0' The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - 5

* The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, September18, 2012 - 5

Unoriginally 'Normal'

By BRIANNE JOHNSON
Daily Arts Writer
"Nana, you're a bigot and I'm
unfriending you right now,"
mutters newcomer Bebe Wood
as eight-going-
on-18 Shania **
Clemmons.
Bigots be The New
warned, direc-
tor/producer Normal
Ryan Murphy Pilot
("Glee") is at
it again. Hold Tuesdays at
dear your every 9:30 p.m.
conservative NBC
preconception,
for Murphy attempts to assign
a redefinition of the American
family standard with NBC's
"The New Normal." Seemingly
armed with an Idiot's Guide to
Stereotypes and the determina-
tion of a Diag preacher, Mur-
phy falls victim to word vomit
(scratch that - social commen-
tary vomit) before Nana can
shriek, "Sodom and Gomorrah
fudge factory!"
The pilot introduces David
Murray (Justin Bartha, "The
Hangover") and Bryan Collins
(Andrew Rannells, "Bachelor-
ette"), who appear to have it all:
successful careers, a devoted
relationship and an infinite
arsenal of witty pop culture ref-
erences. But after a slow-motion
encounter with a baby (so ador-
able that its spit bubbles surely
gleam like does' eyes) Bryan has
an epiphany: The couple is one
uterus short of a child. After
wading through pools of pos-
sible surrogates' applications
- homophobic donors and het-
erosexual couples' leftovers -
David and Bryan finally strike
gold in the form of Goldie (pun
intended) Clemmons (Georgia
King, "One Day"), a single mom
and aspiring lawyer with sympa-
thy for the gay community.
In true Murphy fashion, "The
New Normal" is sharp, sprint-
ing through one-liners faster

"No offense, but we don't want our child to look like your daughter.
than the Gilmore girls, yet with in America. Like a modern-day
the bite of social satire of early Archie Bunker, Barkin's charac-
"Glee" seasons. Rannells is sassy ter is scripted to reveal bigotry
and vain, with only a hint of the- in its true form: ignorance.
atricality (imagine Ryan Reyn- However there's a fine line
olds goes Kurt Hummel minus between social commentary
the song and sequin glove), but and over-indulgent advocacy,
he endears the audience within and "The New Normal" speeds
the premiere's first minute as an into PSA territory. Goldie is no
earnest father-to-be. more than a puppet through
which Murphy serves (heaps, to
be accurate) his message of love
X * get it and acceptance, and King, medi-
Weget it, ocre at best, labors through lines
like a self-help book.
The foundation of the show,
Let's niove on. as stated by Rannells, is clear:
.t mo *o "Your definition of 'traditional'
might need a refresh." Though
programs in which the lead
Rannells's moxie is outdone actors portray a gay couple are
onlybytheright-wingwhirlwind rare, homosexuality in televi-
that is Ellen Barkin's ("Fear and sion is not revolutionary - refer
Loathing in Las Vegas") Jane to the remarkable pairing of
Forrest a.k.a. "Nana." The epit- Murphy's own creation, "Glee"
ome of the conservative, white, 's Kurt and Blaine, or "Degrassi:
upper-class shrew, Goldie's The Next Generation" 's early
grandmother spews racist and Marco Del Rossi seasons. As
homophobic slurs from her lined support for the gay community
lips like Mel Gibson in a pencil swells, aswell as representations
skirt. Her character, albeit a of nuclear families in the media
hilarious portrayal by Barkin, is ("Modern Family," anyone?), is
an obvious ploy by screenwriters it possible that Murphy is late to
to mock the prejudices prevalent the "normal" name game?

