The endless Densi jig and the woes of being a clandestine fan

Last episode of NCIS:LA 'Frozen Lake' goes down as being one of my most favorite NCIS:LA episode of all time. I was initially wary of watching it as I hate being emotionally manipulated by TV shows and to be honest, I was not too optimistic about how things would turn out. NCIS:LA does have an impressive track-record of messing things up after all. But this episode they did very right. I needn't have worried - and after all the script writer was Mr. Kalstein. I always love the episodes he writes and this one did not disappoint at all.

Good things

-The frozen lake metaphor! I was all over that one - it was such a well crafted and incredible metaphor. It was very well applied during the episode and well woven into it. And realistic, I can't imagine how many times people have experienced something like that - always waiting for the one thing they think will make everything right. And it was a pure dream for an English nerd like me.

-The Ghurka. I really liked the character and the way they incorporated him into the show. They manage to give him a back-story and motive and you get a really good feel of him. He was very well developed as a character. I was straightaway caught up in him and interested in knowing more. And the actor who played him was incredibly good. It is not often I get so caught up extra characters on NCIS:LA. 

-The acting was absolutely incredible. Just brilliant! NCIS:LA despite its many mishaps always delivers incredibly good, spot-on acting which is certainly not always a component of tv shows (CSI being a good example...). It is one of the reasons I watch the show. I got completely caught up with the characters and watching their journey and I was very impressed!

-Sam noticed Kensi was wearing the same shirt. Considering Sam's track record with always wearing the same clothes (I imagine he is meant to owe like 15 pieces of the same clothing in the same style) I was surprised but it was amusing.

-NCIS:LA did not mention Russia for the first time in forever. It was a definite plus. Instead they futured India and Nepal and did it quite well and were accurate with the information they used. It was a definite plus for them and yes, this does show that they can do absolutely fine with material that does not involve Russia.

And there was movement on the jig. Something did happen between them and they acknowledged it. Yes, NCIS:LA did pump it for all it was worth but it didn't feel manipulative or drawn out. It felt realistic and I highly appreciated that. There are ways to go but with luck this will turn out well. It reminded me of the last episodes of season 4 of Castle before C and B got together. It was so heart-wrenching to watch but so well done.  

In any case I highly enjoyed the episode 'Frozen Lake' 

Bad things (yes I am mean)

-Deeks walked around as if nothing was going on wearing a shirt with a bloodstain on it! And he was completely calm. I did not get that. This is the second time NCIS:LA has had a mistake like this - the best example being when they had a person with PTSD who had been in a gunfight and yet he wore the same blood-stained t-shirt for most of the episode. Who does something like that?! I imagine had this happened in the NCIS world Abby Sciuto would have thrown a fit had she seen it. I know I would be screaming my head off in fright. But then again, NCIS:LA characters are not exactly the definition of normal, rather the very definition of dysfunctional and I expect this was part of it. 

-Nuclear weapons again - not exactly working the creative front but at least it did not have Russia so there is hope.
-The use of intensive dramatic close ups. This was a very dramatic episode and whenever something important was going on emotionally with the characters, they used very dramatic close-up frames. Every single time. With me being the terrible fan I am I was laughing every time it happened. It felt like: "Ok, dramatic scene. Cue to close-up, the more the better". 

And before I go: I am a terrible NCIS:LA fan. I am happy to discuss NCIS with people but NCIS:LA, that's another thing. I instead sneak into conversations lightly that I watch it as well as NCIS, that it's not the best show but I like it and watching it is an excellent way to forget studying and then I do not comment more on it. I have been watching it for over two years now and only last week was the first time I ever discussed the show with someone. The first time and incidentally it was a fellow NCIS fan and friend that has seen some episodes of NCIS:LA (our convo included a 'Yay Nell'). So I am an absolute clandestine fan of NCIS:LA that likes watching it (hell, I write about it) but feels embarrassed about it at the same time. 

I am however quite happy to let everyone know I am a devoted Castle fan :) And I love the word 'clandestine'

Exploring Names - the NCIS franchise and Criminal Minds

I am a nerd in many ways and have a strange fascination for all sorts of things. If there is one thing I love it is names. I have loved names ever since I was little and discovering new names, reading about names, debating names has always been an interest of mine. I am such a nerd I even have special lists containing my favorite names from various cultures. So far I have Chinese, Russian, English, Spanish, Indian and Nordic. I love names and I enjoy writing a lot so I employ the names I've discovered and love on the characters I create and use.

I also come from a culture where names are regulated by the authorities and people cannot name their child anything they want. This is very much a European thing and nobody questions it. Names are regulated in all the Nordic countries, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany and many other countries. This is both a good and a bad thing but personally I support it. Not to mention I find it hilarious that it's like: "Congratulations, a child is born, here is a long winded booklet/statue of laws that tell you what you can name your child and what not. Enjoy!" It is so incredibly European. Up here in the north we view Western cultures, where the custom is that names are not regulated, as being as being a practically uncivilized in that regard. For us, hearing stories about unusual, unregulated names equals hearing a horror story

This article explains this culture well

So as a name fanatic, I naturally have formed opinions on some of the names employed in the shows I write about here. So with further ado, here is the TV matters and me official name column detailing my favorite names, the curious one's and the one's I took some time accepting, all with the personal opinions of a Nordic nerd.

NCIS:LA - Their names are a mix of good and bad

Kensi Blye - When I first heard the name Kensi I loathed it. I thought it was such a bad name, much too preppy and modern. To me it sounded like the name of an overly cheerful fitness coach or Zumba teacher. It took me months to actually start liking the name but I admit it has grown on me and I kind of like it now. It has a lovely meaning and at least they didn't inventive with the spelling like they could have. I however love the name Blye. It sounds very similar to a word that means 'light breeze' in one Nordic language and I love the sound of it.

Martin Deeks - I like the name Martin a lot but the character is always called Marty. Whenever I hear that nickname I associate it with someone overly happy and cheerful but I kind of like the name. It means 'warlike' which is cool. An alarming amount of Nordic names have meanings that have something to do with war - remnants of Viking heritage I guess. I can however not possibly take the last name Deeks seriously. Marty Deeks is meant to be Norwegian-American and his last name is the least Norwegian name ever. I am well aware of the fact that the character was not originally meant to be Norwegian-American, rather it evolved as the actor came in, and hence the name. I am also aware of the changes in last names that occurred when people emigrated to America so this does not surprise me, I just find it funny - bit like when NCIS had a Russian named Viggo. I think of Deeks as the Norwegian-American with the least Norwegian name ever.

The actor Mr. Olsen has a very Nordic last name however. In fact it's so Nordic it's one of the most common last names here, it's also the name of a popular candy bar, the name of a famous Danish comedy trio and the name of a classic card game everyone knows. You can't go much more Nordic than Olsen

And I can't go without mention the Olsen brothers, the winners of Eurovision 2001 with their lovely song 'fly on the wings of love'. The Danish version is called 'smuk som et stjerneskud' which means 'beautiful like starry night' and the lyrics are actually really sensual. Leave it to the Nordics to be rude in their own language but polite in English :)

Nell Jones - Nell has to be my most favorite TV name. It comes from  my most favorite name Eleanor and it means light. I love the soft and unusual sound of it and how similar it sounds to Nellica which is a flower I love. It's unusual and uncommon but also classic.

NCIS - an absolute name jackpot! All the names are lovely and classical.

Ziva David - I absolutely adore the name Ziva. It is such an unusual but beautiful Hebrew name. It means 'brightness'; I happen to love all names that mean something having to do with light. And I am going to explain further about the last name David. In English the name is pronounced phonetically 'Dayvid' whereas Ziva's last name is pronounced phonetically 'Dahveed'. Not to mention, I loved how they played around with this on NCIS. In my country we pronounce the name according to the Hebrew version (except with a soft 'd' at the end) and I find it far more beautiful. We always go for the European pronunciation and spelling of names instead of the English. Consequently it is very easy for us to adapt European names into our culture but it's more troublesome with English names.

