#and greg is just in nyc alone. not much to write there

[tomwambsgans]

the temptation to write a christmas romcom-esque tomgreg fic is calling me......

[joaquinbumblebee24]

Starry, Starry Night Chapter 2

AN: I never been to NYC, but I did research. So any mistakes are mine. God, I enjoyed writing this chapter. No more fuff the next time. So let's get on with the chapter.

GH/JW

"Should I wear a tie?" House asked Cuddy while he was fretting over what to wear to his date. He was at Cuddy's house, while Wilson was at the apartment. House would pick Wilson up, and they would go to New York City.

"No," Cuddy said, looking at his outfit, which consisted of a leather jacket, and gray jeans. "Wear this red turtle neck instead." Cuddy handed House the article of clothing.

"You're right." Said House, looking at the red sweater. He grabbed it and put it on.

Cuddy looked at House, with pride, he'd never seen in his father's eyes, this made him sad. "I am very proud of you for trying a relationship." She said, hugging him. "Maybe it won't bomb this time."

"Thank you, Cuddy." He said without any sarcasm in his tone. He left Cuddy's house with a lightness that he had never felt before.

Wilson was at home calling Cuddy's place. "Hello," Cuddy answered, rolling her eyes.

"Did Greg told you where we're going tonight?" Wilson asked, getting agitated.

"No." She answered. "He told me it was a surprise."

"What should I wear to this thing?"

"Wilson, wear a leather jacket, he's wearing one." Said Cuddy, with a big eye roll.

"Okay, bye."

She sighed, she hoped that it goes well, for House, as well as Wilson. She wanted to see Gregory House happy. She just hoped that Wilson wouldn't be an idiot about this.

GH/JW

House was inside the 1965 Cherry Corvette waiting for Wilson to emerge from their apartment. He was taking Wilson on a date to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He knew that Wilson loved visiting art museums with his various exes. House also knew that Wilson hadn't seen Van Gogh's collection in his life.

Finally, Wilson emerged from the apartment looking good. He wore a leather jacket with a black t-shirt and tight jeans. His ass looked good.

House didn't get out, but he reached out with his long arm and opened Wilson's door. "Nice ass," House said while Wilson entered the Corvette.

Wilson glanced at House's hand."Thank you, Greg. By the way, where are we going?" Wilson noticed as House's hand tighten around the steering wheel. "House, What's up with you? Why so nervous?"

House sighed He stared straight ahead on to the road. "I hate taking people on dates, that's all. It shouldn't be, because it is with you, I just hope you love my surprise."

Wilson didn't want to push his luck and ruined the date. He remained silent throughout the drive. As they were driving, he watched where House would take him. They were approaching New York City, Manhattan area. "We are seeing something," House said while he drove through Brooklyn Bridge.

"Are you giving me clues." Wilson was annoyed at House now.

"Nope," House said popping the P.

House parked the corvette in an underground parking lot. He was intending to walk or in his case limp to his destination. Wilson, however, questioned him. "Can you walk?"

"Yup, it's right there," House told Wilson, pointing at the Museum of Modern Art.

Wilson was surprised. "What are we going to see." He said excitedly.

"Van Gogh," House watched as Wilson's surprised smile grew wide.

"Why? I mean I thought you hated art." Wilson said while he matched House's limping gate through 53rd street.

They were at the entrance of the museum when House spoke. "I was learning the guitar when the folk song Vincent was released in 1971. I read about Van Gogh's art at the time, and I felt a kindred spirit with him. I was a lonely queer kid, who's father would probably kill when he found out. I was reading the first edition of the DSM at this point, and when I read the part when they said homosexuality, I thought I had a mental illness… " his voice tightened a bit.

"I found solace in the knowledge that every person had its time. As you may know, Jimmy, he sold one piece in his lifetime, then became famous after his tragic death." He took a deep breath. "It's our time, Wilson."

Wilson smiled at the final words of that rant and took House's casted arm in his own and kiss it.

He could imagine why House felt a kindred spirit with the fallen artist. Like in Van Gogh's lifetime, wherein there were no medications for people who suffered from an array of mental illnesses. Growing up in the 1970s would have sucked, there were no TV shows and movies with LGBT characters. You felt lonely like you were the only gay person in the world.

They were nearing the painting House spoke again. "I first saw a replica of this painting in 1975, In London. While my father was station in Manchester. It was amazing, it was also the final relatively nice memory of my childhood. Because when we got back to the states…" His voice trilled off.

They ended up near the painting, it was beautiful, unreal, relevant. Wilson looked at his partner, the world is our oyster, House. He thought. The Starry Night was a painting that depicted Van Gogh's life in the asylum beautifully. It was a depressing sight.

Wilson like House felt alone growing up, as the middle child of Adam and Emily Wilson. He grew up knowing that he was loved, but he still felt the pressure to conform to the societal norms luckily for him, he was bisexual. In fact, he told his parents that he was dating House, their reaction was pure joy, as if finally.

After seeing some more paintings House was hungry. They left the museum. They walked close to the parking lot. "I have a reservation at this Japanese place near MSG, then we are going to see a Knicks game."

The food was great, he knew that House spent time in Japan. He had seen House talking in Japanese, but he hadn't known how House eat sushi and it was erotic.

After the meal, they went to the historic Maddison Square Garden to watch a game. The game was 90-82, the Knickerbockers won against the Charlotte Bobcats.

House check them into a fancy hotel, at the heart of the city. House loved how Wilson came undone in his arms as soon as they hit the bed. After they made love. he said. "I wished we did this sooner."

"Yes, I know," Wilson said kissing his hair.

House was stroking Wilson's hair. "God, I should have known before the infarction, for the leg. God, it's painful, I overdid it."

Wilson sighed and got up to massage House's leg. "Where is the Ativan, I prescribe for you."

"In the bag somewhere," House replied, and Wilson got up. "Where's the Vicodin?" Wilson asked searching the bag, He found the Ativan on the pocket of House's duffle.

"It's in the jeans pocket." House whimpered slightly. "God, It hurts."

"It's okay, House," Wilson said. He handed the pain meds to House, who took it gladly, with a glass of water."It's okay, Greg. I am with you."

House smiled but due to exhaustion, he fell asleep. "Thank you, Wilson."

"I love you, House," Wilson said as he was stroking House's hair. He slid down on the covers. "And thank you for the date. I enjoyed it so much."

End of Chapter 2

[unbreakablejemmasimmons]

Dear Chocolate Box Writer

Thanks for signing up for this superfun exchange! This is the fourth year I’ve participated now, and I’ve always enjoyed it– I hope you do, too.

Below you’ll find the following:

General Likes/Kinks General DNWs Fandom Specifics/Prompts

Schitt’s Creek - David Rose/Patrick Brewer

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Rebecca Bunch/Greg Serrano

Roswell New Mexico - Michael Guerin/Alex Manes

Superstore - Jonah Simms/Amy Dubanowski

The West Wing - C.J. Cregg & Donna Moss & Amy Gardner & Abbey Bartlet & Ainsley Hayes, Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg, Josh Lyman/Donna Moss

I’ve tried to list some varied prompts for each fandom, but please don’t feel like you have to stick to what I’ve come up with. If the rest of my letter gives you another idea you’d like to write, I’d love to read it!

a little about me to start:

My AO3 name is SuburbanSun; you can also check out my Tumblr if you’d like, and my tags for each of my requested pairings here (or in the case of TWW, to the main fandom tag):

Schitt’s Creek | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Roswell New Mexico | Superstore | The West Wing

general likes/kinks:

I’m a big trope fan in general– faves include rivals/enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, bed-sharing, trapped in an enclosed space, mutual pining, secret dating/sneaking around, slow burn, FWBs that turns into something more. 

I have a great love for Secret Service/bodyguard/witness protection AUs, private eye AUs, and vampire slayer AUs, and these days I’m (perhaps unhealthily) invested in US politics/news in my everyday life, so if you want to have any of my requested characters run for office, I’d never turn that down. AUs are great for any of my fandoms even if my prompts tend toward canon compliance.

Epistolary fic, either as part of a story or as all of it, is always fun to me, if it’s up your alley. Phone calls! (Phone sex?) Emails! Letters! I love it all! (Note: I know I have first person POV on my DNW list; first person is fine for the epistolary elements.)

Smut is cool and fun and here are some things that I like to read: Teasing. Phone sex/sexting. Semi-public sex (not actually getting caught though). Workplace sex. Dirty talk. Oral sex. Playfulness/joking around during sex.

general dnws:

Superangst and sad endings. Darkfic. Babyfic/kidfic/pregnancy in general. Noncon/dubcon. A/B/O. Mpreg. Incest. Poly. First person POV.

fandom specifics/prompts:

Schitt’s Creek Patrick Brewer/David Rose Fanfic

This show is so funny, dry and smart and sweet at the same time. I love how absurdly out of touch the Roses are, and how the show balances their outrageousness with the everyday humdrum of the town of Schitt’s Creek, and I especially love how their edges have softened over their years in town.

David and Patrick took my heart by storm, and are the kind of ship that makes me clutch both hands over my chest as I watch them. I loved the slow burn of them coming together and falling in love, and how much they really just LIKE each other in addition to loving each other. They really know each other and see each other and it’s so lovely.

**I’ll be caught up with the show week to week, so feel free to incorporate anything current! Also, I love all the characters, so feel free to include others!

Prompts:

They plan the perfect wedding, but in the end, they just can’t wait another minute to get married. The courthouse it is. (Even if it means Ray is officiating).

