And the Barney & Robin Boat Continues to Sail with Me on It

I'm a big fan of TV Line. I read it in-between SCRA cases or during coffee or lunch break at work. Sometimes, I read it while in class. Yes, I know I should feel guilty rather than write about it here.

Anyway, since I am about to bury myself in codals, cases, mindmaps, and countless reviewers in a few hours (yes, I shall review for finals week which, this year, is narrowed to three days: Friday, Saturday and Monday), I shall first reply to a TV Line query, and write extensively about How I Met Your Mother, whose episodes seem to get farther and farther apart (April 19, come on!).

TV Line asked:

6 | So what do we think: Will How I Met Your Mother's Quinn turn out to be Barney’s bride? And how great were the college clones?

Answer: No, and yes, the college clones were surprisingly amusing and funny.

When the writers of HIMYM have successfully convinced me that Robin and Barney are going to end up together, I became committed to the story line. Like Lily, I was rooting for the Barney and Robin in Season 4 and for the most part of Season 5. I hated it when they broke up in the Rough Patch; I hated it so much I stopped watching HIMYM. When Nora came in, she rocked the Robin and Barney boat I was in, and doubt started creeping in because, hey, I admit, they have chemistry...well, not like Robin and Barney's but they do have some. You can only imagine how happy I was when Barney broke up with Nora (should've done it on the boat!) to be with Robin and how mad and disappointed I was when Robin didn't do the same thing. Even when Don, Nora, Kevin, and now Quinn entered the picture, I chose to hold my ground and decided to not get off the Barney-Robin boat.

Why am I so convinced, you ask?

Do me a favor and go to your compilation of Season 5 of HIMYM, and watch The Rough Patch. Ok, if it's too painful for you to watch, then skip to the last part, around the 19:50 mark when Future Ted said:

It turns out that they really did need to just let things run their course. 


When the writers successfully (and mind you, seriously) rock the Barney-Robin boat, I go back to these words Future Ted uttered to his kids, and conclude (yes, with a little interpretation) that no matter how hard it is going to get for Barney and Robin to realize they are made for each other, that they are capable of commitment and marriage, they are going to get there.

And now that the biggest obstacle to their relationship (or the possibility of a long term really serious one) is out of the way (I am talking about you, Ted), I am more convinced that Robin is Barney's bride.

Just to convince you that I am not making this whole thing up, or that I haven't thought this one through, here are a few factual reasons why I think they are going to be together:

1. When the gang flash forwards to Barney's alleged death bed in The Exploding Meatball Sub, Robin is standing closest to Barney. She is seen crying intensely, even more than Lily does. In this flash forward, Barney is seen wearing a wedding ring. So I ask you, if Robin is not his wife, then why wasn't Barney wife present beside his death bed during such important time? Was this a intentional omission or was it a production flaw? I vote omission.

2. When Robin and Barney broke up at the diner, Barney proposed to make the 40-year old Deal with Robin, and her answer was that she can't because she already has that deal with Ted. So now, 2 years later, and Ted has taken back his 40yo Deal, I am more than psyched. I just hope Barney finds about this soon.

3. They keep coming back to each other. When they slept together in Season 3, they promised to forget about it, Barney couldn't. He confessed to Ted. The gang including themselves, except Lily, tried to talk them(selves) out of it. But they decided to take the metaphorical leap in Season 4, and be together. In Season 5, when the relationship got messy (mainly because Barney ate [no double meaning here] everything he laid eyes on at Mac Laren's menu), they broke up. When Robin is about to move in with Don, Barney snaps and wants to get her back. But she chooses Don. And the possibility of losing one of his best friends freaked out Barney, so he backs off. In Season 6, it is Robin who feels the pang of regret when she sees Barney accept the challenge from Nora. In Season 7, despite having well-functioning relationships, they both give in to the desire to be with each other. Again. Now, with Barney officially stating he was hurt, felt mad by Robin's rejection and does not care that Robin is single again, I think it is Robin's turn to give in.

4. Related to #3, unlike Ted and Robin who have recently obtained closure to their relationship (or impossibility of), Barney and Robin have not. They continue to confuse each other (and us viewers included) about what they really want in life. When they finally figure what/who they want, it will be each other. How else could Ted, Robin and Barney resolve the problem Victoria correctly (and may I say, brilliantly) pointed out in Ducky Tie and still remain friends? Answer, Ted and Robin "wouldn't see each other for a long time" after that awkward moment in The Broath. Robin and Barney has two options, like Ted and Robin did. The difference is, they will decide to be together because if they didn't Robin can't stand to feel awkward around her 2 closest male friends, and will decide to leave the group. And for his part, Barney will realize he will need to be away from Robin to avoid the Robin Effect, as well.

5. They are each other's best friends. One thing HIMYM constantly teaches its viewers is that: life partners are best friends. That is why Marshall and Lily have worked as a couple, and Ted and his ex-girlfriends haven't. I could enumerate a lot of instances wherein they turned to each other when times got sketchy or they needed a friend to confide in but I will cite only the most recent one. In Rebound Girl, when Barney felt the need to take walk and think things through, he went straight to the bathroom window to talk to Robin, who has locked herself in the bathroom.

Blessed

We have to thank God for the little things, pleasant surprises and  blessings He constantly extends to us. I was spared from the smoke-up list in a subject, whose midterms exam really blew my mind away, by a hairline. I am saying this not to gloat but to celebrate the fact that even though I am admittedly remiss from my obligations as a Christian, God is continuously--no, daily--showing me that He is good. I am blessed. I am still His child.

