As you all know -- or should know by now -- I love the television show "SouthLAnd."
Two of my favorite characters on the show are Sammy Bryant and Ben Sherman, who are (or were) epic cop partners. The best cop partners since Reed and Malloy. Until their epic cop partnership fell apart in a dramatic fashion in last week's season finale.
The first time I watched "SouthLAnd", though, I was impressed with neither of these guys. It was the middle of Season 4, and what stood out to me about the two of them in the episode I saw was the following: First, Ben Sherman is seen leaping out of a bedroom window in his skivvies after apparently having been engaged in a menage a trois. He has to leap out of the window after the husband of one of the ladies arrives home unexpectedly. And he actually COMPLAINS about having to leap out of the window. "Beggars can't be choosers," I thought to myself. He struck me as a spineless little man. Second, Ben and Sammy are driving around in their squad car, engaged in some "guy talk." They observe a couple of overweight ladies walking by on the sidewalk and proceed to make some rather boarish remarks. Then Sammy says something to this effect, "My father told me, 'Son, if you're like me you'll go to bed with a lot of beautiful women. But, you'll wake up with a bunch of ugly ones.'" He and Ben then appear to be quite pleased with themselves and their advanced senses of humor. At this point, you can imagine what this middle-aged broad was thinking about these two characters. I was not expecting to ever like them very much.
(I'm sorry if I have not gotten all the details of this episode exactly right. I watched it a while ago and I am too lazy to go watch it again before writing this post.)
As time goes on, though, I come to love Sammy and Ben. I come to see their heroism. I enjoy watching them run around with their guns and hand cuffs, knocking bad guys to the ground and taking them into custody. I love watching them drive the squad car -- especially during high speed chases. I come to enjoy their sense of humor and relationship with each other. In short, they do become my favorite cop duo since the days of "Adam 12."
Eventually, I start to follow them on Twitter. Not Sammy Bryant and Ben Sherman, of course. They are fictional. I start to follow the actors who play them -- Shawn Hatosy and Ben McKenzie.
And Shawn Hatosy is an ABSOLUTE RIOT.
And this is where we come to the part about bangs.
Yesterday, he Tweets: THE SHORTER THE BANGS, THE REDDER THE FLAG
Now, sometimes Shawn's humor goes over my head. The meaning of this Tweet may have totally escaped me. At first, I thought it was about that poor actress who got arrested on Friday, but I looked at her picture and her bangs don't appear to be short. Then I decided that perhaps it was a "SouthLAnd" reference, as one of Ben Sherman's Season 5 love interests turns out to be a psycho -- a darling little psycho with a very cute haircut involving fairly short bangs. Am I correct in my interpretation of this Tweet? I have absolutely no clue, whatsoever.
But, it did remind me of a story:
When I had my second baby, I had a hairstyle which involved bangs. I didn't have much time to go to the stylist, though, as this little baby was of the type described as "high need" -- meaning that if I put her down for more than (literally) 30 seconds, she would scream bloody murder. This went on for three or four months. I really didn't mind it all that much, as I enjoyed holding her. But, it really cut into the time I might have devoted to going to the salon. And my bangs had the audacity to keep growing until they were pretty much driving me nuts. So, I got out the scissors, looked into the bathroom mirror, held my bangs down, and cut. I do have fairly curly hair, though, so when I released the bangs from my grip, they popped up into a position that was somewhat higher on my forehead than I had originally intended. At least an inch and a half higher. I was fairly mortified, but -- by this time -- my baby was screaming again. There was no time to fret. I decided to brush the bangs back into the rest of my hair and hope they weren't too noticeable, and that I would not appear to be some kind of psycho on my next trip to the grocery store.
The bangs grew out, though, and the baby grew up. All's good.
And I thank you, Mr. H., for your Tweet. I still have no idea what it actually meant, but you brought back some fond memories for me.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Why I Would Volunteer For Ben McKenzie's Political Campaign...
...even though I am a Republican. And he -- clearly -- is not.
Why am I discussing this?
Late last week, a conservative-type politician Tweeted some really lame-ass thing about gun control and the Boston tragedy. Now, Mr. McKenzie did not comment on this lame-ass statement directly. At least on Twitter. What he did -- and the only thing he did -- was Retweet the guy's apology. I suppose you could interpret Mr. McKenzie's response in more than one way. But, I thought it got his feeings about the whole debacle across in a classy manner. So, I sent out a couple of Tweets to Mr. McKenzie expressing my admiration for his handling of the situation and telling him that I would be happy to volunteer for his campaign if he ever decides to run for public office.
Yesterday, I noticed that somebody with a Blackberry had read several of my more political blog posts. Nobody with a Blackberry had ever read my blog before. Also -- who uses a Blackberry, anymore? I researched that question and discovered that, generally, people heavily involved in politics and business still do. So, I was wondering if some political-type had seen my Tweet and wondered why a Republican would want to work on the campaign of a Democrat. Especially a Democrat who -- on the face of it -- seems pretty dang liberal. Perhaps this politically curious person looked at my Twitter bio and discovered there the link to my blog and clicked on it.
So, this post is for you, Blackberry Person.
I am going to explain why this Republican would volunteer for Mr. McKenzie's campaign.
First of all, it is NOT:
1. because of "The O.C.,"
2. because of "SouthLAnd," or
3. because he is a little bit nice-looking.
