What to Watch Winter 2013 edition

The new fall shows came and went more or less with a whimper.  I am not watching a single new show that premiered in the fall (well, unless you count American Horror Story: Asylum as "new," but I'll discuss that one later...)

Some of the winter debuts seem more promising.  Such as Law & Order: Special Victorian Unit on BBC America.  Oops, I mean Ripper Street.  I loathe Downton Abbey.  But I love British police procedurals, and BBC has a ton of pretty creative shows.  For instance, I loved The Fades.

If you have not seen that series, then you are truly missing out. Of course, once you fall for its charms, you'll be hungry for more, and then denied because the Brits canceled it after one season.  Yep, Planet Bunheads.

So, back to BBC's SVU show, Ripper Street.  The premiere episode plays a little with motion picture history, as it foregrounds the fact that almost every technological advancement was/is driven by pornography.  This sordid milieu allows the show's women to be almost entirely prostitutes or "models," which got my eyes rolling.  The detective work is performed by a bunch of guys in snappy period attire (see above), and if it's anything like that Gangs of NY wannabe show, Copper, I'll be losing interest fast.  The other issue is that BBC America, like IFC, does not come in High-Def for us, so, as my partner succinctly stated, "it's like watching the radio."  Yeah, we're spoiled.

I'm mostly liking Kevin Bacon's new show, The Following, especially because it stars Kevin Bacon.  That man can act.  The weight of the world is in those eyes, although we do not really need another flawed guy genius detective/agent show.  We just don't.  Still, the idea of serial killers having cult followings, especially via the internet, is pretty fascinating.  James Purefoy, though?  Milquetoast.  I do not see why anyone would follow this guy.  And I am so over the Edgar Allen Poe crap.  That part of the series is so unnecessary, as if some high school English teacher got a job as one of the writers on the show, and thought that this hackneyed connection between Poe and death was "new."  Perhaps new to Two and a Half Men watchers who get him confused with Stephen King.  Yeah, Snark.

Anyway, both of these shows are unfortunately filled with dead and victimized women, so in order to balance out these shows, there's Continuum--brought to us by the same Canadian geniuses who brought us Lost Girl.

Canada doesn't seem to have a problem with women as the stars of their procedurals, and this fact, amongst many others, would be reason enough to move there.  Rachel Nichols' "Keira" is a badass, and so far this show is wildly satisfying even though it contains that dreaded TIME TRAVEL element.  (Really, the only person who should be allowed to time travel is Dr. Who and the people on Warehouse 13).  As a synopsis, the government in 2077 has been bought out and taken over by corporations.  They have their own police force, known as protectors.  As the series begins, a group of domestic terrorists are about to be executed, and Protector Keira is on the floor guarding them.  One of them smuggles in some techno gizmo and zap, she's tossed back to 2012 with only a nifty tech skin suit as a link to the future.  The ideological ambiguity stems from the idea that corporations are bad, and the desire to change the past in order to prevent their powerful ascension is a good one.  Yet, that desire is carried out by a bunch of nasty criminal thugs, and Keira's hellbent on killing them.  Hmmm.  She has a husband and kid in the future, but she thankfully doesn't spend all her time moping over them.  Oh and the show also stars The Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) as a corporate guy from the future who Keira befriends in the past.  Pretty cool.

I always watch one show that's completely vapid and embarrassing, and I just do not care.  I watched Gossip Girl for a bit, but it was just too terrible.  Then Revenge, which also was pretty awful.  Now I'm onto The Carrie Diaries which is all about the lives of teenagers in 1984.  No, it's not a dystopian show, but it's not entirely "double plus ungood" either.  I watch the show for the soundtrack, the fashion, and the City (NY circa mid-to-late 80s).  I also subscribed to Interview magazine and dreamed about NYC then, and the sights and sounds of those times give me quite a bit of nostalgic pleasure.  We'll see how long New Order can sustain me.  One thing, though.  These kids do not talk like they are from the 80s.  Kids sound different now, and these kids sound like 2012, except for the token cool denizens of the Downtown NY scene.  We'll see how long I last.

RETURNING SHOWS

Justified is always worth returning to, especially because Timothy Olyphant is smoking hot as Raylan Givens.  He's also great in The Crazies (2010) and The Perfect Getaway (2009), but I first spotted him as a smoking hot drug dealer in Go (1999), where he makes out with Katie Holmes to a Massive Attack song.  Yes, I am a fan of this man.  His name will always be preceded by "smoking hot" for whatever role he has.  Yet, he is often outshone by Walton Goggins, as Boyd Crowder, who thankfully has enough of his own storyline now to not steal all of Tim's scenes.  Although, each season, the incredible guest stars on the show steal plenty of scenes as well.  Margo Martindale, Mykelti Williamson, Neil McDonough, Jere Burns.  This list goes on and on.

