TV Thursdays

I am knee deep in "The OC". A FOX drama has never held me at such baited breath, and its grip rivals that of The 2002-2004 Everwood Obsession. Oh, in case you've been wondering Ephraim and Amy are finally together, but *spoiler alert* the season will end with Ephraim seeing Madison - the girl he may or may not have gotten preagnant - in New York. Chills. *end spoiler alert*

Still, ever since Dr. Andy Brown fell in love with Ann Heche, Everwood has started to lost me. Instead of indulgent (but poignant) monologues about the difficulty of life and the cards that G-d deals you, the show has become whiny and pathetic. Think about it: Dr. Brown in love with the wife of some vegetable who he miraculously cures. He's been crying alot. Has an ulcer. And *gasp* is having an affair. How trivial! Everwood has degenerated and the WB with it. I'm sure Gilmore Girls is suffering the same run.

Bringing me to The OC. Yes, as in Orange County.

I will admit that a personal part of me does identify with the rich kid, waterfront, infiniti pool kind of lifestlye. i see some of my hometown in the oc. The characters are likable and the women are gourgeous.

Yet, what I accomplished last weekend is both humbling and embarrasing - days later, i can only now bring myself to talk about it. My confession is firmly planted in the realm of pathetic.

I spent 5 hours of a weekend reading the first 27 episode synposises on the OC website. It was like a Twin Peaks run but without the midgets and crack. Still, extremely rewarding.

This was supposed to be on hoops, but i've exhausted myself. The grip still has me... more synopises to read...

[Much later...]

Ok, I've read 5 more episodes and listened to the new Destroyer CD. I think i'm ready to talk about Ricky Davis.

I got to thinking about Ricky while watching episode 4 of The OC (I've netflixed season 1). Ricky came up because in the life and times of Ryan, Seth, Marissa, Summer, Sandy and Kirsten... he is a whale that sings for love but is never found. He is a mystery. In Newport, California, Ricky Davis is that bear who tears a human being apart limb by limb but is never acknolwedged, thus making his attempts for attention irrelevant.

In Orange County, the lives, affairs, trials and tribulations of richness are so dramatic and obscene themselves that even a SUPERNOVA like Ricky would go unheard. He does not grace their living room like he graces mine. Their lives are Prada, BMW and Sailing trips.

They hear nothing of the NBA, and nothing then of Ricky Davis.

And it is all too wrong. He should be known. He is man enough.

Ricky Davis is the lone champion who on the backs of more skills and more trouble than the law allows would be just Orange County enough to register on even the Postmodern/Indie Rock rader of Seth, Anna (back in Pittsburgh now) and even Marisa..

And if there is any greater sign of Sandy Cohen's West coast sell out how can it be that a good jewish boy from Brooklyn never once talks about the Knicks?

An Absolute Shame. An Absolute Answer.

More to come...