Saved By The Bell House 7.24.10

Themed parties are almost always a good time if there's enough support and a good build (theme decor, good venue, willing participants). Even bad theme parties are kind of funny/depressing in their own way. The idea is that if you are willing to devote a night (or a weekend, or possibly weeks) to something you didn't create/nostalgia/embarrassment/letting loose, you should look out for more theme parties, especially among hipsters. Because they love a good, ironic time.

Yesterday was a Full House of activity, going to beach, getting burned, going to a great barbeque in Ozone Park, seeing a friend get harassed by two men on children's bikes, and wonton love of a show that for all intensive purposes was just cheesy (save a few moments) and had no sense of what high school was actually like: Saved By The Bell.

Don't get my wrong; I enjoy SBTB a lot. I liked it growing up, and I still enjoy watching it in the morning before work. I don't own the series like Pat Craig does, but that's ok.

The Bell House being an amazing venue was the perfect place for a Saved By The Bell dance, where 3 dollars for every ticket went to oil relief. By the time the main part of the dance was over and The Bayside Tigers wrapped up their set, there was a real dance party in the front lounge. Everything is just set up well.

I was wearing my Malibu Sands shirt thinking 8 other people would be wearing it but I was dead wrong. Half the people didn't dress up, the other half were a mix of 3 really dressed up people and 100 semi-dressed up people. Leotards, skinny suspenders, light jeans, I couldn't help but wonder if this was 1994, or people just thought it was an 80s party. Because there has to be a difference right? Reagan vs. Clinton? Shit I should have worn my chain wallet. And brought like a copy of Swingers. Or something. Empire Records by the way is one of the top 10 worst movies ever. I stand by that wholeheartedly.

Folks who bought a ticket received one free vodka lemonade drink ticket and a view of strobe lights and a huge Bayside logo where you could take your picture and feel like a has been actor. "Man in the Mirror" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and other tunes got the dance floor slightly going but everything was surprisingly pretty chill (the dance party in the front was way more solid, Union Pool-ish in a way). The Bayside Tigers played all 90s alt-rock hits; I called 3 of them (Blur, Harvey Danger, and Lit) and we sung most of them throughout. At least they played Bosstones and Blink 182 right?

There were some crazy ladies, some drunk ladies, and a wider age range than usual, probably 21 to 36. Everything was just a lot of fun, it didn't sell out, there was room to dance, I actually listened to suburban 90s alt-rock (except for godamn 3 doors down, god they suck, rembrandts, suck, gin blossoms, double suck for being catchy, eve 6, suck, all played by these bands), and you had just enough characters (yes you lady in the flower top just going batshit crazy, it's a band covering Oasis, not actually Oasis) to make the people watching interesting. When they started playing 3 Doors Down, I kid you not half the people went to go get a drink. People have spoken.

A young woman seemed to twist or land on her ankle the wrong way and I helped get her to the comfortable couch by the side of the stage. There was also a group who came up to me and asked for my picture because I looked EXACTLY (their word) like their friend from LA. I guess I'm not the only Asian with a normal haircut.

The bar moved quick, everyone was having fun, there were cupcakes out front from Robicelli's where you can find all over west Brooklyn and a couple of other locations including the new dessert shop Farmacy on Henry Street in Carroll Gardens.

All in all, a very fun experience and worth it. And btdubs, there are several other clubs in the area. And I still want to go to Canal Bar on 3rd Avenue. They are really trying to turn Gowanus into like a Brooklynized meatpacking aren't they?

Speaking of slightly cracked out neighborhoods:

Verizon Fios Allows Me to Watch Sunset Daze on WE, OMG these GILFS are cray cray

So we recently invested in Verizon Fios (the building supports both that and Time Warner, whose prices have crept up over the years it seems). The building actually used to be the Bell Telephone building so my girlfriend actually was speaking with a rep on the phone who remembered working there years ago.

It's pretty great so far; we have our own unshared internet connection and are still getting used to what looks to be a pretty nice interface for cable. Which means I'm watching the premiere of Sunset Daze. Two episodes. 600 years of combined living experience.

Sunset Daze has the greatest opening credits since Freaks and Geeks.

They just described Joey, a potential date for a one Sandy, as "construction worker, stole a car at 14, and goes commando". They are trying so hard to make these guys totally rowdy, plus a a few diapers/pee bags.

