Grid Effect

Since we’re in December, we’re going to start doing year end lists, faux-awards and shit like that to kill the drudgery that is television during the holiday season. And let it be duely noted that this episode title is winning in a landslide for both Ill-advised and non-creative episode title of the year.

Why ill-advised? Because no one who watches this series is interested in this plot, yet they keep hammering away at it instead of pretending like it never happened. If they were so intent on killing the efficacy of the Landry character, wouldn’t joining the football team been enough? Did he really have to kill somebody? And for those saying it was self-defense is a bit of a stretch, the victim was clearly walking away from the scene when Landry beat him to death.

Landry’s like Antoine Chigurh, he’s going to have to murder his way out of this jam. He’s in too deep now.

The manner in which Landry decided to confess was categorically ridiculous as well. Have him and Lyla (as a silver lining, Minka Kelly, who always looks exceptional, looked even more so this episode) even shared a scene together sans the road trip to Dallas for the title game? And the victim’s brother wanting to meet his brother’s victims (what?) a tad contrived. While we never have worked in rape or grief counseling or anything that would give us familiarity with such instances, we find it hard to believe that this is an authentic scenario. But the plot device worked as well as any in this storyline, so what’s one more?

Speaking of plots we’d like to see vanquished, Matt hooking up with his maid or whatever certainly falls into that category. This is at least getting a nomination for inevitable plot development of the year. Not only are we bored with its predictability, but what is this series’ proclivity for high-schoolers engaging in illegal relationships with adults (maybe not illegal, but at least questionable)? I’m not going to go back and do the research, because this is a blog and it’s more fun to simply speculate and make outrageous claims, but if we were to go back and look at who wrote the Riggins-moderately attractive 30-something neighbor and Matt-Carlotta episodes, we wouldn’t be surprised at all to discover it’s the same person. Something tells me someone on the writing staff has some deep seeded maternal issues from his blue-collar upbringing.

As for the Julie-Noah subplot, well that’s just inappropriate. Honestly, if we were place in Noah’s position and Tami pulled us into a room like that. Given that we would have a degree in Journalism from Columbia, we’re quite certain we’d move the fuck out of that small Texas town we’d be gracing with our presence, then we’d leave a note on Tami’s doorstep saying something along the lines of, “she’s your problem now”. Because being verbally berated and accused of something so heinous when the relationship has seemed more or less innocent is quite unnecessary.

Could he have handled the situation a little better? Of course, he didn’t seem to establish any ground rules for their student-teacher friendship when Julie was clearly developing something of a crush on him. Given he’s in the authoritative position, we suppose it’s his responsibility. But to be accused like that in front of a large segment of the student population is uncalled for. We’re just thankful the series portrayed Tami as misguided in this instance and not the “strong-minded working mother of two” that is so often the case. This gives her more depth and adds to what’s already a multi-faceted character.

Smash, on the other hand, doesn’t have such petty concerns, as his road trip to McNeil University is everything he expected. Sure, the entire point was to illustrate how his priorities are still misplaced (which we really don’t see that way, more of a cultural norm than an exception to the rule), and to have him run around in his underwear to end his visit. But it lead to his car ride back with Saracen and his taunting via telephone (we were prone to doing this during our college days), so we didn’t mind the contrivance.

Anything else? They haven’t touched on Taylor’s conflict of interests as head football coach and AD in awhile. Oh, Riggins spent this episode deciding he didn’t want to be a meth dealer, or even some actor with no charisma meandering around in his tighty-whities. His speech at the conclusion of the episode was effective, if not entirely realistic. His team certainly didn’t take his absence personally, and since they’re so miserable without a blocking back I can’t say I’m surprised. But still, not a bad way to cap a decent arc.

In the end, probably one of their more grating episodes. Simply for the Landry and Saracen developments. In the first season, their scenes together were something to be anticipated, now their both deeply involved in their own asinine subplots with predictable outcomes. We need Street and Taylor dominating the screen if this is what they plan to do with Landry and Saracen.

Back with some links to close out the week.