krickets | Operation: Make Use of Hulu & Netflix

There are times in my life when I find myself not using the services I pay for, like Hulu Plus and Netflix. And then I feel guilty, so I try and come up with something to watch, because it seems like the morally right thing to do... or whatever.

So basically what I am trying to say is that in the spirit of not wasting money, I ended up giving both The L.A. Complex and Pretty Little Liars a try. The results? Either bad or good, depending on how you look at it.

THE L.A. COMPLEX
I don't know where to file this show in my brain. Some parts of me feel like it's not that great, and then other parts of me are legitimately crying over these characters. Especially Kaldrick and Tariq. I am fully caught up to everything that's aired which is just about 10 episodes (2.04, I think?) and I will probably watch more but I kind of get the sense that it comes with the "If I remember to" clause.

More on Kaldrick. (And Tariq, though it feels like he's been written out?) I kind of can't believe this storyline exists and nobody I know has talked about it: two gay black males in the hip hop industry, hiding who they are, and on top of it dealing with hot button issues like abuse, suicide, and depression. That scene in the hospital where the doctor asked Kaldrick those questions after his suicide attempt kind of gutted me.

I also really liked the storyline with Alicia, especially her brief, and extremely positive experience in the porn industry. I really loved the way that was handled and how she didn't feel the need to apologize for or explain her choices.

So while I still may not know where to file this show, I definitely feel like it's doing some bold and admirable things. A+ for taking chances.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS
You guys, I am starting to become a little bit of an ABC Family addict. Switched at Birth, Jane by Design, and now Pretty Little Liars. (Plus there's Bunheads, which I haven't watched since the pilot, but still want to give more of a shot, despite the terrible name.) I am not really sure how that happened. They have a lot of really strong female characters/stories and that has kind of taken me by surprise. I have heard a few good things about this show, specifically the lead characters, and the more I heard these kinds of rumblings, I knew I'd eventually give it a shot.

I finished up the first season today (and am starting season 2 as soon as I finish this post) and I am really surprised at just how much I like this show. I feel like the mystery (mysteries?) is (are?) unraveling a bit slowly for the caliber of the show, but I can deal with that. What I'm so impressed with is that the main characters all have truly developed story-lines and lives. Plus it has some good continuity. (I don't know why but random stuff like Aria asking her dad for his dance-a-thon pledge two episodes after the fact just makes me strangely satisfied.) Also Ezra Fitz is just adorable, although I'm trying to figure out how old he's supposed to be if Aria is 16. I root for them, but I hope he's supposed to be closer to 22 than 25. (He seems so much older than 22.) Overall though I really enjoy all the romances the girls are finding themselves in. (I really want to warn Emily that Rebekah is a vampire though -- she clearly has the hots for her.)

I also really find myself loving the pants off of Spencer Hastings. Pretty much this. (And I am so glad that the whole Toby thing worked out and that they're going in that direction with them. I was kind of distressed when Emily went berserk at the dance: TALK ABOUT AN OVERREACTION. One second she's at the dance with the kid, the next she's running in terror for almost no reason whatsoever.)

I wish I had more thoughts that weren't just kind of "blah, word vomit, LOVELY LADIES WITH REAL STORYLINES!, show is unexpectedly good, spencer hastings!, ezra is cute, yay toby, rah rah sis bam boom!" But you know... I have to get back to watching!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I adore PLL for its unbelievable and very much unusual representation of teenagers... and because it can be so fucked-up and all, but really, the biggest reason is my insane girl-crush on Spencer. Insane.

SPENCER IS THE BEST. Especially season 1 Spencer, I feel like she has gotten a little bit less tightly wound... but damn, girl.

She's fantastic. I love how everyone's always drinking coffee. Like they sell it at school? Haha. I don't even know. Also, it makes me want to go buy a million throw pillows. I might have a problem.

