Too Fond of Books

This was… an oddly lackluster pair of episodes, considering everything that happens within them.

( Skin of Evil: )

( We'll Always Have Paris: )

Signs it’s THE FUTURE: We can maybe reboot the brain after death? No? Maybe? Uhm. Time travel! Theoretical physics?!

Signs it’s NOT THE FUTURE: Our Star Trek villains are still just guys in capes.

The writers’ ‘ship: Yar/Worf, and Crusher/Picard, but Picard’s attention is elsewhere. Poor Beverly.

OK, now this is what I was waiting for! ( The fabulous episode, Datalore )

Unfortunately, "Angel One"... I wasn't waiting for so much. ( Klingons appreciate strong women. )

Signs it's THE FUTURE/NOT THE FUTURE: OK, writers, in the future, have we eliminated the common cold or not? In "Datalore" it's mentioned (for the millionth time) that the common cold has been eradicated and no longer plagues anyone, but in "Angel One", the illness that the Enterprise crew is suffering from looks suspiciously like the common cold. Which is it, writers? Please pick one option or another!

A note for science fiction writers interested in writing a matriarchial society: If this is an episode about a planet dominated by women, why are the men talking so much? If you've set up this scenario solely to show how our modern society is still grappling with sexism and it's wrong, there are far easier ways to go about making that point without effectively doing exactly what the characters you make into villains are doing.

Parts of last night's episode worked well enough, but the central plot device of the episode was the disturbing Mystical, Forced Pregnancy trope. These kinds of episodes never end well for me, because they either become a political screed (any episode where Camille Paglia is a spiritual consultant worries me greatly) or they are gross and wrong and hit all my squicks.

On the plus side, though, it should be said there was plenty of time for Abbie to be awesome, and I liked the inclusion of Reyes and the local police force as "Abbie's army," although that plot arm made me nervous because if it had gone wrong, I was worried that Abbie might have lost her job. I also thought that Sleepy Hollow is the only show I know where a disguised PSA about Election Day suddenly becomes plot relevant and is genuinely entertaining. I also loved the final dialogue at the end of the episode, where Crane realized how much he loves Katrina, and he and Abbie were able to shore up their resolution to defeat the bad guys.

On the minus side, I have the following concerns:

1) Who are Henry's minions? Cultists? Sorcerors? Rogue demons? (What's a rogue demon? Heh.) I feel like this could be resolved so easily with just a few lines of dialogue, and it would lend urgency to the story. After all, what's Henry going to do next week when all of these thugs are in jail? Does he get them from rent-a-thug? Are there more? Do they have a health plan and benefits? Etc.

2) I am very tired of the is-she-or-isn't-she-EBIL plot meandering for Katrina. Just really tired of it. Seriously--either your character is evil or she's not, and we need some definitive plot confirmation one way or another.

3) And speaking of Katrina: OMG, where to begin? I began to wonder if the real reason the show has held back on letting her come into the main timeline is because a witch as powerful as she is would upset the balance of reality. If Katrina is as powerful as the story says she is (and the glimpses we've gotten every now and then), then she could, almost single-handedly, make things work out for our heroes in the coming battle. I would rather see her try that and die heroically than be stuck in the background as a half-neutered character.

3a) DAMMIT, mystical forced pregnancy trope: I don't like to see characters suffer like that, and I really don't like the idea that women's bodies are incubators that can be highjacked and used for demon baby vessels anytime. It's also lazy writing: if Moloch could have done this from the get-go, why didn't he try it sooner, and with anyone else? Nope, it had to happen at this specific time to this specific character. (Yes, it was inferred that Henry's minions had tried with other people to no avail, but OF COURSE it works exactly the way it was supposed to when it was Katrina's time.) It's almost as if this storyline was a punishment for her omissions of truth previously. (UGH, the implications of the whole thing give me the heebie jeebies.) The resolution was also ridiculously rushed and particularly deus ex machina.

I started thinking about this trope and wondering if there were ANY narratives that did it "right," or if it was even possible to do right at all. The only other show I could think of that attempted something similar was an Angel episode from first or second season where Cordelia gets magically knocked up overnight and we had to go through the whole "pregnant ladies eat crazy things!" blah blah. Is there any show/storyline where this trope has been used for anything other than a rape allegory? Can it even be done without inspiring some level of squick? And what would it take to retire this particular trope from the writer's handbook? ;p

Recently, while I was visiting my sister, I finished watching the first season of "The Carrie Diaries" on my AirBnB's host's Netflix account and griped to my sister about it next morning. I went into a few reasons why I was dissatisfied with the show and after a minute, my sister spoke up. "Why," she asked, "Would you waste your time on something you hate so much?" I backpedaled a bit, and tried to explain what had drawn me to the show in the first place (the awesome of Freema Agyeman--much minimized, alas; 80s clothing; somewhat interesting character arcs for a few of the minor characters), but it was clear that my sister thought I was 100% crazy, and that she'd never heard of hate!watching anything at all.

