My So Called Life

I just finished watching the one season of My So Called Life...again. I loved loved loved this show while it was on. I was a freshman in high school. I could relate. I ran with the Rayannes and Rickys and Jordans and Tinos. I knew the music. I knew the problems. They were happening to me.

I bought the DVDs when they came out. I was thrilled. I watched them right away and loved every minute of them. What I found most interesting is that I was way more invested in the storyline of Angela Chase's parents than I was with the kids. I suppose I relate to the problem's of the adults more now. And that's a good thing.

I also found myself questioning Angela's sanity with regards to her love for Jordan Catalano.

I get it. I guess he fits that dreamy, misunderstood, bad boy character that all high school girls are supposed to love. But have you ever really looked at him? He looks...well...kind of mentally challenged. His eyes are super close together, they almost cross. His dreamy vacant stare is way too vacant. And it doesn't help matters when you find out he can't read. Really, Angela? It also makes me wonder how he got his license if he can't read, but whatever.

This second time through the DVDS, I still enjoyed it, but I found myself cringing at most everything Angela does. When Jordan asks her: "Why are you like that?" I wondered the same thing. Why are you like that, Angela? Why do you do and say such stupid things? Maybe I'm just jaded now as an adult, but I couldn't even imagine saying the things she says to people as a teenager either.

But besides Angela and Jordan, the rest of the characters are fantastic. Ricky, Rayanne, Brian Krakow, Sharon, the never seen Tino...love them all. It was such a great show and as it ended last night, I was bummed that we will never find out what Angela really thinks of Brian writing that note. Or if she and Rayanne will ever be friends again. I'm not so naive to think Angela ends up choosing Krakow. Of course she would stay with Jordan. And that would make it very difficult to be friends with Rayanne again. Although, I'm not sure how I feel about the show saying it's okay to forgive the boyfriend, but not the friend. (If you don't know what this is about **SPOILER*** towards the end of the season, after Angela and Jordan break up, Rayanne sleeps with Jordan. It's crushing and also one of my favorite scenes in TV history and one of my favorite episodes in TV history).

Probably my biggest complaint about the entire show would be the portrayal of Angela's mother, Patty. She is so one dimensional and frigid. The woman never has any fun and never wants anyone else to have fun. She's a drag. She treats Graham, her husband, terribly. She is incredibly judgmental of anyone who does not come from a perfect little life or fit "the norm". She's a really bad character with zero depth. She sucks.

It still saddens me that shows like this and Freaks and Geeks never had time to grow. There was so much potential in both of these series. We get one season of these and yet 24 gets to regurgitate the same plot for something like 7 seasons. And I used to like 24. Prison Break got FOUR seasons. FOUR. Ridiculous. And I really really really love Prison Break. But it was crap. I know it. And I'm okay with it.