Color TV

[darkemeralds]

Words can hardly express how much I love the production design of Grimm and Finch's mostly-plaid wardrobe in Person of Interest.



Grimm, for all that it's been slow to find its feet, has been beautifully designed from the outset. Here's a screenshot from this week's episode. The whole ep featured these same saturated red and turquoise tones, and it was so gorgeous that it almost overshadowed the much-improved plot line by Amy Berg.



(Obscure-ish TV joke: Detective Britten wouldn't know which reality he was in!)

And Finch's overcoat was so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off it in this week's Person of Interest. It played a role in the plot and everything! I worried about that coat when he took it off, and I was delighted to see that he was still wearing it in the last scene. I hope it makes another guest appearance!

Comments

[donutsweeper]

I missed this week's Person of Interest, but I have liked the clothing choices- Finch and Reese are always well groomed and their colors interestingly complimentary.

Grimm's had interesting colors as well. I like how Eddie tends for earthy tones- especially browns and greys while Nick tends more for blues with the black jacket. And Hank has reds often.

(I assume you watch Awake too with the Detective Britten comment, that one has some *fascinating* coloring and lighting choices. I'm really enjoying it)

[darkemeralds]

I'm really enjoying PoI, at least for now, though I'm not sure how long the premise will hold up. Grimm I mostly watch because it's filmed here, but it's kind of fun, and there are lots of Jossverse and Jossverse-adjacent people involved with it.

And Awake is simply excellent so far!

[donutsweeper]

I'm not really sure how well either POI or Awake can really hold up for the long run, but they're interesting enough so far.

I wondered if the Portland connection was a reason for you to like Grimm :-)

[darkemeralds]

I think Awake should have been designed as a twelve-episode series, period--and it would have been in the UK. But it's American TV, so it'll probably drag on past its sell-by date. For now, though, the pacing and unfolding of the arc is awfully good--and of course Lucius Malfoy is really not very hard on the eyes at all.

Portland alone wasn't enough to keep me interested in Leverage, but the combination of Portland (as Portland) and the fantasy/horror aspect (plus Silas Weir Mitchell, who is wonderful) has kept me looking forward to the next Grimm all season.

[donutsweeper]

YES! Awake would have been PERFECT as a one series 13 episode (or whatever) arc. And Jason Isaacs... *sighs happily*

Silas Weir Mitchell is truly wonderful on Grimm. Excellent, excellent casting choice there!

[cookiemom6067]

I've only watched one episodes of Grimm and it really didn't grab me, but your comment here makes me wonder about giving it another shot. Is it actually shot in/around Portland, or is it another Vancouver show?

I find most shows get it wrong when they're set in/around Kansas = Smallville sometimes provokes laughter and I get very distracted when Lawrence isn't Lawrence in Supernatural, though I do try to overlook it. There was even an episodes of SG-1 that was set in Topeka that was laughable (making it a hick town set in the midst of a wheat field instead of an honest-to-goodness city).

[darkemeralds]

Grimm is shot in Portland, as Portland. What's fun is that it plays with the whole Portland vibe--it implies, "Well, what other city in the US would be full of weird mythical creatures masquerading as humans?" Which...Portland kind of is anyway. :D

Grimm has gotten better, too. It suffered from the crippling Monster of the Week constraint until they got a full-season order and started digging into the long story arc. It's still a bit hit and miss, but I can't remember when I've seen such marked improvement in a show.

I agree with you completely about television's ridiculous portrayal of America's "exotic locales". Of course British Columbia can't be made to look like Kansas or New Mexico, and Los Angeles can't masquerade as Seattle (or New York, for that matter--I'm lookin' at you, Castle) even on its grayest day. SPN is the worst for that sort of thing! I remember one ep where Richardson, TX was a little town with trees. LOL!

And I get such a laugh out of Hollywood's "everything is down-slope from here" attitude that makes Topeka a hick town and "Oregon" a unified destination--as in "my flight to Oregon" (a sin committed this week by Awake in an otherwise terrific episode).

[cookiemom6067]

That same episode where they shrunk Richardson to a tiny hamlet in the giant pine forests of Texas, they had the boys driving on I-35 - portrayed as a two lane road. Um - Interstate? Four lane divided? By design? I thought that was unnecessarily silly. Any American seeing it (definitely Jensen!) would have pointed that out. I picture the production designer being really Ed Wood about it ("no one will ever notice that!").

The thing that makes my husband and I laugh every time is the HUGE gorges around Smallville, KS. Um, we've got some decent-sized prairie dog holes in Kansas...but...

I used to work for a consulting firm based in Parsippany, NJ - I found that insular attitude about "fly-over country" really annoying and baffling at times - an attitude shared by both coasts, it seems to me. "If you're not here, what does it matter?" I know we can be provincial, but I think they're even worse.

[jumpuphigh]

Isn't it great when there are TV shows that excite you? Every single week, Saturday rolls around and I am so excited about "The Good Wife" on Sunday that I can barely stand myself.

[darkemeralds]

I've heard really good things about that show! There does seem to be an extra-lot of good TV this season, doesn't there? I have to pick and choose so I'm not glued to the screen every evening. Tell me what makes The Good Wife such appointment viewing for you.

[jumpuphigh]

This is such an easy question. I was answering it (without being asked) last night with a friend over dinner.

Major female characters who are strong, are willing to go after what they want, are unapologetic about who they are, and who are interesting to watch.
I never get squicked. Seriously, I haven't been even once.
The stories are, for the most part, well told. I can only think of one episode that the storytelling didn't work for me and the show is now in its third season.
Issues like race and disability come up and don't make me want to shoot anyone. If anything, I usually react with, "ooooh, that's an interesting choice."
Personally, I like the law component of it but I think the reason it is popular overall is because of the character development and interaction.
I don't know that this happens every episode but they frequently just have these gems of moments that you wouldn't see on another show.
It is filling a niche for me in that I can watch it without worrying about sudden fail hitting me upside the head.
People being clever. People with foibles. People taking responsibility. I like all of that.
AND OMG I can't wait to see where the plotline goes after last week's ending.

I recommend it. Highly. Start at the beginning.

[darkemeralds]

Wow. Well, if I decide to start watching it, I've got loads and loads of episodes to keep me busy! Thanks for the great rec.

[jumpuphigh]

It's a good show for mainlining when you are sick. It doesn't demand a lot from the viewer. Personally, I like shows that require me to be 100% present while watching but as I'm rarely 100% present, having a show that let's me be a passive viewer is really welcome. It does all the work to keep me engaged. I'm not sure that I'm making sense in explaining this but I often have to pause shows because my mind has disconnected and I rarely do that with this show.

[darkemeralds]

You mentioned never once feeling squicked by the show. I'm curious--does that mean "no gross body parts and blood", or "no plot points that depend on character humiliation", or "no sociopolitical/sexual stupidity" or...?

[jumpuphigh]

I don't think there are ever any gross body parts and/or blood but I may be wrong. If there are, they are minimal and not romanticized at all.

No plot points that depend on character humiliation. No OOC actions that are embarrassing to watch. No plot points that depend on characters being obviously stupid.

[darkemeralds]

It took much less time than I imagined, and I am now fully conversant with Seasons 1 and 2 of The Good Wife.

I agree with everything you said about it, and have found it really compelling. It's wonderfully woman-centered, and I'm kind of in love with several of the characters, notably Diane Lockhart.

I'm not sure I want to continue with S3, just because of the way the first two seasons ate my brain and my free time, but it's been a very enjoyable ride!

[jumpuphigh]

I am glad you enjoyed it. If you ever decide to come back to it, rest assured, it continues to be excellent.

[darkemeralds]

I was afraid you were gonna say that...

[jumpuphigh]

*laughs*

[darkemeralds]

I'll see your icon and raise you one. :D

[jumpuphigh]

Which, of course, means I need to reply with this one. :)

[darkemeralds]

I concede.

[jumpuphigh]

*dies*

[darkemeralds]

You are so right about this show! Holy shit. I've acquired season 1 and I can't stop watching!

The female characters are fantastic. The writing is great. The cases are interesting, and the political maneuvering is so subtle and interesting. Christine Baranksi! Archie Panjabi! <3 <3 <3 Mary Beth Piel!

I mean, Julianna Margulies is plenty capable of supporting the lead role, but what a cast of great women. I'm hooked! And I'm only up to episode 6.