Generally, I don't hate!watch shows much. America's Next Top Model, for example, is fun with a glass of wine and MST3K-style snarkery, but it's usually the same thing from episode to episode, and I move on. The problem occurs when a show that I like veers from 'genuine pleasure' to 'guilty pleasure' category, and then into hate!watch territory. Once Upon a Time went from "oh, wow, this show is so much fun, I need to watch every episode obsessively" to "OK, this is getting little over the top, but still fun" and, finally, "who are all these people and why should I care about them?" I guess if that's the case, a long, slow demise, then I don't feel so bad about hate!watching a few episodes in the hopes that the whole endeavor will slide back onto the quality side of the equation.

More problematic, though, is the show that goes from "genuine pleasure" to hate!watching at alarming speed. This is where I am with SyFy's Defiance. There are a lot of reasons I want to like it: there's a dynamite ensemble cast who have a lot of chemistry together; the setting is interesting and the world-building, although muddled, compelling; and the themes of the show and the individual storylines within it are mostly interesting. Add to this a lot of diverse roles for female characters and slightly dystopian sci-fi feel to the whole thing, and bam, it should rock, right?

Well... not as much as I'd like.

For one thing, not since Lost have I had so many questions about the larger meta-plot of the story that are going largely unanswered. The frustrating thing about this is that many of these could be answered with a few lines of dialogue. I don't need an exposition dump; I just want to know a few things that would help me understand the characters and their motivations better. For instance, the show is set in the near-future, after an alien invasion/colonization effort went bad. Why is there no anti-alien sentiment? Where's the "Aliens go home" graffiti that I'm sure would adorn many, many buildings in this setting? Further, the Earth Republic (a kind of grumpier UN, at least as far as I can make out) seems to have no greater goals than messing with our heroes/heroines' plans. Wouldn't they have some bigger idea? Why do we never hear about them trying to do good things, like starting up manufacture of medicine and infrastructure?

Equally frustrating is this show's depiction of women. On one hand, there are a number of interesting, diverse roles for female characters. Jaime Murray is excellent as Stahma, an alien woman dealing with newfound power and the cost to hold onto it. There's also Doc Ewell, whose dry sarcasm is perfectly timed and in sharp contrast to the earnestness of those around her. Julie Benz plays Amanda, the town's (now ex-) mayor, with a lot of poise, except when she's being menaced by memories of her rape at the hands on an unknown assailant when she was younger. This sexual assault is on its way to becoming a major plot point, and, really, all the women on this show have been shown sexually threatened, assaulted, or wounded at some point, whereas the men (with one notable exception) have not. It's gotten so frustrating that I'm beginning to wish there was a pact that authors/writers/showrunners (for this show and all others) could sign agreeing not to use rape or sexual assault as a plot device. I don't care that it "develops" the character further (because there are other, more effective and less rape-y ways to do this just as effectively), or that it's "realistic" (because sci-fi and fantasy are chances to do something that isn't necessarily realistic.) It's not even very original. I would like to watch one episode of Defiance that doesn't show one of its female characters wounded, assaulted, or threatened sexually. Just one.

And that worst thing is, this show has a lot of potential to be fascinating. I've never seen a mainstream piece of work approaching a tricky subject like cultural appropriation in such a thought-provoking way. I also like the religious systems the aliens brought with them that are slowly being revealed in fits and starts, sometimes clearly menacing, but always completely alien and convincing. As I mentioned before, the cast is fantastic and the special effects work well with the story and feel organic. I don't want to end up hate!watching this show... but I don't see how much longer I can watch it for pleasure, either.

