netflix suggested it so i had no choice

So I saw this weird movie yesterday because Netflix kept recommending it to me and eventually, we all give in to Netflix suggestions.  Even if only to prove them wrong.  Though they're usually right and I usually find the movie fascinating if not good.  I thought this one was particularly interesting because it took a whole new look at romantic relationships.  The movie was called TiMer, and while I enjoyed myself as I watched it, I don't know that I'd recommend it.  Though if you are interested, stop reading, because I'm not holding anything back.

Here we go.

"When will you find the one?"  Well, in the universe created in this film, they can tell you down to the DAY when you'll meet your soul mate.  That's right.  I said soul mate.  They're scientifically proven to be real and you can get a Timer implanted into your wrist that will count down until the day you'll meet "the one."  Unless, as is the case for our protagonist Oona, your soul mate doesn't buy into the whole thing and hasn't gotten a Timer, in which case it's blank.  It's a commonly discussed topic, to get a Timer or not to get a Timer.  Most people get them the moment they can at the age of 14, but a select few think it's an absurd concept and bow out.

Oona just has to wait until her Timer begins to count down and, in the meantime, she meets an ADORABLE cashier that's quite a bit younger than her but finds her enchanting.  His Timer gives him four months, so Oona is hesitant until she can't ignore her lust anymore and they fall into bed.  You guys, this relationship is the cutest thing ever. 

Look at them:

They really get to know each other and Oona relaxes into it, despite the fact that there's an end date.  There's nothing to worry about since she already knows he'll leave one day.  But WAIT.  His timer is a fake.  What.  He doesn't actually believe in any of it.  He thinks it shouldn't matter, if you're in love, you're in love, what does it matter if a piece of plastic imbedded in your arm agrees?  Good point, Mikey, but the movie is about soul mates so see ya never.

They break up.

While all this juiciness was happening, Oona's sister (Steph), who's Timer tells her she won't meet the man of her dreams until she's 43, is biding her time with one night stand after one night stand.  They're fun and all, but she's not fulfilled until she meets Dan.  He's cute and nice, and get this, ALSO doesn't believe in Timers.  He's been madly in love once before and neither of them had Timers.  She passed away and he doesn't want to know whether or not they were "meant to be." 

SO. Oona isn't telling her sister about Mikey and her sister isn't telling her about Dan because they're both seeing Timerless guys, and that's just unacceptable.

Finally, these two women decide this just isn't worth is.  They like the guys they're with and they're better off not knowing so they go to get them removed.  Steph goes through with it, but right as Oona is about to get hers taken off - it begins to count down: 5 hours.  5 HOURS?!  That means she's going to meet the guy the next day.  She can't take it off now.  Are you crazy?  Forget the fact that she has a boyfriend she's crazy about, her soul mate will walk into her life tomorrow.

Tomorrow just happens to be the day of the girls' birthday party and both Dan and Mikey are there.  Steph shows up and wouldn't you know, Dan got a Timer.  And they're meant to be.

THIS is when the movie gets unbelievable for me.  The soul mate Timer I can get on board with.  But this part... what's coming up, I just don't accept.

Let's break this down.

This is Oona.

and Mikey is IN LOVE with her.

And Oona, if only she could admit it, is in love with him, too. 

Here's Steph:

She's definitely got a real thing for Dan...

And he only got the Timer in hopes it would prove he was meant to be with Steph. 

But no.

So I'm sitting there HOPING the moral of this story is fuck the Timer.  Soul mates aren't real, there is no ONE person.  Everyone has a myriad of people and when you find someone you love and connect with, screw everyone else.  It only matters that you're happy.  Ignoring all that... if Oona chooses to forgo her relationship with Mikey, she'll crush him for a guy she doesn't even know, and that incidentally, her sister is in love with.

What does she do, you ask?  Well, if you can't tell from my tone, SHE PICKS DAN.

Bullshit.  Such bullshit.

