Thursday, September 6, 2007

Love's Labor Is Not Lost

For many people (especially children) there is an uneasy feeling when the calendar page is turned from August to September. The primary reason for this is that “no more pencils, no more books” time is winding down. Children and teenagers have to shake the dust (and sometimes sand) off their thinking caps and have to face the realization that the long sunny days of free time are over, and they know that means “early to bed and early to rise” time, followed by studying, homework, and test taking.

Saturday was September 1 and I was on the next to last day of vacation with my wife and daughter on the East End of Long Island. That morning as they slept, I slipped out the door to get coffee, breakfast, and the newspaper. What was very surprising was the brisk wind, the clear blue sky after a night of rain, and the overall feeling in the air that summer was really over. We all know that in reality summer doesn’t end until later in September, but that first day of the month and, more importantly, Labor Day, basically signal the end of summer as people close up cottages and bungalows, stop wearing white, and prepare for the long, dark days of winter.

We returned home late today and, since the cupboard was bare, I ran into the local drugstore for some milk, juice, and other supplies to hold us over until tomorrow. Imagine my surprise to be greeted, not by Back to School signs, but by Halloween decorations hanging all over the place. This kind of intertwining of seasons is particularly confusing since I was just swimming and sunning on the beach, and I don’t associate those activities with Halloween since it’s usually rather chilly around here by then. Yes, I knew summer was ostensibly over, but I guess I didn’t realize just by how much (at least in the retail world).

I started thinking about the importance of Labor Day, not just as a day to honor workers (which I think is quite an admirable thing in and of itself), but more as a benchmark in the calendar year that reminds us of something tangibly important in life: reality. While we all love the freedom of summer days and the carefree lifestyle associated with it, we know it cannot last forever (unless we are some self-appointed “dudes” living the all-year-round dream in Hawaii or the Seychelles or someplace else like that).

I live in shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers during the summer months, that is when I’m not diving into the ocean or a poolsomewhere. I enjoy being able to read what I want (as opposed to the books or reports and documents that are necessary in my other life as an educator), sleep late, and spend time with my wife and daughter doing “fun” things. I can sneak some writing in during these times too (my three published books were all completed during the summer when I had the time to put finishing touches on them).

There is the opportunity to travel, whether it is a long voyage across the globe or a jaunt to the end of Long Island. There are long days available for seemingly endless games of baseball, Frisbee tossing, or interminable volleyball matches between all the assorted family members assembled for barbecues in backyards. There is the wonderfully fecund scent of the grill sending good smoke into the sky, the sizzle of the hot dogs and hamburgers, the sweet chill of the glass of lemonade in one‘s hand, the buzz of the insects being sucked into the blue light of the zapper hanging on the porch, and the soothing sounds of crickets chirping the night away.

All the wonderful fleeting moments coalesce and touch memories for those of us old enough to recall many summers past. Having lost my mother and aunt last year, I remember many happy summers in our beach house at Breezy Point (New York). After Mom was done hanging out clothes on the line (my shirts never smelled better), she and Aunt Margie sat on the porch telling stories while the mosquitoes tried to attack, and I had the feeling that the calendar was forever stuck on July and I was free for an “Endless Summer” as promised by the Beach Boys album. Every time I hear their song “Surfer Girl” I get a bit choked up as I recall those happy boyhood days.

Of course, the younger people reading this may only have a few summers to remember, but no matter, I am sure they represent the same thing in a different way. There is a feeling of relaxation that permeates the mind and body, a sense that all the things that matter really don’t anymore (even if they will again in September). Summer is a recurring honeymoon, a bon voyage that is always rather “bon” by nature, the express train to Candy Land, Oz, and Disney with no return trip needed. Kids run wild and free in the sunshine, a blur of tanned limbs and bobbing heads as they rush up a hillside, across a beach, or through a forest.

Yet, despite all this celebration of being free, I find the turn of the calendar to September exhilarating, and I have felt this way since childhood. I always loved the smell of fresh school supplies: sharpened pencils, blank notebooks, and the stiff pages of new textbooks. There was always a feeling of awe with my thinking that I, as a tabula rasa each school year, would be etched upon and thus become closer to the essential knowledge of the ages, passed down from Aristotle, Euripides, Einstein (et al) to the teacher or teachers of the moment.

I still feel this excitement now, wondering about meeting new colleagues, seeing my new students for the first time, and learning as much (if not more) from them as they will from me. It is this symbiotic aspect of education that has always had the greatest appeal for me: the idea that we learn and teach as we teach and learn, thus making ripples start in the small pond that will someday become waves in the ocean. It is an always occurring and reoccurring process, and that is what I like most of all. Education always begins anew each September, but it never ends.

So, as we celebrate Labor Day, let us not forget those who work hard to educate our children. Let us remember all those who work hard everywhere doing all sorts of jobs, but also let us acknowledge that this is the day that marks an ending and a beginning. In this way we can embrace the change in calendar and seasons and face the reality of responsibility, but also know that with those cooler days and falling leaves comes the fright of Halloween, the bounty of Thanksgiving, and the beauty of the holiday season.

Occurring and reoccurring, the cycle brings us back again and again. Thus, we get to a point we have always known and yet we revel in the great expectations of what each new day will bring. Ladies and gentlemen, I think that is what reality is really all about. So, let us appreciate the days and months ahead and remember that summer will return for our enjoyment in 2008.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

High School Musical 2: We're All in This Together

When I first reviewed the original Disney movie High School Musical, I had no idea what I was getting into. Before I watched it, I believed (rather naively I might add) that this was going to be just another TV movie concocted for kids, some pabulum-like entertainment that wouldn’t hold my interest.

Boy, was I wrong, and then some. The first film was intelligent and fast-paced, with bright young actors and actresses who brought out the best in the music and dance numbers. Repeated viewings didn’t lessen how much I enjoyed the film, and since my daughter (now six) has watched it at least twenty times since its premiere, I’ve had plenty of time to absorb the overall message of the film and understand its lasting impact.

Of course, along the way, it became a cultural powerhouse that has affected people of all ages. Students everywhere are putting on their own versions of the film in school productions, and the concept of “musical theater” is now more popular than it has been since John Travolta strutted his stuff in Grease (1978). My daughter understood right from the start that this was something bigger than “big,” just the way I did when I sat on the living room floor and stared in excited wonder at the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show while my parents felt they were nothing more than a flash in the pan. Yeah, right!

After my first review received over 2,500 comments (and still counting), I realized that High School Musical was a Disney juggernaut comparable in some ways to the success of the Fab Four with tweens and pre-tweens like my daughter. Anything somehow related to the movie (posters, lunchboxes, backpacks, pajamas, T-shirts, toys, etc.) was selling out fast and, as the young stars made the rounds on talk shows and other appearances, the squealing girls certainly reminded me of that Beatles phenomenon from my youth.

With my skepticism thrown to the wind, this time I was enthusiastically on board for the exciting ride and my daughter and I watched the movie together as I sat with pen and pad in hand. I can happily announce that director Kenny Ortega and his singing and dancing minions (all the original cast returns, even Zac Efron with slightly darker hair from his tour of duty in Hairspray) deliver a slam-dunk sequel that in some ways is even better than the original (and I don’t think I’ve said that since... gulp... Godfather II).

In an obviously more lavish (and thus expensive) production, all the stops are pulled out as the East High kids prepare for summer vacation. The old stomping grounds at their Albequerque high school (the film was actually shot in Utah) are revisited during the opening number “What Time Is It?” We briefly see Troy (Efron) and Gabriela’s (Vanessa Hudgens) tormentor Mrs. Darbus (Alyson Reed) from the first film, but she is merely part of a fast-paced exposition that sets the East Siders free for what should be a carefree summer. The kids go through the now familiar hallways, cafeteria, and eventually finish on a high note on the outside campus with the school building in the background. The message is clear: school is out for summer; let the party begin.

Unfortunately, reality wriggles its way into the story. Troy and his teammates play basketball with his father (Bart Johnson), who happens to also be the team’s coach. Dad/coach establishes the idea that summer is also a good time to make some money to either buy a car, get things they want to buy, or perhaps save for college. This is the pivotal point in the rising action, for Troy’s concern about the cost of college leads him and his friends to take jobs at local resort. Unbeknownst to them, this has all been set-up by the snooty Sharpay (played with a touch of evil glee by Ashley Tisdale) in order for her to get closer, much closer, to Troy.

As the old gang descends on an upper-crusty New Mexico country club, we discover that Sharpay’s parents own the place, and she has not learned her lesson from the first movie and still foolishly has her eyes focused on Troy Bolton. Troy has wisely found a way for all his buds from East High, along with his favorite gal Gabriela, to get hired with him, making the situation ripe for sparks to fly as the annual talent show literally sets the stage for conflict.

There are solid dance numbers performed throughout, with some of the ancillary stars from the first film getting a little more to say, do, and sing this time around. The best one is “I Don’t Dance” set on a baseball field under a crystal clear blue desert sky. Here, Chad (Corbin Bleu) and Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) face-off in a battle of wits and physical prowess. It is what was once called a “showstopper” and manages to lift the spirits while propelling the plot forward nicely, slipping Ryan into the “in” crowd he never thought he could ever join.

Sharpay somehow manages to suck Troy into singing with her in the talent competition, based on the notion that it will help him land a college scholarship (and she mistakenly believes this will gain Troy’s affection). This temporarily alienates his friends and his lady love, thus giving Efron even more opportunities in the spotlight to flex his acting muscles. He earnestly proves his worth here, singing stronger and better than in the original and showcasing the maturity that will inevitably make him a really big star like the previously mentioned Travolta.

As in the first film, major conflicts seem to be quickly dissolved or resolved at the end. I won’t ruin the denouement for those who have not seen the film, but let it suffice to say that the overriding theme of the first movie (we’re all in this together) resonates in this sequel, and by the time we see everyone singing and dancing in a rousing finale, we can rest assured that all will be well with the East Side gang until the next sequel (if Disney can somehow find a way to lasso Efron’s rising star).

Credit must be given to all involved in this production, especially director Ortega. Obviously Disney gave him the time, money, and talent to mount a superior production, and (just as he did in the first film and Cheetah Girls 2) Mr. Ortega knows his audience and shows deference to their cultural touchstones, such as previous Disney films they have all grown up with.

