What was on TV? Thurs, March 17, 2005

20 years ago, a physicist may have created a black hole in a lab. Let's see what was on TV!

8:00 The OC on Fox

2x16 "The Blaze of Glory"

And so The OC's queer era comes to a close. At the time, people were annoyed that Olivia Wilde's character was turned into such an annoying and clingy girlfriend by the end, culminating when she brings two random guys to the beach to fight Ryan. But honestly, that part didn't bother me. It shows that the OC is infecting her and inspiring stupid dramatic behavior. After the beach confrontation, she and Marissa have a bittersweet and honest conversation. And her losing her shit is partially Seth's fault anyway. Presumably, when she gets away from these people and this place, life will be less dramatic and happier. This is the sub-text when most supporting characters exit the series; it was the subtext when Lindsey left two episodes ago.

What does bother me is that Alex's friends and community have vanished (aside from the muscle she brings to the beach). Something that elevated this storyline was that Alex's queer experience felt authentic. She wasn't an island, she had a whole group of queer friends that intimidated Marissa. She had emancipated herself after her parents didn't approve of her bisexuality. But in this episode, all she cares about, all she has, is Marissa. Those friends are gone. When she breaks up with Marissa, she says she plans to go back home, when we'd previously been led to believe she'd be unwelcome there.

This episode is all about taking The OC back to season one. All the old silly dramatics and classic pairings. To the show's credit, Marissa's breakup with Alex isn't about her "not being a lesbian anymore," it's about her wanting to still be a teenager. Marissa's whole relationship with Alex was more driven by her desire to be an adult and less by her exploration of queerness. What attracted Marissa to Alex was her independence, the fact that she was an emancipated minor. Marissa comes out to her friends, but she never explores her queer identity or the queer community, she never meets Alex's friends. The storyline is about her trying on adulthood. And eventually, she realizes that as much as she hates her mom, she wants to be a teenager, she wants to go back to normal, just like the writers. And that's fine! But I still wish Marissa and the writers had explored the queer side of The OC in more depth before everything went back to the season 1 status quo.

9:00 Survivor: Palau (recorded)

10x05 "The Best and Worst Reward Ever"

This was a very good episode. The producers threw a ton of curveballs at these poor contestants. The winner of the reward challenge still had to go to tribal council (which was good since Koror seriously needed to have a tribal council already). But they also got to watch the loser's tribal council while eating a delicious feast. So the five members of Ulong had to have their fifth tribal council in a row in front of their rivals. And then Koror got to vote to give one of the Ulong players immunity! And this was fascinating. You want people to vote for you, because that means you're safe. But people voting for you also means they think you suck. But maybe you want them to underestimate you (I guess I'm starting to understand the gameplay). Anyway, they gave Ibrehem immunity when everyone in Ulong was ready to boot him thanks to his flop performance in the reward challenge. Which was great, because most tribal council votes have been totally lacking in suspense to this point. But this one was meaty! We got a tiebreaker and everything. To anyone who watches Survivor this probably seems like old hat, but it's all new to me and very exciting.

10:00 Miracle's Boys (recorded)

Episode 6 "Bond of Brothers"

I'm so sad it's over. This episode ends with the boys finally catching a tiny break as Charlie evades arrest, and the brothers and all their friends celebate. The depiction of the carceral system is harsh and unflinching, and holds up in the age of police abolition. So Charlie's freedom feels like a true victory. The brothers are finally united, comfortable expressing their love for one another and joking around. It ends with a family dinner with this unconventional family, and it is beautiful. It's a satisfying ending, but I wish it wasn't the end.

What Else Was On

• Tonight was the last time that the Fox soap Point Pleasant (imagine a teen soap but one of the characters is the Devil!) ever appeared on American television. Future episodes would only be available internationally and on DVD. I wish I'd watched at least one episode of this show.
• CBS was all in on March Madness, so Survivor didn't air in its usual Thursday timeslot, it actually aired on Wednesday.
• Before they were famous: Jim Rash played a neurotic playwright on the John Stamos sitcom Jake in Progress.

TiVo Status

The Masterpiece Theater miniseries The Lost Prince, a Frontline documentary, and the TV movies Sucker Free City, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Ladies Night. 12 hours total.

Music, 20 years ago

Tonight's song from The OC is this gorgeous song from Joseph Arthur, which soundtracks Marissa and Alex's breakup.