Listen: Firewall & Iceberg Podcast No. 65
Dan and Alan talk 'Mildred Pierce,' 'Bob's Burgers' and the 'Big Love' finale
Happy Monday, Boys & Girls.
Things are getting busy in TV Land -- not to be confused with getting busy *on* TVLand, because we're not really sure what's up with "Hot in Cleveland" -- so this week's podcast is jam-packed and things will only get more jam-packed in weeks to come.
On this week's docket: Discussion of the series finale of "Big Love" and the show's overall legacy, a review of HBO's "Mildred Pierce" miniseries, a review of Syfy's "Marcel's Quantum Kitchen," some words on "Bob's Burgers" and even a couple pieces of Listen Mail to answer.
Here's the breakdown:
"Bob's Burgers" -- 01:17 - 08:30
"Marcel's Quantum Kitchen" -- 08:30 - 18:20
"Mildred Pierce" -- 18:20 - 32:25
Listener Mail (stuff about supporting characters and plausibility of sketch comedy and sports on scripted shows) - 32:30 - 46:00
The series finale of "Big Love" - 46:00 - 01:03:55
As always, you can subscribe to The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast over at the iTunes Store, where you can also rate us and comment on us. [Or you can always follow our RSS Feed.]
And here's the podcast...
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login Signupzacharydaniel
March 21, 2011 at 4:22PM EST Reply to CommentI have the same fear about Game of Thrones. I hope they let the cast breathe and give it life. Do you know when you will get screeners?
chudleycannonfodder Do you think there will be a screener for the pilot?
March 21, 2011 at 4:27PM ESTM
March 21, 2011 at 5:28PM EST Reply to CommentWith regards to your supporting character discussion, David E. Kelley is notorious for letting them overtake his shows. Boston Legal, in particular, gave almost no screentime to great actors like Craig Bierko, Mark Valley, and Constance Zimmer so they could focus on guests like the transvestite, the aspergers guy, and the dwarf. Two of them were even made regulars. On Ally McBeal, Portia DeRossi joined the show at the beginning of season 2, but then had her entire character ("Sub zero Nell") pretty much handed over to guest star turned regular Lucy Liu. The fourth season spent so much time focusing on guests like Anne Heche and Taye Diggs that James LeGros who was added as a regular that season didn't even make it to season 5.
studioplant
March 21, 2011 at 5:31PM EST Reply to CommentThank you for helping me dodge the the Big Love bullet.
steak-eating oil rigger
March 21, 2011 at 5:39PM EST Reply to CommentHBO drama rankings:
1. The Wire
2. The Sopranos
3. Deadwood
4-infinity: Who cares? They've only ever had three good dramatic series.
Also, this was easily the most boring podcast you've done in awhile. A lot of (rightful) griping about mediocre HBO programming. Sorry. Next week looks great, though.
Susan Steak - No love for Six Feet Under? It didn't end strongly, but the first half of the series stands up very well.
March 21, 2011 at 6:48PM ESTlittle big man Alan Ball is a terrible showrunner, a terrible writer, and, judging from Tarantino's lawsuit, a terrible man.
March 21, 2011 at 7:14PM ESTAndre Six Feet Under didnt end strong(ly)?
March 21, 2011 at 7:29PM ESTMight have the greatest end of any series ever
Shitegeist Gotta give a shout out to Oz. That was a damn fine show.
March 21, 2011 at 7:39PM ESTrenton
March 21, 2011 at 6:46PM EST Reply to CommentHOW did you pronounce Chloe Sevingy's name???
She said in Esquire recently it was simply "seven-ee" -- like you were making an adjective out of seven.
camp jellyjam Try pronouncing it with a penis inside your mouth.
March 21, 2011 at 7:16PM ESTdan Renton - Wow. Caps *and* multiple question marks? You're really incredulous.
March 21, 2011 at 7:16PM ESTI think I pronounced her last name "Seven-yee," which is how I've pronounced it for years. If I'm off by a letter, I apologize to YOU, Renton.
-Daniel
Tausif Khan I have heard it pronounced (by other people on television) as Se-ving-yay. However Renton if you read an article with her phonetically spelling out her name I would go with that.
March 21, 2011 at 11:09PM ESTShitegeist
March 21, 2011 at 7:38PM EST Reply to CommentI'm genuinely delighted at your enthusiasm for Bob's Burgers. I've adored this show all season and think the kids are up there with the funniest things on TV right now.
Jamie
March 22, 2011 at 4:09PM EST Reply to CommentI was surprised not to see Lost mentioned in the supporting character discussion. In particular, I felt that Ben and Juliet and Desmond (or even John Locke as Smokey vs. him as John Locke), had a far greater impact than most of the main characters of the show.
mary
March 22, 2011 at 5:48PM EST Reply to CommentI agree with you about Big Love letting Bill get away without having to take any responsibility for all his over controlling behavior but then to be honest I was happy that finally someone did shoot him. But then to end it that everything was ok , it might of been more realistic to have them not doing so well at the very end. Especially if they give the credit for all that happiness to Bill anyway.I never understood the show because was it trying to show how all religious thinking people are crazy because that is what they showed very often. Like Barb not being able to break away from a situation she knew was very harmful to her and her own children. And the children they were the saddest element of the show. The other thing I thought about was that maybe Big Love lasted five years because of good timing wasn't it the only drama at HBO at the time when all the other dramas had ended. It filled the vacuum to bad it could be as good as the other shows.
rosengje
March 24, 2011 at 12:31AM EST Reply to CommentI have lots of problems with the way Alan discussed Mildred Pierce as compared to Dan (and it's not a matter of just wanting praise heaped upon it, as Dan was similarly mixed), but I do wish both of you had spent some time discussing the visuals and directorial touches Haynes imbued the project with. I know some find his style "overly indulgent," as Mo Ryan put it, but you cannot deny he is a significant, singular filmmaker. It feels like a missed opportunity not to have discussed the project's more overtly cinematic elements.
Unless, that is, we're still going with the whole "tv is not a visual medium" thing...
sepinwall If great visuals are married to a great story and characters, like on Breaking Bad, then I view them as an extra treat. If there's a good-looking project that I find boring and hate almost all the characters in, then I don't particularly care about the director's visual style.
March 24, 2011 at 7:13AM ESTIn general, I find Haynes to be an exceptional mimic, but what he chooses to mimic is usually not of great interest to me.
rosengje Sorry, what exactly is he mimicking in Safe? Or Poison? Or Superstar?
March 25, 2011 at 12:42AM ESTAdmitted Haynes defensiveness aside, I'm just suggesting that visuals are an incredibly important component in a project such as this, and I felt that it was a glaring absence for them not to have been discussed. Just based on all of your comments I've read thus far, I have no sense of the look of this take on MILDRED PIERCE, which can be useful in informing both the tone and characterizations of the project. I truly just want to know what I'm in for.
sepinwall He hasn't always been a mimic. But there's been a fetishized quality to most of his work going back at least to Far From Heaven, if not Velvet Goldmine.
March 25, 2011 at 7:08AM EST