We Have Opinions: TV Edition #5

House of Lies s05e10, “No Es Facil”



This show has had episodes built around a flashback/flash forward structure before, and even if I’m not sure it was necessary then either, at least it served its purpose of creating curiosity - and it worked stylistically. This time it’s confusing and takes us out of the story too many times, especially for a half-hour show and especially when it’s a season finale which is supposed to finish the season’s story arcs in a satisfying way. One exception is the very first flash-forward, with Jeanie and Marty lying on the beach, which is quite beautiful and made me expect a much more interesting episode than what followed. In fact, most of the flash-forwards kicking off the episode created some type of expectation (be it of quality or just drama) that didn’t lead anywhere. There’s a lot of time wasted on cheap laughs and the same old antagonistic banter we’ve seen every season, before getting to the good stuff: Jeanie and Marty and screw capitalism. I really enjoyed how Jeanie just slowly stops paying attention to Marty during the scene with the wedding party (bullshit volume turned down to zero), and the look on her face as she wanders further into the crowd. The idea of Cuba as a place where everyone is spontaneous and happy is a bit cliché, but the payoff in changed perspectives and actions of the main character’s is great. It also makes sense that the people Marty and Jeanie meet on Cuba are happier than them, because they haven’t all made careers out of selling their souls to the devil. The realization that Marty doesn’t want to fuck over Cuba is satisfying to watch, as well as the big fuck you to Skip and Monica but, as it has been throughout the show’s run, it’s the combination of Marty and Jeanie and a good helping of bottled up feelings that steals the show. I don’t even care that it’s a cheesy ending - I loved the proposal scene and I love that those two kids have finally worked it out. If the show had gone on, we would see them mess it all up again, but now we get to imagine them living happily ever after instead!
Tova Crossler Ernström

BrainDead s01e02, "Playing Politics: Living Life in the Shadow of the Budget Showdown - A Critique"


Tax Prom drinking game. Take a big gulp if: A Republican opens his mouth.

Holy shit, why hasn’t anyone thought of doing the “previously” on for a TV show as a song before? Not that this one is particularly amazing (and it doesn’t really work with the show’s tone) - it’s just such an obvious and perfect idea. As is the basic plot for the show: Alien bugs are eating politicians brains and turning them into mindless drones, but no one notices because they already kind of acted like mindless drones before. No, it’s not a complex or fresh analysis of American politics, but it’s perfect for a sci-fi/political drama/satire/comedy show. I would personally have preferred if the bug people were exclusive Republican, but the show seems to be going for a slightly more balanced view of politics. They’ve even got a love interest who’s a Republican! And yes, I’m having major trouble accepting this fact. The guys is charming (or at least smarmy), but it’s just… It’s just not okay. The show clearly acknowledges Trump’s existence and candidacy, and Ritter never expresses any disgust at this possible presidential candidate for his party. Still we’re supposed to be invested in his and Laurel’s romantic tension? Skeptical face, right here.

Tova Crossler Ernström

House of Lies S05E06 & S05E07 - Mini Review

Marty possesses the king of "You are an idiot" faces, and he puts it to good use in these episodes.
 

As short texts tend to do, this one is going to get right to it.

A white man pretending to be black in order to get into college and make it big on the market for black hair products strikes me as the type of plot that works on House of Lies, but in few other contexts. 

It would be too absurd for many shows, too serious for some, too tricky for others. Here it’s all of those things, but since absurd, serious and tricky are natural parts of the show’s DNA, it’s not too much to handle. The execution may not be perfect, but I think it strikes a good balance between the personal, the political and the “What The Fuck?” 

Avoiding actual blackface is always good (looking at you, Soul Man), as is making it clear what a clueless idiot a character is without painting anyone else as the hero. What better way to highlight white people delusions than to contrast them with characters living their whole lives in a heightened, warped and morally corrupt world, who still understand enough to call the bullshit immediately? It probably won’t teach the average white person a lot about our mistakes, but then the show isn’t about teachable moments. It’s mostly clever entertainment, with societal critique as an added bonus - a kind of heightened reality where people are worse, but the big issues remain the same (and I guess it’s not that heightened this time). 

Speaking of heightened reality… I just loved seeing the ruthless eye of House of Lies turned towards legalization proponents in the next episode. I think the effects of the “war on drugs” in the US may be enough to justify legalization, but no one can convince me this is the main motivation driving all those middle to upper class pot-lovers. They want their weed, and they want to believe they’re fighting the power. And yes, the political framing can sound just as offensive as it does in this episode. Okay, maybe not quite this offensive - but like I said, heightened.

 
Tova Crossler Ernström is a bisexual Swede, feminist, socialist, INFJ, Hufflepuff, HSP and Taurus. She is fond of personality tests, labels and lists.

No more "House of Lies": Some words on the show's progressive aspects and What Are All These Great Actors Going To Do Now?

Sad cancellation news abound! We’ve already posted about The Muppets, Agent Carter and other shows being cancelled—now House of Lies can be added to the list. House of Lies is perhaps not a geeky show, but it lands in our sphere of interest thanks to a) and excellent cast—and I do mean excellent, and b) the way it weaves issues of gender, sexuality, race and good ‘ole bigotry into its storylines of Machiavellian power play and personal drama.  

As previously noted, it’s always been a show about bad people, but it hasn’t resorted to the idea that is so prevalent in some pop culture that “This isn’t about race or gender—everyone’s an asshole!” Marty is a grade A asshole, but when he’s subjected to racial profiling and beaten up by the police, it’s still clearly an issue of racism. Jeannie is no angel either, but the sexism she faces is real.

And then there’s Marty’s son Roscoe, who’s an all around decent person, a star shining bright in an otherwise pretty dark universe. A challenger of gender norms from the first episode, Roscoe’s identity is never treated stereotypically, and the character is allowed to be both undetermined and open about it: ambiguity isn’t mistaken for confusion or denial. The show also resists simplicity in its depiction of Roscoe’s relationship with Marty, whose initial lack of understanding and support changes as he learns from his son, but most of all: as the parental protection instinct and desire to see his son happy kicks in. “Don’t fucking mess with my kid” is a very healthy reaction to your child being discriminated against, and it suits the character in a way that vague notions of tolerance and Disney-fied morality would not. 

The way Marty changes his attitude, while remaining the same person at the core (no miraculous personality change there) is the kind of nuanced story that parents who aren’t already enlightened—or who don't have a high enough emotional quotient to be good to their children when they don’t fit the cis- and hetero-normative mold—might benefit from. It shows that you don’t have to be either a saint or a genius to be there for your kid—just willing to challenge your preconceived notions and evolve.

Unfortunately, the show itself didn’t evolve as much and the cancellation isn’t a huge surprise (not to me, at least). There’s only so much you can do with characters that are all hell-bent on manipulating their way to the top in a very specific, confined setting (the world of management consultants), and House of Lies didn’t quite seem willing to tap the full potential even of that limited world, opting instead to put the characters back in similar positions again and again. Still, it has moments of greatness - and did I mention the amazing cast? One positive effect of the cancellation is that it frees up all of those great actors for other projects. So to finish on a positive note, let’s see what some of them are up to, and speculate about the rest!

Kristen Bell will continue to play a Bad Person™, though her new show sounds less depressing. She’s starring in The Good Place as a woman who dies and, being mistaken for a much better person than herself, goes to heaven (the “good place” of the title). It’s basically a sitcom/comedy of errors/black comedy/fantasy show about the afterlife. If I can get over my disappointment that this is not a Dead Like Me revival, I think I will enjoy it! 

Don Cheadle doesn’t seem to have any projects coming up, except for possible super secret ones. He recently directed and starred in the Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead, and had some (but not enough) screen time on Captain America: Civil War. Cheadle’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is unknown, and when asked by Associated Press about whether he’ll be part of the coming Avengers movies, he replied “I can’t talk about it. Do you want me to walk out of this door and get bludgeoned to death by Marvel security?” Yikes. And no we don’t, so we’ll have to wait and see instead! I personally think Cheadle should follow wherever Iron Man goes, but I suppose that’s an unreasonable request. As for directing… No news there either. If you've seen Miles Ahead—do you think Cheadle has a future in directing?