( Thursday!: Videos Games! Awesome Web Comics! A depressing panel that turned out OK! Talking with awesome people! )

( Friday!: Defiance! Literary How-To's! Weird Outside Stuff! )

( Saturday: We camped out in Room 8 for five hours! But the Adventure Time panel was worth it! Huzzah! )

( Sunday!: Loose Ends of all varieties! )

General Thoughts:

~ The fundamentalists were more vocal and more... uhm, personal, this year, for lack of a better word. Last year, they just yelled about Jesus, but this year, their attacks were more Comic Con-specific, like the guy with a megaphone who shouted at all and sundry, "Don't let your souls be enslaved by comics!" (It took some willpower not to shout back, "Too late!") There were counter-protests, of course, and those looked unpleasant to referee. I tried to thank as many of the law enforcement people as I could when they weren't working or concentrating on other things; one of the transit security police officers looked surprised when I did, and confessed that he really wished he could go to the Con himself. (He wanted to meet Stan Lee for real, not just pay for an autograph.) As usual, even in the hoards of people, I never felt unsafe or afraid for my physical well-being once, and I think the SDPD is responsible in a large part for that.

~ For some reason, the crash after this Con was especially hard this year. The real world, as much as I love it, doesn't seem quite as interesting for the first few days afterwards, and today was no exception, with mundane chores and problems looming large.

~ There was a lot of zombie stuff--costumes, toys, images, etc.. It was not fun for me. I wish this trend would run its damned course.

~ There were times when the Exhibit Hall didn't seem as crowded as usual, and I couldn't figure out if it was actually truly empty, or I had just gotten really, really good at making my way through the knots of people. It is a lot easier when it's just me, and I tend to stay out of the central scrum of the big companies and their lines, but I could have sworn there were times when there were swathes of empty space, and that's an oddity.

~ The overall theme of this year's Con ended up being something along the lines of, "Crazy Contradictions!" It was personified best in the juxtaposition of the Christian Comic Arts Association booth next to the Killer Zombie Bunnies booth in the Small Press area. Comic Con often leaves me with the aftertaste of sweet and sour. On one hand, there's a pure interest in comics and reading that makes my heart sing, but on the other, there's a crass commercialism that manifests itself in the crazy-long lines for the exclusive toys and vinyl collectibles that makes me alternately groan and grumble. Comic Con is the only place where I can wear my Kate Beaton t-shirt and people not only compliment me on it, but also want one themselves. Comic Con is also the place where my phobia is everywhere, all the time, and I have to make compromises with myself to get past it, but it's also the place where many, many people I admire (both real and fictional) are front and center, and I can draw on their words and examples to give me strength. There's beautiful art, and there's the cheesiest of cheesecake, side by side; in fact, there are Charles Dickens-esque contrasts every two feet or so. It's sublime and ridiculous, and I love almost all of it, even as I realize that what I love is what some other attendees hate. But that's the beauty of multiple fandoms, and when they're all present and not in conflict, it's just completely awesome.

Pictures are here, updated with Saturday stuff. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on Sunday, so no extra photos. Still, lots of good ones, though. :)

From the comic book haul of the past week:

Rachel Rising, Issue 6, Words/Pictures by Terry Moore: OK, Mr. Moore. I'm officially grossed out; I have no idea what's going on with your story; and it doesn't look like I'll get much in the way of explanation or closure anytime soon. I'm all for conquering my zombie phobia, but this series isn't going to be the way I do it. What drives me crazy about this is that Moore really is a great artist. All of his characters have distinct facial types, and their expressions of emotion are spot-on. I often feel like I'll walk down the street and pass Francine or Katchoo someday. But "Rachel Rising" is a muddled mess of "Psycho" meets "Night of the Living Dead" with a twist of "Supernatural" and a whole of "where the hell is all this going?!" spice. So, that's that.

Ultimate Spider-Man, Issues 7/8: I really like where this is going. Miles' internal monologue worrying about heights as he scales a building in the Spidey suit is witty and fun, and the new conflict between the Prowler/Miles' no-good uncle and Miles' own sense of responsibility should open up some interesting story avenues. Sara Pichelli's artwork continues to be fabulous.

The Unwritten, Issues 32-35: As usual, I covet Yuko Shimizu's cover artwork, especially the haunting image of #35, one of characters and the words she's made up of. However, I'm not keen on one of the big plot twists that the story's going for: ( Spoilers ahoy! ) Not stopping reading the series, of course, just saying that I don't appreciate all that.

Adventure Time, Issues 1 & 2: So much fun, and very true to the spirit of the show. I like the little gutter panel comics and comments on the bottom of the pages. For the record, though, I do think that Marceline could easily hold her own in a battle against the Lich King.

