Editorial: The Blaze of Glory
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Life is always much better in hindsight. No one’s ever satisfied with the present, but when it becomes the past, suddenly, it wasn’t so bad. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just turn back the clock?
Well, barring some physics that I’ll never care to understand, that’s not going to happen in life. But, on television, that’s different. On television, anything can happen. I talked about Josh Schwartz hitting the reset button during “The Rainy Day Women” but it wasn’t until last night that I really felt like we were heading back to what made the show so fun last season.
The self-referential humor was wonderful. The teaser where Seth discussed what was wrong with this year appeared as if it were transcribed from a plethora of internet message boards. Ryan’s rebuttals were good and true (after all, I recall a few times last season when the fan base collectively groaned, yet, suddenly, we glorify every first season episode) and I wondered if that was Josh’s middle finger to the audience.
It wasn’t.
Instead, Ryan’s comments functioned as an apology and a rationalization for some of the stuff we’ve had to put up with since the Chrismukkah break ended. And then, slowly, but surely, we began to see a little bit more of what made the show special:
There were shots of jocks walking together in the same clothes insinuating that jocks are mindless creatures of habits, much like we saw from the original incarnation of Luke; we saw shots of blue water; we returned to the beach; we heard Joseph Arthur. Everything fell into place.
So, let’s sum this episode up and then we’ll see what worked and what didn’t from “The Blaze of Glory.”
Seth is obsessed with the fact that this year isn’t as good as last year and sees his reconciliation with Summer as a sign that all the stars are aligning properly and it’s time to get Ryan and Marissa back together. So, he meddles. Meanwhile, Alex sees the amount of time Ryan and Marissa are spending together and gets pissed. Carter Buckley turns out to be a self-loathing divorcee who blows off his meeting with Kirsten, leading her to take a copy of his liberal magazine from Sandy and reminding Carter why he works in magazines. Lance continues to hold the porn over Julie’s head (I mentioned last week that
The Porn Identity was a bad pun and if you missed it, I added a tag to the end of the review explaining why it doesn’t work) and she turns to Sandy for help.
Ryan/Marissa/Alex: I hate myself for it, but I’m slowly falling for the idea of Ryan/Marissa. Despite their non-existent chemistry and the lack of suspense surrounding their inevitable hook-up, the writers are doing a really good job. So, last night, watching their subtle interaction was nice. Watching Ryan take charge of the bonfire was fun. But, the main story was of course Alex’s jealousy. And, man, it was fun. Alex shoving Ryan around was fun and even better was Ryan’s badass reaction. He didn’t back down. I’m in no way an advocate of hitting women, but the idea that Ryan might retaliate was awesome. And I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that Alex could hold her own in a fight. I don’t particularly like the way that they ended things—the scene on the beach was good, but their reason for breaking up wasn’t—but the story had run its course. Olivia Wilde was definitely a great addition to the cast and her vulnerability at the beach was wonderful. And, congrats to Mischa Barton who acted her ass off last night. Of course, it wasn’t great, but it was the best she’s ever done. Congrats to her.
Seth/Summer: Summer was almost non-existent in the episode last night, so not much to say about her, although I did enjoy seeing her get pissed at Seth—that’s something I miss, as well. Talk about Ryan’s edge all you want, but Summer’s was just as enjoyable and she had one last night. Last night, Seth was a mixed bag. On one hand, it’s fun to see him be the voice for the fans since he is generally considered the fans’ favorite. On the other hand, watching him meddle was a little annoying. I did enjoy hearing him speak to Captain Oates and of course, I enjoyed seeing him get punched by Ryan.
Sandy/Kirsten: The golf scene to open the show was excellent. It wasn’t overblown or necessarily important, but these actors have such a great chemistry and seeing them attempt to deal with their marital problems without actually dealing with them (i.e. talking) was fun, if not an obvious sign of self-destruction. I wasn’t sure what to make of the Carter storyline, but after last night, I’m beginning to warm up to it. I don’t want to see anyone come between the Cohen patriarchs but I’m glad this isn’t a Jimmy or Rebecca blast from the past. This is a vulnerable Kirsten meeting someone intriguing. I think she sees some of Sandy in him and I’m sure that attracts her. At the same time, there’s an aura of mystery about him that’s drawing me in to this story. I liked Peter Gallagher’s subtle glance during the golf scene when Kirsten mentioned she was working with Carter. It said a lot.
Julie: I know I made a comment that this show hasn’t handled the emotional aspect of these characters and their stories very well, but Julie is the exception. She’s still a bitch, don’t get me wrong. But, she’s got heart and I think we can all appreciate that. She’s unhappy, but she doesn’t want to be. And that’s why she turned to Sandy, the conscience of Newport, hoping he’d help her out. The best part of the whole thing, though? After this scandal is over, I have a feeling Julie is going to be bitchier than ever. And that’s something I can’t wait for.
So, overall, a really strong episode as the show continues in the right direction. I think the fact that the show has responded to fans pleas says a lot about the writers and their dedication. The only problem with the show is this:
It’s a teen drama above all else. The adults get plenty of screen time and their stories are often enticing, but above all, it’s a teen drama and the focus will remain on the teenagers. And, it looks like it’s going to be those four for the rest of the series. No one’s going to be able to break that circle for very long and it leaves very little suspense. I don’t dislike the fact that these kids have true loves and what-not, but what we need is to bring someone in permanently, someone who can infiltrate the circle, add more stories, and perhaps pose a legitimate threat to the Ryan/Marissa and Seth/Summer relationships. I mean, just imagine if Pacey had never gotten together with Joey.
Dawson’s Creek would have been a far different show and probably a far less interesting one. And, that show didn’t suffer by adding Andie and Jack. It made the show better by adding new, real characters. Zach’s apparently coming back for several more episodes. Maybe Josh will hear this plea like he’s heard the rest: add new, long-standing characters. Six episodes is not enough time to save the show. Challenge these relationships in a convincing manner.
But, I digress. This show is still running strong and next week, with Trey’s return and Caleb’s meeting with Lance, looks to be even better. And wow, it’s so good to say, “Next week looks better,” and not mean that this week sucked.
See you in seven.
- Drew
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