They drink coffee, alcohol, do drugs, blind people, hurt people, have sex with adults, cheat with their family'a s.o., steal evidence, obstruct justice, vadalize, and lie lie lie lie. The show is never apologetic or patronizing, and it's the story of a brutally murdered 15 year old, who was both all-mighty and evil incarnate: how many 15 year old girls like that are on tv? There are bad cops who coerce women insto sex, women who use sex to get out of legal issues, young girls being constantly terrorized by other teenage girls, so maybe they all are just as rotten... Who cares that the dialogue is not that good and there are certain clichés, and the acting is not stellar...

Haha. I didn't necessarily mean just the minors drinking coffee. It's excessive coffee-drinking in that town. I bet if everyone laid off the caffeine they'd have only half as many problems. Haha. As for the rest of it... It's a soap! I am kind of tempted to check out the books though. I won't lie.

I won't check the books, but let me know if you do and like them! I think they're going a different way with the plot so maybe one can read and still avoid spoilers, but I wouldn't know for sure.

I kinda stopped watching PLL partway through last season, but I really enjoyed it while I did watch it. (I really *like* Aria/Ezra, but I disapprove, and that cognitive dissonance became too hard to ignore.)

Yeah if she were 17 I'd feel a little better about it. I don't know what's magic about 16 to 17. Maybe because 16 is just shy of 15 and 17 is almost 18 and that just feels a little better in my brain. But I am OK with ignoring it, lol. Especially as the series goes on and the girls get a little older.

I am definitely planning to catch up to wherever they are in season three!

It was more the "he's her teacher" angle, which... I mean, I know they hooked up beforehand, but he really should have broken it off. IDK, it was easy enough to ignore in the first season, but it's not possible later in the show. I give props to the showrunners for how they handle it...but it interacted too much with everything else I was dealing with.

Oh man, amen to the ABC Fam addiction. I marathoned Greek and 10 Things I Hate About You right after getting back from Egypt and I'm currently watching Jane By Design. I've thought about giving Bunheads a shot, and now I'll probably have to watch Pretty Little Liars too. Somebody in the higher-ups knows how to hire writers, that is for sure.

They're really doing a great job, I have to admit. Took me by surprise! I would definitely recommend Pretty Little Liars. (And Switched at Birth as well!)

I think what sold me on ABC Family was the episode of 10 Things I Hate About You where Kat insists that both she and Patrick go to the health clinic and get tested for STDs. I mean, do you know of any other teen-oriented shows/networks that have done that? Because I sure don't.

Also, I've watched a couple eps of Switched At Birth, but didn't really get into it. I may need to revisit it, though, and I think I'm gonna have to give PLL a shot, haha.

I must admit I am a PLL fan! The mysteries do unravel waaaaaayyyy too slowly and kind of go around in circles unnecessarily, but like you said, it's nice to see a completely female-driven show. And it's nice to have a show with four girl friends who honestly like each other and are real friends, and aren't constantly stabbing each other in the back and stealing each other's boyfriends like other teen shows for girls. I don't know how old Ezra is supposed to be though. I think he's supposed to have gotten his teaching job right out of college, so maybe 23 or 24 by now? He does seem older than that though.

Bunheads is getting better with every episode, but it's still Gilmore Girls lite. Which is fine because GG lite is still better than most things on tv, but I'd rather just dig out my GG DVDs and re-watch those.

Speaking of Ezra, I think I must have missed the part where Ren was supposed to be a doctor the first time around. Whenever he showed back up and he was at the hospital I was little bit shocked. Haha. I'm finished with season 2 now. Just starting season 3.

I really do want to keep watching Bunheads. Maybe I should have a little mini marathon this weekend.

God, Wren. I love how he's the show's all-purpose doctor. Whenever there's anything remotely medical, he somehow shows up out of nowhere, like he just happened to be there. Wait until you catch up on S3, it'll make you laugh.

I'm on the second season of PLL and I love it! Spencer is my favorite character and I love her and Toby together.

Spencer is definitely a favorite but the way she goes into panic-mode so easily is almost hilarious. Someone just has to sneeze the wrong way she she suspects them of being the real killer. Haha.

Operation: Make Use of Hulu & Netflix

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