The sub-textual references to all the princess movies are obvious here, with Sharpay literally in her ivory tower staring down at Gabriella and Troy, her dashing Prince Charming to be sure. No matter how much Sharpay stares into the mirror, Gabriela will still end up being the fairest of them all and manage to snag her Prince in the process. All the sprinklers in the world can’t be turned on to douse that kind of love, and Ortega not only knows that his audience understands that but he also respects it, too.

Thus, I tip my cap to all involved in making this wonderful film. It actually does more than entertain; it motivates kids (and their parents) to get up and dance and sing. Besides the aerobic benefits from all this, it’s just good, sweet fun and, in an ever more troubling world, we can all use that.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Bonds, Rodriguez, and Glavine: Are Their Records Really Historic?

This week we have been witnesses to three players making history: Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit home run number 755; Alex (A-Rod) Rodriguez of the New York Yankees hit home run number 500, and pitcher Tom Glavine of the (my beloved) New York Mets notched his career win number 300. All impressive Hall of Fame achievements, right? Shouldn't we be honored to have seen baseball history in the making?

I'm not so sure about that.

First of all, as a Met fan I am not so giddy about Tom Glavine getting his 300th win. Mostly this is due to the fact that the majority of those wins came when he was wearing another uniform, and it wasn't just any uniform, folks: he was an Atlanta Brave. Now, many of you non-Met fans are probably saying this is crazy, but I have trouble with the Mets celebrating the achievement of a guy who used to beat them while pitching for an opposing team in the same division (by the way, the only more despised opponent is the Yankees).

I know that many of his current teammates celebrated with him, but whom do the guys on ESPN call when they want some perspective on this accomplishment? Glavine's former Braves teammate and bud John Smoltz, that's who. Gets me thinking that Glavine is still in his heart of hearts a Brave and wishes he won this game down in Atlanta and not on some sultry night in Chicago wearing a Mets uniform. Still, by all accounts Glavine is one of baseball's "good guys" so I can tip my (Mets) cap to him if ever so slightly.

Not even considering the steroid factor in any way, baseball fans (besides those McCovey Cove zealots in San Fran) have not embraced Bonds in his quest for the Everest of baseball records. Think how McGwire and Sosa were seen as baseball's darlings as they raced for the single season home run record. That good feeling was akin to watching Cal Ripken ride around on a horse in Baltimore when he had his farewell ceremony. But Bonds seems to have always been not the straw that stirs the drink but more the one that blows bubbles into it. Even if steroids were not an issue (and believe me, they are no matter how you want to look at the matter), I'd say Bonds is not liked and that has all to do with him reaping what he has sown.

A-Rod is another sour pill to be sure. He talks a good talk but struggles with his walk. He came over to the Yankees expecting a ring and all the associated bling, but things haven't turned out the way he planned. Yankees fans will always like Derek Jeter better (hey, they even like a guy like Robinson Cano better) and feel like A-Rod has waltzed in as a golden boy, anointed by George Steinbrenner to be the next B-Ruth. Unfortunately, A-Rod is right-handed and even though he hits all these homers and knocks in all these runs, all Steingrubber's men really can't put him back together again after stories about cheating on his wife and ego clashes with Derek.

Despite all the things noted above, the main problem I have with these achievements is that they have not occurred in the consistency of service to one team. Bonds and A-Rod have bounced around a bit, while Glavine only took the Mets' offer because he couldn't get the same from Atlanta. This is a bit of pure mathematics that has nothing to do with baseball statistics and everything to do with dollars and cents.

Yes, I know this is the world of free agency and that Catfish Hunter paved the way for the poor baseball players, freeing them from the oppression of working for the baseball owners who made Simon Legree look like Little Orphan Annie. Still, no matter how we slice it, the piece of the American Pie is a lot bigger for these ballplayers, even the ones who make less like David Wright and Jose Reyes. I mean, wouldn't you rather work seven months a year (hopefully eight if you make the playoffs) playing a game you love rather than doing something else?

In the end, when I think about these records the feeling I get is nothing close to warm and fuzzy but more like moist and fetid. These guys followed the bucks and they didn't care about the fans, the most important people in the baseball kingdoms run by these baseball kings and queens. If anyone has "serf" status it is the fans, since we have to work the land and still pay for it (whatever happened to the $1.50 general admission seats of my youth?). The players are less than knights in shining armor to be sure, but they have been touched by the sword and certainly live a charmed life at home and on the road.

It doesn't help that Bonds plays for the Giants (who left New York for sunny California and put a hole in so many hearts), A-Rod saunters around for the Yankees (a team that believes it's royalty as much as its owner thinks he's King George), and Glavine pitches for the Mets (working class scrubs to be sure but still hated because the team is in New York).

There is also the truth that loyalty is a forgotten notion and that really hurts. While I hope Wright and Reyes play their whole careers in Queens, I am not certain of it. Jeter (no matter how much I hate his team) is probably the last stand-up baseball guy; the last future Hall of Famer who played his whole career with one team. There's a reason Lou Gehrig said he was the luckiest man on earth (even when he was dying), and the fans in attendance at Yankee Stadium that day intimately knew why because they were fortunate too since Gehrig played every inning of his career as a Yankee.

We will never see the likes of those kinds of days again. Free agency, steroids, and greed have seen to that. So these records mean nothing more than numbers in the book when they should mean a whole lot more. For that, every baseball fan should be more than angry because as we are witnesses to baseball history we can also testify to the fact that it has been compromised probably beyond repair, and that's more than a damned shame, it's a disgrace.

Monday, June 11, 2007

"The Sopranos" Finale: It's All About the Journey

"Don't Stop Believing" by Journey (an instantly recognizable hit from the 1980s) is the song Tony Soprano picks on the table jukebox as he waits for his family in the diner. Later AJ reminds him that he once said to "Remember the good times" as a way to get through current difficulties. Okay, Mr. David Chase, we get it: It's all about process, moving forward, the journey is literally more important than getting there. Thus, we got nowhere last night and, in essence, that's just where Mr. Chase wants us to be.

Many viewers probably did what I did last night when the screen went blank as Tony Soprano looks up as the bell jingles on the door. I immediately reached for my remote and was worried something was wrong with my cable system. No such luck, right? We were all victims of the black screen and then the silent credits. I stewed for a few moments, wanting to throw the remote at the television screen. How could Mr. Chase do this to us? How could it be?

The answer is that we the viewers got exactly what we deserved. For weeks everyone has been complaining about the series not being up to par; then we get a superior episode like last week's "The Blue Comet," and suddenly everyone is excited again and geared up for a bang-zoom grand finale. However, Mr. Chase has been true all along to an artistic vision, no matter how controversial or criticized, in which the development of characters and the plotline were to follow no format but what was true to the vision.

For 86 episodes we have been treated to something that is nothing like what we're used to on television. Despite a few excellent recent broadcast television shows like 24, Lost, and Ugly Betty, the real deal has always been found on cable in the form of The Sopranos. No matter how angry I got (usually because I took exception with the portrayal of Italian Americans), I still watched because it was just like reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and getting the point that racism is an important part of the story because it is a truth about what life was like back in the 1840s.

The Sopranos always has come across as particularly truthful, whether it was the violence that so influenced the lives (and deaths) of the characters, or the philandering of the men with women who were not their wives and girlfriends. There was also real human interaction between characters: love, hatred, anger, jealousy, and rage. The dynamics that were established could make us laugh one week (think Christopher and Paulie lost in the snowy woods), make us cringe the next (Tony and Carmela having a blow-up), or make us cry (like the death of Adriana).

In thinking about the series as a whole, from the very first episode to the last, I must say that I don't believe I got what I was expecting, and perhaps that was the greatest gift of all. Just when I thought I liked Christopher, he would go do something that got me hating him again (like beating up JT). Just when I felt sorry for Paulie, he would do something horrific (like strangling the old woman) to qualify him as a bad guy underneath it all.

These characters are always complicated and complex. There is depth and surface to deal with for most of them. On the surface, we see the person that the character wants the world to see. Paulie often goaded Christopher, sometimes unmercifully, and yet when Christopher dies Paulie has moments of introspection, realizing that he had been too hard on the kid and maybe pushed him over the edge. This is just one example of many throughout the years, and this is why I couldn't stop watching. These characterizations are so vivid, so honest in their brutality and ugliness and sometimes brittle but undeniable affection, that I just felt like I knew them all personally.

This is the whole point, isn't it? We react to a fiction in a personal, almost intimate, way, to glean from the experience something meaningful and thus relate it to our own lives. In this way David Chase has been completely successful, for his characters were not in search of a story: they made the story, and none of them were more important in this achievement than Tony Soprano. He is the central figure, and there is no show without him, just like there could be no 24 without Jack Bauer or The Shield without Vic Mackey.

Tony is the Everyman that we can relate to on our own levels; however, he also is a prince, mob royalty who lives in a castle of his own making. Here Tony spins his webs and runs his "business" with care, trying to match the personalities of his associates with work to make them earn money and generate more business. It's a classic model, and it makes me think that Tony should have retired and started his own company to coach potential businessmen. He certainly can juggle the many responsibilities that he has, but when there is a wayward fly in his ointment (a Ralph Cifaretto, for instance), Tony reacts ruthlessly and eradicates the problem.

In essence, Tony Soprano is the most evil person that has ever been the protagonist of a television drama. He is an anti-hero, something like Satan in Paradise Lost, who rules his own New Jersey hell without ever worrying about being a servant in heaven. Yet, there are moments of introspection, never more obvious than in his weekly meetings with Dr. Jennifer Melfi. Tony's therapy was a convenient device for us in that we got to hear the equivalent of a Shakespearean soliloquy every week. Melfi lets him tell the tale and we listen in awe as he justifies everything from adultery to murder.

No wonder in the end Melfi has to let him go. It is literally a battle for survival. Melfi listens to her own therapist and realizes that what she is doing will never "save" Tony Soprano, because he doesn't want or need saving. So Melfi does the only sensible thing she can do: she saves herself. Only by extricating Tony from her life can Melfi be healthy again.

So now let's get to that ending. Remember, it's all about the journey and not the destination. That's why that Journey song is playing. As Tony hears the bell and looks up, we might be tempted to think this a For Whom the Bell Tolls moment, but that's not Chase's point. It is more of a nod to It's a Wonderful Life, a kind of "every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings" kind of thing. Meadow has been Tony's angel all along, and as he looks up and sees her, there is nothing more to say. The core family is alive, well, and together. The journey continues; we just won't be a part of it.

