I got to wondering...

A few weeks ago I began watching the first season of The OC. I hadn’t seen most of the season one episodes in probably about four years (and considering the show ended FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AGO and holy heck that makes me feel super old), so it was all very refreshing.

But I’ve grown a lot since I saw those episodes for the first time, when I was in the eighth grade. Because now I finally realize what so many people were talking about when they said they hated Marissa (I truly think you have to be older than 15 to realize how much of a moron she is). And I found a lot of the fundamental dramatic “OMG” moments slightly laughable (see: Ryan carrying an overdosing Marissa out of an alleyway in Tijuana, because, after my trip in Europe this summer, I actually know someone to whom this happened therefore I can laugh about it).

But I still enjoy it just the same (maybe not in a “MY LIFE DEPENDS ON THIS SERIES, THIS EPISODE, THESE CHARACTERS FINDING TRUE HAPPINESS” sort of way that I feel now (sort of, absolutely) about Homeland, because what can I say, you can take the girl away from the obsession, but you can never the obsessive nature from the girl).

I recently finished the six-episode, sent-straight-from-the-pit-fires-of-hell story arc that gave the world Oliver Trask. And then I got all Carrie Bradshaw and got to wondering: Is Oliver Trask the single greatest realization of a villain in all of history (excepting Voldemort, because you can’t compete with a soul split into eight pieces and a snake nose)?

In the words of Saul Berenson, we should explore this further....

I should preface this whole thing by saying that the whole Oliver Trask storyline would be painful to watch if it also wasn’t so laughable.

In examining just how awful of  a character (or, let’s be honest, a human being) Oliver is, it’s important to compare him to other villains across the TV and film mediums.

In examining the other TV shows that I watch (and that I’d admit to), I come across a few expert villains:

Betty Draper from Mad Men (excluding season 5 Betty, because it’s hard to be mad at a character that is so helplessly and hopelessly fat, but that’s another story for another post): I find Betty fascinating. I hate-love her. This sounds contradictory but it’s so possible. There’s no doubt that she’s set up as a villain in Don’s world, considering how awful she is to Sally and Bobby (if/when he’s around). Her actions and words can reach monstrous proportions; like, how clueless and insane can this woman get? Sometimes I don’t even blame Don for cheating on her repeatedly and that is the sign of a great villain: the protagonist’s awfulness somehow becomes justified in the face of the villain’s evil. However, there are also countless times when I love Betty. Again, mostly it’s hate-love, like what crazy thing will Betty do or say this week, like she's some helpless child (totally debatable)? But I also feel bad for her; it’s more a pity than a feel-sorry situation, but it exists. I pity her reliance on Don for approval and justification of her sorry life. I pity her preconceptions that society expects her to behave a certain way. I pity her for doing everything that society told her to do and still not ending up happy.

Pete Campbell from Mad Men circa season one: Pete Campbell is the classic office weasel, the product of nepotism and privilege. Every office has one, Bert says. And in season one, Pete was in fine villain form. He was the epitome of the misogynistic workplace pig (who today would be the defendant in dozens of sexual harassment lawsuits) and his attempt to blackmail Don after figuring out who Don really was made me want to reach through the TV and back 50 years and flick him out of his office window. But in recent seasons I’ve actually grown to love Pete. Up until this season he was one of the only characters who remained 95% faithful to his wife (played by the awesome Alison Brie, whom I adore), and I can’t even fault him for embarking on an extramarital affair last season because 1) It was Rory Gilmore so it doesn’t count and 2) ALEXIS BLEDEL AND VINCENT KARTHEISER DATE IN REAL LIFE. Plus Pete gives us brilliant antiquated one-liners like “Hell’s Bells, Trudy!” and “Christ on a cracker!” So basically you can’t not love him just a little, despite his once-weaselly ways.

Emily Gilmore from Gilmore Girls circa mid-season-five: Woman was practically twirling her mustache in delight when she broke up Lorelai and Luke. That’s messed up, but before and after she proved to be a woman who was deeply broken by her daughter’s self-imposed isolation from her parents and their world.

Emily Waltham from Friends post-Ross-says-Rachel: Look, I know this woman was merely collateral damage in the saga that is Ross and Rachel, but it was impossible not to hate the woman when she nearly forced Rossto move out of his apartment, give up his life in New York (where his son andfamily lived), and never speak to Rachel again. She came across as that woman: that crazy, obsessive, I’m-watching-you-but-you-can’t-see-me lady. Not cool, girl.

Note: Grey’s Anatomy villains do not exist and also I’m sort of embarrassed to admit that I still watch this show, even if it is sporadic and delving into hate-watch territory.

