The seventh item on my vaguebooking list was “07. Seven new topics”. These are new “subject areas” that I want to write about on my blog.
Pop culture is likely one of them, although it might be more narrow than that, maybe “pop culture intersecting with the news”. I didn’t comment on Jian Ghomeshi or Bill Cosby’s news items when they hit, but I loved watching people post and take sides, often looking like internet trolls in comment forums except they were posting the same comments on their own social media feeds. My take is a bit different and is primarily about the law, and the court of public opinion vs. the court of justice or law. I may yet blog about it.
Equally, I love the law. So much so that I couldn’t become a lawyer. I’d like to take a subject area and blog about that, but I haven’t yet found my niche. It may very well harken back to my days at law school when I was working for the Ministry of Education in B.C. and focus on the law, schools, education, and children. I haven’t quite decided yet. But there’s an itch there that I’d like to scratch again.
In the realm of writing, I have three areas that are of interest to me. First and foremost is the changing nature of the business model of publishing. I’m very much in the world where “everyone must choose their own path”, and I may turn my attention again to the world of disrupted publishing. Second, I think there is a lot of general information out there about marketing of books in the modern age, but not a lot that gives a comprehensive list of “here’s everything you COULD do, choose wisely”. I started work on this at one time and would like to go back to it. Finally, I also think there is a ripe area for a different slant on books and publishing, and that’s measuring the performance of libraries. I did some research and even some preliminary writing about three years ago but never brought anything to fruition. I think libraries are going to come under increased fire in the digital age, and while they have a strong role to play, I don’t think many of them are telling the right story or using the right yardsticks. When they tell their story initially, they act as a community centre; when their funding is threatened, they claim critics are burning books and destroying literacy if the library goes the way of the dodo. The balance is off, and maybe I can find something I can contribute to the conversation.
In a similar vein, I’m wondering if I have something to say about charities. I feel that much of the rhetoric out there is a bit one-sided, or at times, diametrically-opposed two-sided. I know, for example, that there is not much out there giving people insights into different types of charities. I also have some questions for myself that I want answered on local basic human needs programming and the most effective means of contributing donor dollars.
Finally, I do reviews for books, movies, TV and music, or at least my website says I do. I’ve been a slacker-doodle for my reviews, and I want to get back into them. I am not yet ready to commit to exactly what the other six categories will look like when I’m done, but I know this one pretty well. So, I commit to:
So the new season is just about upon us, with some networks kicking off new shows already while some networks are gearing up for the week of new shows (which will take place mainly from September 19th to 25th). Fair warning in advance — spoilers abound below.
Lost Girl and Covert Affairs already premiered on Showcase and are looking somewhat mixed – Lost Girl is back to freak of the week, although with pending doom looming at the end of the episode through a Banshee-like foretelling of fire and brimstone coming, as foretold by a creepy little girl. Nice work with the Dyson situation, actually looked like halfway decent acting, surprisingly. Covert Affairs however was not so promising — it feels almost like a procedural, and the sub-plot was laughable. Killing an Estonian businessman through his mistress, when the coach has no qualms about shooting anything and everything on her own? Why bother with the complicated plan?
I watched the full season and season finale of The Glades, and I’m glad they don’t do cliff-hangers. They could easily have left it up in the air where Callie was going or what she was doing, and they didn’t. Nice twist though with a woman showing up with a petition to sign or something, and having her look a LOT like Jim’s ex-gf. Too bad the seasons are so short. Sigh.
