How to be human AND evil, with Rumpel and Regina

Here’s the next post in this series where I discuss TV shows and movies and the knowledge that we can gain from watching them. We can apply that knowledge to our writing. As always, I never pretend to be an expert. I just like exploring my own thoughts on the matter as I write these blog posts! I welcome all comments and would love to hear what you think about this topic.

Make sure you check out my previous post, titled, “How to write a strong female character, with Emma Swan.”

The last post in this series was also about the TV show Once Upon a Time. Most of the time I don’t like repeating topics or shows back to back like this, but I felt like it was necessary with this one. As you may or may not know, the series premiere of season 2 of OUAT aired last night. AND I’M SUPER PUMPED! (Sorry.) I knew it would be a great time to explore something I’ve been meaning to do for a while now: villains.

Villains are an important part of any story, and they’re often as complex and interesting as the heroes. Some bad guys are just evil – like Voldemort. I’m a Harry Potter super-nerd, so I have nothing bad to say about any of the characters in that book. BUT it’s important to note that Voldemort is evil, plain and simple. His soul is in pieces and he displays no emotions other than insane glee when things go his way and an all-consuming rage when they don’t. And hey, that’s okay.

But if you’re looking for something a little bit different in your villains, check out Rumpelstiltskin and Regina from Once Upon a Time.

First, Rumpel/Mr. Gold.

Rumpel’s fatal flaw is that he chooses power over everything – over doing what’s right, over love, and even over family. But he does have two weak spots, even if they’re very tiny. The first one is his son, Bae. Through a series of unfortunate events (that have nothing to do with that series), Rumpel chose his power over his own son and his son was sent away to another land. Where exactly he was sent, we’re not totally sure. But Rumpel still feels guilty about it and he wants to see his son again – more than anything.

The other person Rumpel cares about is Belle. (Yeah, that Belle.) He loves her. And she loves him. So what’s the problem? Well, true love’s kiss will take away Rumpel’s power and he can’t have that. He’d rather live as a monster than live without magic. When he gets to the real world, he also feels extremely guilty about this. He loved Belle, and he let her be ripped from his grasp. He’s got a lot to feel ashamed of, but he’s also got a lot of rage running through his veins. The second season sets us up with the question – will Rumpel finally do what’s right? The guilt and the anger are running in opposition of each other and I honestly don’t know which one will conquer and rule his actions.

Cut to the Evil Queen/Regina.

She was living the high life until Snow White ruined everything. I don’t want to give anything away about her back story, but let’s just say that she’s got good reason to blame Snow (although everything Snow did was unintentional). When Snow and Charming kicked Regina out of the castle, she sacrificed everything to come back out on top.

Now that she’s in Storybrooke, she has a pretty good setup for herself. She’s mayor and everyone is afraid of her (as they should be). She’s adopted a son that she genuinely loves. He…doesn’t feel the same way. He knows that she’s the Evil Queen and he does everything he can to help break the curse that she’s placed on this little town in Maine.

Would you ever catch Voldemort caring about his true love or his son? Not a chance. Does this make R&R any less evil? No way. If anything, it juxtaposes just how evil they really are. They’re willing to sacrifice the really amazing things in their life for power and control over everyone else. It truly shows us what they’re capable of. Any bad guy can go around town slaughtering whoever he wants to in order to gain power. But when he does the same thing to his own family or his own friends, it means so much more.

So don’t be afraid to make your bad guys human. Voldemort works in the context of the story that J.K. Rowling was trying to tell, but that doesn’t mean he’ll work in any story. A human villain will allow your readers to connect with the antagonist. They’ll understand his or her motivations and they’ll actually end up connecting with them, on some level, even if they don’t agree with what they’re doing. Anything that gives your audience a reason to connect with a character – good or evil – is something worth thinking about. In my book at least.

Which do you prefer? Do you like your baddies full of evil up to their eyeballs, a la Voldemort? Or do you prefer to be torn between feeling bad for them one week and hating them the next, like I often do with Rumpelstiltskin and Regina?

An Ode to ‘Terra Nova’

If you aren’t familiar with it, Terra Nova was a short lived show that aired last year on Fox. It initially took place in the year 2149 and followed the Shannon family – Jim, Elisabeth, Zoe, Josh, and Maddy – as they travelled back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Yeah, I know how that sounds. But it was actually a pretty interesting concept. You see, the Earth was incredibly polluted and some people were given the chance to travel back in time in order to start again. This was the “terra nova” – the new Earth. Sure, they had dinosaurs to deal with, but they also had fresh air, lots of food, and plenty of space to live. With the right precautions, these people could start a new life.