Obviously, Chase isn't such a bad businessman either. This "journey" is left open-ended for many reasons, all of them rather lucrative. The DVD can be advertised to have an ending (or alternate endings), which would generate even more interest. Also, with all the talk about a movie being made, this ending leaves all sorts of possibilities for the characters.

At the last second Episode 86 of The Sopranos, "Made in America," gives us a blank screen, and if that is not a surprise ending, I don't know what is. We don't have to like it; we just have to live with it for now. Bada-Bing!

Some Thoughts about "The Sopranos" Finale

As an Italian American, I have sometimes had issues with this show because of the violence and the derogatory way Italians have been depicted over six seasons. I particularly recall one episode where some of Tony Soprano’s gang made a big deal about Columbus Day, and it seemed to me incongruous and condescending for these gangsters to be worried about any American holiday, since the essence of their lives was going against the fabric of society and cheating the system to earn a living.

Yet, as the series draws its last breaths (as do some of the characters), I have had sort of a feeling of peace about the depiction of Italian Americans, for one because of the way that Tony and company have been more clearly shown to be brutes and thugs and not people to be idolized, but also because of Dr. Jennifer Melfi’s awakening (a long time coming) that no matter how often you try to clean dirt, it is still dirty. Whether or not she had delusions of altering Tony’s behavior to the point that he would become a choir boy (hey, shouldn’t a Soprano be singing?), Melfi has always been the most intriguing character for me. On the periphery of Tony’s violent and evil world, she can only observe as we have, and even after she is raped she fails to ever call in any favors from Tony, for her ethical standards are as high as Tony’s are low.

During the course of the series we also have seen Tony’s long-suffering (sorry, I can think of no better adjective here) wife who has evolved from the first season. No longer an elegant ostrich with her head in the sands of jewelry, furs, and the fancy house, Carmela has shown perseverance in the face of terrible tragedy and a resilience that is remarkable when compared to Tony’s almost child-like whining and complaining. She is actually the typical Italian mother: good cook, nurturing, loving, and the glue that holds the family vase together (no matter how many times it is shattered). Even Tony knows that without Carmela he would be nothing, though at times it seems he doesn’t care one way or the other.

Now, as the series ends and the manicotti hits the fan, Tony’s men are falling left and right, and one wonders if Tony is next. There is a string of dead bodies in this series starting with season one that threads its way through the fabric of the story, slowly tightening and creating a noose around Tony’s neck. So, is it only a matter of time for him? Does he get away with it?

No matter how much he might like to disguise himself as a “business man” and the head of a “waste management” company, Tony has blood on his hands. Lots of blood. Friends, family, associates, and innocents have all fallen because of him. The cruelest deaths have been Adrianna’s (since she was a canary in a coal mine from the day she met Christopher) and Christopher himself, who was a murderous thug to be sure but died pathetically. Tony’s offing his nephew clearly defined his true nature as cold-blooded killer, his redemption never seeming more impossible than at that moment.

Whatever happens on Sunday night, The Sopranos has been must-see television, even if at times I was angered by what I saw. There were also times where the narrative slowed down to a crawl, but this can be attributed to David Chase’s sense of the big picture in terms of scope, like a classic novel taking its time to get to the climax. I can think of some lengthy sections in classics like Herman Melville’s Moby Dick that do nothing for the main storyline, but since it is Melville, attention and respect must be paid. I would say the same holds true for Chase, who has never allowed his artistic vision to be compromised despite all the sound and fury from the fans and critics. I say “Bravo!” to him for the courageous and wise course he has taken with this series.

PREDICTIONS

1. Tony Turns Terrorist Fighter

Tony is already armed with the AR-10 and could assist Agent Harris in getting the bad guys. There have been hints all along about the FBI wanting info on these terrorists, and even in the last episode Tony was looking at AJ’s computer screen where there was something about terrorism. It would be an odd twist, but Tony could move in a whole different direction here.

2. Tony Gets Whacked

Since the opening credits start with Tony’s point of view in the car coming into New Jersey from New York, I always thought that the last scene could be of Tony at the toll booth going the other way. As he takes his receipt Phil’s men jump out from behind the booth and shoot him into the next world like Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. This would be perhaps the most fitting (and satisfying) way for him to go, just like Melville's Ahab meeting his end with the whale of his obsession.

3. Tony Sings a New Song

I have always felt that the last name of Soprano was intentionally used. Even when UncleJunior was singing his heart out in the Italian restaurant, I remember Tony’s expression; he looked like it was painful for him to listen. Yes, Junior was no Sinatra, but I think the reason Tony was wincing was because the thought of “singing” was so repugnant to him. Yet, when faced with annihilation of his family (he has told Dr. Melfi his family means everything to him), Tony just might turn and give up everything in return for the safety and security of Carmela and the kids. Instead of going out in a blaze of gunfire like a movie gangster, Tony’s end would be inglorious (and quite fitting) indeed.

4. Tony Gets Into Acting

Tony runs away to New York and tries out for bit parts, eventually snagging the lead in the musical version of Shrek. The good news here is besides some green paint and funny ears, he will save the make-up department lots of money. Tony has honed his acting skills over the years, especially lying to Carmela. This might be the easiest way for him to become a member of society.

5. Tony Goes Rambo

Tony comes downstairs the next morning and finds all his buddies dead. With the AR-10 in hand, Tony goes gunning for Phil and his crew and takes them all out. As Tony stands with corpses all around him and the gun in his hand, Agent Harris and company arrive and arrest him. There will be no getting out of this one, no Teflon Tony as in days past. He is caught and this will send him to jail forever. Whether this leads Tony to think about what is mentioned in Number 3 or not remains to be seen.

6. Carmela and Janice

After Tony gets whacked, Carmela and Janice decide to pick up the pieces and run what’s left of Tony’s business. Paulie is a big help here as he knows what to do and when to do it. By default, Paulie finally rises to the top of the organization and is Carmela’s right-hand man. AJ gets a pair and helps Mom out, and Meadow decides to become Carmela’s consigliore. This actually could become a spin-off, something weird like Hope and Faith meet Twin Peaks. I know this will never happen, but I can dream.

7. Kevin Finnerty

After Tony was shot and in a coma, we got the story of Kevin Finnerty: legitimate businessman who seemed to have lost his way. Wouldn’t it be a blast that the series ends with Tony getting shot, and as he is dying we switch to a scene of Kevin Finnerty snapping out of his own coma. There has never been a Tony Soprano (or any of the others either). It’s all been Kevin caught in a tornado and falling into the land of The Wizard of Mob. All the times we have heard Tony whining that “this is a business” has really been poor little Kevin’s way to get out and back because there’s no place like home. Hey, if Dallas could have Pam waking up to find the supposedly dead Bobby taking a shower (meaning the whole season was a dream), and Bob Newhart could wake up to find Suzanne Pleshette in his bed (a wife from another series making the entire Newhart series a dream), why can’t David Chase do this? It would be totally unexpected and a real shocker that everyone would hate and never forget.

Well, those are my thoughts of possibilities more than they are true predictions. I hope everyone enjoys the series finale. It will be something long-time fans have to see, and some day everyone else will be able to catch up when it’s on DVD. Until then, we can get the popcorn ready and leave the clean-up for the next morning, because no matter which way it goes, I think some of us will be jumping out of our seats.

Sunday, June 3, 2007

In Memoriam: The First Anniversary of My Mother's Passing

“Mother died today. Or was it yesterday? I can’t be sure.” These are the words of Meursault, the protagonist in Albert Camus’s famous novel The Stranger. This first sentence of the book has haunted me since I read it back in high school during the 1970s. I think why this rates as one of the most memorable first lines of a literary work ever (right up there with Dickens’s “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” from A Tale of Two Cities) is that it is so shockingly incongruous to human nature that it jolts us into the fiction with our mouths wide open.

I was thinking about that book on Thursday (May 31), which was the first anniversary of my mother’s passing. I thought that Meursault’s seeming indifference was actually confusion (based on an ambiguous telegram); however, this is still indicative of his alienation, not just from family but, from life and reality. My situation was such an opposite experience, with the exact minute of Mom’s passing unforgettably and unrelentingly etched into my consciousness. This past year has been nothing if about reality and the harshness of its incessant sting.

How do other people cope with such a monumental loss? I don’t know, really. I listen to people telling me things about their experiences with the loss of parents, but this usually seems more like an attempt to rally my spirits and assist me in dealing with the situation. While this is admirable in so many ways, it does not work (at least for me). I know I’m not the first or last person to lose a mother, but damn it if it doesn’t feel that way.

Perhaps I can qualify it more: I am the only person to lose this mother (except for my sister). Even my sister and I cannot understand each other’s loss completely, since our relationships with Mom were unique and had nuances that are extremely personal and, in many ways, intensely private. There are those moments shared just between mother and child, when no one else is a witness, and those become a slide show of memories that are precious yet heartbreaking.

I can recall many times spent with Mom that made me realize not only how much she loved me, but how that love was magnified by things I said and did. When my daughter was born, I saw something in the sparkle of Mom's eyes that was both familiar and different, a sort of maternal pride that coalesced as she held the baby, reminiscent of her own motherhood and yet celebrating my new fatherhood. It goes beyond saying that this affirmation of our own mother-son bond was multiplied infinitesimally by this new dynamic. Just when I thought my mother could not love me any more, I found that she could through my child.

How does someone assess a lifetime of a loved one after that person is gone? I don’t know how to do it justice, but now after a year since losing her I still have trouble looking at Mom’s photograph. I want to. I need to, but when I do, emotions pour forth that cause me to lose myself. Composure seems to be such a valued thing in our society, and yet when I analyze it, I know that the breaking down of what was my once stoic nature has caused me to change considerably. The “new” me is not just more emotional, but more vulnerable, sullen, at times morose, and infinitely more quiet.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t make me a pleasure to be around these days. I strive to be cheerful for other people’s benefit (most notably my wife and daughter). My father, who suffered a stroke two weeks after my mother passed away and is now in a wheelchair most of the time, has not seen my sadness, and I don’t plan to let him. He has his own grief, compounded by his physical limitations, and I know he misses Mom terribly and doesn’t need to have more worries.