Eleanor Bishop - I have loved the name Eleanor ever since I saw Sense and Sensibility 1995 movie and was fascinated with the character Elinor in that film. And just like 'Nell' and 'Ziva' the name means light. I typically end up falling for names whose meaning is 'light' for some reason. Not to mention I also like the nickname Ellie. NCIS has an incredible knack for choosing beautiful, classic names.

Donald Mallard 'Ducky' - It wasn't until this year I finally learned the reason for Ducky's nickname. I was looking at a video from a friend featuring 'mallard ducks' - we refer to them by a completely different name in my dialect. So the moment I saw the name something clicked for me. Finally, after having been a fan of NCIS for over two years I figured it out. Oh the many joys of being an EFL speaker.

Criminal Minds - they have such beautiful names

Spencer Reed - I love both names; Spencer is an old English name and I saw it written on a gravestone from the 1600's when I was in England last year. It brought Spencer Reed to mind instantly. It also brings to mind the old English play 'The Faerie Queen'. The name Reed I associate with trees (which I love) and I just love the sound of it.

Alex Blake - I love that name. Alex is a diminutive of Alexander/Alexandra which means 'defender of mankind'. It's a strong name and classic. William Blake happens to be one of my most favorite poems of all time and I really like the name Blake. So for me, the CM producers couldn't have figured out a better name than Alex Blake. I do wonder thought whether her name is Alexandra or Alex. Either way it is an awesome name.

Derek Morgan - Such a bad-ass and cool name. Derek means 'peaceful ruler' and Morgan 'from the sea'. I love both the names and the meanings of them and the character is awesome. Basically a win-win in every way.

Aaron - That name is a thorn in my eye. I mean the name is spelled 'Aaron' yet it is pronounced like 'Erin'. And if I do not see the names in writing I cannot for the life of me fathom whether the phoentic sounds 'Eerin' are the names Erin or Aaron. It is one of these things I do NOT like about English. In Nordic countries we pronounce the name phonetically 'Ahrohn' which makes far more sense in my humble opinion.

Penelope - I absolutely love that name. It is so beautiful and has such a nice meaning 'weaver'. Yet again, I will add we pronounce it differently here. We go according to the Spanish pronunciation here which is 'Pehnelopeh'. Except I in my infinite wisdom have been pronouncing it like 'Pehnelop' for years and have gotten to use to it. I am bad-ass like that (and have a reasonably wonky pronunciation)

All in all TV has a mix of both good and bad names but I love exploring them.

NCIS and NCIS:LA - Ellie Bishop is so lovely and is Densi finally happening?

Today I had the honour of watching the new character Eleanor 'Ellie' Bishop enter the NCIS scene. And is she ever a lovely character?! I absolutely loved her. She was unique and fun from the start of the episode. She has a quirky and curious aura about her and she seems like a unique and dynamic character. I was instantly very happy with her. I was over the moon that not only did she reference a musical (Oklahoma) but she food associates and was motivated by a box of Cocoa Puffs. I could imagine her straightaway bouncing up and down sugar high while writing the report. As a devoted foodie I loved that. She feels so realistic as well and I loved the slightly awkward aura around her. And her style is amazing! I loved the way the actress Emily Wickersham played her, this odd mix of pure professionalism, introversion, idiosyncrasies and wit. She did such a wonderful job! She's going to be a great addition to the show and I cannot wait to see more of her.

And something finally happened with Densi. I know next episode will explode and they'll be split up as partners but I don't care a fig. There is an incredibly good (and delightful) reason for why Kensi will disappear of the scene for a while. She should actually disappear longer! The Densi ball has started rolling and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next but I'm also wary of  that the show might emotionally manipulate the audience in this regard and play it like a fiddle. I know Castle did. I cannot bear to watch some of the last episodes of season 4 because they are so difficult to see emotionally when Beckett wants Castle but he's given up. I know it's a television show but it had me in an emotional puddle. But the payoff when they got together was even sweeter. It was soooo good. Considering how similar Densi is to Caskett I expect them to follow a similar timeline. This means that NCIS:LA has until the end of season 6 to get them together. And I expect the payoff to be as good as Castle. In any case their jig will pay off someday.

On the bright side Nell will most likely get a chance to shine and I'm looking forward to that. Nell has been on a roll this season and it'll be great to see how she will continue to be developed.
We'll also see more of Agent Sabatino who I really like as a character. Hints have been dropped he'll be involved with Kensi somehow doing something work related- what it is remains to be seen. In any case, I like his character and am happy he's back.
On the up/down side a recurring tech analyst will be introduced soon. The up-side is that it's part of a new and upcoming plot (if it involves Russian I don't know what I'll do!) and I like the actor who'll be playing him - he is really good. The downside is that he's male. This will make for effectively 6 male characters (Callen, Sam, Deeks, Eric, Granger, Booker) and only two female characters Nell and Hetty while Kensi is away. That makes 3/4 male and 1/4 female. Not exactly cool but hopefully they'll work well around it. And keep the bro-syndrome at bay.

 And NCIS took some time to comment on the NSA scandal that's been shaking Europe/America. Apparently they need court orders to listen in on people so that clears it. I do hope NCIS will dig more into this issue as well - I would like to see their take on it. I know it has ruffled a lot of feathers over here, especially in Germany and Spain. NCIS:LA also worked so well with the issue of addiction on last show. I was very impressed with how well and sympathetically they covered it. It had some wonderfully sweet scenes. After last week's debacle, I was very happy about this. In any case - things are looking up on both shows and I am enjoying the ride.

Measuring everything with Hiroshima-Nagasaki

Today's topic is on the heavy side but it has been weighing on my mind lately and I felt I needed to share my thoughts on it.

Everyone is aware of the tragic events of Hiroshima-Nagasaki at the end of WWII in August 1945. When America hit the cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons that devastated the area permanently and killed over 300.000 people. It is one of the most tragic events of the 20th century and is the only known instant of nuclear weapons having been used in warfare in the world. It is an extremely complicated, controversial and difficult event to explain and come to terms with and it's my feeling that it can never be explained properly. But that does not mean we shouldn't try.

Earlier this year, my local library held an exhibition about the events which featured stories of the events, real items from it like singed shirts, shoes and books, pictures and an explanation of the effects this has had upon the area, the Japanese nation and how it is being dealt with today. It was a very well received exhibition and it affected everyone that went there. I know that for me personally, it was devastating to see it. Devastating but necessary. I know many teachers brought high-school students to the exhibition and it affected them a lot, many parents took their children as well to teach them about this difficult history and raise awareness of the issue.

And how does this relate to the TV world?

It seems to me that every single time my favorite TV shows deal with nuclear weapons and distribution of them (or just bombs in general) they always reference Hiroshima-Nagasaki. But not to acknowledge these events or attempt to deal with them. No, it is used as a measuring device. I cannot count how many times I've hear something along the lines of: "The nuclear device is so big it can kill up to 3 million people, that is ten times as much as Hiroshima-Nagasaki". And then all the characters nod seriously. Am I the only one that feels that people are trying to upstage the death toll of Hiroshima-Nagasaki when they do this? It's like: "Yeah sure, those bombs killed 300.000 people but our fictional bombs, they are much deadlier. Take that Hiroshima-Nagasaki!"

NCIS has had this, Castle and NCIS:LA. And for the life of me I cannot understand why. Hiroshima-Nagasaki is what it is - a devastating and terrorizing event with immense political controversy attached to it. It should never be used as a measuring stick for fictional death toll on television. 

