TV Ate My Wardrobe

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

‘Tis the season to wear sparkly frocks and after the LBD heavy edition a couple of weeks ago we’re injecting a bit of color and bold patterns into this column.

After seeing the new Hobbit movie this week Kate Mara’s J. Mendel dress is giving off elf vibes thanks to two tiered metallic green and ivory leaf detail. Festive feelings are enhanced by the beautiful gold clutch and yet it doesn’t come across as attempting to be all that Christmassy. I still haven’t seen House of Cards (or OITNB, or Arrested Development even though I have Netflix *sigh*) and considering how divisive it has been it’s on my long list of catch-up projects.

Kiernan Shipka’s red carpet style has been consistent in its excellence this year (and yes I’m fine that a 14 year-old has way better clothes than me) and this week she looks delightful in RED Valentino. The floral/polka dot crossover is something I raved about with Oscar de la Renta’s Spring 2014 collection and this take on it is super cute. One reason why Shipka’s red carpet style is so good is because she dresses for her age and I hope this continues in 2014.

Maybe it’s the time of year and if Amy Poehler wore this in April it would look like a regular dress, as it’s December I’m seeing ‘an angel at the top of the tree’ frock. Now that I’ve written this it sounds bad, far from it and the puff sleeves/A-line design is what’s reading angel to me. It’s icy looking and the black pattern adds to the winter wonderland feel of this Alice + Oliva dress. The bold lipstick is the pop of color this outfit needs.

The series finale date has been set for How I Met Your Mother (March 31) and I soured on this show long before Cristin Milioti was revealed to be the mother. That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate this Peter Pilotto creation and I might have to include it in the superhero couture that began with Olivia Pope’s Rubin Singer gown on Scandal earlier this season. This might have something to do with Milioti’s red carpet pose and it’s definitely one of the most visually arresting dresses I have seen this year. As a very tenuous link and because we said goodbye to 30 Rock this year here is Milioti in one of my favorite episodes (“TGS Hates Women”).

Tags: 30 Rock, Alice + Olivia, Amy Poehler, Cristin Milioti, How I Met Your Mother, J. Mendel, Kate Mara, Kiernan Shipka, Peter Pilotto, Valentino

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Categories Out of the Box: Look of the Week
Author Emma Fraser

Hannibal Season 2 Poster and Premiere Date Revealed

20 Dec

Hannibal showrunner Bryan Fuller gave fans an early Christmas gift as he unveiled the new season 2 key art and the premiere date on Twitter last night and it’s a doozy. While the first season artwork concentrated on Hannibal himself (eating of course), Will Graham is getting his chance to shine in an image that plays on the idea that Will and Hannibal have switched places; the face mask is something associated with Hannibal Lecter and it’s disconcerting seeing Will wearing it instead.

Embracing the madness is something I am more than prepared for as Will Graham is now aware of Hannibal’s role in his incarceration and the series of copycat murders. The Friday night time slot is slightly concerning in the way a Friday night spot is, but other shows like Fringe have shown this can work. Like Hannibal, Fringe had relatively low ratings and a fervent fanbase; it lasted 5 seasons and at this point having this much Hannibal would be a huge victory. Let’s not worry ourselves with viewing figures yet and just take in Will Graham looking unhinged on this excellent promo poster.

Hannibal returns Friday, February 28 and for our look at season 1 in our Best of 2013 series head here.

Tags: Bryan Fuller, Hannibal, Hugh Dancy, Season 2, Will Graham

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Author Emma Fraser

Festive Rewind: Frasier “Merry Christmas Mrs. Moskowitz”

20 Dec

It’s TV Ate My Wardrobe’s first festive season and to mark this occasion we are hosting a very special rewind series. What this means is that we will be featuring a whole host of guest posts and in the spirit of the holidays we have asked a variety of writers to discuss a festive episode of their choice. These will be appear on the site over the next couple of weeks and there’s an eclectic mix including teen dramas, science fiction, animation, comedy, drama and more to get you in the celebratory mood. Or to at least give you plenty of suggestions of TV to watch over the break.

Today’s guest post comes from Noel Kirkpatrick as he discusses Frasier’s take on different faiths celebrating the holidays.

It’s a Chanukah miracle! Andrew Rabin discussed Rugats and its lackluster take on Chanukah earlier in the feature, and now I present you with “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz” from Frasier. If Andrew “A Rugats Chanukah” credited with at least exposing kids to a non-mainstream holiday even while still sort of abandoning it, then “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz” demonstrates why it might’ve been helpful for those who celebrate in Christmas — even if it’s in a more secular than religious way (something else this episode touches on) — to be aware of other religions and traditions other than our own. The episode is classic Frasier farce, complete with mistaken identities, hiding people and things from unsuspecting guests, near-constant lying, and it all culminates in the big reveal that brings all the chaos down a single big punchline. In this case, it’s Niles dressed up as Jesus, hiding in the bathroom with a Christmas tree.

You see, Frasier was buying his son, Freddie, a menorah (Lilith, Frasier ex-wife, is Jewish, which makes Freddie Jewish) and a woman overhears him. After helping Frasier pick out an appropriate sweater for Roz, Helen, the woman, asks Frasier to do a favor for her daughter: “A date with a nice, unattached doctor.” Frasier and Faye actually hit it off very well, but as Faye and Helen are about to head off to Florida, they decided to stop by Frasier’s apartment, which is in the processed of being decked out with a tasteful (horrid) Christmas, and here we learn that Faye and Helen are Jewish, and that Frasier not being Jewish may be a point of concern for Helen. So Frasier, Niles, and Martin pretend to be Jewish until Helen and Faye finally leave. Oh, and Niles is helping Daphne put on a Christmas revue that’s a combination of religious and secular songs.