Gail "Do You Think They Think I'm Gay" is pretty awesome and she's from New York so there's the tie-in to this blog (not really). Her rouge is a little much. She tells people that they are shitty actors. And all the dudes are kind of perverts, like this guy Dick. The guy has more balls are bigger than the hot air balloon he was riding on his date with Sandy.

Gail's son is the head of the Arizona Gay Rodeo Association. Which is exactly what it sounds like.

Dark rock music interlude. And then major key pop rock music interlude. Ann's skydiving partner looks like Puck from Alpha Flight.

Wait, here comes Jack. He's shifty with lots of moves. He kisses other women other than his girlfriend Kathleen. I'm glad everyone is still perverted at 70 years.

I kind of wish they would talk a little more about the actual culture of retirement living; it's kind of getting a little trashy (not that I mind, but just to switch it up a little from all these scheming between the sexes). In this day and age where baby boomers are approaching this age it's very interesting to have a show or something in the medium dedicated to the lives and concerns of older folks. Of course it's on WE so I shouldn't expect anything less than sensational (even Secret Lives of Women treads that territory sometimes). If this show was on Discovery, things would be different.

It's also set in Arizona which is very picture perfect; in New York and in Brooklyn I'm sure the day to day is significantly different. There are no golf carts to get around. The weather isn't always dry and sunny. From an east coast city perspective the show is kind of a fantasy.

Sandy must have really lived hard in the 70s, she curses more than I do. Home date? Sounds like our resident film critic Chris Cabin.

Jack don't get advice from Mort. Mort can't hear you and laughs at his own jokes, even quicker than I do.

A tribute to this show, courtesy of some throwback old schoolers Jurassic 5:

Fuse TV covers Bonnaroo to look legit (even though they ain't no more)

Bonnaroo, the festival that smells of something fierce, is going on right now in my birth-state of Tennessee. Home smelly home. It like many festivals has grown from a jam heavy collection of bands like The String Cheese Incident to a more diverse lineup of indie, rock, and rap.

While Phish is still around, they'll be joined by the likes of Snoop Dogg this year, and Fuse has all your coverage since you're probably reading this from the comfort of home. Fuse used to be a great alternative to MTV and VH1 years ago but with the changing technology has become a shell of it's former self really in providing quality music programming. Sure they still play videos sometimes, but there's not much effort in it. Their Bonnarroo coverage last year was pretty good, and I'm assuming this year will be pretty polished as well. Fuse is no longer alternative though, either on TV or online. They don't seem to dig deep to find great music programming; instead, the need from corporate parents and the need to connect with an ever shifting audience kind of puts them under W-GAP (who gives a poop). Take a look at their TV lineup: it's full of paid programming, Loaded half hours that are hit or miss, and repeats of over-saturated bands.

Backstage Passport was pretty sweet but oh so brief. Maybe I'm just biased because I like a lot of punk music.

Anywho, TV-boredom not withstanding, they are going all out for the best of Bonnaroo this Saturday, so if you're staying in, you might want to flip to Fuse at 9pm for updates, performances, etc. etc. Online Fuse will be doing the same. Best of usually being of course the biggest bands (I'll recind that if they show smaller performances that rock), but as I said, last year's coverage had some really nice performances. Good music is good music. Fuse just isn't an avenue for it most of the time. Below is their "cool" promo video:

Adult Swim Presents: Summer at Santos. It's Free and you'll want to go.

This past week I was fortunate to attend the first of a 6 part series (no it's not a Ken Burns documentary) that Adult Swim is presenting at Andrew W.K.'s Santos Party House, not to be confused with Dino's Party House USA in the land that time forgot, the Penn Station black hole.

W.K. hosted the first round; the crowd filled up very quickly right before the first act came on, a sprightly Sherri Lilly (W.K.'s wife). She basically took everyone through a 30 minute cardio workout with songs like "Pop Your Chest" and "Sweet Beat." It was absolutely mesmerizing. Between all the jabs and left roundhouses there were lyrics that were so upbeat you couldn't help but be charmed, it's like she forced you to lighten up.

Santos is the perfect place really; fitting a couple hundred concentrated doses of 80s style (there were two toners, Ratt look-a-likes, and just all around products of any club scene in Tough Guys), friendly staff, and W.K.'s incredible energy. With signs like "Santos Party House wants you to act like you didn't read this" you know there's a bit of irreverence here, and it's all in good fun.