The first season aired with 12 episodes before it was cut short. Did it deserve it? Probably. I’m sure it was an expensive show to shoot, with all the CGI dinosaurs and whatnot. A lot of critics called it out for having boring characters and cheesy dialogue.

I honestly didn’t notice. For me, the dinosaurs were incredible. No expense was spared in that department, or with the sets. I thought all of the acting was great, and I felt connected to most of the characters – even some of the shady ones, which is always a good thing. (And at least the actor of one of my favorite characters is showing up on Glee this year!) The plot kept me guessing, and there were some great themes and morals to be learned by the end of the season finale.

So, is this another Firefly on our hands? I wouldn’t quite go that far. I don’t think it had the same appeal, and I don’t think it’ll have the same cult following in a few years either. But it had promise that was cut short, and at least that connection can’t be denied.

I wish Terra Nova hadn’t been cancelled. After the initial plotline for the first season, there were a number of directions the show could have gone in. It was part dystopian future and part science-fiction. You had outside dangers (the dinosaurs, the jungles) and inside dangers (the people who lived there). With the future connected to this past time, any sort of danger could slip through and cause havoc.

But, alas, the show is over and done with now. You can catch it on Netflix if you’re interested. I recommend it, and the season finale didn’t leave you with too much of a cliff hanger so you won’t feel unsatisfied with the ending.

So, without Terra Nova, I’ve chosen another show to take its place. Revolution. It’s also set in a dystopian future and is labeled as science-fiction as well. This follows another family, but they don’t go back in time. Instead, they live in a future where technology doesn’t function and the world is ruled by militias and warlords. It’s an all-too plausible future, and I always enjoy shows like that. There are no dinosaurs, but I suppose – in this particular world – that’s probably a good thing.

Revolution comes on NBC at 10 PM on Mondays. Will you be watching?

Glee is Back! …I think

This is a post about my opinion of the premiere episode of Glee season 4. If you want a recap, there’s an amazing one on Hypable. The podcast Glee Chat also had an in depth discussion about it on their latest episode.

[Yes, there are spoilers for the first episode below!]

I discovered Glee when I was in college, about half way through the first season. My roommate was watching clips of some of the performances from season 1 on YouTube (yeah, she was supposed to be studying…). They were so great that I knew I was going to be hooked. And once I actually started watching, I was.

I caught up on season 1 and loved every minute of it. It was the type of TV show that had me thinking about it all day, every day. One episode would end and I’d feel like the week between that one and the next one was the longest, most horrible time of my life.

I guess you could say I was obsessed. You wouldn’t be wrong.

Season 2 came and went and I enjoyed it for different reasons, and maybe a little less than the first season. But I still felt the same way about the show. Season 3 started out great and there were definitely some stand out episodes. However, by the end of the season I was just about done with Glee.

I actually know the exact episode that turned me off completely. It was the one where they decided that Will Scheuster – the Spanish teacher – all of a sudden couldn’t speak Spanish. I mean, really? It was clearly a ploy to get Ricky Martin on the show and that was it.

So, anyway. Glee season 4.

It opens up with Rachel in New York City. All of a sudden it feels like a whole new show. It definitely had a Smash vibe, and felt a bit more grown up. Rachel was insecure, and I think that’s the best look for her. She’s come a long way from the first season and although she’s by far not my favorite character, I really enjoy watching her now.

The show also has some new characters. Brody Weston is the first one we meet and he comes to us (and Rachel) straight out of the shower. No complaints from me. Aside from the fact that he’s gorgeous (and that I loved his character on Terra Nova), he seems like a genuinely nice guy. It’s the first time I’ve ever wanted Rachel to be with someone other than Finn. It’s still early, and I have a feeling that the romance will blossom between them eventually, but I want them to take it slow. Friends first. If he’s meant to be Rachel’s new Finn, I want her to do it right this time. No stealing kisses, no cheating, no immaturity. Just an honest, healthy relationship.

Wade, who isn’t actually a new character, comes into the choir room to the shock of many of the Glee Club kids. I like Wade a little better than Unique, but I find that I truly enjoy Unique’s humor and over the top diva personality. I think both are great characters and serve their own purposes to the show. As long as he doesn’t take over, I’m quite content with him being in New Directions. (And if you’re reading this for the heck of it and have no idea what’s going on, Wade is a male student who happens to cross-dress. His alter ego is named Unique.)

