Wrapping up the TV Season and Some Recent Films

I am battling major "saying good-bye to LOST" grief. The other day I was thinking about how familiar this all feels and I realized this is what I went through when Harry Potter ended. It's not that it's over forever...I can always rewatch the series and I know I will, it's just that the joy of discovery is over. The tightly connected community and fanbase...will be over. LOST is my favorite television show ever, I love it even more than Buffy and there's not really a show on air right now I like a fraction as much. (I do like a lot of shows...but not at a fan level) So I've decided to blog LOST all week...I apologize as it means I'll be having some days with multiple posts and also because some of you, for some reason, don't love LOST like I do. But it's my way of saying good-bye. :) (If this seems premature, I have only the finale left to watch..I already saw this week's episode)

Anyway, I also feel the need to go back over the TV season. It's not over yet, but I won't have another chance anytime soon and I always love to process my feelings with you. There are spoilers for the shows discussed below, but I've bolded the name of the show at the beginning of the paragraph so if you haven't watched it yet you can skip that paragraph.

Damages ended a few weeks back on an incredibly high note. I thought the finale was everything that makes it such an excellent show, very dark, very revealing of the nature of Patty and Ellen, an unflinching look at the high cost of greed...I was shocked at how Tom died, and I don't think they could have written a more humbling death.

The Vampire Diaries is my favorite soap, let's be honest. And I'm completely rooting for a Damon/Elena hook-up so the end was one big fat huge tease for me. I did love the shocking turn of events though I'd rather hoped that Elena wouldn't have to lose another parent. I was also sad to see Anna die and I need to know what Tyler and the mayor are (were)! Werewolves?

Gossip Girl lost me for awhile but I've been interested to see how things would play out in all of the complicated relationships recently. Personally, if I was Rufus I would have never have just forgiven Lilly for not telling me about the sickness and the secret meetings with the ex-husband. I found that pretty unforgiveable and Lilly pretty unreasonable. I also found Serena getting on my VERY LAST NERVE as she suddenly decided to cast Rufus aside for her father. She employed the SAME TRICKS Jenny had just used on her and Nate. Why did she think that would end well? I sort of hate the character of Serena, but I still love Blair! :) I'm very interested to see how this one ends.

Supernatural okay I'm still a few behind in this one, so I can't say much but I hope to finish watching this week in my down time. Since we're saying good-bye to LOST this year, I'm glad I don't have to say good-bye to this show, even though this has been a weak season.

Private Practice ha! I just watched the last few episodes, my interest recaptured when Violet came back. (apparently unlike most other fans) I found the episode where she was in court doing battle to get her son to be one of the best episodes of this show..so emotionally true. I thought the finale was sad, even though I could predict the entire thing. I don't know if I'll be coming back to this one.

FILM
I haven't actually been to the theater for awhile but I have watched a few on DVD recently I'd like to discuss. The first is...

An Education. This was incredibly built up for me and as can be the case, led to disappointment. Not because it was particularly bad, but because it wasn't anything that really said anything to me. In fact, I had to read some reviews to try to figure out what I missed. One review said it was a celebration of experiencing life to learn and doing so without regret. Um, okay. I liked it, I just didn't love it.

Serious Moonlight
I thought this one was good in a surprising sort of way. When I rented it, I pretty much did it out of loyalty to Meg Ryan and Kristen Bell (both of whom have made barely tolerable project choices lately). I didn't realize it was a screenplay by the late Adrienne Shelly who also wrote the quirky The Waitress. This movie was funny but dark. It was much more than I was expecting, and an interesting way to spend a few hours.

The Orphanage
Awhile back I had a student tell me the entire plot of this movie. I hadn't heard of it and she told me it was in Spanish so I wouldn't be able to watch it anyway. Luckily, I forgot the details. To say I liked this movie feels a bit strange, but I was very strongly affected by it. It is truly a horror movie in every sense of the word, and quite an experience. It's the kind of story I was completely riveted to and yet sort of regret having watched for the kind of inescapable feeling of sorrow it produced in me.

I guess that's it for now! I'd love to hear your thoughts on these shows or movies. Are you also grieving the end of LOST or do you think I'm much too dramatic? (sorry it won't change--this is who I am) Are you rooting for an Elena/Damon hook-up? Did you love An Education and want to educate me on why it's great?