TV Meme: Day 4 - Favorite Show Of All Time.

This was, by far, the hardest to choose. Let me explain. I really don't have a "favorite show of all time." I have shows that I love, but they're all about equal. Usually what happens, especially recently, is that I watch a few shows devotedly and then move on to the next handful of shows to watch devotedly. I rarely if ever go back and re-watch shows, especially the more dramatic ones (24, LOST, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, etc.). So that can hardly mean a show is my favorite. It would mainly be a "which show did I like more at the time?" Which, again, is an impossible choice. History shows that, of course, you're going to love your most recent obsession because it's the freshest in one's mind. That's why people always say their favorite movie of all time is something they saw recently. Also, I didn't want to choose a show for this that I was gonna choose for another day's topic (for instance, the "Favorite Childhood Show").

So what did this mean for me? This meant that I wanted to choose a show that I've not only loved in the past but still love now and would watch it if given the chance. It needs to be a show of which I've seen episodes multiple times. It needs to be a show with good stories and great characters. And there were only a handful (besides the one I'm choosing) that fell into this category. And those include the following:

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (actually my choice up until about 5 minutes ago)
• Avatar: The Last Airbender (which I'm actually currently re-watching)
  
• Heroes (Mainly just Season 1, which I own)
• Family Guy (only falling into this category based on its rewatchability)

But I decided to change some things around. I'm going with a show I haven't watched in a long time, mostly because they don't air it anymore. But it was a show I watched religiously growing up and then again with reruns for years. It was actually going to be my "Favorite Childhood Show," but I'm going to change that answer to something else so I can use it here. And what is this show, you may ask?


Boy Meets World. That's right, the 90s sitcom starring Fred Savage's little brother (Ben). I absolutely loved this show and wish they'd still run re-runs. For those of you unacquainted (how dare you), let me introduce the show to you. The show followed sheltered Cory Matthews and his misadventures and relationships with family and friends. Really, the show had what I like to call its "3 Lives." There were 3 different overall feels to the show depending on the ages of the characters. Let me now go into the 3 different lives.

The First Life

This was its really early stuff, which is mostly the stuff I really didn't care for in the show. I was more of a fan of its second and third "lives." This first life was your basic 90s sitcom. Every episode had a different theme and ended with some moral lesson for kiddos. Luckily, the show turned away from this tone and style pretty fast, but not without its inconsistencies (which I'll get to later on). But this first life introduces us our main batch of characters. Cory's parents were pretty straight-forward parents named Alan (William Russ) and Amy (Betsy Randle), with more of the interesting stories going to Alan. Let's not forget his older brother, the ever-so-cool Eric (Will Friedle). He also had a little sister, Morgan (Lily Nicksay/Lindsay Ridgeway). Cory's best friend Shawn (Rider Strong) was a tough kid who lived in a trailer park with his dad, Chet (Blake Clark) and every-now-and-then mom, who was sometimes there and sometimes run-away. And, of course, we had everybody's favorite, Cory's Principal/teacher/next-door neighbor, Mr. George Feeny (William Daniels).

Cory also seemed to have a few random friends in these early days that we really never saw again. These early shows also introduced us to a few strange kids. The first was named Stuart Minkus (Lee Norris), who was just the smart, snooty kid that nobody liked. Then there was the vastly more important Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel), who, during these years, was just a very strange hippie child with no overall purpose except to be very strange. Oh, and Eric had a friend named Jason Marsden, who was played by Jason Marsden (is it just me, or did he essentially play a friend in almost every TGIF show?). You might not recognize Jason Marsden if you're not a child of the 90s, but you'll almost definitely recognize his voice. Check his imdb.

This "First Life" only lasted one season, thankfully. It's basically their 6th grade year. There really wasn't too much to it. It wasn't overtly interesting, and the cheesy moral lessons at the end brought it down a few notches. But, as I've said, it moves on into its "Second Life" pretty quickly.

The Second Life

This part of the show, starting second season and around 7th grade, really changed the overall tone and feel of the show.

There was an introduction of the school bullies, who were actually in the show a lot less than you might remember (all except one, anyway). These included Harvey 'Harley' Keiner/Griffin 'Griff' Hawkins, Joey the Rat, and (really, the only important one) Frankie Stechino (Ethan Suplee).

There were a few major teachers introduced during these years, too, including Eli Williams and, more importantly, Mr. Jonathan Turner (Anthony Tyler Quinn). Mr. Turner played a cool, motorcycling English teacher who essentially adopts Shawn. See, starting this season, Shawn's mother runs off, and his dad goes after him, leaving Shawn with nobody to raise him. This season, Shawn has also turned into quite the cool kid, but a real troublemaker at the same time. He stays with Cory's family for a while before Mr. Turner decides to take him in, thinking he can handle him. The relationship that's built between Shawn and Mr. Turner is an excellent one and ends in quite a tear-jerker where Mr. Turner has a motorcycle accident and ends up in a body cast. Shawn's in tears, thinking he's gonna die, but Mr. Turner squeezes his hand, showing he lives. Unfortunately, that's the last we ever see of Mr. Turner.

Somewhere in this transition, Eric turns from the cool ladies man into a complete goofball (to put it nicely). And, actually, I much prefer goofball Eric. He was a hilarious character and one of my overall favorite characters. In many ways, Greek's Cappie reminded me a lot of Eric, except Cappie is less goofy and stupid. During all of this, Eric gains a mentor/mentee relationship with Mr. Feeny that's both hilarious and heartwarming. There's an episode later on in the show where Feeny is retiring and moving away, and Eric--in a real puppy dog style--asks if he can go, too (though obviously Feeny doesn't stay away).

Also, starting around the third season, Cory and Topanga start dating. Apparently, they had known each other since they were toddlers and were soul mates. To get around the major plot hole that would have been the first season, they explain that Eric told Cory girls had cooties, which broke up their friendship for just long enough to get around the fact that Cory once thought Topanga was too weird to even be near, much less like. But this relationship will last the remainder of the show, eventually resulting in marriage. Of course, there are break-ups and make-ups (like the whole Lauren plot or the moving to Pittsburgh plot), but everybody always knew they'd end up together.

There's also a "lost" episode during this time. After one of their break-ups, Cory goes into a depression and gets drunk and arrested with Shawn. Shawn turns into a bit of an alcoholic for a little while, but gets yelled at by Cory's dad and a couple friends and stops drinking. It's a powerful episode, but it was actually deemed--at the time--as too adult and heavy, so there was a time when they actually refused to air the episode.

