Being Erica - Season 4

[Snaploud]

I decided to create my top 20. I did it quickly, though, so I'm sure I left out a lot of great shows. Also, I'm not sure the rankings have quite settled yet.

1. Babylon 5
2. Being Erica [I ended up putting it just below Babylon 5. It's somewhere in my top 3, but it's hard to rank those three. I'm sure the final season will be the determining factor for how high I put this one.]
3. The West Wing
4. The Cosby Show
5. Star Trek: The Next Generation
6. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
7. Stargate SG-1
8. Quantum Leap
9. Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister
10. Batman: The Animated Series
11. Star Trek
12. Veronica Mars
13. Farscape
14. Meerkat Manor
15. Jeremiah
16. Supernatural
17. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
18. Doctor Who
19. The Twilight Zone
20. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

 

[intrinsical]

Being Erica is tied right up on top of my list of all time best shows together with Doctor Who. I alternate between the two, depending on the time of the day. Yup, I rank it higher than than Star Trek, TNG, DS9 and Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica.

 

[Snaploud]

I can't believe I forgot about Doctor Who! *goes to try to edit list* And I really should stick the original Star Trek in there. *edits list* nuBSG doesn't quite make the list for me.

 

[Snaploud]

I worked it up to a top 50:

1 Babylon 5
2 Being Erica
3 The West Wing
4 The Cosby Show
5 Star Trek: The Next Generation
6 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
7 Stargate SG-1
8 Quantum Leap
9 Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister
10 Batman: The Animated Series
11 Star Trek
12 Veronica Mars
13 Farscape
14 Meerkat Manor
15 Jeremiah
16 Supernatural
17 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
18 Doctor Who
19 The Twilight Zone
20 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
21 Friends
22 Early Edition
23 Justice League/Justice League Unlimited
24 Superman: The Animated Series
25 Eli Stone
26 Odyssey 5
27 Gilmore Girls
28 Escape to Chimp Eden
29 Firefly
30 Survivor
31 South Park
32 Life on Mars (UK)
33 Angel
34 The Dead Zone
35 The 4400
36 Joan of Arcadia
37 Dead Like Me
38 Futurama
39 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
40 True Blood
41 Freaks and Geeks
42 Mad About You
43 Frasier
44 Kings
45 Top Chef
46 Hustle
47 Wonderfalls
48 House, M.D.
49 My So-Called Life
50 Coupling (UK)

 

[Technobuilder]

Alright so Hulu is my friend. (An annoying, irritating, overly-repetitive & commercialized friend but hey, I'm getting to watch a Great Show for free.)

I've just started episode 7 of series 1 and I have to say, I'm digging it.
The lead actress is quite good and very cute. It's easy to feel for her character of Erica Strange.

With the path that Erica is on at the start of the series, it's hard not to see parallels from my own life thus far, reflected in her journey of self-discovery.

The lessons are important ones, especially for someone coming to terms with who they are and discovering what being that person is really all about. She's on the road to self-realization/actualization and I'm just glad to be along for the ride.

Thanks for letting me know about this little gem.

ALSO:
I've been keeping up a list of favorite quotes via Dr. Tom. there are some really good ones too.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Yay, another fan! Yeah, I like the way the show deals with life lessons and doesn't chicken out.

 

[Technobuilder]

I'm just starting episode 9 as I've been home all day cleaning the kitchen and watching episodes for a break.

My jar dropped when Dr. Tom gave Erica a Tambourine and she time-hopped back to before she was born during a time-hop.

I guess I was subconsciously thinking Quantum Leap "traveling within one's own lifetime" rules and it was a nice little shock.

On the side I've started putting together a pseudo "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" type group concerned with fixing mistakes, altering events, and putting right what once went wrong. So far it features groups such as:
The Leapers (from Quantum Leap)
The Journeyman (from Journeyman)
The Doctors (from Being Erica)
Those who get Tomorrow's Newspaper Today (from Early Edition)

I'm also thinking of including The Reapers from Dead Like Me.

 

[Agent Richard07]

^ I think your jaw will drop again and again come season 2.

 

[Canadave]

ALSO:
I've been keeping up a list of favorite quotes via Dr. Tom. there are some really good ones too.

I wish I had his ability to drop topical quotes into conversation on a regular basis.

