Style and Grace

ROB SALEM in the Toronto Star has a nice profile of Grace Park, who debuts as Special Agent Liz Carver on Monday's episode of THE BORDER.

"The pace is really fast. You probably have to watch it at least twice before you actually understand what they are saying. You kind of just get the gist ... you're riding the wave, but you don't really know what wave you are riding."

Born in L.A., but a Vancouver resident since the age of 2, Park is once again the transplanted American in her new role as Liz Carver, a Toronto-based U.S. homeland security agent all the way from Idaho.

"She's a good girl," she says, immediately putting considerable distance between it and her interim TV role – filmed as she was wrapping up Battlestar – as sassy sexpot intervention agent Akani Cuesta on the initial season of A&E's The Cleaner.

"(Carver's) dad is a Methodist preacher," she reveals. "You kind of find that out along the way. She had three brothers, so she kind of knows how to hold her own. She was the girl of the family, so she also obviously knows how to be feminine. But she doesn't want to be a guy.

"The girl is ambitious. She loves this job. She wants to do good at it, and she works her way up.

"But when the other characters are, like, `Tell Her Highness that we're ready,' you have an idea of how they see her."

This is the episode that my special guest blogger Will Pascoe talked about a few weeks back.

For those of you who care about such things, this was actually shot a bit out of sequence because of availability of our waterfront studio. So though it's the first onscreen appearance of Grace as Liz Carver, it's actually the second episode she shot.

Isn't TV magic?

Obama-era TV

ME AND JIAN discuss how TV might change under Obama. Paging the zeitgeist. Right after the awesome song by Serena Ryder.

Also, I find it disturbing that CNN's Campbell Brown seems to consistently think exactly what I think. Because, um, if we're going to share a brain anyway, why does she get to be the pretty one?

You are the ones who supposedly vetted her, and then told the American people she was qualified for the job. You are the ones who after meeting her a couple of times, told us she was ready to be just one heartbeat away from the Presidency. If even half of what you say NOW is true, then boy, did you try to sell the American people a bill of goods. If Sarah Palin is the reason some voters chose Barack Obama, that is no one's fault but your own. John McCain, as he so graciously said himself the other night, lost this election. He lost it with your help, your advice, your guidance, and yes, your running mate recommendations. And that is crystal clear to everyone, no matter how hard you try to blame Sarah Palin or anyone else.

Fork.

SO TONIGHT IS the wrap party for Season 2 of The Border. And with that, I shift from production writer mode back into the standard warren of the freelancer. From moldy office back to cluttered solarium. From jeans back to sweatpants. From [too much information,] back to [too much information]. I'm lucky. I have a couple of projects on the go that I can segue straight into. It'll be fun inventing worlds again instead of trying to replicate or reflect a vision that isn't necessarily your own.

I've told the same story to a couple of friends now, that Wednesday I walked around feeling all weird, and didn't know why, and sure -- there was a bit of Obama-induced-hangover in that mix -- but I realized mainly that what I was feeling was...rested.

I'd slept through the night for, like, five whole nights. In a row.

But ill winds still must blow. And one of the gusts over the transom was a really odd piece by John Doyle this week, that started out about the CRTC decision on unbundling, and no carriage fees, and then segued into the uselessness of the Geminis. What was odd was that right there, on the way, there was this strange little drive by:

Thing is, see, a lot of people who work in Canadian television - producing, writing, directing and acting in Canadian-made TV - spend a lot of time complaining about the lack of attention they get. They complain about Canadian broadcasters making money from simulcasting U.S. network shows. They complain about everything. Yet, in the case of their own awards program, they are happy to let the thing roll out in relative obscurity. It seems to me that they're perfectly happy talking to each other, reading each other's blogs, whining and telling each other how great they are.

Here's a piece of advice - get out of the house, stop blogging and reading blogs for a while. Leave the Facebook pages alone for a few days. Go talk to people who watch TV, not just the ones who make it. You'll probably find that very few of them have heard of your shows. You might also find that they're willing to watch if they hear that the show is really great. And they know it's great if it gets awards and attention. So get cracking on fixing your awards show.

Um. Well. Okay.

I confess, not really sure how to react on that one. And luckily I don't have to. Jim Henshaw has done so. And this seems to be new Jim. Jim is all restrained and stuff. It's weird. Perhaps he's gotten some rest, too.

