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Last Post on Book of Daniel

Webster's wife trying to get a mortgage, but is turned down. Houskeeper is smoking outside. Is smoking supposed to be bad? Oh, and the houskeeper is Black.

Mob priest comes by. The money has been found. But you have to use... the mob to build the church school. I always suspected...

My head is spinning.

Overview: not for the pious. Moments of amusement. Acting is erratic. Not quite as tight as Desperate Housewives or some of the other "edgier" tv shows. And I promise not to use the word "edgy" ever again.

Jesus clearly needs better lines.

His Sister-in-law is Bisexual

There it is: Webster's sister-in-law is a lesbian. "She went to Vassar," quips the Daniel's wife.

The sarcasm isn't convincing. Quinn acts to make up for it.

"I'm reuniting us with the catholic church." In other words, we need to use our mob connections. I have said that the Catholic church was like the mob, but I was kidding [ahh yes, so are they...].

Back to manga. Looks like the daughter seller has matched the dominitrix with superpriest. that is kind of hot, actually.

Webster then calls his gay son "so gay." Whatever [rolling of the eyes. Major rolling of the eyes.]

And yes, the bishops are getting it on together. Now THAT's sleazy.

Webster and his wife are - oh no! having sex on Monday. Excitement abounds.

Need more visual.

Wife asks not to socialize with wax figures. Wants to get another job.

Stud son and Paxton daughter now getting it on in a parking lot. Evil wife Paxton spies.

I'm getting a drink. Two.

Do Not Throw Away the Cigar

The bishop's wife, who has Alzheimer's, slaps the bishop, forgetting they are married. Sad.

Father has a cigar. Now THAT I can relate to. He sits with Jesus. Jesus says he used to talk to Father's dad. Says he's a good man. Not sure what to make of all this goodness.

Father then stuffs the cigar when he sees a counselee run on by.... That's weird. Better to have two cigars to share.

Father then jokes on "living together in sin" to the parishioner, who is living with his fiancee. "Just kidding" he says. Kind of funny. Have to use that myself.

Stud goes to his girlfriend's house, the daughter of a vestryman [I think] of Father's parish. They start gettin' heavy, when the dad gets curious. Stud tries to escape and then falls out the window onto the Jaguar. The dad, Roger [paxton] , sees everything.

Winner: wife comes out with a martini. She's nonplussed to see an Oriental on her Jag.

At the hospital, he sees the mob priest. Jokes about the Jaguar. The Paxton wife forbids the stud and their daughter from meeting. Makes racist statement about oriental grandkids. This would have been believeable about 10 years ago, but adopting Asian children is... very popular. See Angelina Jolie.

Daddy bishop introduces girl to gay grandson at choir practice. He meets cute guy, first, who happens to be the guys sister. Jokes abound about the guy being all over him if he messes things up with his sister. Kind of funny.

My general review so far is that... it's not bad. But it isn't really about the church, and when they do talk about the church, it feels forced. I wonder if the pseudo religious aspect allows the mundane to seem suddenly scandalous. For example - is Salsa dancing risque? not really. And Episcopal Priest salsa dancing? That's interesting.

Who is the audience? edgy people who just can't imagine that church can be so amusing? Or churchy people who need a bit more edginess.

But the Jesus just doesn't work.

Missed the opening. Was watching that Denzel movie on football. It's much more compelling, really.

Bishop critiques father for his funeral sermon. Then asks for pills. Yep. That's how we Episcopals do things.

Oh! There's Jesus - "you could open up a drugside stand" he says, something like. Like the phrase. Hate the delivery.

Looks like the dealing daughter is meeting some other young cute criminals. Woo hoo!

Sexy Episcopal daughters. That is just so not right.

Young couple seeks counseling with priest. The wife admits getting stoned when they make love.

They ask the priest what he does for kinky sex.

Oh! There's Jesus. Jesus says, "there is such thing as too much communication."

Now THAT's wisdom.

The bishop is over for dinner. The wife really needs to hold that martini glass still.

And BTW, we Episcopalians have wine with dinner. Martinis before. Usually starting lunch.

I hate it when they get these things wrong.

Hot secretary then winks at the clueless bishop, the grandfather, who still can't get that Peter is Gay. The kids then have a lot of fun at the Bishop's expense.

BTw, the hot secretary is a Methodist.

What's up about THAT?

the mother seems to be losing her mind. Jesus appears. Comforts Father.

that's nice.

Back to Titans. Like the football racial harmony thing.

There are occasionally some good lines. The rector's wife says, "our family doesn't do drugs, they sell them..." The father's uncomfortability with a gay son seems tender and honest. "Is Tim... um... you know...", Father asks regarding the gay son's study partner.

Affection between Dad and the gay son. As long as he finds a man who is good looking and a surgeon.

Jesus fiddles with the cincture.

Now THAT is irritating. This is acolyting 101: No twirling of the cinctures. How could Jesus do this?

The priest finds his daughter's manga. He finds a picture of the mother dressed like a dominitrix. The daughter agress that it was stupid to sell drugs. Father's happy and now everyone is reading Japanes comix. Just not the x-rated ones [maybe later...].

Father and his wife talk about gay relatives with beknighted amusement. Then they make love. They make love every Friday. Is this supposed to be weird?

