Reverend Ref +

THE BOOK OF DANIEL

Okay, amidst all of the hoopla about this show -- discussions can be found over at Jake's Place and the Daniel blogsite -- I thought I'd add my own bit about it.

First, what about the show overall? I felt like I was constantly being hit over the head with a sledgehammer. All families have their problems, but come on. Dad and mom addicted to their own painkillers of choice, a gay son dealing with a grandfather who is intent on getting him married to some "proper" woman, a middle son who's just damn annoying and obsessed with sex, a theiving daughter looking for easy money to support her art talent, and on and on and on. It was way too much way too often. Hopefully they'll tone that down and not feel the need to show us every skeleton in every closet in every episode. I found I was worn out afterwards.

What about specific issues? The first thing I noticed about the show was how much money was involved; from the Webster home to their neighborhood to the church to the building fund account. If anything, this is the poster-child show for the addage that money doesn't solve your problems.

The second thing about it is more nitpicky and it probably falls under the same category in which doctors criticize ER or crime lab people criticize CSI, but here you go. During the first scene in church, Daniel was preaching and the bishop was there. Fine. I've preached when my bishop was present. However, I've never celebrated the Eucharist when my bishop was present, so why was he wearing a chasuble? Furthermore, he was wearing a green chasuble while the bishop was in white. People, people, people . . . do a little research!

After the sermon, I wish he had said, "Let us stand for the Nicene Creed," rather than, "Let us stand for the Confession of Faith."

I didn't care for how some people seemed to be pushing Daniel towards the episcopate. He is not, or shouldn't be, on some kind of ecclesiastical corporate ladder.

Doesn't the bishop have a job? I mean, that woman is ALWAYS around! Two services at the same parish in as many weeks. The only thing I can think of is that Daniel is the Dean of the cathedral. But honestly, I don't think there's a bishop in ECUSA that can spend that much time in one place. That alone tells you this is fiction.

What about the theology? Well, honestly, Joan of Arcadia did it better.

What did I like? I thought the storyline of the gay son had promise. Trying to figure out how to tell his grandfather and the struggles he has with being gay could be an interesting thing to explore. I also thought the storyline of the grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's could be very good. It showed how that disease is so terrible on family members, as well as the specific victim. And the after dinner scene when she at first totally recognized her husband and then five seconds later thought he was a stranger just hurt to watch. They did that really well.

What about the future of the show? I don't think it will last. Unless it gets dramatically better very quickly, I think people will get tired of the continued dysfunction and over-the-top portrayals.

And now that my review is finished, I need to go work on cleaning house and getting ready for my own bishop to come visit today.