Rather, it is because of the following:
As a Catholic, maybe I have never been a tried-and-true Republican. In fact, on many issues of social justice, I lean more towards the Democrats. And I always have. But, I also have to say that I am unhappy with what I am seeing in the Republican Party as of late. For example, I find the whole Tea Party thing to be out-of-touch with reality. Wake up, people. Getting rid of the Department of Education or the Fed would have disastrous consequences. It also seems to me that the Republican Party has gotten itself too enmeshed with religious groups. I do believe that religious groups should have a voice in society -- a public voice. But, the level of involvement of certain religious groups in politics is beginning to seem a bit inappropriate to me. We do have a pluralistic society. Frankly, I believe that we need to come up with a way of living with each other in our country that, as much as possible, respects the consciences of all peoples, the sincerely-held ideas of all people of good-will -- religious and secular, alike. Maybe we will make some mistakes along the way. But, perhaps it's worth a try.
And this is where Mr. McKenzie comes in. From what I have heard him say and seen him do, his liberalism seems to come from a place of compassion, from a genuine concern for both the good of individuals and the Common Good. Objectively, he is well-educated. He holds a double major from UVa in foreign relations and economics (I believe). He seems to think before he speaks. He seems to think before he acts. He seems to think, period. Also, I was impressed by his behavior in the last election. What he did and said publicly was positive and uplifting. He even made me feel uplifted, even though I voted for a different person. Why did he make me feel uplifted? Because of his genuine belief that we can move forward in our country, making it a better place for all. He and I may not agree on all the methods that should be used to make our country better, but at least he believes it can be better. And, along with that, he appears to be a fair person who would be able to listen to and work with people of different ideas -- at least reasonable people of different ideas. Yes, from a couple things that he has said, he is probably rather passionate in a political discussion. But, he appears to be an honest guy, a "straight-shooter," so I can handle the passion.
So, even though we may not agree on everything (even some very important things), I believe Mr. McKenzie is a person of excellent character, possessing those vital qualities necessary to lead our country forward -- integrity, compassion, honesty, passion, goodwill, intelligence, and a good grasp of the realities of our day. And this is why I would volunteer for his campaign -- because I believe that people with those qualities should have a chance to represent us in government, even if those people are not exactly like me. That is the beauty of our political system. That is the beauty of our country.
Why am I discussing this?
Late last week, a conservative-type politician Tweeted some really lame-ass thing about gun control and the Boston tragedy. Now, Mr. McKenzie did not comment on this lame-ass statement directly. At least on Twitter. What he did -- and the only thing he did -- was Retweet the guy's apology. I suppose you could interpret Mr. McKenzie's response in more than one way. But, I thought it got his feeings about the whole debacle across in a classy manner. So, I sent out a couple of Tweets to Mr. McKenzie expressing my admiration for his handling of the situation and telling him that I would be happy to volunteer for his campaign if he ever decides to run for public office.
Yesterday, I noticed that somebody with a Blackberry had read several of my more political blog posts. Nobody with a Blackberry had ever read my blog before. Also -- who uses a Blackberry, anymore? I researched that question and discovered that, generally, people heavily involved in politics and business still do. So, I was wondering if some political-type had seen my Tweet and wondered why a Republican would want to work on the campaign of a Democrat. Especially a Democrat who -- on the face of it -- seems pretty dang liberal. Perhaps this politically curious person looked at my Twitter bio and discovered there the link to my blog and clicked on it.
So, this post is for you, Blackberry Person.
I am going to explain why this Republican would volunteer for Mr. McKenzie's campaign.
First of all, it is NOT:
1. because of "The O.C.,"
2. because of "SouthLAnd," or
3. because he is a little bit nice-looking.
Rather, it is because of the following:
As a Catholic, maybe I have never been a tried-and-true Republican. In fact, on many issues of social justice, I lean more towards the Democrats. And I always have. But, I also have to say that I am unhappy with what I am seeing in the Republican Party as of late. For example, I find the whole Tea Party thing to be out-of-touch with reality. Wake up, people. Getting rid of the Department of Education or the Fed would have disastrous consequences. It also seems to me that the Republican Party has gotten itself too enmeshed with religious groups. I do believe that religious groups should have a voice in society -- a public voice. But, the level of involvement of certain religious groups in politics is beginning to seem a bit inappropriate to me. We do have a pluralistic society. Frankly, I believe that we need to come up with a way of living with each other in our country that, as much as possible, respects the consciences of all peoples, the sincerely-held ideas of all people of good-will -- religious and secular, alike. Maybe we will make some mistakes along the way. But, perhaps it's worth a try.
And this is where Mr. McKenzie comes in. From what I have heard him say and seen him do, his liberalism seems to come from a place of compassion, from a genuine concern for both the good of individuals and the Common Good. Objectively, he is well-educated. He holds a double major from UVa in foreign relations and economics (I believe). He seems to think before he speaks. He seems to think before he acts. He seems to think, period. Also, I was impressed by his behavior in the last election. What he did and said publicly was positive and uplifting. He even made me feel uplifted, even though I voted for a different person. Why did he make me feel uplifted? Because of his genuine belief that we can move forward in our country, making it a better place for all. He and I may not agree on all the methods that should be used to make our country better, but at least he believes it can be better. And, along with that, he appears to be a fair person who would be able to listen to and work with people of different ideas -- at least reasonable people of different ideas. Yes, from a couple things that he has said, he is probably rather passionate in a political discussion. But, he appears to be an honest guy, a "straight-shooter," so I can handle the passion.