As for movies, I’m not much of a film buff but the best example of a true villain that I can think of is Heath Ledger’s the Joker from The Dark Knight. That guy was a true monster, but he had a really sad backstory that involved physical and emotional abuse so he kind of pulls at your heartstrings a little, plus Heath Ledger plays him with such abandon that, despite his hellish actions and creepiness, you are also sort of mesmerized in a strange way by him.

Oliver Trask, on the other hand, was evil in every single one of its human manifestations. The following is a short list of the most-commonly listed horrendous things he did:

1.     Deliberately drove Ryan and Marissa apart. Nine years later, I don’t even care if Ryan and Marissa end up together, or that they’re the “one true pairing” of the show (but, hello, Seth and Summer and/or Sandy and Kirsten obviously are), but the way he manipulated her (not a completely difficult task, becaue it is Marissa, but still) was sociopathic. 

You think?

2.     He made up a complete person, his “girlfriend”“Natalie Bishop.” The real Natalie Bishop is actually the receptionist at the hotel Oliver lives at (see #3) and his former babysitter. Therefore, this kid wasn’t even smart enough to think of a different name in ancticipation of anyone ever meeting the real Natalie Bishop. Also, I’m starting a new hashtag, #ThereIsNoNatalie (said in a deep, broody Ryan Atwood voice), to signify a time you’d been duped but not really because you knew all along it was a lie. Example: Amy Poehler and Will Arnett are getting divorced. Hollywood love really doesn't exist. #ThereIsNoNatalie

3.     He lived in the penthouse of the Four Seasons beceause his parents owned hotels all around the world and he was filthy rich. This alone wouldn’t be so horrendous, because The OC was pretty much all about wealthy people, but Oliver flaunted his money. But he didn’t flaunt it in an obvious way, like, making it rain up in here. No, he just casually dropped into conversations lines about gallivanting across Europe, taking lavish vacations to swanky resorts every other weekend, and knowing the manager of famous bands. In this way, once you complied and went to his hotel suite or to the Rooney concert with him or on a grand European excursion, you became his 21^st-century slave, because he now owned you because you would never be able to afford this without his seemingly selfless but actually very selfish display of fake friendship.

4.     Substance abuser. This alone wouldn’t be horrendous, but he used his past and present addictions to garner sympathy from Marissa et. al, which is sociopathic on a very basic level.

5.     HE FAKED HIS OWN SUICIDE ATTEMPT. We're now moving into a whole new kind of crazy wacko nutjob territory.

6.     He played chicken with Ryan in a golf cart and nearly killed him! Kid is certifiable. 

7.     He held Marissa hostage, threatening to kill himself, if she ever left to, God forbid, go to school or go home or go to the bathroom or something. This scene is one of the few times I actually feel sorry for Marissa, but then I remember she’s a moron and how didn’t she see this coming, so I feel less sorry for her. The other new hashtag I’m starting is #RyanHesGotAGun, which should be used in situations where someone (name may or may not be Oliver) reveals an object (may or may not be a gun) that is so surprising/[insert other emotion here] that you can’t wait to tell another person (name may or may not be Ryan). Example: Brittany just showed me the note from Brendan and now I have to go tell Brandy! #RyanHesGotAGun (It could get confusing, but if #WayHarshTai can move back into the Twitter lexicon, so can this.) 

"Bye Ryan"

8.     He single-handedly made every other person on the show, even Ryan, seem crazy. God, the way Ryan growls at him  like a Doberman at the end of The Rivals (“Stay away from her! Stay away from herrrr”) or his Bring It On-reminiscent dialogue in The Truth (“Oliver? It hasn’t even begun.”) makes me really dislike Ryan. Also obviously every other person in the universe of the show is rendered unlikeable because no one even gives Ryan the benefit of the doubt, especially and most importantly Seth. I can expect and even tolerate the ignorance of Marissa (because I did, for three seasons, and God is that all it was?!), but the fact that everyone else seemed like a jerk for not believing Ryan really brought the final three episodes of Oliver’s arc way down.

And that—the fact that Oliver casts a ginormous blazer-clad shadow over Newport Beach for six painful episodes in the middle of season one—makes him a truly wonderful (in the worst sense of the word) villain. He seemed to relish his role as group sociopath (maybe every clique should have one). He worked Marissa like a puppet-master (she probably weighed as much) and his sense of entitlement is cringe-worthy.  

FYI: Josh Schwartz, the creator of The OC, has stated that the character of Oliver was "based on a guy... a friend of mine dated who faked having cancer to [hang on to her]." That this type of crazy exists in the real world is kind of nauseating. 

