Joan of Arcadia

[Iamyouknowyours]

If you don't wanna be spoiled skip over this post.

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Ok, here's the scoop!



Episode 18:



Joan isn't doing particularly well in Geometry class. "Pethagrian theorum? Is that someone from Pethagria?" Blooper note: Keep an eye out for the diagrams on the chalkboard, as they are incorrectly drawn and the problem she's given is impossible to prove Joan also has a dramatic confrontation with Adam in which she tells him that she can't get their kiss out of her mind. Not sure what the mission from God would be in this one.



Episode 19:

J/A shippers rejoice! They are, to quote Grace, "Tickling molars." That's right, Adam dumped the squeekily voiced one for her, but Joan is still insecure. Iris and Adam had more in common, being artists and all and she just feels out of the loop. Grace, thoroughly annoyed with all their PDA's, tells Joan that that is the reason she doesn't date. You end up even more miserable. Friedman, jealous of Luke for having a girlfriend, makes up an imaginary girlfriend of his own. The mission from God: Yearbook photographer. If what I've seen is anything to go off of, this should be one of her funniest missions. Joan finds an anonymous poem in the dumpster that she wants to put in the yearbook. Unable to identify the owner she makes a gazillion copies of it and throws them off the roof. Grace, of course, is the author of the poem, which appears to be about two friends drifting apart and is unusually emotional and sentimental for our favorite leather clad gal.



That's all for now. Happy watching.

[xita]

oh how cute, a poem

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"Hard work often pays off after time but laziness always pays off now!"

[Gatito Grande]

Wow, Iamyouknow:



It's hard to tell from the spoilers, but ep. 19 kinda sounds like it might have something for both J/A and J/G shippers.



GG Then again, that could just be me Out

[tyche]

Description from tvtome.com:

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18. Requiem For A Third Grade Ashtray

gs: Misti Traya (Iris) Becky Wahlstrom (Grace Polk) Christopher Marquette (Adam Rove) April Grace (Sergeant Toni Williams)



Adam has his first art show; Will and Toni witness a carjacking. Giving chase, they pull him over on the freeway. They discover that the carjacker – an average guy, with three kids to feed – has unwittingly kidnapped a pregnant woman who is about to give birth; Kevin believes he might be recovering some sensation in his hip and gets some electromyography (a nerve conduction) test done.





b: 12-Mar-2004 pc: 117 w: Joy Gregory d: Kevin Dowling

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btw, next Friday they aren't showing a JoA at all - there's some sports thing on instead.

[BBOvenGuy]

Yes, that "sports thing" is the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, which will continue for a couple of weeks after that.



At least you can get CBS, which is more than I or anyone else caught up in the DISH/Viacom spat can say.

"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

[Iamyouknowyours]

The poem seemed more about friendship in specific than about love or infatuation, though the slight J/G shipper in me wishes it were. (Although I agree that Grace and Quaker girl should be an item. Maybe if we write to CBS and heavily suggest it?) As brave as the writers are to make a major character a likely lesbian, I do not believe they would ever make Joan one. The show has a strong following among the heavily religious, some of which wouldn't like that very much. Besides, Joan seems just a little too boy crazy for a lesbian love affair IMHO. I wouldn't be surprised if Grace has a crush on her though. They did imply that in the cheerleading episode.



Question: Would you guys like me to post the poem or just let you to be surprised?



My guess is that Grace will not be getting her smoochies on in the remaining episodes for this season (unless for political reasons). The show might have been a little hasty to pair everyone up (although Kevin's looks a little shaky). I love Luke and Gladys (I think that's her name). Sickeningly cute. And I think most everyone is rooting for Joan and Adam. But there has to be someone single on the show and easing Grace into a relationship next season would be a good way to get underneath her hard exterior, show some vunerability and develop her character. I don't have any inside info on that one, just my suspicions

[Gatito Grande]

Iamyouknow, I'm not really disagreeing w/ your analysis (and I know that, being in the biz, you're closer to the scene of the crime ). I'd just like that little bit of subtext to be left alive, if at all possible (and dammit, having missed this "Quaker oats" ep, I have no idea what you're talking about vis-a-vis another f/f relationship for Our Gracester).



GG I never (almost) watch music videos, but I saw a clip of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" last night on the VH1 show "Totally Gayer" (which I recommend!), included I think mainly for the shot of the two guys kissing. But was that Mageinah Tovah ("Gladys" ) I saw in it also? It was just for a second, but I thought it might be her. Out

[Iamyouknowyours]

I'm not exactly in the biz. I mean I do extra work so I get a bit of a feel for it, but I think I need a line before I can actually claim biz-worthiness. Though my parents do love freeze-framing tv shows to pick me out. "Oh my God! That's our little girl's elbow." Gotta love them



I was just speculating about the J/G ,G/Quaker girl thing. I too hope they keep the subtext alive. All I know is that whatever girl ends up snagging our Grace is gonna be a very lucky character and hopefully worthy of such awesomeness.



