The Televisionary

Cities of the Underworld

I know I’ve been on a Supernatural kick lately, but I have been watching other stuff. I like to intersperse documentary shows into my regular schedule of dramas and serials because it makes me feel like I’m occasionally still doing something with my brain even though all I’m doing is watching television. Also, I do have quite the travel bug so this show fulfills both those itches.

Cities of the Underworld is a program that focuses on one city in each episode, and examines the history that is buried underneath the ground. It is a mix of history, travel, and engineering. The show covers a pretty wide range of underground monuments, from Roman palaces under Istanbul, to prohibition era underbellies of Portland, to Hitler’s bunkers under Berlin. It is fascinating the way these major cities around the world can hold so much history and so many secrets right under its modern roads and buildings.

So let me geek out a bit here, I am a civil engineer and I can spend hours talking about the marvel in the hydraulics of the Roman aqueducts, or the centuries old columns and arches that hold up modern highrises, or even the central ventilation system built into medieval era underground cave dwellings. It’s no wonder that I can also spend hours watching this show as they explore the mechanisms of these underground cities, some of which used to be above ground but became buried as modern progresses took over, and others that were never meant to see the light of day but had to be built to be inhabitable by kings and rulers.

I try not to take my job too seriously, but there is pride in knowing that I’m practicing the same craft that helped in building these timeless monuments, that I am somehow related to the masterminds that gave rise to entire cities for people and emperors alike. At the risk of sounding like a real egomaniac, it reminds me that the civil in civil engineering means we are helping to build civilizations.

But if you are not an engineering nerd, there is still plenty for you in this show. The history is a bit touch-and-go, but it is enough to pique the curiosity and make you want to know more. I love maps and the show has great graphics that show expansion of empires and the expanding limits of the city as it grew from infant village into metropolis. I especially love how it will contrast the view from underground with what is currently above it. Anyone with even a vague interest in history would find something to love about this show.

Then on top of all that, there’s the travel aspect. I am currently planning a trip to Turkey and Czech in a month, and I’ve been rewatching the specific episodes of the cities I’ll be visiting. I’ve been taking notes of where I can access some of the underground and do a bit of exploring of my own. Even if I can’t get into some of the archeological sites, it is still so fascinating to know the history of a city before going there, and to be aware that a whole historic city is right beneath your feet. You can really appreciate how history has helped build the city into what it is today, how there’s whole city blocks of empires that rose and fell right beneath you, and how it’s not just modern engineers who have had a hand in building these modern cities but that they are building on top of their predecessors. It’s really quite inspiring to know that not only am I helping to continue a legacy in building cities, but that someday someone else will take over my work and build on it, perhaps even literally.

Favourite moments of Supernatural Season 4

Episode 6 - Yellow Fever

Episode 16 - On the Head of a Pin

Episode 18 - The Monster at the End of This Book

Favourite moments of Supernatural Season 3

Episode 3 - Bad Day in Blackrock
When Dean gets the lucky rabbit’s foot and gets ungodly luck…

Episode 5 - Red Sky in Morning As Dean walks in looking dashing in a tuxedo…

Episode 13 - Ghostfacers. Just the entire episode.

And overall, the entire series can be summed up with…

Girls Season 2

**Spoilers alert**
I just finished the season finale of Girls, and thought I’d write down quickly what I thought. I want to get this out before I spend tomorrow morning Facebook chatting with my girl friends about the episode instead of working.

Alright, so everyone I know who loves this show has pretty strong opinions about the couples. I think this can be chalked up to us finding the parallel between these couples and our past relationships. It’s easy to say “Marnie and Charlie don’t belong together” when you’ve been a half of that relationship and never looked back, but let’s put those aside for a second.

I love how cyclical the show has been. This season was such an explosion of experiences for the girls, which I suppose is what Hannah first told us it would be like. She was out for experiences, whether good or bad, she just wants to know she’s lived. I’m sure many of us feel that urge, feel that impulse to just experience everything as though our 20s are the only time in our lives we can be so reckless. Perhaps that’s true. But we see how they’ve all fallen back to the start, everything has come back to how season 1 started. Except somehow, everyone is just a bit more sure now, a bit happier and a bit more decided on the life they’re living.