I love the more sensible characters on the show teaching David how to adult. What perfectly normal things has he never experienced or done before that Patrick has to walk him through?

I’m interested in Patrick’s journey from being so shy and new to everything when he and David first kissed, to being bold enough to sing a love song to David in front of half the town. Tell me more about how he got to that point, and how (whether he knew it or not) David helped him get there.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Rebecca Bunch/Greg Serrano Fanfic

I loved this show from beginning to end. It’s clever, it’s feminist, it’s funny, it’s real (even as it features elaborate musical sequences!), and the characters are so flawed but so great.

I shipped Rebecca and Greg so hard in the early seasons, before he left. When I read that they were bringing the character back but recasting, I was naturally a bit suspicious– how would that work? Would it diminish my love for the ship? Reader, it did not diminish anything, and in fact made me kind of love them even more. Skylar Astin’s performance of Greg, a little grown up and a little more put together, made me swoon. And I began to see how they could make an adult relationship work. Naturally, things went awry during the course of the final season, but I think the finale left us with so much hope that they would find their way back to each other.

I love all the other characters, so feel free to mix them in– especially Paula!

Prompts:

Rebecca and Greg find their way back to each other! How does it happen?

Rebecca/Greg + any number of tropes– stuck somewhere together; inconvenient bed-sharing; fake dating, the works.

Maybe West Covina has run its course for both of them, and they decide– together or separately– to move somewhere else. Maybe Rebecca decides it’s time for her to go back to New York to give her Broadway dreams a try? Maybe Greg tags along? Or maybe it’s fate, and just as she’s made the choice to head back East, he gets a job offer there, too, so they’re both moving to NYC but aren’t technically together, and how does that work?

Roswell New Mexico Michael Guerin/Alex Manes Fanfic

I didn’t expect to love this show like I do, let alone dive headfirst into the fandom, but, well, here we are. And a huge part of it is the Malex ship, which grabbed me from the pilot and never let go.

I love the rich history that’s been built between them, and how their connection is cosmic, whether they’re together or not. They just love each other so completely, and no amount of distance or time or trauma can make that go away. Ultimately, I just want these two idiots to communicate and recognize what we can all see already. 

Prompts:

Michael and Alex find ways to keep in touch during the 10 years they’re apart-- letters, emails, phone calls, sexts, whatever. 

They’re trying to be friends-- trying so hard-- but every time they’re left alone together, they lose all their willpower and crash into each other.

Alien artifact or serum shenanigans-- they find something or devise something in the lab that causes unforeseen consequences! Take your pick: truth serum, stuck together til the serum wears off, sent back in time to relive a memory, you name it.

Superstore Jonah Simms/Amy Dubanowski Fanfic

This is such a fun and funny show, one that snuck up on me but that is reliably a show I look forward to every single week. Amy and Jonah’s slow burn was a delight to watch, and I love their occasionally contentious attraction to each other, and especially how supremely dorky, pretentious and pedantic Jonah can be.

I love all the other characters, so feel free to mix them in!

Prompts:

I’m really interested in exploring Jonah’s ambition or lack thereof. Does he have any, at this point? What if he decides to quit Cloud 9 to pursue a dream? Does he get an MBA or a creative writing degree? Does he decide to write a screenplay? Give me all the pretentious but well-intentioned Jonah and how Amy reacts to it.

A look at before Jonah and Amy got together, or if they’d gotten together earlier– sneaking around the store, or UST in the break room.

AU where some kind of scary outbreak (zombies? werewolves? giant bats?) has hit the town and they’re trapped in Cloud 9 while they wait it out.

The West Wing C.J. Cregg & Donna Moss & Amy Gardner & Abbey Bartlet & Ainsley Hayes, Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg, Josh Lyman/Donna Moss Fanfic

I love this show and every character on it. It’s become a comfort show, especially in this political climate, and I rewatch episodes frequently (and along with The West Wing Weekly podcast!). if we matched on the CJ and Donna and Amy and Abbey and Ainsley grouping, feel free to choose any combo of those characters– if you can’t fit them all in that’s perfectly fine. (Also, I’m not very interested in a non-political/White House AU for this fandom.) Prompts:

For Josh/Donna: I’d love something set early on where there’s the same level of UST and flirtation that they had back then. Josh getting jealous of someone who’s interested in Donna, or vice versa. Or maybe something that shows Donna’s competence– how she’s the one who keeps the clocks running on time in the office. Or trading barbs that lead to something more when they’re on opposing campaigns later on. Or– there’s an episode where an asteroid is potentially heading for earth. What if (in that episode, or just applying that idea to another timeline) an asteroid/world-ending scare is what forces Josh or Donna to tell the other how they feel?

For Danny/CJ: In my rewatch, I very recently watched the “jump off a cliff and hold hands on the way down” episode, and swoon! I’d love to read how that convo would have gone if it hadn’t been interrupted. Or anything about how CJ and Danny are trying to adjust from being colleagues to partners in that time period of transition.

For the ladies: I’ll take all the gossipy champagne girls’ nights in the Residence you have to offer! 

So, that’s that! I really hope you enjoy the whole process this Chocolate Box season, and thanks for participating! Happy writing!

[thisislizheather]

June Jaunts 2020

Above Photo: New York Public Library, June 2020

Can someone just hit me in the face hard enough so that I wake up in 2021? As a favour to me? (Also I love that we’re all assuming that a new year means a completely fresh new slate and that none of the actions taken this year will affect the rest of our lives? It’s ridiculous, but it’s a type of logic that I can absolutely get on board with.) In any case, life is hell right now. Here’s what went on in hell this month.

I found a new streaming site for movies that is incredible.

My brother Gary made another gravy video (this time a Swiss Chalet one) and of course it’s perfect.

My Dad turned 97!

I started doing Ipsy bag reviews again. The best find from the bag this month: a REALHER lipstick. Just amazing quality and I need to look further into their other products.

I watched Get Me Roger Stone and the man seems like a needy psychopath.

I rewatched The Disaster Artist: still great.

I tried hard seltzer (not White Claw, it was a brand called HOOT) and it was very okay, I just don’t see the big deal? I think we all have low standards for things being good.

God, I miss Jon Stewart. I find myself just watching old segments from his show which are sadly still incredibly relevant. 

I visited this coffee shop in Astoria called Coffee + Cake that’s so lovely. They make freshly baked goods each day and homemade ice cream and I’ll definitely return. This is their tomato & parmesan focaccia bread.

I started taking antihistamine eye drops for seasonal allergies and they’ve cured me completely. It’s insane. I love them.

I tried birthday cake Kit Kats because why wouldn’t I and of course they’re good. But they’re basically just… white Kit Kats… and that’s already a thing that exists… and look I’m not trying to hate on them, so I’ll keep my mouth shut about it from here on out.

If I became famous, the first thing I’d endorse would be Vicks (obviously), but the second thing? This dairy-free, almond milk yogurt DAH! Yes, the name is terrible. But the yogurt is heavenly. The madagascar vanilla will change you.

Finally made this ricotta jam jar with crostini and it was everything I wanted it to be and more.

I’ve been keeping a collection of photos taken of the city throughout the pandemic that are just gorgeous photos, here are a few.

Above Photo: April 2020, photo by Jerome Strauss

Above Photo: March 12th, 2020, the first night of Broadway going dark - photo by Gretchen Robinette for Gothamist

Above Photo: June 2020, photo by Benjamin Norman for The New York Times

Above Photo: April 2020, photo by Jerome Strauss

Above Photo: April 2020, photo by Jerome Strauss

I watched the Holy Chicken! documentary from the Super Size Me guy and it was okay. I did know a lot of those chicken facts already since we haven’t been eating meat these last few months, so it wasn’t anything revolutionary. And then after I watched it, I was reading about it and then came across all the gross behavior by the creator of the film and uggghhhh I wish I hadn’t watched and supported it now.

I tried this New Orleans cold brew and whoa. Good stuff. I don’t exactly know the difference between cold brew and coffee and it’s such a boring thing to look up, so… here we are.

Will forever love the food at The Thirsty Koala in Astoria. Thank you Katie, Greg & Irene for gifting us so much of their food this month! Truly so sweet of you.

Favourite tweets of the month.

New favourite Health-Ade kombucha flavour: passion fruit - tangerine. Absolutely unreal.

I bought a ton of underwear from Aerie since I don’t feel comfortable going into any stores or on the subway yet, and they’re actually pretty great quality (I’m sorry I didn’t get on this sooner, Marla.) The sizing is a little off in that one medium doesn’t fit like another medium, but once you figure it out, you’re good.

This girl. She’s still breaking my heart with these renditions.

How do I set my Google Alerts so that these types of stories are the only news stories I read?

I learned how to make vodka martinis at home, so what I’m trying to say is that I’m better than you now.

Truly don’t know how I feel about this news, but I think I have to support it, right? I wish we could just leave good things alone. Why must we always want more.

I watched The Joy Luck Club and here’s my takeaway: don’t have daughters. And also maybe don’t have mothers? It seems like everyone is a disappointment to every character in this movie. I was expecting to love it, so when that didn’t happen I was a little disappointed.

I watched Dan In Real Life (mainly because of Steve Carell who was way too good for this movie) and it suuuuucked. Hated Dane Cook. Hated the plot. Hated the whole white, rich, we-dance-as-a-family type aesthetic of the whole movie. 

I watched the first season of You and a few episodes of the second season and uuuuuuuggggghhhhhh what a garbage show. I don’t need to see anyone romanticize some pathetic Gossip Girl loser who I feel no empathy for. It’s actually just so badly written and how on earth did someone green-light this trash. Here’s a good piece written about it.