It crossed my mind that when measuring death toll I have never heard certain things. I have never heard people comparing death tolls to the lives lost in the Holocaust, the tsunami in 2005, the earthquake in Haiti, The Armenian genocide, the Boznian and Serbian civil war in the early 90's, the civil war in America in the 1860's, the number of people killed by Stalin and so many other events. And it is obvious why, to use those events as a measuring stick for fictional death toll would be highly disrespectful and ignorant. 

So why then is it fair-game to use Hiroshima-Nagasaki as a measuring stick? Devastating events when masses of people die, be it due to war or natural causes should never be used flippantly on TV and never ever as measuring sticks. They should and can be dealt with deftly and with respect. But never ever for the sake of pure entertainment.

I have sometimes written about here my worries on how TV shows approach reality and how it can shift our perception of it. TV represents heightened and freaky reality and should always be taken at a surface level. But when TV reality starts treating the real reality flippantly and without caution and respect, we are on a dangerous path. It seems to me that the TV world is partly on that path already but it can be changed and it should. Otherwise, we are in dangers of starting to approach historical events as if they do not matter, as if history and it's effect isn't real. And that is something we cannot allow to happen. 

(And in case people need a measuring stick instead of Hiroshima-Nagasaki. Iceland has a population of roughly 320.000 people, similar to the death toll of Hiroshima-Nagasaki. So just reference the Icelandic population instead. Much easier, inoffensive and will make a lot of Icelanders happy)

Placing barriers on fictional women - what it reveals about the position of women in today's society

Lately I have noticed a rather alarming trend in comments online, as a reaction to what has been happening lately on Castle and NCIS:LA with Kensi and Beckett in regards to their behaviour towards their respective partners, Deeks and Castle.

To backtrack - it was hinted at in last episode of NCIS:LA that Kensi went on a group hang-out with 3 guys and also with Nell and Rose. An unofficial, fun, group date. It was also clearly hinted she did not enjoy herself; in frank they couldn't have been more obvious with her reference to fairy tales and claiming that destruction follows people in groups of three's. And a very, very obvious shot of Deeks' empty chair (not exactly being subtle are we?).
And it seemed people went haywire. I saw comments upon comments on how Kensi could possibly dare to go on dates when Deeks was sick, he had just kissed her and she wasn't responding to him, why hadn't she been to his house, she wasn't trying hard enough, she was hurting Deeks et cetera.

Then there is Beckett. Beckett got an amazing job offer last season to become a federal agent, went to an interview in Washington without telling Castle and seriously contemplated taking the job. Meanwhile, Castle behaved in quite a bratty way in my opinion and it seemed this was threatening their relationship even if it seemed perfectly obvious Beckett wanted their relationship to work. She loves Castle. But she also had a duty to her heart. If Beckett had not taken the job because of her relationship with Castle it wouldn't have been who she is as a character. Castle saw reason and asked her to marry him, saying they would make this work. I was happy to see she took the job. It is Beckett.
And yet again the internet went haywire. I saw comments claiming that Beckett shouldn't take the job because it'd threaten her relationship with Castle - she should be with her man, how could she go behind him like that and threaten what they had, she was not thinking of him et cetera.

I was completely surprised by this reaction. I mean, it is a fictional characters we're talking about here. But what surprised me even more was the hostile reaction to their actions.

Last time I checked, one of the main features of Kensi and Beckett as characters are that they are strong women who are independent. They make their own lives and take responsibility for their own actions and follow their hearts. I genuinely enjoy that in them as characters. These are quite clearly not women that wait around for their man or let their own happiness become secondary to what their man wants and needs.
And isn't that okay?

Instead it seems, that because of their actions towards their partners, i.e. Beckett followed her own heart and Kensi went out - they are somehow terrible as women. They are not behaving like a proper woman should, putting her partner ahead of herself and letting his needs dictate their lives.
Did I somehow miss the memo that we're in the 1950's here?

As incredulous as I was at this reaction it got me thinking - If these are the parameters we place on fictional women, what does it say about the parameters we place on woman in the real world? I am of the belief that people can reveal a lot about themselves unconsciously through their opinions without meaning to. And it seems, that despite the fact that in the Western World women are meant to be progressing, it is a facade.

If people spend their time berating fictional women (emphasis on fictional!) for not following their men or putting their needs ahead of their own, what do they say about women in the real world that behave in the same way and follow their hearts?

Perhaps, we're still in the 1950's after all.... 

Seasons Premiers - TV Matters and Me Opinion Column 102

After seeing that my post about the NCIS:LA finale last season has become my most read post for some odd reason I decided I needed to cover the season premieres - so settle in!

NCIS:LA - Well.. I am happy to report that they managed to redeem themselves. The season premiere was certainly not without its faults but it was a definite improvement on the finale. It was amped up NCIS:LA but it was not on steroids thankfully. All in all I was impressed. What I enjoyed by far the most was how vulnerable everyone was and the way the feelings came across the scene. Rarely, if ever, have I seen the characters so jarred and pained. I have to hand it to the actors that they all did a frigging amazing job - especially portraying emotional vulnerability and difficult feelings. But what surprised me most was the depth by which Sam Hanna was portrayed and how he behaved throughout the episode. I did not expect it to be honest and getting such a good exposure of the character' vulnerable side was wonderful. Never has Sam been so human. For me, the star of that episode was LL Cool J hands down - he did an incredible job with Sam. If this continues, the series will be on a roll. 

I do have a special post coming up however covering how spectacularly badly they portrayed Deeks's oral trauma. As someone that has been through oral trauma after surgery I am well versed on the subject. 

NCIS - All in all the premiere was excellent. It wasn't particularly exciting but the story line had some crazy twists and turns I was all over trying to discover. Most of all it was pure NCIS and I loved that. I do admit it was strange not to see Ziva there though. All the characters returned in their glory but I most enjoyed seeing Palmer and Ducky interact. These two are such a wonderful pair and keep me laughing all the time. It seems this season will be taking some good twists and turns and I am looking forward to seeing the new agent Emily Bishop, I've got a feeling she will be lovely. And of course the actors were good - I mean it's NCIS!

Castle - The best premiere hands down. It was sooooo good. I was glued to the screen the second it started and stayed glued till the end. The plot was tight and controlled and superbly exciting. I mean it was the perfect Castle - wit, humor, nail-biting action, tension and incredible character interactions. And I absolutely enjoyed the twist of Beckett being a federal agent. It felt quite natural and it displayed a new side of the character. I honestly really liked that part in the episode. It will be good to see Beckett at the precinct again but they did this bit incredibly well. I instantly liked all the agent characters. And I have to mention Lisa Edelstein as Rachel McCord - she was amazing! I enjoyed the character so much. She was a nice mix of spunk and professionalism. She reminded me of Alex Blake on Criminal Minds who is a character I really enjoy and I enjoyed her and Beckett's interaction. So nice to see two professional women working together.

And yes, I grinned like an idiot when Beckett got engaged to Castle. I mean!!!!!

Parks and Recreation - To be honest - this was not a good episode. Considering the incredibly high standards Parks and Rec has set for itself, the premiere fell really short of it. I do not think I've ever before been bored before while watching or even offended. But I was both. I mean, the premiere had some good points but mostly it was just really thin - the only interactions I liked were Andy and the British gentleman and Leslie interacting with Ulee. Leslie somehow did not feel like Leslie in the episode. I personally found it incredulous she would stoop so low as to help a woman remove slugs from her lawn. Leslie has always been portrayed as being a woman of great self-respect and dignity and responding to people's petty demands did not feel like the character at all. Doing this just to stay in office just did not feel right. Leslie as a character is not a doormat in the slightest so I found this strange. 

