Musing Episode 2.8 Anyone But Me, “Naming Things”
May 11, 2010 by admin
Filed under Entertainment, Web
What is in a name? That which we call a friend by any other name would still be as sweet, right? Perhaps. Perhaps not if you are the aunt of a teenager who just informed you that the vintage cowboy comforter on your couch is really the broke back blanket of a little more than convivial girl on girl talk.
Yes, last night was my personally anticipated Vivian-comes-out-to-Aunt-Jodie episode of the web series, Anyone But Me. For months, I have speculated the culmination of this event, and I have to say that I was not disappointed in the portrayal. As a quasi-parental Polonius of sorts, Aunt Jodie’s humorous “when I was your age” musings are comic relief to weighty times. Though humor is again used to cut the obvious tension of the reveal, this time the blade is brandished with a much more subtle edge. At the forefront, Barbara Pitts delivers a believable, legitimate, and honest performance of hurt, embarrassment, and anger at the perceived lack of familial trust.
The tragic reveal actually occurs as Vivian, in her exuberance to proclaim to Aster her long overdue profile in coming-out courage, admits that the impetus behind her bravery was not her girlfriend’s long-time pleas for truth and honesty, but seemingly-Sapphic Sophie’s recent ridicule of the hypocrisy beneath Viv’s own personal version of comic relief. Hurt, embarrassment, and anger are the transparent building blocks of the invisible wall Aster is constructing. Emotional, non-therapeutic graffiti is scrawled across the facade, “Relationships never last.”
Frailty, thy name is Vivster…
Bravo. Bring on the next act.
I like how you say it but I don’t like what you say! Damn it VivSter needs a happily ever after…although I fear it won’t come this season
You, m’am are a fine writer. A very astute interpreter. And I gladly put the naming of all things ABM in your swift, amusing, lively hands.
Like I have said to folks spitting ire at the latest Grey’s Anatomy development – bring on the angst. in Drama – Without break-ups there can be no make-ups. Watching plot stillness would be dull. And like all good drama ABM is far from dull.
I thought last night’s episode of Anyone But Me was excellent yet again terrific acting by everyone involved in the episode from Barbara Pitts conveying her confusion, hurt, embarrassment with a poignancy and grace as Vivian was coming out to her, Rachel Hip Flores in her scenes with Aster when Vivian told aster that she came out to Jody but at sophie’s doing even though Aster had wanted her to and to the kick ass Nicole Pacent who did the DAMN THING in those scenes as well especially the end where she didn’t say nothing because to me that showed and deepened the angst which was stellar
I too believe this is also the building blocks that are being put in place for the finale
Brilliant Stuff