Then comes the very end of the "Second Life" (parts of which I included in the previous summaries, but still...). These include the latter years of high school and some new characters are introduced. We're given Angela Moore (Trina McGee) who becomes Shawn's major on-and-off-again love interest for the rest of the show. We're also given Jack Hunter (Matthew Lawrence), Shawn's half-brother. Eventually, Eric moves out of his parents' house to go to college and needs a roommate. They stumble upon Jack, who is also looking for a roommate. And, needless to say, they begin rooming together. And for a while, Chet forces Shawn to live with them to get to know his half-brother better. That is... until Rachel shows up. But that's in the "Third Life."

This "life" ends with high school graduation and Topanga asking Cory to marry her. Of course, the season ends without him giving an answer (which is yes, of course).

The Third Life

These are the college years. Season 5 (which was the last season of Second Life) throughout the rest of the show were my favorite parts, honestly. They were some of the best the show had to offer. The sixth season picks up as Shawn is kicked out of the apartment/dorm when Eric and Jack decide to help Rachel (Maitland Ward), a tall redhead who just left her boyfriend. Most of the comedy between these three for the rest of the show is fighting over Rachel, as they both have a crush on her.

Of course, everybody ends up at the same University (Pennbrook), including Mr. Feeny, who eventually becomes a professor there and gains a love interest of his own (the Dean). Shawn moves in with Cory, while Topanga rooms with Angela. That is, until Cory and Topanga get married, then Cory and Topanga get their own place. And Cory's parents end up having another baby, Joshua, who is born prematurely and nearly dies, but makes it. There's also a little subplot in here where Eric takes care of this orphan kid and thinks about adopting him, but decides it would be in the kid's best interest if he has a real, regular family. And also, Shawn and Jack's father (Chet) dies during this time, though makes a couple appearances as a spirit figure throughout the show.

In the end, Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Eric move to New York as Topanga gets a huge internship at a major law firm. Angela ends up moving to Europe with her father to a military/R.O.T.C. thing. And Jack and Rachel join the Peace Corps to go to Guatemala. While the series finale is essentially just a flashback episode where they're remember everything over the course of the show, it does have one hell of a tearjerker ending. They all go back to their high school classroom and find Mr. Feeny. They all give him a hug, crying, and leave. Eric keeps asking Feeny to tell them he loves them, but Feeny refuses. The show ends when everybody leaves the room and Feeny looks around, sad. He declares "I love you all" then turns off the light and leaves. It was a great way to end the show.

Inconsistencies

I said earlier that there were inconsistencies in the show, and there are quite a few, mostly to the fault of the early years and the major turn of the show's direction. There are tons more than I'm gonna even mention here. For instance, early on in the show, Shawn has a step-brother (or something like that) that's in one episode. There's also an episode where Shawn says they can call his sister for advice, which they do. Later, it declares Shawn as an only child, not even a step-brother. And then, of course, Jack negates this again later (though this one is a bit more forgivable considering Shawn wasn't supposed to know about him). There's an episode or two where Topanga has an older sister, but later has no sister.

Then there's the whole "Morgan" issue, though that's handled hilariously. The the first half of the show, Morgan is played by one young actress. But the character disappears from the show for quite a while. Then, randomly one episode, Morgan walks down the stairs, older and played by another young actress, and declares something along the lines of "Wow, that's the longest I've ever stayed in my room."

Similarly, a lot of characters disappeared from the show, which they handle in very funny ways. Around high school graduation (the end of the 5th season), Stuart Minkus shows up and brings back the rivalry against Topanga for Valedictorian (that's another inconsistency in and of itself. At the start of the show, Topanga was not a brainiac. That came in later). But they have an interaction along the lines of "Minkus! Wow, it's been a while." And his answer is something similar to "Yeah, I've been at the other end of the hall." And then he calls down the hall "Hey Mr. Turner! Mr. Williams!" Of course, you never see them, but it was a really funny way to try and tie up those loose ends.

Then there's the "bully" debacle. There was an issue with the actor who played Harley, so they decided to replace him with another actor. However, that just confused viewers, so they changed his name to Griff and said Harley went to jail or something like that. Though there is a great episode where Harley and Griff meet.

I know there are even more, but this article is already going on long enough, so I'll wrap it up.

Conclusion

I used to quote this show constantly, and I used to be able to relate any current issue or situation to an episode of Boy Meets World (now I do that with Harry Potter). It had great characters, great episodes, great comedy, and sometimes, great drama. All in all, it was just a great show. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but no show is. As I said, the latter half of the show was my favorite, though seasons 2-4 had some really good moments, as well. I'm just not an overall fan of the first season (but I wouldn't be able to tell you any fan of this show that is). And that's my favorite show of all time. I shall leave you with this:

TV Meme: Day 3 - Favorite New Show From This Past Season.

Today's was the easiest to figure out thus far. There were no runners-up... mostly because I've really only watched one new show of this past season. But even if I hadn't this one would still have made the list. Now, I'm not sure how much rule bending I'm doing here. The last season was technically the Spring season and the show started in the Fall season. However, the entirety of Season 1 lasted from the Fall season throughout the Spring season, so I think it counts. And if it didn't, well... I'd have to skip this day as there aren't any others for me to choose from. So deal with it.

What show am I speaking of? Glee, of course! And no, it is NOT High School Musical: The TV Show. For those of you living under a rock, Glee is about a high school Glee Club, where they sing and dance to popular music. And the greatest thing? These aren't Disney wannabe-pop stars on this show. The majority of the cast is riddled with Broadway performers and the like, so these guys can actually sing and perform. So let me run you through our main cast of characters.

First there are the adults. Of course we have Will Schuester, the guy who runs the club. He was in the Glee Club when he was in high school and thought they were some of the best moments of his life, so he decided to start one up himself now that he's a teacher. Though he ends up with a band of misfits--the outsiders of the school--but we'll get to them later. Then there is Sue Sylvester (played brilliantly by Jane Lynch), the Cheerleader/Dance Squad coach who loathes Will and will do anything in her power to see the Glee Club go down in flames. She even sends some of her Cheerios (as she calls them) to infiltrate the club and try to bring it down from the inside. There's also Emma Pillsbury, the germophobic school counselor that Will has a crush on (despite being married... at least at the beginning of the show). And finally the school principal, Principal Figgins, who tries to be fair but usually ends up manipulated by others, specifically Sue, to go against Will.

But the show is nothing without the students. First is Rachel, a pushy diva-type who wants to be a star. Then comes her main love interest, Finn, who has trouble with the manliness factor of the Glee Club seeing he starts off the show as a football player. But he also talks his best friend and fellow jock Noah "Puck" Puckerman into joining along with him. There's the token black girl with weight issues, Mercedes, and her friend--the (at first) closeted gay kid, Kurt. There's the kid in the wheelchair, Artie. The Asian loner girl, Tina. There's the Asian dance-master who really is just kind of in the background for the entirety of the show, Mike. Oh, and there's another guy who almost never even gets a speaking role (even less than Mike) named Matt. And that's the original bunch. But after Sue sends in her infiltration, we also get Quinn Fabray, who is essentially the most popular girl in school and the head of the Cheerios... until she gets pregnant by who at first we believe to be Finn, but later realize the truth. And, finally, there's the fiery Santana and her best friend, the incredibly dim Brittany.


