okay, I'll basically watch paul gross do anything

[aria]

HEY HEY GUYS EASTWICK.

I am ... going to make a concerted effort not to capslock this entire post. Or ideally at all.

Okay, let's get the bad stuff out of the way: I can admit right off the bat that it's rubbish. It's ridiculous, the writing isn't much good, it's sheer fucking crack, and on top of that the premise is skeevy as hell -- some seemingly unempowered women are given agency via the supernatural forces of Sexy Male Evil? Please no. So there's that.

(There's also the perennial problem I didn't think I would have to deal with re: Paul Gross, because I thought of it as The CKR Problem, ie "Hey, this week Callum's a serial killer! AWWW NO DON'T BE MEAN TO HIM IT'S CALLUM. ...Oh, right, he killed people. Okay, carry on?" Admittedly they may have cast Paul Gross as the devil because he's likable, but augh no I liked not putting him in that mental box with, oh, CKR and John Simm, the one labeled 'no Aria really stop that's creepy.')

This said, and my parenthetical distress aside, for something that has a premise wherein seemingly unempowered women are given agency via the supernatural forces of Sexy Male Evil, it's ... being pretty good about trying like hell to avoid too many unfortunate implications? I don't know how well it's doing, but I do know that so far their powers have resulted in [a] Kat deciding to divorce her emotionally abusive jerk of a husband, [b] Roxie saving her daughter from being raped, and [c] ...Joanna does not get as many points but at least she realised that getting rid of Will's agency was a sketchtastic thing to do! I dunno, I think it is too early to give any kind of call on this. The thing is, though, I like all of them. I am kind of invested in what will happen to them! Most impressive considering the writing was ridiculous.

My possibly-in-vain attempts at Actual Thoughts aside, though, uh ... heeeey, Paul. I have a theory that someone sat him down and went, "Okay, the writing for this show? It could probably use some work. So we figure that the best way to distract everyone from everything is for you to say every line of dialogue, no matter how ridiculous, like it's porn." And lo, Paul Gross thought this seemed like a sensible idea and anyway is obviously ENJOYING THE HELL OUT OF HIMSELF and says every line of dialogue like it's porn. It's like he took every single thing that I find even remotely hot about Fraser and Geoffrey and then he turned them into some evil patchwork of me sitting on the couch with a huge stupid grin on my face and wondering when the fuck the room got so warm.

In conclusion it was basically everything I expected it would be, and deep down I'm going to keep watching for the express purpose of one day writing Fraser and Darryl in the same room. It would be like one of those cartoons with the shoulder angel and the shoulder devil!

...Yeah, it's time for me to stop blithering and get some sleep.

Comments

[petere_capere]

But that's the thing. because Paul isn't playing _evil_. because the devil is not by definition evil. More part of the ineffable plan. In this case, the devil is something that sets you free to be exactly who you need to be. Not so much evil as amoralistic.
Consider also that the planet Venus was also called the lucifer - the light bringer, the morningstar, and a sign of the love-goddess's protection. So, assume that 'the devil' in this instance isn't so much the evil as he is the love, and now it's a whole new ballgame.

[aria]

...I think you just gave me little STARS IN MY EYES and also expanded my heart two sizes with glee. Thanks a lot. XDDD

[petere_capere]

Thank you. I do aim to please.
Differential word definition and the effects they have on modern religions is somewhat of a hobby of mine.

[filia_belialis]

Please pardon my intrusion, but I just couldn't keep it in--I don't know you, but you have sent me into flaily little fits of glee over someone who has articulated a few of my own feelings on the devil. It doesn't happen often, so thank you for making my day. That is all.

[labellementeuse]

So, assume that 'the devil' in this instance isn't so much the evil as he is the love, and now it's a whole new ballgame.

I don't know if you read that series, but what you're saying is here, Paul Gross plays the Hesper? :P

[aria]

...that is probably the best, and most awesomely hilarious, mental image ever.

[bakatulip]

It's all that Shakespearean acting training... I maintain that's how he does pornily evil so well.

[aria]

...do you have any idea just how desperately I suddenly want him to play Iago?

[bakatulip]

NOW I DO TOO. I HATE YOU. ARGH.

[wintercreek]

OMG EASTWICK. I shouldn't like it BUT I DO. The power of Paul Gross compels me.

So many dittoes to your points [a-c]. I actually said, out loud, "Thank you for fixing the skeevy consent thing!" when Joanna released Will from her hypnotism. This show is inherently flawed, but so is most of TV. (For purposes of comparison, the other shows this season that I know anything about are Glee and Stargate: Universe - Glee I watch through my hands, SGU I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.) I really, really want fandom to come storming in, latch on to the good parts, and fix the rest with fic. (Hey, I'm an SGA fan. What can I say?)

