candy floss, but really is a guilty pleasure.
Pretty Little Liars has a little more substance (although not much!) I mentioned in a previous review that I struggle to work out who is who, and this week yet another buff guy returned who I certainly didn’t know from Adam! Allison’s brother (erm, what did he have to do with anything again??) Emily returned to the swim team, Spencer investigated, Aria and Gilbert went on a real life date and snogged in public and the other one (nope, forgot her name again!) tried to help out her money swindler mother. Plenty of plot on PLL, although not much revealed in terms of the mystery. I still find Aria and Gilbert icky, love Emily and am intrigued by the plot.
Watched episodes 2 and 3 of Off The Map. Yes, it remains merely a medical drama and very emotionally manipulative, but I continue to like Caroline Dhavernas and Mamie Gummer as the two young doctors at the jungle hospital. Mamie Gummer (can’t remember her character’s name) proved herself a bit of a Gregory House this week as she tried to solve a medical mystery. Dhavernas’ character once again as the slightly too emotionally involved one. Hope they give her a bit more than just that in future episodes.