We all know Stephen Colbert as the guy who pretended to be a Republican pundit on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. Some of us, of the more liberal persuasion, were comforted by the warmth of the satire. But that security blanket is gone and the honest persona has entered the scene, the real Stephen Colbert as brought about by The Late Show With Stephen Colber. However I think we were lucky to find that he's still funny and personable, I know I was excited to watch this new Stephen. But, to mimic the dramatic affect of Colbert's former character, we're still being lied to.
Back in August, Glamour magazine ran an article, written by Colbert and some of his writers, promising to make his new show a place where women would have a presence. It was called "Stephen Colbert Shares Why He Thinks Women Should Be in Charge of Everything". Colbert wrote impassioned about his quest to make sure The Late Show would be a feminist creative space, one that late night television specifically was lacking. Here are some choice sections I'll share:
"While there are many talented female comedians out there, right now the world of late-night is a bit of a sausagefest."
"To be honest, sometimes I wonder whether the world would be a better
place if women were in charge. It would be pretty easy to make that
happen. Simply tell the men of the world that you're trying to start a
campfire. While we're all arguing with one another about proper kindling
placement and whether using lighter fluid is cheating,* women can just
quietly start getting stuff done."
"Point is, I'm here for you, and that means I'm going to do my best to create a Late Show that not only appeals to women but also celebrates their voices."
Women everywhere, including myself, rejoiced! "Yes" I thought, "Stephen Colbert has follow through, this will be the first late night show that gets ahead of that criticism and we'll see a balance in late night comedy"
Lol.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has exactly 2 female writers. There are 17 male writers. And then an additional 0 women. Stephen Colbert has yet again feigned sincerity to bring attention to an issue. Except this time instead of playing a trick old evil Republican old white dudes he's fooling women everywhere, especially female comedians. And just like the members of the GOP, I feel let down to realize he's not actually on our side.
This past Tuesday night, Stephen Colbert, formally of the "Colbert Report," made his Late Night debut on CBS. His shift from satirical news to late night was intriguing for many reasons. He's making the shift from cable to network Television and he's now got over an hour of content. But perhaps the most intriguing and publicized change for Colbert, is his character.
For the last nine years, Stephen Colbert essentially was playing a character, not being himself. When the program began in 2005 it was a perfect opportunity for Colbert to get into the public eye and display his star power. And for the nine years the show aired, his program along with Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" dominated the 11:00pm hour for Comedy Central. While Colbert's comedic intelligence and charisma shined throughout his time on the program, reports say playing the same character for nine years began to weigh down on him. Pretty much everything he said or did on the show had to go through a right wing filter to keep him in character. Essentially Colbert was performing one long sketch for nine years.
As much as people loved the "Colbert Report," it's easy to see how he could grow tired with the limitations him and his crew faced in writing for one character. So now as he steps into his new show and the vacated seat of David Letterman, Stephen Colbert has a chance to show his real self, to speak uninhibited.
Colbert's first show was interesting, to say the least. You never really know what to expect on someones first episode, but the mystery felt greater going into this program. One of things I was trying to figure out early on was the structure/format. Most late night programs eventually find their rhythm and begin to roll out shows daily that are fairly similar, with some variation here and there. But in the first episode of Colbert, it was hard to figure out the set up they'll use going forward. Some moments just felt a little awkward or different. One instance of this being when they played the title sequence about ten minutes into the show after he had already done his monologue and dialogue with the crowd. Overall, the show had very little flow and most of his gimmicks or bits went longer then expected.
As odd as the first show felt, Colbert's enthusiasm and energy was on full display. He looked recharged, like someone who had been liberated, and his energy was infectious. As a whole, the program felt more like a variety show then anything else, something to put Colbert's skills on display. The structure was secondary to Colbert's new personality. The issue for Colbert going forward will not be in replacing Letterman, it'll be in replacing the old Colbert. Pretty much he's his own toughest act to follow. With that said this program promises to be something new and different because for the first time the world will get to see the real Colbert.