Ben Schwartz was a vocal consultant for BB-8 on Star Wars: The Force Awakens which, together with his time on Parks and Recreation and the fact that he’s dating Jane Gina Rodriguez, means he can pretty much retire now. He might be a poor retiree, but he would be a happy one. Of course, money and having something to do is neat too. Schwartz is still going strong with his comedian/writer career, doing sketches, performing with the Upright Citizen's Brigade, and having his script for El Fuego Caliente (a remake of the 1991 movie Soapdish) made into a movie with Seth Rogen. And hey—he apparently voices the main character on an animated TV show called Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja! I’ve never heard of it before, but it’s Disney and it has a brilliant sounding name, so… Schwartz is doing good.

Similarly to Cheadle, Josh Lawson did double duty as director and actor on The Little Death in 2014. Since then it’s mostly been House of Lies, and two episodes of Superstore. This is probably the time for speculating, but I have to admit I’m not fascinated enough with Lawson for my imagination to start running wild. Does anyone else have an idea? Are there any characters who oscillate between being dorky, pathetic and idiotic in need of an actor to portray them? Perhaps a neurotic art dealer or an elementary school teacher with anger management issues? I’m just riffing here. 

Donis Leonard Jr. appears to have a blank schedule after House of Lies. The most recent project outside of the show is Wannabe, a short film that was nominated for best narrative short at Tribeca 2016 (but didn’t win). There’s not much to go on here, so some more spitting out of ideas is in order: Maybe Leonard will snatch a role on Gotham, since he knows one of the actors on the show? Or maybe Wannabe will be developed into a full-fledged feature film? Hang on, that last one is actually true (I’m psychic!). Yes, we can look forward to seeing more of Leonard in the full-length version of Wannabe, which is being filmed this summer. Considering the guy’s talent, I think there will be more after that. And considering my talent for making correct guesses (or divination, if you will), you should believe that too. 

Dawn Olivieri hasn’t had a big role in the 5th season of House of Lies, but she did some good (disturbing) acting before that, and I for one am curious to see what she does next. She was in a couple of episodes of Lucifer, as a Lieutenant who gives Lucifer permission to work with Chloe on her cases after sleeping with him—hopefully her next roles will be more substantial. The IMDB pages for her upcoming movies A Change of Heart and Behind the Curtain of Night doesn’t tell us much, except that neither film appears to be a future blockbuster. So instead of a picture from a current project, let's end with this GIF of Olivieri from her House of Lies glory days:

Cheers to that!
Tova Crossler Ernström is a bisexual Swede, feminist, socialist, INFJ, Hufflepuff, HSP and Taurus. She is fond of personality tests, labels and lists.

We Have Opinions TV Edition #2

House of Lies: Everyone on this show is the worst

 Our mighty writers mini-review series for you: Orphan Black, House of Lies, Jane the Virgin and The Grinder.

Orphan Black s04e04, “From Indistinct to Rational Control”

This is how you keep the show interesting without throwing in males clones and general crazy shit (does anyone even remember what happened last season?). Orphan Black is also staying true to its nature by having comedy between the layers of anxiety and conspiracy. When Tina, the neolution girl from Beth’s investigation, mistakes Alison for Beth she mentions a place called Lifespring Fertility Clinic. After Sarah yells at Alison (oh no, don’t fight seestras!) she agrees to go there and snoop around. Meaning she does all the research and secret spy-type preparations, with color coding, and then send Donnie and Felix in as a couple looking to start a family.

Donnie isn’t quite as down with the whole spy-thing as his wife, so he decides the best way to seem believable is to act the way he thinks gay men do. Oh, Donnie… Luckily Felix shuts that down within seconds, with the use of statistics, common sense and plenty of side-eye.