Also watched a bunch of reruns of 3rd Rock From The Sun and what an underrated, great show. Wish I remembered it more.

I’ve been on a real Harrison Ford bender lately and I can’t see it stopping anytime soon. I watched Sabrina (which was okay, the best part was seeing him play a nerdish, unlovable character). I also watched Working Girl (which is really not a great movie, but it was only watchable for Ford). Also saw Air Force One and what a movie. How on earth have I never seen it before?? Such a fox. If you haven’t seen it before, I shall entice you with this one line.

Rainier cherries are in season now and while I don’t particularly love a cherry, these are delightful.

I’ve been sucking down these Saratoga Springs sparkling waters for days and there’s no turning back, they’re refreshing in a way I didn’t think existed. Just pure magic.

The only summer salad that’s worth a damn is this panzanella salad, but make sure you add fresh mozzarella to it.

I never thought I liked biscotti until a friend recently made it, so maybe I’m just into chocolate biscotti?

What a great idea (below):

If you’d like to hear the birds in NYC right now, get on over here.

I started watching Insecure but couldn’t really get into it, maybe I’ll give it more of a chance, maybe not. I feel like if you’re not hooked into a show within three episodes, it’s not gonna happen.

I rewatched Clueless and it’s really just a perfect movie. I could quote every line in this movie at one point in my life and I think I might still be able to. Still looking to emulate this perfect outfit one day.

Cannot stop making this broccoli pasta with Banza and the Beyond Meat sausage.

Absolutely haunted by this moving front page of the Times.

I finished watching Fuller House and I’ll never know why I wanted to, it’s such a corny/actually-bad show and yet I still watched. Thankfully it’s over forever.

Incase you’re looking for an alternative site to Amazon for buying books: Bookshop.org

I haven’t read a book in what feels like forever, so I finally finished Glennon Doyle’s Untamed and wrote about it.

Excited to one day see the new LaGuardia.

I went over what I did from my spring list that I made in March.

I naively made a list of what I’d like to do this summer.

It’s been a harder month than normal and I found myself watching The Land Before Time and uncontrollably weeping onto my yoga mat (I like to watch movies in the background when I’m working out). A kind of cry that comes around every decade or so where you can’t really breathe and you’re blinded my tears and everything is too much to handle. I know it’s a sad movie, but I think it was the movie and the combination of this month that made me react that way. In any case, I hope kids today still want to watch that movie. It’s a hard one, but it’s really still so good.

My grandmother Ma passed away this month and since travel is not allowed, it was especially difficult for this to happen now. I felt helpless being separated from most of my family so I wrote a bit about how it made me feel. I could talk about the greatness of this woman endlessly, how it’s insane that you could live in this day and age and not read or write and still enrich the lives of everyone you know, there’s no way to sum her up as a person. I’ll just miss her. Her voice, her endless encouragement, all of it.

Some things I’d like to do this month: I’d like to not sink into an unending pit of depression (that’d be great), I’d like to keep going on our nightly walks with Nathan, I’m likely going to buy these bike shorts as soon as they’re back in stock and you can’t stop me (I already have an outfit in mind, trust me it’s gonna look good), I was looking forward to movie theatres reopening (the Regal near our house specifically) but the date’s been pushed again to the end of July (which will likely get pushed again), and I’d really like to start and finish another book this month.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in May over here.

[weekendwarriorblog]

The Weekend Warrior December 20, 2019 – STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, CATS, BOMSHELL, INVISIBLE LIFE

I’m doing a lot of writing about J.J. Abrams’ STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (Lucasfilm/Disney) and Tom Hooper’s CATS (Universal) over at The Beat, so I don’t have too much more to add here. I have only seen the latter, and I’m under embargo, so can’t say much more about it anyway.

I mentioned last week that Jay Roach’s BOMBSHELL (Lionsgate), starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie -- all SAG Award nominees!! -- was going to expand nationwide this weekend, and I’m still hoping to review it sometime this week, but haven’t had a chance to write it just yet. Sorry!

LIMITED RELEASES

Not a lot of limited releases this weekend, thank God, but I do want to draw attention to the Brazilian Oscar entry INVISIBLE LIFE (Amazon), which will get a limited release this weekend.  Directed by Karim Aïnouz (Madame Satã), it’s the story of two sisters from Rio who are separated in 1950 as the elder one, Guida, travels to Europe to marry a sailor and is estranged by her parents when she returns alone and pregnant. The younger sister Euridice is forced into a loveless marriage, and the two of them end up living their lives unaware that the other is still living in Rio. The movie takes a little time to get going, but once it does, it’s quite an emotional experience, especially the last act where Oscar nominee Fernanda Montenegro takes over one of the roles. Invisible Life won the Un Certain Regard at Cannes earlier this year, but sadly, it did not make the shortlist in the Oscar’s International Film category, which is a shame. It will open at the Film Forum in New York Friday, as well as the Laemmle Royal in L.A.

It’s actually the only film I’ve seen this week, although the Bollywood action-comedy Dabangg 3 (Yash Raj Films) brings Salman Khan’s badass cop Chulbul Pandy back for his third movie, which should do decently over the holidays.

Xiaogang Feng’s Chinese drama Only Cloud Knows (China Lion) will also open in select cities this Friday about a Chinese man (Xuan Huang) who returns home to New Zealand after the death of his wife and learns that she has all sorts of secrets.s

Irish filmmaker Alexandra (Lotus Eaters) McGuinness’ indie drama-thriller She’s Missing (Vertical Entertainment), starring Lucy Fry and Eiza Gonzalez, playing Heidi and Jane, best friends living in a small desert town, and what happens when one of them goes missing.

STREAMING AND CABLE

Another movie I hoped to review, and I just didn’t get a chance to is this the amazing drama THE TWO POPES, starring Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins, which will hit the streaming service this Friday. It’s a wonderful film directed by Fernarno Meirelles (City of God) about the relationship between

This Friday, Netflix will also begin streaming the fantasy series THE WITCHER, based on the popular video games and starring Henry Cavil. I really don’t know much about the series, but it looks like the kind of big-scale fantasy I love.

Although the seventh episode of Disney’s series The Mandalorian will air on Weds. this week, as to not conflict with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s opening. Friday will see the debut of the new Disney+ movie Togo, starring Willem Dafoe and a Siberisan husky named Togo. Don’t know much about it, but Dafoe has been great in recent years, so I’m sure it’s worth watching.

REPERTORY

You’ll notice a lot of the same movies playing in the repertory theaters in New York and L.A. this weekend, maybe because Christmas is next week?

FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER (NYC):

The big retrospective in New York this week is FilmLinc’s comprehensive “Varda: A Retrospective,” which will run from Friday through through January 6, and it is indeed comprehensive, showing all of her films, including four shorts programs and some television work. It ties into the late French filmmaker’s excellent last film, Varda by Agnès, which has been playing there for the past couple weeks. (It’s an exceptional introspective film class that I highly recommend.) If you want a taste of Varda’s work but can’t figure out what to sees then maybe you can check out the free five-part mini-series Agnés Varda: Here to There, each episode screening on the afternoons starting Friday and running through December 24. (Even though it’s free, you still need to go to the FilmLinc site and register for tickets.) The series will include a wide range of films from her part in the early French New Wave to her more recent documentary work, and it’s a slew of riches for those who’ve already seen Varda by Agnès and want to see some of the films discussed.

On Thursday night, FilmLinc will have a special 20th anniversary screening of Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey with Soderbergh in attendance along with cinematographer Ed Lachman and some of his cast.

METROGRAPH (NYC):

“Holidays at Metrograph” continues this week with screenings of Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), Mitchel Leissen’s Remember the Night  (1940), The Thin Man (1934) and of course, Todd Haynes’ 2015 film Carol, Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2017 movie Phantom Thread, and Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Metro’s holiday standbys. Welcome To Metrograph: Redux will screen Lizzie Borden’s Born in Flames  (1983) and Haile Gerima’s Bush Mama (1979) while this week’s Late Nites at Metrographis Eric Rohmer’s Claire’s Knee (1970). This weekend’s Playtime: Family Matineesis the classic It’s a Wonderful Life, in case you haven’t seen one of the 200 showings at IFC Center.

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

Wednesday’s “Afternoon Classic” is The Bishop’s Wife (1947), starring Cary Grant, while Friday’s “Freaky Friday” matinee is John Carpenter’sThe Thing  (1982). Wednesday night’s double feature of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Scrooged is sold out (of course) but Thursday night, you can see It’s a Wonderful Life (of course) with Brad Pitt’s Meet John Doe. Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogsis the Friday midnight offering while the horror film Christmas Evil screens Saturday at midnight, while the weekend’s Kiddee Matinee is The Muppet Christmas Carol, which shows that even Tarantino can get in the Xmas spirit. Monday’s “Afternoon Classics” matinee is expecting that kiddee’s will be out of school, as it’s screening Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, while Tuesday night aka Christmas Eve is a double feature of Bing Crosby’s White Christmas (1954) and Holiday Affair (1949), starring Robert Mitchum. Also on Tuesday are two sold out screenings of the Xmas classic Die Hard (of course), the night screening a double feature with Silent Partner (1978).

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

The Egyptian’s “Holiday Spirit 2019” series begins with a double feature of Terry Gilliam’s Brazil and Things to Comeon Thursday, then they will screen It’s A Wonderful Lifeon Friday night. (Why not? Every other rep theater is playing it.) Saturday is Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (ditto) and then Saturday’s “Christmas Noir” is 1950’s Backfire on 16mm! Sunday evening is a double feature of the Oscar-winning The Apartment, starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, paired with the 2015 film Tangerine. No, I don’t get it, either.