Of course, I'm thrilled that Bunheads is back, and in the first episode, Fanny retrieves Michelle from the Nevada Hinterlands where, after macing the entire ballet school, she has been forced to survive by joining a cheesy, terrible magic act.  An act in which both of the "assistants" wear tight jumpsuits and top hats, and throw glitter confetti on the magician.  Very sad.  This television show is so damn impossibly quirky that I am expecting the axe to drop after every episode.  Amy Sherman-Palladino brings back uptight but wonderful Liza Weil (Paris from The Gilmore Girls) as the marvelous Millie.  Also, the new kids in town are simply awesome.  If you need a smile, this show and Parks and Recreation should do it for you.

Then there is American Horror Story: Asylum.  This show is the WTF show.  I utter those words repeatedly whenever I watch it.  I can only take it in small doses, since the series is so over-the-top, bat sh** nuts, week after week, that I need regular breaks.  What is NOT happening on this show???  Demon possession?  Check.  Cannibalism and genetic mutations?  Check.  Nazis and Medical Experiments?  Check.  Serial Killers and Space Aliens?  Check. Check. Check!!!  I forgot to mention homicidal Santas and evil Nuns.  This show is the very definition of excess, and that's probably a good thing, since if I took the time to actually examine the politics of this show, my head would surely explode.  I can say that about every Ryan Murphy show I've ever watched, though.  This show is the car crash you cannot peel your eyes away from, yet it simultaneously makes you never, ever want to drive.  Perhaps this is the show about which I am truly embarrassed.  Bah.  No shame.

Lost Girl is back, and our favorite bisexual succubus has finally made a romantic decision.  And the winner is: TEAM LAUREN!  Wooo!  Of course, this turn of events will be temporary, but who cares.  Plenty of gorgeous super-natural sex abounds on this Canadian show, and that's why one tunes in--if not for one of the most wonderfully represented female friendships on television.  Kenzi and Bo are unstoppable.  Sure, this show is goofy and hokey, but blows True Blood out of the water.

Getting Rid of Lost Girl Baggage

Syfy's Dynamic Duo

Syfy's Lost Girl has its ups and downs, and the focus on romance always seems to detract from the more important relationships--between friends.  "Truth and Consequences" and "Lachlan's Gambit" finally got rid of all the romantic baggage that seemed to be bogging things up.  Only two more episodes left it seems.  For those of you not up to speed on this show, **Spoilers Ahead.

1. Nate and Kenzi are kaput.

For Warehouse 13 fans, the clinging presence of Nate (Aaron Ashmore) became increasingly annoying as the season evolved.  For one, Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) actually went on tour with him instead of fighting alongside Bo (Anna Silk), which made her absent from at least two shows.  On a show full of ridiculously gorgeous actors, Ashmore was just too "Jimmy Olsen."  I like him better as a gay man on Warehouse, rather than getting in the way of Kenzi and Bo's friendship.

2. Nadia and Lauren are over.

While I'm sad that this lesbian couple's storyline had to end so tragically, Lauren mooning over Nadia in a coma was quickly replaced by Nadia dragging Lauren down post-resurrection. Their relationship seemed more about obligation than excitation as the season went on.  The psycho shower scene moment was tres cliche, but I'm never immune to Zoie Palmer soaking wet.  Nadia's death was all over the place as well (seems she was possessed by the Guruda and just wanted to kill everybody while simultaneously spying on them).  Silly, silly, silly plotline.  Lauren's better off (like Kenzi) not having to continually lie to her human partner, and take her rightful place in this fae/human Scooby Gang.

3. Dyson and Ciara are history.

I don't know how they cast this show, but everyone seems to need brief periods of "vacation," so Dyson left for a bit to get in touch with his inner wolf or whatever.  Love seeing Kris Holden-Reid with his shirt off, but when he opens his mouth this season,  Dyson's so whiny--not sexy and brooding.  So I wasn't sad to see him go.  And then he came back.  Ciara (Lina Roessler) on the other hand--can we keep her?  She was always too cool as fairies go, but her and Dyson....kind of milquetoast until "Lachlan's Gambit."  Her knife play during "we-might-die-tomorrow" sex was extremely hot.  That and her "knife-in-the-eye" fight move made me cheer for her return.  Then she had to die.  What??  Stupidly too.  Now Dyson has even more to whine about.  Sigh.

