Tag: TV series

TIMELESS: Saving History and Inspiring Hope

Published on by Kelly DeenyLeave a comment

I watch a ton of television and not all of them are worth blogging about – save a few. Now, I can proudly add NBC’s TIMELESS to that list.

With a touch of sci-fi rooted in historical fiction, TIMELESS follows a dedicated team (a historian, a pilot, and a soldier) determined to protect the present by saving history. Season one allowed us to delve into the wants, needs, hopes, and fears of it’s heroic trio:  Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer), Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett), and Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter). We came to understand them, cheer for them, “ship” them, and care enough to take the weekly journey with them.

After the hard-core fan base brought the show back from the TV cancellation bunker, season two honored what made the show so beloved while deepening it’s importance as a must-watch drama series. The creators and writing team didn’t play it safe by any means. They raised the bar each week, challenging their viewers to see history, and those who played an important role in it, as complex yet identifiable throughout time. They seamlessly interwove current struggles with those of who came before. For though our circumstances were drastically different, our hopes and fears weren’t so: love, acceptance, free will, freedom, friendship, and fighting for a cause you believe in.

 

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March for Science, Washington, D.C. – April 2017

 

I’ve reiterated numerous times on my genealogy blog how history was my least favorite subject. My older sister was the history buff, traveling to interesting locales and continuously learning about important points in our country’s foundation. If she were still alive, Jen would definitely have been a weekly viewer. (Wherever she is in time and space now, I hope she’s visiting all those historic places she researched so ferociously.)

Featuring a talented and diverse acting ensemble, TIMELESS makes history accessible to all; for what makes us different strengthens us. The flawed, relatable characters (including Jiya, Mason, Agent Christopher, and even Flynn) are a community, a team, a group of people who care for and love one another – race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation but a part of the whole.

I learn, reflect, and am moved after watching TIMELESS for two seasons. I implore the TV-powers-that-be to see as much worth in this impactful series as we do!

 

*DISCLAIMER: No endorsement by anyone associated with TIMELESS, NBC, its employees, subsidiaries, or associates is intended or implied.*

Thank You to the REVENGE Cast and Crew

Published on by Kelly Deeny4 Comments

ABC’s primetime drama series, REVENGE, will end its run May 10th when the fourth season finale equates to the series finale. Revengers around the world will miss this beloved show, and I proudly include myself among them.

Goodbye Revenge

For four years, REVENGE was the one show that I could NOT miss watching each week. I looked forward to finding out what would happen next and anticipated episodes full of twists and turns. My fellow REVENGE fans will no doubt find ways to say “Thank You” to the cast and crew through photo collages, video montages, memes, sketches, playlists and more – I decided to use my love of the written word to convey my thanks for an amazing four years of must-watch television!

TO THE CREW:

  • Mike Kelley, you created a TV show that became beloved by fans worldwide. You gave us characters that we rooted for and against, sometimes simultaneously. Thank you for bringing something new to the canvas filled with shows about doctors, lawyers, and cops.
  • Sunil Nayar, thank you for guiding us through the past two seasons, and for starting season 3 with a bang!
  • Maybe it’s due to my long-standing belief that music plays an important role in art, but Fil Eisler’s original music caught my attention time and again. His exquisite work during pivotal moments (i.e. Daniel’s death and Victoria’s final act) accentuated the emotion in the scene and the aftereffect each would have on not only the other characters, but the show overall.
  • Jill O’Hanneson (style guru and costume maven) – you are a genius in your craft. You didn’t just dress the actors; you outfitted the world in which they lived. I frequently caught myself saying, “I love that dress!” and “Where do they come up with Nolan’s outfits; that’s fantastic.” From Emily’s gorgeous wedding dress to Victoria’s fiery red gown, the pieces are embedded in our memory.
  • To all the directors, DP’s, producers, production assistants, hair, makeup, story editors, script supervisors – your work behind the scenes did not go unnoticed. The show could not have been made without you!!!!

TO THE WRITING TEAM:

I’ll admit it – I’d likely have a fangirl moment if I ever had the opportunity to chat with any of the REVENGE writers. I hold them in very high regard. Here’s why: the hard work, dedication, time, energy, creativity, and attention to detail that it must take to write 39-48 minutes of dramatic television each week deserves my respect and appreciation. This writing team consistently left me guessing what would happen next and anticipating the next chapter in the story. They gave us memorable one-liners and plot twists, and created characters that won’t soon be forgotten. I wish you all the best in whatever the future holds. *UPDATE MAY 2016: In the past year, writers from REVENGE moved on to new and established dramas such as LIMITLESS, SUPERGIRL, CASTLE, and HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER. Brava!!*

TO THE ACTING ENSEMBLE:

Dear Emily, Gabriel, Nick, Josh, Madeleine, Henry, Christa, Barry, Karine, Elena, Ashley, Conner, James, Margarita, and the rest of the REVENGE cast – What can I “say” about this tremendous acting ensemble that you’ve not already heard? The greatest compliment I can bestow upon such a talented group of actors is this: you brought to life characters that will live on long after the finale. While you excelled in your craft on an individual level, your talent shined through your on-screen interaction. We loved watching the brother/sister relationship develop between Emily and Nolan throughout the seasons – their goodbye in Season 3 still moves me. Regardless of what romantic pairing the fans “shipped”, each of the men in Emily’s life had issues, complexities, and drama all their own. As you keep moving forward toward the next journey in your career, I wish you continued success – on both a professional and personal level!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone involved with bringing REVENGE to the small screen for the past four years.  While I don’t presume to “speak” for the entire fandom, I think it’s safe to say that we’ll support all the projects that this REVENGE team pursues in the future. Whether Agent 13 joins her S.H.I.E.L.D counterparts or a Hamptonite conquers the Broadway stage, you better believe the Revengers will assemble!

*DISCLAIMER: My opinions are just that…mine.  No implied endorsement from anyone associated with this show is intended.

TV Moments That Moved Me to Tears: ‘ANGEL’

Published on by Kelly DeenyLeave a comment

We’re so close to revealing the top moment! The runner-up is…

Angel

#2 – FRED (Angel, S5 Ep15, “A Hole in the World”): When Joss Whedon kills off one of his characters, it’s not just for the ‘hellmouth’ of it nor is it pretty.

The gifted writer/producer/director always introduces us to a wide variety of characters: rebels, villains, and flawed heroes/heroines. Then there were the ones that held them all together: Willow in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kaylee in Firefly, and Fred in Angel. Putting any of those three in dangerous situations upped the ante for the rest of the characters and tugged on the viewer’s emotions.

Portrayed to perfection by Amy Acker, Winifred ‘Fred’ Burkle became the heart, soul, and innocence of the team.  A character full of so much heart, joy, intelligence, and compassion added balance amidst the tormented souls that surrounded her.  From the moment she was introduced on the show, Fred’s journey was one we wanted to follow. Over the course of the next three years we watched her come into her own and flourish. So, when Fred died in the arms of the man she loved I wept along with the characters. “No, not Fred.  She can’t die,” I thought.  “She’s too important.” I didn’t have long to mourn the loss of such a beloved character, because in true Joss fashion, Fred’s death opened a portal (wink, wink) to a new character. Fred’s spirit ceased to exist and Illyria took over, thus, providing Amy a new acting challenge and giving the show added conflict. We lost Fred but still had Amy, and she continued to impress.

This TV moment ranks high on my list not only because Fred is one of my favorite TV characters, but because of the episode as a whole. Written and directed by Joss Whedon, “A Hole in the World” paid tribute to a character we all came to love and admire. As her friends rushed to find a way to save her, we felt the fear that they wouldn’t be able to and the disappointment in realizing that they couldn’t. This stunning hour of television remains embedded in my memory due to the talents of those in front of and behind the camera.

Dramatic television series can inspire, motivate, educate, and empower. However, they also have the ability to reach us on an emotional level. They do so by creating characters we enjoy watching, and rooting for, only to take them on journeys that make us reflect on our own lives and choices. While I’ve cried many a time during TV shows, there are five TV moments that not only had me sobbing like a baby but impressed me on a creative level. 

