Thursday, February 28, 2008

This Just In: NYT Notices Gabriel Bryne Is Attractive

Lingering photographs of his hands at 8!

I admit myself stuck in a non-watching spree with the show. Schedules and a disarmingly fiction-turned-real relationship arguments have kept me from catching it On Demand and HBO has cruelly turned off the free ep pipeline. Though frankly, if you, the "Greatest Network Of Our Time," bleep an adult themed show (I can't imagine anyone younger than twenty tuning in, feel free to correct me) I'm not biting anymore. But you know, curiosity will see me through. I'm placing my bets on Alex having a PTSD episode and shooting everyone, from Paul and Laura to Paul's wife's lover and Sophie's coach.

Anyway, least the Times roots up some veery mild professional criticism of Paul's methods: “At this point in the series,” Dr. Kanaris [clinical psychologist in private practice in Smithtown, N.Y.] added, “I have to say Paul’s counter-transference is not going very well. It makes for good television but bad therapy.”

Also it seems like Byrne is running for cover: "A publicist for Mr. Byrne, who was born in Dublin and who earlier in his career starred in “The Usual Suspects” and was married to Ellen Barkin, declined to make him available to comment about the unusually personal feelings some audience members have developed for him and his character." If you see him on the street and start yelling, "Paul!" remember your grandmother, and her propensity to call soap stars by character names. I mean, this is just a high-minded soap, right?

The creator of the show, Rodrigo Garcia, seems hellbent on making Paul grotesquely unappealing--though I bet by his methods (more Laura attraction, more Gina abuse, calling his wife a whore some more) are just gonna froth everyone up: “Sure, Paul is a sex symbol,” he said. “But he makes mistakes along the way. And now that we’re seeing his real problem, maybe he’s not a god after all. It’s like my mother used to say: Being that close to someone, you are seeing his dirty underwear.”

We shall see--or rather I will, once I catch up.

No comments: