Next Stop? Everywhere! (Happy 50th Birthday to the Doctor Who-verse - Aliens, Companions, Robots, Villains, All!)

I just finished playing the Google Doodle celebrating Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary. It took me a while to get all letters, but I made it to the end. It was the latest in the long line of DW teasers celebrating this Saturday’s anniversary special. It will feature Doctors Ten and Eleven, my favorite Doctors of the series.

But I suppose “favorite” is too weird a word to use, especially in a serial that spans 50 years. For every Doctor, there will be a dud episode, a weird plot arc, an iffy companion, a ridiculous villain, and a backstory factoid that won’t seem to fit the canon. If you play the part long enough, the law of averages will win out, and you will have some series’ peaks as well as some crazy troughs. (That was certainly true of the Tenth Doctor.) But what matters in the whole history of my admittedly short DW fandom is that I started the journey. And thankfully, that journey is still ongoing.

My first Doctor is also the youngest – Matt Smith. That seems weird to say on paper, but I do have HUGE affection for Matt’s Doctor in that his series’ debut was the very first DW episode that I watched in full. Never mind that I was stuck on a treadmill debating what to watch on the little TV screen in front of me. I clicked on the BBCA channel in time to see little Amy Pond see a blue police box crash into her garden and I’ve been hooked ever since. Very soon, I was rooting for Number Eleven as much as I was rooting for his companions’ relationship to survive the trials of being sucked into the time vortex. Amy and Rory were my favorite Doctor Who companions. Not Rose or the Doctor. Or Martha and the Doctor. Or whoever else. It was Amy and Rory. Arthur Darvill, in particular, was an inspired and lovely piece of casting. As the Doctor described him in “The Wedding of River Song”, “The loyal soldier, waiting to be noticed. Always the pattern. Why is that?” It was such a sweet summary of Rory’s character through the seasons. Though Amy waited for her Raggedy Man, Rory waited for his girl, his Amy. And he fought for her amidst the wars of the universe. It was quite fitting that their final episode has them transported back in time where they lived their years together. And fans were treated to our beloved Rory character getting closure through a storyboarded webisode where their son meets his grandfather for the first time and explains why he’d have to keep watering the plants from now on.

The fact that his companions were sometimes larger-than-life compared to the Doctor possibly necessitated a change. Whereupon Clara came in. it was quite a clunky character device, in that she was supposedly in the Doctor’s timestream and therefore a part of all his reincarnations. We will see what the 50th anniversary episode has for us.

My first brush with Doctor Who fandom, meanwhile, happened much, much earlier. I was a fan of the series “Heroes” and in one episode, Christopher Eccleston guest-starred. At that moment, the Internet LIT UP like crazy. The Doctor is in this episode! The Doctor! Doctor Who! At the time, I was like, aptly enough, “Doctor who…?” I tried to look him up and it turns out he played the Doctor the year before. I was like, “okay great” but didn’t go beyond that. I thought, well, he’s no longer the Doctor now.

Then a year or so later, when I was reading through casting news for the new Harry Potter Goblet of Fire movie, news of David Tennant being cast as Barty Crouch Jr. spread like wildfire and also took the Internet by storm. I was like, “who IS this guy??” Upon seeing the movie, I thought to myself, “he only has like, 5 minutes of screentime – what the heck was the fuss all about??” I read up on him, going backwards, and again, Doctor Who cropped up. This is nuts, I thought. And it wasn’t until I was transfixed on that small TV screen on the treadmill that day that I finally figured out what the fuss was all about.

Since I didn’t have a DVR or subscribed to Hulu or Netflix, it wasn’t easy to watch the series backwards. Sometimes BBCA would randomly air a Tenth Doctor episode, but that was rare. And even rarer was a Eccleston episode. At some point, I’d have a pretty good sample of Ten episodes (there were a lot; he played the role for 5 years!) to figure out that he did a phenomenal job with the character. He’d had something like 4 major companions (Rose, Martha, Jack, Donna), and the recurring companions like Jackie and Mickey and Wilf. My top two DW episodes are all Tennant’s: “Blink”, “Waters of Mars”. Third goes to Eccles’ two-parter “The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances”. Funniest episode had been “Partners In Crime” and possibly most of the Doctor/Donna season. I LOVE Catherine Tate. Next to Rory, Donna was my other favorite companion. I love that she was “just a mate” of the Doctor’s. None of that romantic nonsense. And then third goes to Capt. Jack Harkness. That Capt. Jack love eventually translated to me binge-watching the first three seasons of “Torchwood” – it was great! (Jack-Ianto forever! Also, *sniff*…)

If it weren’t for 2013 being the anniversary year of Doctor Who, I would never have watched any episode of the older Doctors. But the BBC did show at least one memorable episode from each Doctor’s time, and it was fun watching old-timey sets and costumes (Tom Baker’s scarf!) back then, along with the older versions of the TARDIS, the Cybermen, and other monsters of the week. It was fun watching the original Master duke it out with the Doctor for the first time. And the Daleks never changed, save for a pop of color in the current version. The Daleks are still the enemy. Some newer “monsters” came along, and at the top of any Doctor Who list of terrifying monsters, especially my list, were the Weeping Angels. “Blink” was the first time they appeared on the series and I was rightfully frightened out of my mind. I was thankful that it aired in the daytime, because I otherwise would have jumped out of my skin at the climactic scene. Though Tennant did not feature largely in this episode, Carey Mulligan did a fantastic job as Sally Sparrow, as did the first-time lady director. The episode was both outstanding and a standout in that it didn’t have the same look and feel as the rest of the Tenth Doctor Who episodes at the time. And the story structure was different, too. Combine these along with a superb heroine, a mostly absent Doctor, and a truly terrifying monster of the week, and I will say that “Blink” is the best and my favorite DW episode of all.