The entire first season takes place over the whole school year, which makes me wonder (like Greek) how the show can last with the same kids/characters. After a couple years, they'll have to get a new bunch, which might be difficult since we're all so involved with this group. And we really are involved. The whole thing is almost like a light soap opera. Between marital issues with Will, love triangles, teen pregnancies, rivalries, personal dilemmas to overcome (being outcasts, being gay, etc.)... you really connect with these characters. And, yes, the show is greater-than-life in how some things are handled, especially early on in the season. But as the show progresses, they take things much more seriously and the tone can easily go from lighthearted to dead-serious in a snap. Don't believe me? Just check out the Joss Whedon-directed episode, "Dream On," specifically the scene where Finn gets aggravated with Kurt and starts insulting him (specifically in dealing with his homosexuality), only to have Kurt's dad--who has struggled with his son's sexuality--come down and yell at Finn and protect his son, all the while Kurt is in tears. It's a powerful scene.

But how can I talk about this show and not get into the music? The music is, of course, the heart of the show. Essentially what they do is find a basic theme for an episode and then usually find songs that go with that theme. For instance, there's an episode where every song has the word "Hell" or "Hello" in it, or another episode that's purely Madonna, or one where they have songs about following your dreams (the aforementioned "Dream On"). But what is so amazing about the show is how well the songs work into the story. Because, like most musicals, the songs encapsulate the emotions of the characters and move the story forward. So finding a group of songs that are related to each other by a certain theme but also not only telling how a specific character is feeling, but moving the stories of both that episode and the overarching story forward... that's an amazing feat in and of itself.

So, yes, this is definitely my favorite new show of the past season (or so), and I definitely recommend you watch it if you have not. If not for anything else, for Jane Lynch's brilliant performance as Sue Sylvester. She's downright hilarious, and the show would not be the same without the rivalry between her and Will (and on top of that, she's not a static villain. There are layers to her, which you see a few times throughout the season, but which really come to fruition in the last few episodes of the season). So yeah. Glee. Watch it.

(P.S. Also... Glee has one of the greatest "previously on..." recap styles ever. Seriously.)

New Poll: Favorite Possible Movie Character Spin-Off.

While you're taking a break from all my awesome posting, TV Meme or otherwise, I have something for you to do. I promise, it won't take too long!

Based on yesterday's amazing article in which I detail 10 Possible Movie Character Spin-Offs, I have created a poll asking you which ones you would most like to see. You can choose more than one if you'd like, but which ones were the most interesting and/or fun-sounding to you? It's off to the right of this in the sidebar. So vote and let me know! The poll will be up for 1 week.

TV Meme: Day 2 - A Show Needing More Viewers.

Welcome to Day 2 of the TV Meme where I will be discussing a show needing more viewers. This one was an easy choice for me, mostly, though it's a bit of a wasted discussion. Rachel used the same show for hers, though we're almost the only two people I know of that watched it. But I'll get to that in a minute, because I did have a runner-up.

The reason I didn't go with my runner-up is because of the massive format change for its third season. The show is called In Plain Sight and it's about a pair of U.S. Marshals that work for Witness Protection. Now, up until this season, the show did it right. It had great character interactions, great humor, and great stories. In fact, the second season was probably the best. Now, I can't say too much bad about the current third season since I've only watched about a third of it (mostly due to DVR issues). But the USA Network got new bosses who decided that they wanted to take the show and make it your run-of-the-mill procedural instead. They cut literally half of the main characters, added in some new ones, and made it essentially about the "witness of the week" instead of the personal lives of Mary and Marshall (the two main characters). The format changed completely, we're missing a couple wonderful characters, and some relationships that spent the entire second season building was almost for nothing now. Therefore, I'm not going to ask more people watch the show, except for maybe the first two seasons, which are great (again, not to say the third isn't... it's just... different).

Instead, I'm going to ask that you watch a show that is about to be canceled called Greek.

Greek has been going on for a few seasons now on ABC Family. I was a bit wary when I first went to watch it because, well, it was on ABC Family... and those shows tend to suck. But this one didn't. At all. The show is about a handful of young adults going to college and their adventures therein, usually involving the Greek System and sororities/fraternities. And we're basically given two main characters, each with their own story going on that usually end up intertwined. That's one of the cool things about the show is that these two completely different stories can be going on, and they'll go to each other for advice, and somehow whatever was going on in one story will spark inspiration or give help to the other... and you never see it coming. But anyway, on to the main characters.

First we have Rusty Cartwright, who is a major science nerd. It's his first year of college, and he wants to make a name for himself, to do all the wild party stuff he never did in high school... in other words, he wants to join a fraternity. During Rush (where they go around looking for where they wanna go), Rusty befriends Calvin, a former high school football player whose family has a Legacy with the rich Omega Kai fraternity... and he has a secret--he's gay. And yes, this ABC Family show is NOT afraid to show two guys kissing. Rusty also befriends (though not really at first) his dorm roommate Dale (Played amazingly by Clark Duke), who is a very southern, very religious, anti-everything (sex, homosexuality, etc.) kinda guy. Needless to say, Dale and Rusty don't exactly hit it off at first, with Dale constantly trying to save his soul (for partying and promiscuity) and the soul of his friend (for being gay). Anyway, Rusty ends up with the slummy party fraternity, the Kappa Tau's, run by slacker (and genius) Cappie. Calvin, on the other hand, ends up with the Omega Kai's, who are rivals with the Kappa Tau's mainly because of Cappie and the Omega Kai leader, Evan.

The second main character is Casey Cartwright, Rusty's sister, who is a few years older and has been at the college for a little while now. Along with her best friend Ashleigh, she's part of essentially the best sorority on campus, the Zeta Beta Zeta's (or ZBZ's, as commonly referred to). Now, Casey starts off the show in a pretty heavy relationship with Evan, and it isn't long before you discover that she used to date Cappie... and that Cappie and Evan used to be best friends. I'm sure you can figure out where the animosity came from.

There are other side characters, too; mainly the other people at the fraternities/sororities. But those are the main ones. I usually found myself more invested in the Rusty side of the episode, but that could be that I'm a guy and could identify more with another guy? Or maybe it's just that Rusty was more of the main character than Casey, so they focused more energy on his stories. Casey's stories were generally the same things over and over again, particularly later on in the show. Ashleigh was having some kind of boy problems and Casey was trying to find a way to save the house from utter doom. The only other real main characters I didn't mention were Frannie (who is only in the first season and a half of the show) and Rebecca Logan, a rich, snooty girl with quite a few problems of her own. But Rebecca's character got really strange later on in the show, as if the writers had no idea what to do with her after her main story arch completed.

