I just finished watching the last episode of the first season of The Big C. Yup, I was weeping my eyes off as if I've just lost my mother. I am grateful to great writers and extremely in awe of great talent like Laura Linney. Still basking in the aura of storytelling, I thought it was time I do something cheeky. Like post an updated list of my favorite American TV series :). Glenn, a family friend once remarked how our family can soak up ironic American humor. I asked him what he meant. He said that very few people can understand how you can laugh about something terrible happening in a House episode. Anyway, here they are:
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Las Vegas, the all original series. I like New York too but I detest Horatio. I only watch them when the other CSI shows when they somehow interlink with the Las Vegas. But CSI is my all -time favorite. Grissom is an interesting character and I like how he blends with his supporting staff (Catherine, Nick, Greg, Sara, Jim Brass and even the eccentric David). When he and Warrick left the series, it still remained a strong source of entertainment. Laurence Fishburn did not quite replace Grissom but still I found him a refreshing addition to the cast. You pick up a few curious tidbits about forensic science along the way. I don't know if I'll ever put them to good use but still it's good to know. The most basic thing I learned in CSI is that that you can identify time of death by just identifying bugs found in the body and lighted sticks can show you the path of a bullet. Really geeky but I love it. It's on its twelfth season and still going strong.
Weeds. Nancy Botwin is a real unconventional mother and a huge BI. Not someone you'd want to get mixed into in real life. But her story is hilarious and exciting - although not in a good way most of the time. I used to follow the show because of Martin Donovan but his character turned out to be a real ass and I'm glad they had to kill him off. I still like Martin Donovan though. The series is full of tense melo-drama that pisses you off when they end each episode because you;ll have to wait another week to see how it turns out. There's a stark contrast between the "good" life and the "bad" which is quite poetic in some way. But it's great and I love that just when you thought things are going to be alright, something else fucks up and you're back to the whirlwind of lies and drugs. Intense. Love it.
The United States of Tara. Deranged and sardonically lovable, Tara played by the talented Toni Collette is all-intriguing in all her disassociative indentities. Helps you appreciate being deranged to a totally new level. Add John Corbett as the insanely perfect husband, brings everything to a somewhat distorted balance. Maybe crazy people just live more interesting lives? Of course, my favorite identity is Tara herself. And the artwork in the opening credits - I love love love that. Tara is an artist - I connect with that. I think that this is one tiring series to act on if you're playing multiple personalities. But Collette played everyone quite well. Her daughter reminds me of my younger sister. :D
House. Hugh Laurie. Rude, Unreasonable, Crass, Abusive, Drug-Addict, Brilliant. My kind of guy. I love him as the modern day Sherlock Homes. I was not too happy when he got involved with Cuddy and was not too comfortable with seeing House in jail. I think he was more at home in a nuthouse but still, he's a funny guy and brutal as he may be, his reasoning is flawless :) I do miss Olivia Wilde though (13). But I like to see that there's a dry and humorless asian in the team. Makes you think of home. haha. Foreman to me is House' conscience and Wilson, his puppy. Taub is the funny guy and Chase the eye-candy. :)
The Big C. The series that born this post. I'm happy to learn that there;s a second season and are planning a third. I love how American tend to tackle subjects that people would rather not talk about. So they talk about it and it's hilarious. And sad. And scary. But all the emotions are there which makes a hit of a series. Laura Linney is great as Cathy Jamison. And I've always loved Oliver Platt. And the Oncologist Dr. Todd ( Reid Scott) - sigh. Marlene somehow reminds me of older Audrey Hepburn for some reason. I dread it when they start chemo - I think that that will be difficult to watch but if they could make fun of death quite successfully, who knows what they could do with sickness.
Criminal Minds. If you like forensic science, then you will probably be drawn to serial killers as well. Again, I miss Gideon but Gibson has become a great leader for his team and Rossi adds italian sass, My favorite charcater of course is computer wizard Penelope, and the walking dictionary Spencer Reed. We often wonder why they describe the killer in the same way when they brief the police, each profiler taking turns to speak - one after the other. But its become tradition, much like the beginning and end quote of each episode. It;s here I learned that people of the same race have a hard time distinguishing differences on facial features in a police line-up. If you're an Asian witness, you'll have more difficulty picking up criminal in an all-Asian line-up than in an all-white line-up/ And when you're abducted, you're best chance of escape when they lock you inside the back hood of the car, it to break the taillights from the inside/ Of course, that's only applicable in America because most cars in the Philippines have broken tail lights. LOL.
And these are just the current top six. :)