So, even though we may not agree on everything (even some very important things), I believe Mr. McKenzie is a person of excellent character, possessing those vital qualities necessary to lead our country forward -- integrity, compassion, honesty, passion, goodwill, intelligence, and a good grasp of the realities of our day. And this is why I would volunteer for his campaign -- because I believe that people with those qualities should have a chance to represent us in government, even if those people are not exactly like me. That is the beauty of our political system. That is the beauty of our country.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Why Ben Orchestrated The Break-In At Sammy's House In "SouthLAnd"
I noticed upon checking the stats for this blog that several people have searched the internet with (roughly) this question:
*WHY DID BEN ORCHESTRATE THE BREAK-IN AT SAMMY'S HOUSE?*
If you don't know the answer to this question, then most of the last part of Season 5 of "SouthLAnd" would make no sense to you -- at least in regard to the characters of Ben Sherman and Sammy Bryant.
So, here is what happened:
Earlier in Season 5, there is an incident where Sammy and Tammi have a confrontation while Sammy and Ben are on duty. Sammy gets a bit physical with Tammi, because she starts beating on him. In my opinion, his reaction is not out-of-line, but it is pretty dramatic. Tammi's boyfriend manages to capture the whole thing with a video camera. As you may know, Sammy is in the midst of a heated custody battle with Tammi over little Nate, so the incident -- as caught on tape -- would not look good to a family law judge. So, in the heat of the moment, and in his worry about his son's future, Sammy grabs the camera out of the boyfriend's hands, gets in the squad car with Ben, and drives off.
Later in the episode, we learn that Tammi has filed assault charges against Sammy and that there will be an I.A. investigation. Ben tells Sammy not to worry. "I've got your back," he tells him. Full of his usual Ben Sherman confidence, he assures Sammy that there is no way Tammi is going to win this one, because it's going to be her crazy-ass word against the word of two cops. And, hey, who are the investigators going to believe in that situation? So, Sammy and Ben put their heads together and come up with a story to tell I.A. A story that is not entirely factual.
As the show progresses, though, Sammy's conscience starts to bother him. He tells Ben about his guilty feelings over lying to I.A. This worries Ben. Sammy also tells Ben that he still has the videotape. He has not been able to bring himself to destroy it. He just keeps watching it, over and over again. This worries Ben some more. He says to Sammy something to this effect, "I need to know if you are going to throw me under the bus." Sammy reassures him that he does not need to worry, but Ben continues to worry.
In fact, Ben gets himself so worked up that he arranges to have his new girlfriend Elena's rather dim-witted brother Chris break into Sammy's house to steal the videotape. Ben apparently tells Chris to make the whole thing look gang-related. He tells Chris to do the job when nobody will be home at Sammy's house. Chris, though, being rather dim-witted -- and, apparently, unlucky -- manages to screw things up so that he encounters Nate and his babysitter, resulting in the babysitter being injured and Nate himself being endangered. Ben seems rather sorry over this unfortunate turn of events. But, not nearly sorry enough. The asshole. (calming self down here)
Side Note: Ben does all of this really stupidly for as bright as he's supposed to be. I mean, if I were going to hire somebody to break into someone's house -- especially if that someone had been a detective -- I would hire a smart person. Wouldn't you? It would probably have been better if Ben had just done the thing himself, wearing some sort of a disguise.
Anyhow, that is why and how Ben arranged the break-in at Sammy's house. And in the Season 5 Finale, we see him trying to justify himself to Sammy. And that scene tells you everything you need to know about what has happened to the soul of Ben Sherman.
*WHY DID BEN ORCHESTRATE THE BREAK-IN AT SAMMY'S HOUSE?*
If you don't know the answer to this question, then most of the last part of Season 5 of "SouthLAnd" would make no sense to you -- at least in regard to the characters of Ben Sherman and Sammy Bryant.
So, here is what happened:
Earlier in Season 5, there is an incident where Sammy and Tammi have a confrontation while Sammy and Ben are on duty. Sammy gets a bit physical with Tammi, because she starts beating on him. In my opinion, his reaction is not out-of-line, but it is pretty dramatic. Tammi's boyfriend manages to capture the whole thing with a video camera. As you may know, Sammy is in the midst of a heated custody battle with Tammi over little Nate, so the incident -- as caught on tape -- would not look good to a family law judge. So, in the heat of the moment, and in his worry about his son's future, Sammy grabs the camera out of the boyfriend's hands, gets in the squad car with Ben, and drives off.
Later in the episode, we learn that Tammi has filed assault charges against Sammy and that there will be an I.A. investigation. Ben tells Sammy not to worry. "I've got your back," he tells him. Full of his usual Ben Sherman confidence, he assures Sammy that there is no way Tammi is going to win this one, because it's going to be her crazy-ass word against the word of two cops. And, hey, who are the investigators going to believe in that situation? So, Sammy and Ben put their heads together and come up with a story to tell I.A. A story that is not entirely factual.