Now I know how tongue-in-cheek this part of the show was. It showed up as a cheesy corporate motto that someone like Hannah would totally chuckle at, but I get it now. All the girls were either pushed or just propelled themselves outside their comfort zones, expecting magic to happen. It’s not the magic they expected, but something did happen, didn’t it? They somehow became more fully grown human beings, even though it sucked getting there. I almost want to put this on MY wall now, because it’s hilariously ironic. It’s like the genie that reminds you to be careful what you wish for.

I love the detail on Shoshanna. She’s supposed to be a few years younger than the rest of the girls, and everything she went through this season would have fit in perfectly with the rest of the girls from last season. Now she’s out to experience life herself. Does this mean that next season she’ll self destruct and find herself back with Ray? I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.

If you’re still hung up on the girls getting back together with their exes, I understand. I mean, can’t everyone see Marnie just getting sick of Charlie again? It’s inevitable. But I do think something has changed. Charlie changed probably the most out of all the characters in this season, and I think it would be hard for Marnie to take him for granted again. She got sick of her idea of him, not who he actually was. She refused to see that he was his own person until she wasn’t a part of him anymore. I don’t think she would be so blind again. And if it does happen again, then I think they would just keep yoyo-ing on and off forever.

Now Hannah and Adam, the broken self involved needy baby with the  demented creepy psychopath artist. Don’t get me wrong, they have their nice qualities, but given how ridiculous both characters are, don’t they just deserve each other?

If the moral of season 1 is to show the unglamorous lives of young, overeducated, privileged girls, then I would say the moral of season 2 is to show the side of romantic love that isn’t always so sure, the relationships with doubt and uncertainties. The people who end up together that still have to prove they should be together, episode after episode. Forget happily ever after. Once again, Lena Dunham has broken another Sex and the City myth, and made clear that a lot of times, people end up with people who aren’t perfect. There is no soulmate, there’s just somebody who is as messed up as you, and accepts you, and loves you. At the risk of sounding like a romantic, maybe that’s all you can really ask for at the end of the day.

Supernatural Seasons 1 and 2

Well I know this show has already been going on for almost a decade now, but I’ve just started watching with the Boyfriend and it’s been extremely enjoyable. So this post is going to be just on the first 2 seasons of Supernatural, which is how far we’ve gotten. Oh man it’s going to be hard finding images for this post without spoiling myself…

Supernatural is this fantastically campy show about two brothers who are ghost hunters. Well, that’s not completely accurate. They hunt everything that’s even slightly paranormal. It’s incredibly cheesy and tongue-in-cheek, the writers and producers seem fully self-aware of how ridiculous the premise for their show is, and they own it. Dean, the older brother, is almost constantly making pop-culture references to their cheesy predecessors and contemporaries. I pretty much died when Sam, younger brother, became a psychic and Dean just kept making J. Love references.

“Hey, Sam, who do you think is a hotter psychic - Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Hewitt, or you?”

The correct answer is Sam.

I’ll admit that Jared Padalecki is not my favourite dude, not even in Gilmore Girls. His face is just perpetually pathetic puppy dog. Then he took his shirt off. You’re welcome, ladies. But chiseled perfection aside, I’ve been a Dean fan since the first episode. Not only does he get the best lines, this man is the sexiest thing on my television since Bear Grylls.

Now that we’ve covered the IMPORTANT points of the show, let’s talk about the actual content. So far, we’ve encountered demons, vengeful spirits, Native American curses, wendigo, werewolves, djinns, vampires, and the reaper. Sounds like pretty standard fare for the supernatural round-up. I’m still disappointed that there hasn’t been an angels episode. There almost was one, but he turned out to be a messed up spirit. I personally think it’d be absurd to have a show that has been 70% about demons, but not to have angels. Don’t they come hand in hand? The demons flinch at the name of God, how could there not be angels? Well keeping my hopes up for future seasons.