QNBS: Sherlock

As I mourn the end of Chuck and await my blockmate Jen to download the last five episodes of Season 5, I continue my Quest for the Next Best Series, still hoping to find a replacement for Chuck. Many series have been recommended but today, I will write about Sherlock.

The plot: You know Sherlock Holmes? That brilliant British detective with an equally brilliant doctor/friend/crime-solver partner named Dr. Watson?  Yes? Good. Imagine them solving crimes in 21st century Britain. Got it? This show is pretty much similar to that...except that the writers/producers/actors/ director/s are doing one helluva job out-imagining your brain.


PROS:

1. It's British. It's a perfect example of how good the British are with everything they do. I thought Richard Ayoade's Moss is the closest thing I could get to a British Sheldon. But no, Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock is the closest best--thing I could get to a British Sheldon. He's a more athletic Sheldon (he could run really fast while thinking) with a British accent sans the receeding hairline.

Who could go wrong with a name like Cumberbatch?

2. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman do not disappoint. Their on-screen chemistry is perfect. To use a Pinoy analogy, they are like the platonic John Lloyd and Bea of British TV.

2. Great cinematography. When I watched the Sherlock movie starring Robert Downey Jr., I thought Guy Ritchie was being clever and unique in using the style he did (the quick changing of screens, flashbacks, etc). Apparently, after watching Sherlock. I realized that style is...common in Sherlock-themed movies. Or so I think. Anyway, the bottom line is, it's never boring. I imagine, one can watch the show on mute and still be entertained by the way it is filmed.

3. It is very exciting, very interesting. What amazes me most about this show is the way the plot unravels. The story is rarely linear, based on the two episodes I've watched so far, and for someone who has spent most of her free time watching a show that relies heavily on flashbacks, Sherlock will suit well.

4. Familiarity. I've said it before and I'll say it again, seeing familiar things in unfamiliar territory is always comforting. Seeing a doctor with a limp, a geek/nerd/(insert other word for 'smart' here) mindfuck (sorry for the expression) the shit out of everyone else, and Arthur Philip Dent play an ex-army doctor comforted my scared self during the suspense-filled moments of the show.

5. Little things. I appreciate the music, the crisp editing, and even the on-screen text messages. Everything seems to be well-thought of and well-executed.

6. Again, like Suits, the first two episodes reveal enough for viewers to get interested and leave some things unresolved for viewers to look forward to, and get hooked because of. The Moriarty story line is enough for me to stay tuned. And yes, who wouldn't want to know more about Sherlock's brother Mycroft and...

The Girl Who's Always Texting

CONS:

1. It's about an 1 hour and 30 minutes long! Watching it is like watching a movie and for someone whose attention span is getting shorter and shorter, watching Sherlock entails commitment--in simplest, most mundane manifestation. I'm used to watching 20- to 25- minute shows. Fortunately, British TV show seasons run for about 6 episodes only, and Sherlock runs on half of that, or three episodes per season. Sherlock is like a never-ending movie saga.

2. It's too mind-consuming. After watching an episode, I felt the same way I did after I watched Inception: as if my head's going to burst with too many thoughts. There's too much thinking required, and too much is going-on. Yes, I do not intend to be dumb-ed out by the shows that I watch but it feels nice to watch things for the sake of watching. Despite its three-episode season, I cannot imagine myself doing a season-marathon of Sherlock.

3. It can get very dark. Because of the "darkness" of life in general or the seriousness of the world I live in (well, it is supposed to be serious), I see TV serieses and movies as a way to unwind, laugh or have an opportunity to, as I've said, not think at all. Sherlock can get funny but it's still dark-funny. That freaky cab driver in the pilot episode, "A Study in Pink", really...uh, freaked me out. Lesson learned: Beware of cab drivers.

4. I'm not a conservative when it comes to movies or TV series but I've always found comfort in the thought that although Chuck and the gang are fighting crime, and bringing down one bad guy after another, they do it with the least violence/killing they could use. The answer: Tranq guns. Sherlock, however, is the complete opposite. Dr. Watson shoots an old guy right in the chest in the first episode. Hello, real world.

In the real world, people get shot and die.

5. And since we're on violence... and manners... how could someone shout at an old lady?! Moreso the lovable Mrs Hudson? How?! Kids love and respect your grandparents... even if they turn out to be serial killers. Haha

6. If Sherlock is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, which is also the basis for the Robert Downey movie, my question is: WHERE IS IRENE ADLER?! Or is that character particular to the movie adaptation only. Hmm. Where is the Sarah Walker to Sherlock's Chuck? Ok fine, maybe that's stretching it too much. Let me rephrase: Where is the Sarah to Dr. Watson's Chuck?

7. Benedict Cumberbatch is oddly too white. Are they still doing auditions for the nth Twilight movie? Yeah I know, nitpicking.

Edward's long lost kuya? Pwede.

Sherlock looks promising. It was able to elicit enough reactions/opinions or intelligent comments from me in one episode compared to Bored to Death, Modern Family or Arrested Development combined. It came highly recommended and it did not disappoint, unlike the other shows that came before. If I have to rank it, it will certainly be on the top of my QNBS list. But I'm wary that it's too mind-consuming, too intellectually stimulating. I can now understand my blockmate when she said she thinks about Sherlock a lot. Maybe even more than law school. Cumberbatch overload, indeed.