Most villains in novels, movies, or TV shows at least have some bit of grey area associated with their respective villainy. A certain detail is revealed about them that justifies their evil. Even with Voldemort, although he’s obviously a much worse villain than Oliver, I don’t feel this unhealthy vitriol toward him. Like, I was happy when he died, but reading about it on paper is much different than seeing it realized on a screen in front of you. Oliver was evil through-and-through. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made a horcrux out of Marissa’s flask or something so that he could always be with her, in fractured spirit.

I’m also able to trace every bad thing that happened to characters on this show (whether or not they were good or bad storylines for the audience to watch) to this dreadful person. Examples:

1.     Theresa: never would have become involved with Ryan if he hadn’t broken up with Marissa because of Oliver. Also, her son’s abandonment issues as a result of his mother telling his father (falsely) that she had miscarried, prompting said father to leave and never even send a birthday card.

2.     Kirsten’s alcoholism: greatly spurred by her issues with Sandy in season two which originated when Seth ran away because Ryan had left to be with Theresa, who was pregnant with his child. 

3.     Marissa dying: This is like finding the trail from Chloe the Xerox girl to Rachel in Friends. Here goes: Marissa and Ryan break up the second time when Ryan leaves to go be with a pregnant Theresa. This sends Marissa down on an awful spiral of alcoholism, sexual promiscuity/exploration, and general annoyingness. After ending things with Alex she gets back with Ryan but things are still sort of awkward and in an effort to bring herself closer to Ryan she befriends Ryan’s brother Trey (ex-convict, cocaine addict), who misinterprets her friendship and attempts to rape her. Ryan finds out and thenhe and Trey get into a fight that ends with Marissa shooting Trey. She is expelled from school for the shooting and is forced to attend nasty public school! There she meets Johnny and her eventual killer, Volchok. Of course Marissa and Ryan break up again (because of Johnny, because once again Marissa doesn’t understand how loveable teenage boys find her) and Marissa takes up with Volchok. But she break up with him, because he’s on drugs and gross—and also Ryan’s rage issues resurface  when he gets into a fight with Volchok that’s eerily reminiscent of his fight with Trey. This all leads Volchok to want to exact revenge on Ryan by getting Marissa back, and he displays this by running them off the road and thenMarissa dies. THAT’S THE TRAIL, I DID IT!

4.     Of course, as a result of #3, Summer, Ryan, and Julie’s depressions after Marissa dies are effects, too. SO MUCH UNHAPPINESS.

At least he's self-aware??

In conclusion, if you read all this and still don’t believe Oliver is the worst villain of all time (besides Voldemort) then there’s no hope for you.

Just take a look at this picture and tell me you’re not legitimately creeped. 

 

He'll watch you while you sleep.

Homeland: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

If you follow my Twitter feed or have even talked to me in the last two weeks, you already know about my Homeland obsession. Homeland—this most brilliant of a television show that it seems almost an injustice to call it just a television show; it’s a work of art, to be sure—has cast me under its spell.

I figured it was worth checking out after it won all those Emmys (including but not limited to Best Drama, Best Actress for Claire Danes aka my new girl crush, and Best Actor for Damian Lewis). Plus I get Showtime on Demand and after a hellish week of tests and projects I was left with a week nearly entirely free. So it was a perfect storm for me to catch up on the show just as the second season was getting underway.

I admit a part of me just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Plus Homeland is as classy as TV can get really. Watching shows like Mad Men and Homeland allows me to rationalize by guilty pleasure viewing of I-can’t-explain-why-I-find-this-so-captivating entertainment like Real Housewives of Anywhere reunions and anything with a Kardashian sister.  

But what I got was a show so smart, so surprising, so intensely good that it’s all nearly all I’ve been thinking about lately. In the span of three days I watched all of the series’ (then) 14 episodes.

The story, if you’re unaware, is about a Marine sergeant (played by Lewis) named Nicholas Brody who was taken prisoner in Iraq for 8 years. He is eventually rescued and returns to America, but CIA agent Carrie Mathison suspects he’s actually been turned and is involved in a terrorist plot on American soil. Oh, and also Carrie is bipolar so she’s a somewhat unreliable narrator. But to sum up the show in just a few short sentences would be to entirely gloss over all of its subtleties and nuances that the writing and tremendous acting by the cast illuminate.

Claire Danes is simply mesmerizing in this role. She’s so badass, so I-can’t-believe-she-just-went-there, so utterly awesome. And she portrays Carrie’s mental illness with such depth and layers, it’s captivating to watch. In an interview, co-creator and showrunner Alex Gansa described Claire’s performance: “I got a letter from somebody who said she’s bipolar herself, and she said Claire’s performance was so real to her that she worries for Claire’s sanity.” That sums it up pretty perfectly. She just owns this role, and it’s so fun to wach. Plus, this girl has crazy eyes and an awesome cry-face.