I also really like when they actually go into the lore of the monsters they’re fighting. I wish they would focus a little more on the research part before they start the real hunt. Not that I’m some weirdo spirit-worshiping fanatic, but it’s nice to see how certain demons and monsters seem to appear across different culture’s folklore, and that although a monster may have different names in multiple languages, that they really describe the same scary aspect of the darker side in human nature.

Despite how cheesy the show is, filled with puns and references, it’s genuinely scary sometimes. I definitely jumped a few times during the first episode, and some of the settings are downright creepy. I had a moment before going to bed last night that I thought a spirit was standing over me, but I was too drunk to move anyway so I just figured I’d just go with it. Turned out alright.

I’m excited to see what the next few seasons will bring. I managed not to spoil myself while searching for images, although I read something about dragons? Exciting. We basically spent the last weekend doing nothing but watching this show and pretty much flew through the first season. I’m sure it won’t take too long to burn through the rest. Good hunting!

The Paradise

File this with Downton Abbey in the Anglophile period dramas. Remember when I mentioned that I was in withdrawal from Downton Abbey? This was one of my methods of coping.

The Paradise is a series by the BBC, based on the novel Au Bonheur des Dames, or The Ladies’ Paradise, by Emile Zola. Anyone who is a fan of period dramas and classic novel adaptations knows that nobody does a finer job than the BBC. The show takes place in a department store named The Paradise at the turn of the century. A department store was such a novel and innovative development at the time, and new ideas were being constantly developed and tested. It was an exciting time and The Paradise was a truly exciting place.

The story follows Denise, a young girl from a small town who came to the city to look for work. She becomes a shop girl at The Paradise and quickly catches the attention of Moray, the owner. Denise’s ingenuity and kind nature wins her quite a few friends, including Mr. Moray. At the same time, jealousy develops within her manager, another shop girl, and the rich and glamorous Catherine, who hopes to one day marry Moray.

I know the show sounds like the stuff cheap soap operas are made of, but it’s so captivating. As the audience, you can’t help but root for this hopeful, sometimes naive girl who is almost too clever for her own good. Then there’s all the mystery and intrigue surrounding Mr. Moray, and will he or will he not finally marry Catherine and put the poor girl out of her misery? Finally, there’s the Paradise itself. The setting is done so beautifully, and the way the characters speak of the merchandise, it makes you wish the store was a real place where you could go and shop and be bedazzled.

I don’t mean to suggest that this show is even close to replacing Downton Abbey, but it makes for a nice distraction as we wait for the season 4 premiere. It’s a simple show with a heroine that’s easy to fall in love with, and a dashing, mysterious male lead doesn’t hurt either. And of course, what you can’t forget in a period drama is the wardrobe. The dresses that Catherine wears are full of bells and whistles, and her hat collection - they’d make Kate Middleton envious!

I was glad to hear that the show has been renewed for a second season. You never really know with the Brits, sometimes they keep a show for only 2 seasons with 3 episodes each and sometimes they’ll beat it like a dead horse for 50+ years. I’m also quite curious about the actual novel now, which I might pick up just to see how the adaptation compares. Because, you know, I’m THAT kind of nerd.

Homeland

The post-9/11 world has really rocked the television industry, and Homeland is by far my favourite among the resulting military/defense/security programs.

Homeland is about Nicholas Brody, a soldier who was taken prisoner in Afghanistan, found years later and returned home. As the country and his family celebrated his return, CIA agent Carrie Mathison gets a tip that an American has been turned and is working undercover for the terrorists. Carrie suspects that Brody is the suspect, and continually tries to put him away, all the while fighting demons of her own. With the simple description, it’s easy to think this is just a spy vs. spy show, but it’s so much more than that. It follows Brody as he adjusts to civilian life, and his family as their lives have changed significantly in the years of his absence.

The cast of Homeland is just remarkable. Claire Danes is perfect for the role of Carrie if only because she portrays Carrie’s manic depressive craziness so convincingly. She has these wild crazy eyes, and you have to stop and wonder if Claire Danes herself isn’t just a little bit crazy as well.

