So, I want to write about Pop-culture,
eh wise gal? Well then I'm obliged to begin with a LIST!
Ah lists, the darkness that lurks in
the heart of everyone these days who writes about pop culture. Or
science. Or media. Or fashion. Or health, animals, politics, social
problems, food, etc etc. Just know that I consider this list to be a
necessary evil. It's a list of my favorite TV shows, with
accompanying details. Use it to judge whether or not you want to read
my future pieces on TV, to judge my character (yikes), my taste level
(you guys I've seen Kung Pow: Enter the Fist like six times so that's
a wash already), or just to find some cool shit to watch. These are
in no particular order, other than numerical.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
I don't need to talk about this. The
entire internet is built on three things: Stars, both Trek and Wars,
and BTVS. Whole digital empires have been built in it's wake. It's a
good show.
Episode to watch: The Body (Season 5, Ep 16). The Body ruined fruit punch for me forever and is basically the most devastating 43 minutes of television I have ever witnessed in my entire life.
Episode to avoid: None, I'm a purist. I
can't even tell you that I didn't enjoy the last season because
Felicia Day is in that season and she is the best person.
I'm sensitive, should I watch this
show?: No. Guard your heart. You will love these characters too hard
and when it is over you will miss them too fiercely. Also, The Body
is, again, devastating to watch.
- Dollhouse
It was gross and crazy and raised a lot
of questions about morality. It was also pretty fucking dark. I loved
it.
Episode to watch: (Season 1 Ep 6) The
episode with Patton Oswalt is pretty gross and sad.
Episode to avoid: Oof . . . it was a
very flawed show. (Season 1 Ep 2) The Target was pretty grim in a bad
way, not just an unpleasant subject matter way. But I would say they
are all worth watching.
I'm sensitive, should I watch this
show?: God no. Not in a million years. It is incredibly upsetting and
deals with themes and ideas like identity and consent.
- Angel
Oof again. I accidentally made a Joss
Whedon based theme here. I love all his TV work but kind of found the
Avengers incredibly boring and lame. So I'm no longer as rabid a fan
as I once was.
Episodes to watch: There are so, so
many good ones. I feel like the stakes never felt quite as high as on
Buffy so it was an easier watch in my opinion.
Episode to avoid: The first season is
some dour nonsense that is, honestly, a slog to get through. Maybe
watch it to say you've seen it but from season two onward the show
found it's voice and became super enjoyable.
I'm sensitive, should I watch this
show?: There is some sad stuff but it's not really a deal breaker.
The ending is one of my favorite TV endings ever and the stuff that
comes before is manageable.
- Mad Men
What do Angel and Mad Men have in
common? The actor Vincent Kartheiser! Don't worry if you see him in
Angel first or Mad Men first: you are going to hate him regardless!
He plays the worst characters in both shows.
Episodes to watch: Watch them all! It's
a deep show with a lot of emotion and thought put into it. It's also
pretty to look at and full of pretty people. Growing up watching a
lot of 1960s television and sort of being fascinated with that
culture really warped my idea of how it was back then, especially
when I compared it to what I knew/know about my families exceedingly
fucked up history. Watching Mad Men helped me reconcile the fantasy
with the reality.
Episodes to avoid: You can't really,
they build on each other. I have some I like better than others
though, of course.
I'm sensitive, should I watch this
show?: Embrace who you are. Get some Kleenex®
brand tissues and enjoy.
- Green Wing
It's British.
Episodes to watch: It's a crazy and
funny and surreal kind of a show about doctors but the last episode
helped me understand some things about love, which sounds goofy, but
it really did.
Episodes to avoid: None that I can
remember but it's been awhile.
I'm sensitive, should I watch this
show?: It's fine. It's a wacky comedy.
That concludes the first five. I will
continue this list at my leisure and also begin posting about my
current watching schedule approximately whenever I feel like it
(maybe once a week).
Read part one here!
Read part one here!