lobsterchick's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.Suck: Part the Second "Marshal law declared." When tonight's conclusion of 10.5 showed that graphic at the bottom of the screen, I came in my pants a little. Fucking awesome. Hey, how about a dictionary, guys? Then, after "marshal law" is declared, Ivan Sergei, an ER doctor, just trots over to the office where his dad, the head of FEMA, is orchestrating the government's effort to prevent a catastrophic earthquake in L.A. Then, in the next scene, he's back in time to evacuate the pediatric department, check the whole floor again, and report to Dul� Hill (You ever get the feeling that his nickname as a kid was "Dooley," and he just changed the spelling, added an accent, and was suddenly classy and hip? Me, too). Yeah... that's what I love most about martial law: The ease with which it allows people to maneuver one of the nation's most urban-sprawl-affected metropolises. I mean, you can just jaunt on over to the other side of the area, then trot back. Not a problem. Hey, Beau Bridges, what's up? Been taking Presidentin' lessons from Martin Sheen, I see. Here's a little hint, though: Presidents don't have speechwriters when they're in the Oval Office, giving commands. So don't act like you do. Not every single line has to be delivered with great calm and "resolve." This is so great. When the big risky plan that is sure not to work actually works, the guy who is working with Kim Delaney (who I hear got booted off CSI: Miami because of a little glug glug) jumps up and yells, not, "We did it!" or "It worked!" or "Hurrah!" but the awkward, "We interrupted a chain reaction!" Thanks, Mr. Concise. And... here's where my head explodes. These big shot seismologists are attempting to save the Pacific coast by shooting off nuclear warheads below ground, blah dee blah, and they are shocked, shocked, that the Current River is running backward after an earthquake? Um, after the giant one on the New Madrid Fault in Missouri in 1811/1812 (the first one was in December 1811, but the worst in the series was in February 1812), the Mississippi River flowed backward for I believe four days. Now, I may be more likely to know this than your average man on the street, since it is of local interest, but doesn't that seem like something a fancy schmancy seismologist would know? It kind of does. And... it's over. It's finally over, Mr. President. There's a lot of dialogue like that in the movie, repetition to achieve what they hope is gravity or drama, but what is just, in the end, repetition. I enjoy when the earthquake just stops abruptly, when Kim Delaney and Big Tub o' Scruff are just seconds away from being swallowed up by the Pacific. She looks at the giant chasm and says, "It stopped." Oh, did it? Hm. The entire crowd looks jubilant that this just stopped abruptly. My response, when I look down and see the surf lapping at my toes, would be "Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?" Or, if I was in a TV-miniseries earthquake, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Not "It stopped." So yeah, the miniseries sucks. But damn, Ivan Sergei is fine. My four hours of torment were worth it to watch him carry a little girl slo-mo through the weird opera music that was I'm sure more painful than falling into a sinkhole. 'Cause I loves me a man who can take care of kids. 11:10 PM - 03 May 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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