As the show progresses, though, Sammy's conscience starts to bother him. He tells Ben about his guilty feelings over lying to I.A. This worries Ben. Sammy also tells Ben that he still has the videotape. He has not been able to bring himself to destroy it. He just keeps watching it, over and over again. This worries Ben some more. He says to Sammy something to this effect, "I need to know if you are going to throw me under the bus." Sammy reassures him that he does not need to worry, but Ben continues to worry.
In fact, Ben gets himself so worked up that he arranges to have his new girlfriend Elena's rather dim-witted brother Chris break into Sammy's house to steal the videotape. Ben apparently tells Chris to make the whole thing look gang-related. He tells Chris to do the job when nobody will be home at Sammy's house. Chris, though, being rather dim-witted -- and, apparently, unlucky -- manages to screw things up so that he encounters Nate and his babysitter, resulting in the babysitter being injured and Nate himself being endangered. Ben seems rather sorry over this unfortunate turn of events. But, not nearly sorry enough. The asshole. (calming self down here)
Side Note: Ben does all of this really stupidly for as bright as he's supposed to be. I mean, if I were going to hire somebody to break into someone's house -- especially if that someone had been a detective -- I would hire a smart person. Wouldn't you? It would probably have been better if Ben had just done the thing himself, wearing some sort of a disguise.
Anyhow, that is why and how Ben arranged the break-in at Sammy's house. And in the Season 5 Finale, we see him trying to justify himself to Sammy. And that scene tells you everything you need to know about what has happened to the soul of Ben Sherman.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Shawn Hatosy, Ben McKenzie, and Father Buckley's Miniskirt Rule
Y'all probably know who Shawn Hatosy and Ben McKenzie are by now. If you don't, you haven't been reading my blog. ;-)
But, y'all might not know who Father Buckley is. Father Buckley is a priest who:
1. was one of my husband's favorite teachers at the University of San Francisco
2. officiated at my wedding -- and --
3. is now a chaplain at Thomas Aquinas College -- my daughter Bridget's alma mater.
So, he has been close to our family for many years.
And he is amazing. He is wise and kind and funny and down-to-earth. He is exceptional with young adults. He used to live on my husband's dorm floor and take care of all the young men when they were sick -- or had hangovers.
He is also very well-educated and was my husband's teacher for Western Civilization. As a teacher, he promoted a rule among his students for the writing of papers. It is known as The Miniskirt Rule.
The Miniskirt Rule States:
*A PAPER SHOULD BE LONG ENOUGH TO COVER THE SUBJECT -- BUT --
SHORT ENOUGH TO BE INTERESTING*
Pretty brilliant, huh? And what student could ever forget that advice?
Anyway, there has been much commenting on Twitter this week about horrific national tragedies, things political, and the fate of certain TV shows. And this brought to my mind Father Buckley's famous Miniskirt Rule.
Many people have been Tweeting up a storm -- one thing after another, all day and all night -- concerning the issues mentioned above. It is a bit overwhelming. And, perhaps, not incredibly effective. When one feels overwhelmed, sometimes it is just easier to tune everything out and watch "Duck Dynasty."
Here is where Mr. Hatosy and Mr. McKenzie come in.
They have used Twitter to express their opinions on these matters. They have used the medium wisely, though -- saying enough to get your attention and encourage you think about things, but not so much that you have to go to the medicine cabinet to get some Advil. They have put into practice, in an online fashion, Father Buckley's Miniskirt Rule. And I don't think they even know him. They have also expressed their thoughts in a way that is classy, clever, and intelligent -- qualities that I know Father Buckley always appreciated in papers.
So I would like to thank you, Mr. Hatosy and Mr. McKenzie, for both your good example of how to behave online and for your intelligent, interesting thoughts.
But, y'all might not know who Father Buckley is. Father Buckley is a priest who:
1. was one of my husband's favorite teachers at the University of San Francisco
2. officiated at my wedding -- and --
3. is now a chaplain at Thomas Aquinas College -- my daughter Bridget's alma mater.
So, he has been close to our family for many years.
And he is amazing. He is wise and kind and funny and down-to-earth. He is exceptional with young adults. He used to live on my husband's dorm floor and take care of all the young men when they were sick -- or had hangovers.
He is also very well-educated and was my husband's teacher for Western Civilization. As a teacher, he promoted a rule among his students for the writing of papers. It is known as The Miniskirt Rule.
The Miniskirt Rule States:
*A PAPER SHOULD BE LONG ENOUGH TO COVER THE SUBJECT -- BUT --
SHORT ENOUGH TO BE INTERESTING*
Pretty brilliant, huh? And what student could ever forget that advice?
Anyway, there has been much commenting on Twitter this week about horrific national tragedies, things political, and the fate of certain TV shows. And this brought to my mind Father Buckley's famous Miniskirt Rule.
Many people have been Tweeting up a storm -- one thing after another, all day and all night -- concerning the issues mentioned above. It is a bit overwhelming. And, perhaps, not incredibly effective. When one feels overwhelmed, sometimes it is just easier to tune everything out and watch "Duck Dynasty."
Here is where Mr. Hatosy and Mr. McKenzie come in.
They have used Twitter to express their opinions on these matters. They have used the medium wisely, though -- saying enough to get your attention and encourage you think about things, but not so much that you have to go to the medicine cabinet to get some Advil. They have put into practice, in an online fashion, Father Buckley's Miniskirt Rule. And I don't think they even know him. They have also expressed their thoughts in a way that is classy, clever, and intelligent -- qualities that I know Father Buckley always appreciated in papers.