Somehow all the characters felt off in one way or the other. Even Gerry and Donna.

But the worst example was Ron. It is common knowledge that Ron dislikes Europe and I have enjoyed that tidbit about him. When praise of Europe can often be so senseless it is a refreshing thing. But what I did not expect was Ron's behavior in the episode. I was honestly surprised at how disrespectful they portrayed him to be towards Britain and European culture. I mean, he refused to use pounds and insisted on using dollars as the finest money there was, talked about the 'stench of European socialism' and referred regularly to 'the godforsaken continent' and referring to everything before 1776 as rough draft instead of history - to me, this is not funny at all, instead it played really badly on a stereotype of the American traveler that can not handle anything European and insists on everything being like in America. Something which really frustrates Europeans. I get the point that Ron Swanson does not like Europe and I am fine with that - I enjoy how they poke fun at Europe regularly. But what irked me was how disrespectful Ron came across. He has been portrayed as someone that values education and is respectful towards people so this shift in his character was not something I enjoyed.

Parks and Rec has never before relied on stereotypes and it is something I really enjoy about the show. So I hope this is just a hiccup and that Parks and Rec will return in all its glory this week. 

So all in all - I enjoyed the majority of the premieres. There were some bad moments but on the whole, they returned with a bang. 

So stay tuned!

Conspiracy theory 103 - What will next season bring?

I am in a conspiracy mood so here I go. The TV world has been delivering some excellent bites of conspiracy meat and I cannot wait to begin. So like Joan Callamezzo so wisely said: 'Let's pull out the world map and speculate wildly'.

NCIS:LA - Things have been heavy on the conspiracy front here. Due to some delightful changes in real life for some of the actors, things will be changing around NCIS:LA. It seems obvious now that Kensi will be the team member to leave the team, for some time at least, which opens up the door for Nell to start training as an agent. It has been hinted that Hetty will be making some changes around the place so it seems quite logical that Nell will step in for Kensi with her being away. And if that comes true, I cannot wait to see it. Nell is a great character and nicely different from Kensi and plus I cannot wait to see what kind of dynamic she and Deeks will have. They are two such lovely goofballs. And I am curious to see what will happen with Michelle Hanna. I do hope they continue having her on as a character. Aunjanue Ellis is such a good actress and I enjoy the dynamic between Sam and Michelle. And I am getting excited to see what Callen's name is and learn more about his family. I have tried coming up with G names for Callen and honestly he looks like a George to me. Names like Graham, Gunnar, Gideon, Gregor are just so not Callen. So he'll always be a George in my opinion.

And I am still holding on to the hope that Jack Larsen will turn up ;)

NCIS - What will happen to Ziva?? I am very excited to see that and I expect things to be delivered on the Tiva front, like an actual resolution. It seems that NCIS will be heading down a fun road. I am already breaking my mind over how the complications with Palmer adopting will affect his relationship with Ducky and what will happen to this awesome duo. There will be a 'love triangle' with Abby, McGee and his new girlfriend Delilah. I cannot wait for that - just the thought of the humor that it'll bring makes me smile. And how will life continue for Tony and Gibbs - who is still technologically challenged I might add (they are teasing a hashtag scene with him, I can't wait!).

Castle - I am so very much excited about Castle. It's obvious that Beckett will take the job and that Castle will tag along with her but knowing Castle, they will deliver 150% on the story line front. I have seen great reviews for this episode and I am psyched to see it. I am also excited to see how Lisa Edelsteins's role will play a part in the show. And I cannot forget my favorite bro duo, Ryan and Esposito. I am looking forward to the pregnancy story line and seeing how things will develop with Lanie and Espo - two characters I really like. So I am psyched about next season of Castle, totally psyched.

Parks and Rec - So much going on! I am very much looking forward to the pregnancy story line with Ron and how he will handle it. It's already been indicated that he will be really happy with the news so I cannot wait to see what it'll bring and how it will change this epic character. I am a teensy bit annoyed that Chris Traeger and Ann Perkins will exit the show midseason - they are such epic characters and my favorite one's on the show (aside from Leslie) but knowing how wonderfully parks and rec deals with the characters I cannot wait to see Ann adjust to pregnancy and Chris take on fatherhood. And what will happen with Leslie and Ben? So many good things coming up!
And I am looking forward to the dose of Donna awesomeness, Tom annoyance/laughter and the lovely pair of Andy and April.

All in all, I am looking very much forward to next TV season and what it will bring. And I will continue blogging and documenting and most of all, conspiracy theorizing.

Recent updates from the TV world - The 'TV Matters and Me' opinion column 101

I am back! My vacation has been absolutely amazing and a good break from this blog but I have now returned and will continue to share my insights and opinions of TV culture throughout the year and continuing. I really like maintaining this blog and I am glad to see that my number of readers is rising. So here's to another year of TV Matters and Me, otherwise known as 'Picking NCIS:LA apart and critisizing'. And here is my take on recent event. It has crossed my mind, the possibility that one of these days I will be 'hunted down' by someone from the NCIS:LA franchise and asked to please stop picking the show apart ;) Sadly they ended up with a fan like me!

NCIS - Cote de Pablo is quitting
I read recently that the actress Cote de Pablo has decided to leave NCIS. This has apparently garnered some controversy. This is one of the moments where reality kicks in. The people on the TV screens are not just mindless machines playing characters, they are real people leading their own lives beyond the scope of the camera. Being an actor on TV is well paid but it is a very difficult, time consuming and demanding job and does not offer much leeway. It requires more of people than the rest of us realize and with it come many downsides and demands, fame being one of them. I fully respect and appreciate the actress's decision of walking away. Cote De Pablo has given us 8 fabulous years of Ziva and wonderful acting. Ziva will always be one of my favorite characters on TV and even if there will not be more new material with her, there will be 8 season which is enough. Cote De Pablo is a wonderful actress and I'd personally like to thank her for her contribution to NCIS and making it such a wonderful show. I wish her all the best in the future.

NCIS will of course change but we will still have Tony, McGee, Gibbs, Abby, Ducky and Palmer. It'll still be good ol' NCIS and I am looking forward to seeing how the show will develop. So this does not worry me in the slightest. It'll be sad to see Ziva go but NCIS has always bounced back and will no doubt continue to do so.

NCIS:LA

My good ol'd pick apart show. Apparently, they began shooting the first episode of season 5 today and they begin straight off from where they left. My own opinions of the extremely bad finale can be found here (under 'Popular Posts') so I am rather skeptical of how they will pull this off. Because, they have a lot to redeem and fix. But NCIS:LA has a strange ability to bounce back so I am not hopeless about the episode. I have not watched a NCIS:LA episode in a long time but I grin and laugh each and every time I watch the video 'Jungle Cat'. It never gets tired and it makes me happy. The sheer absurdity, silliness and childish joy in that scene is a wonderful blend and it is one of the reasons I enjoy the show so much.

So thank you to NCIS:LA for bringing me some great lightness and grins. You really do it well!

And on a side note - Why oh why am I not living in Connecticut at the moment so I could have seen Barrett Foa in the Music Man?! I love musicals and it'd have been such fun.

Castle

I have been re watching old Castle episodes and this series is just such gold, it's absolutely amazing just how much fun it is to watch and how well done every single episode is. I have been a solid Castle fun for 3 years now and will continue to follow. I am super excited about next season and it'll be so wonderful to see how they will work things out.

Conspiracy Theory 102 - Deeks and Castle - Two sides of the same coin

Deeks and Castle are two of my most favorite characters ever to enter the TV screen. They are a wonderful blend of humor, drama and realistic nuance which I greatly enjoy. They appear on two different shows running on two different networks but are still very much alike. And today's topic is dedicated to this alarming similarity and is the second installation of my "Conspiracy Theory" series.

