The Humbling Struggle of a Young Car Shopper

Filed under Random

It’d be real tough to say that I’ve had bad luck with cars…in fact, it would be wildly untrue. I retired my family’s 1986 Toyota Tercel in the spring of 2004 and upgraded to a 1994 Honda Accord. The Accord has been damn good, but the time has come, once again, for a new car. An actual new car.

I’m not great with change. If I could drive the Accord for the rest of my life I’d be satisfied with that. I know how it handles. I know it well. But cars get old, and car parts get old. Moving forward, I will try not to state the obvious like that last sentence. That sentence came across like a patronizing mechanic, which I’m not. And to make amends, all I can say is that at least I won’t feed you some bull explanation and overcharge you (#AmIRight?). Where was I? Oh right, my Honda Accord is awesome, but I am ready to put some miles on a new ride.

And so we find our twenty-something hero gathering Consumer Reports and browsing car lots, seeking a sub-compact and yearning for breath-taking mileage. Does he demand American muscle? Not really. Does he insist on something chicks will dig? Well, only if chicks dig affordability, reliability and safe-handling during difficult weather.

Car dealers, behold! I’ve done my homework! I have a budget! Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, and Subaru, you are on my list! I’m ready for test drives! I am prepared to hear your greatest pitch!

Sadly, the world of dealerships is not as eager to see me in a new car. In fact, they’re kind of indifferent. Possibly even callous. It’s been terribly humbling. Sure, the few times I shopped around with my father went well. We were a shrewd business team…we knew our numbers, we asked the right questions, we were probably damn close to having our own series on the History Channel or A&E. Every car guy we met wanted to be “our” car guy.

Well, I learned the hard way, we were not a shrewd business team. In fact, my father was the shrewd, well-read business team that salesmen sought business from. I just sort of existed, which continues to be the case as I stumble through this world, ignored by the sales staff time and again. They do not see a buyer. They saw my father as a buyer. With me, they see a kid in a hoodie, or on occasion a kid who dressed business casual and is trying too hard to get noticed, who does not look at all smart enough to be a self-made internet kajillionaire looking for a fully-loaded ride, ready to pull out all the stops. No, he is browsing for ultra-practicality. Will he spring for the spoiler? Can he be sold on leather interior? No. They can already tell that pin-striping will be a hard sell. I am unworthy of their time. No commission will be had here.

Which is why countless man hours on my part have been wasted. I’ve waited around dealerships, sporting my best “I’m very interested in this car” look. I’ve been sent into the lot to look at the particular car where a salesmen will supposedly meet me, only so I could eventually walk back inside and remind them I exist. I’ve gone so far as to shamelessly jingle change in my pocket. I’ve been passed off from the obviously better salesmen to supposed “best salesmen,” who are obviously newbies. But hell, generally I’m just ecstatic to be acknowledged, because there’s only so long I can admire a car’s looks and read the brochure information.

That said, car salesmen everywhere, I implore you to judge me not by the hoodie I wear and my frugal, middle-class looks, but on the potential I have to be a  well-read customer, possibly prepared to buy the sub-compact vehicle you have to offer. Join my journey. Join my struggle. Guide me in my decision.

