THE New Normal- Page 5

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 10:57pm

[Playbilly]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 10:58pm

Murphy needs therapy, not a network deal. Like Woody Allen at his worst, it's a very unseemly public display of one's issues.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 10:58pm

About the one on the left...

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 11:09pm

Ha thanks for the gif from Bachelorette, PJ. See, I admit, I didn't mind him in that (it's a small, but cliche role), or playing a similar role in Girls--but in this, he's much harder to take (I don't blame the acting, though).

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 11:13pm

Playbilly, when Murphy was promoting the film adaptation of Running with Scissors he wrote and directed (and while I found the "memoir" it's based on a hard going at parts, it had a flawless cast and material which shouldhave suited Murphy to a T--yet was a critical and box office disaster), Murphy claimed to have been in intense therapy for 20 years...

(I hope he doesn't find some way to stamp his personality on his film of The Normal Heart).

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 11:16pm

I also kind of fear that all the people who say this is better suited for cable just want to hear Ellen Barkin say actual racial slurs.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 11:21pm

I agree, and we know from Nip/Tuck and American Horror that Murphy likes to "push the boundaries" as far as he can on whatever network he's on. And I think that's exactly right about the humour--Glee and other shows do it too--it gives the audience the right to laugh at inappropriate humour and not feel bad, because watching the show still makes them tolerant, or something... And it's not smart satire the way something like AbFab might be at its best, it's pretty lazy.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 11:25pm

[Wynbish]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 11:29pm

Its ratings were okay, but not as good as Matthew Perry's show (maybe he finally has one that sticks!)

It will be interesting to see the ratings once the other networks offer their competition in that time slot.

I have kinda liked it, but not at the level I was expecting myself to. I am a half-fan of Ryan (Popular! American Horror Story!), but the man really just needs to find someone to reel his ego back in, and then actually listen to that person.

Updated On: 9/13/12 at 11:29 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 11:36pm

Yeah, his co-creator, if she does have a voice (I gather she's a "lesbian mom" from that article, and I know she worked on Glee), really can't be heard in this show. I think Popular helped having Gina Matthews as co-creator, but apparently they fought so much during the show that there's no chance they'll work together again (which makes a lot of sense).

I loved Popular (though it got iffy near the end), I enjoyed early Nip/Tuck, and, sometimes despite myself, I do enjoy AHStory (partly because it doesn't try to be heartfelt--or if it does I can ignore it)--so I obviously have some interest in Murphy. It's too bad that he doesn't seem to be learning from his experiences...

[Wynbish]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 11:59pm

I also feel like the core message of the show is lost in the wide open space between David, Bryan, Georgia, and Shania's message of "love is love. this should be normal, but who knows if normal exists? we're nice people with big hearts" and Nana's message, dripping of such outlandishly horrible remarks that a regular viewer could discredit as being hyperbolic (would someone really say that about the bathroom?) There's no middle argument or everyman character.

Right now, there's not really a moment of the show not devoted to cause, forgivable enough in the second episode but will be tired and trite in the tenth episode.

Even if Ryan and co. hope to reach each Nana of the country and world, they are not watching.

And I miss the quirky Justin Bartha from National Treasure.


Updated On: 9/14/12 at 11:59 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:03am

(I hope he doesn't find some way to stamp his personality on his film of The Normal Heart).

Actually, that will be so simple for him: all he has to do is foreground all of the horridness of Larry Kramer in the portrayal of Ned Weeks with none of the humanity Joe Mantello and (I have no doubt) Patrick Breen were able to bring to the part under the skillful and loving direction of George C. Wolfe. Skill and love.

I have to say, the Ellen Barkin character cracks me up in the same way Alec Baldwin's awful Jack Donaghy does. For me, the joke is that these actors stand for the opposite of what is coming out of their mouths, so it subverts the evil in what they're given to say.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 3:56am

Would Kramer let him do that? I don't know how much control he has on the project but that's one reason I actually thought (I know, I'm in the minority) someone like Babs might make a good film of his play. It'd be interesting to see how much control Murphy has--he's not a good director, but he's capable as the beyond bland Eat, Pray, Love, proved.

I somewhat agree with you about his use of older actresses (if Jane Lynch can even count). I found i sorta subversive when he used Vanessa Redgrave that way in Nip/Tuck. But now it seems to be a safe gay shtick (and yet, I honestly have friends who have NEVER heard of these women before--I've burned 6 copies of the Peter Hall/Vanessa Redgrave Orpheus Descending in the past few years, and have led to Jessica Lange's best performances since AHS).

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 3:01pm

Just watched last night's episode.

I'm going to continue watching. I'm seeing more and more of the heart to this story. I still think some of the things they throw in are awful, but on balance, I'm enjoying it and am engaged in the characters and story.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 3:19pm

I caught up with it at my office today. Lord love a slow week! Thanks, Jews!

I think it's still finding its footing. It's a little frantic and a little 'let's see what sticks,' but I have no problem admitting that I adore Andrew Rannells.

