Five of the Many Reasons You Should Be Watching Shameless

For those of you who somehow missed it, my favorite television show of all time is Showtime's Shameless, followed by CBS's The Good Wife. My personal tagline for the show is, "The best show you're not watching." But let's get into what makes Shameless an overwhelmingly under-appreciated television drama. Here are just five of the oh so many reasons you should start watching tonight:

1) Its seamless integration of social commentary into every episode

The entire show is social commentary for poor, dysfunctional families and the way our country handles these situations. After all, Shameless takes place in the South Side of Chicago, or a world of dysfunctional families, where parents are expected to fuck up either children. Their social commentary goes deeper into specific story lines of episodes.

2) The best written gay couple on television

One of the six children in the Gallagher family is Ian Gallagher, who was touted as a “unique” gay character on television from the start. And while it’s true that Ian is a bit more rough and tumble than your usual gay stereotype, he’s still a fairly sensitive boy. But there’s nothing sensitive about the Mickey character, a horrifyingly violent young thug who was as likely to punch Ian as he was to kiss him. Just last season, Mickey delivered this heart-breaking beat down.

These are scared, oppressed boys who often kiss through broken faces. They defy stereotypes and do not signal their sexuality with limp wrists or theatrical gestures. Both revel in their masculinity and seem more interested in throwing a punch than picking out flower arrangements. If for no other reason, watch Shameless for the most radical portrait of homosexuality. #TeamMilkovich

3) It handles its multiple, simultaneous, intersecting storylines masterfully

It's style of storytelling is unlike anything else on television right now. Unlike the more streamlined programs that follow careful A-story/B-story/C-story structures, it's, well, kind of a mess. The threads of the story get tangled easily. Though its frentic structure may seem untidy at first glance, it's one of the things viewers who stick with it come to love most. The frenzied, overlapping plotlines mirror and represent its characters' own hectic lifestyles.

4) The ensemble is full of incredible characters, played by incredible actors

Sex, violence, addiction, and depravity are the show’s rallying cry. But somewhere in the cracks, Shameless has built a cast of believable, sympathetic, dirt-poor characters struggling to escape circumstance, genetics, and self-destructive behavior. Every character is on point in every scene. Of course, the actors who play the gay couple, Noel Fisher and Cameron Monaghan, have grown beautifully into their roles. However, Fiona Gallagher, portrayed by Emmy Rossum, and Lip Gallagher, portrayed by Jeremy White, are two of televisions great heroines and heroes. Oh, and Bill Macy. If Shameless had no other redeeming qualities besides seeing William H. Macy playing the alcoholic mess that is Frank Gallagher, it would still be worth recommending. This is undeniably one of the best performances on television right now.

5) The show's themes

No, I don't mean their theme song. Although, their title sequence is one of my favorites...

 
Shameless is a very complex show that focuses on the human condition. As I said before, sex, violence, addiction, and depravity are the show’s rallying cry. And although the Gallagher’s are extremely poor, they stick together as a family and overcome struggles.

In short, watch Shameless. You won't regret it.

Masters Of Sex

 
One of my new favorite American television drama series is called Masters of Sex. This show was developed by Michelle Ashford and based on Thomas Maier's biography Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How To Love. Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan star as the lead characters, Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, two pioneering researchers of human sexuality at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The series tells the real story of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson and was picked up for a first season consisting of 12 episodes. September 29,  2013 was the premier date  for the show but, with great ratings for the pilot October 22, 2013 Showtime renewed Masters of Sex for a second season for 2014.

This show is based on the real life Dr. Masters and Virginia. It's exciting to know how much the show has differed from the original story. Some characters like Barton Scully was a combination of several men whom Masters knew. One of them gay, but it was not the same man serving as provost during Master's initial study. Writer/producer Michelle Ashford also serves as a showrunner for Masters of Sex. Because of the time period Ashford has it set in the prop masters Jeffery Johnson had an extremely difficult job in creating and finding the sexual devices from that time period. He was able to obtain some vintage vibrators and dildos for use in the series along with acquiring condoms manufactured in the era. He designed "Ulysses," a transparent dildo with attached camera first seen in the pilot episode, from scratch,  along with a diaphragm sizing kit seen in later episodes. As I watched I remember how sex was such a "taboo" idea to talk about. The release of this show in a time period where sex is something that is more open to talk about allows the audience to fully be intrigued with the content of the show and realize the irony of the time period then and now.

