My Television Malaise is Explained
And it’s done pithily, even. I’m enjoying the mid-season break of the TV shows I watch. Former favorites Veronica Mars and Battlestar Galactica have disappointed. I tried one ep of Friday Night Lights on a friend’s recommendation, but was annoyed. My Name is Earl and House have been pretty good, but the only show I actively miss is The Office. I hadn’t questioned my ennui much until my husband sent me this link from Warren Ellis’ blog. Normally, Warren’s enfant-terrible-morphed-into-grumpy-old-man rants bug me, but this time I think he’s hit it, though his target of Sci Fi TV was too narrow. It’s a much bigger problem that pervades too many shows.
There’s too much fucking crying. Veronica is crying to Logan that he let a house burn down. Logan is crying to Veronica that she wants him to change. Baltar and Caprica cry to torpid piano music. People are crying on Heroes because the waitress died. The cheerleader has tears in her eyes constantly. And the time I watched Friday Night Lights at least FOUR characters cried.
[And yes, for you nitpickers, there has been a smattering of crying on the shows I claim to like. Cuddy cried on House, but only after he was super mean to her. And Michael cries on The Office. But that's funny.]
I’m with Warren on this one. Stop fucking crying.
OK, OK, Athena is allowed to cry when she gets her baby back from the Cylons. But that’s it. I mean it.