Damien Lewis as Nick Brody took a little longer for me to really fall in love with, but I’m there now. Especially after finding out he’s British while watching him accept his Golden Globe award. I’m still undecided on how hot Nick Brody actually is. Sometimes he looks smoldering, and sometimes he looks just plain creepy. See below.

Sexy?

Mustache?

Last but definitely not least, Mandy Patinkin. He plays Carrie’s superior in the CIA, and is basically the most lovable character on the show. This man can switch between puppy dog eyes and laser death glare in a split second. Also, there’s nothing better than Inigo Montoya running secret ops as a spy in the CIA. I’m pretty much just enamored with this man.

I sometimes wish Mandy Patinkin would just be my friend and give me some tough love when I’m having a bad day. Because nothing is more motivational than Mandy Patinkin.

Season 2 of Homeland ended last year and Season 3 should be starting in September. This is one of my most anticipated shows to come back in the Fall, I can’t wait to see what happens between Crazy Carrie and Brody.

Adventure Time

This is going to be such a trip. Adventure Time is technically a children’s show but I am so glad to be an adult watching it, because it’s incredibly clever and entertaining.

This adorable show is about a boy named Finn and his magical dog Jake, and they live in this fictional world called Ooo. The Land of Ooo is filled with whimsical characters, such as the various princesses (Bubblegum princess, Hotdog Princess, Raspberry Princess, and my personal favourite, Lumpy Space Princess). It’s also a place of peril and adventure, and the show follows Finn and Jake as they navigate through this strange and amazing world.

There are a lot of reasons why this show is not just for kids. Let’s start with the cast. Jake the dog is voiced by Bender, and the main villain The Ice King is voiced by Spongebob. Olivia Olson, the amazing voice in Love Actually, is also the voice of Marceline the bass-playing song-writing vampire.

It actually took me quite a few episodes before I was sold on the show. I really didn’t understand the appeal until I came home one night, overworked and needing a drink, sat down to an episode, and found myself suddenly giggling at the show.

At first I was like:

But then after a while I was like:

Not to mention, there are some ridiculously adorable characters in this show. Lumpy Space Princess is an obvious frontrunner, she’s that purple blobby thing above. Then there’s Gunther, the henchman penguin. The only thing cuter than penguins is an evil penguin.

It’s really easy to just lose an afternoon watching Adventure Time. This show is engaging, funny, and a bit of a trip for your eyes. I would recommend watching this show right after watching Fringe because this would take away any need to do actual drugs. And who can find fault with a show that has such enlightening and uplifting morals.

Girls

I’ve been really hesitant to write this post because I love this show so much, and I have friends who love this show even more, and I’m afraid of not doing it justice. This is about Lena Dunham’s baby, “the voice of our generation” (oh god how overused is that quote), HBO’s Girls.

Girls is about four ladies around the age of 24 who live in New York City, trying to fulfill their dreams of success in whatever form that takes. It resonates loudly with anyone who has gone through a quarter-life crisis, or is living by FOMO (fear of missing out) rather than YOLO (you only live once), or has had shitty relationships that took way too long to end, or had friendships that you genuinely thought would last forever but then devastate you when they crash and burn.

“The voice of our generation” might be pushing it, but Girls definitely is the closest thing I’ve ever seen on tv to address that restlessness of being an over-educated and under-challenged 20-something girl. It’s about that weird time in your life where you feel too young to be settled down and too old to be so damn flaky, and you end up in this weird limbo where you wear inappropriate clothing to your 9-5 job because it makes you feel less Bougie. It’s this feeling exactly.

The blogosphere is very bi-polar when it comes to HBO Girls, and I think that’s quite the intention of the show. You don’t necessarily have to love it to realize how relevant it is. Sociology majors, hardcore feminist studies majors, snobby critics, and women past a certain age love to hate this show. And you know what, some of the criticism is well deserved. Like the fact that it lacks racial diversity, which it did, which Lena Dunham promptly addressed in season 2. Although might I add, that as a visible minority, it never crossed my mind that Girls would be any more relevant if they had an Asian girl instead of 4 white ones.

