I don't watch much television when it comes to shows. The only show I
do watch is The Sheild and watching Vic Mackey's world crashing down on
him. With only four shows left each and every show is a nailbiting
cliffhanger that I have to rewatch it on the weeekend. For reruns, I've
been fascinated by the Ted Danson Becker show that for four and half
seasons follows the life of a bitchy but caring doctor and his friends
who put up with his rant and raves. I think I can identify him a lot
since I act lot like Becker.
And the first two seasons he had plenty of love interests but as the
show unfolded it would be Regina Kostas, or Reggie, a failed model who
inherited her dad's crappy restrauant to which she shares with Jake, a
blind newspaper peddler. Certainly Becker had love interests or friends
with benefits, including with a doctor that saves Becker's life
(Frances Farmer) that eventually ends when she leaves for a job in
Chicago. Eventually, Chris Connor (Nancy Travis), a woman that tries
to put a smile on everything figures into the mix but Reggie though
attractive to John, would trip on herself trying to get to courage to
ask john out and it takes up to the finale to which Reggie sleeps with
John one night and then realizes her mistake and then disappers
afterward. To which the next season and half show Chris and John
fighting each other, hating each other but down inside love each other
to which on the last season, John tries to adapt himself to at least
learn to live with her as boyfriend/girlfriend but still living in
seperate apartments.
I started watching Becker when TBS had it at the 11 oclock AM slot
and then after that, come home from work and watched it on WGN at 11 30
PM. I'd sit through the whole beginning as Becker goes from
contankerous crabbass to a content crabbass at the end. While critics
blasted this show (after all it was created by the guy who gave us the
less interesting WINGS), I found that each and every charater was
believable and though some were annoying and dingy, they too eventually
became the person I rooted for. The dingy Linda, the dumbass Bob, the
caring Margaret, who manages the doctor's office, the nice guy Jake who
can't find a decent woman to save his blind self and to newcomer Hector,
whose money making ideas don't work out but you root for him anyway.
And the love interests such as Reggie, who cares but not enough to
substain a long lasting relationship and bails out (although Terry
Farrell, the CR native who played Reggie actually wasn't invited back
the next season due to reasons unknown). Chris is more rooted even
though her realtionships were doomed to fail, she refuses to give up on
such a pathethic person such as Becker. And in the last episode she
confronts Becker on this to which he admits for the first time he's
happy with their relationship and we leave them on the balcony outside
John's apartment, ready for a life of togetherness that we would never
see.
To which WGN showed the other night and announceing that Bob And Tom,
the comedy duo with their own tv show would replace John Becker at that
time slot. Although Becker will be moving to the afternoon show, it's
time for us to bid adieu since I'll be working at that time and pretty
much know most of the story line enough not to see it again. (I think I
probaly watched the show over and over about seven times). But Becker
actually parallels quite well with the life of Crabb although unlike
John, the Crabb's lovelife isn't there.
So on that, we toast a final toast to Chris and John and wish them a
happy life in rerun land as they once again go back to start and find
their way to each other in four and half seasons of madcap fun.
Cheers Becker ya old Crabb.