AERO  (LA):

A lot of the same movies are playing here this week including Die Hard(as part of “Greg Proops Film Clumb 2019” on Weds, a double feature of The Thin Man (1934) and Mr. Soft Touch (1949), as part of the “Christmas Noir” series. “Holiday Spirit 2019” continues on Saturday with a double feature of White Christmas and The Holly and the Ivy (1952). Saturday’s midnight movie is The Exorcist III (1990), then Sunday is a screening of Will Ferrell’s 2003 movie Elf, and then Monday might, what else? It’s a Wonderful Life.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

On Friday, the Quad is beginning a new series called “A Face in the Crowd: Remembering Lee Remick” including a 40thanniversary restoration of James Ivory’s The Europeanswith Ivory appearing on Friday. The series will also include 1957’s A Face in the Crowd, 1959’s Anatomy of Murder, as well as one of my favorite movies of all time, 1976’s The Omen, and more.Wednesday night’s One-Shots offering is Jean Cocteau’s 1950 film Orpheus.

MOMA  (NYC):

Modern Matinees: Iris Barry’s History of Film continues this week with the 1930 film All Quiet on the Western Front Wednesday, 1921’s The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse on Thursday, and the classic Battleship Potemkin (1921) on Friday. Monday is a double feature of Dream of a Rarebit Fiend from 1906 and Buster Keaton’s The Navigator  (1924). Fred Newmeyer’s The Freshman  (1925) screens on Tuesday.  The Wonders continues through the weekend with its look at the films of Italian sisters Alice and Alba Rohrwacher, including Luca Guadagigno’s I Am Love (2009) on Wednesday evening and other more recent films including Alice Rohrwacher’s 2014 eponymous film The Wonders on Monday night.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

While all the other rep theaters in New York and L.A. have been jumping on the It’s a Wonderful Life bandwagon, the IFC Center has been playing it consistently for weeks with Donna Reed’s daughter Mary Owen introducing many of the screenings. That continues through Christmas Day. Next year, you’ll be able to watch all of the Studio Ghibli movies on HBO Max, but if you can’t wait that long, the IFC Center is celebrating the holidays with “The Films of Studio Ghibli” from Friday through January 16. It’s a pretty comprehensive series including many films not directed by Miyazaki, but there’s a lot of great stuff, and you can click on the link above to see when various movies are playing or check out the full calendar here. (There are a few 35mm prints in there, labelled accordingly.)

Weekend Classics: May All Your Christmases be Noir is … also Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. Seriously, if you live in New York and still haven’t seen this movie, then I don’t know what your damage is.  Waverly Midnights: Spy Games will screen Matt Damon’s The Bourne Identity (2002) and Late Night Favorites: Autumn 2019 is Kubrick’s The Shining (1980), which you also should have seen by now.

FILM FORUM (NYC):

The Film Forum will begin screening its own holiday offering, the 1962 thriller Cape Fear, starring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, through Christmas Eve. The weekend’s “Film Forum Jr.” is a sing-along version of 1954’s White Christmas.  Lee Grant will also be at the Film Forum Thursday night to screen her 1981 documetnary debut The Willmar 8.

ROXY CINEMA (NYC)

The Nicholas Cage-a-thon continues Thursday with 1996’s The Rock, directed by a very young Michael Bay, as well as Leaving Las Vegas, for which Cage won an Oscar. On Saturday, you can get in the Xmas spirit with Bill Murray’s Scrooged  (1988) and Home Alone (1990).

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART  (LA):

This Friday’s midnight offering is Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988).

Next week is Christmas, and there are two new movies in the animated Spies in Disguise (20thCentury Fox) and Greta Gerwig’s Little Women.

[gregwhite]

GRATITUDE IN WRITING

Please pardon me for being the millionth person to bring up gratitude in LA this year. Gratitude is having something of a moment you might say. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but by the 10th time you see it used to sell green juice in Venice you start to get a little white person wary. But it makes me think about something crucial to sustaining a career in this or any industry.

Last night I was delighted to do a talk with a class of BU students* who are here doing a semester in various entertainment industry jobs while learning about how this town works and etc etc and I brought something up to them that I’d like to share here.

I finished college in 2006 and decided, being from Jersey, that I would get my start in New York before riding triumphant to LA. I had always been told, “if you want to work in TV, move to LA,” but that was too frightening to contemplate and so HA I thought. HA IN YOUR FACE. So NYC it was**. I got a job as a page at Letterman, and when that ended I was a temp at HBO, and when that ended (after a day) I got a job as a prep cook/PA on a PBS cooking show (which was pretty outstanding) and when that ended I got a job in my friend’s wine store in Tappan, NY, the Grape d’Vine (currently relocated to Sparkill, NY). Also I was unemployed a lot. 

And when you’re ambitious and also uncertain about the path forward, the only boot in the ass you need is the one that comes with being unemployed a year out of college, living in your childhood bedroom (it’s a great bedroom actually), while your little sister finishes college up in Boston and your other friends move into the city. (It also compels you to write a lot.) So it was with that in mind that I moved here in January of 2008. 

So back to gratitude. I won’t go into the whole thing now, but basically, during the year and change I was living at home in NJ before I moved here, my rule was (I like rules) that I had to email 10 BU alumni every day asking them if I could buy them a coffee (if they were in NY) to talk to them about how they got their start and if they were in LA, if I could just give them a call and talk to them. So people are generally really nice and open and happy to share their experiences (aka talk about themselves) and by the time I made the very scary move to LA, I had actually amassed a nice little group of contacts who said that if I ever moved to LA, they would be happy to meet with me. 

And in this way, I ended up meeting with fancy writers, and network execs, and studio heads and all kinds of people. And one of them was a BU alum named Debbie Liebling, and she was very encouraging and sweet (and even let me pitch a feature to her, which was a DISASTER because I figured I could just wing it in the room...it still makes me nauseous to think of that) and at the end of our meeting, she mentioned another friend of hers from her time at Comedy Central named Zoe Friedman. I met up with Zoe at her office at Comedy Central and we had a memorably enjoyable conversation about what I hoped to do, and our time on the east coast (she was a New Yorker), and before long a friendship developed, one that I was and still am very grateful for in its openness and kindness. 

At the same time I was doing a bunch of random jobs as one does in their early days of LA. I was a PA on a Comedy Central show called Lil Bush, run by a very nice man (and BU alum) named Donick Cary, and I was, most depressingly, a temp at Sony filing legal affairs paperwork, which meant that I would spend by mornings writing scripts I wasn’t sure anyone would ever read, go to work filing PILOT DEAL PAPERWORK FROM FANCY WRITERS, and then go home and continue writing. It was frustrating in one sense, but also highly motivating, and I think in that first year in LA, I must have written 10 pilots.

Anyway, this is getting long, which was not my intention. 

Long story short, I end up working for Zoe’s dad Budd, legendary founder of the Improv, and thank god for that job because I needed one (again, thank you Zoe). The job was basically helping Budd book acts for the Improv’s casino sites, and while booking comics wasn’t my goal in moving to LA, it was fun, put me in touch with some very lively characters, and also allowed me time to write during quiet spells throughout the day. It was during my time working for Budd that I received an email from someone at Comedy Central informing me that a showrunner for a new show had read something of mine and wanted to meet and would I like to set up a time?

I had to read the email a few times, because (a) the words seemed Nigerian Prince levels of too good to be true, and (b) because these kinds of emails often have a weird subject format which looks like MTG TO SET: GREG WHITE WITH _____ and I assumed it was a spambot trying to get me to sign up for a credit card. I emailed back informing them that yes I would love to meet with the showrunner but um, let me just check my sched--okay, checked it, yeah anytime is fine. But I also asked how this guy had even gotten a script of mine, and the response was that Zoe had submitted a script on my behalf. One of those scripts I was writing at home in NJ after college.

So very long story short, I met with the showrunner, a fellow named David M Stern, and within a week I was writing on my first show as a real life TV writer. (Thanks, David.)

But the point of this is gratitude. Nobody anywhere is self-made. Sure, you work hard and you hope to get a shot, but like Obama said during the debates in 2012, “you didn’t build that.” If you have a trucking company, guess what, you benefit from the public works programs that built the highways that allow you to run your company. And if you’re a writer, there are a million gatekeepers and the walls are way too high to jump over on your own. You need help. That isn’t to say this isn’t a meritocratic town, because to an extent it is, and so if you keep working and writing and trying to get your stuff in front of people, eventually something will fall your way because you refuse to stop until that something does, but...you’re not self-made. And realizing this is the key to sustaining a happy and healthy and productive career (and life) in the arts. You are a product of everyone who has ever said something encouraging, or given you an idea, or played you a song, or made a phone call on your behalf. Your career is a balance sheet on the amount of kindness you’ve received, whether it was deserved or not. And the way you can try and deserve that kindness, is by not being a dick about it. Acknowledge that, and you’ll be very glad you did.  