When I go to visit my father it is difficult, especially since Mom passed away sleeping in a chair in the living room. Dad sits in that chair now, symbolically connecting him to her every day of his life. She is all around him, her memories and emotions intertwining with his own, their shared space and time together infused in remnants of their lives together: the photographs and paintings on the silent shroud of walls, the glistening trinkets carefully preserved in the curio cabinets, the china they got as wedding presents still nestled in the hutch in the dining room as if they're waiting for Mom to set the table.

I cannot reconcile her passing now after she is gone a year, though I try. I understand that at the end she had so many medical issues, and her one wish was to be at home with my father and her family. While I am somewhat comforted by the notion that she passed away in the place she wanted to be, I sometimes wonder if it would have been easier if she had been in that sterile world of the hospital when she passed away, where so many souls pass over and the moment becomes less imprinted and impacted on a room or house.

But I realize that is selfishness. I knowit is best that Mom was where she wanted to be, but I just wish Dad or my sister or I had been home with her instead of the twenty-four hour attendant. To get that phone call is chilling, especially from someone who is a virtual stranger. The words are forever embossed on my mind, “Your mother, she died.” This attendant was from Jamaica and meant no disrespect, but the words were kind of like those in Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness when the servant tells Marlowe, “Mistuh Kurtz, he dead.” They seem so far removed from reality, so abstract as to be in essence meaningless in an excruciating moment when everything should crystallize to enshrine the hallowed importance of the instance in memory.

Nothing I do brings too much comfort, and I have tried doing all the things people have told me to try. I have been to churches; I have prayed and prayed and prayed. My return to God has been in part because of loss but also in finding something in myself that needed spirituality. For a while, I believed God had abandoned me, but I don’t feel this is blasphemy, for Jesus himself screamed as he was nailed to the cross, “Father, why have you abandoned me?” It is in the darkest time, as Theodore Roethke wrote, that one begins to see.

So on Thursday evening I went over to a local restaurant that has a Psychic Night featuring Tarot-Psychic-Medium Patricia Bono. I have seen this woman twice before. Both times she said things that led me to believe she has some kind of true connection to the spiritual world, because she knew names and mentioned situations she could not have possibly known in any other way. On this night I was feeling very low. It had been a year, and I was hoping for something, anything to latch onto.

Amazingly, Patricia came forward with some new information and clarified some things she had said before. The details are rather personal and I will not divulge them here, but let it suffice to say that I felt energized by her words and encouraged about Mom’s current place in the universe. Yes, maybe these things are part of what I want to hear, but there were qualifiers throughout the session that grounded me to the notion that Patricia was talking about real specifics; she could not have known these things without connecting with Mom (and some other people I have lost).

I came home Thursday night and have been writing this piece ever since. I wrote a fewlines and stopped; I wrote a paragraph and stopped again. It hasn’t been a fluid process at all but more one of uneasy reclamation: the capturing of my own spirit and its fledgling hope for a better tomorrow. I was working on it slowly, deliberately, knowing that I want and need to move forward.

Still, there is no choice but to look back. By this time next year I hope I can tackle the memories, delve into the boxes of memorabilia that link Mom to me and my daughter. Perhaps the healthiest way to handle death is what I learned on Thursday night: Mom is with me, a real presence in my heart and mind (as well as in my father, sister, and daughter).

Mom’s being gone is still painful, but knowing she is there in some form is helping me. Thus, when I go to bed each night I speak to her and, sometimes when the darkness settles over the room and I am between asleep and awake, I catch a glimpse of that sparkle in her eyes and hear the sweet song coming from her lips, “He’s my angel/I’m his Mom.” She used to rock me to sleep with that song and now, sometimes, she still does.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

TV Review: S6:23&24 of "24" - Jack Strikes Back!

During this season I have frequently alluded to the Star Wars films, almost as an extended metaphor, when discussing Jack's relationship with his father. There was certainly a Return of the Jedi moment toward the end of last night's second episode, but Phillip Bauer's grandson Josh also played into this scenario. Josh was unable and unwilling to be a pawn in Grandpa's game and he fought back (in true Bauer fashion), even shooting the old man. Jack came onto the scene as almost an Obi Wan Kenobi figure, counseling Josh that killing someone who is evil doesn't necessarily make one feel good, nor does it make one inherently good in the process. Who would have ever thought that 24 would develop such a metaphysical nature?

The best way to summarize this two hour season finale is to say that we have yet another example of why everyone should always listen to Jack Bauer. Everything Jack predicted would happen (his father would double-cross them, for example, in the Josh for the component deal) happened, and if not for Jack the armies of China, Russia, and the USA would likely be engaged in the start of WWIII. Where is the big "thank you, Jack" that we should expect from Vice President Noah (Jim Jones) Daniels and the rest of the bigwigs and blowhards that run the country?

Karen (Hillary) Hayes and her loyal husband Bill (The Stoic) Buchanan take a stand to help Jack, as does Nadia (Squinty) Yassir. Bill tells Nadia "You did the right thing" and she squints, letting us know she appreciates hearing that. She also understands that they have been thwarted by Jack's father, and now Agent Mike Doyle is a victim of this as the false component blows up in his face, possibly leaving him in need of a guide dog for the rest of his life.

Jones is trying to keep Russian President Subaru from driving full speed ahead into war, but nothing is going right for him. Tom (Twitchy) Lennox is there to help as well as that weird-looking dude Ethan who is the head of the Joint Chiefs. They all seem rather impotent in the face of this crisis. Thank goodness they have someone the likes of Jack Bauer to save their droopy butts from an almost inevitable war.

Of course, Jack has had a long, long day. If we look at the twenty-four hours that he has spent this season, we can only wonder how he is still standing (broken ribs and all). Still, Jack is a good soldier and at his best against impossible odds. After Jack learns that his nephew has been taken out to an oil platform owned by his father, Jack does the only sensible thing to do: he commandeers a CTU helicopter to go out and retrieve the young man.

This is all more difficult than it sounds because not only does Phillip and Cheng have armed men all over the platform, but Jones has ordered two F-18s to take out the platform and destroy the component to appease Subaru. So once again Jack is running against the clock to save Josh before it is too late (anyone thinking of the Death Star and Darth Vader please note that I was thinking it too).

Jack utilizes all his training as a Navy Seal in this moment when Bill flies the helicopter onto the landing (hey, who knew Bill had such a big pair?). Jack wields a machine gun like a Samurai does his sword, taking out the bad guys left and right and blowing up a barrel of fuel that badly burns the evil Cheng. Bill takes Cheng into custody as Jack races to find Josh and get him out of there before the F-18s shoot their load.

This is when we have the classic Star Wars moment where Josh (looking a lot like a young Jack) takes a wrench and whacks Grandpa over the head. Josh then grabs the gun and resists Phillips's overtures about love and "doing this all for you" crap. As the old man lunges at Josh the kid shoots him in the shoulder. Papa Bauer falls to the deck just as Jack arrives on scene. It is reminiscent of that lovely moment in Return of the Jedi when Luke and Anakin make some kind of peace and reach an epiphany.

Unfortunately, no such catharsis is available to the ever-suffering Jack. He tells Josh that killing the old man is not worth it, and then after Josh has run off to jump on the helicopter, Jack contemplates justice for his father. Where Luke Skywalker saw sincere sorrow in his father's eyes, Jack only finds contempt and loathing. Jack wants Papa to face justice, but there is not enough time because of the F-18s. Before Jack leaves Phillip to a certain death, he tells him "You got off easy."

Jack makes a daring escape by grabbing a rope ladder on the helicopter just as the F-18s' missiles hit their target. The platform is completely destroyed as Jack dangles over the black ocean with the flames licking the dark sky. It is a surreal moment as we see the bloodied Cheng in the helicopter, now a prisoner at the end of the day just as Jack was in the beginning. One can only hope that Agent Burke is waiting back at CTU with his black box of goodies to give Cheng an idea about how Jack felt in his custody.

Jack drops off the ladder and swims to shore. Bill brings the chopper around to pick him up, but Jack waves him off and Bill realizes that once again Jack is probably going dark, fading into the fabric of the night like the shadow that Jack Bauer has become. Since Jack is officially dead (from Season 4) and has no real identity, there is nothing stopping this from happening.

Back at CTU we get a scene between Chloe and Morris. She fainted earlier and Morris comes into medical to check on her condition. Chloe tests him a little and then reveals that she is pregnant. More drama between these two? Please, enough already. Bill returns to CTU with Cheng as a prisoner. Before Cheng is led away he says that his people won't forget him the way the Americans forgot Jack Bauer. Here's to hoping there is a nice dark hole someplace in Kansas that this guy can be dropped in for a long time. Nadia asks Bill about Jack, and Bill says that they won't find him if Jack doesn't want to be found. Nadia persists and Bill says, "Just let him go."

These words actually foreshadow what is happening with Jack. Jack has conveniently swum ashore near former Secretary of Defense James (Nuts Landing) Heller's beach house. Nuts is on the phone talking to someone and hears a noise. He looks around and sees a soaking-wet Jack standing in his living room. Jack and Nuts have a nice follow-up conversation (to the one when Jack was in detention at CTU). While Nuts won that round, Jack is in charge here (as the gun he puts in Heller's face clearly indicates). Jack tells the old man off. The exchange is powerful and gives us insight into their relationship and Jack's inner rage. "I just watched my father die and I felt nothing," Jack tells him. Yes, it has come to that.

Nuts finally takes Jack into a bedroom to see Audrey. While it seems she is sleeping it is more like she is a vegetable, unable to open her eyes even as Jack holds her hand and tells her that he loves her with all his heart. This excruciating scene lays bare Jack's soul, and he is a man who has lost so much and given so much and has absolutely nothing to show for it. Audrey is his last chance for a normal life. He just told Heller "I want my life back," but it is clear that this will not include Audrey.

Since Jack loves Audrey so much, he does the only reasonable thing he can do: he lets her go. This is a sign of Jack's true goodness, a real indication of his nature as a tragic hero. Jack is forever inches away from the goblet brimming with salvation, but he is never able to take a drink. Jack looks toward the window where the first rays of sunlight are slipping through the cracks in the blinds and are worming their way across the shroud of Audrey's face. "I'm at a crossroads" Jack says, and damn if we as fans of the show are not right there with him.

Jack gets up and walks past Nuts on his way outside. He stops for a moment, Heller out of focus but visible in the background. The emotions are etched on Jack's face (Kiefer Sutherland can do more with silence than most actor's can do with lines of dialogue); we know there is nothing left to say even though there is so much unfinished business between these two men.