 

[Technobuilder]

^Something I've always wanted to be able to do myself. Sadly, I just don't have the ability to memorize lines verbatim. Even as I'm listening to the quote, the few seconds I take between pausing the video and writing it down, I tend to horribly mangle the quote in question.

One question I have for those who've seen the series though is this... Does the question of why Erica never discusses what's been happening to her with anyone else ever get addressed in the series?

 

[Owain Taggart]

The Doctors from Being Erica seem to be pretty philosophical in nature. Does make me wonder what organization they belong to. On the other hand, I do like having the sense of mystery about it all and I think if they don't leave enough to the imagination and divulge too much about what the doctors are all about, I'll likely be disappointed.

That particular bit doesn't get addressed as far as I know.

 

[intrinsical]

One question I have for those who've seen the series though is this... Does the question of why Erica never discusses what's been happening to her with anyone else ever get addressed in the series?

Season 3's finale does sort of address this issue, but that's spoilers. Suffice to say, Erica has mentioned in some episode that people will think she is insane if she told them she had time travel therapy.

 

[Technobuilder]

Just starting Season 2, Episode 5.

I'm still chugging along and I have to say the series keeps surprising me with the types of situations Erica encounters. Overall, the show approaches such encounters realistically, mature in tone and full of heart without resorting to the likes of sensationalism or self-indulgence.

To be honest I could care less about Ethan, but maybe that's just me. I just don't see why he's such a great guy.

Also, I'm hoping that Josh mans up and gives Sam her life back. Such a douche.

 

[intrinsical]

Also, I'm hoping that Josh mans up and gives Sam her life back. Such a douche.

Just a curious question here. Don't you think Sam also has to "man up" too? After all she's 50% of the marriage.

 

[Technobuilder]

Fair point. I was just conceptualizing it in terms of how he's lied to her for years and never been honest about his reasons for being with her in the first place, especially after his original goal became futile. Plus the marriage seems founded on circumstances and expectations more than any sort of commitment so I tend to look at Josh as the bad guy.

Josh is lying to Sam, and Sam isn't listening to what her instincts are telling her.


Also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK9NflOPIxQ Erin is too cute.

 

[intrinsical]

Well given the circumstances that Josh willingly married Sam, partly because he can't get Erica and partly because its some sort of sick vengence against Erica, he is in the happy position of having fulfill his goal of seeing Erica suffer. While Josh is not truly happy, he is satisfied with the current arrangement. So Josh is not going to give up on the marriage willingly.

And from that perspective, it all depends on Sam to realize that her husband don't really love her and to decide what to do about it.

 

[Technobuilder]

I never meant to suggest that the only way Sam could ever get her life back was if it was given to her by Josh.

Josh is being bad and I just wanted to call him a douche.

Really didn't expect to get raked over the coals (of an exploding TARDIS) for it either.

Edit: Just watched Episode 2x08 and it looks like Sam finally started asking herself the hard questions. I'm starting to wonder if Josh will ever come clean with her though.

 

[Ubik]

Just starting Season 2, Episode 5.

I'm still chugging along and I have to say the series keeps surprising me with the types of situations Erica encounters. Overall, the show approaches such encounters realistically, mature in tone and full of heart without resorting to the likes of sensationalism or self-indulgence.

To be honest I could care less about Ethan, but maybe that's just me. I just don't see why he's such a great guy.

Also, I'm hoping that Josh mans up and gives Sam her life back. Such a douche.

The reason you couldn't car less about Ethan is because he is played by the worst actor I have ever seen in an otherwise excellent tv series. If someone pointed a gun at his head and told him he had to say a line realistically, or he'd be shot, the man would die. He's awful.

 

[Canadave]

The reason you couldn't car less about Ethan is because he is played by the worst actor I have ever seen in an otherwise excellent tv series. If someone pointed a gun at his head and told him he had to say a line realistically, or he'd be shot, the man would die. He's awful.

Yeah, I tend to agree. I mean, the character is written to be a little bit bland and\or safe (depending on how you look at it), but the acting just makes him into little more than a sock puppet. It's too bad, really, as pretty much every other character in the show is quite well-cast.

 

[Technobuilder]

^I'd have to agree with that sentiment.

Michael Riley is excellent for example.

Quick Question: I ran across some information about a webseries for Being Erica and I was just wondering if it's worth the time to track down the episodes?

So glad I stumbled onto this thread.

Thanks guys.