Joan of Arcadia

[Hemiola]

Just a post from your friendly neighborhood classical music geek



The piece that so obssessed Piano Lessons Lady was the first movement (Toccata) from Bach's 6th Partita in E minor. It was not, however, written for the piano! It sounds much better on either the harpsichord or the clavichord. For those interested in a harpsichord version, I can heartily recommend the excellent versions of either Christophe Rousset (on the Decca/Editions de Oiseau-Lyre label) or Trevor Pinnock (Hanssler Classics label). For a clavichord version, there is the recording of Richard Troeger on the Lyrichord label.



Moving on, it was nice to see the return of "Dog-Walker God" (=AT's dad Russ ).

[theatremouse]

dude! i forgot to turn on my vcr program and missed this one! but i love that piece (toccatta i mean, not that i can spell it)! oh well....ill catch it in rerun i bet.



rock on though harpsichords.

Edited by: theatremouse at: 4/3/04 8:49 am

[Puff]

I like Dog walker God so it was good to see him back and the very bitter piano teacher was great fun tonight. I wonder what kind of doctor the new half brother is? I'm glad that Adam told Iris the truth and then told Joan that he feels the same way about her. I can't wait for the next new episode to see how this changes things. I love this show.

---

So, the day started and I knew my name and had my pants on. So far, so good. Yay.
Amber Benson

[BBOvenGuy]

Quote:

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I wonder what kind of doctor the new half brother is?

---

Yikes, I hadn't even thought of that. I hope he's not an expert in spinal cord injuries, because that would be carrying the coincidence thing a bit too far. I was already concerned that the "long-lost half-brother" story might be straying too far into soap opera territory. We'll just have to see.



Other than that, I really liked the episode. I remember Louise Fletcher (the piano teacher) from Star Trek: DS9 and VR.5. And even though it wasn't written for the piano (there were no pianos back then), that performance of the Bach piece really disproves the notion that Bach is mechanical and passionless.

"The stories we tell - that's us explaining how we think the world works. Once we speak it, once we say it aloud, that makes it real for us - and real for everyone else who hears it too. When we tell a story, we invite people to visit our reality. We invite them to move in. Our stories are the reality we live in." - David Gerrold, The Martian Child

[seurat]

Not sure they said that he is a medical doctor at all, although that's a safe assumption. I agree that they better not make him a doctor that will have some sort of magical new treatment that will get the kid walking again. Can you imagine?



All in all it was a good ep, with fine acting throughout. It could have used more Grace however. But then, every ep could as far as I'm concerned.

"Life's complications and frustrations/they disappear when the music starts playing/I found a place where it feels alright/I hear a record and it opened my eyes/do you remember what the music meant?" - Speakers Push Air, Pretty Girls Make Graves

Edited by: seurat at: 4/3/04 3:22 pm

[Iamyouknowyours]

Hey, sorry if this is the wrong place but I wrote some Joan of Arcadia fanfic, if any of you are interested.



http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1801312

Grace/Luke fic



http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1801318

Grace/cute hat girl fic



There's also a Grace/Joan fic I wrote but I'm still seeking a home for it since it's very NC-17. Thanks for letting me share!

[tyche]

Well, I'm happy that it looks like Joan and Adam will finally get together, though I'm sure they'll have a rocky road ahead, since nothing is ever easy on this show. And yikes, I hope Adam either burns those yucky shirts or gives them to charity.

I enjoyed seeing dog walker God again. And I liked that Will just didn't fall into his brother's arms, even after he was given his father's police badge. I think that eventually he'll be reconciled with his brother, though knowing Will he'll do some serious macho posturing first. I also thought it was interesting that the brother sub-plot meant that there wasn't any room for the police stuff. It worked just as well without the police plot, though as I like the supporting police characters I wouldn't want them to get rid of that aspect of the show completely.

Best line of the night was Luke saying that Will thought 'The Godfather' was a documentary. Hee.

And it was a pity that Grace only got one scene, though I can live with that since one of the upcoming eps will focus on her a bit more.

btw, did anyone else realise that this season of JoA is almost over? I think there are either 2 or 3 more new episodes left now (dammit!), which is a consequence of CBS running new eps during weeks when most other shows were on repeats.