Jack walks outside holding the gun and goes over to the railing. He is staring out at the dawn of a new day, and he looks down at the waves coming in to shore. Literally and figuratively Jack is on the precipice; one quick jump over the railing could end it. He could raise the gun in his hand and do the same. Again, the expression on Jack's face is worth so many words. It is clear he has seen the horror of death from every perspective and now even the possibility that it could come from his own hand.

He blinks his eyes and stares out at sea. Jack has chosen life, but he may not know why. He has been as low as any man can ever be forced to go, and now there is a chance to not only let go of Audrey but of everything he has ever known. The screen fades and we get the 24 clock counting down silently to end the hour and the season. Traditionally during this series, the silent clock has meant the death of a character. Here it signals the end of the show (and Jack) as we know it. What comes next year? It's a long, long wait until January to find out.

Until next season, Klaatu barada nikto!

TV Review: S6:22 of "24" - Lovers and Other Stranglers

When Jack Bauer dispatched bald villain Abu Fayed in Episode 17, I was worried that the remainder of the season would be a letdown; however, I had nothing to fear. The last five installments have been a grinding ascent along the ladder of rising action toward what I am predicting will be an explosive climax followed by a resonant (and I believe) devastating resolution, but more about that later.

We picked up where we left off last week with the CTU crew and Jack being held hostage by Zhou and his Chinese gang, who were working for the evil Cheng Zhi. Jack didn't understand why these thugs wanted his nephew Josh, but we already knew that his father Phillip (Stretch Cunningham) Bauer had orchestrated this assault to liberate his grandson. Jack, never more dangerous than when unarmed and cornered, has the wheels spinning in his head as to how to get out of the situation. Everyone else is sitting around rather helplessly with Milo's corpse sprawled on the floor as a reminder of how ruthless these guys can get.

Cheng and Phillip are in contact by phone, and we see that there is a tempestuous relationship between them. Phillip seems to have the upper hand since he is in control of the component, but he also makes veiled threats that seem to have the usually unflappable Cheng a little nervous. He warns Cheng that he won't be the one to deal with him should he fail, and we are left to wonder who the bigger fish are in the slimy little pond that these guys call home.

At the White House Vice President Noah (Jim Jones) Daniels is awaiting word on how his sting operation is going that involves his former lover Lisa Miller and the Russian spy Bishop. He has a heart-to-heart talk with Karen (Hillary) Hayes about his shortcomings as a leader (and, without saying it, as a lover). Hillary has never seemed kinder than at this moment, praising Jones for his strength in this tough situation, but Jones is hardest on himself, knowing he had the power to keep the country out of hot water and failed because of a blonde in a short skirt.

At Bishop's apartment the sex has been steamy, but Lisa has an expression on her face (like she just made love to a slithering eel) that gives her away. Bishop knows something is wrong, but when she excuses herself to go to the bathroom, Bishop jumps up and is ready to download info from her PDA for his Russian superiors. Something spooks him though (probably because it all seems way too easy this time), and when Lisa comes out of the bathroom Bishop attacks her and asks for answers as he strangles her (maybe he's the right guy for lovely assassin Mandy).

Tom (Twitchy) Lennox and his men have been outside watching the whole thing in a van. It seems to pain Twitchy to give up this vicarious pleasure, and that blow-up doll back in his closet at the White House is so far away, but he rises to the task at hand and they burst into the apartment and stop the attack. Lisa is in bad shape and an ambulance is called, and Tom has Bishop secured in the bedroom where they have a little talk about crime and punishment. It seems that Bishop has only one choice: help with the situation or face the death penalty for treason (same argument they used on Lisa).

Back at CTU Zhou and his men are getting ready to escape with Josh in tow. They begin herding the personnel into rooms before they make a getaway. This gives Jack the opportunity he was waiting for. He and Nadia hatch a little plan and, as the process takes place, Jack and Nadia attack the terrorists. Morris (Yul Brenner) O'Brian gets in touch with his inner Navy Seal and participates in the fun. Jack snaps Zhou's neck, but Nadia seems to be losing her battle until Doyle and the cavalry come riding into view and take out the rest of the bad dudes.

Two of the terrorists have made off with Josh, but Jack and his new BFF Nadia reach an understanding that gives Jack a gun and Doyle as a partner. They go off after Josh, and it seems these two guys do work well together (when they are not on opposite sides of the fence). A quick pursuit leads to Jack and Doyle dispatching the bad guys, narrowly missing getting Cheng Zhi, and securing Josh once again. Josh and Uncle Jack have a quick moment to bond and gives that paternal side of Jack a chance to shine. One can only wonder how good a father Jack could be if he just was given a chance at a normal life.

When Josh explains that his grandfather spoke to him on the phone after he was captured, Jack realizes that Stretch is involved with Cheng. While not saying anything directly, we can see Jack processing this information as he puts it all together that his father and brother were no doubt behind his incarceration in China for all those months. Poor, poor, Jack (and Josh), to have been born into a family such as this.

We get another glimpse of Jones and Hillary heading into the Cisco Conference Room (talk about product placement), where Russian President Subaru is revving up the engines of war. He knows that Jones has not secured the component and continues his threats to attack US interests (a base in Central Asia) in two hours if the situation is not remedied. Jones has had a really bad day (not quite as bad as Jack Bauer) and he seems unable to handle Subaru like the cowboy that I thought he was.

Stretch then calls the White House (I wonder how all these guys get such easy access to the President's phone line) and offers a deal: he will give Jones the component in exchange for his grandson. Hillary chides Jones about such a preposterous transaction, but before we can say "Monica Lewinsky," Jones has called CTU to authorize this exchange.

This explains why in the last scene Jack and Josh are separated by Doyle who has his men secure Jack (obviously, Doyle is not foolish enough to try to take on Jack by himself). As Doyle rushes Josh onto a helicopter, Josh is screaming "Uncle Jack" and Jack is at once shocked and angry that Doyle has turned on him so inexplicably. The last scene shows us a frightened kid being torn away from his family in order to settle a bigger score, and this sets Jack up for next week's big showdown.

Jack almost got to Cheng in this episode but he escaped. I imagine that in the exciting two-hour season finale next week that we are going to have some major league battles. Among them will no doubt be Jack verses Cheng, Jack verses Stretch, and perhaps even Jack verses Doyle (which, in essence, once again pits Jack against CTU, the White House, and all odds). I don't even have to guess who will win, because in the end, Jack Bauer is an iconic figure who can now be mentioned in the same breath as John McClane, James Bond, John Rambo, and Indiana Jones.

Jack's biggest battle of all may just be Jack verses Jack, and I think we are being set-up here for Jack's reclamation, but at what price? Can he reconcile the despicable things his father and brother have done with the notion of saving (what is left) of his family: Marilyn and Josh? And, when the day is done, will Jack be back on the CTU payroll or is he heading off to bigger and better things in another city, another state, or even a foreign country? That will be discovered next season, but I have a feeling that 24 and Jack Bauer are never going to be the same when Day 6 is over, and that might be the best thing that can happen for the fans and to the show itself.

Until next week, Klaatu barada nikto

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

TV Review: S6:21 of "24" - National Insecurity

Thus far, we have had two mini-climaxes this season: the nuclear explosion in Valencia (which we haven't heard a thing about in weeks) and the battle between Jack Bauer and Abu Fayed, which resulted in Fayed's death. These moments were essential culminations of the plotline, yet they also contributed to the overall thrust of the dramatic flow that we were hoping would bring Jack Bauer toward a necessary and compelling awakening of spirit. Sadly, as events have unfolded, especially with the Jack's rescue of Audrey and traumatic discovery of her catatonia, it seems more unlikely than ever that Jack will find some peace (at least in this season).

Last night's episode was a buffering one to be sure, a filler to get us closer to the ultimate climax of the season. Anytime Jack Bauer is kept in custody for most of the hour usually falls into this category, and we can see the wheels spinning in Jack's head as to how to get out of that holding room and get in on the action.

Conveniently, his sister-in-law (and old flame) Marilyn is still on the premises along with his nephew Josh. Chloe brings Marilyn in to see Jack, and their exchange is another in a series of longing glances and deep stares. The expression on Chloe's face is not exactly one of jealousy but more disdain for Marilyn, confirming what we have always believed: Chloe has deep feelings for Jack that go beyond the professional level.

Jack is told that Audrey has been whisked away by Secretary James (Nuts Landing) Heller, so this goes down as one of the most brief and yet devastating cameos in 24 history. Jack is not surprised by Nuts taking his love away, but Marilyn is steadfast in her expression of loyalty and affection to Jack. This gal really, really wants to comfort Jack in the worst way. If only Chloe would get lost for a few minutes, Marilyn could get down to business. Oh, but wait, Jack has already rebuffed her advances and probably would once again. It's not easy being Jack Bauer under any circumstances, but he is like a caged tiger at this moment.

At the White House plans have been made for Lisa to reconnect with Bishop. Her PDA has been loaded with misinformation to hopefully be sent to the Russians. The goal is to avoid a standoff, or worse, an attack by the Russians on an American base in Central Asia that would warrant a response (and seemingly start World War III). Lisa's character seems nothing like the coldly calculating woman who was assisting Vice President Noah (Jim Jones) Daniels on his course to take over the presidency. Now she acts the part of scared little blonde, which does nothing to endear her to Jones. Lisa is sent back to Bishop's apartment wearing a wire, while Tom (Twitchy) Lennox and his men wait outside for her to successfully complete her mission.

Meanwhile, Agent Mike Doyle and his team are searching a warehouse for Cheng and his men based on a lead provided by Audrey. It seems Cheng had been holding Audrey there and is now gone, so Doyle is going to search the place for clues, but it seems like a waste of time and more part of the filler I mentioned previously.

Cheng's evil plan is revealed as being an attack on CTU itself. In the past, security has been breached in various ways at CTU, but this is the first time that the whole building has been invaded by hostiles and taken over. It seems a bit too easy for the Chinese terrorists to come in through the sewer system and take control of a major branch of the government like this, but that is exactly what happens.

Once the leader Zhou and his men have control of the place, he asks who is the boss. Nadia is scared but Milo (who found a pair earlier in the day when he rescued Marilyn and got shot in the arm) steps up to the plate and announces that he is Milo in charge. Zhou quickly puts a bullet in Milo's head, effectively ending his return engagement at CTU. Chloe, Morris, Nadia, and the rest are mortified by this abrupt killing, and they realize that this bad day has taken a real turn for the worse.

