Don’t mind me
August 2, 2009
Reinventing this poor old blog again. Need a place to write about what we’re watching (Mr. David Copperfield and I), what I’m reading, whatever.
We’re watching Alias. About halfway through season 2, I think? Via Netflix. Never saw it when it was airing. Love Jennifer Garner, love spyfulness, so this was inevitable viewing for us sooner or later. Am really enjoying it, despite certain eye-rolling flaws. For one thing: it’s so tee-vee. I’m seeing that TV drama has come a long way since the early part of this decade—actually I’m seeing techniques mature quite a bit over the course of these first two seasons. Fewer wide-eyed, gape-mouthed closeups before commercial breaks. I really do love Jennifer Garner, and I like the vulnerability she brings to her badass secret agent awesomeness, but she does do a lot more Shocked Face than I’d think Sydney Bristow really has time for. How can she simultaneously be a superb actress undercover and have a terrible poker face when something catches her by surprise?
I don’t like how the show takes torture so lightly. Characters are brutally tortured and bounce right back. Marshall, Will? (Ha—all we need is a Holly.) Where’s the post-traumatic stress syndrome? The jumpiness, the nightmares, the fearfulness? I have to wonder if this show is part of what dulled society to the horrors of torture (along with 24, oft criticized on this point) in a way that made things like Gitmo and Abu Ghraib easier to ignore. We did ignore them, on the whole.
Entry Filed under: Television. Tags: Alias, Jennifer Garner, torture, TV.
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1.
Ellie | September 7, 2009 at 7:52 pm
It occurred to me, whilst scrubbing potatoes, that I really ought stop by and say hello.
I never watched ‘Alias,’ though I’d probably like it. (Those dimples! Who could resist JG’s dimples?!). Am just now wondering when ‘Lost’ is due to return. But I’m worried over the (impending) ending — I tend to get quite cross when (fictional) things don’t end the way I’d write them!
(I’m rarely blogrolled, very sweet of you *smile*)
I don’t think I added salt to the potato water ….
~ Ellie
2.
sassafrassa | September 8, 2009 at 12:44 am
And thank YOU for stopping by! This is a quiet little corner of the internet and it’s so nice to have a visitor.
I’m champing at the bit for LOST too. And trepidatious about the ending! I saw a speech by J.J. Abrams once; he brought out a “mystery box” he’d purchased at a magic store as a kid–a box with question marks on it, like a grab bag, you don’t know what’s inside until you open it. AND HE HAS NEVER OPENED IT. Decades later, it’s still in the wrapper with the question marks. Because for him, it is more interesting as a mystery, he says. And listening to him tell this story, I thought Uh-oh, he’s not looking for the same thing in a story that I am, he’s not necessarily wanting all the loose ends tied up in a satisfying bow…
We shall see.
3.
Ellie | September 8, 2009 at 9:05 am
I’ve looked it up: Lost isn’t to return until February! Well. I’ll have to put it out of my mind, then, that’s much too far away. I’ll start worrying over what’s going to happen ’round abouts New Year’s.
I like quiet corners, very much so, in fact.
~ Ellie