Entourage finale is far from perfect

Filed under Entourage, Review

Well, we’ve seen the boys from Queens experience many of Hollywood’s ups and downs over eight season, and watching the series come to an end, we’re honestly left feeling a little empty. Maybe empty is the wrong word…perhaps slighted is more appropriate. Frankly, I think it’s safe to argue that the writers gave up three seasons ago, and I kind of wish I did too.
I think the major turning point for the show occurred after Vince had his big comeback with the Scorsese movie. Maybe after a season long struggle of getting Vince back on his feet from the devastation of Medellion, the gang hasn’t had to fight too hard, or grow too much.
No, a decision was made somewhere along the line that there didn’t have to be any real consequences for the characters anymore, and certainly no effort. In no season was that more evident than the final season. Let’s examine potentially consequential events of the season:
-Vince passing a drug test using a prosthetic penis.
-Drama going on strike from his new cartoon show in hopes of more money, and winning.
-Eric sleeping with Melinda Clarke, his ex-fiance’s ex-mother-in-law, and still managing to smooth things over with Sloane.
-Turtle selling his shares of Avion right before it went public…but oh wait, just when he needs more money, it turns out Vince did not sell his shares and made a fortune.
-And the one girl Vince could not win over, the savvy and completely underdeveloped journalist Sofia…well, Vince randomly won her over.
-And Ari, his pending divorce was abruptly swept under the rug.
-Oh, and that drug habit Vince spiraled into last season and eventually went to rehab…hey, it’s more convenient for him not to be an addict so now he’s not an addict.
Pop culture columnist Dave Itzkoff tweeted during the season: “The quintessence of suspense is when a character says something and then immediately says its opposite.” – the guy who writes #Entourage. That sounds fairly spot on, particularly for Vince.
The thing about this show, is that it’s always kind of felt like Sex & the City for guys. These two shows, ultimately, are about embracing comradery. But, whereas women feel a kinship with the romanticized trials and tribulations of dating in the city with their close friends always by their side, guys can connect with this idealized lifestyle of making money and finding success while always having time to kick back and party with their bros. Maybe the difference is that men aren’t expected to want to identify with this show through the hard times, but rather just enjoy the good. Personally, I think good writing keeps an audience engaged regardless of what the characters are going through. Manhood aside, I’d say Sex & the City probably has better writing. They squeezed out two successful movies after the series ended…I can’t imagine how anyone would begin to piece together a follow-up movie to Entourage that is worthwhile.
Vince awkwardly courted and ultimately marries Sofia, the one female character we’ve learned the least about in the series. Turtle proves he simply cannot make it on his own, after many attempts to spread his wings, he’s always fallen back on Vince…and things still fall through. As for Eric…well, he’s going to be a father. After sleeping with Sloane’s ex-mother-in-law, he and Sloane are just going to get back together. Ari won his wife over in the last few minutes of the finale, leaving his job behind. And Drama, well Drama was always great comic relief for a show that managed to never get too serious. And how do they all leave us? What are the immortal last lines of the series that reiterate the importance of friendship, brotherhood, and comradery above all else?
Turtle: “Woo, I’m a little emotional.”
Drama: “Yeah, me too. Better find something to fuck in Paris.”
Is this really the ending we deserve? Not at all. But it certainly proves that the writers gave up on the series long before its audience.

Lost: The Final Season Takes Unexpected Twists

Filed under Lost, TV

It’s tough to ask for much more from Lost lately. The last few weeks have been incredibly enlightening, and when they haven’t answered those dangling questions that have kept us hanging for the past 6 years, they’ve at least provided great setup, proving that those questions will definitely be addressed. While we don’t have any answer as to what caused the flash-sideways, or if there was actual a cause at all, they’ve nonetheless managed to be an intriguing addition to the show.

First, I’m beginning to question whether the flash-sideways are in fact caused by the smoke monster (we currently know him in the form of John Locke (Terry O’Quinn)). Granted, this would discount my previous theory on the cause of the flash-sideways. Evidence of this mainly occurs in episode 6, focusing on Sayid (Naveen Andrews). Sayid meets Locke in the woods, where Locke tells him he could have anything he wanted, even the one thing Sayid claims is gone forever (Nadia). In the flash-sideways, Nadia is alive, but the hangup is that she is married to her brother…he doesn’t have her. Similarly, Ben’s (Michael Emerson) flash-sideways shows him as a lowly History teacher, but he is a great mentor for his student Alex (or his daughter from the island). When given the chance to blackmail the principal but the principal in turn threatens to keep Alex from getting into the college of her choice, Ben puts what Alex wants before his own aspirations. In Sawyer’s (Josh Holloway) flash-sideways, he carries all the same baggage, but rather than become a con-man, he’s a cop.

The flash-sideways may be part of a deal the smoke monster offers some of the characters, but him causing them simply hasn’t happened yet. He seems to need people to get off the island, and maybe this is part of a deal he forges with them, but unfortunately, what everyone wants comes with strings attached. Sayid wants Nadia to be alive, but he doesn’t have her. Ben wants a second chance with his daughter, but it means he is unimportant. Sawyer is a cop (similar to his role as Head of Security for Dharma, which seemed to be the happiest time of his life), but he’s still tortured by his past. Now it’s more than likely that this theory is completely wrong, so I digress.

But hey, the flash-sideways haven’t been the only interesting part of the show. It was a big shocker to see that Sayid has indeed succumbed to the darkness. Same goes for Claire (Emilie de Ravin), she’s pretty psycho, and both are currently aligned with Locke, who claims he just wants to leave the island. Being that he attacked the Temple continue reading »

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains…Not Who They Seem Though…

Filed under Survivor, TV

The latest season of Survivor is less about the location (it’s Samoa again, FYI) and more about the castaways. It’s another all-star season, but the producers have specifically chosen returning castaways based on their honorable merit or infamous strategy. While there are some less deserving returning castaways, there are certainly plenty of favorites. Boston Rob, Colby, Rupert, Parvati, James, and last season’s Russell are easily some of the most memorable castaways to ever play this game. It’s always great to see returning favorites come together for a big season, but no one could have guessed just how things would play out for this clash of titans.

The expectation was no doubt that the Villains would quickly begin making deals, scheming, and everyone coming up with their own conniving plan to keep one step ahead of their tribe. As for the heroes, the expectation was that they would quickly unite and work together, like a well-oiled machine. Neither of these things happened.

For the most part, most of the Villains looked to Boston Rob for leadership, and he stepped up willingly to take the role. Actually, it was pretty impressive seeing how useful he was both at camp and in challenges, so villainous behavior aside, he’s one of the more worthy players in the game. Because of him, the Villains have maintained unity and acted pretty much just the way one might expect the Heroes to have acted. Granted, Russell has been overplaying his hand and walking a thin line…he’s been trying too damn hard to win using a conniving strategy. So far though, the Villains have been on a winning streak and that hasn’t been necessary, so all Russell is doing is putting a big ass target on his back.

As for the Heroes, alliances were formed early, causing a stretch of awful decisions. James managed to put a target on Stephanie, probably one of the strongest female players ever in this game, blaming the immunity challenge loss on her. They didn’t turn things around until they received a clue to the hidden immunity idol continue reading »

Lost’s Final Season Leads to New Theories

Filed under Lost, TV

Lost has officially kicked off its 6th and final season. If you’ve been waiting for answers, this is where they’ll finally arrive, but show creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse won’t make it easy. Just as flashbacks and flash-forwards have been used, they’ve now introduced the concept of flash-sideways…yup, this show is now operating with two different realities.

The premiere opened with a very familiar flight hitting some familiar turbulence, but surprisingly, the flight did not crash, and more importantly, revealed a shot of Jacob’s statue…submerged under water. In the other reality, the losties were back in the present, all around the familiar site where Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) blew the hatch up, under the impression that the plan cooked up by Faraday (Jeremy Davies) and Jack (Matthew Fox) did not work. Or did it?

Thanks to our friends at MrMet.net for verbalizing this theory, and putting some things in perspective. We could argue that, as Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) says, “It worked,” because the hydrogen bomb may have actually saved the island by helping neutralize the electromagnetic energy beneath the Swan station. We could reasonably say that this was the incident Dr. Chang (Francois Chau) referred to in the Swan station video, causing them to need to press the button every 108 minutes. What may have caused the island to sink was drilling too deep into the wall containing the electromagnetic energy. Had Jack and the rest of the losties sat back in 1977 and done nothing, continue reading »

Lost Season 5–”This is Our Destiny”

Filed under Lost, TV

All right, wrapping up the complete Lost journey is of course, season 5, which holds one the biggest cliffhangers of all. It’s 1977 and Jack (Matthew Fox), Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), and the rest of the gang attempt to blow up the Swan Station, and stop it from ever causing Flight 815 to crash on the island. Wait…what? We’ll back up to the beginning.