As a fan of Matt Smith, I love that he is a huge goof and makes the Doctor funny and approachable and relatable. I think the fact that he was very young, had humor, and had companions that were his age helped cater to a younger demographic and most likely brought an increased audience to DW (myself included). And also the fact that he wasn’t afraid to be KissyDoctor helped as well (a character trait born from Paul McGann – the underappreciated Eighth Doctor and one whom I still love to bits).

But I think Tennant, and to some degree, Eccleston, showed the best characterization of the Doctor. Not just with humor and empathy, but with a great deal of enigma and tragedy as well. “The Waters of Mars” was a particularly telling story that emphasized the “Lord” in Time-Lord. Tennant’s Doctor showed us that, while he can take a pratfall or two, he is ultimately a powerful being that can do away with any compunction whatsoever if he feels like it. It’s a recurring theme that was planted in Nine, and underlined in Ten’s legacy. That, despite being an advocate of peaceful resolution and the fact that he does not utilize any weaponry, he could erase universes and alien races, bring down governments, and manipulate individuals and events that could change history. And indeed, he has done all those things. When he brought about a character’s suicide towards the end of “Waters of Mars”, the tragedy that plays out on the Doctor’s face was very telling and yet you knew this was just all in a day’s work for him. In “The Stolen Earth”, when Davros chided him for fashioning his companions into weapons, you felt the weight and guilt of that statement on him. It was one of the risks associated with being the Doctor. Sure you can travel and create extraordinary experiences. But to have lived so long and alone amidst great darkness and evil was bound to affect your psyche and, eventually, the people you associate with.

I had assumed that Doctor Who will have an endgame at some point. People are talking about a finite number of regenerations, and yet the franchise continues to amass and amaze. The Twelfth Doctor was also a genius casting choice (Peter Capaldi, who will need to keep his tongue in check and play/talk nice for now) and whom I will need to enjoy the ride for as long as he is able. I don’t know if they are going to end the series, nor how. I think the “how” is a good question. Will the Doctor finally find peace? Happiness? Love? Well, we all know he’s married to River Song, and has a granddaughter Susan. So there goes “love”. And I don’t think “peace” will ever be achieved as long as inter-planetary turmoil continues to be an issue. So, “happiness” maybe? It’s odd to think that a franchise with such a devoted fan base is predicated on a character that is lonely and sometimes, angry. I’m not sure how this will all end. For now, I will enjoy the journey. Bring on Number Twelve, please.

But first, let’s see how three Doctors are going to save London again this Saturday.

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The X-files on their 20th Anniversary

Today is September 10, 2013 and the 20th anniversary of The X-files. I’m writing this is in the middle of a busy work afternoon because I feel like I should write some sort of paean to the series that kick-started my habit of “appointment viewing” as well as my devotion to all the things good about the small screen.



The show didn’t make its way to the Philippines until months later, if I recall correctly. The honest truth is I didn’t know how I stumbled upon this show. I most likely heard about it from reading the Entertainment section of the newspaper. (It certainly wasn’t promoted very well around these parts, that’s for sure.) Cable TV and the Internet were still in its infancy, and quite possibly the most hi-tech gadget of the period was a brick-sized mobile phone. I was certain I was still in high school when the show premiered in the Philippines, but it was during my early college years when it reached the height of my fandom. All I remember was hearing about it, being very intrigued, and parked in front of an old TV set in our kitchen on the night it premiered. It was aired on a Friday night over a government channel with a muddy reception. So when I tuned, it was half white snow half black and white, with sporadic TV crackle amidst the dialogue. But there was no mistaking the fact that I was watching the most popular sci-fi drama in the US at the time. As a typical teenager, I would normally gravitate towards the good-looking male leads in the TV shows I watched. But for some reason, on The X-files, I fell in love with Scully’s character. And in turn, because I was a teenager, I wanted her to fall in love with Mulder’s character.

Borderline obsessive character shipping aside, I tuned in every episode for the crazy plotline of the week. It could be the ongoing saga of government conspiracies, or the monster-of-the-week episodes, or whatever weird supernatural phenomena they decided to tackle. For a series that boxed itself in a genre, the content at their disposal was ENDLESS. And regardless of how disparate it may seem, they all felt organic to the show. The fact that the exposition was tied down at the very beginning (Mulder as the irrational one who believed his sister was abducted by aliens and believed in government shadow conspiracies teamed up with Scully as the rational doctor whose sole job was to find the science underneath all the crazy and rein her partner in) helped to structure the series and gave it a tonal foundation that is unmatched today. The fact that the two leads’ personalities and backstories were very different helped give the stories a yin-yang quality. Compared to today’s standards, you’d be hard-pressed to find a show that had a similar distinct tonal center, and one that only needed very few characters to achieve it. (The closest I could think of was “Breaking Bad” and I like to think that Vince Gilligan got a lot of help from his experience on “The X-files”.)

Another way that the show distinguished itself was through its production values. Even though I squinted through the poor reception in our kitchen for half of the episodes I saw in my lifetime, I could make out the production design and the cinematography that gave the show such a wonderful atmospheric quality. Though it was mostly set in Vancouver (for the first half anyway), the production team deserved a ton of praise for working off a limited geography and giving the show a feel that was both metropolitan, small-towny, and alien all at the same time. Looking at the sheer scope and breadth of the series’ technological achievements, it was no wonder that so many of its well-known and well-praised alumni were folks who worked behind the scenes – writers, producers, directors, designers, all. Again, it is hard to find another current TV show whose behind-the-camera talent were just as revered and adored as the ones in front of it. The fact that fans of the show were also fans of the show’s crew meant that “The X-files” as a whole was its own universe.