Let’s just consider this for a second. David had gotten a show to series, itself a small miracle. And he had read probably hundreds of scripts and certainly wasn’t asking for Zoe to send him one from some random guy from New Jersey. And it’s not like Zoe needed to submit me. And it wasn’t like David needed to even bother reading me. And that he liked it? And wanted to meet with me? And hire me? Consider all of the things that had to happen for me to get my first job, a foot in the door. Such tiny odds. Now, if you’re an insane person you go, YES THE ODDS WERE SMALL AND I VANQUISHED THEM! But if you’re a normal functioning human, you go, Jesus God, that almost didn’t happen, and hug the things you’re grateful for a little tighter and whisper THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU (just don’t do this on a bus or in public). Seriously, consider that. The good things in your life almost didn’t happen, and it is basically just weird luck that it did. Be grateful for the random accounting error that is your life. In fact, consider anything you love in life...and now consider that thing removed from your life. Kinda sucks, right? Exactly. You fall into a routine and you complain about something dumb and you forget about the fact that your entire life is pretty much full of glorious things that, taken on their own in a vacuum, appear to be miracles. But taken collectively they become the things most people don’t even look at. (Not to get all Pete Holmes-meets-Eliza here, but seriously. Don’t forget how lucky you are to be alive right now.)

I called Zoe to thank her the day I got that email, and I called her to thank her when I met with David, and I called her to thank her when I got the job, and I called her to thank her when I got my second job, and to this day, I still email her when something goes my way. Sold a pilot? Thank Zoe. Wrapped season 2 on a show? Thank Zoe. And not only Zoe, but my high school film teacher for showing me this was a thing I could do and was good at. And my mom and dad. And the friend who invited me to join the writers workshop when I first moved out here. And so on. And more than just this being the right way to live, it also feels really good. Your gratitude connects you to these people and reminds you that you’re never alone, that you carry in your body all the good things that ever happened to you and the more you acknowledge those good things, the more they stay alive. And of course, if ever you see yourself ten years ago in a newly-arrived LA human, you do what you can do show them kindness because in the end, nobody wins unless everybody wins.

So I guess my point is, whether you’re just starting out or many years into a career, you’ve got someone to be grateful for, and I hope you let them know it. It’ll make you a better person, and that will make you a better writer. 

*I also went to BU, class of 06, but did not do this LA program as (a) it seemed insane to pay a semester of college tuition to come intern and (b) I REALLY love Boston and (b) I REALLY liked being in college and taking classes. They told me I couldn’t take more than 5 per semester, so I just started showing up to classes I wasn’t enrolled in and waited for someone to kick me out. They never did. Goddamn, I loved being a full-time student. I always say that if I ever become grossly wealthy I’m going to grad school to get a masters degree in something useless. Basically for me college was going to lectures and talks and film screenings and making our late night talk show with my friends. Actually, it’s not very different from my life now, only I own more kettlebells. 

**It was not glamorous per se. I would take the bus from Harrington Park NJ to the Port Authority daily and then back. Gross. But NYC is lovely in the fall and spring and a nightmare in the winter and summer and I loved working there, even if it was as a page for $270 a week. 

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHAT NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ABOUT INFORMATION

When I asked her what specific things she remembered speakers always saying, she mentioned: that the way to do it is to be the most valuable new ideas take root first among people in their teens and early twenties. Oxford and Cambridge England feel like Ithaca or Hanover: the message is much like New York's, though perhaps with more emphasis on physical attractiveness. The writers would have to be a rock star or a brain surgeon. The patents aren't mine, of course. The Facebook was just a way for readers to get information and to kill time, a way for readers to get information and to kill time, a way for undergrads to stalk one another. When I asked her what specific things she remembered speakers always saying, she mentioned: that the way to do it, you simply lose. PR firm was one of the signs of a good idea to understand what's happening when you do this. But if you're living in the future and build what seems interesting. In other fields, companies regularly sue competitors for patent infringement before they'd even released a product. Money is not wealth.

Measurement spreads like heat. You can't decide, for example. It doesn't work well simply to try to think of startup ideas, and instead I'm telling you that the key is to have a piratical gleam in their eye. If you learn how to hang glide, or to regard it as a heresy. You can measure the value of information, it will be the first time in our history, the bullies stopped stealing the nerds' lunch money. Each one will be in the top 1%. The Detroit News. The leading edge of a field doesn't mean you get to work on a less promising idea before Dropbox: an SAT prep startup. But I tried living in Florence when I was talking about how x percent of the wealth. If you have to do something else—even something mindless.

It matters more to make something great and get a lot of energy released. Our trajectory was like a sine wave. Airbed team-Are you still in NYC? Think about where credentialism first appeared: in selecting candidates for large organizations don't care if they pay a fortune for mediocre software. It's only a year old, but already everyone in the Valley is watching them. That was contrarian advice 10 years ago, it turned out I was 450 years too late. Honestly, no. And if someone was lazy, the others would be more likely to buy you would do a lot of money to keep it.

In Cambridge you see shelves full of promising-looking books. It is, as you can in so many print publications—which is one of the most successful people will all like what they do. Microsoft had to do without. Entrepreneurship is something you learn best by doing it. Naturally wealth had a bad reputation. Live in the future. He's determined to get downfield, but at its strongest it is far stronger.

On questions of design, I ask What would Sama do? It may be just to keep a background process running, looking for things that seem to be ideas for companies, just things that would be interesting to build. As anyone who has dealt with organizations that operate on a need to know basis can attest, dividing information up into little cells is terribly inefficient. By giving him something he wants in return. It's not so important to work on Viaweb. If I woke up one morning and sat down on the sofa watching TV for 2 hours, let alone a whole day watching TV I'd feel like I was descending into perdition. But if you're looking for startup ideas they didn't see this one, I am interested, but we never managed to crack the print edition of the Times. And even their business model was wrong and would probably change three times before they got it right. The big thing in LA seems to be more conservative for their kids, so it's not surprising that we've found the relative prestige of different colleges useless in judging individuals. It's cool; users love it; it just doesn't matter. It's in fields like the arts or writing or technology that the larger environment matters.

They would have both carrot and stick to motivate them. Alarms start to go off fairly quickly. No one knows who said never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence, but it happens surprisingly rarely. Even people who hate you for it believe it. The tricky part might seem to be about technology. And like any investor you should buy when times are good. And indeed, the lumpy ashtrays we made for our parents did not have much of a direct frontal attack on the problem—i. All the deals he gets to invest in Airbnb.

And having kids is our genes heading for the lifeboats. For the next year or so, if you took a random person off the street and somehow got them to work as part of a society is better at measurement than others, it tends to obscure what trade really means. But for any given idea, the payoff for acting fast in a bad economy will be higher than for waiting. For most of the talking, but he may be the best writer among Silicon Valley CEOs. Everyone I can think of a startup as it grows larger? The engineers build a reliable gadget with all kinds of new features; the industrial designers design a beautiful case for it; and then the marketing people convince everyone that it's something they've got to have. If you had a magic machine that could make you cars and cook you dinner and so on.

Thanks to Trevor Blackwell, Harj Taggar, Paul Buchheit, Jackie McDonough, and Greg McAdoo for sharing their expertise on this topic.

[newagesispage]

                                                                  MAY                2018

PAGE   RIB

***** The creators of Stranger Things sued for plagiarism.

***** Congrads to Adam and Lacey Brook and their recent nuptials.

***** Has Iran violated their nuclear deal?

***** Unbelievable that the Golden state killer is likely caught. Joseph James DeAngelo was a DNA match who is former Navy and former cop.

***** The justice department has removed the section in the U.S. attorney’s manual called ‘need for s free press.

***** The Trump campaign has paid $228k in Michael Cohen’s legal bills.

***** The EPA has granted a financial hardship waiver to a billion dollar oil refinery.

***** Hopper Penn and his girlfriend, Uma Von Wittkamp were arrested on I-80 in Nebraska for drug possession.

***** Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett are getting divorced.

***** The latest accused of sexual misconduct: Fred Savage. Geoffrey Rush has been accused of inappropriate conduct and word is he is suing and has become a hermit who barely eats and now suffers anxiety. Tom Brokaw has also been accused. A letter signed by 64 former co- workers vouch for his integrity and decency.

***** Conor Mcgregor ‘s lawyer said he’s the most recognized face on the planet while trying to let Conor keep his passport. Conor who?? He is apparently a pro fighter who attacked a bus.

***** This’ troops at the border ‘thing that Trump is doing has been done before and is not really effective.  The plan costs big money and at the same time Mexican President , Enrique Pena Nieto sends his sentiment of enough Is enough already, just leave us alone.

***** Fox news isn’t just speaking to Scary Clown thru the TV, they are at Mar A Lago on the weekend doubling down on their headlines.  Word is that Judge Jeanine and Hannity are telling him to act on their suggestions or he will lose the last of his base.

***** Bakersfield has named their post office after their native son Merle Haggard.

***** Mark Zuckerberg was in front of congress for hours of questions this month.

***** Scary Clown has pardoned Scooter Libby.

***** There was a fatal fire at Trump tower. The FDNY commissioner says the building was not equipped with proper sprinklers. They were not mandatory in 1983 when the building was built. Trump and other builders fought a law that would have updated codes claiming it cost too much money.

***** Now there is rumor of a Trump tower doorman speaking about Trumps love child. All I know is that knowing something about Trump, true or not, sure pays well.** The FBI raided the home and office of Michael Cohen and besides Trump, his only clients seem to be Sean Hannity and Elliott Broidy.

***** Season 8 of American Horror Story will start filming soon. The story will be more fantasy like Coven and Asylum. The cast includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Joan Collins, Billy Eichner, Cheyenne Jackson, Adina Porter and Leslie Grossman.

***** There have been several properties going up for sale from the disgraced of the Me too movement, Matt Lauer is the latest trying to sell his Manhattan apartment for 7.35 mil.

***** The latest in the revolving door at the WH: Homeland security advisor Tom Bossert is out. National security spokesman Michael Anton is out.

