Limitless, S1E20: “Hi, My Name Is Rebecca Harris”
In this episode of Limitless, we get to have another character ‘narrate’ the episode as Rebecca takes NZT. Going through the episode, it’s amazing how much I like it, considering that I’ve never actually seen the movie. The show managed to fill first-time viewers in fairly quickly. I can best describe Limitless as an action-comedy in the vein of Scrubs. Brian, our protagonist, is an Andy Dwyer-type. I can easily see him being played by Chris Pratt. Due to the mind-enhancing effects of the NZT, a good chunk of the show features him talking to the viewer, subconscious clones of himself, and in one memorable episode, a Barney parody. The most recent episode had some intense moments, thankfully balanced out with some laughs. I implore you to catch up with the show before the first part of the season finale airs on Tuesday.
Girls, S05E08: “Homeward Bound”
The childishness on Girls can be too much sometimes, but the sight of Hannah running away from Fran, and him chasing her around the public restroom, is hilarious. Fran’s outburst when he finally catches up with Hannah isn’t as fun, but still liberating in its own way. It’s a proper Nice Guy rant, and he acts like the childish asshole the show’s been hinting that he (at least partly) is since the beginning of this season. If Fran yelling “fuck you” while driving away in a house car is the last we see of him, it’s a close to perfect goodbye.
On another note: Desi has a friend who is almost as annoying as he is, and she manages to make Marnie a lot more bearable by comparison. Is there anything worse than people who handle others’ anger by speaking in an unnaturally slow and soft voice, all the while maintaining equally unnatural eye contact? *shudders*
The childishness on Girls can be too much sometimes, but the sight of Hannah running away from Fran, and him chasing her around the public restroom, is hilarious. Fran’s outburst when he finally catches up with Hannah isn’t as fun, but still liberating in its own way. It’s a proper Nice Guy rant, and he acts like the childish asshole the show’s been hinting that he (at least partly) is since the beginning of this season. If Fran yelling “fuck you” while driving away in a house car is the last we see of him, it’s a close to perfect goodbye.
On another note: Desi has a friend who is almost as annoying as he is, and she manages to make Marnie a lot more bearable by comparison. Is there anything worse than people who handle others’ anger by speaking in an unnaturally slow and soft voice, all the while maintaining equally unnatural eye contact? *shudders*
On a third note: “You’re an adult. She’s a baby. Why do you need more help than a baby?”
Tova Crossler Ernström
Tova Crossler Ernström
Jane the Virgin, S02E17: “Chapter Thirty-Nine”
Maybe the major takeaway from this episode is how amazing Michael and Jane are for each other, or that Petra would look weird as a brunette... But for me it is that Jane can be cruel just as anyone else, if she feels exhausted and powerless enough. It’s clear that Xiomara needs to get her shit together and that every time she loses control and messes up, or forgets to be a grown up, it hurts Jane. But I also get the feeling that the poison that’s hurting this relationship isn’t only going one way. Family is such a messy thing, where everyone is involved with each other’s lives and decisions. When we disagree with some of those decisions, shame and guilt can become a natural part of how we relate to each other. It’s also easy to get stuck in roles we’ve had for a long time, because our interactions with people around us reinforce the same patterns (sorry for the pop psychology, but I’m sure you recognize the phenomenon). We’ve seen that Xo’s role in the family is to be the screw up - it’s what’s expected of her. It wouldn’t surprise me if future flashbacks show that this isn’t the first time Jane has made Xiomara feel worthless, though she’s never been as honest about her anger before. Expect a lot of yelling, crying and emotional catharsis in the future.
Tova Crossler Ernström
Faking it, S03E05: “Third Wheels”
On Faking It, everyone is stuck in a loop, as per usual. Lauren’s comment on the reconciliation pretty much sums it up: "Here we go again". Amy is sacrificing her other relationships for Karma, Liam is not an interesting person at all, and the show’s treatment of gender and sexuality is right on the edge between refreshingly progressive and annoyingly clumsy. Next week: Felix is back and we will be reminded that Amy is not confirmed to be either gay or bi, or pansexual, or… anything that could mean some sort of representation for anyone, basically.
Tova Crossler Ernström
On Faking It, everyone is stuck in a loop, as per usual. Lauren’s comment on the reconciliation pretty much sums it up: "Here we go again". Amy is sacrificing her other relationships for Karma, Liam is not an interesting person at all, and the show’s treatment of gender and sexuality is right on the edge between refreshingly progressive and annoyingly clumsy. Next week: Felix is back and we will be reminded that Amy is not confirmed to be either gay or bi, or pansexual, or… anything that could mean some sort of representation for anyone, basically.
Tova Crossler Ernström
