Monday, February 11, 2008

Writers Strike Calls Timeout...
Well, it’s pretty much a done deal. The writers were asking for 0.4% of the Internet profits, and now they’ll get 0.36% up to 100,000 downloads of a TV show (50,000 of a feature film) and 0.7% thereafter. Not bad... not great, either, but they’ve made their point, and I’m so glad they did. They ground Hollywood to a complete standstill. Actors couldn’t do that. But the writers certainly can. (It’s interesting that Hollywood immediately gave in to the Directors Guild demands, as if they knew how important these people were. Yet, before you can DIRECT a script, it must be WRITTEN.)

So where does put our new shows? As I posted a couple of days ago, many shows are rushing back to work on Wednesday if the vote goes through tomorrow, and we could see as many as 10 episodes more of The Office, and six more of Lost (the season called for 8 more, so maybe with some urging from fans they’ll give in to the full season). Notably absent seem to be all the new shows: Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies... all of these shows have been tabled until fall. And what happens then? Are we to believe they’ll really give them all second seasons? Not likely.

The one that worries me the most is Friday Night Lights. This past Friday’s episode wasn’t great, and when that little Imagine logo popped up at the end, I dropped my head into my hands. I cannot fathom leaving the beloved people of Dillon, Texas with Smash’s football future unknown, Jason’s parenthood future unknown, Riggins’ future with or without Lyla unknown, Landry’s NON-future with Tyra and wonderful future with Jean unknown.... and I cannot bear to think the last I’ll see of Coach Taylor is him all bruised and broken suffering from a hangover. Peter Berg – the man who brought the book to the TV screen – had a guest appearance playing a former boyfriend of Tami’s, and I thought this subplot was stupid. Eric and Tami don’t play games, and to see him downing shots and eventually beating the crap out of the guy with the giant cowboy hat was simply ridiculous. Season 1 showed these two as the most together couple on television, but season 2 has sort of marred that. While I love the season, I didn’t love Tami finally getting out one night with her friends and coming home to Eric snarling at her that she needs to focus on the family more... when she’s been tied to the newborn baby 24 hours a day since it had been born. And I certainly don’t love him not having the confidence in his relationship with Tami to simply laugh off the yahoo in the big hat and walk away.

Could it really end like that?? Please, NBC, PLEASE... say it ain’t so.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Um, I don't know what kind of spouse you have, but Eric's reaction was TOTALLY what I could see my husband doing if he were to confront an old boyfriend of mine. Eric is one of those quiet-but-deep fellows. He can't be even keeled all the time. Every now and then that testosterone side has to come out. And with a whole lotta alcohol, I can see how that would happen.

Even nice guys can act up when the right buttons are pushed.

Did you not see how Eric reacted to this guy showing off all his wealth by inviting Tami to the hospital event and then flying off in a damned helicopter? Holding HIS baby at the football game and hanging out with HIS wife while he was working on the sidelines?

That's enough to push any man over the edge when it comes to his wife. Sorry.

I agree, though, that if that was the last episode, it was a terrible way to end the series. Smash did get a conclusion to his story, because he will be secure at the small college. But the rest of them? What happens to Matt? And Landry/Tyra? When will Riggins finally give up on Lyla and find a girl worthy of his brooding self?

I really hope we get to find out, but I feel deep down we probably won't.

Nikki Stafford said...

Interesting point. I can see what you're saying, and I could absolutely see certain men being jealous. I think my husband is secure knowing that I was with previous boyfriends for a few months, and with him for 18 years, and have had 2 kids with him, so those other guys don't really hold a candle to him, and he knows it. And I just don't see Eric as being the sort of guy who looks up into the bleachers to see a stranger holding his baby and then goes totally mental. I could see if the guy hung around for a few months, like if he'd first appeared at the beginning of the season and it built up over several episodes, but Eric blows his stack less than 24 hours after seeing the guy. It's a little out of the blue for someone like him.

Anonymous said...

If you listened to the argument they had in the restaurant, there was clearly an old battle from the past that old boyfriend didn't think was over.

It wasn't like Eric never knew the guy. Sounded like they were acquaintances of some kind...old boyfriend was stepping out on Tami while they were dating, and Eric made sure Tami knew about it back in the day.

Who knows what kind of fights were going on 18 or 19 years ago between these guys?

Some men have more of that animal instinct in them. The caveman can come out. I've got one of 'em. Most of the time he can be very civil, but deep down...?