Nevertheless, I started watching it on Amazon Prime recently, first out of curiosity, and then because I found that while the episodes are emotionally manipulative, formulaic and politically frustrating, I was genuinely moved by the characters, and the acting is often quite good. It's also way too much fun to see the earlier work of current treasures such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eric Balfour and Don McManus, as well as appearances by legends like Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.
But halfway through Season 3, I’m arresting the binge. I couldn’t even make it to the much-touted wedding episode for Mike and Sully. With the bizarre timeline errors, this season’s switching back and forth between two actresses playing Colleen, and the one-step-forward-two-steps-back annoyances in what passes for character development, I find myself angry at the writers and producers for a lack of organization, too many continuity failures and what seems a capricious attitude toward the investment they demand from their viewers. The way these writers expect us to constantly connect and then again hate the main supporting characters is infuriating rather than realistic. Yes, Hank, Jake and Loren repeatedly show their softer sides, but while these revelations may be endearing in the moment, the fact that they don’t seem to learn more from each experience is intolerably frustrating.
We’ve made serious strides in reducing hatred and prejudice and ignorance in this country. While there is still much work to be done, what good is there in revisiting the same racism and intolerance that stunted this nation’s growth after the Civil War? It may be historically accurate (I wouldn't know), and I suppose there may be people who can learn from exploring how hard it was for basically good people to set those views aside. Even now, in the face of new terror attacks and various public figures alternately talking about gun control and calls to arms, we're again seeing good people lumping others into labeled groups, making assumptions about each individual in those groups, and wanting to punish or exclude the groups wholesale. Are we heading into a new, wilder west?
Perhaps it just hits too close to home right now. But more likely, perhaps this isn't the time for a show which is so emotionally manipulative that the real anger I find myself feeling toward the bigotry actually seems artificially rendered, and therefore both needless and impotent -- it's not even my anger. For whatever reason (even if it’s my own moral arrogance), I just can’t take anymore. For now, I’ll get my thoughts provoked elsewhere. Like the newspaper, for instance.
We’ve made serious strides in reducing hatred and prejudice and ignorance in this country. While there is still much work to be done, what good is there in revisiting the same racism and intolerance that stunted this nation’s growth after the Civil War? It may be historically accurate (I wouldn't know), and I suppose there may be people who can learn from exploring how hard it was for basically good people to set those views aside. Even now, in the face of new terror attacks and various public figures alternately talking about gun control and calls to arms, we're again seeing good people lumping others into labeled groups, making assumptions about each individual in those groups, and wanting to punish or exclude the groups wholesale. Are we heading into a new, wilder west?
Perhaps it just hits too close to home right now. But more likely, perhaps this isn't the time for a show which is so emotionally manipulative that the real anger I find myself feeling toward the bigotry actually seems artificially rendered, and therefore both needless and impotent -- it's not even my anger. For whatever reason (even if it’s my own moral arrogance), I just can’t take anymore. For now, I’ll get my thoughts provoked elsewhere. Like the newspaper, for instance.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Series websiteDr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn, daughter of a doctor, leaves her stable life in Boston -- answering an ad for a town doctor in Colorado Springs.
(1993-1998) -- 6 seasons, 149 episodes
Duration approx 0:48 each
Created by Beth Sullivan
Starring: Jane Seymour, Joe Lando
Current availability
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