What Are You Currently Watching (on tv/dvd)?

[Ian]

Wicked Science. Well, it turns out there's a reason I didn't remember much Toby/Elizabeth stuff in season 1 after all. Barely a week after Toby took such a significant step in her direction, Elizabeth manages to screw it up royally and worsen their relationship even worse than before, allowing Dina to provoke her into a retaliation that goes out of control and actually threatens Dina's life. While clearly not intentional, it's enough for Toby to flip his lid and not so much push as shove her away again, telling her she's sick and that he'll never like her. Ouch. And they've barely interacted since, which is frustrating on a character level but also very much detrimental to the show. I don't care if they're getting along or at each other's throats, they're just much more interesting together. And it seems my memory was right after all and they didn't really twig that till season 2. Bummer.

[fish]

...they're just much more interesting together...

Sounds like the writers were just making it up as they went along and didn't have the long term planned.

[Ian]

It makes me wonder how far in advance of production the scripts were written. Often in TV actors bring things to the characters and relationships that aren't necessarily on the page, only to end up being better than what was originally envisaged. Perhaps it was simply down to that - the actors having more chemistry than could have been predicted ahead of time, so they just went more in that direction the next time out.

I was watching a 1991 episode of The Bill earlier- and there was this teenage lad in it under arrest. Didn't recognise him. Not in the slightest. Not even a flicker.

And then the credits roll and it's bloody Jonny Lee Miller (Sherlock in Elementary!). I was like, "What?" I actually went back and watched his scenes again and I still don't recognise him!

[fish]

...the actors having more chemistry than could have been predicted ahead of time...

Yeah, fair call.

I was probably just having a "missing Amy" day.

[Ian]

We all have those.

[Ian]

Some more 2004 Neighbours episodes, and some really great stuff I don't remember at all (which shows how long it's been!)

Sky's jealousy is written all over her face when Stingray starts asking Lana about her date, and she's clearly not at all disappointed when Lana later admits to her that it was a disaster because she was so uncomfortable. But it all gets a bit beyond the pale when Sky goes so far as to answer Lana's phone and actually blow the other girl off when she's looking for a second date. Wow. Of course, she insists she did it for Lana's benefit, which literally no one is buying.

Stingray is actually a real star in these episodes, actually becoming real friends with Lana (it's so cute how thoroughly charmed and disarmed she is by him, admitting to Sky that she thought he was a total bogan when they first met but now she thinks he's really sweet), comforting a shattered Serena (who's still deeply freaked at finding the guy she was about to sleep with is her half-brother - eww!), and, best of all, totally seeing through Sky and calling her out on being jealous. Sky's reaction to that almost makes it seem she's moved from Oblivious to Total Denial - a week ago she'd have laughed at that suggestion, but instead she flips out and gets really defensive. 

I must admit, I initially thought Lana was being a bit oblivious, but after the next episode, guess not. On one of their little private movie nights, where Sky continues to exhibit bizarrely contradictory behaviour, first draping her foot over Lana's in what totally looks like possessiveness, but then trying to make up for her earlier faux pas by suggesting a great date Lana and this girl could go on, Lana's finally had enough and just tells her flat-out that it sounds great, but she'd rather go on it with her, "you and me". Sky is taken off guard and speechless, and Lana's courage deserts her again and she makes her apologies and hastily withdraws. But later on with Sindi, she moves from castigating herself for being so stupid to listing all of Sky's weird recent behaviour and finally concludes that she's not crazy, and that she thinks Sky really does like like her, but is "just scared".

Well, I think she's half-right. It's pretty obvious by this point that Sky does have feelings for her, but I don't think she's at "scared" yet, just Denial. You can drown in that river in Egypt, you know, Sky... 

[fish]

Help me!
Help me!
Save me!

I'm starting to get interested in a soapie and I'm feeling unclean.

[Ian]

It's had its moments. And those two and that storyline was certainly one of the best.

[Ian]

Wicked Science, season 1 eps 23-26. While I must admit to being a bit disappointed in a lot of the second half of this season, the final four episodes were much more like it for me. The stakes are high and the chips are down when Toby finally figures out exactly how he and Elizabeth were turned into geniuses, and how to reverse it - and intends to do just that to Elizabeth. But when his trap fails and Elizabeth realises what he was trying to do, she'll go to any lengths to get that same info. These episodes were actually very good, and almost seem designed as a series rather than season final (albeit with a slightly open end), with brown stuff hitting the fan all over the place. I'm looking forward to season 2 now!
I must confess, cough, that while I'm not normally one for the bad girls - much prefer the nice girls - I'd let Elizabeth drag me to the dark side any day of the week.

[fish]

...while I'm not normally one for the bad girls - much prefer the nice girls...

It's almost as if Ian is so inundated with offers that he gets a choice.

[Ian]

Happens all the time in my head.