The show ran for nine seasons, and I admit I tuned out by the time Scully left the series. The channel they showed it on likewise gave it up as well and I remember being unable to watch the series finale until a long while later, somewhere on the Interweb. But for the first few years of the show, I was obsessed with it. I was the only one in my family who was, and they knew better than to try to watch another TV show while I was watching. There was one time when a friend called while the show was on. She was my best friend, so I took the call in the living room, out of eyesight of the TV set. The conversation went on for about an hour, and I completely missed the episode that night. However, while I was on the phone, I could also hear some faint shrieking and gasping that was coming from the kitchen. I knew the TV was on, but for all I knew, my older sisters had hijacked it and changed the channel to something else. Imagine my surprise when I finished my phone call and returned to kitchen to see my two sisters excitedly gabbing about “The X-files” episode they had just seen. It was the much-celebrated “Tooms” episode, and they had been frightened and fascinated at the same time. I was silently cursing myself for missing out on the sequel to one of my favorite monster-of-the-week episodes, but I was happy that my sisters finally understood my obsession for the show. Or they did at the time. They never did watch the show again with me. Oh well.

Apart from the two “Bile-man” episodes, there were a number that I recall being hugely entertained by. I particularly loved those episodes that played up the duality of its characters, with extra humor. I remember loving “Small Potatoes”, “Arcadia”, “Jersey Devil”, “Ice” – a lot of early episodes, for sure. I didn’t think the Philippine broadcast aired the episodes in order, and I didn’t understand the “hiatus” concept yet, so I became a little antsy when they kept re-airing previous episodes (though I didn’t complain). But I loved seeing Mulder and Scully try to explain the phenomena they were investigating, and usually the explanations were a little ridiculous or out-there. But you had two actors who could sell anything, including mounds of sexual tension. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them play off each other.

The show was also notable for featuring some of the most iconic lineups of supporting players – who didn’t have to have names! Apart from fan favorites Skinner and The Lone Gunmen, you had the Cigarette Smoking Man, Alex Krycek (Mulder’s “Murdoc”, as I called him). The rogues’ gallery of villains on this show is fantastic, with most of them as likable and anticipated as they come. I remember lighting up whenever Krycek would show up, and yet, true to his villainy status, I cheered a bit when he was killed by Skinner.

My love for the show after the first season had me devouring all and any news I could get my hands on. That Rolling Stone cover that launched a thousand sighs? I begged a friend of mine from the States to buy an issue for me, and I still have it, in my childhood bedroom back home, covered in plastic. Reports about Gillian Anderson’s pregnancy leading to a storyline twist had me anticipating the “Duane Barry/Ascension” episodes like a kid on candy. They did not disappoint, although the next Scully-less episode made me miss her terribly. At the time, I didn’t realize why I was so invested in her character. I must have thought she was expendable, especially after reading reports where the Fox executives didn’t even approve of her casting at the start. And that certainly, the X-files was a Mulder thing, and that if Scully got taken off the show, it would still go on.

But there’s the irony. She WASN’T expendable. In fact, the show hinged on the chemistry and professionalism of these two actors. And the reality was Duchovny left the show first, and it still went on. It was only when Anderson also left that the show took a bit of a dive. Looking back on my Scully love, I must have gravitated towards the fact that she was an intelligent, confident, and FUNNY woman. She was the lead on a TV show that was not afraid to write strong female characters. She held her own against an admittedly charismatic co-star, and racked even more awards and recognition than he did. Hers was the only character who developed progressively over the course of the series – from skeptic to believer. Ok, maybe not a full-fledged believer. But she was able to rationalize Mulder’s beliefs in a way that only he can accept. She took the X-files to a place that is beyond tolerance, and fought for truth that is out there just as valiantly as Mulder did.

I still see re-runs of “The X-files” on TV, and I try to stop and watch each time when I can. The series’ timelessness is absolute. The fashion is pretty generic “FBI agent in a suit” (although Scully would probably disagree that her power suits date her in early 90s Hillary mold). In a world dependent on technology and social media, we still believe in an X-files world where the characters don’t rely on Google so much, or where they don’t automatically reach for their mobile each time the other is in trouble. We don’t miss the technology that is out there in here. The banter remains funny and current. And the story’s conspiracy mythology is still alive and kicking in the real world. I firmly believe that “The X-files” will still be a hit if it debuted today.

Twenty years later, the show is no longer running but its legs still do. Vince Gilligan is in the midst of his extended goodbye letter to “Breaking Bad” fans and it is epic. James Wong writes for the multi-acclaimed “American Horror Story” series (which I still refuse to watch because I don’t want to have nightmares). Gansa and Gordon continue to produce “Homeland” and deliver great results (I only have the awards to go by as I don’t have Showtime and thus don’t watch it). I still see David Nutter’s name in the credits, most recently on “Game of Thrones”. John Shiban has tested the BBC audience with his involvement with “Torchwood”. And Rob Bowman, God bless him, directs my guilty pleasure show, “Castle”. And the list goes on and on. We know that both David and Gillian are enjoying their small screen successes, though Gillian’s post-X-files career is mostly set in the UK.

And while their fans have grown up, they are multiplying by sharing their love of the show to their kids, or simply to others. When I was watching the show, I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it because I didn’t think anyone my age watched it. Turns out I was wrong. As soon as news about the show’s 20th anniversary started appearing, some of my friends’ FB updates started lighting up. And I was certain most of the online chatter did, as well. Their anniversary was gloriously celebrated in the house that Star Trek/Star Wars built along the shores of San Diego. So apropos that they ended up communing with the hard core fans in Comic Con. And if you’ve never been a Scully fan before, well you’ll love her for saying this: "I've never done them before and I'm doing them for a year -- it's the 20th anniversary of when the series started -- and I thought, 'Just for a year, if it fits into my schedule, I'll show up and meet the fans." Oh Anderson, you are just AWESOME. Now that I'm older, I'm no longer dying to see physical manifestations of Mulder and Scully's love for each other. However, that exchange at the Comic Con panel was a HOOT. I have no doubt in my mind that Mulder and Scully should have slept with each other ages ago. But I love that David and Gillian continue to have fun with their characters even twenty years later. It never gets old. Kudos to Chris Carter for conceiving this whole universe, for sticking to his guns on hiring Gillian, and on stubbornly refusing to defuse the sexual tension until many seasons later. And doing it off-camera, too.

