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clodia_risaI've been working on sorting all the piles of paper lying around my office. I've got a filing cabinet, but I'll need a lot more hanging files before I'm able to sort it all properly.
I'm actually doing more than just watch TV - I'm just trying to get back into the habit of posting, and putting down thoughts about TV shows is a good way to start.
Again, loved the episode. Katic has an amazing range of expressions, and she's allowed to use them every episode. I enjoy the digs at both police procedurals and at mystery novels. And even though I knew that Brendan was the guilty culprit from the second he said "We should just tell the truth guys" they made the trip to that knowledge fun and exciting. (Seriously - if you're in a group of kids and one of them is unnaturally self-possessed and knows anything about the law and is unduly forthcoming - guilty. That's the sociopath there. At least on TV.)
I still appreciate that Beckett and Castle take turns being the inspired one and the fooled one, and their chemistry is fantastic. The scene where she twists his ear to get him away from the phone was beautiful.
My main complaint is that the daughter is too perfect. She's so well-behaved and informed and studious and docile and articulate. I mean, I was what one would call a goody-goody much of my teenage years. But I didn't read the newspaper, and I didn't chose studying over even people watching at a star-filled party. I wouldn't've responded to my dad telling me that I was adorable in my sleep like she did - I would have stammered or frozen up or something. Maybe my relationship with my parents than hers, and maybe she's inured to the thrills of the star's life. But it just feels off to me. As much as I love Castle's devotion to his daughter, the daughter feels unreal to me. She is the perfect foil for the partying grandmother, and I like that he has a home life that he can go back to (even if this week did the SVU-Stabler trope of "cop learns lessons at work and institutes them at home", that's the first time that they've done it).
I also want to make a couple of notes on the racial makeup of the cast, as I'm trying to actively notice these things. There are eight named recurring characters - five are white, two are black, one is hispanic. Of the four cast members who are given some amount of background and motivations, all four are white. Three of those four are in the same family, so I'll not deduct half a point for that. The bio section on ABC says that Laurie Parish (the ME) is Beckett's friend. I have seen no evidence of this yet, although I hope to in episodes to come. On the other hand, I know that there is a tendency to give white main characters a "black girlfriend" to support them without actually having lives of their own. All we know about the secondary characters (who are all Beckett's coworkers) is that they are competent, like teasing Beckett, and have heard of Castle. The actor that plays Montgomery (the boss) is a Tony and Obie award winning actor, writer and director. All we know about his character so far is that he will go to the Knicks game with Castle and the Mayor.
That's not to say that more characterization isn't imminent. This is, after all, the third episode. But as happy as I am that it's an entirely Caucasian cast, I would also like it if POC were not relegated either to the background or as the sidekick. I'm trying to think of a basic cable show that has a POC as one of the main characters. Psych and L&O both do, but I think in both they're the sidekick or the junior partner. Dollhouse has Boyd as a handler, but I think all advertising is going to focus on Dushku. Am I missing any shows?
For me, it is not enough of a reason to stop watching. I love the dialogue and the characters and the plot. But I feel it's important to notice these things - one more step along the path of acknowledge my privilege, right?
I'm actually doing more than just watch TV - I'm just trying to get back into the habit of posting, and putting down thoughts about TV shows is a good way to start.
Again, loved the episode. Katic has an amazing range of expressions, and she's allowed to use them every episode. I enjoy the digs at both police procedurals and at mystery novels. And even though I knew that Brendan was the guilty culprit from the second he said "We should just tell the truth guys" they made the trip to that knowledge fun and exciting. (Seriously - if you're in a group of kids and one of them is unnaturally self-possessed and knows anything about the law and is unduly forthcoming - guilty. That's the sociopath there. At least on TV.)
I still appreciate that Beckett and Castle take turns being the inspired one and the fooled one, and their chemistry is fantastic. The scene where she twists his ear to get him away from the phone was beautiful.
My main complaint is that the daughter is too perfect. She's so well-behaved and informed and studious and docile and articulate. I mean, I was what one would call a goody-goody much of my teenage years. But I didn't read the newspaper, and I didn't chose studying over even people watching at a star-filled party. I wouldn't've responded to my dad telling me that I was adorable in my sleep like she did - I would have stammered or frozen up or something. Maybe my relationship with my parents than hers, and maybe she's inured to the thrills of the star's life. But it just feels off to me. As much as I love Castle's devotion to his daughter, the daughter feels unreal to me. She is the perfect foil for the partying grandmother, and I like that he has a home life that he can go back to (even if this week did the SVU-Stabler trope of "cop learns lessons at work and institutes them at home", that's the first time that they've done it).
I also want to make a couple of notes on the racial makeup of the cast, as I'm trying to actively notice these things. There are eight named recurring characters - five are white, two are black, one is hispanic. Of the four cast members who are given some amount of background and motivations, all four are white. Three of those four are in the same family, so I'll not deduct half a point for that. The bio section on ABC says that Laurie Parish (the ME) is Beckett's friend. I have seen no evidence of this yet, although I hope to in episodes to come. On the other hand, I know that there is a tendency to give white main characters a "black girlfriend" to support them without actually having lives of their own. All we know about the secondary characters (who are all Beckett's coworkers) is that they are competent, like teasing Beckett, and have heard of Castle. The actor that plays Montgomery (the boss) is a Tony and Obie award winning actor, writer and director. All we know about his character so far is that he will go to the Knicks game with Castle and the Mayor.
That's not to say that more characterization isn't imminent. This is, after all, the third episode. But as happy as I am that it's an entirely Caucasian cast, I would also like it if POC were not relegated either to the background or as the sidekick. I'm trying to think of a basic cable show that has a POC as one of the main characters. Psych and L&O both do, but I think in both they're the sidekick or the junior partner. Dollhouse has Boyd as a handler, but I think all advertising is going to focus on Dushku. Am I missing any shows?
For me, it is not enough of a reason to stop watching. I love the dialogue and the characters and the plot. But I feel it's important to notice these things - one more step along the path of acknowledge my privilege, right?