Soul mates are real and love is irrelevant.  That's what this movie just taught me.

And this...

 
...is okay because a Timer said so.






Netflix strikes again.

tv couples you fully support in theory but in real life you'd be afraid for them

Romance is a major draw when it comes to TV.  For some shows, it's my primary reason for tuning in each week.  Will they EVER give into their obvious and, now, frustrating feelings for each other?  Because goddammit, this is getting obnoxious.  Other couples are happily together and you're thrilled because they are perfect for each other... except he's a bit obsessive and she's a little clingy and their friends don't approve and there is quite a big age difference, but aside from all that - PERFECT.

Does this happen to anyone else?  You think a couple is great together until you imagine the characters as real people and realize you'd be very against this union in real life.  Happens to me all the time.  Never would I so adamantly support the bad boys, nor would I think the crazy girl can be tamed.  I would be against 10 year age differences and disapprove of married women hooking up with their exes.  But on TV, I can't imagine these couples ever being apart.

I have compiled a list, with some help, of couples that I vehemently root for as an audience member but would slap both of these people upside the head if I knew them in real life (in no particular order) - spoiler alert if you haven't watched these shows... things get said:

1. Logan and Veronica (Veronica Mars)

 

Have I ever loved a couple more?  Probably.  But these two are hard to beat.  He's her ex-boyfriend's best friend and her best friend's ex... can you say match made in heaven?  Basically, these two said fuck the Kane's, let's get it on.  And boy did they.  Veronica, the super sleuth, can't help herself despite all she knows about poor-little-rich-boy Logan.  I don't think she's stupid enough to think she can change him herself, but that doesn't stop her from expecting it all the same.  While I'm a serious supporter of LoVe (are you kidding me... that alone is proof enough they're meant to be together), they are bad news.  Veronica can't trust. Anyone. Ever.  It's her best and worst quality and what makes the show work, but she's dating someone inherently untrustworthy.  Logan means well, and she's the only person he's ever loved, but fuck... he's so broken, no one can put him back together.  Especially the girl hell bent on tearing every good thing in her life apart.  Though as an audience member, I believe these two are meant to be.  Sure, Duncan and Piz are the good guys who will always support her and never do her wrong, but snoooooooze.  Who wants to watch that?  We want passion and regret, guys!  Veronica, you just keep forgiving Logan okay?  He didn't MEAN to cheat on you... she instigated it, I swear.  And Logan, Veronica bugged your car/phone/house accidentally.  She didn't MEAN to violate your trust... it just happened.  Bottom line: As a viewer with no actual stake in this relationship - be together.  You clearly can't stay away and that's a sign that while other people might be better for you, your feelings for each other will never go away.  If I knew these people in real life... Shit, you two stupid?

 

 

2. Damon and Elena (The Vampire Diaries)

I might love this couple more than any other couple on TV.  It's important to note that Delena is a solid facet of my friendship with a girl I've known since I was 6, so that might have something to do with it.  Theirs is a classic story: girl meets boy, they fall in love, then girl meets boy's brother, and realizes he's a million times better, aside from his murderous tendencies.  Elena is the damsel in distress, though she's a bit tougher now, and Damon is the bad guy, but only because he has to be.  Another thing that's important to know, I love Damon.  I will never think he does anything wrong even if it is killing Elena's brother, which he already kind of did.  If anything I think she's not good enough for him.  THAT IS ABSURD.  He's 100+ years old and into an 18-year-old girl, ew (look at him and you'll get over it).  She's a baby in comparison and really shouldn't be into a blood-sucking dude who doesn't see anything wrong with killing an innocent person (though he doesn't do this anymore).  On screen, the sexual tension is undeniable and it's obvious they can't stay away from each other, vampires or not, so they need to give into it... sorry, Stefan... and just enjoy the wonderfulness that is Delena.  In real life: what the hell, guys?  Damon is a little too much, sweetie, he has no trouble voluntarily dying for you or making himself eternally miserable just to see a smile on your face.  This seems sweet on TV, but if we were friends, I might suggest you stay away from him... forever.