When the 1998 movie came out, I entered a local newspaper contest that awarded premiere tickets to the winner who wrote the best essay in answer to “Why I love “The X-files””. I won the contest and I took my sister to see it. I no longer remember what I wrote to “why I love “The X-files””. All I know is I still love it and feel it. The fans thank you, Gillian and David. And Chris. And everyone who was connected to the show. And everyone who connected to the show. It may have been twenty years but it’s hasn’t gotten old at all. And we know the truth is still out there somewhere.

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Prognosis is good. Whew.

I thought I'd lead with the positive thought that Kevin Ware is going to be ok. And I also wanted to show a photograph of Ware putting everything in perspective for his teammates. Even though I think that was the shock talking.

Anyway, I wanted to let the universe know that this was a lovely exception to live broadcasting. Everyone acted appropriately. The Louisville players acted appropriately (distraught and, later on, determined to win the game - which they did). One player, in particular, acted really courageously. Luke Hancock, who was on the bench at the time of the injury, immediately ran over to his fallen teammate to console him. While medical personnel were trained to automatically rush to someone's aid, Luke felt no compunction about going to Ware while everyone else tried to look the other way.

Coach Pitino acted appropriately. He put on a brave face, tried to help his player. In the end, he let a few tears fall. He even reacted appropriately when press asked the question of whether or not this was the worst feeling he had ever felt. He mentioned losing a child a few years back - that was worse. Again, perspective.

The Duke bench acted appropriately. You could feel the worry on their faces. Thornton's reaction was particularly memorable. You even felt Coach K's paternal instinct as he kept an eye on the other bench. But they kept on their side of the court. They clapped in encouragement when Kevin was finally wheeled off the court.

The Louisville cheerleaders acted appropriately. Typically known to give in to fits of OTT-ness, the ladies were surprisingly restrained and drama-free. And never forgot to do their job. They continued to yell support and encouragement at the fallen player.

CBS and the rest of the broadcast team acted appropriately. They kept the replays to a minimum, and simply let the gravity of the scene do the talking. They kept focus on the other players, the worried crowd. They temporarily ceased to discuss strategy. And, as USAToday wrote, the segue back to the game was in good taste.

Medics, doctors, and hospital staff definitely acted appropriately. And gave Kevin Ware a good prognosis.

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The Kiss

The teasers did advertise it as the "kiss heard around the world". Well, the fact that the sound crew did little for that scene but just keep still and quiet meant that this was an important development. "New Girl" has always been one of my must-see TV shows, and the chemistry between Jess and Nick has always been palpable ever since the Thanksgiving episode in season one.

I wasn't really sure if I like the idea of letting them kiss this early in the show. But I'm interested to see how this all pans out. I know there will be consequences, and that should make for plenty of comedy.

I wonder how many takes that scene took? And whether Nick going for another one was planned? I'd like to think of Jake as being in the moment and kissed Zooey again. It certainly sold the scene for me. That was HOT.

Clearly Nick and Jess are the endgame here. But I can't help but feel might bad for Sam and his inner dork. I really really like him, and think he's way cool and well suited for this band of crazies. If there was a way to have Sam and Jess break up but still give Sam a reason to hang around, that would be ideal. I mean, Cece does it when she's no longer with Schmidt, so weirder things have happened. (This always happens to me; as soon as I get invested in someone's TV love interest, they break up. See: Josh from "The Mindy Project".)

Anyway, glad "New Girl" is keeping things moving at least. And good for them for dominating last night's ratings.

Also? Winston finally gets a girl. About damn time!

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It's Not About the Bike Anymore

Lance Armstrong is a jerk and a bully. He said so himself Thursday night in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. And I believed him. I personally knew athletes, and I know how terribly disciplined they can be. They need to train, to be on a strict diet, to follow a schedule for months on end. They are sometimes not the happiest campers on earth. Lance Armstrong was telling the truth about himself being a jerk and a bully.

He is also a cancer survivor. It's a story that's resonated with the general public. It's difficult not to know someone who hasn't been touched by cancer, whether as a patient or a family member/friend. His survival story is legendary, and inspiring. That he really did beat cancer I can believe. And it says something about his fighter spirit. I'll bet he thought that if he can bully the disease into remission, then he can bully his way into anything. Including another shot at the Tour de France.

Which he did. Seven times. While his desire to win was channeled into something healthy, his transformation from patient to athlete showed aggression and a ruthlessness that fed into the doping culture of the sport. Like he said on Thursday, he didn't do anything to stop it. And he did all he could to surround himself with a culture-friendly and -savvy retinue.

The backlash will be enormous. He has already pinned a dollar figure to his losses ($75 million in just days after the USADA report went out). He has admitted to going to therapy, and reaching out to those people he tried to ruin when they spoke up against him. He has already felt the shame and humility of admitting the truth to his children. In that moment, as he struggled to speak on television, one can't help but be consciously aware of the burden these children are operating under. And that there was nothing more Armstrong can do but to tell them to stop defending him anymore.

