Life (there's nothing like it)
Feb. 26th, 2010 02:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inmyriadbitsKatie and I just finished doing a full re-watch of Life. Goddamn, but that was a good show. *sheds a tear for the cancellation* I can't believe I'd forgotten the way they opened the series finale by shooting the documentary filmmaker they used as an exposition device throughout the show. BRILLIANT! And just the tiniest bit meta, due to cancellation. :) The finale in general kicks ass on every level. I've had favorite pilot episodes before (namely Alias), favorite first-seasons (Veronica Mars), and even favorite season openers ("In The Shadow of Two Gunmen," The West Wing S2), but before Life, I don't think I've ever had a favorite series finale. Series generally end terribly, in car wrecks or dissatisfaction. Granted, Life knew their end was coming, but still, they knocked it out of the park. I still wish I could have more show, but damn, that is some good writing.
Damian Lewis is stellar throughout. Life is one of those cases where you're blessed not only with a very unique, fascinating character, but with an actor putting on such a great performance that you just can't imagine anyone else in their place. And Sarah Shahi! With someone like Damian Lewis playing a character like Charlie Crews, it would be very easy for the co-star/partner to fall by the wayside -- but then again, Dani Reese is in no way easy. I love the way they interact, the way they argue, the way they both don't understand each other and understand each other better than anyone else in the world.
The writing was always solid, but I do think the cases started consistently reaching "excellent" by S2. One thing they always did well was characterization; they always had these really bizarre cases that on a show like CSI would be gratuitous weirdness, but on Life, it was just in the spirit that life is weird, rather than standing to one side and pointing and staring at the weirdos. Charlie and Dani (and Ted and Rachel and everyone else) are all weird, and broken, but they're still around, and still living, and not really all that different from the people they're arresting or interviewing or burying. I really loved that.
Damian Lewis is stellar throughout. Life is one of those cases where you're blessed not only with a very unique, fascinating character, but with an actor putting on such a great performance that you just can't imagine anyone else in their place. And Sarah Shahi! With someone like Damian Lewis playing a character like Charlie Crews, it would be very easy for the co-star/partner to fall by the wayside -- but then again, Dani Reese is in no way easy. I love the way they interact, the way they argue, the way they both don't understand each other and understand each other better than anyone else in the world.
The writing was always solid, but I do think the cases started consistently reaching "excellent" by S2. One thing they always did well was characterization; they always had these really bizarre cases that on a show like CSI would be gratuitous weirdness, but on Life, it was just in the spirit that life is weird, rather than standing to one side and pointing and staring at the weirdos. Charlie and Dani (and Ted and Rachel and everyone else) are all weird, and broken, but they're still around, and still living, and not really all that different from the people they're arresting or interviewing or burying. I really loved that.
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Date: 2010-02-28 12:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-28 05:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-28 06:31 pm (UTC)