Dear ABC Family, your show is bad

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU: 1.02 “I Want You to Want Me”

The best part of this episode was the commercials. Not only did we get a break from this show, but there weren’t even any commercials about Secret Life. So congratulations, ABC Family, you succeeded in eight minutes of not-bad television.

At this point, we’re just not even watching 10 Things I Hate About You. I mean, now it’s just a show about a high school with two sisters. In the movie, these two girls would never talk to each other in public. What’s more? Kat would never just be quiet while her sister was upset over the flowers. She’d be telling her directly why she’s so stupid to be upset and how it’s commercialism at its worst. And that since she started it, she should be staked through the heart with said carnations, Scrooge-style.

More so, she would not be upset that Patrick Verona didn’t get her a flower. In fact, she would be avoiding his advances still, not hoping for them. (Though I did appreciate her subtle insult at the Twilight fans out there, though I suppose that was more of a characterization statement and less a true insult to fans.)

The only good part of the episode was the newcomer that played the “perv” (sadly, I couldn’t find who this was on IMDB). He was actually entertaining. I mean, he acted like a real high schooler.

But what of the end? The black eye that supposedly Mandella gave him. It was sad, and I kinda feel like it was out of place. I mean, I guess I can see that Mandella wants to be Kat, but to hit him? I guess we haven’t quite seen why she did it yet. Was it to make up for the way he was hitting on Kat? Did he hit on her, Mandella? Did he not hit on her? It seemed…out of place.

And then there was Bianca. I’ve noticed that she’s quickly transforming into a character that’s just as flat and fake as Grace on The Secret Life. In case you’re new to this blog, that’s not a good thing. She’s just a blonde, chipper, one-dimensional character. Nothing new. And ultimately boring.

As for the flower plot? It’s been done. Now, I did appreciate that Michael was the one that would buy himself all the flowers in some vast popularity scheme (he does seem to try to reach the original Michael a little bit in his mannerisms, too, which helps). But being forced to bring them the next day? That just seemed like a forced joke.

I don’t think that Michael was ever that desperate to be popular. I don’t think Bianca ever had to try so hard to be popular. Where is her confidence? Bah! Chastity might’ve been this b*itchy, but she hid it under a facade of niceness, so you really thought she was a friend until you realized too late otherwise.

Where are the real characters? Why is it that we’ve dumbed this premise down just because it’s on television? Is that saying something about the next generation of teenagers? They’re just too stupid to look for quality and depth in television–is that what ABC Family is trying to say?

Bah! I’m so frustrated by this. So I look to you: What’s your opinion? Did you grow up with the original? Is it breaking your heart? Is it good for you? Tell me. Please.

The initiation into ‘In Plain Sight’

IN PLAIN SIGHT: 2.11 “Jailbait”

Dear god. Can Francia Raisa possibly be in any show without taking her clothes off? I mean, sure, she was in lingerie in this one, and I can’t promise how much she’s actually taken off in Secret Life (I avoid that show at all costs), but either way, apparently this girl’s quite comfortable with promiscuity on television. Anyway…

I’m not sure if it’s an evil twist or just a coincidence that my first exposure to In Plain Sight happened to feature someone from one of the most detestable dramas on TV. But then again, we also had Carlos Gomez, who played one of the evil demons in Charmed. But I’ll ignore past associations so I can get to the real thing: the show itself. (Though I will say, Mary McCormack already impresses me since her appearances in The West Wing, so I’ve got a positive position already.)

You know, I really didn’t know what to expect with this show. I never really had a reason to check it out (thanks to my smart commenter who suggested I watch it, by the way), but I never had a reason not to either. I never really knew what it was about in the first season. I thought it was just another cop show. It wasn’t until the second season started that I found out it was about the witness protection program. And then, of course, I feared that I missed too much to catch up.

But it’s very accessible. And clever! The conversations outside the case really make you identify the character, and I really like the relationships. It’s something that gets lost pretty easily in many traditional cop shows. And while this might not fall in that category anyway, it’s an added bonus.

Anyway, this particular case didn’t grab my attention beyond the first few gunshots. I’m not entirely sure why. It might be because I found the daughter annoying (true, Raisa could act better than she does in Secret Life), but it seemed like the relationship between her and Cesar just didn’t seem to be all that important after her mother was gunned down in the street and the two were taken into witness protection. And the overprotective father bit? I mean, the scene where he was ready to kill Olivia’s friend for seeing her try on lingerie was funny, but by the time he was threatening Cesar, it just seemed forced.

However, the choice to say good-bye to her father forever or to stay with Cesar, that was a rough one. And it definitely made for an emotional scene in the end. It was something that you really didn’t think about as you watched things unfold. Now she’s lost both parents.

And in the end, they reconnect. It was brave of her to stand up against them, but I’m not 100% content. It seemed a little predictable, and a little too easy for Jesus once he sees her change seats. A true 180 in 60 seconds.