Then there’s the complaint that this show is just about first world problems. Yes, that’s the point. When you’re a fresh college grad living in the first world, the only problems you’re going to have are going to be first world. This would hardly be an honest or relatable show if it was about 4 young girls trying to solve the AIDS crisis in Africa. If watching tv addressing first world problems is an issue to you, then I would suggest sticking to the BBC. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I firmly believe that people who don’t like this show are the people who generally look down their nose at our generation of girls and wonder why we’re so indecisive and messed up despite being given so much. We don’t know either, we just are.

Okay, I’m done being defensive. This is a show that can really touch something personal within you if you give it the chance. The dialog are so honest, sometimes to a fault. Oftentimes it’s something that you might have thought yourself but would never vocalize, and when you hear it on the show, it suddenly validates that little voice in your head. It’s incredibly accurate in its portrayal of female friendships. Girls doesn’t try to enforce some arbitrary, unrealistic, Sisterhood-of-the-Traveling-Pants type bond where BFF is always the moral of the story. It addresses the fact that sometimes, your friendships are your most important and turbulent relationships, and a fall out can be just as heartbreaking as a break up.

I’m going to end this post on my favourite quote from the show:

“I’m going to look 50 when I’m 30, I’m going to be so fucking fat like Nico and you know why? That’s because I’m going to be full of experiences.”

Experiences, get in my belly.

Flashpoint

This post is going to be about a lesser known shown called Flashpoint. It ran for 5 seasons and ended in 2012. It’s one of my favourite shows of all time, and I ended almost every episode with tears in my eyes, even on rewatches.

I know cop shows are cliche and overdone, but Flashpoint is truly one of a kind. It’s fantastically written, showing the operations of these officers and also the impact it has on their personal lives. But my favourite thing about it is that it is from the lesser known country of Canada!

It is SO Canadian, not just the setting, or the cast, or the random Tim Horton’s coffee cup cameos, but the very way these cops operate. Flashpoint is based on a real team of police officers in Toronto who specialize in strategic responses such as hostage situations, kidnappings, and even domestic terrorism.

The team in the show goes by the name Strategic Response Unit (SRU), and their purpose is to protect, and not just the victims but also the subject. That’s right, subject, not perpetrator or aggressor or bad guy, but subject. They don’t antagonize the villain, because in almost every episode you learn why the situation is happening, how the subject was actually just pushed to the limit in a bad situation and there’s no real bad guy after all. Oh yeah, Canadiana!

There are some heart-stopping episodes in this show, such as the couple who stole medical supplies and tore up the town who you later find out is just trying to live their last evening together as the girl has a terminal disease, or the dad who holds up a hospital at gun point because his daughter was shafted out of a much needed heart transplant. From beginning to end, the show holds your attention and your breath with it. It’s some of the best writing and police drama I’ve ever watched.

And if that isn’t enough to draw you in, there’s also Hugh Dillon. By description he doesn’t sound like a terribly attractive guy. He’s bald with these small, squinty blue eyes and some really big ears. He looks like he’s in his 40s but he’s in good shape for middle age. So this was how I described him to my boyfriend, who was immediately skeptical of my taste in men and grew a bit self-conscious at the same time, but the moment he saw him on screen he understood.

“Oh my God that is a handsome man.”

The whole show is filmed in Toronto, with every episode including a beautiful pan of the Toronto skyline, real street names whenever they get a 911 call, TD banks in the background, and Tim Horton’s everywhere. I can’t profess to any great love for Toronto, but this show can practically make a Maple Leafs fan out of the most stubborn non-Torontonian. My friends and I have seriously contemplated roadtripping to Toronto just to catch a glimpse of them shooting an episode, possibly creating a fake hostage situation and making Hugh Dillon tackle us to the ground and cuff us.

I know I’ve really been Harpering on the Canadian aspects of this show (hah), but it really is worth watching even if you’ve never shoveled snow in May or don’t know what Roll Up The Rim season is. It’s a show that truly humanizes the police force, and addresses all those issues like PTSD and guilt and stress on the family. Every bullet is always accounted for in the show, and the morality of using force to keep peace is challenged and questioned repeatedly. It’s a refreshing and honest take on what it means to be A Good Cop.