That's what all Episcopal priests do. I think its Talmudic.

Then the bishop, the big daddy, makes a house call. They just take me out to lunch. [ed note - I didn't know that the bishop is his father].

Looks like the wife of the brother in law and the brother in law's secretary are in cahoots.

Then look! there's Jesus! Jesus grins, shakes his head, and says, "you just never know, do you?"

I think a little less piety is in order for Jesus. Or more omniscience.

It is very hard for an omniscient deity to have good lines. They'd just be saying "I knew it!" or "I told you so," or "hey, you won't believe this but..."

OK - so there's Jesus. Jesus clearly isn't helping him drive. He seems like a nice guy, but I do not approve of the robes. I think a simple polo and jeans. Maybe a Borsolino hat. Or even he could have been a bit more like a Palestinian Jew rather than a tepid hippy psychotherapist. Or even a contemprary Hasidic Jew.

Missed part of it - surfed to that Denzel movie...

Father is now playing golf with Roger Paxton, who seems old money rich. Just found out that there's been an embezzlement by his brother-in-law. Father is going to avoid a scandal by not going to the police.

Sounds credible - the whole avoiding the police thing. Webster then goes to the mob priest to find his brother.

Suddenly, Pastoral Care! It was nicely done, actually. With Jesus waiting for him. It is kind of like that. Sometimes.

The daughter is appropriately ... what's the word... "insouciant" or "petulant."

The mob priest finds the brother in law. Calling from a very cheesy Italian Restaurant, the priest reports yes, he did have objects stuffed up his rectum. Can't fathom what the monsignior thinks of us Episcopalians after that. Of course Episcopal embezzlers would have things stuffed up his ass.

[Fr. John, remember, its a comedy].

I'm not sure if Catholics or Italians should be offended.

It is kind of funny though.

Clearly this drama is less about the church than about... a contemporary upper-middle class suburban family. The Episcopal priest angle actually forces makes the drama a bit more interesting. Or ridiculous.

The siblings come together through anime.

Father reports to the Bishop. The bishop has everything laid out, and describes a night out on the town with the other bishop [hmm...].

You would believe that bishops have it good.

Father then apologizes to Jesus for threatening damnation. Maybe Father should have said "woe..." instead.

Father asks Jesus what to do. Jesus says, life is hard. that is why there is such a nice reward at the end.

That's not comforting, says the priest. Jesus then makes a jab at Episcopal self-help books. Could this Jesus be just a little less... predictable. Maybe change his duds or smoke a bit?

This Jesus just isn't working for me.

Father then preaches the "nice reward" at the brother in law's funeral, which, BTW, does NOT get preached by most Episcopal priests.

It is just not pastorally sensitive - especially when the person's embezzled 3.2 million dollars.

Fade into a stained glass of a Quinn running after the widow.

Not sure about the banter. There's the girl again, selling. yes, this happens in your average Episcopal church.

Um, Yorkshire pudding?

"Priest at the table, here." Ha.

The girl selling for Japanese comic books?

"Am I going to have to come out to you every family meal?"

Fade into stained glass....

At the inspiration of Radosh, another Daniel, blogging the TV show, the book of Daniel.

Didn't need the bishop telling us her credentials. "I'm a chair at yale" ugh. Hate that.

Another "reverend" Hate that.

"I'll meet you at the club..." yes, sometimes this happens.

Nice house the priest lives in. The wife, obviously snookered. She seems like fun.

Feeling like a martini myself.

The book of Daniel

Alright: I'm live blogging the book of Daniel. Not sure how liveblogging should work, but I'll be commenting as the evening goes.

Tought to tear away myself from this Denzel film.

The dialogue, so far a little forced. Why didn't the bishop preach? Why wasn't the bishop presiding? Um - the sermon on temptation, interesting, but I can't imagine a liberal priest preaching it.

Although, yes, yes I can. Fortunately, we say the creed afterward.

Billy calls Quinn "reverend." Hate that. It's "father," or "pastor," or "brother."

The Book of Daniel

I've been hesitating about writing about the new series "The Book of Daniel" partially because I don't think I can contribute any more insight into the Hollywood vs Christianity slugfest that fuels the imagination of conservative Christians.   The Diocese of Washington has a Daniel Blog. 
I'm tempted to watch the debate from the sidelines - I don't share the obssession with Hollywood that the conservatives have, and I just don't see that Christians are really being harrassed.  But I AM upset about the Book of Daniel, because... its on a Friday night.  I really prefer to go dancing. 

I personally think that plot has potential - we don't need to have a show about perfect pastors with dull family issues.  I'm suspicious about the reviews, so far, so I'm going to have to watch it myself.  I have low expectations.  If it isn't entertaining, next week I'll take that salsa lesson a 7:30pm.

Radosh makes an excellent point, however.  He argues that a lot of people are upset that a progressive Christianity might actually exist.  That there are Christians who, well, think that gay people are blessed and called to be who they are; that government might help people who are less fortunate; that one can be both intellectually credible and spiritually faithful.  If the Book of Daniel can represent, in some way, that we progressives are humane and just AND faithful, perhaps this will be the best PR ECUSA can have.  Let the conservatives have the perfect people. 

We'll take the sinners.