4.  Lachlan is dead.

Lachlan's loss is a bummer.  Not only was Vincent Walsh pretty smoking, but he was morally ambiguous enough to be intriguing.  I'm glad that they never made him hook up with Bo, or have some distracting love/sex relationship.  He sacrifices his head (literally) for the good of the fae, joining four fellow fallen nagas.  Will Hale (K.C. Collins) now be the new Ash next season?  That would move him out of the Dyson sidekick role for good.

5.  Friendship trumps romance.

The sweetest moments this season have been when the characters set aside their romantic yearnings and had each other's backs.  Kenzi pretended to be Hale's date in "The Girl Who Fae'd with Fire" despite Nate's rampaging (and misplaced) jealousy.  Other than Bo, Hale is closest to Kenzi, and he knows that when he leaves her behind during Dyson's fight, she's not only "too cute," but too savvy, to die.  Putting aside any feelings Bo might have for Lauren, when Lauren asks to sleep with her, she tells Bo it's to displace her grief over Nadia, and just wants to be held; Bo sensitively obliges, telling her that "they're in this together."  The show may have a great deal of sizzle, but its foundations are built on trust and respect between friends.

I scoured the web looking for the image that sums up the series for me--no such luck.  At the end of "Truth and Consequences," Bo arrives home, calling Kenzi's name, and finds her quietly cuddled on her bed.  Even after Trick informs Kenzi that she's a dangerous distraction for Bo, and Bo tells Kenzi to run somewhere safe, Kenzi insists that where she belongs is by Bo's side, sisters forever.  Bo is smart enough to see how much she needs her friend, and tells her so.  Their embrace at the end of "Truth and Consequences" made me teary-eyed and delighted at the same time.  Here's to my favorite BFF's on television.

Guilty Pleasure--Syfy's LOST GIRL

I'm a huge fan of adult Urban Fantasy fiction.  I've devoured books by Kim Harrison, Kelly Armstrong, Charlaine Harris, Ilona Andrews, D.D. Barant, Seanan McGuire, and Gail Carringer, just to name a few.  And NO, Twilight does not count in this grouping.  I could barely get through 20 pages of that book.  Lost Girl is basically an Urban Fantasy woman-driven novel come to life, similar to True Blood (whose last season I found virtually unwatchable), with a dash of USA's La Femme Nikita thrown in for some action vibe.  The show is Canadian, and originally aired on Canadian TV before Syfy picked it up; they are showing seasons one and two in tandem right now.  It's part of "Powerful Mondays," along with shows such as Being Human and Eureka.

Those Canadians know a thing or two about putting together a solid urban fantasy series, with the great Blood Ties, and the slightly less so Forever Knight.  Lost Girl's is written and created by a woman, and is an adult series, rated "mature" and purposely full of sexual situations.  Thankfully, nobody goes to high school on this show.

The series centers on the supernatural walking among us, and stars Anna Silk as a voluptuous, ass-beating succubus whose main power comes from sex.  Now you might think, "Great, another show where a woman's strength comes from her sexual power!" but the show is not that simple or that cliched.  Here's a synopsis from an interview with creator, show-runner (for the first season) and writer Michelle Lovretta:

"Lost Girl is the story of Bo, a young woman who realizes she’s a succubus (a woman who uses sex to feed, heal… and kill) when she hits maturity and drains her high school boyfriend to death during her first sexual encounter. Oops. She tries to run from her past and her nature, until encountering others like her and learning she’s part of the Fae, an ancient race living amongst humans and feeding off of them in different ways. They pressure her to join their ranks, but she distrusts their motives and chooses to go it alone, navigating the terrain between the humans and the Fae while trying to figure out her origins and gain control of her predatory sexual hungers."

Lovretta goes on to explain what the series shares with other fantasy series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena, and Dollhouse, but the differences are what interest me.

