The Big BANG!

Inspired by CNN article on The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang cast is starting to cost some Big Bang Bucks and no one is backing down or shying away from high demands.

Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) have demanded that in order for America to continue to enjoy their romance, the network must pay them, and pay them well… $1 million per episode (of course they deserve the raise from just $325,000 per episode. How crazy to think that a six-figure-income per episode would be the dream of any actor. Sheldon (Jim Parsons), the sarcastically-challenged, socially awkward roommate, is requesting the same fee for us to continue to watch his quirky relational development with Amy (Mayim Bialik).

Let us just consider the fact that the cast (the entire cast) of FRIENDS were compensated at $1 million per episode by seasons 9 and 10. But, lets face it, Big Bang fans, this show is no FRIENDS; plus they are only negotiating for their 8th season. We all know, though, that it was FRIENDS that changed the face of sitcoms as we know them. Also, this was an ensemble cast, equally recognizing each actor for the talent and quality they brought to the show.

The contract negotiations are for seasons 8, 9 and 10 of The Big Bang Theory; but let us also face the fact that this, just like Supernatural (which is a whole other issue altogether), is a falling series. I know, how dare I question the professional opinions of television executives who know just what to do to fool an American audience into “enjoying” another 3 years of the same story of blatant mockery on the dying educational system.

Oh, sorry, did I go too far?

Whatever, let’s just back up a few paces and look at the concept of professional acting. It takes years and years of hard work, taking jobs that are “beneath you,” and questioning your self-esteem, talent, and ability to get to where these actors have made it. So many aspiring actors and even production aides hope to be on a set even remotely comparable to where they are.

When I was in college, I was having some difficulty finding direction and deciding on where I wanted my degree to take me. One of my mentoring professors asked me, “What would you do for the rest of your life for free?” This really got me thinking: What do I love doing? What am I passionate about? What would I be willing to share with others and hope to instill a passion for the same thing for them in without a price tag?

Where have these actors landed on the passion-for-their-work scale? I understand that the network has plenty of money, we as viewers have insured that. This is not about what the network has to spend, this is about the actors-turned-agents/attorneys trying to squeeze every penny they can for the time, talent, and “passion” they have for their craft.

“The Great Gatsby” remains a timeless standard despite some new revisioning

I left this in the comment section, but having read about an interview with Luhrmann, I personally enjoyed a few of the mash-ups. Though rap is not my favorite type of music, Luhrmann had an historical justification for each and every decision that he made. Still, Dan the Man’s movie reviews are very well-written and I appreciate his point of view!

Big Dan Man Reviews

The Great Gatsby

“Gatsby. He had a grand vision for his life since he was a boy. No amount of fire could challenge the fairy tale he had stored up in his heart. He had an extraordinary sense of hope but I had the uneasy feeling that he was guarding secrets. It had gone beyond her. It had gone beyond everything.”

            There’s something exciting about seeing one of your all-time favorite books come to life on the big screen. You see the trailers, read the reviews, try to imagine it in your own head, but yet you don’t know until you see it if the vision you created while eagerly flipping through the pages will appear before you on that giant silver screen or if something less than extraordinary will manifest—dashing all hopes you had of experiencing that vision come to life. Fortunately, the latter was not true of…

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A magnificent story suffers under mediocre acting in “Oz: The Great and Powerful”

I shared a few thoughts of my own in the comments. This was a terrific review written by a friend of mine.

Big Dan Man Reviews

Oz: The Great and Powerful

“Kansas is full of good men. I don’t want to be a good man. I want to be great one.”

            It’s always very daunting going to see a movie that is either a prequel, sequel, or based on another film that has been around for so long and held such a dear place in the hearts of millions for multiple generations. I know that I, for one, went in to Oz: The Great and Powerful (which is, of course, the story of how the Wizard of Oz became such) wondering how much of the original film (or book, as the case may be) would be referenced, how the characters would interact with each other in this early period, and how they all get to where they are by the time Dorothy arrives and unexpectedly crushes the Wicked Witch of the East.

