Mysterious Skin was pretty good. Very well acted, though I'm not sure I liked the direction. Then again, I'm not sure know enough to pick it apart. Just a general feeling.

Conviction, on the other hand, was pretty bad. Would the real Alex Cabot please stand up? Why am I still watching? Can't Rossi just go over to Sex Crimes and chill with Casey? Aaaaanyway. My mom made me sit through this show, Close to Home, which was actually okay if a bit melodramatic. And, I'm sorry, but I think Christian Kane stinks. Always have. But it was about a couple of young female prosecutors (that wear nice clothes and live in nice places and have sweet technology to use in their case) and, sure, thy basically threw the rules of evidence out at minute two (SUGGESTIVE ID!!!!) and the rules of criminal procedure at minute 40, but whatever. It was enjoyable.

Right. Now I'll flop around until it's time to go to dad's.

Well. randeer has a nice little write up of the weekend, so go there and read it. She's funny, like I would be if I weren't tired and cranky all the time, so I think you'll get a better cap of the weekend from her. But since my calves are currently peeling off in flaming piles of itchy, sunburnt skin, and I can't seem to sit in any way that would make me comfortable, don't expect much from me. My current bad mood has pretty much nothing to do with the weekend (other than, really, that I burned myself sunning on a beach yesterday).

Last Friday's Conviction was really good except for the scenes about the characters' personal lives. Besides the complete destruction of Alexandra Cabot, anyway. That wasn't really good at all. The only way I want to know about their emotions or lives or anything is insomuch as it pertains to the cases they're dealing with. The rest is stupid. I like the myriad of cases we get to see, and I think that the way the young ADAs deal with the pressures is really interesting. Cabot frakking Steele (I hate that man, and not just because he's a Bobby Flay lookalike smarmy bastard that got to mack on Alex) and marrying SOME RANDOM GUY FROM NOWHERE doesn't really ring my bell. If you know what I mean. And you do.

I finished the director's commentary on The Journey. Apparently she didn't want to show the kiss between the two women because she didn't want the movie to be remembered for that. Eh. As a jaded westerner I thought it was conspicuous by its absence. I also wish she'd touched a little more on the butterfly cliché (and by "touched" I mean "acknowledged that it was a cliché), since she was so willing to admit to other ones based out of both western and eastern myths and literature. But, hey. I also think she was more subtle at moments than she gave herself credit for (like Kiran cowering into the shadows after the last rejection from Delilah), but maybe she just didn't talk about those.

And now I'm going to play the Sims because I haven't played in awhile and because it eats up time like candy. If it (the Sims) were a candy lover and time were candy. Actually, I don't like that simile. Or is it a metaphor? Stupid English. Why you fail I?

I sort of think Conviction should be marketed as a comedy. 'Cause it's sort of funny when an Assistant District Attorney, whips out his badge and goes "That says ADA, bitch," and thinks that 1) it's some kind of bad ass scary threat, and 2) a bookie that threatens ADAs will never, ever tell on him. Ever.

I'd just like to renew my objection to the use of the word faggot on television. Not okay. Look, I get that you're trying to show that homophobia is a bad thing, but I can't recall the last time I heard Detective Green called nigger by someone while you were trying to tell us that racism is bad. As a matter of fact, usually the people that are trying to insult him for being black call him "you people" or "black." I think that, maybe, while beating the crap out of someone on the street, a bad guy could yell "I ain't no homosexual," don't you? This was basically a paragraph all about how I think the FCC is stupid, and the American people aren't much better. I'm an elitist intellectual, northeasterner. What can I say?

To be fair, though, you're quite comfortable calling women bitches all the time (and bookies... they're bitches, too). And sometimes you say prick. Wow.

Anyway. I'd like Steele to be shot by a drug lord and thrown into witness protection for an interminable amount of time. Or put on Criminal Intent. Either way. Is he supposed to be the "concience" among the attorneys who are out for a win? Please. I can't spell concience, but needless to say I think the guy's a mo-ron.

The rest of the storylines were sort of snooze worthy.

Two episodes through and I don't really like it yet. Not a good sign. But word has it that more Alex is in the future. That's good. More Alex, less Steele would be faboo.

Totally faboo.

Okay, my thoughts on Conviction. Spoilers are behind the cut. Anything before that is, I figure, fair game from various publicity junk and the trailers. No complaining.

I need to start by getting the worst problem out of the way: I’m suspending my own experiences in order to give the show a chance. There are so many little things wrong with it that could ruin it for me if I let it. There was an interview with the co-developer, I think his name is Rick Eid, in which he says he’s drawing on his own experiences as a young attorney in Manhattan… except he admits he was never a prosecutor, and that’s glaringly obvious if you know what being a young prosecutor means.

Look, the average age of ADAs in Manhattan (and most cities, probably) may be 28. But I can guarantee you that a minority of those 28 year olds are working in a major crime squad. And certainly not with only one year of experience in a law firm, doing research and writing. In Boston, you have to spend two years at the district court level, in court every day with a 120+ caseload per week before you get promoted up to the next level of court (not necessarily even major crimes… and there’s a totally separate unit for homicides, gang related crimes, etc.). Two years. And there’s no way in hell you’d only be trying your first case after two years. Nor is there any way that your boss would let you get away with dropping any case that doesn’t look like a winner. So, so far I’ve eliminated three of the character plotlines as inane. And I haven’t even started on Alex’s return yet. See why I have to suspend disbelief?

Most viewers aren’t like me, though, so for the rest of my review I’ll attempt to pretend I’m not a nitpicky almost-attorney. (I’ve been pretty good about not nitpicking the other L&O shows too technically, but maybe this one hits too close to home.)

Anyway. I’m too young to know for myself, but I imagine that Conviction is a lot like how L.A. Law was, except with young people and prosecutors in NYC. Dunno. Wow, two characters are having sex. How. Different. Gee.

I hear that it’s supposed to be a Grey’s Anatomy derivative. I don’t watch that show. There are plenty of comparisons of it in the Boston Globe review, so head over there if you want that.

So. ( Let the ranting begin. )

And to conclude, we have dead horse time of the entry: I’d like a gay or bisexual character. Wolf’s been able to get away with it before, such as when they busted out with Serena’s lesbianness in the last thirty seconds of her run and excusing it by saying “we don’t focus on personal lives.” But now he’s got a show focusing on personal lives, and I want some gayness. And none of that half assed “oh, he’ll be gay he’ll just never have a boyfriend” crap. It’s 2006 and you’ve been showing GLBT people as victims and perps for years. So far, everyone on Conviction, if they’re pointing at all, is pointing towards straight (as usual). Step up, Mr. Wolf. Step up.

I have no idea why she's back (and I expect to be told someday, dagnabit), and I don't much like where she is, but gosh I've missed Alex Cabot.