-------------------------------------------------
You may want to check other QNBS reviews:

QNBS: Suits
QNBS: Game of Thrones
QNBS: IT Crowd 
QNBS: Rizzoli & Isles
QNBS: Community
QNBS: Outsourced
QNBS: Awkward
QNBS: New Girl

Lawyered!: Plain view doctrine and White Collar

This series will cover topics involving the law, law school and everything in between told from the perspective of a frightened, enlightened, irritated, and engaged law student. :)

It has been a time-tested, experienced-based rule of the universe that whenever you keep doing something for a long time--say, two years--chances are you're going to get bored. Two things I've been doing for almost two years are: blogging and being in law school.

To counter the effects of the rule, I blog about the law and try to equate, parallel or analogize it with something I love, and write under the title: Lawyered!. Example: Right to travel and Lily of How I Met Your Mother, etc.

Recently, I've blogged less Lawyered! stuff and busied myself with reviews of TV serieses to find a replacement for Chuck, which has aired its final series-ending episode last January 27. So to dovetail Lawyered! and Quest for the Next Best Series, here I am, writing about White Collar and search warrants.

The thing that impresses me most about my Criminal Procedure professor is his passion for the law. It is shown through his superb lecturing and teaching skills and knowledge of the law. In class, we are amazed at how much he knows about CrimPro (he knows the cases by heart and can recite them, unlike some of the profs I've had before, haha) and how dedicated he is to learning more about it. He updates his knowlegde by reading on new cases and sharing new-learned info to us.

Anyway, we've been discussing search warrants for about two or three weeks now. In the US, search warrants are governed by Supreme Court decisions in Katz vs. United States, Terry vs. Ohio,  State vs. Von Bulow etc. The general rule is: A search without warrant is illegal. But there are exceptions. One is the plain view doctrine as explained in Harris vs. United States (1968), Coolidge vs. New Hampshire (1971) and Arizona vs. Hicks (1987), as shown in the pilot episode of White Collar.

For the plain view doctine to apply, the following requisites must be present: (1) Lawful intrusion of the person/s doing the search into the private property being searched; (2) Inadvertent discovery of the items seized; and (3) Object seized is/appears to be a contraband or is evidence.

From 52:00 to the 54:56 mark of the White Collar Pilot episode, it is shown how a pursuit of a fugitive can justify the search of private property and seizure of obviously illegal items. The Dutchman, an art restorator suspected of forgering 1944 bonds, is caught at his warehouse printing tons of fake bonds when FBI agents barged in the said warehouse where a known fugitive named Neal Caffrey, who has GPS attached to his ankle, was tracked at.

Tim DeKay as Special Agent Peter Burke

Based on the requisites, there is a justified application of the plain view doctrine. Lawful intrusion: The FBI agents were there to catch a fugitive. Inadvertent discovery: No other act was done by the person/s doing the search in order to find out that the materials/items were being used to commit a forgery. They came in and saw them in the act of printing and/or trying to hide the said items. Apparently contraband/evidence: Printing high-definition copies of a 1944 rare bond (although many was made, there is only one surviving copy) without authorization to do so is, rightly, a forgery and art theft in the US.

Honestly, I didn't see the search warrant part coming thirty minutes into the episode but I loved and appreciated the fact that it did fit perfectly into the story. I know this makes me sound conceited but I will say this: I liked the "Aha!" moment I had when the plain view doctrine was shown/mentioned. It makes me feel proud that I was able to find something law-related in an unexpected moment and understanding it. Goes to show how you go on to do one thing, and turn out finding/liking something else fascinating about it. Aside from providing a good illustration of the application of the doctrine, this certainly is a plus factor in White Collar's favor*.

Lawyered!

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*More on White Collar in a QNBS review coming soon.

You may want to read:


Lawyered: The Law-down
Lawyered: Do the Math
Lawyered: Top Reasons Why You Should Date a Law Student

Two-Second Moment

It amazes me how, at a very precise two-second moment, we are given the opportunity to connect with someone we don't know and have just seen. This moment happens randomly. Maybe you're walking at the mall, crossing the street, dining with friends, browsing books, holding hands with your partner... It happens when you least expect it. You look at each other amidst a crowd people, or in spite of the great distance between you. Then, you smile at same precise moment that you're looking at each other. The look may be romantic or platonic but the connection is unmistakable. Because you don't know each other, and the current circumstance you're both in limit your actions, you break eye contact, and turn away, as if nothing happened. You're afraid to look again. To see if that person is still looking.

You chalk up this moment as one of your life's greatest mysteries. Who is this person? Why is he/she looking at me? Why are we looking at each other? Why did he/she smile? What is he/she thinking?

You will never know. Unless fate, destiny or luck gives you both another chance, another circumstance to connect...connect in a manner that matters.

I thought these moments happen only in the movies, books or TV serieses. Apparently they do happen to ordinary people.

QNBS: Suits

As I wait for January 27 (the airing of Chuck's last two episodes), I feel time is running out on me. I have reviewed a lot of series, hoping to find a replacement for Chuck but so far none has come out as the clear winner. So I continue my Quest for the Next Best Series. Many series have been recommended but today, I will write about Suits.

Plot: A twenty-something college dropout decides to stop getting stoned and taking tests for other people, and be responsible on his own by becoming the 'protege' of a thirty-something brilliant lawyer.


PROS:

1. It was recommended by one of my friends whose taste in books, movies and music I find really good, or is highly similar to mine. Props to Vizzie for suggesting that I try Suits.

2. Mike Ross reminds me a lot of Chuck Bartowski. Twenty-something loser who was kicked out of college because of cheating and has nothing to show for or be proud of in his life. Although Mike is not as endearlingly clumsly or nerdy as Chuck is, he still has that "loser" charm going for him. If you love underdogs or rags-to-riches stories, I think it's safe to say that Mike has, to say the least, a little bit of underdog quality in him. Mike's photographic memory, intelligence and ability to retain tons of information can be paralleled to Chuck's nerdy-ness when it comes to video games and technology. And of course, like Chuck, I expect Mike to get the girl...no matter how long the series writers decide it to be.