'Gays, are you thinking of pizzly hears? tecause I am tetally thinking of pizzly hears right now.
Grizzly's 'Shields'
ages gracefully

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he band's latest Shields in comparison to past
albums was more democratic and
ort is less peppy, less Ed-Droste-and-the-Grizzly-
Bears: "As we get older, more
more mature confident, and more mature,"
he said, "We're becoming more
By KATIE STEEN comfortable with stepping on
DailyArts Writer each other's toes."
Grizzly Bear's maturation is
zzly Bear songs are almost definitely present in the music,
stly recognizable. The but the gray hairs are, for the
1 oohs, thumping guitar most part, flattering. There's a
mellow modest quality to Shields - it's
s. After less hook-driven and more wan-
elease of dering. Most songs take their
hird LP Grizzly Bear time, like the seven-minute clos-
s Vecka- ing track "Sun in Your Eyes."
t, the Shields The most balanced merger of old
seemed and new is "Half Gate," a vibrant
ave per- Watp track that begins with a solemn
its sig- cello, then gallops away into
e sound, which then begs echoing meditations of love and
uestion: Had Grizzly Bear death. This is a song full of some-
d? But rather than longing one else's memories, emotion,
e days of Veckatimest, keep nostalgia. Grizzly Bear doesn't
n mind when picking apart need to rely on oohs and ahs to
and's latest album, Shields: fill a song anymore - the band
Grizzly boys are growing has some stories to tell.
Still, there are mbments where
er touring"or Veckatim- the album becomes longwinded :
e foursome got some well- One of the shortest tracks, "The
d rest. Regrouping began Hunt," seems to drag on for
a shaky start in weirdo years, while melancholic strum-
land Marfa, Tex., until ming does little to keep listeners
eventually headed north to actually paying attention. The
Cod and New York for some song is uncluttered, a single voice
y recording time. In an - naked and expressive - cre-
iew with Pitchfork, singer/ ating a modest melody. Such an
writer Ed Droste explained emphasis on lyrics above musi-
the recording process for cality can be dangerous. It's clear

that "The Hunt" is an extremely
emotive song, but it becomes a
bit self-indulgent after it fails
to go anywhere. After the three
minute mark, you become the
frustrated grandchild, sitting
through another one of grandpa's
digressive dinner table fables.
But Grizzly Bear is more than
capable of producing a melodic
addiction. "Sleeping Ute," the
opening track and first single off
Shields, seems almost like it was
released specifically to appease
the anxieties of hungry fans who
still haven't been able to get the
poppy piano line of"Two Weeks"
out of their heads. Melodic and
quick, "Sleeping Ute" swaps
dreamy vocal harmonies for
intermingling instrumentation
led by a sharp guitar line. But
still, the song is filled with Daniel
Rossen's beautifully lugubrious
longings. It's common knowl-
edge that Grizzly Bear is a lot
more teddy bear when it comes to
feelings and emotions, but there's
°sonething more hauntifig about
"SleepingUte."
This is a rich, weighty album
that has decidedly less bounce
in its step than its predecessors.
Lean back in your velvet arm
chair, pour yourself a fine wine,
maybe light a cigar, and enjoy
the album at your leisure while a
grandfather clock ticks on in the
background. One more reminder
that we're all growing up.

'Damages' finale goes back
to roots, finishes strongly

By KAYLA UPADHYAYA
Senior Arts Editor
When "Damages" began five
years ago, it was a sharp legal
serial wrapped in a pulpy thriller.
With a gripping
season-long
case and non-
linear story- Damages
telling devices,
"Damages" was Series Finale
poised to be a
breakout star. Audience Network
Throw veter-
ans Glenn Close and Ted Dan-
son, plus on-the-rise-star Rose
Byrne and a slew of high-caliber
recurring acts into the mix, and it
w looked like production trio Glenn
and Todd A. Kessler and Daniel
Zelman had an insta-classic on
their hands.
The only other people on this
planet who enjoy a good mind-
fucking more than Patty Hewes
(Close) are the series' writers.
They love to twist a knife into
their viewers' sides, only to
pull it out and reveal it was an
estranged half sister all along.
The show takes every opportu-
nity to rug pull, and the constant
sleight of hand makes it impos-
sible to ever accurately predict
what will happen.
But what made "Damages"
incredible became its fatal flaw.
Its rigid narrative structure -
deeply dependent on flashfor-
wards, flashbacks and dream
sequences - became tedious and
superlative. By its third season,
all the gotcha moments made it
nearly impossible to meet any
new "Damages" revelation with
anything other than ambiva-
lence. And for a serialized thrill-
er that thrives on leaving its fans
in a stupefied state of WTF each
week, that's a serious problem.
FX lost faith, and the show was
4 cancelled until an eleventh-hour
rescue by DirecTV's Audience
Network.
In its fifth and final season,
"Damages" gets back to its roots,