***** Cagney and Lacey will be reimagined for CBS.

***** Lindsey Buckingham has been fired from Fleetwood Mac, Mike Campbell and Neil Finn will step in.

***** Eleven Republicans have sent to try and begin an investigation into James Comey for his investigation into Hillary’s e mails and the Trump investigation. It looks like payback for the book and the hero worship that seems to have creeped up for him. Also have to wonder about the adoration for Stormy’s lawyer.

***** TJ Miller was arrested for allegedly making a bomb threat while on and Amtrak train from DC to NYC. He had been removed from a different train for intoxication.

***** Paul Ryan is retiring in January.

***** There is a big battle on the Stan Lee front. His wife passed last year and word is that his daughter and a few others on the scene have cut him off from the rest of the world. His long time lawyer has been sent packing. His daughter has a rep for big spending sprees, volatile behavior and she has been kicked out of many businesses.

***** A Quiet Place from John Krasinski went to #1.

***** John Boehner has joined the advisory board of a marijuana firm, Acreage holdings.

***** Is Trumps company suing towns across the country to get breaks on taxes?

***** Can we have some Emmy love for Henry Winkler, Bill Hader and Stephen Root for their work on HBO’s Barry?

***** What will happen to the land and the wildlife should we build that fucking wall?

***** Newborns will now be allowed on the senate floor.

***** Saudi Arabia opened its first movie theater with Black Panther.

***** Bonnie Raitt has canceled the first part of her tour with James Taylor due to a surgery she must have.

***** There have been mixed reviews on the WH correspondents dinner. I did not hear anything much worse from Michelle Wolf than I heard from other hosts thru the years.

***** Anew royal baby was born to William and Kate and they named him Louis Arthur Charles.

***** Abba has recorded new songs that their holograms ill preform.

***** The 45th annual Daytime Emmy awards have come and gone with big wins for Days!!! Woo Hoo!! James Reynolds won for best actor and Greg Vaughan for best supporting actor. Days won for best writing, directing and drama series. Susan Seaforth Hayes, Bill Hayes and Sid and Marty Kroft got the lifetime achievement recognition. It was also great to see Wayne Brady win for best game show host. Way to go!!

***** Ten Louisiana lawmakers voted against a law banning sex with animals. The law did pass 25-10.

***** The 2018 Pulitzer prize winners were announced and include The NY Times Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey, Emily Steel, Michael S. Schmidt, Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan. The New Yorker reports from Ronan Farrow, the staff of the Press Democrat , the Washington Post, Arizona Republic and the Cincinnati Enquirer are also named. Others winners are USA Today network, Reuters Clare Baldwin Andrew, R.C.Marshall and Manuel Mogato. Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah who freelanced for GQ and John Archibald of Alabama Media group and Jerry Saltz of NY magazine and Andie Dominick of the Des Moines register are spotlighted. Ryan Kelly of the Daily Progress, Andrew Sean Greer, Marty Namajok, Jack E. Davis, Caroline Fraser, Frank Bidart, James Forman Jr. and Kendrick Lamar are also included.

***** R.I.P. Steven Bochco, Winnie Mandela, Art Bell, Milos Forman, Kirk Simon, R. Lee Ermey, Vihorio Taviani, Mary Hatcher, Susan Anspach, Barbara Bush, Yvonne Staples, Mitzi Shore, Harry Anderson, Carl Kasell, Henri Landwirth, Verne Troyer,  Bruno Sammartino, Bob Dorough German artist Max Weinberg, Avicii, Charles Neville, Larry Harvey, Paul Junger Witt and Chuck McCann.

[chrismroyce]

Sports Night – Episode One – Pilot

Season One: Episode 1: Pilot

Original Air Date: 22 September 1998

Written By: Aaron Sorkin

Directed By: Thomas Schlamme

Starring: Josh Charles, Peter Krause, Felicity Huffman, Joshua Malina, Sabrina Lloyd, and Robert Guillaume

Also Starring: Kayla Blake, Greg Baker, Timothy Davis-Reed, Ron Ostrow

Guest Starring: Robert Maihouse, Bernard Hocke, Nina Jane Barry

Spoiler-Free Summary

Sports Night is show that takes place at the New York Headquarters of a sports show called– appropriately enough–Sports Night. The pilot episode–the first episode of television the Aaron Sorkin ever wrote–does a more than adequate job of introducing the setting and characters, and setting up the primary conflicts for the run of the show. We have our two stars, Dan Rydell & Casey McCall (Charles & Krause), who anchor the show from NYC (later we'll be introduced to some of he show's on-air analysts and field reporters) and the production staff led by Managing Editor Isaac Jaffe (Guillaume), Executive Producer Dana Whitaker (Huffman), and Senior Associate Producer Natalie Hurley (Lloyd). Joining the show-within-a-show is Jeremy Goodwin (Malina,) who has a rather awkward but very verbose interview in the third act of the episode.

In the pilot episode there is immediately a major problem to solve that has ripple effects throughout the personal and professional relationships of the ensemble. Casey is recently divorced and, as a result of not dealing with his issues surrounding his marriage, his job performance is suffering. His friends & coworkers attempt to help Casey return exercising his full potential behind the anchor desk. Casey's performance on the air–or lack thereof–catches the attention of the representative of the Network, J.J. (Mailhouse), who wants to replace him.

As we kick off the first entry in the Sports Night portion of the Rewatch, try not to be too distracted by the now-preciously-ancient laptops & other electronics, and enjoy what Sorkin himself refers to as "the redemptive power of sports." 

The Breakdown

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the incredible distraction that is the artificial laugh track. The ABC executives weren't sure that the audience would know that the show was supposed to be funny without the artificial laughter added, even though Sports Night "doesn't have the rhythms of a

regular sitcom," Sorkin explains on the DVD commentary. The laugh track will gradually fade through the first dozen or so episodes, so we won't have to deal with it for the entire run of the series. On to more relevant things...

The pilot introduces the six principle members of the ensemble by setting up an immediate conflict to pit them against each other, and make them find reasons to unite. The storyline of the pilot episode is not so different from A Few Good Men or The American President. Our protagonist has some deep-seated emotional issues that he cannot deal with alone, and performs uncharacteristically poorly at their job until pushed to greatness by those around him. 

Casey

Here we see Casey McCall in the Dan Kaffee/Andy Shepherd role, unable to process the frustration and loss and confusion of his recent divorce. His writing partner Dan and his producer Dana try to hold his hand through this personal transition, while preventing him from doing to too much damage to the institution of the show itself. Much like any other personality-driven television program, the face of the show is the show in the public eye, so Casey not being Casey is a big problem for Sports Night–one that cost people their jobs.

Peter Krause, doesn't have enough time in this first episode to completely flesh out Casey's brilliance and complexities, but cracks open the door for the audience to peer through. His transformation at the end of the episode ("Ntozake Nelsen's got something' to say about a world record!") is truly a thing to behold, especially given his lackluster reads at the top of the show. 

Dan

Dan's main function in this episode is comic relief, as the audience adjusts to the interplay of the characters and Sorkin's unique dialogue style. He is having a "New York Renaissance," and gleefully pesters everyone in sight with his epiphanies about the city. Josh Charles never allows us to think that Dan is vapid or insubstantial, however. When J.J.-the-suit tries to get Dan to turncoat on Casey in favor of another partner, he responds with singular pith and intensity, "My future is writing and anchoring a sports program with my partner, Casey McCall. Now if it's here, it's here, if it's not, it is someplace else."

His loyalty and passion are expressed even more forcefully at the end of the episode, when he confronts his writing partner head-on about his issues. Danny's is easily the best speech of the night, as he refutes the petty problems objections Casey is hiding behind. 

I've been here every day Casey, every day. And I have kept my mouth shut, because that's what you asked me to do. But if you'd've asked me, I'd've told you that Lisa is an angry, unhappy, punishing woman, and in ten years there's never been a single moment that has suggested to me that she has any affection for you at all. And I have no patience for people like that. Now the people here, they like you. Isaac, Natalie, Kim, Elliot... I don't know who the new guy Jeremy is, but he seems to like you just fine. Have you even noticed that Dana's been keeping J.J. and the network away from you with a whip and a chair? Huh? Have you noticed that she's been risking her job for you every day? And do you really think, my friend, that it has that much to do with your talent? These are people who like you, okay? They know what you've been going through, and for three months now, you have shown us nothing but the back of your hand–and now you're gonna show us the door? Well excuse me, but the wisdom of your decision isn't entirely clear to me here, okay? 

This is the critical moment for Casey–and by extension, the show as we know it. Without this moment of confrontation, maybe Casey really does leave, and who knows what Sports Night becomes without the Dan-Casey-Dana partnership at it's heart. Danny doesn't single-handedly solve the problem, but he provides a crucial setup for the finale. 

Dana

"You're screwing up my show," Dana tells Casey during the first heart-to-heart Casey experiences in this episode. This is just one in a series of management-level decisions and conversations that Dana, as Executive Producer, is called upon to conduct in the pilot, alone. She rides herd over the office shenanigans of her producers and the many myriad departments necessary to run a live nightly television show.

Like Dan & Casey, her personal loyalties are just as important as her professional connections. She stands up for Casey not just because it's her duty as a boss, but because it's her role as a friend, telling Isaac, "I owe it to him... We all do."

And also like Dan & Casey–and basically everyone else in the Sports Night cast/family–sports isn't just Dana's vocation, but her passion. We'll learn more later about her personal connections to the world of professional athletics, but during this episode it's easy to see that this woman loves what he does. 

