Weekend Roundup

So, Monday's are technically the start of the new week. Oh well.

Doctor Who finished off the reboot's sixth season with a decent finale. It wrapped up the River Song arc, which was losing its luster by this point. Moffat & co at least managed to keep the story coherent. I hope the Christmas special is an improvement on the better part of this season.

Boardwalk Empire was fantastic! Poor Nucky's starting to realize that everyone he relied heavily on is turning against him, and attempting to forge their own path in the process. I love seeing the self-reliant side of Margaret Schroeder; who sharply puts an Irish politico in his place after he mistakes her for being meek, and in the best scene ever, uses her maid's clothing and plays the widow card to sneak into Nucky's office and steal his cash and ledger from right under the officials' noses. I can't wait to see what the writers do with her character.

One of the things BE does really well is reflect the differences characters experience in similar situations. Nucky failed to secure the support of those he relies on and spent the episode grasping for what power he has left, while his counterpart, Chalky White, silently exerted it in one of the best scenes the show has produced. Chalky spent the entire episode in jail and most of it being harassed by a smartass who didn't know a thing about the Black community in Atlantic City. The man gets a beatdown from the four or five men occupying the cell after insulting Chalky's wife, literacy skills, garb, and shooting his mouth off incessently. In an impressive and frightening display of quiet menace, Chalky inquires after each of the five men's families, reflecting the power he has over his community and without lifting a finger, condemns his harasser to serious lesson.

Of the two offerings Whitney Cummings' has this fall, I think 2 Broke Girls is the better project. It's certainly not without its faults, and the fact that it's a CBS comedy makes me question the level of taste even if it has some appeal. My problem with the show is that while it has its genuine moments (which a better part of their comedic line up seem to have: HIMYM, TBBT), it either tries too hard with regards to jokes: beating jokes down like a dead horse, or completely offensive:rape jokes, stereotypical Asian presentations.

I want to like 2 Broke Girls, I really do. I love that the focus isn't on them trying to find partners (HIMYM, I love you, but 7 seasons in and I need a break from Ted's single whinging), but I spend half the show cringing. The attempts at progressive jokes are tried, and for a show that's supposed to be set in a racially, culturally diverse and vibrant city (NYC), it seems lacking.