Anyhow, this is a little confessional comment to say that I, too, watched the Eastwick premier and I kind of liked it. And I kind of wanttonominateitforYuletide. Erm. Yes. Oh Paul Gross, what you do to me.

[aria]

HOLY GOD I WANT SO MUCH EASTWICK FIC FOR YULETIDE!!!ONE!!

And, uh, I am pretty sure you said intelligent things before you destroyed all my sense and taste with that suggestion. Which is: considering that the show is based on someone else's inherently skeevy premise, so far they seem to be doing decently well. I am going to cross my fingers really hard. And also maybe write the damn fic myself.

[jesse_the_k]

Excellent sober analysis, TYK.

Why oh why is Joanna+bun & glasses supposed to be unattractive? /librarian love

What I particularly liked is how PFG constantly demonstrated a tiny move before the lip-lick, call it the "incipient lip-lick," which resulted in a moist, slightly open, always poised to fasten itself on ...

well, it was nice, that's all.

[aria]

Yeah, I admit to being especially impatient with Joanna's plotline. Wow, you mean if I took off my glasses I would magically seduce men into doing everything I tell them to? Gosh, why didn't I think of that! Oh yes, maybe because I look attractive without taking them off. (And also because I wouldn't be able to see, but I ... am willing to handwave that, I guess.)

On the other hand, if I have any more thoughts they are gone now, because sklkdsjsd thanks for describing that. :D

[labellementeuse]

OK, OK, I watched it and I enjoyed it and yes, I will watch the hell out of this season (OH HEY IT'S LAURA CADMAN <33333 AND SARA RUE FROM POPULAR!!!!) but
1. I hate hate HATE Joanna's power. I think there's something fundamentally skeevy and inethical about ANY kind of hypnotic power and I REALLY hate that it's given to the mixed-race white/Korean woman and I REALLY REALLY hate that she can only affect men. HATE. (I like Joanna! I don't like her power.) I'm not too thrilled with Kat's difficulties with controlling her power, either.
2. I can't decide if Paul Gross is grossing me out (har har see what I did there???) or turning me on. HELP ME ARIA D:

[labellementeuse]

Oh and!
3. Why is it that witches can never be whole people? I get the resonance of the three witches and that they're necessary for the whole coven thing, but - compare this to Charmed, say. None of these women are sufficiently powerful independently - even if you leave aside Darryl, they still depend on the whole power of three/circle of three thing. Is this:
a) an empowering description of women's relationships?
b) a destructive picture of women as never as powerful as men while standing alone?
c) something else?

[aria]

Way to be thinky at me!

1. I am completely with you on Joanna's power. I think I'd need to be more awake than I currently am/possibly see another episode or two before I'll be able to articulate everything that bothers me about it, because I think I have a few points of "THIS SKEEVES ME" to add to your list, but ... dskdsfd :(

2. I can't even decide how evil we're supposed to think he is! This is the only time Paul Gross has really confused me and I'm not sure I like it. I THINK HE IS TRYING TO SKEEVE YOU AND TURN YOU ON AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE HE'S MEAN LIKE THAT. Or something? Brb, need to go watch Fraser or Geoffrey or someone.

3. Honestly my response to this is an elaborate analogy/possibly a snarky ficlet about the Discworld witches watching this show and being various degrees of bewildered. Again, I probably ... shouldn't answer comments first thing in the morning, because I look at your list of options and I go, "Yes!" which is not particularly decisive. Maybe the answer is "A bit of both, third option, uh, optional"?

[carrieann]

Warning: this comment may be long as it is a running commentary as I watch the pilot.

* Every time Paul says "come" I start cracking up. I can't help it because yes, he DOES say every line like porn.
* That "mmmm" noise he makes? I will watch every single episode of this show if he makes that noise in every single one of them.
* omg this show is going to kill me with laughter if Paul says things the way he does in every single episode.
* I agree with you about Joanna not getting a lot of points. I mean, yeah, she got the boob-brushing guy to stop doing that, but then immediately doing the money thing, and messing with Will's emotions... although yeah, she does realize it's the wrong way to do it. So, half a point? Maybe?

So... yeah, I'll probably watch this show, because hi, new Paul Gross talking like porn every week? Yes, please.

AND YES YOU SHOULD TOTALLY WRITE FRASER AND DARRYL IN THE SAME ROOM.