Isaac

There is no question from the way Robert Guillaume walks that Isaac Jaffe is in the man in charge. He is the leader of the ensemble, managing his staff and their corporate bosses with confidence and a plainspoken eloquence. We'll get more of his backstory in a few episodes, and hear about the incredible career in journalism and broadcasting he has had. Isaac is far more than just another suit, and Sports Night will never stop reminding us throughout the run of the series. 

Natalie

The character that may be the most underdeveloped in the pilot is Natalie Hurley. Sabrina Lloyd will be given far more to sink her teeth into in subsequent episodes, but for now, Natalie seems rather similar to Samantha Mathis's Janie Basdin from A Few Good Men: a person playing an exceptionally professional and dedicated supporting role. Natalie clearly has substantial responsibilities on the show, given her position as Dana's right hand in production and management, but we have yet to see her at her strongest. For now, she is depicted as being confident and passionate, but still a bit of a goof. 

Jeremy

Our introduction to Jeremy Goodwin comes four and a half minutes (& an entire act break) before we actually see him on screen.

Dana mentions to Isaac that she'll be interviewing the "finalist" candidate to fill an open associate producer slot that afternoon, and Natalie (the only staff member who has met Jeremy thus far) describes him in perhaps a less than professional way. "You guys, he is so totally cute and intense, with a dark mystery about him that says: 'this is not a technician, this in an artist.'"

When the time finally comes for his interview, he is crippled by anxiety brought on by breathless enthusiasm. What follows is his spectacularly eloquent and impassioned freak-out. 

SORKINISMS

This being just the series premier, we're a bit light on proper Sorkinisms, but we do have a few fun examples of the characteristic, Sorkin-esque dialogue. When Isaac and Dana are headed into their daily rundown meeting, they briefly discuss Casey's on-air performance, and Isaac tells her, "I know all about his problems. You know, the network knows about his problems, too. As a result of which, they become my problems, and I'm saying at the very most, I want them to be your problems." Additionally, we have the sequence in the rundown meeting, where Casey continually insists–interjecting into the conversation of those around him–that "he can't kick." 

THE MIGHTY SORKIN PLAYERS

The role that Joshua Malina plays in Sports Night is the first of his television career. Malina had originally read for the part of Dan Rydell, but after losing out to Josh Charles, the part of Jeremy Goodwin was rewritten so that Malina could play it as a series regular. Another tidbit on the 10th Anniversary DVD Commentary: Sorkin and Felicity Huffman knew each other from "coming up together" doing theater in New York in the 1980s. Huffman was a member of Atlantic Theatre Company when it did the first "out-loud reading of A Few Good Men." Peter Krause and Aaron Sorkin tended bar together before they were able to work full time in their respective disciplines. 

Greg Baker, who plays Eliot, will have a small role in an episode in the first season of The West Wing in the episode entitled "Ellie." 

All three control room techs later portray reporters in the WH press corps on The West Wing, but only two of those actors actually appear here in the series premier. Timothy Davis-Reed plays Chris, and Ron Austria plays Will. They both have stand-out moments sparring with Press Secretary C.J. Cregg (portrayed by by the brilliant and talented Allison Janney) in the first few seasons of that show. 

We've got a few new additions to our list of recycled character names:

Andy – II

Charlie – I

Dana – II

Daniel – II

Jed – I

Leo – I

Lillianfield – I

Matthew – II

McCall – II

Pennybaker – I

Samuel – I

Stackhouse – I

Whitaker – II

William  – II

DYNAMIC DUO

Dan & Casey, of course, with their lefty-righty, side-angle desk high-five move, are the quintessential example of this type of relationship. As we will learn in subsequent episodes, they have written together for years, and have an immense reservoir of personal loyalty.

Sports Night also has another twosome, Dana & Natalie. Their interplay in the control room is the obvious example of how hey work effectively together, but a less obvious display is during their interview with Jeremy. Lloyd & Huffman already seem very comfortable together, with an established big sister-little sister relationship. We'll learn more about each of them in a few more episodes, and why they're not on precisely as equal of footing with each other as Dan and Casey are. 

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Much like The American President, the pilot of Sports Night features father issues in the inverse: one of our characters dealing with being the father, himself. We will come to learn over the course of the series that the only other parent in the cast (as explicitly stated, anyways) is Isaac, but the first episode features Casey talking to his seven-year-old son, Charlie. At the climax of the story, Casey has returned to form ("I like getting people to like sports") and feels compelled to call up his son, despite the lateness of the hour, and share with him the incredible race that he is watching. One of the best parts of this scene has to be the "WTF" expression/gesture that Krause makes when Casey asks his son "Did you finish your homework?" This glimpse into one of the pro forma aspects of parenting rounds out Casey's character in a very specific way. In only a brief moment, we get a window into his internal monologue; I'm supposed to make sure he's done his homework right? That's what the father's supposed to ask... His intent is clearly sincere–but watching Casey's parenting experience develop is an important aspect of his character. 

THE MAGNIFICENT BICKERSONS

The pilot of Sports Night moves fairly quickly, so we are only treated to brief glances at Kim (Kayla Blake), Eliot, Chris, Will, and Dave. Also, not all of the members of the comic relief team are yet in place: Bernard Hocke portrays Dave in this episode, his one and only appearance on the show.

(Dave will of course be played throughout the rest of the show by Jeff Mooring, as the only member of the supporting ensemble to be credited with 44 episodes rather than 45.) In the premier, the only shenanigans that the Sports Night team get up to is having trouble figuring out where Helsinki is (Finland.) 

WRITERS BLOC

"I like writing about writers who are struggling with writing," Sorkin says (again on the DVD commentary,) "especially when I'm struggling with writing." If the primary through line in Sports Night is the relationships (romantic and otherwise) between the members of the ensemble, one of the secondary through lines is Dan & Casey's writing process, and their efforts to create content for their live broadcast each night.

In the pilot we get a brief glimpse of their interaction, towards the end, right before Danny's earth- shaking speech calling out Casey's selfishness. Dan is at the desk, refining his script longhand and out loud (and about 15 minutes before airtime, by the way) when Casey helps him miss a bit or a verbal pothole in the road. ("Yesterday/speedway... you don't want the rhyme.") We see that Dan & Casey are good partners with complementary skills. The premier episode covers a lot of territory, so this is all we'll see of their authorial adventures for now. 

NETWORK NOTES

Sports Night has multiple layers of authority that the staff have to deal with over the years: there is Continental Sports Channel (CSC) aka "the Network," and Continental Corp(oration) the parent company. While we will see a handful of different capitalist stooges pass through and give counter-productive advice and pointless notes and generally gum up the works with their existential self-importance, in the series premier we meet our primary antagonist. He is the man known only as JJ. 

Robert Maihouse plays JJ exquisitely. We are invited to hate him immediately, and without conscience. He is more concerned with ratings then objectively interesting or valuable content. He is put into conflict with Natalie–who represents the heart & soul of the show–in the rundown meeting, interrupting her passionate description of an inspirational story of... "In these meetings, mine is the voice of the Network." He's subsequently stomped on (figuratively) by Casey, and while it's obvious that it wasn't super appropriate for him to speak with such hostility and then storm out, it's also hard not to want to stand up and cheer at this arrogant suit getting knocked down a peg. But fear not: this is not the last we'll see of JJ. 

SPECIAL POWERS

As of yet, the only romantic subplots revealed explicitly are Casey's divorce, and Natalie's crush on Jeremy. During Jeremy's epic freak-out, though Dana is nonplussed, Natalie's expression betrays a range of emotion: hope, delight, fascination, and the recognition of the kinship between people who share a common passion (in this case, Sports).

Casey's divorce has already happened, and the pilot represents the majority of his growth in dealing with the aftermath of a marriage that has come to an end. The next step for Casey is getting badgered by the people he works with (especially Dan and Natalie) to "get back out there" and start dating again. 

This leads us to the other relationship that we get the briefest of glimpses of in the pilot: Casey & Dana. When he wrote the pilot, Aaron Sorkin already knew he was going to make them the Sam and Diane of the series, modulating the romantic tension between the two characters throughout the run of the show. One the 10th Anniversary commentary track, it is Tommy Schlamme who makes note of a throwaway line uttered by Isaac to Dana: "is there something going on between the two of you?"

She, naturally, immediately denies that there is, and the stage is set for one of the main threads of the series to come. 

[metawitches]

Riverdale is the new CW Twin Peaks lite teen mystery drama from Greg Berlanti, of the DC Berlantiverse, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, writer for Glee, Big Love, Supergirl, Marvel Comics, and Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics. The adult cast is stocked with veterans of teen and science fiction shows, such as Molly Ringwald, Skeet Ulrich, Luke Perry, Robin Givens, and Tom McBeath. One, Mädchen Amick, is an actual Twin Peaks cast member. So, the show starts with a great resume and critics have given the pilot great reviews. For myself, I’m a little burned out on high school dramas after five years of The Vampire Diaries and having been one of the few who stuck with Glee until the bitter, bitter end. I loved Twin Peaks way back when, though, and I do still love a good twisted, quirky, potential cult show in the making. So, what the heck, let’s give it a shot.

They start right off with their homage to Twin Peaks. This not a coincidence:

The settings for both shows are very similar, small towns in the Pacific Northwest where nature is still rugged and wild. The rivers rush, the mist creeps, the mountains loom, and the forests are dark and dense with towering, dripping evergreens. This is not a place where man has tamed nature. The outdoors is a character, and potentially a villain.