 

3. Alicia and Will (The Good Wife)



Alicia, you're MARRIED.  While I'll admit, I don't understand why... you're still married.  And Will, she's MARRIED.  That aside, one of you loves the other more than the other ever will.  Sorry, buddy, she's never going to be ready to commit to you.  She can't even commit to a divorce.  Watching the show, I was waiting for this.  I didn't need a happily ever after, but just finally seeing Alicia give it a real try would be enough.  No.  They sleep together for a bit, but nothing serious because she's got kids and a husband and a job, blah blah blah.  I want them happen because I think it'll make them truly happy, but if I knew Will in real life, I'd have to smack him.  It's not going to happen!  It's never going to happen!  Date someone new and who cares if she's jealous?  No one. (Please note: I haven't watched the last season, in which case this might all be bullshit.)

 

 

4. Maggie and Jim (The Newsroom)

 

Am I actually rooting for these two?  Hard to say.  I was, just like everyone else, ready for them (mostly Maggie) to get over themselves and get together, but then he was stupid and she was worse.  Maggie, you LIKE him, moron.  WHY did you tell your best friend to go out with him... oh... right... because you had a boyfriend who's a douche and doesn't even like you.  Regardless, Jim is the adorable, harmless best friend you really want to jump and Maggie is the adorkable spaz that guys seem to find endearing.  And look how cute they'd be?  They're the obvious couple on this show.  Honestly, it might've been more interesting to watch them date, realize they're too boring together, and get over it.  Instead, we're into the second season and the tension remains (though they've lost the significant others, because even they realize Jim and Maggie should be together.)  While these guys have the potential to be enjoyable, more likely, they'd be as tiresome as they already are.  If I was friends with these two, I'd be fed up by now.  Missed multiple chances, guys, seven strikes and move the fuck on.

 

5. Aria and Ezra (Pretty Little Liars)

I know a lot of people actively dislike this relationship, but I kind of don't. I do think their personalities match and that they genuinely care about each other.  I think he calms her while she livens him up.  They compliment each other nicely and are able to communicate well.  Chemistry has never been a problem, yet sex isn't the focus of their relationship.  Honestly, it's a relatively healthy situation, aside from, you know, the small fact that HE'S HER TEACHER.  What the hell, ABC Family?  Can't you give a same-age couple this strong of a connection.  Watching a 16-year-old date her English teacher is a stupid message to send.  Really stupid.  Give this relationship to Spencer and Toby, they could seriously work on their communication.  In real life, as either of their friends, I'd want to put a stop to this.  But on screen, my God, they're cute.

6. Hannah and Adam (Girls)

Hear me out because my feelings on them have changed more than once.  Originally, he's the ass, right?  He never calls and she just shows up at his place for sex.  How can he abuse their relationship like that?  Then you realize she never told him she wanted more than a physical relationship, so how was he supposed to know? And she's the one calling him so if anything, she's using him for his body, not the other way around.  So they date.  And it's adorable.  Until it's awful and they break up.  He gets overinvested, she's not ready for the L word and he can't take it back.  Skip some stalking, a few months, and Hannah's breakdown... and who is the only person there for her?  Adam.  He's the only one as pig-headed as she is, so he blatantly ignores her protests that she's fine, which is what she wants and needs anyway.  I guess if I was her friend, I'd tell her to hold on for dear life.  If I was his, I'd ask him repeatedly if he was sure then get ready for her next crazy spell.

 

 

 

I rest my case.

 

 

 

why you should be watching graceland

I like to push shows on people.  I'll go on and on about the characters and the plot and how original it all is. I've seen pilot episodes countless times just to make sure someone understands how good Veronica Mars, Sons of Anarchy, or Supernatural (the first 4 seasons) are.  It takes time to accept a new show, I get that... it's an undertaking.  Especially if you're about to binge watch.  There are all these names and personalities you have learn; an entire world you have to willing to delve into and dedicate yourself to understanding.  As someone who's done this a gross amount of times, I feel your pain.  But I'm going to ask you to do it again.  For Graceland.  And let me tell you why.