(From Left to Right: Rebecca, Evan, Casey, Rusty, Cappie, Dale, Ashleigh, Calvin)

Anyway, Cappie is probably one of the best written characters on television. He's quite the slacker and has changed his major numerous times to the point he knows a lot of stuff, but not enough to graduate with any specific degree. He did this more early on in the show, but I always loved when he came out with some random bit of knowledge to show he's not just the dopey frat guy that he's made out to be. I always thought he should get into psychology or counseling, as he's constantly giving advice to Rusty and others. But we'll see. And his relationship with Casey is like the Luke and Lorelei of this show (bonus points if you catch the reference... and you should), though not as drawn out and in depth as theirs. But it's still a great one, you always wanting them to end up together. Dale is another great character, as well, who really evolves over the course of the show. In fact, almost all of the characters evolve immensely over the course of the show. The only one that struggles with change or growth is Rebecca, as--again--it seems the writers weren't sure where to take her.

Alas, though, the series is being canceled. But I have to agree with Rachel, who says it's probably a good thing. I mean, they can't keep coming up with excuses to keep the cast in college forever. Sure, Rusty, Calvin, Dale, and Rebecca could last a few more years, but Casey, Evan, and Ashleigh gotta move on. And who knows about Cappie, who never wants to leave. I just wouldn't want him to end up the Tommy Oliver of the show (extra bonus points if you know that reference), where everybody else is moving on, the rest of the cast is changing, yet he's one of the only originals left simply for being the fan favorite. Fortunately, though, ABC Family is giving it one last mini-season to wrap up the storylines it has left. This rarely seems to happen these days. But yeah, we'll be getting a 10-episode Season 4 that will hopefully give closure to the show and the characters.

As for now, I ask that you give Greek a try. It's an amazing show that way too few people watch. And if for nothing else, watch it for Clark Duke and his break-out role, because it's a truly hilarious one.

10 Possible Movie Character Spin-Offs.

With the recent release of the Forgetting Sarah Marshall spin-off, Get Him To The Greek, we seem to have begun the new Hollywood Trend. Remakes might not be out the door immediately, but now we can add the "spin-off" to the list. It was recently announced that Tom Cruise's character from Tropic Thunder, Les Grossman, will be getting his own movie. While both of these characters were funny in their respective films, we wonder if they can hold their own movies (according to those who have seen Greek, at least one of them can, apparently). But this made me raise the following question: Who's next? Or, rather, who could have the potential for a spin-off, what would it be, and would it even be very good? I've put together a list of 10 possible character spin-offs that could be in the foreseeable future... whether we want them or not.



Character: Uncle Rico
Portrayed By: Jon Gries
Original Film: Napoleon Dynamite
Tentative Spin-Off Title: Over the Mountains
Other Possible Cast Members: Some popular football players and/or celebs
Spin-Off Synopsis: After getting back together with his girlfriend at the end of Napoleon Dynamite, Uncle Rico realizes he needs now, more than ever, to make enough money to support the both of them. After moving to the big city, Uncle Rico goes back to his old ways of trying to scam people out of their money. His newest scam, selling what is essentially a steroids equivalent, ends him up in the penthouse of whatever famous football player the movie can afford. The football player, impressed with the product, pimps out Uncle Rico to his team, where he tells all his glory day stories. And instead of taking money, Uncle Rico is given the option of playing for the team in exchange for his product. But how long will it be before his new companions realize his scams and that he cannot, after all, throw a football over the mountains?



Character: Elias
Portrayed By: Trevor Fehrman
Original Film: Clerks II
Tentative Spin-Off Title: Trip to the Bay
Other Possible Cast Members: Mostly major cameo appearances.
Spin-Off Synopsis: Working at the video store wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. With people constantly coming in requesting the likes of Transformers 2 because of how amazing they say it is, Elias is fed up with the people. So when he hears of the upcoming Transformers 3, he wants to do something about it. Fellow businessmen Jay and Silent Bob reiterate a time when they traveled to Hollywood to stop a movie they didn't want made, which sparks Elias' sense of adventure. Elias must find a way to travel all the way to L.A., whether via bus or hitchhiking, to find Michael Bay and stop him from destroying his much-loved franchise. In the process, much antics ensue, such as getting involved with a Live-Action Role Playing (LARP) game and arguing whether or not The Hobbit prequels will be better than the Star Wars prequels. Not to mention once he actually gets to L.A., will he be able to survive morally in a city so full of immoral people?



Character: Steve the Pirate
Portrayed By: Alan Tudyk
Original Film: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Tentative Spin-Off Title: The Exciting Adventures of Steve the Pirate
Other Possible Cast Members: N/A
Spin-Off Synopsis: After discovering a map in the locker room of his much-loved gym, Steve the Pirate finds himself on a journey to find a secret treasure. But was this really fate, or was it a long-planned revenge from an old foe? (Yeah, this was my least thought-out one.)



Character: Brick Tamland
Portrayed By: Steve Carell
Original Film: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Tentative Spin-Off Title: Anchorman Zero: The Rise of Brick
Other Possible Cast Members: Returning cast from Anchorman, sans Will Ferrell (maybe cameo at end)
Spin-Off Synopsis: The untold story of how Brick came to work at the famed San Diego news station and how he fared before the arrival of 70s celebrity Ron Burgundy. This includes many rivalries not only at his own station, but at other stations around town.



Character: Kuzzik
Portrayed By: Joe Lo Truglio
Original Film: Role Models
Tentative Spin-Off Title: No Place Like Foam
Other Possible Cast Members: Vincent Martella, Matt Walsh, Clark Duke
Spin-Off Synopsis: Kuzzik, who demands to be called Kuzzik at all times, gets fired from his job for constantly being late, being unproductive, and for just overall being weird. Because of this, he gets behind payment on his rent and worries that he'll end up homeless. But after seeing an online advertisement for a major L.A.I.R.E. (LARP) tournament in Canada with a hefty prize, Kuzzik and his fellow LARPers (Vincent Martella and Clark Duke) must take all the money they have left to make the trip, but that's not enough. Kuzzik must ask his enemy, Davith of Glencracken (Matt Walsh), to help. And he agrees... for mysterious reasons. So together they must all travel all the way to Canada with nothing but their fake weapons and the costumes on their backs. But tempers start to rise as the friends start getting tired of each other on top of the insanity of the reactions they get everywhere they go... and does any of it have to do with Davith? Is he really trying to help, or is he along to sabotage the team? Can they make it to Canada without beating each other senseless with foam swords? (Note: Potential tie-in with Clerks II Elias spin-off.)



