TV Wasteland

The cast of TORCHWOOD.
© BBC

RANT: Have You Ever Had a Friend...

By: Stephen Lackey, Columnist
Date: Monday, January 21, 2008

I had an experience this weekend that I’m sure isn’t that uncommon but it annoyed me so much I have to get it off my chest and see if you guys have had the same experience. Have you ever had a friend that just acted so obsessed over a television series that it actually made you not want to watch it? Ok, I know we all obsess over our shows to a degree but has one of your friends obsession ever been so annoying that it killed your anticipation for a series? Let me explain. Over the weekend, I was hanging out with a group of friends and someone was flipping channels on the TV and came across an episode of Torchwood, a show I like and am looking forward to the new episodes. The BBC was airing the final episode of last season setting up for the season premiere airing this weekend. A girl in our group went nearly insane over the episode, which I know she has seen before, more than once I believe. Everything had to stop for her while it was on and she devolved into near infant status.

This girl squealed and laughed nearly hysterically over the show. At that point, I thought, “well she’s just annoying”. Then she began to try and engage others in conversation about who was going to kiss who and who was going to have sex with who on the show. It’s at that point I actually asked myself, “why the hell am I watching this series?” After I left that evening, I started to think about the series and focus on all the relationship stuff and almost considering pulling it from my DVR when I got home. The fact is these parts of the series are necessary to give the characters depth and drama but Torchwood isn’t a nighttime soap opera, even if it’s what this girl has turned it into. So, I convinced myself that the show is good and that i will watch the premiere but the image of the constant squealing continues to haunt me, so I hope I don’t see it in my minds eye when I’m trying to enjoy the series premiere this weekend.

Has something similar ever happened to you? I’ve talked to other people who’ve had similar opinions of Firefly. They were turned off to the series by some over zealous fan calling themselves a Browncoat. That’s a real shame because Firefly is a phenomenal show. I know now what they were talking about though because I’ve had my own similar experience with Torchwood. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to put myself in a place of judgement because I’m fairly rabid about a good number of television series and movies but I try not to be offensive with my addictions.

On occasion I’m going to start putting these kinds of RANTS here to see what experiences you guys have had with similar situations.

The night to watch TV is Monday with new episodes of Prison Break, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Medium, all good shows. The only other thing I’m really looking forward to is the previously mentioned Torchwood.

Monday

PRISON BREAK (FOX, 8PM EST) DIRT NAP

Michael heads back to shore up the escape tunnel, and T-Bag enlists Bellick to display his gladiatorial skills once again as the battle between Lechero and Sammy for control of Sona comes to a head. Meanwhile, in Panama City, Linc does a computer search on "Gary Miller," and Sucre has two meetings with Susan B

TERMINATOR THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (FOX, 9PM EST) THE TURK

Sarah contacts Terissa Dyson in an effort to track down Skynet's creators. The search leads her to a computer programmer named Andy Goode (Brendan Hines). Meanwhile, John and Cameron try to fit in at a new school.

MEDIUM (NBC, 10PM EST) TO HAVE AND TO HOLD

As a jobless Joe continues seeking employment, Allison delves into a case involving the vanishing of a soon-to-be married woman, who just happens to be the daughter of Joe's prospective employer.

Tuesday

DIRTY JOBS (DSC, 9PM EST) CAVE BIOLOGIST

Mike Rowe crawls through the muck with a cave biologist and braves handfuls of mucous in search of slime eels.

LIFE ON MARS (BBC, 9PM EST)

Gene rushes to catch a notorious cop killer, determined to beat Morgan to the arrest; Morgan makes Sam a promise.

Wednesday

MYTHBUSTERS (DSC, 9PM EST) LEAD BALLOON

The 'Busters examine a surfing myth involving TNT; a lead balloon is tested.

GHOSTHUNTERS INTERNATIONAL (SCIFI, 9PM EST) WHISPERS FROM BEYOND

Belgrave Hall is probed in Leicester, England; Scotland's Ragged School of Edinburgh, a defunct facility for poor children, is investigated.

Thursday

CHUCK (NBC 8PM EST) CHUCK VERSUS THE UNDERCOVER LOVER

When a contingent of Russian arms dealers descends upon Los Angeles for a clandestine meeting, Chuck discovers that one Russian lady may share a romantic past with Casey. Elsewhere, Captain Awesome and Ellie's romance hits a bump.

Friday

FLASH GORDON (SCI FI 8PM EST) COLD DAY IN HELL

Flash ventures to Frigia to free the cold region's queen and face the final test of the prophecy.

STARGATE ATLANTIS (SCIFI 10PM EST) HARMONY

Sheppard and McKay become escorts on a young princess's rite of passage and run afoul of the would-be queen's enemies. Harmony: Jodelle Ferland. Flora: Anna Van Hooft.

Saturday

GHOST VOYAGE (SCIFI, 9PM EST)

Seven strangers inexplicably awaken on a haunted cargo ship. Creepy will ensue....

TORCHWOOD (BBC 9PM EST) KISS KISS BANG BANG

The team have plenty of questions for Jack when he returns from a mysterious absence in the Season 2 opener, but first they must deal with a more pressing issue---the arrival of Jack's old partner, Capt. John Hart (James Marsters), whose agenda is unclear.

SMASH LAB (DSC 10PM EST) HURRICANE PROFF HOUSE

A special type of carbon fiber used to reinforce tunnels is applied to a home to make it hurricane-proof.

Sunday

SIMPSONS (FOX 8PM EST) THAT 90’S SHOW

Flashbacks follow Marge and Homer back to their dating days, when she was a college student and he was working for his father to support her. Then Marge becomes smitten with a professor, so a sorrowful Homer turns to music---and invents grunge. Kurt Loder and "Weird Al" Yankovic have cameos as themselves.

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Comments/Responses

jamesdalton • Jan 21, 2008, 12:48am •

"Worlds of Warcraft". I will never, never, never, ever, ever, never-ever, never play that fucking game. Not for one second, not under duress, gunpoint, for a million dollars, to bone Scarlett Johansson...

I've seen far too many (RE: Every single one) of my good friends fall under it's time-wasting, wallet-siphoning, social development-stunting spell. A couple of them have even spent hundreds (!) of REAL dollars purchasing gold and level-upgrades in the online world from Korean "businesses".

So, fuck that game.

Also, because of their rabid-fanboy frenzy, I have no interest in watching "Lost", "Heroes" or "Battlestar Galactica". Although I'm pretty sure -- on the last one, at least -- I'm missing out.

spizanky • Jan 21, 2008, 05:36am •

I understand that frustration that comes from fans in any extreme. It used to bug the crap out of me to the point where I would avoid said object of their insanity, but I found out that I was missing some really good stuff and not judging the material on it's own merits. People can take things way too far, but as the old saying goes, don't cut off the nose to spite the face. Otherwise you might just be missing some damn fine shows/movies/games/whatever.

Krisman • Jan 21, 2008, 06:00am •

This is going back a little ways. OK, it dates me somewhat, but we had a group of five that used to watch ST:TNG religiously. Now, four of us were fans and loved the show, but when it was over, we would move on. One guy though, who shall remain nameless (OK, his name is Kevin), used to talk through the entire episode. And not just about Star Trek, but he would talk about all kinds of Sci-Fi stuff and what would happen is the universes crossed over. Finally we had to impose the "Kevin Rule", which stated a person could only speak during commercials unless the comment was about the episode being watched. Unfortunately, this did not stop him so we had to impose "Kevin Rule Two", which stated if you can't follow the original "Kevin Rule" you were not allowed to watch with the group.

So we kicked him out of the ST:TNG group. He didn't seem to put out by it since we still hung out for awhile, at least until all the members of the group got jobs, girlfriends, and real world lives (all except Kevin, who still sits in his tiny basement apartment playing online video games and watching reruns of ST:TNG, when he's not working as a night shift security guard).

smegforbrain • Jan 21, 2008, 06:34am •

I don't get why you wouldn't watch something just because somebody else can't stfu about it. It seems like you just aren't as much of fan of whatever the topic of discussion is if you can't handle others talking about it frequently.

I really enjoyed "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang", the premiere episode for series 2.

ponyboy76 • Jan 21, 2008, 07:34am •

I can`t tell you how much people like that annoy me and on some occasions I am that person so there is alot self-hatred there. I get really enjoying something but driving other people nuts about it, isn`t going to get anyone else feeling like you and its not going to make the experience any better. When you start making the experience or would be experience miserable for other people, that`s when you go from fan to fanatic and you should be shot........... with traquilizers and left in the corner to drool while everyone else has a good time.
I have 2 words for you Stephen Lackey concerning that girl.. Stun Gun.
nuff said

I caught Kiss Kiss Bang Bang on Friday. It was a good first episode and it was cool seeing Spike/Brainac(Marsters). I`m also actually surprised so many in the US like this show. I know its the 2000`s but having a pretty much Gay/BiSexual sort of action hero in Harkness is pretty progressive considering he really is gay.

mbeckham1 • Jan 21, 2008, 09:11am •

i'm actuall a little dissapointed that so many people in America or otherwise seem to have a problem with the homosexuality, in Torchwood.

Science Fiction fans in particular,who grew up on Roddenberry's ethos of tolerance and have taken little or no issue with sex chaneand lesbian themes addressed in Depp Space Nine, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, would have little problem with a male hero who happens t be bi-sexual.

But one snog between guys has many talkbackers on AICN quaking in their Victorian-era mores. And, at east in the first, the infamous kiss in question would fallen easily in a TVG family show if it were a guy and girl.

And there's nothing message heavy about the way they've handled his sexuality, so i don't see what the problem is.

Anyway, excellent series and looking forward to the season premier, definitely lookingforward to seeing Spike and getting more background on Jack Harknes.

As far as overzealous fandom, defintey can be off putting, I try to distuinguish my own experience with show from others.

it's harder to be objective when I hear the oversell before I get the product. For instance, I'm sure The DaVinci Code, the novel, is not as bad as it seems to me. But I had heard so much about how great this book is, how brilliantly written. And I'm like: 'What are they seeing that I'm not?' it just looks like a bunch of unlikely chase scenes and underdeveloped characters. but I know I'm judging it too harshly based on the overly high expectations I was given.

But I really hate the haters, who go on fan sites just to write 8,000 words about how much they hate a show, over and over again. Watch something alse, move on. I'll say my dislikes on an open forum when the subject comes up, and i understand dissapointment and frustration, but I don't seek people out just to disrespect them in their homes. Why would anyone want to spend their time like that?

Merin • Jan 21, 2008, 09:20am •

Largely just my brother and his gushing over anything.

I'll never, ever try Doctor Who, for example, because I am hardwired from childhood to HATE the name of the show alone due to his fanaticism.

So with many other shows / movies.

I almost didn't watch Buffy because of him - well, that and because of that god awful movie. But he kept me away from it with his fascination.

It goes the other way, however. If I even mention a show to him (Firefly when it was on tv, for example) he ignores my recommendations. He came to the show when it was released on DVD and then tried to claim that he told ME about the show, but whatever.

I do know a friend of mine really likes Stargate Atlantis, and while he doesn't mention it more than occasionally its a show I was never interested in and his bringing it up alienates me a little.

The craze over Harry Potter made me avoid the books until the third movie had been released.

Cognitively, I realize this is a horrible reason for wanting to try or for liking something (or not, in both cases, as well) but emotions don't always follow logic. Sometimes I want to see something for the weirdest reasons - the Slusho site had me sold on Cloverfield, for example.

I understand where you are coming from, Stephen, and I personally, intellectually, fight against such emotionally based "reasoning" all the time.

If something is really popular my gut reaction is to avoid it, for example.

smegforbrain • Jan 21, 2008, 09:50am •

"I`m also actually surprised so many in the US like this show."

I think many in the US are a) Whovians, or b) desperate for some sci-fi beyond what our networks offer, and DW & TW help fill that need.

Me? I grew up on Doctor Who, so I'll pretty much watch anything Who-related, including Sarah Jane Adventures (which was pretty good, for being a kids show).

"i'm actuall a little dissapointed that so many people in America or otherwise seem to have a problem with the homosexuality, in Torchwood."

I don't have a problem with the homosexuality in TW.

I guess if there's any problem I have, it's that Davies has a habit of making it over the top. I mean, in most small-group situations, like TW, you'd expect perhaps one gay or lesbian character.

But with TW, *everybody* is gay/lesbian/"omnisexual". It's really beating everybody over the head with it when we 'get it'. That said, I'm still watching. :)

ripum853 • Jan 21, 2008, 10:01am •

Funny that this would be the topic of this weeks TV Wasteland. Since it's exactly what this site does to me towards BSG. I can't even go near it because of everyone on this site gushing over it. And sure, it probably is a great show, but still...

kgatchel • Jan 21, 2008, 10:15am •

Flash Gordon travels to an ice planet called "Frigia"?

I think it would take an overzealous fan to explain to me why that show is still on.

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RANT: Have You Ever Had a Friend...

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