Rachel: Take notes I'm not going to repeat myself.
Mike: I love you.

3. It's about law. Although I try not to do things related to law when I'm not studying, I'm surprised to find Suits really entertaining. I guess it's always okay to watch things you can relate to. Aside from Marshall from How I Met Your Mother and an occassional mention of issuance of warrants in Bones, Suits is the most law-related show I have watched so far.

4. The characters are interesting, and the actors playing them are very effective. Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter  is perfect. Harvey is like a better-dressed, less condescending but highly cunning Gregory House. Patrick J. Adams is a very believable Mike Ross. Their chemistry is commendable--from the usual sarcastic senior lawyer-junior lawyer banter to the "Because you're afraid you have to admit you're not as smart as you think you are" moments.

Harvey (l) and Mike (r)

The supporting actors Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle and Gina Torres are very strong in their portrayals of Louis Litt, Rachel Zane, and Jessica Pearson respectively. They provide the leads, and the show, the necessary back-up in case they fail to interest enough viewers. Sarah Rafferty as the strong-willed paralegal with her own office is H-O-T. She provides the necessary eye candy for the show. Hoffman as Louis is highly effective as that annoying villain/highly insecure other partner of the firm.

His face is really annoying. Perfect for a villain.

5. The first two episodes reveal enough detail about the characters for the viewers to get interested and yet they manage to make some stories open for clarification or exploration in succeeding episodes. Aside from the obvious Mike-Rachel relationship, I also expect to see the Harvey-Jessica dynamic expounded, albeit in a non-romantic manner (like, how they met, how Jessica helped Harvey etc), and I noticed how the writers laid down the foundation for a Mike-Trevor's girlfriend possible connection/conflict.

And of course, there's annoying Louis and the exploration of why he is how he is and the limit (or lack of limit) of the mean things he can do. I even found the secretary Donna Paulsen (played by Sarah Rafferty) promising.

CONS:

1. It sends the wrong impression  (to law students or would-be law students) that you can be brilliantly good at being a lawyer without having a law degree. Yes, it may be possible but, as a law student who's trying to find reason and drive to continue learning about the law with the hopes of being a good lawyer, the show does not set a good example. It makes one doubt the necessity of undergoing the rigors of law school.

Oh, photographic memory, law school would have been a lot easier if I had you.

2. It reinforces the popular sentiment that lawyers are liars--very good ones at that.

3. I wish it was funnier. Yes, Louis is funny but he is such in a very annoying manner.


I admit, at this point, Suits looks promising. I can see myself regularly watching it and being entertained by it. But the question is, will it continue to have the "stick-by-it" factor Chuck and The Big Bang Theory have and How I Met Your Mother is slowly losing? I hope so.


--------------------------------------------
You may want to check other QNBS reviews:

QNBS: Game of Thrones
QNBS: IT Crowd 
QNBS: Rizzoli & Isles
QNBS: Community
QNBS: Outsourced
QNBS: Awkward
QNBS: New Girl

On Joining Twitter-verse

I welcomed 2012 with optimism and well, a lot of invitations to join Twitter. My apprehensions with joining Twitter started with news about celebrities being misquoted and mis-appreciated because of their tweets. Secondly, I refused to Twitter for fear of not having enough followers. Hello, it's a social networking site that capitalizes on--if not highlights--one's ability to convince people to follow them. It's harder than Facebook because one is measured by 140-character thoughts, which have to be not too personal yet endearing, witty, interesting, funny or...well, something that will elicit enough reaction for you to get re-tweeted. Thirdly, I refuse to join Twitter because I can't think of a catchy Twitter name. How can I keep up with witty names out there in Twitter-verse? I wish my name was Simon, so my Twitter name could be: simonsays, and I'll appear like the most -ass person on the planet for using that name.

So today, I write about all the Twitter names I can use when I decide to join.

joannfdm - The most bland name I could think of. Might as well not join Twitter kung ito lang gagamitin ko.

joannfrances - I used this for my Multiply account. Can be used for purposes of parallelism, or continuity.

mamajo - My high school nickname. I didn't like it but it stuck, and everyone from my batch called me mamajo. 

maruyajunkie - I love maruya the same way a junkie loves/is attached to his drugs.

madtherung - My Game of Nerds username. 

romancandlesacrossthenight - Being a big On the Road fan, I can't help but consider an On The Road reference. I think the name's too long.

counterculture or iamcounterculture- One of my best, most appreciated moment in 2011 was when a law blockmate described me as "counterculture" and that I reminded her of Juno's "angst in a positive way". I loved being counterculture.

malcolmhaller - Since we're on the topic of law school might as well think of one. I admit malcolmhaller is kind of lame.

frankyfranks - My friends Jan and Pau will be too happy if I used this. 

sigangdominga - This will be fun to use if my close friend Alex will join Twitter as sigangsandejas.

jimdandy - It means, the best of its kind, and is the name of this blog. 

jack'ssmirkingrevenge - A reference to Fight Club although I doubt it if this username is not yet taken.

richalvarezfangirl - The name speaks for itself.

batanesmeetstandanes - This list wouldn't be complete if I didn't use something Jen Tuazon-inspired. 

ilovebenedictanderson - The name's very special. It stands for a lot of things I cherish but chose to forget. You may think you get what it means or what it refers to but believe me, you don't. I'm sure people will keep asking "who is benedict anderson?" or "why love him?" and I don't want to explain myself.

supersamplist - A cool name but highly inappropriate since I haven't used my supersampler in a looooong time. Also, once I use this, I am duty-bound to post a supersampler photo once in a while.

And there goes my list of possible Twitter names. Smart? Lame? I can do better? Tell me what you think.

QNBS: Game of Thrones

PROS:

Referred by the Chuck Bartowski

CONS:

None so far.

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QNBS: Outsourced

QNBS: IT Crowd

QNBS: Rizzoli & Isles

QNBS: New Girl

QNBS: Community

QNBS: Awkward

An Open Letter to Rich Alvarez

Dear Rich,

Hi there!

I'm Jo Ann Madarang, a twenty-two year old, and one of your biggest fans--figuratively and literally speaking. hahaha If you remember, I messaged you on Facebook a few months ago, and you replied.

Yes, I'm so nice. Haha.

Forgive me if I have to write again, and, this time, through a letter which is open for the whole world to see.

As a young grade six kid watching college basketball on Studio 23, I immediately developed a crush on you. Yes, you were my crush the moment I knew what crushes are. I liked you because you were a shy, unassuming, tall guy who plays tremendously good basketball. You never bragged about a shot nor trashed-talked with another player. You let Enrico did the trash-talking back in Ateneo, hehe. I loved how you simply smiled to acknowledge a good play.

To put it simply, at a very young age I developed an image of my ideal man, and it was you.

Last November 28, you got married to a stunning woman. Yes I do feel a pang of jealousy as you and Kyla lovingly stare into each other's eyes but this pang does not last long enough for me to be bitter. Instead, I am touched. I am touched as your and Kyla's love story got stronger just as many basketball player-TV celebrities' love stories and marriages crumbled. And because I think it is wrong ogle a married man, I changed my sidebar--from photos of Rich hugging a dog and a ball to his wedding photo.

Honestly, I got goosebumps just watching your wedding video--one of the best, most heart-warming wedding videos I've seen so far (as equally nice as Oyo Sotto and Tin Hermosa's). As my heart silently grieve for the unavailability of my ideal man, my eyes water at the sight of your amazing wedding photos.

photo from Nice Photography

Rich, thank you for being the person I look up to and idolize not only as my ideal man but also as an athlete. Your struggle, from your career and ACL injury to winning two Championships with the Talk N' Text Tropang Texters, sets a good example to athletes from all kinds of sports. Strive, play and pray hard and it will come.


Love, your biggest fan since Grade Six (hehe),
Jo Ann

QNBS: The IT Crowd

As I prepare myself to say goodbye to Chuck, which is on its fifth and final season, I also embark on my Quest for the Next Best Series to search for its replacement. Many series have been recommended but today I will write about The IT Crowd.

The plot: Two geek guys from the IT Department deals with their new boss, a blonde who knows nothing about computers but is a "people person". These three deal with the everyday rigors of living and working in a company's IT department--dealing with each other, the surroundings (which is an obvious fire hazard) and their quirky boss who looks like a crazy police officer.

The IT Crowd

PROS:

1. It is a 24-minute show. To accommodate my TV show de-stressing needs, my current time concerns and short attention span, the new show I will take on after Chuck must be limited. The IT Crowd's average 24 min. 30 sec episodes fits my time constraints very well. Also, since it is a British show, each season consists of around six to seven episodes. Now on its 4th season, The IT Crowd only has 24 episodes so far--equivalent only to one season of HIMYM.

2. It's a British sitcom, and I love all things British: Rowan Atkinson, Princess Diana, John Oliver in Community, the British accent.

3. Geeks are this millenium's jocks, and I admit I get easily drawn to (or maybe I identify with) geek/nerdy characters (see Chuck Bartowski, Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Wolowitz). The IT Crowd is like the British The Big Bang Theory. The plot are a lot similar: Two geek guys meet this fairly hot blonde who knows nothing about what the geeks do, and loves only shoes. The blonde helps the geeks with their social lives and the geeks help the blonde...be funny, I guess.

Jen, Roy and Maurice

4. It's funny. The show mixes wittiness, sarcasm and a paler version of slapstick comedy. Caution: This show may not be funny for everyone. For one, I think my brothers will not find it as funny as much as HIMYM.

5. It's well-cast. Although I'm not familiar with the who's who of the British TV sitcom industry, I think Chris O'Dowd as Roy, Richard Ayoade as Maurice and Katherine Parkinson as Jen were nicely cast. Even Chris Morris' acting as Denholm Reynholm was excellent. I found his character really funny. A British-speaking, black version of Sheldon in Maurice is just amazing. I wonder if The IT Crowd and TBBT writers are open to doing a crossover featuring Sheldon (like when Abed [Danny Pudi] guest starred in Cougar Town).

Roy, Maurice, Denholm and Jen

6. In the few episodes I have watched I find the lines to be very clever.

"Hello, I was just wondering do you want me to connect up your phone?"
"No, no, no. It's working."
"But how??"

"I stole it."
"You stole it?"
"Yeah."
"But that's stealing!!!!"

"I can't go to prison, Roy! They'll rape the flip out of me!"

CONS: 

1. The active/action/slapstick-like comedy is sometimes a bit too much. Roy's always falling down on the floor and is always bleeding (in the first two episodes Roy had a head wound and and a thigh wound), Jen's always doing facial contortions to show her delight, pain, panic or disbelief, and (insert Boss character's name here) always doing his weird gestures. Yes, the HIMYM gang may be a little physical as well (with all the slapping, costume-changing, and even whipping!) but The IT Crowd is nearly over the top for me.