I just hope this show has enough sense not to kill her off. Or turn her evil. I'm not super trusting about that anymore but the writing has been so good so far that I am optimistic.

[urnofosiris]

I am still behind on the episodes, dowloading takes a lot of patience sometimes. I just want to declare my love for the chem teacher. I had a woman chem teacher in high school, but she was nothing like this one.

I really like the geeky girl too, she reminds me of Willow in the way that she talks and of Tara in the way that she walks.

Edited by: DrG at: 3/13/04 8:52 am

[Puff]

I thought last nights episode was one of the funniest ever. Palm pilot....God can you here me, it me Joan. You suck....Graces' reaction to a phone call ROFLMAO



It was great to see Grace's father again. Luke was brilliant and the embezzeler (sp?) in the elevator cracked me up. This show is just so much fun to watch. I love it.

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

[xita]

damn it was new last night? Ok, gonna have to go download!

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"No more twat. No more twat for me. Twat gets me into trouble!" - Crack Whore Jenny, The L Word

[Hemiola]

Agreeing with everyone here that the episode was really funny last night ("Joan got milk!?" ). Perhaps it's the musician in me, but I especially got a kick out of the fact that when God calls Joan on her cellphone, it played "When The Saints Go Marchin' In"

[BBOvenGuy]

I really hated the ending of last night's episode, but that's just because I personally loathe potty-humor. However, I must admit that JoA can even make potty-humor significant and meaningful, so I guess that's something.

"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

[The Rose24]

I enjoyed last night's show as well.



I always love Grace's reactions to Joan going to her house and speaking to her family. Also, last night's ep sort of gets into Grace's rebelliousness.

Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.


Tara: Willow, I got so lost.

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

[Gatito Grande]

I had mixed feelings about last night's ep.



Likes: most of all, the scene w/ Grace and Joan on Grace's front steps (the G/J subtexter in me was saying "Hey, when two people sigh at the same time, it shows they're meant for each other! ) And I actually like the Kevin "Pull-my-finger" routine better than a lot of other scenes w/ Kevin (although the strength of Matthew Welch's knowing/delighted looks as Luke was a major factor in that, too). Oh at the start, re: Grace getting Luke's Chem notebook: "Hey, I still have pull."



Dislikes: God is really starting to get on my nerves! GothBoy God is particularly annoying, and Convenience Store God . . . can I say that my particular theology does not include God lying?! (vis-a-vis the cellular call breaking up). Adam was weak this week, too. If you want Joan (and pointedly not "baby voice" ) to come to your art opening, then just frickin' say so! Guilt-tripping her about "helping me move art" (how much of a weakling is he?) is just lame (and speaking of passive-aggressive!).



But in general: what was w/ everyone getting on Joan's case? She volunteered to look in on Luke (I'm sorry, but Sick Kid is always a parent's responsibility in my book: for Luke's sake as much as Joan's), then she volunteered to make meatloaf (Um, ever heard of the refrigerator? It really will keep de-frosted meat fresh another day! Or maybe she could have just browned the meat, to save it? Why was *meatloaf* required?), and her mom's all "she left Luke alone in a dark house and a dirty kitchen!" Boo freakin' Hoo! (I know Helen apologized later, but still). Meanwhile, everyone's giving Kevin "I was just out" a pass (we know why, but they don't).



GG In sympathy w/ Joan, wanted her to tell everyone, starting w/ God to go to hell! Out



Love ya Grace, but I doubt that advocating a Palestinian state in Hebrew class is really all that radical among Jewish teenagers.

[xita]

I love Grace. I just have to say her rebellion towards the Hebrew classes, she is so my girl. And I love Joan and Grace's friendship regardless of any subtext. It's good to see 2 girls who are different be pals, without letting guy things get in the way. I hope they always keep that.



I didn't mind the toilet humor at the end because it had a purpose for Kevin.



And yes the 2 gods today were annoying. At least Joan was annoyed with them too.

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"No more twat. No more twat for me. Twat gets me into trouble!" - Crack Whore Jenny, The L Word

[tyche]

There was a little Q&A thing about Amber in the SF Chronicle TV section this week. Here's an extract:

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The actress, who is charming and totally unaffected by her newfound prime-time stardom, is the daughter of former screen musical star Russ Tamblyn ('West Side Story'), a fact her TV dad, Joe Mantegna, did not know when Amber auditioned with him.