This film tells…

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“They don’t call Hollywood the Truth Factory.” Check it yourself!

Confronting the Fact of Fiction and the Fiction of Fact
By MANOHLA DARGIS and A. O. SCOTT
Published: February 22, 2013

Behind some of the most inflamed concern over works like “Lincoln” and especially “Zero Dark Thirty” is a thinly veiled distrust of the American public — that, well, moviegoers are just not smart or sophisticated or schooled enough to know the difference between fact and fiction, on-screen lies and off-screen ones.

If you had shown me this article a couple of years ago, part of me may have agreed and stressed the importance of contextual accuracy. However, having spent these last few years focusing on the importance of artistic freedom and recognizing the need for creative rite, I enjoy the art of film and watching how screen writers and directors work with the rest of their production teams to create their wonderful worlds of fiction. There is a place for creativity under the statements: “Based on a” or “Inspired by a” true story.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely a place for historical accuracy and on-production historians for the process. When a movie is done well, those elements shine through in setting and costumes and story lines- how the story carries itself in sequence. It is a beautiful idea that a screen writer can say, “I was inspired by this story. I sat down and began to spin myself and my vision into this work. Enjoy!”

With all this said, we need to recognize that film makers are not our history professors. If there are people who are too lazy or do not care enough to check historical facts for themselves, we need to re-evaluate the educational system, not blame films for our ignorant understanding of historical events. I mean, really, did anyone watch Inglorious Bastards and ask, “Wow, did Hitler really die that way?!”

I have to wonder, with this hype, if William Shakespeare and his contemporaries took this much flack and criticism for historical accuracy (or lack thereof) when they presented their works before the general public?

Modern Times 1936-????

As I watch Modern Times (Chaplain, 1936) again, I cannot help but feel as though not much has changed, or at least that our society has come full circle since 1936. Except, I would give our culture the credit that many elements have changed despite the bigger picture remaining as it was.

Alas, assembly lines have would be lines of cubicles. Instead of stealing bananas and bread, poor folks might make off with cash from their neighbors and booze from the liquor store. There is no way to simply walk into an establishment, speak with a manager or owner and receive a job anymore; we would see people sitting at computers filing unemployment records and finishing online applications.

It is not far fetched, however, to see a man working to go back to jail for the sake of security and consistency. Or to watch a couple seem to fall for one another rather quickly and think that their partner is the solution to all of their problems. Masses living in dreams and fantasies in order to escape the harsh reality that is life.

Yes, many settings may have changed: industry and factory to engineering and digital technology. Personal conversation to social networking… The roots, though, remain the same: economic depression.

Sera Gamble Season 5

We’ve gone through four seasons together, and we have only two left after this post! I know that I have had a difficult time being consistent with timing and there’s been no real monthly, weekly, or daily thing; for that, I apologize. It’s hard not having a computer. Amyway, here it goes with Sera Gamble’s contributions to season five of Supernatural:

Good God Y’all:
This is not the first time our guys have introduced the notion of God, but it is the first time that we are faced with the fierce determination from anyone to find Him. Cas, in all his humanity, has sacrificed everything and still lost. In his refusal to accept defeat, he turns to Dean and Sam to let them know he will be looking for God. But he needs something: who knew that Dean’s necklace would be so important? It’s amazing how difficult it is for him to part with it, even after all the difficulty he and Sammy have had. (If you don’t know what I’ve talking about, now would be a good time to go watch the episode, A Very Supernatural Christmas.)

