There was a phrase in my thesis that got snipped by my editors. Of all the cuts and changes that I had to make, this …
Dawson’s Angst in Moody Creek
Aurevoir, l’Amerique du Nord!
American Teen Drama seems to have a thing with France… Brenda and Donna go there for a summer class (BH90210), Arthur spends the summer there …
Freaky Friday-ed
It’s a fairly common phenomenon on teen dramas to witness a parent-child relationship that is characterized by some form of role reversal. This can mean …
Oh, Phallic Snake Monster, Symbol of Male Power
In Season 2, Episode 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Title: “Reptile Boy”), Buffy lies to Giles to get out of her Slayer responsibilities and …
High School Continuity
In some ways, teen dramas are pre-loaded, narrative goldmines. High school offers many possibilities for stories, conflict, first experiences, mistakes, etc. Of course all teen …
Balance
These moments when life feels in balance seem to be extremely rare, so best take advantage while it does and write pages!
On Grief
For a remarkably sad, depressing season, the sixth series of Skins ends on a surprisingly uplifting tone. Too uplifting, a little voice in the back …
Maximized Narrative Potential
I frequently and emphatically recommend Veronica Mars to anyone who happens to mention they haven’t had the chance to see it. It’s one of those …
Speaking to my 11 year old heart
April 14th, 1912. Possibly the only historical date I can confidently recite. The 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic has brought the 1997 …
Boys who are bad for our girls
It occurred to me watching Buffy, and in particular some DVD special feature, as Joss Whedon describes Buffy’s relationship with Spike in season 6—some people …