by Kevin Muller
Lucille Ball’s reign during the Golden Age of television was something to behold. Lucy took the nation by storm with her sit-com about a fictitious marriage between her and her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz. Despite her playing an airhead on screen, off screen she was a woman in control of her destiny. Academy Award winning writer, Aaron Sorkin, who also directs, takes us into one week of her life, where you see her challenged in more ways than one.
TEASE
Imagine this article is playing out before your eyes like a television show. The screen is black. The Foo Fighters’ song “Next Year” plays as we fade in on a familiar scene and the voiceover says, “Last time on “TV, Myself, & I.” We flashback to Part I of this article in which I discuss the Four Factors of Televisual Familiarity, or the major reasons certain television shows become significant in our lives. A montage of clips illustrates the following examples:
Finally, in a dramatic cliff hanger, the voice-over reminds you that these categories often overlap and a personal case study of my relationship with the cult-favorite Ed is promised for Part II. You laugh. You cry. You get a new plate of nachos. And we’re back.
The intimacy of watching television is different than bonding with movies or music. Whenever I enter new periods of confusion in my life, I make it a point to rewatch the The Graduate (1967) or blast the electric “I-don’t-give-a-fuck” Live 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” version of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” I pursue the familiar wisdom born of disillusionment in these pieces of art because it’s comforting and gives me hope. Television shows come to me as ever-changing episodes that demand my attention in the present moment. Whatever happens in my life between these installments informs my perspective on the stories and characters.
“This is the new world. And in this world, you can be whatever the fuck you want.”
After introducing the world and the main players of its story in the pilot episode, Westworld’s starts settling into the larger narratives with episode two, entitled Chestnut. As well as introducing new characters and expanding on some of the smaller roles from the previous episode, we’re given a look into a possible future for the future and enough to chew over with as many theories and ideas as we can manage.
“13 Nights Of Halloween” kicks off on Wednesday, October 19 this year starting the countdown with the classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas and ending with a bang on the 31st with Hocus Pocus.
Wednesday, Oct. 19
Thursday, Oct. 20
It’s that time of year again…the weather is changing, the leaves are falling, and TV is becoming a helluva lot better thanks to NEW SERIES AND/OR SEASONS!
You’re in luck, too, because we have a full list of all the Fall premier dates for all your favorite shows. Click below to see the full list!
Cinephellas 