Great rec. Though how the hell I'm going to get anything else done with fifty more episodes to watch, I'm not at all sure.

[jumpuphigh]

*nods* I think it only gets better, as well. It's a good ride.

[lamentables]

I endorse the recommendation of The Good Wife. It's doing everything that jumpuphhigh says and - for me - it's filling the gap left by The West Wing.

I'm really enjoying Person of Interest, though I fear it may run out of steam. I get really excited each time it edges towards being a bit science fictional, but it hasn't followed through (probably because I'm misreading or according little things FAR too much significance). I don't want it to be an SF show, but I'd like a bit more consideration of 'The Machine': how it functions, Finch's relationship with it, etc. There was an episode that seemed to suggest Finch is The Machine (or vice versa) and I loved the possibilities that came with that idea. I crave ambiguity and multiple readings, basically :)

[darkemeralds]

Yes! I want Person of Interest to edge over into genre territory too! I was fascinated with the couple of episodes that looked into Finch's history with the business partner who died (and, I suddenly remember now, was named Nathan. Hmmm...!). The idea that Finch might be the machine is subliminal all the time in his robot-like walk.

But it's hard to see how they could go definitely in the science-fiction direction. I'd love it, but I'm pretty sure it would lose them their entire non-geek audience who tune in for the police procedural story.

And if The Good Wife fills the gap left by The West Wing...well, that's a hell of a gap! I think I overlooked it because it was presented as being about a beautiful woman, something Hollywood so consistently Does Wrong that I just...skipped it. I'll have to remedy that.

[darkemeralds]

Just coming back around to say that you and jumpuphigh have persuaded me to watch The Good Wife and I'm completely hooked. It's fantastic!

[lamentables]

\o/

Considered opinion, here at Lamentable Towers, is that the first season is good but with season 2 it improves :)

[tehomet]

I watched the first episode of Grimm the other day, and squeed at all the cute little houses! Portland really is groovy.

[darkemeralds]

Hee! Did you? How fun!

The show is a little light on...just about everything, really. But I'm fond of it.

[jumpuphigh]

I thought about you with Finch's lovely suit with that pop of color in his hankie tonight. :D

[darkemeralds]

Eee! I haven't watched the ep yet. I'll look out for the hankie! Thanks for the alert.

[darkemeralds]

Watched the episode this morning over coffee and religious leaflets (see my 100 Things post today), and was so delighted at the hankie!

That show...it's so damned implausible, and so likable at the same time. How could anyone not be in love with Finch?

[jumpuphigh]

That was a great season finale and I'm so glad it was renewed for next year. It suddenly got real interesting again. :)

[darkemeralds]

I didn't realize it was the finale. Very interesting! I'll miss it over the summer. I wish the networks would stop adhering to the "school year" concept of entertainment and give us more new stuff starting in the summer months!

[jumpuphigh]

Me, too. Summertime is hibernation-time here. Burn Notice should be starting up soon, if you watch that.

[darkemeralds]

And there's a whole third season of The Good Wife. :D

[jumpuphigh]

There you go! That's positive thinking in full force!

[jumpuphigh]

Speaking of The Good Wife, I was on wikipedia to see when this season was ending and I noticed something amazing. They have a really high ratio of female writers and episodes written by female writers. I'm super-impressed.

[darkemeralds]

The percentage of females shows in the writing. For the most part, the women characters are more like real woman than just about anything you ever see on American network television. Do they all wear completely different outfits every single day? Yes they do. Are any of them especially fat or homely? Nope. But still! Two of them are 60 or older, and all of them are awesome, from Grace to Jackie, and all are complex and fully realized and interesting.

[jumpuphigh]

I was wrong! It wasn't the finale!

[darkemeralds]

Yay! I know! I'm watching the final finale right this minute. It's good! I need a Finch icon.

[jumpuphigh]

Oh, that was a good one.

[darkemeralds]

No, wait--it said "Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode." Could there be one more before the season ends???

Because that was quite the little note of suspense there at the end!

[jumpuphigh]

I just looked on wikipedia. There are two more eps after tonight. I haven't seen tonight's ep yet so no spoilers, please.

[darkemeralds]

My lips are sealed. And I made a Finch icon!

[jumpuphigh]

Hi Finch!

:D