What has gotten to me over the last while is the tension of trying to be in the industry and of the industry, and discussing the industry. There are plenty o' people who'll come up to me and offer wonderful unsolicited advice about what I should write, or write about. You even see it in the comments here, sometimes. Gradually, too, it seems that the substantive discussion has moved from my comments to my inbox. Everyone wants to dish the dirt -- just not where people can see.

Oh I get that. I do. That's the problem, you see.

The amount that I know that I can actually write about has been dropping pretty steadily for more than a year. It's been a weird summer in Canadian TV. If you're in the soup, you know what I'm talking about. There's heap big trouble down at mill. And to be honest, the solutions are problematic at best. More and more it seems that there are elements, stuff that I believe that I just can't say.

And that makes me wonder if this is just the natural lifecycle of someone going from outsider with nothing to lose to insider. I don't feel like an insider. It's ... weird. It makes me feel uncomfortable. You know, in my bathingsuit area.

This is a blog, not a journalistic outlet. And I'm confident enough saying what I say knowing that the utter lack or renumeration keeps it honest. But you should know that if you're looking for unvarnished truth here, you're probably not going to find it. I guess that's inevitable. The further down the road you go the more you have to lose.

So what I'm saying is, uh...stop asking. You want to be Deep Throat? Blogger can have you up and running in five minutes. My goal's the same. Try to help like-minded people create TV they're proud of, and shows they actually want to watch. Try to improve things for writers throughout this industry through dialogue, discussion, inspiration and attention to craft.

So, as I contemplate that shift from production writing back to development, I think maybe it's a natural time to take a fork, again. You'll probably start seeing more posts about craft and craft-related matters here, and less about the industry as a whole. That's where my head will be at as I start to work out new characters and stories and series ideas. Maybe I'll even finally be able to watch a bit more TeeVee. I'm down to a few hours a week now. It seems wrong, somehow. Like an Opera Singer who never practices and just listens to AC/DC.

One more thing. In his piece, Jim talks about the outreach and education efforts being undertaken by Karen Walton at inkcanada. I think community building is important, and informal and formal mentoring...and maybe some of those meetings with people just getting into the business is going to make their path through things easier than it was for me, or for some of the other bloggers and tv writers out there. I think that's a worthwhile goal. Your mileage may vary.

In any case, it's what I can offer. Hope you like it. And if you don't, I of course offer you a full refund, no questions asked.

Now. Where's that wrap party invite...?

Madder

BY THE WAY, interesting to see that in our latest totally non-scientific poll on the sidebar, just under half of the people who responded indicated that they wouldn't watch a Mad Men that wasn't steered by creator Matthew Weiner.

So there.

Logrolling Roundup: Nerdity, Press, and The Q

FRIENDS OF MINE from my days at Canada's SPACE channel have started a nifty new venture, a portal called Hardcore Nerdity which is worth checking out. (It's in the sidebar.) Yesterday they met with me along with Toronto Star Televsision Writer Rob Salem at an undisclosed location. (Okay, Okay, it was actually the Dominion on Queen Street East) to do an edition of their podcast.

The topic of discussion was the U.S. Election and its coverage, Presidents real and fictional, Canadian TeeVee and Michael Crichton.

Meanwhile, we're now at the point where I give interviews about stuff and totally forget I've done it. I think this one was from awhile back though, so that's probably why I missed it. Cassandra Szklarski compares and contrasts three prairie-set Canadian comedies, Less Than Kind, Corner Gas, and Little Mosque on the Prairie.

Interesting fact: so far as I know there's one guy I know who's worked on all three: Comedy Dynamo Rob Sheridan. Rob, as anyone who's ever met him can attest, is a veritable son of the open field. A corn fed, prairie loving, small town man of the people. Yessir. If you want to know what "real, rural Canadians" are thinkin' -- Sheridan's your man.

Anyway, here's a bit of my blather from the article:

Identifying the reasons for a boost in Prairie programming seems just as hard to nail down. McKinney suggests a ramped up rivalry among provinces trying to attract TV productions while McGrath posits larger forces at work.

"You've got to talk about what cycle you're in and things go in cycles," says McGrath, whose writing credits include "The Border," "Rent-A-Goalie," and "Across The River To Motor City."

"Right now, there are no shows that are really set in the Maritimes, whereas if you go back on Canadian TV screens maybe seven, eight years ago, there were like three or four series that were supposed to be coming out of Newfoundland."

He argues that today's political and economic climate encourages a shift away from shows set in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, especially in light of recent upswings in Western provinces.

"It's the place where all the money is, it's the place where the oil is and it's in many ways, the economic engine," he says, singling out Calgary as a new locus for the country.

"And then when you go to some of the other places in the heartland of the country ... it's not so different."

By the way, that's really true. I often posit larger forces at work.

Next, that Rick Mercer Report segment from the set of The Border is finally up on the YouTube. This is my favorite TV cameo ever because I'm mercifully, finally silent. And I love stories on how the gak works. Oh, and Director Brett Sullivan is dreamy. I said it. Please, to enjoy:



Finally, if you were so inclined, you could always tune in CBC Radio's Q tomorrow, where sometime in the 2nd hour I'll be talking about what President-Elect Obama, and the shift in U.S. culture he represents, might mean for the kinds of TeeVee you'll see coming your way soon. That's Q at its new time: 10am on CBC Radio.

Oh Say Can You See

YOU ARE THE NATION that I dream of.

You are the better angels of our nature. You bind up our wounds.

You judge the content of our character.

You are, finally, completely, the place where it is morning, always. You are the city on the hill.

No matter what the cost, you have a thousand points of light to guide you, and you will fear nothing but fear itself.

And I'm goddamn proud to stand with you.

Yes. We can.

And in the words of one of your better (fictional) presidents:

"What's next?"

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

Yes.

Be Good to each other tonight.

The real work starts tomorrow.

CTV's The Bridge & Global's Pilot Slate

CTV HAS JUST ordered eleven episodes of a new scripted series called The Bridge. From the release:

Based on the insights of veteran insider and outspoken former Toronto police union head Craig Bromell, CTV has ordered 11, one-hour episodes, following the production of a two-hour pilot shot in Toronto last summer. THE BRIDGE provides an unflinching look at the struggle street cops face as they not only battle criminals - but also their own bosses - in order to protect society and, ultimately, themselves.

Produced by Barna-Alper Productions, an Entertainment One company, 990 Multi Media Entertainment Company and Jonsworth Productions, in association with CTV, production of THE BRIDGE is scheduled to begin in 2009.

THE BRIDGE becomes the third, new original drama series to be ordered by CTV in the last year, joining last summer’s breakout hit FLASHPOINT and THE LISTENER, currently in production.

“Craig Bromell is one of the most galvanizing figures in the history of policing in Canada,” said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc. “We look forward to working with him on THE BRIDGE, and bringing to Canadian audiences a distinct and authentic view of life behind the scenes of a modern police force.”

“We set out to make the most realistic two-hour movie drama about cops ever seen on TV, and it has paid off,” said Craig Bromell, Executive Producer, 990 Multi Media Entertainment Company. “We expose the inner workings of a big city police force - the police, power and politics behind the blue line. It’s something that hasn’t been seen before on TV, and we’re grateful to CTV for this opportunity..”

Written by five-time Gemini Award winner and six-time nominee Alan Di Fiore (DA VINCI’S INQUEST, THE LIFE, THE HANDLER), THE BRIDGE peels away the veneer of a big-city Canadian police force to reveal the political machinations underneath. After the rank and file unanimously vote street cop Frank Leo (Aaron Douglas) into office as union head, he begins his quest to put street cops first and clean up the force from the ground up.

But the old boys’ network running the police force and the city’s self-serving politicians are not about to sit idly by while a former street cop makes up his own rules. Frank walks a thin blue line as he battles wiretaps and a concerted campaign to bring him down, letting nothing stop him from fulfilling his unwavering vow that when cops are in trouble, the union will be there.

There's a lot going for this project, starting with DiFiore and Fawcett. They've also assembled a great cast -- Aaron Douglas was the Chief, and usually the heart, of Galactica, as well as Ona Grauer (who was originally in Flashpoint before the role was recast, post-pilot, at CBS' behest) Inga Cadranel (Frannie on Rent-A-Goalie) and Frank Cassini.

I have to admit, I'm a little uncomfortable with the glorification of Bromell. I think it's great that CTV acknowledges that he was a 'galvanizing' force, but that's kind of an understatement.

His tenure as union head of the Toronto force was controversial in the extreme. He headed up the Operation True Blue campaign, and was contemptuous of civilian oversight. Yup, he fought for his cops, and they loved him for it. But there was much about the man's methods that sent a chill through portions of the city.

One time, when I was worked at CityTV, I found myself leaving work one day in the midst of a Bromell-led wildcat strike. As people left the building, they were treated to catcalls by dozens of police -- some in uniform -- waiting outside. It was the single most sinister thing I've ever been invovled with; really, really upsetting. Seriously, you have no idea what it's like to be catcalled and harassed by dozens of cops. Brrr. I've never really felt the same way about the Toronto Police since. (Before that they'd come to my assistance a couple of key times in my life. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but...man.)

But here's the thing: the writer in me, the TV guy in me, rather than being turned off by that, is attracted to it. Because it's frightening, and edgy, and potentially explosive. And very, very real. I find the prospect of a show with Bromell's involvement incredibly exciting. That impulse, the "oh, man, I don't know about this..." could just be lightning in a bottle. We've seen the "thin blue line" done from the outsider perspective. Here's the opportunity for a show that could be exciting and different. I'll sure as hell watch. It will be interesting to see if they can keep it from being an in-the-tank hagiography of Bromell. If the creatives and Bromell can keep it from being too one-sided, if they allow his Douglas-inspired doppleganger to be the anti-hero he should be rather than an apologia for a misunderstood cop, well, this might just be the most exciting Canadian TV series ever. Imagine the fights in that story department! The discussions, the arguments, the back and forth? We could use our own version of The Shield -- where Mackey is both disturbing and sympathetic. If they can bottle that? Wow.

And imagine the publicity tour.

Meanwhile, Canwest has released new details about those upcoming drama pilots they ordered last week:

The one hour drama Shattered, a Force Four Films Ltd./Blueprint Film and Television Ltd. production to be shot in B.C., will be directed by Bobby Roth (Prison Break). The roster of acting talent confirmed today also includes Callum Keith Rennie (Californication, Battlestar Gallactica, Hard Core Logo) as the series lead, Kyle Logan, an ex-cop with a multiple personality disorder.

I was worried that Global might get scooped on this because of My Own Worst Enemy. But that Slater-vehicle on NBC doesn't look like it's lighting any fires, so maybe there's hope for this. I love Rennie. I'm really enjoying him in Californication right now.

EDIT: a commenter below says he's read Drew's script for Shattered and it's great. Awesome! Now all they have to do is not screw up the execution somehow!

David Wellington (Would Be Kings, The Eleventh Hour) directs the House of Films Inc./Four Seasons Productions Inc. drama Clean, to be shot in Toronto. Ben Bass (The Eleventh Hour, Law and Order, Queer as Folk) is cast in the lead role Bobby Gould, an addiction counselor with Tom McCamus (Shake Hands with the Devil, Queer as Folk, Slings and Arrows) confirmed as a series regular, Dr. Wilson McKenna, CEO of Happy Valley Treatment Facility. Sonja Bennet (Young People F(*)cking, Control Alt Delete) plays Caroline, one of Bobby’s colleagues.

This pilot shot out of the same Production Office complex as The Border. Wellington's a good Director, and the script is by a really interesting playwright named Adam Pettle who's branching into TV. I'd need to see this one I think. Could be great, could be depressing and airless. If it's funny, I'll like it better. This one's all about the execution.

Luke Kirby (Tell Me You Love Me, Slings and Arrows, Mambo Italiano, upcoming feature Labor Pains) takes on the role of the lead character, insurance adjuster Jimmy Burns, in the Whizbang Films Inc production of Lawyers, Guns & Money.

Clark Johnson (The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street, also an Emmy nominated director on The Shield), joins the production as Walker Hearn, a retired cop and Jimmy’s unofficial mentor alongside Carole Cave (The L Word, Regenesis) as Angela, a company lawyer. Steve Bacic (The Guard) is Pavel Korkov, an ambitious local gangster who clashes with Jimmy. Ken Girotti (Mayerthorpe, Rescue Me) takes the directorial helm of this production which will be shot in Hamilton, Ontario.

I ran into Girotti at the Geminis, night 3 (ohgod) just as he was winding down prep for this shoot. He was stoked -- and extremely happy being able to shoot The Hammer for the Hammer, which I am all over. It's a GREAT locale for a story like this. Johnson's a get, and though I haven't read it, I hear the script by Malcolm MacRury -- who's also picking up buzz for the upcoming ZoS. Wonder what they're going to do about Bacic if this gets picked up -- I don't imagine both The Guard and this show, shooting thousands of miles apart, would be able to juggle shoot schedules so he could appear in both. (Besides the fact that it also extends the "same 10 actors in every Canadian show" problem...)

There's also another pilot called The Prodigy, that also has John Fawcett attached, but no other info.

One quibble about the Global release. They've been talking up the need for strong showrunners -- they even established a showrunner training program -- but guess who gets left out of the release? Sigh.

Still, point is, all of these shows sound promising. Of course, a million things could go wrong in the production process. Such is the nature of our collaborative medium. Still, I'm pretty juiced to see every one of these.

Could this be a taste of better things to come?

Stay tuned, citizens.

Thanks to TV, Eh for the releases.

CORRECTION: 01/10/09 - an earlier version of this story identified John Cassini (Robson Arms, Intelligence) as part of the cast. The Bridge actually stars Frank Cassini, his brother. Apologies for the error.

Dixville Notch 15-6 For Obama

WELL, IT'S HOURS before we'll know in the rest of the country, but in the symbolic first area in the USA to vote (minus absentee and early, I guess) it's a landslide. Fifteen votes for Obama. Six for McCain. In a town that hasn't gone Democrat for a long, long while.

It feels like the Night Before Christmas. And so, if you'll indulge me. There's this:



We all have a lot of work to do. And if you're in the USA -- first task is not to forget the final step.

VOTE.

The Hockey and the The Border

NOW IT CAN be told.
If you tuned in Saturday night, November 1, to Hockey Night in Canada for the Leafs-Rangers game, you might have been surprised to see a rather unconventional opening that served as probably the first ever Hockey Night in Canada-The Border crossover episode.

A producer at HNIC approached The Border team with an idea and a basic script involving Slade and some wayward NY Rangers.

After a couple of passes by Greg Nelson and our story department, our half of the bit was shot late on a Friday night after the day's wrap.

Since we were filming Ep.12 at the time -- my episode -- I stuck around as Director Brett Sullivan guided Jonas Chernick, Graham Abbey, and James McGowan through the bit.

I don't think it's spoiling anything to say that I read the offstage Don Cherry lines. (The Man himself was shot separately.) It's extremely freeing being Don Cherry, especially late at night. I suddenly got the pink suits, and the high collars, and oh so many things. We did a couple of takes, and sure, it was sloppy at first but these were good Canadian kids shooting the bit, not those dodgy Europeans, and it all worked out fine in the end, though Producer David Barlow was last seen mumbling about going five-hole on somebody over the overtime.

I think my Cherry got better by the end, but let's face it. There really is no substitute for the real thing.

Oh, and James McGowan practically had to be restrained to not throw in something about the Habs. A good Montreal boy shilling willingly for the Leafs?

Not gonna happen. Even if National Security is on the line.

Anyway, whatever Slade did, it worked, since the Leafs beat the Rangers 5-2.

If you'd like to watch the HNIC "Border" opening, click here.

And from here, I'll let La Chernick explain it:

Under "Choose a Category", click on "Hockey Night in Canada".

Then double click on "Full Events".

You're looking for HNIC Nov. 1 - NY Ranger 2 at Toronto 5. As of this afternoon, it's the fourth window down. That may change. Click on that window and...

The video should start playing. Our segment is right at the beginning, but keep watching to the 4 minute mark to hear the somewhat stunned commentators' reaction to the piece, which is VERY unconventional for Hockey Night in Canada.

There you go.

Tune in tomorrow on Cross-Platform Promo Theatre, when Rick Mercer visits the set of The Border, learns how to get shot, gets roughed up by Nick Campbell, and hopefully doesn't make too much of an ass out of me and Brett Sullivan.

The Promo:



Mercer airs tomorrow night, 8pm on CBC Television. Don't forget, a new episode of The Border airs tonight at 9pm. And next week, Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) joins the cast!

Dexter, Twitchell, and Feet: A Messy Rumination

I FIRST CAME across this on Will's site, but man, it's still a pretty freaky story for good old boring Canada...

EDMONTON — In a case police call a diabolically cruel convergence of art and life, local filmmaker Mark Twitchell will appear in court tomorrow charged with first-degree murder.

The 29-year-old fervid fan of the psycho-slasher TV show Dexter is accused of luring now-missing Johnny Altinger to a garage and killing him in a scenario that resembled Mr. Twitchell's latest film project – in which a man is abducted, tortured and hacked to bits.

“We have a lot of information to suggest he definitely idolizes Dexter and a lot of information that he tried to emulate him during this incident,” alleged Edmonton police homicide Detective Mark Anstey.

Dexter, a program on the Showtime network, follows Dexter Morgan, who studies blood spatters for Miami police but leads a secret life as a serial killer, hacking up victims in the name of vigilante justice.

One recent comment on Mr. Twitchell's Facebook social networking site noted he “has way too much in common with Dexter.”

None of the allegations against Mr. Twitchell have been proven in court and he hasn't had an opportunity to respond to the charge against him.

Now, of course, will inevitably come the "see, see what happens?" kind of stuff from the usual suspects who want to pawn human behavior off on external triggers rather than whatever internal soup that potentially lives in each of us. Oh, and make political hay. See, even in the comments of the article you get the predictable culture war spin:

All part of the creative Art that we support with taxpayer money. It is a subliminal cancerous parasite to our youth. Free marketers rejoice. The CTV GM uses censor to stamp out objection of creative entertainment or brands it right wing intolerance.

And so on, and so forth. Though I don't buy into that sort of reductive, "see, that's why we should censor" kind of thinking, there are some elements in this story that should give creatives pause.

First, there's the fact that the guy went into film. Obviously at one point he thought the fantasy of it all was enough for him. But it wasn't. A business that trades in illusion attracts marginal people. And what do all those marginal people really think, and do? Maybe there is something to be said for us being a little more vigilant, or at least engaged with each other. When fantasy seems to be creeping over into mental illness and dysfunction, then what?

On the other hand, he did come up with a way to solve the Canadian film publicity probl...

...Sorry. Sorry. I know. I'm a terrible person. That's a terribly insensitive joke to make.

The one truth I know is that most of the people I've met in film and TV are capable of murdering nothing more than a plate of nachos or maybe a case of beer. They're generally very lovable, sweet people. And nine times out of ten, the ones who can come up with the dirtiest joke, or the most twisted plot point, are, in fact, the polar opposite of what you would expect. The sweetest people come up with the sickest shit. It's just the way it goes.

See, that's where the idea of catharsis is very poorly understood. The idea behind a lot of horror films, or thrillers, is that you use the audience's sense of mounting tension to give them release. The release that comes from confronting fear in a good horror, or your anxiety in a thriller, allows you expunge those feelings -- and even enjoy them. It's a very old and primal impulse. It's why we like telling ghost stories around the fire.

But there are some people whose brains just don't work right. Let's take the example of this guy in the article. It's reported that he's a big fan of Dexter. So am I. But clearly he's getting different lessons out of Dexter than I am.

When I watch Dexter, I see a character who is sick and driven to kill, but tries to struggle against his impulses by killing only those people who harm and do evil to others. He fits neatly into the trope of the avenging angel. But that's a simple, one-level interpretation of the show. That's not what I enjoy Dexter for. What really intrigues me about Dexter is the fact that what it's really about is a man struggling to be human, and to transcend the darker parts of his nature. TV and film storytelling push things to extremes, in metaphor. So we have the ultimate other -- a killer -- and we try to see what in them is human.

This is contrasted by the other impulse -- that you're going to see in spades as this story develops -- where we try to de-humanize the killer -- to talk of his "evil," and describe him in terms like, "monster," or "lunatic." By denying his humanity, we'll also try to seek comfort by saying, "there is nothing like that inside me."

But the reason why we all keep watching, and making, and discussing these entertainments is because that's not true. We know, at some level, that genetically down to the last neuron, there is no difference between him and us. How do you deal with that, finally?

Well, some of us do it by watching things like Dexter.

I don't mean to issue a blanket kind of defence of the whole thing. I'm a pretty liberal guy, but the whole SAW like genre of fetishized torture-porn is something that I just don't understand. To me it doesn't push any of the buttons that a good horror is supposed to push. It's more like the one time in my life when I watched a foot fetish video. (editors. they collect things.) The experience was so weird because you could clearly see the film grammar at work, all set up and deployed to make this seem like the most erotic thing ever. And it wasn't. It was just...a bunch of feet.

When Mark Twitchell watched Dexter, I wonder, really, what was it that he saw? Cause I know we're not seeing the same things.

Ah. See what I did there? I made him the other. Just went there, totally naturally. Man, that's easy to do.

Humans be complicated.

(And yeah, I've left it out to the end, because hopefully it goes without saying, but what a horrible human tragedy, and I hope his friends and family get through it okay. I just don't think they're likely to get any answers, or comfort, unfortunately. That's just never how stories like this work in the real world. That's why we turn to fiction: because in dreams we can make things make sense.)

Time to Get Your War On

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

From 16 to 44

ABRAHAM LINCOLN SAID:

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."

The "real America" is dying to speak with its true voice. And if past is prologue, this won't be the first time the worst president in history was followed by the best.

Take a look at 15, then gird up and get ready to go out there tomorrow.

One more sleep.