Of course, Jack Bauer hears the attack going on and manages to get out of holding and soon has a gun in hand. He tries to rescue Marilyn and Josh and brings them pretty close to escaping. Josh gets into a ventilation duct and starts crawling away as Jack runs out of ammunition (this has happened more times this season than ever before). Jack and Marilyn are taken prisoner as Josh scrambles off into the ventilation system.

The object of this invasion of CTU is revealed as Zhou focuses on capturing Josh. The expression on Jack's face conveys his puzzlement at this. Why would they want his nephew? Zhou gets on the PA system and tells Josh he is there to rescue him and take him to a safe place. Josh isn't buying this, so Zhou warns him that if he does not come out of hiding that he will kill Marilyn. A countdown begins as Zhou holds a gun to Marilyn's head, but Josh crawls out of the ventilation duct and is taken prisoner.

At this point we are all wondering what is going on. Zhou calls Cheng and informs him that Josh is now under his control. Cheng is happy with this news and then makes another phone call. What to our wondering eyes should appear? Papa Phillip (Stretch Cunningham) Bauer on the other end of the line. We have been wondering where Stretch has been since he ran away from Jack and left him the message to call ex-president Chucky Logan. I guess he's been down at Kelsey's having a few beers, but during that time he also managed to give Cheng the access codes to CTU. So that's why it was so easy to take over the place!

The episode ends with a close-up of Stretch, looking extremely satisfied that his grandson is now under his control. As we wonder about next week's episode, we are obviously being set-up for a showdown of epic proportions, a Shakespearean-like final act that will leave the stage strewn with bodies (hopefully Cheng and Stretch will be among them). We know Jack is going to do something to try to save Josh, and Mike Doyle is like Fortinbras, a man of action ready in the wings to swoop in and become a major player.

As I noted earlier this season, the dynamic between Jack and his father explains a great deal about Jack's life as an agent. It is a classic battle between good and evil, with Jack being the Luke Skywalker to Stretch's Darth Vader. Jack has spent a good deal of time trying to reach the light, but he has been haunted by the dark side all along. His rebellion against his father and escape from the family and its nefarious business has been all about Jack finding a way to right the sins of the father.

Will there be a final battle between Stretch and Jack (light sabers not included)? Will Josh be liberated from Cheng? Will the rest of the CTU crew survive? Will Doyle arrive in time? Will Lisa accomplish her task after all the hanky and the panky are done with Bishop? And where the hell is Bill Buchanan during all this? Let's hope the next episode is more than filler, giving us some answers instead of all these annoying questions.

Until next week, Klaatu barada nikto!

TV Review: S6:20 of "24" - Is Jack Bauer Really Cursed?

At the end of last night's episode, after Jack was willing to blow himself up in order to save Audrey's life, her father James (Nuts Landing) Heller appears on the scene and unrelentingly disparages Jack. While it is bad enough that he forbids Jack to see his daughter ever again, Nuts also puts a whammy on him by saying, "You're cursed, Jack. One way or another, everything you touch ends up dead." Nuts in some ways is playing the part of Job's comforter here, and his words add heft to the burden Jack already carries.

Since Jack Bauer has certainly put his share of people into graves (either by his own hand or dealing with someone he loves dying), viewers might argue that what Nuts says to him isn't far from accurate; nevertheless, this cruel verbal assault literally cuts right into Jack's heart, for he no doubt is thinking of his wife Teri and all the friends he has lost. Is Jack really cursed and has this curse brought death and misery to everyone he cares about?

I have been contemplating Jack's relationships and the dynamics involved, and Jack's case aligns similarly to the Biblical character of Job. One might ask how much can one man take, and when will that man eventually turn and curse that which he loves most. In Job's case, his wife wanted him to "curse God and die," but for Jack it is even more complicated. Jack lives in an almost godless universe, where nothing is sacred and everyone has his or her golden idols. For some it is money, others power, and for someone like Cheng Zhi it is a political goal.

Over the course of six seasons we would have to say that CTU is the place that Jack has loved to hate. If Jack has any faith remaining it is intricately entangled with CTU, the people who work there, and his desire to find some kind of love. What is clear is that Jack remains capable of love, despite all the fractured years he has lived without it. Jack wants to love, but he needs to find a way to get there first.

After losing Teri there might have been no hope except for his daughter Kim, but they are estranged and may never reconnect. His chance to love again came in the form of Audrey, daughter of the Secretary of Defense Heller for whom Jack worked. This seems to be the relationship that Jack has lived for, through all the bad days and even his incarceration at the hands of the Chinese. Yet that love has been undeniably impossible to realize, for one obstacle after another gets thrown in his way.

The Job analogy can be further supported by the introduction of Jack's phantom family this season. Instead of being able to find comfort in home and hearth, Jack learns that his brother and father are behind all the machinations of last season and this one. They are thieves, murderers, traitors, and terrorists: the same kind of people Jack has sworn to stop at all costs. This dramatic irony is not lost on the viewers, but this almost piling on of hardships makes like the straw that should break Jack's back, but he soldiers on because what he believes is his greater purpose is bigger than all his personal hardships.

We must wonder if Jack will end up like Job and be rewarded for remaining steadfast in his faith. It does seem impossible right now, yet Jack Bauer is the reason why we watch this show and why we invest so heavily in the plot and events that take place. In essence, we wait to see if Jack will overcome the slings and arrows and, by opposing them, find a way to defeat the bad guys and attain some personal harmony.

Last night's episode was largely about Jack's incarceration in a holding cell at CTU, his escape with the help of Mike Doyle (he's not such a bad guy after all), and Jack's attempt to not only save Audrey but to gather some kind of information from her. A doctor from District has come with nefarious plans for Audrey, which include a medically induced "shock" that could snap her out of her catatonia or kill her. The doc is willing to take this chance, but Doyle knows it smells bad.

Jack does liberate Audrey and they escape into the bowels of CTU (it is amazing how a security agency can have so many unguarded areas) and have an opportunity for a brief, tender reunion. It is truly bittersweet for Jack, because he can see what the Chinese have done to her and understand it better than most (since he himself has endured it). Jack speaks softly and reveals his love for her, reminding us that he remains hopeful and believes he can still attain some kind of happiness. If nothing else, that is his driving force and explains why he is still unrelentingly adamant about his pursuit of right against wrong.

Meanwhile at the White House Vice President Noah (Jim Jones) Daniels discovers that he has been cuckolded. It is not pretty when Tom (Twitchy) Lennox informs Jones that his paramour Lisa has been having an affair with Mark Bishop. Lisa, who goes home to get her unmentionables and has a quickie with Bishop before returning to Jones, has been duped by Bishop, who downloads info from her PDA faster than they serve French fries at McDonald's.

Lennox and Jones apparently have plans for Lisa, who when confronted briefly pretends there is nothing going on with Bishop. Jones sets her straight and explains that this is about more than them. Russian President Subaru has called to issue a threat to Jones: get the component back from Cheng or suffer the consequences (that being a Russian attack on an American base in Central Asia). Lisa seems more than overwhelmed by all this, but Lennox is prepared to put her into action in order to neutralize Bishop and exploit his connection with the Russians.

Back at CTU we get more nonsense between Morris and Chloe. Morris tells Chloe that it is over between them, and Chloe is finally realizing that her big mouth gets her in trouble (Chloe said something stupid to him about arming the nukes while he was Fayed's prisoner). Morris cannot take it and storms upstairs to Jack's old office to demand a transfer from Nadia (who took over on an interim basis for the fired Bill Buchanan). It's nice to see that, during a national emergency, Morris has his priorities in order.

Milo makes another brief appearance, but he chides Nadia for not just letting Jack talk to Audrey in the first place. He tells her that is what Bill would have done. Nadia is like, "Bill, Bill, Bill!" and knows it's tough to fill his shoes, but some poor schmuck has to until the shadowy Division sends someone to take his place. What is amazing is that only a few hours before Nadia was smooching with Milo in a corner, and now she is giving Doyle that come hither CTU look that Tony and Michelle perfected in seasons past. Hey, Nadia, you have some work to do to generate that kind of heat.

All of this comes back to Jack Bauer and his meeting with Nuts. As seen in last season's encounters, there is a dynamic of respect between these two somewhat similar men, but there is also the paternal element and Nuts has his fangs ready to defend his young. It isn't surprising that Nuts would feel this way about Jack's life being dangerous for Audrey, but he should recall that he himself got her kidnapped in Season 4 because of the work he does.

The last few seconds of the episode are devastating in that we get a close-up of Jack Bauer digesting all that Nuts has just said. It is a credit to Kiefer Sutherland that he can convey in a few seconds what ittakes hours for other actors to accomplish. In a blink of an eye and a twist of his head, we know that Jack agrees that what he touches ends up dead.

Is this moment the coup de grace for Jack? Or will he be able to rise above it once again to tackle Cheng and stop a war between Russia and the United States? My bet is that Jack is going to be grabbing a gun and kicking Cheng's butt from here to Beijing before it's all over.

Until next week, Klaatu barada nikto!

Why I Keep Watching "24"

Since I am fortunate enough to write a weekly review here about the television drama 24, I was contacted by Scott Collins of the LA Times and asked what my feelings were about this sixth season of the series. I thought about it for a while, and this was my response to him. One paragraph of my response did appear in his article.

Season 6 of 24 has been a roller coaster ride to be sure. The first four episodes were fast-paced and led to a mini-climax (in terms of the season story) with the explosion of the nuke in Valencia. After that we slipped into a soap opera like zone where Jack confronted his phantom family. While this worked for me, it was a bit of a stretch to discover that Graem (the seemingly evil mastermind behind last season's action) was Jack's brother. It was also equally difficult to deal with the new father, nephew, and sister-in-law that just happened to be Jack's old flame.

Still, there was the pressure of finding the rest of the nukes that kept the pulse racing more times than not. Jack is always under the gun because of the clock, and it seems never more so than this season. There were a few weird subplots, especially one involving the autistic man, but in general the action raced forward until Episode 17 when Jack killed Fayed and recovered the last two nuclear suitcases. Of course, this is when he learned that Audrey was alive and a prisoner of the evil Cheng Zhi, so now the rest of the season is about how this will be resolved.