He admitted that stepping down from the foundation was the most humbling thing for him to do. But no one can deny that it was the right thing for him to do. However, the foundation has done more than just raise awareness for cancer. It became a social network of folks touched by cancer. It's become bigger than Lance Armstrong himself. Those Livestrong bracelets are his legacy. The millions of dollars it has raised for many years will go on to contribute much to cancer research. That legacy is nothing to be sneezed at. And this is why Lance Armstrong, for all his flaws, will continue to be relevant. Maybe not within the sporting world, but he will stand for something else greater than all his yellow jerseys combined. Some people have criticized that Armstrong keeps hiding behind his cancer story. By golly, if you had beaten stage 3 cancer, you would have celebrated it as well. His cancer story is out there for everyone to see, and it is the believable truth that he does not have to hide from. That it took him only two years to get back into fighting, cycling shape was remarkable as well. Everything about his cancer story, right up to the point when he started doping, is something that needs to be told.

The fact that Armstrong was able to redefine himself post-cancer was a phenomenal feat in itself. To millions, he is an inspirational public figure. A dedicated athlete who was also a philanthropist and cancer warrior. It's as his book title shows, he's not about the bike anymore. The fact that he admitted to the drug use and the bullying will not stop people from still seeing him as someone to aspire to. He may feel enormous shame, and he will feel vulnerable after all those therapy sessions will have made their "tectonic shifts" on his psyche. But I think he will raise up the fighter in him to go on with his life.

I have no doubt in my mind that the conversation that Lance Armstrong started will continue. And it could even happen that Lance Armstrong himself will no longer figure into the debate. But the legacy that he has started, with his foundation and his yellow bracelets, will go on. Lance himself will live on. And live strong.

Postscript - Of all the articles I've read about Armstrong in the past few months, I was most impressed by this Grantland article by Wesley Morris.

I even managed to crib from the ending of his article. He has a personal stake in Armstrong's legacy, however. As do millions, I would imagine.

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And In the End... Life In the ER Went On

Last night we bade good-bye to one of television's most enduring dramas, ER.

My first experience with ER was a bit hazy, but I do remember I was in high school at the time and planned ahead of time to hog our cable-less TV set in the kitchen and wait for the pilot to come on. My decision to watch a TV show that I knew nothing about, save for its pedigreed executive producers (Crichton and Spielberg), owed much to Sherry Stringfield.




I loved her back in the days, and I still do now. She was my favorite character in NYPD Blue (secondaries be damned), and was mad at the writers for slowly writing her out of the show. (Of course, I expected it when David Caruso left the show.) But when I found out that she was going to be in another show – ER – it made me feel better to know that I wouldn't have to miss her all that much. And so in the mid-90s, I watched what would be known as one of the highest-rated drama series in TV history.

Looking back on it, I cannot really put my finger on why I loved ER. Save for Sherry, I knew no one else on that show. My only other favorite character out of the series was Anthony Edward's Mark Greene. I didn't like George, Juliana, Noah, even Eriq. They all had character flaws that grated on me (and George, in particular, annoyed me to no end – until this very day!). I only loved two out of six actors, and yet I found myself in a weekly habit of staying up until 10PM on Thursday nights just to watch this wonderful show.

I think it was the fact that it was so different at the time. Unlike shows of this decade, ER opened every episode with a full cast intro. It had a hip, fantastic score. That score was what initially made it different from the rest. It mirrored the spirit of the show – its kinetic frenzy and breakthroughs. And the direction was pretty much unlike any other. Steadycam shots and "oners" (one-take acts) – it broke through the traditions of the TV medium. Every actor was utilized – from the EMTs to the nurses, to the docs themselves. There were no walk-ons or standbys. Everyone in the shot had something to do. And if you had visited a real-life ER at some point in your life (and with a doctor sister, I had lots of times), you knew that it was a very realistic scenario that played out really well in front of the camera. It was a successful mix of execution and emotion.

And unlike other shows that followed, ER continued to provoke emotions of its viewers through nuance and subtleties, instead of relying on gore and viscera. The urgency of hands flying in the ER, of people yelling over each other, blood suddenly appearing on scrubs or surgical gloves, or even gushing out of nowhere, of doctors' eyes flashing back and forth to each other while trying to save a life. The emergency procedure was the core of the medical drama. There was no mystery to be solved. ER situations are cut and dried and test a doctor's will and skill. There was no Housian mystery or GA lead-in to some complicated surgery. ER was like a one-two punch that left you reeling and awash in emotions. And then they hook you in some more with some nice character-driven drama.

Benton mentoring Carter. Susan adopting her niece. The Ross and Hathaway relationship. Mark's constant demons and attempts at leadership and love. It was typical drama, but set in the all-too familiar life-and-death hum of the ER, or in the backdrop of a gritty Chicago. The setting accentuated the drama. It was one of very few TV shows that allowed the setting to dictate the story. It was, I think, one of the reasons for its longevity, despite a continuing exodus of characters. It did not depend on one doctor, but on a location. And that location shaped the people's characters and motives. It is the ER itself that carried much of the drama and made for solid TV.

I am sorry to say that my decision to stop watching ER coincided with Susan's first departure to Arizona. I loved her character, and was rooting hard for Mark to stop her from leaving. And then she left. So I, too, left.

And I do say that it was something I regretted, seeing as how there have been some more amazing moments on the show since then. But Susan was the reason I watched the show in the first place, so it wasn't the same for me when she wasn't around anymore. I do tune in a couple of times and I see different faces each time, different ER chiefs-slash-antagonists in the mold of Kerry Weaver (still my favorite anti-hero). I knew about Benton's family issues, Carter's slow descent from idealism, Carol's reunion with Doug, and then there was Mark Greene. There was a time during the show's 15-season run when I was prepared to watch ER again, but when I found out that they were killing off Edwards' character, I couldn't get myself to watch. And so Season 3 was my last full ER season.