So I would like to thank you, Mr. Hatosy and Mr. McKenzie, for both your good example of how to behave online and for your intelligent, interesting thoughts.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
"SouthLAnd" And My Bridget
As you may or may not know, I have a three beautiful kids:
1. Andrea, who is 24
2. Bridget, who is 22 -- and --
3. Scott, who is 20.
They have all watched "SouthLAnd" to one degree or another. Scott refused to watch it after sampling a couple of episodes because they reminded him too much of his Criminal Justice class, and -- according to him -- that was just depressing. (For the record? He is now a History major.) Andrea, who has a "film degree" thinks the show is fantastic, but it is a bit too violent for her taste. That leaves Bridget. And this is how she ended up being roped (by me) into being a "SouthLAnd" fan.
One year ago, Bridget was finishing up her senior year at Thomas Aquinas College. I, meanwhile, was enmeshed in watching all the episodes of "SouthLAnd". I hadn't been aware of the show until the middle of the fourth season. After the season ended, I assumed re-runs would be shown and that I could see the part of the season I had missed. Can you tell my age now? There are apparently no such things as re-runs, anymore. Frantically, I tried to determine how to watch the first part of season four. And I discovered this thing called iTunes, with which I could download ALL the episodes from ALL the seasons onto my new iPad. Imagine my excitement.
Anyhow, Bridget was busy writing and defending her senior thesis and studying her massive pile of books, so that she could graduate from college. I was busy downloading and watching the adventures of Sammy, Ben, Cooper, Lydia, and company.
One Sunday, Bridget called (as was her custom) to chat with her old mum. She was rather tired and suffering from senioritis. In an attempt to cheer her up, I said, "Bridget, there is this great cop show you can watch with me when you come home. It's so much fun. And it has this hot blonde guy that you'll really like." Bridget, in her exhaustion and faced with her mum's silly priorities, said in exasperation, "MUM. YOU HAVE TO STOP NOTICING ALL THE HOT MEN." "I am not noticing them for me," I told her. "I am just thinking of you." (I may be middle-aged, but I am Italian. So, you just figure out if that was a little fib or not.)
Come mid-May of 2012, Bridget did graduate. YAY!!! She came home quite run-down and missing her friends. So, I snuggled up with her in my bed and we began watching "SouthLAnd" together. Keep in mind that she had just graduated from a school where: there is basically no internet, you aren't allowed to watch movies alone in your room, you are not allowed to watch movies (even with friends) that are basically rated above PG, there is a strict dress code, a curfew, the girls aren't allowed in the guys' dorms, the guys aren't allowed in the girls' dorms, and the kids swing dance for fun. So she was, at first, a bit overwhelmed by this "dark and gritty" cop show. Occasionally, she would try to get up and walk away while squeaking in horror. But, I would -- gently -- haul her back.
As I predicted, though, the show did start to intrigue her. And the blonde guy did hold some appeal. Quickly, though, she realized that his ethics and temperament were not quite her cup of tea, so she switched her allegiance to Sammy. (And let's face it. Sammy is every bit as hot as his junior partner. Well... ex-partner.) She has actually declared -- in her own blog -- that she would marry Sammy. For my part, I would not object to this. He would make a fine son-in-law.
Bridget, having earned a degree that is, essentially, a double major in philosophy and theology with a minor in math, also came to appreciate and explain to me many of the finer points of the writing of "SouthLAnd." It is, put simply, a wrestling match between St. Thomas Aquinas's Aristotelian worldview and the ideas of the Modern Philosophers (i.e. Nietsczche).
And that is the story of how my sweet, gentle, classically-educated daughter came to be watching "SouthLAnd" with me every Wednesday night -- right up to and through last night's heartwrenching season five finale. As you can probably tell, she really loves her old mum, in order to agree to participate in this activity. Because in many ways, watching the show has been hard on her. She is a sensitive person and wants so very much for each character to have a "happily ever after." I think Officer Ben's saga has been especially difficult for her to witness. (Although, my "film major" daughter reminds her regularly that Ben McKenzie has a home, a dog, many adoring fans, and -- most importantly -- craft services. No teary sentimentality out of that girl.)
So, I would like to thank you, my Bridget. Watching the show alone was fun. But, having your company has made it infinitely more enjoyable.
And in case you are wondering where my dear husband is in all this: He doesn't really watch TV. Sometimes he'll stand in the middle of the room and watch a few moments of something, but he prefers reading and playing his guitar. And that is fine by me. I enjoy seeing him do the things that make him happy. ;-)
1. Andrea, who is 24
2. Bridget, who is 22 -- and --
3. Scott, who is 20.
They have all watched "SouthLAnd" to one degree or another. Scott refused to watch it after sampling a couple of episodes because they reminded him too much of his Criminal Justice class, and -- according to him -- that was just depressing. (For the record? He is now a History major.) Andrea, who has a "film degree" thinks the show is fantastic, but it is a bit too violent for her taste. That leaves Bridget. And this is how she ended up being roped (by me) into being a "SouthLAnd" fan.
