Grid Effect

I tried. I mean, I really, really tried. But I can’t continue the facade. Actually, a facade would suggest that at one point in time, I pretended too enjoy the series, Dirt. My predicament is more accurately described as a charade, in that I am watching a dreadful TV show for the sole purpose of this website. And since no one wants too listen to me bitch and moan, last nights episode will be my final viewing.

Not too say the show lacked all creative execution. I enjoyed the storyline with the photographer (even if it was completely isolated from the rest of the plot), but with every interaction he has with his only confidante (Lucy), being one where she is trying too even him out from his schizophranic induced hallucinations, it grew a little tiresome. Literally every conversation began with him saying something cryptic while she is barking orders at him. Then he would trail off, she would looked bewildered then place her hands on his shoulders and lead with, “Okay, Don…” In other words, the dynamic between the two leads is already redundant in only its second episode.

There has been any real description of Cox’s Lucy Spiller, either. Without any real explanation of who she is, by the end of the first ten minutes of the second episode, her job is on the line, she has expressed moral uncertainty about her profession and we already know she is terribly lonely after her reaction too a lecture from some actor she setup/blackmailed. All of this drama and the only thing we know about her is she’s career oriented and doesn’t have a boyfriend or husband.

But now even that is not true. It took approximately one and a half episodes for her too entirely change her demeanor and ask a casual sex partner (the same one she tasered in the groin last week) out too dinner for a potentially more sustainable relationship. See, she is human!

Not too mention, the acting from all of the hollywood youngsters and protege journalists is horrendous. There are two scenes in particular from last night that I almost hurled my laptop through my television because they were so unnatural. One in which a young up-and-coming journalist is looking to impress Lucy, so she stages a covnersation with a celebrity nanny at a playground too extract sympathy and subsequently names from her.
After she gathers all sorts of privileged information about some people we haven’t even been introduced to, she gives it back to Lucy, who in turn rewards her with something from the Swag box. And what happens next is just nauseating.

The girl turns down the offer, and, well, I’ll put it in her words because mine won’t do it justice: “I know this may sound stupid, but I did it for the story”. How noble. You dug into the personal lives of total strangers for the sake of a celebrity gossip rag. Next thing you know this girl will be murdering people on the street too feed some stray puppies. Too make things worse, Lucy is actually impressed by this refusal of the Swag.

I could drone on for a few more paragraphs, but I think I’ve made my point. So that’s the end of the road for me and Dirt, it is FX’s first real critical, technical and (potentially) commercial bomb. And it was bound too happen eventually, hopefully this is a bump in the road and not going too result in an unfortunate trend for FX programming.