I could only stay for half of Aleister X, but the eclectic nature of the show (with some bigger names later in the summer) makes for a fun way to do up Thursday nights at the Chinatown/Soho divide. Future acts include one of my favorite Fah Q.'s - A.C. Newman, and the creator of one of my favorite new shows, Jon Glaser of Delocated (both appear on the next round on June 25th). Adult Swim staples like Tim and Eric and Dave Willis of Aqua Teen will host a bevy of more bands.

It's every other Thursday folks, and it's totally free (except any beers you might be purchasing).

Remaining Schedule:
June 25 – Jon Glaser (Delocated!)
With The Woggles, Cheeseburger, A.C. Newman and masked burlesque dancers, The Pontani Sisters

July 9 – Brendon Small (Metalocalypse)
With Paul Green’s School of Rock

July 30 – Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!)
With DJ Douggpound, Gildon Works, The Party Animals and Beat Jams

August 6 – Dave Willis (Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Squidbillies)
With special guests

August 20 – Christy Karacas (Superjail!)
Featuring a night of local New York bands

Ryan Murphy, greatest TV creator? Awww right....

So I'm watching Popular and enjoying it immensely due to it's over the top nature (although I can see how the plot may have become dangerously thin as the second season progresses, which could be part of the reason for its cancellation).

And I'm the biggest Nip/Tuck fan (one of the few shows that I've actually seen every episode, that and like Walker, Texas Ranger).


Thus it would be natural that I would be a fan of Glee, which aired a sneak episode tonight on Fox and will air several episodes to start the fall season. I've enjoyed Ryan Murphy's work until this point (even with some reservations) for many reasons, and Glee seems to be a really mainstream and punchy formula that could work. The plot might run out of steam but the characters have an endearing quality and Murphy's familiarity with the territory (he even takes several small plot points from Popular) gives the sensibility of the show a stylish quality.



I think, and partly because it's a pilot, a lot of things were shoved unevenly into the first episode, but hopefully the fun will smooth out in the fall. I'm not sure how they are going to constantly remind people about it through the summer (of all seasons how to do that could take some real ingenious marketing) but we'll see.

All I know is, that was the most exhilirating version of "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey I've seen. It kicked ass, and totally in earnest. It's pop in the purest, best form.



Murphy has done this with his previous two flagship shows as well; it's a matter of embracing the surface qualities, the junk and excitement of what people enjoy seeing, or what gets under their skin easiest. High school melodrama/wacky exaggeration campiness made Popular unpredictable in a lot of ways and a lot of fun to watch, and the serious moments are echoed in Nip/Tuck, where a lot of disturbing issues are brought to the table each episode. The problem with Nip/Tuck is keeping the soap opera shenanigans up; at certain points it gets tiring but there's plenty of skin-deep beauty that keeps 'em coming back. On top of that, the superficiality employed is a reflexive thing due to the premise of the show, which is very cool. It's Cronenberg-lite.

Glee seems a bit more sentimental and exudes a vibrancy from which we might need a breather to take in some more dramatic moments. It's the sharp writing that Murphy pens, because the level of wit carries shows as well as the superb acting. There might be concerns over the role of the teacher, Will, as being a bit on the bland side but hopefully we'll see more difficult decisions that he'll have to make. There will be problems; Murphy, with such a distinct style, might repeat some of those as the show moves along, but the cast seems well oiled and totally game.

There are a lot of similarities from Popular (who made a reference to Freaks & Geeks in the last episode I saw which was awesome) to Glee in tone and shape. In the Popular commentary for an episode, Murphy describes Popular as a show about high school girls written for 35-year-old gay men. Hopefully he has similar aspirations for Glee because it worked on Popular. The thing is, neither show is very realistic and both are over-stylized, but in a great way because realism is not the point. The show is a vehicle for big themes and that's what great pop TV and films are about. The thing that theoy hammer on that's real is the emotion and idea that most of the time, shit hits the fan. Sure they are more glamorous and are in a TV show, but there's a real drive I feel that Murphy has to really hit particular moments with more aplomb than anyone else. Yes there are plenty of sarcastic and satirical scenes, and it's through those that the earnest ones shine through. It's not even gentle satire really; the characters have a self-awareness that goes back to the unrealistic nature but for an audience it can be a lot of fun. It's like they know what is wrong and right for them and they never seem to make good choices. You follow them because at the moments of clarity, the characters get it right and that's the little jolt of sympathy we root for. Great combo. Not only that, perfect casting with huge vocals (who doesn't like huge vocals) and great re-working of songs just gives it a lot of heart with a good dose of sass. The music is already available on iTunes. I just might purchase a song or two.