Season 4 left off with the Oceanic 6 leaving the island, forced to lie about what happened because the island vanished, as Ben (Michael Emerson) and Locke (Terry O’Quinn) moved it to protect it from Charles Widmore (Alan Dale).  Yeah, that doesn’t make things any less confusing really…season 5 gets pretty weird. Sure, the island moved, but somehow the island became dislodged in time, causing the remaining survivors to experience violent time shifts. Making matters worse, the shifts eventually had the potential to cause brain aneurysms.

This really gave Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) a great chance to shine in the season. Early on, Faraday stepped up, understanding the predicament and attempting to resolve it. He played a significant role not only in helping his friends survive the time shifts (for the most part…), but ultimately became the driving force for the finale’s events. Yup, it was he who showed up with the grand scheme of changing the past, despite his previous theory that whatever happened happened.

Granted, Faraday wasn’t the only character who stepped up this season. With some of the key leaders getting off the island, namely Jack, Kate, and Sayid (Naveen Andrews), those remaining looked to Sawyer…and he certainly stepped up.  Sure, Faraday put some logic to the time shifts, but Sawyer got his people safely into the Dharma Initiative. Sure, they were stuck in 1974, but what else were they supposed to do while continue reading »

Lost Season 4–Supposed Rescue Shakes Things Up

Filed under Lost, TV

Lost‘s fourth season pretty much picked up right where season 3‘s finale cliffhanger left off. Yes, there is a freighter anchored just off the island, but are they really there on a rescue mission? Furthermore, there is the dilemma that apparently the remains of Oceanic 815 have been found at the bottom of the ocean…who planted it there? And, whereas Jack’s flash-forward at the end of season 3 was a bold twist, flash-forwards are crucial in season 4, cluing us in on who left the island and who stayed behind.

Not only does this season see a major divide in the principle cast, Jack (Matthew Fox) leading those who want to be rescued, and Locke (Terry O’Quinn) leading those who believe the freighter is there to harm them, and go into hiding back at the Others’ barracks. A chopper from the freighter arrives on the island introducing new characters to the fold that include mentally unstable physicist Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies),  hot-headed paranormal medium Miles Straume (Ken Leung), mysterious archaeologist Charlotte Lewis (Rebecca Mader), and conspiracy-theorist pilot Frank Lapidus (Jeff Fahey).

As the season’s events unfold, it is slowly revealed that Jack, Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Claire‘s son Aaron make it home, dubbed the Oceanic Six. But the flash-forwards reveal that getting off the island is not the end of the story, and ultimately the characters realize that they need to go back to the island to save everyone they left behind. More importantly, it is revealed that the Oceanic Six have been living a lie since returning home, and this is all to protect those still on the island.

Throughout the short season, details are revealed about the freighter, mostly revolving around the fact that it belongs to Charles Widmore (Alan Dale), a character who has generally been linked to Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) in flashbacks, but apparently Widmore has some sort of history with the island, making him far more integral to the overall story. Furthermore, season 4 hones in on a rivalry between Widmore and Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson). Widmore has sent the freighter not only to find continue reading »

Season 3 of Lost Provides Some Pay-Off

Filed under Lost, TV

After Lost‘s second season really heated things up and delivered one hell of cliffhanger finale, season 3 finally gave us a proper introduction to the Others, focused on answering some long awaited questions, and gave us more of those character driven episodes that made season 1 so great. Picking up where season 2 left off, Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) were now held captive at the Others camp, which is apparently a well-to-do neighborhood of barracks with running water, electricity, a book club, and a rec room. Basically, the Others’ leader Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson), better known as Henry Gale from season 2, has a tumor in his spine and needs Jack to fix that, and uses Kate and Sawyer as leverage. Also introduced is Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell), a sympathetic Other who bonds with Jack and also wants nothing more than to get off the island.

Meanwhile, back at the beach the rest of the survivors start living in a post-hatch world, since destroying it in season 2′s finale. Having turned the key that destroyed the hatch and releasing an electromagnetic energy, Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) plays a pivotal role throughout the season having visions of the future. In particular, these visions have to do with Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) dying, and while he consistently manages to save Charlie’s life, they both are forced to face the fact that no matter what they do, Charlie will die. This storyline is crucial to themes that come later on in seasons 4 and 5 about fate and destiny.

It’s also important to note that Nikki (Kiele Sanchez) and Paulo (Rodrigo Santoro) were introduced and subsequently killed off by mid-season, and are considered one of the worst decisions the writers ever made. They were introduced as a means of acknowledging that there were at least 30 or so other survivors in the background, and sort of flesh out what those other survivors have been up to all this time, while also bringing new faces into the fold, but something about them just didn’t quite fit. Most blamed the backlash due to the treatment of their introduction to the show as being too sudden, but I think it was more so that they simply were not given enough to do and therefore their presence as part of the cast seemed pointless.

There were certainly some standout episodes. Early in the season, an Eko-centric (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)episode focused on him confessing his sins, repenting for the things he had done, and essentially being judged by the smoke monster, something Ben would later do in season 5. Ultimately, he refuses continue reading »

Lost– Season 2 Pushes the Boundaries

Filed under Lost, TV

Whereas season 1 of Lost brought this wide range of characters together, season 2 not only thickens the plot and the mysteries of the island, but from a character standpoint, it isolates them. This season takes the characters and boils them down to their cores. In a way, it even tortures and pushes many of them to the edge, an edge we did not know existed back in season 1.

New characters are introduced when Michael (Harold Perrineau), Sawyer (Josh Holloway), and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) wash ashore on the Tailies’ beach and trek across the island to reunite with the rest of the Oceanic 815 survivors. These new characters include Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez), Libby (Cynthia Watros), and Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Unfortunately, these new introductions to the cast instigated the abrupt death of Shannon (Maggie Grace), when Ana Lucia mistakenly shoots her in the jungle. Bummer.

I can’t say I really liked Shannon, but in a lot of ways I felt she good have been really great had she stuck around. With so many characters having  long back stories, it would have been interesting to see a younger character on the show significantly grow and change in the context of the events, and the spoiled leggy blonde growing into a tougher and more useful character would have been a good opportunity for that.

Personal thoughts aside, Shannon’s death triggered a great deal of season 2 events. Ana Lucia spent much of the season as an outcast dealing with the blood on her hands.  And as for Sayid (Naveen Andrews), he grew into a darker continue reading »

Gettin’ Back to Basics with ‘Lost’–Season 1 in Review

Filed under Lost, TV

What better time to go back and re-watch Lost from the beginning than right before the final season? Supposedly, this will be where the road ends, tying up the questions we’ve been asking for six years. Needless to say, watching season 1 is refreshingly easy. The only questions we’re forced to grapple with are what the hell is that monster chasing the losties through the jungle and what could be in that damn hatch? Outside of that, it’s just a real kick getting know these characters and piecing together each of their sordid pasts.

What was great about season 1 is that it really focused on the importance of characters. Sure, many viewers stuck around for 5 years because they desperately just have to know the answers to their burning questions, but ultimately, fans stuck around because Lost has one hell of a cast of characters to follow. More than that, it’s great to see the dynamics between these characters, and season 1 is responsible for providing a strong introduction to who these characters are, where they’ve been, what they’ve been through, and the relationships they form with one another.

It’s in season 1 where Jack (Matthew Fox) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) first form their rivalry [mostly revolving around Kate (Evangeline Lilly)] yet also become reluctant allies. Similarly, Jack and Locke (Terry O’Quinn) emerge as leaders with distinctly different opinions on their survival. As for the other characters, they all deal with their respective problems and pasts, while also dealing with their new circumstances of survival. Kate is a fugitive trying to hide her past, Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) is a has-been rock star trying to continue reading »