As it turns out, Mantegna credits 'West Side Story' with inspiring him to explore acting as a kid. As a special surprise, Amber brought both her dad and his 'West Side' co-star George Chakiris to the 'Joan of Arcadia' Christmas party, where Mantegna had his picture taken with Riff and Bernardo, as the actors were known in the film.

Mantegna says that the experience was "really very nice", but Tamblyn tells me his reaction was a little bigger.

"Squealed like a Britney Spears fan," she says, rolling her eyes.

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[Gatito Grande]

How could Mantegna not know that?



GG Picturing scene at Christmas Party: Joe M. excitedly requests a re-enactment of "Bernardo kills Riff," performed w/ a disposable plastic knife! Out



"The Jets are gonna have their way, To-n-i-i-ght! The Sharks are gonna have their say, To-n-i-i-i-ght!"

[tyche]

Just a quick heads-up: Amber T. will be on the Jimmy Kimmel show on ABC tonight (Friday 19th.) I saw her on Letterman a few weeks ago, and she's an interesting and articulate interviewee, so it should be worth watching.

Suddenly, playing with yourself is a scholarly pursuit. - Lucille, Arrested Development

[theatremouse]

GG: with ya on the dislikes.

and since when is a 16 year old with the flu incapable of being left alone? and, hello, why did it matter so much he was in the dark? he's sick! he's lying around all day watching tv and feeling cruddy. he doesnt need light! there no massive danger to him sitting there with a blown fuse.



I keep on likin' grace more and more.

[tyche]

Here's the description, from the SF Chronicle TV section:

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Russ Tamblyn - the father of title star Amber Tamblyn - reprises his earlier guest role as a dog walker in the new episode 'Do the Math', directed by actor Rob Morrow ('Northern Exposure'.) While paying for piano lessons by cleaning for her crotchety teacher (guest star Louise Fletcher), Joan finds an old record album with surprising significance to her instructor. Joan also seeks a previously unknown relative.

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And here's the Zap2It article:

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tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,274%7C86923%7C1%7C,00.html

'Joan of Arcadia' Resonates with Diverse Audience





By John Crook

God's chosen teenager is battling a devil of a cold.

"If I sound like a frog, it's because I've got a lot of them in here," Amber Tamblyn says apologetically, pointing to her throat as she settles into a chair on a front porch set for "Joan of Arcadia."

In this shadowy corner of a Sony Studios soundstage, the 20-year-old actress looks pale but pretty, wearing one of Joan's schlumpier coats and clasping a wadded tissue in her fist as she talks about her hit Friday night series, which won a People's Choice Award in January as favorite new drama.

"It's been nothing but positive," Tamblyn says of the public's embrace of her show. "People who come up to me seem to not want to intrude or get into a long conversation, but as they pass me they'll just touch my arm and say, 'I love your show,' and keep moving."

And, if God comes in many shapes to speak to Joan Girardi, the fans are every bit as diverse, Tamblyn adds.

"I had someone come up to me who was, like, 6 foot 2 and had his septum pierced and had a tattoo on his shaved head and sleeve tattoos with a really, really deep voice, [and he] told me he and his mother watch the show," she says, smiling. "That kind of thing happens all the time."

Part of the reason viewers flock to the show is that, in a sea of reality programming and crime dramas, "Joan" is centered around a loving but credibly flawed family with whom fans readily identify.

That's partly a tribute to the performances of Tamblyn and her co-stars -- Joe Mantegna and Mary Steenburgen as her parents, Jason Ritter and Michael Welch as her brothers -- but there's a palpable personal connection between these performers today as they get ready to film a scene in the Girardi kitchen.

Ritter, whose character has been partially paralyzed in a traffic accident, pops wheelies in his wheelchair while practicing his rolling entrance. As Steenburgen passes Tamblyn, she reflexively puts her hand on her TV daughter's forehead checking her for fever. Meanwhile, Mantegna, who is also under the weather, playfully bickers with Tamblyn over who is responsible for bringing germs onto the set, while Welch gets last-minute instructions from the director.

"It's kind of crazy, how close we've become, really even since the pilot," Tamblyn says. "The Girardis reflect real life, and people like to identify with that, to say, 'Oh, yeah, I've been through that.' The show reflects the reality of many families, with a little bit of magic added."

"I've heard from a friend of mine who is a confirmed atheist, who told me, 'Your show is making it a little more difficult,'" Steenburgen laughs during a break in filming. "From my mother-in-law, who is absolutely a devout Catholic, to others who are far, far more liberal, everyone I hear from seems to love it.