We also meet Marley, who is pretty much the reason why I am watching this show. She’s honest and beautiful and good and true, and that’s everything that I want to see in a character on Glee. So many of the characters are flawed to the point of absurdity that a “normal” character is like a breath of fresh air. And the relationship that she has with her mom just about brings me to tears. I love it, I love her, and I love this show again.

Just Jake is up next and he sings beautifully. I think he sounds so much like the original, and his voice is like butter. I could listen to it every day. He’s an interesting character in that he is very similar to Puck, but I also feel like he’s a little wilder, a little more dangerous. I like that, and I hope now that we’re at a 9PM time slot, Glee will be just a tad darker than it was previously. We also hear Marley perform, while being cut against Rachel. As an actor/singer, that must be pretty intense. But she definitely held her own against Lea Michele. Where Rachel is Broadway, Marley is more like Jazz. I love both of their voices, and for different reasons.

The episode ends with Kurt in NYC and Rachel and him running toward each other and hugging. I think they’re both at their best when they’re together, honest, and trying to help the other person. They’re very similar in a lot of ways, but they also have a beautiful friendship that they use to build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Obviously there were still problems with the episode. Every show has its issues, but unlike most I can’t just leave them be. I don’t like Kitty – the new head Cheerio. She’s a Santana wannabe, but with much more venom and a lot less humor. I could do without her. I also didn’t enjoy the glee club kids when they were trying to be popular. It didn’t fit with their characters and at this point in the show (and their lives) they should know better. But, it made a plot for the episode and I guess that’s what really matters. The courtyard number was also kind of big and ridiculous and I miss season 1 of Glee when they were trying to make the performances either solely envisioned in their minds or actually realistic.

But those are the nit-picks of a fangirl, not to mention just my personal opinions. Overall, this series harkens back to season 1. Not in the way that it has been shot or written – because it honestly feels like a different show to me now – but in the way that it makes me feel. I think about it every day, and I can’t wait until the next episode. This is how TV should be, and I hope Glee stays that way.

Did you watch the first episode of Glee season 4? Did you like it or hate it? Do you feel like it’s a whole new show now?

Featured Video: Who’s Line is it Anyway? Bloopers

Because what’s funnier than bloopers from a show about improv?

And because this show never gets old. Ever.

(Warning: There’s some potty language below!)

How to be brothers, with Sam and Dean Winchester

This is my second post in this series where I discuss TV shows and movies and the knowledge that we can gain from watching them. We can then apply that knowledge to our writing. As always, I never pretend to be an expert. I just like exploring my own thoughts on the matter as I write these blog posts! I welcome all comments and would love to hear what you think about this topic.

Make sure you check out my first post titled, “How to write about guilt, with Damon Salvatore.”

I’m an only child. I’ve had close friends and close cousins, so I sort of know how it feels to have siblings. But not really. Once of the best TV shows that depicts the love/hate relationships that family members often have with each other is Supernatural.

Most of you are probably familiar with the show, as it’s been around for quite a while and is already going into its eighth season. But for those of you that aren’t, the premise of this series is pretty simple: Sam and Dean Winchester are brothers who travel the country and fight demons and other evil beings.

[DISCLAIMER: I just finished season 2. I won’t spoil anything from the first two seasons – this is just about characterization. I would also really appreciate it if you didn’t mention anything in the comments from season 3 or beyond!]

Sam is the younger child. He decided that hunting demons wasn’t really his thing. He didn’t get along with his father (probably for the reason just mentioned) and ended up going off to college to study law. In the meantime, big brother Dean stayed with his dad and did what he was raised to do – kill things and protect the world.

Through a series of events that we’ll gloss over for the sake of time and spoilers, Sam and Dean are now in it together. They travel all across the United States, finding these things, killing them, and saving countless lives in the process.

But these are two very different people. Where Sam is quieter and more in tune with people’s emotions, Dean is loud, obnoxious, and sarcastic. Sam questions everything (including his father), while Dean takes his orders and just wants to get the job done.

Imagine spending years traveling the road with someone who is the complete opposite of yourself. Not to mention someone that you’re also related to.

That can be tough.