My question is this: What’s to prove that they still wouldn’t track down Olivia and kill her after his testimony anyway? Whether she’s with Cesar or not, she’s still in danger of being killed. With the menacing look between father and son, I could definitely see the father pulling Cesar’s puppet strings.

But hey, that’s what witness protection is for, right? I assume they have to go back in, even though they got their happy end. You can correct me if I’m wrong (I’m a newbie, remember?). Plus, even  Mary got a happy ending–and you know that suckered me in.

So my initiation? Successful. At least for another week (and maybe even checking out a few from the past season or so).

Oh, and the goat jokes? Loved them.

Drop Dead Diva not so diva

DROP DEAD DIVA: 1.01 “The Pilot”

First, I want to admit that I thought Drop Dead Diva was a Lifetime original movie. I had no idea until the day of the premiere that it was a television show. And you know? I think I might’ve preferred the movie.

It’s not that I don’t think it was good. I enjoyed it. But how far can you really go with the story? It’s basically Samantha Who? meets Beautiful Girl (that ABC Family movie from a few years back) with a slight modification. Deb died, pressed a button in limbo (I guess you could call it) and ended up in Jane’s body.

Jane, of course, is a heavier girl with food cravings that are completely new to Deb, who was a model. She has all of Deb’s memories, but she had Jane’s new smarts. Unfortunately, this leads to a little bit of amnesia on her part because she can’t remember Jane’s life (hence the Samantha Who? reference).

This does seem like something new and different on television. And if they hadn’t put Deb’s old beau in the office, working with Jane, I don’t think they really would have anything beyond the first two hours of a TV series. (That’s funny, that’s the same amount of time for a Lifetime movie.)

What struck me odd about this show was that I thought that I’d hate Deb. They established very early on that Deb was not a bad person. She wasn’t a good person, mind you, but she wasn’t a bad one either. She was actually…a sympathetic character. And that’s good! But is it diva?

When I think “diva,” I think self-absorbed, mean, cruel person. If she were put in that body, a diva would be horrendous. She would never go to work, let alone try to fight for someone in court. She would spend her entire time not comprehending why she’s there, what did she do to get this way, how does she fix it, and why isn’t someone giving her a back massage while she’s stressing about this matter! Deb wasn’t like that.

Deb almost embraced the job and the brains. Sure, she tried to quit later, but she very easily went back. The only thing she seemed to struggle with is the headache that came with thinking too hard, which got a little old after a while.

So I’m not quite sure what to think. I’m sure that she’ll have struggles–the most obvious being trying to get over (or get with) Grayson, and her new coworker. But can this really pull off being a series?

I’m not sure. I’m willing to give it a few more episodes, though. The cast seems to work well, and honestly, I think Brooke Elliott is doing a fantastic job as Jane. So I’ll give it a try.

What did you think?

Will a puppy save your marriage?

ARMY WIVES: 3.06 “Family Readiness”

This episode seemed to be all about the arguments between a man and wife. Well, except for Trevor and Roxy. For the first time this season, Trevor was actually happy, and it was all because of a dog. Perhaps we should pass them around to all the families on the show. I think they all need some work.

Oh, well, except Roland and Joan. They seem to be ok, too. Maybe it’s the influence of the baby. Puppies and babies. That’s the key.

So let’s look at the most difficult situation of all. What did you think of Claudia Joy taking in the girl from Iraq? I find it…interesting. Actually, I’m not quite sure what I think of it yet. I guess I’ll have to see how it plays out. I am thinking, though, that there might be some interesting developments between her and Emmalin. I mean, Emmalin took the time to learn a greeting in her language, and our new character seemed to light up when she saw Emmalin. Could Emmalin be a good or bad influence on this girl? Hmmm…

Meanwhile, there was Pamela and Chase. Man, Pamela really held back when hearing that Chase was going to take a passive aggressive voluntary job. I mean, I would have really let loose on that one. He’s been such an annoyance and jerk since he’s gotten back. I mean, I guess I can understand his point, but still. He’s always been one of the well-adjusted husbands when he returns, just glad to be back more than anything else. I was kinda glad to see him return–and I’m glad to see that they  made up–but for a while there, it was touch and go.

And finally, Frank and Denise. I’ll give Catherine Bell props. She can really play out the sad, hollowed eyes well. I mean, how could Frank not see how much she was hurting just by looking at her? It was very convincing.

And throughout all this, in the end, I wanted them to get back together. Strange, right? I’ve never been a fan of Frank. Especially since we saw the tight grip on Denise that he had. He never wanted her to change, and he was rigid and almost mean. So why would I want them to be happy now?

Kudos, Army Wives. You’ve made one of the bad guys into one of the good guys. Suddenly, I’m sympathetic to him, and I hope for the best. And based on this episode, it looks like there’s hope for their marriage (I still see the possibility of a white wedding/vow renewal at the end of the season).

So anyway, it was a decent episode. I’m a bit tired of the marital bickering and hoping for some more forward motion for the show, but I’ll take what I can get. At least we’re all speaking to Denise again. That helps!