So here goes the list of eerie similarities between Castle and Deeks

1)They both have father issues. Deeks grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father he ended up shooting and Castle grew up without a father (literally, he did not even know who he was)

2)They are both in love with a coworker. Caskett and Densi. The difference is that Castle and Beckett are already dating. So, NCIS:LA producers, I am looking at you! Let's get Kensi and Deeks together before we have another Tiva on our hands. The "Moonlighting Curse" does not exist, folks. Castle put their main leads together and the show is still working wonderfully.

3)They both behave very silly at times and have a weird sense of humor. Castle is often portrayed as being like a little boy with his obsession with gadgets and playing around and Deeks has been known to play horrible music to have the car to himself.

4)They have both saved their female coworker whom they are in love with several times and acted very heroically. I am mentioning specifically when Deeks saved Kensi from a bomb in season 2 and when Castle did the same in season 3 with Beckett.

5)Their female coworker freaks out when they are not around and fear for their safety as they are in love with them but dare not admit it. There is this constant tug-o-war going on between them.

6)They both have communication difficulties with their female partner and annoy them very much. The first seasons of Castle where spent on him annoying Beckett and Deeks has been doing the same relentlessly as well. And they are afraid to share their true feelings with the person they are in love with but instead dance a jig around the issue.

Castle has manned up, it is your turn now Deeks!

7)They both have endless stream of girlfriends but are unable to settle down because they are waiting for the one and only coworker to see what is right in front of them. Castle was married three times and regularly had a new lady upon his arm. Deeks seems to have had an endless stream of girlfriends throughout the series without ever settling down.

8)They are both very silly and people do not take them seriously all the time but when the pressure hits they are more than capable of finishing the task and doing their best. Sam does not take Deeks seriously like ever and Captain Gates still doubts Castle. But they are proving themselves bit by bit.

9)They are both very much monolingual. Deeks has this strange obsession with German and has been shown to speak a bit of Spanish but generally he seems to be very monolingual. He didn't even understand Kensi's very simple French. Castle has never been shown speaking another language and truthfully, I doubt he's able to.

10)Despite their flaws,they are both shown to have a strong moral compass and approach their work with integrity and care

11)Deeks is a cop, working with a federal authority. Castle is a writer, working with the police. Each is doing something outside of his work experience.

Deeks and Castle are two wonderful characters in my opinion and I enjoy them both very much. But I am starting to think that the NCIS:LA producers are working closely with the Castle producers on their duos Caskett and Densi. Making sure they both got the right blend of humor and drama, infuriating behavior and chemistry that keeps the viewers coming back.

Because, having 4 characters being that much alike as Kensi, Deeks, Castle and Beckett are is just crazy.

And yes, I do love conspiracy theories :)

Conspiracy theory 101 - Densi vs. Caskett

It is no secret that I am a shipper. I ship couples on all my favorite shows except Criminal Minds. It is ne of those little delights that comes along with enjoying a show, watching the journey the characters take and getting caught in it and hoping that one day they will end up together. Castle and NCIS:LA have provided the most fun in this regard.

Castle is pretty much the perfect show for a shipper. 4 seasons were spent on getting those characters together and it was great fun to be involved in that ride and the ups and downs of it. When episode 4x24 finally came and these two started dating, it was awesome. It was a perfect ending to an incredible season. And watching these two functioning as a couple in season 5 has been nothing short of wonderful and I have enjoyed immensely the ride they've been on. And I am very happy they got together and how well the show functions exploring their dynamic and relationship. And there is also Esplanie whom I take equal delight in watching as a couple (or 'booty call partners' as the actress Tamala Jones has termed it).  Jenny and Ryan (interestingly the actors are married in real-life) are equally adorable to watch. Castle is perfect when it comes to couples.

Then there enters into the picture Kensi and Deeks. Otherwise known as two of the most exasperating characters ever to enter the TV screen (aside from Tony and Ziva) that are so clearly meant to be together but dance a wild jig around the issue. It is fun to follow their journey and the twists and turns it takes and how the characters continue to exasperate and frustrate each other and are yet drawn to each other. But unlike Castle, these two have still to yet start dating. There has been some progress throughout the seasons but it seems like this will take a while to happen. I just hope it won't turn into another Tiva.

But what I find interesting is the fact how eerily alike these two couples are to each other. It is pretty much the same story, the same dynamic, the same journey with only minute variations.

1. The first kiss in each case was undercover

2. The male in each case frustrates the heck out of the female for the first episodes and yet, they are drawn to them and it later develops into a symbiotic rlationship where they cannot live without each other.

3. They tease each other endlessly and make fun of each other

4. They both use the same lines. I have heard the line: "You look cute when you're angry" in both shows several times which makes me questions whether the NCIS:LA producers watch Castle to pick up tips on dialogue as the line appeared earlier on Castle. Many times the dialogue between the characters is quite similar which asks the interesting question of where the writers get their sources from.

5. It takes them forever to admit their feelings to each other. Castle has reached that stage but it did dance a jig for a long time. NCIS:LA is still dancing that wild jig although there was some progression in season 4 (sunshine and gun powder anyone, not to mention Kensi making Deeks promise he will not die on the job and the phenomenally strange kiss?)

6. Both men are interested in cryogenics. Castle covered this issue in an episode once and Rick was very interested in it. Deeks has discussed being cryogenically frozen or embalmed with Kensi several times (my favorite conversation between them). That is a very random thing for them to have in common if you ask me!

7. Both female characters are unable to commit to a man and have commitment/abandonment issues. Beckett has been through at least 2 boyfriends and that has never worked out because Castle is always there. Kensi has never been seen being involved in a relationship, had an epically failed relationship with a marine, has mentioned her inability to commit because men always end up leaving her and she has Deeks waiting in the sidelines.

8. Both Kensi and Beckett have a murdered parent. Kensi, a murdered father and Beckett and murdered mother and it each case it hangs over them like a shadow and affect all their decisions. And their partner helps them work through it

9. Deeks and Castle both have father issues in varying degrees which affects them.

10. They have all saved each other's lives several times in difficult and dangerous situations that are too many to count. And they display great trust in each other.

11. A lot of people around them notice that they are romantically interested in each other and yet they never admit to it and pretend it is not true. This is true in the cases of both episodes.

12. They both use nicknames for each other. Beckett has called Castle "Kitten"several times to his chagrin. And Deeks uses a whole host of nicknames for Kensi, the most adorable one in my opinion being "Kensalina" since the name 'lina' is used here in Scandinavia in some places as a diminutive form attached to female names to make them sound more adorable.

13. Kensi and Beckett both have in office female friends, more specifically Nell and Lanie. And they both have female, matriarch bosses; Hetty and Gates. And they are in the team dynamic 1 female for every 3 males. The buildup is starting to sound like a math formula!

14. There is another in-office romance as well. Esplanie and Neric. Both adorable 'couples' and exasperating as well.

This similiarity between the couples and the individuals is too much not to notice. I mean, seriously!!

This eerie similarity has led me to three conspiracy conclusions.

A)This wild jig, exasperating couple is a well known gimmick used on TV
B)The male and female characters are a well known formula as well. I have already scrolled through the many similarities between Beckett and Kensi and I will one day cover the many similarities between Deeks and Castle. Because they really are alike as characters.
C)The NCIS:LA producers either worked with the Castle producers on designing the characters in clandestine meetings or the NCIS:LA producers watched Castle and decided that they dug the dynamic and decided to use it as well.  And that would involve clandestine meetings as well with the Castle folks. As you can tell, I love the word 'clandestine' to bits. The actors may have been involved as well in designing this (it is not like L.A.'s acting world is all that big.....(please note intended sarcasm))

Stay tuned for what I will uncover next in my quest of conspiracy theories relating to TV shows! Because I am a conspiracy theorist lover. And next up is Castle vs. Deeks!