As farcical episodes of the show go, “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowtiz” isn’t their best, though David Hyde Pierce dressed up as Jesus is still a total hoot. Much of the humor of the episode derives from the fact that for all their supposed learning and culture, Frasier and Niles are largely clueless about Judaism. When questioned about his bar mitzvah, Frasier mentions that the mohel was there, so not to show there were any hard feelings. Niles’s toast is a string of Jewish platitudes — “L’Chaim! Mazel tov! Next year in Jerusalem!” — and when Martin asks Niles “how to be Jewish,” Niles advises him to answer questions with a question.

The episode should be horrible since it trades in tired Jewish stereotypes — meddlesome mothers, massive amounts of guilt — but it trades more heavily in the fact that non-Jewish people know next to nothing about the traditions of Judaism. Not only are there the above examples, but Roz doesn’t know what a menorah is, and Frasier isn’t aware of how kosher wine is supposed to taste (apparently kosher wine has gotten tastier). The episode is funny because a) because people who don’t know anything about Judaism see their own cluelessness on display, and in a safe way and, more importantly, b) Jewish viewers get their experiences of dealing with gentiles distilled into one 22-minute episode, and, hopefully, get a good laugh at reliving the conversations when people ask about their faith and traditions.

Of course, if we were all a little more aware, then this wouldn’t have been a problem in the first place! This idea is complemented by Frasier and Martin’s battle over Christmas decorations in the apartment. Being aware of others’ needs and lifestyles is an important aspect of our lives, and it’s a one that is very much a part of the season.

Noel Kirkpatrick is the co-founder of Monsters of Television and This Was Television and he writes episodic criticism for TV.com. You can follow him on Twitter, if you like, as well.

Tags: "Merry Christmas Mrs. Moskowitz", Festive TV, Frasier, Guest Post

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Categories Festive Rewind
Author Emma Fraser

Best of TV Costuming 2013: The Many Looks of Orphan Black and Tatiana Maslany

19 Dec

Continuing TV Ate My Wardrobe’s “Best of 2013″ costuming series and rather than doing a straightforward countdown we’re going to do a variety of posts that look at which costumes and shows have made a huge impact this year. From items that we want in our own wardrobe to pieces that got everyone talking, we want to look at this year’s TV through the prism of costume.

I came late to Orphan Black this year and an article discussing the incredible performance(s) of Tatiana Maslany is long overdue. Same applies to the costume design work, as this plays a part in defining each clone and how we perceive them.

We could do a Spice Girls categorization of each character boiling them down to one part of their personality through their clothes and hair styling:

Rock Chick Clone
Hippy Science Clone
Suburban Clone
Crazy Clone
Fashionista Clone
Serious Cop Clone

Reducing these characters to broad categorizations could be viewed as either a disservice or high praise; each individual clone has a distinctive look and on the surface level this reveals a certain amount of information about who they are. Of course their inner world might not be reflected by these outward characteristics which is why this might seem too reductive.

Tatiana Maslany plays each version and for practical reasons having a variety of strong looks helps when they share the same face. Hair, makeup and costume all help with this process, but without an actress as gifted as Maslany it would be a hard task to pull off. Luckily, Maslany produces a variety of performances that often makes me forget that I’m watching the same person play all of these roles and it takes a special talent to do this. Costuming does play an important role and while each character can be broken down into a ‘type’ it doesn’t come across as contrived or like they’ve gone through a lookbook of archetypes.

Color isn’t a big part of Sarah Manning’s wardrobe and black leather is a staple. Sarah begins the season on the outside when it comes to her clone origins and her demeanor is a reflection of her difficult upbringing. It’s a look that projects an “I don’t give a shit” attitude and it’s Sarah’s way of protecting herself from the world. Posing as Beth requires a wardrobe change and Beth’s style is far more traditional and functional.

Clothes are part of how we reveal who we are to the world and Sarah slips up by not letting go of part of herself with her “London Calling” tee, prompting Paul to question why Beth is wearing something so un-Beth like. Sarah is browsing through Beth’s Ann Taylor/J. Crew looking wardrobe in her Clash shirt instantly reflecting how different these characters are. It’s hard for Sarah to completely lose herself to this new persona even if the initial endgame is to get a buttload of cash. By wearing Beth’s clothes it helps fool people on a surface level and in cases where those questions become too much there are other methods; she uses sex to disarm and distract Paul.

Throughout the first season of Orphan Black we see a variety of impersonating combos; Helena as Sarah as Beth, Alison as Sarah and Sarah as Alison. On each occasion one wears the clothes of the other (and Helena hides her mass of her under a beanie) and they fool most people because external factors like clothing is something we use to identify who someone is. This is why Sarah’s Clash shirt arouses suspicion in Paul.

Helena’s trip into the police station in this attire should have triggered more questions as the red around Helena’s eyes is pretty distinctive. It helps both Sarah and Helena that Beth has been going through some things and her general behavior has been different lately; certain character ticks don’t register as particularly odd.

Switching coats is a quick way to temporarily look like someone else and each character’s style can be summed up in their outerwear.