"These aren't the good guys, but they'll protect you from the bad guys."

 

This isn't your typical USA drama.  Yes, there's some crazy good-looking men and women solving cases by using their innate intelligence who have deep and unwavering friendships, but this time, there's not one pair hogging up all the screen time.  No Peter and Neil, no Annie and Auggie, no Harvey and Mike.  There's a crew, a whole group of FBI and DEA agents living undercover on Long Beach.  They get in too deep as they try to worm their ways into the drug and gun world, while always having time for a beer on the beach.  This show is about partnership and loyalty more than anything else.  Who do you trust, who can you trust, and who trusts you?

This show is advertised to make you think it's a show about Mike (Aaron Tveit).  I assume this is because people know his face, and those who don't, want to once they've taken a gander.  He's a beautiful man.  But he's not the focus.  Sure, he's new to Graceland (which is what they call their house), so we're introduced to the world with him, but this cast shares the screen.  They all have roles, whether it's Johnny as the comedic relief or Briggs as the leader, each of them influences the ongoing storyline.  This is a nice change of pace honestly.  While it's not comparable to Sons or Game of Thrones in its character count, there's still enough moving pieces to keep viewers from getting bored; you're never watching the same two people have the same conversation over and over again.  I love White Collar, but watching another conversation about whether Peter trusts Neil is going to push me over the edge.

Let me break this down to make it a little easier for you to decide.

1. It's funny.  Not I'm-so-nervous-and-the-funny-guy-made-a-mildly-amusing-joke-so-I'll-laugh kind of funny - like actually funny.  All the characters have different senses of humor and they say humorous and sarcastic things with the intent being achieving a laugh.

2. It's beautiful.  The show is well shot and the location is gorgeous.  These people live in an oceanfront beauty.  They spend their nights on the beach by a bonfire, if they aren't busting a drug deal, and their days on the surf or making their way down the boardwalk, if they're not undermining a major gun trader and his team.  Intense scenes are dark and shadowy, while others are bright and almost cheerful.  Not in a cheesey way, but in a realistic way.  Life is both and so is Graceland.

3. It's fucking good.  My roommates and I are watching the pilot talking about how it's good and funny and all that, but nothing is astounding us.  Mike seems a little generic and we can guess what the next few episodes will be like... We'll watch the next episode, but we're not blown away.  Then the end comes.  Whoa.  There was such an obvious set up for one particular twist and then the show goes a whole other way, it was great.  TV is making this a regular thing, but we were still surprised.  USA doesn't take risks like this... Oh wait, they do now.  And they only get better.  The last episode had me so stunned, I watched all the credits.

4. Its characters are bad ass.  Every single one.  There's no differentiation between the males and the females, which I love.  These aren't "strong females," they're strong people.  The guys on the show treat them the same way they treat each other.  Sexual tension is mutual as is love and lust.  Relationships or their potential aren't ignored or focused on.  They're a part of the story because it's only natural in a world where "your lies are your life" and only your roommates know the truth, but they aren't immediately falling into bed.  Every character has a sense of self, which is impressive and interesting since they're always pretending to be someone else.  They do so with ease, yet you see them relax into themselves as they fall back onto the couch and drink a glass of wine.  These people are more than friends, they're even more than family - they're all they have and the only people who actually know who they are.

 

 

5. Because I feel there should be five... LOOK AT THEIR FACES

 

 

I rest my case.

 

Tune in Thursdays 10/9c on USA (Catch up on Hulu).



The Way Way Back

Hey uh, do you recognize this guy? 

Nat Faxon

How about this guy? 

Jim Rash

You probably recognize Faxon from his recent stint as Ben, of Ben and Kate, which just got canceled by Fox. Or, if you're like me, you remember him from Beerfest. And you most definitely recognize Rash as Dean Pelton from Community. But did you know they're BFFs? 

Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

That surprised me enough (somehow they just don't go together in my head, but that's probably type casting), but then I found out they're also writing partners. And I was like, whaaat? And then I found they wrote The Descendents. You know, that little film with George Clooney? The one that won an Oscar last year? 

Nat Faxon and Jim Rash and OSCAR...and Alex Payne

So at this point I was pretty blown away. And then I went to see this new movie called The Way Way Back. And (you should see this coming by now, really) I found out Nat Faxon and Jim Rash WROTE AND DIRECTED THAT SHIZ. And that they set it on the Cape because they're FROM the Cape. I'm from (near) the Cape! I practically know these guys! We're practically the same people! 

And all of these little nuggets of golden knowledge just made the film--which was already great--totally awesome. Which reminds me, let's talk about the film. 

GOOD THINGS 

The characterizations in this film (for the most part--more on that later), were pretty amazing. The protagonist, a 13 year old boy, was so real and inarticulate and awkward it was painful. Steve Carrell's character was expertly written and acted. Textbook abuser, obsessed with control, subtly manipulative. Way worse than the usually over the top performance/writing of a similar character might have been. He felt soul-less. He felt scary. He felt way more threatening than if he had been physically abusive or even obviously mean to Toni Colette. He felt like he could very easily suck this woman dry, with relish. It was awesome.

Next door neighbor lady (aka Allison Janney) was a-fucking-mazing, as always. She really is one of the best actresses working right now. Incredible. Wonderful. Can't say enough good things. The scene where she says goodbye to Toni Collete is heartbreaking and adorable and I loved it. 

Toni Colette was brilliant. As always. She's really good at playing not-great, but well-intentioned moms (Little Miss Sunshine, About a Boy). Whoever that kid is with the lazy eye, he's a friggin' great actor. His banter with Janney was one of the best parts of the film. Loved seeing the Cape represented. Made me wish I ever actually went there. Just so happy and excited to see Rob Corddry in anything (I effing love Rob Corddry, I am so weirdly attracted to Rob Corddry, I can't even talk about it). 

BAD THINGS 

And now the weird, typical, of course issues I have with this film. Remember when I said all the characters were expertly written and portrayed? Yeah, scratch the teenage girls off that list. Steve Carrell's daughter was ANNOYING and so fake, in an obvious joke kind of way, not a this-a-real-person-who-happens-to-be-very-inauthentic way. She was an abrupt and startling caricature in a cast of mostly well-rounded, interesting people. It felt like she existed to prove how shitty teenage girls are. And Susanna's character, though not annoying, was just another spin-off on the pixie dream girl stereotype, too good for her old friends, too smart to hang out with other teenagers, too beautiful...too blah. Watching Susanna took me right back to fifth grade, when I walked around for a year with my stomach sucked in because I was too fat. I was ten. Susanna (aka Anna Sophia Robb) looks like a Bratz doll. She is a beautiful girl, don't get me wrong, and I don't begrudge the actress her figure (her waist is seriously half the size of her hips). But it was pretty disappointing to see her in this role about teenage coming-of-age, in a film where the teen boy is so achingly (and sometimes unattractively) real. I wish the girl was the same. I wish she'd been allowed to be NOT PERFECT, and still wanted. 

And then there was that scene with "holding". I don't know, the gender dynamics in this were just really weird, with young girls pretty much just existing just for T&A. Even Maya Rudolph's character, who was not ogled, was one-dimensional (read: virginal, read: girlfriend material, she only got kissed once, and on the head). Which is pretty disappointing, given how real the male character(s) felt. Which is doubly disappointing, because I'd hate for a teenage boy to love this movie and connect with the main character, and continue to treat girls like eye candy and nothing more, not as a result of this movie obviously, but this movie definitely buys into that mentality… 

Which is all very strange really, when you consider that this film comes from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine and Juno. Two films with heavy themes of feminism and testing gender stereotypes. Little Miss Sunshine has the whole pageants plot, and Olive with her round little stomach and big glasses, which plays with her indoctrination into gender stereotypes through her desire to be a beauty queen. Juno, of course, has Juno. Who doesn't give a shit about your gender stereotypes. 