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elcome callbacks to season Ellen attempting to induce a mis-
ke fluttering pigeons and carriage - exactly what Patty did
g green and orange flash- as a young woman and the expla-
d filters. The case of the nation for much of the charac-
involves a wrongful death ter's psychology. But to sum up
d a Wikileaks-like scandal "Damages" as a story of a protdgd
-rogant Channing McClar- turning into her teacher would
an Phillippe) as the Julian greatly undersell the complexity
;e stand-in, but for once, of the series finale. Even though
nse doesn't really matter. Patty began as the series'anti-
cod Ellen (Byrne) decides hero of a protagonist, it's Ellen
e on Patty head-to-head, who grows the most, and it's
ren and the case become through Ellen's eyes that "Dam-
ant - good news for Phil- ages" uncoils all of its psycholog-
ho can't quite keep up with ical underpinnings. It may have
aal impressive level of act- been tempting for the writers to
ected fromseries regulars wrap up Patty's demise with a
ed, following a season pep- huge cathartic, road-to-redemp-
with Chris Messina, John Lion bow, but the fact that she's
ran and Dylan Baker is a still delusional, narcissistic Patty
ing task). in the end is a brilliant - if dis-
mal - way to leave the character.
It's a far from perfect farewell,
'ople should with a few pacing problems (the
episode is broken inexplicably
tart caring into parts) and absolutely no
urgency to any of the moments
about this involving Rutger and McClaren.
David's ghost pops in to insip-
how again. idly explain exactly what Ellen
sthinking, and the dream
sequences serve - as usual -
little purpose other than scaring
finale is the culmina- the viewer shitless (Catherine
f everything "Damages" Hewes is definitely a demon
ils have ever wanted: a spawn, yes?).
howdown between Patty But the finale also features
llen. It doesn't come in some of Byrne and Close's best
m of the McClaren case work ever, with both heartbreak-
sion, which is admittedly ing and explosive scenes for each
mactic. But courtroom of their characters. It's hard to
cle has never been the believe Byrne was an unknown
thing - the psychologi- when the series began (come on,
rfare between Patty and where are her Emmys!)
as. And Michael's custody Other than instilling a con-
their chance for one last stant fear of elevator dings in its
Ultimately, Patty is finally viewers, "Damages" leaves in its
ed for the event that the wake the indelible image of one
series hinges on: her order of the most intricate and volatile
Ellen killed in season one. working relationships ever seen
he onset, it seemed like on television. Machiavellian at
ges" would be about the times, near-psychosexual at oth-
eyed, fresh-out-of-law- ers, the Patty-Ellen dynamic has
Ellen Parsons transform- been a thrill ride well worth the
o Patty Hewes 2.0.And the tedious time it took to arrive to
finale suggests as much, a sense of closure for their epic
s a little too neatly with struggle.

DID YOU KNOW ...
THE OFFSPRING OF A POLAR BEAR AND A GRIZZLY
BEAR IS CALLED A PIZZLY BEAR OR GROLAR BEAR?
NOW YOU DO!
WRITE FOR COMMUNITY CULTURE, DAILY ARTS'
TREASURE TROVE OF THE FUN AND FACTUAL.
To request an application, e-mail the pizzly bears at
arts@umich.edu.

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