But like all those who felt the impact of ER in their lives, we came back to say good-bye to the show. And it was so nice of the show to give us fans, those who stayed and those who left, the chance to be nostalgic and to look forward to an ER future. There were no more character deaths. County General did not close down. Old faces mingled with the new, and past fans like me were shown how far the show had come, and how much there is to look forward to (Rachel! The Joshua Carter Center!). There was a wonderful nod to continuity with John Wells' script that paid tribute to the first season. Doctors playing hoops, Carter asking Rachel if "she's in", Morris being awakened at the beginning. And while there was a general air of expectation of sadness and closure, there was very little to feel sad about with the continuous energy within the ER. The morality tale will continue to play out, and relationships will continue to be tested.

It was wonderful to see everyone back, including Doug and Carol three weeks earlier. Back then, I was not a fan of these two. But seeing them again, and seeing how happy they still are, it brought me a sense of closure for these two. I got teary-eyed when, after answering a phone call in the early morning about the kidney donation they helped procure for Dr. Carter's eventual transplant, Carole turned to Doug in bed to say that they saved "some doctor". And again, it was so moving in the way that everyone continued to be connected in some part to each other. It was no grand "I Love You!" or song in the rain. It was a life saved. As was usual.

I love it when the show basks in the quieter moments. I still remember Susan's last day in the ER in Season 3. How they had this wonderful farewell party planned in advance, with streamers and balloons and cake and party hats, but then they got deluged with emergencies and everybody scattered about. And Susan just went around the ER lovingly gazing at the spirit and energy in there. And she then walked out of the hospital and just left. I was sort of torn up the first time I saw it. Aside from screaming out at Mark to go after her, I thought it wasn't the kind of farewell I would have wanted for my favorite character. But looking back, I loved how quiet, subtle moments like that just made me feel a sense of love for the show. The fact that two of the most iconic scenes of the show made it on to the credits for as long as it did – Carter's exhausted sigh in a dark corner outside the ER, and Benton's "booyah!" gesture in the hallway – is a testament to the power of a tender moment.

In the end, as always, life goes on in the ER. It was a fitting end to an important place in a community, and an important show in the history of television. No one left. Everything and everyone was right where we left them. I held my breath when the camera zoomed out and focused on a full building shot of County General as the El train whizzed past. I love that that was the final bookend image to this great series. That ER was part of something bigger, and that its relevance in the greater scheme of things was never questioned.

Maybe in the following days, or even weeks, we will come across people, articles, blogs, etc, all praising the finale. ER has achieved an amazing degree of popularity, with viewership peaking at around 35 million in Season 2. And that was just in the US, and didn't count people like me who were from the other half of the globe. With such viewership, I won't be surprised if everyone you met had watched it at some point in their lives, not counting syndicated episodes. The show deserved its successes then and even now. It was an unprecedented kind of success for a scripted drama, and it will never happen again.

I'd like to say “thank you” to a show that made me feel like a grown up while watching it. I was young, and my parents constantly supervised my TV viewing habits at the time, and yet they never vetted ER. For that I was thankful. ER was the first "real" TV show I watched, with content mature and intelligent enough for me to learn from. It had an air of edginess and accomplishment about it, and I felt I was "cool" while watching it. I never did understand the power of the Clooney, but I found myself being invested in the show's characters. My older sisters look back on St. Elsewhere as THE television medical drama. But I will always fondly remember ER. Thank you, Mr. Crichton, for writing a pilot that was both so poignant and powerful that it hooked me (and millions others) along with it. And thank you, Mr. Spielberg, for giving the show a sense of dignity and respect it deserves. And thank you, Mr. Wells, for being behind it all for the full 15 seasons. And thank you to all the cast of characters and guest stars and crew on the show. Television was forever changed by the likes of you.

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Good-bye, Conan

Oh, Conan.

You made me laugh and cry last night. And kudos to you for a wonderful final good-bye, and for a shout-out to David Letterman. You and Dave are my favorite nighttime companions. What would late night be without you?

Thank you so much, sir. New York misses you already. Good-bye and good luck.

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Aww, Jeff...

From another mind-blowing episode of Lost, I saw a rather heartbreaking episode of Top Chef.

Last night saw my favorite contestant, Jeff, eliminated. While that in itself made me sad, what made me sadder still was the fact that Jeff seemed very upset about it.



Jeff was my favorite not just because he's a nice-looking guy (yes, I'm shallow that way), but because he immediately distinguished himself as a skilled chef with a distinct cuisine. Not only was he technically proficient, but he was a risk-taker. Week after week, he created complex and seemingly flavorful dishes (the latter I cannot guarantee, but I will take the judges' word for it). As a chef, he was the only one who went for the challenge instead of going for simplicity (coughLeahcough). Granted he sometimes fell short of great execution (having been in the bottom a couple of times), but I felt his desire to impress was, of course, impressive.

As a contestant, he amused me with his time management, as he constantly zipped by sinks and burners and stations looking a tad panicky. But I think he really is like that, and with the way his mind works – with the complexity of his dishes – his body needed to catch up. Hence the constant movement in the kitchen. And the irony was that he does have an organized mind, as evidenced by the Craft and Foo Fighters challenges. He impressed me as a leader and that meant that he ran an exceptional kitchen.

The sad thing was that his steadfast refusal to do a simple dish would be his downfall. It didn't help that Colicchio constantly misunderstood him. As a competition, I did expect creativity and risk-taking to be rewarded more often than not. But it seemed that Jeff fell short of the mark.

As he goes off into the Miami sunset (or into the banalities of the sequester house), I will always remember him as that exceptional chef who earned the respect of his fellow contestants. He did not talk badly about others or their dishes. He was a fantastic team player. He was sociable and personable and handled himself well in front of the camera. He was not a douchebag (like Stefan was). He did not get into a distracting flirtation (Leah and Hosea). He was self-aware of his zealous over-thinking (I love that it has become a joke among the chefs). And despite his obvious talents, he was neither misguided nor arrogant, like some contestants were. He was firm but nice when he was being tested (with Stefan, Radhika, and Jamie). He was refreshingly drama-free, and was simply the opposite of what reality TV show contestants are. I loved his dry humor, his hilarious "magic trick", and his unassuming demeanor.

