Tuesday, May 10, 2011

At Matthew's recommendation (after all, he watched The Shield for me) Ian and I started watching Nip/Tuck, which now we can't get enough of.  It's not like we even like it all that much.  It tends to wander off and drops storylines and whole characters for episodes at a time, and the wife is annoying and sex-addict Gina has just climbed above Corinne Mackey on the list of TV Women I Hate.  If I have to see her again, she might just top Ava.

It's basically television methodone. The Shield was heroin, and we were going through withdrawl, and although Nip/Tuck isn't as good a high as the real thing, it might allow us to get back into watching TV like normal people, without the big heaving sighs of "well, it's not the Shield . . ."

But man, oh man, is this show dark.  And depressing.  There is not a joyful moment to be had in the two seasons we've been watching.  I mean, even The Shield had some genuinely sweet, touching moments--BBQs in the Mackey's backyard, Shane's clogging routine before Lem enters the arm-wrestling contest, the decoy squad streaking through the Barn, and plenty of one-liners to keep everyone smirking. 

But my God in Heaven, there is never a break in Nip/Tuck--whether it's Julian losing his infant son or Sean's girlfriend committing slow suicide while he watches or his ugly horrible son Matt almost killing a girl or one of the nine million times Sean's wife threatens to leave him, it's all so mired in heavy-handed angst. 

And yet, we keep watching.  We have to.  We have to make sure these people are okay even though we don't like them.   It's a train wreck.  It's a soap opera.  It's bad for me and yet, I have to have it.  But, just so you know, I can quit any time I want.  

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