One year ago, Bridget was finishing up her senior year at Thomas Aquinas College. I, meanwhile, was enmeshed in watching all the episodes of "SouthLAnd". I hadn't been aware of the show until the middle of the fourth season. After the season ended, I assumed re-runs would be shown and that I could see the part of the season I had missed. Can you tell my age now? There are apparently no such things as re-runs, anymore. Frantically, I tried to determine how to watch the first part of season four. And I discovered this thing called iTunes, with which I could download ALL the episodes from ALL the seasons onto my new iPad. Imagine my excitement.
Anyhow, Bridget was busy writing and defending her senior thesis and studying her massive pile of books, so that she could graduate from college. I was busy downloading and watching the adventures of Sammy, Ben, Cooper, Lydia, and company.
One Sunday, Bridget called (as was her custom) to chat with her old mum. She was rather tired and suffering from senioritis. In an attempt to cheer her up, I said, "Bridget, there is this great cop show you can watch with me when you come home. It's so much fun. And it has this hot blonde guy that you'll really like." Bridget, in her exhaustion and faced with her mum's silly priorities, said in exasperation, "MUM. YOU HAVE TO STOP NOTICING ALL THE HOT MEN." "I am not noticing them for me," I told her. "I am just thinking of you." (I may be middle-aged, but I am Italian. So, you just figure out if that was a little fib or not.)
Come mid-May of 2012, Bridget did graduate. YAY!!! She came home quite run-down and missing her friends. So, I snuggled up with her in my bed and we began watching "SouthLAnd" together. Keep in mind that she had just graduated from a school where: there is basically no internet, you aren't allowed to watch movies alone in your room, you are not allowed to watch movies (even with friends) that are basically rated above PG, there is a strict dress code, a curfew, the girls aren't allowed in the guys' dorms, the guys aren't allowed in the girls' dorms, and the kids swing dance for fun. So she was, at first, a bit overwhelmed by this "dark and gritty" cop show. Occasionally, she would try to get up and walk away while squeaking in horror. But, I would -- gently -- haul her back.
As I predicted, though, the show did start to intrigue her. And the blonde guy did hold some appeal. Quickly, though, she realized that his ethics and temperament were not quite her cup of tea, so she switched her allegiance to Sammy. (And let's face it. Sammy is every bit as hot as his junior partner. Well... ex-partner.) She has actually declared -- in her own blog -- that she would marry Sammy. For my part, I would not object to this. He would make a fine son-in-law.
Bridget, having earned a degree that is, essentially, a double major in philosophy and theology with a minor in math, also came to appreciate and explain to me many of the finer points of the writing of "SouthLAnd." It is, put simply, a wrestling match between St. Thomas Aquinas's Aristotelian worldview and the ideas of the Modern Philosophers (i.e. Nietsczche).
And that is the story of how my sweet, gentle, classically-educated daughter came to be watching "SouthLAnd" with me every Wednesday night -- right up to and through last night's heartwrenching season five finale. As you can probably tell, she really loves her old mum, in order to agree to participate in this activity. Because in many ways, watching the show has been hard on her. She is a sensitive person and wants so very much for each character to have a "happily ever after." I think Officer Ben's saga has been especially difficult for her to witness. (Although, my "film major" daughter reminds her regularly that Ben McKenzie has a home, a dog, many adoring fans, and -- most importantly -- craft services. No teary sentimentality out of that girl.)
So, I would like to thank you, my Bridget. Watching the show alone was fun. But, having your company has made it infinitely more enjoyable.
And in case you are wondering where my dear husband is in all this: He doesn't really watch TV. Sometimes he'll stand in the middle of the room and watch a few moments of something, but he prefers reading and playing his guitar. And that is fine by me. I enjoy seeing him do the things that make him happy. ;-)
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
"Fuhrman" Rhymes With "Sherman"
Hmmm...
Coincidence???
Maybe. Maybe not.
If not...
I am assuming here that you all remember Mark Fuhrman from the OJ Simpson trial. He was the handsome, intelligent detective from the LAPD who offered much convincing testimony as to the guilt of OJ. I remember being so taken with him. He was, like, this perfect man. I used to watch him daily and hang on his every word.
And then he turned out to be a lying, son-of-a-bitch, racist evidence-planter.
Sound like any fictional character we know and love???
Chris Chulak and Ben McKenzie are intelligent and well-informed people. I am sure they are aware of the Mark Fuhrman debacle and the lessons it has to teach us concerning those who are sworn to "serve and protect." And they may very well have decided to have the character of Ben Sherman remind us of those lessons. "Art imitating life."
I think Ben McKenzie would be especially amenable to this kind of story-line. He seems to be a person who is passionate about justice in our society, a person who is aware of the dangers of people who arrogantly get caught up in their own power. I believe he would be eager to remind people of these important lessons about human nature through the characters he portrays.
What got me thinking about this is the scene where Officer Ben is testifying to I.A. regarding the incident involving Sammy and Tammy. He really, REALLY struck me -- in that moment -- as a Fuhrmanesque character. Polite, intelligent, respectful, educated, well-spoken, calm, confident, perfectly attired. It occurred to me that, perhaps, Ben McKenzie had been studying tapes of Mark Fuhrman's testimony in preparation for that scene. Maybe I am taking it a little too far, but the resemblance Officer Ben bears to Mark Fuhrman in that scene is uncanny. In my opinion, anyway.
