By LillyKat
PTR Staff Writer
So, I asked the question last week: what’s it going to take for Grace to get her act together?
I guess three more episodes?
Oy vey. Let this first season be over and done with.
I guess I should’ve been suspect from Day 1 when Holly Hunter confessed to not watching any television prior to signing on to do Grace. She didn’t even know of some of the more popular shows on cable (Rescue Me, The Closer, etc ... name your show, guaranteed Hunter knows nothing about it). And she was actually proud about that fact.
Compare that to someone like Kathryn Morris, who whilst as the lead of her own show, can speak intelligently about the genre, can talk about shows she enjoys and admires, and can even suggest she wouldn’t mind seeing certain elements of other shows adapted to Cold Case (even if those are a bit of a long shot).
And Morris isn’t even a producer of Cold Case (though I wouldn’t mind seeing her earn that title like Kyra Sedgwick did this year with The Closer, and Hunter undeservingly is granted on Grace).
Having said all that, it is obvious to me that Hunter and the show’s creators have their heads in the proverbial sand. That is, they have no clue as to what they are doing. Perhaps they should’ve watched some quality television dramas before selling this show as the greatest humdinger of all time (not). I mean, hello … research anyone? And shame on TNT for buying into the hype and selling the store to Hunter and her co-horts. Re-runs of Law and Order and Cold Case are more interesting at this point.
It’s inconceivable to me that this show still cannot get past the single Grace-is-out-of-control-needs-help premise (which continues to be drilled into our heads by TNT as they still run the original promo over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and … well, you get the idea). We are presented with the same spiel each week, the same plot set-ups, the same failed efforts of Grace. In the words of PTR’s Editor TV Fan:
Boring. Redundant.
Did I mention I feel sorry for Angel Earl? I’m sure I did … several posts back.
This week, we find Grace being hounded by her nerdy, detail obsessed sister (Paige) about getting the whole family together for a cruise all the while trying to deal with her favorite grandfather (Geepaw) being in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. So, of course, Grace thinks she can volunteer the family to keep watch of Geepaw as opposed to placing him in managed care (which he really needs). Grace proceeds to allow him to still be … well, his freewheeling self until their out-n-about horse ride turns sour as Geepaw gets bucked from his horse and knocked out.
PTR Staff Writer
So, I asked the question last week: what’s it going to take for Grace to get her act together?
I guess three more episodes?
Oy vey. Let this first season be over and done with.
I guess I should’ve been suspect from Day 1 when Holly Hunter confessed to not watching any television prior to signing on to do Grace. She didn’t even know of some of the more popular shows on cable (Rescue Me, The Closer, etc ... name your show, guaranteed Hunter knows nothing about it). And she was actually proud about that fact.
Compare that to someone like Kathryn Morris, who whilst as the lead of her own show, can speak intelligently about the genre, can talk about shows she enjoys and admires, and can even suggest she wouldn’t mind seeing certain elements of other shows adapted to Cold Case (even if those are a bit of a long shot).
And Morris isn’t even a producer of Cold Case (though I wouldn’t mind seeing her earn that title like Kyra Sedgwick did this year with The Closer, and Hunter undeservingly is granted on Grace).
Having said all that, it is obvious to me that Hunter and the show’s creators have their heads in the proverbial sand. That is, they have no clue as to what they are doing. Perhaps they should’ve watched some quality television dramas before selling this show as the greatest humdinger of all time (not). I mean, hello … research anyone? And shame on TNT for buying into the hype and selling the store to Hunter and her co-horts. Re-runs of Law and Order and Cold Case are more interesting at this point.
It’s inconceivable to me that this show still cannot get past the single Grace-is-out-of-control-needs-help premise (which continues to be drilled into our heads by TNT as they still run the original promo over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and … well, you get the idea). We are presented with the same spiel each week, the same plot set-ups, the same failed efforts of Grace. In the words of PTR’s Editor TV Fan:
Boring. Redundant.
Did I mention I feel sorry for Angel Earl? I’m sure I did … several posts back.
This week, we find Grace being hounded by her nerdy, detail obsessed sister (Paige) about getting the whole family together for a cruise all the while trying to deal with her favorite grandfather (Geepaw) being in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. So, of course, Grace thinks she can volunteer the family to keep watch of Geepaw as opposed to placing him in managed care (which he really needs). Grace proceeds to allow him to still be … well, his freewheeling self until their out-n-about horse ride turns sour as Geepaw gets bucked from his horse and knocked out.
Grace: “This is my fault.”
Um, ya’ think? So, is almost killing a guy, screwing your married partner, screwing anything that moves, drinking yourself to death, caring about no one other than yourself, blah, blah, blah ...
Once would think the Geepaw incident would actually mean more considering it is Grace's favorite grandfather.
But alas, no change. Same ol’, same ol’. One moment of revelation, then back to the same behavior.
This week’s case involved the death of a young Iraq War vet (Ryan), who was found burned and buried in a shallow grave, face down, with an owl feather – a bad sign per Native American custom (which Geepaw, being part Native American himself, helped determine because of course, who wouldn’t ask an Alzheimer’s patient for help on a murder investigation? That would be Grace). Turns out one of Ryan’s friends was part of his squad over in Iraq and of whom was killed in a roadside attack.
His friend's Dad never forgave Ryan for living.
And so Ryan paid the ultimate price with a dad hell bent on brutal revenge: “My boy died because of him.”
I give this episode a couple of points for creating a pretty good dynamic between Grace and her sister – as in, her sister can grill Grace and put her in her place pretty darn good. Of course, does Grace care? No.
The introduction of Geepaw. He was cute in his absent-minded way. Clearly, his free-wheeling, do-what-you-want-self endeared him to Grace from an early age. They had a couple of good heart-to-hearts. But Grace’s I-know-better-than-everyone mentality gets him injured and hurt, and yet does Grace seem to care?
For two seconds.
Then she’s back to screwing and drinking.
Gee, like we didn’t see that coming.
New episodes air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT.
Once would think the Geepaw incident would actually mean more considering it is Grace's favorite grandfather.
But alas, no change. Same ol’, same ol’. One moment of revelation, then back to the same behavior.
This week’s case involved the death of a young Iraq War vet (Ryan), who was found burned and buried in a shallow grave, face down, with an owl feather – a bad sign per Native American custom (which Geepaw, being part Native American himself, helped determine because of course, who wouldn’t ask an Alzheimer’s patient for help on a murder investigation? That would be Grace). Turns out one of Ryan’s friends was part of his squad over in Iraq and of whom was killed in a roadside attack.
His friend's Dad never forgave Ryan for living.
And so Ryan paid the ultimate price with a dad hell bent on brutal revenge: “My boy died because of him.”
I give this episode a couple of points for creating a pretty good dynamic between Grace and her sister – as in, her sister can grill Grace and put her in her place pretty darn good. Of course, does Grace care? No.
The introduction of Geepaw. He was cute in his absent-minded way. Clearly, his free-wheeling, do-what-you-want-self endeared him to Grace from an early age. They had a couple of good heart-to-hearts. But Grace’s I-know-better-than-everyone mentality gets him injured and hurt, and yet does Grace seem to care?
For two seconds.
Then she’s back to screwing and drinking.
Gee, like we didn’t see that coming.
New episodes air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT.
2 comments:
Bravo for this well-written entry! I was nodding along with every word. It's too bad you don't write for this show, LillyKat.
I'm glad you brought up the fact that TNT keeps running the same original ad!! I'm so sick of it!!
Thanks for the quote, BTW. ;-)
I pretty much agree with your assessment of this show. Yet, for some reason unbeknownest to me, I keep tuning in! Each episode I get more and more disgusted with Grace's character. I'm actually looking forward to this one coming to an end.
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