Zita the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke: A recommendation from one of the comic book store guys who knows my taste and I was not disappointed. This is a wonderful, all-ages read, never condescending or childish, but with a strong child protagonist who faces tremendous odds. Zita is a girl who goes on an interstellar journey to rescue a friend of hers. She's resourceful and compassionate, but also gutsy. Hatke's artwork is sweet without resorting to cutesy, and he has a dramatic sense of layout and timing that really pays off as the events of the story become more fraught with peril for all involved. What a lovely book. I can't wait to share it with my child when he's old enough!

In one of my more first world problems lately, I've found myself in a somewhat awkward position in regards to several of the TV shows I follow: I only like one of the characters on it, and this person isn't the main character. So time spent watching these shows is an exercise in patience, a patience which I don't have much of.

In the case of The Office (the U.S. version), I suspect it's largely due to the slow death of the show as a whole. But it still saddens me to think I find myself annoyed by each and every character, except one. This is an ensemble show, with a talented cast; you would think the writers would have at least one other likable character. Especially since Daryl (the character I like) is one of the few left with an open-ended story line: will he get his act together and ask out the cute woman from the warehouse? Will he decide that he wants to move up in the company? Will he come to his senses and realize he's one of the few smart, down-to-earth people in the office and would be much better served in another job somewhere else? Whatever happens, it's going to make for great comedy and Craig Robinson is such a talented, fun actor that I'm happy to watch. The problem is, when is it his turn? The writers seem fixated on other, lesser concerns, and most of them haven't paid off narratively this season at all. (Jim has gone from being a reasonably funny, somewhat smug Everyman to a sad, more smug EveryJerk, and the plotline with Erin and Andy just hangs on the season like an albatross.) I can only hope that either some other characters become likable again, or that the writers realize that focusing on different characters would make for better episodes.

In the case of Dexter, though, this annoyance is more due to my loss of patience with the serial killer drama genre as a whole. I'm just catching up with Season 5 on Netflix, and it's very, very patchy. On one hand, we have Debra at her awesome, funniest, most vulnerable best. Watching her progression through the series has been a profound pleasure, and seeing her this season makes me wish there was just a show about her, without all the serial killer drama. Because the serial killer drama in Season 5 is... awkward at best, and downright disgusting at worst. Dexter still is a largely sympathetic personality, but his actions this season don't fit his character at all, and the wild consequences of them have been profoundly strange. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop--there are too many loose ends for the season to end well, for any of the characters. Of course, I don't expect that there's going to be a tidy happy ending all around, but in this case, my suspicions of what's going to happen are keeping me from enjoying the season as a whole. It's like watching someone prepare to do some prank or trick that's going to fail spectacularly, and the person just won't listen to common sense. ("It's gonna be great!" "No, not exactly, are you sure--" "No, seriously, it's gonna rock! Watch this--AUGH!") This used to be the one serial killer/police procedural I could reliably watch without feeling this way; now it's moving into a darker, less entertaining territory. If only the writers could take their expertise with Debra and apply it to the series as a whole. I don't want to be watching for just one character, because that's not going to bring much fulfillment.

Because we were feeling masochistically curious, Yebisu and I watched the live-action "Avatar: The Last Airbender" the other night.

... yeah.

It was pretty much as bad as I'd heard. I mean, there were good parts and a few beautiful images (Aang bending the huge wave to stop the Fire Nation ships was, in fact, just gorgeous; there were some excellent martial arts stunts), but for the most part, the whole thing fell down in the first 10 minutes and didn't find any momentum to pick itself back up again. It was a movie about spirituality that was almost entirely devoid of any soul. And that's a real shame, because the source material (as I've blogged about before) is bursting with soul, wit, and excitement, none of it forced or railroaded into the story. Late in the plot of the TV show, there's an episode where the characters are able to sneak into a play about themselves and their exploits and are appalled at the liberties taken with their personalities and the narrative as a whole. I felt like I was in that episode, watching a pale reflection of their story and just waiting for the characters to start complaining about their portrayals. (Katara: Am I really that annoyingly earnest? Sokka: I'm not really that flat and dumb, right? Right?! Aang: I didn't just announce that I was going to meditate for four days and then start doing it, did I? 'Cause that's just plain stupid.)

The sad thing is that in the right hands, A:tLA could make for an excellent movie or mini-series. There's drama aplenty, a grandiose epic of nations at war, and some truly compelling characters. The trick, I think, lies with selecting the right amount of story and letting it unfold in its own time. The eastern religions that make up the core of this story's meaning sound contrived when they're rushed, as they did in Shyamalan's film. Likewise, character development, something that made the animated show truly interesting, is largely absent from this movie, or it's presented by ham-handed dialogue. (The worst line award goes to poor Princess Yue, "We have to show them that we believe in our beliefs as much as they believe in theirs.") Practically every action in the movie felt like a plot contrivance at best, and a joke at worst.