Coincidence???
Maybe. Maybe not.
If not...
I am assuming here that you all remember Mark Fuhrman from the OJ Simpson trial. He was the handsome, intelligent detective from the LAPD who offered much convincing testimony as to the guilt of OJ. I remember being so taken with him. He was, like, this perfect man. I used to watch him daily and hang on his every word.
And then he turned out to be a lying, son-of-a-bitch, racist evidence-planter.
Sound like any fictional character we know and love???
Chris Chulak and Ben McKenzie are intelligent and well-informed people. I am sure they are aware of the Mark Fuhrman debacle and the lessons it has to teach us concerning those who are sworn to "serve and protect." And they may very well have decided to have the character of Ben Sherman remind us of those lessons. "Art imitating life."
I think Ben McKenzie would be especially amenable to this kind of story-line. He seems to be a person who is passionate about justice in our society, a person who is aware of the dangers of people who arrogantly get caught up in their own power. I believe he would be eager to remind people of these important lessons about human nature through the characters he portrays.
What got me thinking about this is the scene where Officer Ben is testifying to I.A. regarding the incident involving Sammy and Tammy. He really, REALLY struck me -- in that moment -- as a Fuhrmanesque character. Polite, intelligent, respectful, educated, well-spoken, calm, confident, perfectly attired. It occurred to me that, perhaps, Ben McKenzie had been studying tapes of Mark Fuhrman's testimony in preparation for that scene. Maybe I am taking it a little too far, but the resemblance Officer Ben bears to Mark Fuhrman in that scene is uncanny. In my opinion, anyway.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
SouthLAnd "Reckoning" - Or - Ben, O Ben, What Is To Become Of Thee?
It sure is fun to write about this kind of thing. Many thanks to all who read and put up with my strange ramblings. ;)
As we head into tomorrow's Grand Finale for Season 5 of "SouthLAnd" there are so many questions swirling about concerning Officer Ben and his ultimate fate. Here are some things that must be taken into consideration:
1. Does Ben McKenzie want to stay with the show?
2. If Ben McKenzie does want to stay with the show, is there any possible way his character can remain a cop?
3. Do the "SouthLAnd" creators/producers believe there is any sort of chance the show will be renewed?
4. What kind of mood do the creators/producers of the show want to leave us in at the end of tomorrow night's episode, regardless of whether or not they think "SouthLAnd" will be renewed?
Keeping these issues in mind, there are so many directions the story can take in regard to Officer Ben Sherman. Infinite directions... And if you don't believe me, then you don't have a wild and crazy imagination like I do. And you are fortunate.
Mr. McKenzie has stated that, if "SouthLAnd" is renewed, he wants to remain. I will take his word for it. There is no other option at this point. I am not a telepath, and I have not seen any evidence that Mr. McKenzie enjoys telling fibs. Of course, this may be purposeful misdirection. He may have been ordered to make this statement by the Big Wigs of the show. After all, if we all knew he was leaving, audience anticipation of the big finale would not be nearly so great, leading to a drop in ratings, which this particular show DOES NOT NEED. So, Mr. McKenzie and the "SouthLAnd" Big Wigs may be engaging in a bit of a Cold-War-style misinformation campaign. You know? Like when Oliver North said that Ronald Reagan really had no idea about that whole business with the arms and stuff. Or when JFK and his peeps reassured us all that the whole missile thing with Cuba was just an easily resolvable teeny tiny misunderstanding. Or when we were told that -- make no mistake about it -- Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. And I think Mr. McKenzie would be quite capable of doing this sort of thing in the service of the show. Why? Because Mr. McKenzie has all the attributes that would have made him an excellent spy during the Cold War. He is intelligent and clever and charming and faithful to what he believes in. He also gives the impression of being a rather quiet person (a.k.a. -- he seems to be able to Keep His Trap Shut when necessary). And he likes sports, appreciating the necessity of occasionally "taking one for the team."
So, maybe Mr. McKenzie is, in fact, leaving the show. If this is the case, whether Ben Sherman will be left alive or dead at the end of it all remains to be seen. I think it could go either way.
BUT, what if "SouthLAnd" is renewed and my Cold-War conspiracy theory is a bunch of hogwash and Mr. McKenzie stays? What then? Some seem to think that Ben Sherman could not possibly remain as a character after all the crap he has been up to. I disagree. I think there are still many possibilities for his development in the story.
Yes, Ben Sherman will probably not be staying in that cop outfit. (Which, in itself, is a tragedy. Sigh...) I think the only way Officer Ben can remain in uniform is if Sammy gives him a complete and utter pass, which -- I admit -- is doubtful. Why would Sammy let Ben off the hook after he finds out (which he probably will) that Ben is responsible for the break-in? Because Sammy himself would have to "fess up" to I.A. about his own lies in order to bring to light the things Officer Ben has done. Sammy may choose to keep his mouth shut. If this is the case, Sammy and Ben will, in all likelihood, not be "SammyandBen" any longer, but Ben could remain in uniform. Officer Ben will also, in order to remain a cop, have to avoid being "found out" for the other illegal things he has done -- such as murdering the pimp. And if he does manage to dodge all of these proverbial bullets, he will most likely do some other dumb-ass thing (he seems unable to help himself) which may prove to be his demise. It could be very interesting, story-wise, to let Ben Sherman remain an officer with the LAPD.
