The Secret Circle Roundtable, “Bound”, Season 1, Episode 2

This week, we adjust Dawn’s Evil-o-Meter; ponder romantic musical chairs and binding ceremonies; and discuss possible queer subtexts and racialized representations.

Dark Crystals and Medium-Evil Moms

Sarah: Should we circle up?
Phoebe: Yessss
Sarah: So! Do you think Faye’s mom is more evil, less evil, or same amount of evil based on this week’s episode?
Phoebe: I think medium evil. Like she is clearly evil as she killed her father in law, but also saved that girl to protect Faye. So medium. And you?
Sarah: Yes, I concur – I think she’s complicated-evil, for the same reasons you mentioned. I definitely think she really cares about her daughter, but it seems possible she does not care about anyone else.
Phoebe: Except maybe herself and getting her powers back, as she also seems to be using the Elijah look-alike (aka Diana’s dad)
Sarah: Yeah, it’s interesting that he’s getting cast as kind of the henchman—the grandfather refers to him as not the sharpest wand in the box.
Phoebe: Ha yes indeed. Also, what do you make of the crystal? And the lack of wands (slash Harry Potter reference)?
Sarah: Well I’m on board with the crystal and lack of wands I think – I don’t have too many witchery preferences so if they want to go all New Age-y geostone, I’m down. What about you?
Phoebe: I concur. I am enjoying all these different types of witchery afoot … Seems more Vampire Diaries witch style, which makes sense I suppose.

Teenage Dreams (of Big Giant Jerks)

Phoebe: Also, what do you think of the opening sequence— the post-sex scene where Nick says he wouldn’t brag about Melissa (the girl he just slept with)…who is the only apparent witch who is not white.
Sarah: I have so many feelings!
A) What is he talking about, Melissa is super-hot
Phoebe: Right?!
Sarah: B) On the other hand, his character is supposed to be an asshole it seems so, good way to make us hate him.
Sarah: I’m curious about all the self-esteem issues the show is raising surrounding Melissa and Nick—as evidenced by Faye’s later comment at the party that she’d have to check her self-esteem at the door to hook up with him.(Said cluelessly with no intent of hurting Melissa, since their hookups are on the DL)
Phoebe: Right so true … That whole storyline was interesting. Also, why is he so awful? That is unclear to me, except that he is insanely obnoxious. But also, I concur that his initial comment was a surefire way to make us HATE him. But I also think it is so weird that in a town with almost exclusively white people, that comment was directed at someone who is coded as not white …
Sarah: Yeah that will be important to keep an eye on as the episodes progress to see if that’s a recurring thing or more of a one-off line.

Chemistry, Magnetism, and Subtext

Sarah: Also, what do you make of Faye’s interest in bugging/befriending Cassie?
Phoebe: I don’t know … Faye is so hard to understand. I am so confused … perhaps she is actually good, but wants to be evil. Or rather, she is like this interesting teen angst gray area.
Sarah: I kind of think there may be a queer reading in there.
Phoebe: Pray tell.
Sarah: Well, it’s early yet, but their dynamic is reminding me of Faith/Buffy
Phoebe: Yes!
Sarah: And it that pairing there was a lot of subtext-queer-reading possibilities in terms of both their rivalry and attraction (platonic or not) to each other. In this case though, Faye’s the one who’s interested in some kind of connection with Cassie; Cassie totally hates her at the moment. But I think that could change.
Phoebe: I see what you’re saying and I am intrigued … But I also think it might stay one sided, as Cassie and Adam have that crazy magic tension.
Sarah: Oh yeah I meant attraction but not necessarily overt in Cassie’s case.
Phoebe: Also, again with the magic = sex with Adam and Cassie and their almost post-magic kiss!
Sarah: Speaking of Cassie and Adam’s chemistry, are you feeling really bad for Diana? Even though I like their flirtations, I am.
Phoebe: Yes, but also I feel like something is afoot. Like she knows … And we learned that fate is hard to control. I feel like I foresee her trying to control their relationship or something. But I do feel bad for her, but I also don’t trust her completely
Sarah: Ahh that’s interesting! What makes you think that Diana’s untrustworthy?
Phoebe: I don’t know … But I definitely feel that way. Like she is too good and too nice and wants this binding business too much.

