In Which Thoroughly Obsessed Thursday Goes to Town

That title is a really bad pun.

By now you might (should?) be familiar with my show-watching habits, but let me summarize: I don't watch new shows.  I don't like getting invested in anything that starts airing in September and might not be around in October.  Not to mention the fact that pilots can be insanely awkward and broad, because writers and actors can't get a sense of what a show will become in the span of 22 minutes and a limited budget.

I like to see how things progress.

And I really like to hear what other people have to say.  I talk to my friends (sometimes I should listen to them and take action way sooner... Morrow/Morris girls, I'm looking at you).  I read Facebook Newsfeed statii re: shows others are obsessed with.  I also read Michael Ausiello.

Ausiello and I have been through a lot together.  I'm now reading (on TVLine) the third incarnation of the legendary Ask Ausiello, and considering the fact that I am still in possession of my original TVGuide Ask Ausiello TShirt, I would say I'm a genuine Aushole (this can be taken as either a compliment or an insult, depending on the day or the time).

Aus has never failed me when it comes to show recommending, though I admit Chuck was not nearly as enthralling as I wanted it to be.

OMG WHEN WILL I GET TO THE POINT??

Dear Michael has been talking of little else than Cougar Town.  OK.  That's a lie.  But it's definitely on his "I'mobsessedwiththisshowandeveryoneelseneedstobetoo" list.

And now it's on mine.

This obsession is about 3 weeks long now, starting with the purchase (and subsequent marathon) of season one followed closely by the iTunes season pass purchase (and subsequent marathon) of season two.

Boy Scout and La Dame Laliberte are also hooked thanks to my rantings and ravings.  And also my insistently putting it in front of them all the time.

Cougar Town sounds awful (really awful), but it's not: Courteney Cox's Jules Cobb is a real estate agent who finds herself aged 40, divorced, and about to send her only son off to college.  What's a red wine drinkin' gal to do?  Settle in with a motley crue of best friend neighbors, crazy white trash assistant, and semi-normal (but also really weird) divorcé across-the-street-neighbor.  Hijinks ensue.  And with all of these crazy big personalities running around, there are hijinks aplenty.

The first few eps are indeed awkward: you can tell watching that the showrunners were trying to find the correct tone.  For a little bit, the show is exactly what the title indicates, and that is a tale about a sexy middle-aged woman dating younger men in order to recapture her youth.

What the show evolves in to, though, is an absolutely hilarious examination of family, friends, and relationships.  With wine.

La Lalib and I have developed a new philosophical stance: WWJAED, which means What Would Jules and Ellie (her best friend) Do?  I plan on living the rest of my life with these guidelines.