“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.
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