One thing I found very interesting in one of the last episodes of Wicked Science season 1 was Toby's admission to his friends that the genius "flashes" he (and Elizabeth) gets are almost like a compulsion, like whatever idea he gets he has to create/build, even if it's crazy. I'm not sure that's really been clear before, but it makes so much sense, both in terms of why Toby's so wary of his abilities and would be happy to get rid of it, but also for Elizabeth. I mean, Toby's done stupid things because of it, and aside from being a little immature, he's a relatively well-balanced lad. Elizabeth was clearly troubled and unhappy and dealing with some serious anger issues beforehand, so it makes it even more understandable why she's so out of control with it.
I found that really psychologically fascinating, the idea that it's almost like them having to have their fix from a drug or something. Though you'd think Toby would be a little more understanding of Elizabeth as a result... but like I said, slightly immature.

[fish]

Happens all the time in my head...

So this is the genius that is Ian.

[Ian]

More Neighbours 2004...

We're back to a refrain of "poor Lana" this week, who just cannot seem to win. Lana tries to be a good friend and pushes Sky into making up with Boyd, only to be clearly less than thrilled when she does, and looks as though she might throw up when she spies them making out in Sky's car. Actually, I had a similar reaction, which is weird, cause I've enjoyed them together for most of this season, but now it just feels icky. Boyd's later suggestion of a double date has to go down in the List of Bad Ideas. He seems oblivious to how obviously uncomfortable Sky is throughout, but Lana's date is less blind, and takes a few hours to drop Lana cold, because she can see how much she's in love with Sky. Lana tries to deny it, of course, but to no avail, with the girl noting that when Boyd put his arm around Sky, "you looked like you wanted to punch him."  However she warns her that Sky will break her heart.

And then Sky goes and does just that. Having seemed to be on the verge of self-realisation, she plunges right back into denial and decides her recent jealousy was just insecurity over their friendship. She seems happy with this self-justification, but then for some truly WTF bizarre reason decides to go and tell Lana all about it, a conversation that starts with her admitting to being jealous and then even calling Lana her fricking soulmate before ending with the "but not like that!" refrain. You can see Lana's eyes light up with hope at the start of this one-sided ramble, only to then get utterly crushed. This ramble ends with Sky looking thoroughly cheerful at being back in Denial, while Lana looks like she wouldn't mind chucking herself in Lassiters Lake. WTF Sky. 

Poor Lana. Bridget Neval continues to do fragility, vulnerability and quiet suffering so well that she can break your heart just with a single look.

[fish]

...denial...

So, she's leapt into that big river in Africa again, eh?

[Ian]

More Neighbours 2004... I must admit, this is the point where things start to go downhill, because we hit Cop-Out Central. Sky finally kisses Lana, only to backtrack at about a million miles an hour, but not before her relationships with both Lana and Boyd are shattered. This sudden backtracking cop-out to an otherwise perfectly - and beautifully - executed build-up is still just as disappointing as it was then, and I'd argue that this sudden cowardice is just as much the start of the 2005 downfall as the Lassiter's Fire was.

On a purely narrative/character level, it still just about works from today's POV of knowing - rather than just suspecting - how full of crap Sky is. I didn't remember, for instance, that Sky already knows that Lana is leaving in just over a month, so that certainly adds another layer - besides the obvious "just not ready" Fear Factor - to her backtracking. Lana notes that "it's all in here" (her head) for Sky, and that "she cares more about ideas than people." It's an assessment made in anger, of course, but it's one Boyd has made before, and it certainly fits with Sky's sudden 180 here, particularly her sudden decision that it's Boyd she wants (when she's been quite happy to all but ignore him since Lana arrived, and indeed will drop him quite easily not long after she leaves). My sympathy for Sky is fairly limited here, honestly. It's one thing to be Oblivious, it's one thing to be in Denial, but to be in Denial to the extent you've got your head up your backside and are hurting those around you....

Lana, on the other hand, continues to be heartbreaking. She clearly thinks all her Christmasses have come at once when Sky kisses her, and she's not just heartbroken but utterly furious when Sky performs her "it was a mistake" ritual, telling her she no longer wants to be friends with her, and that Sky needs to leave her alone now so she can get over her, at first in the heat of the moment and then the next day in a much more quiet and dejected manner. But she's Lana, so not only is she still clearly in love with her anyway, but she's also incredibly kind, so within two days she's seeking Sky out to forgive her anyway, apparently resignedly deciding that she'd rather be relegated to being the gay best friend than nothing. Boyd angrily accuses her of caving to whatever Sky wants, and while he's being kind of a jerk at the moment, he's not wrong. Poor Lana.

In fact, aside from Lana, the only other person actually being really sympathetic is actually Serena (of all people), who goes out of her way (before any of this happens) to finally apologise to Lana for what she did to her when she found out she was gay, make things right with her and renew their friendship, and then later tries pleading Sky's case with her and Boyd. She's gained some brownie points back, at least, even if no one else has...