In the end, Glee is also about something so typically dorky and suavely turns it into something fun to watch and the viewers who enjoy it into big dorks. And that's pretty cool in my book. Sure it's not for everyone, but what is. The one thing I was kinda worried about was them singing Gold Digger by Kanye in the season preview after the episode and doing the "Broke, broke" censored version. Sure, it's network television, and yeah, the white teacher is doing the rap, it's just kinda weird.

Did I mention the Journey cover? Here's a taste:

Real Housewives of New York Fah Q: Ramona

Ramona, you're bat-shit crazy. And you pick some really weird battles with the rest of the gang. But since they at least live in Brooklyn, I would have to defend Alex and Simon from your odd bias against them that miraculously clears up a little bit at the last minute of the show's season finale. You looked normal with your husband coming out of the Mission Impossible: 3 press screening, but I have to give you a big Fah Q. for being really annoying and nonsensical.

I have been an avid Real Housewives watcher, I'm not sure why. It's probably because I picked up the first season of the Orange County edition when I was at New Line for free and decided on a Sunday afternoon to plow through Slade and Jo's wonderfully backwards romance.

Can't wait for New Jersey next Tuesday. It's like Christmas come early, if I celebrated. The biggest problem is, even more so than other shows, they set up potential disasters and cat fights and it all gets quelled within 30 seconds. I'm hoping the Jerz keeps it real....

And Fah Q Bravo for not focusing on more juicy tidbits from the New York crew (Kelly and courthouses? Countess no more?). It's the reason why even though I hate MTV, I still love True Life.

Here's a remix of one of Ramona's more idiotic moments from the season finale. Tutu and fru fru AAAAARGH FAH Q:

Lunchtime Justice: The Model Wobble - New York Justice? Not Really But It's An Old Fav

When I first saw this video a couple years ago, I couldn't stop laughing. You won't either. Just remember you have that meeting in a couple hours. That's how much time you need to revisit this old favorite....

Goodbye Conan!

Cheers to Conan O'Brien, whose last days in New York were this past week hosting his late late night act. Moving to LA, and moving to 11:30, it's going to be a wild ride hopefully. As long as Kevin Eubanks will think he's funny...

From Television Without Pity article, complete with bloopers from the last 16 years. We'll miss you Conan!

Oh and oh god Jimmy Fallon, you better not f#($k up.

Delocated Season 1 on Adult Swim: Live Action That Tickles My Funnybone

Delocated, which premiered recently on Adult Swim, is about an asshole who goes into the witness protection program with his wife and son, all to be caught on camera, reality show style, with ski masks and voice modulators. The family is taken out of suburban bliss and moved to New York City (where Delocated is filmed). It's live action serial, which is sort of a change of pace for Adult Swim (even Tim and Eric, which I'm not a fan of, although I liked Tom Goes To The Mayor, has bumps and graphics and odds and ends).

Jon Glaser

It's always interesting, the mockumentary and reality show spoofs. The content is seen only through the lens of the show within the show, so eventually, unless there are self-referential jokes, you actually lose sight of the show-within-a-show fact and it just becomes, the show. Characters are placed in the context of the edits of the show, which are subject to the actual show's editing technique to tell the story, lots of cool stuff to think about. Which is fun.

Nadia Dajani

When I saw the pilot, I was like, this is ok, hipsters would love it, and it has just enough content laid out and exposition, but it wasn't incredibly exciting. However, after having seen the entire first season, I have to say that it can be a great platform for Jon Glaser (of Human Giant and those Tiny Hands webisodes), because the characters have a funny consistency and are developed throughout the first few episodes which is important and with such a short format and offbeat story it's well grounded in some great banter and set ups, especially between Jon, the husband, and his FBI protector Mike, played by longtime Late Night With Conan O'Brien writer and improv performer, Kevin Dorff (not related to Stephen, definitely not).