Helena’s oversized parka conceals her gender at first and a Helena/Sarah coat switch later in the season is part of a grand plan to gain the upper hand, but it also reveals Kira’s identity to Helena and this sets off a chain of events that almost ends in tragedy.

The clone we barely knew and Katia is all about a flamboyant statement in her oversized sunglasses and fur coat.

Cosima’s red funnel neck coat is my personal favorite and would feature high on the coat covet list. Cosima’s look is heavy on the accessories with chunky jewelry and scarves. Dreadlocks and tattoos also point to her free spirit and she’s the only one of the clones who hasn’t been impersonated by another so far.

On the other end of the spectrum lives Alison and on the outside she is pure suburban soccer mom. It’s all Lululemon, gillets and pastels as Alison projects this image of modern day Stepford Wife. Ah suburbia, you have many secrets and Alison is so tightly wound that she starts to question which parts of her life are fake and which are real.

This includes torture by glue gun in a matching pair of gingham pajamas. Alison is definitely resourceful in an almost Jason Bourne use your surroundings kind of way.

It’s not just all the Tatiana Maslany’s that can pull off multiple looks and Jordan Gavaris’ Felix plays multiple roles throughout Orphan Black’s first season. His regular style mirrors Sarah’s as black is a defining feature and considering how close these two characters are it makes sense that they mimic each other in this way.

When required he can play a part and whenever he interacted with Alison and her family it produced some truly memorable moments. From playing dress up with her kids to his role as suburban bartender – the jumper draped over the shoulders is everything – to saving Alison from the intervention in her living room Felix livened things up. Felix is an important emotional tether for Sarah and a grounding point for the clone dramaz; Felix is part of the emotional core without being sentimental and he doesn’t sugar coat his feelings telling Sarah “Is every man in your life a complete wanker besides me?!”

Orphan Black is one of the most thrilling shows I have watched in 2013 and Tatiana Maslany’s is exceptional throughout. It’s also a testament to her as an actress that her Parks and Recreation guest star stint delivered yet another style of performance and a completely different look. Set those calendars to April 19 when Orphan Black returns for season 2.

Photos courtesy of BBC America

Tags: BBC America, costume design, Jordan Gavaris, Orphan Black, Tatiana Maslany

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Categories Best of 2013
Author Emma Fraser

Festive Rewind: Rugrats “A Rugrats Chanukah”

18 Dec

Andrew Rabin talks about “A Rugrats Chanukah” in today’s festive guest post.

If you Google “list of Chanukah episodes,” a surprising 16.8 million results pop up (interestingly, if you Google it with any other spelling of the holiday, only 520,000 results appear). The first link is a list of “The Top 8 Chanukah TV Episodes of All Time.” I do not know who wrote this list, but it is notable in two ways- only five of the eight listings are actually episodes of television, and only three of those five are actually Chanukah episodes.

The second link is the Wikipedia page for “A Rugrats Chanukah.”

Between June, 1994 and May, 1997, nearly a three year span, Nickelodeon aired only two new episodes of Rugrats; “Passover,” on April 15, 1995, and “A Rugrats Chanukah” on December 6, 1996. Most kids, me included, certainly did not realize that the episodes airing in between were all reruns. But I certainly noticed that these two episodes existed.

“A Rugrats Chanukah,” like its predecessor, does away with the two cartoon-per-episode format that existed for most of Rugrats run. It starts, again echoing the Passover episode, with Tommy and the babies playing the roles of the Chanukah story. Tommy even alters his catchphrase, pronouncing that “a Maccababy’s gotta do what a Maccababy’s gotta do.”

The episode quickly shifts, however, to a modern day story centered on Grandpa Boris putting on a play at the local synagogue telling the meaning of Chanukah. When Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil hear this as the “meanie of Chanukah,” they decide he must be defeated. This leads to their entertaining, if standard, shenanigans, and a strange confrontation between Boris and his friend Shlomo, which concludes in the revelation that Shlomo could not have children. Even the most Chanukah-heavy episode gets derailed.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the episode is Angelica’s storyline. All Angelica wants to do is watch the Cynthia Christmas Special. Angelica is, as always the antagonist to Tommy’s protagonist. This puts the show in the position as having the one character who is interested in celebrating Christmas, even if it is just because of her love of Cynthia rather than some deep religious beliefs, on the “bad” side. It comes off, at least at some level, as portraying Christmas as less important than Chanukah, if not flat out worse.

“A Rugrats Chanukah” is not a great episode of television, or even a great episode of Rugrats. Heck, it’s not even the best Jewish-holiday themed Rugrats episode (and I’ll be happy to come back in the spring when you ask everyone to write about their favorite Easter episodes). But Rugrats was also willing to teach kids about the non-mainstream holiday, something even most adult shows avoid. It serves its purpose. And it’s what we’ve got.

Andrew Rabin is very nearly, but not officially, a lawyer. If you want to read more from him, check him out on Twitter @arrabin56. If you want to read less from him, his blog is almost never updated, so that seems like a good bet.

Tags: "A Rugrats Chanukah", Festive TV, Guest Post, Rugrats

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Categories Festive Rewind
Author Emma Fraser

Best of TV Costuming 2013: Pattern and Color on Hannibal

18 Dec

The first season of Hannibal premiered in April and from the outset it produced some of the most visually stunning episodes on TV this year. As with the character, Hannibal’s costuming is rich, textured and multilayered. Hannibal is also the only show to appear as part of “Look of the Week” as a piece of set design, rather than just costuming.