To quote my favorite squintern of all times Hodgins: "What you call being a conspiracy theorist, I call being well informed".

TV Finales and personal requests for next season

Next week all my TV shows are coming to a close. And by the looks of it, there will be some pretty intense finales and I am a tad excited to see them.

NCIS - They will delve into the manhunt for Gibbs and how the team reacts to it. NCIS has been a treat in the last few episodes and I have been at the edge of my seat every time I watch it. The story line has been wonderful and it's been great how the writers have worked with it. And it'll be wonderful to see a Gibbs heavy season finale. The promo does not show much but it looks like this will be an awesome ride and I am very excited to watch it.

NCIS:LA - This time they will be delving into the the stolen nuclear weapons and bringing in an old adversary to sell them and everything will go crazy by the looks of it. Because of course it is an excellent idea to bring in a crazy French man that has tried to kill you and convince to sell nuclear weapons to a crazy Russian. As enjoying as the nuclear weapon story line has been, this seems a bit too much. NCIS:LA has a way with blowing story lines out of proportions and embellishing things so I just roll along. It's their thing and I gladly admit I enjoy seeing them exaggerating everything. It's so silly it becomes fun to watch and shake my head over.
The promo looks very exciting however and I think it´ll be a treat to watch. Of course, Kensi and Deeks will kiss and Sam will end up being thrown into a pool (and hopefully not drowning). I enjoy action sequences (minus the guns) so I am looking forward to it and NCIS:LA has often produced very exciting episodes.

Castle - Castle has been on a roll this season and it has been awesome. Castle is definitely at their strongest yet and it's been a treat to tune into finely made TV every week. Every episode feels almost like a little film. The finale looks great. It'll be nice to a get a more personal finale and see how things shake out. I personally would tell Beckett to go for the job and that she and Castle could have a long distance relationship (although that would not work on TV). I find it strange that Castle is not willing to support Beckett in her career. I know personally from my own life that long distance relationships can well work. I am excited to see how this will turn out and setting the tone for next season.

For next season I hope for
Castle - Everything will continue as it has been. Castle is going from strength to strength and it's a treat to watch such high quality TV. So I am 100% ready for whatever the producers have planned. But I definitely want to see more of Lanie and Esposito together. I adore Lanie's character and I want to see more of her. I also want to see more of Ryan's personal life and how the pregnancy will play out. What I'd want to see next season is simply more focus on the other characters. They are all such fun and an integral part of the show

NCIS - Can we get Tiva going any time soon?  What I'd love to see would be more of Palmer. He is such a fun character. I also want more focus on Abby and McGee and Tony and what they do. NCIS does character episodes so incredibly well and I want to see more of that. But NCIS is pretty much perfect as a show so no complaints. Just keep the awesomeness rolling and bringing me more laughs!

NCIS:LA - More of Nell and Eric please! They are the best pair I have seen of nerds on TV and such enjoyment to watch. And please introduce less crazy Europeans if possible. And shift the focus from Russia and Eastern Europe. It does get weary to watch enemies from Russia, Chechnya and France over and over again. Along with a good dose of Germans regularly for good effect. The world is bigger than that, not to mention it feels like the constant focus is on Russia as an enemy. It was during the Cold War but there are more than 20 years since and USSR has seased to exist. Things have changed and it's time to recognize that. Other than that the humor has been spot on this season and the character developments excellent so continue that!

Lessons learned from TV - the silly edition

These past couple of days I have learned 'important lessons' when it comes to TV

1)I finally learned how to properly pronounce the word 'pneumonia' after watching episode 5x01 of NCIS where Palmer and Ducky discuss the fact that DiNozzo had pneumatic plague at one point.
The word 'pneumonia' is one of the most annoying words in the English language when it comes to pronouncing. I would have have gone for pronouncing the 'pn' sound together (which sounds awful) or simply swap the 'p' sound for an 'f' sound which is not much better. But now I finally know it is pronounced like 'newnomia'!

Sometimes, watching TV shows brings along the added bonus of getting a free language/accent lesson.

2)It is always a very very bad idea to be eating food while watching shows. Today I re-watched episode 4x22 of NCIS:Los Angeles and I laughed so hard I could barely eat and had to take special care I wouldn't accidentally spit all the food out because of laughter

And I also rewatched episode 8x04 of NCIS with Tony being the face of the new NCIS brochure. Again I was eating and again I almost spit all my food out from laughing.

3)NCIS:LA producers seem to have decided that Russia and Ukraine would be the focus of their series along with the USSR. Rarely, if ever, have I heard some many references to Russia and USSR, seen so many Russian characters or had so many plot lines centered on something connected to Russia or Eastern Europe than on NCIS:LA. It was very clear in episode 4x22 when Hetty recounted an old urban spy legend about Ukraine and it sounded like she had recruited orphans from Ukraine to become NCIS agents. It is kind of strange they decided to focus on this particular area of the world and I wonder what made them decide to do it. Because, to be honest, they could at times do a much better job of representing those countries at times.

4)In episode 3x06 of Castle, Rick happily refers to the glacier that was meant to lead to the center of the earth in "Around the world in 80 days" as Sneffels. Sorry pal but the pronunciation is waaaayyyy off and this scene probably had a few Scandinavians wincing. But I wont criticize, seeing how I am still hating the word 'comfortably'

And here is an excellent article on typecasting on TV and stereotypes in TV characters - How to navigate stereotypes

And this one from Jezebel - Retta talks race

Shippering - OhMy

Am I a shipper? Yes. I ship several couples or would-be couples on my favorite TV shows.

Castle- Castle and Beckett, Esposito and Lanie = Caskett and Esplanie
NCIS - Tony and Ziva = Tiva
NCIS - Kensi and Deeks, Nell and Eric = Densi, Neric

Five couples in total. I find it to be a fun part of the experience of watching these shows to see how those characters interact  and behave with each other and how their relationships alter and change. It is often the most endearing part of the episode. And seeing those couples interact both makes me laugh and sigh and shake my head with how they behave.

But I do certainly not let the fact that I ship either affect my daily life or result in being mad at the producers when the show does not go my way. This is a very prevalent problem, particularly with Castle. I was speechless two years ago when a romantic scene between Castle and Beckett was ruined and the fans were so unhappy they stormed internet chatboards and Twitter and started insulting the producers to no end. The response amazed me. It is alright to be passionate about a TV show but when that passion drives people to be rude and insulting and behaving like little children throwing a temper tantrum it is not okay.  That is too much.

People never deserve to be insulted for an innocent thing. Never. Insulting other people just because you did not get your way in an insignificant matter is not only incredibly childish but stupid. It amazes me that shippers take the time out of their day to send insulting tweets and throw an online temper tantrum just because their couple isn't together. Or have shipper wars between opposite shippers (like Nallen vs. Neric on NCIS:LA). It is nothing but a time waster. Criticising is a completely different thing and something I firmly believe in. It is what I do often on this blog. But there is a difference between honest criticism and just being plain rude. A big difference.

The whole shipper business seems so silly when it becomes so petty and laughable and I am glad it does not affect me. No matter how the relationships go my own little life carries on. It is TV reality which does not affect my daily life. And it shouldn't affect the life of others. TV is not real, this world is and I intend to live in it fully and not let things like this bother me.

And a fellow NCIS fan recently shared with me two kinds of ships - Gibbs and Abby and Ducky and Gibbs. It made me wince.

It is fine to be a shipper but never to be an idiotic one.

Castle - 'Still' the perfect fan girl episode

I just finished watching the episode 'Still' of Castle and it reminded me yet again of how much I enjoy this series. I have been watching Castle for 3 years now and the series continues to astonish and delight me. 'Still' was the perfect episode - bringing up the best moments, both the fun and the drama. I recognized every scene and could name which episode it came from instantly. Definitely a fangirl :)

The reason I enjoy Castle so much are the characters. They are all distinct personalities with their own strength and weaknesses. None of them is perfect and  their interaction and relationships are always a delightful to watch, ranging from pure fun to heart rendering drama. Castle as a series has the best and strongest characterization on TV in my opinion. It is what makes it such a good show.

'Still' was the perfect episode for a Castle fan girl like me. It left me grinning and happy and brought all the best character moments. And if you are wandering - I was an ardent Castle shipper and still am and am a proud fangirl. To the point ot making my friends watch episodes and declaring Catsle as my favorite series on every single oral test I dd in high school.

Cheers for the past 4 years and here's toast for more Castle goodness to come!

Background music in TV episodes - what I like and don't like

As a musician I am always listening to music and noticing it in my environment. What kind of music is being played, how well it works, how much I like it et cetera. So naturally I pay attention to the music on TV shows. How well it works, how it reflects what is going on in the episode and the ever important - how much do I like it. And here is a short synopsis on music in my favorite TV shows.

NCIS has the best music score hands down. It is always such a delight to listen to and it makes a good episode even better. What I have also noticed is that I respond most emotionally to the music on NCIS. It's simple but very effective music and it conveys so much without words. In my opinion it expresses emotion so well, I have even got teary eyed over listening to the music.

My most favorite all time NCIS song is "Aliyah" - I just love it and that song has a very personal meaning for me. I regularly listen to it just before I fall asleep, it is so soothing and calming. I love the quiet melody, the simpleness of the song and the serenity it brings but there is still that touch of melancholy. It's one of my most favorite songs of all time.

And all the other NCIS soundtrack songs are amazing but "Aliyah" is the best one

And I have to mention Cote de Pablo's wonderful performance of "Temptation". I am a big Jazz and blues fan and that song is amazing. I listen to it regularly and love the mysterious aura it has.

NCIS:Los Angeles is unfortunately not nearly as good when it comes to the background music. I never enjoy it. It always feels forced or just a bit too much. If there is an exciting scene it blasts way too much and when there's a funny scene the music turns extra, nauseatingly light and fun. So I tend to twitch in my seat when I listen to the music.

But I did like this song they played in one scene.

Castle, just like NCIS, has excellent background music. I love it how subtle and soft their music is but it still adds great atmosphere to scenes when needed and can convey the mood of each scene perfectly. I am also enjoying how much the composer uses piano melodies - they are always simple but effective. They use both the music of their official composer and music from pop artists.

This song from 2x13 by Pearl Jam I absolutely love.

But the music in the end scene of episode 4x24 is just so amazing. I enjoy the way the cello melody and the piano melody are twinned together and how the music conveys the mood of the characters. This is in my opinion a good example of well composed TV score. The music I am referring to begins around minute 2.

Truth be told I have never noticed much the TV score in Criminal Minds. It is so much in the background. But the way they incorporated music into episode 6x16 "Coda" was very good. And that score was so well done.

I am always on the lookout for good music. And TV does provide some :)

English - when a foreigner doesn't get things

If you are wondering about the sudden increase in posting - exam season is upon me.

Now as I've said previously I am an English student doing my undergraduate degree in linguistics and British/American literature. So I naturally have a great love of English as a language.  I can work my way through centuries old literature and analyze it to smithereens like it ain't no thing, ramble on incessantly abut British (royals) and American History (particularly immigration and racial history), work my way through complicated linguistics and listen to all sorts of accents and understand them.. But, because I am not a native speaker the language can throw me for a loop. Specifically when it comes to spelling and sometimes auditory English. And I still don´t know what the word 'mutton' means or 'veal'.

So watching my favorite shows can be quite a ride sometimes. Especially when I don't catch what the actors are saying. It's simply a fact that I sometimes need to listen to the audio several times before I catch what the characters are saying. And sometimes it leads to terrible misunderstandings:

In episode 1x20 of NCIS:LA Kensi talks about a man complementing her boots and calling them unique. I heard 'boobs' - needless to say I sat there open-mouthed wondering what on earth I was hearing.

In one episode of season 3 (I do not remember which one) Granger is talking about someone's fiancé - I heard Beyoncé and started wondering why on earth they were mentioning her.

In Modern Family Gloria has a great scene where she talks about having asked for a box of Baby Cheeses and instead got a Baby Jesus - I had to say both words out loud several times to catch the difference between them phonetically.

In episode 8x22 of NCIS DiNozzo shouts: "You can't outrun me, I'm wearing tubesocks!". And I sat wondering what in the world tube socks are. So I googled it .

But sometimes, watching TV shows really helps.

NCIS has proved to be quite the linguistic tool for me when they correct Ziva's use of idioms. I don't know half of the idioms she uses so I honestly love learning them. So it's an extra bonus for English language idiots for me to watch the show.

And in Castle episode 2x02 Castle was correcting use of language and grammar throughout the entire episode and talked about the proper use of irony. It was a treat for me to watch as a linguistics student.

In one episode of NCIS:LA Kensi corrected Deek's pronunciation of the word "lightning". It was actually interesting for me to hear. I´d be very happy if they'd one day cover the word "comfortably" which I hate pronouncing.

So watching TV is not only interesting but also educating!

Butchering accents and the English language on TV

To begin this post I´d like to state that I am a full blown Scandinavian and I have a Scandinavian minority language as my native tongue. I am a completely fluent speaker of English and am pursuing a B.A. degree in the subject. But, despite my excellent English talents, because it is my Lingua Franca, I speak it with an accent. I do NOT speak with the accent of my native language.
As much as I love and am deeply attached to my native language it comes with the most terrible accent possible when speaking English. And since I have the advantage of having learned English when I was little and have always been heavily exposed to the language, I managed to escape the terrible accent of my native country. Instead I speak English with an American accent with a dash of British (unfortunate side effect of first learning English while living in the USA and later studying British English in school).
And since I am a lingophile I am always curious to listen to various accents of English on TV and how English is interpreted and spoken. And of course  I love laughing when I hear actors try to pull off various accents.

On Castle the characters don´t have accents very often. However Stana Katic got to display her knack for various accents when she pulled a Russian accent in 2x01. And in that episode all the Russian characters had a convincing accent.

And in episode 3x15 we get this gloriously funny example.

NCIS has not displayed the accent card very often but they have a knack for having Ziva messing up cultural references and American idioms regularly. As an EFL speaker I appreciate the fact that they show that Ziva does not have a complete grasp of the finer points of the language and her mistakes are always funny. Not to mention I have actually learned quite a lot of idioms when they correct her.

NCIS:Los Angeles without pulls the biggest accent card. Because of their regular undercover stings they frequently have the characters speak with an accent. Unfortunately it´s really hard to find examples on youtube so my words will have to do and the long winded video beneath.
Deeks has spoken with the worst British accent possible or as he described it "a cross between Jack Sparrow and Mary Poppins". It did make me laugh a lot!
In the same episode Kensi spoke with a Brazilian accent which was completely new to me but did sound good.

I always enjoy examples of the many ways the English language is spoken and interpreted on TV.

Another example which makes me laugh every time I see it is seeing Gloria Pritchett and her wonderful pronunciation mistakes on Modern Family. And her pronunciation mistakes are actually very believable and no doubt common. And her line of::"Fine, you try speaking another languge!" rings very true ;)

Similarities between the female leads on NCIS,NCIS:Los Angeles and Castle

I was idly thinking the female leads on my favourite shows while cleaning the kitchen (tis´true) and I realized with a jolt just how much they have in common as characters. It´s honestly quite amazing how much alike they are. And I provide examples of how Kensi Blye, Ziva David and Kate Beckett are strikingly similar characters.