While sports fans have their fantasy leagues, TV buffs are placing bets on which pilots will actually make it through a season. In a mix of comical book adaptations, spinoffs, and a few original programs, the Network's have chosen who will stay, who will get a chance to premiere more episodes, and who is already kicked to the curb. This year adds in more competition with Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon creating their own scripted programming. Out of ABC's 14 comedies that were pitched, four were chosen to continue. Surprisingly, not on the list of picked up pilots was Chevy Chases' comedy (called Chevy) about grandparents who suddenly have to raise their grandkids alone. In addition, ABC saved 7 of 12 pilots in the drama category, with an equal mix of political and social plot conflicts.
In the other neck of the woods, CBS only secured 2 out of 9 comedy projects, while 4 are still being reworked in order to see another day. CBS had 9 drama as well, and gave 5 of them a series order. FOX only had 8 comedies to show, giving half of them a chance to premiere their seasons. And with only 7 dramas, FOX decided to order seasons for 5 of them, and have yet to cancel the other two. Meanwhile, NBC came out hot with 14 comedies, 6 have ordered more episodes and 5 are stilling fighting to stay alive. With 10 dramas, NBC has decided to continue 6 of them, leaving two on the bubble.
Last but not least, the CW produced 5 drama pilots, and only 2 made the cut.
If you're looking for your next new favorite show, some to look out for include Dr. Ken(ABC comedy with Ken Jeong), Angel From Hell (CBS comedy with Jane Lynch), Minority Report(FOX drama), and The Player (NBC drama).
Click here if you want your complete guide to the 2015 pilot season.
Easily one of my favorite shows on television right now is Blue Bloods. Blue Bloods follows the lives of the Reagans, NYPD's Family of Law Enforcement.
The main characters in the family are Frank, the Police Commissioner and son of former PC Henry Reagan, who must balance his duties of running the largest police force in the world and being his kids' boss. His daughter Erin who is an Assistant District Attorney, son Danny who is a senior detective and fellow Marine Veteran, and son Jamie who is a new Harvard Law grad turned cop.
The aspect that I love the most about this show is their central focus on the importance of family. Most cop shows on television are focused around the crime and "catching the bad guy", but Blue Bloods, no matter what the situation in each episode, always comes back to the family at the dinner table, proving their constant support and love for each other.
This is something that we're starting to see less and less on television, and I think the central family aspect is something to be admired and appreciated. This is 100% a show I would recommend to anyone!
For any fans of the crime/law side of entertainment, this could very well be the show for you. Set in Charleston, S.C, the show centered around Jamie sawyer (a Chicago-born litigator) and Roy Rayder (a Southern city attorney), as they clash inside and out of the courtroom. Though there were various court cases throughout the season, the show mainly focused on their opposing cases about a police sex scandal, while trying to hide their own intense attraction to each other.
The show aired from June 2014 to September 2014, only having one season. When it was not picked up for a second season, it was released to Netflix. Many fans, original and later from Netflix, were baffled as to why the series got cut, even though it was a very well done show. Some seem to think it was because the series was poorly advertised from the beginning. I personally love the show. I think it was well written, and had cliffhangers that left you intrigued instead of frustrated at the end. My favorite character was Jamie Sawyer. I loved how her quick witted, Northern sass clashed with Roy Rayder's Southern gentleman personality. She is a character that when she set her mind to something, she went after it full force. She was also always impeccably dressed, which is something I admired.
Scorpion is a newer show, that premiered on CBS in October 2014. The show centers around, and is loosely based on, the life of Walter O'Brien, a self-proclaimed genius and computer expert. O'Brien and his genius team of outcasts are recruited by the government to be the last line of defense against complex, high-tech global threats. The team includes O'Brien, a genius with the fourth highest recorded IQ of 197, Sylvester the genius mathematician and human calculator, Happy the mechanical prodigy, and Toby who is a Harvard trained behaviorist. The last member of the team is Paige, a former waitress who, in exchange for helping her understand her brilliant son, helps translate the real world for them through human interaction.