Binding the Circle of Teen Witchery

The Ties That Bind and the Magic That Drugs

Phoebe: Speaking of which, what do you think the whole idea about binding? And making it their power together wherein they are inseparable … It feels a little anti-individualist, which is kind of cool and intriguing.
Phoebe: Also, unrelated (but another point), it was good to find out why Cassie’s mom could not save herself from the fire (ie that all that generation were stripped of their power).
Sarah: Yeah, I agree on both counts! I think the binding ceremony is intriguing also because it seems like while the kids think it’ll make them stronger as a unit and less strong as individuals, the grandfather’s reaction seems to indicate that that’s not the way it works. They may not get more in control of their powers, but less so.
Phoebe: Also, what were Faye and blonde curtain guy (what’s his name?) doing at the fair?
Sarah: Some kind of herb potion that’s a metaphor for pot I thought? Based on how they were reacting.
Phoebe: Indeed, I thought so too … But I felt like it didn’t change anything and then nothing dramatic happened … Unless, perhaps Faye’s power was increased and hence her pushing that girl to her death? But they seem to blame the bigger magic power to Cassie’s presence, so perhaps not.
Sarah: Ooh yeah I didn’t think it was supposed to have a huge effect necessarily, just that it was to show them being rebels. But I do like that theory that it may have also made Faye less in control of her powers, since that would hold up.
Phoebe: Also, I just realized the first person to die is the class president and she is also African American. This episode did not treat anybody who is not white well at all
Sarah: That is a good point about Sally. Where there are TV characters of ethnic/racial minorities, it seems like a lot of shows are either pushing them into tiny roles or doing other problematic things with the characters or both.
Phoebe: I concur!

Lose Control

Phoebe: I <3 the way magic is equated with drugs … It is described as seductive and almost addictive by the principal to Diana's dad.
Sarah: Ooh yeah. And also that seductiveness reminds me, it seems like maybe Dawn has a wild past too? Faye seemed to allude to something about that when she said Dawn would have to live vicariously through her revealing outfits. So that would go along with the idea of Dawn, Diana's dad, and co. as kind of magic/drug addicts and teens generally out of control.
Phoebe: Yeah it seems like they were out of control or rather controlled by the magic
Sarah: It'll be interesting to see what direction the show takes it in, because it could end up pushing a pretty conservative agenda (teens are out of control with their desires!) or the opposite (teens have natural desires and should be taught to use them responsibly!)
Phoebe: Hmm interesting … But I feel too that the parents clearly have those same desires
Sarah: Which would put the show in the second column.
Phoebe: Truth

“Hart of Dixie”: Professional Women, the South, and Friendly Alligators

Sarah Todd

Hart of Dixie has a few good things going for it. Rachel Bilson’s eye makeup looks amazing, and her wardrobe makes a strong case for formal shorts. Jason Street is in it! There’s a fun scene where Bilson’s character, Zoe, walks down a country road at night holding boxed wine in one hand and pouring herself drinks in a Dixie cup with the other: she’s a one-woman bar. Unfortunately, the pilot episode of Hart suggests that it is going to be a one-note show.

formal shorts.

The show’s premise is more or less Everwood crossed with Sweet Home Alabama–although sadly, it’s not nearly as funny or heartfelt as Everwood. Zoe, a career-minded, Chanel-loving future heart surgeon, is forced by circumstance to uproot herself from the Big Apple and work as a GP in Bluebell, Alabama.

Going by Zoe’s reactions to her new town, Bluebell might as well be Mars. Unfortunately, the same could be said of the show’s vision of Bluebell and the South as a whole. There are a few region-specific references to Katrina and the BP oil spill, but for the most part the Bluebell of the pilot is full of folksy, down-home, stuck-in-the-past charm. Southern belles waltz around the town square wearing Antebellum-era hoop dresses, the mayor has a pet alligator named Burt Reynolds, one character’s car horn plays “Dixieland,” and apparently nobody ever wears black or orders a latte. Even their HBO references (The Sopranos, Sex and the City) are outdated. These groan-worthy details aren’t just generic and highly improbable. They perpetuate stereotypes about a backwards-facing South that’s also the manic pixie dream girl of the U.S. imagination, delightfully quirky and at once in need of saving (in this case, by the big-city doctor who’s there to make a difference) and acting as an antidote for cynicism, jadedness, and other contemporary urban ills.

How to Be Awesome Like… Leslie Knope

Sarah Todd

This post is part of a new Girls Like Giants series, “How to Be Awesome Like…” in which we break down the steps necessary to become more like some of our favorite heroines. Whether it involves getting a sweet army jacket, brushing up on our archery skills, or mastering the art of French cooking, there are many ways to follow in the footsteps of these rockin’ role models. Got someone you’d like to celebrate? Email us at girlslikegiants@gmail.com. – ST

Previously: Phoebe Bronstein’s How to Be Awesome Like Jessica Fletcher.

Seasons two and three of Parks and Recreation are my ultimate TV comfort food. I like my comedies packed with silliness and warmth, and the show has both in spades. (Season one, by contrast–pre-show-makeover–is pretty depressing. If you’re new to the show and have similar tastes, maybe just skip ahead?)

Post-season one, however, Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope is a huge part of what makes the show work. She’s zany and dorky and kind and loyal and incredibly hard-working, the kind of lady I can only aspire to be. In order to help myself get started in Knope-emulation, I put together the following list. (A future column may also feature another Parks and Rec character, April Ludgate, who is badass in an entirely different way.) And so:

How to Be Awesome Like Leslie Knope

•    Sleep never; have more energy than a bouncy ball after six espressos.
•    Hoard newspapers (lovably) so that your house looks like “a crazy person’s garage.”
•    Refer to bathrooms as “the whiz palace” when you’re feeling nervous.
•    Tell your best friend she is beautiful whenever you describe her, and especially when you are also about to say something she might not like.
•    Love waffles passionately.
•    Fight for what you believe in; never stand down.
•    When crashing boy’s clubs, be sure to announce—loudly and repeatedly—that that is what you are doing just so everyone’s clear.

Interlude: Just Bitten

Chelsea H.

I generally like Jessica Biel.  I remember her from 7th Heaven, and it has been fun watching her mature from overalls to pencil skirts and super-sexy-but-still-innocent feel.  But now she’s in a commercial that bothers me.

Okay, as usual, this ad bother me.  First of all, we’ve got gorgeous Jessica Biel looking ethereal and semi-waif-y, but also overtly sexy with that lace top that emphasizes her top half.  And when she opens her (perfectly slicked, perfectly colored) lips, what comes out is a plug in a smoky, sultry voice for a product called… Just Bitten.

And that’s where my problem lies: what kind of name is that?  Biel asks us “Have you ever been bitten?”  What does that mean?  Bitten by… the guy floating around in the background, alternately kissing and creepily sneaking behind her?  Yes, she has delightfully flushed lips, but they don’t really look like someone… bit her.  Further, there is no biting in this commercial!  There is kissing, but the product isn’t called “Just Kissed,” it’s called “Just Bitten.”

So, all I can figure is that Revlon is capitalizing on the tremendous popularity and sexualization of vampires in today’s culture.  We are supposed to hear the phrase “Just Bitten” and think of Twilight, or True Blood, or Vampire Diaries, or something…  And yet no one bites her!  Why, if Revlon is going to reference a biting, do they not show the guy nibbling her neck or something?  Why doesn’t she bite her own bottom lip in that pouty/sexy way some girls do?  By the end of the commercial as Biel lies on the ground, shouldn’t she somehow be displaying bite marks? Instead we get this soft lighting and pale pastel and pastoral scenery, into which neither the bright lipstain shade nor the creepy vampiric name of the product fit.

Awkward? Yes, indeed.

Chelsea Bullock

I came to Awkward. late, but knew I had to watch it because a) I love girl culture, b) my favorite 12-year-old recommended it highly, and c) it’s MTV. I’ve since nearly finished the first season (yay for twenty-minute episodes!) and am a fan. I would choose to watch legit awkwardness over the faux-look-I’m-so-cute-in-overalls-and-two-pounds-of-hair-product-awkward of Zooey Deschanel’s New Girl.

Meet the main character, Jenna.

I'm not going to spoil the first episode for you by detailing how she winds up in an upper body cast, so watch it.

She spends a good first third of the season in this get-up, which is the premise for her awkwardness. There are plenty of other things that are awkward too (boys! parents! super weird school counselors!), but as seems appropriate for any high school centered show, Jenna’s awkwardness is first and foremost written on her body.

The show is unfortunately cliché and heteronormative in terms of its romantic storylines and narrative emphasis, but it’s a bit early. Get it together, Awkward. You’ve still got a little time.

The setting of the show, a few of the characters, and the quality of the production, especially the lighting, remind me of Easy A, but blessedly unlike Easy A, Jenna actually has girlfriends. Tamara and Ming are her two besties and even though there’s a bit of conflict between them (welcome to negotiating life, ladies), they’re supportive of one another and their individual brands of crazy–though Ming’s relies on too many racial stereotypes for me to be entirely comfortable–are endearing. Which brings me back to contrasting this with New Girl–astoundingly, Jenna is actually awkward. Not all the time. But! She hides in weird places, she steals things then deals poorly with the fallout, she can’t figure out how to establish boundaries in romantic relationships and thus experiences all kinds of awkward distress, she’s sometimes an emotional basket case, she’s the main target of the school bully, Sadie, and sometimes, she makes faces like this one.

Obvs, she's still adorable, but it's still a little awkward.

My mom would tell me that my eyes were going to get stuck like that.

Moving on to the final point of my initial review: Sadie.

Sadie is the resident mean girl. She’s a cheerleader, has a gaggle of devoted followers/peons, comes from a wealthy family, is smart and gets good grades, and is obsessed with her weight. One of the main plotlines is investigating the source of Sadie’s nastiness and need to belittle other people, mostly girls. I am nearly always simultaneously annoyed with and sympathetic for Sadie. She has a lot in common with my imaginary BFF, Blair Waldorf. They both have absent or confused parents (side note: Jenna’s parents are a messy delight), are master manipulators, and are desperate for attention in ways that leads them to do and say not-nice things. They both are also really vulnerable despite tough exteriors, have destructive relationships with food, and have a lot of emotional baggage that has to be overcome.

There are guys on the show too, but as is also kind of the case on the show–they’re not really what matters here. They are getting more complex as the season goes on, but, again, like we like it around here, Awkward. is really all about the girls.

How to be Awesome like Jessica Fletcher …

This post is part of a new Girls Like Giants series, “How to Be Awesome Like…” in which we break down the steps necessary to become more like some of our favorite heroines. Whether it involves getting a sweet army jacket, brushing up on our archery skills, or mastering the art of French cooking, there are many ways to follow in the footsteps of these rockin’ role models. Got someone you’d like to celebrate? Email us at girlslikegiants@gmail.com. -ST

Phoebe Bronstein

In the last year or so, I have re-watched all of Murder, She Wrote (and re-watched some of the seasons more than once). Then I told my mom it was all on Netflix instant and she re-watched it all. Seriously, it is just that good. And Jessica Fletcher (aka Angela Lansbury) is just that awesome. Although, I have had MSW moments where I thought perhaps Jessica was the killer. I mean everywhere she goes, someone dies! That said, part of what makes her so awesome many years after MSW has ended is that all those who have tried to fill her shoes are all male/female sidekick and detective pairings – a pairing that inevitably creates a narrative of sexual tension and romantic desire (see Castle, The Mentalist, Bones, Body of Proof, etc.).

Jessica Fletcher + typewriter

So if you want to be a little more like Jessica Fletcher, here are some tips on what you have to do.

1) Be a retired English teacher (or I guess you don’t have to be retired yet).

2) Live in a small town in Maine (but it could be Monterey, CA as that is where MSW was filmed). So really perhaps just any small coastal town.