As a fan of 24 since day one, I think the writers have recycled some plots this season that are glaringly obvious: a recording, an almost removed president, an assassination attempt on that president, an attack on a Middle Eastern country, an impending nuclear strike, a person close to Jack kidnapped, etc. Many of us who are longtime fans see this as inevitable, but those who have jumped on board recently either don't realize that the plot is recycled or don't care.

I think the bottom line is that we still care about Jack Bauer. Kiefer Sutherland has infused this role with grit and humanity. Despite all the horrific things Jack has had to do, there is a sense that he is on the right side, thus we are satisfied going along for the ride in order to see him survive and defeat evil and maybe find a path to some kind of happiness.

The entire arc of the series from Season 1, Episode 1, has taken Jack a long way from that chess game with his daughter Kim, and I think that is intentional. In those early episodes Jack was depicted as a lighter being, his hair and face bright with hope (even when facing dire circumstances). The death of his wife in the last episode of Season 1 set the tone for what has been a steep descent into, if not the maelstrom, certainly the darkest place a human being can go. There is no down for Jack Bauer. As he said earlier this season when facing his own death at the hands of Fayed, "Truthfully, it will be a relief."

Ultimately, I think season 6 has given us Jack Bauer fighting back from the brink. He surprises us sometimes (like when he was so compassionate with the autistic Brady), frightens us (when he was suffocating his brother), and pushes us along on his quest to either save the world from the bad guys or himself from a grisly end.

I believe that when the series ends (maybe the end of next season) that Jack Bauer has to make the climb out of the hole and back into the light of day. I have often mentioned this in correspondence with friends and fans, and I believe the best ending would find Jack in a better place, perhaps even playing chess with Kim as her baby sat on her lap. Most of us want to see Jack find some happiness, but getting there is not going to be easy. That is why I continue to watch 24 and will keep watching until Agent Jack Bauer stops having the worst days of his life.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

TV Review: S6:19 of "24": Jack and Audrey and Bill and Hillary

Since Jack Bauer has put his life on the line so many times during this season, we are probably inured to his being in danger and his willingness to sacrifice himself for others. Yet last night's episode put him in a unique situation because this dying for someone else involved Audrey, the woman Jack loves. During the six seasons of this show, we have witnessed Jack having to "trade" with bad guys for countless things. For example, just last season Henderson had Audrey and Jack gave up the recording. We would think that by now Jack would have become an expert at this sort of thing, but here Jack is greatly outnumbered by Cheng and his men, so he comes up with an idea to use enough C-4 to blow the building, himself, Cheng, and the desired component from here to that Chinese laundry in the sky.

The problem is that only Prez Wayne knows about this plan and he is a little bit under the weather at this point (he has suffered a stroke and is in the hospital). This leaves Vice President Noah (Jim Jones) Daniels in charge at the White House. Jones is kind of busy himself, getting things in order with his staff and the sneaky-looking blonde Lisa who has been making goo-goo eyes at him for hours now. Jones isn't swaggering so much in this episode; it's more like his tail is between his legs. He knows that Tom (Twitchy) Lennox has a recording (yes, yet another recording) of him conspiring with Lisa to commit perjury, so he is a little worried about that. He asks Lennox what will happen, but Twitchy is just worried about protecting himself. They reach some kind of agreement.

Meanwhile, Karen (Hillary) Hayes has been cornered by some guy with a laptop and she knows that he's got something on her. She watches as Reed Pollock (the guy who engineered the assassination attempt on Prez Wayne) tries to worm his way out of the death penalty by giving up her man Bill Buchanan. It seems Bill had arrested Fayed (Mr. Clean) a while back but had nothing to hold him on, so he had no choice but to let him go. Of course, Fayed goes on to drop a nuke on LA, but how can you blame old Bill for that?

Hillary has to make a difficult choice about Bill (hmm, that sounds familiar), and in this case she realizes that she has to sacrifice him for the sake of her career and the good of the country. In essence, Hillary fires Bill and thus leaves CTU a bit vulnerable in this time after the worst crisis in US history, but a gal has to do what she has todo.

Jones is skulking around the Oval Office like a panther in heat, and once everyone is gone he sets his paws on lithe Lisa and lets her know he wants her to stay the night. She kisses him (one of the most sickening television scenes since Sanjaya and the hair) and then says she has to go home and get a few things. I don't know if this sent up any red flags for anyone else, but I'm starting to think that the "mole" (and there always has to be a mole in every season) just might be our little blonde bombshell. Wouldn't that just be so nice for Jones? A panther getting bit by a viper?

Doyle is in hot pursuit of Jack and his man-bag. This guy has been trumped by Jack twice already, and he still keeps trying. Now he steals a car that just happens to have a cell phone in it. He gets in contact with gang at CTU and they help him navigate his way toward Jack who is at the rendezvous point at an abandoned hotel waiting for Cheng and Audrey.

We get a scene between Milo and Chloe that just adds on to the previous minutiae that we have suffered between these two. Milo rolls his eyes like it is a waste of time, and he is right about that. Upstairs in Jack's old office Bill is packing his bags and handing over the reigns of CTU to, get this one folks, Nadia Yassir (just a few hours ago she was under arrest and suspected of being the mole). Before Bill walks out the door the staff gets dour looks on their faces, and he shakes hands with Nadia and mumbles something incoherently. If I were him, I wouldn't be leaving with such dignity, but that's our stoic Bill.

Back at the hotel Jack has set the C-4 and awaits his former tormentor. Cheng arrives with a gagged Audrey, and Jack barks at him to get the gag out of her mouth. Cheng complies (oh, man, does Jack want to beat this guy senseless) and Jack tells her to get moving. Jack shows Cheng the component but says he will only give it to him once Audrey is out of range of the snipers. Audrey goes running off into the night, and Cheng is annoyed because his egg foo young is getting old. Enough is enough and Jack tosses the component to Cheng, who snags it with a basket catch like Willie Mays. Maybe if he went over and played baseball in Taiwan as a kid, none of this crap would be happening.

At this point Jack is readying to blow them all up, but Doyle intervenes and starts shooting Cheng's men. A TAC team arrives and a firefight ensues. Incredulously, Cheng runs outside, gets in a Hummer,and escapes. A helicopter briefly pursues him but is hit with a surface to air missile and has to disengage. Back at the hotel Doyle arrests Jack who is screaming about how he had the whole thing handled. Doyle's men bring in a befuddled Audrey, and Jack realizes that she doesn't even know who he is. Holy brainwashing hell, Batman!

We don't get the convenience of flashbacks in 24 the way we do in a show like Lost, so we cannot be certain what Jack went through during his twenty months in Chinese prison. We do know he was tortured and suffered, and we can assume that the only thing that kept him going was the thought of his lady love Audrey. Unfortunately, Jack didn't know that Audrey was also in a Chinese prison and, unlike Jack, she was not trained to withstand the rigors of such circumstances. In this episode we see the results of her incarceration and they are not pretty.

What a way to end the episode. Audrey is non compos mentis, Jack is under arrest, Bill has been fired, Lisa is getting ready for a night of passion with Jones, and Cheng is running around with the component. The dung has hit the fan, ladies and gentlemen, and we have five remaining episodes for Jack to clean up. I'd say the first order of business is that Jack has to escape. Judging from his dealings with Doyle in previous weeks, this isn't going to take long. At least let's hope so.

Until next week, Klaatu barada nikto!

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

TV Review: S6:18 of "24" - Jack Goes Rogue

In the best moments of 24 during past seasons, Jack Bauer has had to work outside the rules and regulations of CTU, but usually for the good of the country. This season Jack has mostly gone by the book, even when he had to kill his former partner, Curtis, in order to stop the terrorists from accomplishing their goals of another nuclear attack. Last night we got to see the old Jack Bauer, calling in favors from Chloe and pushing all boundaries to save Audrey, the woman he obviously still loves. Jack is back!

The odd situation gets set up by Jack’s success in dealing with the terrorist threat. After killing all the bad guys, including Abu (Mr. Clean) Fayed, it seems like Jack will be able to return to CTU and get medical attention for broken ribs and other injuries. Unfortunately, his old tormentor Cheng Zhi has other plans for him. The former diplomat (and now terrorist) Cheng has kidnapped Audrey Raines, Jack’s former lover and the daughter of Secretary of Defense James (Nuts Landing) Heller.

What does Cheng want? Some gobbledygook about deciphering the entire sequence of Russian defense codes from a device inside the nukes (yet another “component”) ensues, and we can rest assure that Jack is in for a difficult time. Jack speaks to his lady love briefly, and we know that he is going to do everything in his power to save her.

Her Chinese captors have managed to take the once glamorous Audrey (you may recall her stylish outfits and equally trendy white coat from last season) and make her look like a broken waif, her hair black and stringy and her face sallow with cuts above her eyes. The sympathy factor kicks in and we want Jack to save her from this brute Cheng and, of course, administer a dose of justice like only Jack can deliver.

The problem is Jack must get the component and two surly and burly Marines are guarding it. Jack does a little babbling about a Presidential directive, and soon he is inside the gate where the nukes are waiting and he’s got Chloe on the line helping him. One of the most satisfying aspects of 24 has always been the Chloe-Jack dynamic, with her steadfast loyalty to him making her do things outside her job description. Will Chloe get caught helping Jack? Of course, she usually does, but that is also part of the equation.

Morris (Yul Brenner) O’Brian catches Chloe and threatens to report her to Bill (More Stoic Than Ever) Buchanan, so Chloe agrees to tell Bill what she has done. Sooner than you can say “damn it” Doyle is on scene with some other agents and gets one of the Marines to hit Jack with the butt of an M-16. Just when we think the proverbial jig is up, Jack talks to Bill on the phone and gets to make one phone call (a sly reference to his denied request after Cheng captured him last season).

Whom does Jack call? The President of the United States, of course. That Jack, always going straight to the top. Actually, it is no longer reassuring to hear Jack say those sacred words, “Mr. President,” the way it used to be when Jack was talking to David Palmer in seasons past. Now, David’s brother is the Commander in Chief and doesn’t inspire that same good hands confidence.

Admittedly, Prez Wayne is under duress from his near-death experience with a bomb earlier that day; however, he does prove that he is carved from the same presidential timber as his brother in dealing with Vice President Noah (Jim Jones) Daniels. He tells Daniels that he must resign and literally shows him the door to the Oval Office. Things seem rather stable until Jack calls, but Wayne feels an allegiance to Jack and authorizes a mission to get Audrey back (even though it involves using the component for the trade).