Kevin Dorff

The hilarious subplot of the assassin trying to get rid of Jon, played by Eugene Mirman, while trying to become a successful stand-up comedian gives a respite from the tyrannical and creepy antics (anything involving the girlfriend) of Jon (whose wife and son decide that the whole sh-bang isn't really for them).

Eugene Mirman

As a ska lover, I found the Bar Mitzvah (Ska Mitzvah, "skatzah balls") episode uproarious as we witness Jon's son in a ska phase with surprising fans found in the FBI. Along with "Rage Cage" and "Members Only" (where Jon and Mike dissect how not to set up a joke, total joke fail), there is strong material here for those who enjoy Wainy Days and The Office, and well, anything that places New York in the running for best setting for comedic material is always a good thing.

You can watch videos of Delocated here at their official sub-site at Adult Swim.

Real World Brooklyn Trailer, premieres January 7th. There Goes The Neighborhood

Looks like Real World is trying to really get their serious back with a much heavier trailer than the previous what 10 seasons. What happens in Red Hook stays in Red Hook? Obviously there's not too much footage outside the house, but did two of the housemates introduce themselves in Coney Island? That's a bit of an inconvenience from Red Hook, maybe they got lost...

MTV Shows

For more information and awkward photos on this probably insufferable yet intriguing season (transvestite? cute punk chick?), go to the official page at MTV.com: Real World Brooklyn or Nobody Let Us Film In Their Bars

This is a Mad Man's World

Cable TV has really made huge strides over the past 15 years to take advantage of markets outside of strictly TV and really push well produced series that both enthrall and explore boundaries that network TV still has fights over. Premium channels like HBO and Showtime (see Brotherhood Season 1 overview) and places like FX and USA have been enveloping their brand with particular shows. AMC, which produced the heavily hyped Mad Men, ventured into similarly cool territory a couple years ago with Hustle.

The Golden-Globe winning Mad Men is gearing up for it's second season, and now EMI/Manhattan Records has released the first volume (assuming there's more than one to come) of music used in Season 1. It's an interesting collection of standards from the turn of the decade in 1960 and before, and fits quite well with the image of the urban, slick ad executive with the sharp suit and quick wit. With numbers from Bobby Vinton and Robert Maxwell, and the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald, it seems like a great buy for not only fans of the show but anyone willing to kick back their feet and get a little bit lounge-y. These shows just know their music a bit better than whatever is on network television, and I can put a safe bet that Mad Men: Music From The Series Vol. 1 is no exception.

From the press release:

According to Matthew Weiner, “Music on Mad Men is never an accident. The philosophy of the sound was pointed: do as much to enhance the feeling of the period while offering an artistic commentary to the themes of each show.” Alexandra Patsavas, Grammy nominated music supervisor and founder and owner of Chop Shop Music Supervision, serves as music supervisor for the soundtrack, which joins her impressive credits, including Grey’s Anatomy, The OC, Rescue Me, Gossip Girl, Without A Trace, among others. There is no question that music helped define that decade and music plays an important role in the series.

Mad Men: Music from the Series, Vol 1, includes musical standards such as “On The Street Where You Live” by Vic Damone, “Fly Me To The Moon” by Julie London, “Volare” by The McGuire Sisters, and “Manhattan” by Ella Fitzgerald, among many other known and loved favorites; the show’s theme song, “A Beautiful Mine” by Aceyalone & RJD2, as well as original music by the show’s composer, David Carbonara.

Track List:

On the Street Where You Live - Vic Damone
Volare - The McGuire Sisters
Lipstick - David Carbonara
P. S. I Love You - Bobby Vinton
Botch-a-Me - Rosemary Clooney
Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) - Julie London
Caravan - Gordon Jenkins
Manhattan - Ella Fitzgerald
I Can Dream, Can’t I? - The Andrews Sisters
Shangri-La - Robert Maxwell
Babylon - David Carbonara
Mad Men Suite - David Carbonara
A Beautiful Mine - Aceyalone & RJD2

Recent Netflixing: Brotherhood - Season 1

Like most people who have good computer monitors with which to really take advantage of visual media, I enjoy Netflix "Watch Instantly" as a means of getting into something quick with just a click of a button. Granted, Time Warner Cable decides on occasion to slow our internet in Sunset Park to frustrating speeds where the ability to playback is hampered, but I finally was able to get through Brotherhood: Season 1 after a couple months of watching episode by episode.

