thePeanutBloggery

In the Spotlight

Men In Trees

I can imagine the pitch: Northern Exposure meets Sex in the City; lose Dr. Fleischman, and strand Carrie Bradshaw in Alaska instead. Thus was born Men In Trees and Marin Frist, who, like Carrie, is an attractive woman from New York City who writes relationship advice (and also narrates the show in relationship terms). However, unlike Carrie, there’s always been something contradictory about Marin. She’s supposed to be smart, strong, and independent, yet she’s flighty, can’t learn how to drive a stick, is often cornered by wild animals, and always nice. She seemed to be from another time. Somehow, this dichotomy worked on Friday nights, when the more friendly shows air. But it felt wrong when it moved to Thursdays in November.

However, this week there was a shift in Marin Frist. She moved out of the inn and into her own house, apparently driving herself there. More importantly, she stopped being so darn nice to Jack, a man who dumped her for his ex-girlfriend. Yes, the narration addressed this change in attitude, but Anne Heche deserves the real credit. There was an earnestness and a stillness in her this week that matched the idea of a successful woman. For the first time Heche seemed to take Marin completely seriously, and, as a result, so did I.

What They Said

Kenneth - “Grace, there is something that I must say to you, but my words cannot suffice, so, to quote Mr. Jerry Maguire, you make me a complete person.”
Grace - “Shh. When you said hello, you had me.”
30 Rock

What They Played

The soundtrack pick of the week has been a staple on Lost since the beginning of season 2: Mama Cass’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music” is available on iTunes.

Primetime Index

The Index average holds steady at a healthy 7.33 this week with rises from The O.C. and Lost compensating for a two point drop from Friday Night Lights.