Review of Greek

I will now review one of my favorite shows, Greek.  

Recently, Casey got a new boyfriend, Max.  Max is alright.  He's smart (he majors in polymer science like Rusty) and he's pretty cute.  He's played by the same guy that played Kostos in the Traveling Pants movies!  Woop woop.  Anyway, Max and Casey are very different but they seem to work.  I'm not a fan of Casey in general, but she has been a lot more tolerable lately.  Although since the actor that plays Max is still listed as a guest star, I don't imagine it will last the entire season.  Sad but juicy!

There's a plot twist in which Rebecca Logan and Franny start their own sorority.  I hope this doesn't last long, because it's annoying.  Franny is ridiculous and scheming and conniving.  I suppose she makes the show more interesting, but her characterization is just nothing but evil, so it's hard to sympathize with her at all.  At least with Rebecca, you get some reason for why she is the way she is (senator's daughter, dad is absent, cheating on her mother, big scandal, always tries to buy her off).  

And Cappie!  I still love him.  He's charming and seems clueless, but he's actually very smart and knows a lot about people and relationships.  He knows he wants Casey back but sees that Casey is so happy with Max that he tries to be friends with him.  Last season, Casey and Cappie were kind of each others' go-to person for relationship advice, which is weird but awesome!  I'm glad he and Rebecca broke up because Rebecca is totally wrong for him.

Rusty needs to get a girl!  I'm sick of him being the cliche unlucky-in-love geek.  I kind of hope he starts dating a ZBZ.  Casey's reaction would be priceless.

And I want more of Dale, Rusty's old roommate.  He's super funny and I want him to get a girlfriend, too.  THAT would be awesome to watch.  He's socially awkward but thinks he isn't.  BEST combination ever!

I guess I need more practice writing reviews . . . that was more of a rant.

GREEK!

This is not a difficult blog for me!  I write about my favorite shows all the time; however, I think I will try to pick one that I have not blogged about yet.  I think I will pick the show Greek, which airs on Monday nights on ABC Family.

Many people may think that Greek is a stupid teenage show that glorifies the fraternity/sorority system and perpetuates stereotypes associated with Greek life.  In a way, I guess it is.  However, it also demonstrates that people can learn a lot from the Greek system; how to deal with all types of people, how to remain diplomatic even when your emotions get in the way, how to deal with silly politics, how to manage but not micromanage, and in many ways, how to run a business. 

Greek is about the Cartwright siblings.  Casey Cartwright is a student at Cyprus Rhodes University and the ultimate sorority girl.  She has been a member of Zeta Beta Zeta, the best sorority on campus, since her freshman year and aspires to be the President.  She is dating the big man on campus, rich kid Evan Chambers, a member of Omega Chi (appropriately, the best fraternity on campus).  Casey has the seemingly perfect life; however, things are always complicated by her ex-boyfriend, Cappie (no last name, no first name, no one knows!), who is the President of Kappa Tau Gamma, the slacker fraternity.

Enter Rusty Cartwright, Casey's younger brother, a freshman at CRU.  He's super-smart and majoring in polymer science.  He wants to pledge a fraternity to help his social skills and reinvent his geeky image.  At first, Rusty is interested in Omega Chi like all the other freshman.  However, when he witnesses Evan cheating on his sister Casey, he decides to join Kappa Tau -- with Casey's ex-boyfriend. 

 The show explores the relationships between college students in a fairly realistic manner.  I wouldn't say that it is always an accurate depiction of Greek life, since I'm in a sorority.  However, the show gets many things right.

I love the show because it's fun and funny.  It's surprisingly addicting, and I am constantly rooting for Cappie and Casey to get back together!  

You should all give it a try, and don't immediately write it off.  It took me a good 4 episodes to really get hooked.

What Am I Watching?

I think a more appropriate question is what am I NOT watching? 

My favorite TV shows of all time are Gilmore Girls and The Office.  I don't understand why more people don't like them.  I own all the episodes on DVD -- well, I own the entire series of Gilmore Girls, but The Office is still on TV so I just have all the seasons besides the one that is on TV currently.  

Even though I have every episode of Gilmore Girls, I still watch it on ABC Family when it's on.  It's like a surprise -- which season will be showing?  Is Rory still at Chilton or has she moved on to Yale?  Is Lorelai at the Independence Inn or the Dragonfly?  Is Rory with Dean, Jess, or Logan?  Is Lorelai with Max, Chris or Luke?  

The Office is just, plain and simple, hilarious.  I know that some people don't get the comedy.  It's true that most of it is not "in-your-face", it's more in the awkwardness and the political incorrectness of Michael Scott and his number-two, Dwight Schrute.  Plus Jim is like, PERFECT, and I want to be Pam.  And Andy Bernard (The Nard Dogg) just makes the show that much better.

Another series I am watching currently is The Adventures of Pete and Pete.  It used to air on Nickelodeon in the early 90's and I absolutely adored it.  So when it came out on DVD of course I bought seasons 1 and 2.  It's a kid's sitcom, but it's so weird and quirky that sometimes it feels adult.  It's about two brothers, both named Pete Wrigley, their dad, their mom who has a metal plate in her head, Big Pete's best friend Ellen, Artie the Strongest Man in the World, Bus Driver Stu, and Little Pete's tattoo Petunia.  I can't explain it because it's just so strange, but I love it.  From Big Pete and Ellen's friendship turning into love on the marching band field, to Little Pete and his friends staying up for 11 days straight calling themselves "The Nightcrawlers" breaking a world record to murdering the school's mascot, a squid, with a discus. . . STRANGE.  But awesome.

I'm also a huge fan of Arrested Development, though I still need to get my hands on second half of the second season and the third season.  I have the first season but never got around to buying the second season and have been getting the disks on Netflix periodically.  But I love the Bluth family.  I think it's sad that it was cancelled -- the same fate that befell Freaks and Geeks; the network moved around a show it didn't particularly care for, so it couldn't gain a loyal following.  One of my favorite quotes ever is from Arrested Development:

Michael Bluth:  [talking to George-Michael about prison]  Scary?  No.  No, it's the opposite of scary.  It's like a carnival.  Without the half person on the skateboard that grabbed your knee to steady himself.

Other shows I enjoy are Jon & Kate + 8 (say what you may, but I LOVE Kate), GREEK, Little People Big World, Bones, and Girls Next Door (RIP).  I'm not a fan of reality TV in general, but I like the TLC shows because they are not trashy, and I like Girls Next Door because they don't try too hard!  And they are just funny.  

I don't know -- I love TV a lot.  It's an escape.  I always make time to veg out and watch some, because without some relaxation I would go crazy.  I need alone time with my fictional lives every once in a while.