Mscl

Hey everyone

I purchased this on DVD last week but just now got around to watching it. I think the mega cult status of the program had me a bit apprehensive.. what if it didn't live up to the hype? FREAKS AND GEEKS was very entertaining and the people who recommended it to me clearly knew what they were talking about.. but could lightning strike twice? Could there really be another superb 90s show about teen life that was cancelled too soon?

I'm only 2.5 episodes in, but so far at least it's very enjoyable and the characters all seem very realistic so my answer would have to be 'yes'. Almost every episode (of the 2.5 I've seen) seems to contain something that I can remember from my own high school years

I purchased the show because of the involvement of Claire Danes and Jared Leto. I've been rewatching STARDUST recently and Danes has stood out with her impressive turn as the titular Star. Her performance was very realistic and grounded, and I so I thought MSCL might be worth checking out. Mr Leto is someone whom I've enjoyed from RFAD and then ALEXANDER, and the idea of a Jared Leto teen heart throb character piqued my interest. Sadly I relate to the Danes character but find the Leto character ridiculous. I was at first convinced that Leto was playing it for comedy. What on earth would anyone see in him ? He seems catatonic most of the time on the show so far

PS I called this thread MSCL because apparently (according to the booklet in the DVD) thats how the show was known to it's fans. I'm always a big supporter of abbreviations so decided to go with one for the title of this thread. Hope that's ok.

Anyway, looking forward to the rest and I will keep you guys filled in on my thoughts as I make my way through the 19 episode season

PPS Angela's mom is evil. Reminds me of my mom, always nasty for no reason and never believes anything you say. Ugh

RE: Abbreviation for thread title

In the booklet that comes with the DVD Janeane Garofalo says that people in the know call it MSCL and apparently the shows biggest fan site is MSCL.COM. I am sorry if the abbreviation was unclear, I just assumed since the thread was in the television forum people would get it. I wanted to be 'in the know' and use the abbreviation too.

Anyway, I am about to watch an episode and then do some spring cleaning

So, I've now gotten as far as the episode "THE SUBSTITUTE". The substitute in question was portrayed by master thespian Roger Rees (he also played the guy in charge of dealing with Hugh Jackman's estate after his death in THE PRESTIGE and also served as Ambassador to America for the UK during the Bartlet administration). Mr Rees spent more than three years in my town and only moved out last year or so. I used to see him all the time getting coffee or sammichs or walking or whatever. I even spoke with him a few times.



As a town resident, he would have the opportunity to serve as a substitute teacher at my highschool. That just about blows my mind. The show is a bit embarrassingly "90s" at times.. Jokes about "Johnny's replacement" (AKA, Letterman) and all that. Oh well. I am just lucky I was never a teenager in the 90s (if my math is correct)


Anyway, *really* enjoying the show so far. Every character reminds me of someone I knew growing up and I think that Angela* is one of the most down to earth and 'real' fictional characters I've ever seen on a television program

PS Jared Leto is *hilarious* in this! It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. The show plays it completely straight, but every word out of his mouth is comedy gold. Last episode he had only one line. The class was having a quiet moment after the firing of Roger Rees. Leto had sat silently the whole episode only to suddenly pop up and shout "He was the best teacher I ever had!", glower, and slump back down. I was in stitches.

The next episode is apparently titled "Why Jordan Can't Read". Jordan is the name of his character, BTW. I almost feel inspired to start a Jared Leto literacy fund!




* this actually really bothers me though. The only people named Angela I've ever known were all people I hate, and that was a big stumbling block for relating to Dane's character. I'm over it now and think she is doing a fantastic job

OK, so a few quick thoughts and comments and maybe a question too


Ok, the HALLOWEEN episode was pretty silly and dumb. However, I'm still loving the show. It's pretty fantastic. I'm having extremely powerful emotional reactions to each of the characters which I guess is a sign not only of good acting but good writing. I keep hoping the next "very special episode" will involve Angelas mom getting killed by a drunk driver or something. She is far too close to my own mother for comfort.


Anyway. I am curious, what do you guys think of the characters on the show? Should we do a list where we each offer up our opinion on them? That could be fun!

I'll start: Brian Krakow seems like a future serial killer. The show keeps presenting him as a legitimate love interest for Angela and that just about makes my head asplode. He maliciously defamed her with slanderous lies, he spies on her at night, he rats her out to her parents, he sabotages her friendships. Seeing him on skulking around her house is like watching a horror movie where you want to shout "Get away from that guy, he's crazy!" but the characters on screen can't hear you

Rayanne is drunk too much for it to be believable. I'm pretty sure they'd be able to tell if you were drunk in school. At least my school.

Jordan Catalano is a complete joke of a character. Not only does Leto exhibit zero charisma, his character is a monosylabic moron who can barely speak in complete sentences. Sorry, but at the school I went to the smart kids were the cool ones and the stupid ones were shunned. The 'in crowd' were people in the honors classes. Maybe things are different in less affluent and educated communities, who knows

I have only six episodes left and it's entirely possible I could blow through them tonight. It feels like the end of an era. When I was growing up most of my baby sitters were highschool students in the 90s and I always kind of wondered what it would have been like to been a teenager back then. Thanks to MSCL, maybe now I know

EDIT: I just wanted to say that I wish there had been a show like this on when I was growing up. I grew up watching BOSTON PUBLIC in middleschool because it was about a Massachusetts School but that show was pretty ridiculous all things considered. This one feels much more 'real'

Well, I am down to the final two episodes and feeling more than a little sad about it. I was just getting to know all these characters and now they will be gone forever... When I get home I will watch those final two (next up is the penultimate episode: WEEKEND) and then maybe update everyone later on

Ps: MSCL treats the appearence of ghosts far too casually. First Halloween and now Christmas both saw ghosts visit Angela and her family. If a ghost visited me in hs they would have either locked me up in the looney bin or I'd have dedicated my life to proving their existance. Angelas reaction is entirely too blasé given the rather supernatural circumstances rutinely going down in her presence

I know we don't get along much but thought you might find this interesting:


I took that photo, it's from the book that came with my MSCL DVD. It contains the showrunners plans for what would have happened to the characters had the show continued. I for one am heartened to see that Angela's dad would have left her mom. Her dad was too cool for that family by half. The only thing missing though is Brain's incarceration for menacing and criminal harrassment. I'm sure that would have happened mid way through the second season.


CREEPY STALKER STAY AWAY!