Claire Danes' rather crazy eyes

 

But you can’t ignore the amazing work of the rest of the cast, as well as the team of writers. Their persistence to just “go there,” to constantly subvert your expectations and realize, Oh this is so much better than what I was expecting, is probably the show’s greatest asset. So often with television you think you know what’s coming, what could be, but Homeland is constantly one step ahead. It’s an awesome ride, to be sure.

Plus, don’t we all need a reason to look forward to Sunday nights?

So please, if you’re not watching this show, get thee to a television ASAP. You can thank me later. 

[/end sales pitch]

[Image 1] [Image 2]

Friday stuff

1. Today concludes hell week. I survived four tests and a project and all I got was this lousy headache.

2. Remember when I went to Europe for three months? I still haven't written about my trip to Barcelona (my favorite weekend trip of the summer) and Oxford in general. Stay tuned, because I will share.

3. This song.

4. Today the Braves play in a one game playoff "series" (is it a series if it's only one game?) against the St. Louis Cardinals to enter the real playoffs. I stopped caring about the Braves a long time ago. Like  I told my mom earlier this week, I learned a long time ago not to derive my self-worth from the performance of my favorite sports teams (I think I'd be the most worthless person if I did, too!), but I somehow let myself become peripherally invested. If I recall, the last playoff game I watched with the Braves was in 2005. Ask my dad if you want to know the whole story, because he loves to tell it.

5. I've been on a TV-rewatch kick lately. It started with Mad Men (rewatched twice, natch) and now I'm into Gilmore Girls. That show is seriously good. And so funny.

6. I hope to get back to more regular posting here. Whenever I write I always realize how much I miss it. So thanks for reading, as always.

Today.

I had almost forgotten that today was September 11.

For the past 11 years, for some reason, I've been deeply interested in the events of that day. I cannot explain why. Maybe because it seemed the first defining moment of my life. People of generations before mine talk about the moment when they learned JFK was shot or when the Challenger shuttle exploded. My generation remembers the moment they learned the towers had fallen.

I remember that day almost as vividly eleven years later as I do last Tuesday. I remember that I was wearing--ironically, unknowingly--a shirt with an American flag on it. I remember hearing about the attacks after school. I was in the fourth grade. I had never even heard of the Twin Towers before, and I remember feeling guilty because of that.

I remember sitting on the floor in the family room, pouring over the newspaper, trying to understand. I didn't understand then. And I remember the aftermath, too. I had horrible nightmares for weeks.

I think that's why that day--and everything leading up to and following it--have captured me. It was an attempt to understand, to process.

But I woke up this morning as if it was any other Tuesday (it's not). It wasn't until a few hours into my day that I was reminded that, yes, today was not just another September day. My first reminder was this affecting blog entry. And then, passing by the small (but too large) square of miniature American flags on a patch of campus grass.

Now there are these photos-in-photos from Dear Photograph (you should see them for yourself).

They more eloquently capture what I am trying to. That we didn't understand anything then, that we still don't understand everything now, that there will always be something missing.

Two for Friday

1. "Anything Could Happen" by Ellie Goulding

2. "I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."
-Maya Angelou

Scenes from Edinburgh

 I traveled to Edinburgh on train. It was my first train experience, and I have to say I'm a fan. I wish America could figure out mass transit the way Europeans have.

 
I was in Edinburgh July 5-8, or an entire month ago. So details about the specifics are a bit shaky, especially since I don't have many photos from the weekend.

Our hostel was in a great location, right near High Street, which is the commercial center of the city. Edinburgh is a lot like you'd imagine a medieval town to be: cobblestone streets, castles everywhere, and tons of little alleyways (called "closes"). This appearance reflects the town's history, which, unbeknownst to me, is rather dark and spooky.

This straight from the camera, and yes, it really was that dark in the middle of the morning. 

This is a view from the top of the hill near our hostel, overlooking the city.

Edinburgh's medieval roots boast many tales of ghosts, cruel punishments, and a creepy underground subculture. We took a ghost tour (touristy, but really fun) the second night we were there and actually got to go underground into the city's old vaults, where the city's black market used to be. Most of the "ghost stories" were pretty tame and silly, but the guide was really into everything so it was definitely fun. And I'd be lying if I said we didn't all freak out when the candles all blew out at the end and we were left in complete darkness inside the cavernous vaults.

