Speaking of angels… did anyone watch this last night? (Dani, I’m looking at you ;). Tough viewing (not for the faint of heart) but I enjoyed it, the themes of life, death and denial are very interesting. Looking forward to (and half dreading!) tonights ep…

Errrrr nope. Was watching Monday night’s taped episode of 24. Lots of life, death and denial in that too ;)

Never even heard of it.

More info please…

Yeah I’ve still got Monday’s 24 on tape, looking forward to it ;)

As for Angels in Ameria, well ABC is only billing it as the TV event of the year! :rolleyes: haha just kidding, from the ABC site:

Angels In America
ABC TV announces the television event of the year - the premiere screening of Angels In America, Tony Kushner’s award-winning adaptation of his Broadway smash hit features Academy Award winners Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson with an exciting support cast directed by Hollywood legend Mike Nichols. On Tuesday June 8, Wednesday June 9 and Thursday June 10 at 8.30pm regular programming will make way for this astonishing program which has already won five Golden Globes, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and is a warm favourite to take out major honours at this year’s Emmy Awards. On Broadway the play won numerous Tony Awards as well as the coveted Pulitzer Prize.

The story covers the years from 1985 to 1990, years when the world was turned upside down by a strange discriminatory plague. It concerns AIDS-stricken Prior Walter (Justin Kirk) who is abandoned by his lover Louis (Ben Shenkman). Louis trysts with a closeted Mormon, Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson) whose wife, Harper (Mary-Louise Parker), pops pills to forget the unhappiness of her marriage. The political radical Louis does not realise that his new lover works for the swaggering, cynical attorney Roy Cohn (Al Pacino) who insists that he is battling liver cancer, not AIDS. After a distraught late-night phone call from son Joe disturbs her, Hannah (Meryl Streep) ventures to New York to counsel Joe but instead forms an unlikely, humane alliance with Prior.

Many of the cast including Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson are seen in a variety of roles with Meryl Streep playing the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg, an elderly Rabbi and an angel in addition to her role as the concerned mother Hannah Pitt. Emma Thompson plays a nurse, a derelict and the Angel of Death and Hope. Jeffrey Wright who has won a Tony Award and a Golden Globe Award for his work is seen as the nurse Belize and the engaging Mr Lies.

Not exactly a feel good show.

24 must be the only TV show on the box in which a person you have never seen before shoots at the heroes and is killed without any explanation, and we all nod sagely and continue watching :) Any other show and you’d ask questions like “Who was that?” and “Why did he just shoot up that office”..  he he.

Haven’t been watching Threat Matrix Rowen? ;)

Luke- don’t read this if you haven’t watched Monday’s episode yet.

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That office scene was wierd wasn’t it ;) I was thinking “Hello… who is this Diane chick” and I had barely finished the thought before she was shot dead a la Matrix.

At least the tail end of this season has recpatured what the first season had and what the second season sacrificed so that Kim could get kidnapped at least one more time! ARGH!

Lol, yup.  I’m still hoping that Kim gets killed off this season - there’s still time.  But at least she’s been locked up where she can’t go getting into car crashes or being used as a bargaining chip..

Luke,

I caught episode 1 and I agree with you that this show is not for the faint hearted or homophobic. The cinematography (spelling?) is so lush that some scenes seem to be bulging with richness of colour and texture, and most of the acting is superb. And the storyline and plot have so many twists and turns it is hard to guess what is going to happen next except for the homosexual Mormon lawyer coming out (could see that coming a mile off).

There’s no doubt that the show affirms the importance of relationships, love and personal sacrifice verses fear and selfishness, how people manipulate each other whatever their agenda (the conversation between doctor and patient was brilliant script-writing and great character and plot develpoment and clearly showed the abuse of power within human relationships), the pain and hardship individuals and relationships face and the consequences they must live with because of sin. There is so much more to the plot and characters....

The few scenes which showed the supernatural invading the created world were amazing - very Twilight Zone for me. This will be developed further tonight. I wonder if the bible has been a reference source for the screenwriters understanding and portrayal of angels? Have to wait and see.

I’m still not sure if I ‘like’ this piece of TV drama. ‘Like’ seems such an inappropriate word. Definitely amazing stuff - not the usual TV sitcom or tele-movie.

ray is raving as I type ...

I watched this last night ... and tonight I couldn’t really face it again ... so my partner is in the front room watching it with the dog - they might fill me in later.

I agree - the conversation / confrontation between Ray and his doctor was very good. And I loved the telephone call between Joe and his mum (Meryl Streep as good as I’ve ever seen her), but, there’s something about it that I find tedious? can’t put up with? something.

Maybe it seems to be revisiting things that we’ve been through and learnt from already, and I don’t want to look at all that mess again. Thank you.

Well put Angela & thanks for your thoughts Lynn - looking forward to hearing what the dog has to say ;)

Tonight’s two eps were a lot more light hearted than the first two. Possibly to a fault, I felt mostly bemused by the whole thing. Maybe its the calm before the storm, I don’t know. Looking forward to see how it pans out tomorrow!

Well, last night’s episode was a doozie. An upset, hurting angel revealing itself to a man with HIV complaining of mankind’s behaviour and the negative effect it has had on God! The angel can’t understand how, mankind, the LOWEST of God’s creation (opposite to the biblical account), has caused God to abandon heaven and abandon his angels.

This depiction of God and angels had more in common with Greek mythology - Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Herma and the other gods who dwelt on Mt Olympus and who had a weird mixture of supernatural strengths and very sensual, human attributes and behaviours - than the holy, faithful (who doesn’t abandon his creation or his purposes), transcendent God who rules his creation with truth and justice.

And the angel having sex with the man with HIV - very ancient Greek indeed. Can’t imagine the bible was used as a reference at all.

And the mormon lawyer who believes in salvation by works and is ignorant of the God of grace. Tragic.

What a mad collection of characters and circumstances. I wouldn’t say this is the best TV I’ve seen as the pre-broadcast hype declared.

That… was amazing :)