*DISCLAIMER: No endorsement by anyone associated with Angel, its parent company, affiliates, sponsors, or artists implied!*

TV Moments That Moved Me To Tears: ‘THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’

Published on by Kelly DeenyLeave a comment

Next up on our list…The Vampire Diaries (The CW Network)

Dramatic television series can inspire, motivate, educate, and empower. However, they also have the ability to reach us on an emotional level. They do so by creating characters we enjoy watching, and rooting for, only to take them on journeys that make us reflect on our own lives and choices. While I’ve cried many a time during TV shows, there are five TV moments that not only had me sobbing like a baby but impressed me on a creative level. 

Moment 4

#4 – AUNT JENNA (The Vampire Diaries, S2 EP21 “The Sun Also Rises”):

While binge-watching The Vampire Diaries, I realized very quickly that the writers on this drama series knew how to create strong, conflicted, multi-layered characters. Rooting for and against a character frequently interchanged and you never knew when the tables would turn. Case in point…

After the death of her parents, Elena Gilbert’s family consisted of her brother, Jeremy, and her Aunt Jenna. Elena did all she could to keep her loved ones protected from the danger, violence, and supernatural beings that infiltrated their lives. While Jeremy encountered the danger early on, Jenna remained an outsider to the reality of witches, werewolves, and vampires. The relationship between Jenna and Elena became one of my favorites, as you watched the elder try to mentor, guide, and parent the younger though they weren’t far apart in age.

Putting either of Elena’s family members in danger immediately raised the emotional stakes for the show’s heroine.  Losing either of them would be a life-changing moment for Elena. So, when Jenna’s journey came to an end, I knew the stakes had changed.  Elena stood helpless as her aunt, who only recently discovered the truth about her supernatural community, turned from human to vampire. Elena offered comfort to her aunt in those last final moments, and in an instant, the fictional town of Mystic Falls was changed.  It was a moment I didn’t expect, and the sobs escaped.  I understood how painful this death was for Elena, yet it was even more emotional given that Jenna’s final act was to protect her niece as much as she could, trying to thwart the plan that required Elena’s death.

I applaud Nina Dobrev (Elena) and Sara Canning (Jenna) for their hauntingly beautiful work. They embodied the essence of not only their individual characters but the importance of that relationship.  It truly was a stunning scene that won’t soon be forgotten!

The Vampire Diaries writers excel where others do not by getting us to care for characters we love and those we love to hate. We know that no character on the show is safe, but we go along for the ride each week.

*DISCLAIMER: No endorsement by anyone associated with The Vampire Diaries, its parent company, affiliates, sponsors, or artists implied!*

TV Moments That Moved Me to Tears: ‘REVENGE’

Published on by Kelly DeenyLeave a comment

Dramatic television series can inspire, motivate, educate, and empower. However, they also have the ability to reach us on an emotional level. They do so by creating characters we enjoy watching, and rooting for, only to take them on journeys that make us reflect on our own lives and choices. While I’ve cried many a time during TV shows, there are five TV moments that not only had me sobbing like a baby but impressed me on a creative level.

First up…REVENGE (ABC Network)

TV Moment 5

AMANDA CLARKE/EMILY THORNE (Revenge, S2 EP14, “Sacrifice”): When two women, connected through shared juvenile experience, swap identities, neither one’s life is the same.

Years after her beloved father is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and ripped from her young life, Amanda Clarke embarks on a plan of retribution. She enlists the help of fellow juvie inmate (Emily Thorne), though their relationship is fractured, and the two start their lives anew.  Not always liking one another, or trusting the other, Amanda Clarke and Emily Thorne ultimately formed a familial bond; one that the show’s protagonist came to appreciate as her “sister” lay dying in her arms. The woman who first answered to the name Amanda wept at realizing her long-time friend sacrificed her life for the other’s. When “I’m so sorry” broke out through choked emotion, handled exquisitely by the talented Emily VanCamp, tears ran down my cheeks. The strong, independent, and resilient Emily Thorne cradled her alter ego while I sat on my couch sobbing. I cried because the death affected the main character so tremendously, and I give credit to the writers, to Ms. VanCamp, and her talented co-star (Margarita Levieva) for such a heartfelt moment.  Many more emotional/heartbreaking scenes followed in the past two years, but “Amanda’s” death remains at the forefront of great storytelling, acting, and plot twists.

*DISCLAIMER: No endorsement by anyone associated with Revenge, its parent company, affiliates, sponsors, or artists implied!*