Rookie Blue has concluded its summer season, and it was okay. Far too much soap opera romance — and now that the rookies are in their second year, the newness of everything they do is wearing off. They’ve been on the streets for awhile, but they act totally green. Kind of grating. And will someone give the supporting rookies something to do other than make goo goo eyes at each other? I like the lead actress, Missy Peregrym. Apparently she jumped the gun on the Season 3 renewal announcement back in July, but it was confirmed by the networks, so she’ll be back next summer. I would prefer she was back in the old Reaper show, but that is just me. 🙂
On a friend’s recommendation, I checked out an episode of Warehouse 13. Kind of like X-files, or Fringe. Or maybe even Stargate without leaving the planet. But I just couldn’t get into the rhythm of the show. I realized I had seen a previous episode, and had the same problem … in a novel, there is a writing problem called “intrusive narrator”. Usually it is of the form where the author decides to sermonize a bit about some social topic having nothing to do with the story, just suddenly there’s a weird paragraph that doesn’t seem to be from anyone’s point of view. Equally though, you can have the narrator kind of “wink” at the reader to say “Hey, I know this is a novel, and I’m letting you know I’m having a bit of fun here.” And most of the time — almost all of the time in fact — it doesn’t work. It pulls the reader out of the story and leaves them out of sorts. Practically every dialogue point for Warehouse 13 feels that way to me. Almost like Corner Gas in a way, although not as high on camp function — instead, the characters are like “Oh, let me be quirky and funny and over-exaggerate my movements”. Nobody acts that way, so the realism, or anything resembling realism is lost. In other words, the narrator pulls you aside to say, “Hey, isn’t this fun and campy?”. And my response as a viewer is “No, not really.” If you want to make a comedy, make a comedy. Actually, that’s probably a good description of Warehouse 13 — an unfunny sitcom version of Fringe or X-Files. Sorry, taking a pass on this one.
I’m also taking a pass on the lawyer show Franklin and Bash. I love the show’s ads, so I gave it a try. My favorite is the two lawyers arguing if they’ve crossed the line. One responds, “Hey, we’re Franklin and Bash — we crossed the line 10 exits back.” Therein lies the problem. They are smart-alecky lawyers, bottom feeders but brilliant, who end up joining a large firm because the head of the firm finds them quirky and spirited. I gave it two episodes, but just not gelling for me.
However, I do really like the new show Suits (USA / Showcase). The premise is a shark corporate lawyer needs an associate, and is determined to screen out all the candidates. Except he meets this one kid who is as bright as he is, but doesn’t have a law degree. Right, he’s not even a lawyer. But the shark hires him anyway. That requires a HUGE leap of logic because if anyone finds out, the shark will lose everything and he is far too risk adverse to attempt this manouever. However, after that, the ride is kind of fun. Four episodes in and the writers just ditched an annoying old friend of the kid (packed the bad penny off to Montana on a bus). Should be interesting to see how the kid does with actual clients of his own. Except he’s not a lawyer, so let’s call them SUCKERS. Just kidding. I’m enjoying this one.
In Plain Sight has wrapped its season with a baby delivery cliffhanger, and gee, who saw that one coming besides everyone? A runaway bride was not an automatic outcome though, and in fact, I thought the whole premise would be Mary finally taking her role as Maid of Honour seriously and actually helping her sister calm down before the wedding. Nice to see the change-up, and a great line by the recovering alcoholic / jilted husband (Father: You’ve handled worse. Son: Not sober, I haven’t.). I really appreciate those careful touches with sub-characters. What threw me for a loop though was the opening “catch-up” where they show you scenes from previous episodes — I wondered if I’ve ever seen ANY episodes of the show. 90% of the recap was scenes I never saw from previous seasons and even some from this season, and I thought I had been current. Weird. Good ending, hope it comes back next season again, but I really hope the fansters out there are disappointed and she doesn’t turn into Super Mom who suddenly finds her softer side when she has a baby.
Torchwood is wrapping up its Miracle Day mini-series, and I’m kind of disappointed they are wrapping up so quickly. It took them a long time to get to the Blessing, and it wraps in another episode? Too bad, could use a few more.
Last, and perhaps least, I think I’ve given up on Alphas. They really need to figure out the point of that show. It feels like half-X-Men and half-science show. The freak of the week just isn’t holding it together enough unless they focus on a single character each week to tell their back story or their adaptation options, etc. If it lasts, I’ll catch it on reruns, but I think it’s dead to me.
Summary
So, where does that leave me? Favorite-Watchable-Pass ratio of 5-2-3 (including finished shows) or 2-1-3 (active shows).
Favorite: Lost Girl; Suits; Torchwood (finished shortly); In Plain Sight (finished); The Glades (finished)
Watchable: Covert Affairs; Rookie Blue (finished);
Pass: Warehouse 13; Franklin and Bash; Alphas;
Which would give me a 50% ratio for current shows. See you around the boob tube! Next up to check out: Ringer and The Secret Circle.