So it's a little weird that The Way Way Back is so…way, way back, so old school, when it comes to progressive treatment of women. :/ 

This was also not my fave part for Sam Rockwell. And I say that as a huge Sam Rockwell fan. I could hardly understand what he was saying most of the time, and I don't think the jokester stand-up comedian act actually fit well on him at all. He seems more suited to dry, smart humor, rather than a hundred jokes a second, throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. It's not like I'm actually complaining, because I love Sam Rockwell and I love any excuse to watch Sam Rockwell (shirtless), but…maybe a bit of a mis-cast here? Someone else might have fit the character a little better…and his "chemistry" with Maya Rudolph made me a little uncomfortable. Why were they so brother-sisterish? She acted like his kid sister. Remember the kiss on the forehead? It was all weird.

Am I the only one getting weird vibes here?

WOW I SOUND REALLY NEGATIVE ABOUT SAM ROCKWELL. It's making me sort of hate myself. He was wonderful in his scenes with the kid, that was a really amazing (and integral) part of the film, so don't let anything I just said stop you from seeing the movie, he's not awesome for Sam Rockwell, which is still 100x awesomer than most actors. Let's move on. 

Overall? This was a really great movie. And a really great experience. And it had this. 

character appreciation post: stiles

If you’re not watching Teen Wolf, that’s okay.  It’s good and I like it, but not something I’d try to talk anyone into.  There’s romance and heartbreak, myths and lore, misunderstandings and mass murder, werewolf packs and teams of hunters, but the best thing about this show, absolutely, no questions asked, is Stiles.

He’s the sidekick, the best friend, the comedic relief, and possibly the smartest character on the show.  A little background: Stiles and Scott (the supposed main character that no one really cares about) have been best friends since they were kids.  They sat on the bench during lacrosse games and only talked to each other, that is, until Scott became a werewolf, which, by the way, Stiles figured out before Scott did.  What kind of idiot needs their best friend to be like, “Hey, p.s., pretty sure you can SHAPE SHIFT into a wolf now, just thought you should know.”  That wasn’t the only time Stiles figured something out that seemed to elude everyone else: he knew the best way to teach Scott to control his werewolfy-ness (something the Alpha couldn’t do), he knew Matt was a psychotic killer (right before Allison went on a date with him and he tried to kill everyone), he knew the mass killings were actually Druid sacrifices (um, what?).  Just because he’s adorable doesn’t mean he isn’t brilliant, people.  Stop underestimating Stilinski, he will always surprise you.

Speaking of surprises, he’s single.  How is such a kind, funny, smart guy single?  Oh, right, it’s a TV show.  The only guys with girlfriends are murderous werewolves, how dare I forget? The human dude who has liked you since he was eight is creepy, but the werewolf who can literally become a terrifyingly huge monster by merging INTO his twin brother and has killed your friends is the one you’re hooking up with in the janitor’s closet.  Good idea.  It’s not like Stiles doesn’t try – he isn’t just sitting around being pathetic.  He asked his crush to the dance and talked her into saying yes.  Not only that, but he got a dance out of it AND saved her life from the villain of the week before bringing her home safely.  Did he get anything for this?  A kiss on the cheek maybe?  Nope.  Just a girl who continues to undervalue his perfection.  Bitch.

I'm getting upset and need to change to subject, so let’s talk for a moment about how he handles the whole my-best-friend-is-a-werewolf-and-now-my-entire-life-centers-around-this-fact thing:

Considering, I think he handles it quite well.  Sure he occasionally spazzes out, but that’s allowed.  He may flail around while asking why everybody else is so calm, but why IS everyone so calm?  One of them is usually dying or about to die and the rest of them have to risk death to save them, so freaking out seems appropriate. 

