On this Week's Episode...

Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I start reviewing TV shows. After all, it is my second favorite thing to do, after shredding weights at the gym.












Psych.




I'm obvs (new term I learned from my friend Canada and urbandictionary.com) not a gym rat. I am Ms. Promiscuous TV watcher. And yes, that means I "display an undiscriminating or unselective approach" to my choice of TV shows. And yes, that means I'm a TV whore. Case in point, my most favorite widget in the whole world of Mac widgets is the TV guide widget. I just like saying "widget"; it sounds like the name of a little girl with strawberry blonde curly hair and no idea what hell adulthood's going to bring her. 


Ok, I'm obvs (again with this word!) off to a fun little tangent. Back to TV Land. Writing's always been a passion of mine anyway, and I rock the dictionary & thesaurus when I compose 100+ e-mails at work everyday. Now, if only I have something to write about other than shipping delays and testing protocols. I think like the character Joel Graham in last week's episode of NBC's "Parenthood" said, "I don't have a hobby."


I'm sure he was just feeling down in the dumps; after all, his life is all about his daughter, Sydney. I guess after a while, being a stay-at-home dad can take its toll on a parent. In fact, the last two episodes of  "Parenthood" tackled Joel's issues and insecurities quite extensively. I like that the show's writers finally took the time to explore this character who was really overshadowed during the 1st season by the other members of the Braverman clan. 


Ok, for those who haven't seen this television series, here are a few reasons why you should consider watching Parenthood:
1) It's set in Berkeley, California. 'nuff said.
2) It has a gorgeous cast. Sam Jaeger is cute, and who wouldn't want to cuddle with Coach/Mr. Incredible? C'mon!
3) The script flows naturally. The characters tend to talk over each other, interrupt each other, tease each other, and scream at each other. In other words, it sounds like any other big family with a healthy dose of crazies and normalcy. 
4) Even if you're dealing with multiple story lines (i.e. four families versus two CSI cases), each thread is easy to understand, and thoroughly engaging.
5) You will identify with one or more of the characters, whether you're the pot-smoking rebel child, the hyper, distressed, fast-talking mom (Lauren Graham AKA Lorelai Gilmore, who else?), or the hippy, stubborn dad (Coach!).


I identify not with any one character, but with the dynamic of the Braverman family. I love that the extended family frequently has family dinners, and that they're all within driving range of each other. That's something our extended family frequently do in California, where the food is plentiful and the Saturdays are lazy. (They also remind me of another new favorite show, about a slightly cooky, very Modern Family; more on that in another post.) And, despite the show's name, it doesn't just tell stories of what it's like being a parent (which I'm not), but also what it's like being a daughter, sister, cousin, aunt (which I am) to a whole host of people who love you and hate you, but really, they love you. 


And just like that, I wrote a TV review. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)