The piece that initially drew me to the show was the fact that it was loosely based on the life of a real person. Walter O'Brien was born in Ireland in 1975, and supposedly scored over 190 on an IQ test in primary school, though the recored were not saved. At the age of 13, he accidentally hacked into the NASA database, because he wanted the Space Shuttle Columbia blueprints to hang on his wall. O'Brien later formed Scorpion Computer Services, which is a computer security firm, and still serves as it's CEO. He also developed ScenGen (Scenario Generator), which can generate a number of possible results for any given situation, according to user-inputted variables and relationships. The program is used by multiple industries, including defense and financial services.
One of the best parts about the show being loosely based on the life of Walter O'Brien is that the producers and writers can use old scenarios that have happened during the life of Scorpion Computer Services. Though many could call this uncreative, the writers have a 25-year head start for the stories. Assuming the show is renewed for more seasons, it will eventually become a self-sustainable show.
Scorpion has been renewed for a second season and airs on Sunday nights on CBS.
For those of you who don't know, here is a quick lesson on our government in the U.S. as it pertains to the topic of discussion. As some of you may know, our democratic government runs on a series of checks and balances through different branches of government. We have the Judicial, Executive, and Administrative branches constantly trying to keep each other in line while maintaining different powers. Although we have these three estates watching over each other, we have developed the mainstream media as a 4th estate to really make sure things are being run legally, ethically, and morally. The three branches are controversial enough as it is on how they run things sometimes so we trust the media to subside some of those dilemmas with they're exposing of the truth. But what if the 4th estate was manipulated by the government, what if these news networks were not exposing the truth the way they should? Where would that leave us?
Well, I bring this all up as CBS is in a pretty sticky situation with their News president David Rhodes. David Rhodes happens to be brother with Ben Rhodes, the White House deputy national security adviser. It has been brought to light that CBS may have been going soft on the report about the recent Benghazi, Libya attacks in 2012 due to the close ties between the two Rhodes brothers. In defense of the matter, CBS has here been having current discussions about the attacks without David Rhodes being present.
It is scary to think that the White House has such close ties to such a major news network. It makes you wonder if there is more to the stories that are being reported by CBS and any other news network for that matter. Personally, I feel it is highly unethical to have the deputy adviser for the president have family relations with the President of a major news network whether they are in close contact or not. If you're brother asked you to cover something up to protect his job, would you? Something should be done about this controversial issue fast or else may be continued to get a government edited version of the news.
Just one week after David Letterman announced his retirement in 2015, CBS announces that Stephen Colber has signed a five-year contract to take over "The Late Show." The 49-year-old comedian is most well-known for his political satire show on Comedy Central, "The Colbert Report."
Colbert stated that Letterman has always been a mentor and role model for him. Letterman later released a statement saying, "Stephen has always been a real friend to me. I'm very excited for him, and I'm flattered that CBS chose him."
Due to his Comedy Central background, many were left wondering if Colbert was the right choice. Will he be able to break away from his mega-conservative comedic character? It's reported that Colbert will be leaving his persona from "The Colbert Report" behind. Jon Stewart, Colbert's fellow Comedy Central host, says we will soon see a new side of Stephen Colbert. "He's got a lot more he can show...He's got a lot of the different capacities."
I'm curious to get a glimpse at the "real" Stephen Colbert. He's very witty and clearly enjoys what he does, making it even more enjoyable for the audience to watch. I would like to extend a huge congratulations to Stephen Colbert on landing this position. I can only imagine how much hard work and dedication it took. Whether or not you're a fan of Colbert, you have to commend him on this achievement.
A longstanding tradition in the Colleran household is the annual watching of Charlie Brown Holiday specials. While I enjoy the slightly mediocre (but still heartwarming) Thanksgiving episode and love the anti-consumerism, holiday-spirit fueled Christmas episode, the Halloween special may be my all time favorite Peanuts cartoon. In the spirit of Halloween (and the 47th anniversary of its release in 1966) I decided to keep the family tradition alive and watch the special yet again.
