Random thing I love about Wiseguy

I love the way this show deals with physical disability.

I hadn't really thought about it until their second double-amputee character shows up. But it's kind of awesome, really. One of the main characters is missing both legs from the knees down (the actor is Jim Byrnes from Highlander, if any Highlander people are reading this), and the way they deal with it is wonderfully matter-of-face and casual, where it's neither the defining feature of his character nor ignored completely. It comes up in small, everyday ways -- you'll see him putting on his prostheses, or having a little trouble navigating stairs, and there's the nifty little detail, not remarked upon but visually apparent, that there are no chairs in his apartment (since he uses a wheelchair at home). But in general, he's just *him*, a laid-back ex-hippie-ish sort of guy with a sharp sense of humor and a slow-burning fuse; we've seen him camping, getting into bar brawls, making love to a woman, fighting with his friends and family, and of course doing undercover work, as they all do.

And one of the major recurring characters in the arc we're now watching is a guy with one arm and one leg -- and it's the same deal, really; his character is the nosy reporter poking around our guys' investigation, and that's who he *is*, disability optional.

It's really cool, and awfully sad that it's so rare on TV that I notice when a disabled character isn't just used as a plot point.

Random thing I love about Wiseguy

I love the way this show deals with physical disability.

I hadn't really thought about it until their second double-amputee character shows up. But it's kind of awesome, really. One of the main characters is missing both legs from the knees down (the actor is Jim Byrnes from Highlander, if any Highlander people are reading this), and the way they deal with it is wonderfully matter-of-face and casual, where it's neither the defining feature of his character nor ignored completely. It comes up in small, everyday ways -- you'll see him putting on his prostheses, or having a little trouble navigating stairs, and there's the nifty little detail, not remarked upon but visually apparent, that there are no chairs in his apartment (since he uses a wheelchair at home). But in general, he's just *him*, a laid-back ex-hippie-ish sort of guy with a sharp sense of humor and a slow-burning fuse; we've seen him camping, getting into bar brawls, making love to a woman, fighting with his friends and family, and of course doing undercover work, as they all do.

And one of the major recurring characters in the arc we're now watching is a guy with one arm and one leg -- and it's the same deal, really; his character is the nosy reporter poking around our guys' investigation, and that's who he *is*, disability optional.

It's really cool, and awfully sad that it's so rare on TV that I notice when a disabled character isn't just used as a plot point.

I probably shouldn't post this, but I'm trying to work a lot of this out in my own head.

I've seen rumors that the last two episodes of SGA have been leaked. (My God, what is with the episode leaks for that show, anyway?)

And ... I really don't care. The last time advance episodes were leaked, I just about drove myself crazy trying to find places to download them, but this time, I'm just not interested. I'm not really sure if I'm going to be watching those two eps when they finally air, either.

It's the weirdest thing; over the last few weeks, and especially this past week, it's like all the reasons that people keep giving for why the show isn't worth watching have snowballed until a switch flipped over, and I saw. And that was it -- the show and its characters aren't in my head anymore. They no longer give me pleasure.

( Cut for gratuitous whining and bitterness )

Needless to say, if you're here for SGA stuff, there probably won't be much to see. There's one more story that's already written; it's a Secret Santa story for sheppard_hc that will be posted on the 24th when that particular fic exchange is unveiled. Beyond that, I've apologetically backed out of the other ficathons that I'd signed up for, because what I really just need is to have some breathing room and fan on other things for a while. I certainly won't take it personally if you defriend me; every day is defriending amnesty around here, and I know a lot of people are just here for the SGA. And I truly don't know where I'll be going with this fandom in the future. I already miss it, damn it. I've been making up adventures for these people for almost three years; it's freaking weird to not hear their voices anymore. This is going to sound insanely stupid, but I've actually had trouble falling asleep the last couple of nights. I always spin myself little stories to fall asleep at night, and for the last three years it's been mostly SGA -- but the familiar sorts of stories don't work anymore, because I don't enjoy them. It's strange and disconcerting.

I'm not posting this for sympathy or to have people try to talk me back into the fandom. I'm just working this stuff out "aloud" and, well, explaining why you might not want to leave me on your f'list if you're just here for the SGA stuff. I don't expect there will be negative posts about the show in particular, because I just don't work that way; I've already found something new to squee about, and I'd rather write those sorts of posts than this sort.

I probably shouldn't post this, but I'm trying to work a lot of this out in my own head.

I've seen rumors that the last two episodes of SGA have been leaked. (My God, what is with the episode leaks for that show, anyway?)

And ... I really don't care. The last time advance episodes were leaked, I just about drove myself crazy trying to find places to download them, but this time, I'm just not interested. I'm not really sure if I'm going to be watching those two eps when they finally air, either.

It's the weirdest thing; over the last few weeks, and especially this past week, it's like all the reasons that people keep giving for why the show isn't worth watching have snowballed until a switch flipped over, and I saw. And that was it -- the show and its characters aren't in my head anymore. They no longer give me pleasure.

( Cut for gratuitous whining and bitterness )

Needless to say, if you're here for SGA stuff, there probably won't be much to see. There's one more story that's already written; it's a Secret Santa story for sheppard_hc that will be posted on the 24th when that particular fic exchange is unveiled. Beyond that, I've apologetically backed out of the other ficathons that I'd signed up for, because what I really just need is to have some breathing room and fan on other things for a while. I certainly won't take it personally if you defriend me; every day is defriending amnesty around here, and I know a lot of people are just here for the SGA. And I truly don't know where I'll be going with this fandom in the future. I already miss it, damn it. I've been making up adventures for these people for almost three years; it's freaking weird to not hear their voices anymore. This is going to sound insanely stupid, but I've actually had trouble falling asleep the last couple of nights. I always spin myself little stories to fall asleep at night, and for the last three years it's been mostly SGA -- but the familiar sorts of stories don't work anymore, because I don't enjoy them. It's strange and disconcerting.

I'm not posting this for sympathy or to have people try to talk me back into the fandom. I'm just working this stuff out "aloud" and, well, explaining why you might not want to leave me on your f'list if you're just here for the SGA stuff. I don't expect there will be negative posts about the show in particular, because I just don't work that way; I've already found something new to squee about, and I'd rather write those sorts of posts than this sort.