"I think it's because the writing is so true. To take something this mystical and ground it in this very flawed family [is inspired]. The humor made me want to do it. I mean, face it, if anyone is going to argue with God, it's a teenager, right?"

A midseason Television Week critics' poll named "Joan" the season's best drama, even if some reviewers evidently weren't sure what to make of the quirky series when it debuted last fall.

"I did find it amusing when one critic wrote that the show was going to be Joan and God solving crimes together," says series creator and executive producer Barbara Hall, who points out that "Joan" takes a view of the Almighty that is anything but sentimental.

"I didn't actually get 'Touched by an Angel,' although I didn't really see it much," Hall says. "I don't believe God comes and fixes your problems. It's so obvious he doesn't, or at least, he doesn't fix mine. I've lost eight friends this year -- that's the world I live in, and that's not even going [into] this horrible war we're in. I knew people who died in 9-11.

"That's the God we have to contend with. I can't do a show about how God is very sweet and if you have a problem he'll come and take care of it. We deal with very dark things, whether it's suicide or paralysis or murder or horrible things that Joe [Mantegna's character] has to look at in his job. I want to put God into that context, not in a world where everything is fine. The paradox is that we are often in this intense pain, and what is God thinking? I don't know, but it's interesting to consider."

This TV family rallied off-camera last fall as cast member Ritter mourned the unexpected death of his real father, sitcom star John Ritter.

"I'm who Jason called when this first started happening," recalls Steenburgen, a family friend of the young actor even before she was cast as his TV mom, "so then I called Joe and Amber and within minutes of getting the news we were all reaching out to one another. I assured his mother we would all be there for him, but while that may have helped us bond even more deeply, it was even more intense before that."

Mantegna echoes her comments about their close-knit ensemble, but says he sensed "Joan" would be an extraordinary work experience as soon as he read the pilot script.

"By page six I found myself laughing, then getting choked up, and I thought, 'I have to do this pilot even if it doesn't get picked up, because this is some of the best writing I've ever seen.'

"I had a two-hour meeting with Barbara Hall where we talked about religion and philosophy and metaphysics, and I realized, 'Whoa, you don't get this kind of stuff on 'Fear Factor.' "

Steenburgen, who won an Oscar in 1981 for "Melvin and Howard" and is making her dramatic TV series debut in "Joan," says she is trying to impress upon her young co-stars what a rare experience they are sharing together.

"I said to them at [the People's Choice Awards], 'Guys, savor this moment, because it really doesn't happen often,' " she says. "I've won awards before, but that was always by myself. I've never stood on a stage with a group of people and accepted an award together for work we are all very proud of, and that means a lot."

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

[BBOvenGuy]

Just as an aside, I confess that I watched Touched By An Angel through most of its run - yes, there were an awful lot of embarrassingly cornball episodes, but every once in a while they got it right. Every once in a while they did a show that made me sit there and go, "Wow, I never thought I'd see that on American television." Probably the best example was the episode where the angels had to convince a death row inmate to repent and reconcile with his mother before he was executed, and the show ended with the guy strapped to the gurney while Andrew the Angel of Death stood waiting.



And speaking of 9/11, Touched By An Angel was one of the first shows to do a 9/11 episode, and it didn't end with God fixing everything.



Just thought I'd bring that up. Barbara Hall admits that she didn't see many episodes, so I can easily imagine her catching only cornball ones.

"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

Edited by: BBOvenGuy  at: 3/29/04 4:20 pm

[Gatito Grande]

Quote:

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"I've heard from a friend of mine who is a confirmed atheist, who told me, 'Your show is making it a little more difficult,'" Steenburgen laughs during a break in filming.

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Huh. Me, if it was just JoA's "God", would be just the opposite.

Quote:

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"I didn't actually get 'Touched by an Angel,' although I didn't really see it much," Hall says. "I don't believe God comes and fixes your problems. It's so obvious he doesn't, or at least, he doesn't fix mine. I've lost eight friends this year -- that's the world I live in, and that's not even going [into] this horrible war we're in. I knew people who died in 9-11.

"That's the God we have to contend with. I can't do a show about how God is very sweet and if you have a problem he'll come and take care of it.

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OK, this I agree w/. But I just don't think that "Sweet, Fix Everything God" and "Annoying, Smart-Ass God" exhausts the divine possibilities!



GG In terms of the show, however, the latter is certainly far, far more interesting. Out

[urnofosiris]

I must have missed the good touched by an angel episodes as well, easy as I have not ever managed to sit through one whole episode. Everytime I zap past one and linger, it just made me want to -well nevermind, it would not be a nice thing to say.