It’s great how something that might be a longer joke in another show or movie is instead quickly addressed and acknowledged as stupid, by all parties involved. In fact, Donnie being stupid is the joke here - not gay men, or even the fact that a straight main has to pretend to be gay. And how we love to laugh at Donnie being stupid!

Tova Crossler Ernström

House of lies s05e04, “End State Vision”

This is what has happened so far on season five of House of lies:

Veronica Mars had her baby and started dating Vinnie Van Lowe, who is the worst even in this universe. Her new boss, the Angel of death, isn’t that great either. Jean-Ralphio is a douchebag, but his dad is/was a thousand times worse. Vaughn Du Clark is back, and though I can’t remember his role on the show I’m happy just to see his face. Mona-Lisa Saperstein is having anal sex with some hot guy, which the show handles with its usual grace. Grandpa is finally sleeping with someone older than his son: Wanda Freaking Sykes. Henry Higgs is way too much of a hippie to run a company and, in a surprising twist, the gang is going to manipulate him into giving them all of his money. 

In the latest episode, Jeremy Reed somehow manages to be menacing, and proves that while the women on this show are awful human beings, men are still the worst. Cliff Gilbert shows up for a quick second to tell Jean-Ralphio that his crush is a married lesbian but it’s okay because “I’m gonna offer you a job as a political advisor and that’s not the worst idea ever, at all”. The rest of the cast are preparing to screw everything up in their own unique ways.

I apologize if none of this makes sense to you. But if you haven't watched all of Rob Thomas' shows, you really only have yourself to blame. And as for the rest of the references… Google is one of your oldest and dearest friends, right?

Tova Crossler Ernström 

Jane the virgin s02e20, “Chapter Forty Two”
I’m going to focus on the idea of bad mothers yet again, because when does that subject ever get old? (Answer: when the patriarchy is dead.) Petra’s problems with parenting has been an ongoing theme this season, although it has faded into the background more and more. A show that constantly reminds us how okay it is to be human is the perfect place to tell more complex stories about parenthood - and a feminist show can be expected to handle the demands and feelings of inadequacy Petra is experiencing better than if it lacked that point of view. And so it has! Seeing Jane try to help Petra deal with what was likely postpartum depression was great, especially since she is such a poster child for perfect motherhood herself.

With Jane embodying gender neutral aspects of “good parenting” as well as more gender specific societal ideals about mothers, her non-judgemental support of Petra is crucial and, if you’ll excuse the wording, fucking liberating to see. More interactions like this on my TV (or computer) screen, please! Though, as we see hints of in this episode, there may still be a little judgement there. I’m not sure if Jane is judging Petra, as she puts a lot of effort into not making her feel bad - in the short phone conversation with Alma, while talking to Petra about the Mother’s day lunch… But the general consensus among everyone but Anezka (and perhaps Jane) seems to be that Petra is a bad mother. In some ways that’s a fair assessment, but there is also truth to Anezka’s speech about the journey Petra has made.

If you compare the loving, albeit complicated, family Jane grew up in to Petra’s background, the latter’s ability to form bonds, show affection and take care of others almost seems like a superhuman feat.

I think what I’m trying to say is that there is a lot to unpack here, and frankly, I wish the whole episode had centered around the theme. After all, it takes place during Mother’s day! The episode basically writes itself in my head, and written by the people working on Jane the Virgin it would surely be ten times better.

Tova Crossler Ernström

The Grinder S1E21, “Divergence”
  In the penultimate episode of The Grinder, the main cast desperately searches for a side story in order to help the main plot. No, really.

The Grinder is the unholy lovechild of Arrested Development and Community, with extra emphasis on meta humor. Rob Lowe stars as Dean, who played a hotshot lawyer on Fox’s The Grinder. After the show ends, he has to move back in with his family, almost all of whom really are lawyers. He decides to join the firm, despite having no real knowledge of legal matters. To describe the plot of this episode any more would be an injustice to the show. Please, watch the episodes. Ratings for the series are low and we might not get a second season. The season finale is next Tuesday, so let’s rally and help the show!

Grind on, my friends. Grind on.

Zachary Krishef