OH. Did I mention how in touch he is with his feelings.  If he loves you, you'll know.  Whether you're his dad, his best friend, or someone he met that one time... he'll care about your well-being and do what it takes to protect that.  Even if you previously tried to kill him, like that time he keeps a paralyzed Derek afloat in a pool for a couple hours.  And that time Scott tried to light himself on fire and Stiles said, you know what, buddy... okay, if this is the answer for you, fine, but you're my brother and you're taking me with you.  Then he grabbed the flare and saved them both.

Almost every major problem on this show is solved by Stiles.  He doesn't always do the heavy lifting, as he doesn't have super human strength, but he uses his brain and knows how to get everyone else to do their part.  He remains suspicious of newcomers (and is always right about who can't be trusted).  His ego remains intact without him being annoying or whiney.  He thinks of others first, faces fears alone, never gives up on the girl, and all while being the only character with a sense of humor.

He is, dare I say, the Seth Cohen of Teen Wolf - minus the two girlfriends or gigantic mansion and plus a Sheriff father and the supernatural.

Stiles = only consistently good thing about Teen Wolf.  Tune in, the dude deserves it.

 

Identity in ORANGE

I finished ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK last night. Sort of. It was playing in the periphery while I was working because I couldn't not be watching but I really needed to be working. So I probably have to re-watch the last couple episodes, but I get the general idea. And now I need to talk about it. 

As you do. 

See, I don't know how to feel quite yet. I'm not quite sure. I feel a little bit like Piper; dazed and blank and kind of apathetic. 

Here's my unpopular opinion: I don't think Alex and Piper are soul mates. I don't even think they're particularly good for each other. I don't think Piper is her TRUE self with Alex, and some weirdo wasp actress with Larry. I don't think Piper really cares about Alex, really. I am still more interested in Piper and Larry's relationship than a future where Piper and Alex live happily ever after. And it's because with Alex, Piper seems to get lost. When they're together, I know nothing about Piper other than that Alex likes her so much. With Larry Piper has dimension and desires and an end game. Piper has an identity with Larry, independent of Larry. With Alex, Piper's identity pretty much seems to be Alex's Ex-Girlfriend, and/or Girl Loved By Alex. She gets this blank look around Alex; I don't know. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Everyone else seems to disagree (except for Rosey).

Putting Larry and Alex in the same room in a conversation was a brilliant move. And I love how flawed and fucked up all three of them are - and how Alex and Larry blame it all on Piper, because Piper is the one who is not co-dependent. Larry using her situation to get his career back on track was totally icky, especially since he was presenting as if he was in this committed long distance relationship, while simultaneously ignoring her. Alex pulled Piper into drug dealing (she did - the flash back scene in the hotel room where Alex is super stressed out and asks if Piper will be her drug mule again - she had no qualms about using her in her business. That's not loving, that's taking advantage of a 20 something naive sheltered college graduate who wants to be dangerous, and important to the person she loves. Alex should have kept her out of it, if she really cared about her). And then she ratted her out. I fail to see how Piper making the decision to end a relationship and sticking to it (which was a healthy decision) is worse or even comparable to Alex PUTTING HER IN JAIL. 

Yeah I know Piper made her own decisions. She deserves to be in jail, I'm not disputing that. But that doesn't change the fact that Alex's decisions put her there. 

Jason Biggs' performance during their break-up phone call was heart breaking. I really think he's not getting enough credit for his performance - he's doing pretty amazing things with not great material. He's definitely getting ignored in favor of the ladies, and I think that's a shame. I love lesbians, but I'd like this to be at least a somewhat equal opportunities show. Larry and Piper's brother are amazing, I love their dynamic, and I think Larry is a legitimately interesting character. I'd like to see him more fleshed out, beyond his stereotypically Jewish parents. I also think the male COs (Pornstache, Mr. Healey, that other guy) are completely one dimensional. Even Bennet is pathetic and pretty mean. Can we spend some time on developing male characters? I like some of these guys, I think they're interesting. I'd like the show to treat them that way (especially Larry. I'm biased, I like him so much. And really, Piper's brother, who is just really really awesome). 