Thanks for posting the article Tyche. It is a nice one and I have not really read anything about the behind the scenes stuff before. I really like Mary Steenburgen.

Quote:

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"I've heard from a friend of mine who is a confirmed atheist, who told me, 'Your show is making it a little more difficult,'" Steenburgen laughs during a break in filming.

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I actually agree with that, it may have been said in jest and/or as a compliment as to how well written and compelling this show and the god in it are. As far as TV or movie gods go, I find this one very likable (even when he is being annoying, I say he, because most of the time god annoys me he is appearing as a guy, the women gods are usually very likable) and it makes me almost understand that if there is a god, how the horrible things that happen, still happen. If that made sense. Anyway, I like this show in all it's aspects. It is so well written and acted, not preachy, not holier than thou, just very human and warm and at the same time not holding back on darker issues. Even if it was not all that, I'd still love it if only for the chem teacher.

Edited by: DrG at: 3/29/04 10:14 pm

[BBOvenGuy]

Well, when I say that Touched By An Angel "got it right," what I pretty much mean is that they avoided the "Oh, look at this tricky coincidence God has had us arrange for you" scenario and instead chose the message of, "Yes, life is hard sometimes, but God loves you and can help you through it." It's what Martin Luther King was talking about once when he said:

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Midnight is a confusing hour when it is difficult to be faithful. The most inspiring word that the church may speak is that no midnight long remains. The weary traveler by midnight who asks for bread is really seeking the dawn. Our eternal message of hope is that dawn will come. Our slave foreparents realized this. They were never unmindful of the fact of midnight, for always there was the rawhide whip of the overseer and the auction block where families were torn asunder to remind them of its reality... Their positive belief in the dawn was the growing edge of hope that kept the slaves faithful amid the most barren and tragic circumstances.

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And I think JoA has also touched on this theme at one point or another, especially in the episode where Rocky the cystic fibrosis kid dies and Joan learns about what happened to Adam's mother.



And here I am thinking that between JoA, Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me and Tru Calling, all of which have overlapping themes and invite comparisons, maybe we should start a new thread - "TV Girls & God"

"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

[darkmagicwillow]

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Huh. Me, if it was just JoA's "God", would be just the opposite.

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??? JoA makes it harder for you to believe?



In any case, you don't need to be Christian to appreciate JoA any more than you need to believe in the traditional Greek religion to appreciate The Iliad. While I find the Greek myths and the literature based on them to have the greatest resonance, that doesn't prevent me from appreciating stories based on Christian (JoA) or Norse (LotR) myth. As long as the story doesn't continually hit the reader over the head its mythological bias as C.S. Lewis' Narnia books do (especially the first and last), tying a story to an existing myth adds depth to and increases my appreciation of the story.

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"Omnia mutantur, nihil interit." -- "Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost."

[Gatito Grande]

. . . and in J/A Shipper Land, there was great rejoicing.



"Luuuuke, when two people luvvv each other very, very muuuch"



Anyone notice how a police story wasn't necessary? (I do like Lt. Toni though)



I'm not sure how I feel about the Louise Fletcher drama: did Joan fulfill her mission, just because Eva was playing her Bach again?



Felt like Joe M. was a little over the top tonight (tearing up twice). I really thought he would be a Bigger Person once his brother had actually shown up (Joan had given him lead time by letting him know that she has spoken to him---BTW, Joan really shouldn't have just plonked that down at the family dinner, IMO. If she's adult enough to involve herself in family business, she's adult enough to tell her father in private.)



Like Kevin's sideburns . . . his shifting attitudes, not so much. So, he was just all "Woo Hoo, I'm getting feeling back" and then "It's hopeless, none of us paras will ever walk again"? Did I miss something---like a second (negative) opinion?



GG Good ep . . . except Not Enough Grace!!! Out

[The Rose24]

A very serious episode tonight.



I wonder if Joan will continue to take piano lessons from the bitter lady. I doubt it because there is hardly ever any follow up.



I really hope Joan and Adam are together now. They are driving me crazy with all of the tension.

Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.


Tara: Willow, I got so lost.

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

[Cicca]

Adam and Joan! Adam and Joan!



Iris is a doofus.



Do I sound like I'm in high school?

I'm just glad that there are Adam and Joan smoochies and communication! Not enough Grace, but I'll survive.

Is there a hyphen in anal-retentive?

[TaraBaby77]

I know.... Iris just seems too...well....Iris (if that makes sense). Anyhoo, I can't wait to see how Adam and Joan work out... See if Iris turns out to be some type of stalker or something... =)

Aaron

'TaraBaby77'