The first season of Master of Sex has received acclaim from critics. Based on 48 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the first season received a 90% approval rating from critics, with a rating average of 8.4 out of 10. The sites consensus: Seductive and nuanced, Masters of Sex features smart performances, deft direction, and impeccable period decor." Metacritic gave the first season a score of 85/100, based on 32 reviews. Matt Roush of TV Guide wrote that "There is no more facinating, or entertaining, news series this fall season." Diane Werts of Newsday gave it an "A" grade, complimenting the series on its use of humor, stating "its deft balance of epic scope and whimsical humanity", as well as the strong performances of the actors and creator Michelle Ashford's "scene-setting scripts". David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle particularly praises the performances, calling them "extraordinary" and "stunning", and noting the series' A-list directors such as Michael Apted and John Madden. Hank Stuever of the The Washington Post wrote that after two episodes, "the character get better and more complex, the story builds, strange things start to happen and now I can't wait to see how its interweaving plots unfold. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix praised lead actors Michael Sheen and Lizzy long stretch. It's also a refreshing anomaly: a prestige cable drama that doesn't fee; like a recombination of elements from 15 shows that came before it.

Dexter: Deep Dark and Dangerous

DEXTER

I recently started re-watching Dexter with my boyfriend and I am still amazed by how much I enjoy watching it a second time. I have watched up until the 6th season and have not watched further than that. This series is incredible; the music, location, editing and production in general is awesome. I would love to work on the set of this show because it is so well made and I would enjoy being around such creative individuals.

For those of you who aren't Dexter fans (yet) its premise revolves around our protagonist (which should be an antagonist) Dexter. Interesting thing about Dex is that he kills bad people and justifies it. He also is a blood spatter analysis and works for the Miami Metro police. Oh, irony. Anyway, I love that this show makes the viewer love Dexter, and they too justify his killings. Even though he is in fact a murderer himself. 

The composition of each episode is great, the storytelling is well done and I personally enjoy his narrations throughout. It makes the viewer be able to be in Dexter's mind and this ultimately makes the viewer sympathize with him. The casting of this show is also very well done, as each characters purpose and belonging is very intentional. The musical score for the show is one of my favorites of all time. Its beautiful, eerie, and haunting. It really ties all the elements of the show together.

If these above paragraphs haven't yet convinced you to watch the show, then I don't know what will. Dexter combines all the right elements to make the show suspenseful, funny, and overall enjoyable. 

^^And how can you resist that face???

Above and Beyond

There are not many shows that are quite like the Showtime original series "Shameless." The show takes place in a shady neighborhood in Chicago and depicts the lives of the Gallagher family. This functionally dysfunctional family of 6 has to deal with getting the kids through school, paying their bills, and the focus of the video above, their alcoholic father Frank played by William H. Macy.

The clip I included above is not about the show exactly but the process that went into shooting this scene and how they wanted to portray it. The aspect of the scene they focus on is Frank's son Carl shaving his head while he is asleep in his hospital bed. Naturally, with any TV series, every scene has to have a multitude of takes to make sure everything was shot correctly. In an attempt to make the actions on screen during this scene extremely real, they actually shaved Macy's head which means they had to get exactly what they wanted the first time, no easy feat. I feel as though the little details put into series like these really takes them a step beyond your average everyday TV show.

I'm Craving Homeland!

 

The 2012 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama, and the 2011 and 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Television Series - Drama, as well as the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and  Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Damian Lewis and Claire Danes. Homeland is an American drama-thriller television series created by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa based on the Israeli series. The series stars Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency officer with bipolar disorder, and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper. Mathison has come to believe that Brody, who was held captive by al-Qaeda as a prisoner of war, was "turned" by the enemy and now threatens the United States. This psychological spy thriller is full of action suspense and a lot of adult content. I was hooked from the very first episode luckily for me they were renewed for their third season so the story never stops!

Dexter.

There's not much else needed to be said. Anyone who has followed the TV show Dexter knows how intense it is and how it leaves the viewers on the edge of their seat. I watched a few seasons, stopped, and just got back into it so I admit I've been off my game for a while. But I literally cannot wait for the next episode each time the week comes around.

SPOILER ALERT



However, this last episode had me a little thrown off. Maybe because Dexter is starting to break out of what we know him to be. His relationship with Hannah has always had me a little iffy, because I was so surprised to see him so willing to open up to someone for the first time the way he does with her. She causes him to do things completely out of his character. For instance, as a result of her being kidnapped by Isaak, he helps Isaak out with his would be assassins, and stabs one of them like it was nothing right in the middle of a shooting range. We all know this is WAY too messy for Dexter's liking.  Hannah is corrupting our much loved character!

I was also very sad to see Isaak killed off. I'm not sure how they would've went about it, but I would've loved to see some kind of relationship come about between Dexter and Isaak. They had a great dynamic and the dialogue between them was always so compelling.

I also wish they would address Deb's feelings for Dexter a bit more. That was a HUGE thing to drop on him and they are continuing their lives as if it didn't happen.