Titled by particular passages from the Bible, Brotherhood is a very, very serious show. There is scarcely any humor to be found; I found myself after each episode locked into a poker-face mode. Even when characters do laugh, it is usually pensive, nervous, or faked. The severity though is well-deserved and warranted, because even though the plots and subplots of this Showtime serial have been covered before in a multitude of films, the tight production and scrappy, methodical aura it brings to the table in the first season won me over by the end.

A lot of people have described it as an Irish-American version of the Sopranos, but I think it's very different after you get past the surface plot of a family that is involved with a gangster outfit. Brotherhood has its own suburban vibe, set in Providence in a fictional district called the Hill. Michael Caffee (played with a creepy, blazing staunchness by Jason Issacs) is the violent, imposing brother who comes back to the Hill after years of absence. Tommy Caffee (the strong chin of Jason Clarke) is the family man and a district representative struggling to make ends meet but otherwise content with his situation. The Caffees are upheld to a high but vulnerable standard by the family matriarch who lives down the road from Tommy and who houses Michael upon his return, Rose Caffee. Without getting into too much detail about the great supporting cast, just know that everyone knows everyone in this town. Whether you're a politician, a cop, or a gangster, you go to the same functions, you attend the same weddings, your kids go to the same school, and you shake hands with everyone and put on a nice face. It is the way life is here. There is an intimacy to the network of characters that makes the Hill very real and very detailed. It could be affairs with old high school flames, which both Michael and Tommy's wife, Eileen, get into with respective partners. It could be the strained but genuine friendship between a cop, Giggs, and Marty, a union man knee deep in criminal activity.

The production is not flashy at all, and at some point one would think that it could be considered fairly bland or low budget compared to more stylish shows on cable. Yet, the muted tones and tight compositions by directors like Nick Gomez actually give the atmosphere a claustrophobic feel and the performances benefit from this. The violence is abrupt and unglamorous, the language terse and without meandering philosophy. There is a pervasive amount of anguish exuded by every character, and it starts to break the viewer down by the end of the season in a good way, because the plot starts to pick up when new lawmen are introduced. You realize what drives Tommy to do good by his ambition and principles, and why Michael's disruptive, and by turns naive and manipulative behavior cause such a central rift that is the heart of the show. Their mother Rose, a perpetual victim and yet, seemingly ignorant to her own son's bad deeds shrouded in her need to be a supportive mother. Eileen, drug abuser and adulterer, struggling with the life of a housewife. Pete, a sober man struggling under the psychological bullying that Michael unleashes. Giggs, a hard drinking, always-stuck-between-a-rock-and-another-rock detective who is always forced to do the wrong thing. These characters are distinctly Irish-American because of the history, the feelings of moral guilt, and an incredible sense of community with a blinded, self-destructive nature. They have permeated the town hall, the police force, and organized crime to be pillars of the neighborhood, but at the same time, there is an incredible psychological struggle and an actual political battle for the Hill. When the immigrants become the status quo, what do they struggle against but themselves?

I don't think Season 1 is perfect. There are some subplots that do not go anywhere throughout the season, or become repetitive, such as Eileen's drug use, Pete's alcoholism, and Mary Rose's (Tommy's eldest daughter) coming of age. It weighs the plot down considerably in the middle of the season. However, they all pay off at least somewhat by the last two episodes or so, and hopefully are addressed as well in Season 2 (which has not yet been released on DVD).

What is really unique about the show is the political machinations that Tommy has to juggle. Yes there have been movies about politics before, but using politics as a weapon on such a local scale with such detail and quickness makes the show very tangible. You see a microcosm of negotiations, string pulling, questionable ethics, betrayals, and under-the-surface conflicts of interest that you can't even imagine what it must be like at a larger level. Tommy tries very hard not to get sucked into power the wrong way and to stick to his principles, but his steadfast nature hurts him just as much, if not more so, than his compromises. In the end he must turn to his brother, and what you have is a very mature depiction of what it means to above all, put family first, because with a world full of uncertainty, it is the only thing you can count on.

Here is a great video summary of the show on Youtube: