I often find myself wondering, what it is about films that I
love so much. The film medium caters for many individual tastes, for some,
films are a form of an escape, relaxation, or simply pure entertainment.
However, the art of films has so much more to offer! Films are a reflection of
life, and for me in particular, films allow me to understand this crazy thing
that is ‘life’. Although, the film medium is where I go to look for answers, I
also find myself searching for meaning or simply entertainment in TV series. Whereas
films typically have a limited time to develop their narrative, introduce and
develop characters and simply entertain, series have the advantage of having
more time, resulting in more freedom in the story telling process. We live in
the ‘binging’ society, we binge drink, we binge on food, and of course, on entertainment,
so what is it about Rick Grimes killing gruesome zombies, or Hannibal Lecter
poetically devouring *food*, or even Ross constantly reminding us that him and
Rachel were ‘ON A BREAK’. Well, the answer is not straight forward, as I have
said, people watch and choose certain shows based on their individual preferences;
however, what many don’t realise is the power these shows have in shaping
society. We may think that we are watching a zombie show, or a show about a
female prison where Piper humorously plays the ‘baddest bitch in town’, but in reality
what these shows portray is much deeper and complex. What I have found watching
numerous series is how accurately, yet ambiguously they manage to tackle issues
that consume our society. So I have decided to list the shows that have managed
to grab my attention, keep me entertained, move me emotionally and please me
visually.
Firstly, I have decided to mention FRIENDS, I
mean how could I not? I simply fell in love with the whole cast right from the
first episode! I find myself thinking, who is my favourite character and I
simply cannot choose and that rarely happens. FRIENDS is of course highly
entertaining through its humour that varies of course, we get to see Chandler
throwing shade and sarcasm wherever he can, Ross constantly moaning, yet I find
it hard to ever dislike him, he is so lovable, but yes, slightly annoying. Of
course Phoebe who is the heart of the group, full of wisdom, weirdness,
sassiness but full of love, also. The lovable Joey... Oh I’m in love with Joey
and Matt LeBlanc! We cannot forget about sweet Rachel Green and of course Mrs
Perfect Monica. I honestly haven’t met someone who is not a fan of the show!
However, do not get mistaken, while FRIENDS will have you laughing in tears, it
will also allow you to see ‘normal’ people facing serious life decisions and
many times serious problems. FRIENDS does not only intend to make its audience
laugh, but it allows them to see that they are not alone as it raises issues of
adoption, surrogacy, sexuality, divorce and many more issues that many of us
will find ourselves dealing with in our adult lives. What is great about the show
is the fact that each episode is around 22 minutes long, meaning that you can
binge watch the whole show (yes I am guilty) or you can watch an episode before
work, during your break or before bed! FRIENDS has managed to make me smile
through the toughest times in my life, therefore it’s a pleasure to recommend
it to you!
·
My second recommendation comes from the genius
mind of David Lynch... Of course, it has to be the eerie Twin Peaks, yes
another show from the 90s! Before I even knew about the existence of the master
that Lynch is, the melancholic melody of Twin Peaks was running through my
blood. My father, is a massive fan of Lynch and of course the show, therefore
when I was still a little girl running around causing chaos, my dad was
watching the show and the music was in fact haunting me for a very long time, I
heard it playing in my head over and over, I was repulsed, yet, attracted to
the melody. One day as I was flicking through the channels I heard the music
play and I almost jumped! Finally, I knew where it belonged, of course I ran to
my dad and asked him about Lynch and that’s how my journey with Twin Peaks and
David Lynch began! So why watch Twin Peaks? Well, it’s a must see, the show is
full of enigma, sexuality, lust, humour and of course mystery. What Twin Peaks
offers is what you would expect from the peculiar mind of Lynch. Twin Peaks is
rich in symbolism and is aesthetically pleasing. David Lynch is an outstanding
director, his abilities in combining visuals and sound is simply breathtaking,
the atmosphere that Lynch is able to create many have attempted to copy in
their works, but failed. With the
upcoming revival of Twin Peaks in May, I suggest you get yourself a copy of the
first two series and, yes, binge it. Twin Peaks is a masterpiece!
·
Thirdly, continuing from the mystery of the town
of Twin Peaks, I would like to recommend Broadchurch. I simply love British dramas;
I was a massive fan of Skins, My Mad Fat Diary and Glue, and therefore it comes
as no surprise that I fell in love with the haunting town of Broadchurch.
Although, it is not as surreal as Twin Peaks as it focuses on authenticity and
verisimilitude, the show will fill you with tension, dread and anticipation.
Broadchurch welcomes its audience to its beautiful scenery, a place where life
is slow, peaceful, a place where people go to get away from the mundane life in
the city... a place that everyone knows each other, but do they really? Not
only is Broadchurch magnificent for the visuals and the outstanding gripping narrative,
the cast also shows commitment and dedication! David Tennant is great in the
role of D.I. Hardy, he is strict, but yet funny without realising and Olivia
Coleman complements his quirkiness; they are a walking contradiction, yet a
match made in heaven. Broadchurch raises issues that affect many people, but
yet these issues are not often talked about so openly, therefore the show
enables its audience to speak out, get help. Broadchurch enables its audience
to see that everyone is full of secrets, and we never really know someone’s
true colours.
·
·
The next show that I would love to recommend is,
of course, Hannibal. I mean wow... Hannibal simply took my breath away! Fuller
deserves a standing ovation for the aesthetic, atmosphere and the overall work
on the show. Hannibal is a beautiful, rich and poetic show which seems rather contradictory; many might have guessed the main theme of the show is
cannibalism. Of course the show has many similarities with the film Silence of
the Lambs, however, Fuller has taken the story to a whole new level, and he
somehow made the horrendous murders look beautiful. Hannibal is rich in symbolism,
mystery and beauty found in the misery and sorrow. The master of suspense,
Hitchcock, has once said that the root of tension comes from the audience
knowing, yet being unable to act on their knowledge while the characters fall
down the spiral of the unknown. I certainly did find myself almost screaming at
my TV because I wanted Hannibal to be punished, but did I really want that ...
Mads Mikkelsen is without a doubt, the most enigmatically beautiful man that I
have ever seen, I am simply mad about Mads and I am a very big fan of his
films, as he simply is an astonishing actor that has the ability to make his
audience laugh, cry, and feel a mixture of emotions all at once. What Mads
brings to the role of Hannibal is a ‘cherry on top’ for the show. The
iconography within the show is so distinctive and rich. What the show offers to
its audience is a unique journey of murder, love, lust and the desire to dig
deeper into people’s inner drives.
My next pick is the badass work of Kurt Sutter,
Sons of Anarchy. I must admit when I started watching the show, I wasn’t sure
whether it was for me, yes, I do like fearless men riding bikes into the
sunset, but I simply did not know what to expect from the show and I am so glad
I gave the show a try, because by far, Sons of Anarchy is the only shows that
has been able have such an emotional impact on me. Compared to the shows that I
have already mentioned, Sons of Anarchy had a pretty long run, as the fans were
given 7 seasons. So why is the show so freaking good? Well first of all the
cast, we get to see some very familiar faces, and the actors are so fitting for
their roles, which adds to the authentic feel of the show, and of course, in
result makes the audience respond sympathetically towards the characters.
Sutter has managed to create something so raw and authentic, with the help of
the thematic iconography, and of course the music which made me cry many times;
Sutter’s wife, Katey Sagal whom played the role of Gemma, involved her band in
which she sings in and their songs accompanied many heartbreaking scenes. Sons
of Anarchy is about loyalty, brotherhood, family, but also shows how the trust
can be broken so easily, and how quickly a friend can become an enemy, and how
an enemy can become our friend. Throughout the seven action packed seasons, the
audience have the ability to really become a part of the whole Teller family,
and seeing them get hurt, betrayed and heartbroken has a major impact on its
audience. Sutter tries to portray American gang culture in the most pure and
authentic way! Sons of Anarchy is simply an outstanding series rich in every
feeling imaginable.
· Next on we have Orange is the New Black! The
hype surrounding this show has been mind-blowing, which comes as no surprise,
as Netflix shows have the ability to attract a major group of audience. All my
friends were watching this, so I thought I will also give it a try. Once again,
I was gobsmacked at how moving the show was. Orange is the New Black tackles
contemporary issues not only of the American prison and government structure,
but of the lives of women. The show has a major importance in the LGBT movement
and the fight for equality. Although the show is packed with humour, it
intentionally exploits the unequal treatment of women in prisons. Orange is the
New Black is fantastic entertainment due to such a variety of personalities
that the audience have the pleasure of meeting. We meet Piper, who is an
affluent woman contrasting the character of Crazy Eyes who is an adoptee,
facing major emotional and psychological issues, of course, Red is there to
throw in some sassiness with her harsh Russian accent and her attitude. The
shows enables us to meet such a mixture of people with such varied backgrounds.
I have personally found the show to be extremely eye-opening revealing the
cruelty and inequality experienced by many women in our society. I would highly
recommend the show, its full of twists and turns, but most importantly the
audience have the ability to become a part of a family consisting of drug
dealers, murderers, human rights activists and many, many more... sounds
fun to me!
·
Winter is coming... yes here we are with the
next recommendation of Games of Thrones. It is no mystery that the whole world
is simply crazy over the show; many ‘rebel’ against the mainstream and vow to
never see it, and I guess I was one of those people too. I had nothing against
the major fan base of the show, but I thought that the show will not suit my
likes. I will admit, after seeing my brother reading the enormous books, I was
scared that the shows will be hard to follow, and that there will be too much
going on; and that simply frustrates me as I look for the meaning in
everything. Nevertheless, I finally got the courage and chose to watch it. I
must admit that the medieval, knights and kings films never interested me;
however I am now officially a Game of Thrones geek and yes,I want to avenge Ned
Stark... At first I still had mixed emotions about the show, however as the
episodes went on I found myself tangled in family drama, betrayal, affairs and
unexplained mysteries that I fell in love with...Of course, the show has a
massive budget, meaning that aesthetically it is simply breathtaking. Game of
Thrones is packed with action, suspense and emotion! Of course the actors are
simply amazing in the portrayal of their roles, it is clear to see that so much
thought and passion goes into the making of the show! So if you are ready to be
taken over by the Game of Thrones craze then don’t wait any longer and watch
the show. On the side note, the show is simply packed with rather attractive
people such as Kit Harrington, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and of course Jason
Momoa!
·
Last, but not least, I would like to recommend
The Walking Dead. I had doubts whether to include this show on my list, as the
series have been a mixture of fails, but also quality entertainment so the good
outweighed the bad and here we have The Walking Dead. I have been a fan of the
show for a long time, I was simply swallowed whole into the world of the zombie
apocalypse and I still get sad thinking about Hershel... Anyway, as I watched
season followed by another, I have been captivated by the deep storytelling and
the obstacles that the characters had to face, but I have often found myself a
little bored by some episodes due to their storytelling. However, the show has
a massive fan base, that is in fact still growing and I have so much love for
the characters; which I feel like I know so well. The Walking Dead offers the
audience to see the development of the group, its leader and the changing
dynamic between them and the troubles that they encounter on their way to a
better world. What I love about the show is that it is so unexpected, one
minute we are celebration their victories, and the next we see them swallowed
by tragedy. If you do decide to watch the show, there will be many antagonists
that you will simply hate (but at the same you would happily welcome them into
your bed *cough* Negan)... but there will also be characters that you will
adore and respect. The main reason why The Walking Dead simply had to make it
on the list is the sub textual message that the show portrays. At first glance
the show is about zombies and a group of strangers who become a ‘family’,
however watching the show for quite some time, it is so clear to me that the
show carries such an deeper message showing the audience that it is humans who
are the biggest enemy, it is humans who cause pain, wars, and terror... The
Walking Dead has made me emotional on many occasions, but I have recently found
myself shedding a tear seeing not zombies killing humans, but humans killing each
other. If you are not interested in the messages conveyed in the show, then you
will certainly like it for its outstanding special effects!
So, before you watch another show, just
remember that often, the main theme of the show is just a metaphor and a
reflection of our society!
Anna Gaszkowska
