So – Game of Thrones, hey? Even friends who don’t watch the show were amused by the reactions of their fan-friends on Twitter and Facebook. I am not worrying about spoiling the last two eps for you because if you are on the internet, there’s no way any of it is a surprise. “The Red Wedding“, which aired two weeks ago, slayed a lot of people by essentially annhilating in a pretty stellar way two beloved and central characters. I, too, had a WTF moment as the screen went to black, and my husband, who doesn’t really watch but will hang out in the room with me with strict instructions not to talk to me under the guise of “spending time together”, rolled his eyes at my distress and went back to his web-surfing. But some people were upset enough to swear off the show forever, issue death threats to the writers and author of the book series, etc. etc. I had to stay off Twitter the following day because it was getting to be a bit much. I mean, I love my TV shows and characters very much, as you can tell by this blog. But there are concrete things worth getting upset about in the real world, and sometimes my cynicsm gets the best of me and I think what kind of amazing things could we do as as privileged members of society if we cared this much about one another – you know, real human beings?
But that’s not for me to answer, so I’ll continue with the inane. The season finale also got some mixed reviews. I am not sure what people expect. You write a really dramatic episode, and people freak out. You write a solid ep that sets things up for next season, and people freak out. In any case, I thought the finale was fine and sets some other beloved characters who are still alive up for next season. I can’t wait to see Arya totally come into her bad-assedness, because you know she will. And Tyrion and Sansa could very well become a match made in heaven if she would open herself up to his charms. I consistently need to remind myself that she is, after all, only 13. Also, curious about where the show is going to take Danerys – is she really going to be the mother of all emancipators, and will the freed continue to love her, or are they going to tire of her at some point? Such potential to explore the dynamics of leadership here. I’m looking forward to what the writers do with her story.
After following Game of Thrones with Mad Men, all I could think about was how much the TV dads on those shows suck. None of the ad execs are even trying to be positive role models for their children, which obviously is pretty true to the era. My favourite scene in that episode was the diner conversation between Peggy and Pete. I know Pete Campbell is generally hated, but I think he’s one of the most interesting characters. He has a moral code, he just has a hard time sticking to it and every time he pulls a dyck move, he is punished for it. His scene with Peggy and need for some acknowledgement that he’s not horrible, and Peggy’s quiet assurrance, was so nuanced and in-character for both of them. It’s lovely watching something where the actors are really in the scene and generous with one another.
And what about Bob Benson? Could it really be that all this time he’s just a closeted guy in a tough era vying for affection and respect because of some self-esteem issues? I’d be curious to know whether he would react differently than Sal did if he had to engage in some extra-curricular activities to get a client – he strikes me as the type that might. His sexuality aside, I’m not convinced that he’s just hanging around Pete because he’s in love with him. I prefer to think there’s more to it than ambition and unrequited love because I’m complicated like that.
Finally, I loved Ted in this ep. At last, someone who is smarter and nicer than Don and stands up to him. I think he may be the most moral of all the characters on the show. Though he’s obviously attracted to Penny, and though his wife (love her!) actually calls him out on some of his shitty behaviour instead of hiding behind her cigarette and pretty clothes, seething with repressed anger, he doesn’t do the easy thing. He goes home to his family and puts the kids to bed. Finally, a decent dad putting in some effort, unlike Don, who on top of being an ass all season, now wants his little girl to collude with him in hiding his deficiencies. Hope the ad agency does well, Don – you’d better start putting some money away in a therapy or drug-rehab fund!
So, though the season has been mixed for me, I thought this episode was stellar and sets things up nicely as we move into the finale.
And because I do read as well, I’ll give a shout out to a local author’s book Don’t Lick the Minivan.
Leanne Shirtliffe has written a parenting memoir about getting pregnant with twins in Thailand and moving back to Canada. Except it’s not really about that. What it’s really about is how parenting results in some pretty weird warnings to your kid, how developing your identity and style as a parent evolves over time and isn’t something you can find in a book, and how we should just trust ourselves despite all the “expert knowledge” out there. There are some laugh-out-loud funny moments in the book, as well as a thoughtful and restrained acknowledgement of the difficulties of post-partum depression. She’s genius at finding those little weird nuggets of humour that are everywhere if you’re open to them when you’re raising young children. The book will surely make you laugh, but it will also make you a little more aware of how transient even the hard moments are, and how having a sense of humour and irony can alleviate some of the stress when the stakes of parenting are consistently presented to us as being so high. No one has yet written a definitive guide to raising happy, successful children and Shirtliffe doesn’t attempt that here. She just mocks herself and her kids in a loving, very human way that reminds the reader of the fun parenting can be when you’re not spending every minute training your kid to be the next superstar.
She also blogs at ironicmom.com, and you can get a sense of her style there.
Make sure you give your dad extra props this Father’s Day if he wouldn’t be the kind that appears on GOT or Mad Men. And if he would, then read Shirtliffe’s book. Cheaper than therapy!
