I saw this episode, and since most of it revolved around the legal world, I thought I would chime in and say that I thought this episode was great. Even if I wasn't a lawyer, I would think this episode was pretty funny. It's on the rewind website, so judge for yourself. I won’t speculate on how I think the case would actually go, other than it would provide some humor for whatever clerk or transcriptionist read the transcripts and diary exhibits. Also, I'm not sure why Jan’s whole case would come down to Michael Scott, and I don't think his testimony would be that fatal to her case, but hey, it's tv.
I will also comment that I don't think it's that small a leap to say that the idea came from the HR heroes website. See That's What She Said - The Job (suggesting that Jan may have a suit for wrongful dismissal). The complete write-up on the HR heroes blog about this episode is much more engaging than my review.
At the very least, I see this episode as a rare example of the intersection of the internet and tv (although Arrested Development is a different example of crossing recent pop culture references with tv shows, with mixed results). At the very most (but in a rather abrupt segway), the episode does not change my impression that Hollywood writers have no real basis to strike.
Now, this statement is not premised on my assumption that the writers of the Office lifted this idea from the internet. If at all, the HR heroes website probably just sparked the idea, and there is no problem with that. And I like (for the most part), the writing for the Office. After watching the Office writer's video blurb about the strike though, I'm beginning to think that this strike is more about someone's poor negotiation strategy more than anything else. At the same time, though, I still say that the current writing for tv shows (currently and generally) isn't that spectacular, and the writers are walking on eggshells as a result of this strike.
I just wonder whose lawyers are going to win out in the end. My money is on the networks'.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The Office: The Deposition review
Monday, November 12, 2007
TV Bloggers go on strike? hahahahahaha
This article warrants immediate Monday morning quarterbacking commentary. The headline on Drudge was Bloggers Going 'On Strike' to Support Writers.
I'm not going to comment on this other than by stating that I find this extremely funny; this 'strike' will accomplish nothing; and while sympathetic in intention perhaps, the premise behind this 'strike' has to be one of the stupidest things I have ever seen. I will gladly comment on this further, but for now I will simply laugh and say that these so-called acts of "solidarity" are missing the point that the quality of what these people are being paid for can easily be replaced by any graduating college senior who has a b.a. in b.s., and such acts of 'solidarity' simply will not have their intended effect. But, as always, I certainly could be wrong, and I invite the opportunity to debate why I may or may not be wrong. Post away.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Heroes and the hollywood writing strike
First, I think this writer's strike in Hollywood could be a blessing in disguise. Apparently I'm not the only one. See "'Heroes' creator to fans: I'm Super Sorry (that the season has sucked)." And Kiefer Sutherland doesn't have to worry about his jail time interfering with his shooting schedule; the strike has already postponed the next season of '24' for at least a year. Of course, that means that the bulk of the pressure on Fox doing well will fall on the shoulders of the Terminator tv show. Speaking of which, one of my friends has a copy of the pilot and we're both going to the same event this weekend. A review of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, to be sure, is forthcoming soon.
I'm not going to comment on the details or various plots that are ongoing in this season of Heroes. Needless to say, I still suffer through the show from week to week, only because I mildly empathize with the Peter Petrelli plotline. Nevertheless...
I am going to say that this whole plot line with Claire the cheerleader and West the flying boyfriend is pretty stupid. Not for any tv plot problems per se, but for the whole psychotic boyfriend aspect. Now, I'm not one to give out any relationship advice, but why in the world would a show with the widespread popularity of Heroes give any credence in supporting what I call the worst stereotype on tv today - the stalker boyfriend. I can only hope that the teenagers that are watching this aren't fooled into thinking that anti-social and stalker type behaviour gets you noticed. Well, maybe it does, but not in the way portrayed in the show.
Maybe I'm being far too critical of a minor point. Or that I think that nobody would think this doesn't happen. To my defense, however, I've read too many cases in too short a time to think that I am overstating this position. In real life, the psychotic tendencies of West, based on the couple of storylines he has been in, usually translate over into much more destructive behavior. If that's the point of this plotline and that's where they take it, the writers need to go about it a different way. Which brings me back to my point. If these are the plotlines that are being written right now, maybe it's time to get some new help anyway.
Maybe these plotlines, however silly, are part of the problem. Maybe not. The pending (or ongoing) strike among Hollywood writers begs this question: What the heck are we paying you guys for? Maybe these producers should do what old Ronnie R. did a few years back and hire some new guns. As long as it doesn't interfere with the Lost season premiere in February (which I am purposely doing no research to verify whether this is still accurate or not), I can only hope that the strike will lead these writers to do something a little better in the whole 'solid writing' department.
