After coming across an interesting clip somewhere, I binge-watched the show from the beginning, and have been completely drawn in. It is extraordinarily well written, well acted, sung and performed. For someone stuck alone in quarantine during the pandemic, the deep interpersonal and family connections are especially appealing. As a musician myself, I've always been keenly aware of music's extraordinary and unique power to reach into the human psyche, but I was astonished at how profoundly Zoey's experiences have resonated. Several of the episodes have felt like a warm hug from a loved one. I was moved to tears during the performance by the deaf students during this episode, and thought that the writers (or the director) made a very bold choice in not subtitling the ASL dialogue during the unusual musical sequence that was sung and danced in ASL. The melody was recognizable, but I couldn't place it. I couldn't recall any of the words that they were signing, but I burst into tears at the realization that I didn't have to know the words to understand what was being said, and was deeply moved by the emotional impact of the moment. It was surprising and revelatory; who knew TV could have that much power? (Apparently, the performers on this show, since they pour their heart and soul into it, and you can totally tell.) The marriage of the music and its lyrical content to the show's various plotlines is nothing short of magical; as if the music had been written and scripted for exactly that moment. In the wrong hands, the dance sequences and vocal performances could easily descend into absurdist parody, but somehow, here, they just don't. Instead, it's they are honest, loving and beautiful. (And who knew that Lauren Graham was such a diva? I'd beg for an all EP-style remake of the Gilmore Girls, but the only music that could fit in so much dialogue is by Gilbert and Sullivan so never mind. Is Alexis Bledel equally gifted and why are we only learning this now?)
It's also profoundly satisfying that Zoey herself is a talented singer; from start to finish, the show is a burst of light and a breath of fresh air during a dark time.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Porklips Now
(1980)
The perfect antidote to the intensity of Apocalypse Now
16 December 2006
I saw this in a double feature with the movie it spoofs, Apocalypse Now. After two plus hours of intense and often wrenching imagery, I was very wound up. The perfect-pitch spoof was exactly what I needed to pull me out of the dark place that Apocalypse Now had taken me. It transported me back to reality, or at least California. Perhaps it would not have made such a strong impression if it hadn't been the follow-up to the movie it spoofed. That's hard to say. But my own feeling is that one should not be seen without the other. While I've had the chance to see Apocalypse on occasion since then, I only ever saw Porklips that one time. Of the two films, I dare say I remember it better! A terrific piece of comic material. It deserves more recognition; I'd love to see it again someday!
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