Nice qualities like these are what made his elimination painful to watch. I literally put a hand over my heart as he gave a final, sad interview. He thought he could make it to the end, and I thought so, too. And while he doesn't seem like he needed the money, I could tell it would help him a lot. While I'm sure his Miami restaurant is a fantastic opportunity for him, I can tell that a chef of his caliber would want to be independent and open up his own. Because that is what creativity does to you. And I wish he had won just so I can see what he can do with a $100,000. However, I love that he has a future, and that he's got his profile out there and people (like me) will be encouraged to see him and what his restaurant has to offer.

People could argue that he needs to learn simplicity and nuance and to keep his head focused. That may be true of some instances, but Jeff's success in large part has been due to his creativity and his social successes. Let's hope he never stifles that. One of these days I will afford a trip to Miami and see what surprise his restaurant has in store for their guests. Knowing what kind of a chef he's shown to be, it will be quite an experience.

For more information on Jeff, click here.

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NPH on SNL

Last night’s Saturday Night Live was one of the few episodes where I enjoyed it immensely. Huge props go to nineties teen icon (well, to me, at least) Neil Patrick Harris.


I’m so proud of Neil Patrick Harris. I grew up on “Doogie Howser, MD”. He kind of taught me an efficient, and more thoughtful way to maintain a journal. With his short but sweet entries, he sort of blazed the trail for all PC bloggers out there. His character was smart and yet incredibly flawed by youth – which everyone who were in his or her teens at the time could definitely relate to. His character basically defined youth life in the nineties for me. Not “Beverly Hills 90210” or “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”. It was Doogie himself.

I was also proud of the name he carved for himself. He tried the stage, which I hadn’t known until I saw him perform during the Tony Awards. He was one of the characters on “Assassins”, and I remembered just feeling awed by how incredible he sounded. He really is an amazingly well-rounded and gifted performer.

“How I Met Your Mother” is basically the Barney Stinson Show. But I loved how incredibly tight and clever the writing is. It’s not just funny – it’s CLEVER. You rarely see that kind of sitcom on TV these days. Probably the only other funny show that comes close to clever is “Pushing Daisies”. HIMYM made me fall in love with Neil Patrick Harris all over again. He might never get industry recognition, but he will always get ours, the fans’.

His hosting SNL was a long time coming. I hadn’t realize that he was almost up to it when Doogie Howser was still hot then (although I thought Fred Savage was a good enough pick – he was popular back then, too – and he’s still another 90s teen icon that’s slowly making his own good way in the business). But his episode last night was just that rare SNL episode. It garnered laughs off of the HOST and not off of some returning former cast member (see Tina Fey’s Palin skits, or Will Ferrell’s Dubya). The writing was really good, and successfully straddled the line between deliciously obscure (Paul Lynde, all the zingers in the Save Broadway sketch – especially the snark at “Stomp!” being relevant), nostalgic (the digital short on the Doogie Howser theme), and irreverently current (Frost/Other People). Neil Patrick Harris was just awesome. From his self-deprecating intro, to his first skit as a hilarious thrusting fitness trainer (spoofing Bob Harper much?), to his other turns, including his Mark Cohen-with-the-theatrical-arms and his David Frost with the eyebrow and the hair... it was a FANTASTIC episode, a great way to open 2009.

Taylor Swift was surprisingly good, too. One can imagine the feeling of being a teenager and being asked to be the musical guest AND to perform on one of the SNL skits. She gave this unabashed joy at the end of her first number, like she was overwhelmed and it was honestly a sincere and cute emotion. Loved that.

I also found it somewhat sad that Seth Meyers was hosting Weekend Update all alone, but then you recall all those years when that portion of the show has always been hosted by a single person beginning with Chevy Chase. Watching Seth Meyers handle the news by his lonesome kind of filled me with a sense of pride, knowing that he was fantastically funny enough to handle this (and he was!). Great job, Seth.

But of course, the whole show was definitely anchored on Neil Patrick Harris’ shoulders. And he was such a great sport and gifted comic. I loved him on it, as I have with his other projects. Here is hoping for more success for him!

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Goodbye, Grissom

Come Thursday, January 15, it will be the end of an era.

For CSI fans (of the original series set in Las Vegas, and not of the spinoffs), it will be Gil Grissom's last episode as a series regular. It will be William Petersen's last. As a fan for all of its nine seasons, it came as a sad surprise.


I remember the first time I got hooked on this show. My older sister had beaten me to the TV and I was forced to wait it out by watching along with her. I felt that if I waited long enough, she would tire eventually and hand me the remote. It turned out to be a CSI episode

To me, it was a procedural unlike any other. It presented science and technology, forensics and psychology. It was all about the CASES. It was very different from any other procedural that I grew up with – although, looking back now, I don't think I remember any procedurals like this on television. Early procedural dramas such as Homicide and the Law & Order series were not heavily immersed in the science lab like CSI was. Those TV shows that did – Cold Case, NCIS – were based off of CSI's success. CSI made science and pathology cool again.

In CSI, the regular characters were secondary only to the killer and the victims. The science was explained, and helped unravel storylines such that it became a mystery-thriller, a kind of old-school whodunit bathed in blue light. It was like a Discovery Channel show with actors. The mysteries intrigued me enough to capture my attention, and to make me a fan for life.

It is a wonderfully different show in that its cast of characters took a backseat to the mystery of the week. But each episode brought out a subtle quirk, an emotional story, a little backstory of what that character was like. Warrick's gambling history, Gil's predilection for insects, Catherine's Vegas stripper roots, Sara's childhood abuse, Nick's empathy, and Greg's eagerness to impress. Little by little, as the years went by, we were able to look at the character with a little more depth. Continuity and surprises abound for the regular viewer – and the honest truth was, to truly appreciate this, the show and its characters (down to even the lab rats and police detectives!), you had to have been a fan, a regular viewer. So that, as the series progressed, when the characters started getting their own story arcs, you were immensely invested.