Did I ask you to dress like a Republican? - Grace, Joan of Arcadia

[lilkkgirl4u]

its too bad the season's almost over..i was hoping they'd flesh out grace's character a little more. (she needs more screentime!, i like her funny 1 liners!)

adam and joan..finally! i liked that they gave more time for them to be "apart" so that when they're together its more memorable.

------------------

i'm wearing the shoe, till it fits, then i'm calling it quits. (aimee mann)

[urnofosiris]

Ah it took me weeks to download that ashtray episode. When I watched it I realized I had actually missed seeing the show. I think I may be hooked, but safely hooked. I will never get too involved with any tv show again. I just enjoy watching this show and I plan to keep doing it as long as there is something to enjoy. It was a funny episode, a bit more fluffy than the rest. Poor Grace, it must be hard to be a rebel with a father who is so thoroughly likeable and understanding.

Right now I am trying to get ep 19 and I should be all caught up. It is too bad the season is almost over.

Edited by: DrG at: 4/10/04 2:38 am

[Iamyouknowyours]

If anyone wants some good, old-fashioned Grace and Joan lesbian smut here is my attempt. Enjoy.



www.geocities.com/morosel...lkgod.html

[urnofosiris]

Quote:

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Other than that, I really liked the episode. I remember Louise Fletcher (the piano teacher) from Star Trek: DS9 and VR.5.

---

Bob, dude, what about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest? Her Oscar winning role as nurse Rat-shed (Ratched) is unforgettable. I loved her as Kai Win as well. What a woman. I was pleasantly surprised to see her guest star on Joan of Arcadia. She made this episode worthwhile.

I did not care much for the half brother storyline. Mostly because I could feel no sympathy whatsoever for Will. In fact, he pissed me off. A grown man blaming his younger brother for being born. So he felt replaced as a kid, boo hoo, I can see how as a teenager he would feel resentment, but to hold a grudge for all those years. Spare me.

The Joan/Adam scenes were sweet, but I can't help feeling sorry for Iris. She never annoyed me and she deserves some real friends. I hope they will keep her around and not write her off now that Adam and Joan are inevitably becoming a couple.

Edited by: DrG at: 4/19/04 2:56 pm

[tyche]

I previously wrote in this thread that I thought that there were 2 or 3 more episodes till the end of the season. I had seen various episode guides indicating that there were going to be 22 episodes in the season, but they are actually doing an extra ep to make it 23. So there are 4 more episodes left in the season - the next new episode will be aired next Friday.

Also, for anyone who wants to read spoilers, there are some at the link below, including a big spoiler for the finale. However, this is tvtome, who are not the most accurate people in the universe, so take these with a pinch of salt for now:

www.tvtome.com/JoanofArcadia/guide.html

What kind of novels do you write: fiction or nonfiction? - US immigration officer to Ian McEwan

[Gatito Grande]

Uff da, to those ep 23 spoilers, if true!



GG Actually, I'd affirm what Joan is "contemplating" regardless. Out

[BBOvenGuy]

Oh come on. If those are the true spoilers for ep23, you know it will turn out that things are not what they seem. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a show any more.

"The stories we tell - that's us explaining how we think the world works. Once we speak it, once we say it aloud, that makes it real for us - and real for everyone else who hears it too. When we tell a story, we invite people to visit our reality. We invite them to move in. Our stories are the reality we live in." - David Gerrold, The Martian Child

[Gatito Grande]

I'm not sure that I agree, Bob---but I don't think we can really discuss this on a spoiler-free thread.



GG What you are implying is very likely correct . . . just not inevitable, IMO. A number of TV critics have favorably noted that "the show is bigger/better than its 'gimmick'" Out

[urnofosiris]

You can use the spoiler code to discuss the spoilers, which I will do now.



I am sure the spoilers for the final episode are correct, but I am not shocked by them. I agree with Bob on it. It won't mean Joan has really been hallucinating god. If it would be then episode 23 must be the final episode of the series.



