Treat William's Beard is a show that once held the title for best first season of all-time by certain people that may or may not include the author of this very blog.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="270" caption="Treat Williams, the beard, the children."]
[/caption]The first season featured excellent writing, direction and acting. It was a classic WB show like Buffy or ANGEL. Treat William's Beard had substance. It wasn't like Dawson's Creek or the atrocious 7th Heaven. The drama was earned. There was little melodrama (though the comatose boyfriend storyline leans that way but the show never melo-dramatized it) and a whole lot of heart. Much of the credit belongs to series creator Greg Berlanti and the show suffered a tonal shift when he began developing other shows for ABC because he handed the showrunning duties to Rina Mimoun. Now, there's an old story that Berlanti was the one who was way into melodrama (and I should probably believe that considering he's behind Brothers and Sisters) and that Rina Mimoun was the one keeping the story grounded. She made a wise move to eliminate the narrations but she and her group of writers fell victim to melodrama.
Season Two featured depressed Amy because her boyfriend died during surgery.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="475" caption="Allright. She doesn't look depressed here--just fantastic."]
[/caption]This was followed by her journey into drug experimentation with a fellow known by the TWoP crowd as Eyebrows. There was also a prolonged story arc about how she left home. Meanwhile, Treat Williams and his beard experienced the wrath of a town broken-hearted by the death of the town's golden boy Colin Hart. People stopped going to his practice despite the fact that it was free. Ephram dated a succubus known as Madison. Add to that the fact she was 20 and he was 16 and a whole pile of drama was on that. Many conversations were had between the succubus and Ephram about how she's too old and Ephram's just a child. BUT NO, Ephram whined. He argued that he was masculine and manly enough for her. They of course break up. Meanwhile, Amy has had feeling for Ephram since episode six but the succubus rained on that parade. Of course, when she's single and he's single, he feels too scarred and hurt to date anyone because of Madison. There's an episode when Ephram plays her and a Dawson's Creek moment ensues when Ephram says he got her back for an entire year of being played. Amy cries. Back to the Beard though, he dates Dr. Abbott's sister who contracted HIV while helping kids as a doctor abroad. This doesn't scare Treat nor his beard because he loves Linda Abbott and it's the first time he's been able to love another woman since the death of his wife. His daughter doesn't feel the same way. Just when she accepts Linda as a person, she finds out about the HIV and accidentally spreads it around town. Treat and his beard DUMPED Linda in the previous episode because of Delia's fear of losing another motherish figure. She leaves. There's also a malpractice thing with Dr. Abbott so he and Treat become buddies. Madison returns with news she's pregnant. Treat and his beard BANISH her from the town. Ephram doesn't know. Treat nor the beard wants Ephram to lose his innocence. He and Amy begin dating.
Allright. THAT did read as melodramatic. Now, it's season three. The DVD you may or may not purchase based on my argument. I warn you it's very melodramatic. Treat and the beard engage in an affair with Anne Heche despite the fact her husband can't speak nor move and is being treated by Treat and the beard. This stresses Treat and the Beard out to the point he suffers a stomach ulcer. He's also paranoid his son, Ephram, will find out that Madison was BANISHED with his spawn and, thus, destroying the years of healing that has happened in their complicated father/son relationship. The Anne Heche storyline is awful. It takes entirely too much time. It nearly destroys the season for me. Treat and the beard show stupidity that's never been seen before. Considering's a brain surgeon, one would expect a smarter person and beard. Also, that ticking time-bomb known as the Madison/pregnant storyline? It blows up and it's annoying. Ephram overreacts, dumps Amy, sells every piece of musical equipment so he can go to Europe. WHAT?!?
You know, I imagine a group of 9-10 writers sitting around the table, pitching ideas for when Madison returns and the emotional beats and fallout of between Ephram and his father as well as the beard. How could they think it was a good idea? Ephram's motivations aren't believable. In fact, the entire storyline is implausible. Thankfully, at this point in time, I was having my mind blown by the first season of LOST and I forgot many of the happenings in season three. It was like a bad dream. It's not a good season for Treat Williams and his beard. Of course, they wouldn't name the show Treat William's Beard if it meant Treat and the beard would sail through the show happily and without problems. It's amazing that a writer's room of many smart, intelligent writers consent to some ludicrous story arcs and plots. They did some great things in season three like the Ephram/Amy relationship, the Amy/Hannah friendship but then they did nonsense things like Anne Heche, Bright's dumbass behavior post-college but the development of the Bright/Hannah future relationship was done well especially the episode when the four friends hang out in the snow. This is before the succubus and her baby hits the fan. As for that baby, Ephram pursues it once and realizes it's not meant to be: fatherhood.
What this essentially boils down to is this: can you handle nonsense melodrama for the middle part of the season with Anne Heche, Treat Williams and the beard? Treat William's Beard is a show with its fair share of flaws but the writers never lose sight of the show's heart and why people loved the show as much they did when it was on. There's a fair share of good in season three but some bad, bad stuff. In fact, season three has one of my favorite moments of the show. It involves a message from Ephram's mother who died and Dr. Seuss' "Oh, The Places You'll Go."
Now, I turn to First Stop Pennsylvania's "Down 0-3."
It is a six song EP written, produced and recorded by Bryan Funk. The six songs are well-done, catchy and fun. Track three has single written all over it. If I'm an A&R guy, I'd sign First Stop solely for "With You." First Stop Pennsylvania blends a few different styles. There's punk rock, pop-punk and 80s power-pop and it's a blending of styles that works. There are infectious melodies and terrific use of effects. The EP isn't overwhelmed by effects. B. Funk carefully chose his spots and it works. Also, an aspect of CDs that's never given enough national attention is the closing track. I think enough has been made of openers and a golden rule seems to be open it up with some energy which this EP does. The closing track is pretty great as well. It reminds me of the glory days of pop-punk and even contains an expletive. The entire ep has that quality though. It's more Blink 182 than All Time Low or Paramore. The ep is a healthy reminder of a golden era of pop-punk and one of the lasting things to take from this ep is this: pop-punk still has a whole lot of fun, quality and life in it.
It's available here: http://firststoppennsylvania.bandcamp.com. It's pay what you want. Pay 0 or Pay a dollar. It is like Jacob said: you have a choice.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE DAY
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