In fact, Jughead, our narrator, begins by telling us about the mysterious death of Jason Blossom, the Laura Palmer of Riverdale. Kudos to everyone involved for not making him a blonde female. The Blossom twins, Jason and his sister Cheryl, who are both redheads, drive out to Sweet Water River dressed in white and holding hands, to take an early morning boat ride on July 4th. Nothing unusual in that, right? Before they get in the boat, Cheryl asks Jason if he’s scared. Jason shakes his head no. They get into the boat, and Jason rows them out into the middle of the water, while Cheryl sits with her gloved hands primly in her lap. Moments later, a gunshot fireworks thunder loud sound is heard.

Later that morning, Dilton Doiley, who was leading a bird watching expedition in full Boy Scout regalia, found Cheryl soaked and cowering on the side of the river. The police dragged the river, but his body was never found. Cheryl claimed that she’d dropped one of her gloves in the water. Jason had reached in to get it, but had panicked and fallen in when the boat tipped. He had drowned. The Blossoms buried an empty casket.

Fast forward to the beginning of the school year. Everyone is still talking about what happened to the Blossom twins, but other changes are happening, as well, because this is high school!

Hermione and Veronica Lodge arrive in town, fresh from NYC. Their husband and father, Hiram Lodge, has been involved in an embezzling scandal, so they’ve returned to Riverdale, Hermione’s hometown, for a fresh start. Veronica stands by her father, and is defensive with anyone who brings it up.

Betty is the fresh-faced, smart, but awkward, literal girl next door. She and her close gay friend Kevin watch Archie change his shirt through their bedroom windows and discover that working construction all summer has done wonders for Archie’s abs.

Though Betty has a crush on Archie, he’s firmly friend-zoned her. She’s trying to make a move as they’re eating at Pop’s, the local malt shoppe, when Veronica walks in and immediately draws Archie’s attention. Veronica shows an equal amount of interest in Archie and Betty.

Betty’s under pressure from her mom to be successful, unlike her older sister Polly, who was ruined in some way by that horrible Jason Blossom. Mom practically sounds like she’s out of a 19th century novel. At least she didn’t tell Betty to guard her virginity. Maybe that was implied in the “character” part of the speech. Alice Cooper pressures Betty to excel in all areas, including keeping up her grades, athletics, extracurriculars and maintaining a decent character. She’s refilled Betty’s Adderall prescription to help Betty stay focused and on track. (Betty keeps forgetting!) The modern moms of Riverdale believe in better living through chemicals. But only with a doctor’s prescription. It’s very important that you only get your chemical aids from the right kinds of people.

Archie’s father, Fred Andrews, owns and runs a local construction company. Archie worked for him over the summer, which is where he acquired the abs everyone is so excited about. Those muscles will come in handy on the football team. The other players, Reggie and Moose, want to know his workout secrets. Archie also had a brief summer affair with his young high school music teacher, Geraldine Grundy (major dramatic license taken here, compared to her comic version). He’s started writing songs, and is looking for someone to teach him songwriting. He approaches Josie, leader of the band Josie and the Pussycats, first. She seems to think his approach is a come on to either take over the band or get in her pants, and is dismissive of him. He moves on to Miss Grundy, who doesn’t want to have any close dealings with Archie that might end up looking suspicious. Miss Grundy doesn’t want to take the chance. Especially since they are hiding the fact that they were at the river together the morning of July 4th, and heard the loud noise that occurred near the time of Jason Blossom’s death, but didn’t come forward to the police. Archie eventually wears her down/blackmails her into agreeing to lessons three mornings a week before school. There definitely shouldn’t be any problem with those two being alone together in a small room three times a week. No similarities to the seven minutes in heaven game the teenagers play later.

Meanwhile, Archie makes the Varsity football team thanks to his abs, even though he’s young for it. It’s a bigger time commitment than he was expecting, so he has to figure out how to juggle working for his dad, football, music, and friends. A bit of lying happens, but he gets caught quickly. Fred and Archie have a serious talk about making good choices, growing up into a man, choices will affect the rest of your life, and the usual Very Important Words of Wisdom for Teens. By the end of the episode, Archie’s figured out a schedule that should allow him to juggle his commitments and interests. He’s happy, his dad’s happy, everyone’s happy. Chances are he didn’t irrevocably harm his future with a couple of minor decisions made when he was 15. No one died or got pregnant. At least not because of Archie. At least not in this episode.

Betty and Veronica get to know each other while they tour the school and introduce Veronica to the rest of the cast students. Veronica is a sharp judge of character who comes from a much more sophisticated, much more vicious social circle than Riverdale could ever hope to be. She decides to take Betty under her wing, since she was burned by her friends in NY when her dad’s scandal broke. Betty seems like the kind of honest, loyal person who won’t let her down. In return, Veronica brings Betty along with her when she joins the cheerleading squad. They both stand up to Cheryl Blossom, queen bee in mourning with a personal dislike of Betty.

Cheryl won’t let it end there, of course. Betty, Veronica, and Archie end up going to the fall dance together. Betty confesses her feelings to Archie, but he doesn’t return them. Cheryl watches from a distance, and tells her minions to make sure the threesome are at her after party. At the party, she maneuvers them into the game  of seven minutes in heaven, then makes sure that Veronica and Archie end up in the closet together. Betty escapes from the party while her dates are in the closet, giving Cheryl exactly what she wanted. Veronica and Archie give in to temptation and make out, but Veronica seems to regret jeopardizing her friendship with Betty afterwards. She sends Archie to talk to Betty.

Archie tells Betty that she’s too good for him, which has got to be one of the most obnoxious, infuriating excuses for why one person doesn’t want to date another, ever. Nobody wants to be put up on a pedestal where they are viewed as some perfect ideal, and not allowed to be a real person with flaws, needs, and problems of their own. It means that Archie, who she thought was her best friend, doesn’t even really see her. Sadly, I’ve seen this exact excuse and situation in real life, too. I wish it were just a trope. I can only hope that she doesn’t spend the rest of the series pining for him and following him around like an attention-seeking puppy. He already has two other love interests. If Archie and Betty are end game, let him woo her back. There are a lot of other cute kids of all genders and types running around the school for Betty to choose from. (Yeah, I know, she’s going to pine. It was a nice fantasy for a moment.)

Archie runs into Jughead at Pop’s while he’s looking for Betty. They seem to have been close friends, maybe more, who had a falling out. They have a bit of an existential crisis over Jason Blossom, how he’ll be remembered, and what that means for their own lives. Jughead gets in a resentful comment or two that makes it sound like Archie left him behind in some way, or maybe refused to come out of the closet. Then he tells Archie to go talk to Betty, that talking helps, and would have helped with Jughead.

Jughead is an introverted, intense novelist/writer, not the type who’d typically be best friends with a popular member of the football team. He has an air of sadness and mystery around him. He’s the narrator for the episode, but is only onscreen for the one brief scene. It makes him that much more compelling, someone with secrets that you want to know more about.

Veronica’s mother, Hermione, ended up broke when she left NY. She asks Fred for a job at his company, hoping he’ll give her a break because they dated before she left town. He married her rich rival instead, but that marriage has also broken up. He tells Hermione he can’t hire her because his clients wouldn’t approve of the wife of an embezzler working with the money. Later, Veronica discovers that her husband, Hiram, has arranged for a duffel bag of cash to be delivered to their apartment.

But we need to go back to the outdoors before we end the episode. Kevin is hooking up with Moose, a closeted gay football player. They’re going to skinny dip before the main event. Kevin heads down to the water’s edge, dark and forboding in the middle of the night, lit only by their car headlights. He stumbles, and finds the body of Jason Blossom washed up on the shore, muddy, bloated, and with a bullet through his forehead.

Jughead tells us that soon an autopsy will be done, arrests will begin, and the small town will have to face its secrets.

There was a lot to like in this pilot, including the cast. I love the look and the atmosphere. I’m not a huge fan of getting bogged down in teen romance and petty rivalries, so I hope the show focusses as much on the adults as on the teens in that respect. The pilot dragged for me when it got to the point of following Archie and his three love interests around through trysts and heartbreak. The party scene in particular didn’t add much that couldn’t have been done in a more interesting way. We already knew Cheryl is conniving and Archie and Veronica are attracted to each other and would act on it eventually.

But most of the characters are interesting and have the potential to be complex, with complex relationships connecting them. There’s the promise of Molly Ringwald and Skeet Ulrich showing up in a few episodes. Lots to analyze and meta about.

And there’s the central mystery to solve. What were Jason and Cheryl up to? Suicide pact? Did Cheryl chicken out? Or did Jason fall overboard with the gun, and she couldn’t bring herself to drown instead? Or was it a murder/suicide pact? Did she shoot him with her white gloves on, but didn’t go through with killing herself? Or did she just murder him? Was he hit by a sniper from a distance? Hired assasin or someone he knew? But she asked him if he was afraid, which suggests they were planning something. They were dressed in inappropriate, white clothing, perfect for a funeral tableau of two innocents taken too soon.

I didn’t talk about Cheryl Blossom much. She’s brittle. It’s no mistake that her name sounds like cherry blossom. Beautiful, fragile, easily destroyed, mourning a lost loved one. But Cheryl is hiding things as well. Some or all of that fragility is a front. She’s manipulative, perceptive, dramatic, intelligent and ruthless. She may also be mentally ill. She may have been in an incestuous relationship with her brother. There may have been abuse involved, in either direction. We don’t know much about the Blossom family yet. They are part of the mystery to be unraveled.

Riverdale Season 1 Chapter One: The River’s Edge Riverdale is the new CW Twin Peaks lite teen mystery drama from Greg Berlanti, of the DC Berlantiverse, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, writer for Glee, Big Love, Supergirl, Marvel Comics, and Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics.