Inane Plot Devices

One might say that I watch too much tv. One would be right. Part of my tv watching is professional. That is, I watch some shows to keep up with what's happening in the world culturally and, thus, get some insight into the various groups of the congregations I serve. Part of what I watch is just for fun. The internal illogic of many of my viewing choices, though, could be considered convoluted enough to make the venerable Mr. Spock's Vulcan head spin. (One would probably admit that La Femme Nikita isn't Top Ten material for most pastors under any circumstances.)

While I recognize that fictional tv, even based-on-fact tv, operates with an element of unreality and generally has storyline movement that would make any expert in the subject cringe, I'm pretty much able to put such incongruencies aside and enjoy the general flow of the story. Of course, most of McGyver's duct tape and chewing gum problem-solving is unrealistic, but there was just enough element of the plausible to let it slide.

Then there's the truly inane.

There are two shows that I watch right now where the inane just slaps me in the face. For one, I just shrug and keep watching. The other just irritates me to distraction.

Each Tuesday, I turn the channel to Glee and watch the inanity begin. It's built on super-exploded stereotypes and inane plot devices that often lack any continuity, or rhyme or reason. What high school principal would hire a housewife with no degree as the school nurse? LAWSUIT!! (Plus the school board would probably fire him in a snap.)

Yet I come back week after week to watch the next episode. It's not my favorite show, but I enjoy the show choir routines. But, even in the midst of such outrageous inanity, when they get that one personal note, that one teaching moment, that one AHA! head nod, I pump my fist and go, "YES!!"

Then there's Royal Pains.

OK. I willing to overlook the HUGELY inane plot device which got Dr. Hank to the Hamptons. Sort of. The guy comes to the ER on his day off with an emergency patient he began treating on the street, and gets fired, and then blackballed, because he doesn't manage to save the life of a billionaire patient, patron of the hospital, who happens to have some bizarre complication once Hank gets to the hospital? C'mon!

While the reviews describe the show as a dramedy, there's more drama than comedy. But it's a light drama and reminds me of McGyver, so I've hung in there.

But last night was the second season premiere. Out of the clear blue sky, the love-interest hospital administrator gets hit with this incredible animosity from one of the physicians (special-guesty, award-winning star-type person). Completely out of proportion to anything in the scene. All of the sudden, hospital administrator has a phyicians' mutiny on her hands and her job is in jeopardy?

She fired a doctor who was representing the hospital at a charity event while clearly enebriated. Well, d'oh! Her soon-to-be ex-husband waltzes back into the hospital, manipulates himself a job at the hospital, tries all sorts of sabotage to get her to take him back, and, when she doesn't (btw - Good for her! No one should be expected to enter or reenter a relationship under such circumstances), he quits. And it's all her fault? C'mon!

I'm not quite sure why this rubs me the wrong way so strongly, but it does. Don't know if I'll hang in there a whole lot longer, though.

Maybe I should just get a life, instead.