The Pilot

General discussion about the nineteen episodes of "My So-Called Life". Note: Our episode guide can be found here.
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muruch
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The Pilot

Post by muruch » Jul 11th 2004, 12:05 am

I rewatched The Pilot and the second half (I was too lazy to rewind the tape:p) of Guns & Gossip eps yesterday. I'm in awe that my ten year old tapes are still viewable. Memorex rox. I would kill for the DVDs, but it is nice to have those old commercials and promos (from both ABC & MTV) in between shows. Aw, remember The Maxx? No? Ok. Onward...

Some new & old observations about The Pilot:

-Best. Opening Scene. Ever.

-In case you didn't know, Kendra the Vampire Slayer (from Buffy) was one of the girls discussing fat-free food in the bathroom. She's the one that says "Good question" when they're walking about. I believe her character was called Girl #3 in the credits. :)

-Tino is the coolest and I love him.

-There's never been any show like it. You can compare other shows to it, but it just takes one scene from MSCL to prove that it was and still is in a class all its own. The music, the settings, the lighting, the dialogue, the clothes, Claire's chin...nothing can touch it.

-Unlike every other show I've ever watched, MSCL managed to make a pilot episode that was just as good, if not better, than the rest of the series. In that first hour, they managed to introduce us to all of the characters and how they interacted with each other, and so much more. They captured the full emotion of the main plots (teen girl's life, her friendships & family, and her crush) and set up a bunch of subplots (Rayanne's drinking & her lack of parental supervision, Rickie's suspicious fleeing from the cops, Graham's cheating, Patty being adopted, etc.) for the rest of the series. Unmatchable.

-I love the montage of Brian answering questions in various classes. It's so normal and yet so cute and funny. Geeky boys are the best.

-The one-sidedness of Rayanne & Rickie's friendship was obvious from the beginning with her ridiculing and ignoring his attempts to seriously talk about romance and him hinting at his caretaking of her "she blacks out when she drinks".

-Someone needs to write some Angela/Rayanne femslash around that car scene. "with your hair like that, it hurts to look at you". That look between them. Hot!

-I really love how Brian rushes to help Angela up when she stumbles at the end of the pilot ("these aren't my shoes"). The way he reaches for her and the expression on his face...that is why I have always chosen Brian over Jordan. That natural, involuntary way that Brian cared for Angela even when they were bickering. The emotion that practically made him quiver in her presence, even when he was being a bitch.

-Even being the Brianite that I am, I still feel that old bittersweet feeling, that memory of my high school crush(s), every time Angela smiles that smile. You know the one, when she sees Jordan seeing her in the police car at Let's Bolt and then again when he stops her in the hallway. That look of joy and surprise and pride at *finally* being noticed by her obsession. Oh I remember it so.

-I understand Patty more each time I watch it, especially as I get older. But I think I will always cringe along with Angela when Patty makes her tightlipped remarks about her hair, quitting yearbook, "that Rayanne girl", and when Angela comes in covered in mud. "I respect you, god!" (I was so Angela, my poor mom:)

-I love Angela in The Pilot more than in any other episode. I think it's become my favourite episode after all these years. She's so innocent and full of emotion. She always was, but especially in that first episode. Like when she's talking about Anne Frank to the cop, that pure look of wonder on her face when she smiles and says "she was free". She was such a good girl. (again, I was so Angela, my lucky mom:p)

-I suspect Miss Mayhew moonlighted as a stripper. Miss Mayhew's Bra Strap would make a great band name.

-It's a Wonderful Life is playing on the tv in Patty's bedroom when Angela apologizes.

** Question for you: Why was the cheerleader crying in the hallway? What's her story?

--

"Okay, so maybe he's bi. Who cares? His cousin can still drive."
Muruch 'thanks a lot, big brain' -kurt vonnegut

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whitespy12
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Post by whitespy12 » Jul 11th 2004, 1:46 am

Haha, YESS! THE MAXX! That was a damn good show... you know, as far as gritty animated shows about a big purple hero who lives in a cardboard box are concerned. Jeez, i haven't seen that show since i ran back in '95. You just brought back a world of memories to me, muruch. Kinda makes me sad that I can't turn on MTV anymore and watch great stuff like MTV Oddities, Aeon Flux, Beavis & Butt-Head, and, of course, My So-Called Life reruns. Oh well. I'm just rambling off-topic...

Anyways, i agree that the Pilot was truly excellent. It set up everything we needed to know, and it did a damn good job of it. I never noticed that "Girl#3" was played by the same girl who played Kendra in Buffy, but i'm definately gonna hafta check that out. Speaking of people who played bit parts in My So-Called Life, i dunno if anyone is actually familar with him or the Freddy Krueger movies, but Ken Sagoes, who played Kincaid in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and 4, played the Paramedic in "Other People's Mothers". Just something I found interesting...

Also, about the crying cheerleader, i never really got it either, but i'm guessing it's just to show a realistic portrayal of life. It's kinda like in "Pressure" when Cynthia asks Angela if she ever worked at Big Guy Burger. Neither of them had any relevance to the story, they were just to show some things that go on in life. I've seen people crying in hallways, and i've been asked seemingly pointless questions by people. It's just what happens, and i think it makes the show more realistic. Or maybe i have no idea what the hell i'm talking about.

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Natasha (candygirl)
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Jul 11th 2004, 2:39 am

FYI - the episode discussion for the Pilot can be found here. You can find a complete list of links to all the episode discussions here.
Natasha aka candygirl :: MSCL.com

Look, if this is weird for you, being tutored? I don't mind helping you a little longer.
You could have sex with me if you really want to help...I guess that's a "no"?

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