Watching Showtime

Rather than discuss the last four episodes of Huff one at a time, I feel the need to just lay it all out there. I was hugely disappointed with the path these last few episodes took. The writers had already created a ton of drama, and there were a lot of events that could have catapulted these people in very different directions. Instead, we were left with a Craig I now despise, a Beth I want to strangle for her naivety, and several other cursory characters who I actually care more about now than ever.

First off, what’s with making the decision to make Craig play into the stereotype so obviously? The hot young thing shows up at his office selling something, and he ends up making out with her. Guilt drives him to accuse his wife of seemingly ludicrous action, and to turn drunk, disorderly and violent for the remainder of the season. I wish television writers everywhere would put a moratorium on this sort of storyline. It’s been done. A hundred times before. And it kills interest in the character. Want to make him interesting? Parade around the hot young thing and have him tell her to bugger off. Better yet, don’t fall back on stereotype when at a loss for a new storyline. Come up with something original for once.

And Beth? Blind to the hot young restaurateur’s affections? I sincerely doubt she would have had no idea that man wanted to get in her pants. Again with the stereotypes. I did appreciate her reaction to Huff’s accusations, however. It is too often that women in television and movies make excuses for their husbands’ reactions to such situations. Beth calls him on it.

As for Russell. Can we get him off all the drugs before we give him a baby. Especially a baby with the least likely of women. What happened to Pepper? When are they going to to foster the relationship he so obviously has with his secretary? Instead they give him a love child from a drug-induced night of stupidity, and have him sleep it off with Izzy.

Byrd and Teddy are the only two characters left I have any appreciation for. Byrd, with all his teenage angst and confusion, seems to be finding his way quite nicely. I like that the writers don’t pull any punches with his explorations of sexuality and drugs. Teddy will always hold a spot in my heart because he’s so damn cute. Throw out the crazy and Teddy is a man I’d look back at on the street. So these two can stay.

The rest of the characters? Well, I’m not so sure about them. And I also don’t know if two characters is reason enough to watch the second season.