Upon first glance, there's really not a whole lot to "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." The animation is extremely crude and doesn't hold up at all to what we're accustomed to today. The voice acting is weird and awkward. And the story is kind of all over the place, splitting the 25 minute episode into Linus desperately waiting for the Great Pumpkin to visit his pumpkin patch, Charlie Brown trick or treating with the rest of the gang, and Snoopy...taking off on his dog house and fighting the Red Baron.
However, the Great Pumpkin is so much more to me than that. The animation is beautifully simplistic, with solid colors hilariously being used as backgrounds 50% of the time and Linus' hair shooting straight out from his head whenever he's excited or scared. The voice acting is weird and awkward, but it's also authentic, because all of the voices were recorded by real kids. And the story. In part, it's the story of a naive child who gets his expectations up over something that's not real, only to have them coming crashing down around him later on. For the most part, though, it's simply the story of kids celebrating Halloween and being as mean as possible to Charlie Brown.
Poor, poor Charlie Brown. The guy just can't catch a break. Whether he's being forced to use the back of his head to model for a pumpkin carving or getting a rock at every house he trick or treats at (the line "I got a rock" gets me every. Single. Time. The delivery is just so deadpan and perfect), Charlie Brown ends up having just as bad of a Halloween as Linus does. This in and of itself says a lot about the time period; Charlie Brown is just mercilessly bullied the entire special without any consequence. At least in the Christmas special he gets his tiny, pathetic tree decorated by everyone, but there's just no redemption for him this time around.
Anyway, there's so much more that could be picked apart and analyzed about this particular holiday special (Snoopy's weird, PTSD-esque fantasy/dream being a big part of that) but I'd much rather just take the Great Pumpkin at face value. It's fun, it's mindless, and to me at least, it encapsulates everything that the Fall season should be. In the words of Linus: "I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far at the eye can see."
Let me start out by saying that I love you guys. Seriously. You've always been my favorite network. Ever since I was old enough to start watching The Office and Saturday Night Live, I've had total faith in your ability to showcase comedies that other networks might shy away from. While you may not have a flair for the dramatic like CBS or a weird obsession with animated comedies/Seth Macfarlane (I'm looking at you FOX), you've always stuck with your roots and delivered some really solid, hilarious, heartfelt shows. Let's be honest; you had your heyday back in the late 90s when you struck gold with Seinfeld and Friends, but since then, you've had The Office, the cult hit Community, and the critical darling that was 30 Rock. I like to ignore Whitney and Animal Practice altogether and just say that, hey, you've done a pretty great job.
But that's not why we're here today, NBC. You know that, and I know that, so let's not beat around the bush: it's time to stop fucking with Parks and Recreation. By now, any fan of the show has probably heard about how you've only given the Pawnee crew 2 new episodes in the month of November (postponing the Halloween episode until a few weeks after the actual holiday) and won't be airing new episodes after that until mid-January, when Community is also slated to return. In it's stead, you'll be airing reruns of the Voice, SNL clip shows, and....The Sound of Music. Vulture broke the news here and, as I'm sure you know, all hell immediately broke loose. Adam Scott, who plays Ben Wyatt on Parks and Rec, tried to cover your ass by saying that this was your intention all along and that you weren't just prepping the show for cancelation, but some of us are displeased either way.
I know what your strategy is here, NBC: your Thursday night comedies are quickly losing ground in the ratings battle, and you blame Parks and Rec for being a bad lead-in to your new shows Welcome to the Family (which was already canceled, ouch) and the Sean Hayes anchored sitcom Sean Saves the World. You want viewers at any cost. It's a business, I understand. But - if I may put things extremely bluntly - your business model sucks, as do your new shows.
Parks and Recreation is adored by everyone, fans and critics alike, myself (quite largely) included. It has a great ensemble cast, extremely witty writing, and is heartfelt to boot. It's just an all around great American show. It's far better than your biggest Thursday night competitor, The Big Bang Theory; we all know that, but the general American public seems to have missed the boat on that one. That's ok though. With a strong presence on Netflix and a good start to it's sixth season, Parks has the potential to really hit it's stride....if only you'd let it.