Character: Fogell/McLovin
Portrayed By: Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Original Film: Superbad
Tentative Spin-Off Title: McLovin!
Other Possible Cast Members: Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Danny Trejo, Rick Gonzalez
Spin-Off Synopsis: Officers Slater and Michaels have been working heavily to lessen gang violence in their city. But when a Gang Lord (Danny Trejo) sees the officers hanging around Fogell, the gang (including member Rick Gonzalez) targets him as a way to get to the men attempting to bring them down. But Fogell, not being home at the time, lucks out... for now. But the gang finds his old driver's license in his room and uses it to hunt him down, just knowing his picture and his supposed name--McLovin.



Character: Jedediah & Octavius
Portrayed By: Owen Wilson & Steve Coogan (respectively)
Original Film: Night at the Museum (both)
Tentative Spin-Off Title: Jedediah & Octavius' Big Adventure

Other Possible Cast Members: Jonah Hill (perhaps reprising his role from NatM2), Ricky Gervais
Spin-Off Synopsis: After Larry Daley calls in sick, the museum curator (Ricky Gervais) must call in a last-minute replacement guard (Jonah Hill) from the day shift, who also happens to be new, and who doesn't exactly know the craziness of the night shift. After the museum comes to life, everything comes to life, but things go wrong. After a bird snatches up the two figurine buddies and flies them out, they end up in the middle of the big city. Now, Jedediah and Octavius must battle the dangers of the night and make it back to the museum before the sun rises, or else both of them will turn to dust.



Character: Dr. Kuni
Portrayed By: Ken Jeong
Original Film: Knocked Up
Tentative Spin-Off Title: Mixed-Up
Other Possible Cast Members: Whoever can pull off rich families... and J.K. Simmons
Spin-Off Synopsis: Dr. Kuni is under a lot of pressure. He's in charge of two major baby deliveries in one day, both for very rich and powerful families who just so happen to be business rivals. And when it's time for the kids to go home, Dr. Kuni gets the paperwork mixed up and the wrong babies go home with the wrong families. And after Dr. Kuni realizes his mistake, he knows he has to do something about it, but he can't do anything about it straight-up. Why? Because the hospital director (J.K. Simmons) tells him that one more big issue for the hospital could cause the hospital to lose major funding, and the reveal of the baby switch could also cause heavy repercussions between the families. Now Dr. Kuni must find a way to switch the babies without anybody finding out.



Character: Chazz Reinhold
Portrayed By: Will Ferrell
Original Film: Wedding Crashers
Tentative Spin-Off Title: Get Rich or Crash Trying
Other Possible Cast Members: Jay Baruchel
Spin-Off Synopsis: After Chazz gets arrested for funeral crashing, his whole life goes into a downward spiral. He realizes that he no longer found enjoyment out of wedding or funeral crashing. But while in jail, he meets a young man (Jay Baruchel) who is in much need of money to help his family. And when both get out, they devise a plan to amp up the game. Chazz can use his crashing experience to con rich families. He and his new protegee get involved with an elderly member of a rich family at the wedding of her grandchildren and try to get put in the Will... as the grandmother is close to death. But what Chazz didn't expect was fighting the moral obligations of his new protegee, as well as the friendships and relationships gained with the family.



Character: Gayle Sweeney
Portrayed By: Jane Lynch
Original Film: Role Models
Tentative Spin-Off Title: Saving Sturdy Wings
Other Possible Cast Members: A.D. Miles
Spin-Off Synopsis: The Sturdy Wings Program is in a lot of trouble. It's losing its funding due to increasingly difficult kids who can't keep their "Bigs." So now she must sink back into her old ways of drugs and sexual favors to find a way to get enough money to keep the program running. And she can't do this alone... she must also bring in the help of Sturdy Wings veteran Martin Gary (A.D. Miles), though can he handle the degradation and rough underworld that Gayle will pull him through?


So what are your thoughts on these potential spin-offs? Do you have any of your own you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments!

TV Meme: Day 1 - An Unfairly Canceled Show.

Well, here we go. It's the first day of this 30-day meme. Just as a forewarning, some of these choices were made on the basis of me not wanting to duplicate shows too much. For instance, I didn't want to choose the same thing for "Favorite Childhood Show" as I did for "Favorite Show of All Time." Also, my 'favorite' of anything changes constantly, so... yeah. But for most of these, I had to do internet searches to refresh my memory to whatever aspect it is I was looking for. Anyway, let's get on with the show (see what I did there?).

The first day asks me to talk about an Unfairly Canceled Show. This one wasn't particularly difficult after I did some searching and was reminded of some canceled shows that I enjoyed. There were three main choices that came to me, but of course I can only choose one. One of my runners-up was the show that did Heroes first and some might argue better, The 4400. But I wouldn't necessarily say it was unfairly canceled. By the end, the show was grasping at straws, and it was a summertime USA Network show that felt like it took multiple years to get to the next season. Despite that, the 4 or so seasons it lasted were good.

The second runner-up was another great show that I feel was very underrated, and that was the vampire detective show, Moonlight. It took an interesting look at vampire lore and spun it around a pretty unique premise--making him a private detective who ends up falling in love with a reporter. Sure, the dialogue was cheesy, but it was reminiscent of old-time noir films. However, again, not really an 'unfair' cancellation considering how few people watched it.

So that brings me to my choice, a choice I'm sure many people would agree with. And let's just say this: I don't own many TV shows on DVD, mostly because I hardly ever re-watch them, but I own the complete series of this (granted, I won it in a contest and, granted, it was only 2 seasons and a Direct-to-DVD movie, but still). And the show? Showtime's Dead Like Me.

This show was made by Bryan Fuller before he attempted Pushing Daisies (which was also canceled) and wrote some of the best episodes of the aforementioned Heroes (which was just recently canceled)... seriously, we think Joss Whedon has it bad, I feel worse for Bryan Fuller. Anyway, the premise is that a young woman named George dies after getting hit by a falling toilet seat from a space station and gets chosen to become a grim reaper. She must then cope with her afterlife and the ramifications and moral dilemmas of being said grim reaper while putting up with her co-workers and boss(es).

Her co-workers-in-death include Daisy, a pretty actress who has many-a-story on how she gave various famous people blow jobs; Roxy, a metermaid with an attitude; and Mason, a British drug addict. Her boss(-in-death) is Rube, a mysterious man with many metaphors and words of wisdom played by none other than Inigo Montoya himself, Mandy Patinkin. The interactions between Rube and George was, at least in my opinion, the glue that held the heart of this story together. He was tough when needed (and that was needed a lot), but also there for her when necessary.