Edinburgh is a fun city for site-seeing, but it's also fun to just hang around and go shopping, especially as a reprieve from the rain and cold! Edinburgh takes advantage of its famous Scottish heritage, so there is plaid everywhere, lots of wool shops, and tons of background on Scottish history and clans.

There were plaid and bagpipes everywhere!

The big toe on the statue of David Hume is rubbed for good luck.

We went to the National Museum to pass some time on Saturday (and, again, to get out of the rain), and I learned so much about Scottish history. It sort of makes me want to see Braveheart.

Dolly the cloned sheep at the National Museum; yes, that's really Dolly; no, she's not alive. 

Our final night there, we went around to some of the pubs in the center of town and did some amazing people watching. Edinburgh is apparently the bachelor and bachelorette capital of the world, and we saw many parties going on right in front of us. One pub we stumbled into had an older crowd (older than college-age, that is) and was playing an eclectic 80's and 90's playlist. We enjoyed singing along to Kajagoogoo (okay, maybe only I enjoyed this one) and B*Witched (total blast from 1998; also, holy sexual innuendos there: how was this appropriate at age 7?) and watching other group's shenanigans for a change.

London, etc.

Wow. So how is it that I was so good at blogging during the travel portion, when we were constantly busy every single day? And now when I get to Oxford, where I have only three hours of class a day, I've become the world's worst blogger?

Well, the classes I'm taking now are definitely harder than the music and art ones I took during the travel portion (actually, only Statics is challenging; the ethics class is just a lot of reading). So some of my time is taken up during that. Of course, life in Oxford is not as "exciting" as the travel portion was, where every day was a new adventure. But the funny part is that I love this part of the trip even more. I feel like a real Oxford student, and the campus is truly lovely. When I get a chance on a sunny day (which are few and far between here), I'm going to go on a photo walk, because the grounds and gardens here are so beautiful, so idyllic, that I had to pinch myself when I first arrived and realized I'd be studying here for the next few weeks.

Of course, that was almost four weeks ago. So what have I been doing since then? This...

The London Eye by night - this was our view where we stayed.

A trip to London the first weekend, where preparations for the Olympics (now only a week away) were in full swing! I don't remember very much about the '96 Olympics in Atlanta, but the craze and fervor here for the Games is pretty infectious! They have a huge Olympic countdown clock in Trafalgar Square.

The Tower Bridge adorned for the Olympic Games

Of course, we saw the obligatory sights in London, from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace to the Parliament to Westminster Abbey to the London Eye. And much of this was done in the rain, because England is apparently in the midst of one of the wettest summers on record. (I still can't decide whether the 50-60 degree temperatures and rain are worse than the scorching heat back home.)

 Big Ben (pardon the raindrops)

 

 The London Eye by daylight (sort of) (oh hey, Big Ben!)

But eventually it brightened up, and so did my view of London as a city. I really fell in love with the city, even though I was only there for two days. It helps that everyone speaks English, but it felt very much like New York City, only more sophisticated (probably because of the British accents).

In Trafalgar Square after the sun came out.

 

The Kensington Palace Gardens

On Saturday we went to a production of Phantom of the Opera. It was amazing! I had never seen the movie and didn't know very much about the story, so the first thirty minutes were a bit confusing, but after that it was incredible. It was such a fun experience, and I think our seats were some of the best I've ever had at a production like this.

Phantom of the Opera stage before the first act started.

But without a doubt the two highlights of the short trip were exploring the food markets at Harrod's and making the pilgrimage to King's Cross to see Platform 9 3/4.

The former was sensory overload. We didn't spend too long at Harrod's, but once I found the food markets on the ground floor I had no desire to wander elsewhere. I was in foodie heaven - from the pastries to the breads to the incredible marzipan displays (be still my heart!).

 

Gorgeous flower displays at Harrod's (top); marzipan madness, or my personal foodie heaven (middle); 

fancy schmancy pastries at the Harrod's patisserie (bottom)

Seeing Platform 9 3/4 was another nerdy highlight. There was actually a huge line of people waiting to take their picture when we got there, and it seemed to have formed organically (Harry Potter fans really are the best). But the line moved quickly and before I knew it I was off to Hogwarts, although I couldn't stay for long.

Off to Hogwarts, brb!

The great part about being in Oxford is that it's so close to London. The bus ride there is less than two hours, so it's an easy day or afternoon trip to make. I'm going to return next weekend for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics (did you know Danny Boyle is directing them?). Something tells me the city will be a bit crazier than it was a few weeks ago though.

Next up: Edinburgh, Oxford explorations, and Barcelona (where I'm leaving for tonight!).