[D2]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 3:25pm

I loved the show last week. I liked it a lot last night. Like Addy, I'll continue to watch it.

As for Ellen Barkin's character, I think Namo is absolutely correct, and I have to admit she's the one who makes me laugh consistently.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 3:27pm

This week was the last week I could watch, because it conflicts with The Mindy Project starting next week, so I leave the show the following thoughts

1. How heartwarming that Ellen and (B)ryan could bond over a racist joke

2. I could have lived my entire life without hearing an eight-year old say "spank bank"

Posted: 9/19/12 at 3:30pm

I avoided it last night (no hate-watching for me!) but read an article that referenced the "spank bank" comment. What the what was that about?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 3:31pm

Shania got caught making out with a boy in the cloak room but after meeting Nana, the eight year old decided she was what got his motor running so he said something about putting her in his spank bank.

Posted: 9/19/12 at 3:44pm

Wow. i thought i was unshockable.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 3:54pm

I'll be torn next week, too. I've been waiting on The Mindy Project (love Mindy! And Chris Messina!), but I still see potential in this show.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 3:54pm

Murphy also had Jamie Babbit direct a ton of episodes of Popular who balanced both the queer sensibilities and actually being very competent in pushing narrative.

With Nip/Tuck and American Horror Story, Murphy has Brad Falchuk, who has also a checkered episode-writing history on Glee (some good, some bad, some just plain hideous). AHS was actually more of his brain-child though for a guy who was the first to tell you that the names of the girls on Glee were named after his ex-girlfriends, the show seemed all Murphy with the gay couple, Jessica Lange, and rubber man.

And ugh, don't get me started on what Murphy let the gay couples of Glee become. I don't recall Ali Adler episodes pushing those problems though her three episodes were not remarkable sans "Nationals". But Santana's whole coming out episode and the fact that Finn was completely scot-free for outing her was one of the most irresponsible things the show has ever done and that is saying something.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 6:58pm

No big shock, but I found this episode the worse of them all (that said, I did think, oddly, some things were improved--like the characterization of Bryan is a bit better).

When Murphy (and he scripted the episode, so in this case deserves all the blame) gets all preachy, it *really* backfires. As others have said--so Bryan and Barkin's character finally have a sorta eye to eye moment over a racist joke? WTF.

Is it mean to be subversive that the guy with down syndrome is homophobic (I know much has been written--largely positive but not all--about how Murphy has gone out of his way to cast actors with downs in his shows, which is great, but I admit the way he handles it doesn't always make me comfortable, and *not* because he shows they have faults too).

How much product/brand placement was in this episode? Oh well, but why get your baby a suit adveritsing the gym you just were banned for life from?

OK much was said by both dads and Goldie about how you have to stand up to bigots, and really shouldn't even let them in your life--it's just an influence a kid doesn't need--so why again is Goldie always with her grandma, and bringing her over again?

Ent Weekly's weekly reviews on line have been glowingly positive--I found it funny that this week they had someone else blog about the show, for some reason, who basically pointed out everything that bugged me: http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/09/19/the-new-normal-episode-3/

In other Murphy news, apparently Vogue gave him a profile, and from these quotes, he sounds as charming as everyone expected. (For example: He considers himself the male Lady Gaga: Because his work is at once inflammatory and wildly popular. Murphy then insisted Meter print the Gaga remark.) Apparently Lea Michele wishes she had been born his daughter too. Fun! http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/09/19/ryan-murphy-vogue-profile/ (The full longish Vogue profile is online: http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/ryan-murphys-hope-is-american-ready-for-the-new-normal/#1 )

Strummer, as usual on this subject, I completely agree with you. I admit, I thought for a while Falchuk was writing the better Glee episodes--I actually really liked some he did where the characters finally made sense, but he's since then turned out some clunkers as well.

And yeah--bring on the Mindy Project--I loved the pilot, even if I know it got a mixed rection here, and hope it can take off from there.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 7:19pm

I read that Vogue article earlier. Man. That's all I can say - man.

h well, but why get your baby a suit adveritsing the gym you just were banned for life from?

I thought that, too. "Hey, you banned me - after you agreed someone had the right to call me a fag, no less - so here's so more money!"

And was Andrew Rannells as brown last week as he was this week? I expected him to leave streaks everywhere he went.

[artscallion]

Posted: 9/19/12 at 8:00pm

I like the show. Love Rannells. But they need to drop the Nana character all together...one-note in her character and in the way way she delivers the whole stream of one-note one-liners.

Agree about the baby gym suit business though. When he looked down at the little mannequin, I thought it was reminding him that he has to stand up for what's right for the sake of his unborn child. I thought he would march into the gym office and demand that they change the rule book to include banishment for using words like fag. But he didn't. He just saw him and decided to be happy...kind of grin and bear it, ignoring the inequity, which was the exact thing that had upset Rannells in the factory outlet to begin with.