So, how to do this right? Much has been written about the casting choices for this film, and I don't think I have much to add on this subject. The right actors for these parts would certainly have helped, along with a better script that didn't try to tell the entire first half of the story in under two hours. Letting this story breathe, and giving some of the humor a chance to shine through would help as well. After all, this is supposedly a movie for children; there's no need to make every moment a serious one, especially when the themes you're dealing with are so serious. Aang's character development is interesting because we see him grow up over time--when Katara and Sokka meet him, he's just a kid who ran away from responsibility. The shift in his beliefs from child to adult makes for a wonderful coming of age story, and makes his heroism all the more poignant. I'd prefer to see that, rather than be told it. Likewise, Zuko's choices over the course of the narrative are dramatic and difficult. Dressing up as the Blue Spirit, for example, is a gutsy move, and his motives for doing it weren't even touched on in the movie, just hinted at. This should have been a major plot point, but instead, it just felt like a convenient plot device for rescuing Aang from the fire nation. (And, can I just say, Fire Nation soldiers: when you've finally captured the Avatar, who can airbend, putting him in a room full of candles is pretty, but REALLY STUPID. Do you want to set your fortress on fire? Really?) If I'd been writing this script, I'd have started with finding Aang in the ice, but only moved the story as far as the Kyoshi warriors, hinting at sequels and setting the stage for the larger conflict in a later movie. You can have plenty of Zuko and Zhao acting as standard villains, but lay the groundwork for Zuko's eventual conversion. Plus, lots of character development time for everyone involved. This could have been a huge franchise for Nickelodeon films and Paramount. Adaptations are tricky, it's true, but it's a shame that this one was so awful when the source material is so good.

Before I get into talking about the time spent at the Con itself, I have to get something off my chest, and I will do my best to keep it short and not too soapbox-y: I don't have tickets for next year's Con, and this is because it is impossible to get them. At 10:30 yesterday morning, I went over to the Hyatt, all set to procure them, only to be to told that the number released for today had already been sold out. And (here's the kicker, wait for it!) people were *already* lining up to buy tickets for the limited number available tomorrow (i.e., today, Friday.) So the upshot is that even though I live in San Diego, have the cash, and am prepared to spend it, I cannot buy the tickets. I am not willing to waste a day of my Convention experience waiting in line so I can have it again next year. This is ridiculous. Of course, there will be a certain amount available online later this year, but I'm not holding my breath, given the experience others have had with that system. I think at this point, a lottery system is the only fair way to distribute these, if they're this limited. But making people wait overnight in line? That's just messed up.

OK. Now to the fun part!

Preview Night! yebisu9 and I had an awesome time poking around in the exhibition hall, although the lines were already insane. I couldn't figure out who, exactly, was doing the lining up. But, regardless, we got to see a lot of fun stuff. Even though there are purportedly fewer movies this year, the big studios are certainly around and their booths are usually jammed full. The hyping is still at epic proportions, especially for TV shows and cartoons. (The entire Con appears to be bankrolled by basic cable networks, HBO, and Showtime.) The swag is still rolling in, too. Yesterday, I ended up with untold numbers of postcards and flyers, an inflatable plastic sword from EA Games, a plastic water bottle, a paper model of Godzilla, sunglass promoting "Psych", pins, tote bags, a superhero toy made out of popsicle sticks, and several temporary tattoos (one for Dexter that is actually pretty awesome). The best swag was a bag of microwave popcorn promoting Movies On Demand (appropriate AND useful!)

Best Dialogue Overheard On the Exhibit Hall floor:
"Wow, this is a nerd nexus!" (Said by some people behind us as we were all trapped in a large scrum of people trying to get to the Hasbro booth.)

And, another time:
Guy 1: (pointing at a screen) Oh, that's from "The Exorcist".
Guy 2: The movie, or the musical?

And, yesterday, between a mother and daughter:
Mom: Who's that character?
Daughter: (disbelieving/amused/affectionate) Mom, how are *you* at Comic Con?!