Starting with the titular character everything that Hannibal wears is meticulous and well tailored. Costume designer Christopher Hargadon predominantly dresses Hannibal in three piece suits (often in plaid) and the elaborate quality reflects Hannibal’s desire to have only the finer things in life. There is an element of control with everything that Hannibal does and yet he also likes to play with his environment and this includes his wardrobe.

Pattern clashing is in abundance and this style choice is featured in pretty much every episode. There is nothing accidental about the pocket square matching the teal shirt and the colors of Hannibal’s suits are incredibly rich, even in their darkness. On this occasion Hannibal is wearing paisley with plaid; it’s bold and distinctive much like Hannibal. Dark earth tones are a signature and you won’t see him in bright primary colors. As the season progresses, his suits get even darker to mirror just how far Hannibal is pushing Will’s mental state.

Even when he has been in a full on dirty fight to the death, as he has in “Fromage” he still looks relatively well put together. His pocket square has been ruffled and his tie is at an angle, however this all plays into his act of being in shock. If he wasn’t playing this role there is no doubt that he would have straightened these up and fixed his hair.

The use of shadow with bold patterns means there are moments like this one in the season 1 finale where the only detail visible is Hannibal’s striking tie and grey shirt. He kind of looks like a floating head coming out of the darkness.

This moment also comes from the finale as Hannibal visits Will in his new ‘home’ and the brown Burberry London coat (thanks Wear the Rude for the heads up) is part of the rich brown trend that Hannibal wears throughout the first season. Hannibal is littered with out of the shadows moments and this shot is framed as if Hannibal is the emerging victor.

Hannibal even has what looks like a custom kill suit and when you have clothes as luxurious as Hannibal you don’t want them getting ruined by a spot of blood. There’s also the evidence factor of course.

The color scheme on Hannibal is as precise as Hannibal’s suits and there’s one character who wears both bold tones and a whole lot of pattern and that’s Alana Bloom. I’d argue that Alana is the heart of the show as she is the only person who is looking out for Will’s best interests all of the time – in the pilot she talks about the dangers of putting Will in the field as he might get too close and this is exactly what happens.

The variety of prints Alana wears could represent her confused romantic feelings towards Will; she wants to be honest with him and lets him know in the scene above that she can’t have an affair with him while he is this unstable. Whereas both Hannibal and Jack will manipulate Will to get what they desire, Alana is suppressing her desires for the good of Will.

This is the nearest Will gets to rom-com set up and for once his demeanor is only reading at 30% troubled. Part of this is the company and Will takes the step in “Fromage” to get the girl. While this doesn’t entirely pan out – this is Hannibal and not a sitcom after all – if Will does get better there’s a chance these two kids could give it a go. While a lot of their interactions are bathed in darkness in lecture halls and interrogation rooms, the lighting in this open field scene gives a glow of hope. Will is dressed in his outdoor wear and he’s far removed from his usual work attire, the beanie is a win for him. Alana’s wine colored coat and patterned scarf maintain both her signature style and palette.

From light to dark and all color has been saturated from this scene except for Will’s jumpsuit and Alana’s multicolored Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress. This scene contains one of my favorite exchanges as Will tells Alana “I could use a good scream. I can feel one perched under my chin… I’m afraid that if I started, I wouldn’t be able to stop.” Control is a big element of Hannibal; Will thinks he losing all of his whereas characters like Hannibal and Alana have a full sense of who they are and their working boundaries. This is why they are the two characters who wear pattern and prints throughout the first season. Alana gets bonus bright colors because she wears her emotions on her sleeve.

Will wears red and plaid in the pilot but as the season progresses all color drains from his wardrobe and it’s pretty much all grey. At a push some earthy tones pop up, but Will’s costuming is all for practical and functional reasons. There’s nothing flamboyant and he even uses his glasses as prop to hide his eyes from the world.

Not afraid to make an impression is Freddie Lounds and this all scarlet ensemble dares to clash with her red hair and the walls of Hannibal’s waiting room. Freddie is essentially one of the many devils of Hannibal and like Hannibal himself she likes to manipulate dangerous situations to see how it impacts the outcome.

Hannibal is far more than just another antihero/murder venture and it is elevated beyond these stale factors thanks to the meticulous details in the writing, acting and all facets of the production design including the incredible costuming.

Tags: Alana Bloom, Burberry London, Caroline Dhavernas, Christopher Hargadon, costume design, Diane von Furstenberg, Hannibal, Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen

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Categories Best of 2013
Author Emma Fraser

Festive Rewind: Community “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas”

17 Dec

Today we have Les Chappell talking about the ambitious Community festive outing “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas.”

In 2011, Community established itself as something unlike anything else on television. What started out as a show about a group of dysfunctional individuals coming together in a third-rate community college turned into an omnibus of pop culture references, homages and stylistic variations, held together by a sharp understanding of just how much these people had come to depend on and mean to each other. This remarkable year was capped off with “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas,” an episode that’s the show’s most ambitious undertaking from an emotional and aesthetic standpoint. And, fittingly enough, it’s also one of the show’s very best efforts.