While I acknowledge there are some minor holes/things that bother me about Dexter, it's still a fantastic show. Definitely a great example of the kind of thing I'd hope to work on in the future :)

-Nick

Homeland

One of the best things about coming home on break is having unlimited (& FREE) access to your parents seven hundred some odd cable channels. I've been taking advantage of this all week, and I've since become addicted to a great Showtime show- Homeland.

Homeland stars Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a CIA officer who's job is to track and find information on suspected terrorists to prevent the next terror attack on the United States. The show also follows U.S. Marine Nicholas Brody, played by Damian Lewis who is finally rescued after being held as a prisoner of war by Al-Queda in Syria for 8 years. Brody returns to the United States a hero, but Carrie is convinced that he is actually a threat to the country after being turned by Al-Queda, and plans to carry out a mission for them.

The number of characters and story-lines on this show is ever-expanding, but that's what makes it so interesting. It is necessary to be an active viewer just to keep up with the story and everyone involved in the suspected terrorist groups. A big part of the show focuses on Carrie's struggle with bipolar disorder, which she keeps secret from her co-workers. It is interesting to see not only how government officials and the CIA are portrayed, but also how Carrie's disorder affects her demanding job and personal life. Claire Danes plays this role phenomenally, and has won multiple awards for her portrayal of Carrie Mathison.

I'm almost done with the first season of two so far, and I can't wait to finally be caught up. I would definitely recommend this show.

Showtime Series: Opening Credits

I am a huge fan of many of the series that Showtime currently has on air (and many that are sadly no longer on.) Just a few weeks ago, I became hooked on Shameless--yet another compelling series to add to the list of Showtime programming that I absolutely adore.

One of the things that really engage me about Shameless (aside from the fantastic acting and always compelling writing), is their opening credits. As I began to think more about it, I realized that many of the series that Showtime has, have very interesting opening credits and reveal a lot about what the show is about to the audience. Nowadays, shows tend to have much shorter opening credits—if any at all. Think about the quick opening of Modern Family and Community. Their openings are approximately thirty seconds long or shorter. It seems that nowadays, shows are choosing to cut down time by having shorter credits, but Showtime (and HBO) have maintained longer opening credits that are visually interesting, and revealing about the series.

Let’s take a look at Dexter. It is a show about a serial killer who works for the Miami Metro Police Department. The opening credits to the show, doesn’t show one image of him killing anyone. But the images are so powerful because they are extremely close up and even though it is an orange being juiced, and laces being tied, they convey a deeper meaning. The song being played conveys precision, as well as mystery. The shots are gruesome and make you cringe and when in combination with the music—it makes the perfect opening to the show.



Shameless on the other hand is pretty explicit with their opening sequence. The song playing in the background immediately expresses chaos and distraction. The show is about a poor and dysfunctional family trying to survive on Chicago’s southside in spite of their drunk father. The opening sequence features every main character and shows a bit of their personality—and it all takes place in a bathroom, a very private place. Unfortunately for the Gallagher family, there is no privacy, so the opening credits fit exactly.

Click here to view the video: Shameless Opening

The other show that I watch on Showtime is The Big C (view my previous blogpost.) It is about a woman, Cathy, dealing with cancer. Their opening credits are very representative of Cathy’s state. In the credits, she is inside a pool, looking out on the world as they stare at her every move. It is apparent that Cathy wants to feel free but instead feels trapped. The song playing is about life, which of course is very fitting since the entire theme of the show is about the struggles that come with life.



Opening credits aren't something that I often think about, but they appear to be a powerful tool in engaging an audience. It is after all, the first thing that a person sees before the show begins, so it must speak for the series.

Catch the "Big C"

If you are a fan of anything on Showtime—especially “Weeds” then you should definitely be watching “The Big C.”



“The Big C,” currently on its second season is about 40-something Cathy Jamison, played by the lovely and Emmy nominated actress, Laura Linney who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Sounds depressing, doesn’t it? Well, if you tune in you can expect just as many, if not more laughs than tears. Although the show deals with a heavy subject and themes of life and loss, the writers skillfully turn most of the tear-jerker scenes into something you can smile about. Cathy is far from a victim—she responds to cancer with nothing but her strong-no-bullshit-attitude that makes her healthy from within—no matter how sick she actually is. Her character is what gives the show its edge—she doesn’t want to die and so she is using all of her strength to fight for her life.

The series, still relatively new, follows Cathy from the beginning of her diagnosis, to finally informing her family and friends about her illness to her actual treatments and everything in between.

Oliver Platt plays her quirky and concerned husband, Paul with whom she has marital issues in the first season, while newcomer Gabriel Brasso plays her troublesome and temperamental teenage son, Adam. John Benjamin Hickey plays Sean, Cathy’s bipolar, homeless and radical brother who chooses to “live of the land.” While Cynthia Nixon and Hugh Dancy guest star for several episodes, Gabourey Sidibe, the Oscar-nominated actress plays Andrea, one of Cathy’s students.