At CTU Chloe is in deep trouble as Bill tells her he no longer trusts her. The rest of the gang is coordinating this new venture to assist Jack in his attempt to rescue Audrey. Milo and Nadia are seen very briefly, but there is little time for them to go into a dark corner and lip-lock again. Bill seems all the more disturbed when he gets a call from his wife Karen (Hillary) Hayes, who looks as if she got highlights in her hair at the White House beauty parlor since last week.

Hillary tells Bill that Prez Wayne has had a stroke and that Jones has taken over again, making his first order of business to stop Jack’s mission to save Audrey. We could see this coming, of course, because Jones is power crazy and also has no relationship with Jack as does Wayne. It seems Prez Wayne is now off the playing field for good, so his threat to use the recording made by Tom (Twitchy) Lennox is history. This put Jones in charge and everyone else in big trouble.

Jack is in the car with Doyle heading to a rendezvous with Cheng. Bill calls Doyle and Jack immediately suspects something is wrong, so what is Jack to do but pull his weapon and order Doyle to stop the car. Doyle tells him that he doesn’t want to do this, but Jack explains that he killed Curtis earlier that day and would have no trouble killing Doyle. Doyle gets out of the car and Jack drives off.

I’m not certain about Doyle yet. One moment he is admiring Jack’s handiwork at killing all the bad guys and securing the nukes, and the next minute he has Jack in handcuffs. The truth seems to be that Doyle is a company guy and follows the rules like a good soldier. Obviously, he can learn a thing or two from Jack about what it takes to be able to work outside the box as an effective agent.

Back at CTU Bill announces to everyone that Jack has gone “rogue,” and that is just where we want him to be. Jack Bauer is never better than when he must work against all odds, and now it seems they are all against him. As Jack heads off to meet Cheng with no support, we wonder how he will make the exchange. Will Audrey be saved? Will Jack be able to recover the component? Most importantly, will Jack pull something out of his bag of tricks (yes, the man-bag is back) that will turn Cheng into chop suey?

Until next week, Klaatu barada nikto!

Makes No Difference Who You Are: Disney Welcomes You Home

If you have ever been to Walt Disney World in Florida and stayed at a Disney resort, you are familiar with the words "Welcome Home." This phrase is repeated by everyone from the bus driver, the concierge, the bellhop, the maid and the cashier at the store to the workers at the theme parks.

At first it was a little amusing when I heard this, but after the fifth time or so it became somewhat eerie. I wondered whether or not these Disney people had been drinking some kind of Mickey Kool-Aid and were part of a weird cult. This cynicism slowly faded as I saw the wonder in my five-year-old daughter's eyes and understood that they were all part of making the magic happen for her (and for her Mommy and me, too).

Disney is all about magic from the moment of arrival. There is a sense of stepping through a looking glass, a sense of wonder that springs from the child we all still have hiding somewhere inside us. It took me a bit of time to adjust to this, but on the way from the airport to the resort, when I saw the road signs with Mickey ears and the billboards announcing various rides at the theme parks, I was hooked as much as my daughter was.

The mat outside each room at Disney Saratoga Springs has the words "Welcome Home" on it, and the room was a comfortable little "villa" with a complete kitchen, a large master suite (with Jacuzzi), a large living room, and a balcony with a lake view. There was a spa, two golf courses, and four pools on the grounds (each with water slides and spraying fountains). Needless to say, though the accommodations were lovely, my daughter's focus was on getting to the parks (and staying in them for as long as possible).

The first stop on this six-day whirlwind tour was The Magic Kingdom. Since this vacation coincided with our Easter break, we went at a time when seemingly a million other people had the same week and a half off. As we entered the park through the train station and came out onto the sunny Town Square, a parade was in progress and the enormous crowd was enthusiastic. As the floats went around the circle, my daughter caught a glimpse of Cinderella waving to everyone with her Prince at her side. She tugged on my sleeve, gave me a quick thumbs-up, and returned her attention to the parade.

Later as we walked (more like slowly shuffled) down Main Street, U.S.A., pressed in among thousands of other people heading toward the castle at the center of town, I felt like I had made a major mistake coming at this time of year. Once we were standing close to the statue of Walt and Mickey in the circle that opens out to the castle, a musical stage show (Dream Along with Mickey) commenced and my daughter was thrilled to see all her favorite characters dancing, singing, and interacting with the crowd. Her excitement and happiness made me realize that this was what the vacation was about. The crowds, no matter how large, were not going to ruin it.

This was an amazing start to the rest of our journey. Every step (and there were nothing but steps as we walked from attraction to attraction and ride to ride in each park) brought us closer to a kiddy nirvana, a place where dreams collide with reality and make for a memorable experience no matter how old you are. Luckily, for $10 a day you can rent a single or double stroller that is not only good for the little ones' legs, but is a damn fine place to toss those backpacks heavy with water bottles, sunscreen, and other supplies.

It became surreal standing on line for twenty minutes or more to get on a ride, listening to parents and kids from all over the country (and the world) talking about their exciting experiences at Disney. My wife discovered that we could also get a FASTPASS. This is kind of like cheating because it gives you a time to come back to the ride or exhibit and avoid the lines (although there are usually lines for FASTPASS, too). The most rewarding rides were ones like Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan's Flight, Mad Tea Party, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant. The only "scary" ride my daughter went on was Splash Mountain. She came off a little shaken and wet, but later on said it was her single favorite thing at Magic Kingdom.

After spending the short first day at the resort pool (because it was so hot and we got in late from the airport) and two full days at the Magic Kingdom, it was time to get to the other parks. Animal Kingdom, the newest of the theme parks, was our next stop and it was an amazing place that is part amusement park, part zoo, and something like a journey to the far corners of the earth. The thing my daughter enjoyed most here was Festival of the Lion King, which is a full-blown live spectacle of beasts and humans. Familiar characters from the movie make an appearance and sing and dance while acrobats take to the air.

The different sections of the park include Discovery Island (complete with a huge Tree of Life that is surrounded by animals similar to those found on the Galapagos Islands), Africa (with the best safari anyone is going to find this side of Kenya), Asia (the Kali River Rapids features exciting white-water rafting), and DinoLand U.S.A. (Finding Nemo - The Musical is a must). This park provides quite a contrast after spending time at the Magic Kingdom, and the good news is that it is not as crowded even at the peak time of mid-afternoon.

The next day we went to Epcot, and I must confess this was my favorite place. As you enter the park, you can't help but be impressed by the huge white sphere (home of the Spaceship Earth presentation) that is as immediately recognizable as Cinderella's Castle, but represents Walt Disney's futuristic vision more than anything else. There are great rides to be found here including Mission: SPACE (featuring the more intense and exciting Orange Team and the Green Team for those who want a more sedate experience), Test Track, and Soarin'. By the way, those rides that are a physical challenge are advertised as such, with signs posted outside warning those with various medical conditions not to come aboard.

Despite all the other attractions, the heart of Epcot is the World Showcase, where you can stroll through pavilions featuring realistic representations of places from all over the earth. Each "country" has streets with distinctive shops, restaurants, and attractions that one would find in the real places without having to take the arduous voyage to get there. I particularly enjoyed Maelstrom in the Norway section, a replicated boat voyage that shows what the Viking era was like. The beer is delicious in Germany, the sushi fresh in Japan, and don't pass up the cappuccino in Italy.

The highlight of this day was a carnival mask (like one found during New Orleans' celebrations) that my daughter designed in the Italy section (materials, markers, and crayons were provided). We then had to "travel" to every pavilion where she would get an attachment for the mask (representative of that country) and also a stamp. For collecting these items from all eleven countries, her reward was a colorful Disney poster, but the thrill of the chase for these things was more than enough for her.

On the last day we visited the fourth theme park, MGM Studios, and this was another exciting adventure for us all. At the center of it all is a huge wizard's hat (just like the one worn by Mickey in Fantasia) atHollywood Junction. Here my daughter reveled in the High School Musical Pep Rally and met some of the characters she had been longing to meet.

One of the most interesting diversions in these parks is seeing children line up to get the "autographs" of their favorite characters. Autograph books and special Mickey pens are sold in all the parks, and it is unbelievable to see children and adults (no chances for a FASTPASS here) waiting in long lines for these ten to fifteen-second encounters. We did get autographs in the other parks, but the most coveted ones were found here (Mickey and Minnie). Even I couldn't help but jump in a picture with Mick and shake his white-gloved hand (my daughter was not the only one waiting a lifetime to meet this charismatic mouse).

MGM Studios is a delightful place (and features the Brown Derby if you want to treat yourself to one great meal in the parks) that is made to look like old Hollywood, with swaying palm trees, art deco buildings, and bright pink and blue archways that reflect days of the golden age of films. We saw the best shows in this park, with the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular being the most thrilling 30-minute adventure you can imagine. Also, don't forget to come back at night for Fantasmic, a superb laser and water show that is the best of some very good evening entertainment found in the parks.

While running around the parks and trying to see all the sights, get on the rides, and watch the shows, it isn't that simple to stop to shop or eat. We packed a brown bag lunch every day for each of us, and this was fortunate because the lines for a sandwich, cup of coffee, or an ice cream could be as time consuming as the ones for the rides. As for shopping, the best thing to do is probably wait until evening and take some time to get away from the parks and visit Downtown Disney.

Downtown Disney is a waterfront stretch of shops, restaurants, pubs, clubs, and entertainment centers that is vibrant and not just for kids. In fact, the area known as Pleasure Island is specifically designed for adult visitors only. The other areas are very kid friendly and most of the restaurants have children's menus. The stores are packed with everything one might want to bring home as a souvenir or give as a gift, and there are enough toys to please the Jolly Old Elf himself. In fact, Once Upon a Toy is one of the best toy stores I've ever visited and is a must for kids of all ages.

When we were sitting on the plane flying home, I was sorry our vacation was over and that the time went so fast. I went to Disney as an unbeliever, but I came away understanding that the words to the song my daughter loves really do apply while visiting there: "When you wish upon a star / Makes no difference who you are / When you wish upon a star / Your dreams come true."

As cliché as it may sound, visiting Walt Disney World is very much like having a dream come true, for it is a place where people from all over the world can enjoy unimaginable sights and sounds, but still hear the words "Welcome Home" and feel like they just arrived on their own doorstep.