And it is. They get into squabbles here and there, and even some serious fights. They disagree all the time on the best way to handle a situation, and sometimes it gets one (or both) of them into trouble. They know each other’s buttons. They can see right through a lie. They can tell when something is wrong with the other one.

On the one hand, you have this person that sometimes you just detest. They harass you, put blame on you, single you out, put you down, and use you as a punching bag.

And yet, you love that person with every fiber of your being. And they love you too.

Families are such complicated monsters.

As someone who grew up as an only child, this is fascinating to me. I can relate to it because my best friend and I are very close. She feels like the sister that I just happen to not live with. We know each other’s secrets, we can read each other’s minds, and we trust each other completely. I love her so much.

But we still drive each other nuts.

Sam and Dean are the same way. To apply this to writing, I think it’s important to first start with a base character for each person. Build them up as an individual, each with a specific identity, and then set them against each other. Opposites will clash, and that kind of conflict is great for any story.

It’s even better if they’re related and you know that one would never actually throw the other under a bus. Therefore, that conflict will never go away, for as long as they both live.

But there needs to be something else about the relationship of your two characters, too. Sure, we all know how the younger sibling is such a brat, or the older sibling seems to have it all. That puts them at odds with each other. But what brings them together time after time? The best stories based on families are the ones that use what’s happening in their lives to get past their differences. Those events actually bring the characters together and remind them that love is so much stronger than hate.

As far as Sam and Dean go, I think a lot of it boils down to trust. They trust each other completely – and they have to, don’t they? They couldn’t do their job together if they didn’t have complete trust in one another. And at the end of the day, despite all of their differences, they also have the same goal in mind – to rid the world of evil.

It’s important to establish sibling rivalries. What have they competed for since they were younger? Girls? Money? Fame? Glory?

Give each one of your characters quirks that get on the nerves of the other. Something really stupid that one does without knowing it, but the other picks up on right away. It drives him up the wall. Why? This will give him character and depth and a back story.

Make sure they fight. A lot. Dean and Sam always argue. About stupid things. About important things. About things that pertain to the hunt and about things that don’t. Not only will it establish each character’s personality, but it’ll show the relationship that they have with one another. Does one always win? Does one always give in? Who can never say they’re sorry, and who can admit when they’re wrong?

But make sure they always make up. Even though they drive each other up a wall, Dean and Sam need each other. This is particularly evident at the end of season 2. For all the headaches that they’ve given each other, we know – without a doubt – that one wouldn’t hesitate to give up his life for the other.

What do you think? Have you seen the show, and if so, do you like it? What do you make of Sam and Dean’s relationship? How did you establish a relationship between siblings in your own stories? Did you pull from your own life for ideas?

What is it about Cowboys and Aliens?

Cowboys represent a golden age in American history. Sure, life was tough. But it was also good. You had to work hard to make a living, but you could also sleep under an open sky and live your life exactly how you wanted to. The only rules that mattered were those of honor and respect. Men removed hats in the presence of women and a handshake meant a promise you kept for a lifetime.

Aliens, on the other hand, represent something bigger, vaster. There’s the penultimate question of whether or not we’re alone in the universe. The unrestricted idea of dreams gone wild. The sky isn’t your limit, the whole universe is. Spaceships. Galaxies. Life on other planets.

So what in God’s name do these two things have in common?

Well, you might be surprised. But, first, let’s take a look at a couple of example of when cowboys and aliens meet face to face.

We’ll start with the really obvious one, the movie Cowboys & Aliens (I did a review of it in January). I didn’t particularly like this film, but I didn’t hate it either. It had an interesting concept, but the actual storyline just sort of fell flat for me. The basic idea, if you’re unaware, is that in 1873 a spaceship lands to take over the world (they’re always doing that, aren’t they going to learn?). The cowboys and local Arizona natives are all that can stand up against them.

Next up, we’ve got Firefly, which takes everything that is awesome about cowboys and everything that is awesome about space, and mashes them together into the perfect recipe for a television show. The premise is that there is a band of misfits traveling through space aboard the ship named Serenity. Sometimes they do honest work, and sometimes they don’t. But it seems as if they’re always running from somebody.

Lastly, there’s Doctor Who. The Doctor deals with aliens far more often than he deals with cowboys, but in the upcoming season 7 trailer we get glimpses of a cowboy-centric episode titled “A Town Called Mercy.” The Doctor flies around in his TARDIS throughout time and space, going on adventures and saving our planet more times than we could possibly count. One of the characters, River Song, has a very cowboy-esque feel about her. On top of that, this new Wild West episode will seemingly have the perfect balance of guns, leather, and people with weird things on their faces.

These three examples are certainly not the only ones that exist out there, they’re just the ones that I happen to be most familiar with. We’ve been mashing these two seemingly opposite genres together for years. But why? Is it because they’re so completely different that it’s interesting to see what would happen when we put the two together? It’s possible, but chew on this:

How exactly are they different?

Okay, cowboys are from Earth and aliens are from outer space. One is human and the other is probably an interesting shade of green. Cowboys spend their days on ranches looking over their livestock, while aliens (usually) spend their days trying to invade our planet.

But I think these two types of beings are more similar than we give them credit for. Stories of cowboys and stories of aliens both revolve around the unknown. For cowboys, the unknown was the Wild West. It was uncharted territory. Same with space. It represents the unknown. It’s uncharted territory.

Cowboys invaded the west and took land from natives, just like aliens often take over whole planets. Men in the west often captured and tortured locals for information. Sound familiar? Aliens have their infamous laboratories where they supposedly probe and dissect human beings in order to learn more about us.

There are countless stories of “pale faces” and local tribes meeting. Sometimes they fight and sometimes they learn that they’re not so different. The same could be said for any alien landing on our planet for the first time. There’s an opportunity there, between both groups, to learn and grow from their experiences.

And what do stories about the Wild West and stories about space travel teach us? That there’s more out there than we know. That good and evil exist. That honorable and decent beings will always come out on top.

So, are cowboys and aliens really that different after all?

Can you think of any other ways in which these two seemingly different things are similar? Are there any other genres or types of characters that are at odds with each other that you would like to see in a single story? My first thought was Disney princesses and vampires – that would be interesting!

How to Write about Guilt, with Damon Salvatore

As much as I try to explain it to family and friends, they just don’t understand that watching TV and movies is research for us writers. They scoff, they laugh, they even roll their eyes. But it’s true, isn’t it? It’s just like reading a book (albeit in a more visual format). We can study characters, setting, and dialogue to learn what works and what doesn’t.

What I like about TV and movies in particular is that we have to translate the action of the characters into words. Whereas we can read a book all about how someone is lying and see in our minds eye via the words that they wring their hands, don’t make eye contact, and have a nervous twitch in their leg, the visual representation of this is a little harder to pick up. There are subtleties actors use that are almost beyond our perception when we’re focused on the story they are trying to tell. We might not catch their leg twitch, or the shifty eyes, but they’re definitely there. We just have to work a little bit harder to see them.

It’s great practice and not only helps you become a better writer, but helps you become a better sleuth and figure out who the bad guy is a little bit sooner.

I had an idea for a new set of blog posts. I don’t want to call them a series, because they’re not going to be all that related. (I swear I’m getting to Damon soon.) The challenge is to pick a theme and a character and write about how the actor brings these two things to life. I’m not writing this necessarily to teach you guys anything (I won’t pretend I’m an expert on any of this stuff), but I’m writing it to better understand it myself. And, of course, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

I’d like to kick it off with the stunning Damon Salvatore. I’m a little The Vampire Diaries obsessed right now (thanks Debra), and I’m almost done with season 2. (If by any chance you know when season 3 is coming to Netflix Streaming, PLEASE TELL ME.) Damon’s my favorite Salvatore brother (and probably my favorite character) for a variety of reasons I won’t get into here. (Actually, if you check out Debra’s post, her thoughts basically reflect mine.) I think Ian Somerholder is a fantastic actor and his portrayal of Damon is extremely well done. All he has to do is quirk an eyebrow or squint his eyes and you automatically know what he’s thinking. It’s brilliant.

Right, enough gushing. Sorry.

Anyway, one thing that I really like about Damon is that he struggles with guilt just about every day of his existence. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, here’s a quick recap on his character: Damon is a bad boy vampire who just happens to love Elena (who’s human and is going out with his brother, Stephan). He also loves the act of killing. He struggles between his vampiric nature and being the man that Elena knows he can be. Talk about a conflict of interest.

A few episodes ago I saw Damon finally break down. We knew he’d been struggling with the fact that Elena would always choose Stephan over him, as well as the fact that, well, he’s a vampire! He kills things. It’s in his nature to hunt and prey on humans. He’s relished in the hunt for centuries. But, at the same time, he doesn’t fall in love often and when he does, he falls hard.

In episode 12, entitled “Descent,” we see Damon confess a secret to a total stranger (I won’t spoil it here because it’s a beautiful moment) and finally give into his cravings. From now on, he’s hiding the guilt that is slowly eating at him. As writers, we need to see how he portrays this so we can use it in our own writing.

It’s obviously hard to do if your story follows in one character’s footsteps (depending on who is the one being guilty). Television has a little more leeway in that they can jump POVs without it having the same consequences that we would have to deal with.

In terms of Damon, his guilt stems from the fact that he’s hiding a secret. He’ll go to any lengths to keep it a secret because he’s ashamed of it. He particularly doesn’t want Elena finding out. In the following few episodes, he starts acting out of character. He’s a little bit moodier, less sarcastic, more angry than usual.

For Damon, a lot of his guilt is shown away from the other characters. He starts dating a human who he has compelled (brainwashed) to keep his secret: he’s killed a human and has been feeding on (but not killing) this new human. He breaks down at several points and says how badly he hates the fact that he is this way, but that he just can’t help it. He rationalizes his nature – he is a vampire after all. And, because of that, he continues to feed and continues to keep his secret.

This is just a small snippet of what Damon portrays. Ian’s acting is so subtle and the writing is so well done that I’m even having trouble translating it into words.  I guess you’ll just have to go watch the show.

There are other ways to show a character’s guilty conscious. The more direct ways aren’t nearly as enjoyable, like saying, “He looked guilty,” or “She twisted her hands guiltily.” These tell us what’s happening, but they don’t show us what’s happening. When the clues are more subtle, the readers will either be completely shocked by the big reveal or proud that they were able to figure it out for themselves. It’s a much more rewarding experience.

Think about when you’re feeling guilty – you’re overly conscious about how you’re acting. Are you acting guilty? Are you not acting normal? So then you usually overact. You’re cheerier than usual, maybe more helpful. You’re out of character. If you’re audience is familiar with your character, this will set off an alarm – and you didn’t even have to directly tell them what was going on!

What are some of the subtle things you’ve seen Damon do on the show? What are some good examples of how to portray guilt without being overly obvious about it? Have you ever written a character who had a secret and felt deeply guilty about it? How did you portray that?

Featured Video: Boogie Shoes

Today’s blog post is going to be short and sweet. I had a super fun four-day weekend visiting friends and I still have to claw my way out from under everything that I put off while I was in Maryland. I’ll tell you all about my trip on Friday!

As for the video…no introductions, just watch:

 
Okay, did you catch what was going on there? Her stage name is Unique. Her real name is…Wade. She’s a character from Glee and is played by Alex Newell. He was one of the winners of The Glee Project (season 1).

I keep away from spoilers as much as I can, so even though I knew that Alex was going to be on the show, I had no idea what his storyline would be. When I saw this performance, I was floored. I was in shock – not because he was dressed up as a woman, but because he was absolutely incredible in this role. His talent is off the charts and I just can’t stop listening to this song – even though this episode came and went several months ago. I feel like this was such a great thing for Glee to do, and I hope it opens the eyes of some people about this sort of thing.

So, here are some questions for you: Have you ever encountered someone who cross-dresses? Have you ever been completely shocked by something that you saw – but in a good way? Did this video, or something you experienced in your life, make you reevaluate your opinion or perspective about something? I want to hear about some cool stories of acceptance in the comments!

Shawn and Gus: Best Friends Forever

(I’m warning you now. I found an incredible site for Psych gifs and this post is full of them. You just have to see these two characters in motion in order to understand them. The website is here.)

I dare you to find a friendship as flawed and strange, yet undeniably perfect, as the relationship shared between BFFs Shawn and Gus of Psych.

If you’re unfamiliar with the show, let me just give you a little run-down. Shawn is a “psychic detective,” and yes there’s a reason why that is in quotes. He is, in fact, a fraud. He’s highly observant and can make connections that most others can’t. In the pilot episode, Shawn was almost convicted of a crime because he seemed to know information that only the person who would’ve committed it did. In comes his brilliant plan – he’s a psychic! And guess what? The police buy it, hire him as a consultant, and Shawn sets up his own psychic detective business with his best friend Gus.

Believe it or not, this is a regular occurrence on this show.

Gus is Shawn’s opposite in pretty much every imaginable way. Gus works for a pharmaceutical company and often gets dragged into these things by Shawn. He doesn’t pretend to have any special powers, but the cops let him tag along as Shawn’s wingman (and oftentimes his interpreter). More often than not, Gus’ major contribution to the team comes in the form of that green paper that can be found in his wallet.

Here’s the funny thing about Shawn: if you put his personality down on paper (so to speak) he looks like a terrible person. He’s lazy. He can’t keep a steady job. He never goes an episode without lying to someone. I think I’ve seen him be serious only two times in the last five seasons. He’s constantly taking money from Gus without asking, and always gets them into trouble. He never follows the rules. He has to be right. He loves proving people wrong. He’s nosy and he can be pretty arrogant.

And Gus looks like a saint compared to him. He went to college. He got a fantastic, well-paying job. He’s organized, respectful, and kind. He’s not oblivious to other people’s feelings like a certain someone else. He does what he’s told and doesn’t ask too many questions. He picks up the slack that Shawn leaves behind, which often involves important things like paying the bills and doing the taxes.

And yet Shawn has his admirable qualities. He genuinely likes helping people and catching the bad guys. He’ll even go out of his way to help someone feel better by taking the fall for it – which means even more because you know that isn’t how Shawn usually operates. And Gus has his flaws too. He’s a little more rigid, a little harder to convince to do something crazy. He works too hard and doesn’t often stop to have a little fun.

And yet, when these two are together, they are the exact definition of perfection. They are literally yin and yang – completing each other to form a perfect, wonderful, flawless circle.

This is my favorite thing that they do.

Gus is Shawn’s sense of reason, his conscience. He tells him when he’s going overboard (which is pretty often). He reigns in the crazy and tends to be the one making excuses when Shawn forgets his manners. Shawn reminds Gus to loosen up a little bit. He reminds him that it’s okay to get dirty once in a while. He shows Gus how to live life to its fullest.

This is what Shawn and Gus do when they figure something out (or just really excited).

And even though these guys are (literally and figuratively) black and white, they’re also so, so similar. Both have a strange affinity for making references to ‘80s movies. They know what the other one is thinking without having to say anything. And so many times they’ll cover for the other person, even if it makes them look foolish. Isn’t that true friendship?

Mind-meld!

And because you can’t just explain their relationship in words, here are some gifs so you can get to know them a little better.

Fist bumping is sort of their thing.

And while writing this, I realized that my best friend and I share a very, very similar relationship. I’m Shawn and she’s Gus. I’m the lazy, crazy, spacey one. She’s the organized, well put together, calm one. In college, I used to purposely mess up her perfectly made bed just to annoy her. And I used to “let” her make mine in the morning (otherwise I wouldn’t do it). And just like Shawn and Gus, we can read each other’s minds. We always have each other’s backs. And there’s nothing that we can’t tell each other.

We often fight this like:

And on occasion we’ve been known to do this:

Sometimes we switch roles. I’m usually like this:

And definitely like this:

But at the end of the day, this is what we look like:

So, I need to know – what are you and your best friend like? Do you defy the laws of physics, yet seem to work so perfectly together? Do you press his or her buttons just because you can?

(P.S. I had an incredibly hard time writing this article. I still feel like I didn’t get it all out the right way, but these are two of my all time favorite characters, so it’s going to be hard to capture their essence in words alone. PLEASE, for the love of all things hilarious and wonderful, go watch Psych.)

America’s Best Dance Crew(s)

(After re-reading this post, I just have to warn you that I may have gotten a little carried away… But hopefully all the videos are entertaining enough to make up for that, and you’ll be patient enough to stick with me till the end!)

If you’ve been subscribed to this blog for awhile, you’ll know that I really enjoy dancing. I might not be the best dancer in the world (though I’m convinced that if I had some training I’d be pretty good), but I love watching other people dance. I don’t watch a lot of dancing shows like So You Think You Can Dance or Dancing with the Stars, but one show that I’ve been with since the beginning is America’s Best Dance Crew.

This show takes various dance crews from all around the nation (and sometimes from other countries) and challenges them to complete various tests – dancing in new styles, using props, creating a story, etc. The show is currently in its seventh season, and even though it’s not what it once was, I can’t bring myself to not watch it.

Why I Like It

This show focuses mostly on hip-hop styles, which I think are vastly underrated. I have respect for anyone who dances – ballet, tap, ballroom, b-boy, etc. But I don’t think it’s a two-way mirror. A lot of people don’t respect street dancing like they do “regular” dancing. This show helps showcase this type of dancing and exposes a lot more people to it. It’s a beautiful thing.

This show also brings various crews from around the country right into your living room. Some of these crews have been through a lot – homelessness, car accidents, death of family members. You feel for these people and you want to see them succeed. All they want to do is live their dream – and can we blame them for that? If you’re a writer, I’m sure you know exactly how they feel.

I also really love the hosts. Judges can make or break a reality TV show, much as has been done by American Idol for me. There’s a panel of three of them and JC Chasez (from N*Sync) and Lil’ Mama (a rapper, singer, dancer) have been there since day one. The first four seasons started out with Shane Sparks (whom I loved) but he was naughty and got in trouble. He was replaced with Omarion, but I think he was naughty and got in trouble too. Finally, ABDC seems to have scored with D-trix, who was a member of the season 3 winning group Quest Crew. JC is like the Simon of the show, since he’s probably the most honest. BUT he’s not mean, he just says it like it is. He’s about the only one who gets booed at, but I think what he says is the most constructive advice the crews get. He’s definitely my favorite.

And lastly, let’s state the obvious: the dancing. These people are incredible. I have so much appreciation for what they do, and it’s just insane how good some of them are. I’ve learned so much about different styles and terminology from watching this show. Everyone, from the champions to the crew that may have been kicked off in the first season, are all so, so talented.

My Favorite Crews

Like I said before, I’ve been watching this show for seven years. The first season is still my favorite, but I’ve since fallen in love with various crews throughout the whole series. Here’s a few videos of some of my favorite performances. If you’re interested, I’ve provided a link to compilation videos so you can see all of the routines from that crew.

JabbaWockeeZ – “Ayo Technology” (These guys are the season 1 winners and are generally considered to be the best crew to ever have graced the ABDC stage.)
Compilation Video

Kaba Modern – “Sensual Seduction” (Although it’s really, REALLY hard to pick, these guys are probably my favorite crew (season 1 runner-ups) and this is probably my all time favorite performance overall. I’ve probably watched it a hundred times.)
Compilation Video

Fanny Pak – “Get Your Freak On” (This one was absolutely incredible and definitely one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. They were season 3 third place winners.)
Compilation Video

Vogue Evolution – “Calabria 2008″ (I love this crew because they are so proud of who they are. And voguing is just awesome in general. They came in fifth place on season 4.)
Compilation Video

We Are Heroes – “Vogue” (This crew was the first ever all-girl group to win (season 4) and there were all sorts of emotions when I saw them take that trophy. These girls are fierce, and they can do anything a guy can do!)
Compilation Video

I aM Me – “S&M” (This crew won season 6 and are by far the most creative crew I’ve ever seen.)
Compilation Video

 
(Okay, that was A LOT harder than I thought it would be. Some of them have SO many good performances.)

ABDC Season 7

Season 7 has so far been much better than some of the previous ones. I’m invested in a lot more crews, instead of just one or two, and I’m actually wowed by performances each week. There were a few seasons there right in the middle that I just didn’t care about.

So, here’s a quick rundown on my favorite crews. Let’s see if I can correctly guess the winner, too.

1. Fanny Pak – They decided to return for a second chance but were just kicked off last week. I’m really on the fence about that because they’re one of my all-time favorite crews. However, I’m not sure they should’ve come back in the first place. They had their chance, you know? It was nice seeing them again, but their previous routines have stuck with me a lot more than these recent ones.
2. 8 Flavahz – There was a group on last year called ICONic Boyz. They were a crew of very young (like, maybe 12-year-old?) boys. They were good, but they weren’t great. However, they did happen to come in second place. Their dancing was on point, but the routines were just lackluster to me and I don’t think they should’ve made it that far. 8 Flavahz is like the girl version of ICONic Boyz, but they. are. amazing. Seriously. I’m just blown away each and every week by how incredible their routines are. I honestly hope they win. Here’s a clip of my favorite one so far:  
3. Most Wanted Crew – This is a crew made up of dance teachers, and I love everything that they represent. They’re an incredible crew, but they’re hit and miss with me sometimes. They need to be amazing every week to win, but I think they probably have the best chances of doing it. I guess time will only tell!

Have you seen this show before? Did you like any of the videos above? Which one was your favorite?