3) Write mysteries in your spare time on your old-school typewriter but then learn how to use a computer when the technology becomes available. I guess today’s equivalent might be, write mysteries on your computer, but then transfer to your smart phone once you make enough money as a mystery writer that you can afford one.

4) Have a best friend with whom you have romantic tension. Sometimes they will help you solve mysteries. Also, it is useful if he or she is the town doctor and thereby also the town coroner (oh Dr. Seth Hazlitt, you are the best). The best friend/doctor combo makes solving mysteries so much easier, but also filled with fun quips, witty remarks, and crime-solving dinners.

5) Always snoop around suspicious scenes and find clues the police missed. For example, the button on a Hollywood set that links the costume designer to the murder.

6) Be the best detective ever. I think Jessica trumps many of the newer sidekick types, for example, Patrick Jane on The Mentalist or even Castle on Castle (don’t get me wrong, I love Castle. But still). Although, Castle most certainly owes his existence to Jessica Fletcher.

7) Be over 50. Okay, so that makes Jessica a little less than accessible for the under 50 crowd, which I am currently part of. But, her age is part of what is so cool about her. She is one of the few women I have ever seen on TV that is over 50 (maybe even 60), independent (both financially and otherwise), smart, fearless, and with romantic prospects.

8) Be played by Angela Lansbury. Okay, so this last category is perhaps a bit difficult. But Angela Lansbury is also very awesome.

“Revenge”: Mwahaha.

Sarah Todd

[Spoilers ahead]

ABC’s soapy new drama Revenge begins with a quote from Confucius: “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” That is good advice, Confucius! One for your enemy, one for your other enemy, right? Time-saving.

Oh. Maybe that’s not what he meant.

Revenge takes melodrama very seriously. It is surprising that there’s no straight-up cackling, but maybe next episode. The gist: as an innocent young girl and future sociopath, Amanda vacationed at the Hamptons with her father. There, they had an adorable golden retriever puppy named Sammy. (The dog isn’t a super-important plot point, but Sammy was really cute.) They seemed like a very happy family, and all was well… until the rich family next door, the Graysons—along with some co-conspirators—framed Amanda’s dad for involvement in a terrorist plot.

Some years laters, Amanda (Emily Vancamp) returns to that same house in the Hamptons under the alias Emily Thorne. She knows now that her father was innocent, but he can’t be set free. He died in prison when she was 18. Thanks to her father’s early investment in a tech start-up that’s now worth a bundle, she’s got all the money she needs to fund her mission in life: revenge against the Graysons and everyone else who brought her family down. Just for starters, in the course of the pilot, she exposes an affair, gives a guy a fake heart-attack, gets a secretary who gave false testimony about her dad exiled from the Hamptons, and starts seducing the Grayson son, Daniel. So, she’s pretty busy.

Emily, hard at work on the mortal vindication front

Revenge stories tend to show how all-consuming it is to plot the downfall of other people. This makes total sense to me, because revenge looks like a lot of work. If it’s your main purpose in life, you don’t really have time to hold down a day job or go on a Match date or take a relaxing trip to the country.

The Secret Circle Roundtable: “Pilot,” Season 1, Episode 1

Teen shows are a kind of siren song for the ladies of Girls Like Giants. Naturally (or perhaps supernaturally?) we felt compelled to check out the CW’s new show The Secret Circle. Read on for a breakdown of the bewitching world of sad teens, missing and evil parents, youthful grandmas, and beautiful frozen raindrops (a perfect way to set the mood during a romantic trip to the woods!).

Cassie and Her Secret Circle

Sarah: So what do you make of our witch-y protagonist?

Phoebe: Well I have a soft spot for her post her performance as Lux on Life Unexpected. So I like her, as I think she is kind of grumpy which I like and stubborn.

Sarah: Yes, I didn’t see that show but I think she is a promising lead — I also like her grumpiness and the sense of integrity she projects. I think it’s interesting that Faye calls her “sad and delicate” because she’s understandably sad (given the death of her mother) but she didn’t really seem delicate.