And honestly? I really like Larry and Piper's relationship. I think it's real and true and I'd hate for it to get upstaged in favor of the bad boy, ahem girl, Alex. I just don't find that relationship to be as interesting in the present, truly. The flashbacks are great, but I'm just not that interested in their relationship moving forward - Piper moved on from Alex a long time ago. Their relationship in the present feels like a big step back for her. A necessary step back while she re-evaluates herself and her life, but still a step back. Two steps forward, one step back. 

I was talking with Rosey about this today, and we decided this show is all about identity. The identity that others give you, the identity you give yourself, the identity you choose and the identity you're stuck with. Who you are and who you want to be. The idea that you ARE anything. Choices. Power. And Piper is a great crucible and window into these issues. 

Every character on the show is limited and defined by where they came from, by their experiences and their past. Larry is a male, straight Jew, and you see him being that person in scenes with his parents, you see what made him and why he is. Alex is a lesbian drug dealer, and you see her becoming that person in the flashbacks with her parents, you see where she came from and her limited options and support. You see Miss Claudette as a teenager being entered into human trafficking, and as an adult following the path set before her, just trying to protect her girls. All the inmates (and the other characters to a certain extent, although we don't get the same level of insight that flashbacks provide into their worlds) are "forced" to be the people they are through their situations. They occasionally break out of those boxes - Crazy Eyes is a great example, she's a bunch of different cliches and surprises all rolled up into a nutso mess. But for the most part the way characters act, the way they see the world, the way they interact with and are perceived by other characters are predetermined - they appear to have little choice in their identities.

All except Piper. Who just drifts around. 

She is privileged and white, and so did not experience the same limitations of poverty, racism, or lack of education. Less limitations, less parameters, means less definition. After all, a definition is really just a relationship; something is because it is not something else (semiotics, y'all). Piper could be who she wanted to be. Her only label was WASP, which is probably a big reason she started dating Alex. And now, cut off from the world she though she wanted (but maybe doesn't anymore?), she is the least defined of the inmates, of any of the characters on the show. She doesn't know who she is anymore. She's wandering around trying to figure it out, trying on different personas (and different people). She's lost her identity. 

So maybe the point is: Who are you? 

What defines you? What limits you? Is it possible to answer these questions cleanly? 

It's like Piper is the contrast to all the other characters, showing someone who doesn't have a box, who broke the box and walked away, and therefore doesn't really have an identity. Unlike the other inmates she has more choice (duty, labor) in defining herself. In how she behaves. In who she loves. But her existence also challenges all the other characters on the show, who behave as if they are who they are inevitably. They're not. Piper's experience exposes the "inevitable" experiences of the other inmates to be just what they are: the path that each of them chose. A life is a series of choices, and no one is forcing you to make those decisions. No one is forcing you to be who you are. Identity is NOT inevitable, as much as we tell ourselves it is, as much as we want to believe that there is a true, authentic, real You just waiting to be discovered. There is no perfectly formed You, there is just the self you build through actions, one at a time, bit by bit. And there are no excuses. 

That's the great thing about this show. It highlights the corrupt system, the stacked deck, the underdogs. But it doesn't let them off the hook. 

***

The other thing I love about this show is just that it's a place for GREAT actresses who would never be cast in such large roles on television. And I'm a tiny bit hopeful this show will help push these types of women into shows not set in a prison, into roles that are not delinquent. And don't even get me started about what a huge deal Laverne Cox is, the transexual actress who plays the transexual character Sophia. These are pretty amazing, wonderful things. If for no other reason, this visibility of unusual characters and actresses makes ORANGE incredible important. Just saying.