From the first minute of the episode, it’s clear that Dan Harmon and the rest of the show’s creative team are prepared to do something special even by their standards. The familiar environments of Greendale Community College have been converted into stop-motion animation, emulating such classic Rankin-Bass Christmas specials as Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Year Without A Santa Claus. There’s a remarkable attention to detail, the puppet versions of the actors pairing seamlessly with the voice-overs, and all the little details of the study room and campus—right down to the Luis Guzman statue—are captured perfectly by the artists at 23D Films. It’s fantastical while at the same time being familiar, a sign of the holiday spirit permeating this world.

But while the episode could have gotten away with simply being a standard episode of Community done in a unique visual style, Community (at least at its best) never creates these homages without a reason. It turns out this new perspective of the world is one only shared by Abed, the show’s walking pop culture lexicon, who’s convinced that seeing the world as a Christmas special means it’s going to be the best Christmas ever. Unfortunately for him, his friends view it as Abed finally breaking his tenuous grip on reality, his insistence on breaking into song and trying to spur everyone else to follow suit the last straw that may well get him kicked out of school. Professor Duncan, smelling an academic goldmine, offers to guide Abed through a group therapy session to get to the bottom of this issue.

And once Duncan—or rather, the “Christmas Wizard”—gives Abed free reign in his alternate reality, things enter a true world of Christmas spirit, going through time and space to a winter wonderland with such locations as Gumdrop Road and Carol Canyon. Abed’s mind recreates his friends as their own selection of misfit toys—Jeff-in-a-Box, Britta-Bot, Troy Soldier, Teddy Pierce, Baller-Annie and Baby Doll Shirley—and invites them on his journey. If the renditions of Greendale were remarkable for their accuracy, these are terrific for what they say about how the characters see each other and how Abed perceives them. (And some of them are forced out of the fantasy by those character traits: Shirley’s frozen out by being too possessive of her Christian interpretation of the holiday, while Jeff’s devoured by a pack of hum-bugs for his incurable cynicism.)

However, “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” isn’t about only showing off the joviality of Christmas, as Abed points out right before the saga begins: “A journey through winter wonderland tends to test your commitment to Christmas. So when I say test, I mean Wonka-style. I’m talking dark.” This episode understands that for a lot of people, Christmas cheer can be overwhelming—especially for those who don’t have much reason to have any—and the longer Abed’s fantasy world carries out the more cracks start to show. Abed once again practices his skill of destroying people without even realizing it, first manipulating Duncan into memories of his own miserable childhood Christmases and then ousting Britta for lying to him about group therapy. And the closer he gets to finding the meaning of Christmas, the more cracks seem to show in his holiday enthusiasm, repeating to himself that the date can’t be right since his mother hasn’t shown up for their annual screening of Rudolph.

His quest for the meaning of Christmas leads him to Santa’s workshop—accompanied only by Pierce at the end, the best moment the character’s had all year—where the meaning of Christmas turns out to be the first season of Lost. (“It’s a metaphor. It represents lack of payoff.”) Disappointment turns to devastation as Duncan crashes back into the fantasy with his revelation that Abed received a Christmas card from his mother that she wouldn’t be there this year, and had in fact started a new family. While this part strains credulity a bit—it’s almost too cold of a way to tell their son they’d remarried and had a second child—it’s certainly the most devastating news anyone could get around this time of year. It’s not so much a devotion to Christmas that’s caused Abed to create this world around him; it’s the gaping absence of what was the most important part of the holiday.

However, while Community doesn’t shy away from representing the darker side of Christmas—any more than it does the way its characters are damaged people—it turns around and recaptures the holiday spirit. In this case, the absence of something important in Abed’s life means there’s room for something new to come into it. That replacement comes in the form of the rest of the study group, willingly returning to the fantasy to save their friend from his loneliness as they’ve come to their own realization about the importance of the holiday:

Jeff: The delusion you’re trying to cure is called Christmas, Duncan.

Annie: It’s the crazy notion that the longest, coldest, darkest nights can be the warmest and brightest.

Britta: Yeah! And when we all agree to support each other in that insanity, something even crazier happens…

Annie: It becomes true.

Troy: It happens every year. Like clockwork.

It’s a feeling that they’re willing to fight for—literally—and join in the singing Abed was trying to get them to do all day.

Once the Christmas warlock is dispatched by means of remote-controlled pterodactyl (as you do), Abed’s mind is finally shaken from its catatonic state, the sense of togetherness and completion finally restored to his life: “I get it. The meaning of Christmas… is the idea that Christmas has meaning. And it can mean whatever we want.” The group leaves its holiday world, but stops just short of returning to the real world as Britta—of all people—suggests that they share this stop-motion perspective for the rest of the holidays, convening back in Abed’s dorm room to watch Rudolph together.

It leads to a terrifically beautiful ending to the episode, everyone united around an old holiday ritual turned into something new, this makeshift family brought together around the glow of the television, the tree and the menorah. (A menorah brought by Shirley, in the sweetest subtle moment of the episode.) In its own unique way, Community takes the tropes of the Christmas special and creates its own entry in the genre, something that reminds us there’s no limit to how we can interpret this time of the year. Thanks, Lost.

Les Chappell is a contributor to The A.V. Club’s TV Club and one of the founders of the classic TV website This Was Television. You can follow him on Twitter at @lesismore9o9 where he spends most of his time talking about whiskey, hats and obscure media.

