it's a gorgeous show (not in a Pushing Daisies kind of way but in a River-fighting-Reavers-in-Serenity kind of way) with pretty great ladies though it sometimes handles romantic relationships... weirdly
AND THE CLIFFHANGER WASN'T EVEN THAT BAD
I was devastated when I found out that this show was cancelled two years ago, and I had only seen five episodes at the time
if I had watched it totally when it aired, I'm 100% sure this would be my worst cancellation experience since New Amsterdam (though probably still eclipsed by The Nine Lives of Chloe King the following summer; but I really don't know. they're probably on equal ground. with Ringer the next spring too)
anyway I love Savannah a whole lot and Alice has really grown on me, as has Charlotte. and I really liked Kathy up until the finale. Vanessa has always been awesome, if conflicted. Marty is pretty great when she doesn't suffer from Main Character Syndrome (she's more unique than everyone else, can bring something to the table that no one else can that will save them all, she's the one all the boys pine after, she's the only one with a complicated family, etc.), which, to be honest, isn't that often. but I really liked her storyline with the sister and I would've liked to see that develop. Savannah's mom was... interesting. And, as for the boys, Lewis is great. And I like Darwin a whole lot, even though I barely know anything about him. He's just really supportive and a good friend, and has his team's back, and doesn't like to take sides (though he will probably silently side with the underdog because he knows whatever conflict it is will eventually blow over and the underdog needs someone NOW, which makes him pretty great in my eyes), and he's also a really good athlete. Yes. I like Darwin. I really hope other people do too and that the tag is filled with him. I despise Red, though. his behavior towards Vanessa... just. no. Vanessa/Red is my notp on this show. Eugh. as well as Dan/Marty. I almost threw my mouse at the monitor when I realized it was gonna be a thing. I mean I was so looking forward to different-gender BFFs with no underlying UST whatsoever and then they go and pull that. -_-' At least they made it kinda sorta alright eventually (though I'm still very unclear on whether Savannah's a virgin or not), but I'm still side-eyeing the heck out of the writers for pulling that.
Although it led to that amazing episode where Marty and Savannah engaged in a friendly competition over Dan's feelings, and actually gave each other good advice (!!!!!) and preserved their friendship. which was a nice break from all the "she stole my man. HUGE BITCH BLUH BLUH" in so many shows (and, okay, this one too, a little. with Alice and Marty).
oh and Dan's zombie film was the best thing I've ever seen. now THAT is a horror movie I would actually watch ;)
okay no but if you guys ever want to watch people do amazing things with their bodies and experience stupendous choreography
watch Hellcats
I'm serious
10% of the show is dancing
another additional 5 is acrobatic fucking pirouettes off the handle
and the characters and plots are pretty great
but the CHOREOGRAPHY
like okay none of the lead actors are probably professional cheerleaders but Ashley Tisdale is pretty much a professional dancer and the girl who plays Alice has practiced karate forever and the guy who plays Louis did really good work with basketball on One Tree Hill (still can't believe it's the same guy; I mean I see how he looks like himself, I immediately recognized him, but he just looks so different! I didn't really like him on OTH but here he's... just.. HOT and GREAT) and Aly Michalka... idk, probably has danced a lot as well? tbh I've only seen her on Easy A and Bandslam other than Hellcats, but I think she was a Disney teen or a Nickelodeon teen or something, right? they need to know how to dance and sing
and I'm sure there are loads of inaccuracies with how competitive cheerleading actually works (TV gets everything wrong)
but lemme just say I like this version and I might like the reality even better and just WOW COMPETITIVE CHEERLEADING WHAT A GREAT ACTIVITY I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT (BUT I KNOW I NEVER WILL) AND THE NEXT PERSON WHO SAYS IT'S NOT A SPORT WILL GET THE SAME SPEECH SAVANNAH GAVE MARTY IN THE PILOT BECAUSE THEY'RE MORE ATHLETES THAN SOME OTHER SPORTS FIELDS I CAN THINK OF (not sure about high school cheerleading, though; I don't know enough about the subject)
anyway Bring it On is now at the top of my movies to watch list
and competitive cheerleading is now among my favorite sports, along with figure skating and gymnastics (and ballet)
I'm watching Hellcats (only 5,5 episodes left in the series :( I don't want it to end) and there have been two actively feminist moments ten minutes and I'm loving it
especially Savannah's
okay so there's this guy and he's her ex and when they spent an evening together reconnecting after being broken up for a while and she shot him down when he wanted to get back together, he went to her sister for consolation and they (he and the sister) ended up sleeping together, losing their virginities and she got pregnant and they're all Christian
and now the sister apparently thinks they're in love and he offered to marry her but he's still pining after Savannah and is trying to get her back
it all sounds more complicated than it is BUT the point is
he just said "tell me to marry her and I will"
you know
like guys in romantic comedies are supposed to do
and Savannah just goes -_-' "Oh my gosh. Wow. You got yourself into this situation. You and Charlotte. So whatever you decide to do about it is your responsibility. And trying to make it my responsibility... I'm sorry, Noah, but that's a really crappy thing to do. *leaves*"
and I just love it a whole lot
I'd never thought about it that way, even after reading all the feminist rants on tumblr
I like it
Savannah is awesome and my favorite character on the show (though she might actually be tied with Alice by now because wow what a complex character)
like, yeah, satirize the bigots and the hypocrites and, when it comes to Christianity specifically (honestly I don't know much about the others), attack the system that has allowed countless wars (not all fought with weapons) in the name of faith that have actually been about power and riches, by all means
but there are so many good people of faith in the world and I don't really see that reflected in American media often
Savannah is the only hardcore Christian character in TV that I can currently think of (though I also liked the... girl in A Walk to Remember movie, played by Mandy Moore)
Arastoo Vaziri on Bones seems, at least on the surface, like a pretty
good portrayal of a Muslim
I'm on the fence about Brody on Homeland (and what I've read about that show and racism in general isn't very flattering either)
and I guess then there's Aang of A:TLA
LOST is... idek
OH Dale of Greek is another one, but I haven't seen the show in its entirety and tbh I don't remember much of the second season and in season 1 he tried to cure a homosexual character from his gayness with rotten bananas so idk jury's still out on that one
idk what to say about Community
Martin Bohm on Touch has faith in his son's prognostic abilities and that the universe truly works in perfect harmony, with the red strings and the numbers. not sure if that counts as religion, though
not even gonna touch AHS
OH OH OH OH HOW COULD I FORGET HANNAH HARRIET HAYES OF STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL GREAT CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED
she was amazing. and she also struggled with some things that were said in the Bible vs. what she felt was right and she only talked about it around non-Christians when provoked (unlike Matt who was a jackass about his atheism) and one of my favorite lines is when Matt says "Well, isn't that convenient for God." and she goes "I would imagine if I were God, I would make things as convenient for myself as possible." (and then he goes "You do realize that this presents an inexplicable lapse of common sense?" and she just says "It's not a weakness to have faith!")
so yeah
that's definitely not a lot
especially when it comes to religions other than Christianity