No other show, save for "House MD", has created characters with so much depth to them. Of course, the long history on the air helps, but I think the show has got a formula that works, that allows fans to continue to watch. There is more to CSI that just intriguing storylines, good writing, and great directors. The action on the screen progresses quickly, but the character story that unfolds is a whole lot slower. As a result, the viewers' investment is not only with the show itself (whose quality is superb), but also with the characters themselves (whose lives are just as flawed and imperfect as ours are).

Eventually, the show brought the characters to the fore. They were no longer secondary to the cases. Sometimes, they were involved with the cases. Catherine falls in love with a suspect. Warrick threatens a corrupt judge. Grissom stresses out over his team's internal politicking – a plot point that was played very very subtly by the writers (e.g., Sara's disappointment over Nick's promotion, or Catherine being upset when Gil bypasses her). Sara's credibility getting shredded in court. Greg getting beaten to near-death by a drugged-out mob. And Nick being buried alive. And heck, even I got upset when Detective Lockwood got killed during a bank robbery episode!

Every character got a story arc that was faithful to how they were initially portrayed at the beginning. And that went on for many years, seeming to reward fans who stayed with them.

A very good example was Sara and Grissom's relationship. It started out in Season 1 and took baby steps – steps so small that even I wasn’t sure whether the writers were toying with us. Until an episode where Sara was called to the stand and the defense drilled her as to the status of her relationship with Grissom – listing those instances in previous episodes that seemed vague to me at first but was made fully clear by then. To me, it was a reveal that was both surprising and organic, a sort of a prize for sticking it out with the show. It was only five seasons later when their coupling became official – and even that was implied. No passionate kiss, or romantic conversations. It just happened.

I loved how the writers didn't need to put Sara and Grissom in acts of intimacy just to clarify their relationship. The same goes for the other characters. Even the downspiral that was Warrick's marriage was relegated to a background phone conversation here, a throwaway line there. I appreciate that the writers know that the power of the show is in its implied meanings – no sap or cheese like in "CSI Miami", and none of that brutish mentality that permeated "CSI New York". The original CSI was built on implications and subtlety, which was more often than not provided by its fearless leader, Grissom.

To me, Gil Grissom – William Petersen – was the anchor of the show. He provided it with a gravitas, a snark, and an intelligence that pretty much shaped CSI and distinguished it from its other spin offs. And now he is leaving it. After nine years of hard investigative work, he leaves behind an era of procedurals that were founded on science, a hip locale, and an edgy soundtrack.

In actuality, the era started its end when Warrick died. Poor Warrick and his gorgeously intense eyes – the tormented CSI who lived hard and found no solace outside of work. He was loved by fans, and so his death signaled a passing of sorts. Nick lost a friend to banter with, Catherine lost a colleague to flirt alongside with, and Greg lost a colleague who would call him out on his odd predilections. There was a new girl, Riley, but it will probably take me ages to accept her character. One might think that the end actually began with Sara's leaving – but her gloomy disposition and prickly demeanor lost her a lot of points with the viewing audience. And so her leaving wasn't as difficult to consider as when Warrick was suddenly shot by the Undersheriff. Warrick had just been exonerated, and had left a cheery team breakfast when tragedy befell him. So it was more painful.

But Grissom leaving will be even more painful. The first parter already left me with a genuine sadness. And the varied reactions to his leaving were very telling of that person's character. And seemingly real, too. They also seemed to mirror us viewers' feelings. David's literal sadness. Doc Robbins' subtle desire to know why. Hodges' moping. And, next episode, we will see Nick's and Greg's farewells in the form of sincere gratitude. But I think the best kind of moment I have seen so far was between Grissom and Catherine. Those two have been like a Mulder and Scully but without the sexual tension. The moment Catherine appeared prior to Grissom's ear surgery in Season 3 was when I realized that these two have a great friendship that went beyond the lab. And it was the best – and realistic – relationship ever depicted on the show, I think. Catherine's beautifully rueful smile when she told Grissom that she "knew before he did" broke my heart a little. Here was a friend who was happy and sad for him at the same time. And we all felt that sort of mixed feelings at one point in our lives, and Marg Helgenberger did just the right amount of perfect. I also felt the same way for William Petersen – happy and sad at the same time.

The figurehead and father figure of the CSI team will leave behind a huge void – that even an Oscar nominee will find difficult to fill. But I am happy that he is leaving to pursue something that only a true actor would find more fulfilling than a lucrative TV career. Theater is that one branch of entertainment that has stood the test of the ages, and I respect so much those actors who continually succumb to the pull of the stage. (So few TV actors I know of do this on a regular basis, such as Robert Sean Leonard.) I only wish William Petersen the best, albeit with a heavy heart. And here's hoping that Gil Grissom pops into the lab from time to time.

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Toni and Dallas

Well, tonight's Amazing Race episode just reaffirms my love for this mother-son team.

Toni and Dallas were a class act tonight. They were smart, and just appreciative of everything. Even though they were made to look like "fools" in the Detour. Dallas, bless his heart, was just a hoot to watch and just made the Detour look like a ton of fun. I think it is moments like these when a person is just lucky to be traveling with a kid (albeit a college-age kid) on TAR. He was mooing and skipping across the street, and had a pretty good sense of direction (despite being temporarily lost looking for the marked milk stand). And he was very supportive of his mother. Toni was also a great teammate. She rocked the Roadblocks, was surprisingly in great shape, was culturally sensitive, and really trusted Dallas with certain things. I really like this team.

Now if Dallas could just get his eye off Starr...

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