Phoebe: Yes true. But not delicate at all

Sarah: It’s like Faye sees her as a Bella, but I have a feeling she’s way more of a Hermione

Phoebe: Yes, indeed and oddly unlike many of our current teen brunette heroines, she is blonde

Sarah: Right! More like a Buffy/Veronica Mars

Phoebe: Yes, totally like Buffy and VM (my fave). And all the other girl witches have brown-ish hair

Sarah: Which relatedly. What do you think of Faye and Diana? And their relationship with each other?

Phoebe:  I think Faye reminds me a little of The Craft and Neve Campbell/Robin Tuney, which I am digging. Diana, I am not sure yet especially given her dad is seemingly evil and a Vampire Diaries Elijah look-alike

Sarah: He does! I liked Faye a lot because I think she’s got the bad-girl vibe but isn’t evil herself. She’s interested in power, but she clearly doesn’t want to hurt people either.

Privileged Comedy: Blackface in F/X’s “Louie”

Sarah Todd

Louis C.K.’s dark-humored sitcom Louie, which depicts the life of a single-dad comedian raising two daughters in New York City, has earned accolades from critics and devoted fans alike. In general, I think the show deserves its positive recognition–it’s funny and edgy and honest with considerable heart. (Watch “Duckling” and try not to tear up.) It’s also not afraid to take on controversial and uncomfortable issues, usually in a way that’s meant to engage in real–but not humorless–discussion. Which is why I was surprised by the way a recent episode,  “Halloween/Ellie”, handled a character dressed in blackface.

In the first segment of the episode, Louie takes his daughters Lily and Jane trick-or-treating around the city. Lily, the youngest, is costumed as a fairy in wings, a wand, and a puffy vest (fall in New York is cold!). Jane, by contrast, is dressed in a tiny suit, a curly grey wig and beard–and blackface. “Who are you?” asks one storekeeper in a sweet but faltering voice. “Frederick Douglass,” Louie explains. She read about him in school.

As I watched the episode, I kept waiting for Jane’s costume to become an issue. Would another storekeeper, passerby, or fellow trick-or-treater challenge Louie to explain his daughter’s costume? Would the show find some other way of addressing the painful, racist history of blackface? The stand-up routine that precedes the segment helped set my expectations that the show would start a conversation about the costume. Louie explains, “I’ve got two little white girls in my house. When they complain, it kind of drives me crazy, because I know what the world is like around them. They have no idea.” As an illustration, he describes how his daughter complained about the bubble gum-flavored medicine she took to bring down her fever, and compares her situation with that of most kids in the world, who don’t have medicine at all. His point is that his daughters–by virtue of their race, age, gender, nationality, and class–have an enormous amount of privilege of which they’re unaware.

I Spy a Mom: Motherhood and Femininity in “The Debt”

Sarah Todd

Secret agents are people too, as spy movies like to remind us. The gun-toting, building-leaping, parachute-plunging protagonists of espionage movies often have spouses, children, parents, friends, pets, and partners. They make scrambled eggs for breakfast (foreboding scrambled eggs), take their dogs for runs in the park, and drop their kids off at school. Even James Bond falls in love sometimes, for a while. These personal details remind audiences of our heroes’ humanity, and of what they have to lose.

There are three spies in The Debt—Mossad agents Rachel, David, and Stephan. But only Rachel, played by Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren in her younger and older incarnations, serves as the film’s emotional anchor and moral compass. As a young agent, she’s incredibly courageous, but her expressive face reveals every moment of self-doubt, fear, fury, and sadness. As an older woman, she’s more reserved and composed, but no less central to the film’s exploration of the ethics of espionage. Her fellow agents are interesting and appealing—David a tragic, thoughtful figure, Stephan all swarthiness and ambition (Marton Csokas, what are you doing later?). But their primary functions are as angles in The Debt’s love triangle. The film’s story is told through Rachel’s eyes, and crucially her perspective is repeatedly characterized as a distinctly feminine one.

More specifically, the film distinguishes Rachel as a sexually desirable woman, mother, and daughter. Each of these roles relate both to her work as a spy and to her personal life.