Chris O'Dowd (Roy) and Katherine Parkinson (Jen) are (maybe)
going overboard with their acting.

2. The chemistry and comic timing is not as effective as HIMYM's and TBBT's. In a lot of scenes, I found it too obvious that everyone is just waiting for others to finish their spiels. It looks like everyone's making an effort to make the scenes as smooth as, and the jokes as quick as, possible. Maybe they'll be perfect by Season 4...or their 24th episode.

3. I don't see a central storyline. Moreover, I see a bleak future for the show, story-wise. The question we have to ask is: what more can you do with a plot as simple as this show's? The writers of The IT Crowd may try going TBBT way (have one of the geeks date the blonde, have them break up, be really good friends and then bring in new characters). But let us put in mind that Jen, Roy and Maurice doesn't have the emotional/romantic vibe to their relationship like what Leonard and Penny had from the very start. Maybe the writers can put it in but I think it will not be a good idea to do so. Also, the show's overall feel doesn't seem to be suitable for such emotional plots. Okay, the best thing that could happen is that three of them become good friends and be better socially adaptive individuals. That's it.

The IT Crowd is a very straight forward show. The writers don't mince their words, the actors give their all when acting out their roles, and the show is, basically, what you see is what you get. There are no hidden meanings, slowly developing storylines, plot twists or romantic subtexts to focus on. It simply is, and does not pretend to be more than, a sitcom. The IT Crowd is good to watch when you need to watch something for the sake of watching and laughing.


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You may want to read other QNBS reviews:

Outsourced
Awkward
Community
New Girl
Rizzoli & Isles

QNBS: Rizzoli & Isles

As I prepare myself to say goodbye to Chuck, which is on its fifth and final season, I also embark on my Quest for the Next Best Series. Many series have been recommended but today I will write about Rizzoli & Isles.

Plot: A homicide detective (Det. Jane Rizzoli) and a forensics expert (Dr. Maura Isles) work together to solve crimes while juggling personal (their respective colorful family) and professional issues.

I decided to watch the show's first three episodes to be able to come to a reasonable conclusion on whether or not to adopt this series as my replacement for Chuck when it ends. After I've read/Google-d that the show has quite a following in the gay community, I took time to read all available AfterEllen.com's Subtext Reviews, as they are called, on the show's 20-episode run (as of this writing).

The plot is a lot similar to Bones or any other detective/cop movie/TV show. The only difference, though, is that both leads are women and are not romantically linked or paired with each other--or at least the writers did not intend them to.

The popular support for a Rizzoli & Isles romantic pairing has spawned videos, picspams and even Subtext Reviews. These reviews focus on each episode's subtexts (the analogy, wordplay, body language between the actors, setting) that allude to Det. Rizzoli and Dr. Isles possible attraction to, or relationship with, each other. The gay community has been itching, in the show's two-season run, to see their two favorite leads to engage in an on-screen open relationship or, simply, they want more than TGTGT action! Despite this clamor, the writers and even the actresses have openly stated that the characters are not gay. I don't know how this clamor will affect the show's story and the actresses' portrayal in the future episodes but I'm sure that it does. TV shows are, mostly, concerned about viewership and ratings.

PROS:
1. Jane and Maura's chemistry. Angie Harmon (Jane) and Sasha Alexander (Maura), whether as friends or would-be lovers, have incredible chemistry. They seem as if they are long-time friends. For me, the only duo that has the same chemistry is Chuck and Morgan.

Photo from AfterEllen.com

2. Right amount of everything. To be fair, the Pilot episode contained the right elements enough for first-time viewers to look forward  to the next episode. The Charles Hoyt story was mimical of most cop stories wherein the lead protagonist has this archenemy the lead cannot kill or defeat. Bones had Heather; Booth had that sniper; Rizzoli has Hoyt. The season finale of Season 1, wherein Jane shot through herself to shoot her hostage-taker, is just plain epic. Try to beat that, Seeley.

3. The show does not care. I liked Rizzoli & Isles because it simply does not care. It does not care that its two female lead characters have the dynamic of real-life partners yet remain friends, and that, because of this, the viewers are going bonkers. In the latter part of Season Two, one Subtext Review commented on the necessity of Subtext Reviews considering the obviousness of the whole Jane-and-Maura-love-each-other. No one from the show's writing team seemed to be in a hurry to expound on this apparent dynamic.

CONS:
1. Playing Spot-the-Subtext with myself. As I watched the second and third episodes, it became less about the story and more about spotting possible subtexts or hints. I was playing a game of Spot-the-Subtext with myself. I guess Sheldon was right when he pointed out how frustrating it is to come into something (ex: watching a new movie, listening to a new song, reading a new comic books) with your mind pre-blowed (aka someone tells you how mindblowing/great how a certain movie, song or comic books is). Once blown, the mind can never be un-blown.

2. I worry about the ending. Like most shows, I'm uneasy with the fact that the show may have no clear, definite ending. So what if Jane and Maura realize that what the people at Afterellen.com are pointing out to are true? What if they do become a couple? Then what? Will they live happily ever after? I doubt that.

Despite the US' claim that they are tolerant of colored people, gays and women, same sex relationships are still taboo for national TV programming--more so, during prime time. I think this view plays a big factor in the writers' reluctance to jump the gun and have Jane and Maura sleep together, or just even hint at becoming something else, something more.

3. I worry about the show's following. Yes, the show has a solid following in the gay community. What I'm worried about is when these fans get tired of following Jane and Maura around and interpreting their actions. Who will watch the show? But, then again, will the Subtext Reviewers and Readers ever get tired?