George also had to keep up a regular job, as well, in order to make money (as grim reapers didn't get paid). So she works at a temp agency called Happy Time. Her boss, Delores Herbig (as in "her big brown eyes"), is a strange one, but she's hilarious. I think George's relationship with Delores is another bit of glue. There really aren't that many regular office personnel on the show except for Crystal, a quiet and very strange woman who works as secretary to the office. She's also one of the only living people that ever discovered anything about the grim reapers.

But then there's another side of the story. We also have George's old family. We're left with her dad, Clancy, who isn't around for too long, as he ends up having an affair and leaving his wife (and George's mom), Joy. Joy is a real hardass, though, and is always griping and complaining about stuff. However, she does grow as a character and get nicer and more understanding as the series goes on. But we also have George's little sister Reggie, who acts out in strange ways after her sister dies, which her parents (especially Joy) are not very happy about. George tries to contact her family numerous times, but continually gets in trouble for it and eventually pays some pretty rough consequences.

Overall, the show is very quirky, demented, funny, and full of heart. And it only lasted 2 seasons. But why? It was a much loved show, and the ratings weren't too bad. Well, I'll tell you why. There's been at least 2 reasons I've heard. The first is that the Showtime people got a new boss, and the boss wanted a completely new lineup. So most of the shows that were airing at the time, new or old, got canceled, including Dead Like Me. Talk about unfair. Here's the second reason, direct from imdb:

Bryan Fuller, creator of the show, left early in the first season due to conflicts with MGM Television, including disagreement over major script and storyline cuts considered important to the main theme. He stated that the "lack of professionalism... made it really difficult... it was like being at war... they were constantly trying to strong arm me. It was the worst experience of my life." According to Fuller, Showtime canceled the show due to "a loss of quality and a sense the problems would continue."

There had been talk for a while about bringing the show to regular television, but there's no way it would translate. With all the cussing, drugs, and serious talk of sex and blow jobs (all of which were part of its charm), I don't think it would have lasted very long outside of Showtime or HBO.

They did, however, decide to try and wrap things up with a Direct-to-DVD movie called "Life After Death," which... well... sucks. Their biggest mistake? Getting rid of Mandy Patinkin. That's right, Rube is nowhere to be seen in the movie. The basic plot is that Rube crosses over having met his soul quota and they get a new boss who really doesn't know how to run things right, pretty much trying to bring the downfall of the system. They don't even show Rube crossing over, and he gets merely a passing comment of what happened to him. Talk about a slap in the face. I mean, they do talk about him throughout the movie, usually in comparison to the new guy, but still. The next issue? They recast Daisy, and the new woman so didn't have the charm and ease that Laura Harris brought to the role. The next issue? The movie seemed to ignore at least half the rules set up by the show. I mean, the movie had its moments, but for the most part really was a slap in the face to the show and its fans.

Overall, this was a great show that was unfairly canceled, and it was not given the wrap-up it deserved. And if you have not seen this show, I definitely recommend you check it out.

TV Meme - Introduction.

Alright, y'all have talked me into it. And by "y'all" I mean Travis and Rachel. I saw this meme a little while back on another blog (can't recall which one), but then a couple days later I found it on Rachel's blog. And after that, Travis began doing it himself. I figured some of these would be way too much work to try and figure out... and I'm just way too lazy for that... but I need something to motivate me, so why not?

So starting tomorrow (why not today? Because I need a little bit of time to plan it out, and I don't feel like putting the first one up today) I will begin the TV Meme. What does this entail, you ask? Every day for 30 days I will post a TV-related article answering a specific question for that day. Here is the list of what goes on what day (this will be put on the sidebar, as well, for easy viewing):

Day 01 - An Unfairly Canceled Show
Day 02 - A Show Needing More Viewers
Day 03 - Favorite New Show From This Past Season
Day 04 - Favorite Show of All Time
Day 05 - A Show I Hate
Day 06 - Favorite Episode of My Favorite Show
Day 07 - Least Favorite Episode of My Favorite Show
Day 08 - A Show Everyone Should Watch
Day 09 - Best Scene Ever
Day 10 - A Show I Thought I'd Hate But Ended Up Loving
Day 11 - A Show That Disappointed Me
Day 12 - An Episode I’ve Watched More Than 5 Times
Day 13 - Favorite Childhood Show
Day 14 - Favorite Male Character
Day 15 - Favorite Female Character
Day 16 - My Guilty Pleasure Show
Day 17 - Favorite Mini-Series
Day 18 - Favorite Title Sequence
Day 19 - Best TV Show Cast
Day 20 - Favorite Kiss
Day 21 - Favorite Relationship
Day 22 - Favorite Series Finale
Day 23 - Most Annoying Character
Day 24 - Best Quote
Day 25 - A Show I Plan on Re-Watching
Day 26 - Biggest Season Finale Shocker
Day 27 - Best Pilot Episode
Day 28 - First Show Obsession
Day 29 - Current Show Obsession
Day 30 - Saddest Character Death

Will some of my answers be similar to those of my compadres? Most likely. But only because we share awesome taste, not because I'm stealing from them. Anyway, watch out for tomorrow. Day 1 begins with... An Unfairly Canceled Show.

Podcast: The Demented Encyclopedia #11 - The One That's A Musical.

That's right... there's singing. Lots of it. And we're very, very sorry. Join Travis and I as we each look at 5 of our favorite musicals (in no particular order) via song. And once that's all over and done with, we have a very brief Reality Round-Up, and it's most likely the last one since the shows are over now. Then we have some recommendations and, finally, the only reason you all actually listen to this show--the Mono-Dia-logue of the Week. Travis goes Agent Smith while I, well... digress back into song. Hope you enjoy the episode.

Editing this particular episode was a pain in the ass, as I had to link up lyrics with music... and that usually didn't want to cooperate, so a few things were cut or added here or there (I had to take a bit of creative control over the songs). There was also a lot of unimportant talking in between songs that was removed. In other words, my headache is now yours. Enjoy!

Note: I swear I'm saying "horrors" not "whores." Just thought I'd clarify.

Thanks goes out to Kevin MacLeod's Imcompetech Website for the music. Thanks also goes out to the writers/composers of the following films (in order): Little Shop of Horrors, Sweeney Todd, Aladdin, Mulan, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge!, The Lion King, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and West Side Story. As always, you can use the player above to listen to the podcast, or you can search iTunes, where we are also available for download. The earlier episodes are being removed from the player for space, but you can still always download them on iTunes. Also, please become a Fan on Facebook... then you can give us your input for the podcast and will probably end up on the show during the D-Bag segment. But as for now... enjoy!

SPLICE.

Warning: The following review is semi-spoilerous.

-------------

What is there to say about Splice? Well, I've been anticipating this movie for quite some time. My regular readers might know that I'm a long-time fan of director Vincenzo Natali, who directed one of my favorite movies--Cube. He also directed a great paranoid thriller called Cypher. Natali, like many directors, has his staples that come with every movie he does. One-word title... check. Actor David Hewlett... check. Slow reveals rather than jump scares... check. Ending where one character goes crazy, a well-liked character dies suddenly, and those remaining are left with an ambiguous ending and/or choice... check. The overall movie is very strange... check. Yeah, I could leave my review at that, but I won't.

The movie is about scientists and couple Elsa (Sarah Polley) and Clive (Adrien Brody). They work with splicing different DNA together to create new species in order to find proteins that might cure diseases. But when their company refuses to let them move on to human/animal hybrid splicing, Else and Clive decide to try it in secret. What they end up creating is Dren (Delphine Chaneac), a creature that grows into a feminine-like creature with animalistic features and tendencies. So Elsa and Clive have to try and keep it a secret from their bosses, including William Barlow (David Hewlett), as they study and grow to love their newest experiment.

From the first trailer (the teaser, I suppose), I thought this movie was gonna be pretty cool. Then the theatrical trailer came out, and it played it up like a straight horror/monster movie, and I became confused. I looked like straight-up Species, a mainstream horror film, and that is not the type of film Vincenzo Natali makes. So I figured that the trailer had to be misleading. Fortunately, it was. This is not a horror movie (except maybe the climax), but more of a... well... family drama--with monsters. Elsa and Clive go through everything with Dren that your average parent does. How do you feed it? What do you do when it's sick? How do you respond to temper tantrums? The film is more about our two leads growing as people as they discover what kind of parents they are with a more... abnormal child. Are there moments of suspense/tension? Yeah. But there are no jump scares, which is an insane rarity with any kind of movie dealing with this subject matter (monsters or children, these days, honestly).

The acting is done really well (and I particularly love David Hewlett as usual), but the standout is Delphine Chaneac as Dren. In what is basically a speechless role, she had to emote using her eyes and body language--and on top of that, she had to be both human and animalistic. There's really not all that big of a cast for this movie (again, which is pretty par for the course with Natali), though the guy they got to play Brody's brother was a great choice. Looks like they could really be brothers.

Before going into this movie, I had heard that the last 20 minutes or so kind of derails and gets very... strange. I have to say that I saw no derailment, as I saw practically all of it coming a mile away (not sure what that says about me, though... especially in one or two cases... like Clive's... moment). So I really didn't have any problems with any of it on an entertainment level, as I didn't think the last 20 minutes (or so) came from left field in the world the movie had set up.

The only major issues I had were with the character developments. Clive starts out early on wanting a child and Elsa doesn't. Then Dren comes along and Clive wants to kill it and Elsa loves it. Then Elsa starts going crazy and Clive starts to care for it. Honestly, I could go with Elsa's development easily, because they flowed well and they made sense. In fact, I liked it quite a bit. But Clive's development jumped all over the place. He shows interest in creating this thing, then immediately hates the idea and wants to destroy it. Then he wants to get rid of the creature for a good bulk of the movie before suddenly becoming attached to it. There was no real flow or reason for any of his major thought changes (except maybe one), so it was a bit off-putting to me at times. Regardless, I still enjoyed his character, especially once he started to care about Dren.

There's not much more I can say about the movie. It has some great cinematography (I particularly love the 'wings behind Clive' shot). Maybe I'm just really, really strange, but I didn't think any of the story was all that surprising, but it was still quite entertaining regardless. Like most of Natali's films, it'll probably split the audience. Some will love it. Some won't. But I recommend checking it out. After all... what's the worst that could happen?


A Keanu 'Whoa'

(P.S. I saw somewhere a while back where somebody made a MewTwo joke... which is hilarious. Well, if you were ever into PokeMon, anyway. But yeah, at times, there is quite a striking resemblance to both Mew and MewTwo...)

My First Year As A Teacher: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.

*sings*
School's... out... for... summer!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen... I survived my first year as a high school 9th grade English teacher! It's been one crazy year... almost everything going wrong and/or against me (with a few notable exceptions). So I want to look back on this past year, what was essentially one of the worst years of my life (and they actually tell you that when you're getting into teaching--that your first year will be the worst year of your life. Great pep talk, huh?). Let's check out the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY.

THE GOOD

- My students, for the most part, loved me and constantly told me how I was one of the greatest teachers they've ever had (Respect me? Not quite. But like me they did). I did get letters and whatnot from students, though, telling me how they like and/or appreciate me.

- I only had, I believe, 5 people fail the Reading TAKS test (TAKS is the statewide test they have to take. Every state calls it something different, but they have to take it thanks to the stupid "No Child Left Behind" Act). But 5 is a pretty good number, and the majority of those 5 aren't gonna pass anything they did this year in any class anyway.

- On a similar note, I had 18 students make Commended on their TAKS test (Commended means they did super well and/or close to perfect). This was more than even a teacher who has been teaching for many a year.

- I talked a student out of dropping out of school. Here's the story: This kid was refusing to do his work. I was finally sick of having to get on him to do his work, so I asked him why he wasn't doing anything. He started giving me attitude, so I took him out into the hall to talk to him alone. He was failing everything and had basically given up on school/life/whatever. Him and I had gotten along pretty well all year (despite some of his classmates not liking him too well). So he was able to open up to me. I could tell during our talk he was trying so hard not to cry, so I not only had to give him a pep talk, but try to make him laugh and whatnot at the same time. After about 10-15 minutes of solo talk, he went back in and did his work. He worked hard on that paper, too. And not only that, but I got him to bump up his grade in 2 other classes so that by the end of the year, he was passing at least 3 of his classes that he wouldn't have to retake next year. This was probably my favorite moment of the year.

- I did what was probably the coolest project idea ever and made two 30-minute(-ish) films with my students--The Odyssey and Romeo & Juliet. I probably ended up spending between 700 bucks between the two films, but hey... it was cool. And I actually had a kid who never does anything for anybody volunteer to stay after school to work on a project dealing with Shakespeare? How epic is that?

- I only had about 6 students fail the class this year, and practically all of them failed everything anyway, so it wasn't because of me.

- A girl had a baby and still passed my class... she worked so hard to get her work done despite being gone a lot, and she ended up passing. I think that's pretty cool.

- I actually had a girl cry--twice--in saying goodbye to me. I was like "Um... alright."

THE BAD

- I had literally THE WORST students this year. Seriously, I had a councilor actually apologize to me on multiple occasions for giving me the students I had. Every teacher might have 2 or 3 of the "worst students" in the school... yeah, I had all of them. I could hardly ever get a word in when I had to talk/teach because they never shut up. There were issues with climbing things; leaving the classroom without permission; throwing things (whether it be paper planes, paper balls, books and/or dictionaries); dumping out other students' backpacks; ripping other students papers up; yelling out the window; spraying a horrid Fart Spray; hiding under my desk; writing/drawing on desks, walls, bookshelves, or other furniture (these could be anything from gang signs to names to penises); constantly opening the door to look outside or talk to somebody outside the classroom; stapling their own skin; stapling other people's skin; tattooing other people without their permission with a make-shift tattoo pen; doing drugs (yes, I did hear drug stories, primarily when there were subs, but I smelled weed a few times in the vicinity of the window once or twice); sexually harassing each other; sexually harassing me; stealing from me or other students (because, hey, it was there, they were there... so why not? But really, you have no idea how much got stolen or taken without permission over the course of the year. It's ridiculous); setting fire to themselves; stripping off their clothes; throwing their clothes across the classroom (I never thought I'd ever have to say "stop throwing your pants across the room and put them back on"... and I had to do that more than once, and in more than one class); destroying classroom materials or furniture; squirting each other with copious amounts of water; fights and/or near-fights (had a few near-fights and one actual fight); random and endless conversations about sex and sexual things; and not to mention just the basic rule breaking such as cussing, rudeness, disrespect, horseplay, having electronic devices (phones, ipods/mp3s, PSPs, etc.), and whatever the hell else there is. If you can think of it, my classes probably did it.

- You have no idea how lazy these kids were. Let me give you an example. I had kids who refused to write anything... at all... because it hurt their hand. At the beginning of the year, I had one student (the aforementioned student who volunteered for the movie) refuse to even give personal opinion and have a teacher's aide write it down for them because that was too much work. And you'd be surprised on how much more difficult writing personal opinion is than writing facts for these kids. They tell us their opinions frequently, whether we want them or not, but get them to write those opinions down? Nope. It's too confusing and/or difficult.

- I had a student whose brother lives in the same apartment complex as me, so he knows where I live (and has already spontaneously dropped by twice... both times having just come from the swimming pool, so he's all shirtless and dripping wet, making it an even more uncomfortable situation). Of course, I never let him in and we only talk for about 2 minutes before I make him leave.

- A student who was essentially a former student even before the year ended (she moved at the end of the year, almost disappearing without a trace there for a while) somehow got my cell number, so she randomly texts me. I actually warned her to stop, as I could get in a lot of trouble, and she did. But just the other day, she texted me again to accuse me of going around saying she was lying about being pregnant (which is not true... I said I wasn't sure whether or not I believed her considering all the other times she lied about being pregnant). It was then I found out she moved and broke up with her psycho boyfriend who tried to kill her earlier in the year (and almost cut off her finger). But she's stopping again.

- I can't go anywhere without seeing a student... literally. Even my own apartment now, apparently. It's really annoying.

- I had multiple students in multiple classes ask me (or tell me, really... and more than once) that we needed to hang out over summer and get high and/or wasted. I was like "Um... no thanks."

- I somehow lost (or they were stolen, more than likely) a textbook and a couple dictionaries... doubt anything will happen about it, but still. Figured it was worth mentioning.

- My students were constantly trying to hook me up with the female teacher across the hall (who is single, good looking, and is only one year older than me). But it got to the point of embarrassing and ridiculous the lengths they would go to. So... yeah.

- My mentor teacher really didn't mentor all that much. She observed one of my classes once, and there was a 2-week period when she asked me for lesson plans (not really lesson plans as much as objectives). And when she did talk to me, it was mostly negative... even when I came to her with something positive, it was shifted into something negative. But besides those things... she pretty much ignored me. Luckily, the teacher right next to me was awesome. He and I got along great, and I wouldn't have survived this year without him. He was also my friend's mentor teacher during her student teaching last year.

- I was given papers to pass out to my students who were going to be taking AP (Advanced Placement) English classes next year which tells them all the summer reading/work they have to do... and they got lost in the shuffle of the end of the year chaos (they were given to me like, right before Finals) and I forgot to hand them out. I got a few of them signed, but a good handful not... this could have been disastrous on my already thin layer of ice. Luckily, one of the councilors I grew friendly with took them and said she'd make calls to their homes and see if they can come and get them (I don't think I would have survived the year without her, either).

- I had some crazy substitutes. I had a sub once that forwent everything I left for my students only to show them a video about some Jesus play she was going to be in as she danced around in the corner. I had another sub who told all my students they were never going to amount to anything and they were just gonna work at Burger King or as sanitation workers for the rest of their lives. I had a sub who let them break off a piece of the desk and play baseball with it and some paper balls... among other subs.

THE UGLY

- It seemed like there was this specific Assistant Principal that was always out to get me, if only for always showing up at the absolute worst moment. He walked in during the last minutes of class once where everybody was finished with their work and we weren't really doing much of anything (in fact, I was playing a game of chess with one of my students). That was the first time he ever came into my classroom. He showed up to search another class for the aforementioned make-shift tattoo pen, right when we were in the middle of an awesome class debate where everybody was kinda loud and crazy, but it was a fun crazy (whether or not he knew that is up in the air). There were a couple other random instances with him, too, but I can't think of them all at the moment.

- I did get one parent cuss me out via phone because her son, who is all innocent and perfect (as we know)--actually, to be fair, he was a moderately good student. But about a month ago, he got sent into ISS (In School Suspension) for 4 days for walking out of my class about 5 minutes before the bell. Well, because of this, he lost his Final exemption for my class period... and on top of that, she didn't find out about his ISS until pretty much last week, as the A.P. who called didn't get a hold of her and, of course, he never told her. And his baseball coach let him continue to play despite having ISS, so she never found out that way, either. So, yeah... that wasn't a happy (couple) phone call(s).

- I suppose the biggest "ugly" is that I ended up on what's called a "Growth Plan." This is essentially for those teachers who are struggling (mine being with classroom management) but they don't want to fire. I have to follow all sorts of specific guidelines (and have to read a book) for next year. It's better than being fired, though. But I suppose when you look at everything I listed in my "Good" section, if they would have fired me despite all of that stuff, I would have been upset.

CONCLUSION

All in all, though... this was a really bad year. You have no idea. The lack of respect, the laziness, the horrid behavior... it all culminated into a mess of terrible. It's like they all have a PhD in Horribleness... but without Neil Patrick Harris. And there's probably a HUGE amount of things I forgot to put in this post. But it's over! And next year? I'm gonna be hardcore with them at the beginning of the year. That was my biggest issue. I can't put all the blame on the students. I was too lax at the beginning of the year, and when they say that you have to be mean at the start and then get nice, because it's almost impossible to do it the other way around... that's insanely true. They also say your second year is infinitely better than your first. So... here's to hoping.

Though with my luck, I'll end up teaching sophomores and have all my students all over again...

But until next year, it's summertime!