It is a mindfuck, like the episodes from DS9 where the false prophets are trying to make captain Sisko thinks he is in a mid 20th century mental institution dreaming up the future. It also does not sound dissimilar from the episode in which Joan thinks it might be the devil instead of god making the suggestions, thereby causing her to doubt whether it is really god talking to her. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and if they will manage to make this somewhat more original than it sounds. They are probably trying to end the season on a cliffhanger. I wish they would have picked another disease though. Lyme's disease is a disease where you can think of any and all symptoms, but for Joan to have been hallucinating so specifically all year without showing *any* other symptoms is beyond unlikely.

[Gatito Grande]

Let's see if I remember how to do this:



I don't doubt that Joan will continue to be a Grrl w/ a Mission(s), but I don't think it's a given that her "direction" (God in a variety of off-beat human guises) will continue as it has been. I actually kinda like the concept that "she sees God(s), but they're all silent." Maybe a last Divine Manifestation could tell she's ready to "listen within" now?



So hope she tells somebody what's been happening to/with/in/whatever her, via "God"!



The Lyme Disease thing is waaaaay too convenient to be believable though. "Quick, we need a disease w/ a hallucination symptom!" "I've got it: Lyme Disease!"



GG Using the spoiler-speak thang: good thing it's in the Forum FAQ Out

[urnofosiris]

This is a novel way of discussing something, heh.



The conversations (or rather arguments) Joan has with god are too much a part of the show, it has been written around this very concept. I can't imagine it would work with a silent god.

I am guessing this will be another way to make Joan question whether god even exists and an attempt to make us believe that maybe Joan was nutty all along, which does not make sense as in the very first episode it was made clear that others could see Joan talking to god. They just did not know who she was talking to. Clearly the people she has been talking to were not some figment of her imagination.

Anyway, it will probably end on a sort of cliffhanger. I'm wary. It sounds a bit lame, but this show has been anything but lame, so I hope I am wrong. [/s

[xita]

Yeah, I don't think the God gimmick is going away at all. In the end, I am pretty sure she'll be more confident she is talking to god.

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[tyche]

From cbs.com:

Quote:

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Friday, April 30, 8PM ET/PT

"Anonymous"



Joan joins the yearbook staff, per God’s request, and decides to use this assignment as a means of impressing Adam. Meanwhile, Will and Toni attempt to set up a sting for a man who is planning to hire a hitman to murder his wife.

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Also, there are some spoilers for the rest of the season in the current issue of Sci-Fi magazine. If I can find a transcript, I'll post them here.

What kind of novels do you write: fiction or nonfiction? - US immigration officer to Ian McEwan

[Gatito Grande]

Another great ep. Still coulda used more Grace, but what Grace there was was great (who, if anyone specifically, was she referring to in her poem? Adam? Joan? Both?).



Did anyone buy that the f(e)ckless Friedman got carpal tunnel from removing a (live woman's) bra? (Personally, I was thinking that he did get from sexual behavior . . . of the distinctly solitary sort! ) Glad to see that Luke is learning to balance his relationships (and activities pertaining thereto), but wonder if there might be a Friedman or Glynnis choice to be made in his future ("Dude" maybe you need a male friend who isn't quite so much of a dweeb?)



Joan needed to chill through much of the ep (couldn't help wondering if there were time-of-the-month issues at work). Her whole obsession w/ "Her Thing?" Joan, you've been trying to find your thing, via these divine missions, the entire year now! Still, liked how she shared more of herself w/ both her mom and Adam (almost wondered that if, in revealing herself at God's encouragement, she might tell Adam about Her Missions, but I guess that'll have to wait a little longer . . . mom too.)



GG Still wondering why we bother w/ the police story. More Grace! More Grace! Out



ETAsk: I've been meaning to ask this for a while: is JofA filmed in Baltimore? I once again noticed a Maryland flag, looking out over the city, and can't think of another urban area in Maryland as large.

Edited by: Gatito Grande at: 4/30/04 6:29 pm

[tyche]

GG, I read on a Joan of Arcadia fan board a while back that the town that 'plays' Arcadia is indeed in Maryland - it's called Frederick.