1 - They all speak multiple languages and use their language talents frequently.
Ziva has been showing a fluent command of at least 5 languages and uses her knowledge frequently. She has used Arabic (I expect Persian), English, Hebrew, French and Spanish.

Kensi Blye has fluent command of 4 languages as well as lip readinng. She has been shown speaking French, Spanish and Portuguese as well as understanding lip reading.

Kate Beckett is fluent in Russian and has displayed her knack of knowing Russian in several episodes.

And the interesting thing is that there is a reason for this, the actresses all speak multiple languages so they are simply using their linguistic ability.

2 - They all have serious martial arts skills/fighting skills/extensive battle training so it´s not unusual to see them pulling off some kick ass moves.

It´s a well known fact that Ziva was trained by Mossad and was in the Israeli army (it´compulsory for all Israeli people to enroll in the army) so she has some highly developed skills which are frequently shown.

Kensi Blye is a trained agent and is regularly shown pulling some crazy battle moves and she seems to attack people on a regular basis, more often than Ziva at least.

Kate has been shown doing some pretty heavy fighting herself, although not as much as the others.

It´s obvious that these are women that can take care of themselves and fight. There is no 'damsel in distress' syndrome going on which is a refreshing twist.

3 - They are all the only female on a team of 4 people. It´s always 3 males and 1 female in every team.

NCIS - DiNozzo, McGee, Gibbs, Ziva
NCIS:Los Angeles - Hanna,Callen, Deeks, Kensi
Castle - Esposito, Castle, Ryan, Kate

It´s interesting that the gender makeup remains so consistent on these shows. And on these shows females are always in minority, except Castle.

4 - They all have a strong, romantic/borderline romantic, trustful and teasing relationship with one male on their team that they partner with

On Castle it was obvious from the start that Beckett and Castle would end up together and from the start their relationship was strong and developing. I love that they are dating and having a relationship and it´s been a treat to watch their relationship develope over their series

On NCIS it´s been Ziva and Tony from the start. They have a great relationship filled with humour and love. They have been through some extreme highs and lowes but it´s wonderful how the writers have developed and complicated their relationship throughout the series. They are one of the better pairs on TV today. And their humour together is wonderful although I mostly appreciate the trust which they display towards each other.

ON NCIS:Los Angels it´s Kensi and Deeks. These two have possibly the funniest relationship on TV and their humour and constant bantering always has me laughing. They manage to make anything funny and their undercover work is always a treat to watch. Not to mention that the developement in their relationship has been consistent and realistic. And of course, there is a romantic connection going on....

5 - They all have parental trouble and a difficult past

Kate lost her mother, whom was murdered when she was in college and that took over her life and has been driving force in her world since then. Her father drank for a time but it´s evident that currently she has a good relationship with him. But her mother´s murder is a big part of her and affects everything in her life.

Kensi´s father died when she was 15 and before that she stopped talking to her mother. When her father died she lived on the streets for a year (a part of her history I hope they will explore in more detail) and she spent much of her life trying to find out  what happened to her father. And just like with Kate, the death of a parent had a monumental effect on her life and changed who she was. And to add she didn´t talk to her mother for years. It´s not been established what happened to her after she got off the street but I expect that it´ll be some day. My guess is that she moved in with relatives that helped her.

Ziva has the biggest father trouble of all. She lost her mother at a young age and no doubts misses her. But her relationship with her father is complicated and filled with frustration. As the director of Mossad he was never there for her when she was young, turned into a dangerous Mossad agent and then left her in Somalia to die. Ziva´s father troubles are monumental and he has just been murdered. So her parental trouble are a big factor of her life.

6 - They are all smart and well read

Kate has been shown having a keen and smart mind and being extremely well read.
Ziva is obviously a language master and has likewise displayed he knowledge frequently.
Kensi has also been seen spouting off random interesting facts and teching people things and referencing literature.

7 - They all live alone (or lived) and are shown not being the best at relationships

Ziva has dated several times but her relationships always end badly and she always seems to end up with crooked agents. Michael Rivkin was a traitor and was killed. Cruz was also a dirty agent and used Ziva for his own agenda. And since then she´s been solo and does not seem too keen on meeting a man.

Kate has had a string of bad relationships ever since Castle began. Not with bad men but it does complicate things to have Castle around and her relationships never seemed happy. But finally she is with Castle and enjyoing things.

Kensi has been single since the series began, although she has spoken of having been engaged to a Marine with PTSD that left her. And since all men she gets close with (except her work colleagues) end up leaving her, she´s not the best at relationships. And she herself has admitted that.

And here ends my analysis. It´s pretty striking just how similar these characters are but they are at the same time unique. They are all a twist of the same material. Some would call this stereotype, the solo/beautiful/difficult past/kickass fighting skills/good brains mix in a female on a crime TV show but I disgress. There are obvious similarities and downsides to this, such as the fact that none of these characters is displayed as being in the role of wife and a mother as well as being a good agent. As if it´s not possible for a woman to have both an unusual and strong role as well as a traditional one. But thank goodness we have JJ on Criminal Minds to balance the image. It´s refreshing and positive to see women being portrayed as being strong and capable of holding their own.

And of course - the actressed playing all those characters are all absolutely excellent and give each character a uniqueness that is good.



 

Kudos to actors

So I´ll be able to end the wonderful year of 2012 (it has been great in my personal life) I am going to compliment the actors on my favourite  TV shows.
They all great actors and clearly dedicated to their craft and what they do. They make the TV shows enjoyable and thoughtful to watch and have a high standard which is good.
They keep their personal life seperate from their private life. I have not once found an article in a gossip magazine (which I flick through occasionally I admit) or in the local newspaper gossip section that mentions any of their names or their latest scandal or has a demenaing photo of them. It´s refreshing to see Hollywood/American actors that are not obsessed with being famous and/or being in the tabloids.
And that is something I greatly respect them for.

Happy New Year!

Racial Diversity on TV - TV Equals and my thoughts

I recebtly discovered that TV equals (a good website) posted a great article abut racial diversity where they compared various TV shows on various networks and how they represented racial minorities. It was very interesting to read through the article and it´s very informative.

Click here to go to the article

I´ve already done something like this on my blog but I only looked at my favourite crime TV shows.
I was impressed to see that Castle scored an A grade because the have characters representing two minorities, African-American and Hispanic with three characters. And the officer running precinct number 12 is an African-American female! Now that is in my opinion a very good choice, seeing that most high ranking police offers on Crime shows today are Caucasian males. And the actress is also awesome.

I was not surprised with NCIS:LA scored a C. LL Cool J is the only African-American person (a person of racial minority) on the show. The rest are all Caucasian. But they regularly have people of minorities appear as minor characters and diplay racial diversity through their choice of extras and guest actors.

NCIS scored a B as they have an African-American and a Hispanic actrees (whom plays a Jew oddly enough). They like NCIS:LA display racial diversity through their choice of extras and guest actors. And they are the only series on American TV (I know of) that has a Jewish character which is odd, seeing how many American are of Jewish descent/are Jewish.

Criminal Minds scored a C as well and like NCIS:LA they only have one character of racial minority, in their case Derek Morgan as African-American (in fact biracial). And they don´t expres that much racial diversity in their choices of extras in my opinion. And what´s up with having Morgan only interrogate Af-Am suspects, not the rest of the characters? But Criminal Minds has touched upon racial profiling several times which is an important subject.

I am interested in seeing how racial diversity and different ethnicites are portrayed on TV show. It´s a messy business but interesting to observe.