Thursday: After the ticket debacle, I spent the day on the floor, going through the Small Press Area and Artist's Alley. I had the great good fortune to see Katherine Brannock and buy her gorgeous sketchbook; her artwork is amazing combination of Arthur Rackham and Charles Audobon. I also chatted with Ryan Clayton of Elephant Eater comics, who is kind enough to remember me even though I only see him once a year. (We talked about teaching comics; he is someone who I wish I could do a joint Comic Books course with--I'd tackle the literary end, and he could handle the artistic end). I also visited Nemu Nemu Comics at the behest of a friend, and was pleasantly surprised to find an adorable comic and related merchandise. There was also a great double-header in the form of The Frantic Meerkat and the Mincing Mockingbird, which showcases some awesome bird paintings and funny animal comics; again, nice people to talk to, and with some really fun, innovative stuff.

There are photos, too, but I'm waiting to post them until I work out a kink with LJ. :p

We've finished all but one episode of "Glee" on Netflix instant view, and for the most part, it's exactly what our baby-addled, sleep-deprived brains crave after a long day: mindless fun, manic energy from others that is not required from us, and lots of cheerful music. I really, really want to enjoy this show all around, without reservations. But there are some crazy recurring plot points and character problems that I just can't get around. And it makes for an uneven viewing experience.

To start with, the "love it": What a pleasure, in the midst of sweeping and distressing budget cuts to arts programs, to have a show about the value of these programs and why they matter to *all* students, not just the art and drama crowd. And it's a wonderful plot point that, not every episode, but at least every five or so, one of the students articulates what music has done for her/him or uses music to express feelings they can't otherwise express, for reasons plot-driven or personal. I also like the mix of old Broadway standards and pop music, which has been fairly well-balanced, except for the "event" episodes (Madonna/Lady GaGa). The choreography, although a tad exaggerated for the abilities of a high school group in the time frame they're presented with each week*, is fresh and fun. There have also been some fun guest stars, most notably Neil Patrick Harris, who allow the characters to show different sides of themselves.

The other major "love it" point for me is the depiction of Kurt's relationship with his father, Burt. (What's with the rhyming names? Oh well.) I love the way Burt consistently supports his son, even though this is obviously a growing up process for both of them. But what really clinched it for me was his passionate defence of his son when another character uses the word "faggy." The prevalence of this term drives me mad because it perpetuates the idea that the worst for a man to be is "not a man," that true manhood is a constant insistence that there's no other way to be, other than male. (This is to say nothing about the idea that the other worst thing you can call a man is a pussy--even worse than being gay is a woman and her (read: vile) sexual organs.) So, to have a highly popular, prime time TV show call this word out and have a character who's arguably one of the most standardly "manly" men in the entire character lineup decry its use was just wonderful. Go, Glee!

Regrettably, this brings me to the "shove it" part, though: For a show that's so hyper-aware of the uses of language and gay rights, I'm disappointed at the depiction of women. All of the women in this show are at turns manipulative, cruel, mentally ill, or selfish, in varying degrees and to different ends.** I'm not saying that women are saints compared to men, but it would be nice to have at least one female character depicted the same way Will Schuester is depicted, a character who can do no wrong even when he does. The reverence reserved for his character weirds me out; on one hand, yes, this is a great teacher who truly cares about his students and their well-being. But the other part of this, which the show never really explores or critiques, is the huge ego that goes along with that. In fact, it's used as a point of ridicule by his arch enemy, the evil Sue Sylvester***, and discounted by everyone else. This show would be a lot stronger if the Church of St. Will did a little internal audit and dared to show him as a real human being, too. This show would also be a lot stronger if the female characters were more well-rounded and the minority characters weren't just window dressing. (I mean, 'other Asian'? The time, it's a funny joke, but after that, it's not funny anymore. It bears mentioning that 'other Asian' is played by Harry Shum, Jr., who is the best dancer in the entire cast and needs a lot more time to shine. I need to blog about "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers" immediately!)

In sum: more shove it than love it at this point. I want to love it! It's fun and there's dancing and singing! Let's put on a show! It's just... it's 2011. Can't we have a show that's better than this for women and minority characters?

* One of the plot inconsistencies I try to ignore is that there is almost no way a high school group could produce something that polished every week; there's not enough time with all the intervening plot to practice, let alone perfect!

** The only women who've not been any of these things, so far, have been Mercedes and Tina. Of those two, Mercedes has grappled with crash dieting after being manipulated by Sue and Tina appears to have come out without being anything other than inadvertently cruel when she lied about having a disability.

*** Whose insults towards Will showcase some of the show's snappiest and best writing.