• Bo is bisexual

The show is tailor-made for "shippers" to follow (if you're not clear what that phrase means, you should check out this EW article). Bo's two primary love interests are with a male werewolf, Dyson, who almost never has a shirt on, and a female scientist, Lauren, who is smart, gorgeous, witty, dependable--OK, you get whose team I'm on.  The show is littered with hot guys, and they are really fun to look at (although I'd be even more into it if they made out with each other); but the heart of the show, to me, seems to be the relationships between women.  AfterEllen.com is pretty devoted to the series, mostly because Bo's attraction to and desire for Lauren is never an "issue," but an understandable reaction to their friendship and Zoie Palmer's incredible brainy hotness.  Oh, and scenes like this:

Now some queer women might complain at how stereotypically femme and beautiful these women are, but A) it's still exciting to see these kinds of scenes on cable, and B) their sexual relationship is one based on friendship and trust, and has been carried through the show's series--it's not some titillating one off.  Now Dyson's a fine specimen and all, but now that *spoiler he gave his love for Bo to some ancient Fae in order to save Bo's life in the season one finale, she can get back to spending quality time with Lauren.  Lovretta praises Syfy for their interest in queer representations:

"They’ve been really supportive and their marketing campaign has been fabulous and they are pairing us with Being Human, which is a lovely show. Because I’ve had in development a couple of different projects there that had lesbians as leads and nobody there ever batted an eye – no one was saying ‘that’s going to marginalize your audience,’ there was nothing like that. Which is, I’m coming to appreciate, a great gift."

Read more: http://playbackonline.ca/2012/01/13/in-the-writers-room-with-not-so-lost-girl-michelle-lovretta/#ixzz1u79qbsx0

• Bo and Kenzi's platonic friendship is what drives the series

Ostensibly, the show is a private investigator series with some mythology aspects to explain the world of the Fae that Lovretta has gracefully built.  Bo and Kenzi are roommates, best friends, and have saved each other's butts multiple times.  The show makes clear that, even though Bo is bisexual, she doesn't desire or have sex with everyone.  Kenzi is her confidante and her support network, and Ksenia Solo is kind of the reason I watch the show.  She's full of snappy lines and awesome wigs and goth goodness.  Yes, she's technically a sidekick, but most of the time I think she's more interesting than Bo, and the Kenzi/ Detective Hale (played by K.C. Collins) ass-kicking team  is better than the Bo/Dyson pairing any day.  They have much better banter.

Fans can produce such amazing content.  I found this collage at this site.  While I'd clearly watch a show devoted to Kenzi, the show shines because of the close, platonic bond that she and Bo share with each other.  Sure, the sexual hijinks give the show it's kick, but the affection and trust that these women have are strong and unwavering.

• the hottest men on the show are Black Men

Following the (convenient) mythology of the Fae universe, many of the Fae are supernaturally gorgeous, and thankfully, the show isn't just a sea of white, although characters like the aforementioned Detective Hale, who is a Siren, and the Light Fae leaders "The Ash" and "The Black Thorn" (Light Fae name their leaders after trees) do not have the central roles I'd like them to have.  But they are beautiful, beautiful men, and if I'm devoting so much of this post to eye candy, it's only fair to show them off.

The guy the Black Thorn is about to fist bump is Trick, the proprietor of the Fae pub, The Blood King, and (supposedly revealed in a future episode), Bo's Grandad.  He's also a phenomenal actor, conveying pathos, strength, wit--and he happens to be a little person.  Granted, fantasy television will always be much more eager to give little actors their due, and Peter Dinklage's Game of Thrones powerhouse performance is just one example (although everything that man has EVER done, from Nip/Tuck, to Threshold, to The Station Agent is phenomenal).  Still, Richard Howland is wonderful, and his relationship with Kenzi is definitely one of the series' highlights.

• Michelle Lovretta is the creator, writer, co-show runner, and executive producer for the series

As Melissa Silverstein's remarkable and brilliant website has made endlessly apparent, women have a very small foothold in film and television, and that dang glass ceiling is still firmly in place.  In interviews, Lovretta plays down her role as a woman in the industry, suggesting that many male creators have produced shows that headline women. Okay, so there are television shows that are created and run by men that have strong female leads.  Big f*$#ing deal.  That's not good enough when one considers that those shows are still in the minority of stuff that's out there.  And Charlie Sheen is getting another show?!  Just saying.

Lovretta's involvement in creating a show that focuses on female friendships and diverse sexualities is exciting and crucial to the pantheon of stories from women's perspectives.  Those stories need to be heard in all their richness and diversity.  Yes, this show sometimes has really goofy dialogue, wooden acting, and extremely superficial storylines.  Still, Lost Girl is better than a certain show with five times the budget, that has become buried under far too many story arcs, and is focused on a whiny, southern blonde lady.  Although, thinking back to the embarrassing special effects used on the season four premiere of True Blood, what budget??  The only connection that show has to the books on which its based, at this point, is that it's making Charlaine Harris a ton of money.  She deserves it.  If Harris wrote some more queer characters into her world, Lovretta might be a little more interested.  And at least there are no hundreds-year-old vampires attending high school.