Thursday, December 10, 2009

Tears, arrows, and car bombs

I am a sympathetic crier.  This means that no matter what I'm doing, no matter what mood I'm in, if someone starts crying, so do I.  TV show finales are a major problem.  This trait of mine creates a few problems:

1.  I cannot watch shows like the Biggest Loser and the elimination rounds of the dancing shows with other people.  My poor children can't figure out why I'm crying, and my husband thinks it's funny.  And then I get a headache from all the crying.  I can count on a doozy of a headache after the Biggest Loser Season Finale (which I'm waiting to watch with my husband, so I won't comment on that yet). 

2.  Mascara is out of the question.  It doesn't matter if it's waterproof, I can't do it.  Because once the tears start flowing, my brain stops working and I end up rubbing my eyes and getting mascara in my eyes, irritating my contacts and causing more tears.  It's a vicious cycle. 

3.  I'm an emotional person anyway, and it means that if there's something even slightly emotionally moving that also involves seeing someone cry, I'm doomed.  I start to blubber and sob.  And then comes the headache. 

I had a lot of headaches last week.  For some reason, USA and BBC America decided to end 2 of my favorite TV series in the same weekend.  So unfair.  "Monk" and "Robin Hood" are both done.  Forever.  It was like the producers got together and said, "Rachel could use a good cry.  Let's finish up our shows this weekend, and put lots of crying and emotional farewells in there."  Here's a quick rundown of each show's conclusion.  Be warned, SPOILERS will be included (Stacie, that means you, because I know you haven't watched the rest of season 2 or any of season 3 yet, so please wait to read this until you've at least gotten through season 2), because otherwise, I can't really write about them.

ROBIN HOOD  It's funny, because the whole series is about the hero, Robin Hood.  I'm pretty sure you're supposed swoon after him, cheer for him, and focus on him.  Somehow, though, I think the show ended up being a lot about Guy of Gisborne (here's a reminder picture for you:)



Yes, we watched Robin's journey from noble to outlaw, we heard his rousing speeches about saving England from tyranny, and we saw him escape time and time again from impossible and fatal situations.  But the journey I enjoyed more was the one Guy makes.  He begins as the Sheriff's brutal henchman, heartless and cruel and easy to despise.  (And also clad in black leather and easy to admire, just a little.)  Enter Maid Marion.  His love for her exposes his humanity and a softness and vulnerability that adds a little appeal to his otherwise horrid personality.  He is torn between a desire to impress the Sheriff and gain power and to be the man Marion wants him to be: a kind and giving person.  He chooses power again and again, and is spurned again and again by Marion.  In the final season, you get a glimpse of his past and the struggle he's endured to get to the position he now holds.  It explains his thirst for wealth and power, and why he's so torn between being rich and being acceptable to Marion (which is impossible, since she has eyes only for Robin).  This struggle finally destroys him and Marion in the final episode of season 2.  I think season 3 really was about how Guy and Robin deal with their grief, and finally, how Guy's remorse redeems him.  I loved the way the series concluded, because, instead of making it a final battle between Robin and Guy, with Robin killing off Guy, it was about Guy finally choosing the right side and fighting alongside Robin.  This series is one that passes my requirements for purchase.  I can watch it again and again and still love it, it has a satisfying conclusion, and it's only 3 seasons so it won't break the bank. 

MONK  There is no getting around it.  This is a great show.  With the countless gritty crime dramas out there (CSI: Every Big City in the Country, and Law & Order: Every Crime Possible to Commit), it's refreshing to have a series that is not only well-written, but really, truly funny.  Tony Shalhoub is an amazing actor, and plays the part of an OCD detective with multiple phobias perfectly.  I was going to name some of my favorite episodes, but there are too many.  I think the later seasons lagged a bit, but even when the show lost a little of its freshness, it was still better than the other crime-solving shows that exist.  And Monk wasn't the only great character.  Randy Disher (and his band, the Randy Disher project), Captain Stottlemeyer, Sharona (who was a bit over-the-top for me sometimes), and later, Natalie, were all great characters. 

About the final episode (SPOILER ALERT).  What was genius about that episode is that USA spent the entire day leading up to the final episode showing old episodes that had clues about Trudy's death.  And when he solved the crime, it had nothing to do with any of those clues.  Another plot device they used that really did have me guessing was poisoning Monk and killing off the guy that knew which poison was used, thus eliminating the possibility of an antidote.  They had Trudy appear to Monk at the beginning of the episode and tell him "it won't be long now," and, having seen shows kill off their main character in the last episode before, I was expecting Monk to die.  I loved that the poison ended up being in his wipes, and it was nice that it was Natalie that figured it out.  So appropriate.  I thought the whole series wrapped up nicely (and yes, there were many tears shed, and I used my long hair as a shield so my husband couldn't see me crying, as if that trick fools him anymore), and if there weren't so many seasons, I might consider buying those, too.  I'll miss having something fun to watch every Friday night.  Let's just hope Psych keeps going for a while. 

Well, time to watch Harry Potter again with my boys.  My husband pointed out yesterday that we've watched it pretty much every day since Halloween.  Yikes.  Time to introduce a new movie.

5 comments:

rachelsaysso said...

I love that, like me, you're a sympathetic crying. Did you watch that episode of Psyche when Gus started crying and said, "You KNOW I'm a sympathetic cryer, Sean." I wanted to hug him.

Because of bad timing I haven't been able to watch any of the Robin Hood episodes yet. But they're all sitting in my DVR. I'm planning on using one of my furlough days to have a marathon.

racheebabe said...

If it makes you feel any better, I cried during Glee. More than one tear.

Kim Dewey said...

What!?!! I love Monk, I can't believe they are ending it. I'm going to have to watch the rest of the episodes on Hulu.

Stacie said...

If you don't wear waterproof mascara then the flecks of mascara disolve easier and don't hurt your eyes as bad when you rub them. Just a little tip. :)
Thanks for the shout out I was going to keep reading even though I knew I shouldn't until I saw my name spelled out specifically. Thanks for looking out for me.

Jenny said...

Rachel F. L., young lady, thanks a lot for getting me hooked on yet ANOTHER show. Like I need more shows to be addicted to like crack or meth! ACK!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm having a Robin Hood marathon while Mike is in Chicago. I have many episodes to go and he arrives in five hours. Adieu.