The writers of the show are outrageous—consistently creating crazy situations that no cancer patient should ever have to deal with, keeping the audience emotionally involved and entertained simultaneously (without overly sentimental.)The characters create their own dilemmas and they often find themselves faced with unfortunate yet hilarious circumstances such as an unexpected pregnancy, racy love affairs and even several deaths. The storylines not only moving the story forward but challenge the characters’ outlooks on life.

The show explores what it means to really live and enjoy your life while you are still lucky enough to have it. And while you all have time, I would highly recommend watching this fantastiC show!

The second season's finale airs Monday, September 26th at 10:30pm on Showtime.

WEEDS

Well, given that Dave already posted about Dexter... (rude) I'm making my post about my second favorite showtime show, Weeds. Weeds is currently on its seventh and probably final season . The first 3 seasons of Weeds are just amazing. The story is great, and the built up in the story arc is both interesting and fresh. I honestly can say that the season 2 series finale is one of the best season finale's I've seen on TV, because the climax reaches a point where all of the story lines crash together, raising the stakes for the lead character (Nancy).

One of the things that make this show pretty special is that it's a dark comedy, meaning that it combines both drama and comedy. So, If you are into both of these genres this is the show for you. Seasons 4 and 5 and 6 are not the best, given that the show takes a different direction which in my opinion, is not that smart to do in a Tv show. So you might wonder why I'm still watching this show if the first 3 seasons are the best, well by this point I feel really attached to its characters. As a viewer I am interested in knowing if they are going to make it at the end of the day, Plus I think the show it's funny. Also, I feel that this season of Weeds improved from its predecessors.

I love the characters of this show, and the casting for it is excellent. For example, Nancy Botwin (played by Mary Louise Parker) is the strongest character. She is the leader, and the one who decides how things are going to be. The decisions that Nancy makes put her, and her family in either funny or atrocious situations. I think it's entertaining watching these characters trying to clean Nancy's mess ups.

Dexter: A Good Way to KILL Some Time

I love television but there is one show for me that sticks out above all the rest and that is Dexter. Dexter is a show on Showtime about Dexter Morgan, a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro police department. The first season was based on the book Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. Dexter is your average guy except for one small difference; he kills people. One of the reasons I like this show besides from the suspense it creates is how it makes the viewer feel for Dexter. Even though he kills people, he only kills bad guys and other killers. So in a way he is an anti-hero and the viewer almost roots for him to escape so he can rid the world of evil. It brings up a good question. Is Dexter a good person doing bad things or a bad person doing good things?

Besides from great storytelling and acting, done especially well by Emmy nominated actor Michael C. Hall who plays Dexter, the production team makes some interesting and great aesthetic choices. First off the color of red is everywhere. Dexter will drink red wine and eat red meat. Streetlights behind Dexter’s head will often be red. Red, obviously, is supposed to signify blood, which Dexter sees a lot of. Another example is what they do to show the different sides of Dexter. When Dexter is the good, average Miami citizen upbeat Latin music plays against the sunny Miami city. The colors are bright and the world just seems happy. However when Dexter is acting as his “dark passenger” the lighting becomes chiaroscuro. There is a sharp contrast between light and dark (which is a metaphor for the sharp contrast between his two sides). Soft and creepy music also plays as Dexter slowly lurks in the dark.

Harry Morgan, a cop and Dexter’s dead adoptive father, will interfere with Dexter’s life and remind him about the code they set up so he will not get caught. Whenever Dexter sees him the scene gets a little blurry and the lighting becomes brighter, especially around Harry. This could be interpreted like Harry is Dexter’s guardian angel, a mystical figure coming back to help Dexter when he needs it the most.

One of the greatest aesthetic pieces of Dexter is seen every week in the opening credits, which is Dexter’s morning routine. There are many close ups and extreme close ups that show Dexter getting ready for the day. All of these show his precision and his eye for details. It is also edited in a unique way. First it is edited into “choppy” segments (pun intended) and like a horror movie the killer is not revealed until the end (Dexter is finally visible in the last few seconds of the video). These shots, especially in extreme close ups, also look very scary and brutal. For example when he tightens the lace on his shoe or cuts into a piece of meat, it looks like he is strangling someone or cutting into a body. It’s practically his killing cycle! The audience will definitely know what they are getting themselves into as they watch these credits! Finally despite all of these scary images his morning routine is very similar to ours and is supposed to show no matter how crazy or demented Dexter is, he is still human. He shaves, flosses his teeth, and locks the door to his house as he leaves just as we all do every morning. In a way he is just like all of us (except he finds very different ways to use his free time).

For more information on Dexter, check out it's Showtime website. The new (sixth) season premiere is October 2nd!