“That’s how I’d roll.” -Dean

Moving on to the meat of the episode, we cannot ignore the fact that Gamble has introduced us to the four horsemen. “The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star was Womrwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water because it had been made bitter.” Revelation 8:10-11
“And out came another horse, bright red. And its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth. so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.” Revelation 6:4
It is very stealthy how they introduce us to War, too. Our first horseman is actually the focal point of the shot when we first enter the room where Ellen has half the town hiding out. Once you are watching it the second time, you can more intellectually appreciate the editing choice made upon their entrance.An important thing to note in the editing and CGI choices is the time still leading up to the reveal of the horseman, when we think that the town are filled with demons. The boys go out for a supply run and Sam kills a couple of ‘demons’ at the convenient store. One problem (besides his obsession with their blood on his knife), there is no electronic pulse indicating the death of a demon, only the spill of blood and the fall of the boys. Of course Sam is freaking out more by the end of this episode, he not only has to deal with the fact that he killed those kids, he has to deal with it now knowing that they weren’t even possessed!

Finally, as we close the episode, Sam decides that he is in no shape to hunt, it’s time to go their separate ways… Only to be reunited again in an episode or two. This is huge, however, they haven’t been separated since Sam walked out and followed Ruby to go kill Lilith!

The Curious Case of Dean Winchester:
“You want years? Play me for ’em.” This episode is just so well done and has a couple of great lines. Chad Everett does a great job aging Dean’s personality, it is just so well played. Some beautiful elements to this story line are the developments in Bobby’s psyche. He is not dealing very well with his condition, but we finally see him doing something about it. It’s quite obvious that Bobby’s starting to develop this sense of worthlessness and depression, this is the first time the boys are able to reach him on any level about it.

“I see you’ve met John McCain, here.” -Bobby

Another development here is Sam. He’s just come back to the job, he’s got a heavy emotional hot button, and he comes flying out of left field to save the day! It’s just written so beautifully, and plays so well into the he-witch’s ego, it’s hard to overlook.

The Song Remains the Same:
During “The Road So Far” portion of this episode, we watch Cas tell Dean, again, “Destiny can’t be changed.” Every show that has ever used a ‘previously on’ session, uses it to correlate to the episode with which the editor works in. This may be obvious for some, but others need a little reminder that it is not simply a “let’s catch up on the general idea” time.

Having noted this obvious peice of information, this statement that is somewhat hidden in this portion is a very important piece of what we are about to watch Sam and Dean face: their parents’ past. In this episode, we find out what is going on with Anna- she has gone rogue! In her efforts to kill Sam, Cas fights to destroy her efforts. When he picks up on her plan, she runs back into the past to stop Sam from ever being born. Obviously, her plan fails and Michael (Dean’s bff) ends up destroying her.

Angels are Watching Over You

This is an incredible twist that Gamble throws in to the mix: Dean finally meets Michael! “…this conversation is long overdue…” Michael tells Dean as they face off with one another. After their little chat, Michael decides to keep things the way they were meant to be, he wipes their parents’ memories so they still do not know about the angels, John continues in ignorance of his wife’s past and the boys still cannot keep Mary from going into that nursery. Everything plays out as it was meant to and would no matter what happens.

On a related note, when the boys try to convince Mary to leave John before anything at all can happen, it’s a beautiful, show stopping moment when Mary tells them, “…it’s too late, I’m pregnant.” Take some time to ponder what that may be like. To go back in time and talk to your mother while she was pregnant with you.

Two Minutes to Midnight:
Here we are introduced to the final horsemen, Pestilence and War. I am quite surprised at how quickly into the episode that the boys acquire the ring, but Gamble writes it in a way where I can buy it. It is necessary in order to address Death in the same episode, though.

Gamble also does a beautiful job in keeping elements of former stories, such as the Croatoan virus, forcing that connection and making the virus the door to destruction, genius. It is a great lead into Bobby, Sam and Cas’s story, as well. Cas is overcoming the loss of his angelic powers, Bobby is jumping back into the fullness of his hunting game having just got back the use of his legs, and Sam is proving his worth as a hunter as Bobby watches his deep need to continue to save people.

Incredibly Human

While the rest are on their Croatoan adventure, Crowley leads Dean to meet up with Death. Meeting Death was a different experience from every other monster the boys have encountered up to this point. Death brings Dean to him and hand his ring right over, with a big fat catch: Sam’s mental stability and, overall, his life. Death forces Dean to “allow” Sam to say “Yes” to Lucifer so he can put him back in the box.

This brings us to the end of the episode where Bobby and Dean debrief their hunt. Bobby suggests that Sam is still a hunter, knows what his job is and is determined to help people. Dean is still a little shaky as to what he should do about his brother decision. Finally, Bobby confronts him, “What is it you’re afraid of: losin’ or losin’ your brother?” Dean and Sam have gone through all of these struggles before: Should Sam be hunting? Can Dean treat him like an adult? This goes beyond them now and Gamble gives us open story lines we might not even know about when we get to the season finale.

Losin? or losin’ your brother?

Sera Gamble’s Supernatural: Season 4

I know I am about a week late in this post, and I do apologize. The week just snuck up on me preparing for the Holiday weekend and working retail on Black Friday! Anyway, I am finally back and so excited for this post! Not only because it should keep pretty short, but because one of my favorite episodes was written by Gamble for this season! Call it comedic relief if you will, but we definitely see the deeper meaning here.

It’s a Terrible Life & When the Levee Breaks

Though Gamble only directly authors two episodes for season four, her work does not come without great influence on our boys. It’s a Terrible Life is a breath of fresh air in the midst of difficult character developments: such as Sam’s addiction to demon blood and the intensity of Dean’s facing himself after breaking the first seal. This is a fun little experiment to see what hot shot Dean would be like as a Corporate Dueche Bag and how Goliath-looking Sam would be in a little IT cubical! Hilarious! Not to mention the little details around our guys here: Smith & Wesson (you get it if you know guns), Bobby & Ellen as Dean’s parents, Madison (the warewolf) as Sam’s ex-fiance (her number putting him through to an animal hospital)… These are all witty little touches that would obviously bring bits of reminders and dreams back for them while their memories weren’t quite there.

I’m gonna do a public service and let you know…that, uh, you overshare.

The best “old-life” flash we get, though, is Dean’s pop culture references-
Sam: I feel like we’ve done this before…
Dean: Like, Shirley McClain before?
Classic Dean.

The “lesson,” if you will, that the brothers need to get while they’re here is this: recognizing their desitinies and playing the roles they were born to fill. Yes, this is when we meet everyone’s favorite angel, Zechariah; the Alistair of Heaven, as I call him.

How’s that for a Bonus?

Just as Corporate Dean tells his boss that he’s giving his notice to do some other type of “work,” we meet Zechariah and Dean gets his actual notice: “the path you’re on is truly in your blood. You’ll find your way to it in the dark every time.” The lights come on and Dean has a hard time facing facts: there are not too many more arguments for him to justify his hell-bent determination to fight against “destiny.”

Moving on to When the Levee Breaks, Gamble gives us brilliant writing in a desperate situation. I am not going to comment as much on the story as on the setting for this episode, as over 80% of it takes place in Bobby’s Panic Room. If you’re not a theatre geek or film nut or really into acting/directing, this wasn’t a huge moment for you to watch (beyond the hallucianations), but director Robert Singer did some incredible work alongside Jerod Padalecki (and others) with this very small space.

While watching this episode along with commentary and behind the scenes features, the smallness of this space truly hit me: it’s a panic room meant to simply keep demons and other monsters out, and a very large portion of the episode dealt with some heavy moments in here: hallucinations of torture from a dead Alistair; conversations with Sam’s past self and the desperation to be normal, and with his mother, and what he would grievously hope she might say; loss of bodily control just before Dean and Bobby have to tie him down; and the final sizeable thing that festers in the back of Sam’s mind, what his brother truly thinks of him.

How can you run away from what you really are?

The demon detox is a beautiful piece of drama and horror that is very different than other moments that occur within this show- it’s all in Sam’s mind. Gamble’s writing gave talented actors and director amazing dialogue to work within the smallness of this space.The grief comes, though, at the end of this episode when Castiel lets Sam loose. When Sam escapes and finds Ruby to feast his addictive appetite. When Sam gives in to his anger and tries to kill Dean. When Dean just lets his brother go, unable fight against him anymore because Sam won’t trust him. It’s heartbreaking and Gamble’s ending makes a perfect path for the season’s finale.

Supernatural: A New Era for Old Times

S.8 E.1 We Need to Talk About Kevin

It is a very strategic tactic to have seasons begin one year later. Aside from keeping the audience interested and content with union of the characters, it gives the actors the opportunity to truly explore their characters and allows freedom for further development. There is a lingering expectation from the audience to have Sam (Jerod Padalecki) searching for his brother out of his “abiding love” for him. When we discover his passivity to the hunt and his ‘year off,’ we want to be angry; but at the same time, there is an underlying curiosity, a deep seated hope that there is a good reason for his new life.

However, his development is not the only deeply rooted deviation; Dean (Jenson Ackles) begins the season premier with a new friend no one would expect. We need to find out every detail of what happened in Purgatory! All in good time…

A lot of things happen in a year: ghosts take out their vengeance, vampires suck blood, demons possess innocent bystanders, and even windegos attack unsuspecting campers. So, where was Sam? Winning a girl and taking care of a dog? WHAT?! I will not take away from John Kubicek’s article from Buddy TV, it is a great brief psychoanalysis in Sam’s defense. I will say that although this is a great opportunity for the show to get back to its roots, that is also going to be a difficult task because of where Sam has gone in the past.

Sam has come back from losing John (Jeffery Dean Morgan), Dean, Bobby (Jim Beaver); his own soul; he has come from drinking Demon blood, “dating” a demon, and if we go back to S.4 E. 8, Wishful Thinking, Dean asks Sam what he would wish for and his instantaneous response is, “Lilith’s head on a plate.” There is no questions, he even tells his brother, “It’s too late to go back to our old lives, Dean, I’m not that guy anymore.”

Obviously, that was four years ago, and Sam has the right to choose to change. Which brings up the next point: This is still a matter of Free Will and everything that Dean was fighting for. This is evident when the guys find Kevin’s (Osric Chau) hideout.

This season, the Winchester relationship is going to be challenged on a whole new level. Sam did not look for Dean, and Dean is hurt by that. Dean’s entire identity is built upon family and the hunting business; Sam’s identity has always been to follow whilst fighting to have his own image that is NOT defined by this business. It was a lot easier and a lot more difficult when there was nothing tying him to it. More importantly, no foundation for his searching.

Sera Gamble Season 3

Sorry about the time lapses, you guys; got a lot of big life changes going on. But here we go with Gamble’s contribution to Supernatural in:

Season 3

The Kids are Alright, Fresh Blood, Jus in Bello, and Time is On My Side

I am continuing my “expose” on Sera Gamble’s contributions to Supernatural. Her influence has granted impeccable story arch and ability for character growth. Season three is where it really picks up and throws a lot of curve balls. Starting with one of my favorite personal stories in The Kids are Alright. 

First of all, the episode continues with Sam’s ruthless endeavor to prevent Dean’s death from the deal that he made. There’s a deeper level of co-dependency ensuing that will bring a much stronger sense of vengeance than we can fathom in Sam when Dean finally does die.

Secondly, and this is one of the main reasons I decided to write these articles, we are introduced to Lisa and Ben. Dean just wants to ride into town and have a good time with an old fling, but much more has happened since he left this town eight years ago: his old fling has a kid that he thinks may or may not be his own. Even when Lisa tells him that this is not his son, but a biker guy she met at a bar, he still steps in to be a father-figure that is absent from Ben’s life.

From the first point, Sam meets Ruby again, not that he yet knows who- or what- she is, but she saved him once and now she shows up again. She knows what he is doing and she plants herself in a vulnerable spot before she tells him who she really is. Gamble gives us just a quick taste of Ruby’s manipulative ammo through her convincing Sam to research his mother’s family and friends.

Sam finds out that everyone his mother had a connection with is gone. We have established, already, how Sam found out that Mary knew exactly who Azazel was when she was killed in the nursery. Now he is following up. Here is where Ruby begins her snide, elaborate plans to develop Sam into the devil’s puppet. She gives him this first choice, to look into his mom’s past, and find even more of a reason for revenge.
“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re special… I’m thinkin’ you’re still a pretty big deal.” Ruby to Sam.

When Sam finally does find out what she is, her claws of manipulative ‘compassion’ are already sunk deep and he is willing to trust Ruby when she tells him that she can help him save Dean.

Meanwhile, we’re finding out that Dean is not Ben’s dad, though they are both very attached in just a few conversations. The resemblance in personality are incredible and I love how Sera writes Ben’s character. He has spunk and he has this quality about him that looks to be a protector, just like Dean.

Fresh Blood gets a little heavy on us right from the beginning. Our favorite hunter is back, yes that’s right, Gordon Walker… I thought you might enjoy that; and oh yes, I cannot forget, we also have Bella and her intensively ridiculous ways. All she does is make a phone call for Gordon and it is enough to make this vampire job a living hell for Sam and Dean.

An interesting thing Gamble does here is to expand the profile for Vampires in this supernatural world. We already knew that lights were too bright for them and that sunshine hurt their skin like a nasty sunburn. Now we learn that they can hear blood pumping and hearts pumping from a mile away. This burdens the level of intensity of Gordon Walker’s becoming a vampire, and his first kill after he is turned.

A heavy element betwixt the boys here is Dean’s growing fear of exactly what happened to Sam between his death and his own deal. He was already a bit shaky when Azazel confronted him and he had to really think about Sam’s lack of hesitancy to kill when he opened the Devil’s Gate. Now, however, he has growing distress over Sammy and his weakening compassion. It shows when Dean asks him if he understands what they need to do to Gordon, “Yeah, kill him.” (paraphrase). 
Dean: Really? I thought you were gonna be all, ‘No, we can’t, he’s a human, it’s wrong…’

Truly, he wishes Sam would say that. On the flip-side, though, Sam just wants Dean to open up to him about his own fate, but he keeps putting on a show that Sam sees right through. Finally, they have a moment, just one, where Dean says, ‘Okay, we’ll do this your way and work together; I will not go on a crazy hunt alone just because I’m already dead.’

Sam is still fighting for his own flesh: just because you have the power to DO evil does not mean that you HAVE to. It is, in fact, a matter of choice. It is not a requirement that we give in to the temptation before us.

My favorite moment in this episode, however, is not Gordon’s death; although it is a pretty epic moment. It is when Dean takes on another element of the ‘dad’ role by showing Sam how to work on the car. They have another moment. Say, “Awwwe!”

Jus in Bello is one of my FAVORITE episodes. I know, I seem to say that a lot, but this episode holds a heavy link in the Supernatural chain. We get to hang out with Special Agent Hendrickson, we’ve got a small spot on Bella, we have a little more Ruby, we are introduced to Lilith for the first time; we have a heavy demon storm rolling, there’s some Law and Order vibes going, AND Dean gets to tell Hendrickson, ‘Told you so.’

That pretty much sums up the episode, but I think it is important to note Dean’s smug attitude through the feds and the demon attack, “It’s like they’re comin’ right for us, they’ve never done that before. It’s like we got a contract on us. You think it’s ’cause we’re so awesome? I think it’s ’cause we’re so awesome.”

One interesting moment here, though, is Ruby’s speech and seeming willingness to sacrifice herself and the virgin, to save them. Dean and Ruby show an obvious display of their war over Sam’s soul. Ruby gives Sam the choice to work the spell and save them now and Dean presents his plan to just fight. Dean is pleading for Sam to choose everyone’s life and not just the lesser of two evils. As time goes on, there is more and more development of Sam’s attitude for the shorter, “easier,” route.

The Face of Immortality

Time is on My Side is an unique demonstration of Sam’s devotion to Dean’s life and his own spiral into poorly justified habits which take up residence in moral “gray” areas.  He begins by baiting Dean into a case in which he plans on chasing immortality then refrains from helping Dean go find Bella when they get a lead. To Dean, this is a little more important- finding Bella, questioning her about the colt, killing her. Sam wants to use a 100+ year-old-man for advise on how to keep them both alive past the contract date.

We do get to finally find out that Lilith holds the contract, not only Dean’s, but Bella’s as well. And who had not seen this coming? She was far to smart and too rich for her own good. If only she had come to the guys in the first place.

In short, I believe that the two greatest things Sera Gamble gives us in her writing through season 3 are Lisa and Ben as well as Lilith and her ownership of the contract. Lisa and Ben provide for a lot of twists over the next few seasons. Lilith’s ownership of Dean’s contract gives us heavy support for Sam’s one-track mind when Dean goes to hell.

Come back soon for a look at Gamble’s contributions to Supernatural season 4:

 

Tom Levitt and Sam Stickland

Disclaimers:
*This post is intended to question the portrayal and market of this particular couple on the show. I’ve been wanting to blog on this issue since Tom and Sam first got together because it is a very sensitive issue and one I intend to handle with care.
**You should know that I am coming from a Christian perspective; but my views might surprise you, since I am also a person who has several friends who have chosen to live a homosexual lifestyle. I also know active members in my church who chose have made the decision to stop living a homosexual lifestyle.
***Although this is a heavy issue, and I have tons to say about it, I’m going to do my best to focus solely on Tom, Sam and Smash.

First of all, Christian Borle (Tom) and Leslie Odem Jr. (Sam) do an incredible job in their roles. Tom as the sensitive composer tries to love on his writing partner, be devoted to the show, while falling for his chorus crush; and Sam as the passionate dancer who is willing to give up every ounce of security for the sake of art that he finds beautiful as he falls for an artist he deeply admires. This is one of the reasons that Tom and Sam are so great together in the show- they’re balanced.

As we remember, for a while, people did not even realize that Sam was gay;  he was so interested in sports and he was not hitting on every other ensamble guy. Sam is very intentional. His very intentionality is where we find his decision to ‘wait.’ On their first date, Tom takes Sam back to his place and makes a move. Sam stops him and tells him that he goes “to church and [believes] in God and stuff…” Tom’s fearful response: “Are you a republican?” The tension is broken with a semi-serious mild joke about Tom’s perspective on the political party. This is where Sam calls him out, and we are given the first element of their functional relationship: communication.

The element of communication alone makes them the most functional relationship on the show, as of yet. We thought Dev and Karen might have that, until he stopped talking to her about work, then it went downhill, fast, from there- to the point where he cheated on her with… Ivy?! We knew that Derek and Ivy were not going to go well for long; and then he messed them up by sleeping with Rebecca because she “need[ed his] attention.” They were clearly on different pages as to what their relationship was intended to be. All these could be analyzed in their own entries, including Julia and Michael’s relationship, including both of them waiting (or having no intention) to tell their spouses about the affair.

Sex, or a lack thereof, is another element that makes their relationship functional. Without taking it to that level, making the choice to wait affects the dynamics because instead of being physically focused, they are emotionally and logically intentional.

Overall, Sam is good for Tom because he calls him out, forces him to communicate, and does not allow the physical elements other couples depend on to hinder their connection. There are other elements of their careers that make this work better than other relationships on the show, but this also can be put in it’s own post.

Overall, although this couple helped me to understand more realistically the dynamics of a gay relationship, I still don’t find it to be Biblically based. The sure flow of how well Tom and Sam’s relationship works is a fictional one. This is not to say that this relationship is easy for the characters, but the writers of the show are clearly trying to portray validity in a God-focused homosexual lifestyle; which I understand to be a paradoxical intention. 

The show itself, however, flows well with the relationship and this post is not intended to invalidate its affects on the dynamics of the characters. I can see the writers’ use of a gay couple in order to make the functionality stand out.