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You may want to check other QNBS reviews:
QNBS: Community
QNBS: Outsourced
QNBS: Awkward
QNBS: New Girl

Getting Old, TV show-wise

When our favorite TV shows get old, no matter how much we love them, we turn into exes with unresolved issues, friends who never stayed in touch, or neighbors who moved to some far away place without leaving a contact number...we just lose the connection.

Growing up I super loved Survivor for its challenges, trivia potential and cunning-ness. But as it moved to new locations, endless castaways and numerous twists, I never saw an end, and got tired. It's a good thing to never quit but it's better to quit while you're ahead or on top. One is only as good as his/her last performance. Survivor just became, for me, one of those reality shows of the early 2000s.

Bones got old for me because of two things: (1) It took six seasons for Bones and Booth to hook up and even when they did, it was hazy (I can just imagine how longer it would have taken for them to hook up if Emily Deschanel didn't get pregnant); (2) It keeps killing off/writing off my favorite characters. It was big enough blow that they kicked out Eric Millegan (who plays the ever-lovable Dr. Zack Addy) for being unprofessional but it was just...game changing to write off intern Vincent Nigel-Murray (played by Ryan Cartwright) as well. Watch out, Elon Gold.

Another show that grew old on me, so to speak, is House. My then-nursing student Ate convinced our family to do a House marathon of seasons 1 to 4. I stayed hook up to Season 6 but the never-ending, always-going-back-to-Dr.House-being-a-Vicodin-taking-jerk storyline just sucked the interest out of me. Jennifer Morrison (Dr. Cameron) leaving permanently, Lisa Edelstein (Dr. Cuddy) decision to leave to try out new things, and Olivia Wilde's (Dr. Hadley aka Thirteen) decision to focus on her movie career are manifestations of how the actors have realized the need to move on and the writers' refusing to do so. It's a good show but it's frustrating that writers don't realize when it's time to quit. Scrubs' writers nearly missed their cue when they tried to last longer than JD and Turk, and introduced a new batch of med students in Season 9.

I laud Chuck writers, producers, actors and even its TV network for deciding not to renew Chuck after Season 5 because, really, what do you do after Chuck Bartowski becomes a real spy and gets married to the love of his life? Is there more to tell? Yes, getting the Intersect out of his head, and being an agent on his own--which is what Season 5 is all about. It's not bad that Chuck is ending with bang (read: kick-ass episodes, stunts and special effects; wonderful set of guest stars), too.

It pains me to see that a show as good as House is slowly becoming that-show-that-got-old, and Bones is becoming just plain draggy. Goodbye, Thirteen. It was fun while it lasted.

Photo from afterellen.com

Lawyered: PGMA is Lily

The "Lawyered!" series will cover topics involving the law, law school and everything in between told from the perspective of a frightened, enlightened, irritated, and engaged law student. :)

Fresh from my US case law-inspired Constitutional Law 2 class, from which I didn't finish on top of (yes, this gives you the right/basis to question/doubt my opinion), I re-visit my much-neglected blog series, Lawyered.

First, dear reader, I apologize for the one year hiatus of this blog series. Law school proved to be much more time-consuming and holistically demanding than I predicted it to be. In my first year, I incurred grades I have never gotten in my entire academic life and I had to focus on studying rather than blogging about studying. Anyway, this series is back...for now.

The topic: DOJ's ban on former Pres. GMA's travel abroad to seek medical attention

The simple, condensed facts: PGMA asked for a travel authority from the House of Representatives (note: as a Congresswoman, she needs to seek the approval of the House and the Speaker when leaving the country) due to health reasons, particularly to seek medical attention (biopsy) for her cervical spine infection. The House allowed her to leave but the DOJ, headed by Sec. Leila De Lima, has denied her request to be removed from the Watch List Order issued by the Secretary pursuant to Department Order No. 41. Now, PGMA seeks to nullify Department Order No. 41 which was issued on 7 June 2010--during her administration. Mainly, PGMA is arguing that the said Department Order curtails her constitutional right to travel based on Article III, Section 6 of the 1987 Constitution.

Photo from ellentordesillas.com

I have finished Constitutional Law 1 and 2. These subjects were taught in contrasting manners by different professors, who I shall not name, but whose techniques in teaching I will try to use here. Let's call these contrasting approaches as the Consti 1 - Legal approach and the Consti 2 - Political approach.

The Consti 1 - Legal Approach

Issue: W/N the DOJ's ban on former Pres. GMA's travel abroad to seek medical attention for her cervical spine condition is valid, considering the preliminary investigation on the electoral sabotage case against her and FG Mike Arroyo has started?

Answer: Yes because it is legally grounded on Department Order No. 18 issued on 23 April 2007 granting the DOJ Secretary the power to issue Watch List Orders prohibiting persons who have a preliminary investigation being done involving them or  in cases when a Motion for Reconsideration is pending review before the DOJ including application for "Not The Same Person" (NTSP).

The Consti 2-Political Approach

Issue: W/N PGMA's constitutional right to travel (for "pressing" medical reasons) can be curtailed by the State's interest in national security or in protecting our justice system?

Answer: No because the constitutional right to travel is one of the fundamental rights granted by the Constitution, as evidenced by it being included in the Bill of Rights. As such, it must be protected with great scrutiny, and controversies must be settled in favor of upholding the said right. In this case, what is being balanced is a citizen's right to travel (and to obtain competent medical attention for her 'pressing' medical condition) and the State's interest in protecting our justice system.

The question is, Is the State's interest in protecting the integrity of our justice system far greater than an individual's right? No. There are other ways in which the integrity of the justice system can be protected and maintained without stepping on PGMA's right. It is wrong, at least for me, to say that:  the greater good shall prevail over the interest of the few. Constitutional rights have never been, in the few cases I've read and we've discussed in class, about "majority wins". It's about protecting the interest of the minority, of the individual. This is democracy in its most fundamental level.

To help you understand this, and just to keep the How I Met Your Mother parallelism going, let me illustrate the importance democracy gives to individual liberty by using a scene from The Rough Patch (Episode 7 Season 5). Marshall and Ted are trying to convince Lily to break Robin and Barney up because their relationship is killing them.

Marshall: You've got to break them up. This relationship is killing them.

Lily: I know it is but I've learned my lesson: no more interfering; let things run their course.

Ted: It's two to one.

Lily: Yes, but the one is me.

Imagine that everyone else is Marshall and Ted, the majority, and PGMA is Lily--the individual, the minority. Even if Lily's alone she matters. I believe, no matter how crappy PGMA is as a person, she still has the right to travel whenever she pleases especially in cases when her health so demands. If she chooses to obtain medical attention abroad, no one can/should be allowed to stop her. The decision on who and how one's medical complications will be treated should be decided by the person who needs it. Having the freedom to make a choice is very fundamental, and it lies at the core of each and every constitutional right granted to each citizen of the Philippines.

The ultimate choice of which approach will apply in this case is, again, at the hands of fifteen Supreme Court Justices--twelve of which was appointed by the petitioner. I disagree with what some are saying (that this is simply a legal issue) because choosing which approach to apply, whether the legal or political approach, is political in itself.

Lawyered!

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You may want to check:

Lawyered: The Law-down
Lawyered: Do the Math
Lawyered: Top Reasons Why You Should Date a Law Student

Quick Change-Ups

It's fascinating how actors/actresses/characters in a series are changed after an episode or two. Some of us don't even notice the change for: 

(1) the change is made too soon in the season (like in the case of Gen. Beckman of Chuck...

(2) the change is made too far apart from the character's first appearance up to the next (Vimi in Outsourced)...

 or (3) the change involves the 'token black guy' all together (Coach was changed to Winston in New Girl)...

In all these changes, I hated the change in New Girl the most. Coach was doing great as the 'token black guy' character and I found Winston's entrance unnecessary. But, as it turned out, the change was inevitable because Damon Wayans Jr.'s series Happy Endings was renewed.

In Gen. Beckman's and Vimi's cases, better--in performance and looks--actresses replaced the former. The new Gen. Beckman played by Bonita Friedericy proved to be homelier than the former played by Wendy Makkena. I couldn't have predicted how Makkena would have played the Gen. Beckman character but as far as Friedericy is concerned, she has done a very good job. The former Vimi proved to be too dull and plain looking compared to a ravishing(!) Noureen DeWulf. It is, however, doubtful if a guy who looks like Rajiv can land a woman as good looking as the "new" Vimi.

Well, that is what TV is for.


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You may want to check, Quick Change-Ups a la Glee.

Barnman and Robin Picspam: 501 Definitions

First, what is a picspam? There's no official definition so I constructed one, the Wittgenstein way. It is a series of screencaps of characters, usually pairings, in film or TV series scenes. It's a form of channeling ones obsession over these characters. Or so I think.

How I Met Your Mother is, obviously, my favorite TV series. I started watching it in 2008. I liked Ted but when the writers paired Barney and Robin in the Season 3 episode Sandcastles in the Sand, I had a Eureka!/why-not? moment. From that point on, I was on the Barney and Robin boat. Ted who?

In my frantic quest for all things Barney and Robin, I stumbled upon these picspams (with dialogues!) of the couple made by a blogger from Italy. She has made awesome picspams  up to Season 4. For references, click below:

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4 (1/2)

Season 4 (2/2)

When she stopped making picspams for the couple in Season 5, I took it upon myself to continue the stalker-ish thing she started. I never expected how much hardwork and commitment making a picspam demands. But like any endeavor I commit myself to, I promised to continue the picspam-making up to Season 8, HIMYM's last confirmed season.

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It was tiring to make a picspam for Season 5 because 1/4 of the season was about Barney and Robin being in a relationship, and the 3/4 was about them struggling to be friends.

Season 5x01 Definitions

Barney: Yeah, Lily...
Robin: Barney's awesome.
Barney: Robin's more than just awesome. She's aw--quite a bit--hold on a lot--

Robin: We’re just not feeling it right now.

Robin: I should get going I have a date.
Barney: You're still seeing that guy.
Robin: Even better...seeing him naked.

Barney: The Talk sucks; you have to, like, talk.

Ted: I don't think that the talk is necessary.
Marshall: What?!
Ted: Because Robin is already his girlfriend.
Barney: What?!

Lily: Seriously, we're at the point of physical violence here. Now, will you please have the talk?
Barney: Because of that? Come on, that's my thing. I'm always punching guys. Girls. I'll punch a baby I don't care.

Marshall: Just hanging out.
Lily: Not good enough.
Marshall: NOT GOOD ENOUGH! (whips)

Robin: Think about it we spent the whole summer lying about being just friends.
Why not just keep lying?

Barney: She's awesome. Robin: He's awesome.
Robin: He looks nice in a suit. Barney: She can handle her scotch.
Robin: He's my boyfriend. Barney: She's my girlfriend.

Ted: You do realize they were lying, right.
Lily: No, Ted they don't realize they weren't lying.

Stay tuned for more.