To me, though, the most likely scenario is that Officer Ben will be "taken down" somehow. Sammy is going to be in that chopper in tomorrow night's episode, and I really think he's going to be chasing his old buddy Officer Ben. Will he catch him? I don't know. It might be a cliffhanger.
But, if Officer Ben is arrested and if the show is renewed and if Ben McKenzie wants to remain with it, I think there could be a very compelling story-line involving the character of Ben Sherman. No longer Officer Ben, just Ben Sherman. Why do I believe this? Because Chris Chulak and at least one person with the last name of Whedon are involved. These people are interested in telling stories, not just about cops chasing bad guys, but about the human condition, about soul struggles. And there is no better story involving the struggle of a man as he grapples with himself than the story of Ben Sherman. I think it could be quite a ride.
I can't wait for tomorrow night. I'm hoping y'all will join me.
As we head into tomorrow's Grand Finale for Season 5 of "SouthLAnd" there are so many questions swirling about concerning Officer Ben and his ultimate fate. Here are some things that must be taken into consideration:
1. Does Ben McKenzie want to stay with the show?
2. If Ben McKenzie does want to stay with the show, is there any possible way his character can remain a cop?
3. Do the "SouthLAnd" creators/producers believe there is any sort of chance the show will be renewed?
4. What kind of mood do the creators/producers of the show want to leave us in at the end of tomorrow night's episode, regardless of whether or not they think "SouthLAnd" will be renewed?
Keeping these issues in mind, there are so many directions the story can take in regard to Officer Ben Sherman. Infinite directions... And if you don't believe me, then you don't have a wild and crazy imagination like I do. And you are fortunate.
Mr. McKenzie has stated that, if "SouthLAnd" is renewed, he wants to remain. I will take his word for it. There is no other option at this point. I am not a telepath, and I have not seen any evidence that Mr. McKenzie enjoys telling fibs. Of course, this may be purposeful misdirection. He may have been ordered to make this statement by the Big Wigs of the show. After all, if we all knew he was leaving, audience anticipation of the big finale would not be nearly so great, leading to a drop in ratings, which this particular show DOES NOT NEED. So, Mr. McKenzie and the "SouthLAnd" Big Wigs may be engaging in a bit of a Cold-War-style misinformation campaign. You know? Like when Oliver North said that Ronald Reagan really had no idea about that whole business with the arms and stuff. Or when JFK and his peeps reassured us all that the whole missile thing with Cuba was just an easily resolvable teeny tiny misunderstanding. Or when we were told that -- make no mistake about it -- Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. And I think Mr. McKenzie would be quite capable of doing this sort of thing in the service of the show. Why? Because Mr. McKenzie has all the attributes that would have made him an excellent spy during the Cold War. He is intelligent and clever and charming and faithful to what he believes in. He also gives the impression of being a rather quiet person (a.k.a. -- he seems to be able to Keep His Trap Shut when necessary). And he likes sports, appreciating the necessity of occasionally "taking one for the team."
So, maybe Mr. McKenzie is, in fact, leaving the show. If this is the case, whether Ben Sherman will be left alive or dead at the end of it all remains to be seen. I think it could go either way.
BUT, what if "SouthLAnd" is renewed and my Cold-War conspiracy theory is a bunch of hogwash and Mr. McKenzie stays? What then? Some seem to think that Ben Sherman could not possibly remain as a character after all the crap he has been up to. I disagree. I think there are still many possibilities for his development in the story.
Yes, Ben Sherman will probably not be staying in that cop outfit. (Which, in itself, is a tragedy. Sigh...) I think the only way Officer Ben can remain in uniform is if Sammy gives him a complete and utter pass, which -- I admit -- is doubtful. Why would Sammy let Ben off the hook after he finds out (which he probably will) that Ben is responsible for the break-in? Because Sammy himself would have to "fess up" to I.A. about his own lies in order to bring to light the things Officer Ben has done. Sammy may choose to keep his mouth shut. If this is the case, Sammy and Ben will, in all likelihood, not be "SammyandBen" any longer, but Ben could remain in uniform. Officer Ben will also, in order to remain a cop, have to avoid being "found out" for the other illegal things he has done -- such as murdering the pimp. And if he does manage to dodge all of these proverbial bullets, he will most likely do some other dumb-ass thing (he seems unable to help himself) which may prove to be his demise. It could be very interesting, story-wise, to let Ben Sherman remain an officer with the LAPD.
To me, though, the most likely scenario is that Officer Ben will be "taken down" somehow. Sammy is going to be in that chopper in tomorrow night's episode, and I really think he's going to be chasing his old buddy Officer Ben. Will he catch him? I don't know. It might be a cliffhanger.
But, if Officer Ben is arrested and if the show is renewed and if Ben McKenzie wants to remain with it, I think there could be a very compelling story-line involving the character of Ben Sherman. No longer Officer Ben, just Ben Sherman. Why do I believe this? Because Chris Chulak and at least one person with the last name of Whedon are involved. These people are interested in telling stories, not just about cops chasing bad guys, but about the human condition, about soul struggles. And there is no better story involving the struggle of a man as he grapples with himself than the story of Ben Sherman. I think it could be quite a ride.
I can't wait for tomorrow night. I'm hoping y'all will join me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)