NBC, Sean Hayes is blaming you for the poor ratings his show is getting, and I personally agree with him, though in an altogether different way. Your ads for this show are absolutely obnoxious; and not just the commercials, but the little stupid banner ads you play 24/7 that show Sean jumping over a couch, trying to look all cutsie and single goofball dad-ish and shit. Stop. Please. This show is not good now, and I'll be damned if it's ever going to get good anytime in the future. Instead of trying to pander to the wider, mindless crowd that flocks to CBS sitcoms, give us more shows like Parks and Rec, not less. Build your comedy lineup around it; maybe even advertise it or something. I'd be happy if you even aired a single episode in the month of December.
I'm sorry if I lost my temper there, NBC, but this is something that is very near and dear to my heart. I look to Ron Swanson as the incredibly mustachioed, bacon-and-egg fueled role model I never had, and to Leslie Knope as the strong, positive leader that Pawnee - hell - that America needs right now. You've got a real gem on your hands here NBC, and while I don't know what your plans for the future are, I just want to say this: the citizens of Pawnee may want to get Leslie Knope out of office, but all I'm asking is that you don't impeach Parks and Recreation just yet.
It's Elementary indeed. Now, we've all heard the name and a majority of us have probably read the stories but not enough of us have had the opportunity to give this show a chance. Returning for its second season this week, Elementary comes back to a television near you.
Sure, Sherlock has been done before: with Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Arthur Wontner, Basil Rathbone and too many more to list. Yet, Jonny Lee Miller brings a whole new level to Holmes that I've yet to see properly developed in any other version before.
The Story
Elementary puts a new twist on the classic story, in more ways than one. Sherlock is a recovering cocaine addict who has just gotten out of rehab (having already left his infamous job across the pond with Scotland Yard) and is being monitored by a sober companion (hired by his father) who comes to life in one Dr. Joan Watson. Yes, I said Joan.
CBS sets the bar, introducing their version of Holmes's prototypical companion in a very non-traditional way. At first glance, I was immediately put off. I thought, "Watson as a woman? What?" But, I've never been more satisfied to eat my own words.
Joan is every bit a Watson as the many predecessors before her. And in this story, she is someone who falls into the crazy antics that follow Sherlock Holmes while trying keep her job together. It's old meets new, in the borough of Manhattan as Sherlock and Watson strive to work out their differences and maybe solve a few crimes along the way.
The Relationship
I could not be anymore happy with the executive producers (Doherty, Timberman, Beverly, and Coles) and their take on the relationship between Watson and Holmes. For once, someone understands that you can have two different gendered leads, without having any romantic tension between them.
In all honesty, romance is lazy writing. You want a sappy love story about a guy and a girl, go google it. You'll get thousands of options that will more than likely fill every kink and need in your little black book.
Romance is such an easy way out, especially for a story with a male and female lead. I'm not saying romance can't be done and shouldn't be done, but if your idea can be googled with over one-thousand search results you need to spice it up.
Love is a singularity in the grand scheme of events that happen in a person's life. People weep, they laugh, they shout, and they do a lot more than just fall in love. And that's what I love about Elementary (or what I love about what they don't do). They don't take the easy route and pair up their characters, they give them separate yet intertwining plots that develop them as people.
And they respect each other. When Watson tells Sherlock to do something, instead of being pompous and depreciative, he does it. She knows when he's getting out of hand and instead of coming off as the pushy, bossy female, she deals with it with as much grace as she knows. She understand how he works so she understands how to handle him. Likewise, he understands that she is her own individual with her own skill set that deserves to be accepted. She also respects that while he maybe him, he does understand a little bit about humanity. He can see her potential even when she refuses to belief it herself.
And they provide each other with a very interesting balance. No one becomes sub-plot. They are a partnership not a couple.
The Characters
In a show that could have so easily belittled its female lead and forced her into a submissive role, Elementary's Watson comes out guns-a-blazing. She goes toe-to-toe with Sherlock and the fantastic thing is that he recognizes and acknowledges that. He takes her for what she is, an equal who has just as much talent as he does in her own right.