Tags: "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas", Community, Festive TV, Guest Post, stop-motion animation

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Categories Festive Rewind
Author Emma Fraser

Best of TV Costuming 2013: Revolutionary Styling of Sleepy Hollow’s Ichabod Crane

17 Dec

One of 2013’s breakout hits is Sleepy Hollow and it has become a “Look of the Week” regular. The storytelling is fast paced and it delivers episodes soaked in crazy with a big side helping of heart as Ichabod adjusts to his 21st century setting. Ichabod Crane’s present day costuming has been called into question and I want to look at why it makes sense for him to still be in his Revolutionary threads.

Suspending disbelief is something we constantly have to do when watching TV; whether it is because a headless horseman is roaming the streets or that a man who died in the past wakes up over 300 years later. The line is apparently drawn when it comes to what Ichabod is wearing in the present and why he would still be wearing the clothes he woke up in.

Aesthetically, if Ichabod had undergone a makeover and was now dressed in jeans and t-shirt he would lose part of the visual ‘fish out of water’ element; he’d look like a generic hot dude solving mystical problems. The late 18th century garb is a constant reminder that Ichabod is not of this time. There are other cues of course like his issues with computers and his disgust at historical inaccuracies that are being taught and these are used sparingly is from.

Flashbacks show Ichabod’s uniform in its natural habitat if you will and within this part of the story he is far from being a stranger in a strange land. Thanks to battle conditions he still looks somewhat rugged, but there is a more polished quality to the costuming as it is being worn in its original setting.

We also get to see Ichabod in his original red coat before he defected and this is a rather jarring experience as the blue is a constant part of the Ichabod that we see in the past and present. Red is used sparingly in Sleepy Hollow and generally means the side of evil and this is why it looks so alien on Ichabod. This is Ichabod Crane at his most polished and the tricorn hat adds distinction to this look, even if we associate the color red with all things diabolical.

If he smelt so bad would Abbie be hugging him like this?

The pilot episode shows Ichabod washing his clothes in a sink and recently Tom Mison joked to TV Line “Would you like to see him maybe at the Laundromat, just sitting on a bench in his 18th-century pants? That would be nice. One of Abbie’s bathrobes and a face pack – watching High School Musical. Just make a weekend of it, me and Abbie!” Don’t get me wrong, I do want to see that and all potential makeover montages, however the Revolutionary attire is part of what makes Ichabod who he is. It’s a tangible part of his past and it’s one of the only physical reminders of who he is and where he came from. There’s the question of letting go and it would probably be considered an unhealthy attachment if the present wasn’t so strongly connected to the past through purgatory and Katrina. The world is a very different place for Ichabod upon his return and to maintain a sense of self and identity his clothing acts as a tether.

Sleepy Hollow costume designer Kristin M. Burke has answered questions about Ichabod and Abbie’s costuming at her excellent TV and film costuming site Frocktalk.

Tags: costume design, Kristin M. Burke, Nicole Beharie, Sleepy Hollow, Tom Mison

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Best of 2013
Author Emma Fraser

Festive Rewind: Beverly Hills 90210 “It’s a Totally Happening Life”

16 Dec

Julie Hammerle is treating us to the joys of early 90s teen TV and the wonder that is Beverly Hills 90210 and “It’s a Totally Happening Life”

“Don’t thank me. Thank you-know-who.”

These are the last lines of Beverly Hills 90210’s third season Christmas episode, “It’s a Totally Happening Life,” and I’m pretty sure the “you-know-who” we’re supposed to be thanking is Donna Martin Graduates for being a perfectly perfect role model and character who solves all the problems and never does anything wrong. She gives angels wings, people. She makes miracles happen.

This whole “Donna the Angel” thing is a recurring theme throughout the ten seasons of Beverly Hills 90210, and I just wonder if it was Aaron Spelling’s doing or if it was the brain child of the writers to stay on Aaron Spelling’s good side.

Anyway.

“It’s a Totally Happening Life” is ridiculous. It’s a ridiculous hour of television. It has everything: a potential bus crash, talking star angels, lots of smooching, and Andrea rapping.

The episode starts when Miriam, a star who wants to be an angel I don’t know, asks a more seasoned angel-star, Clarence, to help her save a bunch of rich, good-looking adults-pretending-to-be-high-schoolers. We don’t know why she needs to save them when millions of other people need saving around the world every day or what she needs to save them from (themselves? food poisoning) until later in the episode (spoiler: it’s a bus crash), but we just know that she needs to do it.

What is happening outside the bus crash is that everyone in the West Beverly popular group is fighting or moping. Steve is stuck in detention. David is sad that he’s only junior and won’t graduate with Donna Martin Graduates, et. al. Andrea and Brandon have both just been dumped, and they wind up kissing each other for no good reason. Brenda and Kelly have proposed a fake friendship with Dylan, though really they both just want to jump his mom-jeaned bones.

Because everyone is so frustrated with one another, they almost don’t get on the bus (yay, the bus is going to crash!), but then Donna and the principal guilt them into getting on the bus and doing what they promised (bringing Christmas joy to underprivileged girls and boys).

Everyone keeps pouting on the bus and yelling at one another, even at the people with whom they had no beef. Why was Kelly yelling at David? I have no idea, but it happened. Then Donna gets up and gives a big, dumb speech about the Reason for the Season and everyone kisses and makes up and then the drunk guy in the truck drives RIGHT THROUGH, literally RIGHT THROUGH, the bus and no one is hurt. Because Donna is God. That is the lesson here, I think.

While the truck was on its way to ram into the bus, I just kept thinking, what if the show had had the balls to just let the bus crash. The only main character not on that bus was Steve. What if they had killed everybody else and just started over with Steve? That would’ve been kind of amazing. I’m sure we’d still be talking about it today. Remember that time 90210 killed EVERYONE?

But, of course, that didn’t happen. And I guess I’m thankful for that. If everyone had died in the bus crash, we would never have seen drunk Donna or meth-head David or coked-out-burned-stalked-in-a-cult Kelly or Brandon, doing whatever it is Brandon does.

I know I should mention the fashions here. This show was from December 1992, when I was in 8th grade, and much of this fashion hits close to home. I especially loved Donna’s velvet choker that, up close, revealed itself to have…a tiny Christmas wreath charm attached. Amazing. I need it. I also loved how baggy Dylan’s shirt was, tucked in and bloused out of his stone washed mom jeans. And Andrea’s upholstery vest? Gorgeous. A thing of beauty. How did anyone ever think she could pass for a teenager?

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good…this.

Julie Hammerle is, according to Klout, an expert in the areas of both Morgan Freeman and glasses. Her writing can be found atchicagonow.com/hammervision and you can holler at her on Twitter as well.

Tags: '90s fashion, Beverly Hills 90210, Festive TV, Guest Post, Teen TV

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Festive Rewind
Author Emma Fraser

Masters of Sex 1.12 “Manhigh” Costume Review: Reaching for the Stars

16 Dec

The first season of Masters of Sex uses space exploration as mirror to the pioneering research occurring in exam room 5; Bill and Virginia want to know everything about the act that can create life, whereas the notion of space travel is looking at life beyond Earth. Both include scary prospects and the potential to reveal things that could change the way we live, but only one of these is on prime time while the grand unveiling of the other is met with horror and aversion.

Ane Crabtree’s costume design for the whole of the first season has been tremendous and adds another layer to the storytelling as well as influencing my own sweater purchases. Each character has their own signature style and this reflects not only their attitudes towards sex, but also shows there is a lot more to this era than being buttoned up.

The look of Bill Masters has been consistent throughout and there have only been a few occasions where he hasn’t been in his standard bow tie, suspenders and jacket attire. This is Bill’s uniform and it gives the impression of tradition, but the small polka dot detail on his bow tie hints at something slightly less repressed. Over the season we have seen Bill loosen up in private; his public demeanor is still pretty much the uptight dude that we met in the pilot. In the final scene Bill doesn’t cover Virginia’s eyes as he did last time he choked up and he openly admits that he needs her; I don’t think Bill has ever admitted that he needs someone other than himself. Bill is making that all important grand gesture.

A slightly different bow tie/shirt combo (polka dots and check) and he’s pulling his best incredulous face. Bill throws himself under the bus to protect Barton’s job and says “Fuck them” in the process. The one thing he remains blind to is Libby, despite her attempts to be part of the project he is so passionate about.

The Masters home has never looked more lonely and cramped all at once as not a single person turns up to the post lecture dinner party celebration. Libby asks Bill who the woman in the video is and tells him other people think it is Virginia. Bill denies this without ever saying that it isn’t Virginia, he simply leads Libby’s questioning to get her to come to that conclusion.

In an ugly exchange one of the male doctors (the same doctor who raised his Martini glass to the notion that size doesn’t matter) tells Virginia that it was more of her than he needed to see in the presentation. Both Jane and Virginia are appalled at this accusation and it doesn’t matter that we know it was Virginia, what matters is that as soon as it turned to female sexuality the attitude changed from frat house to nunnery. Jane is in the bold yellow we have come to associate her with and despite the reception to the study, she isn’t going to change who she is nor fade into the background in muted tones. Virginia has favored dark colors throughout the season, but color has all but disappeared since the time she started sleeping with Bill (except in his fantasy version of her last week).

This close up comes after the presentation has been shut down during the provocative Virginia film. Virginia marches to the elevator and as with The Good Wife, Masters of Sex has used this space for moments of escape (as with Margaret Scully in “Brave New World“), to show the disconnect between Bill and Virginia last week and as a place where Lillian attempted to get more money for her study. Here it looks like Virginia has been punched in the stomach or as if she’s going to throw up.

Here’s another shot from the same scene as I want to highlight the collar detail and the bold white lapels of this dress as they cross over each other on the back. Pretty much all of Virginia’s work clothes are smart and chic; embellished collars are incredibly popular during this time period and Virginia always appears to be one step ahead of the other ladies who work at the hospital. Virginia’s time working as a singer in a variety of music halls definitely impacts her costuming choices.

I’ve already mentioned the yellow of Jane’s post presentation outfit and even though she isn’t going to lose her golden glow because of the reaction to the study she’s still embarrassed by how much of her has been aired in public, particularly as everyone is calling it dirty. Jane has been instrumental throughout the study and she thinks that her vaginal walls have brought down the whole kingdom. Lester does a good job of reassuring this isn’t the case and she should also remember her words to Bill earlier “It was just the insecure men who didn’t want to hear about how women are you know, sexually superior.” This statement really gets the heart and hypocrisy of the matter and it looks likes the Chancellor et al are similar to the MPAA.

The Lester/Jane relationship is very sweet and Lester’s earthy tones compliment the sunny disposition of Jane’s predominantly yellow wardrobe. Lester’s concern for how much masturbation is too much leads to one of the funniest lines of the season with Bill telling him “I can spot a statistically average masturbator from a mile away.” That’s a special skill to put on your resume now you’re out of a job Bill.

Austin propositions Jane as they discuss how the study started with them. Austin comes across as confident (even though we know he has had performance issues in the past) and he’s suave whereas Lester is awkward. Costume wise they are incredibly different with Lester’s sweater vests and glasses and Austin’s well tailored expensive suits. Lester is the one who ends up getting a smooch and he’s definitely more relationship material as I can see Austin coasting from woman to woman without ever being truly satisfied.

The Libby/Jane working partnership continues as they sort out handouts, Martinis and canapés. Libby is dressed predominantly in baby blue this week and this is yet another beautiful maternity dress. As I have previously mentioned, Libby’s character progression from housewife to now has been exciting to watch as she has become so much more than the lazy option of the nagging housewife.

In an even lighter baby blue ensemble Libby is boxing up supplies for the Urban League and this points again to Libby as non-prejudicial. Libby goes into labor in this scene, as they can’t get hold of Bill and the baby is coming fast there’s no option but to take Libby to a different and predominantly African American hospital. This the second time this season in which Libby has gone to a different hospital accompanied by an African American and the main thing this is suggesting is that Libby is not a racist; the pilot episode touched on racial prejudice in Bill’s hospital and I wonder if season 2 is going to deal more with Civil Rights beyond this surface level next year. The giant white lapels on this woman’s dress mirror Virginia’s, showing that it’s a popular style, just not necessarily one that Virginia’s co-workers share.

Libby is perfectly content after giving birth to a baby boy (as the blue blanket suggests) and she turns down the offer to call Bill right away; the conception was a solo effort (with the aid of Ethan) and the birth mirrors Bill’s absent role so far. The writers have altered the timeline of the Masters’ children for dramatic purposes and as we go forward the relationship between Bill and Libby is going to shift; will Libby fight for their marriage or is this child enough for her?

What is enough for Lillian with her research? She attempts a different strategy to try and get more funding; this time there’s no awkward flirty banter and instead Lillian goes in hard. The result is still the same and she comes away empty handed. Lillian’s clothes are still rigid and functional and most women don’t want to be seen by a female OB/GYN despite Lillian’s attempts to keep her gender out of her performance as a doctor.

On two separate occasions we see Lillian taking off her lab coat – the first is prior to the lunch where she gets no funding and the second comes as Virginia suggests a different approach. Virginia thinks that Lillian needs to look beyond Pap smears; she needs to aim big to get the money she requires. At first Virginia suggests breast cancer, followed by the contraceptive pill. Virginia does her homework (it’s how she knew about the Pap smear when she first met Lillian) and the contraceptive pill is going to revolutionize medicine for women. Spoiler alert it doesn’t go on the market until 1960 and yet I can see this linking into Lillian’s work next season. This is if Lillian is still around and I really hope she is as Julianne Nicholson has brought something special to this season.

Allison Janney is another Masters of Sex MVP and in the season finale she confronts Barton regarding his sexuality and later visits the doctor who is going to ‘cure’ him. There are similarities between Margaret Scully and Libby Masters in their marital situations – Bill isn’t gay, but he doesn’t love his wife in a sexual way – and this is reflected in their costuming as Margaret also wears baby blue this week. This is yet another beautiful and ornate broach in the Margaret Scully collection, rivaling The Good Wife’s Diane Lockhart.

Barton essentially steps out of his closet when Margaret confronts him about his sexual preference by using a headline in the paper as a segue. It’s a frank and honest chat; this surprised me considering how long Barton has been keeping it a secret (around 40 years) and it’s pretty calm and collected at first. Margaret explodes due to how long Barton has known he has feelings for men and she accuses him of stealing time from her. It’s an incredibly complex and heartbreaking scenario, even more so when Margaret hears what options are available to stop Barton feeling this way towards men.

The shot above comes from the moment where Margaret tells Barton to not have electro shock therapy as the risks far outweigh what it might do. The memories that she mentions are not grand life altering ones, but small moments that add to their 30 years together and she doesn’t want to lose that. Barton tells her he won’t go through with it and this is yet another lie. It’s a stunning composition as Margaret is in the light of the bedside lamp and Baton is in darkness as they embrace on the bed they haven’t shared for years.

This is another moment that uses a bold light to enhance the framing of a character; this time from a natural source as Bill prepares to go out and make his presentation. In this moment he is still in darkness and he’s about to unleash his work on the world.

Ethan spends most of the episode away in California where he is having a job interview. It’s all going well between Virginia and Ethan and he even proposes to her in this scene while he is staring at the ocean in sun kissed California. This is in contrast to the rain soaked St. Louis, Missouri and the declaration that Bill makes in person. Ethan has definitely changed from the jerk we met in the pilot and he is great with Virginia’s kids and yet he can’t offer the stars in the same way Bill can.

Like the heroes of Project Manhigh who have reached new heights, so have Bill and Virginia and they have done so together. The envelope full of money was Bill’s ill judged reaction to his guilt induced by Libby’s pregnancy and in this final scene of season 1, Bill emotionally undresses and lays out the truth. It’s not the work Bill can’t live without, it’s Virginia. So that’s not one but two propositions for Virginia as we end season 1 and while it’s easy to guess which way she will lean, the episode overall is a very satisfactory resolution to an excellent first season.

Tags: "Manhigh", Allison Janney, Caitlin Fitzgerald, costume design, Helen Yorke, Julianne Nicholson, Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex, Micheal Sheen

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Costuming, Masters of Sex
Author Emma Fraser

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