I liked tonight's episode, too. I got the distinct impression that Grace's poem was about Adam. Somehow I doubt that Joan would ever have walked through a sewer, especially given the fuss she made about jumping into the dumpster. And good on Iris for not telling on Joan. Iris seems to have become less squeaky and annoying now she's not dating Adam any more.I never hated the character, she just grated on me, and now she doesn't as much, which is good.

And yeah, unless Friedman was dating a porn star with 52DD breasts, there's no way he'd get carpal tunnel from unhooking a bra. When he mentioned his hand, I instantly jumped to the conclusion that his wanking habit must have been getting out of control.

The ending was good, because we finally got to see Grace smile in a non-sarcastic way. I think that was a first.

I'm not sure about next week's episode, because it looks like it could be a bit silly. We'll see...

What kind of novels do you write: fiction or nonfiction? - US immigration officer to Ian McEwan

[xita]

It was interesting the target of the poem wasn't made clear. I am bored by adam and joan now. I am sorry I just don't want the show revolving around them, but it was a nice take on how relationships change friendships!

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[Gatito Grande]

Frederick, Frederick: geez, considering I lived an hour from the Maryland border for 5 years, I should know it . . . is it near DC?



tyche, I still think that the poem could have been about Joan, or about both Joan and Adam (remember G's disgust w/ both of 'em at their giggle fits ).



I never hated Iris either (just thought she went a little screwy about the kids and their pinata). The yearbook editor was a jerk, but shame on Joan for turning to her mom to bail her out (way to become unpopular in school fast, Joan).



GG I think Grace smiled at the end of "State of Grace" also (a fave ep for just that reason, along w/ the J/G subtext! ) Out



Have we seen Janitor God before? I liked, um, Him better than many of His/Her other recent manifestations.

[Cicca]

Grace smiled. That was so awesome!



I too assumed that Friedman's carpal tunnel was cause by "solitary' behaviour. And he practices with his mom's bras? How charming!



Xita's bored with Adam and Jane?! Nooooooo! Poor Xita!



I'm enjoying them a lot.



As for the poem, I figured it was about Grace and Adam. Either he was there when she wrote it or he recognized the subject matter.



And Grace? Napkins might work better than paper to clean up cream of chicken. Ew!



Joan and "her thing". Yes, she's always seeming to stick to the surface of what God suggests. Slow learner! I think she was so obsessive about it this week because she was feeling insecure about why Adam would want to be with her. She thinks he has much more in common with Iris and I guess she was overcompensating. Silly Joan! He wuvs her!

Is there a hyphen in anal-retentive?

[theatremouse]

So, perhaps irritating of me, and if so I apologize, however I am impatient and my VCR cut off before the "next week on" clip. Would anyone care to recap for me?



I'm especially all in suspense because...oh i forget now but someone said something about how it looked...



In-loop-afy me please?

[Puff]

There is the usual clip of next weeks episode up here

JoA

I think it could be funny. I think the poem was about Adam, although in my little sapphic head it's about Joan I loved how Grace took down or hid pictures of herself from Joan when Joan was at her house.



I didn't feel as invested in last nights episode as I normally do, I think it was the fact that the police story wasn't as good and I don't really care about Friedman. Still JoA is better than many other things on TV.

---

So, the day started and I knew my name and had my pants on. So far, so good. Yay.
Amber Benson

[theatremouse]

thanks. totally forgot about that.

[Iamyouknowyours]

Joan of Arcadia is set in Maryland, but is filmed at Sony Studios in Culver City and the exterior shots for Arcadia High are filmed at El Segundo High School. There might be some general establishing shots from Maryland, but that would be it. Like so many other TV shows set on the west coast it is filmed in California.



I agree with the no stupid cop crap and more Grace (unless the cop subplot actually moves the main plot forward like in the dance episode, the cheerlieading episode and the party episode.)



I thought the poem was about Joan, but it is perhaps it is about Adam, considering he recoginised it immediately.

[The Rose24]

Well, I am enjoying Joan and Adam. Of course the show is going to involve them a lot because Joan is the main character.

Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.


Tara: Willow, I got so lost.

Willow: I found you. I will always find you.