And where she could've come off as a very two-dimensional prop to boost Sherlock's own woes and sympathies, she explodes into this wonderful character who's snarky, smart, and more than capable of handling herself. She can embrace being a woman without being called out on it. And in no way, does her womanhood become the punchline of any joke. She makes a very blunt and very powerful point to establish that. All the hats off to the writing team for finally having a period joke without it being a period joke. She's not afraid to tell Sherlock he's being a jerk, and he's not too full of himself to ignore that he is being one. It not only calls out the ingrained misogyny of our society but makes for actual good-written humor.
Coming from being a huge fan of the BBC's own version of Sherlock, I had very strong opinions on who Sherlock was and how he acted. And Elementary not only punched that in the gut, but shoved it off a building. Sherlock was not a cold-shouldered, intellectual with no social graces. He was human. And boy is that refreshing to see. In a name so household, Sherlock was always this divine, god-like genius to me.
But that was never realistic. I always thought, a man is a man no matter how much fame is put to his name. So why couldn't Sherlock be what he was?
Here, we see a man who is not only talented and intellectual but a man who has demons and emotions like us. He's not perfect and he certainly doesn't notice everything. Where BBC had Sherlock come off as a more highbrow outsider, CBS brings him as close to mankind as he could get. He's just the right balance of Downey's eccentric and Cumberbatch's aloofness.
He's the most relatable Sherlock in the generations of screen adaptions that I've come across. He's lonely, he's quirky, he's eccentric, he's human. And he understands that. He knows what social norms are, and while he may choose to disregard them, he has a very endearing affinity towards humanity and falling into those if that means it will help someone. Yet, he doesn't understand everything and he doesn't have this superhuman power for deducing clues.
Sometimes, he builds a dinosaur out of molecules and falls asleep on the floor. So Watson has to pick up the pieces and continue where Sherlock leaves off. Watson deduces because Watson is just as much as a detective as Sherlock is.
They're two people who've managed to find a friend who makes them whole without taking anything away from their character.
Even the side-characters are strong players in their own ways. You've got the NYPD, who for once are not your brainless, can't solve a thing without Holmes, bumbling bunch of fools. With Captain Gregson and Detective Bell, you've got two characters that not only offer their own respects to Holmes (and Watson's) prowess, but get it in return. They provide such a powerful insight into the workings of Holmes: that he once again acknowledges that he does not know everything and sometimes needs others to point out what he cannot see.
The Writing
Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu take the characters and give them more essence than I've seen done. They click and play off each other in such a powerful way that if the plot doesn't keep you coming back, their banter will.
The story is one of the most organically written things I've had the pleasure to watch in quite a while. My biggest fear when I had finally buckled down and threw myself into this world, was that it would fall into all the cliched stereotypes of modern-day television.
But it doesn't.
Even though the episodes can be slow-paced, the dialogue is incredible: giving us small things, like Sherlock's ringtone for Watson, that speak volumes of words. It's a nice mix of comedy, drama, and sass. It has a sort of wit that is refreshing amongst the slap-stick comedy of our generation. It's realistic and definitive of who these characters are, and what they've become.
Even on the more serious topics, the writing exceeds expectations. We don't really ever forget about Joan's troubled past, nor do we forget Sherlock's. His drug addiction is never put to the side (as it wouldn't in real life). It comes back to him at the worst moments and it haunts him at his best. It's something that brings him crashing down to earth and keeps him grounded.
Even Watson gets her own story, to herself, that deals with the very real side effects of being in a position where someone's life is on the line. She shows us that good people can mess up, but it doesn't make them bad. Wherever you stand, Watson has her own ghosts that creep up in the most unexpected places. Yet, through the help of each other they deal with it. Their words, their actions, their unmitigated respect for each other pulls them through.
The Look
Artistically, Elementary is a visual banquet. From the clothing department to the dusty old apartments, I have to give a shout-out to everyone who has put their all into creating this entrancing world. It really pulls us into this universe and takes us along with this iconic duo as they try and make their way through a very complicated life.
Even the camerawork on this show is not something to be overlooked. It really adds character to the scenes and puts us right into the moments of action. It's one of my favorite television openings because it's so simple yet it takes notes from other title sequences, and puts its together in something that really sets the mood of the entire series.
It really drives home the point of the show and the legacy of its characters: that it's about a crime-solving duo out to navigate a complicated and complex world full of many twists and turns.
The Diversity
It has a wonderful cast of individuals (Watson, Detective Bell, Ms. Hudson), that represent so many forms and tropes of life and really set the stage that the world is (not surprisingly) diverse. Where you can have an Asian woman, an African-American detective, even a transgendered woman without any of that defining their characters or their arcs.
You could argue that the show is trying "too hard" to be inclusive with its characters and its plots, but then I'd like to see your definition of the world. It is not full of one person: there are powerful woman, vulnerable men, people of color, people of different identities, people who are addicted, people who kill, and people who try their best to prevent that.
If your main complaint with Elementary is that it's not the Sherlock you've grown up with, then go watch the one you've grown up with. This doesn't owe you any semblance of familiarity or orthodox. It sets a new standard, one that I hope future producers and studios will pick up on.
My Point
If there was any show that I'd wholeheartedly encourage you to catch up on, and jump into, it's this one. It'll make you laugh, think, and surprise you in the most unexpected ways. Even without its iconic foundation, Elementary is a strong example of ingenuity in a seemingly endless ocean of stereotypical and flat television.
There were a lot of questions to ask this summer. For me, there was the,
how will I spend my free time? How many reruns of Friends can I watch until my
brain rots? And, will there be a new drama this summer that can capture my
attention? The new CBS drama Under the
Dome was able to answer my third question with a big whopping “yes”. After watching the very
first episode, which was filled with an intriguing plot, well-developed
characters and breathtaking special effects, I was hooked. Based off the novel
written by Stephen King, the show follows a small Northeastern town of
Chester’s Mill that is sent into a panic when an invisible dome falls from the
sky and cuts the town off from the rest of the world. The first episode is full
of heart-wrenching scenes including a cow being split in half by the dome,
birds falling from the sky, a truck slamming into the dome, an airplane
crashing from the sky and so much more.
The residents of Chester’s Mill have their own questions to ask. The
characters include a former solider who has recently committed murder, a young
teen looking to get away from her boyfriend, a young teen seemingly obsessed
with his girlfriend, a journalist (played by an actress from Twilight), the
town’s councilor (played by Dean Norris of Breaking Bad), a lesbian couple and
their daughter, the town’s priest, the town’s sheriff (played by an old Lost
star), his deputy and two radio DJs. Their questions are pretty obvious. Where
did this dome come from? Why did the dome fall in their town? What secrets of
theirs will be revealed? And, what dangerous secrets do other people in the
dome have?
The audience members have started to form their own questions. In
fact, as soon as I finished watching the first episode I knew already that this
show would be one full of surprising twists. The show is produced by Stephen
King and Steven Spielberg and is receiving help from Brian K. Vaughan, the
writer of Lost. In fact, many individuals on the crew and cast are formally
from Lost. Likewise, the show has
seemed to embark on a similar theme as Lost
had. The show considers the possibility that the dome is more than just a
random supernatural occurrence. Rather, the show suggests that every character
has a purpose for being stuck under this dome. Like Lost and many other series based off of Stephen King novels, this
series does not seem to have a concrete ending in the near future. When CBS had
first announced Under the Dome as a summer mini series, it was exciting to know
that we wouldn’t have to sit around for nine or so seasons trying to figure out
who the mother was in a story about meeting the mother. However, CBS recently
announced that the show is no longer a mini series, but due to high ratings,
will be picked up for a second season. This shocking and bittersweet
announcement has viewers question, will we really ever know how this dome got
here?
CBS have a lot riding on the answers to their own questions. They were
unsure if a summer series would really get any attention at all. Much to their
excitement, we just couldn’t help but to get sucked into yet another Stephen
King production. I’m sure now they are questioning, “how long can they keep
this going before answering our many questions?”
Although Under the Dome may have given us what we needed, an
entertaining summer television series, it has come at a high price. It has
caused us to be addicted to yet another confusing, surprising drama, which we
may really never stop asking questions about.
